Gifty

Thinking about what gift to make for a good friend recently just happened to coincide with the arrival of a lovely little stack of Moda Linen Mochi Dots. From there it was a simple jump to Noodlehead's Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial, and I just got to work.

I paired the dots with some Kaufman Essex Linen in Natural, and luckily had just stocked up on zips from the one and only zipit. I swapped colors so each pouch had a contrasting zipper.

I dug into my stash for a lining that would work with both colors and came up with one of my favorite prints from Denyse Schmidt's Sugar Creek and Winding Road line.

And for those fun fussy-cut zipper tabs, I reached for a bit of Etsuko Furuya's Echino Insects. 

This pouch pattern is so clear and well-written, which makes these a really fun sew. For the record, I did use Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex, which makes the bags sturdy enough without being puffy or stiff. Noodlehead's tutorial has 3 sizes available, which I really appreciate. The blue bag I made is the large size (8.5" H x 8" W x 5" D finished) and the green is the medium (8.5" H x 8" W x 5" D).

I'm really not meaning to do a review on this pattern, but the truth is, on Giveaway Day when I asked commenters to name their favorite free online tutorial, this one was mentioned more times than anything else! So really, if you haven't tried it yet, you should, don't you think?

Oakshott Ruby Red :: It Begins

"Iridescent" is the way Oakshott describes them. A couple of other ways to say that, according to the Bing Dictionary, would be:

1. having rainbow colors that appear to move and change as the angle at which they are seen changes
2. having a lustrous or brilliant appearance

All of that together is a very apt description of the stack of Oakshott Ruby Red* shot cottons that I cut into this week. Though describing them just does not do them justice. Seeing and feeling is a whole nother thing.

Which brings me to this . . . I've been given the opportunity to participate in the Oakshott Ruby Mini Quilt Challenge sponsored by Sew Mama Sew and Oakshott and I've just gotten going. The trimmings alone are downright stunning.

Six bloggers are currently working on creating mini quilts made with these special fabrics, and we'll be showing them off beginning June 9. Here's a peek at where I am so far . . .

We're posting our progress on Instagram using the #oakshottrubymini hashtag. So take a moment now and then to check things out. Fun times!

*Ruby Reds A really hot offering named after its red warp and set off by 16 different weft variations.

Lining up with W.i.P. Wednesday.

Spiraled Jungle

It's not every day that unreleased fabric lands on my doorstep. So being able to work with a stack of Jungle Ave. from Sara of Sew Sweetness was a special treat. The colors are so rich, and each print has a magnetism that drew me right in. The fact that they play so well together is just a bonus. So thanks again, Sara!

Of course I stared at it all for several days before deciding to do something I'd been wanting to do for quite some time - create another version of my 'Spiraled' quilt.

Right off, I wanted the low-volume "Underground Route" print to act as a background. I didn't have enough to use it for the whole quilt, so I made it a focal point behind the largest spiral, with American Made Brand solid in Light Cream filling in the remainder of the quilt's background.

Similar to the design of Spiraled, but not quite identical, I 'built' the quilt on my design wall with 2" (finished) half-square triangles and squares. And as before, a few of the spirals escaped into the border and out into the binding. Sometimes that happens.

Speaking of the border, I was in a quandary whether to go subtle like Spiraled, or bolder. Obviously, I let the strong colors of Jungle Ave. sway me, and chose a solid Michael Miller Cotton Couture in Mermaid to frame it all just a bit. For backing, I discovered a fun Brandon Mably "tents" in my stash that seemed to match the mood of the front.

For quilting, I used Aurifil 50wt #2021 (Natural White) and using my walking foot, quilted one big square spiral, beginning at the tip of the largest patchwork spiral. I had been saving the final Jungle Ave. print - "NeighborHoods" - for the binding, and I really like how it gives a stripey effect without actually being so. And for the final detail, just a touch of Angled Matched Binding for those escaping spirals.

Finishing at 34"x36", my little jungle expedition has come to an end, and what an enjoyable excursion it was.

