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Spangled

2013-05-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

I've spent a long time working on Spangled. I've procrastinated working on this quilt in every stage of it's being. Paper piecing the blocks - yes. Assembling the quilt top - yes. Quilting - yes. So now that it's finally done, I LOVE it!

The design of this quilt top morphed along it's journey into a surprise I certainly would not have come up with if I had worked on this quilt straight through from start to finish. Funny how that works out, huh?

I backed and bound this quilt with Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow.

I gave this quilt to my mother-in-law as a surprise. I have been meaning to make her a quilt for a long time, but her taste is more traditional. I wrestled with how to make her a quilt she would love, but also would be a quilt made in my style. I think this is perfectly it.

Quilt Stats.

Name: Spangled

Size: 50" x 62"

Design: 5 Paper Pieced Star blocks from 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Starsby Carol Doak; block layout and quilt top design by me

Fabric: main background Granny's Treasure from P&B, Kona White, various red, blue and aqua prints

Piecing: Me

Quilting: Me. Zig zag on the colored background; FMQ on the white and stars

My first Market

2013-05-21T16:12:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back! Still recovering from what was an extremely intense weekend. Fast and furious, fabric and friends. I'll show you in pictures a summary of my trip, but I have found out that I am horrible at documenting Market. There were so many people that I talked to and booths that I saw with wonderful things that I have no record of. No matter!

I'm so glad to have gotten a chance to mix and mingle with some of the most creative people in this industry. Here's part of my adventure (heavy photo post ahead):

Portland Fabric Shopping: Bolt Fabric Boutique. Always fun to hit up the local shops, right?

Fabric Depot: At Bolt, Elizabeth and I ran into other shoppers from Market who were heading to the next stop on our shop tour. Thank you so much to Susan of Quilt Asylum in McKinney, TX for the ride! Quilters are so generous.

Inside Fabric Depot, an overwelming selection of designer fabrics.

Portland Convention Center: International Spring Quilt Market. Where all the creative minds meet.

Denyse Schmidt Schoolhouse for her new collection Florence. My name was pulled out of the hat to win a fat quarter bundle! It's so new, the bundle will not be available until the summer. I'm already thinking I may make a new queen size quilt for my bed with this one... Love all her lines!

Alison Glass Schoolhouse for her new collection Sunprint and Clover Sunshine. Alison and I have gotten to know each other a bit through the Sisters' Ten BOM I am hosting this year. I was very excited to see her new collections coming out. That's right, plural, as in 2 collections. Both look amazing - I love her saturated colors. But *sigh* of course, the photo I took is of her current line, Lucky Penny. Go here to see Sunprint and here to see Clover Sunshine.

Portland Modern Quilt Guild. Attended the PMQG meeting as a guest. That was pretty cool to see how another guild operates. They have 150 members! Yikes - much larger than my hometown guild. They had 2 wonderful guest speakers...

Alissa Haight Carlton was the first speaker. It was so wonderful to hear about the new changes going through the MQG straight from the person who started it all. And again, I am without a pic of the lovely Jacquie Gering from Tall Grass Prairie Studio. Her trunk show had us all choking up and laughing - she has so much passion and is an inspiration to all.

On the Market floor....

Alison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew. We both had our 3rd babies last year within a week or so of each other. Fun to catch up!

Mo Bedell's new line, Hothouse Flowers, and the popular Full Moon Lagoon looked stunning.

The always eclectic Echino.

Tula Pink's Butterfly quilt in Acacia.

And here's me in front of my little claim to fame, my first quilt displayed at Market. Ripple, on the chair, is in the Summer Issue of Generation Q magazine.

Friends. I haven't seen these girls since the Sewing Summit in 2011. We spent the weekend catching up (Me, Lee, Sukie, Elizabeth).

