Salt Marsh Designs

Origami Bags

2012-01-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

I made yet another pattern from Amy Butler's Style Stitches, this time the Origami Bag. I wanted a cosmetic travel bag, and this pattern can be made up in 6 different sizes. I chose the extra large. I made this one first for myself, in my beloved County Fair fabrics.

I am going away snowboarding with 2 of my best friends in a few weeks, and I wanted to make some for them, too.

I used this Michael Miller butterfly fabric left over from a previous project, and a matching stripe. All fabrics are home dec weight.

I stocked up on travel sized cosmetics to give a little gift to my friends.

As you can see, the bag is actually huge - way too big for this purpose. My husband sarcastically asked if I was constructing it to hold a bowling ball.

But I love the proportions of the bag, and the way that it opens up and lets you search inside for what you're trying to find.

Matching up the side and bottom seams to create the gusset was probably the hardest part of the pattern. The bag I made for myself is really bad, so I'm showing you this one instead!

I will definitely make this pattern again in the other sizes. It's a quick and easy project and a really useful pouch. The only change I will make is creating covered tabs on the ends of the zippers (here's a great tutorial by Anna of Noodlehead). I much prefer the look of the tabs and I think it would probably be an easier zipper installation that the method the pattern uses.

Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

The winner is #3, Kate! Kate, I emailed you for your contact info. Thanks to Jane at the Quilter's Way for the generous giveaway!

The Twister

2012-01-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Last fall, at a quilt show, I bought a specialty ruler called The Twister. You can buy it in 2 different sizes, one for a 5" square (charm pack) and one for a 10" square (layer cake). I bought the bigger size.

Essentially, you make a patchwork quilt top surrounded by a border. In my case, it is a 10" square patchwork surrounded by a 6" border. I used a Little Apples layer cake for this quilt.

Here are the perils of not having a design wall. 2 identical fabrics paired up, right underneath each other. This is a huge design mistake, in my opinion, but one I did not catch until I had stitched the whole patchwork top up. Oh well. I moved on.

Notice the Twister ruler has an offset X on it.

Line the X up to the seam lines of your patchwork top.

Use your rotary cutter to carefully cut around the ruler. You are left with this Swiss cheese looking top. The scraps are a useful size - about 4.5" inches square, but note that they are cut on the bias.

You simply reassemble your squares and sew them back together into this:

It seriously could not be easier. It's also super forgiving when you're reassembling the whirlygig/pinwheel blocks since you don't have to match up precise little corners.

Other thoughts on the ruler:

- I love that it is seated on little no-slip feet. It is raised above the seam intersection where the 4 patchwork pieces meet up, so no wobbling and no slipping.

- You do have to be very careful when cutting around the ruler. You only have about 1/4" gap between where one block is cut and the next one begins.

- The cut blocks are all biased edges, so you do have to be careful not to manhandle the blocks too much before you reassemble them into the final quilt top.

- Border choices: You do want to choose something that contrasts with your main fabrics. If you don't, you will "lose" any whirlygigs that are too close in color to the border. This is particularly problematic if you are using a layer cake, and want to use yardage from the same line to do the border (my top took 1.25 yards). If I had it to do over again, I would not have selected this particular color for my border, but I was pressed for time and it was the best I could find. I don't normally stash more than 1 yard cuts, so I had to buy something for the border. I think when I finish this quilt I will trim the yellow down and add something else to the outside.

Anyway, I'm sure you will see tons more of these from me coming soon. I am demo'ing the ruler to my guild, so I have to make at least one more top this month. But this is such a fast, easy and fun way to make a quick top, I will definitely be making more!

Pencil Roll

2011-12-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays! Hope everyone has enjoyed some time off with friends and family! It's been a super busy time for me, so not much to report in the sewing world, but I did manage to finish this pencil roll for my daughter by Christmas.

My daughter loves to draw, and it's a project I've had bookmarked since I bought the book it appears in, Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts.

Picking out the fabrics was really fun. Although I did think it was a bit insane that I was able to pretty closely match 30 colors from just my stash.

The construction is easy and straight-forward. The only thing I added was a change in the dimensions (pattern calls for 24 colored pencils, the package I bought had 30), as well as an extra line of top stitching around the entire outside.

My other daughter helped me load the pencils in after I finished sewing it, and we both had fun matching up all of the colors.

The whole thing rolls up and ties nicely with ribbon. A cute project and fun to make.

Hope your holidays are going well!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! It's my absolute favorite holiday!

To decorate my dining room, I made a table runner featuring The Ghastlies. I made 10 blocks of the Kitchen Windows quilt pattern in Elizabeth Hartman's book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork. Instead of using sashing, I just connected all the blocks to create this loooong table runner.

It took some time to fussy cut the Ghastly characters, but I love how it turned out.

I connected the first 5 blocks in one direction, then the second 5 in the opposite direction so you could see the feature fabrics from either side of the room.

I threw in some Heath in black and pink, which matches perfectly and is a really cool blender.

I'm sure you noticed that the runner is not finished. I need to sash the sides and quilt it, but realistically, that probably won't happen until next Halloween! A freak October snow storm wreaked havoc on my plans.

I actually made 11 blocks, and will use the leftover one (my favorite!) for a pillow.

If you like the Ghastlies as much as I do, you have to check out my friend Alice's blog. She has made an AMAZING quilt, cool wall hangings and a messenger bag this month. She also posted a peak of next year's Ghastlies that she spied at Market. Have a very happy Halloween!

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

2011-10-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

My entry for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival is my Love quilt. It was a really fun quilt for so many reasons.

Some quilting friends taught me how to miter the borders. Tutorial can be found here.

I played with tons of different layout options with the half square triangles, before finally settling on this one. I never realized it was such a versatile block.

I took it to St. Martin to sew the binding while on the plane. A rare treat for this New Englander to enjoy the beach in April.

All in all, I am in Love with this quilt! The texture from the straight line quilting is amazing.

Now go check out the other entries in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. It is always an amazing virtual show. Thanks to Amy for organizing!

The Cosmo Bag

2011-10-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before (can you tell I'm excited?), my sister is pregnant and due very soon. She asked me to make her a diaper bag out of some fabric she bought and has been sitting in my sewing space since, ahem, in June of 2010.

I decided to make the Cosmo Bag, from Amy Butler's Style Stitches. I saw Lisa's bag at a BMQG meeting, and knew it would be big enough for a diaper bag.

What she bought is the main fabric, a cotton/canvas home dec weight from Alexander Henry called Canyon Butterfly. I was excited that it is so heavy, since the pattern calls for 6.25 yards of interfacing if you use quilting weight cotton. Using all home dec weight saved me from having to cut out an additional 20 or so pattern pieces - definitely the way to go. The contrasting and lining fabrics are also home dec, purchased at JoAnn fabrics.

The pattern features 2 exterior pockets, which would be good for bottles when used as a diaper bag.

4 huge interior pockets will also help keep the bag organized. One thing that I forgot to add to the pattern is a lanyard with a latch attached to hold your keys. I like to put one in any huge bag like this, or I can never find my keys quickly. Oops, sorry Em!

This pattern is rated as Easy in the book, but I have to disagree. There is a lot of curved piecing involved, which, to me, is not a beginner skill.

Also, the bottom pieces are added using Y seams. Again, not easy. Which is why I am only showing the one seam that came out correctly since the other 3 did not!

The bag is HUGE (as modeled by my 6 year old). I think it's a good size as a diaper bag, or a weekend or project tote. I am worried that the proportions will dwarf my petite sister a bit though. But when you have 2 little ones (as she soon will), you end up carrying tons of stuff along with you.

All in all, it's another well written pattern, and one I would make again. But only from home dec weight!

Travel Sewing Kit

2011-10-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

I wanted a travel sewing kit, mostly to bring to Boston Modern Quilt Guild meetings, since we do a class at each meeting teaching us a new skill. But this kit is the perfect size to hold my binding tools, so I might make another one in a larger scale for BMQG, and keep this one for binding.

I found the pattern/tutorial over at Amy's blog, Lots of Pink Here. The tutorial is comprehensive and easy to follow.

The only thing I changed is omitting the strap to hold a spool of thread. I didn't have any velcro on hand, and I tried to use a snap, but it was too big to fit through the center of the spool. No big deal - the pockets are big enough to hold thread.

The other thing I will change next time I make this is to make the outer panel a wee bit bigger than you want the finished size to be, then trim it after quilting it. I think the dense quilting shrunk my panel a bit and I ended up having to trim the interior panels almost .5" to fit the now smaller exterior.

Using randomly spaced straight line quilting hides the construction seams and gives the piece a lot of texture.

I love the way it came out! It would be a great gift for a fellow quilter or someone who likes embroidery. Thanks Amy for sharing!

Fabrics used are:

Interior (stripe) - Kumari Gardens

Binding (dots) - Michael Miller, I forget which collection

Exterior - Art Gallery fabrics, Filigree collection

Baby Monthliversary Onesies

2011-10-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

I saw this craft done on the Martha Stewart show last week and knew I had to do it for my sister, who is ready to give birth in a few weeks. You buy 12 onesies (or baby t-shirts that snap closed) for every month, getting bigger sizes as they grow, then print Martha's template onto t-shirt transfer paper, iron them onto the onesie and you have a super cute baby gift.

Martha's instructions leave very little to be desired, but also watch the video accompanying her instructions for further detail.

I used this Light T-Shirt Transfer paper I bought at Jo Ann Fabrics, and I bought the onesies at Target. I bought the Target Circo brand for 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 3-9 months ($6.99 each), but bought Gerber brand 12 month for the final 3 t-shirts because my store didn't have any 9-12 month in the Circo brand. In retrospect, I wish I had bought all of the same brand because I definitely feel like there is a size difference in the Circo vs. Gerber. But I feel like even if the onesie is too short for the baby, my sister can just leave the bottom unsnapped but still get a decent picture of the baby wearing it. Be sure to affix the decal close to the neckline just for this reason!

I pre-washed the onesies before starting the project. Then I followed the Transfer Paper instructions for printing and ironing, and Martha's instructions for packaging the gift.

I can't wait to see my new niece or nephew wearing these each month as he or she grows!

Quick Quilt

2011-10-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

My good friend's daughter (and my youngest daughter's bestest friend in the whole wide world) just celebrated her 5th birthday. 2 days before the party I was washing a quilt I made a long time ago that was backed with minkee, and I thought I could do a simple version as a gift. It would be a doable project in the time I had left, particularly since I wouldn't have to hand stitch the binding.

I chose 2 fabrics I bought on a recent trip to Mardens with my quilting buddy Alice. I loved the print of the flowers and the orange and pink combination. I picked a brown to spell out her name.

