Monday, July 29, 2013

Christmas in July Blog Hop: Day 4


Today Wendy from Ivory Spring is sharing a peppermint pillow duo tutorial here on the blog. She paired the bold red and white Peppermint Twist fabrics from Kanvas with solid black for graphic pillows that pop! What a fun combination that would add some fresh holiday flavor to your home! After you read through Wendy's tutorial, see how to win your own Peppermint Twist bundle at the bottom, and head over to Wendy's blog to see her beautiful work! And now, here's Wendy!



Hi everyone, I'm Wendy from Ivory Spring, and I'm here to share a tutorial with a twist, using the Peppermint Twist fabrics: These simple holiday-themed pillows actually illustrate quite a few tricks and techniques: 
1.  Quilted Pillow Top.  Since I am a quilter (if you have known me for a period of time, you know that quilting and I get along really well, but not garment construction!), I like to use batting to construct my pillow top.  The idea is to prepare the pillow top as I would normally a quilt sandwich, except the finishing part is different.  I do not bind my "pillow sandwich" to make it into a quilt, but rather finish it to make a pillowcase.  Plus, I get to use up my batting scrap pieces.  I feel the batting gives my pillow top slightly more body, and so my pillow top doesn't feel "thin."
2. Fabric Selection.  
When choosing fabrics for a simple design, I like to choose fabrics that in no uncertain terms make a statement.
Contrast among fabrics often makes the final look stand out.  In this case, there are three contrasting looks, if you will, in the selected fabrics that draw the eye when one looks at the pillow.
a.  Contrast between scale of prints.  Large lollipops vs. small candy canes
b.  Contrast between busy-ness of prints.  Busy tossed candy prints vs. less busy wave print.
c.  Contrast between solid and prints.  Black vs. print fabrics.
3. Contrasting Quilting.  Red (or any color) on black quilting always produces a striking visual effect!  Simple way to embellish.
4. Piece ONCE to make two pillows.  You would piece the stripes cut across width of fabrics, and then cut from the pieced stripes 1 (16-1/2 " x 16-1/2") square and 1 (12-1/2" x 16-1/2") rectangle to make two pillow tops for two pillows.
5. Simple Complementing the Complex.  The pillows complement another pillow made previously, making a cute little display.

Note:  Please read through all instructions before attempting project.
Supplies (fabrics from the Peppermint Twist collection)
Pillow top fabrics: 
1/4 yard Swirl Lollipop Black (5710-12)
1/8 yard Black Solid
1/8 yard Wave Red/White (5341-10)
1/8 yard Candy Cane White (5709-9)


Pillow back fabric :
1/2 yard Candy Cane Black (5709-12), or fabric of choice
1/2 yard Peppermints Black (5711-12), or fabric of choice

Additional supplies for rectangular pillow:
14" x 18" batting piece
14" x 18" pillow sandwich backing fabric (anything will do because no one will see it)
(1) 12" x 16" pillow form insert

Additional supplies for square pillow:
18" x 18" batting piece
18" x 18" pillow sandwich backing fabric (anything will do because no one will see it)
(1) 16" x 16" pillow form insert

... and basic sewing notions

Cutting
1.  Cut from the fabrics:
Swirl Lollipop Black 8-1/2" x WOF (width of fabric)
Black Solid 2-1/2" x (width of fabric)
Wave Red/White 3-1/2" x (width of fabric)
Candy Cane White 3-1/2" x (width of fabric)

2.  Cut from Candy Cane Black fabric, 2 (16-1/2" x 16-1/2") squares for pillow back.
3.  Cut from Peppermint Black fabric, 2 (12-1/2" x 16-1/2") rectangles for pillow back.

Asssembling Pillow Tops
1.  Now, you are ready to sew the stripes together with a 1/4" seam allowance.
2.  You should have a sewn unit of pieced strips that measures 16-1/2" (horizontal) x width of fabric (vertical), based on the shown diagram.
3.  Measure vertically and cut across the sewn unit (yellow line) to yield 1 (12-1/2" x 16-1/2") rectangle and 1 (16-1/2" x 16-1/2") square.  Those will be your two pillow tops.

4.  Assemble pillow sandwiches staring from the bottom, and pin baste: 
14" x 18" backing fabric + 14" x 18" batting piece + 12-1/2" x 16-1/2" pieced pillow top; 18"x 18" backing fabric + 18" x 18" batting piece + 16-1/2" x 16-1/2" pieced pillow top

{Note:  From now on, the construction/pillow assembly instructions should apply to both square and rectangular pillow.  Just make sure the appropriate measurements are noted and used for each pillow.}
5.  Quilt pillow sandwiches as desired.  I just did very simple straight line quilting.  I then added optional buttons to the rectangular pillow sandwich, purely for embellishment purposes.

