Mommy by day Crafter by night

Granny's Medallion Quilt

2019-08-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

A few years back, I came across a quilt that my friend Amy of Diary of a Quilter had taken a photo of at a quilting retreat and posted it on her blog. The moment I saw it, I was obsessed. It was one of the most beautiful quilts I had ever seen. I reached out to Amy to get more info on who the maker of the quilt was.

Once I had the makers information, I reached out and asked about a pattern for the quilt. It wasn't until I took at look at her Instagram that I realized that it was actually someone that I knew and had met a couple years prior at the Spring Quilt Market in 2016. I had been sitting in a room waiting for the Tula Pink schoolhouse to begin when the woman sitting next to me struck up a conversation. She was very friendly and we got to know each other a little in the 15 minutes we chatted before the class began. Little did I realize at the time, just how talented the woman I was sitting next to was! Her name is Paula McKinlay and she teaches classes to make her quilt designs at quilting retreats.

When I contacted Paula, she graciously offered to send me the pattern so that I could make the quilt since I live out of state and wouldn't be able to attend one of her classes. I was so excited!

Then, I found out I was going to have a baby girl, and this quilt couldn't have been more perfect!

It took me some time to pick out my fabrics. I knew that I wanted to make mine in colors very similar to Paula's original quilt, but I wanted to put my flair into it with fussy cutting the center of the star. All while making the quilt I had this idea of doing a hand appliquéd scallop border for the final border. The original pattern calls for plus blocks- which are just as cute as can be, but I took a leap and started making half circles to hand appliqué. It took a while to complete that final border, but when I finished that last stitch I was so happy that I had done it. I love the way it turned out.

I used various fabrics from my stash to make the quilt, Paint Brush Studios Shell Pink solid for the sashing and backing, and hand quilted it with Aurifil 12wt thread.

I finished just in the nick of time before our sweet baby girl arrived this summer. She is just as cute as can be and we are so in love with her. I've been taking time away from sewing to soak in all of the snuggles, and I have been moving every moment of it, so I'll be back sometime...

as you know, "Babies don't keep."

xoxo, Ashley

P.S. For those interested in making the Granny Medallion quilt, you can email Paula at pauladmckinlay@gmail.com and she can sell you the pattern.

Quilted Scripture Case

2018-10-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

We have a tradition in our family of giving a set of scriptures to our children when they are baptized. This August my daughter turned 8, so it was time to get a set of scriptures for her. Which meant she needed a scripture case....

(We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Click here if you want to learn more about what I believe)

I don't have a ton of time to sew these days, so if I can find something pre-made that's cute and does the job, I'll usually go that route.

(I usually like to save my sewing time for English Paper Piecing on the couch in the evenings)

I looked around at the scripture cases that were available and none of them were really jumping out to me, so I went to my stash and pulled some fabrics.

The main floral is Rifle Paper Co Birch Floral in Periwinkle from the Les Fleurs line, and the other prints are just random ones I had in my stash.

I drafted my own pattern for this little case and it turned out darling. There are a few things I would tweak next time I make one, but overall it turned out just as I envisioned it.

I have one more case to make for my almost 10 year old, because after seeing little sis's case, she pulled some fabrics of her own and has deemed her store bought case not quite what she wants. ;) And... I love that they still think it's cool that mom makes things for them, so I will happily make her a case as well.

Carnaby Street Messenger Bag

2018-10-11T09:59:00.003-05:00

Pattern: Messenger Bag from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew

I've literally had this post sitting in my "draft" folder for ages. I made this bag for my niece over 4 years ago and she still uses it to this day. She's now a senior in high school, and it makes me smile when I see her carrying it around. I'm not sure why I have never hit the publish button on this post- probably just that I have made over 9 of these bags now and figure "enough is enough" (haha), but it's a cute bag, so I figured it was worth sharing.

I can't say enough, how much I love this pattern. It's very well written and after several years of putting the bag to use I can say that it holds up great and is very versatile.

TIP: I follow the suggestion in the pattern and used a layer of duck cloth between the interior and exterior fabric since I was using quilting cotton and it worked great. Iv'e done this for each of the bags I've made and the only one that had issues was the bag that I put through the washing machine. The duck cloth shrank considerably more than the quilting cotton and resulted in the exterior of the bag looking loose/baggy. SO... if you are going to wash your bag in a machine instead of just spot cleaning it, I would recommend pre-washing your duck cloth and probably your quilting cotton too.

I've been doing quite a bit of hand sewing lately. I've been working on my Kingfisher Stitch Along Quilt. I have close to 20 hexie flowers made so far, so I'm almost halfway. For my Grandmother's Flower garden quilt I used 1.5" hexies, so these 1" hexies seem to stitch up quick! I'm really excited to get them all finished and start arranging them on the background fabrics and piece the quilt together. This free pattern by Tales of Cloth and Stitched in Color is a great mix of EPP and machine piecing so if you are wanting a project with a bit of both, it's a good one!

What projects are y'all sewing??

Patchwork Needle Book

2018-09-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

I love a good sew-along and I have found some fun ones this year on Instagram!

Last month my friend Mary (Molly Flanders Blog and Sunny Day Supply Shop) held a needle book sew-along and it was so much fun. I have been needing a needle book, so I was happy to have incentive to make one!

I used the free Butterfly Charm Block Paper Piecing Pattern by Lily Ella to make the butterfly for the front and then followed Amy of nanaCompany's needle book tutorial to make the needle book. It was a fun little make!

Do you like Sew-A-Longs? The very first one that I participated in was the Scrappy Trip Along back in 2011. This year I also jumped on the #mushroomsewalong bandwagon and will share what I made soon! There is also Farmers Wife Sew-Along just starting up and I am so tempted!

Low Volume Strip Quilt

2018-08-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

I've always loved the look of low volume quilts, but have just never gotten around to making one until this summer. I think the queen of low volume is Rita of Red Pepper Quilts. She is so talented and has such an eye for putting fabrics together- I love everything she makes! A few years ago she made a low volume strip quilt and it's been on "my list" of things to make ever since.

I wanted my quilt to read as low volume, but girly from afar, so I selected fabrics that had a white background but used a lot of florals and pinks. I cut 2x10 inch strips and pieced them all together randomly. If I were to make this quilt again, I would probably just cut 2xWOF strips and then piece them in long rows, then after they were pieced, trim the rows to 10 inch width. It would have been a lot quicker!

I made this quilt for my niece as a birthday/early graduation present. I've been trying to do better about adding quilt labels to my quilts lately, so I stitched up this simple label and used leftover strips of fabric to create a log cabin-ish little block.

