Molly Flanders

Comments Open!

2012-02-28T07:44:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! The glitch is fixed and you should not have any problem commenting on the Carolyn's post for the book giveaway!

http://www.carolynforster.co.uk/wordpress/ and scroll down to the post about the blog tour

http://www.carolynforster.co.uk/wordpress/?p=1007

But hurry, hurry! The tour will be over soon!

hugs,

mary

P.S. I am trying to answer all comments left on my posts, but I am at the hospital most of the day so please excuse me if you do not hear back immediately. I will do the best I can do :)

Utility Quilting....Lovely Quilting!

2012-02-26T23:31:00.000-05:00

Well, it is no secret that I LOVE hand quilting! And hand quilting (or pick stitching) with perle cotton is my all time favorite form of quilting.

Carolyn Forster asked me to be a part of the Blog Tour for her new book and I was thrilled!!!

The book, Utility Quilting is a must have for anyone who would like to learn to hand quilt with perle cotton....OR....for those who love to hand quilt and are looking for new ideas.

I adore this book! There are several great stitches that can be used to finish a quilt. One of my favorites is Crows Footing {even the name is fun} and then there are the little X's in the Running Cross Stitch! So Cute!!!

One of my pet peeves with quilting books is that they don't really explain both in words and pictures the complete process of quilting...

Not so with Utility Quilting!

You will find complete instructions from gathering the tools to making the templates to laying down the stitches.

I decided for my part in the blog hop, I would quilt my Anthro-knock off Triangle Quilt - following Carolyn's instructions.

I did somersaults when I saw Carolyn includes instructions for making a Mennonite Fan template!!!

So I chose the Mennonite Fan as my quilting design....

and followed her instructions to make my template.

Then I transferred my design to my quilt using Bohnin chalk pencils.

Aurifil Wool Thread was my thread of choice for this quilt.

Utility Quilting offers recommendations regarding stitching supplies... as well as tips for starting and ending your stitches....basting and binding. Even complete instructions for several quilts!

The Mennonite Fan design for this quilt just ripples across the quilt. For the top border I used a technique Carolyn calls thumb quilting. I simply echoed the fan design using my thumb as the a measuring tool.

I love the look of these fans stitched in wool! The back of my quilt is Essex linen and I think it shows off the design so nicely....

A sea of Mennonite Fans.....with a little thumb quilting thrown in....what could be better?

Well, maybe winning a copy of Utility Quilting for yourself would be better! Pop over to Carolyn's blog and comment....you may win a book and some other fun stuff as well!!! Yay!

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes for my mom. I appreciate every single positive thought....keep 'em coming!!!!

big hugs,

mary

You Are My Sunshine......

2012-02-25T07:27:00.000-05:00

Please check back on Monday....I will have a review for a fabulous new book. You don't want to miss it!

My mom needs me right now, please forgive me for my absence.

mary :)

2012-02-21T06:26:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I have been gone...I will be back....but need some time for more important things.

mary

Valentine's Love.....

2012-02-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

It was this day 22 years ago that a very special little girl came into our lives....

we welcomed, our second daughter, sweet Maggie into the world....

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

I had three girls in about 3 1/2 years.....it was a lot of fun! They are wonderful friends and have a lot of fun together. I do miss the endless hours of Barbie!

And for some quilty LOVE....

I want to share with you some pictures from our quilt class last night....

the quilts are simply amazing works in progress!

What a talented bunch!

How adorable is this Penguin and Fish fabric! Rita's quilt is on-point with lots of bright color and spots!!!

Jennifer is working on a wonderful log cabin! Very sophisticated and perfect as a wall hanging for her home.

Jenny is working on a bow-tie quilt....just fantastic....even a mini!!!

Next up....

Felisha's wonky log cabin! No borders yet in this pic, but this is for a new big girl bed!

Isn't it sweet?

Peggy was working on her quilt when I took the picture, but you can see what a vibrant quilt this will be. And to top it off she will be trimming it in a border of red corduroy! How perfect is that?

It warms my heart that they have all decided to hand quilt their quilts - so in a couple of weeks I will bring you a new set of quilted pictures!

Happy Valentines Day!

mary

Monday Makes....

2012-02-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

The Spiderweb is in the hoop and I quilted while watching the Grammy's last night! Love hand quilting! I am using a nice dark blue perle cotton from Valdani.....my all time favorite perle cotton thread.

And this morning I began a new quilt - a sample for the shoppe.

It is one of Denyse Schmidts new quilt patterns....Point Me.

I was tempted to wait for Flea Market Fancy....but I couldn't wait....

And, finally, I am so pleased to announce the winner of the Fugly Fabric Giveaway....

Molly was given the task of choosing a number

And so.....

The winner is.....

Zoe from Sydney, Australia!!!

I will be sending you an email Zoe to get your mailing address :)

Thank you Lucy for hosting such a fun giveaway!

Happy Monday!

mary

Help!

2012-02-10T21:02:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple of folks ask me, "How will you put your Rose and Star blocks together" or "what color will you use in the spaces between your Rose and Star blocks".

Good question....I have wondered the same thing.

I have considered a printed fabric....would it be too busy?

There is a hexagon in the space surrounded by pentagons {is that right, clare?}

my gift from Clare :)

What if I made the hexagon from a unifying printed fabric and the other pieces a solid?

These are the things that keep me awake at night....sad isn't it?

Any suggestions? Any thoughts?

Another thing that should keep any sane person awake at night is all the Fugly going on over at Lucy's Fugly Fabric Party

http://charmaboutyou.blogspot.com/2012/02/fugly-fabric-party-woo-hoo.html

It really is enough to make grown women {and men} weep!

In fact, I am linking up with Kris from Duke Says Sew What

Kris has a plethora of ~~Fugly~~ fabric to giveaway!!!

And while your there you can enjoy her wonderful creations....including her value quilt.

plus you must have a peek {or two} at Duke....so cute.

Two posts in one day!!! Woot!

mary

Spidey Mayhem!

2012-02-10T10:28:00.000-05:00

Whew! This seemed like a forever project....but the top is together....

This is Kathy Doughty's pattern from Material Obsession 2. Although, I used the Marti Michell kite template which translated into smaller blocks than the Material Obsession quilt.

Even so...it is a healthy twin bed size.

Shortly after piecing the webs together I dismissed any notion of getting the strips to line up perfectly....who needs perfection? I love the free-spirited nature of this quilt.

However, I did pay attention to the points in the stars so I didn't lose the spiderweb shape in the end.

This one is for Maggie....Scrumptious Scrappy Fun!

Now to baste and hand quilt. I am considering something a little different in the quilting of this one. So many seams! Stay tuned....

And to help me - just in time - I received my giveaway win from Kelly at Pinkadot Quilts!!!

I can't wait to test out these pens for marking. I have heard so much about them. The little piece of fabric is just precious and the candy bar.....yum! It was just the right touch!

Have a wonderful weekend!

happy friday

mary {and flanders}

Almost Wordless Wednesday.....

2012-02-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

Rose and Star - blocks 8 and 9

possibly my new favorite :)

the party continues.....

it is never too late to join in the fun....

just pop over to Clare's place at Selfsown and check out the Flickr group

Winter has arrived in my neck of the woods....pretty....

happy wednesday!

mary

The Good, The Bad and The Fugly

2012-02-07T13:22:00.001-05:00

Well, if you haven't heard ...Lucy is having a rather unattractive party!!! In fact, it is downright FUGLY!!!!

The idea is simple....go through your stash and find fabric you wonder why you purchased. It just isn't you....it doesn't work with anything....you are sure you will never use it.....

So get rid of it....someone will love it {maybe}

Post about it, link up and shake that ~~ugly~~ fugly fabric from your stash!!!

Here is my contribution to the cause. I hate to say it is Fugly because it is someone's work and actually it is not hideous. I just know I won't use it. I have had it for several years and haven't even been tempted to cut into it even once.

This is Targets by Kaffe Fasset....there is a full yard.

