We are so excited to be posting a new Free Pattern Day. Here is a purr -fectly wonderful collection of cat and dog quilts ! For 1000 more ...
Maintenant que le quilt Renard vient d'être remis à son destinataire, je peux dévoiler ses secrets de fabrication ! Now that the Sleeping Fox quilt has just been given to its recipient, I can reveal its making of secrets! Le renard endormi, en couture sur papier. Le blanc des oreilles et du bout de la queue est en polaire. Un peu plus épais que les autres tissus coton, mais tout doux ! The sleeping fox, on foundation paper piecing. The white of the ears and the tip of the tail is fleece. A little thicker than the other cotton fabrics, but so soft! La version d'Andrea me plaisait bien : le renard endormi dans la forêt. Mais contrairement à sa forêt de bouleaux, noirs et blancs, je voulais quelque chose de plus vert, plus printanier. Et mon neveu à qui je destine ce quilt est un grand amateur de nature et de balade en forêt / montagne. I liked Andrea’s version: the sleeping fox in the forest. But unlike her birch forest, black and white, I wanted something greener, more spring related. And my nephew to whom I'm making this quilt is a great lover of nature and walking in forest / mountain. J'ai commencé à coudre des bandes de 2'' à 3'' ensemble pour former les troncs des arbres clairs, les plus en premier plan. J'ai essayé de ne pas les assembler avec des coutures droites, mais en biais, voire arrondies... pas facile en fait ! Je voulais un rendu un peu plus naturel, le résultat n'est surtout pas très plat ! I started sewing 2'' to 3'' strips together to form the trunks of the clearest trees, the most in the foreground. I tried not to assemble them with straight seams, but slanted, even rounded... not easy actually! I wanted a bit more natural result, but above all it's not very flat! Les autres troncs sont plus foncés, en arrière plan. J'avais justement des fat quarters de la "bonne" couleur dans mon stock. Un grand merci à Claudine pour m'avoir prêté sa grande table de salle à manger, m'avoir laissé rouler sa belle nappe pour libérer l'espace pour coudre, et m'avoir laissé mettre plein de petits fils partout sur sa moquette sans rien dire ! La couture du top a quand même pris 3 jours pleins. The other trunks are darker, in the background. I just happened to have fat quarters of the "right" color in my stash. A big thank you to my sweet MIL Claudine for lending me her large dining table, letting me roll her beautiful tablecloth to free the space to sew, and letting me put lots of little threads all over her carpet without saying anything! The sewing of the top took 3 full days. Toutes ces coutures sont improvisées, les morceaux verts sont assemblés les uns aux autres en suivant au mieux mon croquis sur papier, avec parfois des bandes bleu clair pour le ciel qui perce à travers le feuillage. J'ai eu un peu de mal à trouver des tissus verts avec les tons voulus, et je ne suis pas complètement satisfaite de ces deux-là, les motifs sont trop gros. All these seams are improved, the green pieces are assembled to each other by following at best my sketch on paper, with sometimes light blue stripes for the sky that shows through the foliage. I had a little trouble finding green fabrics with the right tones, and I’m not completely satisfied with those two, the prints are too big. De loin ça se voit moins ! Voilà le top terminé, il reste quelques plis qu'un bon repassage va éliminer. Ou pas. From a distance it's less visible! Here is the finished top, there are still some folds that a good ironing will eliminate. Or not. Une fois bâti et le quilting commencé, je me suis rendue compte que j'avais oublié de faire les yeux du renard... tant pis, le point de satin va se voir sur l'arrière... Once basted and the quilting started, I realized that I had forgotten to make the eyes of the fox... too bad, the satin stitch will show on the back... C'est un petit quilt, format couverture de divan, et je le voulais chaud et confortable. A la place du molleton, j'ai mis une couverture d'une compagnie de transport, chaude et douce. It’s a small quilt, sofa cover size, and I wanted it warm and cosy. In place of the batting, I put a blanket of a transport company, warm and soft. Tous mes tapis de coupe sont utilisés pour équerrer le quilt, et trois règles font à peu près la longueur. All my cutting mats are used to square the quilt, and three rulers are about the length. J'ai voulu la bande de finition la plus discrète possible. Donc elle reprend les couleurs des bords du quilt : herbe en bas, tronc à droite puis feuillages en haut, et les différentes bandes de verts à gauche avant de revenir à l'herbe en bas. Ça me plaît bien ! I wanted the binding to be as discreet as possible. So it takes back the colors of the edges of the quilt: grass at the bottom, trunk at the right then foliage at the top, and the different strips of greens at the left before returning to the grass at the bottom. I like it! J'ai mis un moment avant de trouver le tissu de dos, évidemment quand on est pressée il n'y a pas ce qu'on veut dans les magasins ! J'ai fini par jeter mon dévolu sur cet imprimé de sapins, c'est un tissu de Noël un peu doré, mais le seul qui se rapproche du thème de la forêt. It took me a while to find the backing, obviously when you’re in a hurry there’s not what you want in the stores! I ended up buying this tree print, it is a Christmas fabric a little golden, but the only one that comes close to the theme of the forest. Pas assez grand de peu ! Plutôt que de faire des raccords sans être sûre d'avoir les arbres dans le bon sens, j'ai préféré compléter avec une bande de vert. Vous voyez les yeux du renard en bas sur la gauche ? Not big enough! Rather than make connections without being sure to have the trees in the right direction, I preferred to complete with a strip of green. See the fox’s eyes down on the left? L'étiquette, et le quilt est terminé ! C'est la 1ère fois que je fais un quilt aussi rapidement : à peine une semaine (36 heures exactement). Mais il fallait qu'il soit terminé pour Noël... The label, and the quilt is finished! This is the first time I have done a quilt so quickly: barely a week (exactly 36 hours). But it had to be finished by Christmas... Et voilà Sleeping Fox, il est maintenant sur les genoux de mon neveu qui a eu un grave accident de voiture en Nouvelle-Zélande début décembre, et qui vient tout juste d'être rapatrié en France. Here is Sleeping Fox, he’s now on the lap of my nephew who had a serious car accident in New Zealand in early December, and has just been repatriated to France. Hope this little fox will help him to fully recover. Linking up with Oh Scrap! / Monday Making / Handmade Monday / Craftastic / What I Made Monday / Show and Tell Monday / Design Wall Monday / BOMs Away / To-Do Tuesday / Colour & Inspiration / Creadienstag / Midweek Makers / Needle and Thread Thursday / Put your Foot Down / Creative Compulsions / TGIFF / Free Motion Mavericks / Peacock Party / Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? / Beauties Pageant / Off the Wall Friday / Finished or not Friday
The number drawn for February is #8! You can link up your Jan finish and/or your February goal on my previous post. Here is the link. If you want to join in late, here is a link to what we are up to as well as a linky party where you can show us your list. I was so excited to realize my #8 is one I have already been working on in January. It is to assemble my Country Barnyard quilt! It is pretty close anyway, so this will be an easy month for me. At the beginning of January I only had roughly trimmed blocks. Now I have completed the stars and almost the cats and begun assembly. Because this one is nearly finished I have decided to choose a different goal for my One Monthly Goal. For this challenge I hope to machine quilt and bind Nash's truck quilt. I have other plans for February as well. I will be participating in a blog hop called Color it Red on the 17-21st. I am excited to share my red quilt story with you. I also hope to complete another Alaska block, complete another princess block, work on a few Feathered Goose blocks begin assembly on my Batik Barnyard since it is fresh on my mind after working on my other one, and maybe make a row of trees for my Christmas Row Quilt. Here are some blocks completed for that project: I am linking up with: Peacock Party Put Your Foot Down Off the Wall Friday Beauties Pageant Can I get a Whoop WHoop?
