St. Louis Folk Victorian

Finding my Motivation

2013-05-16T07:45:00.001-05:00

This pretty much sums up the last few weeks, as I'm still struggling to get my sewing mojo back. Before this, I used to spend hours in my studio either quilting, prepping for my next project, or spending time at the computer working on pattern-writing, answering emails, etc.

Now, what little bit of time I do have (because my "pay the bills" job has been demanding LOTS of long hours lately), I've been spending it doing ALOT of nothing. While I realize that we all get in those modes now and again, it is very frustrating because I know that I have alot I SHOULD be doing, and even more that I WANT to be doing.

The saving grace, has been that I can always count on a little charitable sewing...as there is no bigger motivater then doing things for others.

First, my guild (St. Louis MQG) is participating in the "To Boston With Love" pennant collection. Did you hear that all of the pennants will hang in the prestigious Boston Museum of Fine Arts will exhibit the collection on May 23rd through June 16th...AWESOME!!!

Here are my 3 pennant contributions. The first is a Paper Pieced Flying Geese, and the others are appliqued.

And as part of the monthly do.Good.Stitches Bee (Trust Circle). I contributed these 2 blocks.

Third, I'm working on piecing and quilting all of the blocks that were collected during my month of the do.Good.Stitches Bee (Trust Circle). I can't wait to put the finishing touches on this one and share it with the group.

Obviously, these weeks haven't been completely unproductive, as evidenced by the above; but they they haven't been what I would consider usual. I'll just continue to take it one day at a time and see what happens.

One goal I do have is that after Memorial Day, I'll be looking for some Pattern Testers. Yep, it's about that time again. I'm working on my next 2 quilt patterns and need some assistance. So if you are interested, definately let me know and I'll put your name on the "Eager Beaver" list. The official call will go out in a few weeks.

Happy Thursday !!

P.S. I have gotten a few emails asking if I will be making another pixelated quilt anytime soon. Honestly, I'm dying to do another one (Yep, even after all of that tedious work); but it's going to have to wait a while.

Sew,Mama,Sew! Giveaway Day Winner

2013-05-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know that Mr. Random Generator selected a winner for Giveaway Day.

Congratulations Elisabeth !!

I've sent you an email, so be sure to check your spam folder if you haven't received it yet.

Finally, a BIG Thanks to everyone who came to visit my little blog, and who left comments not only on the Giveaway Day post; but on other posts too. I really liked reading what you had planned over the next few months; hopefully you'll be able to get 1 if not more of those things done.

Happy Saturday!!

SewMamaSew Giveaway Day - May 6th, 2013

2013-05-06T08:01:00.001-05:00

While normally Mondays can be a drag as the weekend is over and one usually has to go back to work, this Monday is special...well, actually this week is special as it's Sew, Mama, Sew!'s Giveaway Day. For the uninitiated, you definately need to check out Sew, Mama, Sew's blog for all the details...trust me, you don't want to miss out on the fun.

In the meantime, if this is your first time visiting St. Louis Folk Victorian....Welcome!!! Press that little About Me tab at the top to learn a little more. Then check out some of the other tabs too, as I have created several free crafting tutorials, even written several quilt patterns...two of which are MAZED and INDEX; which you can pick up at my Craftsy or Etsy shop.

And here are some of my most popular posts:

Pixeling...(The Finale)...otherwise known as The Tenth

Modernized D9P

A whole "Lotta" Tipsy Triangles, Tutorial

Want to know what else I'm up to, you can find me on other social media too. Just visit any one of those links directly under my photo along the right sidebar...whether it's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Flickr...I'm there, sharing little bits with you all too.

If you are a frequent visitor, subscriber, etc...Thanks for stopping by, I really, really do appreciate your visits and comments. You are what make blogging exciting, otherwise it's just me, talking to myself :-)

Now, getting back to Giveaway Day....how would you like the opportunity to win this wall quilt.

Are you excited yet?

This quilt was made as part of a challenge my local guild, the STLMQG (St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild) held last August. While I love this little quilt, I honestly have too many little quilts like this and I'd rather see one go to a good home, then sit in a pile in my studio. This one measures 27" x 33".

You can read all about this quilt, why it was created, what the inspiration was, etc.

So, how do you get your name in the hat, I know you wanna know.................

=================GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED=================

1. Leave 1 comment below telling me one or two things you are hoping to accomplish this Summer. It can be crafty, educational, pure fun, etc.

2. Make sure that you include an email address, Flickr Name, etc in your comment if you are a No-Reply Blogger. If you don't know what a No-Reply Blogger is, check this out...it could mean the difference between winning a prize, getting feedback, etc.

=============================

--Drawing will close on Friday, May 10th 8pm (CST).

--A winner will be selected by Random Generator, they will be contacted by email and
their name posted on this blog too. Remember, don't be a No-Reply Blogger.

--If I cannot get in touch with the winner by Sunday, May 12th

another name will be drawn.

--International friends are welcome to enter too.

Good Luck!!

Oh, and one more thing...I have comment moderation on because of those Nasty Spammers,

so your comments will show up throughout the day, NOT immediately

FLOOR PLAN - Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine

2013-05-01T07:05:00.005-05:00

Having collaborated with Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine in the Fall, when I created the Bridges & Tunnels quilt. I was honored when they chose another quilt pattern of mine to be included in their Spring issue; which you can find on newsstands now.

If having a pattern in their magazine wasn't exciting enough, I also had the opportunity to contribute to "Guild Talk" in the back of the magazine highlighting my AWESOME St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild.

I named this quilt Floor Plan as it reminded me of office cubicles; before my office of course moved to an "Open Work Environment". Man, sometimes I miss those cubicles.

Moda Fabrics let me play with the new PB&J line from BasicGrey.

After lots of cutting and chain-piecing, things were coming together nicely.

Up until my Doctor Who pixel quilt, Floor Plan was one of the largest quilt that I had made to date measuring 58" x 74". I'm very proud of this quilt and it's design is simple enough that a Beginner can tackle it too.

If you haven't yet subscribed or bought a copy of Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine, you most definately need to get on that right quick.

Happy Wednesday !!

Whirlwind Week - The Pixel Quilt Recap

2013-04-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had one of those surreal moments when you swear that you must be dreaming?

Yeah, me too...only my entire last week has been one ridiculously amazing adventure after another and I'm still not entirely sure that it was ALL real; so forgive me if I still have a puzzled look on my face.

It all started on Sunday, April 21st when I posted the below picture and wrote this post.

I had hoped that I'd get a 100 or so views on my blog post, maybe a couple of Pins into Pinterest and maybe some quilting friends or blog followers would comment. Yet, what I didn't expect was this...

This my friends is my blog stat counter for last week. See that # up at the top...15015, that is 15015 views on 1 post...1 freakin' awesome post about my David Tennant "The Tenth" pixelated quilt.

Oh, and it didn't stop there...Oh, No.

