Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

A K.I.S.S for Valentine’s Day

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The beauty of sewing is that you don’t have to work on the same project all the time. Some days you can work on something difficult. Some days you can switch to something repetitive and mindless. Some times you can try something new. And if you are just wanting to sew without a lot of planning and over-thinking you can K.I.S.S. And I’m sure we all know what the acronym stands for.

Nothing in quilting is super simple or without requiring some skill or knowledge. But some days, you just want to use what you already know and have something finished without a lot of hassle.

Riley Blake makes these monthly kits and my local quit shop had many of them on sale over the holidays. I always make something for Valentine’s Day, and I’m not sure why it means something to me. Growing up, it was just a day I sat home. And even after I got married, we have never taken this holiday very seriously.

Yet when it comes to sewing, I’m always inspired to do something for Valentine’s. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the emptiness of the post-holiday household. Maybe I just want something bright in my house this time of year. I’m not sure.

It’s a fairly simple pattern. Although, of course, I found an error in the pattern instructions. You know that’s my favorite thing (sarcasm), especially with a kit, where you don’t have any room for error with the fabric you’re given.

Luckily I *am* someone who reads a pattern all the way through before beginning. Been burned way too many times not to. And it’s a simple fix. Even if you cut it wrong to start, you’ll figure out the problem by the time you get to the next step, and you won’t be short any fabric. I imagine that’s why there’s no correction on their website for this. I won’t tell you here. But if you buy it, drop me a line by commenting here or send an email to carol.edgestitch@gmail.com and I’ll tell you what to watch for.

I found some tiny little roses for backing fabric at the local shop. Thank goodness for them. Please shop your local stores so they stay in business.

That’s all for now. Just a sweet little 36 x 36 room brightener. Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate.

And if you’re sitting home with a box of chocolates–I feel you.

Kraft-Tex and Machine Embroidery…My Favorite Combination

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Once again, I’m on the path to create something new and fresh for Valentine’s Day. I don’t know why I always want to make something for this holiday…it’s so over-hyped and over-done already. Except that it’s mid-winter, and once I put the holiday decorations away, I’m left yearning to do something different. And I always find something unique for Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few of my past posts:

—My Heart’s Greeting, and Other Valentines

–The Un-Valentine

–-Valentine’s Day Kraft-Tex Project

–My Practical Valentine

–-Kraft-Tex, Transfer Artist Paper and Living on the Island of Lost Tools

–Buttoned-Up Valentine

I noticed that I tend to use Kraft-Tex paper a lot for this holiday. Not sure why, it just inspires me.

These days, I am obsessed with little houses. So I found this set of cross stitch designs on Etsy, from Waxing Moon Designs. It is an e-pattern with 3 designs.

I don’t do cross stitch, but I digitize designs. So I used my Bernina Embroidery Software to re-create these in machine embroidery.

I love thiem.

Each one is adorably cute and just perfect for Valentine’s Day.

These are stitched out on the brown craft paper color of Kraft-Tex. I always use 2 layers of Stabilstick cutaway stabilizer when machine embroidering. I could easily turn these into cards or ornaments or hanging decorations.

Here is a post where I created an entire village for a Christmas tree skirt. (It’s from 2020.) And below is a video (I’m not good at videos.) showing all the different buildings in the little cross stitch town.

These days I’ve been kicking around the idea of a quilt village, with my own designs of tiny houses and a village. I have some ideas, but I have to work out the patterns.

I want to do them in applique, but it’s all still in my mind. I have other projects to finish before then.

So stay warm during this mid-winter season, and Happy Stitching!

Kraft Tex, Transfer Artist Paper and Living on the Island of Lost Tools

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Me: “I’ve lost my mind.”

Husband: “Now what?”

Me:  “I no longer know what I own. And even if I know what I own, I can’t find it.”

Husband: …(no response)

Me:  I’ve looked everywhere for my edge punch that I bought last year to do favors for Auntie Geri’s 80th.”

