Curious George Blanket

That curious monkey is always getting into something! Today, he is trying his hand at being a painter. Watch out!

This cozy fleece blanket is ultra soft. On one side, Curious George is making a big mess painting and on the other side there are cute little bugs. This blanket measures approximately 34" x 40" and is made with two layers of fleece to make it extra cuddly. Visit my Artfire shop for purchase.

Thomas the Train Quilt for the Little Guy!

My little guy loves Thomas the Train! When I saw this fabric panel online, I knew that I wanted to make David a quilt. I found some cute Thomas the Train track fabric at Walmart for the back of the quilt. This was a quick quilt to make. I placed the batting on the floor, followed by the backing, wrong side down, and then the quilt top, right side down. I pinned the layers together and sewed around the perimeter, leaving a space to turn the quilt right side out. Next, I removed the pins, turned the quilt right side out, and blind stitched the opening closed. Finally, I tied the quilt, spaced at every 5 inches.

Patchwork Fabric Quilted Crib Rail Guard

Your little one will love the stimulating designs of this fabric! This guard is wide enough to fit many convertible wide rail cribs. Click HERE to visit my shop, New England Quilter, to see the listing for specific details. Would you like to design your own instead? Visit my shop to purchase a 10 page tutorial with step by step instructions for designing and making your own quilted crib rail guard. The tutorial includes 38 color photos to help guide you. Don't Sew? I have also designed a No Sew Tied Quilted Crib Rail Guard tutorial for those of you who don't sew as well!

No Sew Tied Quilted Crib Rail Guard Tutorial TM

Now available for sale in my Etsy shop: No Sew Tied Quilted Crib Rail Guard Tutorial. This PDF file tutorial includes 28 color photos and step by step instructions to make your own padded quilted crib rail guard. Once you have bought the fabric to go with your nursery, it should take less than 2 hours to make a guard. Click HERE to visit my Etsy shop for more details. Or to visit my Artfire Studio, click HERE.

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Thank you!

Rag Rug Update

Now that the holidays are over, I am able to commit more time towards working on the rag rug. I have 7 colors done and about 10 to go! It is getting very big to hold on my lap. I have found it easier to sit on the floor as I work on it. It is quite long and oblong shaped at the moment. I had it on my lap the other day and my son thought that it looked like a slide. He kept trying to run up to me saying "slide, slide!" He is only 1 year-old. He also likes to run off with my crochet hook. I thought that this would be an easy project to work on with him nearby, but things are proving differently. The red fabric is different than all of the others which are cotton. The next fabric that I am going to use is velour. We'll see how it turns out. I have not had difficulty with the mixed fabric yet. TIP: I did find that the red fabric was so much thicker than the cotton that I had to skip a stitch every now and then to keep the rug flat. I hope to have another update soon!

Previous posts for this project:
Getting Started Post
2 Colors Done

New Business Cards thanks to Etsy for Charity

Business Card Design by Zen Design Studio

One of my favorite Etsy artists, Val, of Valerie's Gallery is a member of Etsy for Charity. Their Etsy Team ran a promotion this winter where I was entered in a contest to win a free gift from another Etsy for Charity artist with any purchase.
Here is what I bought from Valerie's Gallery, a Snowman Felted Vase:



Lucky me - I won a wonderful gift from Zen Design Studio. My wonderful prize included a shop makeover, including 100 glossary business cards, a new banner and avatar, along with a thank you and reserved listing image as well. I was very pleased with the results. She is very easy to work with and I would recommend her to anyone wanting to get a shop makeover!

Birthday bash for cousin Mark

My sisters came to visit with their sons. We had 5 little boys ages 6 and under. The birthday boy is on the left. He turned 4 on New Year's Day. My little guy is on the right and the others are the rest of the cousins. We had streamers all over the house, a pinata, presents and cake. It was a big birthday bash and a fun way to start the new year!