A Girl In Paradise

Negative Space Challenge Quilt - (Progress in Pictures)

2013-06-17T17:03:00.002-04:00

Sometimes a quilt just evolves and you end up in a completely direction than you originally though you wanted. I am currently working on a quilt for the negative space challenge we are having as part of the Tampa Modern Quilt Guild and I am becoming a big fan of my design wall. They really were not that common when I started quilting oh so many years ago. As was evident in some of my earlier blog posts. I use to lay out my blocks on the living room floor and look at it for a few day, move some things around, and then when I was happy with the layout, I would start sewing things together. Now, it is all about my design wall. It is nothing fancy just a 4' by 6' piece of foam board covered in batting and stuck to the wall using some command Velcro strips, but I love it. Especially now that I am old and don't want to crawling around on the floor anymore.

The other benefit to a design wall is when I am having trouble deciding on the direction I want to go in, I can arrange my blocks, take a picture, and then try another option. Of course, that always leads to some more obsessing, but it does make it much easier to make a decision when you are just scrolling through pictures.

My original thought for this quilt was a horizontal chevron panel with a lot of white space for quilting, but the more I looked at it the more I thought, it looks so predictable. So, I put some space between the rows, but still I wasn't feeling it. Then I thought how about a vertical panel? But still I wasn't feeling it.

Finally, this arrangement has formed and I think I might go with it. What do you think?

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New Fabric Friday - Inspire Quilting and Sewing

2013-06-14T14:51:00.001-04:00

One of the things on my summer bucket list this summer is to visit more of my local quilt shops and last weekend I made it out to Inspire Quilting and Sewing in Plant City, Florida. Our local chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild was getting together for a sew day so it was the perfect opportunity to meet up with the girls, get some sewing done, and get a little shopping in.

I liked that they had a lot of the modern fabric lines by Moda, Free Spirit, and Riley Blake and it was also an authorized dealer for Brother sewing machines. I also liked that it had an open layout and had good lighting. It is located in the historic district of Plant City amongst the quaint little antique shops and cute little eateries. Perfect if you want to make the day of it.

While I was there I picked up a few fabrics to add to my stash and since I can't resist buying polka dots, these were a must. The yellow and green are from the Small Dots line by Riley Blake, and the blue is from the Marguerite line by Cyndi Walker for Riley Blake Designs.

And these adorable prints by Aneely Hoey were also a must have. They are from her Sew Stitchy line for Moda.

All in all Inspire Quilting and Sewing in Plant City, Florida, is a shop that I will probably visit again even though it was an hour away. It was definitely worth the drive.

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Solid as a Block Quilt

2013-06-06T19:47:00.000-04:00

Have you ever made a quilt just so you could try new things? A couple of months ago I pulled out this old unfinished project. Something I just wasn't feeling it at the time so I packed it up and put it away. Fast forward a year, a fresh pair of eyes, and you have a finished quilt. It is completely different than my original vision but sometimes it is fun to see how a project can evolve.

I struggle a bit with how I wanted to quilt this. I wanted to experiment with a few FMQ designs but ultimately ripped them out for my tried and true straight lines. I don't know what to say I love my straight line quilting and I think it goes perfectly with bold, bright look of this quilt.

Here are some of the work in progress pictures I posted along the way on Instagram.

I jumped out of my comfort zone for a second time with this quilt and tried spray basting. I know some of you may be shocked that I haven't tried this before, but I am resistant to change. I liked my blue painters tape and safety pins, but I am getting old and my tile floors are killing my knees, so I gave it a try. I wasn't sure the added cost was going to be worth it, but is was, my knees and my back were thanking me over and over again.

Here is how the back turned out. I think stepping outside my comfort zone with some improv piecing definitely paid off. I like the use of scraps on the back and because of all the piecing I was careful to line up the front with the back when I sandwiched this quilt. With all these straight lines it would be very easy to see if the back was crooked. For the binding I used the left over large scale print. I really dig how it looks pieced but is not.

The details:

This quilt measures about 40” by 55” with 48 blocks pieced together in a 6 by 8 layout. The blocks were strip pieced with a black solid then cut into squares.For the fabrics I used a large scale print Two Young Street, made by Prints Charming and matching Kona solids. For the binding I also used the large scale print Two Young Street, made by Prints Charming. The quilting is a basic straight line that follows the quilt block, using a black cotton tread.

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Pinterest Party

2013-06-03T15:05:00.000-04:00

Last Friday night my friends and I got together for a Pinterest Party. A Pinterest Party you ask? Yes, a Pinterest Party. Over the course of several e-mails the host of our Girls Night In ask us to pick a dish that we would like to bring, and a craft that we would like to make. The catch, they had to be pins from our Pinterest boards. Once all the e-mails were in, we voted on the craft that we wanted like to make, coordinated the supplies that we needed for those crafts, and made plans to get together.