And finally, Angela Walters was giving FMQ henna tattoos in her booth. I went running over since my hubby had been quoted saying "Have fun with those crazy quilters this weekend." I already had warned him that quite a few did get tattoos as QuiltCon. When I came home and was greeting my family with big open arm hugs, he freaked out!! :) He knows I'm not the type to get a tattoo, but my little joke definitely got the reaction I wanted. :)

Overall, it was fun, inspirational and exhausting. I've come back rejuvenated to sew, sew, sew!

Off to Market

2013-05-14T21:20:00.001-04:00

The blog will be quiet for the week as I make my way to Portland for Quilt Market! My first time at Market!!! I am excited to return to Portland; I went there 13 years ago on my very first business trip as a working professional. Practically the first time I flew in a plane.

I hope to have lots of exciting things to share when I return!

Insta...addiction

2013-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

I did it! For my recent birthday, I finally bit the bullet and got a smart phone. The main reason I wanted one was to participate in all the Instagram fun. Quilt-alongs, wip sharing, etc.

I sense an Instagram addiction coming on.....

If you'd like to follow me there, find me here.

Fun Fabrics on Friday

2013-05-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Had some happy mail come in this week. Laura Gunn sent this wonderful assortment of her new collection of blenders, Edges. I am loving the Collage print on the top of the charm pack. I can't wait to play around with this fun stack.

This week's project has been playing with this stack above for a new quilt pattern I'm working on. The colors are vibrant, yet soft. So perfect for this "May flowers" time of year. :) Has anyone noticed I keep slipping the flowers blooming in my yard into my recent pics? :) I'll show you a little progress on this quilt soon. I've been all business with my iron and rotary cutter this week.

Have you been admiring all the Lucky Penny by Alison Glass I'm using in the BOM each month? Well, today's your lucky day! Lucky Penny is ON SALE at Pink Castle Fabrics. $3.00 per half yard. Lots of other prints on sale too.

And if Brenda at Pink Castle doesn't have all the Lucky Penny prints you need, Peg at Sew Fresh Fabrics has some Lucky Penny too - including the funky Mural print in 2 colorways.

1. Sisters Ten BOM January, 2. Sisters' Ten BOM February Block 1, 3. sisters' ten March block 1, 4. April Sisters Ten BOM block1, 5. aunt eliza's star 1

These are the Sisters' Ten BOM blocks so far! If you are not participating already, we'd love to have you join in. Did I mention it's FREE?!?!? These are the first 5 blocks of the 10 in the BOM. Plenty of time to catch up - with the exception of Lady of the Lake, these blocks are not too time consuming to put together.

What are you working on this weekend?

Horsefly Quilt Finish - in Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine

2013-05-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

This day is finally here. I have been waiting since December to share this quilt finish with you... I am in a magazine! This quilt, Horsefly, is my first magazine published quilt pattern. Last week, I shared my first published block in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol. 7, now today, I get to show you my first published quilt in Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine. What a month!!

This quilt is named Horsefly. It began with the idea to make the classic Shoo-fly block into it's own oversized whole-quilt block. Horsefly is Shoo-fly on steroids, with the whole quilt finishing around 75" x 75". To make this quilt feel playful and springy, I used Patty Young's Textured Basics line. I just love the striped binding.

This quilt is easy to put together.... the pattern is based around off-centered 4-patch and 9-patch blocks that make up the mosaics of color. It makes a nice large sized confident beginner's quilt.

Modern Quilts Unlimited is on sale now! You can find my pattern and many other great quilts in this Spring issue available at your local book stores, Joann's and Pink Chalk. You can also get a subscription (both digital and hard copy) at Modern Quilts Unlimited's site.

Quilt Stats.

Name: Horsefly

Size: 75" x 75"

Design: by AnneMarie Chany, based on the Shoo-fly quilt block

Fabric: Textured Basics by Patty Young

Piecing: Me

Quilting: LAQ Beany of Quilty Pleasures

Sisters' Ten Modern BOM May Block: Aunt Eliza's Star

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

**Get the latest dish from Andover Fabrics here**

Today the next block for the Sisters' Ten Modern Block of the Month Club is here! Let's welcome May with Aunt Eliza's Star. This block will bring on a new base block, the Hourglass.

