AMB - blog tour

The AMB Blog Tour

Are you following along?
Do you see where you belong?
Doesn't it make you want to quilt all nightlong?
Ah, time to stop the rhyming, ding-dong.

If you checked out the first two days of the tour you've seen the wonderful quilt blocks created by
Blue Striped Room (Delaware) ,  Cheryl Lynch Quilts (Pennsylvania) ,  Butterfly Threads Quilting(Georgia), and  Quilt Taffy (Idaho).  If you haven't, Well get moving!  We don't have all day! Besides Today we have 2 more wonderful states to stop by. green Quilts (Alabama) and A Quilting Jewel (Massachusetts). We are getting around!  Blogs may be a little out of order from the original post, a few of the tour stops have had to do some switching around due to a Typepad glitch.  (ah, technology) Don't worry if you get lost along the way, you can always stop for directions over at The Works.

And don't forget Everyone of these blogs is giving away FABRIC!  You heard me.  A chance to win free fabric.  (And some of the bloggers are giving away food too!)  Fabric and Food.  Pinch me I must be dreaming.

Stop back tomorrow and check out my quilt block.  And a chance to win more Fabric and maybe some food too.  You'll just have to wait and see.

Seriously,
This quilt is going to be amazing!

American Made Brand Blog Tour

Tomorrow!

It all starts tomorrow!  Get ready it's going to be Great!

American Made Blog Tour May 19- June 20

The American Made Brand is, well, American Made.  100% Grown, Milled, Woven, Dyed.  All Right Here in the USA.  Each stop on the AMB tour will stop at one of the 50 states.   2 States each day from May 19 - June 20. Each Blogger will be designing and sharing a 12" X 6" block featuring their state.  This is a great way to celebrate the USA and make one rocking' quilt in the process.  Plus!!! There will be give-aways.  Each blogger is giving away one of the fat quarter packets shown below.  (US residents only)  50 Chances to win fabric?  Totally loving this.  There might even be some special State Themed give-aways, but you'll just have to stick around to find out!

Happy Hexagons

I have been a wee bit preoccupied with hexagons lately.  I am not sure what started this infatuation.  This past weekend I started yet another hexagon project.

  It's not really a project, per se, since I don't really have a direction.  I am just making these tiny little flowers.  No plan, no path,  no pattern just sewing hexagons together.  Just making pretty little flowers and seeing where they lead me.

Minecraft Pick-Ax Block.

Here is the graph for the Pick-ax block.

You will need.

24 teal blocks
15 sage
18 dark brown
10 Light brown
104 background blocks.

I cut mine to 1.25 inches. because I wanted a block size of roughly 10.5in to 11 in square (depending upon how close your seam allowance comes to a quarter of an inch). If you want your block smaller reduce the size of the blocks.  If you desire a pick-ax quilt make your blocks 2,  4 or 6 inch squares.

For the smaller sized blocks I recommend using graphic interfacing. I didn't the first time through and believe me that was TORTURE.  It will make keeping those tiny little blocks in order SO much easier. You can buy it at stores like Hancock, Jo-Ann and maybe even Hobby Lobby.  Or you can make your own.  I believe most of the interfacing you can purchase has a standard 1 inch grid.  If you need an alternate size you will have to make your own. Making your own is time consuming but if you can draw a straight line it is pretty simple.

If you choose not to use the interfacing lay out all your pieces first!  Nothing worse than getting half way through only to discover you switched two blocks and have to rip out tiny little seams.  I laid my block out on my ironing pad.  I have a small portable ironing pad that I use for most of my small pressing.  This pad worked great as a temporary design 'wall' of sorts, I could just pick up the entire block at once and not worry about little pieces being dropped or blown away.

Good luck and happy sewing.

Slightly distracted

The distractions just keep coming.  I was up in my sewing room putting the finishing touches on the Buttercup Bags when I was struck with idea.  Minecraft.

Let me explain... My kidos were up in the sewing room on the computer playing Minecraft.  Have you heard of it?  If you haven't, I'll give you what I know.  It is an online computer game, although they can play it off line and on their tablets and ipods.  It keeps them busy for HOURS.  That's it.  That's what I know.  Sad really.

The game is set up in a 3D world where the players can build and create out of cubes.  There are people, if you call them that, called creepers, there are zombies, scarecrows and something called a 'Mooshroom?"  Ask a 13 y.o. they'll explain it.

The world of Minecraft is pixalated which makes turning it into a quilted item quite easily.  I know a few boys, and some girls who 'ooh and aah' over anything mindcraft.  So I dreamed up this block.

pick-ax block with top and bottom border

It's a pick-ax.  Exciting.
In the world of Minecraft you  use this handy dandy little tool to break through block, which in turn helps you build things.  Or something to that effect.

my sketches

I drew a tentative sketch on some paper and then transferred the design to graph paper. After that I cut up what seemed like 124 little 1.25 inch squares.  Tedious.  Why yes, it was.

1st half of journal cover.

I sewed them into rows and then into this beautiful block.  In hindsight I think I should have used more contrast between the pick ax block and the background.  C'est la Vie.

journal front cover

After I had the block sewn up I took it to my two youngest and asked, "Do you know what this is?"  Their reply was immediate.  "It's a pick-ax from Minecraft! That is so cool.  Can you make me one?"  Ah, those 5 little words that let mom know that for once you did it right.  Although they would never admit it outright.

journal back cover

I took the block and sewed it into a journal cover.  Sadly the block was a little bigger than the cover, but it works.