I appliqued her name first, and I purposely offset it to the left. But then once I added the borders, I realized that it really isn't offset enough, and merely looks as though I made a mistake trying to center it. The scale worked without the borders, but doesn't with the borders if that makes sense. Anyway, I decided that I didn't have time to undo it, and although it totally bugs me, I'm sure it doesn't matter to the birthday girl. It really would look better moved 3 inches to the left though.

I quilted it with a stippling/loop combo that is hard to see (even in person) with white thread against the top, but it give the quilt really great texture. Like the previous quilt, I did not use a backing fabric, just quilted the top to some Warm and Natural. The other quilt has held up really well all this time, so I went with what works.

Pink piping and minkee round it out. My kids love the texture of the minkee and I think this made a great (and pretty quick) gift for a special girl.

Fabrics used are Bloom for the main panel and striped border, Katie Jump Rope for the letters. The quilt measures about 50" square.

Sunday Stash

2011-10-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson, in the Midnight colorway.

The fabric is sooooo soft and wonderful, I want to dig right in! Happy Sunday!

Twirly Skirt and T-Shirt

2011-09-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

With 3 girls, I have made probably a dozen of these Twirly Skirts. My youngest found some unicorn fabric at a local quilt shop, and just had to have it.

Over the years, I have tweaked the pattern to work better for me, and I just found a new-to-me product that made it even easier. I will post about that later this week.

But back to twirling.

She also wanted a matching t-shirt, so we picked her favorite unicorn out and appliqued it onto an inexpensive t-shirt from Target. I have tried appliqueing to t-shirts in the past and they've always unraveled after a few trips through the washing machine. So this time I put stabilizer underneath the t-shirt and so far it's held up through 3 washings. So far, so good!

She's thrilled with it, and that's all that really matters, right?

A New Scarf

2011-09-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

The weather has started to turn cool here in the Northeast, so I thought a new scarf would be in order. I have had this Anna Maria Horner Figure 8 scarf tutorial bookmarked for awhile, and recently bought some Innocent Crush velveteen, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

What I failed to realize the first time I read the scarf pattern, is that it calls for a 18"x72" length of both the velveteen and the voile. I read 18" and immediately thought it was a half yard cut. No, that would be 2 yards, cut into 18" strips. Since I only had half yards, I just cut the pattern in half and made a cowl instead of a figure 8.

I had some Little Folks voile already stashed, which I've never used, but thought the pink lightened up the deep purple of the velveteen. I have to say, the voile feels really nice on your skin. But the velveteen is also awesome, and I think this scarf/cowl/whatever can easily be reversible.

Seaming the first side, I had the voile on top (presser foot side) with the velveteen on the bottom (feed dogs side). I found that the voile really slipped out of place this way and I really struggled to keep things lined up properly. So I flipped it for the second seam and got better results.

Another quick project, finished just in time to walk to school and pick up the kiddos!

I have a confession

2011-09-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

My sewing machine has always been naked. I haven't had a cover for it as long as I've had one. Which is pretty bad, considering that I'm also not the best housekeeper, and it gets quite dusty.

Enter this tutorial for a machine cover! I cut into my County Fair stash for the project, and I love the way it turned out.

I think the scale of the pocket is a little too large (or maybe it's the scale of the print?), which is one change I would make if I were to make this again. Actually, I think the formula on the tutorial for the pocket and the pocket lining may be a bit off (unless my math was off, which is totally possible), so beware if you are making this too. I had to adjust the measurements before I cut my fabric.

Actually, I was going to forgo the pockets all together, but the quilter in me couldn't just leave the side panels plain. Also, I have this card that clips on to the top of my machine for all of the decorative stitches I never use.

It tucks nicely into the pocket while the machine is covered.

A quick and easy project! I love those!

Miniature Progress

2011-09-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

I do not have a completed mini for Mini Quilt Monday, but I have started something, and I am loving where it is going! I am taking Hope's advice of trying to stretch myself & am paper piecing. I finally feel like I can do it fairly competently, and I really like the precise results!

Anyone else participating?

Mini Quilt Mondays

2011-09-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

I am in definite need of a kick start to my (relatively) child-free weeks, now that school has started. Anyone up for Mini Quilt Mondays? Complete a mini quilt to show each Monday. That's all. Low stress.

ETA: OMG I am an idiot and can't get the button to link. Here you go to join in!

World Quilt Festival

2011-08-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

A group of us from the Boston Modern Quilt Guild recently went to the World Quilt Festival in Manchester, NH. It is a huge show, with 2 gigantic rooms of quilts from all over the world, as well as a great selection of vendors.

I was drawn to this quilt, which was based on the German game similar to Pick Up Sticks.

This one was inspired by the quilts of Gee's Bend. I love the color palette with the unexpected pops of yellow, orange and red. It's a nice way to incorporate warm and cool tones together.

The machine quilting on this quilt was amazing. It was stippled with pointed ends:

I really loved this silk wall hanging. Alice recently gave me a bag of silk dupioni scraps, and this really got me thinking about how to use those.

I really loved this quilt, particularly for a teenager. The shadows of the people dancing on top are really cool.

The applique is simply fused (not stitched down), and the whole quilt is quilted with the word "CELEBRATE" repeated over and over again, stitched vertically. A really unique idea.

This was my favorite. It is actually textile paint, not pieced. In each block where there is not a wonky square, the quilter has quilted a wonky square with dark gray thread. I loved the monochromatic palette, yet I feel like it is a really dynamic quilt.

Of course, the vendors were also fantastic. I bought some Children At Play and Riley Blake:

I was super excited to find Little Apples:

And I've been obsessively buying gray and yellow prints lately. This is Michael Miller's Feeling Groovy.

I also bought this super cute necklace made out of buttons. It should be pretty easy to make, and would look great in all white mother of pearl, or in all vintage buttons.

Lastly, there was this quilt. I'm not sure how I feel about it (other than a little intimidated), but it certainly makes a strong statement. It's a picture of the quilter's grandmother.

A quilt for Monet

2011-08-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I reported that I have been spending my summer making a quilt for the outgoing president of the Boston Modern Quilt Guild. I used Amanda Jean's scrappy 9 patch pattern, and asked the members to contribute blocks. We didn't have enough time to purchase fabric, cut it and mail it out to participants (virtual quilting bee style) so I thought that this pattern would fit the bill. Everyone of any skill level can pretty easily whip out a 9 patch block, and we could make a really nice keepsake for Monet. Please excuse my appallingly messy dining room!

It did make for a lovely quilt, and I think that the individual tastes of each contributor showed through. When Monet opened the quilt, she immediately started guessing which block each person made with almost 100% accuracy! That cracked me up because it's obvious that she knows each of us as quilters so well that she was able to pick our blocks out of a line up of a 70 block quilt!

I also asked each person to make a signature block (from P.S. I Quilt's tutorial), which I felt was a really nice way to capture the sentiments of each quilter.

One thing that I did encounter, though, was a lack of consistency with the size of the blocks. I think this will happen any time different people contribute blocks, as each individual has a different seam allowance. I thought I would solve the problem by cutting a piece of freezer paper to the dimensions of the block, then sewing through the freezer paper, catching at least 1/8" in the seam allowance. You can see in this picture how the freezer paper makes up for the lack of fabric in this block.

I SWEAR I read this tip on Elizabeth Hartman's blog, but I can not find the link. She probably took it down because it results in complete disaster.

I sewed the blocks in, then reinforced the seams with an additional line of stitching. But when I tried to rip out the freezer paper (which is really thick), I ended up ripping out lines of stitching in an already fragile block. I didn't realize how awful this was until I was halfway done with the quilting and found holes in my quilt top. I ended up having to pull the sashing up over the block and top stitch the sashing down and reinforcing it with the quilting. I was only sort of joking with my good friend Alice that the subtitle of this quilt is "Tears Were Shed". Anyone know of a better way to deal with blocks that aren't big enough? I felt like I needed to use each contributor's blocks to avoid hurt feelings, so just not using the blocks was not an option.

Regardless, it was obvious that Monet was touched by the gesture and I feel like all of our hard work paid off. She has contributed thousands of hours of her free time to creating the guild, and I am glad that she can move on in her life but be warmed by a quilt that our guild created especially for her.

In other news, Hurricane Irene consumed most of our weekend here in coastal NH. We spent Saturday preparing by moving everything out of our backyard, gassing up our generator, grocery shopping and just generally battening down the hatches. Then Irene moved through without issue, which our family has subsequently nicknamed "Breeze Irene."

The girls are particularly miffed that the power did not go out and they couldn't use their flashlights. So I took them out to the beach to see the waves. They weren't terribly impressed until a 15 foot wave broke on the rocks below our car. Of course the twins had the windows open and their heads sticking out, which resulted in wet heads and a gallon of seawater in my already stinky minivan. All in all, it was deemed, "wicked cool" - the highest praise you can get from a New Englander.

What I've been working on

2011-08-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a top secret project that was finally given away today. No huge surprise, it was another pattern of Amanda Jean's - this time her scrappy 9 patch. It was a gift for the founder and president of the Boston Modern Quilt Guild, Monet. Part 1 of the blog post can be found here.

The Imperfectly Pleated Clutch

2011-07-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

As a birthday gift for a friend, I decided to make the Perfectly Pleated Clutch from Amy Butler's Style Stitches. I finished it up right before I had to go to her birthday dinner, so I only had time to take a few, not so great pictures!

I thought that I could speed up the pleating process by using the pleating foot I got for my machine last Christmas. No dice. Because the panel for the clutch is 9" (I made the medium size), ironing the pleats all the way across and getting them straight would have been impossible, and/or would have taken longer than creating the pleats by hand. But the pleating foot is cool & I'll have to come up with another project to use it on!

After I tediously pleated one panel, I realized that I pleated it too deeply and my panel was not long enough to fit the pattern piece, so I had to iron out all of the pleats and start over again. What a pain! The pleating process took at least an hour and a half.

But after finishing that part, the bag went together incredibly fast and turned out to be really cute. The inside has 2 small pockets, and it's big enough to hold a wallet, phone, keys and some makeup.

The handle opening is not that big, and if I make it again, I will add some extra length to it. I had a bit of a hard time getting my (admittedly larger) hand through it, but my friend slipped it right on without a problem.

Overall I was pleased with the pattern & the result, and will probably make it again. Fabrics are Joel Dewberry's Black Eyed Susan (main), Amy Butlers Sunspots (accent) and Anthology Fabrics PR152 Mod Charm (lining).

Tutorial: How to Miter a Double Border

2011-05-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

When making my last quilt, I realized that the half square triangles by themselves would not make a big enough top. I realized that I had to add a border. I really thought that all of the diagonal lines of the design called for a mitered border. Because I am also delusional and thought that my HSTs were perfectly lined up and everything would be super perfect. Ahem.

Anyway, I googled a few tutorials, but also asked the ladies at my local guild. Mary Anne was kind enough to show me how to do it, and photograph the process. I will never be able to do it again if I don't document it, so here goes!