{Sisters' Ten BOM will post new blocks the first Friday of the month in 2013. Feel free to join in the fun with us anytime throughout the year. For all things Sisters' Ten, go here.}

**If you prefer to print out your patterns, a downloadable PDF file is available for just $1.00.**

Buy Now

Cutting Instructions.

For 12" blocks.

Cut (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares of Fabric A (background).
Cut (1) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square of Fabric C.
Cut (2) 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" squares of Fabric A (background). (For Hourglass)
Cut (2) 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" squares of Fabric B. (For Hourglass)
Or if you prefer, cut only (1) 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square of Fabric B and cut (1) 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square of Fabric D.

For 9" blocks.

Cut (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares of Fabric A (background).
Cut (1) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square of Fabric C.
Cut (2) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares of Fabric A (background). (For Hourglass)
Cut (2) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares of Fabric B. (For Hourglass)
Or if you prefer, cut only (1) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square of Fabric B and cut (1) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square of Fabric D.

Piecing Instructions.

*Use a scant 1/4" on all seam allowances. See the Scant Rant series for details.

1. Make Hourglass units with Fabric A and Fabric B/Fabric D. Use (1) Fabric A square and the (1) Fabric B square to make (2) Hourglass units using the method in this tutorial. Repeat this step with either Fabric A and B - or- Fabric A and D. In total, you will need 4 Hourglass units. The Hourglass blocks should be trimmed down to:

12" blocks: 4 1/2" (unfinished size).

9" blocks: 3 1/2" (unfinished size).

2. Layout the Hourglass Units and other squares as shown below.

4. Sew blocks together to make three rows, pressing seams in each row in alternating directions.

5. Sew the three rows together to complete the block.

7. Make (2) blocks. They may be identical blocks or made from differing fabrics for a scrappier look. Be careful of your Hourglass block orientations! I was not paying attention well enough and ended up with a goof.... Time to get the seam ripper!

And the finished blocks...Fabric is Alison Glass for Andover, Lucky Penny with background Quilter's Linen in Straw by Robert Kaufman.

Please add your blocks to the flickr group for Sisters' Ten when you get a chance. Thank you to everyone who is contributing to the group - all of your blocks look great!

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol. 7 Blog Hop Stop

2013-04-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

I am just ecstatic to have my block included in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 7! I am a part of the Blog Hop today hosted by Quiltmaker's Quilty Pleasures blog. Join in the fun for your chance to win a copy of 100 Blocks Vol. 7 (on sale May 7th) at the end of the post. I'll also be giving away 2 copies of my patterns.

Inside you will find my block, Double Crossed. Here she is! She came out so fresh and springy, even though her name suggests something sinister and sneaky.

Here are a few fun layout ideas using the Double Crossed block. In the example below, the block is repeated in a traditional horizontal setting. When the quilt comes together, on point squares are formed by joining the blocks.

In a different variation, take the same setting, but add a little sashing and a few cornerstones.... aren't they great? Look at those shoo-fly blocks that appear. How fun!

If you would like a chance to win your own copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 7 or one of my Patterns, enter the giveaway below. (Giveaway ends Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 11:59pm)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sisters' Ten BOM April Inspiration Mosaic

2013-04-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all those who are putting their Sisters' Ten blocks in the flickr group! This is the first month where there were noticeably less blocks in the group at the time I went to make the mosaic. Are things getting busy in the spring? Or did those 40 HSTs get the best of you? Whew! Better believe it, I too, am glad to have all those HSTs behind me. 20 per block! I heard someone else comment that this block took a lot more time than the other months. Don't worry - next month we'll do a simple one to make up for it.

Here is this month's mosaic with a few of my favorites....

