I'm A 2019 Finish-A-Long Host!

I'm so excited to announce that I'm joining a fantastic group of bloggers from around the globe as a host for the 2019 Finish-A-Long. If you've followed me on my blog the last few years, you've seen me post some of my FAL goals at the beginning of each quarter and my finishes (although never as many as I had hoped for) at the end of each quarter. If you don't know about the Finish-A-Long, check out my FAL page for all the details here. I'll still be working on my UFOs but now I'll be cheering you on as well!

The 2019 Finish-A-Long Hosts: 

Sandra of Sew of Course - Ireland

Marci of Marci Girl Designs - USA Louisiana

Leanne of She Can Quilt - Canada

Ella of Throw a Wench in the Works - USA Georgia

Karen of Capitola Quilter - USA California

Lynne of Tinking Along - USA Maryland

Izzy of Dizzy Quilts - Canada 

Sarah of Sarah Goer Quilts - USA California

Julie of That's Sew Julie - USA Iowa

Sarah of Cedar Fork Stitches - USA Montana

Sharla of Thistle Thicket Studio - USA Kansas (That's Me!)

Nicole of Handwrought Quilts - Canada 

The 2019 Finish-A-Long Schedule:

Q1

10 January (Thu) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup opens

18 January (Fri) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup closes

1 April (Mon) Finishes - Linkup opens

2-6 April - Tutorial Week

9 April (Tue) Finishes - Linkup closes

Q2

10 Apr 2019 (Wed) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup opens

18 Apr 2019 (Thu) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup closes

1 July (Mon) Finishes - Linkup opens

2-6 July - Tutorial Week

9 July (Tue) Finishes - Linkup closes

Q3

10 July (Wed) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup opens

18 July (Thu) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup closes

1 October (Tue) Finishes - Linkup opens

2-6 October - Tutorial Week

9 October (Wed) Finishes - Linkup closes

Q4

10 October (Thu) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup opens

18 October (Fri) Proposed Finishes List - Linkup closes

1 January 2020 (Wed) Finishes - Linkup opens

9 January 2020 (Thu) Finishes - Linkup closes

Just an FYI, the 2018 Q4 Finishes linky opens on January 1st. And then....let the 2019 FAL fun begin with our official start on January 10! Hope you'll join me! If you do, here are a couple of logos you can copy to use on your social media pages!

~Sharla

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Merry Christmas (And A Christmas Collection To Share)

Seasons Greetings. Happy Holidays. Feliz Navidad. However you say it, I'm sending you warm wishes during this joyous season!

I wanted to share a few designs from my Christmas collection that I showed at quilt market in November. The reindeer print above is the hero print and these are a few of the coordinates.....

And here are a few of the mockups I made for my portfolio to showcase the collection.....

And, of course, I had to design a tea towel!

I also designed a quilt that I am hoping to get written into a pattern in the next few months. I also have another announcement coming later this week, so stay tuned!

~Sharla

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Burlap Christmas Stocking Ornament

Last night my quilt guild celebrated Christmas with a carry-in dinner and gift exchange. Always a night of good food and catching up with quilty friends. I may have mentioned that next year I will be president of the group, so I wanted to do a little something to give them a sneak peek of some of the programs and activities that they can expect in the coming year. I ended up putting together Make It & Take It gift bags with kits to make a burlap Christmas stocking that can be used as an ornament, package adornment or gift card holder.

This is a quick little project that was fun to make and turned out so cute - if I may say so myself - so I thought I'd share it with all of my online quilty friends too!

The supplies I used were:

• 5" wide burlap ribbon x 12.5" long
• muslin rectangle 5" x 12.5"
• fusible web such as Steam-A-Seam 5" x 12.5"
• 2" wide lace trim
• cordonnet thread, size 3
• jute twine
• assorted old buttons
• tapestry needle

I fused muslin to the back of the burlap ribbon using fusible web. Using the stocking pattern below, I traced the pattern onto the muslin and cut out two stockings, one facing right and one facing left.

Then using your favorite embroidery stitch - I used a blanket stitch and a reverse blanket stitch on mine - sew the front and back stockings together (muslin sides together) around the edges, leaving the top open. 

Embellish your stocking. I hot glued a piece of lace around the top, then hot glued an assortment of buttons. Lastly, I hot glued a jute bow on the center button. On one stocking I even cross stitched a simple wonky little heart. You can finish off the stocking by attaching a hanger using a piece of cordonnet thread or jute.

I think I'm going to make a few more stockings and hang them from an evergreen garland that adorns the top of an antique wardrobe in my entryway. If you make any, let me know how you use them!

~Sharla

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Merry Mail

Tis the season of daily visits from UPS delivering packages destined to be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree until December 24th. So I didn't even look at the return address to see who the non-descript gray plastic sack was from because I just knew it was one of several gifts I had ordered. 

But what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a bundle of 22 beautiful fat quarters from Benartex from an Instagram giveaway I was blessed to have won recently! Ok, so it doesn't rhyme like "The Night Before Christmas", but I bet I was just as excited as the character in the poem when he tore open the shutters and through up the sash to see Santa in his miniature sleigh with his eight tiny reindeer!

The fabric collection is called Printology and is by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio. It's a modern eclectic collection of prints in bold colors and I can't wait to start looking for ideas to use the fabric (here's a free quilt pattern from Benartex using the fabric) . But it will have to wait until after Christmas because I have a tree to put up and a house to decorate and some secret sewing to do in preparation for a new project I'm going to be sharing with all of you in the New Year. So stay tuned!!!

~Sharla

P.S. I was so excited about the fabric I almost forgot to thank Benartex for such an awesome giveaway and for such a wonderful gift. XOXO

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