Learn How to Make a Quilted Sunflower Potholder - a DIY Summertime Kitchen Project

In today's tutorial, we will learn how to make a sunflower potholder to decorate your home and garden for spring or summertime. This project is a great way to brighten up your kitchen for the warmer weather!

For this project you will need:

• fabric for sunflower
• fabric for center
• front and backing fabric
• paper-backed fusible web
• cotton batting OR Insul-Bright
• walking foot
• fabric clips or pins
• scissors or rotary cutter, cutting ruler, and cutting mat
• iron and ironing board
• sewing machine and matching thread
• marking pencil
• optional:  basting spray, stabilizer
• optional: fabric for hanging loop
• printable template from the pattern

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy shop as a digital PDF download with step by step written directions, color photos, printable template, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for more potholder ideas? Check out some of our other projects!

Otherwise, join us as we make this cute sunflower potholder:

#EtsyCreatorCo

Learn How to Make Fabric Tulips - An Easy Spring Project

In today's tutorial, we will learn how to make easy fabric tulips on a stem. This project is a quick and easy way to decorate your home and garden for spring.

For this project you will need:

• tulip fabric
• leaf fabric
• polyester fiberfill stuffing
• pinking shears
• Chopstick, wooden skewer, craft stick
• craft glue or hot glue 
• fabric clips or pins
• scissors or rotary cutter, cutting ruler, and cutting mat
• iron and ironing board
• sewing machine and matching thread
• marking pencil
• printable template from the pattern

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy shop as a digital PDF download with step by step written directions, color photos, printable template, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for more springtime ideas? Check out some of our other projects!

Otherwise, join us as we make these quick and easy fabric tulips:

#EtsyCreatorCo

Learn How to Make Sunflower Coasters - a DIY Summer Project

In today's tutorial, we will learn how to make a set of sunflower coasters. These are great for decorating your home or garden for spring and summer. Use these coasters to protect your tabletop, countertop, or desktop and bring some sunshine inside!

For this project you will need:

• fabric for sunflowers
• fabric scraps for centers
• cotton batting
• glue stick
• fabric clips or pins
• scissors or rotary cutter, cutting ruler, and cutting mat
• iron and ironing board
• sewing machine and thread
• optional: pinking shears, walking foot
• printable template from the pattern

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy shop as a digital PDF download with step by step written directions, color photos, printable template, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for more coaster ideas? Check out some of my other projects!

Otherwise, join us as we make these cute sunflower coasters:

#EtsyCreatorCo

Akureyri, Iceland

 Hello from Akureyri, Iceland! What a beautiful day.

It started last night when I woke up to go to the bathroom and thought I was getting a sunset picture. (I somehow missed that sunset occurred earlier at 9:45 PM. Oops.) Thank goodness we're so close to the Arctic Circle that the times don't really matter because it's still not getting very dark. 

11:04 PM

It was windy and so very cold but I bundled up on the balcony to search for the Northern Lights. Nope, even more than an hour and a half later it was still too light.

12:42 AM

My middle of the night adventure didn't stop me from being back out there just after 6:00 AM to watch us navigate the fjord as we headed to Akureyri.

Since today was my third and last visit of the summer I had to make the most of the day and squeeze in everything I could. My first plan was to go to the botanical garden but with the city bus A1 route only running once an hour it was going to take up too much of my day.

So for most of the morning I warmed my chilled bones by sitting in the sun on the balcony. With splendid views, of course.

I watched planes take off and land over the top of both my ship and the NCL ship.

What a beautiful ship

Remember, the airstrip goes right up against the water's edge - and right towards the cruise ships.

Photo taken on my June 7 visit

When I finally warmed up I headed back to the grocery store and replenished my stash of my favorite Icelandic snacks. 

These will be going home with me

Then I wandered the town taking tourist photos I missed on the first two visits. I started with the harbor area....

With three pictures of the NCL ship you'd think I had ship envy

and then went onto the Hof Cultural Center.

I rolled a little ways along the waterfront and headed up the hill to the Church of Akureyri, Akureyrarkirkja. They're redoing the steps so no one was climbing up there today.

I looked right and found the Akureyri heart.

I followed the pedestrian area near the heart and found all kinds of shops and restaurants and cafes. The color combinations were, well, colorful.

I was able to people watch and window shop before heading back to the ship. Taking photos of the heart shaped stoplights along the way, of course.

The blue sunny skies made for a spectacular last day here. Pure perfection.

Tomorrow we're off to Isafjordur, Iceland. See you then! 

Tromso, Norway

Hello from Tromso!

Today we docked in what is considered Breivika Cruise Terminal which really meant we were docked in an industrial area.

Front of the ship

Back of the ship

Lots of fishing equipment around

When I was researching this port I had several options I was considering. Good thing I'm flexible as those options not only didn't pan out but I had to come up with other ideas on the spot. Plan A became Plan B became Plan C and so on and so on.

Plan A: Hop On Hop Off Bus. In looking at tickets prices before I left home I kept seeing the word "unavailable". I figured maybe it was because they hadn't set summer season prices. But just recently the unavailable meant really unavailable.

Plan B: Take the shuttle into downtown. The bus that used to cost around $8 has now turned into a $19.95 ride. $20 to get to a place where I could shop for nothing I needed and then pay for something to eat or drink that I wouldn't be able to taste or smell? Seemed like not the smartest way to spend my money.

Plan C: The Arctic Alpine Botanical Garden. The world's northernmost botanical garden is on my list for August when more flowers will be blooming. With the free admission I thought it might be fun to go today and take some pictures and then compare them with August. It's right across the street from the ship, but when I looked at the slope of the hill I realized Scooter would never be able to make it. Now I even have to rethink my August visit here.

Plan D: Stay onboard for a while and get some laundry done until I came up with another plan. With everyone off the ship it would be a great time to avoid the rush on the laundromat and have some clean clothes again. Yeah...no.

Plan E, Part I: Bust into the mini bar I haven't yet touched.

Plan E, Part II: Combine the mini bar with a Crystal Light packet and a plastic straw from Sonic and open Deb's Tromso Vodka Bar. With a view!

Plan E, Part III: Open a pizzeria in the afternoon.

Plan E, Part IV: Issue a disclaimer that anyone partaking in pizza will have a staring role in an Alfred Hitchcock film. For said pizza will attract very aggressive seagulls.

Those seagulls will call other seagull friends and you will be required to wave them off with your napkin, take cover inside, shut the door (and lock it for good measure), and hide from the dozens who continue to dive bomb the area where you just were. Norway's version of The Birds.

Too fast to capture photos of them all

Quite a unique experience I won't soon forget. All without leaving the ship.

Tomorrow we'll be in Honningsvag, Norway. It'll be the farthest north we'll get on this trip in. See you then!