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Wednesday 19 July 2017

IT'S CHRISTMAS.........

and my stop on the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop hosted by the lovely and very generous Sarah @Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  There are the most wonderful giveaways on this hop (and I'm not talking charm packs), and Sarah is giving instructions for a new quilt, you'll find all the details at the end of the post.

So now, without any further ado (unusual I admit) is my contribution to the hop...........


It's Christmas

and it's partner, the second of the matching pair............


I Believe

We all love cushions (pillows) and they are great for decorating your home at Christmas,  who can have too many cushions?   So I started  doodling and I came up with, 


this design.    I wanted to keep it simple as I'm a simple kind of girl (no, I didn't mean in the head, who said that?), I'm not a designer and I don't have any fancy equipment, just a pad of graph paper and a pencil.


Next I found some large sheets of graph paper so I could draw it out actual size, I bought it years ago for some abandoned project.   Yes it is rather faint, but this paper is expensive and I thought if I did it faintly I could rub it out and reuse it, waste not want not and no I am not mean!   It was a case of making it bigger and working out the template sizes. Only thing was it took a while to get the  snowman right.


So I measured it for length and width,  halved a sheet of A4 sheet of paper down the centre, and drew the shape to the measurements, and it worked.  Then it was just a matter of cutting it out, opening it up and checking it was what I wanted.  It did take a couple of goes to get it right though.  Once I had sorted my snowman all the other elements were much easier.

This is what I did to make my 18 inch cushion.  If you have done this kind of appliqué  you may find some of this a bit basic but I'm going through it all for the benefit of new quilters who may not have done it before.


First I cut my background fabric, I used Galaxy Stars from Makower, I love this fabric, I cut a 19 inch square.  Appliqué can distort the background so I cut it bigger by just half an inch, it doesn't distort it much though so if you are worried about trimming it later just cut it to size.


Next I traced the templates on to the paper side of Heat'n'Bond Lite, I use this one but any other make will do.  Cut the shapes out roughly, don't cut on the line at this point.  Now iron them onto the back of the fabric you are using, paper side up.  I used just whatever fabric I had, I didn't buy any specially because you need such small pieces and you don't need Christmas fabrics, just a fabric that represents a wrapping paper you would use for wrapping your prezzies.  When the fabric has cooled cut the shapes out on the line, peel off the paper backing and it's ready to be ironed onto the background.  It will still need to be machined or hand stitched though or it will come off again.


First I added the snowman, I centred it about 2 inches or so from the bottom and ironed it on.  I didn't  add all the pieces of the snowman at this point because the nose and arms don't adhere as well and I didn't want them to start lifting while I was stitching the body and scarf in place. 

I used a buttonhole stitch about length 2 and width 2.4 to attach the pieces, although I reduced it for the stick arms and carrot nose as they were so much smaller, down to about 1.5 stitch length and 1.6 width, I just did a few stitches and adjusted it accordingly.  The good thing about using buttonhole stitch is I don't need to use a stabiliser, if you prefer a zigzag make sure you use a tear away stabiliser the back.


It doesn't matter which side you put the scarf on, I just made it the opposite side to the hat to balance it more, but I ended up with the long side different on one of them, it really doesn't matter, does it look wrong to you?

I cut different size pieces of paper for the parcels and snowballs trying for size and ended up using 11/2 inch squares and 11/2 inch circles using seven snowballs in I Believe, and seven parcels in It's Christmas, but you can use however many you want.   I just drew around the top of a reel of thread for the circles, the size isn't vital, for the parcels I just cut a larger piece of Heat'n'Bond, ironed it to the back of the fabric, and when it cooled cut it down to size using my rotary cutter.


Then it was just a matter of arranging the parcels or snowballs how I wanted leaving a space of a couple of inches or so at the top and sides and angling the parcels so they looked like they were being juggled.


At this point I decided to add two larger parcels at the bottom for balance which are a bit bigger at 1 3/4 x 2 1/4 and 1 3/4 x 3 1/4  but I know they are a bit different on one as I cut it slightly small, there again I could just say it's a design thing..........   I was going to add snowballs but when I tried them it just looked like it needed a bit more colour.   I used my ruler to line them up at the bottom.


