Quilter in The Gap

Wednesday's Whimsy

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:44:16 PDT

It's early...couldn't sleep! I am going to share some random thoughts I am having....lucky you **cheesy grins**

As much as I might hate to admit it....Susan was right. The best way to get over the Bloggy MEHs was to talk about them. The longer you go without posting the easier it is not to post.
Is anyone who is going to FQ Retreat going to take their laptop to their hotel and want to Skype with me so I can "meet" some of y'all. I can virtually be in the hotel with ya. No? OK, I tried.
My granddaughter is so photogenic...cuz she has the face for it!!!

Need I say more?

The hotel I manage is under construction. The only "public" restroom is in the very small office attached to my office. Curious...do construction workers not have toilets at home? Can they not poop at home? Seriously! There are not enough candles in North America to help with the smell in my office these days!
My granddaughter is very cute!

Love this outfit...my son hates it...says it is a clown suit!

My son announced yesterday they are NOT moving down here.
Husband and I decided we may move closer to Callee after daughter's graduation depending on where she decides to go to college. Oh the joys of grandchildren love.
My granddaughter is amazing!

One of my favorite pictures.

For the record: I will certainly NEVER move back to Michigan!!!!!
I have plans to do a couple of product/pattern reviews very soon. Stay tuned for that!
I love summer...I love pools....I love heat....I hate A/C....
My granddaughter is adorable!

Now this is the life I deserve!

Big announcement that only a few people know: I quit smoking about 6 months ago!
I am currently working on reducing my caffeine intake. Not for any particular reason other than my husband has vertigo and does much better with less caffeine. So, if it's not in the house than he won't have it.
Oddly enough, I am finding sugar & caffeine go together so I am also sugar-free too! Hello.....Truvia
Did I mention how beautiful my granddaughter is?

Mmmmm....watermelon!

Well, there you have it! The thought ramblings of a 42 yo woman at 4:30 in the morning. Scary huh?

Moving from MEH to ME

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:55:52 PDT

I decided there are many ways to get out of MEH but one I chose was to focus on ME! (HA I am so funny... ok, so not really but don't tell anyone)

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in The Gap. It was sunny, about 95, and slight breeze....gorgeous I tell ya! So, I called the neighbor lady and asked if she wanted to go afloatin'. Fortunately, she did! We floated in our pool for about an hour and half. It was so nice to have someone to chat with. While it wasn't quilting, it was still nice to have someone to talk to that I wasn't related or married to.

By the end of the day this is what I looked like...

I have burnt all my life so they don't bother me so much anymore. EXCEPT for certain tender parts like between my Tas and those little fat pockets by my arm pits. Those two areas are ever so tender!!!

There are a couple other things you might notice about this picture...first, my awesome polish color...gray...love it!!! Second, my rotary cutter accident on the knuckle! Yep, later in the evening yesterday I did some sewing for a dear friend (a mini swap we have going) and whacked myself a good one.

And finally you can see the shirt I made myself. I really suck at taking pictures of myself. Here is a feeble attempt at trying to photograph the shirt while I am wearing it...

One of these days I will post all the pictures it took to get this awful one. Soon enough I will post a picture of the shirt on a hanger which will prove I was quite successful unlike this picture...lol

OH the other thing I did was something many of my Brit friends have been trying to convince me to do for quite some time. I started watching Downtown Abbey. I have only watched one episode so I will withhold judgement at this time!

Well, I think I might be on my was from the MEHs....at least I have dropped the H...hehehehe

Meh...

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:30:11 PDT

That title pretty much describes how I have been feeling about blogging and life in general lately. I can trace it back to when it all began and y'all are not helping!!!! Let me explain...

My last post was on April 24th (not counting the announcement of Cindy's shop). At that time things starting getting really busy at work. That continued on for a couple of weeks. Work consumed my time and thoughts. When I wasn't working I was sleeping or just being. I guess it was about this time I decided I deserved a super great Mother's Day gift and ordered this....

Juki F400

While it arrived just before Mother's Day, there wasn't much time to sew on it....but it sure was pretty to look at! hehehe

Ok...back to the story...

About the time things started slowing down I got the most wonderful surprise. My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter came home for Mother's Day. It made me so happy, I cannot put it into words.

And well....this is where MEH began....they left. I no longer get to see this...

keepin' it clean for y'all

My son was kissin' his wife and when I told him to "get a room" that is the response I got. And now that they are gone, I can't make my granddaughter cry...

Ok...so swinging is not her favorite thing to do ... maybe it's because I seriously need a comb!!!

Nor can I give her a popsicle and watch her parents cringe when she makes a super big mess...

banana is our favorite...especially when sitting in the middle of the dinner table

Well, they are gone and I started pouring myself back into work and sewing. I made her 3 dresses, myself a top, and then started working on Black Monkey. Of course due to MEH I didn't take any pictures for the blog. Then I decided it was time to start reading blogs again...only 1000 or so behind. Well that is ridiculous so I cleaned up the number of blogs I follow to make it more manageable with my schedule. And...

I had a chat with a dear friend about inspiration (I know there are several of you I owe an email to but MEH is in the way) and she told me to simply start with BLEH and go from there (I listen well huh?). Which leads me to today and how y'all are NOT helping when my MEH problem.

Cruisin' all over blog land is talk of the FQ Retreat...jealousy has consumed me!! MEH is growing. Need I say more?

So this is my starting post and because I know I have the best readers, I know I will be inspired through your comments and that y'all will make me laugh and that *^(&%^%&( FQ Retreat will be over soon and I will be back to my irregular posting in no time!

If I owe you a post about something, please remind me! Oh and I am so very sorry to those of you that I haven't responded to via email, I haven't deleted them, I will do so very soon...maybe.

Thanks for being so great!!!

Fluffy Sheep Quilting

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:39:37 PDT

I sure miss y'all....but boy have things been CER.A.ZEEE at work. I think I finally have them under control and I can get back to blogging and sewing! I hope so because I have some great things to report...things like a new sewing machine and a couple awesome prizes I won....but more on that later. I have more important things to share today!!

There are few things more exciting than a new place to shop. Well, I have an awesome one to share with you today. As per the title of this post, it is called Fluffy Sheep Quilting and it is run by a dear online friend of mine, Cindy! You might remember her from my last podcast (I have not quit podcast just on hiatus until July/August). She is A.MA.ZING!!! and her shop??? Well just look at these snap shots of her shop...

There are some great giveaways going on at Cindy's blog and she is sharing the love at several other blogs too! Susan at Canadian Abroad, Hadley of Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle and Sarah of FairyFace Designs are all having giveaways for Cindy....go, have fun....

You will not be disappointed with this new adventure of Cindy's! I am so excited for her! Go check out her website and her blog...maybe you will win something!

A Right Piece-full Weekend

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:20:18 PDT

Yep y'all....you read that right! I had a a spectacular weekend! Here is what I was up to....

First off, it was prom Saturday. Not my prom silly reader....my daughter's prom...hehehe! Thankfully, my daughter was much more behaved on prom night than I was. I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. Here are a couple pictures of prom night....

Up close shot!

It was soooo cold this day!...lovely yard!!!

The only other thing I did on Saturday was SEW....how exciting is that? No laundry, no cleaning, nothing! Here is what I got done on Saturday....

I worked on Black Monkey for a bit and got this much done...

I also started & finished a commission project. I know, I know....I have said I won't ever do commission work again but this lady is just so sweet. Here is her purse...

And since I had some fabric left over I made her a notebook cover. I wanted to try the pattern anyway (will share more on the pattern another day) and this was a good excuse!...

Then on Sunday I had to do some laundry or ....well, let's just say it was necessary! And I did a little cleaning around the house. After all that hoopla was over I got back to the Black Monkey! You will notice in the next picture I have all the blocks pre-sashed. I did that because my original plan was to QAYG. That plan has changed for a couple of reasons (again, I will report more on this at a later time). Regardless, here is what is hanging on the design wall today....