The food was amazing! I am a huge fan of these pot luck type get together. It makes the work load lite for everybody involved, and it is a great way to try something new. Satisfying my sweet tooth, I made the Rolo Brownie Bites with a Carmel Cream Cheese Frosting, and in a word they were amazing. I will have to warn you though if you make the Cookie Dough Dip, make a lot of it, because it is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Here are some of the links for the recipes.

Strawberry Champagne Punch
Quick and Easy Blender Salsa
Baked Ravioli
Mozzarella and Pesto Poppers
Cookie Dough Dip
Rolo Brownie Bites with Carmel Cream Cheese Frosting

The first craft we made were Fabric Covered Crate Seats. Super cute, but since my kids are kind of big for these, I helped make one for my friend Angela. She needs four of them for her classroom next year.

Here is the link: Fabric Covered Crate Seat

The other craft we made was a No Sew Flag Shirt. A must have for any stylish little girl this 4th of July. This craft was also the perfect example of why our Pinterest Party was so great...we shared some of the supplies. Have you ever seen a craft or project on Pinterest that you wanted to make but didn't want to buy a whole package of whatever for that one little bit or piece. By pitching in and making these projects together we were able to make the most out of our supplies as well.

Here is the link: No Sew Flag Shirt

I had a great time and I can't wait to do this again.

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New Fabric Friday - V and Co

2013-05-31T11:41:00.000-04:00

What can I say am a horrible stash builder. This week the fabric I acquired was for a specic project and not for my stash. What I will say is that I am in love with this line of ombré solids and then of coarse there is my obsession with kona white.

My chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild here in Tampa is having a negative space challenge and I am obsessing a little bit. I have this idea in my head and I hoping that it plays out as I envision.

The line is part of the Simply Color collection by V and Co for Moda. I love the color gradation in each of the strips and if you have seen any of the quilts that the designer Vanessa Christenson has made using this line you know exactly what I am talking about.

Well, I am off to start experimenting with my new fabrics and to try some new techniques. Have a great weekend.

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Stepping outside my comfort zone…

2013-05-29T16:06:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about improv piecing. As quilters we all have our strengths, be paper piecing, applique, or patchwork. Improv piecing is not mine, for me it is definitely patchwork or paper piecing. I enjoy the precision, the rules, and lack of chaos. Trust me I have enough chaos in my life.

But every once and a while we have to challenge ourselves and jump out of our comfort zones even if it only for a brief moment. So, when putting together the quilt back for my current quilt project I decided to make it a personal challenge to only use the scraps that I left over from the quilt top and piece something together for the back. There was definitely some trail and error along the way, and a few choose words as ripped out seam after seam, but I am happy with the results even though my husband response was that it wasn’t my best work. It may not be but that is OK too.

I looked at this whole project as the perfect opportunity to try something new. The quilt top may or may not be considered improv but for me it was all about trying something new. Every once in a while we need that project with no destination or home in mind so we cam spread our wings and see which way the wind takes us.
This project started with a large print fabric that was discontinued that I didn’t quite know how to incorporate into a quilt. I did not have a clear plan when I started this quilt and since I could not buy any more of the fabric or others that were the line, I had to make do with what I had. Ultimately, I decided to pair it with some solid fabrics.
The vision of of this quilt has changed quite a bit over the past year and as I prepare to quilt it I find myself once again unsure of how to proceed…

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New Fabric Friday - Textures by Angela Waters

2013-05-24T11:28:00.001-04:00

So, yesterday I did something that I haven’t done in ages. I went to my local quilt shop in search of some fabric strictly for stash building purposes. There was no looking fabric that would, bind, back or match aanything I already have. I totally jumped out of my comfort zone as well. I usually go for more of the bright and bold colorways.

My LQS only had these 4 prints, I wish she carried the entire line I would have bought more. The quality and feel of these fabrics are amazing.

The line is called Textures designed by Angela Waters for Art Gallery Fabrics.

I am not quite sure what to do with it yet… but I am sure I can come up with something.
Have a great holiday weekend!

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The Confetti Scrap Quilt

2013-05-23T11:48:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I finally finished my Confetti Scrap Quilt and I am pleased at the results. Weeks ago when I started this quilt my main goal was just to use up the mountain of scraps that I had accumulated over the years. So, I got out my rotary cutter and started cutting, did a little quilt math, and when I was done I was left with a pile of five hundred 5” squares.

As I started piecing the hour glass blocks I wasn’t sure how this quilt was going to play out. Honestly, I really thought it was going to be the ugliest quilt ever, but since it was headed to the family room, and the was going to be at the mercy of the kids, I didn’t really care how it turned out. I just needed a quilt that could be abused and loved. Also, I took the opportunity to practice some precision piecing, taking the time to press and trim, and really concentrating on lining up all my seams.

This was also the first time I used Aurifil thread to piece and to machine quilt. I hate to admit it but I am hooked. I was surprised to see that there is really a difference compared to regular cotton thread. Now we will see how it stands the test of time… and the kids. Like I said before this quilt is headed for the family room and all the punishment the kids can dish out.