I added the hat so it looked like it had fallen off.  The hat caused me problems, my original one was far too small so I made it bigger, I made it black and it disappeared.  After I tried another couple using different fabrics and I eventually realised it wasn't going to stand out unless I made it bright to show up on the dark background so I matched it to the scarf, duh!

The arms ere trickier, I just ironed them on and hoped for the best, you could place yours a little higher if you want, you may want to cut them a little shorter though so they don't get too near the edge.  I just took my time stitching in and out of the sharp points.

After all the pieces were stitched on it was the fun time, decorating it.


I made the smile with french knots using two strands of stranded cotton, but if you are not happy with that you could just use a black Pigma pen.  Same with the letters on the snowballs, I lightly marked them using a fabric pencil and backstitched them with two strands of black, but you can use the Pigma pen here too.

The letters may be a little wonky and the smile may be crooked, but add it all together and it says 'Handmade with Love' (hysterical giggles).

After I finished Believe, I had a thought that if I had added the snowballs using needle turn and stitched the letters first I could have stuffed the snowballs with toy filling to give a 3D effect, just saying........


For the parcels I used two strands of cotton and stem stitch for the ribbons, I didn't mark them, I just tried to keep them small enough and figured that being thrown in the air the ribbons would be all over the place anyway.


There again, if I had thought to use a narrow ribbon like this at 1/8 th of an inch wide,


it would work just as well, just remember to stitch through the knot so it doesn't come undone.


Three tiny black buttons added the finishing touch.  I didn't measure it just did it by eye.


Then I made another one, like it?  I stayed with the seven snowballs but as EMILY has only five letters I added snowflakes at the ends in long stitch going down in a centre hole.  But, there is no rule to say you have to use a certain number of snowballs or what size they have to be, the name can be shorter or longer.  My granddaughter is going to love this.

I layered Emily's top with a blended batting and calico, then I quilted it by stitching around all the shapes, I didn't quilt the background as I didn't need to with the batting I used.  Next I cut two pieces of fabric for the back 18 1/2 x 14 inches and made a half inch double hem on one of the long sides of each piece to make an envelope back.  If you haven't done this before put the top face up and the two back pieces face down on top, matching the long raw edges top and bottom.  Pin well, then machine around using a 1/4  inch hem, I do two rounds of stitching to make it secure, especially where the envelope joins are at the sides.  Then I zigzag around to neaten the edges and snip the corners.  Turn it right sides out and carefully poke out the corners, don't use anything sharp though or it could go through the fabric and then you would be sad :-(


Now here is my confession, although I had bought enough fabric I decided I love it far too much to use on the backs, especially as I had already discovered my supplier had ran out.  Fabrics change and I may not be able to get any more, so I had a root around to see if I had anything else I could use.  Oh yes, I found a fabric I bought eleven years ago at Joannes in Florida.  It was when I was a new quilter and didn't know much about fabrics, I knew it washed ok so that's what I used instead.  You see I don't like using favourite fabrics for backs, in fact I would rather use something I got in a sale.  Are you shocked at my meanness?


Back to the cushion, after trimming the corners and turning I stitched all the way around at 1/4 inch to stop the back showing through to the front.


With the two others I didn't even quilt them,  I just lined the back with calico and added the envelope back.


 I think they look just as good unquilted, what do you think?  I may go back and do 1/4 inch stitching around the edge though.  The back doesn't show as it would on the quilted version but it just gives a nice finish, what do you think?


And there you have it, a veritable trio of Christmas cushions, I Believe, It's Christmas, and Emily.

Wouldn't they make lovely Christmas mini quilts too?

It is Christmas (we are pretending anyway, shhhh) and I believe in spreading the love, so, here is the link to MY TEMPLATES in case you would like to make one.  Make sure you print it out at 100%, there are two pages.  I don't have any fancy programmes remember, the templates are hand drawn.   If you make one (or both) of the  cushions I would love it if you sent me a pic  of your finished cushion,  but do you know what would really make me happy?  If you like my design and use it it would be wonderful if you shared the love and peace of Christmas by making a small donation to a children's charity of your choice, just a few pennies, whatever you can afford.

