City Sampler Quilt Along

I ordered Tula Pink's City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks, thinking it was 'just' a book full of modern quilt blocks. And of course, it is, but it's also much, much more! For one, there's the basic intent to use all of the blocks to create a sampler quilt, and there's five really cool city-themed layouts in the book. On top of that, the introduction alone made me a bit misty. Honest.

When I saw a quilt along with Tula's book, I was intrigued. The fact that each block is 6 1/2" made it actually seem doable, especially at three blocks a week. So we'll see how it goes. This will be a long-term project for sure, but I'm looking forward to it, and at least sewing along when I can.  Thankfully, for week one, I could, and have my first three blocks to share.

Linking up with Sew Sweetness.

Return of the Triple-Zip

Funny how that Triple-Zip Pouch just keeps on popping up around blogland! I've been reminded of it several times this week!

First up, I got an email from Kelly of remember your karma. She had asked me a while back if she could teach a class on my tutorial, and of course I told her to go for it! So she was just reporting back with a pic of the zips her class had made!

How fun is that? There's more photos on Papanana's fb page too!

On the same day, I heard from Anne of SpringLeaf Studios that her Boulder Modern Quilt Guild had made triple-zips at their recent sew-in! The founder, Carrie, graciously sent me a couple of photos. (More on their fb page.)

Then as I was perusing the w.i.p. Wednesday line up yesterday, I saw triple-zips over at That's Sew Julie!




And finally, a lovely set appeared in the Triple-Zip Along flickr group! These lovelies are all by Emilee Masson.


This has all been this week! I must say, I never tire of seeing them. Just sayin'.

W.i.P. Wednesday

I was happily able to make some good progress this last week!

Completed projects

Mouse Pads - No, you're not seeing things . . . I made more mouse pads!

I actually made one more that I gifted to daughter dear before I got a picture! But in doing all that text and typewriter sewing, I did take time to write a tutorial. Hope you enjoy it!

Lined Drawstring Bag - That gifted mouse pad needed a gift bag and I turned once again to Jeni's no-fail solution. I love it every time.

Bee Freebie - I was so smitten with the paper-pieced bee that Badskirt posted over the weekend that I just had to make one! The bee was made from a variety of scraps, the background in Essex linen in denim. I'll be incorporating this block in an upcoming as-yet-to-be-determined project! (And just fyi, I copied the pattern 150%, so each side measures 3".)

Ongoing projects
Lucky Stars BOM - Just in the nick of time, I got the May block done, so I'm ready for June's!

City Sampler Quilt Along - Not sure if I'll be able to keep up along with cohosting an upcoming sew along (starting MONDAY!), but I did manage to get the first 3 blocks done on schedule. I'll share them soon.

x and + blocks {#xplusalong} - This has been the main excitement in the studio the last few days! I finished my 80th block and began piecing them together. I decided to piece in 20 block sections (4x5), and have 2 sections done! I'm super excited to have made it this far on this one!

Improv Slice and Insert Quilt - No progress here.

Polaroid quilt - Still receiving blocks. Pretty excited about this too!

Upcoming projects
* Patchwork, Please! sew along projects
* baby quilt - need to start soon!
* June bee blocks
* prepping more City Sampler blocks
* pillows for Mom/pillow for grandgirl
* mail bag

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Tuesday at the Table

Last weekend, hubby and I were out and about and stopped in for this:

What we found were dozens of educators, organizations, businesses, and area farmers sharing about connecting our community to local, wholesome food. I thought I'd give you just a snippet of several booths we stopped at . . .

Pastry Craft - Teaching pie-baking was going on here! While perusing the website when I got home, I found a recipe for Roasted Rhubarb - what perfect timing!

Red Rabbit Farm - This booth actually held a really nice surprise - Christina Orchid herself! Christina was owner/chef of well-renowned Christina's on Orcas Island for many years. I never got to eat there, but I have her cookbook, and was pleased to meet and chat with her - and taste her delicious small batch preserves!

Golden Glen Creamery handcrafted butter - Something special about tasting a product fresh from the producer.

Gelatoicious - Italian Ice Cream samples here. Their motto: "Life's short . . . eat dessert first." Not a bad idea!

Theo Chocolate - The first organic and fair trade bean-to-bar chocolate factory in North America is right in our back yard, so to speak. (We wish!) But we have visited the factory often and Theo is a standard at our house.

Mt. Townsend Creamery - Awesome cheeses that we already know and love.

modern larder - This was actually advertising personal chef services, which I won't be acquiring any time soon, but there was some mighty tasty granola to sample! (Those are dried kumquats there at the top of the jar!)

Garden Treasures - Some of the most beautiful produce I'd ever seen!

better bean - This company is all about getting quick-serve good healthy beans into more homes. This is a product I'll be keeping an eye out for.

 Didn't catch who was hosting this, but we were intrigued by this vertical garden!

So that's our little outing. Kind of fun, and we came home with a few tasty treats. Which in my book is always a good thing. Here's to eating well!