1. Add an interior border. I think mine is 1.5". Stop your stitches 1/4" from the corner and reinforce. Note, my 1/4" is not exact here. Don't be like me. Be exact. I had to hand sew a few stitches later on. Don't be like me.

2. Add your outer border. Mine is 5". Attach the 2 borders together all the way to the end (no need to stop at 1/4" here). Leave enough extra length on the border fabrics to cross the 2 meeting pieces completely. For example, if your top is 30" square and your border 5", each side of your border length needs to be at least 30+5+5 to allow for the border pieces to cross each other on both ends. See the picture below.

3. Lay your quilt top out on a table or the floor. Fold one border side nice and flat over the top and intersecting border.

4. Pull out a ruler with a 45 degree line. Find a straight seam to line the 45 on, with the edge of the ruler lined up right at the end of your quilt top corner where you stopped stitching (the 1/4" from the corner spot). It's hard to see in this photo, but the 45 line is lined up on the edge of the lime green inner border fabric.

5. Pull out your marking tool and draw a line down the edge of the ruler, going from the inner border all the way across the outer border.

6. Now, I don't have a great picture of this, but fold your quilt top in half so that the two intersecting border pieces are now lined up on on top of the other. Your quilt top will essentially be folded diagonally from the corner you are working on. The drawn line needs to be on the top so you can see it.

7. Pin your border pieces together on both sides of the drawn line (there's a pink pin down there - kind of hard to see). Put another pin at the intersection where the 2 inner border pieces are going to meet up - you want to make that join as exact as possible.

7. Flip the little tip of the corner of the top out of the way of your stitching.

8. Stitch right down the drawn line, starting at the corner of the quilt top. Cut the excess fabric 1/4" from either side of the stitching, press open.

As my kindergarteners say, "Wah-lah"!

Looking back on this quilt, I don't think the mitered border actually makes too much of a difference. The outer border fabric is busy enough that you don't even notice the miter. I don't think I would go to the extra effort with this again unless my border fabric was going to make it super noticeable. But at least now I know how to do it & hopefully I've helped somebody learn too! Any questions/need for clarification, please let me know!

Love, Finally

2011-05-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

After being dragged to the Caribbean, my Love quilt is finally finished! I chose to do straight line quilting on this one, in the shot cotton only. Similar to my Anchors Away quilt I made 2 years ago, but with extra straight line quilting in the border print.

While I think the straight line quilting looks really perfect for this quilt, I have to say that the process was extremely boring. I can find a sort of zen frame of mind when stippling, but the Start-Stop-Pivot routine of the straight lines following the design of the squares in the quilt is really tedious and does not really lend itself to you zoning out while doing it.

I used the Sunspots print in Mint from the Love line as the binding. In retrospect, I should have used the acid green that I used for the inner border. I don't think the Sunspots pops enough. But as a quilting instructor once told me, "Better done than perfect." It's done, and it's staying!

For the back I used up nearly all of my Love stash. I just had enough to piece these three 1 yard cuts together with very little left over.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. My HSTs are fairly accurate (mostly due to the trimming, I think). I had a blast playing with the layout, I learned how to miter a border, and the overall quilt is bright and cheerful. Also, every single piece of fabric and batting came from stash (I did have to buy one spool of thread) so I feel good about a minor stash depletion. But you can be guaranteed that the my next quilt will be stippled!!

Coincidentally, my fellow BMQG member Alice started a Love charm pack project almost the same day that I did & she is also straight line quilting it! That is very random considering how long Love has been out. But it's really cool to see the different design decision that each quilter makes & I love how each end result is totally unique.

Binding

2011-05-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

One of the lovely and talented ladies in the Boston Modern Quilt Guild (previously known as the New England Modern Quilt Guild) gave me a great tip when binding. Thread several needles at once so you don't have to keep stopping and starting. Genius, I tell you!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!

Vacation

2011-05-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Been doing a lot of this.

And a wee bit of this.

More to come soon!

Final Layout

2011-03-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

I finally chose a layout for my half square triangle quilt. I usually take a picture of the layout just to look at the image on a small screen - I find that it really helps me identify patches of color that are too saturated & blocks that should be moved. Something about seeing it condensed to a small image like that really works for me.

But taking this picture was this quilt's saving grace. I found the half square triangles soooo tricky to keep properly aligned! I was turning them 90 degrees or more in some cases, which would have completely ruined the layout & would have had to be ripped out and re-sewn. So I printed the picture of the layout out and pinned it to the wall behind my machine. I kept referring back to the picture & didn't have to rip out a single stitch. I will definitely be using this tip going for future quilts!

Anyone else have a layout tip to share? How do you keep your blocks organized between the design wall & sewing table?

Half Square Triangle Love

2011-03-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

I had 2 charm packs of Amy Butler's Love collection laying around, so I decided to try a half-square triangle quilt with them. I matched them up to a Kaffe Fassett shot cotton (it's either Duck Egg or Aqua - I can't remember).

I used the method of drawing a line down the middle of each square and sewing 1/4" on either side, then cutting in half. If anyone knows of a quicker way, please let me know. I tried figuring something out by putting painter's tape on my machine, but it wouldn't work.

Anyway, I pressed them all toward the print, then quickly realized I would have to trim down each square to 4.5". My seam allowances are never exact, plus shot cotton tends to stretch, so the squares were pretty much not squares after sewing and pressing. I wasn't too excited about this step, because I knew it would be tedious. But after thinking it over, I headed out to Joann's and bought 2 extremely useful tools. I bought a 12" square rotating cutting mat, and a 4.5" square ruler with a diagonal line. Luckily I hit the store during a 50% off quilting supplies sale, so they were fairly inexpensive.

I won't lie though; trimming down those squares took nearly 2 hours! But I knew it would be worth it. Putting the top together is always easier if you have nice square edges to line up.

Then it was time to play with the layout. I quickly fell in love with this block for the many layout options it provides. I think this was the most fun step of the process for me - trying out new layouts, taking a picture, trying something else - I spent a long time doing this and enjoyed every minute. Please excuse my "design wall" aka the grotty rug next to my ironing board.

just eh:

maybe add a border?

This could be cool, but I don't think I have enough blocks:

This could also work:

Now we're on to something:

I went with the last layout & have almost finished the top. I'm in the process of adding a double border that will be mitered, so I will show the method I'm using for that next time. Have a great week!

A No Slip Headband Tutorial

2011-01-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

My 3 girls all have really fine hair, and headbands always slip out. I found that if I back a headband with a velvet ribbon, it will stop slipping and grip their fine hair. Here's a quick and easy tutorial to make your own!

Project level: Beginner

Project requirements:

- 1/2 yd decorative ribbon

- 1/2 yd velvet ribbon (mine is nylon from JoAnn's)

- elastic

- matching threads

- scissors

1. Measure the head where you want the headband to lay. My daughter is 6 and hers measured 20".

2. Cut the velvet ribbon to 1" less that the desired finished length (mine was 19")

3. Fold raw edges .5" on each end to wrong side, secure with pin. TIP: Do NOT press your ribbons with an iron - they may melt.

4. Cut elastic 2". Match raw edges of elastic with raw edges of ribbon, use a wide zig-zag stitch to secure.

5. Cut decorative ribbon to finished length minus 1" (again, mine was 19")

6. Again, fold raw edges in .5" on each edge to wrong side, secure with pin.

7. Put ribbons wrong side together. Match folded edges and stitch together, starting at the short end, then turn onto the first long edge. Turn at the other short end, and finish down the last long end. TIP: if your machine has a removable arm, take it off before beginning to make it easier to fit the headband around your machine.

If you have two different color ribbons like I did, use different color threads in your upper thread and bobbin. I used a cranberry color in my bobbin and a light blue in the upper thread. Make sure you have even tension so the different color threads don't show through on the wrong side!

Now wear your new headband to kindergarten and lose it within the first hour. Wait, what?

New Wave

2010-11-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

After seeing Elizabeth's New Wave quilt on her fantastic blog, Oh Fransson, I knew I wanted to make one.

Then I ordered some fabric from the wonderful Hawthorne Threads, which included the octagonal print from Tanya Whelan's Dolce line. I love the print, I I liked how it mimicked the lines of the New Wave quilt pattern.

I threw in a few more fabrics from my stash, and in no time, had this whipped up. Although the wedge shaped blocks were a little fussier to align than I prefer, it was not a difficult quilt to put together. I just stippled it, but I think a straight line quilting would have been a better choice.

Thanks to Elizabeth for sharing a great pattern! Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Boo!

2010-11-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not dead! Just took a looooong break from blogging and a lot of sewing. But I am finally back & have a few new things to show off!

I made some wall hangings for Halloween, from Alexander Henry's The Ghastlies. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love decorating the house. The prints just absolutely cracked me up & it made a quick and fun project. I wanted the group to look like family portraits hanging on the landing on our staircase.

It's nice to try out new free motion techniques on little pieces without the pressure of screwing up and entire quilt!

This girl is my favorite. If I could steal her for my personal logo, I would!

On this guy, I drew out the profile of a dog at the end of the leash and kept the quilting out of that area. It's like a little joke. No one in my family noticed though, so maybe it's too subtle? Or just not amusing???

Dracula in a coffin.

Only after doing all the square pieces, did I discover prepackaged bias tape. I will never use anything else for wall hangings. SOOOO easy!

That's all for now. It took 6 days for me to upload these photos. I used to upload my pictures to flickr, then copy the URL over for instant pictures. That's not working for me any more. Anyone have any tips on how to get photos on blogger without having to upload each one from your PC?

Falling Leaves

2009-11-19T15:47:00.001-08:00

I bookmarked Crazy Mom Quilts' tutorial for a zig zag quilt the instant it was posted. It's a great looking design, but she really had me at "no triangles." I put aside the Katie Jump Rope fat quarters I scored at JoAnns specifically for this project. I added in a Joel Dewberry fabric and some chocolate brown & white from my stash.

For quilting, I used my walking foot as the guide and ran it along the seam lines. Then I decided that the unbleached muslin zig zags were too plain, so I added an extra line of quilting down the center. Leaving the print fabrics unquilted in the center makes them pop, I think.

For the back, I used up the scraps and left over fat quarters to create a giant 9 patch. I'm not in love, but it was an experiment.

The binding is more of the chocolate brown & white print.

I realized too late the my math was off and the zig zags run up and down rather than left to right... But the path of the quilt reminds me of the leaves falling off my trees right now, so this is my celebration of autumn.

Amanda Jean has written yet another great pattern. If you haven't tried it out already, you should! I love the way this turned out.

Order after Chaos

2009-11-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a chaotic few weeks in our house. We had my family in town visiting. It was fantastic to catch up with everyone, but it's also great to get back to our schedules. We've also been struck down with bad colds, but luckily everyone is on the mend.