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday and Finish it Up Friday.

This and That

It was daughter dear's birthday this last weekend, and I thought she would enjoy some 'handmade' gift-wrapping. So I started with a project I saw on Pinterest - Fabric Twine by My Poppet. 

 I think I need to perfect my technique, but for the first time out, I thought it turned out ok.

 Plus it looked colorful and cute around a fabric-wrapped gift.

Then of course was the requisite Lined Drawstring Bag by In Color Order. I can't tell you how many of these I've made - Rachel's made oodles too. It's just a great little pattern and turns out so cute every time. This one's the Project Bag.

Not having the pleasure of attending Quilt Market last weekend, I must say I enjoyed watching from the sidelines on facebook and Instagram + reading folks' posts telling of their experience. And yes, seeing all the new collections is pretty exciting. Of course there had been alot of hype about the new Cotton + Steel, and it certainly doesn't sound unwarranted!

C+S Spring Collection Preview from Gregory Miller Pictures on Vimeo

Not saying that's all I'm looking forward to, but some of many!

Also, I got word last week that my ástərisk quilt was accepted for inclusion in the special exhibit Modern Metallic 2014 at Quilt!Knit!Stitch! in Portland OR this August. So that's pretty exciting! Definitely worth the rush to get it done!

Lastly, something you probably won't find me doing any time soon, but I thought they were SO darling! Hexistars from Nellie's Niceties. I thought some of you EPP types might enjoy them!

 

That's it for now! Hope you all are having a good week and enjoying the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Linking up with Really Random Thursday.

W.i.P. Wednesday

You know those times when you're hopping from one project to the next, have finished projects you can't show, and deadlines on projects that you have no idea for yet? Yeah, that's where I am. It's an unsettling place to be, so I'm trying not to stall but just keep working through it. 

The one thing that I'm keen on right now - even though I don't quite know the whole plan - is this "spiraled" redux. Thanks to Sara/Sew Sweetness for the bit of Jungle Ave. to play with, and really? What's not to love? I'm about half done piecing the top, while still facing some major decisions regarding the border.

The Un-Postage Stamp quilt - OK, so I've got my 1200-2 1/2" squares, and am using the tutorial by Louise/I'm Feelin' Crafty, adhering my squares to featherweight interfacing before sewing the blocks together. The photo below is actually 6 blocks put together, I have another 6 or so fused, and plenty more to go. I'm really enjoying the fusing bit, but not so much the sewing. And especially not the pressing. But I'll try to keep at this as I really want this to become a quilt.

Oh, and I'm calling it the "The Un-Postage Stamp quilt" as supposedly real Postage Stamp quilts have blocks that are 1" finished, and mine are 2". So far, my favorite alternate name for what I'm doing is the "Two-Cent Stamp" quilt. 

Cross-Stitch Blocks - This scrap project - cross-stitch blocks using the tutorial by Alyssa/Pile O'Fabric - I haven't touched in weeks. I decided 1 scrappy project at a time is enough, so this one's officially on hold for a bit.

I'm still collecting Rolling Diamonds blocks from the Mid-Century Modern Bee. These are blocks using the tutorial by knottygnome crafts and I'm really liking them!

A couple of projects I need to get going on, but still need inspiration for, involve 2 very different fabric bundles:

Michael Miller Fabric Challenge with The Modern Quilt Guild

#oakshottrubymini challenge with Sew Mama Sew

So that's where I am . . . lots of good stuff, but kinda searching for that inspiration and motivation. Trusting it'll come!

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday.

May Bee Blocks

This month's bee blocks were a delightful mix of patterns I had never done before. Cathy/blueberry patch cathy asked That Stash Bee for St. Louis 16-Patch blocks using the tutorial by Sew with Sass. They were a quick sew, and I look forward to seeing this quilt - scrappy-ish and with the variety of low-volume prints.

A fun discovery were the Funky Wrench - Nuts & Bolts blocks we did for Kimberly/Perfection Not Included of FAITH Circle. This tutorial is by Happy Zombie, which gives a wide variety of size options.

