Double Crossed Finish

I hope all of my US friends are enjoying the holiday weekend!  The weather has been quite cold here for Oregon so I have been more than happy to stay indoors and finish up a few projects.  

Here is what I am sharing today!

I finally finished up sewing on the binding on my Double Crossed quilt.  I made it a bit larger than the pattern called out  (64" x 80") as I really wanted a nice size for napping.

I used Amy Smart's Double Crossed pattern as a guideline but as I was using up some leftover fabrics, I made some variations.  I used two different fabrics in her white spaces and also made the inner diamonds two different colors.

When I laid out the blocks on my design wall, I only made about 5 block changes.  I rarely worry about the same fabrics near or even touching.  This is something I learned from some of my quilting friends who are masters at scrap quilts.  I find this recklessness makes the quilts more interesting (Or it could be I'm just lazy.).  I like to just ensure a balance of color placement throughout the quilt.

I also think this recklessness helps to hide your secrets.  I was short a couple pieces of the grayish purple and just used pieces of the brighter purple.  I simply hid them out on the border.  

(Did you notice it on the first picture?)

For the quilting, I went with a simple swirl.  As this quilt may be one of my TV quilts (my closest friends knows this means my big dinner napkin), I knew it would be washed alot so I wanted it to be durable.

On the back, I just added one large inset as the backing fabric I had wasn't quite big enough.  I was even able to work in some pieces from the top I had cut incorrectly, which saved them from ending up in the scrap bin.  Any time I can do that is another added bonus.

I had challenged myself to make this quilt entirely from fabrics I had in my stash and I am happy to say I accomplished it!  And to like the finished quilt so much is certainly something to celebrate!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Fridays, Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop Friday and Sew Can She for Show Off Saturday.  How about you.  Are you celebrating a finish?

We Have a Winner

As Quilting Gallery's Giving Thanks Blog Hop comes to an end, it is time to pick a winner.  Thanks to all who entered my giveaway.  Wish I could send you all a bundle but unfortunately there is only one.

And the winner is Sophie of sophie junction.  Hurray for Sophie!!

I will be mailing these off (with a few other goodies) right after the holiday.

I hope everyone has a great food and fabric-filled weekend!

 

 And a big thanks to Michelle for hosting this great event! It really was a fun party!

Churn Dash Blocks

When I walked into my sewing room this morning, I realized that BOTH of my design walls were empty! What!?!       How could I let this happen! 

 I quickly printed out the Easy Churn Dash quilt pattern I had won during the 100 Quilts for Kids drive and headed to the fabric closet to see what I could come up with.

My personal challenge I set for myself when I got this suite of patterns from Amy Smart was to make them entirely from my stash.  In a bottom drawer I re-discovered a whole bunch of 30's and 40's reproductions that I had inherited from a dear friend along with some muslin.  Not my normal genre of fabric but I thought it might be a fun change of pace and a great tribute to Penny  who loved traditional blocks.











I have been wanting to make a red, white and blue quilt lately so I decided to narrow my print colors to just red and blue.










I soon had 5 blocks finished to display on the wall so I was able to get back to my list of chores (which did not include sewing today by the way!)

I am anticipating a layout issue when I go to sew these blocks together so I might have to do a little problem solving later but I do like the way it is looking so far.

 I have finished the quilt from Amy's Double Crossed pattern and will be posting pictures later this week.  I tested it out last night as I watched TV and it worked perfectly.  (ZZzzzzz)   

I don't remember any of the show I tuned in to watch.

Also, in case you haven't entered yet, I still have a giveaway going on until Midnight Nov 26th.  You can go here to check it out.

Linking up with stitch by stitch for Anything Goes Monday and Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.  On Tuesday you will also find me at Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday and Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.  Hope you take some time to see what everyone is up to.

A Pretty Finish

Well look what I snuck onto my longarm between customer quilts!  With the holidays coming, I have been quilting long hours getting everyone else's holiday gifts quilted up and delivered.  The pile of my own quilts has been growing and I just decided to take some time and quilt up one of my own.

It isn't a large quilt so it quilted up pretty quickly.  I think the finished size is about 40" x 50".  This quilt was made with fat quarters I had won and you can read more about it here.

  For the quilting, I just did some squiggle lines in each block.  I didn't want to take the time to measure or mark for straight lines so these wavy lines gave it a far more casual appearance.

I even had some fabric in my stash that I picked up on sale for the back.  I love it when that happens! This quilt has no home yet but I am sure it won't stick around my house long.

Thanks for stopping by.  In case you missed the post, there still might be time to enter my giveaway.  I'm giving thanks to my wonderful followers so please check it out here.

 Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, I quilt at Pretty Bobbins, Finish it up Fridays at Crazy Mom Quilts, TGIFF at Never too hot to Stitch and Can I get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Giving Thanks - Quilter's Blog Hop Party and Giveaway

Welcome everyone coming through for the Quilter's Blog Hop Party!  If this is your first visit, I'm glad you are stopping in.  Not only are we partying on the hop, but I am also celebrating  my 100th post (wow...already!?!) and giving thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way.

A quick bit about myself.  I am a long arm quilter so I get to see and share lots of fun quilting ideas.  While I occasionally share them on this blog, I do post pictures frequently on my facebook page.

Here is a quilt I am working on now that I made from some fat quarters I won in a giveaway.  You can read more about it here if you are interested. I will be sharing some finished photos in the next day or two so stay tuned!






I also design quilts which you may have seen in some magazines.  Here is one that was recently in the Sept/Oct 2013 issue of Quilty magazine.

I have a quilt in the newest issue too.  You can see more about that publication in my last post.

As I have been quilting for over 10 years now, I am constantly faced with ways to use scraps.  I am always sewing on one or two projects and love to share ways to keep on top of those pesky bits. 

This is a quilt I recently finished with some fun jigsaw quilting.  It is super easy to do and perfect for these types of patchwork quilts.  

You can see more pictures here.

And today I finished up a few more simple projects. I am in the midst of remodeling my mid-century kitchen.  I made this quick little runner for under my coffee maker and kettle.










And I also made this quick drawer organizer from the same fabrics.  I just used some heavy interfacing and two pieces of fabric.








As I rarely cook, I was getting frustrated searching for the few tools I tend to use when I do fire up the stove.  Now I can separate out a few favorites and find them quickly..









And here is the big project I am working on now.  Actually, the top is finished and I hope to quilt it later this week.  I had so many comments  about the color combinations, I thought I would share some of my fabrics...

So without further ado....

Yep...let's get to the giveaway!  I am sending one lucky follower this stack of six generous quarter yard cuts.  My way of saying thanks for the support!  I really do appreciate everyone who checks in to see what I'm working on.  As this giveaway is open to all of my followers, I will of course ship internationally.  

To enter, simply leave me a comment letting me know how you follow me.  (When you leave your comment, please make sure I have your email address!  No email = Sorry, no entry.  So if you are a no-reply blogger, please include your email in your post.  Thanks.)

This giveaway will be open until midnight (PST) on Tuesday November 26th.  Good luck everyone!

***Sorry, this giveaway is now closed!  Best of luck to all that entered!***

  

And in case you just happened to stumble upon this post and haven't heard about the party, click on the icon below to find lots of other bloggers joining in on the fun.

Another Quilty Publication

I have been so busy lately, I almost forgot to share with you that another one of my quilts was published. 

My Strawberries + Cream quilt can be found in the Nov/Dec 2013 issue of Quilty magazine.  WooHoo!!

It is a fun and unique variation on a simple log cabin block.

The quilting on this one is quite heavy.  The red areas are all straight lines quilted about 1/2" apart and the gray areas are all done in pebble quilting.  The quilt measures about 74" square so it took some time and a ton of thread to complete it.

               

Updated this post to include a video from QNNtv where this quilt is being used!  Pretty cool huh!

Update:  This pattern is now available to purchase through my pattern shop.  I now call it Spin! and you can buy it here.  Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing my news with Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Mondays and Show & Tell Tuesday at I have To Say.  Be sure and check out what everyone else is sharing.

Color Block Quilt

I cannot believe my luck lately!  After sharing my windfall FQ bundle, I have since received two other wonderful prizes of quilty goodness.  

Sherry at Adventures in Life sponsored a giveaway to celebrate her 100th post.  (Thanks Sherry!)  These beautiful fat quarters arrived in the post earlier this week.  The colors were so beautiful I couldn't resist cutting in to them right away.








She also included some binding clips and a beautiful original artwork (that is now hanging in my sewing room!).  She really is quite talented!

How lucky am I!!

After adding another two fat quarters from my stash, I sewed up this fun color block quilt.   

These 10" blocks went together so quickly I was able to complete this top in just a few hours.

I also found out I won a $50 gift certificate from Sew Sisters on the OctoberQuest 2 linky party at  TGIFF. 

 I know...please don't hate me!  

I am now awaiting an order of some of the newest Kona colors.  Yum!

Because I am feeling quite blessed (and because I love a giveaway!), I will be giving thanks and paying it forward starting this Nov 21st with a giveaway of my own.  It is time again for Quilting Gallery's Blog Hop Party.  It will be going on until about the 26th so schedule some time to join in on the fun and hop about!

