Blooms and Butterflies

 The arrival of Spring makes me want to sew something spring like.  Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet announced a "#bloom where you are planted" sew along on Instagram and I was all in.  She adapted a flower block from her book, "Quilty Fun" for this sew along.  My quilt top is entirely scrappy using only fabrics that I had on hand.  I had part of a layer cake (10 inch squares) of Floral Gatherings by Primitive Gathering that I had for another project.  I was able to cut all the pieces needed for each flower background from a 10 inch square of fabric.  Just make sure to cut the larger pieces first from 1 1/2 inch by 10 inch strips before cutting the one inch pieces and 1 1/2 inch squares.  I did buy some of the green and cream Floral Gathering fabric seen on the right for the backing and the binding plus a piece of batting.  Other than that, everything was from my fabric stash.

"Quilty Fun" also has the directions for adorable butterfly blocks.  I couldn't resist adding a scrappy butterfly border using the leftover fabrics from the flowers and flower centers.  The quilt adds just the right amount of Spring into the room.

I also love how the little quilt compliments Mr. and Mrs. Bunny which I painted during my tole painting years.  Um, yeah, that would be 28 years ago.  I still love those bunnies.  They are my favorites!  Blooms and Butterflies is also one of my favorite quilts.

Quilty Fun Sew Along finish

My Quilty Fun Sew Along sampler quilt is back from the quilter, the scrappy binding applied, and I've hung it on the wall above my sewing machine.

It says "Bee Happy" and that is what it is, a happy quilt.

This is the first quilt top that I have had professionally quilted.  It made me very nervous to drop it off because I was no longer "the boss of my own quilt."  However, it was the right decision.  All over quilting was what was needed for this quilt of everything.

I'm so glad that I went with the less dense version of all over.  There you have it, scrappy everything.  Scrappy back, scrappy binding, and a bunch of leftover fabrics from other projects on the front.  I even had the white background fabric on my shelves.  I had bought it for some smocked dresses and then decided that it wasn't the right fit.  The only thing I purchased specifically for this quilt is the scalloped red inner border.  I just didn't have enough of the dotted two tone red fabric that I had used in the sampler blocks.

 This was such a fun sew along.  Thanks to Lori Holt of "Bee in My Bonnet" for her creativity and simple to follow sharing.

So glad my quilt is finally home after a month at American Quilting in Orem.

Quilty Fun Sew Along ended with issues

This is the last block of the Quilty Fun Sew Along.  It is a label for the back of the quilt.

I have really enjoyed doing the embroidery.  But I must tell you, my first issue was that I left scorch marks on the white as I was attempting to flatten my blue flower or bow.  Thank heavens for google!  I googled how to remove scorch marks and if it was brand new scorching all it needed was a 24 hour cold water soak AND it worked!  No marks remained!

I filled in my larger letters rather than just do the outline work.

I also made my scrappy binding from the leftover fabric I used for my color palette.

Then it was time for borders and issue number two.  I had several pieces of the dot fabric from an earlier quilt border, a much earlier quilt border and I had used some of it in the sampler.  I thought there just might be enough for the postage stamp border so I cut away.  Guess what?  I ran out of fabric when I had cut 43 rectangles.  Ouch!  I needed 48.  I began the fabric shop hop for the right dots.  Then I finally gave up and bought the darling Wishes line of fabric diagonal checks.  The color was certainly right and my outer border fabric also had diagonal squares going on.

Then came the next "oh, no" moment known as issue three.  I thought I had more than enough of that green dot fabric for the back.  I had bought it for the back of another long ago quilt but decided it was the wrong green.  It was just the right green for this quilt.  Once again I was short.  But there are small miracles in every one's life,  right?  During my search for the right dot, I found the above Bake Sale fabric as a flat fold on a table at half price.  I picked it up for apron material (my favorite bridal shower gift.) 

As I flipped through a stack of Lori Holt fabric searching for answers, it resurfaced and it was perfect for a strip down the back including the quilt label.