The people from Make: Craft wrote up a quick little post on their blog.

Then this happened and I nearly died...

Yep, that would be the amazingly talented Jenny Lawson, otherwise known as The Bloggess. I've followed her blog for years now; but never imagined that I would be having not only a Twitter conversation with her; but that it would result in her following me...yes, little ol me. AAAHHH!!!!

If that wasn't enough, so many others have helped get the word out about my quilt that there is no way that I could list or keep track of everyone who has been truly amazing, so I'll just say...ALOT of people spread the word, shared on Facebook, Tweeted about it, wrote blog posts, pinned the hell out of my quilt, etc, etc, etc. I've "met" some amazing people now on Twitter, Facebook, etc and discovered whole new worlds too. All of which just added to the excitement and I can't wait to build upon those relationships.

So, if you are one of those people, I cannot THANK YOU enough for all that you have done. It seriously meant the world to me that you joined in my geekiness for the entire week.

The only downfall to all of this is that now that things have quieted down, the rush of adreneline is gone and I've crashed hard.

Social media is one serious drug.

Pixeling...(The Finale)...otherwise known as The Tenth

2013-04-21T13:03:00.000-05:00

IT'S DONE...IT'S DONE...IT'S DONE

May I present to you my quilt titled
"The Tenth"

I am overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions right now, simply because I didn't think that I actually had the patience to make a quilt of this scale and intensity; but I DID IT !!!!! and you know what...

IT'S FREAKIN' AWESOME !!!!

Okay, truth time, the quilt top is done, not the entire quilt; but I'm calling it finished for now. The reality is that I don't think I have the skill set to quilt this quilt, at least not right now. I would hate to ruin all my hard work with a wobbly attempt, so it might just stay in this form until I get the confidence to tackle it.

Now, at this point you fall into one of two camps:

One: You haven't a clue who this is, why I've named the quilt as such or why I made it in the first place. Don't worry, we're still friends :-)
Two: You are jumping up and down right now barely able to contain your excitement. Yep, me too!

For the uninitiated, this is a depiction of the Tenth Doctor, played by actor David Tennant, a fan favorite on the ever-popular BBC TV show Doctor Who; which is celebrating it's 50th anniversay this year.

Now, you might be asking yourself why I selected this particular Doctor.

While it would have been fantastic to make 3 pixel quilts (one for the 9th, 10th and 11th Doctors), there is no way that I could commit to such an undertaking...so I played favorites. While I loved the 9th Doctor (as played by Christopher Eccleston) as his version is what hooked me in the first place; and the 11th Doctor (as played by Matt Smith) continues to keep me watching with anticipation each and every week. Let's be honest, could you imagine a world without an 8-ft tall quilt of "The Tenth"....................I didn't think so.

While I had my doubts throughout the entire process:

Did I pick the right photo?
This is going to be enormous, what the hell was I thinking?
Why are there so many pieces?
Hmmm...I don't know about all of that red?
So on and so forth

I could not be more pleased with the outcome and am so glad that I stuck with it to the very end, as the results were well worth the long hours. Speaking of which, the other thing that I did was keep a log of the date and time it took to make each block. I did it because I knew that I would be asked the question..."How long did that take?" and I would hate to have given an estimation since I put in so much effort...so here you go.

As you can see in the screenshot above, I started the first block on April 1st (happy accident) and as you'll see below...

...I've been ridiculously busy the last 2 days to try and finish this.

Let's call it adrenaline.

The final tally is 3080 minutes; which is 51.333 hours.

===================================

So what's next? As I mentioned in the beginning of my post, the next part is the actual quilting; but I'm beyond stuck and could definately use some suggestions.

Part of me wants to somehow replicate the "Fire and Ice and Rage" in stitch form, or incorporate other random "easter eggs" in the quilting (like maybe free-motion roses). Then another part of me wants something super simple so as to not distract; yet I cringe to think about what color of thread I should use. Can you see now why I'm calling this quilt "finished for now".

Now because I believe that you shouldn't just see the finished quilt; because what's the fun in that. Here are some in process photos and further details.

Quilt Top Measurements: approx 70" x 100"

Colors Used: Kona Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman

Bleached White (1287)

Espresso (1136)

Cinnamon (1075)
Honey (1162)
Earth (128)
Wheat (1386)
Khaki (1187)
Coffee (1083)
Brown (1045)

Each one of these squares measures 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" before sewing

Needed to pull out the BIG ladder for photography

And because of course it needs saying; if anyone knows anyone at BBC, this quilt wouldn't mind a trip across the pond to blow in the crisp English breeze, or even a photo opp with a certain blue box or two-hearted TimeLord. Just putting it out there.

Now, back to reality as my pile of projects has grown significantly as "The Tenth" has blissfully consumed most of my freetime the last few weeks.

If you have missed either of my previous progress posts about this quilt; which give you some insight into why I started this journey, the steps I used to go from photo to fabric, you can find them here.

Pixeling...My Way (Part 1)

Pixeling...My Way (Part 2)

Happy Sunday !!!

Pixeling...My Way (Part 2)

2013-04-15T09:56:00.001-05:00

If you missed Part 1 of my Pixel Quilt journey, you can find it here. For those of you who are waiting for Part 2…let’s dive right in.

When I last left you, I was explaining how I decided to make a pixel quilt; which has since turned into a hybrid-pixel quilt. What exactly do I mean by hybrid-pixel quilt?

Well, I’m mixing both 1 ½” x 1 ½” squares with strips that measure 1 ½” x different lengths. The benefit is that there are less seams to sew. I applaud those of you who are tackling the usual pixel process, square by tiny square…I couldn’t do it.

So, a typical block from the Pic2Pat converstion looks like this. Bold frames filled with symbols that measure 10 wide by 10 tall. The symbols correspond to colors, and yes they even provide a handy key that shows exactly what is what.

This is how I translated the above into fabric form. As you can see, there are several instances where the same symbols (colors) are next to one another. I used that as an opportunity to use strips/rectangles, rather than piecing multiple squares of the same color. This is what I call Hybrid-Pixel.

Now, what you can also see is that even with this simplified method, there are still A LOT of little pieces, and some of the colors are quite close. I decided right away that organization was a MUST. I started by grouping my cut strips into envelopes. I then marked the symbol that corresponded to the color on the outside of the envelope. That way, when I’m ready to work on a block (Yes, I'm making this a block at a time), I pull the corresponding envelopes, cut the pieces I need and then quickly put them away. Yes, there is a method to my madness.

Besides, I’m sort of impatient when it comes to quilting and this block at a time method gives me instant gratification rather then cutting all of my fabric first.

What’s most interesting about a pixel quilt is that you are working so closely with the blocks that the larger picture isn’t visible. All of those little squares don’t mean anything up close. Yet, put them on the design wall (or floor in my case) and take a few steps back. Magically those pixels start to “fade” into the background and paint a larger picture.

