Friday, September 16, 2016

Fort Worth Fabric Friday Bundle, I get to play!!

Happy Friday everyone!

How honored was I when Jodie from Fort Worth Fabric Studio asked me if I would like to play with one of her Friday Fabric Bundles.
Yes! Thank you I would love to!
So this fun bundle arrived in the mail. Oh the possibilities!

Here it is Boo Bash


Just look at this fun Fat Quarter Bundle!

You can purchase the bundle

 So many ideas swam in my head but I finally decided on a hexie Halloween Pillow.



Materials Needed. ALL fabric is from Fort Worth Fabric  Studio

Adorable Fat Quarter Bundle Of Boo Bash
1/2 yard Halloween Print for backing
One yard of Kona white for front and back of hexie top
24 inch square of batting
English Paper Piecing Hexies, also found at Fort Worth Fabric Studio
Pillow Form 18 inch square
Black embroidery floss 

Let's get started!

I love hand work so I decided I would love to work with hexies. Hexies are a great take along project or a relaxing in front of the TV project.
(If hexies make you a little nervous, I have a tutorial listed on the right side of my blog). 

I first cut a 3 1/2 inch strip of fabric. (Width of Fabric) from each fat quarter. Then cut the strips into 3 1/2 inch squares for hexies.
Make a nice pile of assorted hexies to turn into flowers.
For this size pillow you will need ten hexie flowers. I choose the white with the black dots to be my focal print, you may decide to use a different print. No worries, there is a lot of fabric!




After I made the flowers I choose one to be the middle. Next I surrounded the flower with a ring of white with black dots. You can use any fabric you choose for this step.
Attache the rest of the flowers in any order you like to form the one large flower.



At this point I then removed the paper hexies. I sprayed it with starch and gave it a nice firm ironing. I did not pull, just a nice up down motion as to not stretch the hexies.


Ok, Now you have this large hexie flower piece.
What do you do with it?

This is what I did.....
I pretend it is a mini quilt.
There will be a backing, batting, top with the hexie flower.
Lay out your backing. In my case Kona White.
Spray Baste
Add batting
Spray baste batting
add top piece of Kona White
Spray baste a little of the hexie flower back being careful to not get spray on the front of the Kona Top
Center your flower on the Kona top and smooth.
I also added pins.
I like to pin!

At this point use any technique you like to attach the flower. 
Machine quilt a grid. 
Hand quilt. 
Applique.

I choose to use black embroidery floss, finca size eight, and hand quilted with a big stitch around each and very side of every hexie.




Top done!
Let's make a pillow!!

 Also found at Fort Worth Fabric Studio. The backing I used for my pillow.
Frightful & Delightful by First Blush Designs for Henry Glass. 
 Found HERE
By the way, it glows in the dark!!




There are many tutorials on the internet for making a pillow cover but this in the one I prefer. It opens in the back so you can take you pillow out and change the cover for different Holiday's. 




I would also like you to see how much fabric I have left. I was thinking I would make some cute towels trimmed in these adorable Halloween fabrics.



And here it is, a Hexie Halloween Pillow





Every Friday Fort Worth Fabric Studio has a fun Friday Bundle.
But don't forget they also carry a large selection of beautiful fabrics.

Thank you to Jodi for allowing me to play with these adorable fabrics.

Happy Sewing! 


Tuesday, August 30, 2016

My Picnic Quilt

Every once in awhile I make a quilt that I just fall in love with, this happens to be one of those quilts!
I am sure many of you are familiar with Lori Holt from
She has an amazing book called Farm Gril vintage.  This quilt was in her book and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it! 
It is hand pieced and hand quilted.




 I will leave you with this...
I have no idea what to do with Washi Tape but my college daughter used it to spruce up her dorm room.
I am not that crafty!




I hope everyone enjoys their nice long weekend. 




Tuesday, August 16, 2016

My Granddaughters Quilt

The next project I would like to share is my 4 1/2 year old Granddaughters quilt.
My daughter redid her room and it is pink!!

So I had my daughter come to the house to pick fabrics and this is what she chose.


All but the red/aqua floral are Bloom and Bliss from Riley Blake Designs.


I still piece and quilt by hand. So here in pictures is the progression from start to finish.

 Sets of two become blocks.




 Blocks get laid out in a pleasing pattern.