And just to add a little sweetness to the pot....I am throwing in a charm pack of Etchings by 3 Sisters for Moda.

There are some very nice prints in this collection...

even some text.....

There will be two opportunities to win this giveaway.

1. leave a comment and tell me your all time favorite fabric line or favorite designer

2. leave another comment and tell me that you are a follower of Molly Flanders blog for a second chance to win

I will randomly choose a winner on Monday Feb 13th. at 8:00 am. Please make sure I have your email....if you are a No-Reply Blogger I will need your email address within the comment.

So good luck and check out all the other Fugly going on at Lucy's :)

mary

Silent Mary.....

2012-02-05T21:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been so quiet lately. Life.

This little guy sits in my garden outside my kitchen window. He and his buddies pop up and down in the bushes like a 'Whack-a-Mole' game. It is fun to watch. Sometimes he gets very brave and sits on the window sill - with just the pane of glass separating us. He probably wonders why I sit there sewing everyday....he wouldn't be the only one! LOL!

And these are my daffodils poking out of the ground....way too early for Spring flowers.

But just so you know I haven't been a complete bum....

you can visit me at www.sewtospeak.blogspot.com

I had the opportunity to decorate the shoppe window for Valentines Day! I used a great tutorial from Lucykate Crafts blog to create Valentines Day envelopes for the window. They are hanging in the window from Rik-Rak and tucked inside are stamped notes with loving Valentine sentiments.

So pop over to Sew To Speak and check it out...you may want to make one for your own honey!!! And visit Lucykate Crafts....she has a very inspiring blog.

Hopefully, life will get a little more normal around here.

Happy Sunday Evening! If you are a Superbowl person - I hope your team wins!

mary

An Earnest Attempt.....

2012-01-31T12:33:00.000-05:00

I am going to make an earnest attempt to finish the unfinished projects that have been calling to me....

I began this Spiderweb quilt, called Pop Stars by Kathy Doughty , eons ago....

I can actually see the end in sight....I love how this quilt is coming together and it is no little wisp of a quilt. This one will end up about 75+ inches by 80+ inches. It is a bit smaller that the quilt from Material Obession 2.

My slow progress by no means is a reflection of my attitude towards this quilt....I just get distracted way too easily....

But I am doubling down my efforts and am determined to finish this one soon!

I have also added block 6 and 7 to my Rose and Star Portfolio....

I like how this project is coming together. The happy kitchen-y fabrics are fun.

I have purchased several of the Michael Miller Kitchen Collection fabrics....they fit well with the flavor of this quilt! Get it! Flavor! hee hee.....I should go on the road, right???

And I am having a great time piecing these....they go together much more quickly than the Grandmothers Flower Garden {my other unfinished project}.....oh well....

Happy Tuesday!

mary

And The Beat Goes On.....

2012-01-26T09:10:00.001-05:00

Rose and Star

mary

edit: sorry...I should have mentioned again the block party I am having so much fun with....thanks clare!

http://summerfete.blogspot.com/

How To {make that block}

2012-01-24T16:26:00.001-05:00

I worked all day {don't you feel bad for me :( } on a tutorial for how I made this block....

So here goes....keep in mind you can change the sizes - you certainly don't have to keep the same size block I made....

I started with a 5.5 inch square...

you need 4 of these to get one star....

In the center we are going to draw lines to make a kite shape {similar to a spiderweb block}. I made a dot 2 inches from the top point on both sides....

Then draw a line from the dot to the point just opposite the top point on the block...

Remember you can cut this block as big or small as you like and you can place the dots where you like as long as you use the same measurement on both sides.

This creates a 'kite' shape in the center....

Next cut your fabric strips. You may cut them all the same width or you can vary the width. I cut mine 1.5 inches.

Cut a strip that will cover you first line and extend some at the beginning and the end....

lay the fabric {right sides facing} edge next to the drawn line on the kite portion of the block....

Using a quarter inch seam allowance stitch from top to bottom....remember the drawn line is not the stitch line...it is just to line up the strip.

Press this strip back...

Take the next strip and place it right sides facing - on top of the first strip - raw edges even....

**Just a note** I am not including that selvedge edge in my stitching...it will be trimmed off. Selvedge edges should be trimmed and not included in your sewing as the tight weave shrinks at a different rate than the rest of your fabric.

Again, stitch this strip and press back...

Continue adding strips until the corner is completely covered...

Flip the block over so the right side is face down on your mat and trim the excess strips of fabric. Use the block as your trimming guide.

Then begin the same process on the other side of the kite...

Line this strip up next to the drawn line and stitch....

Continue adding strips, stitching and pressing until you have this corner covered...

Flip the block over and trim the excess....

Here is what all four finished will look like...

Stitch the top two and the bottom two....then stitch the two halves together....

If you want to use strips of different widths you get something that looks like this....

This is the secondary pattern. I love it!

Hope this helps if you were interested in trying out this block!!!

Happy Tuesday!

mary

Where Does Time Go?

2012-01-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

I guess I hadn't realized that I have let so many days slip by.

Family 'issues' sometimes just drain the energy out of a body....

But I have been stitching....

quietly....

stitching....

an explosion of color!

I also have been doing a little reading and dreaming....Sarah Fielke's Quilting From Little Things....

I must say, it is a gorgeous book....it feels good in my hands....the pictures are wonderful....and the content - SUPERB!

I love quilting books that are truly instructional....not leaving the reader wanting for more information to finish the project at hand.

This is a keeper!

Happy Monday!

mary

Wordless Wednesday......

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

rose and star block party

mary :)

SWEET.....

2012-01-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

What an easy sweet little block....

Simple ribbons of colorful fabric....

Creating a sweet design....

This one is a keeper....I need to come back to....

I was getting so excited as I saw it come together....I ended up with some fiddly points...oops :)

I really do love it!

Happy Tuesday!

mary

Rose and Star with a Vintage Touch

2012-01-13T12:17:00.000-05:00

Number 2!

My second block is slightly larger than the first....I like this size even better!

You always have time to join the party!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/rosestarblockparty/

Have a wonderful weekend!

mary

Ready for Quilting....

2012-01-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

Tick!

I can tick one more quilt top off my list!

That feels so good!

This Anthropologie- inspired quilt is a baby quilt....so I added a wide top and bottom border of spots....to give it a bit more youthful look....

I love how all the triangles seem to sparkle against the shot cotton....

While I love the texture and rich color of shot cotton, I must confess I found it a stinker to work with. At least with triangles....and the bias edges. May go with Kona the next time :)

This one will be hand quilted.....I am still deciding whether to use perle cotton or wool Aurifil...hmmmm....

Hope you had a wonderful Thursday!

mary

A Good Friend and a Great Shop

2012-01-11T20:08:00.001-05:00

I am so fortunate to meet so many wonderful women through the shoppe - that is the shoppe where I work and spend lots of fun time!!! You thought I was going to say money didn't you? Well, there is that too :)

It was through the shoppe that I met Julie. Julie is a favorite in the shoppe and I am so happy to say, I consider her a friend.

Julie is a gifted quilter and she makes the most fabulous bags!!! She is just an all around amazing seamstress!

You may have visited her blog, Being Me and Sippin' Tea - you really should visit!

Well, Julie is not only talented with needle and thread....but also with a brush and paints!!!

She makes floorcloths! In case you don't know what a floorcloth is....it is like a rug but made of canvas and painted. Very cool!

This talented lady has opened her own Etsy shop to sell some of her stitched goods and her floorcloths! When she told me she was opening a shop, I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures of her great floorcloths....

Great, right?

I think this polka dot one was meant for me :)

Her Etsy shop is call The Lime Loft.... check it out!

And if you are ever in the shoppe {Sew To Speak} we have an adorable Julie floorcloth right in front of the register area....with polka dots and an owl, of course!

Congrats on your shop Julie!

mary

Wordless Wednesday....

2012-01-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

Rose and Star

mary

A New Beginning....

2012-01-09T16:53:00.000-05:00

I have decided my middle name must be Distracted....because my mind is always letting me put aside the project at hand to play with another. Today I had two distractions!

