What’s your inspiration?

Most people have one shadow, I usually have two.  The only way I am able to find time to sew is when I can also find something for my girls to do nearby.  I spend most of my day with the littlest, Lola, at my side.  When school is out, we are joined by Isabelle.

My sewing room is cluttered with toys, ready to inspire them to play.  I decided along time ago that the mess was totally worth the reward of having time to sew.  I’m also pretty lucky to have a large sewing space that doesn’t need to look perfect on a daily basis.

This past month I’ve had a number of sewing deadlines to meet including finishing up the instructions for my 2017 Fabric Fan Club Sampler Quilt.  It is being quilted as I type and I will share a picture next month.  If you’re in the Club you’ll get your finishing instructions in your February shipment.

Curious about what the Fabric Fan Club is?  I started it 3 years ago as a monthly fabric subscription and it has evolved through the years.  Next year I’m launching the Scrap Sewciety as the 2018 Fabric Fan Club.  I know we all have plenty of scrap fabrics sitting around.  And I’m guessing, if you’re like me, you have very good intentions on using them.  With the 2018 Club I plan to take you on a year long journey through your scraps.  I will be designing 4 brand new quilt patterns that will utilize your stash.  Each month you will get sent on a little mission into your scraps to find fabrics that we will incorporate into the quilts.

The other really fun part of the Fabric Fan Club is that I also select a small gift that I send with your shipment each month.  Oh and don’t forget about the fabric! What kind of Fabric Fan Club would it be if you didn’t also get fabric? Each month you’ll also get a fat quarter of fabric.  If you are interested in joining me in 2018, the first shipment will be March 1st. You can register on our website, http://www.baywindowquiltshop.com

This year we decided to offer a new type of Block of the Month program called Inspiring Stitches.  It’s actually a calendar for 2018 that has instructions for each month of the year.

We loved this idea so much we made up two different versions- dark or light. Full disclosure here, I didn’t sew them.  A huge thank you to Missy Stine for making both models!!

Each month the designers will be sharing additional patterns that feature the month’s block (with the exception of this month). So look for a new blog post from me each month that includes a link to that pattern.  You will need the calendar to complete each project (it will give you the first set of instructions).

Here’s a look at the January block in both colorways:

One of the things I love most about this sew along is that you can honestly start any time.  You only have to make a few blocks each month which means it will be easy to get started whenever you want.

You can find kit information and the calendar on our website.

As January comes to a close I am excited for what February will bring: a new View From Bay Window issue, the start of Schoolhouse class preparations, our annual Liquidation Sale at the PACC, plus who knows what else will inspire me to create!  Happy sewing- Katie

 

Simply Spooky- Free Halloween Wool Applique Pattern!

Are you ready for a spooktacular Halloween? We sure are! We LOVE Halloween at this house. The decorations go up early- sometimes as early as August and the debate about what each kid is going to dress up as continues until it is almost too late. This year I wanted to create something new for the house and was inspired by Moda’s toweling fabric.  I love the linen texture of this product and thought it would be the perfect backdrop for some simple wool applique.

I had a lot of fun creating the Boo, Bats, and White Pumpkin pillows.

I also decided to make a table runner with the toweling too.  It’s so easy, it’s even hemmed on two sides when you purchase it.

Here’s a look at the Witch Hat Runner that also features some spider buttons.

Each of these projects was quite quick and easy.  I like to keep it simple and it was also a great way to use up some smaller pieces of wool.  Click on the link below to download the pattern with appliques.

Halloween Appliques

Need a little more decorating inspiration? I’ve been collecting unique Halloween decor for years. And I love pulling out each piece and of course adding new things each year!

These giant glittering BOO letters are fun to position allover the house.  Each year they seem to find a different place. They kind of make me wish I had all sorts of giant glittering letters to spell out whatever I wanted.

These vintage inspired cardboard witch hats are one of my favorite decorations.  They’re life-sized which makes them seem like maybe they belonged to someone. And glittering vintage treat buckets- so cute!

