{Happy Scrappy Halloween Hoop}

Hey there! We have a few more days to make cute Halloween stuff so lets raid the scraps and get crafty! Today I'm sharing a fun tutorial on how to make this fun little hoop art.

This project was made in partnership with JoAnn Fabrics, Creativity Made Simple and the #spookyspaces challenge. 

So cute right?! Let's talk about how I made it.

Materials:

8 or 9" Embroidery Hoop

Patchwork piece made about 2-3" bigger than your hoop

General sewing supplies

Applique supplies

ribbon

glue gun

any embellishments you'd like to add

Here is my patchwork piece. I raided my scrap bucket for all the cute black and orange pieces and sewed them together on my machine. You can piece the fabric together however you want. If you have a favorite quilt block pattern, that would be fun too! To get the pumpkin shape, I used a cookie cutter. For the lettering, I used a stamp set and ink pad and just pressed the inked stamp right onto the fabric then cut around it. It helps to use light colored fabric so the lettering shows well. I appliquéd everything to the patchwork with Heat N Bond. Then I just stitched everything down on my machine.

I stitched the appliqué down close to the edge of the design. I like the messy stitchy look. I achieve this by going around each shape twice and kind of free handing it. Almost like drawing. It's fun :) If you like a cleaner look, use the finish stitch on your machine. A zig zag is fun too. Alright, onto the hoop!

 Now you are going to cover your hoop in ribbon! Fire up that trusty glue gun.

 Glue, wrap. Glue, wrap.

 Now that you're done with the patchwork and the hoop, you can assemble your masterpiece. Make sure it's centered. Since your patchwork piece is a few inches bigger than your hoop, it's time to trim.

Trim the edge down to about a 1/2" and glue down the edge with your glue gun.

For a little finishing touch, I added a little crocheted bow.

That's it! Pretty easy peesy. Great fast project! I hope you enjoy making one and if you do, tag me on Instagram so I can see it!

All the materials for this project can be found at JoAnn's! And guess what? Since you're so awesome, I'm giving you a coupon to use!

Click HERE for your 50% off coupon! Have a happy scrappy crafty weekend!

{Crochet Rippled Mug Rug Tutorial}

Hey there! I have a fun little project to share with you today! Over the weekend, I taught myself how to do the ripple crochet stitch. I can safely say I'm already addicted and will start on my first blanket soon!

image via my Instagram @sewchatty

I taught myself using the AWESOME tutorial from Attic 24. If you are a crocheter, you need to know about this blog. So much inspiration there!

Anyhow, she teaches you how to do a sample that's two rows. I got in the groove and wanted to keep going. Ripping out the stitches and starting a real project seemed sad sooooooo...I turned my practice sample into a ripply mug rug!

 I kept repeating the pattern, changing colors as I went. I ended up with this fun little rainbow that I just love! It's 5 stripes total (10 rows). What a sweet little gift this would be with a favorite tea and cookie.

Here's a second pinnable image for you :)

So get to it! Teach yourself how to do the ripple stitch and turn your practice piece into a perfect little mug rug! Happy stitching friends!