Hey friends, welcome back! I hope everyone made it through the nasty weather at the beginning of the week without too much trouble. It certainly threw a fairly large and unwelcome wrench in the gears of well… pretty much everything in the area, including any kind of productivity whatsoever here at Primitive Gatherings. When you have the majority of your staff driving into a rural area for work from over a half hour away, things can get a little sketchy during the commute as I’m sure you can imagine. Needless to say, a weather system like that oftentimes results in much of my staff having to stay home until the plow crews have a chance to get the roads cleaned up. And of course, without staff it’s hard to run a business, so things had to come to a screeching halt for a minute there while we waited out the storm (much like the majority of the businesses in the area). The good news is the fickle weather has seemed to have passed for now, with only a few snow showers forecasted for the remainder of the week. Hopefully, temps will level out and stay right around 30º so Heidi and I can enjoy what’s left of the snow for a little while longer.

The nasty weather outside really shouldn’t surprise us considering it’s the first day of March – the month affectionately known for being, “in like a lion, out like a lamb.” Personally I’ve always though it should be, “in like a lion, out like Tasmanian Devil,” considering Mother Nature never seems to have her attitude anywhere near in check by the time April rolls around. In any case, not only is March 1st a sure sign that spring is on the way, but it also means St. Patrick’s Day is almost here as well! YES time is flying, if that’s what you’re thinking. I know it feels like we just got done setting up for Valentine’s day, but ready or not it’s already time to pull down the hearts and replace them with shamrocks and leprechauns.

If you’re lacking the proper décor to deck your halls with shamrock swag don’t worry. I have a couple of quick and easy projects perfect to give your living space a splash of Irish luck, just in time for the holiday! As always, one of my favorite things to recommend to make holiday decorating easy and fast are… you guessed it – pillows! You all know how much I love pillows. It literally takes next to no time to pull them off the couch and beds, and replace them with others that represent the current holiday or theme. There are so many cute designs to choose from, plus they’re usually fairly simple and quick to make. Pillows are seriously a no-brainer when it comes to décor that can be switched out in a matter of minutes. You really can’t go wrong!

The first project on my list is a pillow I call “17.” “17“ is a St. Patrick’s Day-themed pillow that’s done with wool appliqué on a cream flannel background (I used Emerald Herringbone and Mill Dyed Natural for the wools). This charming St. Patrick’s Day pillow is definitely designed to be easy and simple. If you or someone in your life is new to stitching or working with wool, “17” is a great beginner project that can be done easily without a lot of time commitment. Finished size on this lucky find is 16″ x 17.” I recommend an 18″ pillow form so it turns out nice and plump!Have you ever noticed that I’m a bit infatuated with old-time trucks? I don’t know what it is about them but for whatever reason I’ve always appreciated the way an old pickup takes you for a ride straight back in time, simply by laying eyes on it. You know the type – they look as thought they were literally designed for a Christmas card! I’m sure you’ve seen them implemented into my pattern designs periodically, like my “Fall Harvest Table Mat“ and my “Live a Thankful Life Quilt“ for example. Of course, I couldn’t let St. Patrick’s Day go by without adding to the collection so without further ado, here’s my “Loads of Luck“ St. Paddy’s Day pillow!

This simple yet adorable  pillow features a vintage truck filled with green shamrocks, all done with wool appliqué on soft flannel. This pillow is a nice size – not too big and not to small, measuring 14″ x 21″ when finished.

Looking for more than one pillow to show off? The “Kiss Me“ pillow set is your solution! Combined with my antique inspired green and white quilt, these 16″ x 16″ square pillows will play the role of St. Patrick’s Day décor perfectly displayed on your couch, guest bed, or favorite rustic dining room table. The “Kiss Me“ pillows feature wool appliqué on a wool background, with a homespun backing. As I mentioned, they look especially fantastic paired with my antique inspired green and white quilt, which measures 72 1/2″ x 72 1/2″ when finished. You can find everything you need to make both the “Kiss Me” pillows and my my antique inspired green and white quilt by clicking the button below!Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans quite like leprechauns do… except gnomes! I couldn’t let St. Patricks’s Day go by without a gnome project to go with it, so here it is! My “Gnome Shenanigans” pillow is yet another cute addition to my holiday gnome series featuring  wool appliqué shamrocks on soft, cream flannel. When finished it measures 14″ x 16″.

Having fun yet? If hanging décor is more your style, check out these adorable St. Patricks’s Day “Irish Blessings“ hanging banners! Measuring at 8″ x 10″, these sweet little wool appliqué projects are sure to brighten any room. They can be hung on the wall or displayed using a wood stand or clipboard, making them a great choice for decorating in limited space. The best part is, you can chose from a light or dark version of this project. Personally I think you should go for it and just get both, LOL!“Lucky Charm” is the St. Patricks’s Day banner I made for my on-going holiday banner series last year. I especially love these for holiday decorating because they are not only easy to swap out for a quick change up, but they’re also really easy to store and take up almost no space to display.This one is done with cream flannel and wools including Emerald and Hunter Green. Finished size is 11 3/4″ x 11 3/4.” If you’re familiar with the series, you may already have “Believe in the Magic,” “Reindeer Camp,” “Love Each Other,” “Fall Harvest,” and “Happy Easter” in your collection. If not, you can find them all available on our website!

Next up, mini quilts! Because who doesn’t love mini quilts, right? I think they’re great because aside from being downright adorable, their petite size makes it possible to make several in a short amount of time. My, “Irish Chain Mini Quilt“ is a perfect example. This quilt measures 16 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ and only requires one thread color, making it a nice little project if you’re looking for something a bit less complicated.This next quilt is a floral mini that was designed based on a vintage hankie I found at a thrift store. Primarily green, the “Dogwood Days Mini Quilt“ ticks two boxes for March décor because it works for both St. Paddy’s Day, and the entire spring season overall. It measures at 16 1/2″ x 16 1/2,” which makes it a great little table mat or hanging decoration any time of year.How’s that for a start? Hopefully out of all of that you at least got your creative juices flowing. If not, you better get moving – we only have two and a half short weeks until the big day! If St. Patrick’s Day isn’t your cup of tea hang tight. I’l be covering more ideas for spring décor as the season gets closer, so keep an eye out for that!

Well friends, I just noticed it’s starting to get dark outside so that’s my cue to get moving in the direction of home. Just a quick reminder that even though we were already LIVE last Monday due to the crazy storms we’ve been dealing with, I’ll still be LIVE on STITCH with Lisa Bongean tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. CST on my YouTube channel where I’ll be covering upcoming events, any shop news for the week, my “Blue Hawaii“ cruise project, “American Pennies,” Wool Collection Boxes, and more! Click the link below to watch and I will see you there!