Sister's Choice Quilts

Baby Burp Cloths

Next time you make a baby quilt, you might want to make a few burp cloths to go with it.  When Eva was a baby, goodness, did we ever use a ton of these.

I buy the prefolded diapers that have a thicker portion down the center.  You can find them at places like Target and KMart.  In case it has been awhile since you have bought diapers, don't have a heart attack when you see how the price has gone up!

Cut a strip of fabric slightly wider and longer than the thicker middle portion of the diaper.  I am guessing I had a strip 18 inches long by about five inches wide.  Press the sides carefully, and pin over the middle part of the diaper.  Fold the ends under and press.  Stitch on the edge of the fold, and you are done. Takes two minutes, seriously.

A couple of these that coordinate with your baby quilt would be a welcome and super cute little extra gift to give the new mom.

And if you want to skip making a baby quilt, just make burp cloths out of the whole stack of a dozen diapers!  Sure would save you a lot of time and money.

This is a stack that I made for Eva before she was born.  We used them to pieces!

Erin Go Bragh

This little table runner is what I made with my green and white flying geese.  I don't know what came over me--I am so easily distracted when I am down in my sewing studio.  The fabrics were just so fresh and springy, and who doesn't love working on a seasonal project, right at the time it is in season?  The fabrics were leftover scraps from two Bonnie and Camille collections, Ruby and Bliss.  The border/lattice fabric was not from those collections, just some random fabric I had on hand.  No idea who the manufacturer or designer might be.  Pretty amazing that it matched.  I always think greens are about as hard as blues to get a good match.

All I need is to get it quilted and find a shamrock plant to put on it and it will be just the thing to decorate my sideboard for St. Patrick's Day this weekend.  Erin Go Bragh.

Here it is waiting to be quilted along with another fresh and springy green project I have in the wings.

How are you all doing with this whole Daylight Savings Time thing?  I loved that it stayed nice and light so my family could play outside longer with Eva.  She has a new little slide and all we want to do is sit outside and watch her play on it.  I also am always on board with going to bed an hour earlier, but this getting up at 6:00 AM when it is really 5:00 AM is for the birds.  About 2:00 yesterday afternoon, I just wanted to lay down on the couch and close my eyes.

Mini Cherry Baskets

This is my little homage to Thelma's Door County Cherry Basket Quilt.  I used some of her leftover black and brown triangles, and some of my beautiful red charm squares from Primitive Gatherings.  The patterns for the basket blocks came from Miss Rosie's "Picnic" Schnibbles pattern.  The blocks are 6 inch finished. 

My offering is a far cry from the masterpiece Thelma's original is, but in two afternoons, I think I  managed to at least capture the feeling of her beautiful quilt.  I will enjoy this little table topper (about 25 inches square) for years to come.

And you know something?  Everytime I finish one of these mini projects, I can see that my machine quilting is improving!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day.  I was in the company of my dear little Eva, and we celebrated the lovely day by getting a certain someone new shoes.  With polkadots and owls on them.   If I am able to teach this child anything, it will be to love pretty shoes.

Fantasy

Can you guess in what place I am taking this picture?

It is from the inside of this vintage travel trailer that was at the Buggy Barn quilt show!

It was hard to get a good picture, due to all the people crowding around, trying to get inside for a look!

It has been a fantasy of mine to have one of these vintage trailers, and a pink one no less.  I can just imagine decorating it all up and hitching it to the back of my car and taking off for parts unknown.  No phone, no responsibilities, just me and my trailer and the open road.

There is a club called Sisters on the Fly, which is made up of women who all have these cool trailers and take trips together.  Their motto is "We have more fun than anyone", which I also love.  The two sisters who started the club (Becky and Maurrie) travel all over the country in a vintage trailer with their 93 year old mother Maisie, fly fishing and camping.  Their club really has taken off in popularity, and now has 2400 members!

There is a blog called The Beehive Cottage, written by Mary Jane, who belongs to this group.  You have got to go to her site and check out the photos of her 1957 red vintage trailer!  She named her trailer Buttonwillow, and she even decorates it up for Christmas, which is a complete hoot.  She is a crafter and vintage style sewer, and you might really enjoy seeing some of her projects. Mary Jane has tapped into her inner cowgirl and decorated Buttonwillow in a vintagey Cowgirl Chic style, which is adorable.

The trailer I visited was set up as a darling boutique, full of vintage jewelry and other objets.  This is what I purchased:

A little tote bag made from a ruined bow tie quilt.  I think it is wonderful that something could be salvaged from a quilt that was ready to be tossed out.  The little bow tie blocks and lacey embellishments are so sweet.

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While I adore getting your comments and answering them, I am away at the present time and won't be able to respond as usual.

 

 

Back to Work!

Ok, enough goofing around, shopping at the mall, and gazing vacantly into space.  Time to get back to sewing!

I have the day off for the most part today, and plan to put together some Dresden Plates.  I love these pretty Fig Tree fabrics, and know my finished top will be so summery and vintagey. 

