Finished it Friday #11

Good morning, everyone!  It's Friday!!!!

After a long hiatus from my sewing machine, I finally had the chance to sew last night.  Oh, it felt so good!!  I have a couple of finishes to share with you.  First is my first-ever zipper pouch.

My new friend Claudia taught an impromtu class at Sewing Summit and showed us just how easy these little pouches can be.  To say the least I'm hooked... and to prove it, look at what I got yesterday...



Fifty ... that's right ... FIFTY zippers.  And some darling little zipper pulls.  Can't wait to dig into them.

I also finished up my 3x6 blocks last night.

These blocks were a lot of fun, and I'm glad I joined the group.  If you're looking for a good swap to join, now is the time.  Signups for the fourth quarter are active right now.  :)

So - now it's your turn..... what did you finish??

Finished it Friday - #6

Oh my word.

I can't remember the last time I've been this thankful to see a Friday.  Maybe today instead of "Finished it Friday", I should call this post, "I Survived to Friday".   Have you ever had one of those weeks?  You know...like this:

• Monday:  Kids start school, new work hours (7 am - 6 pm) start.  Sewing class immediately after work, not stopping at home first.  Home about 9.
• Tuesday:  Day two of 5:50 AM wake-up call.  Half-day grad school orientation.  Work until 6 and meet family at ball practice (where hubby graciously brings me a sandwich).  Oh yeah, and grab groceries en route.  Home about 9.
• Wednesday: Birthday breakfast at IHOP (yes, IHOP - his choice) for the youngest.  Work all day after not sleeping most of the night.  Straight from work to church where, thankfully, they have dinner before activities.  Home - you guessed it - about 9.
• Thursday:  Up again at 5:50 - it's not even light yet!  Class all day with a few breaks to run to the office and catch up on work.  Straight to 5:30 birthday dinner at a local restaurant and a ball game.  Massive storm hits before game, we get soaked on the way in only to have them call the game 30 minutes later.  Guess what time I got home?  

At about 4:00 yesterday afternoon, I decided come heck-or-high-water (and the high water nearly happened!) I was going to get some sewing done.  Maybe the storm was God's little gift to me as my parents, who were with us for dinner and the game, took both boys home with them to spend the night and we got to go home early.  That meant a child-free (read: guilt-free) evening with hubby and my sewing machine.

So about an hour later - and I know that because my auto-off iron shut down right before I pressed the last seams - I had these:










The Ohio Star was a welcome break from the sometimes complicated other blocks I've been working on.  It's simple and clean, yet looks fabulous with these fabrics.  These are both for my friend Charlene, who is in my 12 Blocks of Christmas bee.  They are a day or two late (due in August), but I'm pretty sure she'll understand.

So tell me - how has your week been??  Are you enjoying the interviews?  Has life been so crazy that you haven't read any?  Don't worry - I've not caught up with all the blogs I follow, either.

Both giveaways are still open at the time of this post.  You can always check the 10-for-10 page for updates and a list of the giveaways that are open.  At least one should be open every day in September, and most days two will be open.  :)

Now - enough rambling.  Show me what you finished this week!!  Remember - a finish is a finish.  Quilt blocks, quilt tops, entire quilts.  Handbags, back packs, lunch sacks.  Skirts, pants, shirts, scarves.  Pin cushions, mug rugs, doll quilts.  What did you check off your to-do list??

Can't wait to see your work!

Finished it Fridays #3

It's been a long, crazy week folks! So tell me - did you get much done??

As you saw yesterday, I finished my son's Guitar Quilt which is now hanging like a trophy on a quilt stand in our living room. It's definitely one of my most favorite finishes.




I also finished a few blocks this week. Two for the 12 Blocks of Christmas Bee and two for my friend Sharon for a Project Linus quilt she is doing.

For this month's (ok, ok...for July's...) blocks, Katherine asked for wonky log cabin blocks (Quilt Dad style) using some fussy cut reindeer fabric she sent.














Next up were the Project Linus blocks for Sharon.  She created the block for the Daisy Janie project a few months back and then decided to do a blanket as well.  She called for "blanketeers" and I signed up.  The blocks were a lot of fun to make and oh, so easy!  Her tutorial for the block is still up and there are a few days left to sign up for a block or two.  I hope you will!







Now it's your turn - show off your finishes!

Finished It Friday - #2

Welcome back to another edition of Finished It Fridays!





Though I had quite a productive week as far as getting work done, I only had one true "finish" and that was for my Bow Tie Block Swap. I signed up for 40 bow ties, and finished them just last night.










As you can see - I think every finish is a good thing to note. Even though this isn't a large quilt or a project that took me months, these little blocks are still one less thing on my to-do list.

So.... your turn. What's off your to-do list now??

(Click here if you need a refresher on the rules.)

WIP Wednesday

Last night was my first chance to sew since leaving for the beach back in June. It's amazing how time at the machine and some good country music can lift your spirits. I'd been in a funk, but I swear I could feel the stress rolling off my shoulders with each stitch!

