heartbreak homestead

starry skies sampler :: block no. 5

2012-02-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

i must admit, my 'star making' mojo was in a funk this week. between a nasty cold that has lingered past its welcome (not that it had one to begin with) and a botched attempt at a tiny star involving y-seams and an ugly fabric combination, i left the sewing of this newest star block for the very last minute. so in order to restore my faith in my ability to finish this project, i chose to work with my favorite miscellany print from the line and my favorite, basic stash fabric that i always stock up on when at joann fabrics.

my newest addition to the starry skies sampler is the amish star, another block found in 5,500 quilt block designs by maggie malone. although the book has since been returned to the lbrary, i was able to make some quick sketches of a few star blocks that i found the most appealing. yes, the amish star is nothing but squares, rectangles, and some half square triangles. yes, it is a simple nine-patch quilt block, but it is just what i needed to (hopefully) get me back in the swing of things for this sampler quilt.

interested in how the stars are coming together?

side note:

if i bend over far enough, i can almost see my toes

past the giant belly full of baby boy.

i have plans for big things next week. i have plans to get my act together, do some serious piecing, and take a big chunk of work out of this quilt. i have plans to hang this on the wall in a room where i can walk past it every day and smile.

in the meantime, back to work.

2012-02-21T12:59:00.002-05:00

these days i am loving knitting little things

on tiny needles with skinny yarn.

although our little boy will be a spring baby

i can't resist knitting up some booties and

finishing up a log cabin baby blanket.

back to the needles!

see you tomorrow with a new star...

2012-02-14T10:57:00.001-05:00

in honor of two special birthdays (my boy's and my own), a long overdue visit from my mama, and some much needed time off, i'm afraid there won't be a star for the starry skies sampler to share this week. sometimes its important to knit and snuggle and gestate rather than keep up with deadlines. i promise i will make it up to you next week!

starry skies sampler :: block no. 4

2012-02-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

one more week, one more block - with each star i get a little closer to realizing a sampler quilt and (if it could be possible) more excited to make the next star in line. i found the layout for this week's star block while exploring my local library's quilting reference section. i wish i could say the selection on this little shelf in the library was a little broader and a little larger, but i'll settle for the fact that there is even such a thing as quilting books and magazines for loan. however, on that shelf in the library, i was able to find "5,500 Quilt Block Designs" by maggie malone. it has proven to be a wealth of design inspiration and star block ideas.

i am loving the pop of a bright solid that this block has, as opposed to the (somewhat) more mellow choices i made for the previous stars. the miscellany collection is very bold and while there might be a lot of black and white, there are also some major colors running through this line of fabrics. i am hoping to strike a balance between prints and solids, both bright and subdued with enough white and maybe some improv accents to make this quilt really work. i think that i am on my way!

as always, come back to this space every wednesday for your daily dose of stars, and be sure to get sewing on your arrowhead star in the meantime! you can find all of the previous posts about this work in progress here, grab a button for your blog, and follow along - these stars are so much fun, i promise!

2012-02-06T08:29:00.004-05:00

my weekend was spent

knitting and binding off and picking up stitches

and knitting some more.

i'm really loving this log cabin baby blanket.

boiling eggs and baking bread.

cutting fabric, making half square triangles

and flying geese, and piecing stars.

starry skies sampler :: block no. 3

2012-02-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

inspired by the newest issue of fat quarterly, i decided to try my hand at paper piecing for this weeks newest star: the web star block found at quilter's cache (have you seen this sweet elixir bottle wall hanging and awesome catherine holm pot holders?). while it seemed a little daunting at first to see lots of numbers and lines, and which side do i sew the fabric on to the paper, and oops that's the wrong side, it soon became clear that paper piecing was allowing me to create crisper lines and tighter corners than i would be able to achieve with simple patchwork alone.

and so, after a little futzing with the tiny bits of white fabric that i had left, and after an incident in which my temperamental iron sputtered some rusty water on the corner of one block component, my web star is complete and i couldn't be happier with it. seeing this block with its fellow stars makes me giddy - the miscellany line of fabrics seems to be pulling the concept of this sampler together and i look forward to experimenting with new techniques and blocks each week.

as always, be sure to come back next wednesday for a new block.

and in the meantime,

check out all of the starry skies sampler series here,

make yourself a beautiful web star block for your own sampler

and be sure to share your progress!

