12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop at A Quilted Passion

Hi All! Thank You so much for hopping by!

First things first! Can we get a huge round of applause for the AMAZING Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict for organizing this hop and for allowing me to participate!  So much work goes into organizing and preparing. She also created a Christmas quilt pattern for a daily quilt along for the duration of the hop! There has to be a picture of Sarah in the dictionary next to Wonder Woman.  I don't know how you do it, but from the bottom of my heart...Thank you!

A couple of years ago I made these awesome Microwave Cozies as Christmas gifts for friends and family. 

They were a huge hit! So it became my intention to give practical home made gifts for Christmas going forward.   However, last year, Christmas came and went...along w/my good intention and only 3 peeps got something homemade from me. So I swore to myself that this year would be different!  I would start my gift making in July! And that's exactly what I've done!

This year, everyone is getting these grocery bag holders. I was able to get a wonderful head start on them this month!

I normally sell the pattern in my Craftsy Pattern Store, however for the rest of this hop you can download it for free on this post, along w/the rest of my patterns! Merry Christmas in July to you!


Easy Grocery Bag Catcher
Easy Reversible Microwave Cozy Combo
Easy MicrowaveTortilla Warmer Cozy

I'd also like to share a recipe that was shared w/me several years ago for an easy and delicious Clam Chowder. 

My church family usually does a potluck style progressive dinner around the Christmas holiday.  The first house we visit is where we have appetizers. We then progress/move on to the next house for the entrées,  and then finish w/desserts and coffee at a third house.

This Clam Chowder has been a favorite of many at our progressive dinners.

Easy Clam Chowder
1 can evaporated milk (makes it creamier) or 1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes (it also adds the salt)
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
2 6oz cans chopped clams in clam juice
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp of Thyme
1/4 tsp of crushed Parsley
1/4 tsp of crushed Tarragon
1/4 tsp of crushed black pepper

Add all of the ingredients into a pot and bring to a rolling boil for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test the potatoes for tenderness. To thicken, add 1 tbls of cornstarch with 2 tbls of water, mix till dissolved and then add it to the soup. It should thicken rather quickly. Serve hot w/crackers or in a bread bowl!

Alas, I've a confession. I'm also doing a little selfish sewing this month on my 1st Christmas quilt.

I'm using this Sparkle Punch tutorial by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson. 

Elizabeth's creation and my inspiration

I've got a wonderful head start on it as well and am super excited about how it's coming together! What do you think?

Again, thanks for visiting!

Here's the complete line up of the hop. We have a few more days yet.  You can click on the links below to check out the rest of the stops, or to access any you've missed along the way.

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts

                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist

                   Chris Dodsley @ Made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion

                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn

                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble

                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne

                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio

                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.

                     Zenia Rene @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ

                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication

                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts

                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle

A Thread for Life
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

WHOOMP There IT Is! #31 - It Just Keeps Flying

I'm truly baffled by how quickly time just flies on by. Half of 2016 is already gone!  I'd heard that once you turn 21 the years seem to pass 2 at a time. It's absolutely true!  Seems like it was just yesterday I turned 21. And it's so funny how now that I'm in my 40s, I finally feel like an adult even though I thought I was grown at 21!  With this being said, I like being in my 40s. And I consider myself to be growing better instead of  older.

I don't know where all that came from. You'd think I just celebrated a birthday, but I didn't. Not again until December, but thanks for humoring me.

Now on to quilty things!

I finished the Scrappy Litter Blox pattern I was testing. The pattern was featured in the June's Stash Builder Box and will be available soon at Lillyella. I like how it came out and I'm thinking about putting the optional border on it. What do you think?

I made these cute bandanna bibs for a birthday girl who just turned 1yr. I cannot wait to see one on her. The first set I made included a piece of flannel between the 2 layers of cotton. They were super soft but I was afraid they'd be too hot for here in AZ?  I ended up making a 2nd set w/3 layers of cotton and those are the ones I gave. The others will soon be listed in my Etsy shop.

