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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we thought you might need some help with gift ideas.  Every Monday, for the next three weeks, we will have an idea for a quick-and-easy project to make for those you love.

Are you looking for a Valentine's Day gift for that special cook in your life? How about a set of heart pot holders?  We found these cuties, which can be whipped up in an evening, at Made by Me.

 

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We love Alex's fabric line, RED, from RJR Fabrics. Here she's created an adorable pattern, Snip, which is available for download on the RJR site.  Isn't the scissor border great?

Click here to get the pattern.

 

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Do you love reproduction quilts?  Are you as fascinated with the fabrics as the patterns?  Join Barbrara Brackman on a year-long journey she calls Stars in a Time Warp. Each week's star block will feature a different reproduction fabric.  By the end of the journey, you will have an amazing collection of blocks to make into a fabulous quilt, along with a better understanding of reproduction fabric designs.

 

 

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Melissa Peda of 100 Billion Stars has come up with a fun quilt created from fat quarters, Directional.  Visit Melissa's website, www.100BillionStars.com for more free patterns and inspiration.

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Here's a great project from Sue Bleiweiss and WeAllSew.com.  It's a Notepad Folio that would make a great gift and could be easily resized to fit any use.

Sue will be joining us soon in Episode 1608: Creating Unique Collage Quilts & Quilts with Meaning, which debuts April 13, 2015.

 

 

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography

Now that you have all of your small UFO's from 2014 completed, it's time to decide how you want to approach the finish and display of your pieces.  Ok, maybe you have 1/3 of the UFO's completed.  Well, we have done our homework and gathered a few options for finishing, hanging and displaying your creations.  Who knows seeing these creative ideas just might spur you on.

Binding and Finishing Ideas:

Mitered Binding with Ricky (Episode 310)

Binding techniques with Alex (Episode 211)

Scalloped edge binding with Alex ( Episode 413)

Rat tail binding with Carol Ann Waugh (Episode 1011)

Scalloped flange binding with Ricky (Episode 1401)

Fused edge binding with Laura Wasilowski (Episode 1009)

 

Hanging and Display Ideas:

Hanging a mini quilt tutorial  from Stitched in Color

Clever ways to hang your mini quilt with Ami Simms (Episode 712)

Create a tabletop book with Laura Cater-Woods (Episode 613)

 

 

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Are the cold, grey days getting you down?  Are you looking for something creative to entertain the youngsters? Spend an afternoon making this simple shopping tote project we found on WeAllSew.  Decorate the tote with either vintage or purchase buttons.  While you attach the buttons with your BERNINA foot #18, the kids can sew them on by hand. 


Photo by Gregory Case Photography

Not sure if the kids will like sewing on the buttons?  Check out Alex's reaction when Tom Russell shows her how to make buttons stand out from the crowd in Episode 1101.

 

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Have lots of leftover fabric scraps from all your holiday creativity?  Here's a simple way to put them to use.  Make your own fabric twine! Cintia at My Poppet shows you what to do.

 

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Take your machine quilting from good to outstanding when you follow Master Quilter Sharon Schamber's tips she shares in her video Beginning Stippling You will quickly be able to add texture and depth in your quilts. Featured Stipples include: Serpentine (aka: puzzle, meander); Pebble (aka: circle); Echoed Teardrop; Wavy Grid; Bubble in a Bubble; and Wood Grain.
 
 
This fabulous lesson is available FREE for Star members. Get this DVD online, along with three others that you can use for all of 2015.  
 
 

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If you loved Lynette's techniques for mastering appliqué and hand embroidery in Episode 1601, check out these other great TQS artists to learn how you can improve your handwork skills.

Master a curved stem with Priscilla Knoble in Episode 1505

Learn how to needle turn a leaf with Rebecca Goldsmith in Episode 611

Learn to stitch the "deep v" in a flower bud with Verna Mosquera in Episode 806