Gosh I love pin cushions.  I have MANY.  But you need lots of pin cushions when you are getting really creative.  Otherwise those pins end up in piles EVERYWHERE! I also love making something cute and easy with a traditional quilt block!  A pin cushion is a perfect project to make- it’s all the fun of creating a quilt block without the huge time commitment 🙂 Here is the cute block before it was transformed into the pin cushion.  Adorable, right?  Above is the pin cushion version which I created by boxing the corners and adding a backing.  Very fun and easy, friends! Do you want to make one too?  Click the play button on the video below.  Check the description section of the video for all the measurements and materials needed.  Enjoy!...

Last week Marion finished preschool!  Kindergarten here she comes!  So, I rushed around and made her 3 teachers quilted fabric frames.  You know that is my favorite gift to give, right?  I love how you can give it with a cute saying or special picture and then the recipient can then hang it as is, OR put their own saying or picture in there.  Thus, the perfect gift for your favorite teacher! Alas, in my rushing, NO PICTURES!  but I did make new printables for the frame over on Canva.  Now, I warn you, I am not a graphics expert and I have seen much cuter fonts and configurations than these, but they are still pretty good!  And, Marion colored in the apple, flowers and hearts, so they turned out really cute.  AGAIN, SORRY NO REAL PICTURES :(.  But I still wanted you to see the quotes in action, so I did a little photo shop trickery!  Basically, I superimposed the new quotes on old frame photos.  So, let’s pretend this is what my frames looked like…  (and to get the FREE printables, scroll below!)   Cute, right?  Thoughtful AND EASY!  That is my favorite part because this time of year I am totally swamped with end of the year activities.  As a result,  putting together a nice teacher gift can be challenging.  So, the quilted fabric frame pattern to the rescue- AGAIN! So, here are the PDF printables!  Just click on the blue letters below.  I would recommend printing them on white cardstock and then trimming down.  I usually take the piece of glass/ plexiglass and put it centered over the printed quote.  Then lightly trace with a pencil and cut it out.  Then it will fit perfectly every time!  The printables are for a 5” x 7” frame (which is the standard size of the quilted fabric frame sewing pattern!). Big-heart-to-teach influence of a good teacher teachers plant the seeds Here are the quotes up close so you can see them!  But to print out, you need to download the PDFs above in blue 🙂 I hope you get some use out of these fun quotes!  I know my MOM is going to call me soon and say “Well, Ginny, your quotes were cute but down here in the SOUTH, kids are already out of school!”  Sorry I am late for you on the teacher gifts, southern friends!  But you can PIN these to pinterest and use them next year!  Yay!  And, follow ME on pinterest while you are at it 🙂...

FRIENDS!  I made this last mother’s day but never shared on my blog.  DUH!  This space is like an old friend though- i am going to just jump back in and pretend like I haven’t neglected her so much.  The blog will still love me, right? Here is the super cute and easy video to make these fun fabric baskets.  I made them last year with Mother’s day in mind so that I could add some new dish towels, lotions, etc into a pretty fabric caddy.  It turned out cute and FAST!  you will love...

You know how I keep blathering on about how much I like giving quilted fabric frames as gifts.  Well, here I go again!  I made a new frame and a set of mother’s day quotes to share 🙂 . Above is the one I am sending my mom.  But I made 2 more for you to choose from!  These will make great mother’s day gifts for you too!  If you don’t want to sew the frame, you could buy a 5” x 7” frame and still use the printables 🙂 Below are the PDFs that you download to print on your own.  These are 5” x 7” sizes and will work for the pattern size 🙂 . Click on the blue words above the saying to open the PDF! totheworld artofliving...