6.  Trim excess batting and backing to the edge of pieced pillow top.  You will see that I also stay-stitched the corners 1/4" from the edge to keep the pillow top sandwich "squared up."

7.  Zig-zag around the edges to reduce the bulk.  Since I sew with 1/4" seam allowances, I make sure my "zig" is less than 1/4" wide.  I actually also zig-zag around my quilt sandwiches before I bind my quilts. Read more about it here.

[Note:  The pillow top is completed at this point - you may choose the method of your choice to complete the pillow case.  I used the envelope closure method, explained below.]
Assembling the Pillow Case (Using the square pillowcase as example)
1.  Turn under ¼” on one of the candy cane black 16-1/2" x 16-1/2" square.  Turn again about 4” and press.  Edge stitch to hold the ‘flap’ in place.  It's a great time to use your edge stitch foot if it usually just sits in your presser foot box.  Repeat for the other square.




2.  Place the  pillow top wrong side down.  Then lay the pillow backing squares on the pillow top, right sides together.  Adjust the pillow backing squares accordingly, and trim off any excess from the 16-1/2" x 16-1/2” area that is not covering the pillow top.  [Note: Place the piece which you want to be the top flap of the pillow back FIRST onto the pillow top, before the piece you want to be the bottom flap of the envelope closure.]

You see in the following diagram how the layers to place on top of each other - in real life, the edges should all be matching.  I have staggered them to give you an idea on the placement.  From the bottom up... right side of pillow top, front flap of pillow back, back flap of pillow back.



3.  Pin and stitch the pieces together.  

4.  Trim around the corners.  Finish by zig-zagging the seam allowance to reduce the bulk of all the pieces stitched together.

5.  Turn the pillowcase right side out.  Press and insert pillow form.


I have displayed the pillows with my Midwinter Night pillow I made last year using Benartex's Fossil Fern and Wintersong.  More information about Midwinter Night pillow can be found here.  A group of pillows with different looks is always an interesting display because it keeps the eye busy trying to take in everything!



Thanks Wendy! Your pillows look almost good enough to eat! :) 
To win a fat quarter bundle of the Peppermint Twist collection, sign up to follow our blog using either Bloglovin' or the email feature (both in the right sidebar). Then leave a comment below this post telling us that you are a follower and letting us know your favorite holiday flavor--is it peppermint, or something else? This giveaway will be open through Thursday, August 1 at 11:59 pm EST.


If you missed the other tutorials from the Christmas in July blog hop, click on the links below:
Day 1: Ho-Ho-Ho, Let It Snow advent calendar, click here.
Day 2: Christmas Spectacular table runner tutorial, click here.  
Day 3: Snowfolk Mantel quilt tutorial, click here.

And...don't forget to head over to our Facebook page and enter a recipe in our Christmas cookie exchange--we'll be compiling all the entries into a pdf recipe book to share!  







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79 comments:

  1. I am a follower by email. Favorite flavor would have to be peppermint for the holidays. Thanks

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  2. I'm afraid I'm a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas. I love red and green with a bit of gold glitz thrown in for good measure. And because we cannot rely on getting snow here (UK) at Christmas, then snowflakes are a must!!!! I must admit though, those lollipops and candycanes look delicious.

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  3. I am a new follower, by email, and I came over from Wendy's blog. I definitely love peppermint! Thanks

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  4. I am a follower. My favorite holiday flavor is definitely peppermint. These pillows are so cute.

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  5. I have just signed up. My favorite holiday flavor is chocolate. Christmas is the only time that I allow myself to indulge in it!

    dbelliott@outlook.com

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  6. I signed up to follow by email. Gorgeous projects! I like peppermint, but I'm more partial to mocha. Not just for the holidays!

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  7. Signed up by email, favorite Christmas holiday flavor is eggnog, but peppermint is a 2nd. I love the cardinal pillow. Wendy is an awesome designer and blogger.

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  8. I am a email follower and love the peppermint

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  9. I'm a Bloglovin' follower and my favorite Christmas flavor is Gingerbread! My kitchen is decorated in gingerbread people every Christmas, and I always hate to pack them away in January. Thanks for showing us Wendy's lovely pillows! I've been a follower of hers for a long time now and absolutely love her work!!!

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  10. I'm a follower and I LOVE Peppermint! I'm also a big Fan of Ivory Spring!

