Mighty Lucky Quilting Club- January Bias Tape Challenge

Did you join the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club this year? If you didn’t, you still can. I chose to do the yearly membership and get a challenge each month. Am I behind already? Of course!

The January Challenge was Bias Tape. I already knew how to do the bias tape from the Technicolor Galaxy Quilt I’m (still) working on, so it wasn’t totally a new thing to me. It took me a while to decide what do to, and then it hit me!

A tile rep had come into our office and had given us an update on her products and there was this one tile that I loved and of course my first thought was, ‘That would make an awesome quilt!’ But I wasn’t sure how I wanted to get the curves and the thin lines. Then that’s when the bias tape challenge came into play!

I found this blue in my stash that I have had, but had not had a use for yet. So I made it into bias tape!

Then I started making my blocks. They went super fast. Mostly scraps from my stash.

Then I glued on my bias tape. The instructions I’ve always seen say to use this wonder tape stuff. I’ve tried. I can NOT for the life of me get it to work. So I use washable elmer’s glue.

And this is what I got! If you search the group on IG, most of the projects are probably more free form and seem more sketchy than mine, but I actually really like how this turned out!

So the plan is to keep making more blocks until I get this! I LOVE it! I can’t wait! I just need 8 more blocks…

Off to make more!

 

 

 

The Sew Fab Tour- Bowling Shirt

I think I have found my favorite new button up shirt pattern!

It’s so easy! Seriously! It’s the Bowling shirt Pattern by by Scientific Seamstress that is part of the Sew Fab Pattern Sale going on now through May 13th!

Awesome sale by the way….

I was asked to be a part of the pattern sale blog tour and of course I said yes! And was excited to be able to sew this shirt. I kinda avoid dress shirts, with the collar and all, but after Easter and my son loving getting dressed up, I knew I needed to step it up and make him a few more nice shirts.

So I was looking through my stash for fabric and found this one my son and I picked out a year ago. Love it! And no, I didn’t pick it to match the bowling bowl. That was purely a happy accident.

The pattern is so easy to make. The instructions are super long, though. But want to know why??? She gives you about a million different styling options! Ok, maybe more like 5 or 6. I chose the one stripe down the front. (obviously…)

And I did the solid back. In the options there is an option to do a stripe across the back, but I just loved the fabric so I left it as just one piece of fabric.

The instructions are long, like I said, but they are super easy. And very well illustrated for each step of the way. I almost didn’t even need the pictures though! And you get to skip a lot of pages, depending on how you want to do it, so you feel like you are moving right long super fast!

And it is super fast!

For finsihing she gives a few options there as well. Your normal serged edges, etc, but also she gives you instructions on a lined version. I went unlined, the size a bit bigger, for the more casual then fitted look. I also added in some french seams where I could!

 

Now for the buttons…. I did mention it was a button up shirt and you may notice snaps again… Well, my machine was on the fritz, so it was doing my buttonholes worse then usual. (I got so frustrated with the machine, not the pattern, that I called the fix it shop mid shirt just to chat with them about it. I needed someone to talk to! ) So, I resorted to my old standby, the snap. But here’s tanother beauty to this pattern. It’s set up so button holes are the last thing you make. The button holes are done early, so in case you meess them up like I did you can go back and redo that one piece. Not the whole shirt!

 

You can purchase the Sew Fab Spring Pattern Bundle for $29.95 this week only! The sale ends on May 13th, and once it’s over, it’s over. You can support independent pattern designers by purchasing the bundle from any of the designers below.

(Designers in order from Top left to right) Greenstyle Creations, Handmade Therapy, MODKID, Everything Your Mama Made, The Scientific Seamstress, Figgy’s Patterns, Two Sweets Patterns, Things for Boys, Patchwork Posse, Betz White, LBG Studio, Mouse House Creations, Gingercake, Heidi & Finn, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Terra’s Treasures, Paisley Roots, Molly Blossom Designs, Sewing Mama RaeAnna. Sale sponsored by The Southern Institute.

WIP Wednesday!

I’m usually a one project at a time, but this month I’ve got all sorts of things going on! Our local Modern Quilt Guild retreat kinda helped with that! I’ll tell ya more about all the fun at the retreat on Friday! But now, do you want to see what I’m working on??