2012-01-30T08:57:00.001-05:00

my weekend was spent with my sewing machine,

with a new-to-this-world and very dear friend,

and with a few nesting motivated chores.

i have really been enjoying sewing up these little baby pants - my boy has a few pairs in super soft flannel waiting for him, and now the sweetest little arlo (that new-to-this-world tiny friend) has a reversible pair! it took a bit of scheming and planning to make these pants happen, but seeing them put together i now realize that they could have been so much easier! hand to forehead and notes for the next pair.

how was your weekend spent?

see you on wednesday with block number 3 of the sampler.

for the homestead :: easiest bunting

2012-01-27T08:54:00.000-05:00

despite the wet and cold weather outside and despite my ever increasing pregnancy discomfort, today is a great day. i am snuggled up next to my baby girl who is quietly munching away on animal crackers, waiting for her waffles to be done, while i write away. the light in our house is very dark and misleading - i feel as though i woke up in the wee-est hours of the morning and have gained precious winter hours.

and i get to admire this in all of the changing shades of day:

i did some thing very unlike me this week - i began and finished a project that involved no sewing whatsoever. it started like this: i wanted a quick and gratifying project to work on before heading to my bed. the catch with my new sewing space is that it sits awfully close to frankie's little room. if she's not asleep she can spy me through the crack where the curtain doesn't quite cover the glass-paned door. this leaves me with an hour or so of time for doing nothing (or chores, if i'm feeling super motivated) as i wait for baby girl to grow quiet and for the night to get darker. and since i am typically not a night owl, the motivation to do any sewing before heading to my cozy bed with a good book is sometimes lacking.

and so i schemed up some no-sew, super easy bunting for our little homestead.

the process goes something like this:

step 1:

cut your flags.

you can choose to make rectangles, triangles, any shape really

as long as the fabric has been folded and pressed.

by folding all of your fabric you ensure that your bunting is completely reversible.

helpful hint: when i unfold my triangle flags, they are a perfect diamond.

step 2:

cut your fabric adhesive.

i like to use double stick fusible web,

which is easy to find at most fabric stores. i found mine at joann fabrics.

you only need to cut your adhesive as big as the final flag size will be.

there is no need to fold or double it.

helpful hint: for a flag that (folded) measures 2" x 5",

i will cut a single piece of adhesive that measures the same.

step 3:

with your iron on the steam setting,

set your bunting string (i like to use plain ol' twine) in the fold of your flag.

place fusible adhesive on one side of flag and fold the other side

over your string, matching up all of your edges.

your string should be nestled into the fold of your flag.

press and fuse and...

step 4:

you have your first flag on your bunting!

i like to make a little notch in the bottom of my rectangular shapes

once they have been fused to create more of a flag shape.

spacing and color variation are all up to you,

as well as bunting length and flag style.

this particular banner will hang above our new baby's nook: a corner of our bedroom that i will slowly be filling with his moses basket, beautiful art, tiny diapers and flannel plants, and of course, strings and strings of this bunting! i have quite a few projects on my list for this little space and for the rest of our new home in maine that we are slowly settling in to - projects that i am hoping to be able to share with you weekly here.

and now i will settle back into our rainy day - a few dishes in the sink that need cleaning, some laundry to be done, but mostly lots of lego-building and snuggling under handmade quilts for me and mine today.

starry skies sampler :: block no. 2

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

it is time for block no. 2 and i am already looking forward to making more and more and more stars! i am having so much fun choosing fabric that will compliment the miscellany line and choosing star blocks that are interesting, challenging, and fresh.

block no. 2 is a little more on the traditional side of things - while i have found the single wedding star in the farmer's wife, i have also seen it used with great effect in this quilt (lieblingsdecke has written a great tutorial if you are so inclined to use the metric system), and with a twist. for this block i decided to do a little bit of simple math and scale up the 6" templates from farmer's wife that i already had to make a 9" block. it was surprisingly easy and gratifying to see all of my pieces line up by the end.

in addition to using the antique flower print from julia rothman's miscellany, i pulled some kaffe fassett dots from my stash and one of my favorite joann fabrics prints that i try to buy in bulk whenever i find it in store. after a little bit of light cutting and some simple piecing, my single wedding star quickly came together and is now sitting next to my sunrise star. it should be mentioned that seeing them together is cheering me on to make multiple blocks for next week!

make sure to come back in a week and i will have more stars to show you! in the meantime, feel free to sew up your own single wedding star - whether it be one block, a mini quilt, or a quilt big enough to snuggle up underneath, i would love to see it. also, make sure to check out the entire 'starry skies' sampler series here to catch up on what you might have missed, and be sure to pick up a badge for your own blog!