Un challenge amusant ! A fun challenge! Aujourd'hui c'est à mon tour de participer au blog hop "Dépoussière un livre de patch" de Bea de Beaquilter. L'idée est de reprendre un vieil ouvrage qui dort sur une étagères, et de réaliser quelque chose de ce livre. J'ai fini par choisir American Quilts, Quilting & Patchwork d'Adelaide Hechtlinger, publié en 1974. Oui c'est vieux, mais c'était une instruction de Bea : plus le livre est ancien, mieux c'est ! Today is my stop on the hop for "Dust off A Quilt Book" Blog Hop Challenge hosted by Bea at Beaquilter. The idea is to find an old quilt book on your shelf and make something from it. I ended up choosing "American Quilts, Quilting & Patchwork" by Adelaide Hechtlinger, published in 1974. Yes it's an old book, but it was part of the instuctions given by Bea: the older the better! A la page 153 j'ai trouvé un bloc que j'aime bien : un cercle, avec des courbes, le Flywheel ou Volant. J'ai modifié la taille du bloc, de 18'' (46 cm) je l'ai réduit à 7'' (18 cm), et supprimé les pointes. My quilt was inspired by the Flywheel pattern, page #153. I changed the size of the block from 18" finished to 7" finished, and removed the points. Ce cercle, je voulais en faire une lune, à la manière de la couverture d'un album pour enfant que j'aime beaucoup, l'Ours et la Lune : I wanted to make a moon with this circle, inspired by the cover of a children’s album that I love very much, the Bear and the Moon: L'ours et la lune Un album écrit par Cécile Alix, et illustré par Antoine Guilloppé : dans le grand froid polaire, l’ours et la lune rêvent de voyage... Une très belle histoire d'amitié, de fraternité, dans la collection "Pont des arts" qui fait découvrir l'art aux enfants. An album written by Cécile Alix, and illustrated by Antoine Guilloppé: in the great polar cold, the bear and the moon dream of travel... A very beautiful history of friendship, brotherhood, in the collection "Pont des arts" that makes children discover art. Cet album est inspiré de l'Ours Blanc du sculpteur François Pompon, une statue en pierre (163 x 251 cm), exposée au Musée d'Orsay. This album is inspired by the sculptor François Pompon’s White Bear, a stone statue (64'' x 99''), on display at the Musée d'Orsay. Réalisation de la lune (bloc Volant) : Making of the Moon (Flywheel block): J'ai utilisé du freezer paper, de l'eau et un fer à repasser pour rabattre les coutures, et de la colle à tissu pour assembler les pièces. Un nouveau challenge pour moi : la couture de courbes. I used freezer paper, some water and an iron for the seams, then fabric glue for assembling the pieces together. A new challenge to me: sewing curves. Les marges de coutures sont collées, il ne reste plus qu'à coudre à la machine en suivant le pli. The seams allowance are glued together, I just have to follow the fold with the sewing machine needle. Assemblées deux par deux, jusqu'à obtenir le cercle. Assembled into pairs, until I get the circle. Puis le centre, appliqué à la main. Then the center, needle turned appliqué. Comme la lune va être appliquée sur un fond sombre, j'ai ajouté un thermocollant pour que les coutures se voient moins en transparence. As the moon will be applied on a dark background, I added a fusble web so that the seams are less transparent. Et voilà la lune, appliquée sur le fond : And here is the Moon, appliquéd on the background: Ensuite la banquise (vous vous souvenez l'avoir vue là ?) : Then the iceberg (do you remember seeing it there?): Et enfin l'ours. En polaire bien sûr ;-) And finally, the bear. In fleece, polar fabric in French ;) Après plusieurs tests, je n'aimais pas le rendu de l'appliqué machine avec le point de satin pour cet ours, ni plusieurs autres options. J'ai fini par choisir de l'appliquer à la main, au point droit. I tested satin stitch machine appliqué for the bear but didn't like it, nor several other options. I ended up choosing to apply it by hand,with a straight stitch. Et voilà ! Un peu de molleton sous la lune pour la faire ressortir. And voilà! A layer of batting to make the Moon pop up. Quilting en écho autour de la lune, et autour de la glace. Un nez, une truffe. Echo quilting around the Moon, and around the iceberg. An eye, a nose. Grand Nord (Up North), 15.5'' x 23'' (40 x 60 cm), 2020. Couture sur papier, appliqué main, quilté machine. FPP, hand appliqué, machine quilted. Venez nous retrouver et visiter les blogs participants au blog hop, et laissez un gentil commentaire ;-) Please do visit these wonderful quilters on their days and leave a nice comment :) March 2 2 mars Pieceful Thought of my Quilting Life Quilting Gail Highroad Quilter March 3 3 mars Cynthia’s Ark Lemontree Snippets Anja Quilts March 4 4 mars The Darling Dogwood A Quilting Reader's Garden Becky’s Adventures March 5 5 mars Quilting Jeanne Karrin’s Crazy World March 6 6 mars Quilting at the Farm Kathy’s Kwilts and more Quilting Patchwork Appliqué (c'est moi ! / it's me!) Beaquilter Linking up with Beaquilter / TGIFF / Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? / Off the Wall Friday / Beauties Pageant / Peacock Party / Finished or Not Friday / Free Motion Mavericks / UFO Busting / Oh Scrap! / Handmade Monday / Craftastic / Show and Tell Monday / BOMs Away! / Monday Making / Design Wall Monday / Main Crush Monday / What I Made Monday / Colours & Inspiration / Midweek Makers / Wednesday Wait Loss / Put Your Foot Down / Creative Compulsions
