Happy Valentine's Day ❤️

 That's a lot of bags!  14 to be exact...15 grandchildren but one is a baby so I didn't have to make her one because she wouldn't know the difference 😂

Here's the tutorial for this darling little bag.

I received photos for the above grandchildren :)

Jacob is 5

Ben is 9

Maisie is 11

I received a wonderful video from the grandchildren above as they opened the box and each saw their bags.  Bridger on the left is 16 and it's always so difficult to think what I'm going to get him.  I thought he would love the Dwight fabric from "The Office" as he dressed up as Dwight one year for Halloween.

These girls live a couple of short blocks away from me, so it was easy to get their photos!

Neo (11) Izzy (6) and Kylie (9)

Each bag holds a small heart box of chocolates, a heart bracelet and a squishy ❤️💕

You can bet that this little cutie will get my holiday gifts when she is old enough to know.  

Happy Quilting ❤️

Riley Blake Design Block Challenge

 I just can't refuse a "sew along"!  Lori Holt designed the first block called Daisy Chain and that just melted my heart ❤️ 

I'm tempted to make a whole quilt out of this block, it's 10" square.

I changed my color scheme.  I'm still going to use Tasha Noel fabric but it won't be as scrappy.  With my previous blocks, I just chose the Tasha Noel prints and colors that I thought would look good in the block.  Now, I chose 5 colors, 2 prints of each.  

(The polka dot isn't Tasha Noel, don't know if I'll use it yet)

I think it will have a much more uniform look.  

This is my previous Sweetheart block, when I just chose cute colors :)

This is my current block with the new color scheme, 

a selection of five colors.

This is the leaf block which I totally love and may still use...

This is my new leaf block which I love also!

Block #4 is the tulip block.

Here are all four of my blocks with the new color scheme, just 5 colors.  I love Tasha Noel fabric and I know this quilt will be so pretty when it's finished.  The background I'm using is called pink posy by Lori Holt.

Happy Quilting everyone ❤️❤️❤️

Riley Blake Designs Block Challenge

 I wasn't going to join the Riley Blake Designs Block Challenge, but when I saw this beautiful block that Lori Holt designed, I couldn't resist!  It's called the Daisy Chain block. I went to my stash and thought it would be fun to use some of my Tasha Noel fabric.  Little flowers, toadstools and geese, just love all of it!

I made a mistake, but it was easy to correct :). Instead of just choosing colors and prints that I love for each block, I should have chosen the fabric for all of my blocks first.  I love these colors together in this Sweetheart block designed by Beverly McCullough.  

Lastly, is the maple leaf block designed by Kristy Lea.  I just had to make it in red, because in Canada, all of the maple trees turn a brilliant red in the fall.  I saw some scrappy leaves on Instagram that people created and really liked them too. Maybe I'll try a scrappy leaf and see how it plays in the quilt when it's finished.  I could use one of them on the back.

After I made the first three blocks, I decided to pull the fabrics I'm using in the quilt.  The blush pinks are a little off from the rest of the color tones but I think they'll still look really good in the quilt.  Everything can't be matchy matchy, or it won't be interesting.

Oh, and the background fabric is by Lori Holt, I think it's called posy.

The RBD Block Challenge is every Tuesday except for the last Tuesday of each month.  There will be 16 - 10" finished blocks. 

Block #16 will be posted on May 17.  Each block is designed by an amazing Riley Blake designer.  Even though I'm trying some new things this year, I can't stop quilting.  The possibilities are endless and so is my fabric!

Thanks for following along ;)

A Quilting Life, block of the month 2021

 My first finish of 2022!  

Since I had my quilt giveaway with my grandchildren and children,  I haven't been sewing as much.  I'm spending time on other things.  I still love to sew, but not as much :). 

 I made the sashing just like Lori Holt's quilt in her Spelling Bee book, as in this photo.

Here's my quilt!  My goal was to use pastel colors, for a more soft look.  Of course it will look better when I machine quilt it.  I used scraps for the blocks and luckily I had some pretty pink for the borders in my stash.  