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  11. Absolutely LOVE this tutorial! It would be great to use with my Jr. High students....my head is just swarming with the possible combinations that they would put together 😃
    The peppermint fabrics is a wonderful example of using contrast for that extra POP! Thank your for sharing, Wendy.❤

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  12. I'm a follower and love Wendy's work. Gingerbread is my favorite flavor!

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  13. I have been a little anti decorative pillows for awhile but when I saw Wendy's pillows displayed along with her Midwinter night pillow, I fell in love with them and may have to make them all! I have a suggestion which is, depending upon the quilting design, I might not cut the initial sewn unit until after doing the quilting. I am now going to go look at the other blog hop links! Thank you!

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  14. I follow by e-mail so I don't miss anything.


    My favoorite Christmas flavour is cinnamon spice - particularly as cinnamon and sugar spiced pecans (though I have to use walnuts here in the UK)

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  15. Regular follower, would love to win...

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  16. I already follow you via email and bloglovin! Favorite Christmas flavor? So many to choose from! Is "Italian cookies" a flavor????? :)

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  17. I think my favorite Christmas flavor is ginger, especially when it's mixed with other spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, for gingerbread cookies!

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  18. I follow....email, blog and....PEPPERMINT! :-)

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  19. I follow with Bloglovin and I love fudge... Does that count? :)

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  20. Gayle (paintedquilts)July 29, 2013 at 12:44 PM

    I love mint of any kind especially if it's paired with chocolate! Yummmy! I follow by email.

    Gayle (illusions@rainierconnect.com)

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  21. I get your posts via email. Such pretty pillows, especially put together with last year's design. My favorite Christmas flavor has to be the smell of cookies baking, so probably vanilla, mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, almonds, etc. I like peppermint mixed with chocolate. Obviously, I can't choose just one scent.

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  22. Sweet, sweet, sweet collection of pillows!! I follow you by e-mail notification already. My favorite Christmassy scent is Balsam Fir, and my favorite flavor is peppermint, of course!

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  23. I'm sure I was following you before all this mess lol but now I'm following you again by email.... Welcome back to my email box lol
    My favorite Christmas flavor is peppermint! It is so winter! I love what you have done with these fabrics, so inspirational to me.

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  24. I am a follower and I love peppermint!

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  25. I am a follower and love this fabric sew pretty!

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  26. I am already following via BlogLovin' and also via email.

    It's hard to choose just one Christmas flavor as there are so many I connect with the holidays from my childhood. I'd have to say it would be a tossup between Peppermint and Cinnamon.

    Beautiful pillows.

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  27. I am an email follower of your site and Wendy's. Love her work. I love cinnamon for Christmas. Thanks so much for sharing

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  28. I follow Sew In Love and Wendy's blogs by email. I love her work, and this fabric is so pretty!! I want to make pillows! Great use of these prints, and a fun accessory. Great directions, too. Thanks!

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  29. I follow by email both blogs. I love the ideas and fabrics shared here. That peppermint twist fabric is wonderful!!!!

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  30. Peppermint all the way! I am a follower with BlogLovin' and email.

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  31. I'm a Bloglovin' follower. I love peppermint, especially those peppermint nougats that you can only get at Christmas. Thanks.

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  32. I'm an email follower and my favorite Christmas flavor would be chocolate mint...love to stir hot chocolate with a peppermint candy cane!!

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  33. i follow via bloglovin. these fabrics and pillows are beautiful. babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  34. I follow on Bloglovin. My favorite holiday flavor is gingerbread.

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  35. I am a follower on Bloglovin.
    The holiday fabric is very neat!

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  36. I follow with email. I have a granddaughter that is peppermint crazy as we are all and would love to win to make a table topper for myself and maybe a pillow for her. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  37. I'm a happy follower!
    Favourite flavour would be cinnamon!

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  38. i follow by e-mail thanks for the chance

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  39. those are gorgeous pillows. Wendy is an amazing quilter.
    I get your blog posts in my email.

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  40. I have just signed up for your email. My favorite holiday flavor is chocolate. Love the look of the peppermint fabrics and all the motion they could put into a quilt.

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  41. I am a follower via Bloglovin. My favorite Holiday flavor is chocolate and peppermint..... Love these fabrics. They are absolutely gorgeous. Love the black it really makes the red and white pop. Thanks for the chance to entr.

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  42. HAPPY TO FOLLOW YOU VIA BLOG LOVIN'!
    LOVE PEPPERMINT! THANKS FOR SHARING!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  43. I follow via email I love the peppermint bark!

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  44. following by email... my favorite flavor for the holidays is, of course, peppermint!