I just finished assembly on my barnyard quilt! It has been a super fun journey. That is the good news, now for the bad. My daughter saw a specialist for her "twin" pregnancy just hours ago. She has to have emergency surgery out of state tomorrow morning. She is 19 weeks. We would welcome your prayers. The more the merrier. Linking up with: Wednesday Wait Loss Clever Chameleon Midweek Makers
How to change the size of any traditionally pieced quilt block. Over the years, there have been a few occasions where a quilter has written to ask how to double the size of a block, as in the case of the Dog Block from the Dog Gone Cute design. The Dog Gone Cute design was my second Quilt Along. It had originally offered the Dog Block in 2 sizes. SMALL BABY Dog Blocks finished at 9” x 6”. MEDIUM MAMA Dog Blocks finished at 18” x 12”. At the time of it's release back in 2015, mini mini quilting was ALL THE RAGE!!! So sewing tiny was the aim. This was my first finished Dog Gone Cute project. It's the mini size version of the pattern. Finishing at 30" x 30" using 12 of the small size blocks, these little pups were made using Kona Ash for the background. Two fat quarters easily provided for 6 pups from each fat quarter. These small size blocks finish at 9" x 6". This was my second Dog Gone Cute project. It's the mama size version of the pattern. Quilt finished at 60" x 60" using 12 of the mama size blocks that finish at 18" x 12". And one mini size Baby block was used to make a pillow to match the Mama! Sometime during 2017, people came to their senses. Requests for a larger version were made. Now the Dog Block also includes LARGE PAPA Dog Blocks that finish at 36” x 24”. It's fun to see the size comparison!!! Just always keep in mind, when you double the size of a block, you are actually doubling the size in each direction. Therefore, 4 SMALL blocks laid out in a four-square pattern are the same size as the MEDIUM blocks. And likewise, 4 MEDIUM blocks are the same size as the LARGE block. And then there have been a few occasions where a quilter has taken one of my blocks, done the math THEMSELVES to double the size of the block, and then proudly displays their SUPER SIZED masterpieces!!! I LOVE to see people using their creativity..... This SUPER SIZE Math post was inspired because I recently viewed this SUPER SIZE, super CUTE, baby quilt made by Melissa Marginet and shared on Instagram by walking.foot.quilting.designs. Melissa increased the size of these Fox blocks to make a quick, cute finish in solids! The Fox Blocks were originally designed for the Forest Friends pattern back in 2015. FOX#1 and FOX#2 Block patterns have now been updated to allow 2 Block Sizes. SMALL finishes at 8" square and LARGE finishes at 16" square. These Fox Blocks were incorporated into this design, Fox among the Birches, in 2017. Likewise, Fox among the Birches Quilt Pattern has been updated to allow 2 Quilt Sizes. SMALL finishes at 38" x 45" or LARGE finishes at 76" x 90". Depending on the size of your baby... A few thoughts of my own.... Although I do enjoy the challenge of tiny piecing... And it is a great way to test a block to make sure it will be easy enough to piece in a double size.... Sometimes we just aren't in the mood for tiny pieces. They can be frustrating. Especially if you have big PHAT fingers like mine!!! Super trusty needle nose tweezers are my constant side kick. Working recently on the Koala and Kangaroo patterns has also reminded me that a post like this was a long time in coming. I designed the original Koala Love Quilt Pattern block size to finish at 14" square. When I announced the Kangaroo & Joey2 pattern, that would also finish at 14" square, but would include the little Joey in the Mama's pouch, there was a request for a half size block of the Koala to be made to match. So I released this Mini Mama & Baby Koala Block pattern. After all the tiny piecing I have been doing, I am looking forward to some SUPER SIZE. AND SOMETIMES WE ARE IN A HURRY!!!! Last minute invite to a baby shower? Whip up a couple of SUPER SIZED blocks and you've got yourself a quick and easy finish. As soon as you get it basted and quilted, that is. LOOKING for other SUPER SIZED blocks? BIG PHAT ZOO includes BOTH a Zebra and Giraffe. Quilt Blocks finish at 30" or 60" square. Quilt Finishes at 34" or 68" square. BABY Quilt size is perfect for a tummy time baby play mat! And yet..... BIG Quilt Size is perfect for an adult to use while napping on the couch! BUMPER2BUMPER provides instructions for making: SMALL Car blocks finish at 5” tall by 9” wide LARGE Car blocks finish at 10" tall by 18" wide BABY quilt finishes at 38" x 43" TWIN quilt finishes at 76” x 86” SMITTEN KITTEN provides instructions for making: 7 different Quilt settings ranging in size from 15" to 78" square. SMALL blocks finish at 6" x 6" LARGE finish at 12" x 12" FOX NAPPING provides instructions for making: SMALL blocks finish at 10" tall x 18" wide LARGE blocks finish at 20" x 36" ALL THE PATTERNS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S BLOG POST ARE 50% OFF. CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW. SUPER SIZED - The Math Let's take a look at the Fox#1 block cutting chart. SMALL finishes at 8" square and LARGE finishes at 16" square. Fox #1 8” Block 16” Block Back- ground B 1 @ 1.5” x 3.5” 1 @ 2.5” x 6.5” M 1 @ 2.5” square 1 @ 4.5” square Y 1 @ 2.5” x 3.5” 1 @ 4.5” x 6.5” Z 1 @ 2.5” x 4.5” 1 @ 4.5” x 8.5” N 1 @ 3.5” x 5.5” 1 @ 6.5” x 10.5” Q 3 @ 1.5” squares 3 @ 2.5” squares Medium Brown P 1 @ 3.5” square 1 @ 6.5” square S 1 @ 1.5” x 3.5” 1 @ 2.5” x 6.5” T 1 @ 1.5” X 2.5” 1 @ 2.5” X 4.5” White