Have you noticed? Gnomes have taken the world by storm, and we couldn’t be more pleased!
The BIGGEST gnome in the world stands 26 feet tall in Saanich, Canada. (His hat is the size of a family tent!)
The largest COLLECTION of gnomes resides in Devon, UK. (Human visitors to the woodland reserve wear pointy hats to blend in with the 2000+ gnomes. True story!)
And the most ADORABLE gnomes are found right HERE in Jenny’s new quilt tutorial!
We’re using Hello Melly’s “You Gnome I Love You” quilt pattern to whip up little layer cake gnomes that are sweet as can be!
You asked and we delivered! In our Handmade Holidays pictures, there are cute little ornaments that you were curious about. We heard your requests and we’re showing you how to make them! From Ali, our visual merchandiser, here are the instructions on how to make these cute paper ornaments.
Get your supplies ready, it’s time to make some ornaments!
Supplies Needed:
Old book, paper of your choice.
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Sizzix machine or something to create circles. The bottom of a cup could work as a template.
Twine or string of your choice
Step 1
Fold circle in half and then in half again. This should give you a cone/triangle shape. Do this eight times until you have eight individual triangles.
Eight finished triangles.
Step 2
Glue all of your triangles together. The fold should face inward towards the center.
After gluing all of your triangles together you should end up with this.
Step 3
Glue remaining flaps of triangles together to give your ornament more shape and volume.
After gluing all of your flaps together, you should end up with your almost finished ornament. It should look like this.
Step 4
Choose a string or ribbon of your choice to create a loop so you can hang your ornament. Hot glue your string to the back of your ornament.
Finished!!!
And voila! Just like that you have a unique and handmade ornament.
Make this season a Handmade Holiday with Missouri Star Quilt Co.
No gift is more meaningful than a handmade creation from the heart. When we take the time to create for those near and dear to us, we sew little bits of love into the fabric with every stitch and create a gift that will last a lifetime. July is the perfect time to start stitching up your Handmade Holiday gifts!
If you’re needing a little inspiration for this holiday season (maybe you haven’t even started to think about gifts yet!), check out a few of our favorite Handmade Holiday projects and create something this year for those closest to you (or for yourself)!
The Comfort and Joy Advent Calendar Kit by Osie Liebowitz for Timeless Treasures.
Kits are a quilter’s best gift-giving friend! They not only come together quickly and easily, but they look just fantastic when complete (Plus you get everything you need in one handy kit). Make it Classic this holiday season with a traditional holiday advent calendar to countdown the days until Christmas begins – this gift will be at the center of your holiday decorations throughout the entire month of December.
Whether you enjoy the traditional holiday elements of the Comfort and Joy Advent Calendar Kit or the classic Dr. Seuss Grinchmas Tree Countdown Kit, this project is not only something you can share as a gift, but as a craft activity with beginning makers. These advent kits are a great place to give the gift of sewing to the little ones in your life.
The Winter Star Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Imagine giving the gift of warmth and comfort – it’s all possible with the Winter Star quilt! Nothing is better than a handmade quilt, so give a gift that will quite literally wrap your loved ones in warmth this Handmade Holiday by stitching up this cozy creation that captures the beautiful ambiance of the winter season.
The Casserole Carrier from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Whether you’re arriving to your company’s holiday party or dinner with your family, deliver your hot dish with a flair of elegance with a handmade Casserole Caddy. This easy to create and even easier to use carrier not only helps insulate your casserole and keeps it warm, but also adds a sense of wonder and holiday spirit to wherever it goes!
Make it Elegant with enchanting fabrics featuring traditional red and green with touches of gold as well as wintry white and blue with silver accents. We suggest picking up a selection of yardage from the Holiday Flourish collection by Studio RK for Robert Kaufman – these festive fabrics will add a touch of beauty and elegance to your project!
The Quilt As You Go Holiday Hexis Advent Calendar from BLOCK Volume 7 Issue 4.
We just love Quilt As You Go projects! These fun and festive holiday hexis come together in a flash no matter where you’re making – seriously, these are PERFECT travel projects. Take your hexis and add a little background fabric and a pocket and you’re on your way to having a beautiful piece of holiday decor that will deck your halls with fun.
The Warm Hands Ornaments Kit by Rachel Pellman for Rachel’s of Greenfield.
Why settle for the same old Christmas ornaments this year when you can add a modern maker’s flair to your holiday tree with an easy Fabric Ornaments Kit? Not only will your tree stand out as a unique and creative addition to your Handmade Holiday, but this adorable applique ornaments will become a keepsake for years to come!
Make it Modern by picking up a complete project kit such as The Warm Hands Ornaments Kit or the Merry Mugs Ornament Kit. Whatever your preference, these cute little ornaments are SEW simple to create that you can safely share this project with anyone – or stitch up a few to share amongst your friends and add a bit of homemade to their holidays.
The English Paper Piecing Made Modern Stickers Pot Holder from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Baking and the holidays go hand in hand – nothing is better than the sweet smell of warm baked goods lingering through your holiday home. If you’re looking to try your hand at English Paper Piecing then this project is the one for you! This simple pot holder will not only give you an introduction to the art of English Paper Piecing, but create an adorable kitchen accessory to better bake your holiday goodies.
Of course, these pretty new layer cake patterns would shine in any season, but we’ve added a sprinkling of Christmas magic with holiday fabric and machine quilting stitch patterns featuring snowflakes, jingle bells, and Christmas lights!
When and how did you first start sewing? I started sewing somewhere between age 5-7. I would go to my grandma’s farm and read all of her Hershner’s catalogs and I would look at photos and try to figure out how projects and patterns were created. I guess I started teaching myself at an early age how to think creatively and to figure out how things are put together. I hand sewed a lot for several years and started using a sewing machine around age 11. I think I was the only kid who asked for gift cards to House of Fabrics for Christmas.
What advice would you give to someone who just started sewing/making their own clothing? I encourage my students to gain a love of sewing first before perfection. Too many people are hard on themselves when they are learning and get frustrated in our instant result society. IF you are taking piano lessons you don’t expect to master the piano after one class or retreat and you don’t skip the intermediate recital just because you are not a maestro. I want new sewists to love and be proud of their first projects. Mastery comes with repetition, and remember no one sewist is a master of every fabric and technique.
What are your must-have tools in your studio? Several different types of quality scissors as they are all for different things, true tailor’s chalk, and my industrial iron. You need an iron that can provide heat and pressure for professional results.
What inspires you and gets your creativity flowing? I am super creative so ideas come pretty easy, but I find I read fabric and design around the strengths of an individual fabric; how it will drape, how it will hang, how the grain can be manipulated for fit and function. Additionally, I love problem solving so when someone poses a project scenario I just love tossing out all sorts of idea (not all are good) and the creative process.
How did you become the face of Nancy’s Notion’s Wardrobe Builder? It’s such an honor and I loved talking to Nancy about her favorite type of sewing and I loved when she would comment on my work. Last year I was reaching out to Jenny about an idea and she said that she had an idea for me and had the team contact me. We had several planning and brainstorming meetings and WB was born. I am so excited about this program because we have such a beautiful blend of quality hand picked fabrics that work so well with our monthly projects, we have a fantastic team working behind the scenes and I love teaching technique. My approach is very much making sewing approachable for all skill levels while being able to toss in my personal experiences and professional techniques.
