Having fun sewing blocks from "Super cute paper piecing"

Hello! 

 I cannot believe it is already June and Summer is almost upon us!

The weather has been beautiful if the Pacific Northwest and I have been out in the yard every chance I get.

My kids are out of school at the end of June so I have also been trying to sew as much as possible before summer break.

I have been making blocks from my book Super Cute Paper Piecing.

They are so incredibly versatile and can be used in all kinds of sewing projects.

The sketch book shown uses my dress block from the book.

It was the perfect size for the front of this adorable sketch book.

The sketch book pattern is from Quilts and More's Summer issue and was designed by Heidi of Fabric Mutt..

I adore the pattern!  It has pockets on the inside to hold a sketch book, pens and pencils.

Don't you just love those kitten pens?  I found them at my local book store and couldn't resist them!

I made another apron block from by book and I love how it turned out!

The background fabric is a new color Essex linen from Robert Kaufmann fabrics called Nautical.

The fabrics in the dress and apron blocks designed by me and I am calling the fabric line "Cherry Blossom".    I plan on having them available in my Etsy shop and at my Spoonflower shop very soon.

Check back here for updates.

Happy Sewing

xo

Charise

Spring Blossoms Sew Along - Week 3

It is Week 3 of the 

 Spring Blossoms Sew Along.

Thanks for stopping by!

The mini quilt is made with blocks from my book "Super Cute Paper Piecing"

This week we will be making the Butterfly and Rain Drop blocks.

You can find the instructions for the Butterfly [HERE]

and the Rain Drops [HERE]

The butterfly block is made from

 a favorite Lecien floral print and a matching solid for the border.

I could not resist fussy cutting the rain drop blocks from some favorite prints 

from my stash!

 

If you missed week  1 & 2 click [HERE] for all the info.

Please be sure to tag your photos on social media with the hashtag #SpringBlossomsSewAlong

I love to see what you make!

Happy Sewing

xo

Charise 

Spring Blossoms Sew Along ~ Week 1

Welcome to Week 1 of the Spring Blossoms Sew Along.

We will be sewing an element of the quilt every week for 8 weeks total.

The quilt finishes at 35" x 35".

This week is all about preparing to sew and planning what your quilt will look like.

Ok, are you ready to get started?  Here we go!

I have created a to do list and schedule for the sew along, as well as a coloring page to plan your quilt.  You can find it [HERE]

*If you haven't done so already, you will need a copy of my Book Super Cute Paper Piecing.*
It is available at Martingale, Amazon, Fat Quarter Shop, and you can get a signed copy in my Etsy shop.

*Print out the Patterns*

You will need to copy the following patterns from the pattern sheet in the book:

1) Daisies - We are going to be making three daisies.
Photo copy 18 E -  Daisy Fabric Bowl Petal
Photo copy 1  D (this piece can be re-used 2 more times.)
Photo copy 3  C - Daisy Bowl Fabric Center.

2) Butterfly
Photo copy the butterfly pattern pieces A - E

3) Rain drops
Make 3 copies of rain drop A, A1- A11.
Add 1/4" seam allowance on the top and bottom edges.

4) Watering can
Enlarge the watering can pattern pieces A,B,C, & D by 125%
Once the pieces are copied, measure along the finished edge of the pattern by 1/4" for
an accurate seam allowance.  (Enlarging the pattern increases the seam allowance slightly)

*My favorite way to keep my patterns organized is by keeping each type in plastic sheet protector sleeves.*

*Fabric Requirements*
Follow the fabric requirements in the book for the daisy, butterfly, & raindrop.

For the Watering can block:
 F8 each -  background, Aqua print 1, and Aqua Print 2.
Yellow stripes on watering can - 5" x 5"

The following are additional fabrics you will need:

Border Pinwheels ~ 2 7/8" squares
~16 Yellow print 1
~16 yellow print 2
~16 pink
~16 red
~4 aqua print 1
~4 aqua print 2
~72 light ground

Background - 1 yard

1/2" Binding - 4 1/4 yards

*Picking Fabrics*

I have lots of tips for picking fabrics for paper piecing.  Click on the link [HERE] for a link to a fabric selection tutorial I created.  It will help with color, scale of prints and the value of the fabrics you choose for the quilt.

Be sure to use the hashtag #SpringBlossomsSewAlong when you post your photos on social media. I love to see what you make!