D 2 @ 1.5” x 2” 2 @ 2.5” x 3.5” E 1 @ 1” x 2.5” 1 @ 1.5” x 4.5” H 7 @ 1.5” squares 7 @ 2.5” squares J 2 @ 1.5” x 2.5” 2 @ 2.5” x 4.5” Black F 2 @ 1” x 2.5” 2 @ 1.5” x 4.5” V 1 @ 1.5” square 1 @ 2.5” square X 1 @ 1.5” x 2.5” 1 @ 2.5” x 4.5” W 1 @ 1.5” x 3.5” 1 @ 2.5” x 6.5” Light Brown A 8 @ 1.5” squares 8 @ 2.5” squares C 1 @ 1.5” x 2.5” 1 @ 2.5” x 4.5” G 1 @ 1.5” x 3.5” 1 @ 2.5” x 6.5” K 1 @ 1” x 1.5” 1 @ 1.5” x 2.5” L 2 @ 0.75” x 2.5” 2 @ 1” x 4.5” O 1 @ 2.5“ x 3.5” 1 @ 4.5“ x 6.5” R 1 @ 2.5” square 1 @ 4.5” square As you can see, Background (B) is 1.5" x 3.5" for the SMALL blocks and 2.5" x 6.5" for the LARGE blocks. To double the size of the SMALL (B), first we must minus the seam allowance. Our seam allowance for traditional piecing is 1/4". This seam allowance is found on each side of (B). So the total seam allowance is 2 sides = 2 x 1/4" = 1/2" Subtract the 1/2" seam allowance, Multiply by 2, Add the 1/2" seam allowance back on. For example: SMALL Background (B) is 1.5" x 3.5" Subtract the 1/2" seam allowance: (1.5" minus 1/2" = 1") x (3.5" minus 1/2" = 3") 1" x 3" Multiply by 2: (1" multiply by 2 = 2") x (3" multiply by 2 = 6") 2" x 6" Add the 1/2" seam allowance back on: (2" plus 1/2" = 2.5") x (6" plus 1/2" = 6.5") LARGE Background (B) is 2.5" x 6.5" To make a block smaller, you would do the same process, but use division to make the size smaller, rather than multiplication to make it larger. For example: LARGE Light Brown (L) is 1" x 4.5" Subtract the 1/2" seam allowance: (1" minus 1/2" = 1/2") x (4.5" minus 1/2" = 4") 1/2" x 4" Divide by 2: (1/2" divided by 2 = 1/4") x (4" divided by 2 = 2") 1/4" x 2" Add the 1/2" seam allowance back on: (1/4" plus 1/2" = 3/4") x (2" plus 1/2" = 2.5") SMALL Light Brown (L) is 0.75" x 2.5" EXCITING NEWS FOR 2020!!! Come join me in My Sewing Room! Please join us at our NEW Facebook Group - Sew Along with Sew Fresh Quilts!!! Anyone can become a member of the group. Sew along with us and share your own Facebook posts! I wanna see what you're working on! PS. LOOKING for NEW blog post material!!! If there are other blog post subjects you would like to see explored, please leave me a comment or send me an email to make a suggestion. YOU inspire me!!! Happy Stitching! Keep On Quilting On! Follow To follow Sew Fresh Quilts by email.... Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner
Last night after work, in spite of being very tired, I forced myself to finish my cat blocks. I do love the furry little things! Maybe I can get my tops assembled this week now that they are done. I downloaded Ms. P's spreadsheet to track my tasks on my UFOs. I plan to color in the cells with each completed task. I think it is a great way to see my progress because several of my projects are pretty intricate and time consuming. You can find and download her chart spreadsheet here. The chart below shows all of my UFOs and which ones I have worked on in February (in red). I am linking up with: Oh Scrap! Tuesday Colour Linky Wednesday Wait Loss Midweek Makers
Me: I hope this year is a new beginning Paul: All beginnings are new, by definition Me: Unless it is old wine in a new bottle Paul: Wine does not get old Me: It becomes vintage? Paul: Absolutely Me: I am going to add some wine to the beef stew Paul (with anticipation): You are making beef stew? Me: After I finish writing this blogpost Paul (naughtily): I can help you finish. Me: BRAT. Just help me take pictures of this big quilt top, will you? When Via (not her real name) a dear friend/co-worker shared that she was going to be a first time grandma (her first grand baby) it was most definitely a new beginning. The baby is due in February 2021. Sketch Design & Calculations Boy or girl, I asked. They chose to not find out, Via replied. This reminded me of Peter Sagal on one of the episodes of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. SAGAL: Back in the day, you'd reveal a baby's gender by waiting till it grew up, joined the workforce, and then you see how much it gets paid. But these days, apparently, parents have these gender reveal parties. Some people make a cake that are blue or pink inside. Some people release blue or pink balloons. And one couple used a, quote, "pyrotechnic device" that started a wildfire that is currently burning down most of the forest east of Los Angeles. Now, what's weird is, after all that, we don't even know what the gender of the baby is. Congratulations, proud parents. It's a disaster. Although I am glad that Via's son and daughter-in-law avoided fireworks, it would have been helpful (for a quiltmaker) to know whether she should use princess fabric or truck fabric. Layout All Blocks Done So I made a very conscious effort to keep the quilt gender-neutral. No trucks, no fairies but cute animals. Personally I believe that babies don't care about specific colors but bright colors are better for stimulation and cognitive development. So here is my first finish of the year - Hop and Skip. Hop and Skip at 40" by 40" Is it too Christmassy? Avoiding all blues and all pinks I stuck to green and red. I found some cute animal prints on light background. Framed in bright red they would form the perfect stimulation for a baby's eyes. Alternated with calming green 16-patch blocks. Does it look Christmassy? Ester Bunnies Cute Cows Puppies and Snoopy Cats and Dogs Giraffes and Monkeys That Frog is so cute!!! Tiny Bees, Big Cat Being in a quilt is such an equalizer. The tiny bees have as much say as the mighty tigers. This is a democracy and not the