 Basting, worst job on the planet!!


The part I love the best, Hand Quilting!!


A finish!


She also chose Bloom and Bliss for the backing.


And I am going to leave you with this...

My father was a newspaper man. He printed and sold TV guides to newspapers. When they were at the end of a run he would frequently print coloring books for us to take to school. The nuns would be thrilled and as a little girl I was so proud. They would ask him to stay and read a book. He would always read Green Eggs and Ham.
When a picture of this mug was posted on Instagram I knew I wanted to own it. Thank you sweet IG friend for helping me find the mug and giving me these memories.


You can get the mug HERE





Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Summer Project Update


I am not sure about you but I do not do a lot of quilting over the summer.
Family and fun come to the forefront.
But
I have a project list I made in the Spring for myself and I thought I would post the projects one at a time to show you what I have been up to over the last few months.

Here is the list....
Red working on
Red crossed off, completed.


1. Niece's graduation quilt.
2.Granddaughter's Quilt
3. Halloween quilt , basted.
4. Sailboat quilt top pieced from my sweet bee sisters.
5. Farm girl vintage. Put blocks into top. Sashing and cornerstones cut.
6. Picnic quilt -Done
7. Continue on my diamond EPP project. Starting to make stars
8. Boy baby quilt.
9. Feed company quilt. Working on Blocks.
10. Make Harry Potter quilt with my 7 year old grandson.  He laid out his pattern and we have started!
11. Redwork snowman embroidery .
12. my double gauze flower sugar quilt. 
13.  Two pillowcase made for my grandson.
14 Sweet Bee Blocks Done
15. Plus blocks sent.
16. Flag Quilt Top Done and basted.
17. Pattern Tested a Tote Bag. 


My Nieces High School Graduation Quilt

She choose the fabrics.
I laid them out to see which layout I liked best, then made a Rail Fence Quilt.




Some sad news on Memorial Day we lost our Bulldog Sophie. She was 7 years old and it happened in a 12 hour period. She did not suffer. She was having a hard time breathing. We took her in and her soft pallet was swollen, one lung collapsed, and her esophagus was no longer attached. There was nothing they could do, it was very hard on our college daughter as that was her dog.



It took our girl Charley a while to realize Sophie was not coming back, but now getting bigger and fills our home with joy. 



She loves to swim, even in the kiddie pool!



I am going to leave you with this as I know it applies to so many of us!



I will be back with more show and tell projects.
Happy Sewing!



Monday, April 4, 2016

Diamonds Anyone?


I love to English Paper Piece. I have done a lot of hexies. I even have a tutorial on my blog if you would like to take a peek.
So, now I want to try something different.
Diamonds!
College Softball season has started and EPP is the perfect take along project!  Four hours in the car, a hotel, four hours back, you can get a lot done!
So while I watch my daughter pitch on the softball diamond, I can work on EPP diamonds!  Get It!!  I know, not funny!
Anyway here are some pictures of what I am doing.







Only a few hundred to go!!
Happy Sewing!

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Sailing, Sailing!!!!

I am so blessed, I was asked to be part of a quilting bee.  We are called the The Sew Sweet Bees and the queen bee is Donna from Donna's Lavender Nest.
I was lucky to get January! 

 I asked the members if they would make me a sailboat block using fat quarter shop snapshot sailboat in daysail fabric  Look at the wonderful blocks I received!

I cannot wait to make this quilt! 

Do you see the little label on member made for me! 


I need to make two more boats and I thought it would be fun to have a big anchor in the middle. (even though I do not applique!)


Other members blocks


February queen bee asked for hearts in flower sugar fabrics.


March queen bee asked for Surround Star in 1930's Fabrics.


Both of these blocks are from tutorials that are from Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew.  Amazing tutorials!!

I cannot wait to see what our April queen bee will want!

Happy Sewing 

Monday, March 28, 2016

Wall-Hanging Flimsy Finished

 I took the cover off my Juki and put borders on this pinwheel quilt I started last spring. Now I do not know if this is just me or if others do this too, but this is just the top! She is so far down in the queue to be basted and quilted I thought I would hang her and enjoy her for the spring. 
Pattern Gracie's Garden by Karen Bennett. Fabrics from my stash except the green dots as I wanted a nice bright green.






Happy sewing