July 2020 Monthly Color Challenge

I'm joining Jen Shaffer once again for her fun monthly block/color challenge. Last year's challenge was based on flowers while this year is for the birds.  July's bird is the American Robin

© Dakota Lynch/Wikimedia Commons (CC 3.0)

The colors shown for the robin were a rusty orange and so I decided to work with the same orangy palette that I used last year. Isn't it a cool block!!! And I added the yellow of his beak too.

Don't forget to stop by Jen's blog in July to pick up the FREE pattern. **Each month's pattern is free for the month on Jen's blog.** And if you post your completed block on her link-u[ you will be eligible for great prizes!!

Sponsors and Prizes: July thru September

Quilters Chic - PDF Pattern

For The Love of Geese - PDF Pattern

Carole Lyle Shaw - Pattern and Grunge bundle

Quilters Dream Batting - Dream 80/20 - 60" x 60"

The Fat Quarter Shop - Fabric Bundle

I used two different tools to mark my sewing lines. The blue Fons & Porter tool also lets you mark the middle cutting line. I wasn't using my regular machine so it was nice to just stitch along the marked lines.

Chain stitching the half square triangle blocks, sewing one side and then the other for efficiency.

Getting ready to trim up the blocks with a ruler marked with painter's tape to make it easier to see the important measurement.

Just little slivers to trim off. Nice not to have waste and to get great results.

Trimmed and pressed - you can see the nice instructions that Jen provides!

The little half squares become cute 4 patches.

And then are paired with the larger half squares to make rows to finish up the block.

Here's this month's block with the card trick from last year's color challenge.

See more versions of this super fun block by visiting the other

July Bloggers

Wendy - Peaceful Thoughts

Claudia - Create with Claudia

Kathleen - Kathleen McMusing

Stephanie - Steph Jacobson Designs

Sandra - Textile Time Travels

Fawn - Quilty Creations By Fawn

Stephanie - Quilt'n Party

Antique (Inspired) Hand Quilting Month - Cheddar Baskets Day 23

Here is my hand quilted miniature Cheddar Baskets quilt made for the American Quilt Study Group 2016 Quilt Study of Basket Quilts. It is currently traveling with the Baskets exhibits. Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge and see details!

Here's my top (left) with the antique on the right. The original had only 3 fabrics, cheddar, blue, and pink. I kept that color scheme but used 13 different pinks and 13 different blues for a scrappier look. I use foundation paper piecing for the baskets and the sawtooth border. I hand quilted using the same patterns as used on the original.

And the full antique quilt - Mennonite Baskets Quilt, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, circa 1890.

Month of Hand Quilting - Antique Inspired Quilted Joy Day 21

Here is my version of yesterday's antique Quilted Joy, Rose of Sharon quilt. Quilted Joy Too!
Hand appliqued and hand quilted. It is the star one of my newest classes where teach my method of almost no prep applique and also share antique quilts from the Starley Quilt Collection.

Yes, I did a lot of applique and hand quilting on this repro quilt! And yes, you can now purchase a PATTERN on my Etsy Shop.

Imagine spending a day creating a delightful quilt, learning applique, and drooling over beautiful antique quilts!

The full quilt - Quilted Joy Too   36" x 36"

December Blog-a-thon Begins - A Month of Hand Quilting

I'm joining the December 31 Days of blogging challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda once again. I will be sharing hand quilting both old and new all month. Each day will feature a different hand quilted quilt.  

Click on link to Cheryl's blog above to join in the fun or to follow along with other bloggers.

Here's the after and before shots of my Virginia is For Lovers Quilt. Look at what a difference the quilting makes!

The full quilt - only 16" x 16"! Yes, the flowers above are teeny. A recreation/reproduction of an antique crib quilt in the Starley Quilt Collection. I'll share the antique tomorrow.

Virginia Is For Lovers 16" x 16"
Original Pattern - Sandra Starley
Based on antique quilt in Starley Collection

Quilted Joy! Recreating the Past

Quilted Joy Too - 36" x 36"
2014 - Sandra Starley

I love sharing quilt history through my antique quilt collection both by trunk shows and classes as well as recreating and patterning pieces in the Starley collection. So pleased to announce my newest reproduction pattern Quilted Joy is now available on my Etsy shop. Click here to see details and to purchase.

Detail from antique inspiration quilt

Getting Started With Hand Quilting -Back To School Blog Hop

Have you always wanted to learn to hand quilt?? Well, what is stopping you?

Starting is as simple as picking up some fabric, batting, needle, and thread. 

STOP making it a big deal and

START quilting!!

Just DO IT!!!  And HAVE FUN!!!