1. Lady of t he Lake in Orange and Cherry, 2. Gen X BOM April Lady of the Lake Colorway 1, 3. Sisters' Ten Modern BOM - April (1), 4. Sisters' Ten BOM, 5. IMG_5700, 6. April, 7. Sisters 10 BOM - April - Lady of the Lake, 8. Lady of the Lake 1, 9. Sisters' Ten BOM April 002, 10. Sisters Ten BOM - April, 11. April BOM #1, 12. April, version 2

May's Sisters' Ten block will post one week from today, on May 3, 2013. See you then!

Whose First Quilt would you like to see?

2013-04-23T10:53:00.001-04:00

So I am thinking about resurrecting the First Quilts on the First series.... do you remember it? Perhaps a lot of you are new readers since I last had a First Quilts feature.

In the past, on the First Day of each month (or at least close to it), I would have a guest blogger tell us about the very first quilt they made. The highs and the lows, the funny mistakes they made, and the sentiments behind why and/or who they made it for. It's kind of therapeutic To realize we don't all start off brilliant at this hobby. To quilt, and to do it well, often takes a lot of time to build up a skill. Learn how to choose fabrics, perfect your 1/4" seam allowance, etc.

With each quilt I make, am still always learning. The process never stops. To see and appreciate our humble beginnings is important. We often do not get a chance to see it with the photos of quilts we commonly see on blogs, etc. with their ideal lighting and perfectly cropped and edited quilt photo shoots.

What do you think? Should we bring it back?

Whose First Quilt would you like to see? I'll do my best to recruit those whose Firsts are requested. Leave me a comment here, on Facebook, Twitter, wherever!

(from behappy.me)

Mini Dressforms

2013-04-20T10:45:00.000-04:00

I pinned something on Pinterest and actually made it! Now that is successful if nothing else.. :) I saw this tutorial on Pinterest, watched the video, and actually started making these on the same day. What a fun little project.

I bought this frenchy toile type fabric forever ago and never had a use for it until now. I actually made 2 of the dressforms from 1 fat quarter, although I think the supply list called for a 1-1 ratio. To boot, I was able to combine this project with a stop at my local antique shop to snag a pair of vintage silver candlesticks. To add to their (ahem) charm, I left them unpolished for the "vintage" look. $8 for the pair.

Below is a picture of my little dressforms in profile. Can't you tell I'm a quilter? My ability to sew curves leaves these little beauties a bit flatter in the waist and bust than they should be. An unfortunate echo of my real life figure. ♥ my children!

Nonetheless... :) I am pretty happy with how they came out. They are supposed to be pincushions, but I plan to display jewelry on them. What are you up to this weekend?

An Hourglass Figure: Hourglass Block Tutorial

2013-04-17T10:18:00.000-04:00

Here is a tutorial for a fundamental quilt block, the Hourglass block. Such a classic! Bet you can't guess what block will be May's Sisters' Ten block?? Hee hee. The block for the BOM will build upon this hourglass block... but I love having the basics separated out into it's own tutorial. Here we go...

1. Cut 2 squares the same size. One from Fabric A and one from Fabric B.
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the Fabric A square.

2. Layer the Fabric A square atop the Fabric B square with right sides together. Sew pairs together, stitching 1/4" on each side of the drawn line.

3. Cut the pair apart using your rotary cutter along the drawn line.

4. Without moving the blocks you just cut, place your ruler over the opposite diagonal and cut. There are now four triangle units. Each unit has one A triangle and one B triangle.

5. Press the seams toward the dark side and match up pairs of triangles that form the hourglass block together.

6. Pin triangles in place and sew. Now I admit, I am a bit of an anti-pinner (unless we're talking Pinterest), but this is one case where I do like to pin. When sewing triangles with bias introduced, the simple act of pinning can help from your triangles getting distorted.

7. Press the block open.

8. Square up the block.

In this case, I was lucky that this block needed to square up to 4 1/2" and I happened to have a 4 1/2" ruler.

Mark the center of the block on your ruler. Lay the diagonal of the ruler on top of one of the diagonals of the Hourglass, making sure the center dot is at the intersection of the block. Trim excess fabric on all sides.

