Cozy Flannel Self Binding Receiving Blankets for Charity

“Charity is not an act but a way of life, a condition of the heart.”
Robert Millet

Hey there from Nannyland,

I recently hit a little bump in the road on my breast cancer journey and will be starting a more aggressive treatment plan in the next few weeks. I have faith that all will be well in the end, but in the meantime I will be spending more time at home, which translates to many blissful hours in the perfect place for distraction and healing... right here in Nannyland.  I am so blessed to have a peaceful retreat with so many wonderful cheery projects just waiting for me to dive in. 

Nothing can lift my spirits more than sewing projects for charity, especially those for children.  I still haven't settled on the perfect home for my baby quilts and receiving blankets, but I have found very appreciative recipients in women's shelters in the past.  I plan to make many of these fun blankets and I am researching several different organizations and hospitals to make sure I find good homes for them.     

I found tons of beautiful good quality quilting flannel in my stash to start my projects, along with this extremely helpful video tutorial on sewing self binding receiving blankets.  I made several appliqued ones like this one and this one to sell in my Etsy shop years ago, but I really learned some new things in this video that helps them to turn out perfect every time. 

I love using the best quilting flannel I can find for these because it is so soft and sturdy, and they will obviously be washed over and over again.  The cheaper fabric just doesn't hold up the same after washing. 

                                                                                        

The fabrics in my stash are pretty old but some of  the most adorable kids flannel still comes from Robert Kaufman, as seen in most of the fabrics above.  The darling owl fabric is from Riley Blake. I'm always thrilled when I find cute flannel at my quilt shop because it inspires me to get going and create more kid quilts for charity. I can never make too many!!!

These quilts are just the right size and weight to roll up and tie with a bow for a favorite charity or a fun shower for a precious little one. Fast, easy, fun, adorable, useful and they need no quilting.  What's not to love?

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Get Up, Dress Up - Lori Holt Millie's Dresses Wall Hanging

 Look your best and you will think and act your best. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've been patiently waiting for just the right quilt block to exemplify my life's mantra and I found the perfect one in this beautiful vintage dress block called  Millie's Dresses by Lori Holt.  The minute I saw it I knew I was going to make a wall hanging for Nannyland with a sign above it symbolizing the daily motto I have followed since I was a teenager.

I'm going to confess to what may be a controversial practice in today's "free to be me" climate.  I have been engaging in an obsessive ritual that some might consider compulsive at worst and quirky at best.  I've been getting up every morning, since I was a teenager, dressing in an outfit appropriate to be seen in public, and  completing a full hair and makeup routine.  My daily mantra is always "Get Up, Dress Up."  There, I've said it.  My girls can back me up on this.  No matter what my daily challenge is, be it toothache, earthquake, surgery, cancer treatment, family crisis, girls camp...you name it, I'm going to be looking as spiffy as possible to greet the opportunities and challenges of the new day.  

Now, some of you might be thinking, "Could she be more vain?," but I have found the affect is just the opposite.  Once I've taken care of my own grooming, I don't think about it the rest of the day and I can go about my activities with confidence.  I can smile at strangers and engage with the people I meet, look for ways to do service, welcome visitors to my home without peering through a crack in the door, do errands any time for myself and others, hang with the people I love and just generally be present in the world.

I get this is not for everyone. The majority of my friends and family look and feel fabulous everyday, as they should, without focusing on eye shadow color or hair gel.  And don't get me started on those people with the thick mermaid hair, long dark lashes and glowing skin that don't ever need to look in a mirror!  This is just a ME thing that has helped me get through some difficult times, feeling like I can take on the day with faith and composure.  

I ended up in emergency a couple of weeks ago with some pesky blood clots and was happy that I had on full make up to offset the very unattractive, ill-fitting gown. I'm very happy that not one of my doctors or attendants seemed impressed with my lipstick color, but I, myself, didn't feel like a poor sick old lady who just dragged out of bed, and that meant something to me. The doctor commented on how healthy I was and said he didn't think blood thinners would be a problem for me since I didn't look like a person who falls a lot.  Because I obviously had the wits to apply make up, people! So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Get Up, Dress Up. It's worth the effort, I swear. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt - English Paper Piecing

 Why did she make things? Well, she enjoyed it, of course,
but it also somehow helped her remember who she was
 and where she came from. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

Yayyy! I finally finished my Grandma's Flower Garden quilt and I really love the way it turned out, imperfections and all.  I've been sewing the English Paper Pieced hexagons together to create my flowers since the dawn of time and I was excited when I realized I had finally accumulated enough for a quilt.  I used THIS Flowers For Emma pattern by Sherri McConnell for my inspiration because I loved the way she pieced four low volume fabrics to create the backgrounds for her flower blocks.  

