hello darling!

I've been lucky enough to be able to make several "Sew Together" pouches the past year or so. I had no idea I had made so many until I started to tally them the other day - I think it's seven all together.
(Beware - they are addictive.)

This past week, I've been working on a special custom pouch for someone's daughter. The daughter loves Hello Darling (who doesn't) by Bonnie and Camille. And I just happened to have a bunch of squares left over from another upcoming project/WIP.

When making a patchwork exterior, I found that 2 1/2" squares (these are from a charm pack that I quartered) work perfectly. Seven rows of five squares are just about the perfect dimensions. If you are quilting it, wait till you have finished quilting before trimming. I found I only needed to trim about 1/8" off either side of the long edges and about 3/8" off the short edges. The exact amount, of course, will depend on the accuracy of your quarter inch seams.

For some reason, zippers just never get old. It's almost time to put another order in. Getting zippers in the mail ranks right up there with getting fabric in the mail.

I think a large part of what makes this pouch fun to make is the quantity of fabrics it uses. You can mix ranges and fabrics and colors and zippers and change the feel completely. It makes my color loving soul SO happy.

I used several Lecien fabric florals on the inside. They are just so gorgeous.

I really liked working with the person who requested this pouch - she had very specific opinions and choices in the zips and binding choices. And they really worked. Where I might have leaned to red in some cases, she leaned to aqua, and the overall effect is a very soothing palette with a splash of sunshine on the inside.

It feels so good to wrap this project up. The to-do list is getting shorter and shorter and I can't wait to fill it with some new goals and projects for 2016.

Linking with Crazy Mom Quilts for finish it Friday. Thanks for popping by!

a stitchy update

First of all, I want to thank everyone for stopping by last week and leaving lovely comments on my Sewvivor audition. I am humbled and amazed to report that I made it in as a contestant in the top 16. To be quite honest, I didn't think I was going to make it, as the competition is quite fierce. I've come to the conclusion that the next little while will be fueled by coffee, adrenaline and very little sleep. I'll keep you posted on how things go. You can also follow along over at Family Ever After.

In other stitchy news, I've been bitten. I held off for so long, but my Instagramming crafty friend, M, of Three Owls finally convinced me to take the plunge into the hexie (hexy??) world. And I finally quelled the fear and did it. And guess what? I'm hooked.

I can't get over how satisfying hexagons are! Also, I love the hand-sewing aspect. Take three minutes of basting and you get a little instant shot of cuteness.
I suspect you'll be seeing more of these in the months to come.

A few things I've learned:

1. I love thread basting. I can't imagine using glue, but will try it when I get the appropriate glue for educations sake.

2. Take small bites if you don't want your threads to show through on the top of the hexagon.

my first hexagon flower - see the little stitches?

3. Using enough thread tension (pulling stitches nice and tight) when stitching the hexagons together also helps reduce thread showing through the top.

Less little stiches showing...

4. I need a bigger pouch/organizer. Someone said I'd giggle once I was hooked that I initially thought this pouch would suffice. They were right. :)

And that's it for now friends. Thank you for stopping by. I'm off to go tackle my ridiculously long crafty to do list.

xo
Jade

a cotton blossoms finish

This weeks finish has appeared in more than one blog post over the last year and has been a WIP for about 5 years.

I've been working really hard lately on getting organized (although the state of my sewing room suggests otherwise), clearing out old WIPs, finishing them, or deciding to let go, as the case may be.

This quilt was started using a pattern called Once Around the Block, designed for jelly roll quilts and charm squares. I knew almost immediately that I disliked it, but I'd already cut out some blocks and (5 years ago) had zero confidence in my skills to change it. And so I lost my motivation and it became a big, fat, guilty WIP (work in progress).

I was really close to donating the project as is and calling it a day. But, I realized that I loved the fabric too much to do this.
After a lot of mulling, I decided I couldn't follow the pattern through to the end and revamped it and modernized it. I kept the blocks I'd made to date, and using the remaining strips (there were tons still) to make new blocks.

For the new blocks, I took the jelly roll strips and pieced basic four patches and which I then framed in linen to make a new type of block which would alternate with the original block. The linen gives a modern feel and texture and a place to rest the eye. It also completely brightened the look of the whole quilt.

The dimensions I used for the new block are a four patch using 2.5" wide jelly roll strips, two pieces of linen, 4.5" wide by 2.75" and then on top and bottom, two strips that measure 9" by 2.75". The block size will be 8.5" finished, or 9" unfinished.

The original block is basically a charm square that is used as the center of a log cabin with jelly roll strips working outwards.