So I have to admit that I have a real love of skeleton decor.  I can’t explain why, I just know I love it.  One of the favorites in my collection are these glass skull ornaments that are decorated for “Day of the Dead”.

And if you know my son Jack, you also know that he loves Halloween – A LOT. This year he’s gotten into more of the grown up decor.  He’s added more skeletons to our mix, including this bird skeleton.

Remember the full size skeleton in the first picture? That’s just Mr. Bones, the newest member of our family.  This year we’re going to have some fun with Mr. Bones and take pictures of him throughout the month of October.  We’ll be celebrating the Halloween season with our version of “Elf on the Shelf” but instead it will be “Skeleton on the Shelf”. If you want to follow along be sure to follow my Instagram account @katiehennagir or my Facebook page @KatieHennagir

Happy Halloween! -Katie

 

 

Pass it along… a free table runner pattern just for you!

Time, it’s fleeting.  With three kids, a full time job plus being a stay at home mom, and lots of volunteer organizations that I help out I feel like there is never enough time for everything on my list.  I know I’m not alone in feeling like this and that the choices my family makes means there is always a job to do somewhere. However, I must admit I feel a little guilty about not always having a new post on this blog or other avenues of social media.   I knew my last post was from Christmas and um, it’s almost time for Easter! So today I decided it was time to write something, anything, even if it wasn’t something perfect.

I’ve been designing quilt patterns for over 15 years and throughout that time I have had patterns that end up sitting in a folder on my computer collecting dust.  So lets open up that vault and share one today!

Triple Star Runner is a quick and easy table runner that is made from only 4 fat quarters.  It’s a fun runner to put together with floating points on the stars so anyone can make it look great!

Click on the link below to download the pattern.

triple-star-runner

I hope you enjoy this pattern and who knows maybe it will motivate you to do a little spring cleaning as well.  I bet you have 4 fat quarters in your stash that you could make into a Triple Star Runner! Happy Fabric- Katie

Deck the halls with lots of quilts!

Decorating for the holidays has always been one of my favorite things to do.  I love combining vintage with new to create a space I love to be around.  And don’t forget the quilts! Quilts can tell a story all their own, especially in decorating. Our home has two distinct areas that I like to create: a kid’s zone & my zone!

In the kid’s zone you will find lots of Santas, bright colors, and novelties. These are the things that make me smile, and they are unapologetically Christmas!

Nothing says Christmas like a big Santa panel quilt hanging by the tree.  It’s just waiting for the gifts to be placed under the tree “special delivery from Santa’s workshop”.  This is also what I like to call our “Hallmark” tree. It is filled with all of the ornaments my kids have collected over the years, as well as some Jace and I received when we were little. They are bright, cheerful, themed, and this tree has an anything goes philosophy.  Including the fact that Jack decided to hang all of his Batman ornaments in them same spot.  The kids got to decorate this tree as much as they wanted to, although Izzy was the last one standing. Jack got bored after about 10 minutes.

This is also where we hang each kid’s Advent calendar.

This year we added Lola’s very own Advent calendar to the mix.  I love the tradition of counting down the days until Christmas morning. Each day the kid’s find a little treat in the pocket of their calendar.  Izzy actually has a small stocking for each day, which was a panel we have at the shop.  Advent calendars are also one of my favorite gifts to give families with kids.  It’s something they can use over and over again for year’s to come!

Even though Santa may rule the basement, I do try to incorporate other messages with my decor.  This quilt was a pattern I designed a couple years ago where you could create your own saying on the banners.  “Peace on Earth” has always been one of my favorite sayings during the holiday season and this was a fun way to bring that message into my home.

It also just happened to fit above a vintage metal shelf that houses some of my globe collection- I’d say that’s a perfect design pairing.

Speaking of collections, I have a huge obsession with Putz and Shiny Bright houses.  They are delightfully whimsical and truly bring a smile to my face whenever I look at them. Last year I found these small Putz inspired houses and was thrilled to add them to my collection.

I enjoy incorporating items I already have in my home in my displays. The perfect perch for some tiny houses was of course some vintage books.