I backed the quilt in some white/cream flannel that I had in my stash (can't remember the brand, but it is the good stuff- not the thin, cheap kind), and then used my very favorite batting IN THE WORLD- Warm and Plush. Julie Hirt did the quilting for me. She used the "daisies" pattern and I love how it turned out! She has quilted 5 or so quilts for me and she does an amazing job!

The flannel backing, batting, and quilting combined to make one snuggly quilt! My daughter had a hard time letting me hand this one over! She begged me to make another quilt and let her keep it! haha

Meet Betsy the Kitty

2018-08-15T19:07:00.000-05:00

Last year, my kids and I were walking though a high-end boutique in the city with home goods and also the cutest little kids/baby section full of cute little clothes, toys, and decor. My middle kitty-loving gal found a little knit cat that was both adorable and very expensive. She begged and begged to let me let her use her hard earned money to buy it, but I just couldn't justify the price for what it was. She quietly put the kitty away and we moved on to another store.

Fast forward several months... Her birthday was approaching and I was trying to come up with ideas of what to get her and I remembered the cat. I found a link online of where I could purchase the cat, but again- the price tag was too high for me to justify buying it for her. I was talking to my mom about it and showed her the cat and she said "That's cute, but I bet you could make one even cuter." I wasn't so sure I could pull it off, but I decided to try. (She plays the role of a mom well and always has faith in my abilities- even if I don't have faith in myself ;)

Like I said, the original cat was knit, so it was all one piece. I wanted mine to be similar but with my flair- and obviously made with fabric instead of yarn since I don't know how to knit! ;)

I used freezer paper to draft my pattern. I like using it because it's large paper on a roll, but also because once I draw a pattern on it, I can iron it to the fabric and cut the pattern out effortlessly. All in all, the pattern I drafted worked out pretty nicely- only a few moments in the construction that I was scratching my head with the design. ;)

(If I were to make the cat again, I wouldn't make her head so wide, or her neck so long. The peter pan collar was an afterthought to cover up the long necked awkwardness! Is this a giraffe or a cat?!? haha)

I used linen fabric (found at Joanns) for the body of the cat and embroidered the face with DMC floss. For the bow and collar, I used Liberty of London Betsy floral in gray. Robert Kaufmann Chambray for the dress, and some scraps for the placket and dress detail.

I didn't calculate exactly what the project cost since I had a lot of the supplies on hand, but I can tell you it cost roughly less than 1/4 of the price of the cat in the boutique- plus it was made by momma so it's extra special. ;)

I named her Betsy because of the Liberty of London Betsy floral that I used to accent her outfit, but my daughter named her Buttons- which I think is very fitting as well. She's already a very loved little kitty!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, Ashley

How to Attach a Quilt Label to a Quilt

2018-08-03T22:32:00.003-05:00

Quilt labels are the perfect touch to personalize a quilt.... But....

I'm usually so excited to just finish the quilt that I am working on, that I normally skip this step. I've come to realize that a label is important for many reasons though.

#1- if you are giving the quilt as a gift, it really adds personalization because you can add a name, or a date, or an occasion for the quilt being gifted

#2- if you are keeping the quilt for yourself, you can add any details that you (or posterity) would like to remember for years to come. (for instance, back in 2012, I made Scrappy Trip Along quilt as part of a quilt along on instagram, so for that quilt I made a label that said "Scrappy Trip Along 2012". Original- I know! haha)

I personally love to make quilt labels that are embroidered. I usually stitch my words and then add fabric scraps from the quilt around the edges in some way- just to tie everything in.

I recently discovered Sulky printable sticky fabric-solve stabilizer for embroidery. It's pretty cool stuff. You can print right onto it, so you don't have to trace any patterns, you peel the back off, and stick it to the fabric. Then after you stitch, you soak it in water for a minute and the stabilizer disintegrates. Initially I was kinda skeptical about soaking my newly stitched label in water, but it totally worked. A word of cation though- The first time I tried it, I used a calligraphy sort of font that printed a lot of thick dark ink to for the letters, and then didn't follow directions to use the "draft" setting on the printer so that the ink would print lighter. BIG MISTAKE! Unfortunately some of the ink from the paper stained my fabric while I was soaking and resulted in the label looking slightly blotchy in spots. So make sure that you don't do that. The second time I tried it, I used a font that was thin and printed in the "draft" setting and had no issues.

So once my label is stitched, I trim the fabric down to the size I want and sew strips of fabric around the edges- in this case, a log cabin sort of design.

*side note: I did add a little fabric appliqué detail to the label- for the "8". I printed an 8 on reynolds freezer paper, ironed it to my fabric, cut out the 8 and then applied Pellon 805 Wonder-Under Fusible Web to iron/stick the appliqué to the fabric.

After the label block is finished, I iron the top and left side edge under 1/4" inch to give it a finished edge for stitching. The right and bottom raw edge will be covered by the quilt binding so you don't need to do those sides.

Next, I pin the label on the back side of the quilt on the bottom right corner. I used a basting stitch and 1/8" seam allowance and baste the right and bottom edge of the label to the quilts edge.

Then I used straight pins to hold the top and left side edge in place and used a whip stitch by hand to attach the remaining two edges to the back of the quilt. I do this because I don't like to see where the quilt label is attached when looking at the front side, but if you don't mind you can totally use your machine and sew around all of the edges and be finished. The hand stitching those two edges doesn't take long, and I like the look of it better, so I don't mind the extra step.

After the label is attached to your quilt, just attach your binding and bind as you normally would.

Voilà! You are done! A finished quilt with a cute little quilt label.

Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo, Ashley

Seaside Oliver + S Messenger Bag

2018-07-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

When it comes to darling fabric, Tasha Noel knocks it out of the park every time. Her newest line, Seaside, is no different. It just tugs at my nautical loving heart! I've been anticipating this collection since I saw it debut at quilt market! So, when Riley Blake asked me if I wanted to play with the collection and make something, I jumped at the chance.

If you've followed my blog for a while, you've probably noticed that I love to make bags.... and when I find a pattern that I like, I make it over and over again. I've made the Oliver + S Messenger Bag over 10 times now. The pattern can be found in the Oliver + S Little Things to Sew book. I definitely recommend the book- even if its just for this pattern alone- but I've also made the Little Red Riding Hood and Tutu, and the Explorer Vest from the book as well.

I have two girls, so of course I had to make two bags. In the past, I made the small version of the pattern (for when they were 3 & 4 years old), so this time I opted to make the large size. One of the things I love most about this pattern is the gusseted pockets on the front of the bag when you lift the main flap up. Another unique thing is that the bag is edged in bias tape, so its just as cute as can be and very well constructed.

