Steampunk Meets Benartex Tote Bag

Most of you who join in our blog hops know that I love almost any kind of challenge with fabric, so when Benartex asked their ambassadors to get creative with their logo and tote bag, I jumped right in.

I have a "thing" about unusual things, including Steampunk. It seemed perfectly natural to Steampunk that logo...yes, it did!

Can you see their logo?

Solid fabrics give me a lot of freedom to be creative with my applique designs.

Using the Benartex "New Hue" by Kanvas Studios for this tote opened up a gazillion possibilities!

Gorgeous colors!

This seemed like a perfect "prop" for a Steampunk tote bag.

It's from the Hoover Dam construction and can be found Boulder City, Nevada.

Check out the other ambassadors' totes on the Benartex blog, Create, Inspire, Delight!

My Day For Shades Of Blue

It is the first Sew It - Show It Challenge for 2023 and Carla's "Shades of Blue" is a perfect beginning for the chilly month of January. Thanks, Carla!

Way back in 2021 I had a sweet friend named Joan who brought me a huge stack of fabrics from the gazillion yards she had purchased from her favorite online store. I had used a little here and there, but this challenge definitely was perfect for them. Lots of shades of blue!

I love Sunburst Dresden's! 

This is a Missouri Star Quilt Company's version of one that can be found HERE.

For the flying geese, I used the one-seam method found HERE.

So easy!

Look who's sharing their "Shades of Blue" too!

Monday, January 23rd

Creatin' in the Sticks

Desertsky Quilting

Selina Quilts

Just Because Quilts

Scrapdash

The Joyful Quilter

Tuesday, January 24th

MooseStashQuilting

Kathleen McMusing

Den syende himmel

Karrin’s Crazy World

Artes de Paula Louceiro

Days Filled With Joy

Beaquilter

Wednesday, January 25th

Just Let Me Quilt

Inflorescence

crazy'boutquilts

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Quilted Delights

Quilt Schmilt

VroomansQuilts

Thursday, January 26th

Ms P Designs USA

Lianne Makes Stuff

Quilting Gail

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Words & Stitches

Just Sew Quilter

Looking for a new sewing challenge? 

Sign-up...you know you want to!

Shades Of Blue Is Happening

Let the first challenge of 2023 begin...Shades of Blue! 

That amazing Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks was spot on with this idea. 

Look who's sharing their "Shades of Blue" too!

Monday, January 23rd

Creatin' in the Sticks

Desertsky Quilting

Selina Quilts

Just Because Quilts

Scrapdash

The Joyful Quilter

Tuesday, January 24th

MooseStashQuilting

Kathleen McMusing

Den syende himmel

Karrin’s Crazy World

Artes de Paula Louceiro

Days Filled With Joy

Beaquilter

Wednesday, January 25th

Just Let Me Quilt

Inflorescence

crazy'boutquilts

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Quilted Delights

Quilt Schmilt

VroomansQuilts

Thursday, January 26th

Ms P Designs USA

Lianne Makes Stuff

Quilting Gail

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Words & Stitches

Just Sew Quilter

Next month is a challenge by Joan at Moosestash Quilting...it's going to be another fun one!

There are still some openings if you want to play along. Send Joan an email.

New Blog Hop Challenge For March

We're off and running with new challenges and adventures in 2023!

This month is hosted by Carla and it's all about SHADES OF BLUE and it's almost here!

I've got mine almost finished and I can't wait to see what the other participants have made.

February is full of sweetness with Joan hosting SWEET ON YOU.

Her challenge:

February is the month of "Love" and who doesn't love being sweet on things?

Are you sweet on treats?

Are you sweet on stitching a special project?

Are you sweet on, well anything you love?

Share it and let your sweetness inspire all of us!

If you want to play along, drop me an email with "Sweet On You" in the subject line 

and give me your info...

March is all about LITTLE GREEN APPLES.

The challenge:

Sew something with green or apple fabric (or a combo of both!)

