STL: felt monsters to make with your kids {plus free mix-n-match pattern}

Hey everyone! It's week two of Share the Love: projects that bring people together, and we'd had some fantastic posts so far. (Click here for links to all the posts so far). We have three more guest posters joining us this week as well as another giveaway (the Ribbon Retreat giveaway from last week stays open through Wed!) coming up. And I'm starting off the fun this week with a great project you can do with your kids: mix-n-match felt monsters.

My four-year-old and I spent a few happy hours last week designing, cutting out, and sewing up a monster for him. We had such a great time that I created a mix-n-match PDF pattern, which includes five different monster bodies, five different sets of eyes, five mouths, and five different accessories. (Keep reading for the free pattern and instructions on how to make and customize your own monster.) 

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STL: stamped jeggings with Katy from No Big Dill

Today's guest for the Share the Love series is Katy from No Big Dill. Katy's blog was one of the first ones I started reading a few years ago when I remembered I could sew and decided to start doing it again (having a baby girl might have had something to do with that). I love Katy's blog for lots of reasons: she's very, very good at designing and making clothes, her writing is honest and interesting, her photos of the beach make me wish I was there, and her five daughters remind me of me and my five sisters growing up (and she has an adorable little boy at the end of that string of beautiful girls). I think the thing I love most of Katy's clothing designs are the extra little details that I never would have thought to add, like contrasting ribbon and decorative buttons down the back and a keyhole collar, and...(the list goes on - check out her Fleur D'Orange dress if you want to see fun details in action.) Anyway, Katy has a fun mom & daugher refashion for us today - showing us even our sewing projects can help bring people together.

Hello, Autumn readers!  So glad to be here sharing a simple tutorial today! (Keep reading for before/after photos and tutorial on fitting/stamping jeggings.)

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STL: giveaway from The Ribbon Retreat

***Giveaway is now closed***

To celebrate the ongoing Share the Love series, we have an awesome giveaway from The Ribbon Retreat, an online ribbon store that also sells fabric, notions, patterns, etc. They have a great selection of gorgeous designer fabrics, and today they're giving one lucky reader a layer cake of Simply Color by V. and Co. What's a layer cake? Well, it's 42 squares of 10x10 inch fabric, which means you get at least one square of every single color and pattern in a fabric line. And look how cool/fresh/modern this fabric line is:

image from V. and Co, click for link

Layer cakes are great for making quilts, but also work well for any project that can be made with small pieces of fabric. I recently used one to make fabric covered cookie mix gift bags:

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STL: host a casual morning get-together + make ahead casserole recipe

Hi guys! It's my turn this week to Share The Love by giving you an idea for connecting with the important people in your life: why not turn a cold, lonely, boring morning at home with the kids into a chance to get together with some other people who are also having a cold, lonely, boring morning? It's really easy (and fun!) to host a simple morning get-together where you invite friends, neighbors, or parents of your kids' friends to come over and eat, chat, and let the kids play together for a few hours. If we're all stuck inside because it's so cold, we might as well be stuck inside together, right? (Keep reading for tips and casserole recipe.)

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STL: Frozen cookie dough gifts with Melissa from No. 2 Pencil

For day two of Share the Love: projects that bring people together, we have an awesome guest post from Melissa, who blogs at no. 2 pencil. I've discovered Melissa's blog fairly recently but I've been checking it regularly ever since. She posts fantastic recipes, including a fairly brilliant method for making a single chocolate chip cookie in a cup, as well as great crafts, and her photography is beautiful. I'm excited to have her here today!

I'm so excited to be here guest posting for Autumn. Today, I'm sharing a gift idea that is sure to brighten anybody's day. Who doesn't love freshly baked homemade cookies? (Keep reading for more info on frozen cookie dough gift packages.)

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STL: fortune cookies with Simple Simon and Co

 We're starting this week off with a clever tutorial from Elizabeth, who blogs along with Liz at Simple Simon and Co. (It's share the love time, remember? Projects that help you connect with people during this chilly and often lonely time of year.) I've been clicking over to Simple Simon and Co every couple of days for at least a year to check out both ladies' gorgeous sewing projects (have you seen the Audrey Hepburn outfits they made for their girls? to die for adorable!), read their awesome "The Art of Homemaking" posts, and see if we agree on who should win this current season of Project Runway. Today, Elizabeth has a simple and sweet way to let the important people in your life know you care about them: felt fortune cookies with a sweet sentiment inside.

(Keep reading for the tutorial!)

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STL: peanut butter and chocolate hearts

Remember, the Share the Love series starts on Monday, where guest posters and I will be sharing ideas for projects that will help you connect with the important people in your life during this chilly and sometimes lonely time of year. To kick things off I wanted to show you a fun recipe you can make with even your littlest kids that's perfect for this time of year: chocolate covered peanut butter hearts.

These are a beauty of a treat: they're extremely easy to make and taste like a decadent Reese's PB cup. We made our hearts pretty big, so we've been sharing slices of them. I keep cutting off just a little bite, then coming back for more. (Keep reading for recipe + tutorial!)

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share the love: projects that bring people together

***Links to all STL posts below!***

I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but here it's cold. Like below zero in the mornings and nowhere near freezing in the afternoons. Add in a depressing smoggy haze and I hardly even want to leave the house. I always find this time of the year to be the hardest: the excitement of the holidays is long gone but spring is still months away. It's the most lonely, isolating time of year, and that's why I decided to host a blog series for the next four weeks all about projects that bring people together.

I have twelve guest posters and four great giveaways lined up, along with a few posts from me, all designed to give you ideas for projects that will help you make connections with the important people in your life. The next four weeks might be the coldest ones of the year, but the don't have to be the loneliest. I'll hope you'll check back everyday and share the love!

Projects so far:

Chocolate covered peanut butter hearts by Autumn

Felt fortune cookies by Elizabeth from Simple Simon and Co

How to host a morning get together and breakfast casserole recipe by Autumn

Freezer cookie dough gift packages by Melissa from No. 2 Pencil

Stamped jeggings by Katy from No Big Dill

Mix-n-match felt monsters w/PDF pattern by Autumn

DIY fascinator by Stef from Girl. Inspired.

Mom&Me Journals by Delia from Delia Creates

Candid photos by Kristen from Capturing Joy 

CS Lewis book quote printable & book recommendations by Autumn

Memories Gift by Kimbo from A Girl and a Glue Gun

Fingerprint family tree canvas by Autie from iCandy handmade 

Use your talents to help others by Andrea from The Train to Crazy

Photos that celebrate relationships by Autumn