These pictures aren't the best.  I grabbed my hubby before he went out the door to hold up the back and front for me.  I need a clothesline!  Here is the back with label and fabric that saved me.

This is the front.  This had been a fun project.  It was 20 weeks of new sewing to do each week.  I loved using up my leftover fabric.  The goal was to buy as little as possible.  I just shared with you my major purchases.  I even had several yards of the white background fabric left over from special hand smocked dresses I made for my grand daughters.  The Quilty Fun directions are still online if anyone is interested.

More quilty fun

One month away from the dream machine meant there was some catching up to do on my sew along projects.  I've been sewing with Lori Holt's Quilty Fun Sew Along group.  I made the flowers the first week back so that I would also be eligible for the prize drawing.  Didn't win, but it was fun to do the current blocks first.

Then I cut and sewed the other three weeks' projects which included spools, butterflies, and mittens.

This week was the grand finale.  A great big bee block with embroidery.  All that color surrounding it in the border was created during the beginning of the sew along.

Doing the embroidery made me remember how much I enjoy it!  Next week we will be given all the finishing directions for a very cute sampler quilt made mostly from fabric I already had on hand.  I admit to buying a bit of Lori's Bake Sale line for parts of the quilt.

Once Quilty Fun sewing was caught up, I paid for and downloaded from Craftsy the cutting and sewing directions for the third month of 10 blocks from the Farmer's Wife Quilt Revival. Simplified cutting and piecing methods are used to construct the blocks rather than using templates.  I managed to finish all 10 before the end of the month.  The next batch of 10 went up on Craftsy today but I'm going to take a breather.  It has been fun to cut into this stack of fabric that I purchased so long ago.

Olympic designs make me want to sew

As I've been watching the Winter Olympics in Sochi, I am mesmerized by all of the colorful patchwork inspired designs found in banners, backdrops, and number bibs worn by participants.  Just look at those ombre like bars of color.  Doesn't it make you want to pull out some fabric and sew?

I did pull out some fabric and started my own APQ "Tone it Down" quilt this week.  Directions are found in the February issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine. This may take me some time but I'm enjoying the process.  I did find, however, that I prefer to make the nine 5 inch blocks first and then sew them together rather than make the strips as shown in the magazine that are then sewn together.  It just seems to stay more accurate and easy to match up this way.

So there you have it, 1/5 of the blocks completed!  I know that doesn't sound like much but isn't it cool how the pattern created by the chains is already appearing?

The Lori Holt Quilty Sew Along project for this week was these adorable houses.

I followed Amy Smart's idea of fussy cutting little figures for the doorways.

The wolf is at the door and Little Red is being cautious.

I received this button assortment as a cute little Valentine gift at a quilt store.  I included them in the picture because the colors coordinate abut also because they are titled the "welcome home assortment."

I also liked the use of "Bake Sale" fabric by Lori Holt for the roof as chosen by the Fat Quarter Shop so made that my choice as well.

Lori Holt showed all the participants how to put the left side of the sampler quilt together on her blog, so I sashed and sewed those pieces together as well.  That will be my sewing for this week as I'm off on a little adventure tomorrow morning.

My sew along projects for February

This is my autumn leaves portion of Lori Holt's Quilty Sew Along.  I can hear someone saying, "Oh, I thought that they were Christmas lights."  I made a mistake and the stems are supposed to alternate, you know, like falling autumn leaves.  Just for fun, I decided to pose them with some Valentines :)

I also made some tulips.  No mistakes here.

I was "sew" excited about the latest Saturday Sampler project that I had it together within an hour of getting back home.  And yes, there is a mistake :(  I was supposed to cut 11 inch strips for each side of the red roof.  My rotary cutter decided to make it 10 inches.  There was not extra fabric for a redo.

I know that there will be some trimming going on next month.  I hope it will become a non-issue.  This house looks so cute surrounded by all the other blocks.