Now, I've been spending most of my "free time" the last two weeks making block after block and I'm proud to say that I have 28 under my belt. That's 28 out of 70...so I have ALOT more to go. Yet, I am seeing real progress when I take those couple of steps back and that is what keeps me going.

I'll check back in with Part 3 for the final process and quilt top reveal (fingers crossed). For now, you'll have to be satisfied with this single finished block.

Happy Monday!

Pixeling...My Way (Part 1)

2013-04-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

Pixel : n. the most basic unit of an image displayed. Pixels are generally arranged in rows and columns; a given combination among the pixels of various brightness and

color values forms an image.

--as taken from the freedictionary.com

I was well aware of the pixel as it relates to computers, printers and even television; but to think of a pixel in relation to a quilt was quite foreign to me, until I came across this quilt and this quilt. I could not believe the work that went into each one and after reading my friend, Lynne's, hilarious account of which character she would immortalize in fabric if she decided to make a pixel quilt, I knew that I wanted to make my very own.

Only who or what would I choose?

Actually I didn't have to think too long about it, one look at my Netflix queue, living room wall, my car or any of the various gifts I had received for X-Mas last year sealed the deal. It was about time that Doctor Who was immortalized my way in tiny little fragments of fabric.

I chose to use Pic2Pat for my Photo conversion and could not be happier with the results. I tested several different photos and graphics in multiple sizes, color arrangements and even styles before my mind was made up.

I printed out the pattern and immediately visited my local craft store to pick out the corresponding DMC floss using the symbols on the patterns. Why you ask? Because Pic2Pat's main purpose is to convert photos to cross-stitch designs. Now, I knew that the colors on the printout couldn't be trusted, so instead of taking chances, I bought the floss.

I pulled out my Robert Kaufman Kona Color Card and got to work matching floss to real fabric. Some colors were super easy; but others not so much. Rather then get it wrong and waste precious time, because obviously I have an unrealistic assumption of long this quilt would take to make, I bought small 1/4yd cuts of multiple colors from SewMamaSew so I could play with the real thing.

When the fabric arrived, I made the tough decisions of which to keep and which to add to the stash for a future project. Now, how much yardage would I actually need? Honestly, up until this point, I assumed that I would be making this quilt using 2 1/2" squares...Who was I kidding? The reality is that I hadn't ever considered working with pieces smaller then that. Yet, it wasn't until I actually had fabric in hand and started the calculation that I realized the quilt would be large enough to blanket a small village (okay, slight exaggeration); but it was evident that I'd have to work with smaller pieces. Duh!

While the quilt will still be quite large at 70" x 100". This assumes 70 blocks that measure an unfinished 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" square...if I used small 1 1/2" squares. It wasn't until I actually made a small practice piece that I felt completely and utterly overwhelmed with the task of sewing ALL of those seams. I mean let's be realistic here, the design called for 7000 squares, now measuring a tiny 1 1/2" x 1 1/2".

So, I did want any slightly neurotic; but not yet institutionalized quilter would do and compromised just a bit. I was now starting a new adventure in making a hybrid-pixel quilt using both squares and rectangles. You'll learn more about how the rectangles come into play in my next blog post.

As for figuring out the yardage, again I wasn't that interested in tally-ing all 7000 squares, so I completely guesstimated after counting a handful of "similiar" blocks. Only time will tell if I need to order more fabric, or if I did in fact make a pretty observant calculation.

Now, I realize that I haven't actually shared what/who I am immortalizing; I'll share that in a later blog post. For now, I wanted to share my process, hiccups along the way and maybe some encouraging words for those who have a pixel quilt or even a hybrid-pixel quilt on their To-Do list.

Who would you immortalize?

Stay tuned for Part 2 later.

Happy Tuesday!

WIP Wednesday - April 3rd, 2013

2013-04-03T06:42:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be participating in another WIP Wednesday...that's two weeks in a row, YAY!

If you are on Instagram, I'm LoveOldHouses by the way, you might have seen the photo below of the table in my studio. It's filled with at least 10 projects in all different stages; from piles of fabric to pieced blocks. The items that are nearly complete (need quilting and binding) are in a different pile on the other side of the room...because you know you don't want the almost finished things fraternizing with the piles :-)

This past Saturday was my guild's first Sew-In Saturday of the year. I did actually make some pretty substantial progress on a few of the above items, just nothing that I can show you because it is either a gift or a new pattern that I'm developing. Yet, progress was indeed made.

One thing that I started, because I didn't have enough to do already; was yet another quilt pattern. I think the oncoming Spring temperatures is what prompted me to start this one as I've been itching to cut into the Boho by Urban Chiks Jelly Roll from Moda.

Next up is some photos to show you that I am making progress on the pixel quilt that I talked about briefly in last week's WIP Wednesday. It's still too early for me to reveal whom I'm actually "pixelating"; as I want to make sure that I have the hang of this pixel thing first. There are a few people who know; but they know better then to spill the beans :-)

As I mentioned last week, I bought some 1/4yd cuts of various Kona solids from SewMamaSew after I carefully selected them from matching DMC floss. The winners are listed below in no particular order, along with their Kona Color Card #.

Bleached White (1287)

Espresso (1136)

Cinnamon (1075)

Honey (1162)

Earth (128)

Wheat (1386)

Khaki (1187)

Coffee (1083)

Brown (1045)

I did a guesstimate on the yardage I would need as I wasn't about ready to count each and every one of the 7000 squares that were in the pattern. Yep, I said 7000 squares; but don't worry, I'm not crazy enough to sew 7000 squares together. I learned real quick that wasn't feasible after sewing only eight of the mini 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" squares together, instead I'm mixing squares with longer strips. Still a feat; but not one that will result in me being committed to a special kind of hospital.

Now clearly, one needs a way to organize nine colors as well as keep track of the symbols that are associated with them, so I made a super simple organization method using envelopes. Right now it works just fine, we'll see if I need something more sophisticated later.

That's about it for now, lots going on as you can see.

I'm looking forward to Spring and hope that it sticks around for a while.

Happy Wednesday!!

WIP Wednesday - March 27th, 2013

2013-03-27T06:43:00.002-05:00

It's been quite a while since I participated in WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced, and while I have a few moments this morning I figured I would join in on the fun.

So, what have I been working on, well..................

I finished a smallish quilt that I named Tipsy Triangles and wrote an accompanying block tutorial.

Just click on the image below to be taken there in a flash.

Finally started on my next quilt pattern; which I've named U-TURN. If all goes well, it should be ready at the end of April. I'm using some of the Eclipse line from Timeless Treasures.

And I also started this...

While it might look like I'm doing cross stitch, I'm actually in the beginning stages of a large scale Pixel Quilt. Thanks to my good friend, Lynne, who introduced me to Pic2Pat.com, I'm on my way. I uploaded my image, got the DMC floss equivilents and figured at 39cents a piece it was worth getting the floss so I could better compare it to my Kona Color Card.

