do.good.finish

This year I coordinated the months of March and October for the do.good.stitches peace group.
For the March group I used chose the scrapy triangle block from Filminthefridge.  This is a block I have been wanting to play around with for a while now.  I chose green, blue and yellow as the block colors and asked each participant to make me 3 blocks.  Since this was the first time I had been a month coordinator, I greatly underestimated the number of blocks I needed.  When all was said and done I still had 13 blocks to make.  ugh.

Rather than stick with the block as it was designed I decided to mix up 3 of the blocks by making the triangle negative white space and the exterior of the block the color.

I quilted organic wavy lines around the triangles and then used my Juki 2010 to quilt smaller triangles inside of the lager triangles.

All quilted designed and made by the Peace Circle of do.good.stitches profit the local chapter of Project Linus.

Thread

While sewing on Tuesday evening I ran out of black thread.  Hey. It happens.  I took out a new spool and threaded my machine.  As I have done every time I end a spool of thread for the past year I tossed the empty spool into a bucket.  Then I paused.

Last January I started a thread bucket.  I wanted to see just how many spools of thread I use over the course of a year. This last empty spool was the first empty spool of 2015.  How many spools did I use up.

Twenty one.  Twenty one spools of thread from 200m to 5000m.  Black, white and every color in-between (although admittedly mostly white).

I started saving spools hoping that this would help me plan ahead and know how much thread to purchase the next time I am out.  Now I know..  I need a lot of thread.

New Quilts

Last week I received not one, not 2 but 5 new requests for custom quilts!  Thanks to all of my former clients who are happy to pass on my name.

The first of the 5 quilts is to be a quilt for a new baby.  This is a memory/baby quilt for a repeat client of mine. Over the years she saved various articles of clothing from her daughter and son.  Her son blessed her with her first grandchild in 2013. It was then that I made this quilt for her.

 Some of my long time readers may remember see this on my blog.  Now with the addition of her second grandchild, this time it's her daughter's turn.  The new grandbaby's quilt will be as different as her two children.  This newest quilt will be modern and sleek and full of surprises.  I am pleased and excited to be making this newest quilt for her and Honored to have her as a return client.

The next quilt is a client who recently lost her mother.  She is having me make 2 memory table runners and one lap quilt.  The lap quilt is for the daughter who wanted the quilt made from her grandmother's favorite red and black tops.  I pondered over this a while.  I really felt a traditional quilt block setting would not quite suit the daughters tastes. Yet, I wasn't exactly sure how to honor the style of the grandmother clothing.  Then once again the internet pulled through.  I was reading my blog roll on Bloglovin' and came across the perfect quilt design.

Quilt by Emmalinebags.blogspot.com

This beauty was the creation of Emmaline Bags.  This is the pattern that was I waiting for.  There is even a pattern on the Emmaline bags blog if you want one of your very own.  Click here for the instructions.

I sent off a picture to my client who thought it was the perfect answer.  As of now I have the HST made and laid out.  A few minor adjustments and we will be ready to sew!

The next 2 quilts I am working on are still in the planing and gathering faze.  Both will be long table runners.  One in the reds and blacks pictured above and another in teal and pink.  I have yet to decide on a fabric to complement the clothing.

The last quilt is another t-shirt graduation quilt.  Tis the season.

Duty calls! I am off to the fabric store!

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Yep, it is that time again.  If you have been out of the house in the last two weeks, I am sure you have seen more than one worker unloading boxes of Christmas decorations.  It seems to me that Christmas comes earlier and earlier every year. Even my daughter has been listening to Christmas carols!  Over the past few weeks I have been slowly (and I emphasize s-l-o-w-l-y) working on Christmas gifts.  I always think I have plenty of time, and then WHAM!  It's Christmas.

Sew4home.com

When I saw this Shorter StyleTriple-Flounce apron pattern on Sew4home I knew instantly who I needed to have this under their tree.   I have made several patterns from the Sew4home site and always find them easy to read and complete.

This apron, as the name implies is a shorter style apron just perfect for a sassy and sweet teen or college student in your life.  Using mostly Christmas fabrics I stitched up my version in just one afternoon.  I had my daughter model it for pictures. When she saw how cute it was she immediately wanted one for herself and for a couple of her friends. (always a good sign that it is teen appropriate.) While I may get around to making one for her, I doubt it will be for Christmas.  My list to-make items is growing ever longer. There are just too many cute patterns out there.

the AMB blog tour quilt.