Sew along projects through January

Today I completed this week's Quilty Fun Sew Along project on the same day it was released.

These are my honeycomb (snowball) blocks all ready to be added to the sampler.

And these are my Saturday Sampler projects for January.  Those circles now have corners after being trimmed into an octagon and they have contrasting centers.

There were also seven sets of flying geese blocks to be made, 28 in all.  I'm starting to feel some excitement for the final project. Five more months to go!

Ping Pong Projects

I really do feel like a ping pong ball.  I've been working on several projects this month all at the same time.  I cut awhile, I sew awhile, and then I find something new and it all starts over again.  I have loved sewing along with the Lori Holt Quilty Fun Sampler.  I finished the trees.

The half square triangles. . .

and the scrappy four patches.

I went shopping for a 5 1/2 inch square ruler and found some great fat quarters that I just loved.  The next day there was a fun tutorial for making heart pillows and I knew why I needed those fat quarters.  The Riley Blake small heart fabric was left over from my American Girl Valentine jumper project last year.  Now I need to quilt then make the backs and bind my pillow covers.

I needed that 5 1/2 inch ruler so that I could trim my circles for my January Saturday Sampler blocks.  They will receive white corners after I finish the appliqued circle centers.  These have been time consuming.

I came across a blog telling about a Craftsy pattern of the month where the blocks for "The Farmer's Wife" were simplified.  The book and fabric I planned to use for the quilt have been on the shelf for years and I was happy for this option.  I downloaded the pattern and immediately had to do the cutting for the first 10 blocks.  By the end of the year, I hope to have the blocks for this quilt completed.

I've also been working on two baby boy cousin quilts.  These blocks are for my grandson's quilt. He will arrive in a month or so.

His cousin has been around for a couple of months and this is his quilt which I am machine quilting and binding today.  I hope to deliver it when I go to a baby shower for my soon to be born grandson tomorrow night.  You will notice that there are common elements in both quilts, just in a different color way.  Yes, once again I am using the "Yellow Brick Road" pattern.  It goes together easily, six fat quarters are totally used up in making the blocks, and the younger generation seems to like the modern fabric, colors, and feel of this quilt pattern.

There is one more quilt that I have been working on as well, but I'm keeping it a secret for now.  The blocks are in strips and I am waiting for some border fabric to arrive in the mail.  It is for me and it makes me feel young and happy.  Can't wait to share!

A good week

Here are some pictures from my last week.  The retired teacher got to go to school.  Grandson Raymond and his class were sharing their traditions.

I can not tell you how happy I was to be hanging out with 2nd graders again.  They are truly amazing little people.  Raymond shared how each member of his family gets a new tree ornament each year. He also told how both of his grandmothers started this tradition when they had young families.  Each 2nd grader shared what their family does this time of year and it was delightful.  They were so literate and comfortable in their own skin.  I loved it.

I also traveled to Daybreak with my sister and her son to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  This beautiful nativity was out front.

It was so beautiful and monochromatic on a cold, frosty morning.

I loved Lynette's visit.  We sewed together, went and saw "The Book Thief," prepared Sunday dinner for the BYU student niece and nephew,  visited the "traditional" 2nd graders, had lunch at fun places like The Blue Lemon and Station 22 Cafe, quilt shop hopped, went to my book club, and braved the snow to attend the first Christmas Market in downtown Provo.  There was also lots of talking, knitting, hand sewing, and we each managed to get a small quilt machine quilted on "Big Bertha."  I have to say that after a year with my new Bernina 750, I am so happy to have this machine in my life.  It has enabled me to be a better quilt maker.  I also think that she has outlived "Big Bertha."  I overheard Lynette telling her husband via phone that she had been using the "Dream Machine."  So there you have it, "Dream Machine" it is!

Since Lynette flew home, I have been sewing secret projects (did you know that my grandchildren now check my blog) and these cocoa cups for my Quilty Fun Sew Along.  So appropriate for cold Utah.  I've been drinking an abundance of hot chocolate.