It turned out to be quite the productive night as I was able to finish blocks for four of my swap friends. I'm in two right now, TwittterB and a Christmas block swap - but ironically enough the TwitterB block for this month was a Christmas one...LOL! I almost felt like playing Christmas music. :)

The first blocks I finished were for Rene, who's been waiting forever for these. She sent us panels and fabric from Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas and pretty much gave us free reign, which I've decided is very dangerous for me. I'm a perfectionist at heart and that tends to trip me up and delay things.


,

Did you see the geese?  Get it?  Six geese a-laying!!!  Bwahahahahahaaa.... oh, I kill me... :)

Next up are block for Tiffany - the only non-Christmas ones of the night.  She sent us some adorable fabric with a forest village on it and asked for not-too-busy nine patches.  I used some solids and a moda marble to keep it crisp and to keep the focus on her fabric.




After dinner, I moved on to blocks for Rachel. She sent us some of the ultra-famous Sherbert Pips, which I had never seen in person. She had gone as far as actually cutting the fabric out for us ahead of time (very impressed!) so these were a breeze to sew together.




Next in line are the blocks I finished for Moira in the 12 Days group.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself on these because the fabric came while I was away.  That means for once, I'm not only on-time but a bit early!!  Woo!! Moira used the same block that Laura had picked out a couple months ago, and I can't blame her - they are fun and oh, so easy! She sent the off-white Christmas fabric and the rest is fabric from my scrap bin. Gotta love the scrap-busting blocks.





And now - on a true Work-in-Progress note, I've made a little progress on my Bethlehem Star quilt. I have the strips cut, but no sewing yet.




This is going to be a monster of a quilt, and I'm so far behind I'm almost ashamed. A group of us are working on it together and I'm about three weeks behind due to a delay in purchasing fabric and then vacation. It will be my main focus for the next little bit because I want to catch up with the others. I'm down to only one set of blocks for a swap - I got fabric from my friend Katherine while I was away, too.

Oh, and in case you missed the posts, I finished my husband's Coffee Quilt and Molly's Quilt while away. Finally, some changes to my ongoing WIP list!!

And - on a parting note - I'm missing the beach terribly.  Re-entry is difficult, and I think it gets more difficult every year.  Here's a parting shot of my family, taken on our last night there.  Until next year, my dear Hatteras....




Enjoy your week!

Brick block tutorial - featuring Daisy Janie

A while back, Jan at Daisy Janie Organic Fabrics posted an idea for a Project Linus quilt.  In a nutshell, she was looking for quilters to help by making blocks for a quilt.  She would send out charm squares to anyone interested, we would make the block, send it back, and she would assemble the quilt.  I've been wanting to try her fabrics for a while, and I love the idea behind Project Linus, so I jumped right in.

The instructions were simple... make a block.

No specific pattern, no size limitations, etc.  Just make a block using the fabric she sent.  I played around a bit in my mind and ended up with this:





And here's a tutorial for it!

One small note... this is a rectangular block.  Finished size is approximately 10.5" x 14.5".  However, if you wanted to make it a square, it would be easy enough to alter.  I wanted to use as much of the material as possible, thus the rectangle shape.

To start, choose eight 5" (charm) squares.

Featured here are (left to right) Hip Squares, Crystal Ball, Caravan, and Bundles from Daisy Janie's Geo Grand collection.

Cut each square in half to make a total of sixteen 2.5" x 5" strips.

Once cut, lay out your strips in such a way that they look like bricks stacked on top of each other. I chose to lay mine out in a stairstep fashion, alternating the green and blue with the browns.

As you can see, some strips will hang off the sides. For one of them, you will need to cut a strip in half to fill in the hole on the second row (see below).  I cut the brown (bottom right) to fill in the hole (top left) so that the pattern continued.

For the other danglers, you have two options on cutting.

Option 1: cut them into 2.5" squares like so...

...and attach them when sewing.

Option 2: leave them as-is and attach, trimming at the end.

I chose both - I chose to cut the Bundles (green/blue) strip and leave Crystal Ball (green circles) strip so you could see each.

Now, using that infamous scant 1/4-inch seam, sew your strips together to create five rows.

You should end up with something like this (remember, the green is the dangler I left in):

Don't panic if the rows aren't the exact same length. Some have more seams than others, which cuts down on the row length. For instance, in the photo above, you can see that the fourth row down is shorter than the row above and below it. That's OK.

Now, because the rows are uneven, we aren't going to line them up at the edges to sew them together. Instead, center the rows by folding the top one in the center, finger-pressing (no iron needed), and matching the crease to the seam below it in the second row.

Clear as mud?  OK step by step...

Take Row 1 (at the top) and fold it in half.

Finger press to make a slight crease.

Pin to Row 2 (right sides together) so that the middle seam of Row 2 matches up with the crease you just created in Row 1.

Sew Rows 1 and 2 together, using a scant 1/4" seam.

Continue the same process by finding the center and sewing each row together, folding to create a crease and matching it to the center seam in the adjacent row.

