quilting tools and knives
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Malls are everywhere - in every town, city, village and nook. They house thousands of storefronts and assorted units. The products they stock are numerous and the array is mind-boggling.
There are items for the home, clothing, jewelry, plants, furniture, and gift assortments to pick and choose from. All these offerings lack one very special component - a personal touch. There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing a ready-made item - we are not all carpenters, gardeners, and artists. All people are not gifted with the same talents and abilities. We are unique and what we produce or create is a shadow of ourselves. But mass-produced items are nameless, and machines will never add that very "special" touch that makes a gift item or home decor piece something that reflects the person who bought it, the person it is intended for, or the lifestyle it is to be a part of.
The key to all this - the best option, of course, is to make an item for someone else yourself. If you sew, quilt, write, or draw you have the potential of dispersing treasures that are not duplicated, but are a memory in the making.
With time restraints and family and job commitments, many times making "things" yourself is out of the question, or basically impractical.
So, what does a person do then - simple, add a "touch" to whatever you buy whether for yourself or someone else. Look at your purchase as a base, a canvas that is incomplete and needs a little "help" in becoming a beautiful gift or addition to your home.
Just adding a ribbon, or ornamental "pick" that matches the Holiday Season or a touch of nature, such as a dried flower or leaf arrangement, will allow your purchase to cross over to "special".
There is a coldness to just buying something, wrapping it up and handing it to someone. Take the time, just a moment or two, and write a short verse, a favorite saying, sign a book with a date and the occasion, etc. A simple, affectionate "touch" that will add so much value to whatever it is you are giving or placing in your home. a quick tuck here or there, a touch of glitter, or sparkle, and you have a "work of art", a symbol of friendship, or a token to hold near to the heart.
You are blessed with imagination and creativity. It is your own special style - it is an outward gesture of who you are and what you want to convey. Use this precious endowment - otherwise, even imagination will tarnish and lose its shine. It is, however, very easy to bring it back, to instill new life in creativity, and to put your personal "stamp" on everything that crosses your path.
Holidays are especially great times to start a journey back to taking a "cookie cutter" environment and placing feeling, friendship, and love in all you do for yourself, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
This Holiday Season give a little of yourself in gift items, decorating selections, and simple touches that show that you cared enough to take the time to personalize, or add "love" to everything. Even mealtimes are potential moments to show how blessed you are to have a family member, a friend, or someone you care about. A simple garnish or a colorful napkin and it is no longer a "time to eat" - it is a moment to share food, fun, and laughter.
ENJOY!
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 October
About the Author
Author of many books, cookbooks, articles, and Holiday newsletters:
http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com
http://www.arleenssite.com
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving
Author: Arleen M. Kaptur
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Timely help for quilting tools and knives
About Quilting The Antique Tile quilt block pattern is an easy block to cut and sew, with patch edges that are all cut on the fabric's straight grain. The instructions show you how to strip piece two of the units, but include cutting specs for those of you who prefer to make the block one piece at a time. Antique Tile Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at 21:20:26. Permalink | Comment | Email this Album Star Quilt Block Pattern Album Star was one of the patchwork quilt blocks used in the Scrap Happy Sampler quilt. I love the many possibilities this design offers for color placement, and more importantly, color value variations. I've included a 'blank' schematic of the block on page 3 of the pattern, so if you aren't sure which colors and values you'll like best, print it out and play around with the layout. You might even end up making an entire batch of these blocks. Album Star Quilt Block Pattern Album Star Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 06:00:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Picnic Time Quilt Block Pattern Picnic Time is based on a traditional quilt block that's very pretty, but has lots of set-in seams that make it more suitable for hand piecing than for assembly with rotary cutting techniques. I divided a couple of the original block's patchwork areas to make this new version a cinch to sew. You can dramatically change the looks of this quilt block by altering color value within its patches. It's a good choice for a scrap quilt, but works as well when all blocks are identical. If you don't want to make a large quilt, try using Picnic Time to sew a table runner and sew them in pairs to create placemats. The block finishes at 14" x 14". Picnic Time Quilt Block Pattern Janet Wickell Picnic Time Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 07:30:38. Permalink | Comment | Email this Patchwork Table Runner Pattern This colorful table runner is made from four 10" square blocks placed on point and surrounded by setting and corner triangles. Two borders finish the layout, one cut from narrow green strips and the other from wider pieces of a floral -- both areas repeat fabrics used in the quilt blocks. The runner finishes at about 22-1/2" x 65", but you can easily change its length or width. The table runner shown was designed with a Christmas theme -- just choose different fabrics to change its appearance. © Janet Wickell Patchwork Table Runner Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 06:00:36. Permalink | Comment | Email this Flying Dutchman Quilt Block with No-Waste Flying Geese Make the Flying Dutchman quilt block with any combination of fabrics you desire. Try holiday prints, and sew a group of four or six blocks to make a wallhanging. Or sew a string of them together to create a quick table runner. We'll use a simple no-waste Flying Geese method to construct the block. Flying Dutchman Quilt Block with No-Waste Flying Geese originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 08:48:46. Permalink | Comment | Email this Which Way Do We Go? a Strippy Set Quilt Pattern I designed this quilt to work with a brightly colored Alexander Henry border print that was passed along to me after the death of my sister, Carol. It took me awhile to decide how to use the print, but this strippy-set quilt seemed to do the trick -- and it's a quilt that most everyone has enjoyed. Read through the pattern a few times before you begin making the quilt, just to make sure you understand the steps, and assemble a few of the Winged Square blocks before you make the units for all of them -- in case you need to make sewing adjustments... Which Way Do We Go? pattern PS - If you like the Winged Square blocks used in the quilt, be sure to take a look at one of my Table Runner patterns. It's made with a larger version of the same block. Photo © Janet Wickell Which Way Do We Go? a Strippy Set Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 at 05:00:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Missouri Puzzle Quilt Pattern I'm from Missouri, so I wanted to write a pattern that shows off one of the blocks named to commemorate the state. The Missouri Puzzle quilt is square, with sashing and cornerstones between blocks. The blocks finish at 11-1/4" square and the quilt itself is about 66" x 66". Change the layout to suit your needs by making more quilt blocks or turning the layout into a rectangle. Or how about putting four blocks together for a matching throw pillow cover? Missouri Puzzle Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, May 5th, 2012 at 07:46:25. Permalink | Comment | Email this Twinkling Star Quilt Block Pattern The Twinkling Star quilt block finishes at 12-inches square. There are lots and lots of little half square triangle units in the design -- just take it slowly and follow my advice on assembling them oversize and then cutting back to the exact dimensions. The little units provide the perfect opportunity to use your smaller leftover pieces of fabric (and for going super scrappy with this quilt block). The block was one of twelve used in the Scrap Happy Sampler quilt. Twinkling Star Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 05:00:58. Permalink | Comment | Email this Watercolor Quilt Pattern The three kitty cats in this quilt are peering through watercolor-style floral windows, and you can bet they're keeping an eye on the butterflies flying around the garden. This quilt pattern has been a popular pattern with readers, and although it does have set-in seams at the mitered frames, it is not difficult to assemble. If you're not a feline fan, place something else on the windowsills. Photo © Janet Wickell Watercolor Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 05:00:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this Floral Snowballs Quilt Pattern Spring has definitely arrived in our part of the United States, even though a brief cold snap made it feel like winter had returned. Flowers are in bloom here, and stitching a batch of these 6" Snowball quilt blocks filled with a scrappy assortment of floral fabrics are a nice way to bring the blooms inside. Janet Wickell Floral Snowballs Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 at 09:45:15. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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