I bought several 1/4 yd cuts of solds at SewMamaSew, and once all of my color decisions are made I'll be purchasing my yardage from them too.

What's coming up, well I'm definately looking forward to this weekend, as it's our guild's first Sew-In Saturday for 2013, twelve solid hours of quilting, fun and friends. There's even going to be a Free-Motion Quilting Class taught by the amazingly talented Cindy. I haven't a clue what I'm going to work on; but I'll leave that decision for later in the week.

Happy Wednesday!

A whole "Lotta" Tipsy Triangles, Tutorial

2013-03-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

Q: What do you do when someone gives you 2 Charm Packs of Lotta Jansdotter's

new collection, GLIMMA?

A: Make a cute little quilt, write a block tutorial and share the wealth...of course.

Some time ago, Windham Fabrics sent me some of Lotta Jansdotter's GLIMMA. Unfortunately, the fabric sat there on my studio table, taunting me, waiting for inspiration to hit. Well, hit me it finally did and before I knew it, this cute little quilt was born. I'm calling it Tipsy Triangles.

I had fun making these Tipsy Triangle blocks and figured that maybe some of you would too. I wrote up some directions and made a few diagrams; which you can find below.

Now, I wanted to make sure that I shared the wealth, so I held back one of the Charm Packs to use as a giveaway; but more on that after the tutorial. ----Giveaway Now Over----

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May I introduce you to the Tipsy Triangle Block Tutorial.

Step 1:: Start with a 5" x 5" square; which I'm calling a "focus fabric". I choose a print; but you can certainly use a solid. Sew a 3" x 5" rectangle of your background fabric to both sides of your center square. I prefer to press my seams open; but do what works for you.

Step 2:: Now, sew a 3" x 10" rectangle of your background fabric to both the top and bottom of the unit you made in Step 1. You should now have a very simple block which measures 10" x 10".

Step 3:: You are now going to crop your 10" x 10" block into a smaller 8" x 8" square; but before you cut, please continue reading. In order to start making your block Tipsy, you need to change up the placement of the center "focus fabric". The red box shows just two of the many ways you can crop your block. There are two important things to keep in mind. First, your "focus fabric" should be located in different quandrants. Second, your "focus fabric" should never be tilted.

Step 4:: This shows you what the blocks look like after they were cropped to 8" x 8".

Step 5:: Now don't put away your rotary cutter and ruler just yet. You will now cut (see red dotted line) each of your 8" x 8" blocks into 2 triangles. Be sure that you cut diagonally, from one corner to the other.

Step 6:: You should now have Triangles that look something like this. Don't worry that your "focus fabric" is more prominent on some triangles and smaller in others. This is the key to the Tipsy Triangle block.

Step 7:: The final step is to pair up all of those triangles you cut in Step 6. As you can see in the diagram below, those "focus fabric" points don't match...it's okay, take a deep breath, they aren't supposed to.

Step 8:: Hopefully you have a handful of Tipsy Triangle blocks done and are now ready to sew them together into something Awesome. I made a baby-sized quilt with a big border; but you can make a quilt filled with nothing but Tipsy Triangles. It's all up to you.

As always, if you make something using this or anyone of my tutorials, please be sure

to share a photo with me...I love seeing them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's Giveaway Time.
Giveaway is Closed

As I mentioned above, I have 1 charm pack of Lotta Lansdotter's GLIMMA collection

(Thanks Windham Fabrics!!) to give away. The rules are super simple.

--- Leave 1 comment below telling me what project you are working on. That's it!!

--- Giveaway will close Tuesday, March 26th at 8pm CST
Giveaway is Closed

--- Random Generator will chose one lucky person, and they'll be contacted by email,

so make sure that I have a way to contact you, if you are a No-Reply Blogger.

** Your comments will appear throughout the day, as I have a Spam-Block on**

Good Luck!!!

=============Updated 3/26/13 8:27pm===============

The GLIMMA Charm Pack winner is #22

Who is #22 you ask, well none other then Erica. YAY!!!

Thanks Again to everyone who played along. I hope you like the tutorial that I wrote and if you make anything using it, be sure to drop me a line.

Bloglovin'

2013-03-15T22:25:00.001-05:00

By now you've likely heard that Google is discontinuing Google Reader as of July 1st. That leaves all of us Blog Readers without an easy way of finding our beloved blogs...or does it.

I've been doing some research and came across Bloglovin and am psyched. It's clean, pretty easy to use as far as I can tell and better yet, with one click of a button, it transferred all of my blogs from Google Reader instantly. Plus, if you have an iPhone, there is an app too.

Now, there are several other resources out there and I encourage you to check them out to see which one you like best.

In the meantime, if you are on Bloglovin already and want to find me...it's easy.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Additionally, for those of you who are on instagram...I've finally joined in all the fun as well.

You can find me @LoveOldHouses, or click the little instagram (camera) icon in the social media bar to the right.

Giveaway Time :: Casey York

2013-03-11T07:43:00.000-05:00

I first met Casey at the MQG Meet-Up back in Kansas City, Spring 2012. We chatted for a good long while about the St. Louis MQG, fabric design, her time in New York and various other topics. I helped her test one of her quilt patterns last Fall, and while we were both at QuiltCon a few weeks ago she asked if I would want to host a giveaway on my blog...that answer was easy.

Those of us in the STLMQG have seen Casey's applique and intricate handwork for some time. Recently her quilt ONWARDS was selected by Violet Craft as one of two winners in the Madrona Road Challenge that was hosted by the Modern Quilt Guild.

While we are on the subject of ONWARDS, you'll definately be drawn into this quilt as it features a series of fusible applique tree-shapes that creates some fun perspective.

You can see lots of great photos on Casey's blog, here.

======================================

Next up is SAKURA; which is named for the famed cherry blossoms of Japan. For those of you who like using pre-cuts, this quilt is charm-pack friendly.

You can see more photos on Casey's blog, here.

Both ONWARDS and SAKURA include helpful embroidery stitch guidelines, illustrations showing her two most-used stitches and full-size printable applique templates.

I'm picking two winners this week, and each will have an opportunity to choose which pattern they would like a PDF copy of. Check out the rules below to get in on the fun.

If you want to start your quilt today, both PDF patterns are available for download either on Craftsy or at her Storenvy shop. You'll also be able to find them at Fat Quarter Shop and Pink Chalk Fabrics soon.

========================================
**Giveaway is over, Thanks for playing along**
**Random Generator chose Barbara and Nancy as the Winners**

Giveaway starts Monday, March 11th and closes Friday, March 15th (8pm CST).

:: To enter, please leave one comment below telling me what you are most

looking forward to this Spring season.

:: Random Generator will choose 2 winners and they'll be contacted by email.

Your comment will appear throughout the day, so don't worry if it doesn't show up right away.