2012-01-23T09:06:00.000-05:00

our weekend was spent:

baking chocolate chip cookies - good ol' nestle toll house classic

is still my favorite. chewy in the middle and golden brown on the bottom.

finishing up some knitting projects.

the pattern for my springtime bandit

can be found at kelbourne woolens -

a great collection of patterns (a lot of them free)and beautiful yarns.

i especially like the acadia line of yarn in blackberry, granite, and asparagus.

how was your weekend spent?

just a reminder that things are starting to get busy around here. i will be back on wednesday with a new block for my 'starry skies' sampler quilt. if you want to see all of the posts about my new sampler quilt just click here and you can start your starry sewing, too! i will also be writing the first post in another new series here at the homestead on friday featuring a quick and fun project for your home. hint: it involves minimal sewing, string, and you can hang it anywhere! see you on wednesday.

starry skies sampler :: block no. 1

2012-01-18T16:48:00.001-05:00

and here we go! with the first starry skies block pieced and pressed, sitting pretty on my sewing room table, i can feel the sampler excitement starting. i have chosen to use julia rothman's collection miscellany by cloud9 fabrics as my main focus - i am hoping that such a strong common thread between all of the stars will lead to a quilt that i feel is cohesive and not muddled.

(if you didn't already know my enthusiasm for this fabric, see here and here.)

i found the tutorial for this 'sunshine star' from my fabric obsession and felt pretty confident that it would be easy enough to execute while still being something fresh and new to me. this is after a few failed attempts at scaling up a block from farmer's wife. psst, have you seen this awesome quilt along hosted by amanda and angela? i especially like this color scheme, these blocks, this and this and especially this.

i digress:

since this would be my first star on a long list of others, i chose to cut into my two favorite prints: 'petal pusher', a delicate pink and blue print, and 'nethercote' which turns out to be a dream for fussy-cutting! i added to that a dark grey solid from my stash (i honestly have no idea where that grey came from as i am its 'second home') and a solid white remnant from a sheet. cutting and piecing all of those little triangles turned out to be an easier task than i first thought it might be.

and now i have my first block of 'starry skies' completed! i'll be excited to see how this star looks accompanied with the other, sometimes bolder prints that are also part of this collection.

and a note on blocks coming together, so to speak: i plan on making stars in various sizes. for instance, this star measures 12.5", but i will be making some stars from farmer's wife that only measure 6". i am hoping to find a way to make different size blocks work together - this is my challenge to myself.

see you next wednesday for block no. 2 - in the mean time, go make a sunrise star!

starry skies sampler quilt

2012-01-16T08:18:00.003-05:00

i am making myself an on-going list of goals for this year - i started shortly after new years with a list of basics. now, i would like to add a goal no. 5:

add more projects, ideas and inspiration to this space.

join (and potentially host?) one or two sew-alongs,

feature a project for the home or babes weekly,

share a variety of projects in ~~all~~ most of their coming-together-stages.

i have plans ladies and gents, plans i tell you. and i fully intend to come through for you, but also for myself. this will be the year that i prove to myself that i've got it. what that 'it' is, i haven't figured out, but when i get closer to figuring that out in 2012, i'll be sure to let you in on what i find.

and so in keeping with goal no. 5, i'll start a new feature today!

i figure i better start this out with a bang, what with creating a new fixture for the blog being one of the primary plans for my newest goal. so here goes: i have a confession to make. i have never been a fan of sampler quilts. i usually find them a bit stuffy, a bit country, a bit traditional for my taste. but lately i have seen quilt-alongs, sewing bees, and tutorials that add a bit more of a modern twist to the idea of a sampler. so i guess you can easily say that they're growing on me, slowly but surely.

and in keeping with the theme of challenging myself, i've decided to feature a new 'starry sky' quilt block every week. these quilt blocks will eventually come together to form a sampler of some sort - what that means i haven't quite decided, but maybe we can decide together! i won't be posting tutorials on how to make the blocks (for now) - instead i will write about my inspiration, my process, and the sources that helped me put together each block.

it is not my intention for this to be a structured sew-along, although please feel free to follow along if you like! i am hoping that this little series will serve as an inspiration source for you, as well as a resource of sorts for all kinds of star quilt blocks. so grab a button for your blog and sew away with me!

...

and just a little sneak-peak of the block i'll be posting about tomorrow:

she's a beauty, huh?

2012-01-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

our weekend was spent:

getting and getting over sniffly, stuffy noses - collecting and sorting eggs - pounding on the piano that has lived in our new house for a long time - reaping the benefits of a rooster who lived a happy life but was not meant to have neighbors - sewing black and white, green, and blue triangles into stars for a certain baby boy - enjoying our first dusting of snow back in maine - knitting and knitting and knitting some more.

