Sister's Choice Quilts

Jelly Roll Jammin'

The Internet has been all a-buzz about jelly rolls in the past couple of weeks, so of course, I had to do something with them too. Primitive Gatherings has just come out with a really pretty new collection called "Redwork Gatherings," as well as a pattern, especially for jelly rolls.

This quilt is so easy. As a matter of fact, the name of the pattern is "Take It Easy." Honestly, I think you could make it in a weekend! The quilt is good-sized, 72" x 78". If you love red and white quilts, this could be a lovely addition to your collection.

I got my strips all starched and ironed, then cut into the strips required by the pattern. I can plug in a podcast or an audible book and stitch away.

Did you start any jelly roll projects as a result of the recent promos of them? I know I don't use them enough. It is a fun way to use up every bit of a couple of jelly rolls! You could even make it smaller and go with just one.

Saying goodbye to September. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Sewcialites Block 1

This is the first block in the new "Sewcialites" sew-along I couldn't resist joining. The block is called Harmony and was designed by Lissa Alexander. Fatquartershop.com is sponsoring the completely free sew-along, and a lot of well-known designers are participating with block designs.  The sew-along goes through next June.  Block sizes are 3", 6", and 9". I have opted to do the 9" because I want a bed-sized quilt. A new free block pattern will be released each week.

Do check out Jolly Jabber (FQS's blog), the Sewcialites Lounge FaceBook group, and Fat Quarter Shop's Behind the Seams YouTube channel for tips and tutorials. On Jolly Jabber, there are suggestions for fabric collections to use, and a suggested setting. Clever individuals on the FaceBook group have offered even more settings. The support for this sew-along is phenomenal. If you are a beginner or intermediate quilter, there are so many tutorials and helpful tips you can take advantage of.  And if you are an experienced sewer, consider giving those 3-inch blocks a try! 

The FaceBook group seems quite encouraging.  A surprisingly large number of folks all got their block units oriented incorrectly, and others were so gentle about pointing out the mistakes. "You might want to have another look at that bottom left-hand block unit..."

I had a rummage through my stash and came up with even more fabrics that tie in with the Evelyn's Homestead collection I am using.  The main fabrics I am using were designed by Betsy Chutchian for Moda.

Goodness, how I love a good long sew-along.

It's All About Contrast

See what I mean?  I made the block on the left as part of the Moda BlockHeads 3 Sew-Along.  Block #37 "Broken Dishes" by Laurie Simpson. My first effort did not have much contrast.  It's ok but look at the difference in the block on the right. Greater contrast in the color tones makes the block on the right much more interesting, I think.

This block pattern is worth printing out, even if you are not doing the Moda BlockHeads 3 Sew-Along.  The construction of it is totally unique. You might think it is four hourglass blocks with larger background corners attached, but you would be wrong.  The construction of this block is so different.  Go ahead, make one. It will blow your mind!

Much starching of fabric has been going on. Out on my side porch, rack after rack of fat quarters has been saturated with spray starch and hung out to dry. I got it all ironed yesterday, and I am ready to start a new project.

Aaahhh. Just look at those beautiful fabrics.  Evelyn's Homestead by Betsy Chutchian for Moda. Plum, green, black, pink, and navy. I will use these in a new sew along sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop, called Sewcialites. If you haven't heard about it, you must click on the link and read up on it. I think it is going to be so much fun.  Whether you like modern fabrics or more traditional ones, this may be a project that appeals to you. Kimberly Jolly of FQS will do videos every Friday on how to make the blocks, setting suggestions, and more.

I need another sew-along, or any new project whatsoever like I need a hole in the head, but what the heck.  Life is short; you might as well be sewing. And that's what I'll be doing this weekend.

Moda BlockHeads Catch-Up= Block 37

This beautiful block is Block #37, "Fixer Upper", of the Moda BlockHeads 3 Sew Along.  You can check the Moda website/blog for a complete archive of the blocks so far released in this sew-along.  There are some wonderful free patterns in four different block sizes, so you would be wise to at least download them for future reference if nothing else.

I do love the Square in a Square block, although it can be tricky to get right.  This pattern allows for just a smidge of trimming, which was mostly enough for my units to come out accurately.  It was fun to make, and the results are pretty striking.

I made one other block yesterday when I was trying to catch up on my BlockHeads progress.  This is block #36 "Broken Dishes". It was a truly unique block, due to its really unusual construction technique.  I didn't have my head completely wrapped around it, so my fabric choices were off.  I am going to re-do this block and show you all what I mean.  Here is what I accomplished yesterday.  It missed the mark due to a lack of contrast in the fabrics I selected, but I have a plan to rectify that with my second attempt.

Stay tuned.

 

 

Cupcake Papers Quilt

Oh my, I am in love with this!  These blocks are made with Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. Cupcake Mix Foundation Papers #1. What you see above is 16 blocks made with the papers and a charm pack of "Late Bloomers" by Sandy Gervais for Moda.