First up…. My Madrona Road project… Yes, this was a Modern Quilt Guild challenge from, oh, a year and a half ago maybe??? The hexi’s in the middle were my first attempt at hand sewing and hand sewing hexagons. And it got me hooked! Love them!

So Friday night of the retreat, I got the top and back of the quilt done! I’ve had the hexagon section done for a while, but I put the rest of the top together and the back!

Then Saturday morning of the retreat we had an activity, then lunch, then I started on this one! If you remember, I designed this quilt for my husband last December. And a year later, I started it!

By the end of the day, I had this! It’s about 80 inches wide now. I don’t have much further to go. But I ran out of fabric and my bobbin ran out and I wanted to get home for the Super Bowl, so I stopped!

Images via Seattle Modern Quilt Guild Blog

Next up… I’ve also got my pieces cut for our Quilt Guild’s January BOM! I’m going to do the bigger one in the same colors as my husband’s quilt, so have a matching pillow! And then the smaller one is going to be one of this month’s blocks for my do. Good Stitches group. Tutorials for both can be found here.

And lastly, my Riley Blake Challenge! I’m a bit late getting started, but I think I can have it done in time. It took me a while to figure out what to make. Then my husband said, ‘You like bags, make a bag.’ Hello? at first I kinda turned my nose up at his idea… I don’t need another bag… Then I remembered I was just thinking that I wanted a bag to carry my quilts in while I’m adding on the binding. I tote them around to gymnastics, etc… So that’s what I’m doing!

Then there’s a few kids clothes projects piling up too! AHHH! SO much to do! Oh, and getting my gator quilt pattern together… Oh, and… and…. Does it ever end??

What are you working on?

Everything Blue Blog Hop, a Tutorial and a Giveaway!

I’m so excited to be a part of Clothworks Everything Blue Blog Hop!

We sell a few of their lines at the shop I work at, Stash, and I have fallen in love with their fabrics. Then when I found out they were a local Seattle company, I was even more in love!

Then!!! I had the opportunity to participate in their Everything Blue Blog Hop to help spread the word about their new line and I was super excited! My new friend at Clothworks, Susie, who set this whole thing up even hand delivers the fabric to my house! Ends up we’re neighbors! How cool is that???

So here’s the deal! I was given about a 1/2 yard of the three fabrics above and was asked to make 1 block (or two). I had to use some of each of the fabrics and then you were allowed to add a little of either blue, red, white or cream. I knew I wanted to add a little red! So I did! A little bit of red from the Clothworks Everyday Organics solid line!

My first block was a little abstract something!

I added a little red stitching around the blocks of color.

And my second block was what I call a ‘Rose Block’, but I’m not sure that’s really what it’s called! I’ve also seen it called a Flip and Stitch block. This is the one I knew I wanted to do as soon as I saw the fabric. I’ve loved the block for a while, but when I saw the fabrics had a floral print to some of them, I knew I had to try this one!

I love the red for the center. Or should I say the ‘off center.’

And for the tutorial… I looked for a tutorial for this block but couldn’t really find one (maybe since I don’t know it’s true name… I should find that out!), so I thought I’d show you how I made mine. Of course, I didn’t make the tutorial when I made the block… So just pretend that the fabrics in the tutorial are the same as the fabrics above! Most of them are Clothworks though…

It’s super easy and might not even need a tutorial, but hey! So start by gathering your fabrics and then cutting strips. I don’t use a straight line, because I don’t want any of my pieces to be the same size!

Then, cut the center piece and start adding the second fabric around. I sew a piece, trim, sew a side, trim, sew a side, trim… Get the pattern here?

Then I go to my second fabric and repeat. The second color is where I start trimming. I lay my ruler over the block and just start moving it around until I get the right corner angle that looks good to me.

And then guess what…. More repeating! Add the third color, then trim. Next color, then trim. Repeat for as many colors as you’d like to use… And trim.

And you’re done! Yea!

And the most exciting part… The Giveaway! Yea!

Clothworks has graciously offered one reader 12 fat quarters of the new Everything Blue line with a little red and coral thrown in for good measure!