The layout is 9 rows of 7 blocks, giving the quilt a finished size of 60" x 77". This includes 32 original blocks and 31 new blocks.

Once I'd changed the pattern, I fell in love with this quilt again, and couldn't wait to finish. I backed it in a cuddly minky fabric. For quilting I used an all-over loopy stitch - which has become my new favorite all-over design. It's SO fast. And since there were still lots of strips left over, I made a scrappy binding, also a new favorite.

This soft and cozy quilt will be headed to a family member that I love and haven't seen in years as she lives on the other side of the continent. I am SO happy I didn't give up and figured out a way to make a quilt that I both love and can be proud of in the end. I cannot wait to get it in the mail.

Photo Credit goes to my oldest son.

Hope you've had an awesome week!

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday.

a mini finish

The finish I'm blogging about this week was actually made a few weeks ago, but I hadn't had the chance to get decent pictures. That being said, for some reason, I still cannot seem to get a decent whole shot of it. I think I need better lighting, or perhaps, some actual sunlight?

Anyways. Moving on.

The pattern is one of Camille Roskelley of Simplify's mini patterns. This one is the mini Swoon. I love it. 

I am on a "use it or lose it" kind of kick lately, so I pieced this using some of my tiny stash of Ruby by Bonnie and Camille. To accent the Ruby, I used Riley Blake's La Creme polka dots. (Seriously, what else would I use?)

This mini quilt measures about 19" square. The finished block size is about 8.5 inches, and the smallest piecing cut was 1.5 inches.

I have a confession to make. For some reason, when making this, I read the instructions about trimming the finished blocks wrong and accidentally trimmed my blocks way too much. As a result, some of my points have been cut off. <<headsmack>>

I may also have a bit of an issue with regular sized HST's (half-square triangles). I've learned that micro-sized ones seem to amplify any imperfections and drastically affect block sizes. AND, for some reason, my machine kept wanting to eat up my tiny little blocks. It could be because they were tiny little blocks.  In retrospect, I should have changed the plate on the machine so that only the needle could fit in (as opposed to the plate with a wider opening for a zig zag stitch). Perhaps it would have eased things a bit.

I may make this again, in the near future, perhaps a bit more accurately. This is a really quick finish for a little project, and it's just so darling.

I'm really loving minis at the moment, but perhaps I need to finish my big Swoon quilt before I venture any further down the path of starting new projects.

Linking up with Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts, for Finish It Up Friday.

a wip progress report

The last few weeks have been ridiculously busy on the crafting front (a good, happy, mildly crazy, kind of busy).

I am currently taking maternity leave. And, I'm dreading my return to work later this year. I have loved every single second I've been able to spend with my little one, and the time I've had with my bigger ones. It's been so precious.

When I return to work, not only will I not be able to spend as much time with my babies, but I'm pretty sure my crafting time will be massively curtailed. We'll have to see. Maybe I will forgo sleep entirely?

With this impending return, I've been working like mad on some ongoing projects as well as trying to complete my outstanding WIPs.

The project I'm showing today has been on my list for a good 4.5 years or so (I don't know exactly when I started it, but it was a LONG time ago.) It is a jelly roll and charm pack friendly quilt. I saw it at a quilting show, and HAD to buy the fabric, called Cotton Blossoms, from Moda. Little did I know at the time, but it was the first line of fabrics from of one of my current absolute favorite fabric duos, Bonnie and Camille.

The pattern is called Once Around The Block. I wish I had known before starting it that it is not chain piecing friendly. It's a sew on a piece, trim, press the seam to one side and repeat kind of pattern. It's slow moving.

I moved this project downstairs to my makeshift studio/dining room (still temporary), and readied it for piecing. Every now and then, I'll walk by, and make a block or two, or seven. If I need a break on my current deadline project, I'll make a block. This method seems to work for me and now I'm well on my way to finishing the blocks.

I keep vacillating on whether I should change the pattern to something more current and use the blocks in a different kind of way, but I haven't decided yet. We'll see. In the meantime, this is my new favorite method for working on a WIP, keeping it right out front and easy to work on alongside everything else.

Linking up to Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday.

"starstruck", a finished quilt and lessons learned

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you have probably heard me going on and on about my star-flower quilt along quilt. I've been working on it since mid-summer. I'm happy to say that it is finally (FINALLY) done. Pieced, basted, quilted and bound. I don't think I've ever been happier to finish a quilt.