Also, I am finding Instagram invaluable when it comes to the work in process. I love the immediate help and encouragement I can get along the way. Above are some of the pictures I took. If you are on Instagram and want to follow along you can find me at @agirlinparadise.

The details: This quilt measures about 65” by 82” with 500 blocks pieced together in a 20 by 25 layout. I used this tutorial for the blocks. For the fabrics I used variety of scraps. For the backing and the binding I used a moss green dot. The quilting is a basic straight line on the diagonal that follows the quilt block, using white Aurifil tread.

Thanks for stopping by, and for all your continued support. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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Scrappy Hour Glass Block Tutorial

2013-05-01T12:31:00.001-04:00

My addiction to scrappy hour glass blocks has turned into a little bit of an obsession, because who in there right mind would turn five hundred random 5” charm squares in to a scrappy hour glass quilt? Apparently the answer to that question is me. There were two things that I wanted to accomplish when I set out to make this quilt, the first, I wanted to use up some of my scraps, and second I really wanted to practice some basic piecing. Taking the time to concentrate on some effective ways to match all my seams precisely and press them all without creating any bulk or knots.

I chose the hour glass block because there are a lot of seams that intersect throughout this quilt and the block itself is quite basic. Really, it is just a double half square triangle, and because you are not using a light and dark fabric like with a traditional hour glass block, piecing is very easy and no two blocks will look alike.

Step one – cut two squares of equal size, and mark a diagonal line on one of the squares.

Step 2 – with right sides together sew on either side of the line, using a 1/4 seam allowance. Then cut along the line you marked earlier creating 2 HST’s.

Step 3 – Press your seams to one side. Take 2 different HST’s with right sides together, with the seams locked into place, mark another diagonal line going in the opposite direction of your seam.

Step 4 – Again, sew on either side of the line, using a 1/4” seam allowance. Then cut along the line you marked. Now you should have 2 hour glass blocks. Press this seam open.

Step 5 – Trim your block square. It helps if you match the diagonal line on your ruler to the diagonal line on your block.

A few things I learned along the way…

Make sure that not only are you using a 1/4” presser foot on your machine, make sure you are sewing a straight line. Seems simple enough but wavy lines can really distort your blocks once you press them. Practice, practice, Practice.

Pressing seams that need to be lined up to one side and in opposite directions helps you to lock your seams into place and prevents shifting when you are sewing. Lining up your seams perfectly and effortless every time.

Pressing seams that do not need to be lined up open helps to reduce bulk.

Trimming blocks is worth the time. Trust me when I say trimming 500 of these blocks was not a fun task, but when it came time to sew together the rows and then sewing those rows together, having all my blocks the same size did make my life a lot easier and made all my seams lined up perfectly.

Whatever your taste, scrappy or traditional, the hour glass block is a great way to use up your scraps or those cute little charm packs we all can’t get enough of. Let me know what you think of this tutorial or if you have any questions.

Have a great day!

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I’m addicted…

2013-04-22T15:25:00.001-04:00

…to scrappy hour glass blocks. It all started with this pillow that I am making as part of a swap. One charm pack of Noteworthy gave me a 20” square that I was looking for, with a few leftover blocks for the back.

Then, I decided that this would be a perfect way to sew through my abundance of scraps and ugly fabrics. You see, I am in need of another throw around quilt that the kids can destroy without me getting upset over. You know the quilt, we all have at least one.

Of course, this has turned into a huge project and I spent the better part of my weekend going through my stash. I didn’t realize how much I needed to do this. I took all of my scraps and unwanted fabrics and cut them into 5” squares, 3” squares, strips, and salvages. If I am lucky I might even get a string quilt out of this too, but I am not sure what to do with the 3” squares… any suggestions?

Anyways, here is what 500 half square triangles looks like. I hope to piece them into hour glass blocks this week, then into a twin size quilt. Wish me luck, it might take me forever.

Have a great day!

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More Patchwork Pillows

2013-04-10T16:11:00.001-04:00

I have been really into making pillows lately. I love the idea of have a variety of them around the house. You know, a few for the kids to toss around and a few that are a little nicer that, dare I say, don’t get used. I hate that it makes me sound like my mother, but with 3 kids blowing through this house like a hurricane everyday it is nice to have something pretty to look at that doesn’t end up on the floor.

I also feel like I don’t have enough quilted things around the house representing my work. Quilting is such a big part of my life I thought it would be nice to have a few conversation starters laying about to share with friends or family.

The first one here I pieced with the leftover scraps form another quilt I am working on for a Moda Bake Shop project, using a jelly roll of Good Fortune by Kate Spain and a Moda white jelly roll. I had a small pile of scraps left over and I couldn’t bear to just toss them out with the trash. Then I added a decorative stitch to the straight line quilting for some added visual effect.