If you are getting a jump on Christmas check out the Origami Christmas Tree I made last year.

IMPORTANT - a number of commenters from the hop are no reply, this means Sarah wont be able to contact you if are drawn for a prize and haven't added your email address.  Please check you are not one of them, especially if you are Google +  Even if you have changed your settings they can revert.

I have had an increase in no reply comments recently including some asking questions, if you have asked me a question and not received a reply or you would like to ask me a question but don't want to leave a comment you can always find my email address on my About Me page, smilesfromkate@gmail.com

As if great holiday ideas and a tutorial weren't enough,  this year Sarah has arranged  something extra special!   The lovely folks over at Free Spirit Fabrics have donated not just one item for a giveaway, but THIRTEEN! And it's pretty drool-worthy stuff, too - it's Tula Pink's new holiday line, Holiday Homies!!!


Sarah has six design rolls, six layer cakes, and one fat quarter bundle to give away - and here's how it works! Visit each stop on the hop, including Sarah's blog, and leave a comment on each post for the day. At the end of the hop, Sarah will do a giveaway for each day by putting everyone's name in the hat who commented that day (from all that day's hop-blogs), and drawing a winner for that day. That will be twelve winners - the design rolls and layer cakes. Then all all the names from all the days go in a hat a name is drawn out  for the fat quarter bundle! Only one prize per person, though - let's spread it around a bit! So carve out a bit of time to visit all the blogs and comment - it makes the time bloggers spend on each post worth it when we see what people think about our work!

Don't forget visit  Sarah @Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Jan @The Colourful Fabriholic today and leave comments on their posts too to increase your chances of winning.  If you haven't seen any of the posts until now you can find Sarah's first post here, you will need to start there if you want to make the Christmas quilt she has designed.  It is not too late to comment on any of the blogs, you get one entry for each and every comment you make.

Here is the full list of all the blogs and schedule in case you missed any, I'm updating the links so they should take you direct to the post:



Friday, July 14th





Saturday, July 15th





Sunday, July 16th





Monday, July 17th





Tuesday, July 18th





Wednesday, July 19th


                   Smiles From Kate  This is me!


Thursday, July 20th





Friday, July 21st





Saturday, July 22nd





Sunday, July 23rd





Monday, July 24th





Tuesday, July 25th






Wishing you all love and peace.

With smiles from
Kate x

Now, if you have caught up on all the posts, why not join me in viewing my favourite linky parties, you can find them on my sidebar, I'll be there for sure.  you don't want to miss anything, do you?


193 comments:

  1. What a fun design! I love all the detail stitching you added!

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  2. Love the pillows. I like the finished look of that quarter inch edge. Thanks so much for sharing the how to and the template. I think I might need to make more than one.

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  3. Very sweet and festive pillows, perfect for the holidays. I love your design.

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  4. Very, very cute!! These pillow covers can stay out longer than just over Christmas. Even if the weather warms, they won't be melting anything except my heart.
    kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com

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  5. I love snowmen so thanks for the tutorial. Jmikebalou (at) aol (dot) com

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  6. I love this cushion and will certainly be making it this Christmas, thank you for a great tutorial. One of the great things about blog hops is that you get to meet some new blogs too. x

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  7. Congratulations. I have been following this blog hop and I think you are the first person to actually put up directions for a project. Well done! I know how much work is involved in writing instructions.

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  8. I think I am going to have to make some of these. So darling. Thanks for all the detailed information and tips. Gives me something to think about.

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  9. I have used Frixion pens if I know I will want to remove some notes or lines from a book/expensive paper. No problems so far using a hairdryer to remove the lines.

    Thank you for this excellent idea - really useful for someone in a small flat/studio with no room to stand even a small tree.

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    1. Thank you so much for your great comments Gloria.