The first - very pleasant - distraction was the Rose and Star! And so it begins a new English Paper Piecing project to keep my fingers busy.

If you recall, Clare and I had a little secret squirrel exchange before Christmas....Clare sent to me the most fantastic English Paper Pieced quilt....the Rose and Star.

It is sensational!!! And now I have a whole new appreciation for the work her poor little fingers went through to produce this masterpiece.

I made my templates {from freezer paper so I can iron them on to the back of my fabric}.....selected some fabrics and began the basting process...

There are so many pieces! But I am almost finished basting one flower....

I considered using my inspiration fabric as the background {where Clare has white}....but I am thinking it may be too busy {even for me} and it would need to be pieced as well so it will need some thinking yet...

Another lovely distraction was playing with the block I posted yesterday. Marit aptly described this as an inverted spiderweb. And in fact, I used both a kite ruler and my kaleido ruler to work out this block. I think the official name of this one is Periwinkle - according to Maggie Malone's Quilt Block Designs. If you notice it has the spiderweb wedges in the white octagon spaces.

Desert Threads mentioned that she has done a couple of these quilts and she said the block is The Arkansas Snowflake.

This is what makes quilting so much fun!

But I wanted to play with this block a little more. Some time ago, I had pinned another quilt that, again, reminded me of the spiderweb but was ever so slightly different.

This one is built on a square....my original spiderweb quilt {that I am still working on} is built on triangles.

The thing I love most about this square version is the secondary pattern...

How fun!

Okay....enough playing...time to focus.

Hope you had a wonderful Monday!

mary

Adding colors and blocks....

2012-01-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

A quick post before I head off to my slumber....

It has been another busy weekend, but I did get to work on a few more blocks of this re-vamped vintage quilt {my insipiration quilt}

One of the things I love in the vintage quilt is the green/yellow combination....but I had to add more colors....BTW, the girl in the picture from my previous post is my youngest daughter. She is a Mary too!!!!

The vintage quilt was most likely hand pieced and I love the solid white sections as well as how small the 'stars' are in the vintage quilt. Mine are a little larger and machine pieced....

But it sews along fairly quickly and I think there are lots of fun options for quilting this one!

In fact, as I work on it I am finding all kinds of fun things to try with this design...

What's one more project?

Tomorrow begins the Rose and Star block party over at My Selfsown Life....I can't wait!

Good night!

mary

Green and Yellow.....

2012-01-06T13:19:00.000-05:00

While perusing Pinterest....

I repinned a gorgeous vintage quilt. Don't you just love Pinterest???

this quilt is a Vintage Quilt belonging to Anne Sutton.

It would appear this quilt is done by English paper piecing, but I thought I would play a little with the design and a couple of special rulers....

I am only giving a sneak peek today...

When I saw the pinterest picture it reminded me of a color combination that I love....

a combination that was a favorite of this girl....

So using my Kaleido ruler and my Kite ruler from Marti Michell...

I have been able to work out this pattern, although I am partial to the English Paper Pieced version...

But for now, I will keep working this out with Green and Yellow leading the way....

Happy Friday!

mary;)

Cleaning, Thinking and a little Pyramid Building....

2012-01-03T17:31:00.000-05:00

That about sums it up...my house needed a thorough dusting! I love when I get in the cleaning mode and tear through a few rooms in one morning.

I cleaned and I hung more plates on my Wall O' Plates!!!

I have been collecting some fun, colorful plates and I am determined to mix these plates with some of my husband's grandfathers paintings {from the early 1900's}and fill my entire wall with plates and paintings.

I have such a difficult time with art. What I really like I can't afford and the rest I just can't get excited about. But I love plates on the wall!!! They are beautiful...the shape....the colors....the design. And I like the mix of old and new.

Last summer I bought a chair at a garage sale and before Thanksgiving I painted it and re-covered the seat cushion. It had to move to the basement while we had the tree up, but the chair is now back and I really love it...especially since it was only $5!!!

Hee hee!!! I know, great picture, right? I like the color of the chair but I REALLY like the cushion....and of course my sweet Rose and Star is waiting to take her rightful place :)

Which leads me to my thinking today....

Thinking about what fabric to use for the Rose and Star Block Party.

I know my quilt will be built upon this fabric....

I LOVE this fabric!

From Melody Miller....

I must have slept well last night because I still had energy to work on the Pyramid Quilt a bit...

It is growing!!!

We even had a smattering of snow today....it was a good day to stay indoors...

right, Flanders???

Happy Tuesday!

mary

New Year....

2012-01-02T12:29:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it through Christmas and the New Year. Although with both happening on Sunday...it seems like the holiday never ends....even if you are sort of ready to move on.

I haven't had much time to sew....

There are several things - in addition to my 'works in progress' - that I want to tackle this year...

I am not good at resolutions so I will just take it one step at a time...

just cross things off my mental list as I go along....

But one project near and dear to my heart is the Rose and Star...Clare will be posting a tutorial and guiding the Starlets through the process of English Paper Piecing this fabulous block. My fingers are itching to get started!!!

You can learn more about it here.....

Essex has a wonderful new linen blend {at least new to me}. It is a yarn dyed linen blend and has a beautiful texture and color. In the shoppe we have both the natural and black. It was the perfect pairing for a pillow {and possibly} quilt that has been growing in my mind.

I have long loved the Red Cross Quilts from the early 1900's. These quilts were used to raise money for the Red Cross which would in turn take care of the soldiers of WWI.

My pillow uses the natural yarn dyed linen as the background and the black yarn dyed linen as the cross....

The front is pick stitched with perle cotton {Valdani size 8....the best perle cotton in my opinion} and includes a little heart of shot cotton...

The back closes with a couple of buttons....with Cross My Heart stamped in little patches...

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year....

Happy Monday :)

mary

A Year of Pillows, Baby Quilts and Unfinished Projects.....

2011-12-28T07:31:00.000-05:00

I feel like I did more pillows this year than in years past....

Pillows are like doing a mini quilt and soooo much faster....

This rainbow pillow was done by Molly and proudly sits in my family room....

Union Jack....

A Dresden Plate...

Another Union Jack....

A pillow for Enzo...

A pillow to match the Coin Quilt....

I have had a few babies to sew for this year....

And a work-in-progress....

I have lots of ideas floating around for projects in the New Year. But here are a few I will continue to work on and finish....fingers crossed!!!

Whew!!! Better get to it!

Happy Wednesday!

mary

A Year of Finishes....Part One

2011-12-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

As my first full year of blogging is coming to an end...I thought I would recap the finishes and some beginnings of 2011....

In the Quilt Category.....

We have one of my favorite quilts of all time and certainly my favorite quilt design.

Gypsy Kisses is a pickledish design from Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession fame.

This is a multiple techniques quilt....paper foundation piecing, patchwork piecing, hand applique, and hand quilted.

A popular theme this year was the Union Jack....

And Molly helped with the label.

Another Material Obsession quilt started and finished....although not completely quilted yet....

Strawberry Fields - which I call Tea Party

I love the sweet feminine nature of this quilt, but for some reason quilting it seems like such a chore for me....does this ever happen to you? Here is the best thing about this quilt....it was while making this quilt that I emailed Susan {I didn't know her at all but I knew she had made this quilt}. My copy of the book had errors and I wasn't sure why things weren't working out properly. Enter....Susan to the rescue!!! What a lucky girl I am :) Good reason to finish this one, right????

I was so fortunate to be able to do a couple of quilt samples for the shoppe using Suzy Ultman's fabric lines.....Appleville and Critter Community...

In May I was in a New York state of mind....a New York Beauty that is....

A whole cloth quilt...

made from flannel on the front and linen on the back....

A baby version of my Coin Quilt made from Birch organic....

I love this quilt....with the straight line quilting and then pick stitching...

Molly {my oldest daughter} decided to try her hand at quilting. She does fabulous embroidery and loves crazy quilts. So I thought she would enjoy a little hand applique and then to quilt in crazy quilt style!!! Well, she did a marvelous job....

