New quilt book giveaway!

Life around here has been crazy this week, but before I run off to another class, I wanted to let you know about a giveaway at Magnolia Bay Quilts. She is giving away a copy of her new book!
check it out!

Sunday Sewing & a few more blocks done...

I made some more blocks yesterday, all using the same pieces of freezer paper. So that makes 6 blocks using that method. I need 2 more for what I want to do, but stopped as I didn't have another green that looked good with these and I didn't want to have 6 of one green and 4 of the other....so will add a third and a third flower color. That should look good with the arrangement I have planned too, I hope! The lighter green doesn't seem so much lighter than the other one in person.

Carol at Cornfield Quilter is having a giveaway celebrating her 200th post....drop by, sign up, tell her I sent you!

Saturday's class and Paper Piecing

Yesterday I taught two classes of the Circle and Spin Quilt. It was fun and the ladies got a lot done. I think they had fun making the slightly abstract looking circles and it made curved piecing seem fun. Next week they meet again and hopefully I will get some pictures.

After I got home and collapsed for a bit, I wanted to try one of the techniques suggested after my post earlier this week. Mary suggested I go to Twiddletails and see how to PP without sewing through the paper. Anina uses freezer paper, cut to fit her printer. I was intrigued so cut some to fit my printer and printed them out. It works well, and no tearing off the paper, though you use it for the precision. She says they can be used several times. I used each twice so far. They turned out the same size as the rest and look fine. I want to try the other ideas, too, just have to go shopping for the supplies. I had the freezer paper here, so tried it first.

Surprise in the mail!

When I got home last night I had a nice surprise waiting for me!
I opened the package and there was a present wrapped up so prettily......
It is one of Betsy's appliqued & embroidered towels! Isn't it just so cute??? I love it! I have been watching her make appliqued towels for awhile now, never thought I would get one! thanks so much Betsy!
Drop by and see her, she made a selvage bag today with an embroidered mermaid on it. Sooooooo cute! This might be too cute to use, I might have to just find a place to hang it up! Towels around here get pretty nasty!

New project in the works

Started working on a new project tonight. These are paper pieced. I won't claim to be very expert at it but I keep trying. I like this flower as it is very pointy! I want to do some type of runner/tabletopper with it.

If you do paper piece, I could use your advice. What do you print the pattern onto? I have been using computer paper, but wish it was thinner. I know there are other products out there that are made for this. I also know that some people trace each one. I really don't want to do that. Anyone want to share what they use? Please?

Oh, no! not another version...

This is the same block I used in the previous quilt, but using only 2 colors. It makes a big difference! I don't think you see the individual blocks as much, but the overall design. The colors are more muted too. The setting is a little strange, but was out of a book and I made this as a store model so had to follow the pattern. It is sort of interesting too, though.

This one is on the couch so gets used a lot. It has been washed more too. Thought it would be fun to post another version.

The black/white version is my favorite.

Quilt Festival 2009, blogger-style

I made this quilt quite a few years ago, maybe 10? not sure. I loved the black border fabric, so started collecting the blacks and grays so I could make something scrappy with it as the border. I decided on the Snails Trail block as I like the way the blocks connect and I thought that it would be really pretty with the grays on one half and the blacks on the other half. I hadn't made a block like that before, so didn't really know what to do when I noticed that the triangles weren't really meeting up like I thought they should. So in the middle of making blocks, I started squaring them up as I sewed them together. Well you probably guessed it, I ended up with 3 different size blocks. They weren't all that different in size, but the biggest didn't fit the smallest. It took some tricky piecing to get them together so that the quilt looked square. I took it to a quilter to quilt ( I didn't have my machine then) and I think it turned out great. It is one of my favorite quilts!

One thing about quilting...I have learned much more when things aren't working out like I wanted, then when everything goes smoothly!

The Blogger Quilt Festival has begun! Amy at Park City Girl is hosting an online quilt festival. This is my entry. Just visit her blog and check out one of the many participants listed there. Or better yet, join in the fun!

Really nothing to post about....but aren't my kitties cute?

I have been back to work and teaching quilt class every night this week. It is a little much, but it is just how it worked out. Tonight was the first night for Beginning Quilting. I had fun meeting the ladies. They learned how to rotary cut and we picked out fabrics, so are ready to begin sewing next week.

Now I think I will follow the kitties' example and head for bed!

Last day off....back to work tomorrow.

I have really enjoyed my week off for spring break. I have gotten a lot of quilting done, even some cleaning! I had good news this morning too...my niece had her baby girl...3 weeks early! Everything is fine with mom and baby, though I decided I had better get her quilt finished!
So I got it loaded this afternoon and started quilting it. You might recognize it as I blogged about it a few weeks ago. Now I can do a few rows when I have a chance. It is not very big, about 48 x 60 or so. It should go pretty fast.

Happy Easter!!!

Went to Earling to celebrate Easter with my family. We had a really good time, lots of good food, and talk and cute babies! My Dad's birthday was Thursday, so we celebrated that too...that poor bunny was loaded down with 85 candles!
Here are 2 of my kids & some nieces and nephews. A couple got away before I took this. Hope everyone had a great day!