For the second one I pieced together 1 1/2” strips of coral and white and cut them on the 45 degree line, then pieced the panels together creating a herringbone or zig-zag pattern. I then used the same decorative stitch for the quilting. The fabric is Clementine by Michael Miller from his Cotton Couture Solids line, which I am totally crushing on right now.

Currently, I am working on a pillow using a Noteworthy charm pack and I not quite sure how I want to do the back. I am not trilled with how these zipper closures came out, so any suggestions? Or do you know of a great pillow tutorial I can use to learn something new?

Have a great day!

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The Duffle Bag

2013-04-05T16:13:00.001-04:00

So, I finally finished the StudioCherie duffel bag we made at the Sew South Retreat. Truthfully, I wasn’t at all excited about making this duffle. I am not a duffle kind of girl so, I decided since I did want to be part of the class, I would make this duffle for my niece, hence the ugly cat fabric. Sorry, I am not a cat person either, she is, I like to vicariously live through others when it comes to cats.

I realized once it was finished that is way to big for a 8 year old that is 60 pounds soak and wet. It is so ginormous she could probably climb in and zip it up behind her. So, back to the drawing board, because once a promise is made, it must be keep.

I modified the pattern making it smaller and making it easier to use the fabric I already had in my stash. You see like most quilters I buy my fabric in either fat quarter, half yard or one yard lengths, and when I make a decision to make something I like to pull from my stash because it could be a while before I get out to the quilt shop.

This version took a total of 3 yard, one yard of the feature fabric, one yard for the lining and one yard for the handles, and because I don’t keep jute on hand I substituted some Pellon interfacing, like Lindsey taught at the retreat.

If you already have this pattern and want to make a smaller one for yourself here a few of the changes that I made and a couple of tips that made things easier for me along the way.

First, out of the featured fabric and the lining fabric I cut a 23” strip, sandwiched and quilted as she instructed, then I marked my measurements. Out from the center mark 5”, 10”, 5”, and 1 1/2” from the end, repeat along the other side. If you own the pattern you will know what this means.

After marking my measurements I then trimmed my large quilted piece to a 22” by 43” rectangle. Why did I do it this way? Because at the retreat I like some other people had trouble marking our large quilted piece because it wasn’t perfectly square. If you mark your measurements first you are able to use those measurements as a guide while trimming. Make sense?

You will also need two quilted and finished 11” squares.

The the raw edges. This is probably my biggest complaint with this pattern. I don’t like raw edges, it is the perfectionist in me. In her pattern she recommends that you either stitch all the way around with a serger or bind with double fold bias seam binding. At the retreat I was able to use a serger and finish the edges of the cat duffle, at home I used an overlock stitch with an edging foot. Then I used some bias tape and finished the two shorts sides on the large quilted piece, because that is that side that get hand sewn on the inside of the bag and I hate hand sewing raw edges.

Needle breakage and zippers. Because you are using a heavy duty or metal zipper you must be really careful when sewing them in or you will break a few needles. I learned this on my first duffle. On my second go around, I pinned my zipper so the zipper or metal stopper parts would not be in my seam at all. This worked out really well for me, making this side of the zipper really easy to put in, on the other side go really, really slow over that zipper.

I was completely lost when it came to the Zipper Stop Tabs. So, I gave up and used some of my leftovers from the straps with none of the interfacing. Two 4” long pieces folded in half and sewn into the seam.

The end pockets. Though, I really like the way she did the zippered pockets in her pattern, and would probably do them that way for myself, for my niece, I did simple, lined, reach in pockets on both sides. That way there she can stick in her Barbie's or stuff animals with out any problems.

Did you make any changes when you made your duffle? What did you think of the changes I made to mine? Please share your tips or tricks. I am eventually going to make one for myself. Once I decide on the fabrics or if I am going to QAYG, decisions, decisions, decisions…

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BlogLovin

2013-04-04T15:15:00.001-04:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

To be honest when I first heard that Google Reader was going away I didn’t really give it much though but then after checking out a few blog readers on my smart phone BlogLovin won me over.

Here are the three reasons I am most excited about BlogLovin:

One, with the old Google Reader is was hard to comment. Mainly because I am lazy and don’t like to scroll all the way back to the beginning of a post I have just read to click on that post to scroll back down to leave a comment. With BlogLovin you are already on the page so when you are done reading you can just leave your comment.

Two, I like access to a blog’s sidebar to see what new or featured. With Google Reader you never had that.

Three, BlogLovin plus my iPhone equals heaven. With three kids and one computer you can just imagine how much time I get to read blogs. I just LOVE the BlogLovin app and now I can even keep up with what is going on in the blog world even if I am at the bus stop.

Anyways, that’s all I have to say about that. Mainly my focus the last couple of day has been getting some unfinished projects completed. That includes working on my Giant Daliha Quilt and finishing my Duffle from the Sew South Retreat and working on a new duffle, but more on that tomorrow…

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

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Cathedral Window Pincushions

2013-04-02T11:48:00.001-04:00

To make these cute little Cathedral Window Pincushions I used this tutorial from Riley Blake Designs, but of course, I had to tweak it a bit. I like to add crushed walnut shells to my pincushions because they keep your pins clean and sharp and the crushed walnut shells add a little weight to the pincushion so it stays put on your sewing table. If you have ever had a pincushion just filled with poly-fil you know will know what I mean.