And the top of the piano is a great place to display some of my favorites.

I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing these vintage homes throughout my house. That goes the same for vintage ornaments.  Do you have a treasured decoration that means something a bit extra to you? For me it is this ceramic set of NOEL angels.

Growing up my Grandma Katy always placed a set of these angels on top of her TV in the living room.  There was always a standing joke that my uncle John would rearrange the letters to spell other words, “Leon” being a favorite.  When she passed away the set was given to my uncle John.  Whenever I went antiquing I kept my eyes peeled for a set of my own.  This was back in the days before you could find anything you wanted on the internet. One day I finally found them! They were worn and loved, but so was my Grandma’s set. It looks like they were super glued back together in at least a couple places- just like hers.  It is truly my favorite decoration that I have for my home.  Each year when I take it out of it’s box I remember my Grandma, the family Christmas we would celebrate at her home, and a time when I was just a kid that loved Christmas.

Tree number two for our house is a real tree that we cut from our land.  All of the trees on our land were originally planted by my dad.  Most are too big to be Christmas trees, but the past two years we’ve found a small one hiding between the others. This is also where I get to hang my glass ornaments and tell the kids to keep away! There is absolutely no comparison between hanging ornaments on an artificial tree versus a real tree.  The gaps and holes that each branch creates let the ornament be the star of the show.  And instead of a traditional tree skirt I wrap this tree with a vintage quilt.

Another place I love to leave a holiday quilt is draped over my old church pew in the entryway.

I had high hopes of getting my new wood and metal “peace” sign hung above the pew in place of my Paris picture, but Jace is still working on that one.  I figure if we miss the holiday season I’ll still hang it for awhile because I’m always looking for peace at home.  Maybe I can just point to the sign the next time the kids are picking on each other!

And finally I leave you with a picture of a wool table runner that I cherish.  It is simply red and white wool that spells out Merry Christmas, but sometimes that’s the only message you need!

The countdown to Halloween fun starts now!

Only 43 days until Halloween! That’s a big deal around this house.  My kids can’t wait to pull out the boxes of Halloween decorations as soon as the first pumpkin in the garden turns orange.  We just finished putting up about half of our decorations this past weekend.  Lola couldn’t quite figure it out. She kept asking, “is it Halloween?” and we would say no.  She’s a little confused as to why the decorations are out now, but she does think they’re pretty cool.

This year I’m doubly excited for Halloween because of my latest line of fabric, “The House That Jack Built”, with Andover Fabrics.  I’ve been sewing up all kinds of little projects using the fabrics and I’m excited to finally share them with you.  First off, what kid doesn’t need an awesome trick-or-treat bag?

These two little “Wild Kratts” dressed up to show off my spider treat bags that feature the web print from my line.  They are quite simply the easiest treat bag you will ever make.  They feature a simple lining, fusible applique, and polyester webbing for the straps. The most time you’ll spend on these will probably be hand-stitching the buttons on!

Click on the link below for the instructions.  Or you can also head on over to our website and purchase a kit that includes everything you’ll need (except the fusible web).

jacks-treat-bag

http://www.baywindowquiltshop.com

Did you know that my line of fabric is named after my son Jack?  Jack has loved Halloween his whole life, and about 4 years ago the idea came to me for a haunted “this is the house that Jack built”.   Jack helped me write the story that is featured on the fabric in my line.  I love the fabric print, but the phrases are scattered throughout the fabric so that it is the most useful when you are cutting it up and sewing with it.  I wanted to create something that just featured the story, in the same way you would read the nursery rhyme.  So, I create a house pillow and embroidered the sayings on the back in order.

Then I also added some adorable mini Halloween buttons to both sides.  I love this little pillow because it reminds me of how the line came about in the first place.  Click on the link below for the instructions.

jacks-house-pillow

And finally, I also decided to make a little pincushion with Clover’s new simple pincushion set.  All you do it add some fabric and stuffing to this mold and you’re set.  Before I did that, though, I stitched the word “eek” in between a spiderweb and added a glittery spider button!!

