I've wanted to change my blog design for a few weeks now and also decided to move to Blogger. Please stop by and let me know what you think!
November 11, 2011
November 04, 2011
Can you resist smiling?
When you see this color? Seriously - can you? I can't... of course orange is my favorite color. This is the second finish from my September retreat. I made all the blocks while there and then assembled them when I got home. This is a great project to use when you are borrowing a sewing machine - no worries about your seam allowance because you square up the blocks after putting them together.
I used Elizabeth Hartman's Crazy 9-Patch Lattice pattern. Check out her blog Oh, Fransson! for many other very cool quilt patterns that she so generously shares with her readers. AND I see she's coming out with a new book in May, which I know I will be buying because I loved her first book.
I've made this before in green for my niece. It's a great way to use color blocks in a quilt and for some reason, I never stop buying orange fabric.
October 31, 2011
Blogger's Quilt Festival
I love looking through the pictures each time the festival is presented. It's full of very inspiring photos. Go to Amy's Creative Side and take a look. Click the festival button below to see all the great quilts!
My entry is the beautiful Eventide I finished in April of this year. The pattern is one from Miss Rosie's Quilt Co., and her version was so pretty, I had to copy it using the 3 Sisters collection Luna Notte. I made this quilt as part of a sew along sponsored by Thelma of Cupcakes 'n Daisies. Having the sew along really helped to motivate me and keep me on task to finish this quilt by the deadline. (I'm so bad at deadlines!)
After I finished, I passed it off to my awesome long arm quilter, Jenny at Jenny's Doodling Needle. Jenny did a fabulous job with the quilting and now my binding is on and I'm loving this quilt even more.
October 09, 2011
My Chocolate Truffle
I recently had the pleasure of attending a small quilt retreat with some friends. We had a wonderful time sharing tips, inspiration, good food and many laughs.
I was able to finish blocks for 3 quilts while I was there. Here is the first one I put together when I returned home. I used the Thimbleblossoms pattern Red Velvet, and the stone fabrics from Fa La La and La Petit Ecole for the centers, a dark brown for the star points, and background fabrics from almost every French General collection.
I can't call this Red Velvet, so how about Chocolate Truffle? I still need to decide on an outer border, but I love how elegant and understated this quilt looks using a very limited color palette.
I almost never make the same pattern twice, but this one is an exception - it's super easy to make and a great retreat project (I made the first version while on retreat, too!)
September 06, 2011
Ruby Tuesday
Yes, I know it's been FOREVER since I updated my blog. I'm still getting caught up on some old and new blocks of the month. This seems to have been the Summer of UFOs for me.
But everyone needs a little something to spark their creative juices. I am totally in love with Bonnie & Camille's upcoming fabric collection, Ruby. I bought a fat eighth bundle. I made this. Bliss. Oh wait - that's their last collection! I love the addition of grey to this new line and I love the brighter green.
The pattern is Basket Case by Cluck Cluck Sew. Leaving off the borders (which would mean waiting until October for Ruby yardage to hit stores!), the quilt measures 50 by 70 - perfect width to use a white Minky dot on the back and have a cozy, snuggly quilt.
And next I've pulled out ANOTHER old UFO - I have all the blocks done and now I just need to put it together with the pieced sashing. I forgot how pretty these blocks are!
August 07, 2011
That's all folks...
Well, all of my blocks for my Moda U Selvages quilt, anyway. I need to piece the settings for this quilt, but I will leave that for another day. I'm happy to say that all of the blocks are now done!
July 28, 2011
Three More
Three more sets completed for my Moda U Selvages quilt. Only 6 more sets to finish and then on to the pieced setting!
It feels really good to finish such an old UFO!
July 24, 2011
Time Machine
Here is another block of the month project from 2008. This one was the Moda U Selvages project. My shop did 2 versions of this quilt - a more somber coloration using Blackbird Designs fabrics, and this brighter version using American Jane fabrics.
In keeping with my BOM track record, I made the first two months' blocks and then put the rest in a box. I've spent the last week making all the alternate setting blocks - 48 teeny 9-patches, which are shown here with the 2 sets of blocks I'd already completed. I'm making good progress on this one!
July 17, 2011
And then along comes Mary
I don't have such a good track record with Blocks of the Month. I'm sure it stems from me being a "start to finish" quilter. I like to finish a project before I start on the next one. So making a block and then waiting an entire month before the next one arrives (at which point I'm already immersed in another project) pretty much resigns the rests of the blocks to a project box.
I was going through my fabric closet last weekend and discovered some BOM treasures. Most of them are complete KITS by now!
I signed up for this Mary Engelbreit BOM from In Between Stitches when I visited Nicole in April 2008. When I found the box, I discovered that I had already completed 7 of the blocks!
This week I finished the last 5. And then I made 2 additional because I didn't like 2 of the blocks from the kit, but I got it done, it's cute and I still love the fabrics.
Next up - the Moda U Selvages BOM - also started in 2008.
Placemats? You mean you would let people spill food on these placemats? No way!! I'm going to pull fabric from my stash right now! How cute to hang as a mini quilt from Memorial Day through Labor Day or even ALL year! Thanks for the pattern AND the recipe! Yummy and light!!