Crochet Hearts for Valentine's Day.

   I found a crochet tutorial on youtube that I really like to make pretty hearts.  The tutorial is easy to follow as well.  It takes about 22 minutes to make a heart using the tutorial.  Here's a link to the tutorial I used:  Crochet Heart Video Tutorial

     You can use any weight yarn or thread and a hook size to match the material.  I used some pink Red Heart Acrylic yarn that I had leftover from a previous project (worsted weight) with a size G crochet hook.

    I think these hearts would be pretty with a picot edge.

The Best Gift Bag Tutorial

     I was wondering how to wrap my daughter's little birthday presents the other night and I realized I could make something really cute with my fabric.

     A few years ago I found this tutorial for a gift bag that is so easy to make.  The directions are great and even if you have never made a bag before, I'm sure you can make this one.

      The little bag that is made from the tutorial is wonderful for small gifts but the best part about this pattern is that you can make the bag any size you want and it turns out great.  I know, because I just did it.  The bag I made the other night is extra scrappy and not very pretty, so I won't be showing a picture here, but you can use coordinated fabrics and make a beautiful bag any size you want.

      I will show you this little bag I made a couple of years ago using this tutorial.  I use this as a purse sometimes.  I even added some batting to the straps to pad them a little bit.  If I lay this bag flat is measures 14" wide by 10" deep. 

      The trick to making the bag any size is to make the lining the same size as the outside of the bag.  So if you made the outside of your bag 14" x 18" then cut a piece of fabric 14" x 18" for the lining and follow the directions.  It works great. 

     You can also adjust the straps on the bag.  You can make them as wide and as long or short as you want. 

    If you are making the bag bigger, you will want to make your boxed corners a little deeper.  When I made my scrappy bag the other night, I sewed and cut my boxed corners at 2". 

    You can also change up how you place your fabric.  Just because they have a solid bottom and scrappy sides doesn't mean that's the way you have to make yours.  I made my scrappy bag with a scrappy bottom and solid sides.  You can make the entire outside from one piece of fabric as well.  It's really easy and I like to say if I can do it, anyone can. 

Further Adventures In Making The Disappearing Hourglass Quilt

   The top is finished:

   I'm really happy with the quilt top and how the disappearing hourglass blocks look with the sashing and the cornerstones.  The dimensions are 68 1/2" x 68 1/2" square.  I love the way the black sections create circles in a secondary pattern that you can see when you squint at the pictures.  Those black circles remind me of the pictures on Viewmaster cards like this:

   As you can see or can't see, the blue starry fabric is barely noticeable in my cornerstones.  The print was super small and the blue and yellow colors are hard to see.  I can't wait to see if that fabric makes a bigger impact on the binding.

    I have a bunch of blocks leftover.  I have two rows of 5 blocks each sashed and six blocks that are loose.  I originally made 41 of these blocks but I never considered how big the blocks were going to finish at while I was making the darn things.  I ended up using 5 rows of 5 blocks for this quilt top because that's the largest size quilt I want to try to quilt myself on my domestic sewing machine.  I'm a hobby quilter, I don't make anything larger than a generous lap size quilt.

     I'm working on the back of this quilt now.  I'm expecting solid royal blue fabric to be delivered today and I'll be using one of the leftover rows in the center of the back.  I have to put some sashing and cornerstones on the row and then I'll piece the back with it.  This quilt should be sandwiched and ready to quilt by Tuesday.