I used the Seaside Border print in Red for the exterior of the first bag. I love using panels for this pattern, because it really just gives the bag a custom look. I had planned to use one of the coordinating prints from the collection for the bias tape that edges the bag, but I had some navy floral from Tasha's previous collection A Little Sweetness, and I just couldn't resist from using the dainty floral to compliment the Seaside fabrics.

For the second bag, my oldest daughter wanted to have a little more say in the design of the bag. She picked out her favorite prints from the collection and asked for "patches" on the front of her bag. I used a quilt as you method (like I did for my weekender bags) for the main flap panel. She loved how it turned out and almost snatched the bag to use before I could snap a picture of it. (Big no no! ahhh... life of a blogger's kid. haha)

I think one of the cutest little details on the bags are the darling woven handmade tags on the strap of the bag that Tasha designed. I mean... come on! These little labels are just too cute to not sew them onto EVERYTHING I make now. ;)

PS- Be sure to hop over to my friend Amy's blog (Diary of a Quilter) and check out the darling Seaside Star Spangled Banner Quilt that she made. I am so in love with anything Amy makes, and this patriotic + nautical beauty is just the cutest!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, Ashley

Costco Playground Makeover

2018-06-25T21:51:00.000-05:00

After returning home from deployment, my husband was able to take a couple weeks off. It was so much fun to spend all of that time together after being apart for so long. One of the things we did during his time off, was a playground makeover.

I had seen a couple ideas on IG of playground makeovers by Kirsten Krason and Jan Scarpino that are so amazing and had me totally wanting to make a custom playground for my kiddos. I thought for sure that I would pitch the idea to my husband and he would roll his eyes and say no way, but he was the exact opposite- SUPER EXCITED about it.

We headed to Costco and picked up the Cedar Summit Lookout Lodge playground set. It wasn't everything that I wanted in a playground set, and I really hated the green canopy, but my husband thought he may be able to make it into something I would love, so we bought it. (Plus it was $999 which was considerably less than the $1400 one that I had my eye on.)

We got it home and started making plans. We had leftover paint from when we built our home 3 years ago in our basement so that was covered. After a stop to Lowes for some extra wood to create the pergola instead of the canopy, we were good to go.

We started by building the main "house part" that would be gray. Next, we primed it with Kilz primer. I am not gonna lie, about midway through painting the primer by hand I was second guessing myself and our decision to paint the playhouse. Holy Moly! It was a lot of work just to build the playhouse- plus painting it all was so much work. After we primed the main part, we got wise and used a paint sprayer for the rest of the main playhouse.

Like I said, we used our leftover Sherwin Williams Outdoor paint that our builder used on our home.

(Gray: SW Dovetail Gray, White: SW Snowbound, Blue Door: SW Delicate Delia, Black Roof: Tricorn Black)

After we got the main part of the playhouse painted, we figured out which pieces would be the "deck and pergola" pieces and primed and painted each piece separated in our garage since the weather turned bad. There were a handful of random pieces that needed to be painted gray as well. Then we primed and pained the roof black, and primed and painted the door blue. All in all, we used one coat of primer and then two coats of exterior paint on every bit of the playground. I also used black spray paint to paint the door hinges and handle.

My husband made some adjustments to the construction of the "deck and canopy" portion of the playhouse and added the pergola he designed instead. It turned out even better than I thought it would. I was a little nervous that we would get it built and it would look like the pergola didn't mesh well with the overall playground design, but I totally think it looks like it was meant to be that way all along. He did such a great job!

I opted to leave off the clock and telescope, just because I wanted a more clean, fresh look. I didn't want to put on the plastic grill/sink but my husband and kiddos made an executive decision when I was out running errands one day.... haha! After some rain storms and the sink constantly full of yucky water, I may sneak out there and remove it when they aren't looking.

All in all, I am just so happy with how it turned out. I love that it matches our house perfectly and that it isn't an eyesore in our backyard. In my little fantasy world, I would totally string lights on it and add a wreath and flower box to the window, but for now, I'm restraining myself and realizing that after all- it is just a playground. Maybe one day though. ;)

Thanks for stopping by! Hope this little project sparks some fun ideas. It's amazing what a little elbow grease and paint can do!

Have a great day!

xoxo, Ashley

Hello Again...

2018-04-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

Long time- I know! It's been over a year and a half since I posted, so I thought that now that the dust has settled a little, it was time to come back and say hi and let you know where I've been. (I don't even know if "blogging" is still a thing anymore?? It seems as though most people just enjoy snippets posted on IG.)

Four days after my last post, our third baby, and first boy was born. Y'all know I'm pretty private when it comes to my kids and the information I share about them, and I never post pictures of them- so you'll have to take my word for it- He's a handsome little guy and has my heart. There was an un-planned 6 year gap between our 2nd and 3rd child, so in a lot of ways it felt like I was having my first all over again. With both of my older girls in school, I've been able to enjoy a lot of one on one time with him. It's been so much fun.

As expected, when a new baby comes, life gets turned upside down and there really isn't much time for hobbies, so sewing took a back burner and I focused my attention to my family and new baby. Life was perfect, I felt happier than ever before, and almost pinched myself at times to make sure it was real. ;)

When my baby was about 4 months old, we found out that my husband would be deploying for 10 months but that he wouldn't be leaving for another 6 months (he is a dentist for the Army). Those 6 months leading up to him leaving were torture for me. It was all I could think about. Every time a cute, sweet, or happy moment happened between my kids and husband, it brought tears to my eyes, just realizing the sacrifice my kids were going to make not having their daddy with them. The milestones that every parent looks forward to with their new baby- first words, first steps, etc- my hubby would miss out on being there for most of those.

I can remember that while I tried to process things in my mind, I'd sit down to sew- which has always been such a great creative outlet, stress reliever and fun time for me- and I would stare at the fabric for an hour, my mind felt blank. It was just so all consuming and I had no desire to create.

By the time he finally did deploy, I felt like it had plagued me for so long already that 10 months of having to be apart was just unfathomable. He left in June of 2016 and I spent most of that summer in Utah with family- just passing the time and getting that extra support. About a week before my kids started school, I came back to KC. In September and then again in December, my hubby and I were so blessed to be able to meet each other in Germany for 4 days each time (so quick, but so worth it). Those trips were the cherry on top of the curveball pie we were eating. I will forever be thankful for them!

I can tell you that this experience was one of the hardest things I've had to go through to date, but there were also priceless moments that we would have never had if we hadn't gone through it. I can also say that it's been very character building. We grew so much as a family, as a couple, and individually. It's one of those experiences that I hope I never have to go through again, but also am deeply grateful that I was forced to go through because of what it taught me and the ways that it opened my heart and eyes. Funny how trials do that for you, huh?