QuiltCon --- Bigger then the sum of it's parts

2013-03-03T11:40:00.002-06:00

I still think that I'm in QuiltCon withdrawal and in order to properly "close out" my time in Austin, I need to recap it here although I know that I'm not going to do it proper justice.

Like many who attended this inaugural conference in Austin, Texas, I was unsure what to expect. I have attended my fair share of conventions, although for a different industry, and while I attended Quilt Market last Spring in Kansas City...QuiltCon was the big unknown.

This conference created by the leadership of the MQG was a big risk. Would people attend? Would they have fun? Would they learn something? and bigger yet...would they want to come back?

If you've read any of the recaps that popped up in the blogosphere this past week, you know that the answer to all of the questions above is a big resounding YES!!! and I could not agree more.

While I do have a few photos to share with you, it's nearly impossible to capture the experience in a photo, even it they are supposedly worth a 1000 words.

PLAN
My time was jam packed, as anyone who saw my nerdy spreadsheet could attest to. Not only did I sign up to be a Super Volunteer (someone who is volunteering over 16 hours). I was taking 2 classes, circled lecture after lecture that I wanted to hear, plus I had some demos and discussions to do myself...and let's not forget wanting to see all of the quilts in the Quilt Show and check out the vendors in the Vendor Hall. My 5 days in Austin were jammed.

VOLUNTEERING
I think the best thing I did was start off by volunteering, as it dropped me right into the action. For 8 solid hours after arriving in Austin, I tried my best to help out where I could.

Unloaded pallets of ridiciously-jammed goodie bags
Organized and helped hang half of the 30-something Charity quilts that MQG's around the country lovingly made and donated
Helped several vendors unpack, organize and stage their merchandise in preparation for the morning rush

Worked at the MQG Info Booth, helping to sell MQG merchandise and answering questions about the organization
Put on some white gloves and walked the Quilt Show aisles helping attendees get up close and personal with the quilts

CLASSES
I signed up for two classes and it was my intention to not only improve my skills; but also learn from some amazing teachers, so I chose the following:

Free-Motioning Quilting on your Home Machine

by Elizabeth Hartman

:: This class was well worth the $$, because lightbulbs were going off in my head with every new stitch we learned. I had seen and appreciated all of these FMQing designs from afar; but it's hard to learn how to do them from a book. So seeing Elizabeth work her magic, learning that she quilts all of her quilts herself and then seeing her work up close made all the difference. I was able to not only make a 40" x 40" sampler of stitches; but also put together a catalog of the stitches that I hope to use again.

Piecing Hexagons by Machine

by Jacquie Gering

:: I was pleased to not only learn a shortcut to cutting hexagons without a hexagon template...WooHoo, one less ruler to have to buy; but also how to piece them together by machine. I was equally excited to learn from Jacquie Gering and see her work up close. I can't wait to finish the quilt top that I started as it will be a welcoming reminder of my experience.

EXPERIENCE

It is hard to put into words everything I did and everyone that I saw. If I did nothing but meet people for 5 days, I still would have called it a success. I was finally able to meet in person many Bloggers who I have followed for years, reconnect with people that I had met at Quilt Market last Spring, and meet so many modern quilting icons that are seriously the most sincere, nice and approachable people ever.

While there are too many highlights to count, I would like to recount two experience that I will always treasure. The first one was quite humbling as I learned that one of the two quilts that I had hanging in the Quilt Show had won a ribbon.

My "Confetti Amongst Friends" quilt; which you can read all about here in this blog post, was juried into the Group/Bee category and WON 3rd place.

The second experience took place after sitting in on 3 back to back lectures. The first was by Heather Grant, the second by Jacquie Gering and the final by Denyse Schmidt. Each of these women in their own way, shared their history, their connection to this community and hopes for the future. There was a point in each presentation when I too felt a real connection to something that was "bigger then myself" and at least for me, that's what I was searching for in QuiltCon...and that's what I found.

QuiltCon Preparation

2013-02-11T22:28:00.000-06:00

As QuiltCon draws closer, I'm trying to sort out exactly what it is that I need to sew or pull together to help make my experience a little easier.

For starters, I'm taking 2 workshops and each has a list of supplies; which of course means that I'll need something to carry those supplies in. Originally, I was thinking Amy Butler's Weekender Tote; but maybe Anna Maria Horner's Art Student Tote would be better this time around. I haven't made either before and only have a week to do so. No pressure.

One thing I don't have to worry about is a Lanyard. While a simple lanyard will presumably be handed out at QuiltCon, I already have an awesome one made by my dear friend, Lynne. It was a gift when we visited Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City last year. I'm sure if you look on Pinterest or Google you can find a tutorial for how to make one of your own.

Now, I've been to my fair share of trade shows or similiar events. One thing that you should always have is business/networking cards. You never know who you will run into, and besides it's sort of like in highschool, when everyone "traded" those namecards with their Senior Photos. I placed an order last week with VistaPrint for mine; but there are lots of other options including something call Moo Cards; which are fun too. And if shipping is a concern, you can always do what I did for years, use a template on Microsoft Word or another software program and print them yourself.

I'm looking forward to meeting those that I've connected with online, and lots of new people too. Make sure that if you see me, you smile and wave. I'll do the same, and then we'll trade "namecards"...Hahaha!

Happy Monday!

Liebster Award & Paying it Forward

2013-02-07T00:06:00.000-06:00

You can imagine my surprise when I received an email from Adrianne of On the Windy Side, telling me that she nominated me for a Liebster Award. This is an award for up and coming bloggers, and a great way for people to discover new ones...since of course someone already gave them the Seal of Approval.

I'm honored that Adrianne selected me and now it's my turn to pay it forward.

The rules for the Liebster Award are pretty simple:

1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.

2. Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
3. List 11 random things about yourself.
4. Nominate 11 of your favorite blogs that have (mostly) less than 200 followers.
5. Ask your nominated bloggers 11 questions.

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Here are the questions that Adrianne asked of me and the other 10 nominees. This is a word and photo heavy post, so sit back and enjoy.

1. What is the first quilt you made like? If you have a picture - please let us see!

I unfortunately don't have a picture of my first quilt...don't even know if I have my first quilt anymore; but I do have some photos of some early quilts I made. Back in the day I didn't make anything larger then 36x36 because I didn't know how to properly quilt them...which also meant that alot of my quilt tops went unquilted. If I did attempt it they were tied or else quilted in the ditch so I could hide my horrendous quilting skills.

2. What is your favourite part of making a quilt?

I actually like all of it in some way, shape or form. I know that's kind of a cheat answer. Designing a pattern lets my methodical side shine, while picking pretty fabrics lets me play. The cutting and piecing is relaxing and I love pin-basting because it's my first real chance to see the quilt "whole"...plus getting all of those wrinkles smoothed-out is kinda fun. The actual quilting can be a challenge sometimes; but I'm trying to learn new techniques; which is always fun. I actually hated binding quilts; but since I've learned how to machine bind, its much more enjoyable.