8.5. If your ruler is not exactly the same size as you need, I like to mark off the unfinished size I am going to trim the block down to. I lay post-its on the ruler so I can see the unfinished size without getting confused. (In this example, I have gridded off a 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" square. Mark the center of the square also.

8.75. Now you can continue as above (in step 8) by laying the diagonal of the ruler on top of the diagonal of the hourglass, making sure the center dot is at the intersection of the block. Trim excess on all sides. (For further details on squaring up with the marked off ruler, see this tutorial.)

Finished!

Sew Me A Song Spring Fling

2013-04-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

Need to stock up on some basics for Spring? Check out Sew Me A Song - Becca has a lot on special right now and it's a great way to build your stash!

In the Clearance section: Half Yards from $2.28.
In the Sale section: Half Yards from $3.68.

Dots for RK - Half Yard bundle ON SALE

Plaid Happy Bundle, Lake House Dry Goods ON SALE

Small Chevrons bundle

Low Volume bundles in many colors (shown above is the pink/red low volume bundle)

This is my favorite... not exactly basics for stashing building, but look at those fun prints. Reminds me of vintage kitchen towels....

Bakery FQ bundle by Yuwa

Happy shopping!

Patchwork 318 by Kumiko Fujita

2013-04-11T10:38:00.000-04:00

Last time my hubby went to Japan, I asked my friend Mari to hunt a down a copy of Kumiko Fujita's Patchwork 318 for me. It costs a pretty penny because it is out of print. But I consider myself a collector of quilting/sewing books, so I bought it for myself as a xmas present.

I just drool over the paper piecing I see Charise, Amy and Kerry do. It always looks so cute and feminine. I thought I'd give it a try to see how I could do.

I sketched the block in EQ7 so I could scale it to an 8" block. And then I started thinking about fabric choices. Oh my! I don't think I've agonized over fabrics this much ever. I think it must take a bit of practice to be able to visualize how the little bits of fabric will look when used in novelty blocks like this. I guess like everything else in quilting - practice, practice, practice!

So now she is done. I'm not quite sure where to go with her from here, so I think I'll just hang it in my sewing room until the inspiration strikes.

Easy Machine Applique Tutorial: How to Applique in No Time

2013-04-08T09:56:00.000-04:00

Have you tried applique? If not, are you scared of something new? No matter! There are several types of applique, some harder than others. Today I will show you a very easy and basic method of machine applique. I hope this helps get you started.

Materials.

template - the shape you want to applique. It can be a printout from a pattern or a drawing or something you trace from a coloring book. The possibilities are endless!
fusible web - there are many common brands of fusible web. Heat 'N' Bond Lite is typically what I use. Steam-A-Seam, MistyFuse, and Pellon Wonder-Under are other brands I have tried. Make sure to get sew-able fusible web. There is a non-sewable version of fusible web and if you try to sew through it, it will gum up your needle with glue. Trust me.
fabric - a piece slightly larger than your desired applique shape. You will also need a background fabric to fuse your applique shape to. This may be another rectangle for a quilt block, a t-shirt, a bag, a quilt top, etc.
interfacing or stablizer (optional) - if your background fabric is lightweight or thin, you may want to place interfacing underneath the background fabric to stiffen it.

1. Place the fusible web rectangle, bumpy side down, on top of pattern sheet and trace the applique shape.

2. Cut out the shape leaving a 1/4” margin around the shape. Place the fusible web with the traced shape bumpy side down on the wrong side of the fabric. Press to fuse the fusible web to the applique fabric. Make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions prior to beginning for appropriate heat settings and length of time to press. For Heat 'N' Bond Lite, I usually press for about 8-10 seconds on a low (medium-low) setting.

3. Cut out the shape carefully.

4. Peel the paper backing off of the shape. Now your fabric shape will have the fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric. It is ready to apply to your background.

5. Fuse the shape (wrong side down) to the right side of the background fabric, making sure to center the shape. Use the same technique and settings as step 2.

