Progress

This week, over at  Amanda's A Crafty Fox's blog, we are cutting our fabrics into strips and then diamonds and hexagons. (I LOVE hexagons and star flowers, so this is bound to be a keeper.)

 

I really cannot wait to see how we construct the quilt top. It'll be fun to play with the diamonds to see what pattern I end up with.

 

My sixth Swoon block is now complete - only three to go. 

 

 

I need to work on accuracy when working with half square triangles. I've been wondering if the marking pen I've been using doesn't have a sharp enough tip which is causing my seam allowances to be slightly off periodically which shifts things for the whole block. While this won't really affect the quilt as a whole, I really prefer accurate piecing. I'm going to try using a mechanical pencil for my next block to see if there is a difference.

 

Our family spent a day at a corn maze/family farm last Saturday - it was gorgeous and hot. We had to soak the dirt off the kids that night, but it was definitely worth it - they loved every sweaty, dusty, laughing moment.

 

 

There was a porch with a row of rainbow painted rocking chairs. It was so beautiful.

 

And it was the perfect spot for a little person to sit and breathe... 

 

 

 

... before getting up to run again.

 

 

Today, I'm linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced's Work In Progress Wednesday.

 

Scrappy Minky Blanket

This week has found me with my hands in a few different pies (pun intended).

I was trying to use up some really old scrap squares that have been sitting around for about 7 years. The kids and I sewed them into rows and pieced together a really simple quilt top. I pieced a couple minky remnants from other blankets and we had our backing. I like how bright and cheery the quilt top is. I quilted it with a simple grid pattern.

 

The entire quilt was made using fabric/batting/binding I had in my stash (I love an all stash quilt making almost as much as I love buying fabric.)

 

I've had the occasion to sew with minky quite a few times in the past 8 months. I was pretty intimidated by the reputation it has for shifting around while quilting and stretching. I've made two receiving blankets backed with minky as well as two quilts recently and I've become a bit more comfortable with it. One thing I've learned is to use a basting spray and to carefully stay stitch around the edge of the quilt - this holds the layers together. For the binding, to reduce bulk, I used a zig zag and finished the outer edge of the quilt after attaching the binding, but before flipping it to the back side. It worked really well.

 

This blanket was intended for a general use, family blanket/picnic blanket/beach blanket, but I think a certain son of mine has adopted it. I've already found him cuddled up on the floor sleeping on it.

 

This week, the same little man spent a bit of time practicing his sewing in a straight line.

 

 

They aren't quilts, but yesterday, I baked 5 pies for a family event. I love summer fruit! Two more are being made today with the rest of the pie crust.

 

 

The pie above is a fantastic recipe called "Grandma Ople's Apple Pie". The brown on top is caramel that has been drizzled over the lattice and baked that way. Mmm... so yummy. Yesterday's version needed to be tested, so we are making a fresh one for the "do" tonight.

 

And it wouldn't be summer without a fresh peach pie.

 

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.

 

Happy crafting!

 

 

 

 

 

Stash Busting and a New Quilt-Along

When I first started quilting, about 8 years ago. I went on a flannel kick. A very large flannel kick. I was obsessed with it and was thrilled to find that flannel was cheap. Unfortunately, it took a couple years to realize that cheap flannel is just that. Regardless, the few "all flannel" quilts I've made have held together relatively well, despite being rather faded. Since then I've learned that investing in better quality fabrics is worth the cost.

Unfortunately, that flannel kick left me with quite a few left overs which have been sitting in my stash. This weekend, I decided to let the kids go to town and pick what they liked and generally describe how they would want a quilt made out of flannel to look.

We ended up with a slab quilt (my first).

 

For the back, I used a sort of experimental/accidental top I made a few years ago. It's been waiting to find it's other half.

 

As far as quilting goes, I did a simple grid and didn't use batting, to keep it lightweight. I'll bind it with a scrappy binding using up the last bits and pieces. I figured this would turn out to be a good picnic/beach blanket for my oldest son. It's very bright and busy - a happy kind of quilt. And best of all, it blew through almost all of my "boy" scraps of flannel and a WIP to boot.

 

I have yet to draft my daughters play quilt with the "girl" flannels that are left in the stash.

 

We've set up my old sewing machine in our studio/workspace for my kids to practice on. There is a certain inevitability to this picture.

 

 

 

On a different note, I've joined another quilt-along and I can't wait to start. Amanda, from "A Crafty Fox", is hosting a "Star Flower Quilt Along". I adore stars and can't wait to see how this goes. I've decided to use the every other color scheme and alternate polka dots with my stash of "Happy Go Lucky" (my current favorite line), and a few prints from another fave line, "Avalon". I was astonished to find, upon inspection, SO MANY polka dots in my stash (and still not quite enough). I'll be slicing into these stacks today.

 

 

Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

New Beginnings

To quote another craft blogger as she began her entry to the world of blogging.... Here I go.

I've always wanted to blog and have been so inspired by so many craft bloggers out in the Blogiverse that I wanted to join in the fun. If nothing else, it'll allow me to catalogue my crafting journey.

This week has found me completing a couple more "Swoon" quilt blocks (designed by Camille Roskelley of Simplify). These blocks are addicting to make. I seriously LOVE them. I want to make a king size quilt out of them and will probably increase the amount of blocks from 9 to 16.

Here are my first 3:

For these blocks, I've used "Vintage Modern" by Bonnie and Camille. I love, love, love these fabrics.

This is the first time I've ever made the "flying goose" block - I was shocked at how easy it was. I've saved up the little triangles that you end up cutting off to put towards my "Farmer's Wife" quilt that is in the works (but more about that in another post).

That should do it for now. Till next time...

Jade