Other things on my list to get back to are Farmer's Wife, Granny Squares, quilting my T is for Thelma Schnibbles, and making a dozen or more little zippy bags for my son in law's new wine tasting room.  He has said he would like to have some "boutiquey" items for sale in the shop, and my zippy bags fit the bill!  So excited about that!

So, as you see, I have plenty to do and hope to show some results to you all next time I post!

Can't help sharing this picture of some ground cover that popped up in my back yard:

No clue what it is, but it seems pretty common in my area.  Couldn't you just dive into it?

And look!  They're ba-ack!

 

Barn Quilts for Your Home

When I was tearing through the Road to California quilt show in Ontario last week, my heart nearly stopped when I came upon something I have wanted my entire grown up life.  A barn quilt.

There was a booth,hosted by "Classic Metal Company", who had displayed heavy weight steel "barn quilt" blocks to use as display on your house or on your walls.  These "barn quilts" are part of our heritage, and are a real symbol of Americana.  Quilt patterns on barns date back to colonial America. After the colonists became established and had spare income, they painted small patterns on the ends of the barns as a way to celebrate their heritage.

When you travel through the midwest and east coast and get out into the countryside, you do see these lovely works of art. 

When I was at Life's A Stitch in Janesville, WI in September 2010, I took the picture above, of a terrific example of a barn quilt.  I cherish the memory of that trip, as I was with two of the lovliest friends a person could ever wish for, and we were doing what we love best:  shopping for quilt fabric!  There is nothing that would forever symbolize and remind me of that amazing experience than having my own barn quilt.

So, with that being said, the reason my heart stopped, was because right there at the quilt show, Classic Metal Co.  had this block for sale:

Anybody recognize that block?  Yup, it is Sister's Choice!!!

I bought the small size, but will be ordering the large size (24" square) as well.  It is going to be the perfect touch to my quilting studio, inside and out.  The small one (shown below) will go inside the studio and the larger one outside the entrance under the lamp.   I played around with the smaller one today, but clearly I need to Go Big.  What a wonderful herald for my studio!  I am so excited to have found this.  They also had a fun sign that matched that I want to hang underneath that said "Welcome".  Think I need that too, don't you?

By all means, check out the website for Classic Metal Co., they had all sorts of quilt blocks represented:  Mariner's Compass, Blazing Star, Bear's Paw, Broken Dishes, Dutch Rose, LeMoyne Star...  You could have a barn quilt too!

Favorite Tools

There have been several discussions going on lately in Blogland about quilters' favorite tools, so I thought I would jump in with a list of mine.  I tried to keep my list to ten items, but that was a lot harder than you would think!  If you have any suggestions to add, by all means do so by making a comment.  Other quilters love to know what notions are popular, time saving, and cool.  Long post today, so fill your coffee cup and sit down for a nice read.

I am pressed for time today (Grandpa needs my attention), so I am not providing links to all these products.  If you search my tutorials you will see that several of these products are discussed in detail.  Also, if you "Google" the name of the product, you will get many sites that sell them and provide more product information.

The very basic items that one needs right out of the gate in order to pursue this craft successfully are a rotary cutter, a large self healing cutting mat, small scissors, basic rotary rulers in at least two sizes (12 x 6 and 24 x 6), a pin cushion, pins, a seam ripper, thread and a sewing machine.  There are probably essentials that I am forgetting.  But that is a start.  Beyond that there is a plethora of gizmos and gadgets that make your work easier, stress free and fun.  In no particular order, here are some of my Must Haves:

Bernina seam ripper.  The cutting blade on these is so fine, it makes ripping easy.   They are a bit pricier than other rippers, but I have never regretted this purchase.

How I got along before this gizmo came to my attention, I have no idea.  It is a super bright and concentrated light that attaches to the top or side of your sewing machine.  With these old eyes of mine, it enables me to see really well what is happening with my stitching.

I have blogged about this in the past, so you may remember me singing its praises.  The Angler 2 is a guide that you tape to the throat plate of your sewing machine, which allows you to sew half square triangles and corner squares without marking.  I have used this for years and find it to be a huge time saver.

Monique Dillard's Fit to be Geese ruler.  If you have one of these rulers, you will be making the most perfect Flying Geese units you ever imagined.  This is worth its weight in gold.  In fact, any of Monique's rulers are outstanding!

Love these fine quilting pins by Clover.  They are fine enough that I sew over them regularly.  (Don't judge me lol).  They are super fine and have heat resistant glass heads you can iron over.

More pins.  These are "fork pins" also made by Clover.  You can see from this picture I found on the internet how they hold your seam allowances down and enable you to match up your seam lines perfectly.

This is the Olfa Rotating Cutting Mat.  In addition to your large cutting mat, you may find this small one a great help when you are cutting out small pieces.  I am loving it while using my Marti Michell templates for the Farmer's Wife blocks.  Instead of picking up my little shapes and repositioning the template, I can just turn the mat to easily cut all sides.

