My latest project is on the Moda Bake Shop today. It’s called Color Pop Pillow and its a modern disappearing nine-patch. It’s a simple project with lots of wow factor. My husband said it was his favorite thing I’ve made so far. 
Check out the tutorial {here}.
I was recently contacted by a woman named Julia Rolando in Australia who was in search of some help for her charity group called the Phoebe Foundation. Julia and her husband started the Phoebe Foundation to honor the memory of their darling daughter Phoebe, who they lost to a congenital heart defect when she was just three years old.
The Phoebe Foundation works to make hospital stays more comfortable for young patients and their families in the Cardiac and Intensive Care Units. One of Julie’s goals is to create small quilts that the children can keep. These quilts will not only keep them warm, but they are an expression of love, hope, and prayer for these little ones with broken hearts.
Please help Julia and her small group of sewists to create quilts for these sweet little ones. She is asking for wonky cross blocks and has kindly provided a tutorial {download here}. She is asking for 10.5″ unfinished blocks, but feel free to make slightly larger so her group can square them up to the same size. If you have a small group in your guild or a group of quilty friends, it would be a great project to get together to make a set of blocks for a little quilt and post them all at once. Please keep in mind that these blocks will be incorporated into quilts for children under long term hospital care and/or palliative care, so think bright and cheery! Solids, stripes, polka dots are all great and simple choices for your blocks. It’s important to use fabric that does not include any FOOD or DRINK related items, as children in the hospital are often under fluid and dietary restrictions and reminders of these items can be distressing.
The blocks can be mailed to:
The Phoebe Foundation/Julia Rolando
Care of Kinglake Post Office
1/14 Whittlesea Kinglake Road
Kinglake, Victoria 3763
Australia
I so hope many of you will sew along with me. I’m going to make a set of blocks for a boy and one for a girl. If you would like to share this info on your own blog, I’ve created a button that you can grab {here} or in my sidebar.
Thank you!
My Happy Go Round Quilt is up on the Moda Bake Shop today! This is one I made for my demo at QuiltCon, and I’m very happy to have it completed. I am in love with Bonnie and Camille’s Happy Go Lucky fabric line so this quilt is going to go at the foot of our bed where I can see it all of the time.
If you want to make this quilt, one tip for you, Buy a Curve Master 1/4″ Presser Foot
Oh, this red and aqua quilt. I’ve been calling it the Never-Ending Quilt because it felt like I would never ever finish it. I’d grown tired of it, bored with it, so over it that working on it became joyless. I was determined to finish it because it was basted and partly quilted so it seemed like the worst was over. And also because I wanted those basting safety pins to use for the other 10 quilt tops I have waiting in the wings. Mostly that.
About half of the blocks in the quilt came from a Red + Aqua Bee I took part in almost three years ago. It was a mess of a bee where even the host dropped out, but I was one of the early months so I came away with most of my blocks (thank you, bee friends!) Oddly enough, I even received a block (maybe two) many months after the bee ended. The package was the original one I’d mailed, all shredded and taped up, and marked something like “address unknown/return to sender.” I expected that my package had gone astray and inside I would find the red and aqua strings I’d mailed out. But no. Inside were two finished blocks. I remember turning them over and over in my hands and looking again and again at the package, not comprehending. Until I realized what they’d done. I guess that is one way to save on postage. Oh, failing US postal service, you silly fool…
When I had all of the blocks together, I decided the quilt needed some pink so I made 14 additional blocks, ’cause why not? Why take the easy way out and just use the lovely blocks others made for me? Not this girl.
This vintage quilt top I found for a song was my inspiration:
{That quilt is badly made and mostly polyester but I just love it. Some day I will quilt it and use it.}
The jury is still out on whether the red sashing is a good or bad addition. But there is no doubt about the binding. It’s my favorite part. I love a scrappy binding (this one is made entirely with leftovers bits from my Black + Aqua Quilt which makes it even more awesome because I didn’t have to cut anything!).
