SarahB Sews

Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle ~ my choice

2012-01-02T00:47:00.001-07:00

There's a fun contest going on at Quokka's Quilts right now and I couldn't resist joining in! Fat Quarter Shop has specially selected fat quarter bundles that have been chosen by various designers and bloggers. The winner of this contest will get a bundle up for sale at Fat Quarter Shop this year AND wins 1/2 yard of each of the fabrics included in the bundle they created!

As the base of my blogger's choice bundle I had to choose some prints from the new Urban Cowgirl collection by Urban Chiks - I just have to get my hands on it! And once I started looking around, I found that Butterscotch & Roses by Fig Tree Quilts and Curio by Basic Grey also coordinate beautifully! I love the browns in Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs too!

From left to right, top to bottom:
1. Blueberry Crumb Cake Cake Bouquet - Blackbird Designs
2. Urban Cowgirl Turquoise Bandana - Urban Chiks
3. Urban Cowgirl Turquoise Pony Ride - Urban Chiks
4. Urban Cowgirl Pond Cowboy Shirt - Urban Chiks
5. Urban Cowgirl Mud Jolie Yardage - Urban Chiks
6. Curio Asparagus Camellia Yardage - Basic Grey
7. Curio Butternut Victoria Yardage - Basic Grey
8. Butterscotch & Roses Fresh Tarragon Acorn Mosaic - Fig Tree Quilts
9. Urban Cowgirl Rose Cowboy Shirt - Urban Chiks
10. Butterscotch & Roses Frosting Rose Queen Anne's Lace - Fig Tree Quilts
11. Urban Cowgirl Mud Lace - Urban Chiks
12. Urban Cowgirl Cotton Lucky - Urban Chiks
13. Bella Solids Willow (#119)
14. Bella Solids Stone (#128)
15. Bella Solids Together Tan (#179)

Windy Days Quilt Feature!

2011-12-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share that my Windy Days pattern is being featured on Pink Chalk Studio's Countdown to Christmas today!

In case you are hopping over from Pink Chalk Studios or Moda Bake Shop, I wanted to point out these additional instructions in case you are using yardage for the background rather than 2 solid charm packs.

If you are looking for a little inspiration, head over to flickr to see some of the other Windy Days quilts that have been made! Such a variety!

Little Things to Sew: Red Riding Hood

2011-11-01T23:38:00.000-06:00

The adorable Red Riding Hood cape is a pattern in Liesl Gibson's Little Things to Sew book! It's on the schedule for a little gray's sew along in March, but I couldn't wait!

The plaid is a cotton flannel, in her favorite purple of course!

The lining is a purple dotty quilting cotton. I added a button on the lining side too so the cape is reversible!

Another cape is on my to do list!

Little Things to Sew: Bias Trimmed Apron

2011-11-01T22:36:00.000-06:00

October's Little Things To Sew-Along project was the super-cute Bias Trimmed Apron!

I found this cute cupcake-printed canvas and knew it was just perfect for my little M! She LOVES cupcakes and I used the same purple swiss dot fabric I used on her hooded cape (still need to post about it!) for the bias trim. My bias tape machine came in so handy! :)

If you haven't picked up Liesl Gibson's Oliver + S Little Things To Sew book yet, do it now! Back in April when I first got my copy, the Bias Trimmed Apron was my project! Here it is. :)

Be sure to head over to the Little Things to Sew-Along link-up post at a little gray and see all the other cute aprons! November's project is the Puppet Theater! It's going to be my big Christmas surprise to my kiddos. :)

Homemade Spray Starch

2011-10-30T10:32:00.000-06:00

I don't typically use starch when sewing or ironing, but when making a shirt with homespun plaid it became very evident I needed some! I'd seem homemade spray starch recipes before, so instead of running to the store, I just whipped some up at home! The extra benefit to making my own (besides the cost savings) is that I was able to use a starch safe for my allergic little guy. :)

This is the recipe I used:

* 1 cups water
* 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch (you can use corn starch instead)

Bring the water to a boil and dissolve the starch completely. Let cool and transfer to a spray bottle.