I'm calling my quilt "star struck". It measures 66 inches by 72 inches. The fabrics are Happy Go Lucky, by Bonnie and Camille, some Avalon, and a few other stash fabrics that I had on hand. The backing is Aqua Kona Cotton.

The back was pieced with the remaining diamonds from the top. I included a few tiny stars made from the little scraps left over. I love it.

I free-motion quilted it using stacked lines within the stars and stippling everywhere else. I am hooked on free-motion quilting now. And it doesn't scare me anymore, so that's something.

It was bound in a red and white bias print from the "Scrumptious" line by Bonnie and Camille.

I need to get more of this print. It is so pretty.



It's been a bit of a journey. Here's what I've learned:

-    Know what you are getting into when you commit to a project

-    Backstitch at the beginning and ending of seams

-    Take the time to fix your mistakes when you figure this out, even after your quilt top has been sewn together.

-    Remember it's just fabric.... It's really hard to wreck it and if you do, the world won't come to a halt

-    Stretch your comfort levels... Try new things or techniques that intimidate you

-    Be inspired by other crafters but don't compare

-    Press, press, and press some more

-    Break the quilt down into chunk sized tasks

-    Be proud when you accomplish one of these tasks

-    Press your seams open

-    Don't bite off more than you can chew (ie. a really complicated quilt back)

-    But if you do, chew it well, and admire the effect

-    Sleep periodically

-    Don't be annoyed when your family asks for dinner.... Again.

-    If you are having a bad sewing day and making really obvious mistakes, put it down and try again tomorrow

-    Know when to pick out stitches and when to embrace them

-    Remember. It's just a quilt... Not brain surgery. No one will die (or even notice) if you make a mistake. Hopefully.

-    When you've put upwards of a hundred hours into a project, savor every stitch of the binding. Revel in it. You are almost there.

-    When free-motion quilting, periodically re-tighten your machine foot. Apparently they can wiggle loose.

-    Try to remember that you have children needing to be picked up from school. (If applicable)

-    When doing that, try to remember not to show up at the school looking like you've been hiding in a cave for a year with thread in your hair.

-    Do your best, not someone else's.

-    Know when to give up on an idea if you just don't like it. Don't be afraid to take time and re-evaluate.

-    Blink when quilting. (Took me a while to figure out why my eyes were hurting.)

-    Acknowledge that your quilt will not be perfect. BUT, it will be perfect for you.

-    Bury your thread knots as you go.

-    Know when to take a creative "break", but remember to come back.

-    And most of all ... don't give up.


Linking up with Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts for finish it up Friday.

Finally!

Today's post will be short and sweet. You have heard me going on about finishing my star flower quilt top for quite some time. (Way too long!)

I'm happy to report that with the exception of some borders (awaiting the last step in the tutorial), this baby is done. I will focus on my backing piecing next.

I love absolutely everything about this quilt. It's bright and happy and every single star has polka dots. It's definitely been worth the effort.

The hubby has dropped the hint that maybe I should work on his "not quite a surprise" quilt while I am waiting for the tutorial. Sounds like a perfect plan!

Linking up with the always inspiring Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Changes

There is less than a week until school starts. I've been looking forward to this and dreading it at the same time. My baby girl is going to Kindergarten. She's waited for this for 3 years. It's finally (already???) here. 

   

It wasn't that long ago that she was this tiny...

 

We've had our last camping trip of the season. We spent about 5 days at Lake Pearrygin in Eastern/Northern Washington. It is just beautiful up there. And of course, I checked to see if there were any yarn or quilting shops nearby. I found "The Quilting Hive". I'm so glad I went. I found fabric I didn't think I'd ever find... "Ruby" by Bonnie and Camille. They only had 5 bolts of different types but I bought a yard of each, and on a whim, bought a couple fat eighths that looked suspiciously like they belonged (and upon research were!!) to Ruby. I was ecstatic. The lady in the shop had no idea what I was going on about. :)

I also found some Valorie Wells "Nest" fabric that I couldn't put back and some Tula Pink and a few other goodies. A fat quarter stack of "The Sweetest Thing" by Riley Blake may have landed on my hoard as well. And after hearing about Aurifil for months now, I found it in the flesh and bought a spool. I LOVE IT. It feels so durable.

On our way down to the states I picked up my package of Riley Blake's "La Crème" collection of low volume dots. I'm in love. Really. Have I ever mentioned I love polka dots? These precious prints will be appearing in many, many quilts.

This weeks goal is to finish sewing the last few stars for the Star Flower Quilt Along, to cut out my hexagons, and begin assembling the top. Can't wait to see how things shape up with the quilt.

 

Till next time,

 

Jade

 

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