  I can’t resist making Modern Folksy Bunny Sewing Kits!  It’s something I look forward to every spring.  My youngest, Marion, loves the Peter Rabbit stories.  My others were only moderately interested but she loves them.  Something about being naughty I think!  Although she is interested in the stories about Peter, Benjamin, (and that very naughty Squirel Nutkin), she likes how the very sweet Flopsy Mopsy and Cottontail look.  She always wants me to stop and admire their pretty pink shawls and sweet innocent faces.  So, this year I decided to change up the modern Folksy Bunny and give it a new look inspired by those sweet sisters of the more famous Peter Rabbit.   I changed the regular Modern Folksy Bunny Pattern quite a bit to create this version.  First, I changed the shape of the head by moving the dart to the center.  Then I made both ears face forward and created this sweet little face.  There is something so special about embroidering little faces and it really takes your handmade projects to the next level.  From a simple afternoon project to a family heirloom in my opinion!  In the altered pattern you get with this kit,  I provide lots of instruction (including links to very helpful video tutorials) to insure that you are successful at the embroidery.  No need to feel intimidated if you have never done embroidery before.  It is easier than you think and you will probably find that you love it. The shawl is also a new creation and it adds a special touch for sure.  My girl loves playing and dressing her bunny with the shawl!  I think I will make her a few more so she can change it up.  It is a quick and easy sew with the pattern pieces included in the kit.   It took a lot of trails to get this shawl just right, but it was worth it since the fit is so nice 🙂 Although I originally wanted to use linen, I decided to use this lovely Robert Kaufman Essex Linen Blend instead and I think it’s a better choice.  The essex blend gives the pretty look of linen (and is part linen!) but is much easier to sew with.  The pink shawl fabric is Art Gallery fabric and has that wonderful “art gallery feel.”  The fabric is smooth and easy to sew with, and has a lovely bright pink color and delicate white pattern.    The kit not only includes the fabrics, you will also receive yarn for the tail, interfacing for the ears,  and the embroidery floss for the bunny face.  Visit my shop to get your Modern Folksy Bunny Spring 2017 Kit...

Caroline from Sew Can She is the guest blogger today on the Holiday Gifts Sewing Series.  She made the cutest llama!  Head over to her blog to check it out and see the rest of this furry friend. Caroline runs an amazing sewing blog that features free sewing tutorials from around the web everyday!  She also has a craftsy class (which I took and highly recommend!), has written a book, and has a pattern shop on etsy herself.  She is a true inspiration! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway this week!  Leave a comment here for your chance to win the giveaway this week! a Rafflecopter giveaway...

This is my stop on my own Gingercake Holiday Gifts Sewing Series!  I knew immediately that I wanted to share the Quilted Fabric Frame pattern!  It is my new favorite gift to give 🙂 When I created the new frame pattern this past summer, my oldest was immediately smitten.  She is into decorating her room and accessorizing (like many 12 year olds I know!).  Giving a frame can be a little tricky since you either need to have a photo already in it or it feels kinda half finished if you give it empty.  Instead of gathering photos (since you know, at this age, she is going to want to put her friends in there), I decided to make some cute quote printables instead.  Problem solved and I get to pass on my not so subtle Mom messages too 🙂 I used Art Gallery Fabric that I purchased from one of my favorite etsy fabric shops- Llama fabrics.  They have a fantastic selection, Chio always refunds shipping overages, AND it is shipped so fast!   I love how these fabrics from different collections still coordinate.  Another amazing thing about Art Gallery! I also think these will be great to sell at a craft show with the quotes.  That way, people can give them away as a finished gift and the person receiving the frame can either use it with the quote or replace it with a photo.  YAY! I decided to use the binding option for these frames so that they have a gallery type look.  But this pattern also has options of tabs and not binding as a finish.  It is very versatile! I made the quotes into PDFs that you can be downloaded and printed by YOU!  I created these on the canva website. Have you tried Canva yet?  It is an amazing and easy resource for creating graphics.  I highly recommend trying it out! create-sunshine desire-to-create-card grateful-heart stayhumble throw-kindness These quotes are sized to be 5” x 7” since that is the basic size of the frame.  But you can easily adjust their size on your printer to be larger or smaller.  You are welcome to use these but please to do claim them as your own. I can’t wait to give these to my daughter!  One more thing- the pattern calls for using plexiglass which is really nice if you have some handy.  I previously had a sheet of it cut at the home improvement store into 5” x 7” pieces and it worked great.  But for this project, I bought $1 frames from the dollar store and used their glass!  An easy solution for sure except that the glass is fragile. PLUS, if you use a nice card stock to print your quote,...