Once you have all rows sewn, trim your block, cutting only the minimum necessary to make a straight edge on all sides.

When you're all done, your block should look like this:

...and your leftover scrap pile like this:

I know, not much for building a stash, but pretty awesome for trying to use all your fabric!!


Now, if you were wanting to make a square you could either adjust the original layout (before sewing) and cut more strips into squares to fill holes. Alternatively, you could trim to a 10.5" square in the final step and have more for your scrap bin. Either way would work just fine.

I hope you enjoy this block! Be sure to keep an eye on the Daisy Janie blog for pictures of the quilt. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Oh, and if you make a block using this tutorial, please add it to the Stitching by Starlight flickr group.  I'd love to see it!!

Christmas Tree Block tutorial

A few weeks ago, my friend Katherine asked if I'd like to join a Christmas Tree block bee. I've always wanted a Christmas quilt, so I jumped in quickly. This was our first month, and Jodie sent out some wonderful fabrics...Be Merry, by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake.  She let us go free and make whatever blocks we wanted and only asked that we not use any other fabrics.

I immediately choked - the thought of such freedom froze me in my tracks - and then scoured the internet for ideas.  I knew I wanted one of the blocks to be a tree, but I didn't have much luck in finding tutorials, so it was graph paper and pencil to the rescue.    Below is what I came up with after some fussing and a practice row or two to be sure the measurements would turn out.

Now, a small disclaimer - I cut a bit extra beyond the measurements to be sure my block would be big enough.  The measurements work, but you'll need to be careful if you're going to be exact.  I'm all for making things a bit bigger and trimming down.   Feel free to do the same.

What you'll need:

A selection of 2.5" wide fabrics (a jelly roll will work)

A 14x8 or so piece each of background and trim (the white and blue in my block)

Play around with your printed tree strips to get them in the order that you like.

Starting with the strip at the bottom of the tree, cut:

1  -  2-1/2 inch square (dots)

1  -  10-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (snowflakes)

1  -  8-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (blue bkgd snowmen)

1  -  6-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (pink bkgd snowmen)

1  -  4-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (green/pink dots)

The blue trees strip at the top of the picture is a piece I thought I was going to add, but didn't... just ignore that one...sorry.  **grin**

From the white, cut:

 2  -  6-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

 4  -  5-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

 2  -  4-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

 2  -  3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

We'll cut the blue trim in a bit.  :)

In keeping with the bottom-up approach, start by sewing two of your 5-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch white strips to opposite sides of your 2-1/2 inch square, using a 1/4-inch seam; press. This is your tree trunk row. 

Next up is the base of the tree.   Take your 10-1/2 inch by 2-1/2 inch strip and set it on your cutting mat.  On either side, place a white 4-1/2 by 2-1/2 strip on the corner, perpendicular to the 10-1/2 inch strip, like so:

As you can see in the picture, draw (in pencil or disappearing ink) a 45-degree line from corner to corner, using your ruler.  (This should seem a little familiar to you if you've ever sewn strips together for quilt binding - same process.)  Repeat on the other side, but with an opposite slant.

Sew just a teensy-weensy bit to the right of the line. 

Then, sew on the other side.

Now, take your ruler and measure about a 1/4-inch from the seam you just put in and cut the excess off for a perfect 1/4-inch seam.

Your strip should look like this:

Press it back (I pressed towards the white, but you don't have to) and it will look like this:

Use the exact same process to make the next three rows as you continue with each strip going up the tree.  Your color/whites will match up like this:

1  -  2-1/2 inch square (dots) +  2  -  5-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips (trunk)

1  -  10-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (snowflakes) +  2 white 3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

1  -  8-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (blue bkgd snowmen) +  2  white 4-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

1  -  6-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (pink bkgd snowmen) +  2  white 5-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

1  -  4-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strip (green/pink dots) +  2  white 6-1/2 by 2-1/2 inch strips

When your rows are done, they will look like this:

Starting at the top, take your first row (green/pink dots) and turn it down on your second row (blue trees), centering the print strips.  Pin the strips right sides together and sew; press towards the top row.

Continue down the tree, centering each row with the one before until all are sewn.  Once all together (including the trunk!), trim your block so that you have even edges.

Now, at this point, if you were extra generous and your block is a perfect 12-1/2 after trimming, then you can stop.  If it isn't, you can add trim.  You can event trim it smaller intentionally (like I did) to add the trim.  I trimmed my block to 11-1/2 inches, square.

From your trim fabric, cut two 2-inch strips that are at least 11-1/2 inches long.  Sew to opposite sides of the block, using 1/4-inch seams, and press to the outside.  Take the remaining trim fabric and cut two more 2-inch strips that are at least 12-1/2 inches long.  Sew to opposite sides of the block and press towards the outside. 

Trim your finished block to 12-1/2 inches on each side and give the seams one more press for good measure.

Ta-da!! You're done... your very own Christmas Tree block!

Enjoy!!

If you use any of my tutorials to make something, please add it to the Stitching by Starlight Flickr group - I'd love to see your work!