      I have used Frixion pens before, in fact I used one to mark out a piece of embroidery, then I decided to iron out a couple of wrinkles, disaster, all the marking disappeared. So I put it in the refrigerator, when I took it out a while later they were all back again. Great for my embroidery, not so good if I was marking a quilt and hadn't completely covered the lines. Frixion pens use two kinds of ink apparently, it is ok if your item is always in a warm place, the problem start when it gets cold.

      I'm so happy you like my pattern and you are so right, it's a great way to decorate when space is an issue.

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  10. Well, Miss Kate, you certainly raised the bar for this fun hop! Absolutely delightful post, excellent tutorial, and fun pillow(s)! How cute to put Emily's name flanked by snowflakes! She'll be over the moon!

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  11. Such a cute design! Thank you!

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  12. Very cute. I love snowmen. Will be making at least one of these :)

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  13. What a cute idea for a pillow - who doesn't love snowmen. I know they are a favorite of mine. Thanks for the tutorial and pattern!

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  14. 3 Adorable pillows! What a great idea, thanks for the tutorial and pattern.

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  15. Love your trio of pillows. Such a fun way to decorate. Thanks for sharing your pattern!

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  16. I like the pillow with the presents in the air the best. Thanks for the chance to win. Shahann@yahoo.com

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  17. That is adorable. I love these pillows.

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  18. What wonderful Christmas pillow ideas-so sweet-and thank you for the templates! such a happy trio! Thank you for sharing, Susan

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  19. These pillows are the cutest! Thanks so much for the templates!

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  20. What a darling juggling snowman. Thanks for the idea.

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  21. These pillows are so cute. Not sure which one I like better. Thanks for sharing the patterns and all the pictures showing how it goes together.

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  22. love these!! and what a great background fabric you found...hopefully at least one will be sitting on my couch this December!

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  23. All of your juggling snowmen are too cute. Nice design with its ability to be adaptable.
    Great idea, thanks for sharing.

    ejaneemerson@yahoo.com

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  24. Your pillows are so sweet-I can see a quilt made with these blocks too-thank you for the templates! What a happy trio-thank you for sharing, Susan

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  25. That is just precious! Such a cute design, thank you for sharing.

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  26. Juggling snowmen are perfect for Christmas! Thank you for the wonderful tutorial.

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  27. This is fabulous. I love anything snowmen and these are great. Thanks for sharing and I'll definitely be making some of these.

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  28. Thanks for the pattern....he is just adorable.

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  29. Sweet! The pillows are cheery and look like fun to make. Thanks for the tutorial. Janice.snell@gmail.com

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  30. Your pillows are sew cute. Thanks for sharing!

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  31. Like how you show your design process.

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  32. This is a darling project!! The wheels are turning, I think this would be a perfect gift for some hard to buy for friends for Christmas. maryc76904 at yahoo dot com

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  33. Hi Kate,
    What fun snowmen - they look so friendly. That one is quite talented with his juggling skills. The pillows turned out great - I love them. I could see these as a table runner, too. You guys are motivating me to get ready early this year. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  34. Adorable. Can't wait ti begin this fun project. Thanks for sharing. D. Weeks (aka Momma Llama)

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  35. Fun Pillows! Something I've not tackled yet are pillow forms. Thank you for the tutorial on your applique.

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  36. Stinking cute Kate!!! Pinning for a later project, thanks!!

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  37. Very cute! I love decorating with snowmen, so I will be making some. Thank you for the templates.

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  38. Nice pillows. Like options to decorate them. Thanks for the templates.

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  39. I like the different finishes you offered with the snowman. Your granddaughter will love hers! Thanks for sharing.

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  40. These are too cute! I think my niece who has a snowman collection will get one for Christmas - or maybe three!
    You could snip behind the circles and stuff them anyway if you didn't quilt over them. Then just hand sew the back closed - it is inside the pillow so no one would know.

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  41. Oh my goodness, Kate! I could hardly wait to get to your post, and I'm so glad I did! The pillows are absolutely adorable. I think I might have to whip one up for the winter season! Thanks for sharing this!

