Friendship Star quilt

Last Summer I bought a stack of these Alpine Wonderland (Riley Blake) Christmas fabrics (I think they were 1/2 yard cuts) and soon after came up with a great idea for using them.  I fussy cut some blocks and then the whole stack of fabrics had to be shelved for a while.  By the time I pulled them out again I had changed my mind about the quilt.  By this time it was December and I mostly just wanted to get my Christmas quilt finished by Christmas.  I know you know how it is.

I still wanted to use the fussy cut squares so this is what I ended up with:

This block is called the friendship star and it’s a fast one to put together.  I made two sizes of star using the three fabrics and then arranged them on the design wall.  I then figured out how to sash them in white to keep their placement.


The rest of the fussy cut squares went in to the border.

I had fun with the backing.  My goal was to use up every last bit of the Alpine Wonderland fabric on the back – success!

I actually finished this quilt some time between Christmas and New Years but never blogged about it. 

Now here are a  couple of confessions for you.  #1:  This is a Christmas quilt, but I still have it hanging in my living room.  And it’s May.  I just love the colors.  Confession #2:  Here is a pic of the quilt all nicely folded on the quilt ladder…

…and here is what the original photo looks like.  I make a big mess of my living room when I take photos of quilts.  Everything gets rearranged.  Photos come off the wall.  Furniture pushed to the side.  Sometimes I even sweep. 

Now you know.  Keepin’ it real people. 

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts

Doodle Stitching

A few weeks ago I decided to try my hand at embroidery.  Well, try my hand again.  I vaguely remember doing a bit of embroidery when I was younger – something on a tea towel maybe?  I can’t remember exactly.  So one day I was killing time in my local JoAnns and came across this sweet book:

Of course I didn’t have a coupon with me (I always forget them!) but I bought the book anyway, as well as some embroidery floss and a small hoop. 

It didn’t take me long to decide which little design I wanted to try first.  I used the enclosed CD to get the image on my computer and enlarge it to the size I wanted.  I used a  blue (water soluble) marking pen (and the window) to trace the image onto a piece of Kona White from my scrap bin. 

Then I got to work.  My 5 year old “helper” decided he should unwrap the floss and throw away the “wrappers” so I now have no idea what colors I used. 

In the book, Aimee shows all of the needed stitches with easy-to-follow diagrams and descriptions.  For this project I think I only used two or maybe three different stitches and once I got going it was really easy – and really relaxing!

When it was finished I decided to turn the little embroidery piece into a 12” mini quilt and hang it on this Ackfeld Wire table stand. 

Have you seen these table stands? My mom sent it to me for my birthday and I love it – it’s the perfect size for a mini quilt and it fits so nicely on my top shelf in my sewing room.  

It was nice to do some hand work for a change and take a step back from some of my larger projects.  Do you do embroidery?  What do you do with the final project?  Pillows?  I want to do more but I’m just not sure what I would DO with it!

By the way, you can see more of Aimee Ray here in her shop and on her blog.

Community

 A few weeks ago I was feeling oh so worn out and not very creative at all.  At.  All.  It’s a frustrating feeling for me.

That same week I came across a book that I fell in love with and has been immensely helpful to me.  The book is “Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon.  It’s a small book – a quick read – but full of great ideas.  Don’t be put off by the title.  It’s not really about stealing.

The part of the book that helped me the most during this period of feeling uninspired was this:

“Take time to be bored.  One time I heard a coworker say, “When I get busy, I get stupid.”  Ain’t that the truth.  Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.  I get some of my best ideas when I’m bored…”

I can’t say that I’m bored very often, but since reading that I have made an effort to hollow out a bit of time each day to stop, sit and do nothing.  I also put away all of my WIPS into the closet, set aside the patterns I’m working on and other assignments that I have.  I pulled fabric from my stash that I love and I started to play. 

It was delightful. 

This is what came from it. 



and here’s the back:



As I was working on this quilt I was thinking about what it means to belong to a community.  I am a member of many communities, some tighter, and some more loose and less defined.  For instance I belong to a physical community here in my neighborhood- small and defined by where we live.  I also belong to a quilting community, blogging community, religious community, etc.  Each of these are so different from the next.  As I worked on this quilt top, I considered how I fit into each different community.  Then came the day of the Boston Marathon.  I had never considered myself to be a member of the running community until then.  I run, but I don't consider myself a "runner."  But seeing the running community unite so quickly and powerfully was a moving thing.

This was a great project for me.  It’s not big – just 48” x 50” and it will eventually hang on the wall of my sewing room.  Next week it will be at the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild’s display at the HMQS show in Salt Lake. 

It was a lot of fun to create something just to create.  And I remembered why I enjoy it so much.

And now I’ll always have a reminder of how important it is to give myself time and space to do “nothing.”

A Small Celebration

Hooray the weekend is here!  I thought that deserved a small celebration.  One more thing that deserves a small celebration – I FINALLY listed the kits for the Sprouts table runner and topper!

I have just a few left now – two red, two pink and one blue.  Each kit comes with a pattern and all of the fabric needed to make any one of the three sizes of table runner.

Kits can be found here.  The individual pattern is also available as a PDF here and here (still on sale, but not for much longer!)

One more reason for me to celebrate?  I finished my bee blocks for April and it’s only the third week of the month! 

For April Toni had us use this paper piecing pattern to make our blocks.  I love the colors she asked for:  navy, coral, yellow, aqua and white or gray.  It’s a great combo and I can’t wait to see this quilt top.

Sprouts Kits

I’m putting together some kits for the Sprouts Table Runner and Topper pattern and I thought I’d show you the colors I’ll have available:

Blue/Green

Pink/Green

Red/Green

Each kit will include a copy of the pattern (printed, not PDF), and all of the fabric needed to make any one of the size options:

small runner: 12” x 30”

large runner: 13” x 40”

circular table topper:  27” diameter

I’m hoping to have the kits listed by Friday.  Let me know if you’re interested in other color options and I’ll see what I can build for you!

Spring Pattern Sale

I feel like celebrating the return of Spring – how about a pattern sale?  Right now the Sprouts Table Runner PDF pattern is on sale (available here and here) for only $5.00.  No code or coupon needed!

The pattern includes three sizes of table runner/topper and all needed applique templates.  Never tried applique?  It’s not difficult, and once you start you won’t be able to stop. 





By the way, this pattern is a great way to use up scraps.  The vases are not large and the little sprout leaves would sure be cute made from scrappy green fabrics.




Interested in a kit?  I’ll have a few available soon.  I’m cutting, pressing and packaging now and will get them listed soon.  If you’d like to reserve one shoot me an email and I’ll set one aside for you. 

Bee Blocks

I started working on my April blocks for Imagine at Do. Good Stitches and I realized I never blogged about February and March.

In February we did bracket blocks for Lindsay.  We used her tutorial found on Sew Mama Sew for making HSTs (half square triangles) EIGHT at a time!  Yep.  Eight.  It’s easy.  And quick.  And I’m going to be using it again and again.

In March we made scrappy feathers for Amanda using Anna Maria Horner’s free pattern.  I made the mistake of not reading the pattern very closely before starting and ended up making several of the right side of the feather.  That was a mistake worthy of a forehead smack or two.  So then I had to go back and make enough left sides to be able to make complete feathers.  As a result, Amanda gets six feathers instead of two.  It turned out fine in the end right?  I know she’ll put them to good use. 

   

Now on to the blocks for April.  I sure love being a member of Do. Good Stitches.  Join in if you can.  You won't regret it!