See you again next Monday, April 9th,  and we will start by sewing the Watering Can.

Enjoy!
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Spring Blossoms Sew Along Starts Monday

I am excited to start the Spring Blossoms Sew Along.

It was created as a fun way to use the blocks in my book "Super Cute Paper Piecing", to make

a cheery Spring Time quilt.

To get you started, I created an E-book to help you pick fabrics for your paper pieced blocks.

You can find it on the Spring Blossoms Sew Along page [HERE]

Next week is all about getting prepared.  Printing patterns, selecting fabric and I even include a coloring page to help with the planning.

See you on Monday!

Happy Sewing

xo

Charise

The Purse Clasp Book Sew Along ~ all together!

I have been a busy bee and have missed writing on the blog!

Today I wanted to share my clasp purses from the Purse Clasp Sew Along. 

The Sew Along was hosted by eliseandemelie.com and you can find more info HERE

Each and every Clasp Purse was such fun to make!

The first clasp purse I made was the strawberry clasp purse.  

The Strawberry pattern is from my book "Super Cute Paper Piecing".

The book comes with two clasps and this purse was made with one of them.

You can find the book and extra clasp hardware at Zakka Workshop on Etsy.

The second clasp purse was made using my nine patch coaster pattern you can find here.

The third clasp purse has my dresses paper piecing pattern for the focal point.

You can find the pattern for the dress in my book "Super Cute Paper Piecing".

The dress for the clasp purse was reduced to 45% of the original pattern!

The dress on the right is from the book and is 9" tall.

Last, but not least is the hexagon clasp purse.

It is so small that it fits in the palm of my hand!

Happy Sewing

xo

Charise 

Happy New Year!

Charise Creates 2017BestNine on Instagram

It is hard to believe that 2017 is almost over.

A good but also tough year that included moving back into our house after a 13 month remodel,  the release of my first book "Super Cute Paper Piecing" and the crazy politics and terrible natural disasters that occurred in the United States.  

Here is to a less turbulent 2018.  Cheers!

Last year I chose the word "Listen" as my mantra for the year. 

I'm not sure if I did very well but I am trying to be a better listener : )

I'm not sure what this year's word will be.....

I can think of a million things to work on - patience, peace - the list is long!

I thought it would be fun to share some of the projects I completed over the year.

The photo above is my Best Nine (most liked) photos on Instagram.

They are mostly images from my book : )

I also made a collage of all the projects in my book as well as some

new projects I made from my book.

The top row pictures are all new items I made in the past month.

From Left to Right:

1)   Umbrella pouch using the Vintage Apron Zip Pouch Pattern and the Umbrella paper piecing         pattern from Super Cute Paper Piecing.

2)   Daisy Pincushion using the Daisy Bowl pattern from Super Cute Paper Piecing.

      Tutorial for the pincushion can be found [HERE]

3)   Vintage Dresses Pattern from Super Cute Paper Piecing.

4)   Macaroon Pouch using the Strawberries pattern from Super Cute Paper Piecing.

I have spent most of my day cleaning my sewing room - it feels good - like a fresh start!

This little corner makes me very happy : )

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise

Umbrella Pouch ~ from "Super Cute Paper Piecing"

This fun umbrella pouch pattern is from my new book "Super Cute Paper Piecing!"  I used the Vintage apron pouch pattern and the paper pieced Umbrella from my "Rain, Rain, go away purse" as the focal block.

The blocks in "Super Cute Paper Piecing" are interchangeable and can be used on different projects.

I love how it turned out.

It will be a great Christmas gift filled with some goodies!

The background fabric is Robert Kaufmann Essex Linen in color Steel.

The yellow/pink floral print on the umbrella is also Robert Kaufmann -  "Pretty Posies" by Darlene Zimmerman.

The tiny pink grid print is "Retro 30's Child Smile" by Lecien, 

and the text print is "Flower Patch" by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Fabrics.
You can find most of these fabrics at Fat Quarter Shop.
Another great place to find older or out of print fabrics is on Etsy.

I found this cute zipper pull on Etsy.  Such a fun way to add a special touch to your pouch.

Happy Sewing! 

xo

Charise

Daisy Pincushion Tutorial

Hello and Happy Monday!

My book "Super Cute Paper Piecing" is now in stores and available online !

I also have a limited number of signed copies in my Etsy shop.