So, to make things easy and because I didn’t want to rework the entire tutorial, I just made a little crushed walnut shell pouch to put inside my pincushion.

To make my crushed walnut shell pouch I cut two 4” squares of muslin and two 4” squares of some cotton batting. Layering the muslin squares in-between the two squares of cotton batting I sewed around the edges leaving an opening to turn right side out, similar to making any pillow. Once the pouch was turned right side out I filled the pouch with crushed walnut shells, and sewed the opening closed.

Tip – I like to use the cotton batting because is reduces the grainy or bumpy feel of the crushed walnut shells.

After making my pincushion as instructed, I inserted the crushed walnut shell pouch and secured it into place using some embroidery floss and a button.

Using poly-fil I finished stuffing the pincushion to the desired fullness.

Then I used an invisible ladder stitch to sew the pincushion closed.

All done! Now you have your very own cute little cathedral window pincushion filled with crushed walnut shells. Enjoy!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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Happy Easter

2013-03-29T14:53:00.001-04:00

Once again as I prepare my house for Easter dinner I am reminded of how the whole idea of blogging and reading what others have to say can enrich ones life. A while back The Sewing Chick posted this picture of how she irons her quilt tops.

Source: The Sewing Chick

It is the really simple things that can change your life sometimes. So, now not only do I have an easier more effective way to iron my quilt tops, this little trick also makes it easier to iron large tablecloths. I will admit though lowing the ironing board to the table is not as easy on the back as the counter… but I think twice a year I can handle the discomfort.

I hope all of you who celebrate Easter have a wonderful day, fill with love and laughter. As for me as soon as I get this dining room in order, I will be spending the afternoon with the kids decorating Easter eggs. One of my all time favorite things to do.

Below are some things I have done in the past with the kids. Enjoy!

Dying Easter Eggs

Pip Squeak Easter Eggs Tutorial

Personalized Easter Eggs Tutorial

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The Sew South Retreat {part two}

2013-03-27T17:36:00.001-04:00

One of the many things that made Sew South special was the swaps. The secret sister swap was something we signed up for before the retreat and it was another way for us to get-to-know one another before hand on the Sew South Flickr page. Then throughout the course of the retreat we secretly gave our secret sister little treats and gifts, revealing our self towards the end of the retreat. Above is what I received from my secret sister. Jennifer out did her self.

Then there was the sample swap. This is where you made 4 of the same thing and then everyone who participated were broken off into smaller groups of 5 where we swapped the things we made within that small group. I made some cute cathedral window pincushions that were filled with crushed walnut shells.

In the picture above is what I received from the others in my group. From left to right, Karen from Lintonville made an oversized change purse with some cute little goodies inside. Lindsey from LR Stitched made a handy zippered jewelry pouch. Alex from Sew Cute by Alex made a market bag that folds into itself. Lee from May Chappell made the adorable orange corduroy bag.

And of course no retreat would be complete without a fat quarter swap.

One of the other things we did as group before the retreat via the Sew South Flickr group was to make house blocks for the Ronald McDonald house in Charlotte. A fun way to give back to Charlotte while we gathered together for our retreat. With everyone making just a couple of blocks there was enough to put together 2 quilts. One of them shown above.

Here is one of the blocks that I made. There was another but I never took a picture of it before I mailed it off to Jennifer.

Leah Day of the Free Motion Quilting Project was also there at the retreat sewing along with us and was a guest speaker. She is a wealth of information when it comes to free motion quilting on your home sewing machine. I enjoyed her talk and learned so much, the main thing being I definitely need more table space.

Dana from Old Red Barn Co. was kind enough to make sure we all went home with some of her handmade blackberry sage sugar scrub. Thanks Dana it is already being put to good use.

Last but not least, was the swag. I always hate posting these kind of pictures because it screams look what I got, but I must admit the sponsors for this event were amazing and they deserve proper credit, but instead of posting all the individual links, you check out the sponsor page of the Sew South website for more information.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

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The Sew South Retreat {part one}

2013-03-25T18:33:00.001-04:00

The Sew South Retreat in one word was amazing! I spent the last 4 days in Charlotte, North Carolina with some the most amazing women I have ever met. The retreat organizer Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane Quilts did an amazing job of putting this retreat together.

Her attention to details and southern charm made this a memorable experience. I came home from this retreat fully recharged and inspired to sew again. I know I sew all the time but it has been a while since I have jumped into a really big non-quilty project. I have been doing so much quilting lately I had forgotten how much I really like to sew.