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  42. I love love love snowmen, can't wait to stitch this up

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  43. Thank you for a great post. Your pillows are wonderful. . . and I have a couple of friends that collect snowmen. . .so I guess I better get going on these!

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  44. What a cute idea! Don't know which one I love more--the snowballs or the gift boxes! They're both adorbs!

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  45. I love this little snowman with the upturned face! So cute! Thanks! Cotten.gloria@gmail.com

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  46. I love this snowman!! What a delightful idea! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  47. Your snowman pillows are wonderful. I love all things snowman, and will be doing this project!!

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  48. Those cushions are just gorgeous...snowmen are my favorite. I also love how you included so many details in your tutorial, very beneficial for both new and experienced quilters. Thanks!

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  49. I enjoyed reading your whole creating process! Thank you for sharing. The pillows are adorable!
    Debbie
    ollieami@aol.com

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  50. adorable!! I could make the snowman table runner from another day and these and have a set :)

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  51. so adorable thanks for sharing just discovered your blog through 12 days , you now have another fan . hjrogers@sympatico.ca

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  52. Your snowmen are very fun!

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  53. Your snowmen are very cute. Thanks for sharing. And, no, you aren't mean to use sale fabrics on the back of things. Frugal, careful of your resources and smart cookie. I agree 100% with you. Thanks for sharing your pattern and design process.

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  54. Your pillows are adorable - what a cute idea!

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  55. Fabulous snowmen. Nicely done.

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  56. Love these snowmen. I have a friend who collects them and I think I just found her gift for this year. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  57. Love,love,love💕These pillows.i definitely need a few of these. Great summer project. I'm adding you to my Feedly list, I also hate to use my best fabrics on the back. I guess I'm mean too. Thanks for the adorable pattern. I think I will let my granddaughter help me sew a few!

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  58. Wow. I love them. Thanks for sharing.

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  59. Who doesn't love snowmen! I love the little ribbons on the packages. It is fun to see how other embellish their quilts. Thank you for sharing.

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  60. Love your snowman pillows, will definitely be making some for Christmas gifts!
    ekmvalencia@gmail.com

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  61. Cute. Thanks for sharing.

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  62. The snowmen are so cute. And we all juggle, especially during the holidays.

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  63. So far my favorite pattern on this hop. I love it!!!

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  64. Your snowman pillows are adorable.
    Thanks,
    Peggy
    peggy_verdongibbs@att.net

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  65. Thanks for participating in the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop and for providing inspiration (along with templates) for your ADORABLE holiday pillows!!

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  66. Kate, Once again you have hit it out of the ballpark! (I knew you would). The tutorial is very clear and detailed and the cutest design ever!! My favorite so far!

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  67. So lovely Kate! Perfect decorating for Christmas.

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  68. These are so cute! Thank you for the great tutorial too!

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  69. Thank you for the cute snowman pillow tutorial. I love it.

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  70. How cute! I hear you on the backing fabric. I hate to use things I would prefer to see on the front.

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  71. The snowman is so cute with the presents, but I really love the ones with the letters in the snowballs. Cute, cute! ndfromsdATgmailDOTcom

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  72. Snow snow cute times three!
    tvonzalez at gmail dot com

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  73. Snowman, love it!
    patsystitch@gvtc.com

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  74. Your snowman is so adorable!

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  75. THESE ARE VERY FUN PILLOWS AND YOUR HOME WILL FEEL VERY FESTIVE WITH THESE AS DECORATIONS. READINGTIRZAH AT YAHOO.COM

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  76. Thanks for sharing your cute snowman pillows. I look forward to making one or more.

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  77. Very cute!! Thank you for your design!
    kcummings71@gmail.com

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  78. These pillows are really cute! I'm with you on not putting pricey fabric on the backs of quilts.

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  79. I absolutely love your snowman design!! Great pillows!
    barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)com)

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  80. How cute all the pillows look lined up! Nicely done and thank you for sharing.