And lastly, for the Mid-Century Modern Bee was an Arrow block for Carla/Carlaf2, using her own tutorial!

Meanwhile, I'm still receiving blocks from April/Mid-Century Modern and May/Always Bee Learning, plus guess who's up for June in That Stash Bee? Yup, busy bee times.

We Have {Giveaway Day} Winners!

Well THAT was fun! Giveaway Day is now over, and it's time to announce some winners!

230 commenters responded to the question, "Where do you find the biggest inspiration online?" The usual suspects - blogs and Pinterest - being mentioned most often. The winner of my "Canvas"-inspired pincushion is #90. Linda said: "I'm trying to limit the number of blogs I'm following but I find I start reading one and then follow the links on whatever interests me. Sew Mam Sew is my favorite - there's always something interesting/informative going on there." How fun is that? I think we all can relate.  

From now until May 24, purchase the "Canvas" pattern on Etsy or Craftsy at 50% off. 

For the Etsy version, use coupon code CANVAS50. Both shops are under 'she can quilt'.

I have all sorts of links to peruse to search out your favorite sources of online inspiration! Thanks for sharing those - all 567 of you!

#71 wins some Pearl Bracelets and that is Wens/Wendy of Wendy World! Wens commented, "Ooh pearl bracelets, so awesome! I love Pile o fabrics youtube video tutorials! But I watch many! Need all the help I can get- ha! Cheers for the chance :)" 

Congrats to Linda and Wendy! And thanks to all of you for the fun!

Blogger's Quilt Festival :: Unlocked {Small Quilt Category}

It's always a bit of a dilemma choosing what quilt to share in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. After glancing through my most recent quilt finishes, I decided on the one that felt like the biggest accomplishment, Unlocked.

You may recognize the quilt's blocks from Tula Pink's City Sampler book. I had the pleasure of sewing them along with the City Sampler Quilt Along, 3 blocks a week. Each just 6" finished, I stored the blocks between my book's pages, and every few weeks, plopped them into a grid to see how I was coming along. {Here's a tutorial to make a similar grid.}

So basically, this quilt was alot of "make and wait" - no pressure to put it all together for over 9 months! When it was finally time, I opted for a 'no sashing' version of Tula's "Gridlock".

Much of the fabric used in this quilt was from Tula's lines, though there are plenty of stash solids and a few other coordinating prints. For the back, I recreated  Block No. 16 as a backing, with Parisville Eye Drops as the focus fabric. I tried quilting one huge spiral for the first time, using Aurifil's Tula Pink Premium Collection, #2843 (palm leaf). A very pale green, it blended perfectly throughout the quilt.

I finished with a faced binding, which I thought added to the artsy look of the quilt. And once complete, Unlocked was whisked downtown to meet up with an appropriate city skyscape. 

Besides being colorful and striking, this quilt is one of my favorites because of its journey. I love quilts like this - sewn in community, a fun and unexpected layout, and new techniques tried, if not mastered. That all makes for a very happy finish in my book.

Quilt stats:

Finished size: 60" square

Pattern: all blocks from Tula Pink's City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks

Fabric: majority of fabric by Tula Pink, with several coordinating prints & solids
Thread: Auriful 50wt #2000 (light sand) for piecing; #2843 (palm leaf) for quilting

Quilted by: myself, using a walking foot 
Helpful tutorials: tutorial by The Quilting Edge for the spiral quilting;
OPQuilt's tutorial for the faced binding; 
creating a block grid

Category: Small Quilt Category

My previous entries in the Blogger's Quilt Festival:

Crazy Rainbow, 10/25/13
Absolutely Mod Pop, 5/19/13

HST Love, 5/17/13

The Stars of Summer, 10/26/12

Hopscotch, 5/19/12

Mango Revisited, 10/28/11

Supernova, 5/13/11

More Minis

Here's a few more mini quilt walls to share! {If you missed the first round, click here.}

from Amy of Harriet Homemaker Strikes Again

from Jennie of Clover & Violet

*Check Jennie's post here for a great quilt hanging tip!

from Cindy of Hyacinth Quilt Designs

And a few of you were asking to see mine, so here are several in my ironing corner!