You will have to excuse the hair, this picture is circa 1993, but back in the day all I did was garment sewing. My mother was and still is a garment sewer, and from an early age I spent many of a Saturday afternoon helping my mother cut out patterns or I sat behind the sewing machine making things for myself. By high school I was making my own homecoming and prom dresses. In the picture above I had made this outfit for the first day of my first real full time job as a shampoo girl in a fancy salon.

So, I am sure you are now wondering how we spent our time at the retreat. Well, I guess I should start at the beginning…

On the first day we took a field trip to We’re Sew Creative in Concord, NC for some fabric shopping. Then it was off to Ikea for some meatballs and still some more fabric shopping. By the time we got back to the hotel I was exhausted but thankfully we had some time to rest and freshen up for an informal cocktail party. It was so nice to mingle and get acquainted with one another, after that we grabbed dinner, then we had the rest of the night to sew.

One of the best parts of the retreat was the projects. I really enjoyed how we sewed as a group and had some completed projects to bring home.

I made a paper pieced star designed and taught by Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane Quilts. There was also a cute bunny she shared with us but I got carried away with the star and made a few more of those instead.

We also made a Duffle Bag. Lindsey Rhodes of LR Stitched taught this class. It was a complicated pattern but Lindsey was an amazing teacher and took the time to help us all. There was a real sense of pride and accomplishment as people finished their duffle bags one by one, and even through all the broken needles and frustration everyone was so helpful and supportive. I will always remember Sew South 2013 as the year of the duffle. Mine still sits unfinished, but that is a story for another day…

Then we made this amazing metal framed clutch. Diane Stanley of Random Thoughts …do or “di” created this pattern to fit the 8” x 3” metal frame that While Baby Naps provided for the class. The pattern is posted for free on Craftsy if you are interested in making one for yourself. I will definitely be making more of these.

The pajama pants class was taught by Jennifer Roycroft from We’re Sew Creative in Concord, NC. She taught us how to make pajama pants from a Kwik Sew pattern and how to add a cuff. Again, I was touched by how supportive and helpful everyone was. Tessa, The Sewing Chick shared a few tips and tricks with a few of us making the pants a lot easier to put together.

There is still so much more to share, but I miss my kids. Check back in tomorrow and I will tell you all about meeting Leah Day, the Ronald McDonald House quilts, the prizes, the swaps, my secret sister, and the swag…

P.S. if you are on Instagram or Twitter you check out the hash tag #sewsouth for even more pictures of the event.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

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Madrona Road Challenge Quilt

2013-03-09T09:35:00.001-05:00

It’s finished! Just in the nick of time, too. Today is our Tampa Modern Quilt Guild meeting and even though I won’t be able to attend I am still able to submit my quilt via some pictures. I know it will not be the same as being there in person, but some things can’t be helped.

This was part of the Winter 2012 Fabric Challenge using Madrona Road by Violet Craft for Michael Miller, for the Modern Quilt Guild. Even though the national challenge is over, our local chapter is having it’s own challenge. The guidelines were simple, by adding only a solid fabric (or additional Madrona Road prints) to the bundle we received at out January guild meeting, we could make anything with a quilted element to it.

I went with the traditional bow tie block with a set in center square and up-dated it by piecing the blocks without the obvious bow tie and then sashed the blocks in a 4 by 5 layout. I had planned on buying the additional fabrics in this line to make a bigger quilt, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to use just what I was given, making it more of a challenge for me.

For the quilting, I went with my favorite way to go, straight line quilting. I echoed the center set in square giving it some visual interest.

The details:

This quilt measures about 30” by 40” with 20 blocks pieced together in a 4 by 5 layout. I used this tutorial for the blocks. For the fabrics I used Madrona Road by Violet Craft for Michael Miller and Kona Snow for the solid background fabric. For the binding I also used Kona Snow. The quilting is a basic straight line echoing the center set in square, using an off white cotton tread.

Thanks for stopping by, and for all your continued support. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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Giant Dahlia Quilt (Progress in Pictures)

2013-02-26T16:09:00.001-05:00

This is what I have been working on for the past week or so, a Giant Dahlia Quilt. It is one of those quilts that looks unattainable with its curved piecing and set in seams, but looks can be deceiving.

The process has been easier than I thought it would be. The worst part being the templates. Tracing and cutting out templates is not one of my favorite things to do.

The traditional layout and fabrics shown in the book has been one of my biggest hurdles. So, I am going with a brighter more scrappy approach in hopes of giving this quilt an updated look.

I am using this book here, circa 1984. A couple of months ago, I picked up this book up at a quilt show, and have been itching to try it out ever since.

Of course, it is never a good sign when you sew the first couple of pieces on backward, but I guess that is what a seam ripper is for. Wish me luck because tomorrow I am connecting the center burst (not shown) to the arcs…

Thanks for stopping by, and for all your continued support. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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The Scrappy Trip Along Quilt

2013-02-19T15:40:00.001-05:00

This was a really easy quilt to put together and a quilt I hadn’t planned on making. Well not until I saw all the pictures on Flickr and Instagram. There is nothing like seeing a daily round of quilty inspiration to get you to jump on a bandwagon. Besides I am a total sucker for a great scrap quilt.