Shake your bottle before use, spray generously on fabric and press with a hot, dry iron.

It created such a stiff fabric and made placket and sleeve cuff insertion so much easier! I've seen recipes say to only keep this for a couple days, then make a new batch, because it may go rancid. I haven't needed to use it again much since I mixed it up about a month ago, but did check mine and it seemed absolutely fine. I probably will go ahead and mix up a new batch just before a project requiring a lot of starch, just to be careful.

Orange Plaid Sketchbook Shirt

2011-10-30T10:02:00.000-06:00

I had always planned to make my little guy a few more Oliver + S Sketchbook shirts for the cooler weather, but when I happened upon this lovely orange homespun plaid, I knew I'd found the perfect fabric! He ADORES orange and I can't resist a nice plaid, so it was a perfect match.

The homespun is so very soft! But that also means it ravels a lot! The Oliver + S patterns hide most the seams, and I always do French seams wherever possible, but that leaves the edges around the sleeve seams raw. I usually just do an overcast stitch there, and the fabric doesn't fray much in the wash, but this time around I wanted to make sure everything was really covered. I made a narrow bias tape (finished to 1/4"), trimmed the sleeve seams by just about 1/8" after stitching (to removed fraying and threads), then applied the tape. I love the result!

I'm happy to say he LOVES his extra special orange shirt! As you can see, it's perfect for doing a little victory dance….

Or just standing around looking cool!

Little Things To Sew: Backpack - Cars version

2011-10-07T12:50:00.001-06:00

The September Oliver + S Little Things to Sew-Along project was the adorable backpack! I was running late of course, and despite sketching out my idea in August and gathering supplies in early September, I didn't get around to actually sewing until the last week of September, and finally finished up this morning.

My little guy LOVES the movies Cars. I knew when I got Little Things to Sew I wanted to make him his own backpack to take to the library and to doctor's appointments, but one day mid-migraine I realized that Lightening McQueen is rather backpack shaped. :) So I was determined to take Liesl's cute pattern and give it a special spin for my obsessed little guy.

The pattern is basically the same, with just some added appliqués. I did have to lower the front pocket to accommodate the eyes. :) Most of the outer fabric is twill, but some of small appliqués are quilting cotton. The white zipper is his mouth which my girls think is alternately hilarious and creepy.

I ordered the strap adjusters from http://www.strapworks.com/ and went ahead with a few extras anticipating making more backpacks in the future. :)

Little Things to Sew: Bucket Hats

2011-08-30T19:09:00.000-06:00

This one should have a subtitle… you can't make just one! Two complete, plans for at least 3 more in the near future!

First I finished the green and blue star hat. It reverses to a solid light blue and has green topstitching.

And my little guy had to have an orange hat of course! I embellished it with a motif from the same line as the orange star print, Riley Blake's All Star 2.

It reverses to a nice blue chambray/crossweave with a similar appliquéd motif.

I was brave and used orange topstitching! A medium orange for the blue side and a lighter orange in the bobbin for the reverse so it shows up a bit better on the print.

And because these little hats are just so fun to make, I picked up these two lovely fat quarters today! The folded up one is from Jenean Morrison's Silent Cinema line, but to me it looks just like airplane propellors and ties in nicely with the adorable paper airplanes and paper hats on the unfolded fat quarter. I didn't get the selvage end, but managed to hunt down that this cute-as-can be print is by Sarah Jane Studios. Plus I have fabric set aside for hats for my girls too!

Now what exactly got me making all these bucket hats? Well the Little Things To Sew-Along at a little gray, of course! Click over to the Bucket Hat Link Up to see all the hats created this month during the sew-along!

If you don't have Oliver + S Little Things To Sew yet, you can now test it out and get the bucket hat pattern for free! Take a peek at the Oliver + S blog regarding a recent AP article that included a link to the pattern. :)

Music Box Uniform Jumpers

2011-08-30T18:32:00.000-06:00

This year my girls needed uniforms for school and I was determined to make as many of them as possible. The Oliver + S Music Box Jumper makes a perfect uniform!