Before he left, I had always had such a great appreciation for the for the men and women of the military and their families and friends that sacrifice on a daily basis so that we can have the freedoms that we have. But it wasn't until I was in the position, to make the sacrifice myself, that I realized just how huge the sacrifice is and what those families got through. I'm thankful that so many are willing to serve and let their loved ones serve. I know there are so many that deploy over and over again, and many others that go through so much more than anything than we went through with having my husband deployed and it's just hard to wrap my mind around it. Again- I just feel so thankful for every sacrifice that is made for our country and freedom.

My husband just returned home 3 weeks ago. He was gone 289 days, but weirdly enough it already feels like a distant memory. Life is so good, and we are so thankful to be together again!

I could write so many posts about the things that I learned and the ways that I grew, but I'll spare you. ;) I just wanted to let y'all know I was still here, and that I am easing back into projects and sewing. Just putting out feelers to see if Y'ALL are still here and if its worth posting every now and then? So let me know!

xoxo, Ashley

P.S. We are in the middle of a really fun makeover on a new cedar playground we got at Costco that I plan to share here. (we are painting it and making some easy upgrades to it to make it a little more "us".) I have also been doing some decorating in my house to pass the time while he was gone, so that could be fun to share too. Let me know if you're interested in that side of things or if you're just here for the sewing. ;)

P.P.S. While I didn't do a ton of sewing these past 10 months, I did share anything that I did do while he was gone over on my Instagram @crafterbynight.

Vintage Inspired Baby Quilt

2016-08-02T10:22:00.002-05:00

This week is an exciting week for our family... It's finally time for our baby to arrive!! I am due this Friday and scheduled to be induced that morning I haven't already gone into labor. Hallelujah! I am beyond ready to have this little guy. My pregnancy has been fairly easy, but I've definitely reached the "get this baby outta me" stage!! If you've ever been pregnant, I am sure you know the feeling well! We pretty much have the house in order and everything set for him to arrive, so it's just time to hurry up and wait for Friday to get here.

I started sewing about 5 1/2 years ago, which was means that I've never sewn anything for any of my babies since my current youngest is 6. I thought when I found out that I was pregnant that I would want to be sewing up a storm and making all kinds of things for this little guy... but.... are y'all ready for a shocker? I haven't made a single thing for my baby yet. Can you believe that?? I don't know if it's just that he's a boy and I've never made boy things, or if it's because I just haven't had the desire to sew as much since I've been pregnant, but my time before baby comes is officially running out and there is not a single handmade item (from me) in the nursery yet. It seriously shocks me when I think about it, but to be honest, my "nesting phase" seems to be lost and I'm simply in survival mode and have been for the entire summer. I've done a bit of hand stitching here and there since coming home from Quilt Market, but most of my time has just been spent enjoying my family and simply in "survival mode". ha ha Maybe with these last couple of days, I will have a burst of energy and make him a quilt... or I might just lay on the couch and watch Netflix. ;)

I did manage to sew a little baby quilt for my best friend Rach (of Family Ever After), who is due exactly a week after me. She's having a girl and I think I've decided that we should probably begin the proceedings for our babies arranged marriage since they are going to be so close in age. Then we can really be family! ;)

She and her family recently moved back "home" to South Dakota and bought the coolest property in the Black Hills with a darling log cabin home. She calls it their "little house on the prairie". I always love seeing pictures of the fun adventures that their family has in on their land and their new slower more relaxed way of life seems so appealing. It totally suits their family so well.

I knew that I wanted to make something for her sweet baby, and I decided to go a little out of my normal design esthetic and make something with a vintage/old fashioned feel to go along with their new home and way of living.

I started digging through my stash and found a Chloe's Closet 30's Playtime mini charm pack. It was exactly the feel I was going for, but since it was a mini charm pack, it definitely wasn't enough fabric to make a quilt with. I decided to make little four square patches and alternate with solid white blocks in a checker pattern. Once I got that put together, I realized that the quilt was still feeling a bit small- even for a baby quilt, so I added the yellow and white square border. The yellow and white remind me of a vintage quilt I used to snuggle up with as a young girl at my grandma's house.

I did really simple quilting but added a bit of detail by quilting a sweet scallop on the yellow and white border. I really love how it came out. I feel like it is definitely a quilt that could be found on a "little house on the prairie"- which is what I was going for.

Well friends, wish me luck!! The next time I blog, I will have a little bundle of blue in my home!

I hope that you all have a wonderful week!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

P.S.- Today is the last day of the Christmas in July sale going on over at Lady Belle Fabrics... RUN, do not walk, and snatch up some of the amazing deals going on over there!

Pixie Noel Blog Hop

2016-07-18T09:01:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday y'all! Hope that you had a wonderful weekend!

I am so happy to be a part of the Pixie Noel Blog Tour today! Since I am 2 1/2 weeks away from my due date, I haven't been doing a whole lot of anything- including sewing... Just bits of hand sewing here and there between nesting and trying to finish up the nursery and a few other house projects before baby comes. So my La Passacaglia was the perfect place for Pixie Noel to make an appearance.

If you have been following me on IG, you know that I did some sewing for Tasha Noel for quilt market for her debut of her darling new fabric line Pixie Noel as well. It is seriously the cutest line! I made a few stockings and a quilt for her booth. They turned out darling and her booth was seriously the cutest booth at market (in my opinion).

I just snapped a couple photos on my phone so they aren't the greatest, but when I have my projects back from market, I will be sure to take some better photos and share more details with y'all here on the blog.

The great news is that Pixie Noel is finally available in shops so y'all can get a head start on your Christmas sewing too! I am the first stop on the Pixie Noel Blog Tour, but there are so many other fun projects that will be shared this week as well, so be sure to follow along on IG (#pixienoelfabric and @tashanoel1) to get the creative juices flowing!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope that you have a wonderful week!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

Anna Maria Horner QAYG Herringbone Quilt

2016-06-28T14:21:00.001-05:00

Do y'all follow Maureen Cracknell on IG or read her blog? She is a "Herringbone Quilt As You Go" PRO!! When I saw her tutorial for this amazing quilt a couple years ago, I had it "pinned" before you can say Anna Maria Horner and knew I had to make one too! Her tutorial is great, y'all should definitely check it out.

When my little sis got married last year, I knew that this would be the perfect time to try my hand at making a huge QAYG (quilt as you go) quilt and I am sold on this type of quilting! The thing I hate about making a large quilt, is that it is a beast to quilt once you've pieced it. (and I usually don't have extra $ floating around to send it to a longarm quilter) So this technique was perfect for solving that problem!

(If this isn't making sense, head over and check out Maureen's tutorial and it will explain what I am talking about.)