Then Lark {from Amy Butler} arrived in the shoppe....

Most recently, I have finished the Wonky Little Houses Quilt...again a sample for the shoppe...

It has been a fun year of quilting and making good friends! I have a few more finishes to share later in the week....

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend :)

mary

Merry Christmas from My House to Yours!!!

2011-12-23T12:01:00.001-05:00

Ticking down to the final hours before Santa takes his big ride.....I want to say Merry Christmas to all of you! I truly hope your holidays are warm and filled with loving family and friends....

I will be spending Christmas at home with grandma's visiting - the girls coming and going - first here and then spending time with b'friend's families. That's just the way it should be.

my Scandinavian inspired skirt is under the tree....with a few packages finding their way to our place :)

And my Christmas bunting is on the mantel with homemade stockings and lots of sparkle!!!

And, finally, I have one more finish for 2011! Most likely the last quilt of the year....

This is a baby size quilt from Such Designs

The Wonky Little Houses Quilt

Carrie Bloomston, pattern designer, encourages the quilter to 'release your inner artist'....

So I did just that! I added birds in flight and a big, bright sun.....

I pieced the background, adding some kona in bone, snow and a little natural linen...

Each house is hand quilted as well the entire background...quilted with perle cotton in 1 inch intervals between each line of stitching...

I added a bright yellow rik-rak to the edge of the sun...everything is better with rik-rak!!!

The binding is a sweet pink polka dot!

I am glad to have one last finish for the year!

And the cutest pup {my humble opinion} wishes you a wonderful holiday!!!

Flanders :)

Happy Christmas Eve eve!!!

mary

Monday Makings

2011-12-19T16:49:00.000-05:00

In ~~a bit of a panic~~ the holiday mood, I did some baking and sewing today....

here is a peek at my ~~work bench~~ kitchen table...

Not so bad? Not so fast - here it is from a different angle....

wonder where we are eating tonight?

I am making some needle books for my nieces....hope they aren't reading this....

the tutorial is from nanacompany. If you haven't visited her site she has some very sweet things.

The embroidery transfers are Jenny Hart...

A little stitching and a little patchwork....

Some felt pages for pins, needles, buttons, etc....

Do you think of more to make just as the day draws near???

Happy Monday!

mary

Glad Tidings from Lands Far Away!!!

2011-12-18T11:44:00.000-05:00

How truly blessed I am to have made so many lovely aquaintances through sewing and quilting...both friends I could just squeeze to pieces at the shoppe where I am fortunate enough to share my time....and friends I have only met through a shared passion in quilting....my friends from across the pond and lands far away....

In the last week I have received two packages from two people I adore to my very core!

I posted earlier about my sweet gift from Suz....whom I share daily conversations about life as well as sewing. Susan spoiled me with a sweet peg apron! And as it turns out, I can actually use the peg apron as a cooking apron too!

Along with the apron were 3 ornaments....all now residing on my Christmas tree...

but this ornament is amazing! The stitching is so tiny and perfect!

Then later in the week, I received another package from the UK and the most talented Clare!

Clare and I decided in late summer to do a little swap. We have exchanged emails and I was very smitten with her English Paper Piecing....I knew she was good but when I saw my swap from her - I was truly awestruck at her work. Perfection!!!

I certainly feel like I owe her something else....her gift to me was special indeed!

This Rose and Star quilt is simply lovely and soooo me! But the back is almost as good as the front....

Look at that embroidery!

If that was not enough - and it surely would have been - Clare tucked in a few other holiday treats ;)

This sweet gingerbread girl is nestled between the horse and the blowfish on my tree!!!

And this selection of vintage fabrics are waiting for just the right project....YAY!

the framed art was a drawing done by my dad while in high school - it is his Aunt's house in Ohio....

While this star swag is hanging in my kitchen....the place where I spend most of my time!

I just don't know what to say....I am not sure I deserve all of this...but I do appreciate Susan and Clare and their friendship is absolutely the most wonderful gift of all.

So you don't think I am just a Greedy Grinch....I did send packages to both as well....

Although, I think I got the better end of the deal....LOL!

For Susan I sent a small quilt with a special French themed fabric that I found...it is a very petite bow tie quilt with aqua and red as the main colors....

I know I took pictures of the full quilt but at the moment I cannot find them on my computer...grrr.....but Susan has a lovely post...so pop over there!

And for Clare I sent a pickle-dish....with lots of white for a fresh look...

The pickle-dish was paper foundation pieced....

And both quilts were hand quilted with size 8 perle cotton....

I am so glad both arrived safely to their destinations and each quilt has a happy new home!

Lots of love :)

mary

And All Was Merry and Bright!

2011-12-17T07:26:00.000-05:00

This was the end of the wonderful Sew Mama Sew Giveaway! A first for me :)

The winner of my JOY swag is.....

Here are your random numbers:

The Hungry Crafter!!!

who said....

This is so cute and festive! My favorite decoration is a good old fashioned Christmas tree. It's just not Christmas without it!!!

Congratulations Jo!!! I will be sending you an email and I will need your mailing address.

I truly wish I had a JOY swag for everyone.... I do wish for all of you a Holiday and a Year full of JOY!!!

I have to say, I have had a year of Joy this year blogging and making some very dear bloggy friends...more on that to come :)

And I cherish my shoppe friends whom I know personally and truly LOVE....{maybe we need a LOVE swag....hmmmm}

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday!

hugs,

mary :)

I'm Late, I'm Late for a Very Important Date!!! A Giveaway!!!

2011-12-13T20:44:00.001-05:00

I could go into all my excuses for being late to post about the Sew Mama Sew giveaway, but I will spare you...you really don't want to hear me whine....waaaa!

Anywho....after much consideration and a little help from my friends...I have decided to throw in a little Christmas wish for you as my giveaway....

Actually this could be my wish for all of you the entire year long!!!

Here is what you need to do to enter.

Tell me your very favorite holiday decoration in the comment box!

I will ask Mr. Random Winner or whatever his name is...choose the winner. And for all my friends across the pond this will be open internationally as well. Just, PLEASE....PLEASE either leave your email address or change your settings so you are NOT a NO-REPLY BLOGGER

Here are the details on this cheery swag....
The 5" letters are made of various Japanese Cotton/Linen Blends
It is machine quilted with Aurifil Thread and the back is a gold velveteen.
The braided roping and felted decorative do-dads are wool.

Now scoot over to Sew Mama Sew and enter some more giveaways....go crazy!!!

Tis the season of Happiness!!!

I wish you much JOY!!!

hugs,

mary :)

Have Yourself a Scrappy Little Christmas....

2011-12-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

Another easy and quick Christmas idea!

Make some fabric by layering pieces {scraps} of fabric and stitching it down around each edge. Here I am using a variety of Japanese Cotton/Linen blends. I stitched my scraps to a layer of Linen and Batting. You could also use duck cloth instead of linen to give it more stiffness. Then I added another piece of fabric to the back after all the pieces were stitched down. And then quilted the entire piece with close straight lines.

Gather some yarn, perle cotton, sparkly do-dads....

From your fabric, cut out a letter - an initial....I used letter cut-outs from the local educational supply shop...

String through a corner and add some fun baubles.....there you go....an easy Christmas ornament!

Of course, it is always better to give than to receive....BUT when you have wonderful and creative bloggy friends....sometimes you get to receive too!!!!

I am so lucky to have made some very special friendships....don't you love blogging?

Thank you so much Suz......I **heart** you!!!

TGIF!!!!

mary :)

Pyramid Quilt....trimming up the sides

2011-12-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

I have finally gotten back to my Pyramid Quilt {Anthropologie knock-off}...I have added a second background color and straightened up the sides of my rows.

I have pieced together the number of triangles needed for a row, in my quilt I am piecing 20 triangle units so I have enough to trim up the sides. I will be left with 18 whole triangle units and a half unit on each end. To trim the ends so they are straight and not angled, I simply place my strip of triangle units on my mat. The bottom edge should run along a horizontal line and the end being trimmed should be lined up along a vertical line so that when cut - the cut will split a triangle in half.