Check out the Scrappy Trip Along Flickr page or the #scrappytripalong hashtag on Instagram for your own round of inspiration. There are so many amazing color and fabric combinations out there. At first I found it hard to choose how I was going to make my own but ultimately I ended up with blues and greens because I had an abundance of those scraps on hand.

This was also one of the first quilts I documented the progress thru Instagram. Above are some of the work in progress pictures I took along the way. I found it to be a great way to share and to get feed back form others. My Instagram profile name is agirlinparadise for more of my work in progress pictures.

In the spirit of stash busting for this quilt I ended up using the rest of scraps for the back. No need for them to go to waste, right?

The details:

This quilt measures about 50” by 70” with 24 blocks pieced together in a 4 by 6 layout. I used this tutorial for the blocks. For the fabrics I used variety of blues and greens from various designers including Denise Schmidt, Michael Miller, Northcott, and Riley Blake. For the binding I used a green dot that is part of the Rainy Days and Mondays collection by Riley Blake. The quilting is a basic straight line on the diagonal that follows the quilt block, using a white cotton tread.

Thanks for stopping by, and for all your continued support. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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A Free Log Cabin eBook!

2013-02-06T14:15:00.001-05:00

I was contacted by Fons & Porter to review and share this free pattern eBook with you. In the book they feature the 3 most popular Log Cabin block styles: Traditional, Courthouse Steps, and Chevron. Each style has an antique example and handy charts to make your own. Along with the quilt patterns there was also instructions on how to do Bobbin Work with Trapunto, Binding with Piping, and Liz’s Lumpless Bindings.

Although the quilts and patterns are traditional, a little imagination and some modern or solid fabrics could give these quilts a contemporary look. I enjoyed reading through this book and learning about the history of these quilts. It is clearly written and offers many helpful tips along the way. This book would be a great addition to any quilters collection of books and patterns.

Click here for your own free copy of this book.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

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Ring Toss Quilt Pattern

2013-02-04T11:41:00.001-05:00

This pattern is for a quilt measuring approximately 60" by 70" and uses two of my favorite quilting techniques, half square triangles and partial seam piecing.

Materials Needed

14 fat quarters, 7 color groups consisting of 1 light and 1 dark
3 1/2 yards - Solid Background Fabric
1/2 yard – Binding fabric
Backing Fabric
Batting

Please read through all directions before you start cutting your fabric.
All seams are 1/4”.
Fat Quarter is a cut of fabric that is 18” by 22”

Cutting Instructions

Note: cut all strips the length of the fabric, 44” from salvage to salvage.

Fat Quarters

Pair your fat quarters so each color group has a light and dark color combination. For example one pink and one light pink.

From each of the light colored fat quarters cut eight 5” squares. Then cut them into fourths diagonally.

From each of the dark colored fat quarters cut sixteen 4 1/2” squares. Then cut them in half diagonally.

Solid Background Fabric

Cut seven 5” strips. Then recut strips into 5” squares. You will need a total of fifty-six 5” squares. Cut the 5” squares into fourths diagonally.

Cut seventeen 4” strips. Then recut strips into 4” by 2 1/2” rectangles. You will need a total of two hundred twenty-four 4” by 2 1/2” rectangles.

Cut four 2 1/2” strips. Then recut strips into fifty-six 2 1/2” squares.

Binding Fabric

Cut seven 2 1/2” strips out of your binding fabric.

Piecing the Blocks

Each block is made up of

Four light quarter triangles
Four white quarter triangles
Four dark half triangles
One 2 1/2” squares
Four 2 1/2” by 4” rectangles

To simplify things piece blocks by each color grouping.

Take the thirty-two light colored quarter triangles and thirty-two white quarter triangles and sew them together with the light color triangle on the left and the white triangle on the right. Sew on the short side. Leaving the long side on the outside edge. Press the seam open.

Now sew that triangle unit to the dark triangle half. Piece it with the light unit on the top and the dark on the bottom, making a square unit. Press seams to the dark side and trim to a 4” square.

Then sew the white 2 1/2” by 4” rectangle to your 4” square unit. Sew it along the light colored side as shown above. Press the seams open.

Now we will be constructing our block using the partial seam method. I like to layout my units in the desired pattern first, thus eliminating confusion later.

Take the center 2 1/2” square and line it up to the bottom right hand corner of the first unit. Then with right sides together sew the first seam, as shown above, starting about a third of the way down from the top of the center 2 1/2” square. Finger press your seam open and sew the second unit along the short edge of your first unit and the center 2 1/2” square.

Then working your way around the center 2 1/2” square sew on the third and forth units. Finger press your seams open as you go.

When you add the 4th unit, fold back the first unit so you can stitch the length of that unit. A few pins will help to keep things properly aligned.

Then go back to the fist unit and sew the first unit to the forth unit, completing the block. Press your seams open.