I used a bunch of fabrics from my stash, mostly AMH, and went for a Boho feel and love the way it turned out. I used AMH Spotted in a Crowd leopard print for the binding (one of my favorite prints) and Tula Pink Free Fall in Navy Wideback for the backing. It was my first time using 108" fabric for quilt backing and I am a fan! I loved not having to piece the back. I was also super impressed with the hand of the Tula Pink wide backing... It was ultra soft and buttery, I would definitely use it again.

I am in the process of making a voile version of this quilt for my bed... It's king size, so I don't know if I will finish it before baby comes, but that is the plan. Here is a sneak peak... You can follow my progress on IG.

Well, I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! Our family just got back from our summer trip to visit family out in Utah, which was so fun and relaxing! I'm just about 35 weeks pregnant now, so I am sticking close to home now for the duration of my pregnancy and officially entering the uncomfortable stages of the pregnancy. The humidity in the Midwest is torturing me! ;) Definitely missing that dry summer heat in Utah!

I've been so busy with other projects that I haven't sewn a single thing for my baby! Can you believe that?! I have got to get moving... these last few weeks are going to fly by.

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

P.S. I't s the Fat Quarter Shop's 13th Birthday and they are celebrating by offering 13% off of your order! Yay! They are also giving away 13 amazing prizes, so head over to their blog and enter the giveaway!

Foxglove Fabric Showcase

2016-05-31T09:42:00.003-05:00

I have been an Aneela Hoey fan ever since I started sewing. I remember seeing "Sew Stitchy" at my local quilt shop back in 2012 and thinking that it was the cutest fabric ever!! I have just a teeny tiny bit left, plus some of my other favorites by her in my stash and I ration them like crazy! So when Aneela asked me to be part of the fabric showcase for her newest line, Foxglove, I knew I couldn't resist!

Foxglove is a group of 12 prints on cotton, designed by Aneela for Cloud 9 fabrics. She was kind enough to send me a little bundle of each of the prints to use in my La Passacaglia quilt. They are just perfect for fussy cutting... Those foxes are just too cute aren't they!? I love that they look like they are chasing each other around my cog.

The Foxglove Showcase just started yesterday, so there will be many more amazing projects to come featuring Foxglove, so be sure to check out Aneela's blog or IG to keep up with them all. You can also search the hashtags on IG #foxglovefabric and #aneelahoey for more yummy inspiration!

Hope you are having a wonderful start to your week! It's always hard to get back into the groove after a long holiday weekend, isn't it!?!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

Handmade Teacher Thanks You Gifts

2016-05-18T15:11:00.000-05:00

With all of the sewing I was working on for Quilt Market, the last week of school really crept up on me this year and I was scrambling for what to give my kids teachers. Both of my kids teachers were phenomenal and I wish I would have had the foresight to make quilts ahead of time for them, but as a perpetual procrastinator, that wasn't really realistic, right?!

I knew that I want to do something with apples. I love apples and rarely get the chance to sew with an apple theme, so you better believe that my kids teachers get something "apple" every year. (I have heard teachers get sick of apples, but how could you not love a fabric apple?!)

I loved this pillow that Heather of Vintage Grey Handmade made a few years ago, so I used her pillow as my inspiration. I got searching and realized that the pattern she used to make her pillow was a free pattern offered by Bustle and Sew- perfect!! It's called the Appley Dappley Cushion Cover.

I used the apple templates that were available in the pattern from Bustle and Sew and raw edge appliquéd them onto a 16x16 inch background fabric for the pillow front. I tacked the apples down with just a bit of elmers glue (yep- the white washable kind) and then stitched them with black thread to give it a bit of a pop. Super easy.

I just kinda winged the rest of the pillow and added jumbo rick rack to the edges and created an envelope closure on the back side. I ran to Joann and used a coupon that they have going this week for 60% off of a pack of two- 16x16 inch pillow forms, so with the coupon, they only ended up being a couple dollars a piece for the inserts. Score!

I made two pillows, one for each of their main teachers and then wanted to make something smaller for their "specials" teachers- gym, librarian, music, technology, art, etc. I saw @mommy2lu on IG made some darling little patchwork apples for Lunden's teachers so I knew that would be the perfect thing. I used the Scrappy Apple Pincushion & Ornament pattern by Retro Mama and I was so impressed with the pattern. The apples turned out darling and the pattern was very clear and easy to follow. Which is always a a plus when I fork out $ for a pattern. :)

I wrapped the pillows up with a thank you for their teachers and then for the teachers that they rotate to throughout the week, I wrapped up the little patchwork apples with a cute soap from Bath and Body Works and added a tag that said "We could not have 'PICKED' a better (gym, art, library, etc) teacher this year!" to the ribbon. They looked really cute all wrapped up and the teachers loved them when we ran them around the school.

Whew! Glad that I finished everything up in time! I fly out for Quilt Market in a few hours so I better run and pack! (Procrastinator as always- remember?!?)

If you are at market, I would love to meet you!!

Have a great week!!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

Backyard Roses Blog Tour // Maker's Tote

2016-05-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to be a part of the Backyard Roses Blog Tour! The minute saw the Backyard Roses fabric by Nadra of Ellis and Higgs for Riley Blake, I fell in love. Y'all know I am a sucker for a good floral and these florals are perfect!

I have been wanting to make a Maker's Tote for a while so I figured this was the perfect time.

The Maker's Tote is a great pattern. Anna of Noodlehead is a genius when it comes to pattern writing so I expected no less.

I made the smaller version of the bag and plan to send it to my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. It's a darling little bag that is perfect for keeping sewing notions or whatever you want in it. It totally reminds me of the old school doctor bags- which I think was the inspiration for Anna when she came up with the pattern. So cute!

I love the gusseted pockets on the inside and the gusset on the side of the bag. Little details like that are what I love seeing in a pattern and make the pattern exciting to me.

I didn't make any modifications to the bag- it was perfect as is in my opinion. :)

Be sure to check out the other projects that have been made as part of the tour- they are amazing!

4/18 - Riley Blake Designs

4/19 - Emily Ann's Kloset

4/20 - La La La Patchwork

4/21 - Simple Simon & Co.

4/22 - Down Grapevine Lane

4/23 - Veni Vidi Vicky

4/25 - Why Not Sew

4/26 - Jedi Craft Girl

4/27 - Allie & Me

4/28 - She Quilts a Lot

4/29 - Lilabelle Lane

4/30 - Das mach ich Nachts

5/2 - Tied with a Ribbon

5/3 - Mommy by Day Crafter by Night

5/4 - Carried Away Quilting

5/5 - September's Quilt Delight

5/6 - Oh How Sweet

5/7 - Schnig Schnag Quilts & More

5/9 - A Spoonful of Sugar

5/10 - Greenfietsen

5/11 - A Bright Corner

5/12 - Ellis & Higgs

Hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, Ashley

P.S.- These last few week have been so busy! I am getting ready to go to Quilt Market for the first time ever and I am beyond excited! (Let me know if you'll be there too- I'd love to meet you!)

