Saturday, February 13, 2016

Craftsy Sweetens Up My Quilting Life

Welcome to the Craftsy Sweetens Up My Quilting Life Blog Hop hosted by Sandra @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon and Julie @ Pink Doxies.



Craftsy helps you be creative by making it easy and convenient to learn new things through classes and patterns (and they have lots of supplies!).  Right now, every class featured in the blog hop is on sale at 50% off for one week!  If you were thinking about a class, but were waiting on an inside scoop on whether it was a good fit for you, read the reviews on the blog hop.

Craftsy showcases lots of patterns, many of which are free.  I'll going to share my thoughts on four free patterns.

Visit Tish @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland.  She'll be reviewing two classes:  "Dot to Dot Quilting" by Angela Walters and "Shoot It!  A Product Photography Primer" by Caro Sheridan.


1-Hour Basket
This is a great project!  They really do sew up in an hour.  The instructions in the pattern are great, and there are a lot of photos.  Fusible fleece is used on the exterior fabric.  This was my time first time using fusible fleece.  I found the basket a little floppy, so I think next time I'll use fusible interacing to give the basket some stability.  It's a great basket to hold just about anything:  fabric, notions, face cloths, diapers -- the possibilities are endless.
Click here for the pattern.


Reusable Hand Warmers
I'm always cold, so I thought these hand warmers would be a great project to try.  They are quick and simple to make and are a great way to use scraps.  The blue one is made with flannel, and the orange one is made with cotton.  As an added touch, I top stitched around the outside.  Unfortunately, I put too much rice in the orange one.  They both hold the heat well, but I haven't used them for any length of time so can't say how long the warmth lasts.  These hand warmers would make a great little add-on to a gift.
Click here for the pattern.



Star Bright
This is a great beginner project.  There are instructions for both a baby quilt and a throw size, with two different block sizes provided for both.  The instructions are very clear, and it's a project that can be sewn up quickly.  I've made two baby quilts already, and I plan to use this pattern again.
Click here for the pattern.



Postcard from Sweden
I chose this pattern because the colours were so bright and vibrant...and I love Kona!

Postcard from Sweden by Jeli Quilts

Unfortunately, I haven't had time to finish the pattern yet.  All my squares are cut out and ready to be cut in half to make HST's.  The pattern has two sizes, and the instructions are very detailed, with lots of photos.  A colour legend is provided, with a column for you to track any colour substitutions you make.  There is also a fabric layout chart.  I'm looking forward to finishing this pattern -- I just need more hours in the day.
Click here for the pattern.



Giveaways

Find the link to enter the Craftsy Giveaway on each site during the hop.
Hearing firsthand about the terrific opportunities on the bloggers' sites below will surely entice you to explore Craftsy in a little more depth, and perhaps try something out of the norm to what you usually might buy.  However, Craftsy is sweetening the pot even more...
  • 50% discount on classes discussed in each post! 
  • giveaways on some of the individual blogger posts!
  • Three fabulous prizes from Craftsy!  Two lucky people will win one class each, and one person will win this fabulous grand prize.

Boundless Solids Crown Jewels by Amy Gibson Quilt Kit - Boundless Solids Modern Brights Pre-Cuts 6" Strips - Boundless Solids Modern Brights 10" Squares



Enter until Sunday, February 21, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. MST.
The winners will be announced February 22 at Musings of a Menopausal Melon and at Pink Doxies.

Enter the Giveaway Here



BLOG HOP SCHEDULE:

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


15 comments:

  1. Wow all these patterns are FREE?! Who knew. I know they have a ton of freebies, and these four sure are winners; I've made the star one (but I love your rendition much better) and will be hopping over to pick up the others..those handwarmers are too smart! I've made a few rice-filled magic bags which I've used for years with never an issue. These little babies will sure help on walks with Rocco on cold days. Thank you so much for being part of our hop and showing a section of Craftsy that I know I didn't discover for several months after joining.

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  2. I love the free Craftsy patterns and I've downloading a couple of their classes which are quite informative. I haven't gotten through all the classes but I love that they are available to be done at any time.

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  3. The free patterns on Craftsy are well worth trying as you so eloquently showed.

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  4. You found some really neat free patterns on Craftsy Anja. There really are a treasure trove of them there. I have always loved that Postcards from Sweden quilt and it looks like just your cup of tea!

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  5. Love the Postcard from Sweden! May have to start putting money back to buy some Kona for that one. :) And the star one is adorable, I can see so many color combos working with that one. I need to remember the one hour basket too. I've never used fusible fleece but I've heard good things about it!

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  6. Craftsy is extra special because it hosts the pattern uploads for free for designers. They do not take a cut like some other hosting sites. Very kind on their part, and on yours for showing off the huge section of free patterns. It's become my number on site to find just what I was looking for, and I know lots of people have tried them out, too.

    Thank you for joining in the hop this week, and a Happy Valentine's Day to you tomorrow!

    Julie@Pink Doxies

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  7. Thanks for sharing Anja. I picked me up some of those free patterns that I didn't have already.

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  8. Thank you Anja! I have never tried the hand warmers before, but can totally relate to you and cold hands!! I think I have all the patterns downloaded...isn't the Postcards quilt gorgeous! I love all the colors!!

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  9. Look at you with the swanky giveaway! All these projects are one's on my to do list... well, except the 1 Hour Basket. We know I've already sewn up a few of those!

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  10. Your basket is so pretty!! That star quilt is one I had downloaded and someday will get at it! I think I need those hand warmers for when we go sledding!!

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  11. Thanks for the links/patterns. Snowflake from Sweden is gorgeous, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

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  12. I've been admiring your little 1hr baskets for awhile now. Maybe I should get my butt over there and get the pattern and give them a try. I have always been so focused on the class side of Craftsy, that you make it clear to me I am missing out on so much more.

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  13. I need to make a few more baskets. They are fun to make . I agree about the fusible batting. It just doesnt do the trick.

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  14. I've made the 1hr basket and I've downloaded the Postcard...I'm going to get the other 2 right now! Thanks for the info. Love your baby Star Bright! =)

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  15. Oh great. Amazing post , i am going to try.

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