Pretty simple!!!

Another little tip for {hopefully} getting those tippy tips of the triangles to meet....

If you match up the tips of two units {right sides together} and try to stitch through the point where the two lines of stitching intersect....

I don't usually use many pins but for this I want to make sure all these pyramids meet at the right point...so pins are helpful.

I like how this quilt is coming together. It may be a difficult one to giveaway :)

Happy Wednesday!

mary

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2011-12-05T14:02:00.001-05:00

It has been rainy and gloomy here....

so pictures are difficult...

I have been working on a little hand quilting. Another sample for the shoppe. A new pattern by Such Designs

And I have also been able to work on a sweet little tutorial I pinned on Pinterest

This Toadstool Pincushion was posted on The Little House by the Sea.

I thought it would make a nice little gift...for Christmas or for birthdays....

It is a great tutorial....give it a try!

Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to post another installment of my pyramid quilt....

it is coming along. We just don't have good light {or any light} for taking proper pictures.

Happy Monday!

mary

Jingle, Jingle

2011-12-03T07:59:00.000-05:00

A little Christmas music....

makes my day merry and bright....

Happy Sewing!

mary

Pyramid Quilt

2011-11-30T14:38:00.001-05:00

When I am not reading fantastic quilting blogs, I am often drooling over the pages of Anthropologie or Pottery Barn. Recently, both have had some amazing quilts for sale. But if you don't have the extra $550 for a quilt - how about making your own?

anthropologie

This Pyramid Quilt {my name} is very similar to the Lark Quilt I made. The Lark Quilt consists of equilateral triangles sewn together to create large diamond units. This quilt is sewn in much the same manner except it is sectioned into horizontal units.

If you look carefully the solids are grouped into horizontal segments, blue - green- gray/green- green, etc.

I thought I would do a couple of tutorials to make a very similar quilt. I have a few special quilts I need to make for future gift giving, and this is a great design.....so why not?

I chose several shot cottons for my solids and then some prints for the printed triangles....

As I mentioned, these pyramids are equilateral triangles and I used the Fons and Porter 60 degree ruler to make my triangles. With this specialty ruler I am able to choose the size of my triangles. Of course, the smaller the triangle the more triangles you will need.

For my quilt, I am going to cut a strip of solid fabric and a strip of patterned fabric - 2 1/2 inches wide from selvedge to selvedge.

For each section there is one solid but several different prints ....so I cut my printed fabric strips in half {you could even cut the strip into quarters} so I don't have too many of one particular print with my solid fabric. I want lots of variety in the prints.

The first section I will be working on is this bottom blue color.

I take the blue 2 1/2 inch strip and a print 2 1/2 inch strip - right sides together - using a quarter inch seam allowance stitch both long sides of these strips together.

Starting at the left side of the strip, line up the 60 degree ruler so the bottom is even with the bottom of the stitched strip and the pointy top is even with the top of the strip. And make a cut on the right side of the ruler.

Now just flip the ruler so the previous cut lines up with the left side of the ruler and cut along the right side. Continue in this manner, flipping and cutting. If you had a directional fabric, some of them will be upside down so that is something to consider when selecting fabric.

Unpick the pointy end of the triangle...this is just a few stitches. Open and press toward the dark fabric and trim off the dog ears.

For each section {I am thinking of a section as the area that has the same solid triangle color} I need triangles sewn in this manner {solids and prints}, some 2 1/2 triangle prints only and some 2 1/2 triangle solids only.

The number of triangles I need depends on the size of the quilt as well as the size of the strips I am using.

Piecing the sections together is done on the diagonal rather than in rows, which is the more common way to piece a quilt together.

For this section I decided to do 3 rows of the solid triangles. For each diagonal line of triangles I will piece together two of the stitched solid and prints and then add one solid at the top and one print at the bottom.

Let's break this down...

Take two of these units....

Place them right sides together like this....the solid of the top unit will sit on top of the print of the other unit and the edges will meet up nicely {if the dog ears have been trimmed}. Stitch using a quarter inch seam allowance.

Open and press...

Add a single solid to the top and a single print to the bottom....

When I have enough of these strips together to cover the desired width...these can be pieced together.

Be sure to match up seams because we want the tip of the solid to just meet the tip of the print once they are all together. I sometimes use my finger to hold at the seam about 1/4 inch in and flip the top section over to check and make sure I have the points where I want them. Also you will notice that the line of stitching will intersect the point where the triangles meet.

Continue to build the section in this manner. Next I will show how to straighten up the sides.

Happy Wednesday!

mary

Deck the Lights!

2011-11-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

With the help of a little retail therapy....I found the materials I needed to create a new swag...

When I wandered into Anthropologie a week or so ago....a young girl greeted me and asked if I was there to splurge on myself....well let me tell you, either that was a brilliant marketing ploy or I am just a easy target {could very well be}, but that is all she had to whisper in my ear. Before she was out of sight I was filling my oversized basket with lots of goodies!

So with some felt balls and some wool roping I braided and stitched a little swag for my kitchen light....

Every Christmas I decorate my tin light with evergreen garland and bows, but this year I thought I would change things up a bit....

I simply braided the roping and attached the felt balls with perle cotton....

Change is good!

And the weather is dreary, wet and cold...so some holiday stitching does wonders for the attitude :)

Happy Tuesday!

mary:)

Thanksgiving Blitz

2011-11-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

Wow! Thanksgiving was fun and full of family....I had 14 for dinner....

Lots of food and lots of fun!!!

Then we had Black Friday and lots of fun at the shoppe....

and finally on Sunday I was able to get back to a bit of sewing....

I am sure I am not alone with Christmas projects to work on...

A little sewing and a little hand stitching. My goal is to try to post daily and keep the momentum going....soooooooo

Back to work :)

Hope you had a wonderful Turkey Day!!!!

mary

M. E. R. R. Y.

2011-11-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

I must be in denial....I have a million things to do....

But for a good part of yesterday I was playing with letters....

I used wool felt and perle cotton....

To create a Merry Christmas bunting for my fireplace....

I was inspired by a bunting at Anthropologie...

Okay....I need to focus on preparations for Thursday....

Happy Monday!

mary :)

Sigh

2011-11-17T15:41:00.001-05:00

Remember a while back Susan and I asked for your input on favorite bits of fabric....

Well, now Basic Grey has found the perfect way to display bits of fabric ....

Introducing the sampler....

I think I may need a couple of these, but luckily we have them in stock at Sew To Speak...

This is such a busy time of year...Thanksgiving at my house this time round...

so I have been a busy bee....whew!

Happy Thursday!

mary

Details.....

2011-11-14T07:09:00.057-05:00

When I was a teaching Elementary students, I would have a series of activities to accompany the books we were reading. Activities that took the students back into the literature to re-examine the character, more fully understand the plot and focus on the details.

It was evident that a good author and a well written book would spawn a wealth of opportunities to explore the story further.

I have come to believe that a great fabric designer and a fantastic line of fabric can have the same effect. Amy Butler is one of those designers. She gives us fabrics that are complex and have depth. Not just pretty fabrics, but fabrics with great dimension.

When I began my Lark quilt I knew it should reflect Amy's inspiration for the line, Maxime de la Falaise. My initial design idea was strong angles along the lines of a Harlequin pattern. A coexisting inspiration for this quilt was this very bohemian piece. It seemed to fit the spirit of the fabric and story behind the fabric.

Lark is a series of large diamonds comprised of equilateral triangles.

The setting triangles are peaks of this rich Berry Couture. It is hand quilted with perle cotton. The center is quilted with diamonds to echo the diamonds in the quilt. The setting triangles and the side {half diamonds} are quilted with a series of lines....pulling your eye downward to my favorite detail.

In the spirit of this bohemian quilt, I added small touches of fabric stuffed and pulled tight with perle cotton.

They dance along the bottom and top edge....

I think this uniquely reflects the unfettered nature of Lark.