I'm making several things for some of the fabric designers to display in their booths, which is super fun, but has kept me busy! I'll share those projects soon! :)

First Finish of 2016 + Some Exciting News

2016-03-03T11:57:00.000-06:00

For our family, 2016 is going to be an exciting year. We found out shortly after Thanksgiving last year that I was expecting, and just this week we went in for an ultrasound and found out that our baby is a BOY! Due in early August. After 2 girls close together, followed by a 6 year gap, it's going to be fun to have a baby in our home again and we are thrilled to find out that it's a boy. So that means I finally get the excuse to use up all of the darling blue, nautical fabric I've been hoarding for years! :)
My first trimester was filled with lots of nausea and not much desire to sew, so I haven't had too much to show over here on the ole blog, but I just finished my first make of 2016. It's just a small mini quilt for a swap that I was a part of, but it felt good to turn on my sewing machine and put the petal to the metal after weeks spent lying on the couch feeling blah. ;) My second trimesters are always much easier for me, so I am doing my best to take advantage of the surge of energy I've been having... And because it would be just too simple to sew one large quilt at time, I've jumped in and am in the middle of sewing 2 queen sized and 1 king sized quilt at once. My sewing room is kinda a disaster with three projects going on at once, but its fun. :)

Back to my mini quilt... This was such a fun little project to make. I love foundation paper piecing. I feel like it is the only way that I will take on intricate quit blocks because I can be so precise doing it that way. This cute little envelope block can be found in darling book Patchwork Please by Ayumi Takahashi. It may be the only book that I have that I actually like every single pattern included in the book, so I always feel totally justified in recommending it to a friend. Ayumi is just one of the most kind, and talented people that I know. Everything that she comes up with, from fabric to pattern to pretty much anything she touches is seriously GOLD in my eyes. (ok... I'll quit gushing now. ha ha)

This pattern is perfect for fussy cutting small pieces of fabric into the insides of the envelopes. I used cute bits of fabric by Tasha Noel from her Vintage Market and The Simple Life lines, and then bits of Bonnie + Camille and a handful of other fabrics I had in my stash for the envelopes. Firefly in Whisper from Bonnie Christine's Hello Bear line was the perfect low volume background.

Well I hope that y'all are having a great day. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my exciting news. :)
Happy Sewing!
xoxo, Ashley

The Cure for February

2016-02-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Do y'all ever get the mid winter blues? I am all about sunshine and good weather and when the gray skies stay constant and the weather makes me not want to leave the house I start longing for spring! I've been loving that the past couple days at my house have been full of sunshine and the temps are going to be in the low 70s this weekend, which is pretty crazy for the Midwest. Sadly, I am sure it won't last and we will be back to more dreary days before the sunshine and spring weather comes to stay. Blah!

Some good news though-
My blogger's choice bundle for the Fat Quarter Shop is in stock!! YAY! I just got my bundle this week and was so pleased with the way the colors came together... they are sure to brighten the dreariest of days! I can't wait to make something with these beauties!

So who could use a little pick me up, until Spring is here to stay? A little giveaway never fails to help brighten those dreary February days right???Since this little bundle brought some sunshine to my sewing room and a smile to my face, I thought it would be fun to do the same for someone else.

My friends at the Fat Quarter Shop are always in for a fun giveaway! They are going to send one lucky reader a fat quarter stack of my blogger' choice bundle.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

So just leave a comment
{with your email, so I can contact you if you win}
and let me know what you would make with this bundle.

I will choose one winner at random next Thurs. February 25 and notify them by email.

The winner is:

PaulineFebruary 20, 2016 at 5:29 PM

Well after I stare at them for a while (a stunning bundle I must say), I think they would compliment a mid-century modern quilt I've been conceptualizing for a while - thanks for the chance!

Have a great weekend!
xoxo, Ashley

Stash Case for Love Patchwork & Quilting Issue 30

2016-01-06T16:20:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, Love Patchwork & Quilting asked me to make a fabric suitcase for their magazine. I always love working with them, and it's pretty fun to have a project published, so I jumped at the chance. It's my first time being featured on the cover of the magazine (even if it is just a small picture), so that was kinda fun for me. ;)

My project is called the "Stash Case" and can be found in Issue 30 of the magazine. It's a really fun, quick project that's perfect to store fat quarters in, or pack your supplies in to take for a sewing date with a friend, or pretty much anything else you might need a small suitcase for. (My girls have laid claim on the two cases I made and they are currently being used to cart baby doll things around the house.)

Here is a sneak peek of the Stash Case until you can get your hands on a copy of the magazine.

The magazine is on sale now in the UK as well as the Apple Newstand. It will be coming to the US shortly and as soon as it does copies can be found at Barnes and Noble as well as Joann, so keep your eyes out! If you do happen to get your copy of the magazine on your tablet or mobile device, you can find printable templates to all of the projects HERE.

I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas and are off to a great start for 2016. I took some time off social media and sewing during the holidays to be with my family, but now that the kiddos are back in school I can't wait to jump back in and get sewing!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

My Wish List Giveaway

2015-12-16T19:30:00.002-06:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Every year when I was growing up, I would make a Christmas Wishlist. So, with Christmas just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to "be a kid again" and make my TOP 5 WISH LIST and do a little giveaway. The winner will choose one item from my wish list. The Fat Quarter Shop was kind enough to jump on board and sponsor the giveaway. :)

Here are the top 5 items on my wish list:

1. Cotton + Steel Bluebird Fat Quarter Bundle

2. Simplify Aurifil Thread Box

3. 4x8 Flying Geese Loc Bloc Ruler

4. Fall 2015 Retro 30s Child Smile Lecien Sushi Roll
5. Cotton + Steel Clover Fat Quarter Bundle

To enter the giveaway is simple, just leave a comment with your EMAIL ADDRESS and let me know which of the 5 items would be at the top of YOUR wish list.
(Your answer in no way effects the outcome of the giveaway, it's just fun to hear. Please make sure to leave your email or I won't be able to contact you.)

One winner will be chosen at random on December 23, 2015 and notified via email.

Thank you to everyone that entered the giveaway... One winner was chosen at random and the winner is:

Elisa AllanDecember 18, 2015 at 8:17 AM

the thread box, which is not something I'd normally purchase! I just love the colors, the box is so tidy, and I hope to have a couple projects in the spring that would be perfect for the thread!