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  81. Kate WHAT a fabulous fabulous set of cushions!! This is such a tough hop because I'm being thrown way too many squirrels at a time when deadlines are looming, but I've downloaded your templates (thank you) and I would love to make one that says BRADY! :-) Emilie (spelled that way after my grandma) is Brianne's middle name!

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  82. Such a cute snowman. I love that he is juggling presents. And I also like adding the names to the pillows. Wonderful.

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  83. oh my :) these pillows are so adorable. thank you for sharing the pattern. guess what is going on our couch this winter!! I am like you I do not like using some of my favorite fabrics for the backs of pillows unless it is made to go both ways
    quilting dash lady at Comcast dot net

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  84. Thanks for showing a couple of variations. I think sometimes I forget to visualize patterns as a starting point rather than an end point. This pillows would be great to customize for each family member based on their individual quirks.

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  85. THANKS FOR SHARING A NEAT CHRISTMAS PROJECT!
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  86. What a fun design. The old pencil and graph paper technique worked just fine, didn't it? Good work.

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  87. Oh this is such a happy snowman! Thanks for sharing.

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  88. This is really cute. Simple but full of holiday spirit. I love making new pillow covers for the holidays. Easy to care for and easy to store.

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  89. Love your designs, snowmen are my favorite, I think because I can leave them out longer. Thanks for participating and for offering your templates.
    Pat

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  90. Oh my gosh, I love the present juggling! Thank you very much for the pattern.

    ~Brandy

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  91. Absolutely adorable pillow - love both versions!

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  92. Anyone who doesn't SMILE when they see these ... needs an attitude adjustment.
    Those are just too darned cute.
    THANK YOU for sharing!!

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  93. What happy snowmen. Great for a mini panel. Thank you

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  94. What adorable pillows! And I went back and checked out your folded Christmas Tree....it's spectacular! Thanks for all of the inspiration!

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  95. What a great pillow project! Thank you for sharing it.

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  96. Gotta make this for Christmas!!!! pjrquilter at msn dot com

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  97. Your pillows are simply adorable! Great for the holidays and winter.

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  98. Those snowmen are just too cute! You're very creative !

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  99. I love small projects. Your pillows are just the thing to get me inspired.

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  100. These are adorable. Would love to make for a daughter. I could not get pattern to download or print. Any suggestions? Have not had any trouble with other patterns. Don't know what else to try.

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  101. These cushions are so cute, Kate! I love that you shared every details of your process; I feel like I'm there while you're working it out! I love putting letters in the snowballs; now I just have to decide if I want "believe" or something else!

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  102. Oh Kate, you have completely undone me! These are the most adorable snowmen on the planet. I love, love them so much. Thank you for sharing the templates, and thanks for linking up to Wednesday Wait Loss.

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  103. Ok, forget the last post of my. It just came through. Never had that happen before. But I'm very happy to have the pattern.

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  104. Got to love a good snow man tytyty for cool idea... happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  105. Cute as can be. Thanks for sharing.

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  106. Love this sweet little project with the cute details. Thanks for sharing.

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  107. I love snowmen or snowladies--snowfolks!! I would make these as wallhangings as we're not really pillow people.
    Thanks for the wonderful ideas!
    eahorgan@gmail.com

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  108. Adorable snowman...but 3 of them as pillows just made me smile!

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  109. I love your juggling snowman. He is so cute! Thanks for sharing.

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  110. I love snowmen and will be making the pillow for myself. Thanks for the great tutorial.

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  111. Just love the snowman pillow it is so awesome. Great to leave out all winter long❤

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  112. Love any and all snowmen and your pillows are so cute. But I went and checked out the origami Christmas tree......WOW, that is so cool, I need to make some!THank you

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  113. Your cushions have worked out so well . They really made me smile . Well done x

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  114. This is a great holiday project. Very fun blog hop...glad we are starting holiday work in July given the number of fun, must do ideas!

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  115. What cute pillows! I also design with graph paper and pencil.

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  116. These are adorable! Thanks for the information to make one. I these will make some wonderful gifts.