Another quilting mat I really like.  These June Tailor Cut and Press mats come in several sizes, and I love having one on my sewing or cutting table with the pressing side up.  I can use my little iron and it is so convenient.  Great for retreats too, when there are a lot of folks sharing the big ironing boards.  And if you need to cut, just flip it over and Bob's your uncle.

Are you all still with me?  Just a couple more...

There are a number of rulers of this type out there, and all are pretty much the same, and very good.  The Precision Trimmer (or something like it) is an invaluable tool for trimming up your blocks, especially half square triangles.  You line up the diagonal lines along your seam and trim away the excess, leaving a perfectly square block unit.  Trimming is good. I love making my blocks a scosh to big and trimming them down to size. 

This is a new discovery for me.  Because of the afore mentioned old eyes, I need help threading my sewing needles.  I have always used Clover threaders in the past, and found them to be excellent.  However, with my current six strand of floss embroidery project, I found I was breaking the Clovers one right after the other.  These Grabbits were recommended to me, and I love them.  They are super fine, but very securely attached so the wires don't pull out.  Plus, they have a little magnet on the back, so you can stick it to your magnetic pin cushion or embroidery scissors!

This Goth looking device is my all time favorite thimble by Roxanne.  I have had one for over 15 years and know it will out last me.  They are quite expensive, but worth the splurge.  They come in a ton of sizes, so you can get one that fits your finger tip perfectly.  I would try to find a store that carries them and if possible, try them on in person to get the exact size for you.  My fingers are super thin, so before this, I never could find a thimble that would stay on my finger tip.  And do you see the little cut out?  That is so you gals with fingernails can have your thimble fit securely on your finger and let your nail peek out.

I hope you enjoyed this list of gadgets that I find useful for my quilting.  Please chime in and leave a comment on what items you find essential.  We all love to know what other quilters are using!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, How About Them Buns, Honey?

 

I think it is time for a little reward to my blogging friends!  There is  much to celebrate in my life right now, and I can't think of a better way to express my gratitude than a little blog give away.  Yes, my heart is becoming lighter as I imagine giving these little darlings away.

What I have above is four, count 'em FOUR honey buns in the fabric group Harmony by Jan Patek for Moda.  Honey buns are 1 1/2 inch wide strips of fabric that lend themselves to all sorts of fun projects.  And with four of them, your options are wide open.  Like what, you ask?  Well, imagine a log cabin quilt using the reds, blues, blacks and greens, with the light tans for contrast....That could be really nice.  Or, let your imagination run free and come up with your own creation.

So, comment on this post and on Friday I will announce a winner, and send the four honey buns off to one lucky person.  The only catch is, you have to let us know how you will use them, and update us whenever you complete your project!

Ah, to give is more blessed than to receive.  Truer words were never spoken.

Find the Pickle

 

It sounds kind of naughty, but seriously, this is a G Rated fun thing that we do in our family.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the tradition:

"The Christmas pickle is a pickle-shaped ornament hidden in the tree. The child who finds it first on Christmas morning receives an extra present. While the Christmas pickle is believed to be a German custom, it is fairly unknown in Germany but widely spread across the USA. In fact it is completely of American origin."

I have to disagree.  My 86 year old mother in law has some antique Christmas ornaments from her Irish grandmother.  One of the ornaments is a tiny glass potato.  The story goes that the first child who found the hidden potato on the tree gets an extra present.  Same game, different culture.

You might think that playing this game is a cinch, but you would be wrong.  This little pickle disappears right into the branches of the tree like magic, and is impossible to find!  I actually had to replace our pickle one year because when we undecorated the tree of all the other ornaments, we still couldn't find the little dickens.

We have been unpacking boxes of holiday decorations for the past five days and I will be darned if I have yet to find the pickle, so who knows if it will find itself on the tree this year or not?  I know it's around here somewhere.

Sometimes Losing Your Memory Can Be Fun

While I was turning my sewing room upside down this weekend, looking for the 3 1/2 square of fabric I swear Sophie ran off with, I made a discovery.  I love it when this happens.

 

Usually I keep all my future projects in my stash closet where I can frequently admire, fondle and consider them.  Imagine my surprise when I opened a dresser drawer and under some fabric scraps and triangle papers discovered this complete quilt kit.  The fabric looks to be some past Kansas Troubles collection (they all look alike to me) and this easy, fun looking Miss Rosie pattern.  The fabrics are all arranged just so and the kit was contained in a sturdy plastic zip project bag.

I have way WAY too much fabric by Kansas Troubles, and have sworn off buying any more until I use up what I have.  I made two quilts this past summer to make Christmas gifts for the grandparents, and used up quite a bit of the stash.  I probably stuck this in the drawer out of guilt for purchasing more fabric from this designer.  Good Lord, I am like an alcoholic hiding bottles of Jack Daniels out of sight for a rainy day.  Or rather a "dry" day.  Sure wouldn't want to run out or anything.

Isn't that just a kick?  I don't remember buying this fabric, and I certainly do not recall putting it away in the dresser.  I may be losing my mind, but gee, it is kinda fun sometimes!