Here is View A, with all the inverted box pleats, as modeled by my younger daughter.

I hemmed it for my older daughter to wear, but little M loves it just the same. :)

The best thing about making your own uniforms is hiding special touches inside. I tucked a bit of pretty pink dotty trim inside the bodice seam and also at the hem.

Here you can see the jumper isn't really all that long. :)

At first I thought View A was my favorite, but after making View B I changed my mind-- see how sweet it is?! Just one simple box pleat and then an A-line silhouette.

I took the inside embellishment a little farther on this jumper too. :) Since the bodice has a facing I was able to a little appliqué around the edge of this fused heart.

More uniforms to come another day! :)

A Birthday Outfit!

2011-07-19T17:54:00.000-06:00

My oldest's birthday was this weekend and that requires a special outfit, don't you think?

A few weeks ago I'd picked up some cute Sweetwater Sunkissed prints off Above All Fabric's Value Wall and I knew right away that I would pair them as an Oliver + S Hopscotch skirt and 2+2 blouse. I think it turned out so cute!

Central Park Sudoku Quilt

2011-06-28T20:04:00.000-06:00

It's finished! :) Kate Spain's Central Park line is one of my all time favorites, so when I received the Central Park Sudoku kit as an especially thoughtful gift, I simply couldn't resist diving right in! I chose Moda Bella Basics Stone for the sashing and borders and the purple daisy print for the binding.

I sent the quilt down to my mom's friend for long arm quilting and she did an amazing job! The feathers have little hearts snuck in and the design in the sashing and borders is separate from the 9-patches. I picked the quilt up on our recent visit and then hand-sewed the binding on as my husband drove us back home.

I just had to do a pieced back on this quilt again, and I absolutely love it! The big floral is my favorite from the Central Park line and I put the tiny 2 1/2" sample squares from the whole line to use too!

Pieced backs make me so happy! :)

Puppy Pips Family Reunion Sew-Along Dress

2011-06-28T18:58:00.002-06:00

For the Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress Sew-Along, I used the adorable grey Sherbet Pips Puppy Dog Tails print by Aneela Hoey and with every stitch I took, I really do love this fabric more and more! I'm so happy I have some good sized scraps of it left!

I'm pleased to say the dress is a hit with my little Miss M too! :)

The red topstitching is one of my favorite things about this dress!

I'm so happy I decided to switch to red buttons instead of the brown buttons I'd originally chosen! It's hard to see in earlier photos, but the tiny buttons on the front tab are little hearts. :)

Last but not least, the 2 Family Reunion dresses together in action! :)

I've finished posting sew-along steps on Above All Fabric's blog, but there's still time left to finish up your dress and be eligible for the prize! Plus, you don't want to miss all the great inspiration in the Family Reunion Sew-Along Flickr group!

Family Reunion Blouse - gathered neckline modification

2011-06-15T00:26:00.001-06:00

Are you joining in the Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress Sew-Along?

Inspired by a purchased shirt with a similar neck facing, I wanted to try out a gathered neckline with the Family Reunion blouse pattern. I pulled a pretty, but random no-name print my stash to use as my test fabric.

I used the same Family Reunion pattern pieces, but omitted the button tab/center ruffle.

I didn't bother marking the pintucks, and only sewn from the notch about an 1 1/4" in. I included the pintucks solely as a quick way of making the body of the blouse fit the neck facing without having to fight the gathers.

Rather than pressing the pintucks towards the sleeves, I pressed them open, thinking this would better distribute the gathers.

Attach and turn the neck facing just as in the instructions.

Just below the bottom of the pintucks, but within the area that falls inside the area to be covered by the neck facing, sew a basting stitch. (You may want to stitch 2 lines of basting, with the 2nd below the neck facing, but I found the single basting stitch worked well.) Pin the neck facing in place, evenly spacing the gathers in the pintuck area. Edgestitch to attache the neck facing and remove the basting stitches from the inside of the garment.