I will be back tomorrow with "More Favorites...and well...not so much"

Toodles for now...

Welcome Spring...Good Riddens Winter!!!

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:53:02 PDT

Today is an appropriate day to close up the Winter Sewing List because it is FREEZING here. but I digress Back in October I posted this list and then in January I reported a Mid-Winter status. When I read on Sarah's blog it was time to report in I broke out in a sweat! First, because I just knew I had failed miserably and second because I couldn't even remember what was on the list. Well here we go...oh boy!!! BTW, today's updates are in RED.

Table runner that I am stitching for DUO Quilt A Long. This one should be a "no brainer" because I need it for pictures every step of the way. Oh now come on...you have to find this funny since I didn't finish this quilt but I DID finish the QAL. OK OK so it isn't funny....regardless, it still isn't done.

Table Runner Swap! - DONE!!!!

I have since made her another one because I wasn't happy with this one!!!

Stockings for Purple Panda Quilts - Made 2 of them and mailed them off before the deadline

this is one of the two I made

ornaments I want to make - I made one for Cindy

For Cindy's new home.

Angel's Kaleidoscope Quilt. - Oh yeah I finished but I didn't give it to my Angel. It is way too awful.

Amazing Grace - Not done - on this quarter's FAL list.
Embroidery 101 quilt. - DONE

Done & in Callee's arms!

baby-sized I-Spy Quilt. - Tutorial written & done

Finally, I am going to say I will sign up for at least one more swap and one more stitch along. There have been rumors that our Table Runner Mama will be hosting another swap after the holidays so I will leave room for that. AND Jen is hinting at another Stitch A Long so I want to leave room for that as well. I participated in one more swap (see picture below) but decided against the stitch along as I have too many UFOs to finish.

A cute bag for Trudi

Well, I guess I can stop sweating now. I don't think I did too bad. I got everything done except for two items. I can live with that. Of course it seems deadlines are what makes me finish things. I only finished the ones that needed to be completed by a specific date.

Click here and go check out how everyone else did. I am hoping things are going well for everyone else too!!!

Well, I have quilts to finish so I better run...

Second Quarter Prizes

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:53:14 PDT

Before I get into the prizes...have you noticed anything different about my blog? I have my own "dot com"!!! I am now quilterinthegap.com!!! Isn't that exciting? I am working toward hosting my own podcast and this was the first step. So exciting. Ok...now on to the important stuff.................

Last quarter I thought we had some great prizes. This quarter they are even better! Check these out...

Quilt 'N Bee

Applique Quilt Kit with Magazine (pictured below)

Thread Card (pictured below) and Thread Sample

Flea Market Fancy FQ Bundle (pictured below)

Are those not some great prizes? I am so impressed with the sponsors for this event! Please visit them and say thanks!!!! Better get sewing so you can qualify for these prizes. You still have a day or two to link up your list for this quarter. BETTER HURRY!!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things.....

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:31:43 PDT

Recently in I have found a few things in Blogland that I want to share with you. I read MANY blogs and often come across things I want to share. Well today is the day! I hope you find something you like here today. If not, well....just don't hate me! hehehe

NOTE: these are Favorite Things are in no particular order! I am just adding them as they come to me....and with a mind as feeble as mine....that is often quite random!

This is my first....Sew Can She...what an amazing website! If you sign up, you get an email everyday with a different tutorial. They range from quilting, home dec, holiday, etc. I adore them. I have found so many great things I want to do! It feeds my sickness quite wonderfully! You really should check it out!!!!

Tanesha, the master behind the podcast and blog - Crafy Garden Mom! She is simply AMAZING!! As much as I like her blog & podcast, that is not what I am here to share. Instead I am here to share 7 Dirty Quilting Secrets. See, Tanesha shared them and I swear to you it is like she got in my head! The only part I would remove is the cursing part. Unlike Tanesha, I don't curse but the rest of the post is me to a "T".

This share is going to be tricky....if I'm not careful, it could teeter to the weird side. Let me explain....have you ever seen someone and thought "wow, she is amazing. She is beautiful and creative, and simply A.Ma.Zing". Well, that is the way I feel about Katie of Skunkboy Creations (pictured above). She is so cute and has superb style. I wish I had the *** to wear dress like her. I am normally not a fan of tatoos in general but hers are gorgeous (check them out here). So, I guess what I am saying is...I want to be her!

Well there you have a Few of My Favorite Things....at least for now. They are subject to change by tomorrow.....I am a woman after all.

Take a gander at these great sites and let me know what you think....I love to hear your opinions...~~even~~ especially Sarah & Hadley's.

My Conspiracy Theory

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:31:33 PDT

Yes, you read that right...I am convinced there is a conspiracy against me & my sewing machine getting together. But before I get into that let me remind you about the FAL Q2 Linky Party. It will close in 4 days so if you haven't linked up yet, you better get busy. Ok, now onto my conspiracy theory......

Last week I was telling a couple of my email/bloggy friends how things have finally calmed down at work, how I am finally on a regular schedule (7am to 3 pm) that will allow me to sew in the evenings and still have time for my family. Last week I was finally getting all the right employees in place that when I went home at 3 I was fairly confident the hotel guests wouldn't leave upset...victory!! This communication with my friends involved me explaining how I had the weekend off and I was going to sew and be content for a change. AND THEN....

Saturday morning wake up to a call from work, need to call in housekeeping crew due to a large number of walk-ins overnight. GREAT news. Business is picking up and the employees handled it. By the time I got the employees in route, I was down for the count.....MIGRAINE!!! I spent all day Saturday in bed. I took two injections (prescription medication for migraines) and when those didn't work I resorted to taking anything I could get my hands on to get rid of the pain. AND THEN....

Sunday morning I woke up with a headache (not a migraine, just a headache). I took a mild medication to keep it from turning back into a migraine. I was beginning to have high hopes for Sunday. I took a shower, made my bed, started laundry and set about to do dishes when my stomach began to lurch. UGH!! Back to lay down and there I was until around 4 pm. I am sure my stomach was upset due to all the medication I took on Saturday. At 4 pm my daughter informs me she has a TSYC concert and parent meeting at 5pm. There went Sunday evening, but I get off at 3 now so I had high hopes for this week. AND THEN....

Yesterday an employee called in because, and I quote, "she was mentally incapable of working because she got into a fight with her husband". Seriously? So, I had work my shift to 3 pm, meet with the architect and contractor at 3:30 pm, and then return to close until 9 pm. Yesterday involved a 14 hour day! Oh and today I have to train someone until 9 pm AGAIN. Another 14 hour day. Woo Hoo.

Now do you see why I think there is a conspiracy against me & my sewing machine coming together? Who is responsible for this? It must end!!!

The truth is.....life sucks!!!

In order to close on a more ~~sane~~ pleasant note, I think I will share a picture that made my heart go wild. There are few things that can make a mother's heart ache with love more than watching their children take care of their grandchildren. There really is no greater love. Look at my son...

I love how she is holding onto him like he can save the world!

When did my baby become a man? It seems like just yesterday this was him...

Ready to give his mama away!

Well I must go find a tissue then I need to find a solution to the conspiracy. hehehe

FUNC is on the move

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:22:30 PDT

Someone else can proudly sport this badge. Boy that sentence is almost difficult to type with a straight face (no, I didn't giggle at all!!!).

In case you are new around here, you might want to read up on the adventures of the FUNC.

Recently, Kat discovered FUNC in the post (and showed herself in the mall), hosted him for a bit and now he is on the move again....

he could be on his way to your house....are you ready????

Stained BLACK!!!

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:21:17 PDT

So we have a clear winner...my background will be BLACK. Look at the results....

It was an overwhelming result! I thought the idea of a deep orange was interesting but I said I would go with the majority. So tonight I will start piecing Stained together and the name of the quilt will be "Black Monkey". Weird huh?! Well let me explain....