My EPP flowers are truly scrappy because I used small, very old scraps from my stash that I had collected over many years and none of my flowers are the same.  I used yellow dotted fabric for the centers to create a unifying element.  

I chose a cute flower pantograph for my quilting to mimic my flowers.   I added white sashing to add some contrast to my blocks and a green Lori Holt "sew cherry" border because many of my fabrics had cherry or fruit motifs.  What's not to like about cherries!   As usual, I added striped binding to finish my quilt. 

Although this quilt certainly has a handsewn vibe with lots of imperfections, it will always be one of my favorites because so much time and affection went into it.  This one won't end up on some careless person's lap in front of the TV in danger of getting snacks spilled on it.  I'll just carefully lay it on my lap when I want to reminisce about all the wonderful years I've spent blissfully playing with beautiful fabric and quilting. And all the fun hours I spent watching Hallmark movies while sewing my hexagons together.  I'm already starting a new batch and can't wait to see where they land. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Preview of Millie's Dresses Wall Hanging Quilt

Fashion is the art and you are the canvas. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've had my eye out for a really cute dress quilt block and I've definitely found it with this darling Millie's Dresses pattern by Lori Holt.  I've been planning a special wall hanging for years, patiently waiting for the right design to complete my vision. 

This adorable Lori Holt fabric collection is called Mercantile and it perfectly suits these nostalgic vintage-style dresses.  I almost hated to cut into my fat quarters, but it was super fun coordinating the collars and belts with the main dresses. 

Lori's original quilt design calls for 16 dresses, but I only needed six for my wall hanging.  I had such a delightful time piecing them, I may decide to make the whole quilt at some point.  The borders Lori has created for her setting are amazing.  I  have a specific spot I want to hang my smaller quilt, and it's a little bit of a squeeze, so I'll save the fancy borders for a bigger quilt.  

I've grown accustomed to cutting my pieces on my Accuquilt Go, so rotary cutting several small pieces was a little bit of a stretch for me.  I had to rely on my questionable math skills for accuracy instead of depending on the precision of die cuts.  I don't mind doing this, though, because there are so many beautiful quilts out there that don't quite fit  my Accuilt dies.  I was able to cut my 1 1/2 inch sashing and borders with my Go stip dies, thank goodness.  

With my hand cut pieces,  I really felt I had hold my tongue in the right place while sewing the blocks so that I preserved all my corners and the pieces lined up where they should.  I failed in this attempt a few times, as always,  but I still think the dresses look adorable. 

I have a really fun idea for the hanging of my quilt that will make me happy every time I look at it.  Stay tuned for the unveiling in a couple of months when everything comes together. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

My Cozy Little Hand Stitching Retreat

                

Today I choose: calm over chaos, serenity over stress, peace over perfection,
grace over grit, faith over fear. 

          

Hey there from Nannyland,

I spent this past week piecing a lovely-tho-complicated quilt top using some of my treasured emotional support fat quarters.  My discombobulated brain needs a little rest before I do all the finishing touches and get it ready to bind,  so it's folded neatly on a hanger, languishing in a closet for now.  In the meantime, I took a breather from creating my journals and cards in Nannyland, and created a cozy little retreat where I can do my hand stitching projects.  My list of necessary trappings consisted of good lighting, comfortable chair, place to store projects and a big TV screen with cable. 

I found all of these things in a cozy corner in my roomy master bedroom.  I have loved lounging in my relaxing blue fabric recliner while reading a book or magazine, so it was easy to expand its use to hand sewing.  An Ottlight floor lamp bought at 40% off from Joann Fabrics creates excellent lighting for my projects and a lap desk bought at Barnes and Noble provides a convenient work space. 

 A large screen TV already exists opposite the chair, perfect for watching my favorite YouTube quilting and sewing videos while stitching. 

Colorful sewing boxes are the best for varied projects because they have a large compartment at the bottom and removable trays at the top for smaller supplies...and they look adorable. BTW, that amazing and pristine mid-century cedar chest is a gift I received for Christmas when I was 16 years old. No, you can't buy it!  

I keep my supplies for English paper piecing in a sewing box with small narrow trays at the bottom to store my fabric covered templates.  I have a bobbin box with multiple colored threads stored there also.  On the top layer I keep my smaller supplies such as needles, glue, thread, needle threader, magnets, scissors, etc. 

