Homemade Holiday: Hope & Love

Hi Everybody! I am Charisma Horton and I am so excited to be here at Stitchin' Heaven sharing Hope & Love with you.  A little bit about me is that I am married, I raised 6 children (my last bird just left for college this fall) and I am an avid animal lover. I have been a professional longarm quilter for almost 12 years now. In December of 2018, I decided to take the leap into pattern design. Since then, I have published 275 quilt patterns, been published in many magazines and I am a pattern partner for many companies. One of the design elements you will find in much of my work are quotes and words. I think words are so powerful and they resonate within all of us. I find that when I make a project, the more meaningful it is the more inspired I am. I “hope” you will be inspired as well.

These Hope & Love Pillows are perfect for any season but it seems a little more special during the Holiday season to have these as a part of our home décor. The pattern includes the instructions for these 2 pillows and also a coordinating table runner. This is a great weekend project.

One of the meanings of hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” I think many of us have been having this feeling for the last 2 years as all of our lives have changed in big and small ways. As we approach the Holiday season and the new year. my heart is filled with so much hope for new adventures, new beginnings and opportunities. Hope is so powerful is makes us open our arms and wait for the possibilities to arise. While I made these pillows, I like to think of the blessings that this gift will have on the recipient and I hope they feel all of the same feelings that I feel. There is always room for hope.

This HOPE pillow is easy to piece and it makes such a great gift. As we know a homemade gift is so much better than any other. At least that what I believe. I think it’s even better when the gift is totally washable! HAHA! As mom of 6 if something wasn’t washable it wouldn’t withstand the test of time. Now I am a dog mom and oddly enough the same rule applies.

Who doesn’t believe that love is powerful? We all need love. There is never too much love. In any shape or form. This is the time of year when we all think about it a little more than usual. As we wrap our gifts, mail our cards, bake our Holiday treats and prepare for all of those parties and celebrations with our loved ones. We make those extra phone calls and we spend that extra time thinking about the ones who have touched our lives through the year(s). Keeping those special traditions that connect us to our family from then and now. Love is sprinkled through every single one of those actions and deeds. As I make this pillow and think about gifting it, I think about how this small gesture using my talents and skills will create a smile and spread love. That is priceless. 

 This sweet pillow has a bit of everything. Piecing, applique and some simple hand embroidery. It’s beginner friendly. I think you’ll enjoy the process and be surprised at how easy it all comes together if you haven’t tried one or more of these techniques before, give it a try! There is always time to learn something new. I don’t believe in perfection. It’s all about the heart.

As you are approaching this project (or another) and the next couple of weeks of this season, I hope that your heart will be full of all the possibilities that Hope & Love can provide. The more goodness we spread through these little things that inspire us and keep us going, I believe, creates a bigger impact on our community. All of these small things matter. Words matter. Deeds matter. Hope & Love matter. No matter how small they all matter.

I want to thank you all for joining me today as I share this project and my personal feelings about Hope & Love. I am so grateful for your time and this opportunity from Stitchin' Heaven. It’s a privilege to be here and I hope that you will feel a bit inspired whether it’s trying something new, making a special gift for someone you love or just wanting to create a meaningful project to decorate your own home. I think Hope and Love resonates with many of us all year long not just during the holiday season.

Blessings!

Charisma