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  117. Thank you so much, Kate. I adore your cushions and can't wait to make a couple. FabriCatz@aol.com

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  118. Wonderful! thanks for the templates--I'm thinking of snowmen juggling snowballs, presents, bells, who knows what else in a wee quilt (have way too many pillow already!) Thank you

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  119. Love, Love, Love Your Snowman!!

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  120. I like your snowman pillows! So cute that one is personalized too.

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  121. Fantastic looking cushions - the fabrics, the design, everything you put into it - I can see it as a wall hanging so I've downloaded the pdf to give me inspiration - thanks for a great photo tutorial :)

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  122. Oh my gosh!!! These snowmen are so cute! I don't do pillows but I see some awesome wall hangings with this pattern! Thank you!
    hulseybg at gmail dot com

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  123. Your pillows are at the top of my favorites on this blog hop! I've always loved snowmen projects and these are adorable. I have a hard time choosing a favorite since I love them all! Yes, they would make super mini quilts too! Thanks for the template.

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  124. Love the set of 3 pillows together.

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  125. This is a cute snowman. I really like snowmen. Great job.

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  126. Your snowmen are so cute - thanks for sharing!!

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  127. Wow they are darling! Thanks for the template!

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  128. Love these!! I'll be making these for my granddaughters. Thank you. (ykcihc5@yahoo.com)

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  129. So cute! Snowpeople bring a smile to my face.

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  130. The cushions are just lovely! Great tutorial.
    nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

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  131. These are too cute. I collect snowmen things, so I may have to try these too. Loved all your details too. Thanks much.

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  132. Oh Kate, they are adorable! The snowmen have so much personality! I can't decide which I like more, the packages or the snowballs! Excellent tutorial!

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  133. These snowmen are brilliant Kate! they are definitely on my to-do list!

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  134. This is adorable! You put a lot of work into this project for us. Thanks so much! The idea of stitching inside the outside of the pillow edge is oerfect as it makes it look like an edged binding.

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  135. I love your site--so many free tutorials! I subscribed....

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  136. Love your original idea! Thanks for sharing your tutorial and your process. I need more ideas for holiday pillow covers too.

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  137. What a clever idea. Thanks for the templates, I am going to make some pillows or small quilts, or both.

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  138. Your pillows are adorable!!! Thank you for sharing your templates. Hugs,

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  139. They are gorgeous. A fantastic idea and thanks for bring part of the blog hop

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  140. What a great idea and thanks for the templates for those of us who get nervous just thinking of anything resembling art. I had a friend tell me she wanted a Christmas quilt. I started to make one and she had already bought the fabric and had a lady in her 90's making it. Well, come to find out, she actually wanted to keep the elderly lady busy. So, I just stopped on the quilt since I was in bad health. I thought I would tat a snowman for the back after it's quilted. I took a needle tatting class and have forgotten how to do it. So, this now snowman would be perfect to put on the back when I finish it. It's just pinwheels of Christmas fabrics. Thanks for a great idea and inspiring me to find the quilt and finish it for ME!

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  141. Great snowmen--they look so happy! I prefer the stitched bows rather than the ribbon, they make the packages look more like they're being tossed through the air; the twinkling stars background is the perfect choice. Nice work!
    susanprincess at att dot net

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  142. p.s. I also like your choice of font for your blog text; it's easy to read and is quite cheery.

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  143. I am obviously late to the party but I want to make sure that my name is in the list of folks who love your snowmen and enjoy your blogposts. Smiles or Giggles, you stay happy :-)

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  144. Great pillows--love the added stitching on the quilted one--kind of looks like piping. Thanks for sharing!

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  145. Your idea is so fun!! I love both the snowballs and the presents!!! Thanks for sharing the templates too!!

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  146. I just want to say how cute your pillows are! You did a fantastic job on designing and the theme is a perfect holiday theme!

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  147. Kate - nice to meet you! I quilt with a smile, too :) I love your pillows - they are truly a treasure and we can tell you had great fun making them. Thanks for sharing the tutorial!