jungle :-D Cool Cats I have had this cute winter cats fabric in my stash for a while. It was part of a scrap bag (they really are a mixed bag) and although I like it, it didn't really go well with any other fabric line. Not suitable for fussy cutting either :-( Pieced Backing Combined with this leftover picnic plaid from Our Property Values it makes the perfect backing. I may be just a bit more fond of the backing. Perfectly Matched Simple walking foot quilting. Same bright red binding brings it all together. Labelled Cats - Fierce and Cool Ready to Nap Rolled Ready for a Cuddle I will mail it to Via by the end of the month. And then I will have to wait patiently for the baby pictures. But please don't make me wait for your reactions :-) ___________________________________________________________________ January also marks the beginning of a new Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC). I have been participating for two years and I am completely hooked to this warm and loving community of scrap happy makers. In the hopes of finding inspiration for 2021 RSC, I started looking and came upon this tutorial by Rachel Hauser of Stitched in Color. She does gorgeous work and I highly recommend that you check out her blog. I loved the block for two reasons 1. It does not rely on a background color. The background color can become a challenge when you come to yellow or beige/neutral colors in the RSC. A white background won't work well and using a different/darker background may throw your quilt layout. 2. I could play with values :-) This would be fun. But something wasn't clicking. I bookmarked the page and went about organizing my scraps and such. I came across these scraps (came in a scrap bag) and then it clicked. Cut from a Panel Dreami in Process First Block Taking Off I immediately knew what I had to do!!!! This was a huge AHA moment. I dropped everything and made it. It was a DREAMI!!! Blocks on the Design Wall You can see Leela is languishing by the side while I put these blocks together. Leela waits patiently while I chase these animals!!! Once the flimsy was completed, I quilted and complete Leela. And then it was time to complete this cute and wild and dreamy quilt. Finished!!! Fun Green Backing, Striped Binding Backing I chose a bright, kid-friendly green backing. A striped black/white binding works for both the front and the back. The floral animals became the focus of the tunnel blocks. The tunnel block no longer appears like a dead end or a blind alley. There was light at the end of the tunnel, in a manner of speaking. Of course you can get in their face - they won't bite :-D Toucan in Yellow Bulldog in Orange I am MILD I am WILD Regal in Purple Red is Royal I prefer this side Golden Yellow is my color I'll be your pet :-) Wild and Handsome Fierce in Purple Orange make me look good! So here is my second finish of the year - Mild & Wild, because some of these animals can be pets but others definitely belong in the wild. Mild and Wild finished at 39" by 44". Here are a few more pictures because I am so wildly happy with it. Labelled Playing with Values Cool and Warm Bold and Bright My favorite way to show off a finish Rolled Up What about the RSC? Oops!!! In chasing this Dreami, I almost forgot about the RSC. According to Angela, the RSC color for January is pink. Pink is definitely the color of new beginnings, like newborn puppies :-) Yes, I have cute animals on my mind. I wonder why? I do have a good selection of pinks. I am still ruminating over what to make. Do you have any suggestions? January is PINK!!! Speaking of RSC, the second (2 of 3) flimsy for the Picket Star Quilt blocks is finished. Leela was first. With 30 blocks, measuring 17" by 17" + borders, it finished at 88" by 102". Dwarfed by the Huge Flimsy IT. IS. HUGE. So I have sent it to Rebecca of Rebecca Grace Quilting for some longarm quilting love!!! ___________________________________________________________________ This blogpost won't be complete without my big news. I was chosen to be an Island Batik Ambassador for 2021. I am thrilled although I have a feeling I am going to get my butt kicked. Check out all these 2021 Island Batik Ambassadors. Megan Best – Bestquilter Pamela Boatright – PamelaQuilts Elizabeth DeCroos – Epida Studio Jennifer Eubank – Archipelago Quilting Jennifer Fulton – The Inquiring Quilter Preeti Harris – Sew Preeti Quilts this is me :-) Joanne Hart – Unicornharts Mania Hatziioannidi – Mania for Quilts Jane Hauprich – Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting Connie Kauffman – Kaufmann Designs Emily Leachman – The Darling Dogwood Denise Looney – For the Love of Geese Leah Malasky – Quilted Delights Sally Manke – Sally Manke Fiber Artist Maryellen McAuliffe – Mary Mack Made Mine Claudia Porter – Create with Claudia Gail Renna – Quilt Haven Threads Brianna Roberts – Sew Cute and Quirky Michelle Roberts – Creative Blonde Gail Sheppard – Quilting Gail Andi Stanfield – True Blue Quilts Jennifer Thomas – Curlicue Creations Suzy Webster – Websterquilt Janet Yamamoto – Whispers of Yore I have received two boxes full of goodies from Island Batik and I am dying to show you the contents. Do return on January 21, 2021 when I post the Unboxing Video. January Finishes Two finishes in one month is not new but my ambassadorship with Island Batik is definitely a new beginning :-) What is your new beginning in 2021? I will be sharing will my favorite linky parties (see full list on the sidebar) including Angela's and Sandra's (when it goes live).