So many of us are perfectionists and that leads to paralysis. We tend to wait for that "special quilt" before starting to hand quilt and when we have the special one we are afraid of ruining it ...  Any of this sound familiar?

The best remedy is just to START stitching.

Batik Tulips - Sandra Starley - pattern available

Here are the very simple basics:

1. 15-inch piece of fun fabric for the top, 
2. 15-inch piece of batting (I recommend a thin wool or silk batt), and 
3. 15-inch piece of fabric for the back.
4. Cotton thread
5. Quilting needle
6. Thimble

Folk Art Applique - Sandra Starley- pattern available

Grab a chalk pencil to draw a simple grid or geometric design. Use a white lead for dark fabric or the pencil chalk for light colored top. Or try quilting along the lines of a large plaid or a floral or holiday pattern - no marking needed.

Cheddar Stars -Sandra Starley - pattern available

Layer starting with backing wrong side facing up, batting, top fabric right side facing up. Hand baste (simple running stitch through all 3 layers) or pin to secure. And don't forget a thimble to protect your finger. Think of this as a test and don't put pressure on yourself. It is only a little bit of fabric. Get comfortable with the process on this sample instead of your great masterpiece. If you like it make it into a pillow, if not, save it to look back on in a few years and see your progress.

Detail - Virginia Is For Lovers - Sandra Starley

Just Try It!!
Thread a quilting needle with a cotton thread - it doesn't have to be special quilting thread or a super teeny needle. You will need to tie a small double knot at the end of the thread and pull it through into the batting. Use your needle to pull the thread end out of sight. There are two basic stitches: rocking stitch or stab stitch. Try both and see which you like. Try different battings - see which suits YOU best. Same with needles and thread. Find your bliss!!

Mini Moab Landscape - Sandra Starley - pattern available

HAVE FUN!!!
Hand quilt where it will show - block centers, borders. Feel free to machine quilt in the ditch, in seams, etc. Showcase the hand quilting. As you grow in confidence start using fun, bright threads and bolder designs/patterns.

Detail Pennsylvania Posies - Sandra Starley

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Keep on Learning - visit the rest of the blog hop stops to learn something new everyday this month!

Here’s the blog hop team and their topics: 

Day 1 – September 1 – Sam Hunter: Sewing Long Seams Without Stretching – huntersdesignstudio.com

Day 2 – September 2 – Susan Arnold – Joining Binding the Easy Way – quiltfabrication.com

Day 3 – September 3 – Angie Wilson – Fussy cutting tips and techniques – www.gnomeangel.com

Day 4 – September 4 – Andi Stanfield – No-Mark HST: Let your machine be your guide – truebluequilts.com/blog/

Day 5 – September 5 – Bobbie Gentili – Say YES to Y-seams – geekybobbin.com

Day 6 – September 6 – Mel Beach – 5 Reasons to Say Woo Hoo! to School Glue – pieceloveandhappiness.blogspot.com

Day 7 – September 7 – Laura Piland – 7 Ways to Use a Laser on Your Sewing Machine – www.sliceofpiquilts.com

Day 8 – September 8 – Suzy Webster – How to solve loops in free motion quilting – www.websterquilt.com

Day 9 – September 9 – Tara Miller – Accurate Stitch-and-Flip Corners – quiltdistrict.com

Day 10 – September 10 – Latifah Saafir – Accurate Seams Using Masking Tape! – latifahsaafirstudios.com

Day 11 – September 11 – Sarah Ruiz – The Magic of Glue Basting – saroy.net

Day 12 – September 12 – Jen Shaffer – Ways to stop your ruler from slipping while cutting – patternsbyjen.blogspot.com

Day 13 – September 13 – Cheryl Sleboda – Basics of ruching (a vintage fabric manipulation technique) – muppin.com

Day 14 – September 14 – Raylee Bielenberg – Choosing quilting designs for your quilt – www.sunflowerstitcheries.com

Day 15 – September 15 – Jen Strauser – Accurate and Attractive Machine binding – dizzyquilter.com

Day 16 – September 16 – Jane Davidson – Matching points for all types of intersections – quiltjane.com

Day 17 – September 17 – Teresa Coates – Starch and starch alternatives – teresacoates.com

Day 18 – September 18 – Jen Frost – Benefits of spray basting – faithandfabricdesign.com

Day 19 – September 19 – Sandra Starley – Getting started with Hand Quilting – utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com

Day 20 – September 20 – Karen Platt – Drunkard’s Path Made Easy – karenplatt.co.uk/blog/

Day 21 – September 21 – Kris Driessen – All Kinds of Square (in a Square) – scrapdash.com