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  148. These are so cute! This project will defiantly go onto my to-do list. Thanks for the great tutorial!

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  149. Kate, these pillows are AMAZING! Your little snowman has so much personality - and I particularly love the one where he's juggling packages. I see a lot of these on my horizon!! Thanks for working so hard to make the hop a success!

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  150. I love these 2 together!
    I use sale fabric, sheets, and pieced scraps for the backs of quilts. Gives me more play options for the front!

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  151. This is my first visit to your blog, and I'll surely be back. What an adorable project! I think I'll make one for my niece, who is moving to Alaska and will be spending her Christmas far away. I'm certain she will be fine, but I'm missing her already. Thanks for sharing your templates with us, and for the tutorial. I learned something from you--I didn't know that stabilizer was needed for zigzag stitching but not for buttonhole stitching when you're doing machine applique!

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  152. What a cute mini-quilt idea - thanks for the templates!

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  153. I love all things snowman (except cold weather!!). Thanks for a cute pattern.

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  154. Your snowmen are soo cute! Thank you!

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  155. What a happy Christmas project! Great design!*

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  156. They both are just adorable.

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  157. Wow, great project and love how you play with your fabric-It`s a fantastic design and your cushions are a winners.Great job!!

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  158. I love these pillows. Snowmen are one of my favorite things about Christmas. Thanks!

    Please click on the delaineelliott above for my email link.

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  159. I love this design....thanks so much for sharing. I love snowmen so I definitely see making some of these snowmen in my future!

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  160. Nancy A: rangerer@sbcglobal.net20 July 2017 at 22:29

    Love your pillows.

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  161. These are adorable! Snowmen are a favorite of mine, thanks for sharing yours.

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  162. This is so festive and perfect... I love snowman.

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  163. This is so festive and perfect... I love snowman.

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  164. I absolutely love this snow man!

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  165. Thank you thank you thank you. Can't wait to make the pillows.
    Swoot@att.net

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  166. Nancy A: rangerer@sbcglobal.net21 July 2017 at 03:00

    Cute pillows!

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  167. I haven't yet ventured into the wide world of Applique, but when I get the time and more importantly the guts to try to learn how to, I hope to find your instructions again as they are quite in-depth and that is what I will surely need. Such cute pillows! Thanks for the details.
    Jeri Oldtisme@aol.com

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  168. The pillows are fabulous, Kate! What a great design and execution. :)

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  169. Love the pillows! A real plus to have a holiday project that can be finished even if you don't start until November. Thanks.

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  170. Very cute pillows! I love how you added so much detail with the stitching on them.

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  171. Your juggling snowman is adorable.

    hijoffeATgmailDOTcom

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  172. Oh! How cute!
    Thank you, Kate, for sharing your creativity!
    (Looks like fun!)
    Pat T.

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  173. So very pretty and with such a great message: Believe! One of my favorite words! Thank you for sharing!

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  174. Those pillows are just adorable. Love each one.

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  175. I love your pillows! So sweet and happy.

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  176. The snowmen are sweet.
    nl@ridder.ca

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  177. So cute! And versatile. Love the snowman.

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  178. Very cute pillows! Thanks for sharing!

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  179. I just love these pillows! They are super cute! I agree they would make a great mini. Especially if one has 3 kids and each one could pick out their scarf and hat fabric. :)

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  180. I love decorating with snowmen- you can leave them out a bit longer than just Christmas decorations :) The "believe" version is so cute!

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  181. Your snowmen pillows are so cute! A great way to decorate a space for the holidays. Thank you for sharing!

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  182. So cute--I love everyone of the variations!

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  183. Your snowman is so adorable! I love how versatile the design is :)

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  184. Oh, Kate! Your snowmen are absolutely amazing!
    Thank you for sharing, and I have saved the template, and look forward to making a cushion or two for Christmas.
    Barbara x

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave a comment, it helps me grow as a quilter and as a blogger. It also makes me very happy :)
I try to respond to all comments by email, but if I don't reply within a few days it may be because you are a no reply blogger

With smiles from,
Kate