3. Do you have any pets?

While these little guys (Sid and Hank) don't technically belong to me, they do live with me since my Sister's apartment won't allow "rodents". I've grown up with various rabbits and have always found them to make wonderful pets.

4. What would your karaoke song be?

I'm going to plead the 5th on this one, simply because I cannot imagine ever singing out loud. I used to sing and dance when I was young; but about the time I hit puberty, that confidence disappeared. I actually know ALOT of songs and the lyrics run through my head all the time; but you'll never hear me actually sing them.

5. Have you ever been to a quilting conference or retreat?

No; but ask me again in a few weeks and the answer will be a resounding YES...as I'll be at QuiltCon near the end of February. I'm so looking forward to attending this inaugural event, not only will I be meeting many online friends/bloggers; but I'm taking two classes and even doing a little speaking myself.

6. Who in your non-quilting life knows you have a quilt blog?

The easy answer is my boss and countless co-workers; and sometimes it is a little strange when the subject comes up. Some people understand that it's a passion of mine and get the "Art" part. Yet, others just think it's something I do (like watching TV), not realizing all of the wonderful opportunities that this art form has given me...things like speaking engagements, being published, meeting fellow quilters/artists/designers, etc.

7. What is the strangest search term you've seen in your "Search Keywords" stats?

Green Aliens from Toy Story...this is both strange and yet completely understandable since I'm the one that actually typed those words in a blog post way back in February 2008. I was trying to describe the paint colors that the previous homeowners painted one of the bedrooms in my home. You should definately check out this blog post and this one, to see how much renovation was actually necessary for one simple room.

8. How did you choose your blog name?

This is an easy one. I started blogging when I bought my house back in 2007. I had been reading lots of home renovation/decor blogs and when I bought my forever home (an 1880s Folk Victorian Farm House), I wanted to try my hand at blogging too. Over the years my blog has transitioned from purely home renovation to quilting; but I kept the name. It just seemed appropriate since my pursuit to turn my house into a home is equally important as the other aspects of my life.

9. Are you a member of a real-life quilt guild?

Yes, I'm the Founder & President of the St. Louis MQG; born July 2010. I had made a "resolution" that year to join a quilt guild as I had hoped to meet people who had similiar interest. While on a business trip, I came across the MQG website and knew right away that was the type of guild I wanted to join. As I looked at the list of guilds, I was amazed to learn that St. Louis wasn't among them. In a moment of spontaninity, I emailed the MQG organization and told them that I'd like to create a guild in St. Louis.

We are in our 3rd year now, going strong, growing and learning everyday. Every meeting I leave feeling inspired by the talent of our members and all of the things that they have taught me.

10. What is your favourite sweet treat?

Entenmann's Single Serve Softee Frosted Donuts...yes, seriously. These are the most delicious store-bought donuts that I've had. And of course they are hard to find, at least in the stores near me. I have been known to buy an entire box of them (yes, that's 8, two-packs) simply so I have them on hand when I need a little treat. I know, they aren't good for you; but sometimes you just have to endulge now and again.

11. Do you like to have something to listen to while you are quilting - like the TV, music, an audiobook?

My iTunes is always on, since my computer is only a few feet away from my sewing machine. You'll find a little bit of everything on my playlists including songs by 30 Seconds to Mars, Enya, Ani DiFranco, New Found Glory, and even some Showtunes and Golden Oldies for good measure.

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Per the rules, I have to list 11 random things about myself:

I was a commuter student in college; but didn't have a car.
I remember quoting Abraham Lincoln "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem" when trying to explain to an ex-best friend why we couldn't be friends anymore, after she stabbed me in the back in jr. high.
My college essay was written about the TV show My So-Called Life.
I own my own cement mixer. It was bought when I was renovating my garage back in 2007.
When I was in 10th grade English Literature (one of my favorite subjects even to this day), I asked my Teacher for a list of her favorite classic literature books. I still have the list.
In 2005, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and actually wrote a 50,000 word novel (approx. 175 pages) in a single month. It's a horrible novel; but I can say that I actually did it.
I had a small online business called Po-Ka-Dot some years back selling handmade knitting needle/crochet hook holders.
One Summer, I worked at the Six Flags Costume/Theater department, fixing and making costumes for not only the theater employees; but also the Looney Tunes Characters (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, etc).
I've visited 7 countries (Canada, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and China) thanks to a handful of business trips.
I've been the Stage Manager of a handful of Fashion Shows; which involved many things including wrangling models, organizing cheography and styling
I go through 3 gallons of milk in a single week; but that is all I drink besides water. No soda, coffee, or tea for me.

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Here are the 11 Bloggers that I nominate. I'm not sure how many followers these blogs all have; but it's not the quantity that matters, it's that you are missing out on all of their awesomeness.

1. Miss Stash Would
2. The Studiolo / Casey York Designs
3. Holly's Red Bike
4. X.O.
5. A Blood Recollection
6. Dashasel Sews
7 Sew and So Quilts
8. BeSpoke Quilts
9. Cut.Sew.Iron.Repeat
10. {sew} Allegorical
11. Secondhand Dinosaur

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Here are the 11 Questions that I am asking them to answer:

To make it simple, please answer the same 11 questions that I did above in bold.

Happy Thursday !

SeaGlass Quilt

2013-02-03T10:58:00.001-06:00

A fellow crafter and friend of mine, asked if I would make her a quilt for her soon-to-be-born Son. She told me about the nursery's theme and talked alot about sea glass and how she was inspired by all of its colors.

I struggled...partially because living in the heart of the MidWest, there's not alot of opportunity to be inspired by sea glass or sea scape. In the end, I went with my gut and with the help of my trusty Kona Color Card...committed myself to shades of green and teal.

I built an assortment around the colors, Candy Green 1061, Pond 200 and Jade Green 1183.

Most of the fabrics came from Sew,Mama,Sew.

Kona Cotton - Candy Green 1061

Kona Cotton - Pond 200

Kona Cotton - Jade Green 1183

Skinny Vines Aqua - Valentina

Juniper - Pearl Bracelet

Cross Square Green - Chicopee

Foliage Blue - Architextures

Dot to Dot Jade - Mixmasters

Daisy Blue - Gabbie

When it was time to start cutting, I opted to skip the Daisy Blue - Gabbie as it was just too blue and decided to pull in an emerald dot print from my stash to round things out.

Then it was time to make lots and lots of HST (Half Square Triangles).

With the top pieced, and the quilt pin-basted I decided to go ahead and do my favorite meandering stitch to finish things off.

The quilt was gifted on Friday at a surprise Baby Shower.

It measured 54" x 78".

Looking back, I wonder if my subconscience was more inspired by the

Pantone Color of the Year.

Happy Sunday!!

QuiltCon Link Party

2013-01-30T22:52:00.001-06:00

Someone had the bright idea to start a QuiltCon Link Party, so all of the attendees could share a little bit about themselves so when we bumped into one another in Austin, we might recognize each other and maybe something quirky that we shared.

