Snowmen Quilt

Well I am a little late on this one, but it is still dropping a few snowflakes hear and there a bit in Kansas City, so I suppose it is alright :)

My co-worker made this beautiful quilt for her family annual Christmas gift exchange. Needless to say it was a HUGE hit! Just thought I would share it here in case it inspires you for next years holiday season.

She used our Snowmen pattern for half the blocks. The other half she used a machine embroidery pattern she purchased for the snowflake blocks.

Here is the whole quilt (sorry it isn't the best picture, quilts are so hard to photograph!).

The center block detail. She also used her machine and added the family name and date detail. I think it makes it extra special!

You can purchase this pattern for machine embroidery if you want to make quick of the work. Find it on Oregon Patchworks here.

 A close up. I never think pictures do quilts justice. They are always so lovely in person and then end up looking so flat when you try to photograph them (pun intended). Any one have any tips for taking photos of large items like this?

Well better late then never, right?

Happy Stitching All!

-Brooke

New Pattern Adhesive

This product is one of the reasons we LOVE our customers. Recently a lovely lady brought this wonderful temporary adhesive to our attention. We tried it out and had to pass it onto you all! You can now purchase it on our website. I promise a whole can will last you over a year. This stuff is magic!

Do you have trouble with you pattern shifting on you when you are trying to iron it on? This product is for you! Start buy picking out your pattern and cutting away anything you do not want to transfer. 

Next, lay your pieces out like you want them. Lift up each one (away from your fabric) and spray the smallest amount onto the paper side that has the ink on it. Then simply place it back down on your fabric where you want it. It will stick. You can reposition it if you don't get it quite right the first time.

Next, (ignoring my pasty white middle-of-winter white arm), iron-on your patter like normal. If you need to check to see if it has transferred, lift back a corner and look. Don't lift it all the way off, or it will be hard to put back on in the exact place. Move on and iron-on all your other parts.

When you remove the pattern pieces there is no sticky residue left on them! It is AMAZING! You can re-stack them in your envelope and they won't stick together, and you can reuse the patterns a few times, just reapply the spray and iron away!

Then if you are like me, you will change your mind on where you want a piece :)

I just washed out the bottom left acorn so I could add another leaf. When you wash out a part of your pattern just be careful not to get the water and soap on the parts you want to keep. I always use COLD water (heat will only set it further) and Dawn dish soap to get these iron-ons out. Let them air dry. Works like a charm every time. After it is totally dry, just repeat the steps for using the spray and applying your pattern, iron-on and you are ready to stitch!

Ta-da!! Hope this product will help some you out like it did me. I do this for a living and even I still mess up some times. Since I have started using this spray I never have those little ghost lines, it is always crisp and clear. I cannot tell you how much this product is worth in my eyes. It makes things so much easier. Give it a try and let me know what you think!! You can buy it here on our website!

Happy Stitching All!

-Brooke

New Vintage Pattern in our Vault!

A Whale of a Tale

We are slowly reintroducing many patterns from the past here are Aunt Martha's. This classic is requested from a lot of customers, so we decided to add it to the Vault on our website. These patterns are printed when you order and not printed as part of our regular pattern line. The pattern is available for reprint on our website.......here! The pattern is just like our other patterns, it irons on and washes out of most fabrics. 

You can also purchase it for machine embroidery through Oregon Patchworks. 

New Big Wheels Pattern #4026

Well, I have been busy drawing. So many new patterns coming out. This is the first, Big Wheels in the Aunt Martha's pattern line. We have had many requests for some "boy toy" kind of patterns, so I hope you like them! Don't forget you can always cut off any part of the pattern that you do not want to stitch. So if you want to do a baby boy quilt, you could use the truck and cut away the words. Or even just move them-fill your block a bit more. The possibilities are endless!

You can find the pattern on our website....here!

Something to do with those old linens

I recently found these old embroidered dresser scarves at a thrift store. For $2 I couldn't pass them up, although I had no idea what to use them on. Then I made a small dress for a cousin's upcoming baby shower and it promoted me into making an apron for myself. I am constantly dreaming up things to make for others, but then I often wonder how they might go unloved and unappreciated, so I decided this year to get to making all those things I have always wanted for myself. Then I know they are loved and appreciated for sure! So I used this pattern, altered it a little (shortened it and added a lining instead of the bias tape) and got to work.

I love this style of apron because it isn't binding at the neck and adding weight there. Sometimes even wearing a necklace gives me a headache, so this apron will be just perfect, I can wear it all day. And no  apron strings in the laundry, getting all tangled up  either!

Hope you like it, and find inspiration to use your old embroidered linens. I have also seen them used as pockets on little girls dresses, that would be a cute idea too!

Happy Stitching! 

Brooke

So much to tell you about!

Well it has been like the inside of a tornado around here. Let me tell you. But here some new and exciting things happening at Colonial Patterns!

New Pattern Books!!!

We have an older set of pattern books that we are working on revamping and making better. So we have 12 new books out right now.  These books work just like our regular Aunt Martha's patterns (one color iron-on transfer), but there are just more in this booklet than what comes in the standard envelope sized Aunt Martha's pattern.

#400 Kitchen Designs

#401 European Delight

#402 Flowers and Butterflies

#403 Fruits and Veggies

#404 Farm Living

#405 A Holiday for Every Season

#406 The Great Outdoors

#407 Sunbonnet Days

#408 Clever Kitties

#409 Playful Puppies

#410 Fanciful Flowers 

 #411 The Four Seasons

Hope you like all the new books! They are 8.5" x 11" and have beautiful full color covers to them now. 

If you  look at them on our website, there are examples of some of the designs stitched up for each book. 

Happy Stitching!

Brooke

Weekend Stitching

Just had to work in some stitching this weekend to relax. We have been working feverishly in the yard, and my body was just ready to sit still on Monday. Thank goodness we had the day off--it was a wonderful day with family. I really wanted to stitch up the new patriotic pattern we have, but I left it here at the office on Thursday, so Urban Garden it was instead. Hope you all got some relaxing time with family in this weekend (and some stitching)!

Brooke