Sister's Choice Quilts

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.

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!

 

Jelly Rolls

Do you sew with Jelly Rolls very often?  Ever?  I have a collection of eight or ten jelly rolls and I just do not know what to do with them.  I thought we could chat in the comments about what sort of quilts some of us have made using this particular pre-cut.  Others of you out there may be as stymied as I am when it comes to using them!

I have three books that have patterns for quilts using jelly rolls, but I have never used any of them.  If you have made quilts from any of these books, or have other books you can recommend, please do share in the comments.

The problem I have with so many of the patterns for jelly rolls is that the quilts are so simple they seem to be for beginners.  Which is great, if that is what you are.  I need to give the "Start with Strips" book by Susan Ache a thorough look.  I follow her on Instagram (#yardgrl60) and her designs are always visually interesting and seem complex.

I love the idea of sewing with jelly rolls and other smaller pre-cuts because they allow me to purchase an entire collection of fabric for less than $40.  I am making smaller quilts these days and it just doesn't make sense to buy an entire fat quarter bundle and have more than half of it leftover.

So, please share in the comments!  What the heck do you do with jelly rolls?

Sweet Holly

Isn't this pretty?  It is fabric from Kansas Trouble's holiday collection "Sweet Holly."  I love the Christmassy colors and the not "in your face" holiday prints.  Subtle.  That is what appeals to me.

These low volume backgrounds are just right too.

I have three projects I would like to make with the fabric.  I wasn't sure if I had enough, so I kept ordering more from Fabric Shack, who is offering free shipping, by the way.  

I also ordered some of the fabric from Shabby Fabrics, but it has been sitting in the Sacramento USPS distribution center since July 25.  Not fun.  What is up with USPS lately anyway?  They sure are having some issues.  Some things arrive in a timely manner, and others...well, they are on the bottom of a pile somewhere, and no one is paying attention. The system is so overwhelmed right now.

Thanks for all the homeschooling related suggestions and encouragement.  We meet with the teacher on Monday!  She will suggest the curriculum, and I understand we can pick up what we select on Wednesday next week. I have lots of questions and hope she will be available to answer them via email.  I've been watching YouTube videos like crazy, to see how homeschoolers set up their space.  It will be a whole new experience for us.  We did ok the last couple of months of the previous school year, so hopefully, we will get with the new program easily.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

What Was I Thinking?

Well, this is a UFO in all sense of the word.  I discovered this little project box in my sewing room closet and just stared at it open-mouthed.  What had I been planning?  There were the makings for flying geese units, some strips in various sizes, a whole lot of black and orange fabrics.  No pattern, no notes.  What in the world had I been thinking I was going to make with all this?

I started searching through my books and found a super cute pattern that I think will work great for this mystery assortment.

Are you familiar with the Moda All Stars book "Mini Marvels"?  It has patterns for 15 little quilts that are full of wonderful design elements.  Right there on the cover is a great little quilt that involves flying geese and log cabin blocks.  Here is a better picture of the quilt:

The pattern is called Cabin Skein and is by Carrie Nelson.  I will have to cut my flying geese and strips down to a smaller size for this project, but that is easily done.  This will be such a cute October table topper in those black and orange fabrics!  It will finish at about 20" as I recall, just right for a candle or little vignette of some kind.  

I have to confess, I got the sixty four 1 1/2 x 2 1/2" flying geese all made and thought "I'll just get cracking on those 4 1/2" log cabin blocks".  Wrong.  I made two of them and they were so wonky and misshapen I was ashamed.  I am so used to using trim tools and special rulers to ensure the accurate size of my blocks that I guess I can't live without them.  I have the Creative Grids Log Cabin Trim Tool in both the 8" and the 6" sizes and my blocks always come out perfectly.  So, I got on the computer and ordered the 4" size.  It should come by Wednesday and I will be back in business. 

Sometimes you just need the right tool for the job!

Wallowing in Fabric

Is that not the most beautiful pull of fabric?  It is what I am planning to use for the Comfort and Joy quilt-along hosted by Piecing the Past.  I had it all in my stash, and only ordered a few more backgrounds. I love Civil War reproduction fabrics as you know, but I am especially excited to use brighter tones. This project checks all my boxes.  Here is a link to all the documents that describe the project, yardage, etc.  They are super nice at Piecing the Past, willing to answer any questions you might have, and so generous to provide all the information to make the quilt.  The preliminary documents/information pages are so thorough, I imagine the block instructions will be too.  And it is all free if you download the pattern instructions each week.  If you delay and wait until later, there will be a small charge for the block instructions.

I am so excited to make this quilt.  

Here is my version of Moda BlockHeads 3, block 12.  I followed Fig Tree & Co. suggestions for changing up the block units from half square triangles to square in a square blocks and flying geese.  It was still a beast to put together and to get all those points to line up.  Nice block though.  I made the 12" size.  Can you imagine making the 4"?  

For the first time, I skipped making my Laundry Basket Mystery blocks.  Tomorrow is the reveal of the last four blocks to complete the center, so I am excited about that.  My plan is to complete the top over the weekend.