You all know how I fawn over Kristy of Sweet KM, right?  Such talent!  I was so pleased when she agreed to be part of my Gingercake Holiday Gifts Sewing Series.  I knew she would sew something unique, useful and gorgeous!  I was certainly not disappointed 🙂  Her Day off Backpack is amazing! Kristy is an accomplished garment sewer- working her magic at making a stylish and practical wardrobe for herself one piece at a time.  Her simple, chic pieces of clothes are totally wearable and timeless.  Kristy has a shop on Etsy where she sells her knitting patterns too.  She really tempts me to learn how to knit! One of the things I love about Kristy is her attention to detail.  She is an architect after all!  Check out this detail from her Day off backpack~ So fun and clever!  Thank you so much for inspiring us with your backpack Kristy! Now for the week 2 giveaway! You may or may not know that I have sewn many pieces for Blend fabrics for their both at Quilt Market.  I love to work with their high quality, colorful fabrics.   Blend has offered Gingercake readers an entire 1/2 yard bundle of their Poppy Collection of fabrics.  I love these bright and gorgeous prints and I hope you will too! The other treat we have this week is that Heidi from Elegance and Elephants has generously offered 2 of her sewing patterns to the lucky winner!  E & E patterns are classic children’s sewing patterns with a modern twist.  Heidi’s patterns first caught my eye with her fabulous fedora hat pattern and now she has many more such as the Bubble Pocket Shorts,  and the Bohemian Babydoll dress.  Adorable!   Thank you for being part of the giveaway Heidi. Enter below!  This giveaway lasts until Saturday Novemeber 26th at 11:59 PM.  Good Luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway Coming up later this week, I will be sewing some Frames on Wednesday and Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl is making Penguins!  I can’t wait to share with...

Unlike the last frame I shared a few days ago, this frame was super quick!  My girls went to camp last week and had a great time with their cousins and new friends too.  My sister in law, Maureen, took this photo of them on the steps of the dining hall on the last day. Camp is all about being yourself and I think this photo sums it up 🙂  To make the Laurel logo, I used my printer and Lesley Riley’s TAP paper.  You can get some here.  My transfer didn’t go perfectly, but I think it adds character to the camp frame! Again, this one is made with fabric scraps.  This is a great project for finally using up those random pieces of fabric that you are saving.  I didn’t quilt this frame since I wasn’t sure how I would handle quilting over the logo.  When you quilt the piece, it add more structure which I like a little better, but this one still works very well. How would you frame a photo like this?  I liked using the colors of the photo to choose my fabrics.  It makes such a cohesive piece  ...

I love getting a beautiful wedding invitation in the mail.  That crisp paper and seeing the names of the bride and groom in beautiful fonts is just so special.  My cousin Marin was married last month and her invitation was just lovely.  Simple yet romantic.  I wanted to frame it for her with my new sewing pattern. I knew that linen would be a great base fabric.  I searched through my fabric stash and found these other pieces to enhance the look.  Marin is an art teacher and I know she will appreciate hand made! This frame was made using binding instead of sewing the sides right sides together.  I adjusted the size of the piece to fit the Half square triangles that I made.  I just wanted to make sure that I had enough space on the sides of the frame that were not patchwork so I could make the frame look even. I will admit this one took me awhile.  From finding the perfect fabric to coordinate with the invitation,  to making the HST the right size (the first try was way too big and was put on the back instead), to the fancy quilting (at least fancy for me!), and finally getting the binding just right, this frame was not a quick and simple project.  It took about 4 hours worth of babysitting and lots of patience!  But I loved making it and the result is really lovely. How would you frame a wedding invitation?  I would love to see some of your ideas!  You can get this brand new sewing pattern in my shop.    ...