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  45. following by email... my favorite flavor for the holidays is, of course, peppermint!

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  46. I follow your blog by email. Actually peppermint is my favorite!
    Thanks,

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  47. I'm now following your blog by email. Peppermint is my favorite Holiday flavor. If you add chocolate to it, it's paradise.
    thelady at hotmail.com

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  48. I follow your blog via email and my favorite flavor is peppermint. Gorgeous fabrics!

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  49. Very cute pillows and thanks for the tip on binding, Wendy! I follow your blog and this one. My favorite holiday flavor is chocolate - always!

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  50. very lovely pillows signed up for email notices. thanks

    love peppermint for the holidays

    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

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  51. beautiful pillows! I am a follower and my favorite flavor is chocolate at all times, but do love peppermint at Christmas time.

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  52. I am a follower. My favorite Christmas flavor is chocolate. I do love peppermint yet chocolate always wins.

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  53. I am a follower already. I love chocolate and at Christmas I love eating my step mom's hand dipped peppermint patties that are wonderful!
    Sandy A

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  54. Ohhh, such luscious fabrics...makes me almost wish for Christmas now. I would have to say though my favorite Christmas flavor is Eggnog!!! (love it in my coffee and I love the ice cream!).

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  55. I think my favorite Christmas flavor is Eggnog and I am a new follower. Love the peppermint fabric.

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  56. This was very helpful. I may make a few pillows tomorrow just to practice. My favorite flavor for Christmas is cinnamon, just like my favorite Christmas cookies. I subscribe to the blog, and to the Facebook page, and I am a longtime member of Mr. B' s Preview pack. I just got mine this week and it is yummy!

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  57. I'm a follower so cute. May favorite flavor or scent is the smell of cookies baking and cinnamon pine cones mmm good

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  58. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  59. I'm a follower. Love all your pillows. It has got me thinking about christmas now and I must start to make some things. My favourite flavour for christmas is Cinnamon and peppermint.

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  60. I came over from Wendy's blog - which I love - and subscribed via email. I have to go with gingerbread and evergreen scented candles for the holidays.

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  61. I don't like just peppermint but found some chocolate/peppermint hard candy and really love. Love the pillows. I get your email.
    Thanks for sharing

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  62. I follow you through email and FB. I like anything with cinnamon in it.

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  63. Wendy sent me over from her blog, that I just love. I'm always looking for more quilting blogs to follow. I try, to blog, but am not consistent, but working on it. I've registered to follow this blog. And my Favorite Christmas flavor? I do love peppermint, but it would have to be pecan pie. That is about the only time anyone makes this pie, except for Luby's. Looking forward to the projects and now I have to go catch up on what I've missed!

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  64. I'm a follower and my favorite holiday flavor is chocolate!

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  65. I just signed up. My favorite cookie is the snickerdoodle.

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  66. I just signed up. My favorite cookie is the snickerdoodle.

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  67. I just signed up on Bloglovin. Adore Wendy's quilting and follow her weekly. These pillows are a 'must make'. My favorite flavor is chocolaty peppermint.
    Kathlene

    j.g.prescott@wavecable.com

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  68. The first time I saw the fabric covered with candy canes, I was sure there was a real one sitting on top of it....wrong! But it sure looked it! Thanks so much for giving us a chance to win some of that great peppermint fabric. Love it all!!!

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  69. I follow you by email. I love, love, love that fabric and peppermint, thanks for the giveaway.

    (smjohns63 at yahoo dot com)

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  70. I'm a follower through Bloglovin'. I love the taste of mulled wine at Christmas. Yum! --Sarah (thriftstorecrafter at yahoo dot com)

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  71. i follow on bloglovin, for christmas it has to be peppermint, cookies, candy, everything lol

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  72. I am a follower by email. My favourite flavour of the holidays would have to be.... turkey!

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  73. I am following you with Blog Lovin'. The peppermint fabrics are gorgeous -- just the right size prints to really make an impact, and the pillows show them off perfectly! I do love peppermint - at the holidays and year round!

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  74. I follow by blog lovin. I love these fabrics makes me want to go get some of those soft peppermint balls that you see at Christmas to eat. I love peppermint.

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  75. Thanks again for the lollipops, Wendy. You know how much I love them and cardinals too. I've been following you via email forever and lovin' it.

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  76. These will make great small Christmas gifts, thank you!

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  77. I`m following you by email.Spanish cooking is my flavour!

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  78. I am following, I love cinnamon & Apples and a bit of orange Boil a little on stove and spice up the house at Holidays I love the pillows I do mine that way Quilt layer the top and use up thos Batting scrapes Barbara

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