There have been a few projects going on lately. These cute Halloween tutus, made from this tutorial.

I don't know if you can see the plastic spiders in the layers of the tulle. These would also be cute with silk flower petals, or glitter confetti as well.

I also made some slings for my future neice or nephew, but forgot to take photos before my sister left. I used this tutorial and it was super easy. Hopefully I'll get some action shots when he or she is born!

Lastly, I signed up for Kelli's Joseph's Coat Quilt-a-Long. It's hand (but not needle turn) applique. I think it's something I can do in front of the TV at night. I haven't started yet because it's taking some time to acquire the necessary tools, but I think I'm going to use a Sorbet jelly roll I've had for awhile on a white background. Check out what some of the others are doing in the flickr pool!

And please feel free to laugh at my unfortunate choice of Halloween attire. The other mommies at a party we attended were quite horrified...

Kid-friendly, Quick Pillows

2009-10-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

My 4.5 yr old twins each had a pillow I originally bought as their first pillows. I think they're travel pillows from Pottery Barn Kids. Anyway, the pillows are too puffy and they didn't like them. In order to get them to use them as accent pillows when they make their beds, we did a small applique project together. We decided that their first initials would be the best.

First we used the computer to pick a font they liked and made it the correct size. We printed it out and traced the letter backwards onto some fusible web. Then they got to go through my stash and pick out their favorite fabric. I think this was everyone's favorite part, including me! They helped me iron the fusible web on, but I did the cutting. Then I had them pick out which stitch they wanted to use (one chose zig zag, the other a straight stitch). They stood in front of me and used the foot pedal (I adjusted the speed on my machine to the slowest), and I guided the fabric around. The results aren't perfect, but who cares. They love their pillows and are much better about making their beds neatly with their new accent pillows. And most importantly, we got to spend a nice hour together with a simple project that they were able to contribute to.

Quilt Festival Entry

2009-10-16T04:45:00.001-07:00

I've been caught up in a bunch of non-sewing related projects lately, and nearly forgot to post my Quilt Festival entry! Since I don't have a new quilt to post, I will talk again about this quilt:

There are so many things I love about this quilt. I love the Acadia line & I love how well it works with the Kona (in the color Stone). This project also started my love for shot cotton (the binding here in Duck Egg):

It was the first really big quilt I free-motioned, and although it is certainly not perfect, I think it is pretty good! Lastly, I love that it went to live with my girls' former baby sitter, who took great care of them for over 2 years. I hope she loves it as much as I do!

The last thing I love about this is that it came together so easily. Tutorial here!

Thanks, Amy, for hosting yet another great festival. The other blogger's quilts are out of this world - go check them out!

AQB2 for September

2009-10-03T10:09:00.001-07:00

September was Kat's month for Another Quilting Bee 2. She sent some really vibrant Fresh Cut fabrics with some coordinating Kona in lime & lemon tones. I decided to make a string block using Rachel's tutorial.

It was fast and totally fun. I can see a whole quilt made from this block in my future. Although I constantly add things to my mental To Do list... if only there was enough time to get to all the things I would like to! But quilts like Ashley's (or her other one!) look so beautiful, I just have to move this one up on the list!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Another ATWQB

2009-09-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've lost count of how many blocks I've made for Around the World Quilting Bee, but I know my quilt is somewhere back in the US, so the bee should come to an end by Christmas or so.

For Anita's quilt, her theme is Around the World, so I thought it was fitting so try this block after reading Christina's tutorial.

Let me tell you, paper piecing is not easy. I think I need to take a class on it, because I find it incredibly difficult. I ripped out tons of seams, and wasted tons of fabric. But in the end, I love the block, and wish the process wasn't so difficult. I would love to make this block into a pillow. I would never have the patience to make a whole quilt though!

DQS7 Received

2009-09-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I finally got my camera uploaded and I'm dying to share the DQS I received! The talented Sarah was my secret partner, and as soon as I received a package from Canada, I was dying to rip it open!

It is gorgeous and totally me. The colors are perfect, and the design is unique. I just love how the deconstructed Dresden spins around the piece. The echo quilting highlights both the Dresden design as well as the newsprint background, which is so cool! Totally gorgeous and all mine!! I am so lucky!

And she sent some lovely and unexpected extras - KJR fqs and some adorable scottie dog note cards. So generous!

But Sarah is no novice to these swaps. She made 2 of these quilts - one for me and one for her!! What a brilliant idea! Now when you fall in love with your quilt, you get to give one away and keep one for yourself!

Thanks again Sarah! I am thrilled with my quilt!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2009-09-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

Amy (Park City Girl) is hosting another online quilt festival. Last time she hosted this, there were several hundred entries and so many beautiful quilts to admire. Lots of inspiration out there! Not to mention tons of fabulous giveaways for entrants. Check out her site for more details!

Felt

2009-09-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

This month's Martha Stewart Living had an article about needle felting and it piqued my interest. At my local farmer's market, a sheep farmer (shepherd?) sells yarn and roving that she hand dyes. She also sells ground lamb, which made me a little squeamish, but that is beside the point... The colors of the roving were divine, and for $1 a puff ball, I couldn't resist.

I found this video series on wet felting, which teaches you exactly how to transform your puffy roving into felt. I gave it a whirl with the green piece, and while my finished piece is not perfect, I love how it turned out. The depth of color it has from being hand dyed is gorgeous, and I love that you can layer lighter colored roving on top of darker colored to enhance the look.

My piece is thicker in parts than others, as you can see from the photo, but the process was fairly easy and hopefully the next piece won't be so lumpy. But I plan to cut it into shapes for felt appliques, so the lumpiness shouldn't be too much of an issue. I think felt applique is perfect for fall projects, so I plan to make more pieces soon. Hopefully more practice will help improve the end result!

In other projects, I found this cute template for a felt peony (wait for the pictures to load - it takes awhile, but is worth the wait). Using some felt that I already had around the house, I cut out the pieces and layed them out for my 4.5 yr old twins to glue together. They had fun making their flowers and I think they did a wonderful job. We're going to glue the finished flowers to headbands for them to wear.

Have you felted or done some great felt projects?

Small makeover

2009-08-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

I had this bookcase for the twins' room. It was originally an unfinished piece we bought and painted yellow to fit in with their newborn decor. 4 & 1/2 years ago when we didn't know if they were 2 boys, 2 girls or one of each. As it turns out, we are apparently unable to produce male offspring. But that's my husband's problem, not mine...

Anyway, it was a fine, serviceable piece of furniture. Nothing to write home about.

But it started bugging me. We are waiting to redo our entire house because we have a MAJOR renovation scheduled for next spring. So I am letting everything slide until then. And by everything, I mean, you would faint if you saw some of the decorating faux pas in my home. But this bookcase was bothering me.

So 2 coats of white paint and one package of Amy Butler paper later,

I think it's a definite improvement on what we had. Small makeovers. Frankly, that's all I have the time and patience for.

Doll Quilt Swap 7

2009-08-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

For DQS7, my partner pretty much has the same taste as I do, based on what I saw in her flickr favorites. Since I am completely obsessed with circles at the moment, I knew I wanted to do that. I used a Posh charm pack, cut different sized circles out, and came up with this.

I quilted it in a pink/yellow/blue variagated thread in randomly drawn straight lines. Initially I wanted to do a simple grid at 60 degrees, but it looked weird, so this was sort of a happy accident. I really like the quilting on this and think it's less fussy than a grid would have been.

I added rickrack around the perimeter and bound it in some more Posh. The back is pretty simple with some left over charms.

All it needs now is a label & a trip to the post office!

I think it is simple and pretty. Hopefully my partner does too!!

ETA: something weird always happens to my pictures and the right side gets cut off. Does anyone know how to fix this? I host my pictures on flickr.

Public Service Announcement

2009-08-19T04:24:00.001-07:00

Run, don't walk, to your nearest JoAnn's. You just might score this.

That's right, it's a fat quarter bundle of Katie Jump Rope. And unlike my previous Heather Ross finds there, it's not a couple lovely FQs bundled with other yucky fabrics. It is 5 KJR prints. For $9.99. Use your coupon and it's $5.99. See how good I am at math?

Now run along, and don't say I never did anything for you.

More Bee Blocks

2009-08-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted! This time of year has not been too productive, I'm afraid. But we're having a fabulous time at the beach, swim class or just hanging out in our back yard. But I have finished a few blocks for my various bees. This one is another for the Around the World Quilting Bee. It's for Lorena, and all of the blocks to this point have featured 30's repro prints. I don't have a single one in my stash. So I chose some Sandi Henderson Farmer's Market along with some other florals. hopefully it works with the quilt! It's just a simple Hidden 9 Patch.

Then, Anna from Another Quilting Bee 2 sent out some lovely fabrics to coordinate with a vintage sheet she is going to use for the backing. She wanted scrappy looking blocks. I just love the pink bird cage fabric she sent, so I wanted to feature that.

Finally, Alexia sent out the cutest package with tons of fabric for Bee Modern. She loves wonky log cabins, but said that we could do anything. As soon as I opened the fabric, I took it to my machine and quickly whipped up 2 blocks. I absolutely loved everything she sent, and although my blocks are not wonky, hopefully they work.

Also, August is my month for AQB2. I sent out my gorgeous Prints Charming stash. The blocks people have made so far are fantastic! I can't wait to get them all back! September is also my month for Bee Modern, and since we have several international participants, the deadline to mail is the 15th of the prior month. I need to get my packages together for that soon!

Finding Inspiration

2009-08-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

So I joined the Doll Quilt Swap 7. I had so much fun the last round, I couldn't even think about sitting out. My partner did not provide a lot of direction (just put down Quilters Choice, as did I), which I think is actually a good thing. I think it will stretch me more creatively, but I just hope he/she will love it in the end!

I have been wandering around my gardens in search of inspiration. I am finding it in shapes.

And colors.

And simple designs.

Where do you find inspiration?

Sunday Stash

2009-08-02T04:07:00.000-07:00

All Art Gallery, purchased at Quiltology. Clockwise, from top:
- Trellis
- Swirling Vines
- Romantic Floral
- Floral Tiles
- Living Elements

Sunday Stash - Chicago Style

2009-07-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist hitting a fabric shop while in Chicago. Thanks to Rachael for the suggestion to visit Quiltology. The owner is really friendly and helpful. When I found some Flea Market Fancy and started squealing like a little girl, she shared my enthusiasm, and pulled out some Katie Jump Rope I had missed. When I was there, she still had at least 5 yds of the FMF barbells, if you are looking for it.

I bought some other pieces, of course, that I'll share later. But I also saw a gorgeous kit with this pattern for a curved log cabin. It contained 2" strips of all different Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry & Denyse Schmidt fabrics, and white for the contrasting fabric. It was gorgeous, but weighed a ton, and since we were sightseeing, I couldn't lug it around all day. But I bought the pattern and can't wait to dig in to my own scraps to make it!