My sis has been practicing her guitar daily and she's getting really good. Hearing her progress makes me want to play too. So the other night I pulled Ruby (my bass) out of the corner AND out of the bag! I even popped the "Getting Started" DVD into the computer and attempted to tune her. I got as far as tuning 2 strings. I'm planning to make time to practice and/or take a couple of my buddies up on their offer to teach me. I'm one step closer to being a rock star in the worship band!

I have an addition to my family.  A little fox face Pomeranian named Maurice. We call him Moe. =)

July is here! You know what that means?

Fireworks!

Kids Camp!

12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop! 

Save the date. My day on the hop will be July 22nd! I hope you hop on by!

It's time for WHOOMP There IT Is! I'd love to see what you've been working on.

A Quilted Passion

<div style="width:100%;text-align:center;"> <span style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;"><a rel=_nofollow href="http://www.aquiltedpassion.com/"> <img style="border: 1px solid gray;width:200px;height:200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4YsV6nk1H6N4SoytAqIMUezG-jJS06TJG89bPQzWj8oDoAOKu5rRBose1BqbkeEz9sma3x7OI6Utq0rOLWSu4WPRISs3QZERZHGpBLoEhoqSgiUmjkQwQ_n0Tc_42uJSI6MXdeyz5qU/s211/Linky+Button+Final+Whoomp300%252C+TII+150+AQP+LP+190+Fullsize.jpg"> <p style="allign: center;"> A Quilted Passion</p> </a></span></div>
Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

Thank the Host

Everyone likes to hear "thank you" and know their effort is appreciated.

Spread the Love

The more love you give, the more you get. Pick a number (mine is 5) and commit to visiting and commenting on that many link-ups. Let them know where you're visiting from and ask them to visit you. (This works well for me!)

Direct Link

Use a direct link to a specific post, not your main blog.

Link Back

In your blog post, include a link back to my post/blog and/or grab the WHOOMP There IT Is! button above and put in your post or sidebar. Thanks for spreading the love.

Follow Me ;)

Of course I would love for all you linky-uppers to be followers, but it's NOT required.

Party Hearty! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Yesterday while listening to Pandora one of my favorite songs played. These are the lyrics. Enjoy!

A Thread for Life
Called Me Higher - All Sons and Daughters
I could just sit
I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me
Where You lead me Lord

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy light the path before me

Until next time, Happy Sewing and God Bless!

New to Me

This post contains ad links.
My middle child, Justin (25yrs), finally moved out to his own apartment a few months ago.  Since then, he comes over just about every weekend to wash clothes and conserve his electricity. I don't usually mind but sometimes he wears out his welcome.  I realize this may sound selfish to some, but I've been a single mom since I was 16 yrs old and I'm super excited about finally being an empty-nester and I like having my house to myself.

Anyway, he was going to take me to lunch and a movie for Mother's Day but for whatever reason we didn't go.  We've talked about going but still haven't gotten around to it. But this week, he surprised me w/a wonderful gift!  A sewing machine!

He made friends w/a neighbor at his new complex and during one of their conversations, he told him that I sew/quilt. After his friend found out about me sewing he tried to give Justin the sewing machine and Justin turned it down! But YAY for me, the next time he offered, Justin said why not? And now it's mine! I'm thinking of a name for her. Maybe this one will be a him.

It came in this black case. With the words Peau Soin D'Amour on the case, I figured it wasn't a true sewing machine case. Especially since the machine itself is a Riccar.  Google later confirmed Peau Soin D'Amour is a brand of cosmetics.

It also came w/a vinyl dust cover that is in perfect condition, the instruction manual and extension table.

From what I've read, which isn't much, Riccar was once a major Japanese producer of sewing machines but today the company mostly manufactures vacuum cleaners.  I know for sure the machine is at least 31 years old because the sales receipt that is stapled to the back cover of the instruction manual and it was purchased for $199 cash on March 27, 1985.