This particular shirt should have been made a size 5 rather than a 6 for my girlie, but I think it still turned out pretty cute! :)

If you haven't joined the Family Reunion Dress Sew-Along, it's not too late! Pick up your supplies and start as soon as you can! :)

I'll be posting steps to help guide you along in following the already wonderful Oliver+S instructions every other day on Above All Fabric's blog! You can keep right up as I post the steps, or catch up later if you don't have all your supplies yet! As long as you submit a finished project image to the Family Reunion Sew-Along Flickr group

Two Popover Dresses!

2011-06-13T00:32:00.000-06:00

Summer sewing is in full swing here! Last Sunday I whipped up these 2 adorable Oliver + S Popover Dresses!

One dress with a cute print and some leftover bias trim from the Windy Days quilt!

And another from a summery purple strawberry print and the same red dotty fabric I pulled out when I made my 1st Family Reunion Dress!

I had to add a bit more inside even, it's just so cute! :)

I can't believe it took me so long to try this pattern! It's super-quick and such a cute result!

My sewing spree isn't over, not even close! I have a few more fun projects in the works, plus I just bought fabric to sew my girls school uniforms for next year, so I have lots of sewing to do! But, 1st things 1st, it's time for the Family Reunion Dress Sew-Along! I'm so excited! Are you joining in?

Another Ice Cream Dress

2011-06-02T20:32:00.000-06:00

So after one Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress, I was hooked! I just had to make another! For this one, I picked some of my very favorite prints from Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet line.

I ordered this beautiful splashy rose last year for a summer dress but never got around to it, so I knew it was time to take the plunge and cut into it. It's paired with 2 other Meadowsweet prints, including the leaf Henna Garden print that I should have bought a bolt of, I love it so much. (It coordinates beautifully with Kate Spain's Central Park too!)

Little squirrel joining in on this photo….

My girlies love their Ice Cream dresses! :)

A very purple Ice Cream Dress

2011-05-31T18:47:00.001-06:00

We've all been sick around here but this weekend I couldn't stand it a minute longer, and just needed a happy, springy project to distract me from the fever and coughing. I've been meaning to make the Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress for about a year now, but decided it was perfect project. I used 2 fabrics from Dena Designs' McKenzie line that I picked up as a prize from Project Quilting!

Love those pockets!

I goofed and left the button loop too long. :( It will work ok though. I may look for a prettier button to replace this one though.

The recipient sure loves her dress though! And that's what's most important!

This pattern was so quick to sew and makes a great summer dress! I have fabrics picked out for another already. :)

3rd Annual Bloggers' Quilt Festival: My Windy Days Quilt!

2011-05-20T17:01:00.000-06:00

It's that time again! Time for another Blogger's Quilt Festival!

I almost didn't get a post done in time this year, but happily I've snuck in right on the last day with my latest finished quilt, which I've been talking a lot about these last couple days! This is my Windy Days pattern made with the MoMo Just Wing It! line, and it just debuted on the Moda Bake Shop blog earlier this week! :)

This is an extra-special quilt to me because it's my first "published" quilt pattern! My oldest daughter really loves it too and took it to school today for her "read-in," though she warned me she was going to keep the back side up because she likes it better. :) (I love the back too, so I can't be upset!)

I'm also thrilled with this little quilt because sweet Melanie of Above All Fabric is selling Windy Days kits to recreate it! (Another big first for me!)

You can see more close ups of the finished quilt over on my tutorial, but I thought it would be fun to share one of my quilt photoshoot out-takes. This is what happens when you have little helpers! :)

And I also managed an adorable little scrunched-nose photo!

Thanks for visiting! :)

Introducing my Windy Days Quilt pattern!

2011-05-18T01:07:00.001-06:00

I'm so pleased to have a new "recipe" up at Moda Bake Shop today, my Windy Days Quilt!