The "rules" were that you shared a photo and 5 things that people may/may not know about you.

Here we go....

Hi! I'm Kristy Daum {{{Waving}}}

At QuiltCon, I'll be allover the place as I signed up to be a Super Volunteer. What does that mean, well, 16-hours of seeing ALOT of you really. I'll be helping to setup the Quilt Show, assisting in the Vendor Hall and answering questions at the Help Desk.

Or if you were one of the lucky ones that is taking a class, maybe I'll be your classmate.

I'm in Elizabeth Hartman's "Free-Motion Quilting on a Home Machine" on Thursday and

Jacquie Gering's "Machine Piecing Hexagons" on Sunday.

You might also see me talking about my Bridges & Tunnels Quilt on Thursday...or as one of the panelist during Sunday's Quilt Guild discussions that are moderated by Alissa Haight Carlton.

You better believe that I had to create a spreadsheet to keep track of it all, it's color-coded and everything.

---------------------------------------------------

Hmmm...now onto the 5 things that you may not know.

1. I have a strange affinity for things that are a little macabre...think Edward Gorey books, Tim Burton movies and even Ravens. Any given day (not just during Halloween) you'll find a handful of faux Ravens hanging out in my living room as part of the decor.

Just 2 of the 5 that are in my house.

2. I work for a well-known Footwear Company and spend my days surrounded by thousands of shoes that any shoe-aholic would die to have in their closet. Unfortunately, I cannot wear a single one of them thanks to an auto accident in 2002 that left me with alot of metal hardware and a necessity to learn to walk all over again at the age of 23. I am continually on the losing end of a search to find comfortable shoes that don't look like something from your Grandmother's closet.

So if you see me at QuiltCon, ignore my shoes.

3. In highschool, I took two Machine Drafting classes and absolutely loved them. Those courses got me thinking that I might want to be an Engineer or Architect; but when push came to shove and I had to choose a major in college, I opted for Fashion Design instead. I guess you can call it "engineering" in a different manner of speaking.

4. While I love music and have quite an eclectic mix on my iPod. I'm sad to say that the only live music show that I've ever seen was about 6-8 years ago. I was on a business trip to Las Vegas and a co-worker and I went to see Tom Jones. For those of you who don't know who Tom Jones is...he created this song that will forever be linked to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It's not like I was a big fan or anything, just thought it was an entertaining way to spend an evening...little did I know it would be the only "concert" that I would see thus far.

5. I still have my first Sewing book that my Parents got me when I was young. It was well-loved before I got it as it was part of the St. Louis County Library system; before they snatched it up at a sale. The copyright is from 1971 and one look at the contents confirms that fact. While the book has seen better days and is falling apart now, it still has a place in my studio next to all my other sewing/quilting books.

Okay, that's my 5 things you may/may not know.

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You should definately hop on over to the QuiltCon Link Party and see who else is going, and for those of you who aren't able to attend, maybe you'll find some new to you Bloggers.

Happy Wednesday!!

Spilling Just a Few More Secrets...

2013-01-25T20:48:00.000-06:00

So in Thursday's post "Spilling Secrets...Bridges & Tunnels" I shared with you all the quilt that I created for Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine.

What you may or may not know is that Modern Quilts Unlimited is a Platinum Sponsor of QuiltCon.

QuiltCon is the first inaugural conference for Modern Quilters, held this year in Austin, Texas.

Have I lost you yet? No...that's good.

Now it turns out that Modern Quilts Unlimited (and other larger Sponsors) were asked to select a few Presenters or Demonstrators. These "Demonstrators" will be hosting sessions in the Vendor Hall during QuiltCon, giving those in attendance the opportunity to learn something along with shopping all the wonderful vendors, checking out the Quilt Show, etc.

Here's where it gets "mind-blowing"...I'm one of the Presenters. Yep, little ol' me!

If you check out the QuiltCon website, under Demonstration Schedule...you'll find this.

I'll be there at 12:30pm on Thursday, February 21st...the first day of the show, trying not to hyperventilate (just kidding...well maybe) as I discuss my design process and how I created the Bridges & Tunnels Quilt.

I do hope that you'll stop by if you are at the show, as I'd like to fill a few chairs :-)

There are LOTS and I mean LOTS of other things happening during QuiltCon.

Make sure that if you haven't checked out the website lately, you do so.

Also make sure that you check out all of the wonderful Presenters/Demonstrators.

Happy Friday!!

Spilling Secrets..........Bridges & Tunnels

2013-01-24T07:32:00.000-06:00

Finally time to spill the beans on this one and it couldn't have come at a better time, as there is just so much I have to tell you.

I'd like to introduce you to Bridges & Tunnels, the quilt that I created for Modern Quilts Unlimited Winter issue...hitting newsstands soon.

I received my subscription copy in the mail Wednesday evening and was so giddy that I stood out in the cold just so I could find my quilt...and there it was on page 46. Eeeee! look, my name - right there in black and white.

And here it is, Bridges & Tunnels in all it's cozy splendor.

This quilt was a labor of love...

cutting

piecing

seam-ripping (I'll get to that later)

piecing again

then quilting

...this quilt has been through alot.

While I had created the pattern a long time ago, I had intentions of distributing it myself (like MAZED and INDEX); but an opportunity presented itself and I jumped at the chance. The fabric selection process was super simple, as there was a particular color story that the Editor was seeking. Moda Fabrics was kind enough to send me Malka Dubrawsky's new "Simple Marks" summer collection to use for the quilt.

I spent time deciding which prints I would use where and then started cutting. That of course was the stressful part for me. While I knew that my pattern was accurate, just the thought that one wrong slice of my rotary cutter would waste the fabric (fabric that I didn't have more of) was stressful. What helped of course was knowing that in a few days, I had a 12-hour St. Louis MQG Sew-In scheduled; which meant lots and lots of time to start piecing, and if I played my cards right maybe I'd finish the quilt top.

Near the end of our Sew-In, right on schedule I cut my final thread and breathed a huge sigh of relief, the entire top was pieced...Whew! Only when I laid it out on the floor to snap some photos did my smile turn to a frown. Somehow when I was sewing row to row, I flipped a few and ended up with a design that was different, interesting; but certainly not acceptable for a magazine submission.

Annie, my Sew-In Saturday table-mate eased me off the cliff and helped me figure out what I did wrong. We carefully #'d the rows (see the pink post-its) so I wouldn't make the same mistake a second time.

I spent the following day ripping out multiple seams (the width of the quilt) and realigning the rows into their proper order. I finished it off with some simple vertical straight-line quilting then took it to my parent's house to snap a quick photo before boxing it up and shipping it to Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine, hoping that it got there safe and sound.