It's a clean and solid machine and I'm thrilled it now belongs to me!  Thanks Justin!

My only other sewing machine is my straight stitchin' Babylock Quilters Choice Professional (Wilma) so I'm super excited about the zig-zag stitch and the free arm on the Riccar 8400.

In quilty news, I haven't gotten as far as I thought I would on Scrappy Litter Blox, but I have made progress! This is a Lillyella pattern and will be available in this month's Stash Builder Box on June 14, 2016.

I did manage to finally finish these cute scrap busting bibs and get them listed in my Etsy Shop!

If you haven't already heard, the amazing Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict is coordinating a blog hop! It's called 12 Days of Christmas in July and yours truly will be part of it! Hope to see you there!

Another news flash...
For four days only, you can get any and all classes for 50% off, and that means sunny, inspired afternoons doing exactly what you love. Expires 6/13 @11:59pm MDT. 

A Thread for Life
When we no longer seek God for His blessings, we have time to seek Him for Himself.  - The Moral Foundations of Life, 728 L Oswald Chambers

 Linking up at:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!


Until next time, God Bless and Happy Stitchin'!

P.S. My baby boy Joshua, turns 21yrs tomorrow! Happy Birthday son!

Craftsy Sweetens Up My Quilting Life! - WHOOMP #18

This post contains ad links.

Thanks for visiting my stop on the Craftsy Sweetens Up My Quilting Life Blog Hop! and my WHOOMP There IT Is! #18 Linky Party.

For those of you who haven't already heard of Craftsy, I'm about to take you to school!  It's an online platform that delivers crafts education classes via full-length, professionally-produced, interactive, high-definition videos. The beauty of Craftsy classes is that they never expire!  AND,  you can watch them anytime, as many times as you like, provided you have a proper internet connection.  Oh, and remember, it's interactive! This means you can ask questions and/or  post pics to get help from the instructor or other peeps taking the class.  Craftsy offers a wide array of classes, from photography to knitting to cooking...however my class of choice is Quilting! And more specifically, Free Motion Quilting. 

So how does Craftsy Sweeten Up My Quilting Life?   Craftsy Keeps Me in Motion!

I was very naive when I signed up for Start Free-Motion Quilting w/Elizabeth Dackson.  I thought I'd be an expert FMQ-er by the time it was finished. I couldn't have been more wrong.  However, I did learn a lot of things from this class.  Important things you need to know before getting started, like needle and thread selection, how to start and stop, how to bury a knot and how to move the quilt. Thanks, Elizabeth!

The Secrets of Free-Motion Quilting w/Christina Cameli  is another class I'm enrolled. It's also packed w/great information like sketching and stitching, staying in a straight line and getting out of corners. Thanks, Christina!

Help How DO I Quilt It? is my most recent class. This class will definitely help w/the dilemma of how to quilt your quilts.  It will also teach you how to add lots of texture and movement to your quilts.  Thanks, Angela!

All of these Craftsy classes are great and I'd recommend any and all of them. The instructors are extremely encouraging and the classes do exactly what they are designed to; build your confidence as you learn FMQ. They make it look easy but remember, they've been doing it for years. They all stress this important point:  Practice, Practice, Practice! And the MOST important point of all...Don't compare your work to that of others!  Why? Because Comparison is the Thief of Joy! 

Craftsy is also a place where independent designers can sell their patterns. There are thousands of sewing and quilting patterns to choose from and even a great selection of free patterns! Click here to browse my pattern store and be sure to download my Easy Grocery Bag Catcher, which is free for a limited time.  Thanks, Craftsy!

Here's the complete line-up of stops.  Be sure to hop over and visit each stop to see how Craftsy sweetens up their quilting lives!