This is how the front and back of you block should look when completed. Press and trim your blocks to a 9 1/2” square.

*I find that trimming makes all of the blocks consistent and easy for you to line up when putting your quilt top together

Quilt Assembly and Finishing

In a random order lay out and sew together 7 blocks across and then 8 rows down. You will need a total of 56 blocks for this quilt. Press the completed quilt top.

Now that your quilt top is ready, sandwich it with your batting and backing fabric.

Baste with safety pins, or other desired method, and machine or hand quilt as desired.

Add your binding to finish your quilt.

Thanks for stopping by, and for all your continued support. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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Ring Toss–A Finished Quilt

2013-01-29T11:24:00.001-05:00

I am very excited to share with you my latest finished quilt, Ring Toss. It is a quilt I made for a friend as a thank you for the bags of fabric she dropped off at my door after she cleaned out her sewing room. A friend like that definitely deserves a quilt, don’t you think?

I pulled what I knew to be some of her favorite prints, paired them with some fabrics from my stash, and a quilt was born. I am really happy with how came out. I just can’t help but to smile every time I look at it. It is bright and colorful with a hint of scrappiness. The perfect quilt to brighten any mood.

This is a great quilt for a confident beginner. The block combines two of my favorite quilting techniques, half square triangles and partial seam piecing, valuable skills to add to your quilting library. If you would like to make this quilt for yourself I will be posting a tutorial tomorrow.

Don’t forget you can always find links to my other quilt (and craft) tutorials on the sidebar of this page or by clicking the Quilt Tutorials tab at the top of this page.

The details:

This quilt measures about 60” square with 49 blocks pieced together in a 7 by 7 layout. For the fabrics I used variety of fat quarters by various designers, pieced with Kona white. For the backing and the binding I used Remix Rainbow Bright Chevron by Robert Kaufman, and a green dot that is part of the Rainy Days and Mondays collection by Riley Blake. The quilting is a basic straight line that is spaced less than an inch apart using a white cotton tread.

Edited to add: The tutorial for this quilt can be found here.

Thanks for stopping by, and for all your continued support. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

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This weekend…

2013-01-21T13:22:00.001-05:00

…has been a very productive weekend. I was able to go to a meeting of the Tampa Modern Quilt Guild and work on some of my unfinished projects. It is always fun to catch up with Katie from Katie’s Quilting Corner, Elizabeth from Don’t Call Me Betsy and all the others.

After the meeting I stayed for the to sew with the others and worked on my quilt for the Doll Quilt Swap. Some of the likes my partner mentioned were her fondness for blues and snowflakes. So, out of the box for this Florida girl, but after weeks of indecision I finally have come up with a plan. I don’t want to share to much just yet, but here is a preview of the direction I am going in.

I also got my January bee blocks done for the Bee a {modern} Swapper Flickr Group. I think these are the cutest little 6 1/2” star blocks ever and I can’t wait to see the full size quilt that Kelleigh is making. Bright colors on a white background is my kind of quilt.

Then of course there are the goodies. It is always fun to get new things to try. I can’t wait to dig into and use the different Aurifil threads. I also got my bundle of Violet Craft's latest collection for Michael Miller Fabrics, Madrona Road, for the Madrona Road Challenge hosted by the Modern Quilt Guild. I can’t wait to cut into that and design something new. A complementary pass to the Sewing & Quilting Expo, yes that always sounds like a good idea.

And lastly, I wanted to give a quick shout out to a couple of members that have Etsy shops, Handmade 3D plush designs by Ellen Ault and EQuiltShop.com by Carmen Iglesias.

Today I will be working on this quilt. It is basted and ready to go. What will you be working on?

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Finally some progress…

2013-01-12T15:40:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I put together the quilt that I am making with a plain white and Good Fortune jelly roll. The quilt top is complete but I desperately need to go to the store today and pick up some batting and thread or this quilt will go another week without being done. Wish me luck that I will be able to silently slip out of the house this afternoon to make that happen.

I am really happy with how it is coming out and can’t wait to share it when it is completed. I have even been working on quilt pattern to share as well. As much as I enjoy fabric scraps from any project to use for another, it was nice to make a quilt out of two jelly rolls with very little waste. When using pre-cuts I always find it a challenge to use them efficiently so not to have to much of the pre-cuts leftover when I am finished. I also did this when I put together the tutorial for my Vintage Modern Bowtie Quilt for Moda Bake Shop last September. Sometimes it takes a while to work out the quilt math but in the end it is always worth it.

This is what I had leftover in the way of scraps once I put the quilt top together. Basically there was a couple of inches left on each strip once I cut off what I needed for the quilt. Most people probably would have tossed what was left but I just couldn’t seem to do that. So, I pieced the scraps together to make a pillow. Nothing to organized I just randomly sewed the scraps that were left, without cutting them, and added some of the white scraps to the end of each row. It didn’t come out exactly how I envisioned but it will go nicely with the other pillows on my couch.

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