My Fat Quarter Shop Blogger Bundle

2015-12-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Have y'all seen the fun bundles that the Fat Quarter Shop has fabric designers and bloggers put together?

These bundles are so fun. They consist of 12 prints that are handpicked and put together in a special bundle available only at The Fat Quarter Shop.

I was so flattered when the ladies at FQS asked me to put together a bundle.

Drum roll please.............. Here it is!!

My bundle will be available in February 2016. I'm just so excited about it. When I was choosing my prints, I knew that I wanted to mix some of the new Cotton + Steel lines that were just previewed at Quilt Market in October, as well as some of Bonnie + Camille's new Vintage Picnic line, and I threw in a darling print by October Afternoon as well. I just love these prints together and know that they will be even better in person! I can't wait to get my bundle and make something special with it.

One thing I love about The Fat Quarter Shop, is that you can sign up to receive email's when things are in stock... so if you want a little reminder sent to your email to let you know when it is available, here is a link to my bundle: http://www.fatquartershop.com/ashley-of-crafter-by-nights-bloggers-choice-fat-quarter-bundle

Plus, y'all know you can count on me to let you know when it is available as well.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

P.S. - I hope that y'all will tag me on IG or email me any photos of things that you are making with my bundle.

La Passacaglia Progress + Black Friday Fabric Sales

2015-11-26T22:00:00.000-06:00

I share most of my step by step progress of my La Passacaglia Quilt on IG, but I still like to post updates here too every once in a while... So here are some pictures of my progress so far.

(I could tell you about the fabrics, process, etc... but I think this time I'll just let the pictures do the talking. ;)

Well... Black Friday is upon us...

And I can't help but share some great fabric sales.

The Fat Quarter Shop: 25% off all orders from Friday Nov. 27 until Saturday Nov. 28 at Midnight CST. (excludes purchases of gift cards. No code necessary.)

Fort Worth Fabric Studio: Friday Nov. 27- Sat. Nov 28, all Riley Blake & Michael Miller is 15-25% off (no code necessary, prices reflected in the cart)

FabricCadabra: 20% off all orders Fri Nov. 27- Mon. Nov. 29.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xoxo, Ashley

6 Must Have Tools for English Paper Piecing

2015-11-21T15:49:00.000-06:00

English paper piecing is hands down my favorite way to sew/quilt for a many reasons.

Here are just a few:

1. I can sit on the couch (or anywhere for that matter) while doing it.

2. I love piecing itty bitty pieces of fabric by hand that I know wouldn't enjoy piecing on my machine.

3. I love fussy cutting and find it easier to match up fussy cuts when piecing by hand than as opposed to with my machine.

4. I love the shapes that I can easily create with EPP and I love that I can piece them with total precision. (If I were to try these shapes on my machine, I know I would be ripping seams out and feeling frustrated.)

I've been doing EPP for just over 3 years and I am totally hooked. I started with hexagons in my Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt. (still a work in progress) I am a little over half way done with my queen sized quilt. I only work on it a couple times a year. One of these days I need to get it out and work on it until it's all done before I work on my other projects!

Hexagons are such a simple shape to start with. I love them. I am using 1 1/2 inch hexagons in my flower garden quilt.

Then I came across a fun quilt on IG called the La Passacaglia. (Search the #lapassacaglia hashtag on IG and you will find the most amazing creations!) I started making mine just over a year ago. I am about 1/3 of the way with piecing the top and I am having to much fun.

Here's a current progress shot as of today:

After thousands of hours (i'm being totally serious when I say thousands), I have come up with 6 tools that are "must haves" in my book for English Paper Piecing.

#1- Pre cut paper pieces.

I know that some people swear by cutting their own papers and save lots of money doing that, but in my opinion the money spent on perfectly precut papers is worth it. Let me tell you why.

A. English paper piecing is labor intensive. It takes lots of time to cut your fabric, baste/glue the fabric to the paper pieces, and then sew them together. Adding another step (cutting paper) to that, makes an already long process longer. I know some people invest in diecutters and other machines to help them cut their pieces- and if that works for you- awesome! For now, I am sticking with ordering my pieces and not having to mess with cutting anything out.

B. One of the things that makes EPP look so amazing is that each shape is precise and fits together like a puzzle. Mis-shaped pieces can alter that and make the process less enjoyable if you are trying to fit pieces together that aren't matching up, which is likely to happen due to human error. Maybe it's just me, but I can't cut the same shape, multiple times, exactly the same no matter how hard I try. I like to leave that to the professional paper cutting people... paperpieces.com. (and just in case you were wondering- they aren't paying me to say that. It's just my opinion. You can find paper pieces from multiple sources, but the only ones I have ever tried are by paperpieces.com so those are the only ones I feel comfortable recommending)

C. With a project like the La Passacaglia, there are thousands and thousands of pieces in it. If I had to worry about trying to cut all of those and make sure they were exactly the right size, I'd go crazy! It's a crazy enough project to begin with. Having a pack of pre cut papers show up at my door makes tackling this quilt doable (in my opinion).

ok... I think you get my drift.

#2- Acrylic Cutting Templates

Oh man... these are a lifesaver for me and they go hand in hand with the pre cut paper pieces. These are thick acrylic shapes that match the papers you are using, but they add a seam allowance to the shape. Plus they are see through, so you can easily cut your fabric and see exactly what you are cutting.

Which leads me to my next tool...

#3- Rotary cutter

This is another MUST for EPP in my book. I cut all of my fabric with the help of my rotary cutter and acrylic templates. It ensures that each piece is nicely and uniformly cut. I like this rotary cuter by Olfa best.

#4- Elmer's Disappearing Purple Glue Stick

When I started doing my hexagons, I was thread basting the fabric to the papers and it worked great, but it took about double the time as glue basting. SO many people kept telling me to try glue, but for some reason I just didn't want to.... Until I started my La Pass. I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to thread baste those tiny shapes. So I ordered a Sewline glue pen. At over $6 a pop I was a little worried about the cost of this huge project and how many I would go through.

I loved the Sewline glue pen and loved the feel of the glue, but after a couple refills, my wallet was begging me to look for other options. After doing a bit of research and asking some trusted EPP friends, I decided to try the purple Elmer's glue sticks. I wasn't sure at first, but after a couple tries I was hooked. Being totally honest, I still love the feel of the Sewline pens the very best, but not enough to spend ten times the amount per glue stick.