The name of the website I used for the survey is Survey Monkey and Sarah's Flickr profile picture is this...

so there you have the Monkey portion. And since y'all picked the black well .... that is obvious. So, "Black Monkey" it is!!! BTW in case you didn't know, Sarah is the one running the Stained QAL. Look at that Sarah....a quilt that is your namesake....who'd a thunk it?

Oh, and remember me sharing my love of Millie's Closet? Well, I just might have this in my possession....

It is so pretty I kinda don't want to cut into it. Funny thing is, I have had this.....

for a very long time and I haven't had the guts to cut it because it is so very pretty all bundled up. My daughter in law says I have a problem. Is that true?

Oh, yeah....speaking of my daughter in law...she sent me a picture of the dress I forgot to take a picture of.

It's one of those that you buy that is already gathered at the top. I added button holes so that I could add ribbon shoulder straps. I put knots on there so that they were adjustable. So simple!! Callee adores Minnie and I thought the red polka dotted ribbon was cute since it matched was Minnie had in her "hair". I am seriously thinking about making myself one (obviously not a Minnie one though).

Well....I am off to work on Black Monkey. Have a great day y'all!

Looky Looky...you won't believe it.....

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:22:25 PDT

Some finishes.....seriously I can hardly believe it!!!

Here is what I have finished lately that I haven't shown you...are you ready to be surprised? (hehehe):

A dress for my favorite lady....

And guess what... it fits!!!!!! Look.......

Woo Hoo

I made her another one but I forgot to take a picture of it. Her mom will send me one and then I will share it with you.

I also finished a jewelry roll from the book Fresh Fabric Treats (easier to type than to say). This is the first time I have mentioned this project here. I am not sure why because it was great fun to make. I just took my time and did a step at a time. Here is the empty jewelry roll:

Here it is with jewelry in it...

I never thought to take a picture of it all folded up but it folds up to the size of that last square (from the stitch line to the bottom). It is quite handy when traveling, especially if you travel with a great deal of jewelry like I do!!! the amount of jewelry you are looking at is about a week after we had gotten home (and I suddenly remembered to take a picture **oops**).

So, what do you think? Three finished projects!! Of course I only remembered to take pictures of two of them. hehehe Oh and I almost forgot....

I am donating a quilt top to Quilts for Siblings Together. Actually I am going to send this top to Charlotte who is going to create a back, quilt and bind it and then it will go Lynne who is the coordinator of this charity event. I am so excited about this collaboration!!!

This is the top I am sending to Charlotte:

Another quilt off my UFO list!!!

Phew! I think that is enough for today....tomorrow I will be back with the results from my Background Survey

Opinions Please

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:21:17 PDT

If you are looking for the Post-2nd Quarter Linky Party, you can find it here.

OK....one of my goals this quarter is to finish my Stained Quilt I am doing with Sarah (one of my bloggy besties). I adore Sarah but this quilt is making my nutty, which in reality is quite fitting!

Sarah and I were chatting on Skype the other day and she was making the most amazing quilt which I am going to refer to as the "snapshot quilt" for reasons I don't want to get into because it is not my tale to tell. It is an amazing quilt and I am not sure why she hasn't shared it with y'all but I digress....

While chatting with Sarah I was working on Cindy's table runner and I should have asked her which background fabric to use but I got so sidetracked because she is so great to chat with. It is all her fault!!!!!

So....now I need all y'alls help!!!

Here are your options:

Black background

Gray Background

White Background

Ok y'all I am going to go with the majority in just a couple days. I really want to get started on this!!!! Let's hear your voice. And Sarah......we need to get together again soon!!!!!!

2012 FAL Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:27:05 PDT

I cannot believe how quickly this year is flying and consequently how many UFOs I haven't gotten done....UGH!!

On the reverse side I am UBER EXCITED with how many UFOs y'all got done last quarter! We finished 134 projects in the Post-First Quarter Linky Party and some people emailed me and said they missed it!. That is super! If we add my project in there we hit 135...hehehe....stop laughing!!

I want to top those numbers this quarter! Let's see if we can hit 175 projects!! I will do my part! Here is what I want to do this quarter:

I want to finish the one that got away last quarter, The Amazing Grace Quilt:

Needs layered, quilted, and bound!

I want to finish my dresden wall hanging:

almost done quilting then needs bound

Then I want to try and finish my Stained QAL for my dad...

I tried it on different backgrounds but that is for another day!

Well there you have my three UFOs I want to finish. Keep in mind this list does not include the dresses I want to make Callee (I have a beaut to share) or any other projects that I haven't started. hehehee

Let's hear about yours...But wait one thing...let's not forget about the rules (just a reminder)....ok get to linky-ing

First Quarter Winners UPDATED

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:19:25 PDT

I am republishing because there is an update at the bottom......

Let me start by apologizing for being late. Callee come over to play yesterday and I got a bit distracted. I will have the linky party up right after this post! I had so much fun playing with her that I completely forgot about this!

I am so very excited about announcing the winners! For me it is not just about them winning the prizes (which are great of course), but it is also about them finishing some great projects. So, not only am I going to share WHO won and WHAT they won....but I am also going to share HOW they won. In other words, I am going to share the project they completed in order to win the prize!

Before we get into that I want to thank all my GREAT guest bloggers. Were those tutorials wonderful or what?! Seriously, y'all ..... THANK YOU!!! I will post a summary of all the tutorials soon but for now, know that I really appreciate all your hard work!!!!

Well, here we go...

$10 Gift Certificate to Quilt N Bee

goes to....

who made this...

Debbie's {A Quilter's Table} Placemats

goes to....

who made this....

We both finished our Embroidery 101 quilts...the same start...very different finishes.

Pattern & Charm Pack
goes to....

who made...

Emily finished this great quilt!

Book & Fabric

goes to....

who finished....

The quilt Anita made for her MIL

Thread Sampler

goes to......

who finished this ...

Jackie made this with my fellow podcaster, Sandy as part of the Attack of the Hexies!

**UPDATE: I forgot a prize and a winner**

$10 Gift Certificate
goes to

who finished this...

A rather lovely dresden cushion!

I can't believe I forgot this prize and winner...**red faced snigger**

Congrats to all the winners! If each of you would email me so I can get your prizes moving I would appreciate it! Thanks to all participants!

Let's not forget to honor the sponsors of this event by visiting their websites, saying thanks and maybe even buying something. We wouldn't have prizes without them!

In just a few minutes, 2nd Quarter Pre-Quarter Linky Party will go live....sorry again for the delay!

Transformer Table Runner {tutorial}

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:00:01 PDT

No need for an intro today cuz y'all are stuck with 'lil ole me! I had someone else lined up but it seems life has gotten in the way. I certainly know how that is! So, not wanting to leave y'all with no tutorial at all, I decided to share a tutorial that I recently posted at Sew We Quilt. What can it hurt, right?

When I was about 9 my mother decided she needed to have more children (at the time I wasn't sure why) and not being a woman to do anything in a small way she took me from being an only child to being the oldest of three...she had twin boys....ugh!!! As they got older they watched all kinds of gross shows like Dukes of Hazard, He-Man, and Transformers. Now I am not talking about the cool Transformers of today with the great effects but instead the terrible cartoon of the mid-80s. I hated boys TV but it does stick with you!!

So, when it came time to name this table runner that easily converts to placemats, hot pads, and even wall art if you so desire, Transformers were the first thing to come to mind! This Transformer Table Runner is super easy to make! Before we get started let me show you a Christmas version I make for Cindy:

Picture taken by Cindy

Here is the version we will work on today:

Cindy's picture is much more creative!! LOL

You probably noticed today's version only has 4 circles instead of 6. The choice is yours. You can make it as long or as short as you like. Think of the fun the kids would have with this runner if it were 10 or more circles long....UBER FUN!!!

Ok...let's get started...I have babbled on long enough!!