*Note* If you want to use an interfacing to support the background, now is the time to apply it. Either fuse the interfacing to the background or pin it in place on the wrong side of the background fabric. Honestly, I usually skip this step. Call me lazy - but I have found I don't need it when appliquing for a quilt. The Heat 'N' Bond Lite product gives the applique shape some stiffness. If I am working on a t-shirt though, the interfacing is very helpful.

6. Zigzag or blanket stitch around the shape to secure the appliqué. Patience!! Sewing a tight zigzag around a complex shape can take some time, but it is well worth the flair it adds to the piece. Try experimenting with the tightness of your zig zag. Most machines allows you to adjust how close the stitches are. If you are appliquing on clothing, I would choose a tighter zig zag stitch because clothing will be washed repeatedly. You may not need such a tight stitch for other applications, such as a quilt.

Isn't she cute?

Finished Applique Shape

And here it is in my quilt top!

I hope this helps get you started with applique. It can be so fun to personalize handmade gifts.

Find the Elephant Parade Quilt Pattern (shown in the above quilt top) here.

Sisters' Ten Modern BOM April Block: Lady of the Lake

2013-04-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

**Get the latest dish from Andover Fabrics here**

April already? Today the next block for the Sisters' Ten Modern Block of the Month Club is up! This block is a classic. Get ready to get your HST on - it's Lady of the Lake.

{Sisters' Ten BOM will post new blocks the first Friday of the month in 2013. Feel free to join in the fun with us anytime throughout the year. For all things Sisters' Ten, go here.}

**If you prefer to print out your patterns, a downloadable PDF file is available for just $1.00.**

Buy Now

Cutting Instructions.

For 12" blocks.

Cut (10) 3 1/8" x 3 1/8" squares of Fabric A (background).
Cut (10) 3 1/8" x 3 1/8" squares of Fabric C.
Cut (1) 9 1/4" x 9 1/4" square of Fabric A (background).
Cut (1) 9 1/4" x 9 1/4" square of Fabric B.

For 9" blocks.

Cut (10) 2 5/8" x 2 5/8" squares of Fabric A (background).
Cut (10) 2 5/8" x 2 5/8" squares of Fabric C.
Cut (1) 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" square of Fabric A (background).
Cut (1) 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" square of Fabric B.

Piecing Instructions.

*Use a scant 1/4" on all seam allowances. See the Scant Rant series for details.

1. Make a Half-Square Triangle (HST) unit with Fabric A and Fabric B. Use (1) Fabric A square and the (1) Fabric B square to make (2) total Half-Square Triangle units using the method in this tutorial. The HSTs should be trimmed down to:

12" blocks: 8 1/2" (unfinished size).

9" blocks: 6 1/2" (unfinished size).

**NOTE** The 2 large HSTs made in this step will be used for both blocks you make this month. Each block requires only 1 of these HSTs. I wanted to keep the same method of construction and reduce waste.

2. Make Half-Square Triangle (HST) units with Fabric A and Fabric C. Use the remaining (10) Fabric A squares and the (10) Fabric C squares to make (20) total Half-Square Triangle units using the method in this tutorial. The HSTs should be trimmed down to:

12" blocks: 2 1/2" (unfinished size).

9" blocks: 2" (unfinished size).

3. Layout the Half-Square Triangle Units as shown below.

4. Sew each of the four rows that surround the center A/B HST together, pressing seams in one direction.

5. Sew the rows on the left and right side to the large center half-square triangle.

6. Sew the remaining rows to the top and bottom of the unit from step 5.

7. Make (2) blocks. They may be identical blocks or made from differing fabrics for a scrappier look. As I pointed out in the note above in Step 1, to reduce waste, I used the same fabric for both the large center HSTs in these blocks. Don't worry if you think they look too similar! Once the blocks are separated on opposite sides of the quilt, it will be much harder to notice.

Fabric is Alison Glass for Andover, Lucky Penny with background Quilter's Linen in Straw by Robert Kaufman.

Please add your blocks to the flickr group for Sisters' Ten when you get a chance. Thank you to everyone who is contributing to the group - all of your blocks look great!

