So I cut out 10″ squares of Snow White and Red fairy frost fabric (love the bit of sparkle in those pieces!) which allowed me a little extra room as I would be cutting the squares down to 8″ before folding.

Then I cut the same size squares of Ultra Heat’n'Bond and fused the red to the white fabric.

And then started folding…

…and folding over again….

And then folded the top down to see the white overlaid with the red.

I did glue the top white flaps down on each side of the basket. I also decided they needed a bit of embellishment….

After digging around in my stash of buttons and not having much success, I finally raided my sister’s supply of scrapbooking elements and found these little red jewel hearts which were perfect! And that little bag of hearts had just enough for the 20+ baskets I made.

Fill with chocolate and they’re done! Beautiful!!

Thanks to Alison for the idea and tutorial on her blog! Add ribbon, buttons and embellishments to your heart’s content and then have fun filling with fun treats!

I’ve been playing with envelope templates and printing various sizes on paper and decided that I had to try a fabric envelope! If it works with fabric, why won’t it work with fabric?! Normally I stick to the same kind of projects, but every once in a while I have to try something different and unique.

I found this simple envelope template and printed it on a piece of scrapbooking paper and put it together. Loved it!

Now to try it with fabric.

1. Fuse HeatnBond Lite wonderunder to the fabric.

2. Bond the fabric to a piece of card stock. I just used white; but if you want the interior of the envelope to be colored, use colored or printed card stock.

3. Open the pdf template (can be downloaded here), place the fabric/card stock into the printer so you are printing on the card stock side and click print. (And yes, I did this with my laser printer and it worked GREAT! No printer error this time! :))

4. Cut the template out following the lines and fold it along the dashed lines.

5. Cut a piece of card stock that is slightly smaller than the front of the envelope.

6. Place on front of envelope and stitch a decorative stitch around the card stock. Be sure to select an open and light decorative stitch; if it’s too dense like a satin stitch, it could tear the card stock. (I used flat tape in a couple places to hold the card stock in place while stitching.)

7. Glue the side flaps and bottom flap to create the envelope shape and placed it under a heavy book until it is dry. I also folded down the top flap to give it a crease, but did not glue it shut.

Now it’s time to insert the card, glue down the top flap, address it and mail it!

And surprisingly enough it went through the mail without any problem with only a first class stamp, although depending on the bulk of your fabric and card stock, it might require extra postage.

Urban Threads has a great quick and easy potholder tutorial with details how to stitch the design, cut the pattern and bind the edges! Take a peek and let me know what you create!

Photo & tutorial copyright belongs to www.urbanthreads.com

Ah, yes! Who can’t resist stitching another tote bag?!?! I have many; way too many to count in several different sizes and styles. Some I have kept and others I have given away, but there’s nothing such as fun as a new and different kind of bag!

Check out the Trim It Tote by designer, M’Liss Rae Hawley! Pick out a base fabric (perhaps one from your stash you aren’t too crazy about) and start embellishing with ribbons and trims. Have you seen all the fun and unique trims, ribbons, cording and beaded fringe that are available in hundreds of thousands and colors?! Way too many for just one bag. So get started stitching! :)

Thanks to allpeoplequilt.com and M’Liss Raw Hawley for the project instructions!

All you need is a fat quarter of fabric or some scraps, heavy interfacing, vinyl scraps, bias tape and some velcro and you are set! Not only is this a great place to hold the car info, but you could also use it to store just about anything! :)

Right now I’m in Puyallup, Washington attending the Sew Expo! Joanna, my friend from Colorado traveled together, but she is working in the Bernina accessory booth, so we don’t get to chat too much during the day. But it’s amazing to see so many wonderful vendors and talented people in this industry.

There’s lots to see and lots to do! Now if I can just remember everything I am seeing. Here’s a few glimpses from the day….:)

From All About Blanks: I’ve ordered some blank products from All About Blanks and they have wonderful quality items perfect for stitching embroidery. They have lots to choose from and their linens are delicate and sweet! If you are looking for some blank linens, be sure to check out this company online.

I love this for its delicate and elegant look!

The lettering font caught my eye on this pillow.