Supplies Needed:

1 yd. white solid or fabric of choice
1/2 yd red solid or fabric of choice
1/2 yd turquoise solid or fabric of choice
5 fat quarters Rendezvous fabric or fabric of choice
1/2 yd for binding
white thread and/or matching/contrasting thread
2 yds Insul-Bright Batting
2 yds lightweight fusible interfacing
3 fabric covered buttons & fabric to finish
3 "under" buttons (this will make sense later)
wire
embroidery floss or ribbon
rulers and rotary cuters choice

1. First you need to decide the size of your background circles. I would start with the dimensions of your table. You don't want it to be too wide for you table or too small for your table. For me, 18" wide was just about right. So, knowing this dimension, cut your base circles this diameter. You need two circles for each piece (front & back). For today's runner you need a total of 8-18" circles. I cut 4-18" white circles, 2-18" turquoise circles, and 2-18" red circles.

2. Now you need your decorative circles. This is all about personal preference. You can cut as many or as few as you would like. I cut the following sizes: 13", 2-12", 11.5", 10.5",2-7", 6.5", 6", 2-5.5" 3.5". It is very possible (and quite probable) and I didn't use them all.

NOTE: I used the following rulers to cut my circles: Circle Cut by ezQuilting and Cut A Round. I would highly recommend the CutARound but I think I need more practice with the Circle Cut.

3. Lay out all your decorative circles (this does not include your background circles) on your interfacing. Be sure your fusible side is facing the front of your fabric. This will make sense later. Pin. Roughly cut around each circle.

Circles are face down and the interfacing is fusible side up!

Pin the circles to the interfacing and then roughly cut out so they fit in the sewing machine easier.

4. Sew all the way around each circle - do NOT leave an opening for turning.

5. Trim tightly around each circle with pinking shears if you have them. If you don't have pinking shears be sure to snip into the seam allowance.

A circle trimmed all the way around with pinking shears.

Trimmed very close to the stitching line.

6. Carefully pull apart the interfacing and the fabric and snip the interfacing enough so that you can turn the circles right side out.

Carefully cut a slit in the interfacing.

Turn circle right side out.

7. After turning the circles right side out, carefully press them on a pressing sheet (I use a piece of parchment paper). Press them so that they are nice & round and there is no interfacing showing on the front.

Press on Parchment paper so it doesn't stick to your ironing board

No interfacing showing from the front.

NOTE: Don't skip using a pressing sheet or parchment paper because at this point the fusible part of the interfacing will be on the outside and if you aren't careful you will press it to your ironing board!

8. Carefully place each circle where you want them on the front and back. Remember you will be stitching through all the layers so you might want to think about how that stitching will show through the various layers. I used pins to show placement. I didn't want my stitching to cut through a circle like this:

Test project where the stitching cuts through the circle. YUCK!!!

Instead I wanted my circles to be more concentric like this:

Much prefer the a more concentric look - again the choice is yours!
(please ignore ugly stitching - my machine hates me!!!)

I use the pin method for placement. Let me explain... I put pins in the perimeter of the circles. The allows me to see where I can/need to place the circles on the other side. Does that make sense? Maybe pictures will help....

Place pins around the circle on the top side.

On the backside the pins without heads (the ones not holding the background piece on) are the ones you would want to stay within the perimeter of.

9. After placement has been worked out, press them where you want them. This is why you wanted the fusible to be on the outside - it does away with pins through all those layers which will cause ugly bumps. Now, stitch all the circles down using a walking foot. I stitched very close to the edge of each circle because I liked the look of that. I stopped there. You may decide to do some more decorative stitching or maybe even some hand stitching (I did hand stitching on the Christmas version above).

Circle after stitching, prior to trimming and binding.

10. Trim each circle and bind using your favorite method. Here is a great tutorial on bias binding - which is needed for these circles.

11. Let's make our buttons! First cover your 3 buttons by following the directions on the package. Your three "under" buttons should be a bit smaller than your fabric covered buttons but not too small. they are the buttons that will really be used. The fabric covered buttons are only for decoration.Using a piece of wire that is about12" long run it through the fabric covered button and then through the "under" button leaving a space of about an inch between the two. Run the wire back through the "under" button and wrap that inch long piece of wire several times. Snip wire once you have a strong enough piece. Tie off a piece of embroidery floss or ribbon and wrap the wire so as to hide it. Glue down the edge using Fabri-Tac or glue of your choice. See collage below for what I hope will be clarification. NOTE: you are essentially trying to make cuff links.

12. Now to turn these circles into Transformers!!! Each circle needs two buttonholes and they need to be directly across from each other. This allows them to used in any configuration desired. The button holes should fit the "under" buttons NOT the fabric covered buttons. Lay your circles out and decide where the buttonholes should go - they should be directly across from each other.

You are done! Phew!

BUSTED!!!! Standing on the table for that one shot!

Even the backs are cute...so essentially you have 8 circles!

My sad attempt at an "artsy fartsy" shot...so, not a photographer!!!

I sure hope you will try making your own Transformer Table Runner. Since you used Insul-Bright Batting you can unbutton your runner and use the individual circles as potholders or hotpads. They can also be used as placemats. The choice is yours!

The winner to this quarter will be posted tomorrow and the Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party will start on Saturday...are you ready? I have a project I am sooooo very excited about to share. It is made from the left-over fabrics from this project. Well, once again, I digress. Off I go to pick winners.

Scalloped Edge Clutch

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:48:19 PDT

It is my pleasure to introduce to you a Katy. While I can't say I have known Katy for a long time I can say I have known her long enough. If memory serves me correct we were in a Goody/Mug Rug Swap together back in September-ish (you know I don't remember exactly when). This was the swap in which The FUNC was conceived.

Since that time, Katy and I have chatted via email a bit and she is ever so sweet. AND ever so talented....seriously have you visited her blog, The Littlest Thistle? Or better yet...her website....The Littlest Thistle. She has to make the cutest teddy bears I have ever seen. My favorite is Bluegrass....I was gonna tell y'all why but I don't think that is necessary.

Katy does much more than bears, and she is very good at it. I will let her tell you all about herself. Please offer a great big Cumberland Gap welcome to Katy of The Littlest Thistle.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ah yes, ever to be immortalised as the one she met while creating the F.U.N.C.... ;o) Thanks for the intro Rhonda, but let me tell you all, I positively tortured her with this tute. Telling her what it would be waaay back months ago, then doing nothing, then teasing her I'd sewn it, and doing nothing, oh, and then leaving it til the very last second to squeak this in before my scheduled date *ahem* I'm blaming Kaspersky for slowing everything down (no, really...).

Okay, so backing up a bit, way back in January I posted my roundup of makes for the last year, and the clutches that I had made in December got a lot of comments. As they were from an Amy Butler pattern, and being duly diligent to copyright laws and all that, I decided to take one of the elements I particularly liked to inspire me towards a new design. I liked the nice rounded part that the big button went in, so after a flash of inspiration on the walk to work, I decided on some scallops. I wanted a nice, simple interior, so there's just the one zippy pocket inside it. I also wanted it to stand up nicely, so tapered the sides up to the top. And here's the final result:

Now the pattern for this is rather long and photo heavy, so rather than using up Rhonda's entire bandwidth forever and ever, I've created a PDF containing all directions and photos. There are also two pattern pieces, one for the flap and one for the sides. These will be available for the next 2 weeks for free, after which they will be for sale for a small fee from Craftsy (but the Scot in me says run and get the free things now even if you haven't a clue what to do with it ;o) )

BTW, Rhonda asked me to remind you...If you participated in the Pre-First Quarter Linky Party don't forget to link up your finished projects to the Post-First Quarter Linky Party so that you can qualify for the prizes.

The Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party will go live on April 7th....get your 2nd quarter lists ready!

Liberated (emergency) Baby Quilt {tutorial}

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:48:19 PDT

What does one say about Miss Leanne? So much one could say about her!! Let's see....she's talented, easy to talk to, uber talented, a great listener, extremely talented, a person I am proud to call friend... oh and did I mention she's talented?