Around the World Quilting Bee

2009-07-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

A few quilts piled up on me while we were away on vacation for the Around the World Quilting Bee. I made this one for one of them (the quilt's owner doesn't want to know which blocks are for her!). I realized I forgot to take a picture until I already had it in an envelope to be mailed, hence the wrinkles!

I am obsessed with circles at the moment, and this fit in with her other blocks. I tried a few different stitches to attach the applique, but finally settled on a simple zig zag. But I just read a tip on how to stitch a perfect circle, so I will give it a whirl on something else and get back to you...

The second one was for Nann, who started out with a cute wonky spiral. I added this double hour glass, and then cut the border to make it wonky.

Hopefully it fits in well with the rest of her quilt!

Circle Dream

2009-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

I finished quilting my Prints Charming Bubble quilt! I just love the way it turned out.

I ended up just stippling it (thanks to everyone who wrote suggestions!). I used a purple/pink variegated thread.

I did try a spiral on a practice piece, but it was a mess. I need to practice it though, because I think it could look great, especially with such a simple design.

The back is a piece from my stash from JoAnns, with a big white stripe to make it fit.

Binding is some Kaffe Fassett Spots.

All in all, it was an easy, quick project. I absolutely love the Prints Charming fabric - it feels like silk, and the quilt is sooooo soft.

Hopefully Blogger hasn't cut all my pictures off on the right again. Does this happen to anyone else?

Chicago

2009-07-20T17:32:00.001-07:00

Well, we are back from our trip! Everyone had a fantastic time. Our kids got to spend time with their grandparents, and my husband and I got to spend some time alone. Chicago was a perfect destination - lots to see and do.

The Buckingham Fountain:

The Hancock Tower:

A Tiffany stained glass dome in the Cultural Center:

The "Bean":

The Lurie Garden:

And of course lots of great food and a lot of laughs. I highly recommend a visit! Now off to catch up on my bee blocks which have been piling up in the mail! Hope you are all having a great summer!

And the winner is...

2009-07-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out how to get that Random.org thingy on my screen, but it's #5, Heather! I'm excited because she was my first follower & has been a great source of inspiration and friendship. Congrats, Heather!

Thanks Quilt Home!

2009-07-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

I won the Quilt Home blog link-of-the-week! Yay!

My first online fabric shopping experience was through Quilt Home. I bought everything I needed for my very first quilt (my AB Brick Path). Since then, I've bought more fabric and patterns. My favorite thing about their site is the design wall on the right sidebar, which holds each fabric you've picked out so you can see how everything is working together. I also love that you can view each fabric at a 2x2.5" swatch, 4.5x6" or 8.5x11". This is really helpful so you can gauge how a large or small print will read for your project. I also know that their customer service is incredibly helpful and they get back to you quickly. I highly recommend them!

So, who wants to help me spend my $20 gift certificate? I'm thinking one of their designer samplers (1/8 yd cuts of every fabric in the line!). I bought Midwest Modern 2 and Daisy Chain awhile back and love them!

Twirly Skirts

2009-07-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

As promised, I finally have pictures of my daughters' twirly skirts. The problem with having 3 girls is you have to make three of everything, so I have to find things that are relatively easy for me to whip out! I found the tutorial here by House on Hill Road (a fabulous blog!). I made slight modifications - I eliminated the ribbon tie (I previously made a few and found that my girls couldn't keep the tie tied), and I used a slightly different construction technique to attach the bottom and waist bands. No big deal. The tutorial is really clear and well written.

I mainly used fabric purchased at Joanns, apart from the sock monkeys by Erin Michael. My girls are young and can get really messy, and my laundry skills are less than fantastic... So I didn't want to use any yardage that would make me cry if an ice cream cone fell into their lap!

One more day left on my giveaway! Enter now if you haven't yet!

Simple

2009-07-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for the giveaway post? Scroll down!

Sometimes a girl just needs to knock out a quick quilt, you know what I mean? Something you don't need to think too hard about, and something that can be done quickly. Especially after my Far Far Away indecision. I needed something simple.

I got some more of the gorgeous Bubble by Prints Charming and some Kaffe Fassett shot cotton, this time in lavender. I know I constantly rave about shot cotton, but seriously, it is so gorgeous! The lavender is blue and pink threads, which woven together make the loveliest purple.

I cut 6.5" and 3.5" strips, and made giant squares (blocks finish at 12"). Easy-peasy - the quilt top came together in one night.

I love its simplicity, and the bold graphic nature of the circle print and the squares. Although I did make a mistake by not laying out the squares before I connected the rows. I thought, since they were all the same, that it wouldn't matter the order that they were connected. But now I have a concentration of orange on one side and not so much on the other. Oh well, I still love the way it came out.

Thoughts on how to quilt? I was thinking a free form spiral starting in the center of each square (like this) but I'm not sure I have the free motion chops to do it well... Maybe stippling?

50th post and a thank you

2009-07-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is my 50th post! When I got sucked into the world of online quilters, I realized I'd have to start my own blog to get involved in swaps, bees and whatnot. I never thought I'd come to love it so much and meet such great people. The feedback you've provided and the cheerleading have been really meaningful to me, so THANK YOU!

To say thanks, I will send one randomly selected person this pin cushion made from a sake cup, and a charm pack of Glace by Three Sisters.

To enter, leave a comment below. My husband I and are taking a trip to Chicago in a few weeks to celebrate our anniversary, so if you have any recommendations of things to do/see/eat, leave that in your comment. Fabric shop recommendations are of course appreciated as well! : ) If you've never been there, just write something random! I will keep this open for 1 week, and followers will get an extra entry. Thanks again for all the great support and friendship!

Busy Bees

2009-07-01T04:20:00.000-07:00

I have been busy finishing up blocks for my various quilting bees. I finally got around to finishing Nichole's for Bee Modern (I have had her fabric for at least 6 wks! Bad me). She sent blue solids and white on white polka dots, and a piece of really cool metallic Disco Dot. She wanted a wonky log cabin with a bird applique from the Disco Dot.

Then, for the Around the World Quilting Bee, I had 2 quilts pile up. The turn around time for this one is a week, so you need to get moving pretty much as soon as they arrive. Jane's came in first, and her quilt so far is a sampler with tons of different colors and styles. I made this variation of an Arkansas Traveler that I found in a magazine I checked out of the library. I used some Joel Dewberry Aviary and some Lila Tueller's Woodland Bloom.

Her quilt blocks up to this point (she will be adding sashing when they're all completed):

Then Dionne's quilt arrived. She is doing sort of a neighborhood quilt with cottage blocks. I made this one, using some scrap monkey fabric for the windows. The monkey scraps are from a skirt I made my daughter, which I will post about if I can ever wrestle it from her body!

Phew! Now I can get back to working on something for myself. Thanks for all of your great comments on the Far Far Away quilt. I have put it aside for the moment to think about it.

Sunday Stash

2009-06-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

My local quilt shop is having a great sale at the moment, which is a rare event for them. I had been eying their selection of Prints Charming's Rainbow Garden for awhile, and I have been waiting for this sale. So as soon as the shop opened this morning, I went in and snapped up half yard cuts of these 6 prints.

I also grabbed a yard each of these Kaffe Fassett prints (Targets and Spots). I got these just because I liked them, but realized as I was waiting for it to be cut (actually, in this shop they rip the fabric instead of cut it. Odd, no?), these match the Rainbow Garden. It would be one heck of a busy quilt though!

I also got this Amy Butler Corriander, just because a) it was on sale, b) it's been discontinued, and c) it's an unexpected colorway, but it totally works.

Oh happy day!

AQB2 for June

2009-06-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

June was Rachael's month for Another Quilting Bee 2. She sent out a lovely selection of Paula Prass's Flights of Fancy. This is not a fabric I would normally gravitate to, but that is one thing I love about these quilting bees - getting to work with stuff you wouldn't pick yourself. And speaking of stuff you normally wouldn't work with - Rachael included some jumbo ric rac that she wanted included in the block. There were no rules for the block, and no size - just a limit of 12.5".

After pulling out the fabrics and giving them a good look, I decided to just let the fabrics tell the story, instead of preplanning a block and making the fabrics fit. This is the first time I've done this, and I had an absolute blast piecing the block! I cut the ric rac lengthwise down the center (not sure if you're supposed to do that or not??? But I basted it on before I sewed it, so hopefully it is secure.), and fit it in. I fussy cut the butterflies for the corner pieces. I stopped at about 10.5" or so because it felt done.

After finishing that block, I had a ton of fabric left over, in prints that I hadn't used. So I just went ahead and made another, similar block.

I just love that black print with the light blue, flanking the zinnia. I had some extra ric rac in my stash that I basted to the outside perimeter. Hopefully it is in far enough that it will show when the block is sewn in with the rest! And I hope that Rachael won't mind that it is a rectangle (about 12.5" x 10"). Take a look at our flickr pool for the rest of Rachael's blocks!

I need help.

2009-06-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

Not of the psychiatric variety, although that is possibly true... But just some design help will do for today.

I cut up my precious Far Far Away fabric and started an improv quilt. And now... I just don't know. What do you think? I don't really care about the size, because this would fit on either of the twins' toddler beds or just a cuddle on the couch quilt for them. But I am thinking it is too busy and overwhelming. Excuse the craptastic photos - my "design wall" is the floor of my sewing area/basement/play room. The lighting is horrible down here. It's only half done, which is why you can see the gorgeous carpet peeking through.

I didn't make blocks - I just sort of fussy cut the fabric and fit it together. My inspiration was Amy's Arcadia Quilt. But I think hers works because it is so linear, whereas mine is currently just a hot mess.

But I could take apart some larger seams to form blocks and sash in white, more like this beautiful quilt by Cristina. But my blocks would be a lot bigger with multiple fabrics (since they are already sewn together & there's only so many seams a girl can rip out). Particularly in this left half of the quilt, since it's already "done".

Or is it working? Will all it need is a border around the entire edge (white?) to calm it down? Or not even? I've clearly overthought this and need input from others. All my husband said was, "The green doesn't match." To which I told him it was too late, it was already sewn in, so he said, "Now it's growing on me. Like a fungus." UGH!

So what do you think? Be honest. Except about the green, which DOES match and is staying. Gracias!

Suh-weet

2009-06-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a hot tip from Rachael, of Park Avenue Sweat Shop fame, I checked out my local Joann's last night to search through their bins of Novelty Fat Quarter Bundles. And I am the proud new owner of the world's tackiest fabric!

What's not to love??? Every dog needs accessories, and what's better than sunglasses and bling?

Thankfully it came with some Heather Ross Lightning Bugs and West Hill.

I actually did a little happy dance when I found the matroyshka dolls. Combined with the ubiquitous Joann's coupon, and you can't go wrong. Oh happy day! Now I'm off to burn the glitter dogs before my kids find it and beg me to make them something with it...