I basted this quilt when it was over 100 degrees in July and I was 6 months pregnant. You can assume that means I didn’t do a stellar job. Because I didn’t. There are some lumps/folds/puckers/acne. Quilt acne! That’s what happens when you baste with a basketball affixed to your midsection.
What to call the quilting design? Scallops? I love the look of it, but it was a bad choice for an all-over design on a such a large quilt (better suited to filler in limited areas). I will do this pattern again, but I will use it wisely.
I have a dislike/hate relationship with this quilt. We are working on it. Taking things one day at a time. It’s not you, quilt, it’s me. I need some space. It would be good for us to see other people. I’m definitely going to start seeing other quilts and lots of other fabrics. Truth be told, I’ve been seeing other quilts and fabrics the whole time you’ve been in the picture.
One day, probably this July, in fact, I will be sitting on this quilt with my little family, listening to a concert at the Arboretum or watching fireworks in Fair Park, and I will love this happy and patriotic quilt, boils and all. But today I’m going to fold it up and tuck it out of sight while I work on prettier things.
Dimensions: 76″ x 78″
Fabrics: a huge assortment of red, aqua and pink strings, Lipstick Ta Dot from Michael Miller (backing)
Quilting Thread: Aurifil 50 wt #2600
Started: May 2010
Completed: April 2013
So none of my fabric purging methods have been truly successful. I’ve donated it. I’ve given it away. I did a mini destash on Etsy that was a big mess and a huge pain. The fact remains that I still have TOO MUCH with MORE COMING IN and there are awesome new lines coming out EVERY DAY and EVEN MORE awesomeness is coming after QUILT MARKET. I’m feeling inundated with fabric and it’s time for spring cleaning. Instagram seems to be a good place so I’m going to try that instead of Etsy. I’m destashing good stuff – quilt-shop quality, all new and unwashed…Amy Butler, Hope Valley, Nicey Jane, Paula Prass, Tula Pink, Sherbet Pips…to name a few. This sale will be mostly fat quarters and some tasty Moda pre-cuts (shown above).
Here are the rules:
1. Follow me on Instagram (username: vintagemodernquilts) It’s an iPhone app, but if you don’t have one you can follow and comment on the web at the link above.
2. I’ll post photos of destash items and the first person to comment with their PayPal email address is the one who gets it. I’ll invoice for cost of the bundle plus shipping. Invoices must be paid within 24 hours or the fabric goes to the next person in line.
3. The destash will start tomorrow (Friday, April 5) at 2 pm. (US Central time).
4. Each lot will ship in a flat rate envelope so keep that in mind (shipping is $5.75 to anywhere in the US).
5. Once a lot has sold and been paid for, I’ll delete the photo on Instagram.
I am open to international shipping, but the prices are high: flat rate envelopes are $19.95 to Canada and $23.95 everywhere else. I know it might be worth it compared to fabric prices in other parts of the world so if you are willing to pay that, I will ship to you.
See you tomorrow on Instagram! I have a lot of fabric cutting and sorting to do…
Lots of bunnies at our family Easter this year! We didn’t do much last year because Ben was still so little, but this year I put together a nice basket for him, including lots of handmade goodies.
{Divided basket using this pattern from noodlehead}
I used some Melody Miller, Echino, and some Heather Ross fabrics from my Kokka home decor stash to make the basket. I used similar coordinating prints for the bunnies.
We showed him how to bowl with the bunnies as bowling pins (as intended) and he would say “Boom!” and knock down the bunnies before the ball could hit them.
{Bunny Bowling using this pattern from Ellen Luckett Baker}
These bunnies were also made with mostly Kokka fabrics. The gray bunny you see in a back is a vintage find I bought just last week. It’s made using bits of an old quilt.
Happy Easter to you!
Hello! Welcome to my stop on the Meet My Sewing Machine blog hop. I’m glad you’re here!