And the back is a plethora of Amy fabrics from my stash....

I must say, it has truly been a pleasure to develop this quilt and to be completely lost in the fabric.....thanks Amy!

Happy Monday!
mary :)

Quilt Story!

2011-11-11T08:48:00.000-05:00

Well, one day it seems like the world is falling apart....and then the next the sun is shining and all is right with the world!

I am so extremely fortunate to be featured on Quilt Story this fabulous Veteran's Day!

And I am so thrilled that sweet Megan and Heather chose to feature the quilt I made for Baby Harrison :)

I met Baby Harrison for the first time earlier this week. What a precious little guy and of course his mom, Lora, doesn't even look like she had a baby or even a bit dazed by the whole ordeal. I am certain a couple of weeks after having a baby, I was not fit for human eyes!!!

A perfect footnote to this Quilt Story....

Thanks for the lovely words, Megan and Heather....I am feeling very loved :)

Happy Friday and Veteran's Day! Thank you to all our Veteran's for their service to our country....thank you, thank you!

mary

When It Rains....It Pours.....

2011-11-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

Just about a week and a half ago the youngest daughter was stranded at school....fuel pump went out......$800.00!

A few weeks before that the middle daughter had a repair {can't remember now what} that was $150.00 and I felt happy!

Now looks like the same daughter is going to need a new transmission....ugh....I don't even want to know the price tag on that....

Then this morning I threw some laundry in the dryer and.....nothing....nothing....no heat, no air, no tumble....nothing. Ugh!

But on a happy note....

I am almost finished quilting Lark...

And I think I may just have enough of the red moon dot in my stash for the binding....I am sure the discretionary funds don't include fabric purchases now....for Pete's Sake!!!

And I will leave you with one other lovely shot....this is Jenny and her sweet Coin Quilt! Jenny is one of my most favorite people ever!!! I love her use of color....what a great quilt :)

I truly hope your day is free from stress {and car repairs}....it is almost the weekend after all!

Happy Thursday!

mary

The Christmas Rush.....

2011-11-07T12:33:00.000-05:00

Are you starting to feel it? The clock ticking as the hours and days click down to the big gift giving season....

Gift giving is even better when the gifts are homemade...

from the heart....

A few tiny scraps of fabric....

A plastic ornament form and some Modge Podge....

And there you have a scrappy ornament!

Or maybe your gifts will include those of a quilty nature...

A new old block will be stitched into something perfect for a special friend....

And here is something I found helps with all those seams coming together in one area.

Press seams open...

And where several seams come together, for instance, to join the two halves of a block...

clip at the intersection....

Press the little checkerboard intersection open and the other seams in opposite directions.

This helps reduce bulk in the seams. I have found this results in a nice flat block...so give it a try!

And Happy Monday Sewing!

mary

Some Quiet Stitching....

2011-11-03T12:58:00.000-04:00

Today is all about hand quilting.....

And adding binding to another project :)

Are you beginning a new project today? Finishing a project? What are you working on?

mary :)

The Lovely Lark....

2011-11-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

Inspiration....

influences....

a mosaic....

of Lark.....

Happy Wednesday!

mary

Dresden Winner!

2011-10-31T07:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

The winner of the Dresden Pincushion and a few other goodies is.....

Margaret of Solstitches!!!

Margaret said....

Love that pincushion and will HAVE to make one although would prefer to win the one you made in those gorgeous fabrics.
I would like to meet the designer behind the Sweetwater label.
Margaret

Congratulations Margaret! I will be sending you an email!

mary

Blogger's Quilt Festival...Fall 2011

2011-10-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

Amy has been hard at work again organizing the fabulous Blogger's Quilt Festival!!!

My entry is the Stashbuster Quilt!

This is a pattern from Kathy Doughty and is found in Material Obsession 2.

There are so many things I love about this quilt. The bright colors, combination of warm and cool colors, the dots, the piano key border, the stitching and the yo-yo's.

The pattern suggests the Kaleido-ruler from Marti Michell. What a great ruler! I have used it over and over, so definitely money well spent.

Stashbuster is a crossed canoe block done in a piecey fun way!

Sew together strips, from your stash of course, and use the Kaleido-ruler to cut the large triangle. Flip your ruler and use the other side to cut the small triangles!

Once the quilt was pieced and a piano key border added, I hand stitched the entire quilt with #8 perle cotton. I stitched around the triangles and then added this strong red line of stitching from point to point. The borders are stitched in a zig-zag pattern.

Finally, fun yo-yo's were added at the point where the 4 smaller triangles meet.

And there you have it.....The Stashbuster!!! Pattern by Kathy Doughty found in Material Obsession 2.

Pop over to Amy's Creative Side and have a look at all the wonderful quilt and add one of your own to the line-up!!!!

Cheers!

mary

BIG Dresden Pincushion Tutorial....and a wee giveaway!

2011-10-27T17:23:00.003-04:00

Every once in a while I wish I were more competent with the computer...it would make things a tad bit easier....like preparing a tutorial. Ugh!

But here you go....I have prepared the BIG Dresden Tutorial for any of you who would like to make one for yourself...or for a friend.

First: Here are the templates you will need to complete the project. Please set size to 100% to copy....not fit to page. And be sure the copier also is set to 100%.

Click on the image to bring it up to copy.

The large circle is for the top and bottom of the pincushion...it measures about 6.25" across. The medium size circle {within the larger one} is for cutting out a piece of stabilizer { I used Decor Bond} or cardboard to fit on the bottom circle...it measures 5" across. This will help keep the bottom flat.

The smaller circle is for the center of the Dresden Flower.

And the wedge is the template for cutting out the blades if you do not have an 18 degree Dresden ruler.

Copy the templates at 135% on your printer

To begin cut 20 wedges using the template or if you have a Dresden ruler you can cut a strip of fabric 2 inches in width to cut your Dresden blades from.

Set the bottom edge of the ruler at the bottom edge of the 2 inch wide strip. The top of the strip should touch the 2 inch mark on the ruler. Begin on the left side of the strip and make one cut on the right side of the ruler. Now you can flip the ruler and use the last cut as the left side of the wedge....

Once you have 20 wedges, fold them in half length wise and finger press.

Reduce the stitch length on your machine...I use 1.7 for tiny pieces like this. You will sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance across the top {wider} edge of the wedge....at this stage chain-piecing comes in handy.

Cut wedges apart and turn inside out...push out the pointy top of the blade. They look like little hoods!

Press the pointy wedges with your iron and stitch them together along the raw edge. Don't worry about the bottoms aligning so evenly...the peaks and valleys are more important. You will be putting a center circle over the raw center edges - later.

Press all the seams in the same direction.

For the bottom and top circle {the larger circle}, I cut one from two different fabrics. I cut a piece of Decor Bond from the medium size circle and fused it to the wrong side of the bottom. If you don't have any stabilizer, you can just cut some poster board to slip in before you stuff the pincushion.

To the top circle I attach my Dresden with applique pins. Center the Dresden on the top large circle. Be sure to keep at least 1/4 inch from the edge of the circle free from any Dresden Points!

I like to hand applique my Dresdens, but if you prefer to use the machine you can simply top stitch close to the edge.

I use applique pins when I am hand appliqueing so I don't poke myself too much!

For hand applique I use a long thin milliner needle { also called a straw needle }

Here's a little tip to keep your stitches from showing too much when doing applique. When you are taking the needle back down into the background fabric....go down directly under where your needle came through the edge of the Dresden wedge. That way your stitch should not show....if you stitch at an angle the stitch will show. And I try to use a thread that matches what I am appliqueing....not the background fabric.

After you have finished the Dresden Plate applique, it is time to put the center circle on the Dresden. There are a couple of methods you can use here. You can trace your circle template onto the right side of the fabric, cut beyond the traced line, clip around the circle and needle-turn applique the center in place. Or you can trace the circle onto the wrong side of the fabric {cut 2} and stitch them together on the line. Trim around the line, close to the stitching and pull the two pieces apart slightly....snip a hole to turn the circle inside out. Turn inside out and press. Then applique this to the center of your Dresden. The advantage to the second method is that you don't have to do needle-turn and your edge is already finished. Plus it is easier to center the center circle without that extra fabric for turning in the way.

center for needle-turn

center circles stitched together....cut a slit in one half and turn.