Quilting Bee Block

2009-06-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

I finished a block for Cindra, for the Around the World Quilting Bee. The starter block she made is a super colorful 9 patch, with black and white. For some reason I'm having a hard time copying it, but here it is. Each of the colored squares are polka dots, and the center is red.

Then this pretty block was added by Sudi-Laura. I love the graphic quality of it - it is really eye-catching.

I was a bit worried because I don't have a a single black & white print in my stash (hmmm... a shopping opportunity!). But Cindra actually said it was fine to not add a B&W, since that would become the theme of her quilt and that wasn't really her intention.

So instead I went with the red square in the center with polka dots. I wanted to do a 9 patch variant, and I found this pattern for a Split 9 Patch.

The floral is Park Slope and the stripe is Heather Bailey's Pop Garden. I am really thankful that the sewing instructions for the block were, first of all, extremely easy and fast, but secondly, the prints ended up right side up, which was a concern with those directional fabrics. I'm not sure that there is enough of a contrast between the fabrics - maybe a solid color would have been better instead of the stripe, but I think it looks cheerful and summery. Hopefully Cindra will like it and like the way her quilt is turning out!

Anchors Away

2009-06-05T08:44:00.001-07:00

I finished another quilt! It's the whirly giggle I cut from 2 Neptune charm packs and Kaffe Fassett shot cotton in aqua.

I loved the way that GwensMom (my partner for the DQS 6) quilted her gorgeous mini, so I completely copied her and quilted it only on the shot cotton. Thanks, Sarah! : )

It was a bit of a pain to quilt, because there were so many twists and turns. It measures about 39" x 46", and any bigger would probably have been too frustrating. But I just love the way the quilting looks. I think it really makes the prints pop. Stippling it would have been easier, but I love it this way.

I pieced the back out of a yard of Neptune, 8 leftover charms, and some more shot cotton. Now I know what all the fuss is about pieced backs. I almost like the back more than the front!

I especially love this row of charms - I think it looks simple and modern.

I finished it in the nick of time. It's for my parents' 35th anniversary next week. My mom flew to our house yesterday to be here for my twins' ballet recital, and I pulled it out of the dryer right before we went to the airport! She says she loves it, and I found her cuddled up under it already, so I'm pretty happy. She's the one that taught me to sew, so I'm glad to give her something she will enjoy.

I hope the pictures come out OK - for some reason my pictures are always cut off on the right side after I post. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Small Projects

2009-05-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

I love small projects. Anything that can be completed, from start to clean up, in under an hour is perfect for me. For Mother's Day, I got Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts (or Craft Porn, as my husband calls it, since I've been glued to it since I got it!). I am not one to spend loads of money on books - we are heavy users of our public library and rarely buy books, but this one was worth every penny. Seriously, I bookmarked all the projects that appeal to me that I think I will actually do, and I have over 50 projects marked. You should definitely check it out.

One project was a beaded initial, made of seed beads and wire. I made one to go with the package I sent to Dena for the mini quilt swap. It looked so cute attached to the ribbon on the package!

I also came across this tutorial for coasters. I had some scraps laying around on my cutting surface from my last project, and they were the perfect size. Found some scrap batting, and within 15 minutes, I had these three coasters.

Although before I make more, I have to get a new pair of pinking shears. Mine are hand-me-downs from my mother, probably manufactured sometime during the Carter administration. I think I could have gotten a smoother cut had I gnawed on the fabric with my teeth. Ah well, live and learn!

May Mini Sent

2009-05-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

I was paired up with Dena for the swap, and in her flickr album, she had tons of pictures of owls. So I found this free applique pattern and cut out the pieces. I have been wanting to try raw edge applique, and this seemed like the perfect project.

I was hoping that the edges of the owl would get a little fluffy after washing, but that didn't really happen. Not sure why (maybe I sewed too close to the edge?).

I actually like the back the best.

I have been mulling this idea over in my head for a while, and finally tried to execute it. I wanted to do a sort of log cabin block, but then bisect it with a contrasting color. I made the block first, then cut it into quarters at random angles. It was a huge task getting the original block to line up correctly again, though, but I think it is sort of cool and something that I'll need to evolve for a future project.

Anyway, I had fun making this little mini, but did not sign up for June's round. I have a bunch of projects that need to be completed, and with the nice weather, I didn't want to commit to more.

Hope you are all having a great day! I've been wasting away my daughters' nap time by browsing all the great blogs that signed up for Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day. Fantastic inspiration from a bunch of very creative people!

A Gaggle

2009-05-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

I received Sudi-Laura's starter block for her Quilt Around the World. We're supposed to be inspired by what the previous person/people have done and add to it. Hers is the wonky stars on the left.

I was worried that the white solids I had in my stash wouldn't completely match what she made her block with, and since there was no sashing to break it up, I decided to use some more of the shot cotton I had left over from my last quilt. I'm not too much of a star girl, and I recently read a great technique for making flying geese. So I grabbed these pretty AB Daisy Chain prints and tried out the method, because I thought the triangles would gel with the stars.

All I can say is, WOW! They went together so fast, I couldn't believe it! The whole block took maybe 30 minutes to complete. And I did pretty well (although not perfect) getting the points right. Seriously, it was so enjoyable to make this, I know there are plenty of geese in my future. I am already thinking a sort of stacked coins quilt but with geese as the columns?? Although I do like the layout that I used up against Sudi-Laura's block, since it sort of mimics a star. Hopefully she will like it too!

Mini quilt swap

2009-05-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a 6"-12" mini quilt swap and received this beautiful little quilt from Dena! She hand embroidered it, and added the beautiful beading. I also love the binding - it is grosgrain ribbon whip stitched on. So cute! It completes the quilt completely, I think!

She also generously included some spectacular (and unexpected) goodies:

Not pictured is the chocolate bar, that quickly disappeared after it arrived - yum! Thanks again, Dena! I will post about the quilt I made her after she receives it.

Far Far Away

2009-05-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

I saw that Sew Mama Sew received in some bolts of the hard to find Heather Ross line, Far Far Away. I jumped on over and quickly bought a half a yard of each print. At $17/yard, I was too cheap to splurge for more, but the Princess and the Pea fabric is just to die for, and I know my girls will love it.

The fabric is double cotton gauze, and the texture is a bit weird. I sort of thought it would be softer and more sheer than it is. It will be interesting to see how it washes up, though. I am already thinking about what to do with it... hmmm... sometimes just thinking about all the design possibilities is the best part!

S_craps

2009-05-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

I had hours of alone time last night, but with no sewing machine at my disposal. I was babysitting for my good friends (they are neighbors with the author Dan Brown, and got invited to his hometown premiere for Angels & Demons - those lucky ducks!). Let me tell you, 4 hours alone in someone else's house is a long time. Especially if the TV is stuck on Noggin. Luckily I brought some material that needed to be cut.

I find cutting material to be the most tedious part of quilting. All the other components of making a quilt I enjoy, but cutting is boring and stressful for me. I feel like if I relax I will make a mistake. Not fun.

Anyway, I had 2 charm packs of Moda's Neptune and a coordinating Kaffe Fassett shot cotton (in Aqua this time - I am loving that fabric these days!). I used this awesome tutorial to cut the pieces for a whirly giggle using my rotary cutter.

But I am left with 5/8" x 5" strips.

Which got me thinking. When does a scrap lose its S and become merely... crap? If I sew these with a 1/4" seam, a mere 1/8" will show. And that's if I use an accurate seam allowance... So is it OK to throw these away? But they're so pretty!

So tell me, what size scrap do you find acceptable to toss? And anyone have any brilliant suggestions for my Neptune s_craps???

Around the World Quilting Bee

2009-05-14T09:25:00.001-07:00

So I joined a new quilting bee, and the idea is that your quilt travels around the world and gets worked on by various quilters in other places. You start by making one block, you mail that to the next person, they add a block, and so on. It goes to 24 people before coming back to you. Pretty cool concept! Take a peek at some of the other girls' starter blocks - so inspiring!

I chose do a Drunkard's Path block, based on this wonderful tutorial. In hindsight, I wish I used higher contrast fabrics, but I wanted to use this Park Slope fabric I've had for a while.

Iwas surprised by how easy it came together. The curved piecing is a tiny bit tricky, though. It takes a lot of pins, which I normally stay away from. But the great thing about the template is that it's a bit bigger than the finished block, so after piecing you square up your block and it looks perfect. I don't know that I would have the patience to make a whole quilt of these, but I like to try new things and one block won't kill me! It will be interesting to see what the group adds to this block!

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

2009-05-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

My babysitter graduated from college and is moving back home to Vermont. She has been an institution in our house for 2 years. Our whole family absolutely loves her and will miss her dearly. So, I decided to make her a stacked coins quilt to say congratulations and thank you. I used a jelly roll of Arcadia, and kona cotton in stone. It came out fairly big (about 72" by 80"), and I abolutely love it. It was hard to photograph well, but here it is on our king sized bed.

I love how the coins go right to the binding, without a row of sashing at the top and bottom.

I stippled it, which was hard given the size of the quilt. I had some tension issues, which bummed me out until I realized that I was reading the machine's manual wrong and turning the dial in the wrong direction. Doh!

I sewed my glove onto the top twice this time, but I think my free motion skills are improving. It was really fun to quilt it, despite struggling with the size and weight. But the back is not worthy of been shown. There are tons of folds and puckers. Let's just hope she always keeps it right side up!

I used a Kafe Fassett shot cotton for the binding, which I think is my new favorite fabric. It is so beautiful and the colors look different in different lighting. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it's a blue with a yellow undertone. A perfect match for the colors in the Arcadia line, I think.

Does anyone have any tips for sewing on the binding and not catching the quilt top? I had to flip it over with every stitch to ensure I hadn't gone through to the top and exposed the thread.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there! Have a great weekend!

I gushed.

2009-05-04T17:40:00.001-07:00

And I am not normally a gusher. But I gushed. And cried a teeny tiny bit. And I am NOT a crier.

I got my doll quilt in the mail today from the Doll Quilt Swap 6.

Jessie, aka Tiny House, made this for me. I can't believe it's actually mine! Isn't it awesome?

I have been stalking her photos on flickr during the process of her making this, having no clue that it was intended for me! She used fabrics that are my absolute favorites, like the Joel Dewberry Aviary Sunburst (that I loved so much I made a shirt out of!) and Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy. The embroidery around the birds is absolutely spot on. And her hand quilting is absolutely gorgeous. I'm sure the pictures do not do it justice, but the pattern of her quilting is unique and totally fits the quilt. Even the back is fantastic.

I found a small twig in the yard that I think totally fits, and I sewed a bit of monofilament onto the quilt to hang it. It is hung next to our front door, where we normally hang seasonal art, so I can lie to my friends and tell them I made it. Um, I mean, give credit where credit is due and tell them about the swap I participated in... Yeah, that's what I meant...