Zakka Along 2.0 :: Patchwork, Please ~ Supplies + A Winner

Last Monday I posted the sew along schedule {see the list of participating bloggers HERE} . . . and if you haven't started gathering supplies, now's the time to do it!!

Lindsey recently posted on "Sourcing Supplies", and her list is a great resource throughout the sew along as you continue to pick up fabrics, zippers, floss and wool felt. Three shops have generously offered coupon codes for all participants for the duration of the sew along:

• knotted thread: use ZAKKA10 for a 10% discount
• blossom heart quilts: use PATCHWORK10 for a 10% discount
• mountain of the dragon: use PATCHWORKPLEASE10 for a 10% discount

All have really lovely fabrics and I even found a couple of trims that will be great to have on hand when inspiration strikes.

Of course, at the top of the list is a copy of Ayumi's book! We'll be sewing through Patchwork, Please! starting with the Bell Pepper Coasters on June 3, continuing through the book in order clear to the end. New projects will be posted each Monday, giving you until Sunday midnight EST to link up your project for a chance at that weeks prize.

I sat down with my book this weekend and made my own list of supplies - things beyond the fabrics and zips I routinely keep on hand. Don't consider this an exhaustive list - so do thumb through the book yourself, and at least plan a few weeks ahead so you don't have to rush around at the last minute when you're inspired to sew Zakka!

• felt (coasters, embroidery pouch)
• rickrack (towels)
• fusible web (towels, bib)
• fusible interfacing - lightweight, mediumweight, and heavyweight (teabag pouch, box, iPad cover, tote, embroidery pouch) 
• insulated batting (tea cozy, trivet)
• lightweight and mediumweight fusible quilt batting (bloom quilt, box pouch, pencil case, iPad cover)
• cotton batting (book quilt, wall pocket, embroidery pouch)
• poly-fill (pincushion)
• specialty trims (tea cozy, tea bag pouch, placemats, bib, hat, shopping bag, box pouch, pencil case, iPad cover, embroidery pouch, pincushion)
• specialty fabrics (apron, shopping bag)
• clear vinyl sheet (embroidery pouch)
• quilting adhesive spray and fabric glue stick (several projects)

*Note that a thread has started in the flickr group regarding interfacing, fusible web, etc., so look there if you have questions about those items.

So now I guess it's time to choose a winner of last week's giveaway! The winner of a $30 certificate to knotted thread goes to Lisa of Lisa in Port Hope! Congratulations, Lisa! I'll be forwarding Jenn your email so she can send out that certificate - enjoy! And thanks again, Jennifer, for your support of the Patchwork, Please sew along!

Looking forward to seeing you all next week as the sew along begins! Get inspired by peeking at the growing Pinterest board and flickr group! Some pretty sweet projects are showing up!

Wordy Mouse Pad :: A Tutorial

A while back I made a mouse pad for my desk at work and have really been enjoying the fun bit of quiltiness in my office. When I decided to make another for a friend this week, I decided to document it in case you'd like to make one too!

click here for pdf format

Supplies Needed:

• one plain standard mouse pad, 7 7/8" x 9 1/4"
• cotton batting, 8 1/2" x 10"
• a variety of text fabric strips, cut 1" to 2 1/2"
• one piece text fabric, square or rectangle cut no larger than 3 1/2" on any side (will be used as 'center' of off-set log cabin piecing)
• two pieces of fabric for mouse pad bottom sleeves, cut 6 1/2" x 10", pressed in half so they each measure 3 1/2" x 10"
• backing fabric, at least 8 1/2" x 10"
• typewriter motif for applique (one shown is from Melody Miller's Ruby Star Shining collection, trimmed about 1/8" outside of design lines)
• binding fabric (for single-fold binding, 1 1/4" x approximately 40", pieced as needed)
• coordinating thread for piecing, quilting, and binding
• contrasting thread for raw-edge applique
• needle for hand-stitching binding
• spray-baste (I found spray-baste to be a good way to secure pieces without adding bulk. If you prefer, feel free to use another method.)

Instructions:

Begin by placing the 'center' square or rectangle on your batting, off-centered toward the upper-left corner. I prefer for a good portion of it to show once the typewriter is sewn on. Secure the 'center' to your batting with a quick spritz of spray-baste.

For your first seam, place a fabric strip along the right side of the 'center', lining up top and right side edges. Stitch a 1/4" seam, stopping when you have reached the bottom of the 'center' piece. Trim away the extra length of your strip. Finger-press open, so both pieces of fabric are right-side up. From there, continue constructing your log cabin 'block' by sewing additional strips to bottom, left, top, right, etc., finger-pressing each strip open after sewing before placing and sewing the next strip. The next two photos show the adding of a strip a few rows out.

If your batting becomes covered on any one side, just ignore that side as you continue adding strips until your entire batting piece is covered. Press well.

Baste your completed piece on top of your backing fabric, wrong sides together, using a bit of spray-baste. Quilt your piece as desired. Trim front and back fabrics even with your 8 1/2" x 10" batting piece if needed.