Ready to WIN? You have FIVE ways to enter! And come back and leave a separate comment on this post for each entry!

1) Head to Clothworks’s Website  and tell us which fabric is your FAVORITE !

2) Become a fan of Clothworks on Facebook.

3) Become a fan of Feelin’ Crafty on Facebook.

4) Subscribe to Feelin’ Crafty.  

5) Share the Giveaway on your blog.

That’s 5 possible entries! You must comment on this post to win. The giveaway will close on Monday, September 16th at 11:59 p.m. EST, and we’ll choose one winner using Random.org.

And for a couple of extra entries, you can sign up to follow Clothworks Blog, The Works, or follow on Pinterest! Just be sure to leave extra comments if you do!

And also, be sure to follow along and see what everyone else in the blog hop creates!

September 2nd: Anita Peluso // Bloomin’ Workshop

September 3rd: Debbie Vyse, Jean Seamster, Joyce Kronkhite // Clothworks Team

September 4th: Louise Wackerman (+giveaway!) // Feelin’ Crafty

September 5th: Lorrie Franz // Bean Counter Quilts

September 6th: Bonnie Mitchell, Angela White, Kathleen Malarky // Clothworks Team September 9th: Marsha McCloskey // Feathered Star Productions

September 10th: Pat Sloan, Pat Sloan, the Voice of Quilting

September 11th: Meagan Taylor and Kristi Jones: Meags and Me and Bev Getschel

September 12th: Shayla Wolf // Sassafras Lane

September 13th: Toni Bush, Shirl Nelson, Susie Philipsen // Clothworks Team

September 16th: Stephanie Di Cola // September 17th: Sandie Holtman // Sleepy Owl Studio and Anshu Jain: Blooms and Bugs

September 18th: Margie Ullery // Ribbon Candy Quilts and Candice Hoffmann // Clothworks Team

September 19th: Cheryl Kuczek // Paradiso Designs

September 20th: Generation Q Magazine

September 24th: Heidi Pridemore // The Whimsical Workshop Studio and Chandra Wu // Mildy Gifted

September 25th: Cassie // Elegantitus and Kristen Ballou

September 26th: Lynne Shandley // Yarnivorous

September 27th: Scott Hansen // Blue Nickel Studios

Quilt Blocks for Causes

I’ve been making a few quilt blocks lately! So the first few started from this adorable little package of fabric squares from Clothworks Organic Line.

Clothworks gave our Seattle Modern Quilt Guild the little bundles to make a modern blocks for a quilt that we would then donate to a good cause.

I ended up making three! This grey one is my favorite! THey were all spur of the moment, no real planning. I stacked them all together, cut about an inch off the side and then reassembled them!

Second came the blue one. Not my favorite.

And lastly the teal one. I like this one, but not quite as much as the grey one!

The reveal was amazing. At our last guild meeting everyone showed off their blocks and we put them all together. There was some fantastic blocks!!!

Once that was complete, I moved on to my next project. Just One Slab for Alberta. But I made two.

I admit I don’t watch much news. It started when I was pregnant. I’d get so upset by the news, I kinda quit listening. And I got used to it. So needless to say, I didn’t actually know about the devastating floods in Alberta. Then I found out about Cheryl’s call for quilters to make blocks to give to those who lost everything in the floods. I couldn’t say no!

I only used scraps. The first one I made was the pink one. I used a bunch of little scraps. And it took a while!

So for my next one, the green one, I used larger scraps. And it didn’t take as long and I love it!

If you’d like to make one for the Just One Slab, it’s super quick and she’s requesting them by the end of this month. So quit reading and start going through those scraps and sewing them together! I can’t wait to see all the blocks together!

 

Another do Good Stitches Quilt!

Our Nurture group is moving along and we’ve got another quilt under our belt. This one is thanks to Kat and Cat Quilts!

image via Kat & Cat Quilts

For the block, Kat introduced us to a super easy and fun quilt block! It’s basically a square in a square in a square. I love the technique though because it’s a tutorial that you can make bigger or smaller and end up with as many squares as you want.\\

The colors she choose were white, light blue, a darker teally blue, brown, a burgundy reddish color and a green. Each block needed a white, polka dot and a solid. I ended up using some from my stash in a dark teal blueish color!