I created a tutorial/pattern from one of the patterns in my book.  This cute pincushion is made from the Daisy Bowl pattern in my book.

It would make a fun gift!

You can find the tutorial and pattern [HERE] 

The Daisy is paper pieced and I had fun fussy cutting the petals.

The background fabric is yarn dyed Essex Linen in color Flax.

My favorite places to find fun fabrics are Sew Me a Song on Etsy, Sunny Day Supply, Pink Castle Fabrics and Fat Quarter Shop.

And of course, I always try to support my local fabric stores : )

I filled the pincushion with a bit of fiber fill to give the corners a nice shape and then added ground walnut shells for weight and some lavender buds to add a light scent.

Have a lovely day!

Happy Sewing

xo

Charise

Rain, Rain Go Away Purse in "Super Cute Paper Piecing"

Happy Thursday to you and also to those in the United States - Happy Thanksgiving!

My book has been released on Amazon and a few friends and family let me know they received it yesterday!  They are very sweet -  buying a book to support a friend : )

I am a very lucky gal to have such sweet friends and family!

Today I am going to share a fun project from the book - the "Rain, Rain, Go Away" purse.

I love this project and I think it is because of the colors.  

I am partial to the combination of blue and yellow!

It is a nice and roomy purse - 15" x 15 1/2" and has an inside pocket.

The straps are long enough that you can carry it cross body.

It would be great for a project bag  - totally big enough for a knitting project.

I have been working on another version.  The umbrella block fits perfectly on  the zipper pouch from the Vintage Apron Zipper pouch. 

I have finished the umbrella block and hopefully will find a bit of time to make the zipper pouch.

I found the cute little umbrella charm on Etsy.  It is a great place to find fun charms to add to your zippers.

Wishing you a lovely time with family and friends.

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise

Vintage Apron Pouch in "Super Cute Paper Piecing"

The Vintage Apron Pouch is one of my favorite projects in my new book "Super Cute Paper Piecing."

It is a perfect size to transport small sewing projects and also great for a larger make-up or toiletries bag.

The front top panel is about 6 1/2" wide x 9 1/2" tall so most of the paper pieced blocks in the book would fit perfectly on this fun zipper pouch!

A fun way to personalize your pouch is to add a zipper pull.

This apple zipper pull was found  at a local jewelry supply store.

Michael's and Joann Fabrics have a nice selection of charms and zipper pulls that can be purchased online.

A few of my favorite online stores carry adorable fabric as well as cute zipper pulls are SunnyDaySupply.com , Deltapatchwork.com and  SuperBuzzy.com

Another great place to find zipper charms is on Etsy.com  

Just type in "charms" or "zipper pulls" and you will be amazed at the selection!

I have quite a collection I've amassed over the years : )

Don't forget, all the info about my book can be found on my blog [HERE]

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise

Macaroon Pouch in Two Sizes

I had some requests to make a smaller version of my Macaroon Pouch Pattern and I listed the new pattern today!  You can find it in my Etsy Shop.

The Large version is 11" x 8 1/4" and the -new- Small version is 8 1/2" x 6 1/2".   

 Don't you just love the zipper on the smaller version?  I got mine from a friend but you can find them at Sunny Day Supply!

They are the perfect size for the Small Macaroon Pouch.

I couldn't resist making a version of the pouch with a paper pieced motif.

The strawberries can be found in my new book "Super Cute Paper Piecing"!

Another fun way to customize your pouch is to add some hand topstitching.  I used a pretty red embroidery floss to frame the center of the pouch.

Happy Sewing

xo

Charise

More Super Cute Paper Piecing!

I can't believe it is November already!  My new book "Super Cute Paper Piecing" is just shipping to stores and is available right now on the Shop Martingale website.

I have been sharing some photos of projects on Instagram and wanted to share them on my blog, too.

The fifth project in the book is "Summer Fruit Coasters".. I adore this project and it is a perfect block for perfecting you Fussy Cutting skills!

It is a simple project and I think it would be perfect for a Holiday gift.

 The sixth project in the book is this adorable "Daisy Fabric Bowl".  It is made with six identical paper pieced petals with a sweet hexagon center.  The outer petals that make up the sides of the bowl are hand stitched.  

I also created this fun little bonus project with the block.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can get the pattern and instructions before I release it to the public.  You can find the Newsletter sign up form on the side of my blog.

Wishing you a Lovely Day!

Happy Sewing

xo 

Charise