Click on the link below for the basic instructions as well as instructions for making a pincushion without the Clover set.

jacks-pincushion

I hope you find some spooktacular inspiration to sew your own happily haunted projects.  Happy Fabric! -Katie

Summer Vacation Survival….

When the weather heats up, it’s time to head to the sewing room for some great kid’s crafts! Around here summer vacation means mornings with dad and afternoons with mom. Now that we’re halfway through their break from school, the kids are starting to get a bit antsy.  Crafting to the rescue!

We’ve gotten some great crafting kits, tools, and patterns into the shop lately so I didn’t have to look far to find what I needed.  Izzy and I decided to give the new Clover pom-pom makers a try.

They were really fun to use.  We purchased some basic yarn and started wrapping.  There are 6 different sizes of pom-pom makers, but Izzy preferred the biggest one.  I think it was the easiest for her to wrap the yarn around.  We also discovered that we needed to wrap the yarn around quite thick to get the desired effect with our pom-poms.  The first few we made were a little skimpy.

After the pom-poms were made I sewed the pink/white ones to the corners of a baby quilt, and we sewed the lime green ones to the corners of a pillow.  Super cute!

Rainy day? No problem- we had wool applique kits from the shop to make!  One of the items that we found at Quilt Market this past spring was prepackaged applique kits for kids that feature different animal faces.  Each kit has everything you need to put one together.  Kids just follow some basic directions- some simple cutting and then they glue it all on with a glue-stick (also included).  I didn’t know how they would do with this one.  I was hoping they wouldn’t need much help from me because I had my own sewing that I wanted to get done.  They both needed a little bit of help the first time around, and they both made it just like the picture shown.

When it was time to open up the second package my kids’ creativity kicked into gear.  Jack declared that their picture of an alien didn’t look anything like an alien so could he make it his own way… Izzy wanted to know if she could change the colors of her fishes scales…  I said you bet and walked away to let them figure it out on their own.

I am so glad I did! Jack’s creation was so unique and way different than the picture. I love it when a kid’s imagination comes through to create something totally their own.

We had thought about sewing these onto a pillow, but in the end they both wanted to leave them as is and just pin them to their bedroom wall.

Our last crafting adventure was actually an experiment in patience. I fell in love with a doll pattern at Quilt Market called “Peaches”. I showed the pattern to my girls at the shop and Lola took it home with her.  She loved looking at the dolls on the pattern so much that I knew I had to make them each one.

Izzy wanted me to make it immediately. Her reasoning was- you’ve got fabric here so start sewing!  I explained that maybe we wanted her face to be a normal face color so she instead raided my stash for all of the other fabrics.  Green striped legs, different colored arms, a bright dress, and polka dot pocket! I love the way kids think.

The dolls were really easy to sew.  Izzy was like a drill sergeant, she kept coming back to my sewing room and asking if I was done yet. Then she’d tell me to go back to sewing and she’d go play with Lola!

I also had fun using a new product that we carry- crocheted edge bias tape.  I used it on the edges of the sleeves and the pocket.  So much fun to sew with and it gives the finished project just a little extra sweetness.

With one month of summer vacation left who knows what we’ll create.  Izzy’s pushing for more dolls or other softies. Jack’s more interested in finding something dirty to do.  We’ll see what happens!

Cute Kid Outtakes:

Jack, “I am so bored right now”

Lola, “I love this doll so much I can’t stop squeezing it”

Izzy & Lola, “Brothers can be so annoying when you’re just trying to look cute”

The House That Jack Built is Live!!!

Yippee! Right now I am the guest blogger over on Andover Fabric’s blog for my new line of fabric, “The House That Jack Built!”  You’ve got to go and check it out here at Andover’s Blog.

And then be sure to go to Andover’s Instagram account for a very special giveaway that they are sponsoring in honor of my line’s release.  Just look for @andoverfabrics, but hurry the giveaway ends on Monday!

Thank you all so much for following along with my little quilting world. I am so excited to share this with all of you!