I have loved the experience of paper piecing, and working with this vintage fabric collection has been a blast.  Sure wish I had some extra for a border. I have played around with block placement and have not decided if I want a small square table topper as shown above, or a longer runner.

I dunno, what do you think? Square or rectangle?  I could use either shape for a table topper.

There are a lot of new projects in the works over here at Sister's Choice. A good amount of fabric starching has been going on, and you know what that means....

I currently have more projects than I can shake a stick at, so I should probably take on another sew-along, right?  Yes!

It's Sew Emma Log Cabin Foundation Paper

After prepping my honey bun over the weekend, I was all set to try out my new It's Sew Emma Log Cabin Foundation Paper.  I used the 6-inch size with my honey bun of Squirrelly Girl. The papers were straight forward enough, and I got up to speed by watching a YouTube video first.

Here is my completed stitched log cabin block.  

After stitching, you are directed to trim your block on the outer marked lines. I used my 6.5" Creative Grids ruler.  Gosh, I love those things.  I wish I had them in every size!

Ack.  Of course, I goofed with my first block.  In fact, I goofed with the first square I positioned in the block.  My pen is pointing to where the center brown square is supposed to be. Live and learn.  It's a process.

This is what it is supposed to look like. Well, that is one mistake I will only make once.

I completed four blocks.  They were fun, they were easy, the paper came off easily, and I can't wait to make more! There is no wonkiness in the shape of the block, which always happens to me when I make a regular Log Cabin block without foundation piecing or a special trim tool.

My plan is to make a table runner, with maybe twelve or sixteen blocks in all. Love that fabric. One of the prints features darling little squirrels which I may need more of for a border. Oh, as a side note, I added in some of Fig Tree's All Hallow's Eve collection, and it ties in very well.

Hope your week got off to a great start.  I have loads of content for you this week, so be sure to check back every morning this week!

Happy first day of Fall!

Cupcake Mix Papers

Hello friends.  I hope you all are having a good week. I've been busy with homeschooling, so not much sewing action is going on.  I did get into the sewing room for a couple of hours, though. Pre-cuts have been on my mind from our discussion earlier this week.  I am itching to get into a honey bun or jelly roll project and am waiting for my Squirrelly Girl honey bun to arrive. I also may have ordered two jelly rolls of the new Primitive Gathering's Redwork Gathering Collection.  Ahem.

When I was puttering around, I remembered that I had a Cupcake Mix pad sitting around in a little bin of charm packs.

These little foundation papers are so nice!  I had not tried them before but will be getting more of them. The paper is super thin and soft and removes like a dream. They fit perfectly on a charm square for stitching. There are 44 papers in the pad. There are four different recipe pads to choose from.  I am using the Cupcake Mix Recipe pad #1, which makes the Birds in the Air block (or variations of it). 

If you are not familiar with this type of sewing technique, the idea is that you position the papers over two charm squares (right sides together), stitch on the dotted line and cut on the solid line. You pull the papers off and are left with four small half-square triangles and one large one. To make one Birds in the Air quilt block, you will need a total of four charm squares: two prints and two background. So my charm pack will make 21 quilt blocks, more than I will need for a table runner. The finished block is 6 1/2" unfinished.

My only criticism is that the printing on the papers is a bit light, but that may have just been the particular batch I had. 

If you are interested in learning more about these foundation papers, there are two good YouTube videos I will link to:

Fatquarter Shop Cake Mix video.

Fabric Garden Cake Mix/Cupcake Mix video.

I pulled out an ancient Sandy Gervais charm pack called Late Bloomer.  I have always loved Sandy's whimsical collections.  She used to design for Moda, but I believe she has moved to Riley Blake. She does fall colors so well, and I adore how she often adds in a beautiful teal to the autumnal palette.

I only had time to make three blocks, but you see the colors I will be using.  Sure wish I had a bigger piece of that tannish/gold to use as a border on the table runner I am making! That is the downside of hanging on to fabric for years-if you finally use it and need more, it's too bad.

Wishing you all a grand weekend!

 

American Pie in Progress

On Sunday, I put together nine or so of the American Pie blocks I've been working on hit or miss this summer. 

I found myself vaguely dissatisfied with them and can't put my finger on why. Do you think I should add another color or two into the mix? I've got red, rust, green, brown, gold, and black.

For reference, this is what one block looks like. Four quadrants, two fabrics, sewn into an X shape.

Here is another thought-what do you think it would look like if the blocks were completely scrappy, that is, with four different prints?

I'm open to any suggestions.  All I know is I feel kind of "meh" about the blocks. Maybe I just need to put them away and revisit them in the future when I may feel differently about them.

In other news, over the weekend,  my husband and I had our first getaway since January. I don't really mind staying home at all; in fact, in today's world, I feel safer there. But he is going stir crazy and just insisted that we go up to Lake Tahoe, a favorite place of his.