Day 22 – September 22 – Sarah Goer – Planned Improv Piecing – sarahgoerquilts.com

Day 23 – September 23 – Kathy Bruckman – Organizing kits for on-the-go sewing – kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com

Day 24 – September 24 – Cheryl Daines Brown – The Secret to Flat Quilt Tops: Borders – quilterchic.com

Day 25 – September 25 – Cherry Guidry – Pre-assembling fusible applique – cherryblossomsquilting.com

Day 26 – September 26 – Laura Chaney – Getting started with English Paper Piecing – prairiesewnstudios.com

Day 27 – September 27 – Ebony Love – Cutting Bias Strips from a Rectangle – lovebugstudios.com

Day 28 – September 28 – Tammy Silvers – Working with heavier weight threads in your machine – tamarinis.typepad.com

Day 29 – September 29 – Kathy Nutley – Create a perfect facing or frame with 90 degree angles – quiltingsbykathy.com

Day 30 – September 3 – Joanne Harris – Using Leaders and Enders – quiltsbyjoanne.blogspot.com

Back To School Blog Hop 2019

 Sam Hunter is once again heading up her fun and super informative Back to School Blog Hop 2019 for the whole month of September. Yes, a whole month FULL of great tips and tutorials! You can easily accomplish your goal of learning something new every day by following/hopping along!

Visit Sam's blog to see all the links and be sure to come back here on Day 19 (9/19) to learn how to get started on hand quilting. I'll show you how easy it is to get started and how much fun you can have in the zen zone of hand quilting. All you need is some fabric, batting, needle, and thread and finally "making that first stitch!"

2019 Monthly Color Challenge -June Challenge -Orange

I’m participating in PBJ -Patterns By Jen’s Monthly Color Challenge for June and the focus color is orange. Each month is a different pieced pattern with a color scheme inspired by a special flower. This month's color is orange and the flower is the Sundaze Blaze Strawflower. The block is a 12" Card Trick. The pattern is here -available for free for the month of June. Scroll down to the end of the post to find links for the other bloggers participating in this month's challenge.

Strawflowers are super cool - they are the perfect cut/dried flower as they are almost already dried as a new bloom.

I  chose June because it is my birth month and because I LOVE ORANGE quilts and strawflowers too. So my first task was to decide which group of orange fabrics to use for my block. One option was Halloween but that didn't seem very true to the floral inspiration.

Next, I looked at Cheddar Orange antique reproduction fabrics which I often use in repro quilts but again, they didn't seem to capture the strawflower.

The third choice was the charm, a selection of orange prints and batiks.

For all the choices I took pictures and played with the black and white feature to determine the value or contrast between the fabrics. **Take a picture on your phone and edit color to black/white. Or put the fabrics on a copier and copy on black/white. These fabrics don't have a lot of contrast between dark/medium/light but there is enough to make an effective block.

Card Trick or "It's All About the Triangles"  :)

All of the steps/parts of the Card Trick pattern involve triangles and most involve diagonal seam half square triangles.

The first step is making 1/2 square triangles for the 4 corners. Take 2 squares, draw a diagonal line and sew a 1/4" on both sides of the marked line. Cut apart on the marked line. 2 square sets (light/medium and light/dark) make 4 1/2 square triangles. 

Next is to make the block center which is an hourglass. You repeat the diagonal seam 1/2 square triangle method with a medium and dark square. Cut apart and press. Carefully, place the 2 squares right sides together with opposite colors touching (see photo) so that you will create an X, 

Draw another diagonal line on the back of one of the 1/2 squares and again sew 1/4" on both sides of the line. Cut apart and press. You will have an extra hourglass block.

The final 4 blocks are pieced triangles - simply sew 2 small triangles and then add a larger triangle to make a square. These blocks go in the North, South, East and West positions and are the blocks that really create the Card Trick illusion.

The final steps are joining the 9 blocks together in rows and then sewing the rows together to create a 12" block.
 It is a fun block to make but you do need to be precise in your sewing. I used batiks so I didn't have to worry about right or wrong sides or bias stretching.

*********The other bloggers joining in the fun besides Jen and me are:
Kathy Nester of Penny For My Thoughts
Kathy Bruckman of Kathy's Kwilts

Text It! Blog Hop and 2 Giveaways

3/18 **GIVEAWAYS CLOSED** Lucky winners are Janet and Barb

I'm a huge fan of Word Play quilts/text on quilts. So when I heard there was a new book on the subject, I had to join in the fun. I’m so excited to share TEXT IT! Quilts and Pillows with Something to Say and my project from the book, the Home Pillow. **Don't forget to scroll down for the book giveaway and also a thread giveaway. ** Sherri Noel is the author and she has done an excellent job.