I own a Bernina 440QE (quilter’s edition) that I purchased in 2011. It was my upgraded-upgrade machine (meaning it was my second good machine since I started quilting.) I tested Berninas when I bought my first nice machine (a Pfaff Creative Expression) in 2010 but decided they were too pricey. Then in 2010, I met a few women at the Dallas MQG who had Berninas and brought them to our Saturday Sews. That was fine. I was still happy with my Pfaff. And then our guild started meeting at the Bernina store and that was the end of it. That machine had to come home and live with me! At that point, I felt like I knew enough about quilting and sewing machines to deserve such a fancy Rolls Royce of a sewing machine.
There are two aspects of the Bernina that I ADORE. First, is the BSR – Bernina Stitch Regulator. I couldn’t free motion worth a swear word on my Brother, but was decent on my Pfaff. With the BSR, I can pretty much do any design I set my mind to and it looks pretty profesh. (You know, professional.)
The second thing I love about my Bernina is what they call the Barbie case and all of those Swiss-made all-metal presser feet inside. Droooool.
The foot I love most is #37, the 1/4″ foot. It sews a perfect scant 1/4″ seam. It was very smart of Bernina to make the foot numbers so prominent on each foot. None of my previous sewing machines were so user-friendly. There is one feature I would love to have – an automatic thread cutter. The Berninas are also kinda noisy compared to many other sewing machines. Maybe that’s due to the all-metal feet and parts. Even so, I would recommend this machine to a friend. In fact, most of my friends have one. At retreat, we sit at the Bernina Table. It’s the cool kids table.
The Bernina is a majah (said like a Spice Girl, specifically Victoria Beckham) upgrade from my first beginner baby machine, a Brother something-or-other. It was a $200 super basic machine that quickly fell apart when I started making a quilt every other week (no joke. I did that.) I also own a Brother serger that is rarely used, and I do have have a few other dream machines I’d like to own if I had the space.
Janome Horizon MC7700-QCP
These machines were in all of the workshops at QuiltCon so I spent an entire day sewing on one. And it was a dream. Super quiet, all of the bells and whistles. This would definitely be a delight to sew on every day.
Juki TL-2000Qi FS
I’ve never even tested this machine, but I’ve heard good things. It would be my quilting machine and I’d use my Bernina mostly for piecing.
Long-arm of Some Variety
I’ve gotten to play on a long-arm a couple of times, and I would LOVE to own one. That would necessitate a MUCH larger sewing room, but a girl can dream.
Speaking of sewing rooms, mine is jammed full of stuff very nice. I have three windows so I get lots of natural light and hardwood floors that make it easy to sweep up sewing messes (charm pack dust, thread explosions, etc). I keep most of my fabric stashed away in the closet, but I like to display pre-cuts and neatly folded fat quarters because they just look so pretty.
{Moda fat quarter bundles in aqua DVD holders from the Container Store}
{My cutting table from Martha Stewart’s collection for Home Decorators}
{Vintage shelf with pre-cuts. I store a lot of stuff in various glass jars like these
{My sewing chair – a vintage one that I painted and reupholstered}
{CD storage unit from Pottery Barn filled with fat quarters}
That’s my machine and my sewing space all in one. Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to visit the others stops and sign up for the linky party.
SUNDAY, MARCH 17
Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy
Angela @ Heart of Charnwood
Shannon @ Crafty Turtle
Amy @ Stitchery Dickory Dock
MONDAY, MARCH 18
Ebony @ Love Bug Studios
Jaclyn @ Jaclyn Quilts
Amy @ Diary of a Quilter
TUESDAY, MARCH 19
Kara@ Me and Elna
Nerissa @ Nissa Made
Elizabeth @ Don’t Call Me Betsy
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20
Carly @ Citric Sugar
Celine @ Espritpatch
Patti @ A Yankee in Queen Liz’s Court
THURSDAY, MARCH 21
Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt
The Jolly Jabber Staff (Chelsey, Kimberly, Debbie)
Rachel @ Sew Happily Ever After!