A pretty hand-made basket holds my yarn, the crochet needles I am using for my project, scissors and a large plastic needle to weave threads. My collection of smaller hooks and less used supplies are in a cute smaller sewing basket. 

I've noticed that Cross stitch has regained its popularity recently, especially among quilters.  I used to love needle point and embroidery and spent many hours doing some elaborate projects like family Christmas stockings, which we still have to this day.  I'm discovering that counted cross stitch is much less complicated and just as satisfying.  I also think it must be beneficial to my aging brain, because there's a lot of math, counting and trying to keep my place on a sometimes very intricate pattern.  Calisthenics  for the brain.    

I've seen some of the most adorable project bags made by my quilty friends and they seem like a very good way to use scraps and learn to navigate sewing a zipper, but for now I'm using some mesh bags I found at Staples and they work great.  I'm storing them in a cherished hand-made basket I bought in Charleston, SC from an amazing hand weaver.   Decorative and useful is my mantra.  

On the opposite side of my master bedroom is an equally tranquil space.  When we moved from our last  home, I very reluctantly had to give my piano away for lack of space in our new home.  As promised, the first thing my husband bought me was a high tech keyboard that feels and sounds amazingly like a piano.  And I have loved that it never goes out of tune.  I have the same Ottlight floor lamp here and a shelf above with room for books and a metronome.   

I love having a choice of cozy retreats in my home where I can choose a different blissful reverie, depending on my mood.  A cozy nest is just what we all need to wrap ourselves in when the stresses of life get a little overwhelming.  I hope you have such a space. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Eleanor Burns Patty Cake Pattern Quilt - Bonnie and Camille Sunday Stroll Layer Cake.

All the things of the universe are perfect miracles,
each as profound as any. 
Walt Whitman

Hey there from Nannyland,

My rainbow of scrappy quilts is piling up in my guest room and creating a vibrant mish-mash of quilty delight.  I like creating joyful vibes for my guests and the ones who left this morning seemed to sleep well in their cozy cocoon.   So now my focus is turning to the creation of this same sunshiny atmosphere in my master bedroom, but maybe with a little more modern flair.  My favorite colors (red and aqua) can be seen in every room in my house, with some added navies and grays in my master bedroom. Hmmm. What designers have all the colors I love with the addition of beautiful navies?   Bonnie and Camille, of course!  Their Sunday Stroll layer cake is popping aplenty with the perfect palette. Say that three times fast.  Such yummy candy for my quilter eyes. 😍

I've been anxiously waiting to use this beautiful layer-cake-friendly pattern by Eleanor Burns called Patty Cake. It was super fun and easy to sew.  My inner border measures two inches, my red border measures one inch and my outer border is four inches.  The outer border and backing are Bonnie and Camille fabric from the same collection.

As usual, I chose to bind it with striped fabric. This crisp navy one coordinates well with the navy in my blocks and the accessories in my room.  

The pattern came together quickly and I love the result. Scrappy and bright...my mantra.

My quilter did a fabulous job with the longarm quilting.  I'm getting braver with the more dense pantographs and I think this turned out lovely. The finished quilt measures about 50 x 72. 

This quilt lives happily on my blue chair for now, waiting for me to cuddle up with it while watching tv or reading in the seclusion of my peaceful bedroom.  

My next project for this room will be a wall hanging above my bed in the same navy/aqua/red palette as my quilt.  I think I'll try some solid grunge fabric to make it a little more contemporary. Now I just need to decide on a pattern. Yep, I think things are shaping up nicely. 😀

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Christmas Gift Basket - Accuquilt Go Bowl Cozy

It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.   Mother Teresa

Hey there from Nannyland,

My Christmas gift baskets are all wrapped and ready to deliver and I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief.  I made eight of them for close friends and family and I'm all revved up to deliver them as soon as possible so I can put my feet up and enjoy the delights of the holiday.

This year I was excited to use my Accuquilt Go Big Bowl Cozy Die. I used THIS tutorial from Accuqult to sew my cozies and I found them fairly easy to make, with several opportunities to chain piece. I cut bright layer cake fabric and scraps to create coordinated top and bottom layers. All materials, including thread, must be 100% cotton to make them safe for the microwave so I used special batting by Pellon called Wrap and Zap. 

I love the way they turned out with all the bright colors.  I put sets of 2 and 4 together, depending on the number of people in my recipient families. I added THIS cute tag with care instructions.  