I haven't seen my quilt since October; but look forward to being reunited with it at QuiltCon...more on that later :-)

In the meantime, I do hope that you check out the magazine and all the other wonderful patterns, articles and yummy fabrics featured. And don't forget to see the DASHED quilt, designed by my friend, Mary Claire.

Definately let me know your thoughts on Bridges & Tunnels; and of course if you make your own version, please send me a photo.

Happy Thursday!!

WIP Wednesday - January 23rd, 2013

2013-01-23T06:20:00.001-06:00

Here I am again linking up with Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday...WooHoo!!

Let's start with something pretty shall we...

These wonderful scissors came courtesy of a belated Christmas gift from a dear Friend. Oh, she knows me too well. This will definately brighten up the mundane task of cutting threads.

Next up is a super colorful fabric that I found at Jo-Ann's recently. It's from Alexander Henry and called "masara". I found two other coordinating prints; but this was my favorite. I brought home a few yards as I plan to use it for a backing for one of my scrappy WIP that you saw here.

Finally, I made two blocks for Val, PinkPlease!, as part of her Heros Helping Heros Call for Blocks. You can find her tutorial here to create your very own Wonky Improv Circle Blocks. She will be turning these into a quilt; that will be auctioned off to support The Heros Foundation, a cancer philanthrophy located in Indiana. The quilt she made last year, thanks to generous block donations, raised $1000.

Thanks for visiting, now head on over to Lee's blog and check out some of the others linking up.

Happy Wednesday!!!

I'm Gonna Be An Aunt

2013-01-20T16:40:00.000-06:00

A few weeks from now that is. It will be my first time being an Aunt, and I aim to be a good one.

But I digress, as any Quilter knows, a baby is the perfect excuse (as if we needed one) to make a Quilt. I had been collecting fabrics for a while, most of which were Fat Eighths.

Strolling through my Quilt Love Pinterest Board, I came across this quilt that Marit from Quilt it made back in 2010. I decided to create my own Baby Boy version and absolutely LOVE how it turned out.

It was my goal to use two prints of each color (Blue, Orange, Green and Grey) in a way that was simple; yet modern. I broke out the graph paper to create a block that was reminiscent of the inspiration quilt.

When the design was done and I started looking at my fabrics, it was obvious that I would need to audition a few more so that I could achieve the complimentary look I was after. While the orange feathers and the blue organic orbs seemed a little loud at first, they were the perfect color. In the end I just went with it, and couldn't be happier.

Since I already did the math, I thought I would share the block with you all, in case you would like to make your own. The cutting information for one block is below.

If you follow the above, you'll end up with a block that is 8 1/2" x 8 1/2", finishing at 8" square. In case you are wondering, I used a 3" wide sashing and border...remember to cut yours 3 1/2" wide for seam allowance.

The quilt finished just under 48" x 48", it's a great size...not too large and not too small, at least for Baby.

I opted to do my favorite quilting of the moment; which is the meandering stipple and topped it off with some solid green binding.

This was gifted to the soon-to-be Momma today and I can't wait to see Baby Boy hanging out with it soon.

Happy Sunday!

WIP Wednesday - January 16th, 2013

2013-01-16T06:42:00.001-06:00

It's been way too long since I participated in WIP Wednesday; but here I am today with what else some works in progress.

Let's start off by sharing my most recent finish of 2013. It was an old WIP, way back from 2011 that I shamefully just finished this past weekend. It's ridiculous that I let it sit this long considering all it needed was some quilting and binding. You can read all about it in my previous post.

Next up is a gift that I'm working on. I've really enjoyed going through my stash to pull these fabrics and already have begun the cutting. I can't wait for the actual piecing part.

Next up is another gift, and while this quilt is already done, I just can't show it yet, since it hasn't been officially "gifted"; but stay tuned because it's a beauty and I'm gonna share the block pattern with you too.

I've decided that 2013 is going to be the Year of Finishing, so I've pulled out my WIP and took a photo. I hope to have all of these finished by December 31st and I'm well on my way...see very first photo up top. One quilt down, 4 more to go.

I'm linking up on Lee's blog Freshly Pieced...head on over there and check out what others are working on this week.

Happy Wednesday!!!

What is Black, White and "Red" all over?

2013-01-13T11:11:00.002-06:00

Are you thinking a Newspaper...well, that might be; but in this case the answer is something quite different.

So, in my last post I mentioned that this was going to be the Year of Finishing. Well, thanks to an impromptu Sew-In; which I was able to attend for a few short hours yesterday, I finished quilting my Black and White Snapshots quilt. I shamelessly call it Snapshots because that's what Elizabeth Hartman called it in her book The Practical Guide to Patchwork.

I had been wanting to make a Black and White quilt for as long as I could remember; but I never felt like I had enough Black and White fabrics to pull it off. You may remember my discovery back in September 2011...and yes, that's when I started making this quilt.

The backing fabric was something that I found at Jo-Ann's and lucky for me, when the local store was going out of business a year ago, I picked up yardage at 70% off. It might be a little hard to tell from the photo; but it's a graffiti print. That set the tone of the quilt and I knew that I had to have a red binding.

Fast forward to this week when I found this wonderful Riley Blake Chevron print at Janie lou quilts, a local shop in St. Louis. I had previously struggled to find a red print that was mixed with white; but the white was never "white enough"...and always looked cream. That's why this print is great, it's tone on tone Red.

As I was so close to finishing, I couldn't let this one sit for another day (I know, I know, it had been sitting for 1 year and 4 months already), so I finished up the binding last night. I'm so glad to have this quilt done and can't wait to share it at my next STLMQG meeting. I just have to keep a close eye on it, because some people might attempt to abduct it.

One quilt down, and based on the photo I shared of my current WIP...I'm well on my way to working through my stack.

2013...the year of FINISHING

2013-01-09T21:28:00.000-06:00

So, we are 9 days into 2013 and while I don't make resolutions persay, I am going to try to keep one thing in mind as it relates to my quilting endeavors. It's all about FINISHING.

Finishing is a great place to start (oxymoron, I know). Here are the outstanding WIP that I currently have on my plate. Coincidentally in looking back at a January post from 2012, I showed several of the below quilts...so clearly these need some attention.

It is my hope that by the end of 2013, all of the above will be finished. It doesn't seem like alot; but keep in mind that all of them have been sitting around ignored for months, if not a full year.

I think Planning goes hand in hand with Finishing. Planning ensures that I am using my time wisely so that I can actually Finish without feeling rushed or overwhelmed; which was a big problem for me in 2012.

Additionally, it is very easy to get swept up in the excitment of what is NEW...new fabric, new swap, new pattern, new book, new this, new that. Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that it's not the end of the world if I don't jump onboard. I promise you that I will jump onboard a few bandwagons myself this year (I'm not going to live under a rock); but at the same time I hope there are a few times that I'm waving to the rest of you when I do decide to stay put. Just don't forget to return the favor when I'm the one on the wagon :-)

So that's my story for 2013, let's see how well I do sticking to it.