Time flies when you’re busy sewing…

Yikes! It’s been a long time since I’ve taken a minute to sit down and write you all a little something.  After our 10 weeks of Moda Sampler Shuffle I had quite a bit of catching up to do with all of my other sewing, housework, and general work.  I did put my quilt top together almost right away, and I thought I was going to post about it when I had it quilted.  Let’s just say my quilter has other paying customers that he’d rather quilt for at the moment so my top is still a quilt top. Who knows when it will ever get quilted- I’m banking on sometime in the next 3 years! The hazards of having your husband be a successful machine quilter.

So without further ado, here is a look at my Moda Sampler Shuffle quilt top.  I decided after making a bunch of the flying geese units that I didn’t want to put them all the way around the quilt as an inner border.  Instead I used what I had to feature them in the corner and filled in the rest with the gray Stellar fabric from Andover that I also used as my setting squares.

I do love how it turned out and I am excited to see what it will look like when it’s quilted.  But, on to bigger and better things.  In the past couple months I have been a busy little bee quilting up a storm with the fabrics in my new line of fabric for Andover called The House That Jack Built.  First there was a secret project that I created for American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.  I am so excited that I will have a project in one of their upcoming magazines, and I will tell you all about it when the time comes.

Then I started planning what I would make when the sample yardage of my line came in for Quilt Market.  Those fabrics arrived about 2 weeks ago and I have been sewing ever since.

My mom and I will be flying to Salt Lake City, UT for International Quilt Market in a couple weeks and I will be presenting a Schoolhouse Session for Andover to quilt shop owners on how to sell my line in their shop.  I am really excited to show off the quilts, free patterns, and event ideas that I have for this line.  Also sometime in the next month or so I will be the guest blogger for Andover.  When the time comes I will be sure to send you the link so you can see the quilts from this line and hear all about my inspiration for The House That Jack Built!

Now to just get these quilts quilted in time for Market.

No worries, they are on the schedule for today. Thanks Mr. StrongArm Quilting!!

Week Ten plus Party Animal Birthday!

It’s the final week for new blocks in our Moda Sampler Shuffle! What a fantastic adventure we’ve had creating new blocks every week.  I’m excited to move on to the next phase of this project and I hope you are too.  Here’s Week Ten!

Week Ten was a crazy week at the Hennagir household, it was a good thing these blocks were quick and easy.  Block 28 was really fun.  I loved how they designed the layout of the tiny triangles making this block feel like it was spinning around.

Block 28

The only note I have for this block is that there is a small error in your Cutting Requirements for the Background.  You will actually need 4- 2″ squares (instead of the 2 they listed).

Click on the link below to download the instructions for Block 28

my_sampler-shuffle-block28

Block 29 was equally delightful.  Simple construction and a fun design. Plus you know I like it when I can use more than one fabric in my prints!

Block 29

I enjoyed making each of the half square triangle blocks instead of flying geese which is what it looks like at first glance.  Just be sure to pay attention to which way all of your triangles are going when you sew everything together.  Click on the link below for the Block 29 instructions.

my_sampler-shuffle-block29

And finally Block 30! This adorable appliqued flower was a great finish to my block construction.  I decided to use wool again but changed it up a little bit from the pattern.  Instead of making an applique center on my flower I opted for a vintage button.  I also omitted a leaf on the stem- two was just enough for me!

Block 30

Click on the link below for Block 30.

my_sampler-shuffle-block30

And that’s it! After weeks of following along you now have all of the instructions for putting together our Sampler.  This doesn’t mean I’m done posting about this fun quilt.  I’ll keep you updated on the progress of my quilt as I continue sewing together my setting squares, inner border, and outer border.  Speaking of which, do you still have your copies of those instructions?  If you’ve misplaced them along the way here they are again.

my_sampler-shuffle-inner-border

sampler-shuffle_pattern

Now back to that crazy week I had.  Last week we celebrated Lola’s 2nd birthday and as I overheard my son say, “we take parties seriously at this house.”  He’s right- I do love to throw a party! I will also admit that my party planning got in the way of me getting the blocks posted earlier than today too.  It was mainly because I decided on Wednesday that I needed a quilt for a tablecloth for Sunday.  Lola’s party was a “party animal” theme thanks to these adorable invites that I found on Shutterfly.com

I had also viewed a lot of adorable party animal ideas on Pinterest including adding party hats to plastic animals for a centerpiece.  They were so easy to make- just a little paper, hot glue, and a pompom and you’re done.