Un dernier pour l'année 2019 ! The last one for 2019! Je vous présente Sleeping Fox : Let me introduce Sleeping Fox: Sleeping Fox, 41'' x 52'' (104 x 132 cm), 2019 Modèle renard de 3rd Story Workshop Fox pattern by 3rd Story Workshop Piécé et quilté à la machine Pieced and quilted by machine J'ai tout juste eu le temps de le faire pendant ces vacances de Noël. Il devait être terminé pour demain, j'ai réussi ! Je vous en dirais davantage plus tard, promis. I made it during this Christmas holidays. It was supposed to be finished by tomorrow, I did it! More about it later, I promise. Linking up with Midweek Makers / Wednesday Wait Loss / Put Your Foot Down / Peacock Party / Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? / Off the Wall Friday / Finished (or not) Finished Friday / Beauties Pageant
Border Changes: Yesterday I posted one of my Barnyard quilt borders (I have 3 Barnyard quilts in progress). The more I studied it, the more I didn't love it! I kept comparing the photo without the border to the photo with the border. With Border...It is just too dark for me. I am keeping this one without a border and will continue to audition other colors to frame it in. I decided to try that border on my sister Barnyard quilt instead and was pleased! So...I am using the borders for this one instead. I am so much happier with this plan! To Do Tuesday Report from last week: 1. Design my row for "It's A Garden Party" rowalong - ✔ I want to add a few finising touches but am counting it as checked 2. Assemble a back for my Princess Stars - ✔ I am counting this one because I prepared backs for two other quilts instead of this one. 3. Make the binding for Princess Stars 4. Make a binding for my barnyard quilts ✔ Yes, I made a binding for all three, and yes, I have 10 bindings ready for 10 different quilts in this photo. This weeks Goals: 1. Prepare backing and binding for Princess Stars 2. Baste Princess Stars 3. Begin quilting Princess Stars 4. Assemble all column sashing for Arizona. Here is what I have done so far. PHD Update I am also linking up with: Scrap Happy Saturday Midweek Makers
Jennifer from Inquiring Quilter inspired me to get to work on quilting my Arizona quilt. I had not planned on it yet, but I happened to have a piece of batting that fit perfectly for this very large quilt. Arizona is 85" x 105". I did not have backing fabric for it, but there were may leftover and precut pieces. I went to work and ended up with this. I kind of like how it turned out. This is the front of Arizona. I hope to begin basting it today. I also used leftover blocks and pieces to make a back for one of my Barnyard quilts. Linky parties today include: Wednesday Wait Loss Midweek Makers Needle & Thread Thursday For the Love of Geese
My March One Monthly goal is to decide the layout for my Batik Barnyard quilt blocks and cut the blocks to the right sizes. It is not my intent to completely assemble it this month, but prep it for assembly. Here are some photos of the blocks: I am also linking up with: Tish's UFO Busting - check out her nature themed One Monthly Goal and some beautiful quilting she is working on as well. Oh Scrap - Cynthia is working on her RSC of which she wants to cross off her list. Go cheer her on!
I am so excited to show you my sweet horse quilt. HAY GIRL was designed with the horse lover in mind. These 11 ponies are adorbs! I’m trying to choose my faves, but I keep changing my mind. These are my top 3 picks…how about you? I’m not sure what was more fun…designing these beauties … Continue reading HAY GIRL →
Border Changes: Yesterday I posted one of my Barnyard quilt borders (I have 3 Barnyard quilts in progress). The more I studied it, the more I didn't love it! I kept comparing the photo without the border to the photo with the border. With Border...It is just too dark for me. I am keeping this one without a border and will continue to audition other colors to frame it in. I decided to try that border on my sister Barnyard quilt instead and was pleased! So...I am using the borders for this one instead. I am so much happier with this plan! To Do Tuesday Report from last week: 1. Design my row for "It's A Garden Party" rowalong - ✔ I want to add a few finising touches but am counting it as checked 2. Assemble a back for my Princess Stars - ✔ I am counting this one because I prepared backs for two other quilts instead of this one. 3. Make the binding for Princess Stars 4. Make a binding for my barnyard quilts ✔ Yes, I made a binding for all three, and yes, I have 10 bindings ready for 10 different quilts in this photo. This weeks Goals: 1. Prepare backing and binding for Princess Stars 2. Baste Princess Stars 3. Begin quilting Princess Stars 4. Assemble all column sashing for Arizona. Here is what I have done so far. PHD Update I am also linking up with: Scrap Happy Saturday Midweek Makers
Last week I made several masks and took them to the employees at our local grocery store. I also made one for every member of my family. I only have a few pictures to show. I also made a few more chickens in hopes of having enough blocks to finish my final barnyard quilt. We had an enjoyable weekend as a family. We just stayed home, but drove around the property in our jeep, let the kiddos make muffins, and had a little hot dog roast in the back yard. We were only missing one person, my son-in-law. I took the photo below, so this is everyone minus me and sil. Here is my 15 Minutes report: Here is my PHD report: I did start and finish some 30 masks. They were my first new starts for 2020. They were kind of fun once I got started on them. It appears I only worked on 3 projects in March, but I do have tops/masks finished and my Alaska is nearly together. I am also linking up with: What I made Monday Monday Making Tish's UFO Busting
My March One Monthly goal is to decide the layout for my Batik Barnyard quilt blocks and cut the blocks to the right sizes. It is not my intent to completely assemble it this month, but prep it for assembly. Here are some photos of the blocks: I am also linking up with: Tish's UFO Busting - check out her nature themed One Monthly Goal and some beautiful quilting she is working on as well. Oh Scrap - Cynthia is working on her RSC of which she wants to cross off her list. Go cheer her on!
The squirrel weighs less than a pound, while an elephant weighs up to 15,000 pounds. Just think of it, though: on a quilt they can be equa...
My March One Monthly goal is to decide the layout for my Batik Barnyard quilt blocks and cut the blocks to the right sizes. It is not my intent to completely assemble it this month, but prep it for assembly. Here are some photos of the blocks: I am also linking up with: Tish's UFO Busting - check out her nature themed One Monthly Goal and some beautiful quilting she is working on as well. Oh Scrap - Cynthia is working on her RSC of which she wants to cross off her list. Go cheer her on!