I like to mess around with my sewing patterns and see if I can find other uses for them.  You all know this about me, right?  I think it fun to expand on one concept in sewing and find new uses for it.  Fun for a sewing nerd like me! I loved working with Chio from Llama Fabrics!  She sent me a beautiful set of FQs from her shop and I was excited to make something fun.  These beautiful Art Gallery fabrics are from the Priory Square line by Katy Jones.   I couldn’t just make a simple zip pouch.  I made it with a divider like the Waste Free Lunch Bag.  The Zipped version of that bag has been a really big hit on Pinterest lately and it had me thinking about a smaller version. The size is rather squareish-  I started with pieces that were 9” x 9”.  This version has some cute quilting on the lower 2/3rds of the piece.  I love the texture and softness it adds! This one above is the 2nd version I made, but the first version is pretty too!   I just used 1 fabric for the exterior and no quilting… These were fun to make and will be useful for sure.  I’m not sure it the divider is really necessary as part of the pouch.  Maybe for the super organized?  Which, unfortunately, I am NOT.  For travel it would be nice to be able to use it to stand things up- like nail polish, small lotion bottles etc.  I’ll use it for a few months and let you know!  ...

At our elementary school, when they become 4th graders, the kids are allowed to start using a 3 ring binder to keep their papers organized.  For my girls, this is a big deal (I don’t think my son is going to care all that much).  It’s like a big kid rite of passage or something- add style to your school stuff and be cool! Last year, my Anne was just going into 3rd grade and I made this binder slipcover for her from my Notebook Slipcover Pattern (now on sale for only $5!).  She was so excited.  Her third grade teacher felt so bad but told Anne she had to leave her binder at home since it wasn’t what the kids were using yet.  Tears were shed (lot of tears and lots of smiles for this middle child) but then it was quickly forgotten and I put the cover away.  Well, 4th grade is now about to start and this pretty cover is coming BACK! The fabrics I used were from Pinked Fabrics on Etsy.  They are Le Boutique by Michael Miller. If you like this Notebook Slipcover, please help me spread the word by sharing on Pinterest, twitter or Facebook....

My oldest turned 11 last month.  Such a big girl going to middle school!  I made this flamingo for her room.  Last year I made her a more grown up quilt for her bed and she told me recently that none of the old pillows I made her match anymore.  In other words- “MOM, can you make me something new??” This is the Flamingo from my book, Pretty Birds, enlarged to 200%.   I find the easiest way to enlarge pattern pieces is to use PSE or a similar program.  Start with selecting a blank page that is 8.5” x 11”.  Copy and paste the pattern piece onto the blank page.  Since the pattern pieces are already formatted at 8.5” x 11”, it should fill the page. Then use the resize tool to enlarge the photo to 200%.  This should mean what ever was on the original pattern page, now will have to be spread out over 4 pages.  Just experiement a little and you will get it! The other option, if you live near a staples or kinkos or something similar and take the original 8.5” x 11” pages and have them enlarge it for you. Either way, the result is a fun and fabulous bed size flamingo. Erin of Hungie Gungie also made a really cute version of this flamingo here. Pretty Birds is now only $14.11 on amazon!  I really loved writing the book and have found myself heading back to make projects from it often.  It’s just fun to use scraps and make something quirky and original, right?   If you liked this flamingo project, please feel free to Pin, share, tweet or whatever!   Also, let me know if you have any questions or...

    Last month my oldest turned 10.  TEN!  Hard to believe ten years have passed since she was a little tiny sweet baby.  She is a great girl and into style and trends and all things bright and beautiful (like most 10 year olds!).  I made this Half Square Triangle quilt for her gift and it is a big hit.  It is similar to this picnic blanket I made last year. I used this technique to cut my HSTs and I used bella solds from Bloomerie fabrics.  The fabric was wonderful and the colors were so bright and bold.  It was exactly what I wanted.  The fabric colors I used were zen grey, amelia orange, peacock, peony, purple and buttercup.   I ordered a 1/2 a yard of each of the six fabrics and then cut the 1/2 yards into 18” squares that were cut down into the 8 HSTs.  I used the extra 6” strips to make squares to mix in and fill empty spots. Although I shopped and shopped online for the backing and binding, I ended up just going to Joann fabrics so that I could make sure that the colors matched.  I knew that I wanted something with a bold print for the backing and this cute peacock fabric worked great.  Also, the polkadot orange for the binding was fine.  I would have preferred a stripe but I just couldn’t find one I liked at Joann’s so this had to work! Below is my poor attempt at the classic outdoor photo of the quilt floating in the air~ The colors are wierd and the photo quality is poor since my fancy new camera still baffles me sometimes.  But at least you can see how all the squares fit together.  Although it was my intention to put it together randomly, I still paid attention to mixing colors and letting some triangles and squares block together.  I really liked how modern it felt in the end. Quilts are a challenge!  The biggest challenge for me is how time consuming they are and also the actaully quilting. It’s a pain to wrangle all that fabric on my machine.  But this half square triangle type is a simple and fun construction and a twin size is not too hard on your regular home machine.  Making a quilt always makes me admire quilters who create complicated tops and the even more complicated quilting...