Alright...now that I have spread the "poo" just enough to get Leanne to show us something spectacular let me tell you what I really think about her. I really do think she is an amazingly talented person who I am proud to call friend! I have really enjoyed getting to know her over the past few months. She really is a great listener and easy to talk to.

Because I don't think Leanne will do this let me direct you to a few of her amazing items: Shine, Shattered, Bed Quilt, and my favorite The ROYGBIV Log Cabin Quilt (the back is just as amazing as the front)!!!! Well, you know the drill....enough from me...time to get to the real reason you are here...Leanne, take it away.............

Hi, my name is Leanne and I blog at she can quilt. Last week, my spouse casually said, "Remember X, her baby is due in a couple of weeks and maybe we should give her a quilt." Well, I really like her, and am happy to make a quilt, but that is not a lot of time since I work and mother, and I have quilting commitments and quilting homework and life to do already.

So, although Rhonda asked me to do a tutorial months ago for the Finish-a-Long, I decided at the last minute that my tutorial would be about wonky or liberated piecing - which was my solution to needing a quilt right now. I will show you how to make a Liberated (emergency) Baby Quilt.

This style of making blocks is, for me, far faster than traditional piecing and since each block will be different, it makes each quilt a unique one-of-a-kind piece. This quilt uses Shoo Fly blocks on the front and Stars on the back.

Many people say that they find liberated or wonky piecing difficult and I hope that this tutorial will alleviate some of that concern. The real trick is to stop trying to control the exact placement of the piecing and trust that the block will make you smile when it is all done. You don't need to plan the wonk, just let it happen.

If you are looking for a great resource, Gwen Marston's book Liberated Quiltmaking II, which was written 6 years ago, is great and I highly recommend it. If you can get your hands on her first book, Liberated Quiltmaking (without paying the current very steep prices as it is out of print - my friend had a copy inherited from her MIL that she loaned me to read) you will see that she first explained this approach to piecing in book form 16 years ago.

Follow along and I will share the recipe and method with you to make this little 36" square quilt. It is important to read the whole tutorial before you start.

For the front of the quilt, you will need 72 background squares. I used Kona White. Cut these squares to 4.5" square. You will need 9 centre pieces also cut as 4.5" squares. I used Kona and Bella solids for this quilt, picking a darker shade for the centres and lighter shades for the Shoo Fly arms. I chose a ROYGBIV rainbow plus pink and light green to give me 9 blocks.

For the Shoo Fly arms, cut two pieces about 5" square from your chosen fabrics for each Shoo Fly - so a total of 18 arm fabric squares. You want the arm squares to be just a little bigger than the background foundation squares but it is not necessary to be precise in their size. Make a nice straight diagonal cut across the square. The diagonal cut is the only cut that needs to be straight, you can use oddly shaped scraps for the arms as long as they are big enough because you will later be trimming those edges. You will then have 36 arm fabric triangles.

To make the 4 Shoo Fly arms for a block, position the arm triangle on top of the background foundation piece. Look at the above picture: the finished unit will have the red arm positioned approximately where the bottom right white triangle is showing in this picture. Position the arm piece (right side down if you were using a print) so that the foundation shows a nice size triangle that is not quite as big as half the foundation. You position each arm slightly differently and that is what gives the quilt its wonk - remember don't over-think the positioning.

Take the arm unit to your sewing machine and stitch along the angled side of the arm fabric using a 1/4" seam.

I check the size and position of the arm by flipping it over, just to make sure it completely covers the background foundation. If it does not, then you need to rip it out and reposition it. Then trim off the unneeded foundation leaving a 1/4" seam. I uses scissors for this step but a rotary cutter will also work.

Flip the arm fabric over (so that the right side shows if it is a print) and press. I do not use steam because the wonky angles mean you are working with bias cut fabric that stretches easily. Trim the unit back to the original size of the foundation, in this case a 4.5" square.

Once you have all 4 units for one Shoo Fly completed, lay out the 9 patch block. Sew the three units in each row together, press and then sew the rows together. Press your seams any way you like.

Admire your dancing Shoo Fly. I see it as dancing because the different size arms make it look like it is moving to me. And it reminds me of dancing Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoon. Now make 8 more.

Once you have the hang of this block, chain piecing works well and is really fast. Remember, it not important to precisely place the arm fabric on the foundation in an exact spot, which makes the piecing fast and easy.

Then you can trim them all at once.

When you have all 9 blocks made, arrange them as you like. Sew each of the 3 blocks in a row together, press and then sew the rows together. Stop and admire your quilt top of dancing Shoo Flies.

Here is what our back will look like. A very large wonky star with a smaller one in the centre. This takes even less time than the front to make. I chose to use a dark Kona Coal background so that the new mom would not hesitate to throw this little quilt on the floor or the grass for the baby to play on.

Now, here is where I confess to not thinking well ahead. I made my back and front identical sizes which makes the basting and quilting far more challenging. So I am going to tell you how to make the back about 2" larger than the front so you can baste it and quilt it with that extra room and trim it down later just before binding.

You need to cut eight 14.5" x 12.5" background fabric squares for the large star and eight 4.5" background fabric squares for the centre star.

Choose a rainbow of prints for the star points. I later decided that I wanted different prints for the small middle star so I picked a second rainbow as well. You will need large pieces of the large star point fabrics, at least a 13" square for the large square prints. A fat quarter will be more than enough or even large left over scraps.

For those of you who will ask, the prints, from left to right, are designed by: Monaluna, Sweetwater, Kate Spain, cannot remember, Denyse Schmidt, Jennifer Paganelli, Robert Kaufman, and Tula Pink.

Unfold your prints and eyeball a 13 or 13.5" square of the print. Cut along the diagonal of that square to get a nice edge on the triangle of the fabric. Again, the only nice edge that you need is the diagonal cut, don't spend time making the other triangle edges straight or neat

For the centre small star, you can do the same but you need about a 5" square of each colour and then you cut the triangle from that square. You need 8 star point fabrics for each star. Pick a nice fabric for the very centre of the small star and cut it to a 4.5" square. This square is a good opportunity for a fussy cut of something cute.

Set out your foundation pieces and position the first point fabric with the right side of the print facing the right side of the background foundation fabric. It is important to remember that you are not working with a square background foundation because it is 12.5" x 14.5". Positon the star point so that the 12.5" side of the foundation will be at the bottom of the point unit (bottom of the picture).

The star point will end up being approximately where the background fabric triangle on the left of each unit is in this picture (It does not matter which point you make first). Because we are working with rectangles designed to give you a back which is 2" larger than the front, be careful not to position your star point any more than about 2.5" from the top of the foundation background piece. You need to leave the 2" space of background at the outer edge of the point blocks because you will trim it off when you do the final trim of the quilt just before you bind it.

You will notice now that this step is exactly the same as making the Shoo Fly arms. These blocks are related.

As for the Shoo Fly arms, sew along the star point fabric, 1/4" from the edge of the printed fabric. Trim off the excess foundation - check first to make sure the star point will cover the entire foundation before you trim by folding it over. If not, you need to rip out the seam and reposition the point fabric and resew it.

Flip the star point fabric to the right side, and press. Notice that at the top of the unit there will be at least 2.5" of foundation from the top of the star point.

Trim the unit back to the foundation's original size. Don't follow this photo exactly (remember I planned my quilt badly), trim your unit back to 14.5" x 12.5".

Position your second point fabric on the unit. You want the star points to cross along the 12.5" side of the foundation background fabric - it is easy to get these units turned as you work. Imagine the finished unit - the star arm will be approximately where the foundation and bottom bit of the first point are seen - in this photo on the bottom right.

Sew the second point in place with a 1/4" seam. Ensure that there will be at least 2.5" of foundation at the top of the star point. So, you are doing the exact same step as the Shoo Fly arm a second time facing the other way.

Check the size and then trim off the extra foundation and the bottom bit of the first point.

Press the second point to the right side and then trim the unit again. You are trimming it to be 14.5" x 12.5" (not the square seen in the picture). The 12.5" side should be where the star point fabrics cross (the right edge in this photo). Admire your work and than make the other three point units for your big star. Again you can chain piece these to speed up the process.