Email me if you want to join this fun challenge.

Won't You Be My Gnomie Valentine

We're off to new adventures in 2023 and it won't be long before Valentine's Day is here. Time really does fly, doesn't it! 

Sewing with Benartex's "Be My Gnomie" definitely got me in the mood for the holiday of love. "Love You Forever" was designed to resemble a stamp with its scalloped border.

"Love You Forever"

45" x 55"

"Be My Gnomie" fabric designed by Andi Metz is full of beautiful Valentine designs and colors.

Cupids, gnomes, and hearts...you will love them all!

The fabric line comes with a doll panel that I used for the center block.

There are additional designs on the panel that can be used to decorate quilt, if desired.

I ironed HeatnBond Lite to the back of the gnomes and then cut on the solid lines.

Cotton Shot Charcoal made a great backing to have the cute gnome couple stand out.

For added depth, I blanket stitched on some of the lines that didn't really need stitching.

It's always fun to find interesting things on my quilt photo taking adventures.

Benartex has fabulous wide backing choices, like Swirling Splendor Cloud Gray.

Chalk Light Pink and Cotton Shot Wedding Cake basics were sweet contrasts for this quilt.

The binding is Scrolling Hearts Dark Pink.

"Candy Hearts" and "Heart Celebrations" in red, pink, black, and white were 

perfect for borders and the envelope.

It was fun to fussy cut one of the "My Gnomie Boxes" to place in the envelope.

Those boxes would make wonderful fabric postcards!

You can find little gnome cupids throughout the fabrics that beg to be fussy cut for hearts like this.

Scrolling Hearts Red is the big heart.

You can find "Love You Forever" in a free PDF download HERE.

Of course, my crew was awesome at his job of positioning the quilt for a photo!

Thanks for stopping by!

Which Way To Witchville BOM Begins Today

"Which Way to Witchville" BOM has begun on our Facebook Cackling Stitches page! 

It's full of Halloween creepy, cute, and weird designs. 

I loved creating this quilt with my two wicked friends, Joan at Moosestash Quilting 

and Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks!

Which Way to Witchville

48" x 64"

I used Benartex "Halloween Spirit" and Benartex "Cotton Shot" in my quilt.

I love to use solids when I applique!

The January block is by Carla and it is called "Town Square."

Check out Moosestash Quilting's version HERE and Creatin' in the Sticks HERE.

It's amazing how different it can look with other fabrics.

How does our Which Way to Witchville BOM work? 

The 2023 "Which Way to Witchville" BOM runs from January 1st through September 30th. 

All block releases happen on our Cackling Stitches Facebook page HERE.

We even give you the fabric requirements early to help you conjure/gather your fabrics.

You can find it HERE.

It's not a mystery BOM. We show you each of our finished quilts!

On the first day of each month, we release a block pattern (sometimes it's more than one)

 that is free for the entire calendar month. After that, those blocks go into our individual 

ETSY shops where you can purchase them for $2 each. 

New and free block(s) then appear for the new month...and so on, and so on.

 So, what is "NEW" and never been done by us? 

Beginning January 1st, the ENTIRE pattern is available in each of our ETSY shops for $15.

We've had so many people ask us if they can buy the whole thing at once, so we decided to go for it.

If you can't wait for each block release or you don't have a Facebook page, this is for you!

We hope you appreciate the time we put into creating this BOM and understand that we keep

 the costs to a minimum for you. We ask that you respect our copyrights and do not share the 

pattern with others. You're welcome to direct your friends to our Cackling Stitches Group 

Facebook or any of our ETSY shops so they can get their own patterns starting January 1st.

Just Let Me Quilt Etsy Store HERE.

Moosestash Quilting Blog HERE.

Moosestash Quilting Etsy Store HERE.

Creatin' in the Sticks Blog HERE.

Creatin' in the Sticks Etsy Store HERE.

I hope you have a lovely holiday season and are ready to get back to sewing in January!