Baste typewriter motif off-centered on quilted piece, securing with another spritz of spray baste. 

Using contrasting thread and a regular stitch length, raw-stitch applique around motif, stitching between design edge and fabric edge (only about 1/8" wide). Slow your machine as you stitch around corners or curves to keep the stitching within the tight margin. Go around your motif twice. It is not necessary or even desirable to sew exactly on top of your first stitching the second time around. 

Turn your mat so back is facing up. Place a folded sleeve piece along the right and left sides of the mat, matching raw edges. Sew the three edges on each side (right and left) so sleeves are secured to the back of your mat. I sew just inside the 1/4" seam allowance.

Use single-fold binding to bind your mat. (verykerryberry has an excellent tutorial if this is a new technique for you.) Basically, sew edge of binding around the perimeter of the mat, mitering corners and allowing for seaming where ends meet. 

From right side, press the binding towards the outside as well as you can. It will look something like this from  the back side.

Fold raw edge in to meet edge of mat, and press as well as you can. Fold binding in towards the mat and hand-stitch along seam line.

Take your purchased mouse pad and slip into your quilted 'cover'.

There! Your Wordy Mouse Pad is ready to use!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday!

Encouraging

Last month I shared about "to Boston with Love" . . .

The project grew and flags from all over the world were sent to encourage the people of Boston. Yesterday and today, the flags were installed to become a special event at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, simply called, "To Boston With Love." You can keep an eye on Amy/During Quiet Time's blog posts and facebook to see photos.

Meanwhile, another effort has started - a tangible expression that victims of the recent Oklahoma tornadoes are being remembered: OKC Modern Quilters: Oklahoma Tornado Relief - Moore Love. The guild is accepting completed quilts of any size or style through June 30 and will see that they are delivered directly to those affected. 

It's good to join in these efforts to encourage others when we can. The quilting community is a caring and generous group, and it's amazing what we can accomplish together. Faith of Fresh Lemons has obviously been thinking the same thing. As I was beginning this post, I happened upon hers on The Power of Community. She has taken the lovely step to start a page on her blog to keep a list of needs that could be met by people like us. Take a look, and consider sending some encouragement today.

Oilcloth Pillows

When hubby, mom, and I were on vacation last month, we happened upon a quilt shop one day. And there we purchased a yard of oilcloth, with the intent to make mom some deck pillows.

Fast forward several weeks, and I decide those pillows would be a quick and perfect project for the evening. My Instagram buddies had given me some pointers - NO iron(!), painters tape on the bottom of my sewing foot OR a Teflon foot (which I don't have), jean needle. AND they confirmed the fact that I was working with oilcloth as apposed to laminated cotton. Boy those guys are helpful and johnny on the spot!

I searched around for a tutorial for an envelope-back pillow, finally choosing this one by lovesome, and it ended up being absolutely perfect. In about 20 minutes, I had made this! (18" square)

Egged on by my success, I quickly made up another! (12"x18")

How easy was that?! VERY.

Here are some other links that I found informative:
Oilcloth tips
Oilcloth Love {Sewing Tutorials}
Q & A: Oilcloth vs. Laminated Cotton vs. Chalkcloth

Oilcloth Addict - all sorts of projects!

And since I'm hoping to try laminated cotton one of these days, I thought I'd go ahead and include some links with this post. Kinda seems related.
Laminated cotton sewing tips
More Tips for sewing with laminated cotton
Pink Chalk's Laminated Cotton Pinterest board

So consider these if you're looking to spruce up your deck. Pretty fun, if you ask me. Mom thinks so too!

W.i.P. Wednesday

Wow. It's been a week full of variety - the quickest project ever, a fun repeat, good progress on a languishing w.i.p., and the beginning of a new technique in a new quilt. Pretty much the best kind of week!

Completed projects

May bee blocks - Get the low-down on this month's blocks here. I still can't believe I made a {gorgeous} feather block!

Oilcloth pillows - A new fabric for me, and I'll share all about it in a future post.

Mouse Mat - I made another, and hope to have a tutorial coming soon!

Ongoing projects
Polaroid quilt with the help of the Always Bee Learning Bee - Oh my gosh, I'm loving what I'm seeing!

x and + blocks {#xplusalong} - I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but I got 16 blocks done this week! Only 4 left! *Edited to add: mistake duly noted - thanks Carla! I'll be fixing that!*

City Sampler Quilt Along - I've gotten 8 blocks cut out. They are small but still somewhat time consuming. And of course, half the time is spent choosing which fabrics! This is gonna take a while.

Improv Slice and Insert Quilt - Yeah, I took a little workshop with Jacquie and Katie. Had a ball. Ordering more solid for some sashing, but in the meantime will be making more blocks. Here's my first untrimmed block.

Upcoming projects
* pillows for Mom/pillow for grandgirl
* mail bag
* baby quilt
* mouse mat tutorial

There's no W.i.P. Wednesday linky today, but that doesn't mean there's not wips to share!