You also need to make the smaller centre star point units, using the same steps with the smaller background and point fabrics. For the smaller centre star unit, make the final result a 12.5" square block. As this smaller star is in the centre of the overall large star block it needs to be an unfinished 12.5" square even for the larger size back that you are making.

Here is an example of how you arrange the units of the 9 patch star to sew either the larger or smaller star together. You need to finish the smaller star first so it can be the centre square of the larger star's 9 patch. I did not end up using this particular centre star on my quilt, so don't let the picture confuse you.

Once you have pieced your back together, stop and admire your wonky stars. I have to say that wonky stars are my most favourite block ever to make. The little bit of wonk makes each one different and they all make me smile. For your reference another hugely popular tutorial for making wonky stars is by Victoria at the Silly Boo Dilly, here.

Then you need to sandwich and baste your little quilt. I used a thin, 100% cotton batting for this quilt. My basting tutorial is here if you need one to follow, and there are many others available online too.

Once the quilt has been basted, quilt it as you like. I decided to do an all over stipple with a few loopy loops thrown in. This is also an ideal size quilt for hand quilting if you enjoy that or have the time. The picture above is what the quilt looks like after machine quilting but before it is washed, so you can see how your quilting might look as you are quilting. The quilt is fairly flat and reasonably stiff.

After you have quilted the quilt, trim it back to nice square about 36" square (or the size you need so that both the front and the back fabrics reach the edges) and apply the binding. I generally follow this binding tutorial from Elizabeth Hartman at Oh Fransson!. However, I never bother with clips or pins when I am doing the hand stitching part - I just snuggle under the quilt and pull the binding in place as I go. For this quilt I used a print for the binging from Jennifer Paganelli's Honey Child fabric line which I also used on the back.

Here are some closer shots of the quilting after washing. The washing will transform the quilt into a soft blanket with a lovely hand or drape. And since it is for a baby, do wash it before you give it away - it is going to be washed often. You don't want new mom to be the one who finds out the fabric colours run or a seam opens, it is better that you solve those issues for her before you give it.

I debated using a different coloured thread on the back than front but in the end decided that I like the softening effect white thread had on the darker back. I used Superior Threads King Tut thread in a creamy white for the quilting.

This quilt looks very complicated yet it is fast and easy. I started it on a Wednesday night after supper, worked on it a bit each evening and finished it Saturday of the same week. For me that is lightning speed to finish a whole quilt - a perfect solution for that last minute gift.

I love how the liberated Shoo Flies are bold, graphic and full of movement. This age old block can be still be so modern and fun. Now I want to make a much bigger quilt of Shoo Flies, which is easy to do by the way - just add more blocks until it is the size you want.

Thank you to Rhonda for hosting the Finish-A-Long and the tutorial series. If you have any questions about this tutorial, feel free to ask me - you can find me on my blog, she can quilt, here.

By the way, Rhonda is a podcaster and is playing along in a special podcastiversary giveaway here. You do want to click through and visit, it could be worth your while and if you have not listened to her podcasts yet, I highly recommend them. I listen while I sew, it is sort of like having her over for a visit.

Rhonda asked me to remind you...If you participated in the Pre-First Quarter Linky Party don't forget to link up your finished projects to the Post-First Quarter Linky Party so that you can qualify for the prizes.

The Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party will go live on April 7th....get your 2nd quarter lists ready!

Invisible Zippers {a tutorial}

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:48:19 PDT

Today I get to introduce you to not only a blogland friend of mine but a texting friend of mine as well. I have blown her phone up on a few different occasions. Once when I didn't want to work (who really wants to force people to have fun at a Christmas party?), once when I was on a long trek from Michigan to Tennessee, and occasionally just because I am bored and I assume she is too (hehehe).

But y'all don't really care about all that do ya?! Instead you care about how talented she is. And boy she is that (I love Fly Girl). She is a great listener (that is what she does for a living)...oh wait, we are back to me and how poor Nicke probably deserves to get paid for listening to my ramblings....oh heck. I will let Nicke introduce herself and simply say this...if you don't follow her blog, you should.....because you are truly missing out! Oh and if you want to learn more about Nicke you can listen to her interview in my podcast Episode 10.

Now Nicke...please tell them where they can find you because I digress....

hello everyone! i am nicke... (rhymes with picky) and i blog at Kiss Kiss...Quilt. i have been sewing for years and years and have been blogging for years... and i recently became the self declared "queen of the invisible zipper. i, for a long time, was so intimidated by them. i would use an envelope enclosure on the back of pillow covers because i was too nervous to tackle the zipp... NO LONGER. i had a very special friend that was an amazing seamstress and she taught me how to put in an invisible zipper, and thank heavens because i really needed to know how to do it.

first gather your supplies...be ready, you need a lot of stuff...

two pieces of fabric cut 1 1/4 inch bigger than the pillow you are covering.
{if you have a 16" pillow form you should cut your two pieces 17 1/4"... 18" form needs 19 1/4"... 22" form needs 23 1/4"... and so on..}

so again, two pieces of fabric.
one long ol' invisible zipper

a small ruler

fabric pen

i have a serger, thanks to my sweet husband, so i take the time to serge the edges of the fabric before i start. it gives me a 1/4" guide when i am sewing, and it makes the pillow look professional when it is done. if you don't have a serger, no worries, it is just how i do it.

lay the invisible zipper with the zipper pull facing down and mark your fabric at 1 1/2". this is where you will start sewing your zipper.

with your zipper pull facing down on the right side of the fabric (make sure you have your zipper foot on your machine) sew the zipper to the fabric a 1/4 inch away from the edge of the fabric starting at the 1 1/2" mark. this is where my serged edge comes in really handy as i use it to line my zipper up with. make sure to stay as close to the closed zipper as you can when you are sewing.

here is what it will look like. you can see from this terrible picture that the thread line is not every close to the zipper. we are going to stitch it again... closer this time.

pull the zipper open, push the zipper teeth up with your finger and nest the zipper foot right against the zipper teeth and sew it again. you can see in the picture below that the foot is holding the zipper teeth up as you sew. go slow so you can get the new stitch line close to the zipper teeth.

you can see the two thread lines here... i am sure you are thinking why would i sew that twice, why wouldn't i just open the zipper up and sew it once... i do it this way because i am able to get a straighter stitch line closer to the zipper. it stays put when i am stitching it close to the zipper. but honestly, i am a creature of habit, kind of a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of gal. i was taught that way and it works for me.

and we repeat the whole process with the other piece of fabric. making sure to keep your two pieces lined up mark it at 1 1/2" again.

staying close to the zipper sew it a 1/4 inch from the edge, or line the edge of the zipper up to the serge line and use it as a guide.

open the zipper up, push the zipper teeth up with your finger and nest the zipper foot right against the zipper teeth and sew it again. go slow so you can get the new stitch line close to the zipper teeth.

again, you can see the two stitch lines.

now that you have your zipper stitched to both fabric pieces we need to make sure that the zipper is the right length and that it is secure before we trim it. take your zipper and with a zig-zag stitch stitch the zipper together like so...

now that the zipper is secure cut your extra zipper ends in an upside-down V shape with the tip of the V just short of the end of the fabric. see below.

remember how we started 1 1/2" from the end of the fabric? we have to sew that area closed. start sewing a 1/4" before the end of your stitch line from the zipper and stitch the pillow together with a 1/2" seam allowance.

it may take a few times to get it looking perfect, as you can tell from mine i am still working on making it perfect. make sure you back stitch a couple times at the beginning and end of your stitches to keep it secure.

trim the corners

now turn that baby right side out and admire the crap out of your pillow cover!

if you have any questions let me know. as i was typing this up i thought, i should have just done a video... ;) maybe soon.

and one more thing, Rhonda asked me to remind you...If you participated in the Pre-First Quarter Linky Party don't forget to link up your finished projects to the Post-First Quarter Linky Party so that you can qualify for the prizes.

The Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party will go live on April 7th....get your 2nd quarter lists ready!

Little Charmer Wallet {tutorial}

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:49:35 PDT

Have you ever met someone, online or in person, and knew instantly there was a connection? Not a "we are gonna be besties and will talk everyday" connection but instead a "if our situations were different & we lived closer we would be dear friends" type of connection. While I can't speak for Jennie, I knew the minute I exchanged emails with Jennie there was a connection. Life often gets in the way from either of us chatting it up all the time but I stalk her two blogs (which I hope she will tell y'all about because they are both awesome) hoping to get a glimpse into what is going on with her. Just so ya know...you can learn more about Jennie in my podcast Episode 8 - had to throw that in for good measure!.

Oh and her kids.....forget about it...they must be the two cutest kids I have ever seen!!!! If it wasn't creeppy (and quite difficult to explain) I would print those pictures and hang them in my office. Seriously, go here and here. No wonder I want to look at them all the time!

OH, I mustn't forget (just in case she doesn't tell you), Jennie and her mom, Clara, have some rockin' purse patterns. I bought one but haven't had a chance to make it yet!!! BUT SOON...you really should check them out... OK enough from me (boy it seems I say that a lot - get used to it)....let's hear what Jennie has to say and see what she is going to make today....

Hi there! Well, I don't really know what to say after that very kind introduction {thank you Rhonda!}, so I'll just get to my project for now. Naturally, Rhonda, being very organized, asked me to do a tutorial sometime back in December...and this weekend I finally finished up my project. This is the very first wallet I've ever made, but I think it turned out pretty cute, here it is:

To make this wallet you will need:

14 - 5" x 5" squares
1 fat quarter

1 - 6 1/2" x 4" {zipper pocket}
1 - 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" {inside lining}
1 - 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" {large pocket}
2 - 5" x 6" {card pockets}

1 - 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" fusible interfacing {I use Pellon Sof-Shape 880F}
1 - 8" or longer zipper
1 1/4" x 2" velcro
Zipper foot

Begin by cutting six {6} charm squares into 2 1/2" x 5" tiles. Set half aside. With the remaining half, cut into twelve {12} 2 1/2" squares.

Arrange the squares into a three {3} by four {4} grid and sew together. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side and then quilt. I chose to use uneven straight lines for texture. Next, measure 1 14" from one short side and cut, this is where we'll instal the zipper.

Next, wrong sides together, sew the 1 1/4" x 6 1/2" piece to the zipper using the zipper foot. Press open and top stitch the fabric to the zipper, sealing in the raw edge. Repeat for the other side of the zipper.

Then, stitch the 6 1/2" x 4" pocket lining with the right side facing the zipper to the wrong side of the patchwork back. Place the 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" inside lining, wrong sides together, on the back of the patchwork outside, stitch in place 1/8" from edge. Also stitch through all layers down the center of the wallet, where it will fold in half.

Now, for the inside. I thought it might be helpful to see a photo of the inside layout before beginning construction, as it might make the process easier.

For the card pockets, take the eight remaining charm squares and divide them into two groups of four. Finish the top edge of each charm by either serging and folding under, or use a zig-zag {as shown above} and turn the edge under. Then stitch in place.

Arrange four of the charms with 1/2" between each charm {see photo above}. Then, place one of the 5" x 6" card pocket linings on top of the charms, with the right side up {I used a 6" x 6" piece in the photos above to demonstrate more clearly}. Then, stitch 1/4" from the side that will be in the middle of the wallet. Then fold the piece around to the back. Then, stitch each charm to the backing piece {and through subsequent layers} 1 3/4" from the top of each charm to create card spots.

Repeat for the remaining set of four charms. Next, hem the 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" large pocket piece so it measures 5" x 9 1/2". Place the two sets of card pockets on top of the large pocket with a 1/8" gap between pockets. Sew around both sides and bottom of each set of pockets, leaving the top open.

Trim the card pockets to the size of the large pocket.

For the velcro flap, use two of the remaining 2 1/2" x 5" rectangles from the charms. Trim down to 1 1/2" x 4". Place wrongs sides together and cut at an angle. Then sew hook side of the velcro to the right side of one of the pieces. Place the pieces right sides together and sew around the edges, leaving the pinked edge open. Turn right side out and stitch 1/8" from all edges. Stitch onto the outside of wallet. Stitch the loop side of the velcro opposite the flap, as shown.

Trim the remaining four 2 1/2" x 5" rectangles to 1 1/2" x 5" and sew together to form one 1 1/2" x 18" strip. From the remaining fabric of the fat quarter, cut 1 1/2" strips and sew in line with the charm strips to create a long strip for the binding. Press all seams open and stitch on the inside of the wallet.

Use the single fold binding method, fold to the outside of the wallet and hand stitch in place. And there you have it, a finished wallet with lots of space! Here's a picture of how I filled up the inside:

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask! And, if you make one of these, I'd love for you to add it to the Clover & Violet Flickr group too!

Oh, and before I go, Rhonda asked me to remind you...if you participated in the Pre-First Quarter Linky Party don't forget to link up your finished projects to the Post-First Quarter Linky Party so that you can qualify for the prizes!

And, the Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party will go live on April 7th....get your 2nd quarter lists ready {I missed out last time around, but I'm going to see if I can get my act together before this one closes!}!

Melissa Corry - Guest Posting

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:49:48 PDT

Welcome to the first tutorial in the first quarter of the Finish A Long. How exciting to be kicking it off with Melissa! She is incredibly talented!! And wait till you see what she has in store for you today, but first let me tell you a bit about Melissa's blog. I say a bit because I am hoping she will go into more detail when it's her turn to talk...hehehe.

If you have never visited her blog, you are surely missing out! She has some amazing tutorials on her website in addition to showing off her amazing work. She has quilt tutorials, "other" tutorials, oh and just in case you were curious, my favorite tutorial is the Snug as a Bug. There really is so much more to see, when you get a second, go to Happy Quilting to check it out!

I am ever so thankful to have Melissa here with us today. I am going to kindly step aside and ler her share her talent with us. Take it away Melissa......

Thanks so much Rhonda!!! I am super excited to be guest posting here at Quilter in the Gap. As per requested, here is a bit about me. I have been married for 11 years and we have 5 wonderful children ranging from age 9 to 6 months. We live in Southern Utah and love it!!! I have been quilting for about 8 years, the first 6 years as a hobby, and the last 2 years as an online quilter, designer, tutorial maker, pattern writer, ect. I don't know what the title of that is , maybe Modern Online Quilter :) I love being able to share my passion for quilting over at Happy Quilting and am so overjoyed to see it continue to grow daily :)

So enough about me, let's get to the tutorial. As it is close to Easter, I thought it would be fun to do something in beautiful pastels. So let me introduce you to Watercolors, A simple little quilt that goes together fast and would work perfect as a table topper, wall hanging, or baby blanket.

Let's get started. To begin, you will need to get 8 fat quarters. I choose to use 8 Fat quarters in pastels from the Dimples collection by Andover. (I did swap out that red one though, it was just to bright.) Now go ahead and lay out your fat quarter on your mat and cut a straight edge along the right and side and bottom of your fat quarter. (You can also stack up your fat quarters and cut up to 4 at a time.) From each of your 8 fat quarter cut (1) 7" x 17 1/2" rectangle, (2) 2 1/2" x 17 1/2" strips, and (2) 2 1/2" x 11" strips.

Select a 7" x 17 1/2" rectangle of one fabric and 2 2 1/2" x 17 1/2" strips in a different fabric. Lay them out as follows. With right sides together place the long strips onto your rectangles. Pin along both edges. Sew a 1/4" seam along both pinned edges, and remember to remove the pins as you go :) Press towards the strips. Repeat for the 7 other sets so you have 8 pieces like the last picture.