Do you follow "all people quilt"?  Every year in January, they post a UFO Challenge.  It's a printout from 1-12.  Beside each number, you put the name of a quilt or a project that you want to complete.  The first day of every month, All People Quilt will post the number that they have randomly chosen.  You are then challenged to finish the project beside that number.  It's really fun, challenging and helps you finish projects.  Here is a link to the download, so you can print your UFO 2022 sheet.  They've already chosen the number for this month. 

Have a great week and I'll check back with you :) 

Taylor's Tooth Fairy Envelope

Recently, I've realized that I have quite a few traditions that I do with and for my grandchildren.

• heirloom blessing gown and bonnet
• new baby quilt when they're born
• wall hangings for baby ( this tradition ended, as my children said they don't have room on the walls anymore, lol!)
• birthday banner when they turn 1 or 2
• tooth fairy envelope when they get their first loose tooth!

I have more traditions that I/we do at Christmas, but that's for another day.

Taylor is 5, and she lost her first tooth!

It turns out that Taylor is very creative, she drew the most beautiful and colorful picture of the toothfairy!

Often, I trace the picture on my lightbox, but Taylor's picture was pretty big so I just drew it by eye.  

I think this picture is awesome for a Kindergartner!  Taylor colored within the lines, used different colors, didn't scribble, and drew little details like wings and a heart and a bow on the waist, in a different color!

 I embroidered Taylor's picture and trimmed it in pink because Taylor loves PINK 💕 (so do I...) I purposely used fabrics that I used in quilts/baskets/dolls/bags that I've made for Taylor and her sisters.  It can be a scavenger hunt Taylor, hunt for the fabric that I used in your tooth fairy envelope.  

The pink button is from a "Simon Chang" designer outfit my mother gave me years ago from her dress boutique :)

The backing is another fabric that Taylor can look for on her scavenger fabric hunt!  The little pocket is where Taylor can put her tooth for the tooth fairy to build her castle.  The dogs look like Taylor's dog, Charlie.

I lined the envelope, that's where Taylor can put her note to the tooth fairy.  Every one writes to the tooth fairy, don't they?  

Dear Tooth Fairy, are you really real?  Where do you live?  What do you look like?  What do you do with all the teeth?

This project definately made my heart happy!  I love Taylor and was so happy that I could make something special for her, especially since we don't live very close to each other.

Taylor's mom made this beautiful vinyl for my sewing machine.

Here's another quote that I really like and only found out about a few days ago!

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."  by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Each toothfairy envelope that I made is different btw, so each grandchild can have an original :)

You can see some of my others Kylie, Maisie, Reagan, Neo, Paisley, Izzy, Kennedy, and Lucy :)

A Quilting Life block of the month 2021

I've been making Sherri's block of the month blocks this year, in 12" size.  It has been really enjoyable, I've been using soft pastel colored prints.  Here are the blocks on my design wall.

I won't be able to finish it before Christmas, I'll be busy enjoying the season.  

Have a very Merry Christmas!

The twelve days of Christmas

 I have wanted to do the twelve days of Christmas for over 30 years!

This year is the year!  I did a little research and found some ideas that I really liked.  I used Jeni Baker's pattern "Lined Drawstring Bag" and made the snack size.  I meant to make 12 of them, but somehow I only ended up with 11...That's ok, I'm just using a paper bag for the first day.  I found a cute little Nativity set on Amazon, the figures are 3" tall.  Perfect!

I think they're really cute!

This is my basket of bags, each bag has a tag on it with the name of the nativity piece and the scripture that goes along with it.

There are only 10 pieces in the nativity set, so I made some things up for Day 1 & 2.

You can see the paper bag, I have a battery candle inside and a picture of the Savior for Day 1.

Day 2 has an inspirational quote book inside.

I just love these little bags.  They are a little difficult to give away... 

I know the recipients will love getting a surprise every night and seeing their nativity come to life.