If you've been a long-time reader of mine, you may recognize this design! It originated as a scrappy quilt for my little boy (and I sliced a bit of my fingertip off during construction)!

I wanted to share instructions here on how to use yardage for the solid pieces rather than the charms packs in case you want to use a color not available in precuts.

If you wish to use yardage for your "solid" rather than 2 charm packs, you will need 1 1/2 yards of fabric. You could certainly use a subtle print too!

The quilt needs a total of 45 4 1/2" background squares and 36 additional 5" squares that will be pieced with the prints.

To cut these out of the 1 1/2" yards of fabric, cut as follows:

5 strips, selvage-to-selvage, 4 1/2" wide

Cut strips into 4 1/2" squares (9 squares per strip)

4 strips, selvage-to-selvage, 5" wide

Cut strips into 5" squares (8 squares per strip, you'll have a few leftover)

Lovely Melanie of Above All Fabric has created kits with a few different fabric options for Windy Days! I didn't have enough fabric left over to add a border to my quilt, but I do love how it looked when I set the fabric out! So, the quilt kit includes fabric to add a border for your quilt!

Here are the other options in addition to Just Wing It (so far): Hullabaloo and Happier!

I sure hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I do! :)

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2011/05/windy-days-quilt.html

Introducing the Family Reunion Dress Sew-Along!

2011-05-17T23:35:00.002-06:00

I wanted to show a few more photos of very latest project, the Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress and introduce the Family Reunion Dress Sew-Along on Above All Fabric's blog in June! (Grab this button and add it to your blog!)

For my sample dress, I chose the cute pink floral from Riley Blake's Sugar & Spice line!

I added a teeny bit of bias trim created from red w/ white polka dots fabric fabric from my stash around the button tab. This photo is a bit blurry, but I just love the pintuck details!

I love all the buttons down the back too!

So…start thinking! I will have a post up soon at Above All Fabric's blog with fabric inspiration to help you shop for supplies your Family Reunion Dress! :)

I'm planning to make another right along with everyone else, so I have to pick some more fabric too!

Lots of catching up! Quilts and little clothes and a fun meeting!

2011-05-16T11:56:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted here, so that means I have lots of photos to share!

I have not 1, not 2, but 3 quilts in the almost-done stage right now!

Two are baby quilts for friends about to head off to sweet little newborns as soon as I put the finishing touches on. Here is one of the quilt tops before quilting-- it is now backed with light blue Minkee. I made up the pattern when I was inspired by the fabric. I'll do a little write-up on it when I get photos of the finished quilt!

Somehow I've managed not to get a great photo of the other baby quilt top, but I love it! Here's an early process photo. It's Basic Grey Sultry, and I'm using a Moda Bake Shop recipe. I'll post finished photos of it when it's done too!

And here's a quilt just for me! :) It's Kate Spain's Central Park line, which I absolutely adore! (And have plans for a 2nd quilt with too!) This is a Sudoku kit! (Bad photo though! See the 2nd photo for true colors.) The solid I used for the sashing and border is Moda Bella Basics Stone.

And here is the back, which I love just as much as the front! I used a set of little 2 1/2" Central Park precuts that Kate Spain sent me after winning a Christmas giveaway on her blog.

I joined in a Pincushion Swap hosted by Cara Quilts (also host of Talkin' Tuesdays on Twitter!). This is what my swap parter recieved! It's a modified version of my Moda Bake Shop Log Cabin Baby Block tutorial, made smaller and scrappy.

I finally bought the Oliver + S Little Things To Sew book! I don't know why I waited so long! So many cute projects in it! Within a week of receiving the book, my oldest had already chosen the bias-trimmed apron and fabric for it for her costume to wear to Career Day at school (she was dressing up as an artist). I think it's as cute as can be!