Wednesday 10 February

Judy @ Quilt Paradigm

Helen @ Midget Gem Quilts

Thursday 11 February

Cindy @ Stitchin At Home 

Vicky @ Vicki's Crafts and Quilting

Friday 12 February

Zenia @ A Quilted Passion 

Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal

Saturday 13 February

Tish @ Tish's Adventures in Wonderland

Anja @ Anja Quilts

Sunday 14 February

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts

Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

Monday 15 February

Julie @ Pink Doxies

Sandra @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon

Did you like reading about these classes? Does all this sweetness make you want to join one? Class discounts will be available for one week following each post, and while you're there you can click through any bloggers in the hop to enter the Craftsy Giveaway.

And now the moment y'all have been waiting for...the giveaway!  Enter here for a chance to win.

Two peeps will win one class each, and 1 peep will win this fabulous grand prize:
1- Boundless Solids Crown Jewels by Amy Gibson Quilt Kit 

1-Boundless Solids Modern Brights Pre-Cuts 6" Strips

1-Boundless Solids Modern Brights 10" Squares

Enter the Craftsy Giveaway here, or on any site during the hop. One entry per person.  Enter until Sunday, Feb 21, 2016, at 11:59 pm MST.

The winners will be announced Feb 22 at Pink Doxies and Musings of a Menopausal Melon.  

If you are still w/me and would like to show your stuff, it's time to link up!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://aquiltedpassion.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" title="A Quilted Passion" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4YsV6nk1H6N4SoytAqIMUezG-jJS06TJG89bPQzWj8oDoAOKu5rRBose1BqbkeEz9sma3x7OI6Utq0rOLWSu4WPRISs3QZERZHGpBLoEhoqSgiUmjkQwQ_n0Tc_42uJSI6MXdeyz5qU/s211/Linky+Button+Final+Whoomp300%252C+TII+150+AQP+LP+190+Fullsize.jpg" alt="A Quilted Passion" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Thank the Host

Everyone likes to hear "thank you" and know their effort is appreciated.

Spread the Love

The more love you give, the more you get. Pick a number (mine is 5) and commit to visiting and commenting on that many link-ups. Let them know where you're visiting from and ask them to visit you. (This works well for me!)

Direct Link

Use a direct link to a specific post, not your main blog.

Link Back

In your blog post, include a link back to my post/blog and/or grab the WHOOMP There IT Is! button above and put in your post or sidebar. Thanks for spreading the love.

Follow Me ;)

Of course, I would love for all you linky-uppers to be followers, but it's NOT required.

Party Hearty! 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Thread for Life

My Best Posts of 2015

Thank you, Cheryl, for hosting the Best of 2015 Linky Party.  'Tis a splendid idea!

I chose my best based on most visited (# page views).  They are listed in ascending order.  Click on a title to read the original post in its entirety.

#5 My Favorite Tutorial - I wrote about my absolute favorite tutorial:  Faux Piped Binding, which is still my fave!

#4 My Sewing Room Make Over - I wrote about my sewing room improvements in week #2 of my WHOOMP There IT Is! linky party.   I revised my DIY sewing table, built wall to wall shelves in my closet for fabric storage and added risers to my cutting table.  *I've since made more improvements which I will soon be sharing, so stay tuned to A Quilted Passion!

#3 My Wishlist to Santa - This fun post features my remix of the classic song, Santa Baby. It was this year's wishlist to Santa.  *I did get almost all the items on my list, which will also be featured in an upcoming post.

#2 WHOOMP There IT Is! #1 - The 1st post of my brand new linky party! It features a beautiful comfort quilt and Practice Makes Perfect which is a quilt I FMQ in an afternoon after taking Angela Walter's class Help! How Do I Quilt it?

#1 Grow Your Blog 2015 - Of course, this post is #1. It was a blog-hop specifically organized to generate blog traffic.  I had lots of visitors! (Thank you All!)  I wrote about quilting and my desire to play the bass guitar (which I've honestly only "practiced" once this entire year!) and why I started blogging in the 1st place.

Thank you for visiting! Here's to a fantastic 2016!

A Thread for Life
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Cor. 11:13