Elephant Parade Quilt Top - Round 2

2013-04-02T11:11:00.000-04:00

I'm avoiding quilting my paper pieced stars quilt, so I made another Elephant Parade quilt from my pattern. It's amazing how many other projects I can find to work on when there is basting to do.....:)

A lot of Flea Market Fancy combined with pink Essex linen. I like how the pink and white squares alternate to remind me of a circus tent. A girly circus tent...

I took a lot of step by step photos when I was working on this cute little elephant here. I hope to post an easy applique tutorial next week sometime. If you've never tried applique before, it's not scary!

Sometimes just a little applique adds such personality to a quilt.

Elephant Parade Pattern available here and here.

Sisters' Ten BOM March Inspiration Mosaic

2013-03-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all those who are putting their Sisters' Ten blocks in the flickr group! Each month, it is so cool to see the different interpretations of that month's block. Only three blocks in and we are really starting to get a feel for what this quilt will look like, don't you think?

Here is this month's mosaic with a few of my favorites....

1. Sisters Ten BOM for March, 2. March BOM #2 School Girl's Puzzle, 3. Sister's 10 Modern BOM (March) - Schoolgirl's Puzzle, 4. photo.JPG, 5. March BOM Alison Glass Fabrics, 6. Sister's Ten Modern BOM - March (1), 7. Sisters Ten march block #2 blogged today! Aka How My Blog Earns its Name., 8. March Sisters' 10 - 1, 9. The Sister's Ten BOM March-2, 10. SistersTen March, 11. Sisters' 10 Modern BOM- March #1, 12. Sister's Ten BOM March - 2

April's Sisters' Ten block will post one week from today, on April 5, 2013. See you then!

Sew Fresh Fabrics DOT COM!

2013-03-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

Peg, of Sew Fresh Fabrics, began supporting this little blog of mine in 2010, when I announced a swap I was holding called Kona Your World - a Kona FQ swap. Since then, I have watched her etsy shop bloom, grow and evolve. Thanks to all her hard work and your support, she is able to move her shop to her very own .COM!

The big happening launches next week on Monday, April 1st!

To get everyone in the mood to celebrate a new chapter of Sew Fresh Fabrics, Peg is offering some cool swag for the first customers at SewFreshFabrics.com:

* First 50 customers get a 25% off gift certificate good at the new site

* “A Hundred for a Hundred” - A $100 Gift Certificate will be awarded to one of the first 100 customers, winner drawn randomly

So mark your calendars to do some shopping on Monday!

{simple} sunday

2013-03-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

I am pulling a fabric stack to make a baby quilt. Baby quilts always make me happy since they are simple and fun. I won't need nearly all this fabric, but I was having so much fun pulling and coordinating, I couldn't stop myself. It will be fun to select the best option as I go. I decided to make another Elephant Parade quilt from my pattern. This one will be girly, no?

Elephant Parade Pattern available here and here.

Finally - the Star Quilt Top

2013-03-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here she is... the red, navy and aqua quilt top. (I'm gonna have to think of a really good name for her?) My paper-pieced pride.

Finished her up this week by adding 40 alternating HSTs to her sides and a whole lot of the red, light blue, and dark blue 30s print called Granny's Treasure from P&B. An interesting mix of fabrics if you ask me. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

This was the last block I had to paper piece to complete my set of five. I modified the Nevada block in this book to suit the style of the quilt. The photo in the book looks very spikey, but I wanted the spike in the star to blend more. I'm pretty happy with how it came out.

Now, just to get this little lady basted up for some quilting. How do you think I should quilt this? I thought I could follow the zig zags in the negative space - but I'm not really settled on it. Any suggestions?

P.S. The local shop where I bought this print is having a crazy 30% off sale. I got it for $5.88/yd. They are a more traditional shop, but they have a bunch of Bonnie & Camille (Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern (and in Flannels too), American Jane/Punctuation, Basic Grey, Kate Spain, etc selling for some crazy prices.