Now this cute little shirt was supposed to be my little guy's Christmas outfit, but I only got it cut out before Christmas, not sewn. Then it just sat neglected. I finally sewed it up, had a horrid time with my machine (which is overdue for service) cooperating on the buttonholes, and once I got the buttonholes done was so frustrated I set it aside again. Finally I sewed the buttons on a week or so ago. It's the Oliver + S Sketchbook Shirt in a fun Sweetwater Pure argyle print.

I just wish I'd made it a size 3 instead of a size 2 so it would fit him longer!

Here is my very latest project, the Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress! The fabric is from Riley Blake's Sugar & Spice line, isn't is cute? You will be seeing a lot more of this dress in the coming weeks! :) I will be hosting a Family Reunion Dress sew-along on Above All Fabric's blog in June! Stay tuned for more details!!!

A few weeks ago Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S had a book signing appearance at a not-too-terribly-far-away (and super cute!) shop, Fancy Tiger, so I had to go! Since the kiddies were dressed in their O+S favorites, Liesl kindly posed for a photo with us.

Sweet Trish Preston runs a weekly feature on her Two Peas in a Pod Designs blog called Monday Morning Inspirations and in April she featured me! :) Hop on over to read my little interview. Trish is so nice, and so full inspiration herself! And this summer you will be able to watch her on PBS in a new show called It's Sew Easy!

And last but not least, here's a little sneak peek! I will have a new Moda Bake Shop recipe debuting on Wednesday! Here's a pic from the photo shoot. :)

Moda Bake Shop contest, an exciting magazine back cover & a sneak peek!

2011-03-24T18:41:00.001-06:00

Have you heard about the Moda Bake Shop contest for March? Head over to the Contest page and download the Printer Friendly Version to read all the details!

Charm packs might be my very favorite precut! They are so inexpensive and you get a taste of the whole fabric line! Plus, there's a lot you can do with a 5" square!

Remember my Log Cabin Baby Block Recipe? You can make one with Charm Pack (and have some left over)!

If you've picked up the Perfect for Precuts magazine that's on newstands right now, be sure you flip it over and take a look at the back cover!

What's that in the top left corner? :) Lots of other great MBS projects and friendly faces too!

I'm currently putting up finishing touches an on new Moda Bake Shop recipe that will also feature Charm Packs! I won't show you the whole thing, but here's a little sneak peek.

You can also search Moda Bake Shop for all recipes featuring Charm Packs!

Sunny Scallop Dress - pattern review!

2011-03-23T11:37:00.000-06:00

In the midst of all the sickness around our house last week I didn't get a chance to mention that my pattern review of Jona G's cute Sunny Scallop Dress appeared on Above All Fabric's blog last week! Hop on over and take a peek! It's recipient certainly loves it! :)

Jona G’s Sunny Scallop Dress pattern with Mo Bedell’s Party Dress in Ramble – Shindig for the body of the dress and the Drip Strips in Fiesta for the ruffle, and for the underskirt, Jennifer Paganelli’s Jodi print from her Queen Street collection in Fuschia.

Geese at Sunset - behind the scenes post

2011-03-18T16:38:00.001-06:00

A few days ago I introduced you to my little Geese at Sunset mini quilt that I created for the Project Quilt Flying Geese Challenge, but I hadn't loaded the in-progress pictures off my phone at that point, so since I finally did today, I thought I'd share them with you! (Public voting is still open though tomorrow, so be sure to head over and look at all the great entries! Mine is listed as "Sarah B.")

When I read the challenge I knew just what I wanted to do! But I didn't own a single scrap of batik fabric! I made a special trip to my local quilt shop and found fat quarters of just what I had in mind along with a half yard of some the blackest black fabric I've ever seen! (I need to learn how to photograph black fabric without it looking like a mistake!)

I sketched out my paper piecing pattern on reclaimed Christmas wrapping paper. If you squint you can see I numbered for a while there with the larger triangles but then quit. There are about 30 small pieces in the bottom and 30 more in the top row of geese.

I then cut the this pattern in half (top & bottom) and started piecing.