I made the trip North to get to the museum and support my friend Sharon Tucker by seeing her exhibit. She was the first person who asked me to do a workshop and lecture at her guild, so I was so excited she had this exhibit! It was called Touch of Improv and did not disappoint! The larger quilt here is on the cover of the latest issue American Patchwork and Quilting. Nice work Sharon!!! Gwen Marston also had an exhibit. Hers was called Abstracts Quilts in Solids Another exhibit was It's not Easy Being Green. Most of the quilts were artsy, but I photographed a few favorites. They had a Milliner Guild display as well. I'm not sure what I would think if I saw someone wearing these in public. (the white one is cute) Here's the view from upstairs. It's a cute little town, definitely not on your way to anywhere though. I hope you enjoyed the photos. It was a really wonderful time spent with friends. Have a wonderful weekend.
Hi friends! A lot has changed since my last blog post 11 days ago...sheesh. We've been hunkered down trying to stay healthy and finding a new "normal" for our family. The kids are home now that schools are closed, my husband is working from home, but we have everything we need (and enough chocolate to...Read More
Here is the final group of quilts that caught my eye at the NQA show in June. Although I’ve seen the work of Cindy Needham before, it’s been years and these pieces were so impressive and inspiring to me. I’d love to find old tablecloths and make some quilts like these…only one problem…I don’t have the free motion skills that she has! I stared at the detail of each one trying to see where the tablecloth embroidery left off and her free motion stitching was but I couldn’t tell. Check her website for books and info on her technique. And here is one by Barbara Polston that is equally fantastic. Completely opposite from luxurious antique tablecloths are my personal favorites, the dog quilts. I just lost my Portuguese water dog so I am particularly fond of these quilts. They are fun, whimsical and colorful. Canine Power Suit by Barbara Beasley This week I finally bought a small Jane Sassaman quilt! I’ve been following her work since she won Best of Show for the Willow quilt decades ago and said to myself that someday I would own one of her quilts. Well here is Cat’s Whiskers, hot off the machine/pressing table! I love the colors, I love the movement and the graphic boldness of her style! Now where to hang it? Leaving for three weeks to Germany, Austria, Alsace and Venice so check back here in mid August and hopefully I will have some textile photos to share. Meanwhile there is a free shipping special while I am gone. Sign up for the newsletter so you can see it! Bon Voyage!
We are so excited to be posting a new Free Pattern Day. Here is a purr -fectly wonderful collection of cat and dog quilts ! For 1000 more ...
My March One Monthly goal is to decide the layout for my Batik Barnyard quilt blocks and cut the blocks to the right sizes. It is not my intent to completely assemble it this month, but prep it for assembly. Here are some photos of the blocks: I am also linking up with: Tish's UFO Busting - check out her nature themed One Monthly Goal and some beautiful quilting she is working on as well. Oh Scrap - Cynthia is working on her RSC of which she wants to cross off her list. Go cheer her on!
Welcome to the 2019 SAFF edition of Wonderful Wednesday!! Over the weekend, I made the trek to Asheville for my annual pilgrimage into YARNia. As in years past, much fun ensued. Thursday... Travel day!! The "shortcut" to avoid road construction delays: Friday... Prize Patrol and Ravelry Party!!! The first thing I saw was a BLACK and GRAY shirt that reminded me that, in different circumstances, I might be sewing DARK fabric bits for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Tracy and the masked vendor @ Whimzee Stitches: Many vendors packed into McGough Arena @ Western Carolina Agricultural Center for the 2019 Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair: While YARN was the star of this show, some quilts were displayed: I even spotted a unicorn @ Deep Dyed Yarns: A new bag vendor was in attendance: Tracy fell in love with this plaid bag with waterproof lining: Halfway through our rounds, I found "Santa on a Stick" and attempted to text Denise: The same vendor also had "Snowmen on a Stick" for sale: There were plenty of fabric items available for purchase: This pair of hand dyed bamboo socks came home with me. My ONLY purchase on Friday: These are the prizes we collected for the Ravelry Party tonight: Some food, some wine: Fiber-themed cups: Some knitting and a whole LOT of prize drawings: We were reunited with our friend Deborah, who visited from FL: This is the yummy yarn she took home from Black Cat Fibre: Hilary was happy to win a Halloween-themed project bag: Saturday - Shopping day!! Wool felt boot liners: Kitty toys for the cat lovers: Words to live by... written on the bathroom wall: A unique project bag which didn't come home with me: One of my bunkmates from Into the Wool: A quilt! This one took pride of place in a booth out in the barn: One of my door prizes was the skein of yarn on the LEFT below: My yarn from Morning Meadow Sundries made the rounds to find its (project)mate, A number of yarns from Toad Hollow were some of the top contenders: It wasn't an easy color to match, but this Noti yarn worked: Super Stitchy had a nice one, too: Then I tried a few from Rock and String Creations... ... The color is in this self-striping yarn... ... As well as, in this speckled yarn: I ran into my fiber friend, Jenn: She will be hosting the new Southern Comforts Fiber Market next Summer in Rock Hill, South Carolina: What a productive shopping day my friends and I had!! Just look: We did some MAJOR damage: I'm happy to report that this prize yarn... ... Found its forever friends with these two and I'm excited to get started on my new project, as the three of them will look great in a Sock Arm Sweater: Sunday - Shopping - The Reprise. We started off the day with coffee and a donut for energy: My goal for today was to find something to go with this brilliant blue yarn from my stash. It made a number of stops for photo ops: Hilary tried to decide on some Wolle's Color Changing Cotton: You KNOW it was a strange show, if Miss Babs had this much of the special Show Colorway on the LAST day of the event: There was a huge debate as to whether this SILK cardigan should follow me home me as a replacement for one that is falling apart: The yarn on the LEFT was described as Joy in a Skein: Will the real Bede Sisters/Blueberry Chick Yarn proprietor please stand up... or give a super sweet cheesy grin: With all of our favorite vendors visited, all the money spent, and more yarn than any one person needs... Tracy and I headed for home. Thank you, SAFF, for gathering a plethora of indie yarn dyers and other fiber fun. Thanks to Hilary Latimer for making our travel arrangements. What a WONDERFUL weekend! Until next time... Friends + Fiber = FUN!!!