More sew fab bundle sewing over here!  This one is actually for my mom for mother’s day so I made it last week to get it in the mail in time.  I think it will be a really useful gift for her.  Have you checked out all the patterns in the sew fab bundle?  It really is a great collection at an amazing value. This pattern is the Leather Accent Fold Over Pouch by Vanessa of LBG studio.  It’s a great staple to have in your collection since it is both sylish and super simple.  Love that!  The pattern is easy to follow and well done.  I like that she includes pattern pieces to print out but also has the measurements in case you don’t want to print them out. I used Dear Stella fabric from the Piper line.  I love all the fabrics in that collection!  For the lining I just used a fairly heavy cream duck cloth/ canvas.  The leather accents are from a hand me down pair of suede maternity pants that I have had for years.  Yes- I once wore some suede maternity pants because I am cool like that! It’s a nice size too- not too small or too big.  Just right for your wallet, phone and some lip gloss.  Perfect!  You can easily make this as a gift or to match a special outfit in about an hour and 1/2. Have you bought your bundle yet???  Head over to my original blog post for all the details and to enter the awesome sew fab giveaway!  Or click below to get your bundle now....

I am so please about my guest sewer today!  Jenny from the Southern Institute is one inspirational lady.  She is a go getter with a big heart and her creativity is limitless.  Today on her blog she shows off her daughter's version of Annie's Penguin.  YES!  Her 10 year old daughter sewed this and it was her first complete sewing project on her own.  Head over to Jenny's blog to hear about this experience and leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of the Annie's penguin...

Today, Hayely from Welcome to the Mouse House sewed up some extrememly cute Lola Owl Pillows.  Seriously, I never get sick of different versions of Lola and these are so so adorable.  Hayley is a super talented lady with so much happening over on her blog.  She is a blogging star for sure!  And her sewing and crafting talent is amazing too!  Head over to her blog to see all the beautiful photos and leave a comment to win your own copy of Lola Owl Pillow Sewing...

The sewing inspiration continues!   Jennifer Young of Endlessly Inspired brought her sewing machine out of the closet and sewed up an adorable Waste Free Lunch Bag for her 2 year old.  Jenn's blog is more about crafting and parenting than sewing, but we may make her into a convert after this adorable creation!  She can do it all!  Head over to Endlessly Inspired to see more of her cute bag and leave a comment for a chance to win the Waste Free Lunch Bag pattern for...

Today we have Amy Dunn of Lots of Pink Here.  Amy is a great friend and very creative sewer.  Her choices in fabric are always amazing!  In fact, Amy has her own adorable fabric shop called Pinked Fabrics that I love!  Amy took on the Art Caddy Sewing Pattern which makes a wonderful gift.  Head over to her blog to see how she made sewing the Art Caddy Easier AND leave a comment for your chance to win the pattern for...

I am having so much fun with this sewing series!  Today we have Tara Fauls from Girl Like the Sea.  Her blog is fresh, natural, a little bit funky.  I have really enjoyed looking at all her sewing lately!  Tara is crazy talented.   She made the coolest lego Love Your Lunch Box pattern for her husband.  Go over to her blog and check it out!  Leave a comment for a chance to win your own copy of the the Love Your Lunch Box...