Seriously, Jessie totally got the style and feeling that I love in a quilt. She just nailed it 100%. Can I gush any more??? I just love this!! I am so pleased that I participated in this swap and got to meet new people and stretch myself creatively. And in the end, I got the best quilt out of the bunch!!

Another finish

2009-04-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

I've previously posted about my version of Crazy Mom Quilts' The Future's So Bright. But I finally quilted it and finished it! This was for my other 4 year old's birthday. A lot of finishes for me in April, yay!

I quilted it mainly in the ditch. This one was quilted before the Hidden 9 Patch (before I had the guts to try stippling), and I'm a bit bummed because I think it would look even better more heavily quilted. But I love the quilt and my daughter does too! You can sort of see the pink piping and it is also backed in minky.

I will definitely try this pattern again - it came together easily and I just love the design. Speaking of Crazy Mom, if you're not already aware, she's doing a 9 Patch quilt a long - one block a day for a 70 block quilt. Come join, it's not too late! I am using all scraps & will try to do a weekly post of my progress.

Hidden Nine Patch

2009-04-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of the quilts I made for my twins' 4th birthday (yes, that would be in the middle of March). I've had the top done for awhile, but hadn't done anything with it. But then she ended up having to have surgery (tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in) so I wanted to get it completed so she could cuddle up in it while recovering.

It's a hidden 9 patch, and her favorite color is purple. When I was laying out the blocks trying to figure out the best layout (wow, there are sooooo many options with that block!) she came into the room and started helping. She had a definite vision in mind, so I let her do the layout. If I tried to rotate a block, she knew exactly which one I touched & redid it! Too funny - so I let her have it her way since it's her quilt. I think she did a great job!

I initially tried to do a wavy sort of curve for the quilting. That immediately failed, so I took a deep breath and decided to stipple it for the first time ever. I was taking a risk of ruining the quilt (there's no way I can pick out all of the stitches!) but I practiced a bit more and then just went for it. While quilting, I was wearing those quilting gloves (my instructor during my free motion class let me try hers, and I found it a lot easier to grip the fabric. I bought a pair of Fons and Porters on sale at JoAnns for under $3). I wasn't paying close enough attention at one point because I accidentally sewed my glove onto the top!!! At least I didn't cut myself and bleed all over the top! But anyway, I had an absolute blast quilting it. I used variegated thread in purple and pink, and some of it actually came out pretty well. Some of it is awful too, but overall I'm happy.

All 3 girls wanted their blankets backed in minky, so I edged it in piping in the bright green color. It's super soft and cozy.

My daughter's surgery went well and she is still recuperating. I had to steal the blanket away from her to photograph, so I'm happy that she likes it and it is helping to make her feel better.

Summer skirts!

2009-04-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

It's supposed to hit 90 here today, so I'm taking the girls to the beach. Hopefully they will understand that the ocean temp. is about 40 though and won't want to swim!!! It's April vacation week so we have the whole week together to have fun.

I've been spring cleaning my closet to pack away my sweaters and unearth my summer clothes. I found this skirt, wrinkled and rumpled, that I made last year. It's the Amy Butler Barcelona pattern, which was easy to make & a Kaffe Fassett print that I think is wearable. I love how each layer is frayed and soft at the bottom - it gives such great texture to the skirt and is so soft to feel. Hope everyone has a great week!

May AQB2 block

2009-04-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a bit sad that I've already finished my May block for Another Quilting Bee 2, but I've got enough WIPs to keep me busy! Mary sent out her fabric (Deb Strain for Moda - Bistro), and said the title of her quilt would be "Time for a Coffee Break." She sent a generous amount of fabric (2 layers of a layer cake, 3 charms and 1 jelly roll strip!) so I knew I could do a paper pieced block that was a bit more intricate. And wow, I used nearly every scrap of fabric she sent! I have teeny tiny pieces left over.

I found this pattern called Paper Stars and thought it was perfect. Mary made Chen a beautiful paper pieced star last month, so I figured that would be something she would like to receive too. It was challenging. I ripped out nearly every single seam at least once, including the final block assembly! I can't say that I love paper piecing, although I probably am not doing it right - I just figured out a way that worked for me and went with it - there must be an easier way. But the results, I think, are beautiful and I'm really proud of how it looks. Hope you like it too, Mary!

The bug that bit me

2009-04-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I'm jumping on the bandwagon and joining Park City Girl's virtual quilt festival. I wanted to show the first quilt that I ever made, and the one that got me off on this new obsession. It's something I love dearly, but I went into it soooo naively.

I was in my local quilt shop browsing, looking for inspiration, and I saw a bunch of free patterns for the Amy Butler Brick Path quilt hanging next to her fabrics. I immediately loved it, and it didn't look too hard for a novice, so I grabbed it. The pattern calls for something like "9 half yards of Amy Butler Lotus fabric" so I marched to the AB section, pulled out 9 bolts of Lotus print fabric and bought it. God forbid I stray from the pattern and buy a different kind of fabric or a different designer!! Oh no, if the pattern called for it, I was all over it. I also bought a ruler and a cutting mat.

1 year, a new house and a new sewing machine later, my completed top was staring me in the face. So I got to the business of quilting it (the pattern calls for stitching in the ditch - guess what I did??? : ) ). It is a huge quilt to quilt if you're a beginner, but I had no idea. I just figured out something that worked for me (an ironing board brought down to the height of my table to hold the bulk of the fabric) and did it. In the end, I love the quilt. It sits on the end of my couch, and I use it almost every night. It makes me laugh when I think about making it though, but I will always cherish it.

Finished!

2009-04-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

I finished my doll quilt for the swap. I have to say, I really, really love it now. I hand quilted it, because I thought the style of quilt called for it. The stitches are uneven and long, since I am certainly no pro at hand quilting, but I think it's OK and sort of adds to the wonkiness of the quilt. I think I will be really reluctant to mail this one off! I just hope my partner likes it too!! Meanwhile I am stalking the mailman every day to see if my quilt arrives. I just loved participating in this swap - it really allows you to leave your comfort zone and try something new. I will definitely sign up for future swaps!

And please excuse the horrific state of my garden. Spring doesn't truly arrive here in NH until mid-May!

Tilting at Pinwheels

2009-04-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

So Chen in my group from Another Quilting Bee 2 sent out this beautiful green and pink floral fabric from Tanya Whelan's line, Barefoot Roses. She wanted a shabby chic feeling, but let us do our thing with the blocks. I had an "great idea" and immediately cut the fabric. MISTAKE. I swear, I used to be able to do math. I was even a finance major in college, which is really just math, but with dollar signs and for Republicans. But anyway, now I was left with 2.25" strips (???). And my idea absolutely did not work with what I had. I even went to my local quilt shop in search of extra fabric to no avail. I actually lost sleep over what to do - cutting up other people's fabric can be stressful! : )

So somehow I decided to do pinwheels. I couldn't use the plain pink as the background color, because there wasn't enough of it (wow, half square triangles eat up fabric like you wouldn't believe!). So I used some plain off-white from my stash. Hopefully this gels with Chen's sashing fabric - the real white I had looked too white, so I used off-white. Anyway, I had to "reverse sew" (aka rip out seams) many, many, MANY pinwheels, since I sewed those buggers backwards quite frequently. Then my block was too small, so I added the scraps around the edge to make it 12.5" square. Ultimately, I love the block. I just hope Chen does too!! I will warn her, though, it will be a bit of a pain to quilt - those intersections are thick, even with the seam allowances pressed open! I think I've had my fill of pinwheels for the moment, although I am dying to do a whirly giggle.

New Apron

2009-04-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get back into the sewing groove. It's hard to stay inside when we're enjoying nice weather here after such a long winter! But I managed to whip up another short pleated apron from Amy Butler's book, In Stitches. I really like the pattern. I saw this quilt on flickr and loved the combination of the 2 patterns.

Spring to finish

2009-04-06T04:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am in desperate need of a kick in the behind to finish all my WIPs. Reading Jacquie's blog, she put together a challenge to finish WIPs in the month of April. Perfect motivation for me to get it together!

In other news, I took a free motion quilting class on Saturday and loved it! I will need lots more practice before I will test out stuff like stippling on a pieced quilt, but it was really fun and very liberating! Brace yourself, because my practice sheet is horrible, but it was fun.

Outdoor work

2009-03-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Not much sewing getting done, but a lot of work in the garden. Already this week I (along with my 3 helpers) have filled 12 of those 30 gallon paper composting bags full of leaves and twigs. We have at least 20 more to go... All this on our tiny 1/4 acre lot! But playing in the sunshine gave a few good photo ops for the girls.

On the sewing front, I'm nearly done with my Doll Quilt for the swap. I decided to hand quilt it and I am loving the way it's turning out. I'm also nearly done with Rebecca's birthday blanket (although her birthday was 2 wks ago!). Hopefully I'll have some photos of finished products later this week!

Hope you're all having a fantastic week too!

Finished block for AQB2

2009-03-19T14:34:00.001-07:00

I finished Stephanie's block for Another Quilting Bee 2 last night. She made a fantastic tutorial on how to do this spider web block on her blog.

It was fun to try paper piecing, and this is a perfect scrap busting project. This one will just have to take a number though, because I've got a zillion projects in mind to do first... Hope you're all having a great day!

Poseur

2009-03-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

There are a few memorable times in my life when I've followed trends and/or made questionable decisions and not been true to myself. Like the asymmetric haircut my stylist talked me into because it was on the cover of Vogue. Or the snowboarding years. Or duplicating the dance from Pulp Fiction at every fraternity party at my college (you know, the one with the finger sweep across the eyes. Don't laugh at me. You've done it too. RIGHT??). Did I mention that I really, really can not dance?

Anyway, I really felt untrue to myself making the quilt top for the Doll Quilt Swap 6. My partner said she likes Gees Bend, and from her blog and flickr photo stream it seems that she prefers batiks. Soooo not my usual thing. But I forged ahead, and bought fabrics that I liked & thought she would like as well. I ended up making this top.

I think it's pretty cool, and it was definitely fun to make (I ripped the fabric & used scissors - no ruler or rotary cutter). It was a liberating exercise. I especially like the wonky offset stacked coins on the right.

That is something that I will definitely use again. But overall, I realized that this is not me. It doesn't really represent me or my point of view. I'm still trying to figure out what my point of view is... but it's not this. I feel like it is something that I studied up on and tried to copy, rather than something that organically happened.

I really hope my partner loves it though. I do like the way it turned out in general - don't get me wrong. If I hated it I would never send it to her - I'd start over. But I feel like I need to go cuddle up in my Amy Butler Brick Path quilt to get real...