I knew we had the perfect fabric at the shop to match this idea and it kept haunting me to make something out of it.  I could have just cut a piece off of the bolt, but then it wouldn’t have been long enough for my table.  So, overachiever that I am, I decided to make up a quilt pattern and sew up a new quilt!

And what would a party animals party be without animals?  I couldn’t resist these inflatable animals that I found on Amazon.com.  I mean seriously a 60″ giraffe?  We opened it up and inflated it a couple days before the party to make sure it would work and Lola was thrilled! She kept walking by it saying “hi giraffe, love you”.  Tape on a party hat and he was ready to party along with his zebra and monkey friends.

This girl is all about donuts.  No cake or cupcakes could compete for her attention which is fine by me.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

So now that the presents have been opened and the donuts eaten, Lola is happy to share her new quilt with the shop for you all to see.

My kids know the drill, mom makes quilts for them but shares them with the ladies at work first.  And since I already did all of the math, here are the instructions for making the quilt as well.  Enjoy!

party animal quilt

Week Nine is Fine- Moda Sampler Shuffle!

Ah Christmas vacation, a lovely time for children to stay home and take up all of their mom’s time so that she doesn’t get her sewing done.  Actually I did get my sewing done, I just had a lot of helpers along the way.  Here is Week Nine!

This week I did a lot of sewing/cutting/pressing in small increments of time.  Whenever I had a minute to myself I would try to accomplish a little bit more on these blocks.  It’s amazing how quickly my kids got bored staying home.  And anytime they came up into my sewing room with me, it just meant that they also wanted to sew/paint/draw/or just make a big mess.  So this week’s blocks ended up being a bit less accurate and one was even sewn a little wrong- let’s take a look!

Block 25 (can you believe we’re on 25 already)!

Block 25 Moda Sampler Shuffle

This block turned out much more interesting than I thought it would.  When I first looked at the picture I thought it was pretty much like the others.  What I love is how the background corner squares stop the lines of the orange creating little arrows of orange fabric.  It was also nice to incorporate 2 fabrics in the block.

Click on the link below to download Block 25 instructions

my_sampler-shuffle-block25

One look at Block 26 and I was a happy mama! Quick and easy and big pieces too.  Woo-Hoo!! I actually sewed this one first this week because I was able to get it done lickety-split!

I’ve started to notice that I’m partial to the blue and orange colors when I’m picking out the fabrics for my blocks.  Now that we’re near the end, it’s getting harder to find new combinations.

Click on the link below to download the instructions for Block 26.

my_sampler-shuffle-block26

And finally Block 27.  I was working on this block at the end of week and I will admit I was distracted.  I’m pretty sure my kids had asked me about 100 questions already that day so I was sewing and talking to them at the same time.  Not a good combination if you want to make the block just like the pattern!

Block 27 Moda Sampler Shuffle

I was excited to use this background fabric again, I just love it! And the pattern is pretty straight forward.  I got to the end where I was sewing the flying geese units to the block and I realized- oops I was supposed to have them all pointing in towards the center square.  I could have ripped out the last two seams I had made and changed it, but that is just not in my nature. So I left it and decided it was just one of the many things that will make my quilt unique to me.

Click on the link below to download the pattern for Block 27.

my_sampler-shuffle-block27

So that’s it for this week.  We have one more week of quilt blocks and then we’re on to sewing the top together.  The fabric choices have been swimming around in my head for weeks now.  I’m still very undecided on how I’m going to layout my blocks and with which fabrics…. that will come later!  Happy sewing and Happy New Year! -Katie