I was so excited this week when I saw this sneak peak of the AMB blog tour quilt. There is my South Carolina block (far left row, third from the bottom) pieced together with all all the other states. Doesn't it look wonderful?  I can only dream about the finished quilt.  To check out the progress on this beauty keep checking over to The Works Blog.

A New Challenge {& a giveaway}

Have you seen my quilts page recently?  How about my projects page.  If you have you have probably noticed a few changes.  I ran across a blog post last week that inspired me to change up my pages.  I thought a complete overhaul of the  blog would be a great idea.  After a week of learning HTML and CSS code, I am happy I got as far as I did.  A big challenge.  I am also working on a new website design, but don't hold your breath you won't see that until next year.

If you do get a chance to hop over to my projects page, you will see My South Carolina Block for the 

American Made Brand 50 states tour.  The links are updated and posted here check them out for the first time or get caught up where you left off before Summer.

The American Made Brand people are sponsoring a new Challenge and it is one we can all enter.  The Farm to Fabric Challenge is open through August 15th.  You can go here: http://americanmadebrand.com/farm-to-fabric-challenge/  to get all the details. I have my design all sketched out, sadly I cannot share it with you yet.  :(

Edited- July15 2014 Drawing for the tote bag will be July 18th!

I have also got a little Giveaway for you.

This cute AMB tote, comes without the veggies, but at 13 x 15”, is perfect for visiting farmer’s markets, toting a sewing project, knitting projects, embroidery project or pretty much anything you can think of.  The logo is printed on both sides and, of course, the bag is also made in the US of A.  

If you would like to win this tote just leave me a comment below.  Happy Quilting!

Put a fork in us --We are Done!

http://americanmadebrand.com/blogtour/

The American Made Brand tour is now complete.  I don't know about you but I loved visiting everyone's blog!  The State Blocks turned out Fantastic.  I cannot wait to see them all incorporated into a quilt. That is going to be One AWESOME Quilt! If you miss a day or two (or six)  you can catch up by checking out the links below.

DAY	DATE	STATE	STATEHOOD	BLOG
Day 1	19-May	Delaware	Dec. 7, 1787	Blue Striped Room
	19-May	Pennsylvania	Dec. 12, 1787	Cherry Lynch Quilts
Day 2	20-May	Georgia	Jan. 2, 1788	Butterfly Threads Quilting
	20-May	Idaho	July 3, 1890	Taffy Talk
Day 3	21-May	Alabama	Dec. 14, 1819	Green Quilts
	21-May	Massachusetts	Feb. 6, 1788	A Quilting Jewel
Day 4	22-May	Maryland	Apr. 28, 1788	Spring Water Designs
	22-May	South Carolina	May 23, 1788	The Crafty Quilter’s Closet
Day 5	23-May	New Hampshire	June 21, 1788	Park Hill Farm
	23-May	Virginia	June 25, 1788	Pat Sloan’s Blog
Day 6	26-May	New York	July 26, 1788	Quilts from my Crayon Box
	26-May	North Carolina	Nov. 21, 1789	A Stitch in Time
Day 7	27-May	Rhode Island	May 29, 1790	Seaside Stitches
	27-May	Vermont	Mar. 4, 1791	Quilter in Motion
Day 8	28-May	Kentucky	June 1, 1792	Simply Sandy
	28-May	Tennessee	June 1, 1796	Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Day 9	29-May	Ohio	Mar. 1, 1803	Olive and Ollie
	29-May	Louisiana	Apr. 30, 1812	Fleur de Lis Quilts
Day 10	30-May	Indiana	Dec. 11, 1816	No Hats in the House
	30-May	Mississippi	Dec. 10, 1817	Life as a Quilter
Day 11	2-Jun	Illinois	Dec. 3, 1818	A Sentimental Quilter
	2-Jun	Connecticut	Jan. 9, 1788	Jump Cut Arts
Day 12	3-Jun	Maine	Mar. 15, 1820	Quilts of Love
	3-Jun	Missouri	Aug. 10, 1821	42 Quilts
Day 13	4-Jun	Arkansas	June 15, 1836	Sew at Home on Pine Ridge
	4-Jun	Michigan	Jan. 26, 1837	Crafty Blossom
Day 14	5-Jun	Florida	Mar. 3, 1845	Flourishing Palms
	5-Jun	Texas	Dec. 29, 1845	The Caffeinated Quilter
Day 15	6-Jun	Iowa	Dec. 28, 1846	Kindred Quilts
	6-Jun	Wisconsin	May 29, 1848	Freshly Pieced
Day 16	9-Jun	California	Sept. 9, 1850	Cali Quilter
	9-Jun	Minnesota	May 11, 1858	The Curious Quilter
Day 17	10-Jun	Oregon	Feb. 14, 1859	Sew Mama Sew
	10-Jun	Kansas	Jan. 29, 1861	Lilac Lane
Day 18	11-Jun	West Virginia	June 20, 1863	Coop Crafts
	11-Jun	Nevada	Oct. 31, 1864	Inventive Denim
Day 19	12-Jun	Nebraska	Mar. 1, 1867	Renaissance Sandi
	12-Jun	Colorado	Aug. 1, 1876	Sew Incredibly Crazy
Day 20	13-Jun	North Dakota	Nov. 2, 1889	Terri Stegmiller Art Quilts
	13-Jun	South Dakota	Nov. 2, 1889	Moneik Quilts
Day 21	16-Jun	Montana	Nov. 8, 1889	Why Knot Kwilt
	16-Jun	Washington	Nov. 11, 1889	Bloomin’ Workshop
Day 22	17-Jun	New Jersey	Dec. 18, 1787	Studio 78 Notes
	17-Jun	Wyoming	July 10, 1890	Excessive Compulsive Sewing
Day 23	18-Jun	Utah	Jan. 4, 1896	Fireball Quilts
	18-Jun	Oklahoma	Nov. 16, 1907	Hollyhock Quilts
Day 24	19-Jun	New Mexico	Jan. 6, 1912	Dora Quilts
	19-Jun	Arizona	Feb. 14, 1912	So Many Quilts, So Little Time
Day 25	20-Jun	Alaska	Jan. 3, 1959	Quilt As You Go
	20-Jun	Hawaii	Aug. 21, 1959	Barbara Bieraugel Designs