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Erika @ Sews it All (Bernina)
Lisa @ Vintage Modern Quilts (Bernina) {ME!}
Adrianne @ On the Windy Side (Bernina)
One of my goals for March is to FINISH my son’s baby album (which is a Project Life
I imagine most people are either digital OR paper scrapbookers, but I really like a mix of both. My goal was to add in more elements of the Baby Edition since much of what I originally did used such a variety of papers + the Clementine
{Note: You need the mask so you can create the frame around the photo. You could just try to crop and resize your photo to fit within the border of the card, but it’s actually easier to create the mask.}
This is how I did it:
1. Open the Project Life digital card that you want to use. I’m trying to fill up some 3×4 slots so I chose a 3×4 card.
2. Crop out the outer edges of the card so that you only have the center part left. Make sure your crop lines look pretty even all around the card.
3. Save this cropped version as a new file with a new name. (I named mine PL-3x4mask.png)
4. Click the undo arrow to restore the original version of the 3×4 card.
5. Open up the cropped image and drag it onto the 3×4 card as a new layer. Make sure the cropped image is the top layer.
6. Open the photo you’d like to use. Drag it onto the 3×4 card as the top layer.
7. From the Layers menu, select “Create Clipping Mask.” (or click CTRL+G on a PC) Adjust the size and placement of your photo as desired.
8. Save the file as a jpeg for printing. It’s that simple.
I also played around a bit with some of the elements from other cards in the set.
Fun, right? I extracted the “swoosh” element from the card on the top right and added it over the photo with some text. I’m thinking of using that same “swoosh” shape as a cut file for the Silhouette Cameo. I think it would make great week number cards.
I’ve been asked to participate in a blog hop all about sewing machines. I love my Bernina so of course I said yes! If you are looking for a new (or first!) sewing machine, this blog hop will help you out a lot. Here are the scheduled dates and stops:
SUNDAY, MARCH 17
Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy
Angela @ Heart of Charnwood
Shannon @ Crafty Turtle
Amy @ Stitchery Dickory Dock
MONDAY, MARCH 18
Ebony @ Love Bug Studios
Jaclyn @ Jaclyn Quilts
Amy @ Diary of a Quilter
TUESDAY, MARCH 19
Kara@ Me and Elna
Nerissa @ Nissa Made
Elizabeth @ Don’t Call Me Betsy
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20
Carly @ Citric Sugar
Celine @ Espritpatch
Patti @ A Yankee in Queen Liz’s Court
THURSDAY, MARCH 21
Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt
The Jolly Jabber Staff (Chelsey, Kimberly, Debbie)
Rachel @ Sew Happily Ever After!
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Erika @ Sews it All (Bernina)
Lisa @ Vintage Modern Quilts (Bernina) {ME!}
Adrianne @ On the Windy Side (Bernina)
There will be giveaways and other fun stuff along the way. See you then!
I have a big stack of half square triangles (HSTs) to sew today, and I remembered a trick I saw on Pinterest a few months back. (Here is the original pin.) It doesn’t give the full details for HSTs so I figured out my own method and thought I’d share it here.
1. Find a piece of thin cardboard that is as long as your squares from point to point. I used a piece of Kraft paper.
2. Use your rotary cutter and ruler to trim a 1/2″ wide strip from your cardboard.
3. Use your ruler and a pen to find the center of the strip (a 1/4″ from either edge) and mark a line from end to end.
4. Line your HST squares together and place the strip from point to point. Sew right at the edge of the strip.
NOTE: This method works perfectly if you are making a quilt top that exclusively uses HSTs. But if your quilt top uses HSTs within a block, you need to make a small adjustment to achieve a scant 1/4″ seam. After you mark the center line of your strip, take your ruler and line your 1/4″ mark up exactly with the line…then shift it slightly so that the 1/4″ mark on your ruler is just to the left of the drawn line. Then trim off the excess (which is hardly anything, but that’s your “scant” 1/4-inch).
Tada! Perfect HSTs…no marking. I sewed my entire pile one way, trimmed them apart, and sewed the other side of the strip. Then cut your HSTs in half and press. So much better than marking each piece, right?