Fantastic sale

2009-03-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

at Quilt Arts. EVERYTHING is 50% off. Yikes - I just spent $73! But I bought the coolest stuff!! Katie Jump Rope, some Amy Butler, Farmer's Market... my husband is going to kill me! Thanks to Quilt Dad for the heads up!

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

In honor of it hitting 50 degrees here in New Hampshire, I declare it to be Spring. Yeah, I realize it's not official, but little things make me happy. Like this Gerber daisy I have on the dining room table.

But more like the loot that I got from the wonderfully talented Julie from the Wishing it was Spring swap. First these fat quarters:

Don't you love how she folded them? And the colors go so well with my stash - they are perfect for me! THEN, she totally outdid herself and made this gorgeous wall hanging:

I love it! It was a totally unexpected surprise. I hung it on the wall above my sewing table. Thanks again, Julie!

DQS6 fabrics

2009-03-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've never bought batiks before - I've actually never even looked at them. I like prints. But I'm paired up with someone who seems to favor them for the Doll Quilt Swap 6, so I went to my local quilt store in search of an inspiration. I found something I liked, and that I could pair with some solids (my partner like modern - I thought this would be best). I also found some hand dyed pink that matches the batik perfectly. I like that this swap is challenging my normal habits & opening my eyes to new fabric options! Never a bad thing, right?

My version of The Future's So Bright

2009-03-07T12:00:00.001-08:00

I took this lovely pattern from Amanda Jean's blog - called The Future's So Bright. Hopefully I did her beautiful work justice in my own beginner way. It is for one of my daughter's birthday (next Friday!). I have to get on the quilting ASAP! But I unexpectedly have time today, since the free motion class I signed up for was postponed due to lack of interest. I am bummed, but I can use the extra time. I still have to finish my other daughter's top & quilt that!! YIKES!

I was a bit scared to put the blocks together, because I've never set anything on point before. But it came together surprisingly well, and I'm really pleased with the outcome. I think it's more vibrant than the photos show, but my photography skills are less than stellar. Anyway, thanks again Amanda Jean for sharing your pattern!!

I am what I am, and I like pink.

2009-03-05T12:16:00.001-08:00

This is a line in one my girls' favorite books, Purplicious. The main character is defending her love of pink from the other girls in her class who insist that pink is passe.

I just signed up for the Doll Quilt Swap 6, and my secret partner needs to know my likes and preferences to make my quilt. So I went through a bunch of pictures on flickr and selected my favorites. When I reviewed them, I realized that I like pink. Like, a lot. More specifically, pink with orange and green on a white background. Preppy colors, I guess. And speaking of preppy, I love argyle and paisley. I don't love quilts that are fussy or too traditional. I like more free form type stuff, but not so wonky that it looks like a hot mess that my 4 yr olds did. But honestly, it's really all about the color palette for me. I would like my partner to have the freedom to express herself the way she loves to do it. These little quilts are pieces of art, and they are all beautiful in their own way. So, secret partner, do whatever you love to do, but do if you can do it in the palette I love, I'm positive I will love your work. Have fun!

One down, 2 to go!

2009-03-04T15:17:00.001-08:00

Birthday candles
Originally uploaded by Salt Marsh Designs

One birthday quilt finally done, 2 more to go. I think I'll call this one Birthday Candles (even though it is just a stacked coins quilt!). Finished just in the nick of time, since my little one's birthday is tomorrow! The kids are all about texture on the back, so this one has minky instead of cotton. Eh. I'm just happy to have it done in time for her birthday. The twins' birthday is next Friday, so I've got a lot more to do!

I won, I won!!

2009-02-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

I won Heather's generous Amy Butler fat quarter give away!! I just got home from vacation and found this lovely little package of 4 beautiful fat quarters, and some awesome gros grain ribbon! I am so excited and thankful! Thanks, Heather! I'm not sure what I will make with them yet, but whatever it is will be beautiful.

While I was away, I finished the blocks for one of my twin's birthday quilts. When I finally laid everything out, I nearly cried from frustration. I just hated the way it looked. It had no sparkle or life. But I worked with the layout a lot and I'm finally feeling it. It's amazing what the same blocks can look like laid out differently! A lesson learned, for sure. Now to get them into rows without screwing up the order. Which is why I've taken this picture, because I'm sure I'll have to keep referring back to it. Furthermore known as the "oh crap" picture:

Lots of progress!

2009-02-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

I've got about half of the quilt top for one of my twins done. It's the Future's So Bright pattern from Amanda Jean's blog. My daughter loves pink, so I hope it's pink enough for her... I still have to make another 6 blocks, plus the interior blocks surrounded by white. I am taking the girls to my parents' house for their February vacation next week, so I hope to complete this on mom's machine while I'm up there. You'll have to use your imagination to picture it without the fugly carpet underneath.

Additionally, I sent off a package of fat quarters for my swap partner Julie.

I won't spoil the surprise for her by posting the fabric, but I hope she likes it!

Lastly, I signed up for 2 new challenges. One is the Nothing but Scraps challenge (see the fancy button on the sidebar that took me 20 minutes to figure out??). The other is a virtual quilting bee. I am so excited to connect with other people who quilt! I just hope I haven't overextended myself! Have a great week!

Sneak Peak

2009-02-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished the quilt top I'm making for my little one's 2nd birthday.

All 3 girls have birthdays in March & I'm trying to make quilts for each of them. But they are all about the texture on the back of their blankets, so I bought minky for the backs. I am going to try the technique that Amanda used here to quilt the top first with batting & a muslin back, then finish with the minky. Instead of binding it I think I will use piping. Maybe navy blue? I've never made it before so I think I will just buy some & try it out.

Tonight I'm going to cut the fabric for the 2nd one! I should have started this a little sooner!

Vintage Baby Quilt Redux

2009-02-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Look familiar? Yes, it's the other half of the Look & Learn charm pack. It's for another friends' baby born last summer... Thankfully one lives in Indiana & the other in New Jersey... Hopefully never the twain shall meet or my secret will be out!

I like the girlier flower prints on this one though. But I'm happy to have both off in the mail!

I Heart the Mailman

2009-02-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Especially when he comes bearing gifts. Like these from Erin McMorris' Park Slope collection:

These random choices, including 2 of the Farmer's Market collection:

And these from Lila Tueller's Woodland collection. I think these are my favorite:

I'm sure I won't heart the mailman when he delivers my credit card statement. Which is why I'm not partaking in this excellent sale I found at Daffodil Hill - but hopefully someone will benefit. $7/yard for Amy Butler! That's like practically free, right??

And now off figure out what to do with all this pretty fabric...

Fat Quarter Swap

2009-02-08T15:07:00.001-08:00

I just signed up for this FQ swap - thought you might like to too! It will be fun to pick out 2 FQs to send out, and fun to receive something I may not necessarily buy on my own. Yay!

Last minute apron

2009-02-07T11:28:00.001-08:00

I realized yesterday around noon that I was meeting some friends that night for dinner/drinks & a birthday celebration for my good friend. I also did not have a gift. A quick check through my stash & my books of patterns, and I whipped up this apron from Amy Butler's In Stitches. It took about 2 hours to make. The photo session afterward was hilarious - handing over my digital camera to my almost-4 yr old twins, resulted in these wonderful shots. I'm just thankful my camera wasn't broken:

Then the almost 2 yr old gets in on the action:

And finally one to show the apron, but one of the twins had to jump in:

Anyway, I think my friend liked it, and I'm glad to use up some of my stash! Especially that orange that I feel like I will have until the day I die...

Cutting anxiety

2009-02-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

Every time I cut a piece of fabric, I have major anxiety. Am I sure the measurement's correct? Maybe I should just check it again to be safe... For the 4th time. Isn't it a sign of insanity to cut a nice piece of cloth into small pieces, only to sew it back together again? Kind of like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane...

But I finally cut my designer samplers (Amy Butler's Daisy Chain & Midwest Modern) into 33" lengths (they come 4.5" wide). Leaving a nice 10" scrap left over. I am planning on making 16" blocks with the strips... More to come!

First quilt of 2009

2009-02-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

A baby quilt for some friends who had their baby LAST summer! Oh, the shame... But hopefully they'll like it. It's my 3rd quilt, and I like the way it came out. I don't LOVE it - it's rather plain, but I learned a lot making it:

strip piecing (not sure if that's the correct technical term) was super fast and easy - laying a strip down & attaching all the charm squares to it & then cutting the strip apart, rather than cutting a million rectangles and having to precisely attach them to the charm square. A great technique for me & one I will definitely use in the future.

This is my first really quilted piece - my other 2 quilts were only stitched in the ditch. I initially started with just diagonal lines through the charm squares, but then thought it needed to be more heavily quilted, so I went in between the lines I had already done. I'm glad I did this. I did not draw out a grid, I just eyeballed it - it was easy for this quilt because the squares were already there. I think it came out OK.

I should have made this bigger - it shrunk significantly in the wash. Even though it's only a baby quilt, it is tiny.

I have another one that still needs quilting and binding - the other 20 charms from the pack. I've had this charm pack for over a year & am glad it's gone to good use.

New Blog

2009-01-28T11:01:00.001-08:00

Starting a new blog dedicated to quilting/sewing/crafting. More to come!

Salt Marsh Designs

Origami Bags

Giveaway Winner!

Sponsored Giveaway: Quilter's Way

The Twister

Pencil Roll

Happy Halloween!

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

The Cosmo Bag

Travel Sewing Kit

Baby Monthliversary Onesies

Quick Quilt

Sunday Stash

Twirly Skirt and T-Shirt

A New Scarf

I have a confession

Miniature Progress

Mini Quilt Mondays

World Quilt Festival

A quilt for Monet

What I've been working on

The Imperfectly Pleated Clutch

Tutorial: How to Miter a Double Border

Love, Finally

Binding

Vacation

Final Layout

Half Square Triangle Love

A No Slip Headband Tutorial

New Wave

Boo!

Falling Leaves

Order after Chaos

Kid-friendly, Quick Pillows

Quilt Festival Entry

AQB2 for September

Another ATWQB

DQS7 Received

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Felt

Small makeover

Doll Quilt Swap 7

Public Service Announcement

More Bee Blocks

Finding Inspiration

Sunday Stash

Sunday Stash - Chicago Style

Around the World Quilting Bee

Circle Dream

Chicago

And the winner is...

Thanks Quilt Home!

Twirly Skirts

Simple

50th post and a thank you

Busy Bees

Sunday Stash

AQB2 for June

I need help.

Suh-weet

Quilting Bee Block

Anchors Away

Small Projects

May Mini Sent

A Gaggle

Mini quilt swap

Far Far Away

S_craps

Around the World Quilting Bee

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

I gushed.

Another finish

Hidden Nine Patch

Summer skirts!

May AQB2 block

The bug that bit me

Finished!

Tilting at Pinwheels

New Apron

Spring to finish