That's it for now! I'll be sure and share more as I come across them!

The Backs

When I shared a recent quilt finish, I was gently scolded for not showing off the quilt's back. I suppose I only do that when I do something I consider especially creative. But that doesn't mean I don't like the back. In fact, sometimes I like it alot. At any rate, here's some 2014 quilt backs you haven't seen . . .

Radiancy got one of my very favorite prints - Newspaper Strips from Carrie Bloomston's Collage.

All the prints in the front of Still Swooning were from a fat-eighth pack of Anna Maria Horner's Dowry. So for the back, I pieced together strips of 3 pieces of the same print in different colorways.

With Aurora {aka Northern Lights} being all in solids, for the back I chose 2 stash prints - Cat Mint from Catnap by Lizzy House and Metro Living Ring Dots in Pewter. Simple, but I like. Seriously, I could back just about every quilt in Metro Living Rings.

Lastly, ástərisk got a single piece of Madrona Road by Violet Craft. I confess I was a little sad it took all I had, but it was a good fit. (Random: note how the faced binding shows off on the back more than a regular binding.)

So there! True confessions revealed. Nothing earth-shattering, but now you know. Sometimes I have the time, energy, and inspiration for something more unique, but usually my quilt backs are pretty basic. Just for fun, here's a link to a Quilt Backs Pinterest board where I add ideas as I come across them. If you have a favorite go-to quilt back, I'd love to hear about it!

Giveaway Day :: Supplies

This giveaway has closed - thanks!

Today is Giveaway Day at sew mama sew! This is a super fun event where you can give something away or just try to be winner! Visit lots of blogs, get acquainted, and see what they have to offer. I'm glad to have you stop by A Quilter's Table. Here you'll find lots of quilting, a variety of other sewing projects, and occasionally, we gather around the table for recipes or just some table talk.

My second giveaway today is a fat-quarter stack of 12 Lizzy House Tone-on-Tone Pearl Bracelets! I confess I recently added this stack to my own stash, and I know you'll enjoy adding them to yours!

For a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite free online tutorial - yours, mine, or whatever! The giveaway will close Friday, May 16 at 5pm PST, and I will announce a randomly chosen winner soon after.

***I am happy to ship internationally. Please include an email address in your comment if it is not accessible through your profile. If you win and I can't find your email easily, I will choose another winner.***

Thanks again for stopping by A Quilter's Table! Be sure and check out my other giveaway today! I hope you come again to join in my journey of quilting and sharing around the table.

Linking to Giveaway Day at Sew, Mama, Sew!

Giveaway Day :: Handmade

This giveaway has closed - thanks!

Today is Giveaway Day at sew mama sew! This is a super fun event where you can give something away or just try to be winner! Visit lots of blogs, get acquainted, and see what they have to offer. I'm glad to have you stop by A Quilter's Table. Here you'll find lots of quilting, a variety of other sewing projects, and occasionally, we gather around the table for recipes or just some table talk.

My first giveaway today is a hand-crafted, machine-quilted pincushion! Last week I created a mini quilt, Colour Study in Teal and Gold while pattern testing for she can quilt. I was so smitten with it, I was compelled to make it again much much smaller! The pincushion is a big 5" square, made of quilting cotton and Essex linen, and filled with crushed pecan shells.

For a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post sharing where you find the biggest inspiration online. The giveaway will close Friday, May 16 at 5pm PST, and I will announce a randomly chosen winner soon after.

***I am happy to ship internationally. Please include an email address in your comment if it is not accessible through your profile. If you win and I can't find your email easily, I will choose another winner.***

Thanks again for stopping by A Quilter's Table! Be sure and check out my other giveaway today! I hope you come again to join in my journey of quilting and sharing around the table.

Linking to Giveaway Day at Sew, Mama, Sew!