2012-01-05T18:14:00.001-05:00

since i'm a little late for the 2011 recap and farewell (oops, christmas and a big move across states will do that to you), i thought i might start this new year off with some goals instead. but just for the sake of a little reminiscing, why not share a few polaroids from last year - a year full of new beginnings, exciting family news, struggle and triumph.

goal one is fairly obvious: take time to write in this space more often. share new projects of both the fabric and knitting variety. share gardening experiences as well as family goings on.

goal two is to branch out. begin (and finish) new projects. write more. challenge myself.

goal three could be to keep a clean house, cook a well rounded dinner every night, don't sneak any chocolate, blah-di-blah...instead i will make a goal to adventure. if showing frankie something exciting and new means leaving the dishes in the sink, well, i am just fine with that. if i don't get around to it today, it will still be waiting for me tomorrow, but that quilting inspiration might fly out the window. embrace and adventure.

and now some pictures from the new year - from a new house that is full of light and life, from our very favorite state in the union where we will prepare to grow and flourish in 2012.

2011-12-16T17:05:00.000-05:00

remember a little while ago when i shared the news that our family will soon be growing? well, baby is growing and squirming and generally living it up in this mama's not-so-little belly with about 18 more weeks of baking to go. while i am generally a huge fan of surprises (frances mae was a surprise - especially because i could have sworn that she was going to be a he and was so amazed when johnny blubbered out 'its a girl!'), i couldn't help myself from finding out what this little nugget is. i need to be prepared, i need to bond, i need to make little things for this little one - for this little boy.

and so i'll start by making piles of these little pants. i adapted an existing pants pattern that i already had in my stash to have a more narrow leg and a little extra room for a cloth diaper, and i must say, i am super pleased with how they turned out, especially because i can turn out a pair in about forty five minutes - go me!

in anna maria horner little folks flannel and nani iro double gauze

so now i will continue to knit tiny little treasures from my ever growing ravelry library, add to my fabric wish list for this little boy's quilt, and day dream about mobiles, baby moccasins, and moses baskets.

2011-12-09T08:50:00.001-05:00

and then it was quiet, again - oops. but i promise, i have a good excuse! i've been working on cutting and sewing and quilting as much as i can in the last few weeks for the few craft fairs that i'm taking part in before the holidays hit. while it is fun to make lots of little things that might catch people's eyes, it is hard to remain inspired when your main motivating factor is sell, sell, sell.

so i indulge myself a bit with little quilts. while the zig zag quilt is still for sale (if it doesn't go at mass market this weekend, it will be listed on etsy), the woven quilt was a gift for a new little friend - due to hit the scene by the end of january. i love making baby quilts. lovelovelove. expect to see many more.

2011-11-16T08:59:00.001-05:00

my favorite picture

from a fog and quilt kind of a day.

2011-11-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

the challenge with taking photos on this island isn't the lack of scenery or the right lighting. it's the fierce wind that likes to whip across the island - taking hats and quilts with it. although this quilt has been finished for almost a week, i had to wait for a calm day on which to photograph it. and while i did manage to explore the woods with frankie and rosie (my previously mentioned best helpers) on a foggy/windless morning to get some snapshots of it, today might not have been the best day to try to get a picture of the full, finished quilt. but i managed, i guess.

as you can see, rosie is the least helpful of the bunch.

this is a quilt that i have been working on intermittently for (ahem) about five months. i designed it after making my chevron mini quilt, with a calmer color palette in mind. little did i know that sewing, cutting and trimming, and piecing 352 half square triangles would take me so long. i soon grew bored and frustrated with the tedious process and set the few blocks that i had finished aside. but at some point - probably when i cleaned my sewing table and realized that there were unfinished half square triangles everywhere - i decided that it was about time that i finish it. and so i did, and just in time to bring it with me to the local craft fairs that i'll be taking part in in the next month or so.

see what i mean about the wind?

almost every photo turned out like this, or worse.

details:

measures 60" x 60"

machine pieced and quilted

fabrics used are kona cotton in ash, vintage sheet,

and crazy for dots and stripes in bright blue by rjr fabrics

2011-11-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

happenings around my work table:

i can't wait to show you this quilt all finished up.

i'll just wait until its nice and crinkly and soft,

fresh out of the dryer.