Husband: “OK. You know you just haven’t looked deep enough. We’ve been through this.  It’s in a bin somewhere. It’s in a shoebox in a bin. It’s in a plastic bag in a shoebox in a bin.  It’s in a paper bag in a plastic bag in a shoebox in a bin.  Look deeper.”

I hate it when he’s right.

When I went back to the place where I would put it away NOW if I had it and looked inside a few bags…there it was.

My main sewing machine needs a new part, so I am working on some sewing-related projects (even though I have another machine that works just fine.) Above, with the “Martha Stewart” logo is the punch I could not find.  She doesn’t make it any more, so it’s not even available online anywhere that I could find.

Been playing with both Kraft Tex and Transfer Artist Paper to make cards and Valentines and to just see what I can do with the combination.  Both are readily available online and I’m sure your local quilt shop can get them in too.

The beauty of working with these products is:

  1. Kraft Tex doesn’t fray at the edges, so it doesn’t need any finishing.
  2. It’s washable.
  3. So is anything that’s been transferred via the Transfer Artist Paper.
  4. TAP can be used on cloth, wood, glass, basically anything you can iron …and on Kraft Tex too.
  5. I can sew on any of this, and I can mix in some card stock tools like the paper punch.

So conceivably, I should be able to wash any of these finished cards.

This  little cherub is from my own photography.

This one reminds me of the scene from Holiday Inn, “Be Careful, It’s My Heart…” Free clip art is all over the place for Valentine’s Day.

And in this one, I used some free vintage art and added a pic to personalize. A good place to try is thegraphicsfairy.com.  I think this one will end up as this year’s Valentine. It will fit perfectly into one of the lace envelopes I recently created.

On this card, the transfer of our pic was on top of the first transfer, and I probably would not recommend that. I should have used a graphics program for that work and only transferred once.  Still, the photo looks old and worn and I love it.

Hmmm…so when I throw all these in the wash, they should come out whole.  I know that they will soften and get a little wrinkly like the Levi jeans tag.

Even so, I can’t wait to play around with this more. I’ll share some after a washing…should be interesting!

 

Valentine’s Day – Then and Now

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I don’t much care for Valentine’s Day.

In a lifetime, we probably only have one or two Valentine’s Days that stay with us, that capture our memory, that hold the actual magic we see in the sentiments on a card.

My first came when I was 12 years old and in 7th grade.  An 8th grade boy found out I thought he was cute (remember those days…good grief my son is heading straight into that territory in the next couple of years!) and he gave me this Valentine.  Yes, it’s been 40 years and I still have it.

It was a real card, bought at a store, just for me.

It was a real card, bought at a store, just for me.

My favorite part is the note on inside.

My favorite part is the note on inside.

ur 2nice 2b 4 gotten.  It was a tweet in the days before twitter.  A text message that can’t be erased.

Even in this era of Facebook, I don’t know where he is, if he’s still alive or if he’s a millionaire or homeless.  And I am quite sure I am 4 gotten.

Fast forward about 25 years.  My husband bought an engagement ring intending to give it to me on Valentine’s Day.  But when he got the ring, he couldn’t wait another day and asked me to marry him on Jan. 31.  That Valentine’s Day was the sweetest I can remember.  Engaged, in love, happy.

This Valentine’s Day, I took to the sewing machine.

myvalentineI created a little card for my husband using scraps and pieces of lace I had in the back drawers of my sewing room.

flowersThe flowers were cut from some old flea market hankies that were stuffed in a drawer for 15 years…no heirlooms to me, just hidden away so I pulled some out and found the perfect Valentine flowers.

loveyouhoneyI used the machine to add embellishments, sentiment and personalization.  I also played with a little transfer artist paper to add musical notes that my husband would understand.

2014And of course I added the date.  Because, you know, 40 years from now, this time in my life will be 2 nice 2b 4 gotten.

When I showed it to my son, he said, “I don’t think Dad is going to appreciate that.”

“Why not?”  I said, not sounding at all crushed.

He just laughed and shook his 11-year-old-almost-a-teenager head.

Men.

Like I said. I don’t much care for Valentine’s Day.