See the scallops and stitching? Neat idea!

These are so cute! Little tissue holders embroidered!

From Lana Jones: Lana is a talented lady who has recently written a book detailing embroidery on wood. I’ve seen this done multiple times and for some reason it has me fascinated! Embroidery on wood just sounds interesting. I look forward to reading her book!

I love the embroidered flowers on the clock!

Just plain neat!

Sew Mama Sew! Handmade Holidays – Sew Mama Sew! has another great 30 days of handmade gift ideas! Be sure to take a peek!

Tipnut.com – Tipnet.com is always one of my favorite sites to visit because of all the project ideas!

Box Bag Tutorial – Kelly shares her great box bag tutorial! Neat idea!

Quilting Gallery – See lots of useful holiday ideas and fun projects, plus be sure to visit the quilting blogs listed online! And if you don’t have yours listed, you should!

Whip Up – See the holiday projects and gift ideas you can whip up in no time!

Free Noriko Handbag Purse Pattern – Joan from Lazy Girl Designs give you her year-end gift for a free purse pattern! Joan’s the queen of purse and tote bag patterns, so this you won’t want to miss!

Reusable Fabric Grocery Bag – Go green and quit using those plastic grocery sacks by making your very own fabric grocery bag!

101 Handmade Gift Ideas – With all these, you are bound to find something for everyone on your list!

Pencil & Drawing Pad Holder – This little project is just too cute and perfect for the artist in your family! Plus see other gift ideas from Skip to My Lou.

Silk Pleated Purse - Elegant says it all with this little pleated and darted purse. Be sure to check out the other purse ideas!

Amy Butler Free Projects – Take a peek at quilts, tote bags, eyeglass holders and pillows from Amy Bulter!

Quilted Tic Tac Toe to Go - A perfect tic tac toe game for traveling! Quick and easy!

Presents Placemat Pattern – Karen shows you how to make a cute placemat just perfect for a table gift set!

After watching the Bernina webcast introducing the new 8 Series machines, I am so excited and thrilled about this new machine – the Bernina 830! I can just see all the possible projects that can be stitched on this impressive machine.

There are several features which I am totally thrilled about, the number one thing being the jumbo hoop which increases the embroidery field to 16″ x 10″!!! Can’t you just see all the large designs that can be stitched and just imagine the borders and continuous designs that can be stitched with only one hooping verses several! I have been waiting for the width of the embroidery area to increase for several years and it’s finally here!!! :)

Plus there is an added amount of space between the needle and the machine, making it much easier to quilt larger projects and just gives so much more room to hold the fabric! And another favorite feature of mine is the automatic needle threader. Yes, it is totally automatic – a one-process threading system! And the jumbo bobbin which holds 40% more thread!!

Be sure to peek at Bernina’s new and improved website as they have great class lessons on sewing, serging, embroidery and software! Plus you can download instructions for lots of neat projects. And there are always free embroidery design downloads available as well as other fun things that get you totally excited about stitching!

You can always catch the latest Bernina news on the BerninaUSABlog!

Yesterday I finished a fleece tied blanket for a baby gift. Two different colors of fleece in lengths of 1 1/4 – 2 yards just creates a fun and snuggly blanket! Add a little embroidery to one corner with that special little one’s name and it’s also a unique gift!

I lay the fleece pieces on the floor, cut the little 1″ strips and start tying knots. To make the knots look the same from both sides, I will tie one, skip one, tie one, skip one on the first side. Then flip the blanket over and tie the ones I skipped. This keeps the knots being tied from both sides and gives it a uniform look.

Want to make your own fleece tied blanket? Find step-by-step instructions here…

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska is opening March 30, 2008. If you are unable to visit, you can view the 2,300 quilt collection online. They have a quilting library available and quilting classes that will even give you college credit!

You’ve got to take a look at these neat embroidered diaper bags at Lazy Girl Designs! The embellishment is so cute and of course it’s machine embroidery!

Designs Sew Fine has some cute embroidery designs that might perk your interest. I have not personally stitched these designs, but they seem to be quality designs.

Tipnut shares how to make a notebook and pencil holder from One Red Robin. Cute, neat, but also very practical!