Here's my "Home Quilt" top. I'm really happy with how it has turned out so far ... I made 5 houses, instead of 6 in the pattern, to fit a handy pillow form but now I'm thinking of making it into a wall quilt. Size is 15 x 15.

The original version.

To see more Home Projects, visit the other stops for the project (see full hop list further down).

TUESDAY MARCH 12 - HOME PILLOW
Joanne Harris - QuiltsbyJoanne  **Canadian resident giveaway**
Patty Dudek - ElmstreetQuilts
Andy Knowlton -ABrightCorner
Sandra Starley - UtahQuiltAppraiser
Cindy Pieters - StitchinAtHome  **Canadian resident giveaway**

These little house blocks (3 x 6) are just too cute

Such fun and easy piecing- rectangles and squares for the main section.

And diagonal squares to make the roof. Great instructions for everything. I used bright and happy batiks for the blocks and Carrie Bloomston's Newsprint fabric for the background. I really like the combination of b/w and batiks and of course, I had to use text fabric for the TEXT IT project.

The next step was to decide how to add the text. Here was my auditioning. I decided to use chenille yarn and hand couch the yarn to create "home". I haven't couched in years, I've going to have to do more! The pattern uses bias strips for this lettering and a number of other great techniques for lettering. It includes 7!! different alphabets, a delightful variety of fonts/styles even a alphabet composed of English paper pieced hexagons. You will love all the fun projects - 10 in all.

*****GIVEAWAYS****

#1 Martingale is giving away a hard copy of this great new book to one of my readers. US only.

#2 Auriful Thread is giving away - 2 large spools, colors will vary. Available worldwide.

   To enter, please leave one comment with your favorite phrase/buzzword/motto and the country in which you live. If you are a no-reply blogger, be sure to add your email. If you are not sure, add your email so I can contact you. I will do 2 random number drawings at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 17.

BLOG HOP STOPS

MONDAY MARCH 4 – BEE HAPPY

PAMELA JANE MORGAN –MYSWEETLITTLESTITCHES                      

SHARON LILABELLE LANE – LILABELLELANECREATIONS

TUESDAY MARCH 5 – INFINITY Quilt

LAURA PILAND – SLICEOFPIQUILTS

LEANNE PARSONS – DEVOTEDQUILTER

KATIE MUTER STARCHER – KATIEMAEQUILTS

WEDNESDAY MARCH 6 – PILLOW TALK

KATE COLLERAN – SEAMSLIKEADREAM

CHERYL DAINES BROWN – QUILTERCHIC

DORIE HRUSKA – FOREVER-QUILTING

THURSDAY MARCH 7 – FREEDOM Quilt

JEN SHAFFER – PATTERNSBYJEN

TARA MILLER – QUILTDISTRICT

LYNN KANE – PUPPYGIRLDESIGNS

FRIDAY MARCH 8 – LOVING YOU Wall Hanging

ELLEN AULT –HANDMADE3D

SHERRI NOEL – REBECCAMAEDESIGNS

MONDAY MARCH 11 – COUNTING SHEEP Baby Quilt

DEANNE EISENMAN – SNUGGLESQUILTS

RAEWYN BARGE – STITCHINGFARMGIRL

SUSAN PELLAND – SUEPELLANDDESIGNS

TUESDAY MARCH 12 - HOME PILLOW

Joanne Harris - QuiltsbyJoanne  **Canadian resident giveaway**

Patty Dudek - ElmstreetQuilts

Andy Knowlton -ABrightCorner  

Sandra Starley - UtahQuiltAppraiser

Cindy Pieters - StitchinAtHome  **Canadian resident giveaway**

WEDNESDAY MARCH 13 – LIFE IS SHORT Wall hanging

BECCA FENSTERMAKER – PRETTYPINEY

KATIE BOCK – SEWINGWITHKATIE

ALLA BLANCA – RAINBOWSBUNNIESCUPCAKES

THURSDAY MARCH 14 – HUSTLE PILLOW

TERRI BANDEN BOSCH – MEANDERINGSALONGLIZARDCREEK

WILLOW OLSON – BEARPAWDESIGNBLOG

ERIN SAMPSON – AURIBUZZ

FRIDAY MARCH 15 – SEWING MACHINE MAT

LAUREN WRIGHT – MOLLYANDMAMA

SANDRA HEALY – SANDRAHEALYDESIGNS

CHERYL KRISEL LYNCH –CHERYLLYNCHQUILTS

SATURDAY MARCH 16 – WRAP UP

SHERRI NOEL – REBECCAMAEDESIGNS