2011-11-07T14:17:00.002-05:00

i mean to write in this space often, i really do. i mean to take photos every day (styled perfectly, in perfect lighting, with no interruptions from my little girl pulling on my leg or a helpful kitten taking a nap on the photograph subject), i really do. but this just doesn't happen in my world. instead i sit at my sewing machine or get wrapped up in an idea for a new quilt or snuggle with my first baby.

so i'll write a post today - although if this post has a point or not is debatable - and maybe one the next day. maybe i'll get lucky and write about three different things on three different days, all in one week! but let's not count on it. maybe i will post more photos and inspiration and write a little less. or maybe not.

but today there are these hanging in my kitchen window. when the sun comes up in the morning it highlights of all their seams. they will soon have ribbons and backing and maybe some quilting and they will be 'the miniest of all quilts'. i picture them in groups of three on a forgotten wall, or hanging from a dresser drawer knob, or tucked into a christmas tree.

2011-10-21T11:36:00.002-04:00

it seems that its been mini quilt weather around these parts - rainy, quiet mornings and sunny afternoons lend an appealing air to my little sewing table by the kitchen window. though i miss my 'studio' in the bright sunroom we had in our home in maine, this will have to do. and it is.

mini quilts seem to be my distraction these days. i should be cutting triangles and wool felt, attaching zippers to linings and outers, designing a simple dolly that wears skirts or shirts or hats, and finally finishing that twin size quilt that's been hanging around forever. but instead i choose to experiment with new techniques and blocks, mixing fabrics that i never thought would compliment each other. not such a bad distraction if you ask me!

2011-10-17T16:03:00.000-04:00

what a way to start of the week - one blog post down, three mini quilts done, one in progress, and the sun is shining! it would seem that quilting-all-day-with-frankie-as-helper rather than serving-food-while-family-is-home-without-me is agreeing with this mama. now, if i could get some better lighting in here i would show you the progress that i made this weekend - winter craft fairs, here i come!

2011-10-14T14:39:00.000-04:00

finally - finally! inspiration has hit me like a ton of bricks and it couldn't have come at a better time. life here on this little, green island is very seasonal. after memorial day beaches are open to the public again, traffic is sane and manageable (keep in mind their is no such thing as a stop light or traffic circle here), and i can now recognize and greet at least one local while frankie and i run errands. and i am no longer a slave to the hungry masses at the local general store/lunch stop - leaving me with plenty of time to cut and sew and stitch, scheme up new designs, and make plenty of long to-do lists for this little space (and my home, too).

this sudden burst of energy can't be attributed to more 'days off' alone - as i'm now entering the second trimester of my second pregnancy (a new baby, and boy, can this one grow!) i can eat again, i can almost sleep at night and stay awake during the day again, and, most importantly, i can't sit so still anymore. i promise not to go full-time pregnancy-blogging-heal-wearing-uber-hip-mom-on-the-go on you, but little quilts and hand knit hats with matching booties are kind of my thing - consider yourself fully warned.

i think i'll only show you this quilt in bits and pieces from now on, until its completed. as you might remember, sad little half square triangles and chevrons have been waiting around patiently for the day that i might discover them again. well, that day came, with a vengeance. i'm happy with where it is going and excited to see where it ends up - so little teasers it will be until i can properly unveil this quilt.

2011-10-04T17:46:00.000-04:00

a + b + c =

a new trio of mini quilts:

improv pieced,

patchwork letters,

meant to hang in a row.

i fully intend to continue on with this project - whether that means completing the alphabet or moving on to numbers. i love how freeing the patchwork became and the puzzle that improv piecing can be. the process of straight line quilting (i echoed the shape of the letters with a new line every 1/4") was a bit addictive as well. it became a chance to meditate on the work that i had done and the possibilities of what could be.

frankie insists that the letter 'a' quilt should be full size - she sits her little self down on the floor and tries to cover her toes with a quilt that is just not big enough. maybe a 'frances mae' quilt is in the starts for my baby girl.

2011-09-28T18:08:00.000-04:00

and with the return of cool air comes the return of my inspiration/motivation/creative brain. let's face it, summer time just isn't my thing. besides enjoying the occasional frozen yogurt and a farmer's market here or there, humid air, bathing suits, mosquitoes and i just do not get along.

but now - oh now! - there are craft fairs right around the corner that require planning and preparation. there are cool, quiet nights that are just screaming for quilts that need to be bound (and therefore snuggled underneath). and finally a sewing table that is tidy - i won't say clean - enough to stack fabric and sort scraps and sew sew sew!

the next few weeks (and months, perhaps) around these parts will be spent:

:: making piles of triangles to sew onto my new bunting bags.

:: cooking casseroles and baking muffins.

:: rekindling my love for this little island that has been our home for five months now.

:: digging into my giant pile of works in progress.

:: knitting up some beautiful alpaca that has been in my stash for far too long.

and a sneak peak of another project that is so close to being done i can almost taste it. i can't wait to share.