Our homeschooling experience was rather blah yesterday.  Both Eva and I were kind of bored with all the lessons.  The Arctic Tundra, beginning geometry, telling time, spelling, reading comprehension:  Big ho hum.  We wanted to do the jigsaw puzzle and play Roblox.  And fondle fabric. 

Our schools will be closed for the remainder of the year, so I had better get my mojo back.  This girl needs me. 

Fabric Bin Organization

Just a quick post to let you all know I am still alive.  The weather cooled down to the high 80s over the weekend, so I took advantage of the cooler temps and went out to the garage to organize my fabric storage.  We picked up some new bins at Walmart and I was able to put away the surplus fabric that had been piling up in my sewing room over the past year.  I have so much fabric from my favorite designers that is left over from projects.  I don't want to discard it, as it usually goes great with future collections these designers release.  Honestly, with each new project, I can be found rummaging in these bins to find things that coordinate with whatever new fabric line I am working with.

My organization method is somewhat haphazard.  Feel free to enlarge the photos to see my labels.   Some bins are for specific designers, if I have substantial leftovers to warrant a separate bin in their name.  Other bins are just fabrics by color:  reds, light greens, yellow & gold etc.  And then we have smaller bins for abandoned postponed projects.  I know i will get back to that Moda Blockheads quilt one of these days.  And those birds I wanted to make from leftover Fig Tree fabric... 

All in good time.  And meanwhile, in these labeled bins, there is a chance I can find those projects again when I am ready.

Temperatures are supposed to be between 102-105 the next few days, so I will be inside with a fan aimed at me.

Birthday Goodies

Some recent birthday shopping has been happening.

My birthday was earlier this month and I was fortunate to receive some gift certificate bounty for Fatquartershop.com from various loving relatives.  I put the gift certificates to good use (they are probably still smoking) and ordered two fat quarter collections.  The one in the two photos above is the Temecula Treasures collection.  Lots of clear toned small Reproduction prints in this one.

And this one is Riviera Rose by Renee Nanneman.

Reds and blacks and tan, with one amazing large scale black and red print that ties it all together.

I was thinking the reds and blacks could be very interesting in this Laundry Basket Kelley pattern.

Not much sewing going on here so far this summer, but I can always dream of the future, right?

I wonder if I could set up my Featherweight poolside?

Chateau Rouge Cutting

Didn't we have great comments yesterday to my complaints of not feeling inspired to sew lately?  My gosh, so many of you weighed in with ideas for projects that were exciting to you.  The enthusiasm just leapt off the page.   If that wasn't a shot in the arm, I don't know what would be!

I got my red French General strips all cut out and a fair number of strip sets sewn together and cut out.  I think this project is going to go quickly, which is just what I need right now.  Instant gratification.  In spite of pre-washing my fabrics, I am getting the required eight triangles cut out of each pieced strip set.

I am using a 60 degree equilateral triangle ruler by Creative Grids.  My triangles are being measured on the 8 inch line near the bottom of the ruler.

Do you see how the bottom three strips are off-set by about an inch?  That is to be sure you get every smidgen of use out of your strip set and get your eight triangles from the WOF.

I need 108 of the pieced triangles.

Hope your week got off to a good start.  Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions yesterday.

Starting Something

Well, this weekend I started something.  And it's been awhile since that has happened.  Honestly, I just have not been excited about any new projects lately.  None of the latest collections, or patterns or color schemes have appealed to me much.  I don't recall ever being in such a creative slump.  All the designs by my favorite designers have seemed to be much of the same as that which they have produced in previous seasons.  Nothing has grabbed me, or sparked that excitement of new possibilities.  

It is making me wonder if my taste in Reproduction fabrics and classic quilt designs has become passé?  Barbara Brackman stated on her blog Civil War Quilts, that the number of reproduction fabric collections at Quilt Market this past weekend was very sparse. 

From the photos I have seen from Spring Market, apparently there is a big trend towards all grey or black, grey and white quilts.  No color.  I am not completely opposed to this concept, it is just going to take me a bit of time to come to terms with the idea.  I crave something new and innovative, but am not sure if that is the direction I want to go.

At any rate, I have been browsing various online sites for glimpses of upcoming kits, collections and patterns.  I found one by 3 Sisters that appealed to me.

3 Sisters has a collection called Cinnaberry that is all red and cream fabrics.  I love the look of this simple design, called Holly Berries, made up entirely of triangles.  I was so close to ordering it when I remembered I had a collection of French General fabrics called Chateau Rouge.  I have hoarded this fabric for years, because it was just too pretty to cut up.  The Chateau Rouge collection came with a free pattern of the same name, and guess what?  It is made up entirely of triangles.

I decided this time that I would shop at home, and make up this quilt that I have been thinking about for years.  The red triangles are actually made up of red strips, which give the quilt top so much texture and dimension.  It is a simple design, but taken just that one step further.

So with Eva and Ozzie's help, I got my fabrics washed and starched over the weekend.  I hope to start cutting today and am keeping my fingers crossed that this will get me out of my quilting doldrums.

How about you?  Am I alone in not relating to a lot of the new trends and collections that have been on offer the past year or so?  What is new and exciting to you?  Please share what you are drawn to lately.  I know I can't be the only one wishing for some inspiration.