UFO Saturday

We had a great time today working on UFOs. I try to have a UFO Saturday every month or two, as it is nice to have time to finish a project.

They sewed straight through for 4 hours. Well, we did have a few snacks too.
They all look so serious, don't they?

The ladies all got a lot done, several finished tops, plus we solved some of the world's problems too.! Oh, BTW my selvage bag is on the Selvage Blog today.

Sampler Quilt finished.

I teach quilting classes and offer Sampler Club Classes for people to learn new techniques and just have fun. They are all 6 sessions and usually run for 6 months, once a month. I am going to be starting a new session of the 1st Sampler in June.
This is the Sampler I teach after Beginning Quilting to learn how to make HST, sashings and try an appliqued block. I made the original model about 5 years ago, so decided I wanted a springier version to hang this time. I quilted it yesterday and got the binding on this morning. I don't usually quilt the models because they are easier to hang in the classroom unquilted, but I will leave the original back there. This one is to hang on display to encourage people to sign up.

This afternoon I went with a friend quilt shopping...she needed a fabric for a border. I thought that after all that cutting of strings to give away I did earlier in the week, I had better get a little too, or I might run out! I added to my dots collection.

There is a great giveaway going on over at PigTale & Quilts too, go check it out!

Stringpiecing tutorial

I had several requests to do a tutorial on Stringpiecing. There are several ways to do it, this is how I make this block. The best thing about stringpiecing is that you use leftovers from other projects, or older fabrics you bought and now don't really want to use. You can throw in leftover bindings too.

First you cut up your fabrics into various widths...I do anything from 1 1/2" - 3". You can do this after a project, so as to build a bunch of strings. They more sizes and colors the merrier.
I do mine on a foundation...can be muslin, an older fabric you now hate, or an old bedsheet. Cut the foundation 1/2" bigger than you want your finished block. These are about 10".

Lay your first piece across the center of the foundation, diagonally, right side up. If you use the same color (not necessarily the same fabric) for all the blocks, you can make a pattern with them. They do NOT have to be the same width.
Now take your next string and lay it on the first, matching one side, right sides together. Sew.
Now do the same with another fabric on the other side of your center, right sides together. Sew. Now press both of these.
Add another string to each side, right sides together, like you did before. Sew. Press.
Keep adding strings until you fill the foundation square. You can use crooked pieces, or purposely slant some of them for an interesting look.
Now flip it over and square up to 9 1/2", or whatever size you are making.
Isn't it pretty? Wasn't that easy? Continue to make blocks, in any arrangement of size and color until you have enough for what you want.
You can see how by using the same color in the centers, it makes a bolder pattern, even when they are not the same size. You get a nice pattern of colors with no worries about matching. You can look at the previous post to see the design forming with my sister's blocks.
I love doing this when I am in the mood to sew, but don't want to think, or can't think of what I want to do. They go quickly. I have made other block designs using this method, too. You could also sew your selvages together this way.

Now I am off to quilt!

Looking for something in the fabric archives.....

Yesterday I was going through fabrics looking for a small print to use on a quilt I am making. I realized I probably wouldn't use some of them, so I started sorting them out in piles I would keep and give away...some fabrics were smaller pieces, some larger.
My previously non-sewing sister is learning to quilt and started these string-pieced blocks awhile back when I was there for a Saturday Sew-In. They were made from fabrics Mom had. As I was sorting I started pressing them as they were a mess, and I was going to trim off the odd chunks. Well, I decided to cut up the smaller pieces for her in different widths for string piecing. They look so much nicer cut up into strips! I have a shoe box full right now for Deb, plus some larger pieces. What my sisters and Mom don't use, they will pass on to a lady in town who makes charity quilts.

Quilting finished

I finished quilting this quilt this morning...it is sure nice to be off today! I cleaned for awhile, but don't want to overdo THAT!

Quilting today in the snow...

Well we got our little bit of snow....barely covered the ground & is melting. It is very windy and sounds cold outside...haven't ventured out and probably won't today. I loaded a queen size quilt on the machine and am taking a short break before beginning to quilt it. It is a T-shirt quilt, so I am not going to quilt it very heavily. Maybe some pix later.

Jumping for Joy!!!

SPRING BREAK!!!! This year we have a week off for spring break. We have never had to much time before, usually we just have Good Friday and Easter Monday. I am so ready to have some time off...hopefully will get lots of quilting done!

Now...where's that margarita?

Procrastinating....

I should be too embarrassed to tell you when I bought these pants because they needed to be hemmed and I just got around to it tonight.
Ok I confess, I bought them when I was Christmas shopping. I don't know why they were still sitting and waiting, but they are hemmed now and ready for me to wear tomorrow....lol..Do you know how many quilts I have made since Christmas...how much sewing I have done??? And this took me all of about 20 minutes....
Sorry, no quilting pictures tonight. I have been working on something I want to do for a class, but haven't started sewing yet.