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Baby Quilt.

I received this modern log cabin baby quilt in the mail on Monday.

 It was a slight rush to get it loaded and returned to her before the birth of her grandchild, so I was only able to snap a few pictures before getting it back in the mail.  Her choice of fabric and the setting made choosing a quilting design simple.

To soften the square setting and sharp corners I used a free-motion ribbon. I changes the ribbon's orientation to make it look like it was circling around the center.

As for the center square.  I used the adorable whale fabric as inspiration for this little guy. 

Happy Quilting!

Timing is everything.

With summer rapidly approaching I decided to make a few more Cargo Duffels for the kids.  With all of the travel for sports, band and camps we end up spending a great deal of time in the car.  I thought these bags would be perfect for hauling all of their car activities.

You may remember this Cargo Duffle I made for Easter using Noodlehead's Cargo Duffle pattern.  If you would like the pattern you can find it here

For the kids I decided to personalize them with a little embroidery and colors of their choosing.

With the first one under my belt I knew the 2nd, 3rd and 4th bags would go much smoother.  Ha!  Silly me.

Close to the end of the second bag my sewing machine started leaving huge tangles of bobbin thread for me.  Obviously the timing was off.  I played with what I could but couldn't get the tension adjusted.  A frustrating hour later, I switched to my old standby. My second machine is a good 30 years old but sews like a champ!  I finished the second bag assembly with the second machine.   As I was finishing off the inside of the second child's bag, my needle broke.  Then another and another.  YOU have got to be kidding me!  My old stand by, also had a timing issue.

My machines are off to the repair shop.  Perhaps it is time for a little English paper piecing. The bags will make Great Christmas presents too!

Now What?

Okay.  Let's say, "hypothetically" you are following along the AMB Blog tour and you like what you see.  It's Just.  Well, it's just you don't really want to make 50 blocks.  Say you want to make just one block. Your state's block.  Great.  A block.  What are you going to do with that?  Added it to the 100's of others you have saved, stored or stashed away.

Most certainly not.  Today I am going to show you what I have done with my 'test' block.  I get a little OCD, on occasion.  This project happened to be just such an occasion.  I made a test block from fabric I had laying around, just to make sure everything was going to turn out as planned.  Just be thankful.  It could have been a real disaster.  I digress.  So this test block.  I had it sitting on my cutting table, staring at me.  "look at me! look at me!"  What in the world was I going to do with it? Throw it away? I think not.  Save it in the bin with all the other random blocks I have.  Ah, No. I guess I could make a pillow out of it? or a journal cover?  Then I was struck upon an idea so simple I was amazed I hadn't thought of it sooner.  My Wreath.