The squirrel weighs less than a pound, while an elephant weighs up to 15,000 pounds. Just think of it, though: on a quilt they can be equa...
The 2013 Houston IQF had a special, juried exhibit called "It's Raining Cats and Dogs". This exhibit was among the most popular of the enti...
The squirrel weighs less than a pound, while an elephant weighs up to 15,000 pounds. Just think of it, though: on a quilt they can be equa...
This week is the "It's Cool to be Square Blog Hop" hosted by the delightful Carol of Just Let Me Quilt.com Today is MY DAY! Hooray! I am excited to share with you some of my SQUARE projects! My interpretation of the theme mostly features square shaped medallion quilts, but I do have a few things made from squares at the end of the post. Generally I make rectangular quilts, but some just need to be square particularly if they are a medallion type of design. Several years back I made a couple of unique log cabin medallion quilts which turned out so so fun! The first was made for my daughter's wedding and the second I kept for myself. They are the very same pattern. I love to see a pattern made in different color schemes. Hopefully you do too because this post will feature several same design quilts. I did not put borders on my daughter's quilt. Here it is before quilting. It is a king size. Here it is completely finished and displayed at her wedding. My Christmas one was made with smaller logs, but it is the same pattern and queen sized. For the same daughter's wedding, she helped me design a quilt that we named "Jessi's Medallion". This is what we came up with, and of course, it is square as well. My son loved it so much that he wanted one in the exact same colors, although, the fabrics were not the same. His is not quilted yet. Mom's was the most unique with a flip of lights and darks. She purchased her fabrics in Hawaii without knowing what she would make of them. We helped her figure out how to do this quilt out of them with the yardages she had. My other daughter wanted the same pattern for her wedding as well only in brown. Marie chose purple, orange, and blue... Phyllis made hers in brown as well. Tracy's was so elegant! My family enjoys sewing together, and we decided on a mystery quilt one year. I designed something where each person could create their own 10" or 12" block. I told them to make five of those blocks, and they had no idea what the entire quilt would look like. It was super fun to see how they all turned out different, so let me present a few more square shaped quilts. One of mine...I made two... Marie's - love those stars... Mine and Marie's side by side on a bed. Still loving those stars she chose for her blocks. My daughter made adorable owls ... Felicity did a woodsy theme. Once I saw her theme, I altered a couple of pieces and turned the next border into trees for her. This quilt just needed trees. I quilted some fun woodsy motifs in the border for her. My bright one is photographed on an angle... Below is the full photo before quilting. Here is another square shaped medallion quilt with log cabin blocks in it as well. We made this one for my sister in a family round robin. A couple of years later I made one for my son and another for Mom. They were identical and made completely from my stash. Here is the real deal when it comes to squares in a quilt. My aunt Joann pieced these 1 1/2" squares together into this beauty and asked me to quilt it. She pieces to PERFECTION, so I wanted to really do this quilt justice. It turned out to be my very favorite machine quilting EVER! By the way, this is QUEEN SIZED, so please attempt to imagine just how small those squares are. The back makes it almost a two sided quilt. My final "square" addition to this post are the bags I have made from 2 1/2" squares. They are so used and loved! Mother's Day bags... Retreat where we all sewed a few bags... Bags for baby... So, now it is time to check out all of the other "square" blog hoppers! Enjoy! May 18 Creatin' in the Sticks Life in the Scrapatch Day Brook Designs Songbird Designs The Darling Dogwood Kathleen McMusing Quilting Gail May 19 MooseStashQuilting Beaquilter Quilt In A Not-Shell Elizabeth Coughlin Designs Seams To Be Sew Daughters of Dorinda (YOU ARE HERE!) Kathy's Kwilts and More May 20 Ms P Designs USA Selina Quilts Karen's Korner Just Because Quilts Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel Sew Many Yarns May 21 Scrapdash Websterquilt Quilt Schmilt Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting May 22 Just Let Me Quilt Vroomans Quilts Patchouli Moon Studio Den syende himmel Quilt Fabrication Samelia's Mum
Explore DLQuilts' 32027 photos on Flickr!
I love to quilt! And I mostly share pictures and talk about the projects I'm working on. But more than that, my life really revolves arou...
Learn how to make a Scottie dog quilt for yourself or your canine loving friends with this simple and easy quilt block pattern.
The squirrel weighs less than a pound, while an elephant weighs up to 15,000 pounds. Just think of it, though: on a quilt they can be equa...
Stay connected to family and friends by sharing the LittleThings that spark joy.
It is time to pull out those dark scraps for October's RSC blocks. I didn't used to like these colors in my rainbow quilts but I have grown to appreciate them - especially brown. It's warm color really blends well with all of the other colors. I finished up my ten Bright Hope blocks in brown. I don't have any plans to make them in black but I might make some in gray - I need to think about what size I want this quilt to be. So far I only have forty of these 6" blocks so I have a long ways to go. While I already shared my snail block last month, I did make a chicken block for my garden quilt. Just so those snails don't get out of control (however my possum and raccoon family that I share my property with think they are a treat too.) Last winter I was adopted by a wayward chicken so I wanted her in my quilt. This is her staring in my studio window wanting food - it only took her about a day to find me. She soon found she could actually get right on the window sill. Which can be quite a shock when you turn around and aren't expecting her! She has since found a new home and is quite happy. I still need to make this month's blocks for my garlic knots and my 25-patch. There is still plenty of time! ********************************************* It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps. Here are the details for linking up: This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece. You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps. If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week! If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap. This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others. Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter Follow Me on Bloglovin' Follow me thru Email Follow me on Feedly Linking Up: Love Laugh Quilt (Monday Making) Cooking Up Quilts (Main Crush Mondays) Em's ScrapBag (Moving it Forward) Rainbow Scrap Challenge at So Scrappy