Then simply applique the center onto the Dresden Plate...again....you can just top stitch if you would rather.

I placed a smaller piece of batting under my top circle {batting is the same size as the stabilizer circle}....I did this because I want to add some pick-stitches and french knots. Then I added a yo-yo and a button!!!

Are you still with me???

Now I am ready to put it all together. Cut a piece of fabric 1 1/2 inches wide by 23 inches long for the band that wraps around the center of the pincushion. If you want your pincushion to be deeper then simply cut a piece of fabric wider than 1 1/2 inches.

Take the long strip and fold over one short end about one inch.

Pin the long strip to the bottom of the Dresden. It should go completely around the bottom circle {right sides facing} and over lap by about an inch from the beginning fold. You can trim off any excess.

Carefully stitch around the circle.

Normally, I would stitch the top with the Dresden first, but I wasn't thinking and did the opposite. So you may want to stitch the band to the top first and then to the bottom.

Now I am ready to stitch the top of the Dresden onto this band. Again, with right sides facing pin the band and the top of the pincushion together. Be sure to leave a 3 inch opening for turning during this step! And use a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance so you don't catch any blade points in the stitching.

After the top and bottom have been stitched to the band, turn inside out and push out all around to give a nice circle shape. Then stuff your pincushion with cotton stuffing or even with left over batting.

Once it is stuffed - sew the opening closed!!!

So there you have it....one BIG Dresden Pincushion. I love mine! I hope you like yours too :)

If you really like the one I have just made...with this sweet American Jane fabric....add a comment and I will draw a lucky winner of this pincushion {plus I will throw in some fat quarters from the shoppe}. This giveaway will end Sunday at HIGH NOON!!!! And since this is the weekend for Quilt Market, in your comment tell us which fabric designer you would like to meet at Quilt Market!!!

Oh!!!! And last - BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST - be sure you are not a no-reply blogger!!! I just can't find you if you are a no-reply blogger. I need an email address so I can contact you...please :)

Happy Thursday everyone! And if you haven't visited Summerfete yet today...you must read her sweet tale of her 400th. post! So fun!

mary

***Note*** Sorry....didn't mean to mislead you...I am not going to Quilt Market :( I am having too much fun saving my extra pennies for College Tuition {only 2 girls this year} and text books!!! heh, heh! But someday....although I will only be an observer not a featured player...LOL!

***The Giveaway is Closed....will be announcing the winner very soon....stay posted***
mary

Wednesday Wrap-up.....The Courthouse Steps Quilt....

2011-10-26T08:42:00.003-04:00

If you recall, over the past couple of months I have had several super secret projects I have been working on. One of which, is completed and received {just in time} for someone very special.

This project was inspired by a mini-quilt from Purlbee.

purlbee

The design is courthouse steps....a log cabin variation. I was already familiar with this arrangement.....this one I made several years ago and is in my family room....

But the new quilt was destined for Lora and her new baby. Lora was one of my very first students at Sew To Speak....

We love Lora...seriously....everyone at the shoppe LOVES Lora!!! So Lora expecting her first baby was definitely something to celebrate :)

Because they were keeping the gender a mystery until the big day...I knew I had to do something gender neutral. But we all spied on Lora as she selected fabric for her nursery so we knew her colors and even the fabric she was choosing....aren't we sneaky???

I knew yellow had to be a central color and then I simply added several off white fabrics....mainly because I wanted to incorporate this lovely Nani Iro {Colorful Pocho} print.

My center rectangle is 1 1/2" X 2 1/2" and the logs {or steps} are 1 1/2 inches wide....

In the Purl mini-quilt, I really loved the very thin strip of dark. I placed these strips randomly in each of my courthouse blocks....

I had to hand quilt this one....Lora knows how much I love hand quilting with perle cotton. And as cheesy as it sounds, when I hand quilt it gives me time to ponder the quilt and the special person that will be receiving this quilt. Almost as if every stitch is laid with love and blessings for the recipient.

I used dark grey perle cotton....stitching randomly around the steps on each block....

The quilt was bound with the same sweet red gingham as the center.....

And then an embroidered label for the new baby....

End of story??? No! I am pleased to announce that Lora had a beautiful baby boy about one week ago! Congratulations Lora and tons of love to baby Harrison :)

Happy Wednesday!

mary

Fabulous Quilts!

2011-10-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

I want to share with you the quilts from class last evening...

These are first time quilts for each....

Nicole

Mindy...for baby due early Spring

Jenny....???

Fabulous quilts....they will be machine quilting and adding pick stitches over the next couple of weeks.

And here is a little bit of my progress on the Lark quilt.....

Happy Tuesday!

mary

Lovely Lark.....

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

I couldn't wait to find a way to use the new Amy Butler fabric, Lark. It recently arrived in the shoppe and my brain was in over-drive trying to blend the right quilt design with this fabric.

At first I thought a pickle-dish quilt would allow me to showcase the beautiful red and white Souvenir.....

And I still think this would be beautiful, but then the other fabrics from the collection would be used in small blades {maybe not showing off their full potential}

I noticed that the inspiration for the collection was Maxime de la Falaise....who???

So I did a little reading.....

Maxime de la Falaise

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Maxime de la Falaise

Maxime de la Falaise (25 June 1922 – 30 April 2009)^[1] was a 1950s fashionista, model,^[2], and underground movie actress.^[3] She is also remembered as a cookery writer and "food maven"^[4] and, at least occasionally, as a clothing designer^[5] and as an interior designer who decorated the homes of friends.^[6]

So now I have a time frame....the 1950's. When I think of art and design from the 1950's, I think of angular forms and lines. I think of Harlequin....my mom performed with a local group of singers, dancers....real troubadours {heh,heh} in the 1950's. This was before my time, but I do remember playing with some of her costumes and one had a harlequin pattern....real cool daddy-o!!!

My thoughts about this quilt and fabric then turned from the arcs of a pickle-dish to more angular or triangular designs....

And I have decided on this for the Lark Quilt....

The quilt will consist of LARGE pieced diamond shapes....

Each diamond consists of 32 equilateral triangles.....

I think this works well with these fabrics....

What do you think?

Happy Monday!

mary

Wordless Wednesday.....

2011-10-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

mary

Rolling On....Freezer Paper Piecing Tutorial....

2011-10-18T13:06:00.001-04:00

Here is a little tutorial for piecing the arcs of this wheel with freezer paper....

Once I have made my arcs for each quadrant of the circle and added 1/4 inch seam allowance to the arcs and the outside corner....I transfer each template to freezer paper {drawing on the paper side not the shiny side}....

To my freezer paper arcs I add lines to separate the segments. Then I score the lines with the back of a seam ripper so that the paper is easier fold. Just be careful not to press too hard when scoring...you don't want to cut the paper.

To prepare, I reduce my stitch length to about 1.7. By reducing the stitch length I can be confident my stitches won't pull out when I take the paper off. I get my iron ready....hot iron, no steam. And the fabric for the segments. The fabric pieces need to be at least 1/4 inch larger than the segment on each side.

Begin by taking your first fabric and placing it with the wrong side toward the shiny side of the freezer paper. The straight edge of the fabric can be even with the straight edge of the template {because I have added my seam allowance to my template}.....take this to the ironing board and press on the paper side until the paper sticks to the fabric.

Fold the paper back at the next line {this will be the line indicating the next fabric}.....

Take this to the cutting mat and lay the acrylic ruler at the edge of the fold with a quarter inch of the ruler laying over the fold....cut a 1/4 inch beyond the fold and this will be your seam allowance.

Take the next fabric and place it - right sides facing - against the first fabric which is still pressed to the freezer paper.....sew a quarter inch seam allowance. The stitching line will be right next to the fold in the freezer paper. Do not stitch on the paper - just next to the fold in the paper. I begin stitching about 1/4 inch before my template and 1/4 inch after the end of the template.