If you are scratching your head right now, let me let you in on a little project I worked on 2 or 3 years ago.  If you look at the page titles at the top of the blog UP THERE.

You will see a heading labeled Wreath.  Basically I made a simple wreath design from grapevine and artificial greenery.  On the wreath I attached 2 clothes pins with which to hang quilt blocks.  I made a different block each month representing a holiday, season or special event.  I liken it to those 12' X 18" garden flags people have in their yards, only much more specific to quilters.

I sandwiched my block with batting and backing.  Simply echo quilted the block around the South Carolina State Image and then bound the mini-quilt. Well, it's been 3 years and that wreath was getting pretty tired looking. I swapped out the greenery for something fresh and new.  Added safety pins to the back of the block.  Threaded floral wire through the safety pins and tied the wire to the wreath to hold up the quilt block. (instead of clothes pins)  And TA-DA.  My new and improved wreath.

Be sure to check out todays stops on the AMB Tour.  Up today is Pat Sloan (Virginia) and Park Hill Farm (New Hampshire) It could be your state!  Soon you could have your very own state inspired Wreath.

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!

t-shirt quilt

the layout

finished top

college of choice added to backing

The past few weeks I have been working on a t-shirt quilt for a soon to be graduating senior.  I love graduation quilts.  They are filled with such sweet memories of the past and such hope for the future. This quilt is working it's way towards the long-arm machine.  It's battling for my time with the stomach bug I have been trying ever so hard to discard. Sigh.  I had hoped to have it finished today,  so that binding could commence this weekend, but sadly no.  But soon.  I hope.

Sax-a-quilt

Spring Has Sprung! Flowers are blooming, trees have leaves, the birds and the bees are back. And while we are on the topic of Birds and Bees, I'll just say that it seems like babies are being born faster than I can make quilts for them.  The kids have at least 4 teachers who are having babies in the next 3 weeks.  One of those special babies happens to be arriving for Jack's Saxophone teacher and his wife.
I wanted to make him a special quilt because he has really done a wonderful job instructing Jack this year.  However, I was running out of ideas until I ran across this quilt on Pintrist, by Stormy-Day.  I have always had a special fondness for Elephants.  Initially I believe that is why I pinned this quilt.  Well, that and the awesome colors, beautiful placement and the awesome quilting.  It all just screamed at me.

Elephant Quilt by Dana at Stormy-Day

I was inspired to do a similar version, but out of a saxophone.  I found a simplistic version of a saxophone in clip art.  My son Jack, ever the purist, helped me discern what I absolutely needed to include on the quilt to make it look "real".  I took some measurements of the clip art, multiplied all of my measurements by 3 and sketched out an enlarged version of the sax on a larger piece of paper.

If you check out Dana at Stormy-Day talks about how she developed her Elephant quilt.

I had purchased a few selected solids and a purple and polka-dot pattern for the backing at Jo-Anns, I pulled a few scraps from my stash to come up with a slightly more infant color scheme.  I layer the strips out in the shape of my saxophone and sewed them together in a 'rainbow-ish' color pattern.  After I had a very rough version of the saxophone sewn together I traced the inverted drawing on to the back of some Heat and bond. I fused the heat and bond to the back of the saxophone strips and then cut out my Saxophone shape.  following manufacturers directions I fused the Saxophone strips to the white backing.  Using a wide zig-zag stitch I machine appliquéd the saxophone to the white background.   I cut out 3 different sized circles and hand stitched them to the saxophone to look like keys.

Please excuse the wrinkly mess.

I trimmed the background to 36" X44". I cut out 42 assorted 4"x4" squares and bordered the white backing with these.

My original plan was to use the quilting as a tool to emulate "music" coming out of the Saxophone.  I cut out 3 heart sizes and used them as templates to make it look as though hearts not notes were streaming out of the horn.  However in my rush to quilt this beauty I got a little over zealous and quilted the hearts a bit too densely.  You can barely see them.  Sad, I know.  

With the exception of the quilting I really LOVE how this quilt turned out.  I think I may have to make another in Black and White.  I think that the absence of color would be striking. Now this one is all wrapped up and ready for her new home.