Vintage Spice Racks

2013-03-19T16:22:00.000-04:00

I forgot I wanted to share some of my antiquing finds as I decorate our new home. When we moved, I thought it rather odd that the master bath had no medicine cabinet. There is plenty of storage under the sinks, but that didn't help all the toiletries I wanted in easy reach without cluttering the counter.

So I turned to etsy to find these vintage spice racks. They are perfect for holding spray bottles and other powder room essentials. I couldn't resist adding a couple Ball jars on my shelf for cotton swabs and hair bands.

One for me and one for hubby. What can I say? He's a Brut man... :)

It adds a little vintage element to my bathroom. Now if only I could get rid of the flat builder paint....

Movin' Over

2013-03-16T21:41:00.004-04:00

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I think this is where I'm setting up my new camp....

Lately...

2013-03-13T15:44:00.000-04:00

Life is full at the moment... Full of good things. I took my 3 boys on a date to the ice cream shop this afternoon. They love nothing more than ice cream for lunch on Wednesday Hump Day. Nevermind that I sneak in a waffle cone of chocolate-peanut butter too.

The littlest one had his first birthday on Sunday.

We are remodeling parts of our new house.

Basketball practice. Homework.

We've all been there.
So this busy bee has been working on smaller projects (like lanyards and mini clutches) while simultaneously avoiding this quilt. The red, aqua and navy one. I've also been working on other projects, ones which I cannot share, and are therefore zero fun to blog about. But this one, I almost feel embarrassed to share an update on since I feel like I've been giving WIP updates on it for too long.

But did you know that sometimes procrastination can lead to a giant whale-sized light bulb? Ding! I was making these blocks from this bookwith no real plan. My stalling has actually proved beneficial now. I know what I am going to do with them, and I've only one block left to make.

Which is a good thing, since I am at the end of my rope with paper piecing. See me and paper piecing have a love-hate relationship.

Hopefully, I'll have a quilt top to show next week. But I also might get sucked into watching more Walking Dead with the hubby. At least removing the paper off the back of these blocks gives me something to look at when the zombies come out...

10-Minute Sewing Project: How to Sew a Lanyard

2013-03-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a quick and easy project? I sure do! And since I needed to replace the lanyard I had, I thought I'd do a quick tutorial for you all. You'll probably spend more time choosing what fabric to use than actually making this lanyard.

Materials.

3 3/4" x width of fabric (wof) strip*
1" swivel hook
coordinating thread

*The width of the fabric strip will depend upon the size of the swivel hook. I am using a 1" hook, pictured on the right and middle below. If you are using a smaller hook (pictured left), cut your fabric strip 1/4" less than 4 x the width of your hook. (i.e. for the 1" inch hook, 4 * 1" - 1/4" is 3 3/4". for a 1/2" hook, 4 * 1/2" - 1/4" is 1 3/4".)

1. Fold the fabric strip in half lengthwise and press to create a crease in the center of the strip.

2. Open the strip. This time fold the outside edge to meet the pressed center line. Press.

3. Repeat this process of folding and pressing with the other side of the fabric strip.

4. Fold the unit from step 3 in half again, tucking the unfinished edges inside the strip. Press and pin in place.

5. Topstitch 1/8" away from the edge on both sides of the strip.

This will give the strip a nice finished look.

6. Fold the strip in half, bringing the two raw edges together. Slip the swivel hook over the two raw ends. Next, fold the ends over first 1/2" to tuck raw edges inside, then fold again 1 1/2".

7. Stitch a square with an X through it to secure. **Hint** if you have a walking foot for your sewing machine, it really helps sew over all the layers. I definitely recommend it for this step.

And here I am modeling my new lanyard... I use one all the time for my keys. It seems I am always carrying 8 things in the parking lot - a baby, grocery bags, holding a little hand, packages, our to-go order from Panera, etc. - and knowing exactly where my keys are and having them easily accessible makes life a little easier for me... :)

Hope you enjoy this quick project!