Around Christmas time last year, I found a crazy clearance at Walmart for packages of 2 Elmer's glue sticks for the price of... wait for it... 10 cents. That means that each glue stick was 5 cents. It had to be a mistake right?? But sure enough, I grabbed all that were there (about 10 packs) and took them up to the check out. I got 20 glue sticks for $1. It is hands down the best sale I have ever gotten in my life. I've been using them for almost a year now and have only gone through a couple packages. I'm set for a long time! ;)

So after working with these glue sticks, I can tell you that I have fully tested them out enough to give you the recommendation of using them. Just apply a small amount about 1/8" away from the edge of the paper piece on each side and fold your fabric back to the glue to secure. When it's time to remove your papers, I've found that a quick pass of a hot iron over the fabric helps to warm the glue up a bit and makes for easier paper removal. (but honestly if I am in a hurry, my papers come out just fine without doing this step too.)

Whew... that testimonial was a little long- sorry!

#5- Richard Hemming and Sons size 11 milleners needles

My sweet friend Mary Dugan of Molly Flanders + Sunny Day Supply recommended these to me. I had been piecing for hours and my fingers were throbbing. She told me about these amazing needles that whip through the fabric like butter... so I ordered some. Oh my heck you guys!! They are hands down the most life changing sewing supply I own. I can not even tell you how easily they go through the fabric. They are so thin... Like super duper thin, so pushing them through time after time is effortless. I am a convert- never again will I use another needle for EPP. Plus they are $2.10 for a pack of 10. Please run... do not walk... to the nearest place that carries these needles and buy some! You can thank me later. ;)

#6- YLI Silk Thread

This is a supply that is very much debated in the EPP world. Some people swear that you should use cotton thread since you are using cotton fabric, some say polyester is best because it is strong and doesn't break, the list goes on and on... but you can bet that the answer will vary person to person.

Here is my experience.

I started my EPP with Aurifil cotton thread because it is the superior thread in my opinion when it comes to sewing with my machine. I love it, so I figured I would love it with my EPP too. WRONG. My thread was getting so tangled and snapping like you wouldn't believe. I was so frustrated with it. So in a pinch I switched over to a basic Coats and Clark poly thread that I had on hand. It was fine, but I found it hard to hide my stitches when I was using it. (sidenote: After trying different method of EPP, I have settled on the Whipstitch. It works best for me and just feels more natural to me than other methods.)

So I decided to try something else. I did some more research and settled on the Superior Bottomline 60 wt polyester thread. It is pretty near un-snapable, and I've never had it tangle on me. YAY!! So in that sense, it is such a great thread to work with. But I was still having problems with hiding my stitches. Darn! After more research and asking around, someone suggested using YLI 100 wt silk thread. I ordered some and right off the bat, it was snapping easier than the bottomline, but not as bad as the aurifil. It doesn't tangle though with is great. After getting a feel for it and it's "snapping point" I found that if I was gentle with it, I could easily hid my stitches with better results than the other threads I had tried. Yahoo! Most of my stitches are pretty much invisible with this silk thread. Since it's 100 wt, it's super fine and just blends into the fabric as long as you are using a similar color to the fabric you are using.

So- to be honest, this is the supply that I am still kinda on the fence about. I love the durability of the Bottomline thread, but I love the result of the YLI silk. So I think I will go back and forth between threads depending on the project I am making. For the La Passacaglia, the YLI silk thread is my choice. For my Flower Garden quilt, I am using white fabric around each flower and don't really have to worry as much about hiding my stitches as much, so I think I will stick with the Bottomline.

So there you have it.... 6 must have tools for English Paper Piecing, according to yours truly! :)

Hope this helps!!

Happy Sewing!!

xoxo, Ashley

Little Red Riding Hood Bag

2015-11-09T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! Can you believe that it's November?? I can't believe how fast time goes sometimes. October was a crazy month for me. I got super sick which lead to an unexpected surgery... Nothing serious, just had to have my tonsils out, but as a result I've been kinda scarce here on the blog for a little while. I'm almost all the way healed up and feeling soooo much better now. Thank goodness!

I haven't really been sewing too much on my machine since we moved into our new house. I've mostly been getting things settled. I did do a really fun project a couple weeks ago, but its top secret for now. (Don't you hate when people do that?? Me too! Sorry! :)

I have been working on my La Passacaglia quilt in my down time though. If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen my progress. (#mbdcbnpassacaglia) This project brings me so much joy. I love coming up with fabric combinations for the cogs and rosettes and then piecing them all together. So much fun!!

I'm sooo ready to get back to my machine now that I am feeling better though! I can not wait!

Until then, I thought I would share yet another Oliver + S Messenger bag that I made a couple years ago but never shared. It has to be my very favorite! I made it for my daughter and it is very beloved. She uses it all the time...

You can find the pattern in the Oliver + S Little Things to Sew book.

I made the smaller version, which is perfect as a little dolly diaper bag for her to play with, or to carry small books and odds and ends in.

I used one of my favorite fabric panels by Tasha Noel for her Little Red fabric line. It worked perfect for this bag. I added some mini pom pom detail along the top of the bag and used some Bonnie + Camille for the bias tape and strap. I just love the way it came together. So sweet.

I hope that y'all are having a wonderful day! Check back here soon for some fun Christmas projects that I have up my sleeve.

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

Velveteen LouLou Thi Messenger Bag

2015-09-02T10:41:00.002-05:00

Long time no see, right??

Our family made a cross country move last month and with packing up, moving, and buying our first home I've been busy, busy, busy! We made it to the Midwest and are finally settled in so I will be back to the swing of things now. Now that both of my kiddos are in school all day, I am dying to get sewing and creating again!

In the meantime, I thought I would share a little project that I finished a couple years ago but never got around to sharing.

Y'all know that I get kind of obsessed with bag patterns when I find one that I love.
Perfect example of this: The Amy Butler Weekender Bag.
If you've been reading and following my blog for the past few years, you will know that I have a deep love for the Oliver + S Messenger Bag too. Like "I've made 10 of them" kind of love. I love the small version, I love the large version... I just LOVE the pattern!

You can find the pattern for this bag in the Oliver + S Little Things to Sew book. If you have little kiddos (or just want to make a messenger bag) I would recommend this book. There are quite a few projects featured in the book along with the messenger bag- I've made a handful of the projects and they are all really fun.

pattern: Oliver + S Messenger Bag (large version)

fabric: AMH Lou Lou Thi Velveteen (exterior + bag strap), AMH Lou Lou Thi Needlework cotton (interior), bias tape- brown and cream stripe from my stash.
I loved using the velveteen for this bag. It added an extra durability to the bag, as well as an extra softness.

After giving each of the messenger bags that I've made away as gifts, I think it's time that I whip up another and keep it for myself. ;)

Have a great week!
Happy sewing!
xoxo, Ashley