If you aren't already following along, be sure you sign up so you don't miss out.  I am not sure yet what I will be giving away but it should be good!

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation and Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop Friday!

My Weekend Accomplishments

When Paula of The Sassy Quilter posted some great photos of how easy it is for all those quilting projects to get a bit out of control in one's home, I took a look around my place and saw a lot of the same scenarios.  Like me, I think Paula likes to start things.  So we got together and made a finishing pact for the weekend!

Our goal was one quilty accomplishment but once I got on a roll, I found I had quite a few projects close to completion and was able to get a number of things on to that "finished" pile. 

First, I finished up these potholders.  I had posted about them here but still had not sewn the binding on the second one.  (sigh!)

This finish was an easy one.  And it checks off a holiday gift as being done!

Yay!!

And as I was all set up for sewing potholders, I decided to finish up these four that have been in varying stages for over a year.


These were made from some old orphan blocks that I didn't want to make into a quilt.  Now hopefully they will find a home!

I also finished sewing up the quilt top from Amy Smart's Double Crossed pattern.  I made the quilt a little larger than the pattern so it finished out at about 60" by 70".

I hope to get it quilted up next week and will share some better photos.  I made my quilt a little scrappier than the pattern (of course) and like the effect of having two colors of diamonds.

I think this will make a great TV watching quilt!!

The big accomplishment for the weekend was piecing and quilting and binding these four scrap quilts.  You can read more about them here and here.









I now have this big stack of 8 quilts all ready to be delivered to a local charity that puts together bags of transitional necessities for children ages 1-17 who find themselves in a time of crisis.  They strive to include a quilt in every bag and they don't often get quilts for the older kids.   With the holidays coming, I know the need will be great.

So thanks Paula for the gentle nudge that cleaned up a whole lot of projects piling up around my home.  If I could have a few more productive weekends like this, I could really whittle down that far too big WIP list.  

I hope the momentum continues!!

Linking up with Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday, Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River and Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.

Colorful Trees and Pretty Bundles

I wanted to share these fun trees I saw on a customer's quilt.  She used some solid scraps she had leftover from another project and made these cute festive trees for a wallhanging.  I thought it was a great idea!

And I thought I'd share a picture of this pretty little giant bundle of Mirabelle I won from the Fat Quarter Shop on their Jolly Jabber blog.  Yes, there are 40 fat quarters in there and I am one lucky girl!!  The Fat Quarter Shop is sure good to the blogging community and I really want to thank them.

 Hmmmm...What to make....

I will just have to dream about it for now as I have to focus on some finishes!

I will be whoopin' it up over my prize at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Follow the link to see what everyone is celebrating about!

Finally Some Sewing!

Between reading up on new appliances, caulking/painting/constantly vacuuming, and multiple trips to the hardware store (Boy, are kitchen remodels extremely disruptive!), I finally escaped for a day of sewing with friends.  It felt so good to finally be able to sit for an extended period of time and just put a ton of thread through fabric. 

I so enjoyed just chain piecing my little heart out.

A friend of mine just bought a beautiful new home and a few of us met there to sew.  Knowing I love scraps, she brought out not one but three tubs of scraps!  AND a large trash bag full!!  

Needless to say, I was in scrap heaven.

While I desperately wanted to immediately dive right in to those colorful bits of wonderful fabric, I made myself focus on getting all the blocks for my Double Crossed quilt all sewn up.

I now have all 80 blocks made so I hope to share a finished quilt top soon.

When I did finally get to those scraps, I found a few sewn strip sets that were just waiting to be made into something.  As most of the work was done, all I had to do was chop them up into 2 1/2" bits and sew them into these cute little nine patches.

 

I also found a bunch of interesting triangles that were already cut.  I simply paired them up just to see what they would look like.

Some I sewed a print to a Kona Ash solid and some I sewed a print to another print.

     

Once I got home, I got to thinking the scraps looked pretty familiar and sure enough, after look through my pictures, I saw this quilt I had quilted for my friend.  I think all of the scraps came from the assembly of this beautiful quilt top.

Here is the little baby quilt I ended up making from all those bits.  I floated the 9 patches in some Kona Ash sashing and used the triangles for an interesting border.  As you can see, the outside border is a little ruffled.  As I didn't trim down any of the pieces, I expected some fit issues.  I will quilt them out once I get this on my quilting machine. 

Luckily I have a two week reprieve on the kitchen as I await the granite and the tile.  I am hoping to get caught back up on my projects.  I have so much I want to share!! 

Linking up with Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday, Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River and Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.