Now grab your 2 small strips that match the long strips. Lay them out as follows. With right sides together place the short strips onto the sides of your rectangles. Pin along both edges. Sew a 1/4" seam along both pinned edges. Press towards the strips. Repeat for the 7 other sets. Now you have 8 framed squares.

Lay your squares out as follows. Go ahead and play with the color arrangement until you like it. Then either take a photo or mark your pieces so that you remember how they go back :)

Now well make sets of 2. We'll start in the upper corner. Place the first sashed rectangle onto the second with right sides together. Pin along the edges, taking care to match up the seams. Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. Press either direction or open, it really doesn't matter. Now you have a set of 2. .

Repeat the last step with the other 3 sets to make 4 sets total So your top should look a little something like this. And now you are ready to finish up your top.

Lay your top 2 pieces onto the bottom 2 pieces with right sides together. Once again, pin along the edges and sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. Press the 2 pieces in opposite directions. Now lay the right hand piece onto the left hand piece with right sides together. Pin along the edge taking care to match your center seam. (It should nest nice and snug where you have pressed in opposite directions). Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge and press whichever way you like. And it should look a little something like the last picture :)

And you are done!!! A beautiful little quilt top that whips together in no time at all just in time for Easter :) Oh, and it is perfect for some sampler quilting :) (More on that a little farther down :)

So that is the Watercolors quilt top :) Hope you enjoyed the tutorial. If you make one I would love it if you added it to my Happy Quilting Tutorials Flickr page :)

A few things before I sign off.

First, I hope you liked the background to the photo's. I did it in a new software that I reviewed on my blog Friday. If you want to check out the review and enter for a chance to win your own free copy you can go to this post :)

Second, I am sure you noticed that this tutorial was just for the quilt top and the quilt wasn't finished. That is for a very special reason. Thanks so that new software I mentioned in point 1, I now have the capability to do something that I have been working on for a few months. Videos!!!! So, over the next month of so I will be doing a series of videos. They will include Preparing your Quilt to be free motion quilted, several Free Motion Quilting videos, and finally ending with a binding video. And this quilt will be the demo quilt for those videos. I am so super excited to be announcing this!! (Now I will have to do them for sure :) So pop on over to Happy Quilting and follow me so that you don't miss any of them.

Thank you so much to Rhonda for having me as a guest poster today. It was so much fun!!!! Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

And last but not least, Rhonda asked me to remind you...If you participated in the Pre-First Quarter Linky Party don't forget to link up your finished projects to the Post-First Quarter Linky Party so that you can qualify for the prizes.

The Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party will go live on April 7th....get your 2nd quarter lists ready!

End of the First Quarter

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:50:43 PDT

Well the first quarter is coming to an end and I thought I would go ahead and post my finishes so that you could get started on posting your finishes. When I started the quarter I thought I would get two UFOs done. Well, that didn't actually happen! I only got one done! But that is 50%! hehehe

I did get Callee's quilt all finished and I got the tutorial all finished (which wasn't a UFO thereby wouldn't qualify me for a prize if I could qualify).

Speaking of prizes here is what is being given away this quarter:

$10 Gift Certificate

Pattern & Charm Pack

$10 Gift Certificate

Thread Sampler

Book & Fabric

Remember you need to add a link for each UFO you completed. In addition, to qualify for the prize the completed UFO had to be listed on your original pre-quarter post. Please make sure you link back to that post so that I can verify. If you have any questions about this feel free to send me an email. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

In an attempt to be fair to everyone, I will not be deleting anyone who doesn't qualify. I will simply be keeping a list of everyone who qualifies at home and will choose prizes from that list. Again, don't hesitate to ask questions!!!

This linky party will remain open until April 5th. The tutorials will start on April 1st.

The second quarter linky party will start on April 7th. There are just as many great prizes available for the 2nd quarter!

I can't wait to see what y'all got done during the last 3 months....get to linking y'all!

Transformer Table Runner Tutorial

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:50:25 PDT

Tomorrow I am visiting Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt with a tutorial for my Transformer Table Runner. You remember this one right? This is the one I made Cindy for the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap 2011. Cindy's looked like this:

Photo courtesy of Cindy

Tomorrow's tutorial is for a one that is less Christmas-y and utilizes Rendezvous fabric. It looks like this:

What do you think Cindy?

What do you think of my pedicure? LOL I had to stand on the table to get this picture!

The backside!

The artsy fartsy shot....albeit a sad one!

Go check out the tutorial and come back and tell me how I did. I am still fairly new at this tutorial business so I am looking for your honest opinion (yep, even yours Hadley!!). Ok...I'll wait...

Well, how'd I do? Was it simple? Too complicated? Too many pictures? Not enough? Too many words? Not enough? Be honest!!!

Have you seen these?

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:50:54 PDT

I have seen some pretty amazing fabrics lately! I don't normally tell y'all about it when I see cool fabric but I couldn't resist. I am hoping that by telling y'all about it, you will go buy some and I won't! You think it will work?

Part of it is Sherri's fault! Anyone that has been around here for any amount of time knows that I have a slight obsession with Alexander Henry. And when it comes to his Ghastlies fabric....forget about it!! Well the 2012 Ghastlie is up for pre-order!!! Sherri, that cow!, has already pre-ordered hers! Seriously...check this out!!!

All photo courtesy of Alexander Henry Fabrics. There are a couple other new prints and they all come in green, pink and gray colorway. See Matilda getting her hand kissed in the second picture? She is 10.5" tall in the fabric! I need this fabric...I am green with envy over Sherri!!!

The other thing I was curious if you had seen was this:

All photos courtesy of Fat Quarter Shop! Seriously A.MA.ZING!!!! This is Millie's Closet by Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet for Riley Blake. These pictures are of the blue, green, and pink colorways. I want to have them all!!! I love them!! My granddaughter needs to have a quilt made with these!

Oh and in case you didn't know....Lori has a great blog! Full of inspiration!

Well! I have shared my loves of the day! Did it work? Did you go shopping? I know Sherri did! hehehehe

I will be back Thursday to share a tutorial I have been working on...are you ready?

What cha doin'?

gap.rhonda@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:52:15 PDT

I am curious what y'all been working on? Me? Well, I finally finished all the cutting for Sarah's Stained QAL. I actually finished the cutting on Sunday but ever since then I have been thinking about sashing colors and I am STUMPED!!! In case you don't recognize the fabric it is Morning Tides by Mark Cesarik.

Here are a few options I worked out in Picasa...

The colors in this fabric are different shades of blue, black & white. I guess I will go with the plain option and use black or white because I don't like any of the other options. LOL What do y'all think?

The other thing I have been working on is reorganizing my fabric shelves. Recently, I purchased Comic Book Boards to wrap my fabric around. Prior to this purchase I was simply cutting cardboard. I much prefer the consistent look of the CBBs. Just look at the difference in one shelf:

Compare that blurry picture to this one:

Isn't that top picture much nicer? It takes quite a while to get to the top picture but it will be worth it....one fabric at a time...I work on it when I need to move about. Keeps this old lady from getting too stiff.

Ok...so tell me...what have you been working on and what color sashing would you use if you were using the above mentioned fabric?

Quilter in The Gap

Wednesday's Whimsy

Moving from MEH to ME

Meh...

Fluffy Sheep Quilting

A Right Piece-full Weekend

Welcome Spring...Good Riddens Winter!!!

Second Quarter Prizes

A Few of My Favorite Things.....

My Conspiracy Theory

FUNC is on the move

Stained BLACK!!!

Looky Looky...you won't believe it.....

Opinions Please

2012 FAL Pre-Second Quarter Linky Party

First Quarter Winners **UPDATED**

Transformer Table Runner {tutorial}

Scalloped Edge Clutch

Liberated (emergency) Baby Quilt {tutorial}

Invisible Zippers {a tutorial}

Little Charmer Wallet {tutorial}

Melissa Corry - Guest Posting

End of the First Quarter

Transformer Table Runner Tutorial

Have you seen these?

What cha doin'?

First Quarter Winners UPDATED