Finger press the second segment open and then press with a hot, dry iron on the paper side. Pressing out the second fabric and adhering it to the freezer paper.

Again, fold on the next line, cut off the excess fabric to leave the 1/4 inch seam allowance and repeat the process with the next fabric.

Continue until you have competely covered the template with each fabric...

Simply trim all around the edges of the template {I have included my 1/4 inch seam allowance in the template so I don't have to add a 1/4 inch beyond the template}

After all arcs for a quadrant is finished you can sew them together following some simple tips for sewing curves....

find the center of the curves and finger press

place the concave piece on top - so you are looking at the concave piece as you sew

pin the center and the ends - and in between if it makes you more comfortable

The outside corner is treated the same way....

With this method you can reuse the freezer paper several times since you are not stitching through the paper.
Hope this helps.....

Now I think I will work on a little quilting :)

happy tuesday!

mary

Big Wheel Tute

2011-10-17T12:30:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick tute to get you started on a big wheel of your own....

How to make a wheel....

Decide how big you want the finished block to be. Mine will be 16 inches finished.

Cut a piece of paper that measurement.....16 X 16

Now my large outside circle will be 15 inches in diameter. So that means the radius is 7.5 inches. I take a piece of string and tie it to a pencil...cut so the string from end to pencil measures 7.5 inches.....

Find the center of my 16 inch square.....

And hold the end of the string in the center while drawing a 15 inch circle with my pencil....

I did the middle circle and the very center circle in the same manner. The width of the larger circle is about 2.5 finished. The same for the middle circle - 2.5 finished. And the smaller center circle is about 2.5 finished. For each of these I have not added my seam allowance yet.

I cut the square into four equal quadrants.

Next I will cut my quadrants and arcs apart. So now I will have 4 pieces for each quadrant. The center circle, the middle circle, the larger circle and the outside corner piece {this makes your circle a square } Each piece is treated the same. Add 1/4 inch seam allowance to each side of each piece.

So for the center, I added a quarter inch seam allowance and now this is my template. I like to add my seam allowance to my template so I don't have to remember to cut a quarter inch beyond my sewn piece at the very end. I can just cut along the edge of my paper....

I copy the template onto freezer paper and then add my lines for each of the pieces of the wheel. I wanted my wheel to look scrappy, so my lines are not evenly spaced....just random. But they do need to be more than 1/2 inch wide at any point so the segment does not disappear in the seam.

With freezer paper I can simply score my lines, iron the waxy side to the wrong side of my fabric, fold back on the line, sew, press and cut my 1/4 inch seam allowance. I like to use freezer paper because it can be used several times before you need a new piece.

I would be happy to do a tutorial for freezer paper piecing using this method if any of you would be interested....

Hope this helps if you decide to make a wheel of your own!

mary

SWEEEETTT!!!!

2011-10-17T09:05:00.001-04:00

This was my ride yesterday!

AWESOME!!!! Mike and I both had turns as passengers and, l must say, this car draws attention....

Buckle up!!!

What a way to start the day....

But it can't all be expensive sports cars and thrilling rides.....

I also relaxed a bit with a new magazine and some hand quilting....

I am only able to show a little peek

because this is a secret project....a fun little swap :)

Hope you had a nice weekend!

mary

Big Wheel Keep on Turnin'.....

2011-10-12T14:09:00.000-04:00

Proud Mary keep on burnin'.....

Recently, I purchased a Kaffe Fassett book called Passionate Patchwork...

I fell in love with a quilt on the first few pages. I thought it was vintage, but it is not. And unfortunately the pattern is not in this book. I am not sure if there is a pattern for this particular quilt....

This is so me!!! Circles..spokes....print and color!!!!

So I have decided to try to draft one on my own....

I drafted the arcs with my trusty freezer paper....

There are three sections of wheels within this one large wheel. So lots of folding, sewing, pressing and cutting....

And this is my version of the wheel....

If I am crazy enough to continue with this, I will make the center section with less spokes....the center is very thick where all those spokes meet.

That has been my distraction for the last couple of days...

Flanders has been distracted by a chubby little ground hog {my kids called them grass hogs} running across our yard.

She looks serious, doesn't she?

What has been your distraction today? Hope it hasn't kept you from sewing :)

mary

Sounds of Silence....

2011-10-10T14:02:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the silent blog of late....

No....I wasn't at the Sewing Summit, but I did have plenty of sewing with friends....it has just been a very busy weekend! I would have loved a visit to the Summit, but college books {and fabric buying} are priority at our house so no trip to the summit this year :)

Little by little, I have been building up my collection of Japanese fabrics. Now I am ready to create my own 'fabric' to use in Christmas gift making....

This coin purse will be a great little gift to tuck into a bag.....

Just an easy two piece purse template with some fun raw edge applique....

Add some fun lining fabric and batting between the layers....

A sweet button or a snap and there you have it!!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend - did you go to the Sewing Summit...or maybe sew with friends :)

Happy Monday!

mary

Wordless Wednesday....Work In Progress...

2011-10-05T13:42:00.000-04:00

mary :)

Stitching Step by Step....

2011-10-03T14:14:00.000-04:00

The Courthouse Steps quilt is pieced and I have just finished stitching...by hand....with dark grey perle cotton...

I quilted around the center three times per block...but not always the same three sets of "steps".....

I love the look of this log cabin variation....and the yellow with the natural/off white is very soothing....

I just need to hand sew the binding. The binding is the same red gingham as the center. Once that is stitched, I will toss this in the wash. This sweet quilt is destined for someone special {more on that later}.

I am feeling better :) Thanks for all the good wishes. Just a little virus....tis the season!

Happy Monday!

mary

Bleh.....

2011-09-30T13:51:00.000-04:00

Been feeling a tad bit under the weather the last couple of days....nothing serious....just bleh

so not much going on here....

but I did manage to baste....

mary

Molly Flanders

Comments Open!

Utility Quilting....Lovely Quilting!

You Are My Sunshine......

Valentine's Love.....

Monday Makes....

Help!

Spidey Mayhem!

Almost Wordless Wednesday.....

The Good, The Bad and The Fugly

Silent Mary.....

An Earnest Attempt.....

And The Beat Goes On.....

How To {make that block}

Where Does Time Go?

Wordless Wednesday......

SWEET.....

Rose and Star with a Vintage Touch

Ready for Quilting....

A Good Friend and a Great Shop

Wordless Wednesday....

A New Beginning....

Adding colors and blocks....

Green and Yellow.....

Cleaning, Thinking and a little Pyramid Building....

New Year....

A Year of Pillows, Baby Quilts and Unfinished Projects.....

A Year of Finishes....Part One

Merry Christmas from My House to Yours!!!

Monday Makings

Glad Tidings from Lands Far Away!!!

And All Was Merry and Bright!

I'm Late, I'm Late for a Very Important Date!!! A Giveaway!!!

Have Yourself a Scrappy Little Christmas....

Pyramid Quilt....trimming up the sides

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Jingle, Jingle

Pyramid Quilt

Deck the Lights!

Thanksgiving Blitz

M. E. R. R. Y.

**Sigh**

Details.....

Quilt Story!

When It Rains....It Pours.....

The Christmas Rush.....

Some Quiet Stitching....

The Lovely Lark....

Dresden Winner!

Blogger's Quilt Festival...Fall 2011

BIG Dresden Pincushion Tutorial....and a wee giveaway!

Wednesday Wrap-up.....The Courthouse Steps Quilt....

Fabulous Quilts!

Lovely Lark.....

Maxime de la Falaise

Wordless Wednesday.....

Rolling On....Freezer Paper Piecing Tutorial....

Big Wheel Tute

SWEEEETTT!!!!

Big Wheel Keep on Turnin'.....

Sounds of Silence....

Wordless Wednesday....Work In Progress...

Stitching Step by Step....

Bleh.....

Sigh