I just love seeing everyone’s ideas come together from all over the country. I love how close the final colors match her design inspiration colors.

image via Kat & Cat Quilts

The quilting detail is fantastic! I love how she was brave enough to quilt a big spiral on a bunch of squares! And I say brave, because I rarely venture off with my quilting in the opposite direction of what the blocks look like. SO this is going into my mental library to try to think outside of the box (HA! get it!?!) next time I do a boxy quilt pattern!

image via Kat & Cat Quilts

The back is cool too!

image via Kat & Cat Quilts

We have a couple more quilts in the works! I can’t wait to share them with you!

Quilting with the Kiddo

Today was a busy day, but I had a wonderful moment of parenting bliss!

I wanted to lay out the star quilt  with the wonky stars I’m doing for the do. Good Stitches group. My son was home and being very helpful with everything I asked. Yes, sounds kinda like I’m making it up, right? I’m not really! So I knew I wanted to get started on the quilt, so I asked him to join in. He loved it!

He really stood back and looked at each one. Thought about where it should. Laid it out. Then rearranged it! Again and Again. The fun part was that I let him lay out all the blocks. Then we both sat down and rearranged a little here and a little there. Too many of the same size in a row. Bad. Two greens next together. Welllllll… Maybe, maybe not… What about this one here? Well, then, we need to move this one here.

picasion.com gif creator online

I had to take a few videos of the process and you’re welcome to take a look! They are on flicker here and here!

He hasn’t quit grasped the concept of white space yet. The holes of no stars were kind bugging him. I still have to make mine and he let me know the sizes and locations that mine need to be inserted!

It was just one of those moments where you totally have one of those ‘melty heart, I want to stay right here’ moments. Unlike other projects where it’s hard to let go of control, this one I totally put him in the driver seat and it was fantastic watching him be inspired by the colors and sizes and create something very special!

What do you think of our final layout??

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Wonky Stars!

I love wonky stars! In case you haven’t noticed… I did a tutorial, I made a sewing machine cover, I made a bulletin board…

And now I’m making a quilt! My month for the do. Good Stitches was February. I had everyone try their hand at the wonky stars last month and then this month I put them all together!

Loving seeing them all showing up in my mailbox. I even bought some yardage of white felt to make my own inspiration board to start laying them out and getting the quilt designed! There’s a few days left for them to keep coming and then I’ll put them all together!!

A Christmas Quilt Design for Dad

Yep, you read it right! Dad also got a quilt design, not an actual quilt,  and a bag of fabric for Christmas!

He was a bit confused when he opened his gift bag and it was just a bag of fabric. Little did he know there was a design in there too!

I’m really excited about getting this quilt made. The design, to me, is a take on the traditional log cabins. But it’s more like one huge quilt block instead of a bunch of smaller ones.

My husband also likes white sheets and white comforters. even though we don’t live a real ‘white’ lifestyle, with a 4-year-old son and big dog that loves to get on the bed when he knows he’s not supposed to!

So now I just have to get to cutting and sewing and quilting!

 

 

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New Fabric!! Yea!!

I don’t order fabric online all that much. Mostly because I haven’t done it that much and I always get nervous about what’s it really going to look like when I get it…

But I’m liking it more and more these days!! I mean look at this batch. Whatd’ya think????

So these three, not real sure what I’m going to do with.. The elephants are a linen fabric, which I wasn’t actually expecting, but I like anyway. The rest are for the swaps I’m participating in…

The first swap I’m doing is another Round of Modernista Homemade. This round the room we’re making an item for is the kitchen. I’ve decided to do a mini quilt.

Using these fabrics….

And the second swap is another round of Modern She Made. Last time the piece had to have a circle, this time it’s a triangle. I’ve decided on the design (please ignore the horrible picture!). But I can’t decide if it’s going to be a mini quilt or a sewing machine cover. hmmmm….

Either way I’ll use these fabrics….

What do you think of these fabrics??? Love ’em? Hate ’em? Get rid of one or another??? Add anything?

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