handmade by stefanie

I have a new obsession: making cuddle blankets! It all started earlier this year when my work (Missouri Star) had a sale on 2-yard cuts of cuddle fabric  (sometimes also referred to as minky fabric ) for just $22 each. I bought a few to make my mom a blanket for mother's day and it turned out beautifully. In fact, it was so soft and luxurious that I almost didn't want to gift it to her!  Don't worry, I didn't end up keeping it for myself...instead, I spent a small fortune on MORE cuddle fabric so that I could make a blanket for myself (and one for my husband, and perhaps a few more to give as gifts during the holidays?!).  Not only is the fabric incredibly soft and luxurious, it's also machine washable. And each blanket is so easy - you can bust one out in just a few hours of sewing time using  this free tutorial.   Here's the one I made for myself over the holiday weekend: Tyler's is on deck for my next sewing session! I guarantee that you will become as ob

 Last week, I went up to Hamilton, MO (aka Quilt Town USA) to see some of my coworkers, get a tour of the machine quilting department, and pick up my new sewing machine, a Baby Lock Jazz II!  It was a gorgeous day and I ended up popping into a few of the shops as well. Not only did I snag the very last May the 1/4" Be With You shirt, I also got a sweet deal on some skeins of Manos Clasica at One Big Happy Yarn.  Over the weekend, I took the plunge and started my first project on the new sewing machine, a periwinkle table topper:  It's really a dream to sew on. The threading and bobbin are completely different from what I'm used to, so I was intimidated to dive in at first. After watching a bunch of YouTube videos and consulting the manual, I feel like I'm getting the hang of it, and I can't wait to explore all of the different stitches and features after I master the basics! 

Last month,  I went to my first in-person event since before-times: the PLY Away Marketplace at the Westin in downtown Kansas City. With a three year gap since my last convention experience, I was super rusty - for instance,  the only photo I took while I was there was this banner in the lobby outside of the marketplace: I suppose a selfie with my pal Laura would have been appropriate, although we both masked while we shopped so it really would have just been a photo of our eyeballs (I'm just a huge germophobe, but that's another story entirely).  Anyway, I think this is the last year that the event will be held in Kansas City, so I'm glad I was able to come out of my self-imposed hibernation and take a spin through the marketplace. It was a really great mix of vendors, and although I practiced a considerable amount of self-restraint, a few goodies did end up coming home with me:  (clockwise from top left): 1. Enby hat kit from Shirsty Cat Designs 2. 3D printed yarn bowl f