The pic below is just before I gave up on Saturday night, so the lighting is cruddy. The paper pieced geese are all together in a triangle section and I was trying to visualize how I was going to inset them into the partially done strip-pieced sky. I cut each strip 1 1/2" wide. (That's a big kid's book acting as a design tray of sorts.) Instead of doing strips all the way across the quilt I pieced angles in here and there for a little more interest.

By the time morning rolled around I was in such a rush I didn't take any more in-progress photos. I basically did a Y-seam to inset the geese, fiddling a bit to get it sitting flat and in the processes ended up chopping off a few points off a couple triangles which thoroughly annoyed me, but I knew if I tried to fix it I wouldn't get it entered, so I just pushed on. I quickly hand cut a landscape out of black fabric, fused it on, then machined stitched along the edge. I did the quilting in coordinating sky colors so it wouldn't stand out too much, and took care not to sew on top of the geese. Then I quickly machine stitched on the black binding, took my photos and finally breathed, shocked that I managed to get it done! :)

If you haven't yet, remember to VOTE! Be sure to take a look at all the great entries and comment to enter the public drawing too!

I couldn't finish this post without including a photo of what my 6-year-old daughter created with my scraps! She did this while I was attaching the binding on my Geese quilt and insisted that I not turn around until it was ready. I've always known she had an artistic flair, but this makes it clear she has a talent for modern quilting! I've promised her we would turn this into a real quilt together. :)

Project Quilting: Flying Geese Challenge & a wild Nature Walk Pullover

2011-03-15T14:26:00.001-06:00

I just couldn't miss out on this week's Project Quilting challenge! I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I read the challenge combining the traditional flying geese block and complimentary colors! It immediately made me think of geese flying in the sky at sunset!

This piece measures approximately 17" x 9 1/2". I used foundation piecing (geese), traditional piecing (sky) and fusible applique (for the lower landscape).

I alway try something new for each Project Quilting Challenge! This was my first time using batiks or a true black. Even though I knew just what I wanted to do as soon as I read the challenge, time got away from me, so this also became the first time I think I've ever completed a full project in less than 24 hours, as I finally started sketching this one after noon Central Saturday (yesterday) and we lost an hour to daylight savings overnight.

If you like it, I'd really love your VOTE! Be sure to take a look at all the great entries and comment to enter the public drawing too! (I'm Sarah B.)

The week before last I whipped up this special shirt for my little guy. He picked out the fabrics himself! They are Riley Blake All Star 2 and the pattern is the Oliver + S Nature Walk Pullover.

(Take a peek at the mock up I did months ago of it in Photoshop!)

Project Quilting - Be My Valentine challenge

2011-02-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

The 3rd challenge of Project Quilting season 2 was posted last week and I really wanted to join in! (Voting is up now!)

I came up with a plan pretty early but the week started with a sick kiddo, then came a snowstorm, then migraines…. I finally cut fabric on Thursday and got out to pick up a frame on Friday! Originally I'd had a 10" tall 20" wide frame in mind, but just couldn't find one! So it turned out to be for the best the I waited to start sewing until I found the frame. This frame is 11" x 14".

I made this special little framed quilt as a keepsake for my husband and myself as a reminder of our family. Each heart represents our kids, the rosy heart is our oldest who adores pink, the middle is our second purple-loving daughter, and the third is our little boy. The green border made up of half-inch squares represents me and my husband. (They were inspired by the recent postage stamp quilt-along!)

All the fabrics used for patchwork are either from the kids' baby quilts or from my latest quilt that I made for my husband and I, so it's neat to pick each little piece out and see where it came from!

The hearts were crazy pieced then raw-edged appliquéd on to the pieced background.

In this close up if you squint you can almost see the free-motion quilted loops and hearts on the background.

As I did last season in Project Quilting, I gave myself an additional challenge for each one I completed to try something new! This is the first quilt I've completed with raw edge appliqué and the first quilt I've placed in a frame.

Head on over to Kim's Crafty Apple and see all this week's other Project Quilting entries! Be sure to vote for your favorite!