There is so much more happiness in giving than in receiving, although it's fun to receive too ❤️

It's going to be a busy 12 days, and the recipients have a RING doorbell so I'm going to have to be creative to stay anonymous :)

Enjoy every moment of preparing for Christmas ❤️

The Quilt Giveaway and Cute Grandchildren

Well, the quilt giveaway was successful!

I think all of my grandchildren were happy with their selections.

My son did an incredible job capturing all the excitement and anticipation of the activity ❤️

I'm not sure if the video is going to load, I haven't had success loading a video onto my blog for years!

You can go to my Facebook page, Dream Quilt Create

or

Facebook Cynthia Kennedy Horst

or 

Instagram Dreamquiltcreate

Leave a comment and tell me what you think :)

Thanksgiving

I'm grateful for my family and will show you some photos once they are edited :) 

We had the choosing of the 27 quilts for 15 grandchildren.

It was so successful, my son made an incredible video that captured all the fun and emotion of the activity.

It's funny too!

It should be ready later in the week :)

Below is a photo of the 27 quilts ❤️

Sewing bags

 Since I have all of my "grandchildren" quilts sewn....I've been wondering how to occupy all my newly acquired free time ❤️

I learned a long time ago that unless I have some ideas in my head and maybe even on paper, I can waste a lot. of time.  I've been decorating for Christmas and reading some books and preparing for our family reunion.  I've also been making some bags.  I've made about 8 Sew Together bags for gifts, but I've never made one for myself.  One of my favorite designers is Rifle Paper Co, so I used this fun "Alice in Wonderland" gold on black fabric along with some Rifle Paper flowers.  

The side is pretty colorful!  Each zipper coordinates with the color of flower fabric that I used.  Of course, I'm only as good as my fabric and zipper stash.... I think you can see that the inner lining is a black fabric with gold stars.  Not quite as scrappy as other bags I've made :)

The first pocket is pink.

The second pocket is yellow.

The third pocket is green.

The bag is matchy matchy with a punchbag I made a few weeks ago.

I love this Sew Together bag, but I may just gift it to someone special instead of keeping it for myself :)

I also made three more lined drawstring bags.  

Choosing fabric is the best!

Baby Chick quilt

 This is a quilt I have been wanting to make for a long time.  The pattern is found in Lori Holt's book, Farm Girl Vintage.  In the book this quilt has pink borders, but I wanted to make it in blues so that there would be some blue quilts in my grandchildren pile.

Funny story.....I had all the chick's little legs drawn on the fabric with a frixion pen, ready to embroider.  I was going to take the hand embroidery project with me to my son's house but decided to leave it in the car.  It was a hot Phoenix Sumer day.  That evening when I was home, I sat in front of the TV to embroider the chick's legs and the frixion pen had disappeared!!!  The pen markings are supposed to disappear when you iron them and apparently the Phoenix heat works the same magic! LOL!

I have a grandchild in mind for this quilt, but they're in the middle of the 15, so who knows what will happen.

I really enjoyed machine quilting this one, it went very smoothly.

Pretty little swirls like a soft wind in the chicken coop.

Finally, here is the label I made.  I used to hand embroider all my labels but I think a permanent fabric pen does the trick also.

The choosing of the quilts will be on Wednesday, November 24.

I've asked my son to photograph/video the entire thing and edit it to maybe 10 minutes.  I'm so excited for the event!  I've worked really diligently to have 27 quilts for 15 grandchildren to choose  from. My vision is that I will have a trunk show, telling the story about each quilt.  Each child will have a list of all 27 quilts, in alphabetical order.  They can write notes or mark their favorite ones.  Then the oldest (Bridger 16) will choose the quilt.  If they want to see a couple again, we could do that.  They will keep choosing one until everyone is happy, hopefully...

Actually, I'm the one who needs to be happy, lol!  It's been a year and a half to have all these quilts ready for this day.  It has been a labor of love.  I have thought of different grandchildren as I sewed, wondering if a particular one would like the quilt I was sewing at the time.

I'm hoping to be able to share the video here on my blog.

Thanks for following and have a great week!