We stayed at the big Hyatt resort up at Incline Village in Nevada, just for Friday and Saturday nights. The hotel had a gazillion rules in place: mandatory masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer every time you turned around. The room was clean as a whistle, and just about every portable item had been removed from the room.  No glasses, no guides to local activities, nothing guests could pick up and handle and transmit COVID cooties onto. There was a clock, a phone, an ice bucket, and a remote for the tv and that was about it. And this was a posh hotel.

We went out for a meal, and masks were required at all times except if you were eating, and if the server came to your table, you had to put your mask on again while speaking to them. At the pool, all the chairs were sprayed down before a new person could sit on them, and the chairs themselves were all fixed in place so they could not be moved to a less precise "social distancing" spot.  It was kind of crazy.  I wished we had just stayed home, but my husband was happier for the change of scenery.

Honestly, we really didn't do much.  Lots of reading in our room, a couple of drives, an hour down by the pool wearing masks, and sitting in the social distancing arranged chairs. One meal at the hotel grill, which was such a strange experience, that we ate the rest of our meals in our room. We ended up coming home early.

The only advantage of the trip, in my opinion, was that the air quality in the town where we live was classified as "Hazardous" over the weekend-due to the smoke from the fires that are burning up our state.  The air quality at Lake Tahoe was somewhat better, rated "Unhealthy for Sensitive Persons." You could not see the lake for the haze, nor the surrounding mountains. 

Hope you all had a good weekend, however it was that you spent it.

Quickie

This post is a quickie, not the block.  This block is Moda BlockHeads 3 block #33.  And it was a doozy for sure. I am not afraid of curved piecing, and in fact, rather enjoy it.  This block, however, was a challenge. It was designed by Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic and is called Walking in Circles.

I made the 8-inch size, and was delighted to find that the units were slightly oversized, so the block could be trimmed down to 8 1/2" unfinished.  Otherwise, we would be looking kinda wonky here. Construction took awhile, but all in all, I am pleased with the results. The idea of making an entire quilt with this block gives me a headache.

We are still finding our way with the homeschooling.  I have decided I am trying to pack too much into the schedule.  Eva is wiggly and stressed out and I am cranky. She needs more breaks and rewards for sticking to her studies. Yesterday morning the entire time she was slogging through math and reading, she kept asking me "Are we going to make banana bread next?" "Can I pick out the bowls?" "Will we use the special bread pan?"  Honestly, that was what she wanted to do--cook something. I have a lot to learn. I hope I graduate this year with higher than average marks.

 

Maple Leaves Runner and Our State is Burning Up

I put in a few hours of sewing over the weekend, and the Maple Leaves blocks are finished and being sewn together.  The batik fabrics are so pretty.  It is like I am working with little jewels. What I am really enjoying is the lighter background.  Many of my fall table toppers and runners are rather dark, and I like how the bright colors really show up in this piece.

The pattern is Maple by The Pattern Basket.  Batiks were in my stash. The background is just muslin.

As you see in this photo, once I reach the middle of the runner, the leaves will switch direction.  I think that looks so much more balanced than having them go all one way. 

The runner will have 14 maple leaf blocks all together. I kind of did my own thing here.  My setting triangles are 9 3/4" squares cut diagonally twice and my corner triangles are 5 1/8" squares cut diagonally once.

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This was an incredibly distracting weekend.  My mind is fixated on the fires and all the people who are affected.  Some of whom I am closely related to.  That thunder and lightning storm I told you about last week sure did a lot of damage. It created complete havoc as a matter of fact.

Several lightning strikes caused the CZU fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which have caused my nephew and his family to be evacuated from their home in Boulder Creek.  Last they heard, the blaze was a mile from their home. Their insurance agent has already been in touch. They are currently staying with my father in the Bay Area.  My cousin and his wife are under imminent evacuation orders due to the SCU fire south of San Jose. The house where we used to live in the Monterey area came very close to burning down.  We actually thought it had been consumed, but later news informed us that the River fire had come so near to our former neighborhood that it completely scorched the surrounding visible hillsides.

And my daughter Sara who lives in Groveland, near the entrance to Yosemite, woke Saturday morning to the sheriff pounding on her door, informing her she needed to evacuate due to the Mocassin fire. They have a horse, a goat, two large dogs, and chickens that had to be sorted out.  Neighbors rallied and loaned them a trailer, and the larger animals have been boarded safely in another county. It turns out the evacuation orders they received may have been pre-mature, but they are standing ready to flee.

This is a terrifying situation, and is happening rather early in our typical "fire season." So many people are affected by the over 600 wildfires raging through our state. I feel such fear for the firefighters who are doing battle with these infernos.  Their courage and heroism are unfathomable. Resources are stretched very, very thin, and available manpower and equipment are in short supply. Pray for us all.