It was so much fun filling up a Dollar Tree plastic mixing bowl with soup related items. I put a microwave safe bowl on top of my cozies to hold a bag of bean soup mix, some small packages of crackers, a ladle and some cute snowman napkins.  A plastic basket bag and a large checked bow were all I needed to make a festive presentation.  

It's always a delight to put together unique and personal handmade gifts for Christmas. They give me plenty of time to reflect on how grateful I am to be surrounded by loving friends and family this time of year.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year full of crafting joy.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Welcome, Sweet Indy - Conie Fong Mother and Baby Digi

 Baby girls are like flowers that are forever in bloom. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

Baby Indy made her entrance into the world a couple of days ago and everyone around her is smitten.  She is beyond adorable!  I already have her quilt wrapped up in a pretty box and all I need to do is tuck this card inside to complete my love-filled handmade gift.  When planning this card, I saw several darling images of babies in my digi library, but THIS exquisitely drawn image from Conie Fong really caught my eye.  I enjoyed being on Conie's design team so much because I absolutely adore her gorgeous artwork.  This image is perfect for my beautiful friend who has lovely thick locks of blond mermaid hair. 

After coloring the image with Copic markers,  I added details with a white gel pan.  I fussy cut her and adhered her to a water-colored dp panel, which I edged with a gold leafing pen.  I cut a shaped card with a Heartfelt Creations frame die and added a matching gold panel to fit the card front.  The intricate embossed layer was die cut in white card stock and the focal panel was attached with foam tape for dimension.  The flower embellishments are handmade from  Heartfelt Creations stamps, dies and molds, with punched gold swirls and a mini die cut butterfly for accents.  

It's such a joy to spend hours creating baby gifts and cards because the recipients are so precious.  I like imagining them all warm and cozy wrapped in a quilt that I created especially for them.  It's like giving them a never-ending giant hug!  I hope you have some sweet little ones in your life to share your creative talents with...and maybe pass some of your skills on to them to keep the creative cycle going. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Crafty Gals Corner #249

Double "D" Challenge - Stripes and/or dots

Digi Choosday Challenge - WK 45

A Place to Start November Challenge

Cutie Pie Challenge #188

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #11

Ally's Angels Challenge #76

Classic Design Challenge #11

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #11

A Heartfelt Quilt for Baby Indy - Accuquilt Wonky Heart BOB

Please bless the little head that lies beneath these quilted threads.

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've been super excited to have the opportunity to sew a baby quilt after a very long break with no little ones waiting to appear.  Happily, a sweet little mom, whom I think of as a granddaughter, recently announced that she would be giving birth to a darling baby girl in November.  Indy Jean, as she will be called, will certainly be beyond adorable because her family is already the cutest in the world, with a three-year-old boy named Tuf who has already stolen my heart. 

 

My dilemma has been designing this quilt in a more modern style, since the last ones I created for my Etsy Store several years ago rocked ducks and bunnies in shades of pink, blue and yellow.  While I think I could still come up with something cute using that recipe, I really wanted to make this one more current, since my friend (and hairdresser) is a very stylish lady.  I've been noticing the popular colors for babies are more muted shades of pinks, blues and neutrals, often referred to as boho colors after their earthy hues.  I searched the internet for fabric that would "make the cut" and found a pretty collection by Moda in Etsy called Songbook.  The peachy pinks and tans match the colors in little Indie's nursery perfectly.   

I cut my layer cake with my favorite  Accuquilt Wonky Heart BOB die to create 35 six-inch finished blocks and added white 1-1/2 inch sashing and aqua corner stones to set my blocks.  The back is the same aqua fabric with small metallic flowers as  the corner stones and the swirly heart edge-to-edge pattern my long arm quilter used to mimic my heart blocks shows up beautifully. I added my usual striped binding in aqua and white and I love how things came together.  I carefully washed my finished quilt in Dreft baby detergent on the gentle cycle and dried it on the low setting to bring out all the soft crinkly texture. I don't often wash my quilts before I gift them, so I'm always surprised and amazed at the change in texture after they come out of the dryer.  I really love it and hope my recipients do, too.  I have made a decision to wash all my quilts in the future before I gift them so they are fresh, newly crinkled and cuddly soft when they reach their new home. 

This quilt still feels quite different from my usual brightly colored creations, but I loved going out of my comfort zone for my special friend and her baby.  I hope little Indie and her mom will cherish it for many years to come.  I opened up Indy's closet and it was full of the cutest little wardrobe items in all the boho colors of her quilt.  Now I just can't wait to meet her in a week or two!  I also think my boy Tuf needs a quilt all his own.  Hmmm.  What would a three year old boy like?  Another creative conundrum to tackle.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)