Magpie Quilts

Every year I try to find some new products for the shop and for the markets I do in person. This past season, it was embroidered journal covers.  The quilting stores are carrying some really great linen-look cottons and I chose a denim blue and a natural color for the backdrop to these embroidery designs.  They were well received at all my sales and online. I'm learning lots about how to get a really great result on my embroidery machine - my first few attempts had lots of puckers and thread nests, but the more I practice, the less those things happen.  A standard composition book just slides into the front and back flaps.  I've seen some versions with some options for pen holders as well as a bookmark and ties to close the covers together. But for now, I really like this basic cover - it's pretty classy and a great way to personalize a notebook! --Ann

Sometimes I am asked to make something and it turns out so much better than I could ever have imagined on my own.  This buffalo plaid quilt was made as a gift for an out of country friend who just had a baby. (And what a great idea for a baby gift!)  The little red maple leaf was fused on and stitched around the edge for durability. (You know baby quilts need to be washed. Often.)  I found some really cute cotton fabric with playful Canadiana characters that made a perfect backing and then selected 2 shades of gray and a creamy white for the plaid. (Photos show the creamy white as more yellow than it actually was!) Super easy to pull together and the quilting was done with my walking foot in not so straight lines from top to bottom. I plan on making this quilt again, this time with a Minky back and I will take photos of the steps so I can make you a tutorial. What do you think of buffalo plaid, is it a trend that will stay or be over soon. --Ann

Along with making quilts for my Etsy shop, I also have kids and grandkids to make quilts for. All the babies received a baby quilt when they were born. And when they outgrew the crib, they each get a quilt for their big beds. This dinosaur quilt was made for the 3rd grandson and he chose dinosaurs.   A panel is a pretty easy quilt to finish and I added a few borders until I had a decent sized quilt, added a Minky back and sent it to my friend Marie of Blueberry Hill Quilts for quilting.  It goes without saying that he is over the moon for this quilt and the Minky back makes it so cuddly!  Dinosaurs are a great theme for boys and this quilt should last him for quite a while! --Ann