Around The World Blog Hop Post

My good friend Christa of Christa Quilts asked if I'd like to participate in the Around The World Blog Hop.  I said sure!  Each hop post consists of answering a set of questions about the writer's creative process.  I'm always curious to know how others think, and I'm guessing you are too.  I was supposed to post this on Monday, but due to computer problems (ugh!), it had to wait until today. 

1.  What am I working on?  I am a quilter, but lately I've taken a little break from quilting to work on some simple projects.

Chevron tote

Moonflower tote/purse

Such instant gratification.  : )  I'd like to make some matching accessories next, like wallet, sunglasses case, tissue holder, etc.

Before making these bags, I started on a 16-patch quilt made from Moda Printemps fabrics.  It will be set 6 blocks x 6 blocks (72" square). 

I'll get back to it soon, maybe at the retreat I'm going to with Christa later this month.  Can't wait for that.  

2.  How does my work differ from others in its genre?  Doesn't everyone's?  I love how each person interprets a particular design differently.  Quilts that have vintage roots and modern style are my favorite to make.

3. Why do I create what I do?  I am a born sewer; I begged my mom to teach me at an early age (6, I think).  I began quilting when I took a continuing-education quilting class at the local university and decided to make my now grown daughter a baby quilt.  At first, I thought it was so much work! Of course, I was hooked and have been making them for myself and my family every since.

4. How does my creative process work?  I'll see a quilt or color combination that I like (I love Pinterest for this), and then think about how I'd interpret it. I rarely work with a pattern.  Whenever I make a quilt, it almost always takes me 3 times to get it right, with both the arrangement of the fabrics, and the quilting.  That frustrates me, and there's always a lot of ripping involved.  But, I've learned to accept that it's the way I work.  It doesn't seem to help to sketch it out first, makes no sense. ; )

I hope you enjoyed a little insight into my process. I'm tagging my good friend Linda at Linda's Tangled Threads, so look for her Around the World blog post next Monday.

Summer Sewing

With summer in full swing, there hasn't been much time for sewing (or blogging) lately.  Knowing that, I decided to go ahead and start a little project anyway.  It was super quick (a few hours), and turned out rather cute, I think.  

A close-up of the main fabric and the pattern used:

Welcome Great Pumpkin by Quilting Treasures

 

Love Villa Rosa patterns

Given that the pattern had a retro feel, and that the "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" holiday special was first shown in 1966, they seemed to go together nicely.  I think I'll back it with a black and white chevron, and machine-quilt it with vertical squiggly lines (my favorite quick quilting technique) using gray thread.  Not sure what to bind it with - maybe black?  The top finished at 40" x 51". 

I hope summer is going well where you are.  It's always a really busy (and hot!) season around here.  Thank goodness we've had overcast days, which helps keep the 110's at bay.    

Come see me on Instagram @farmroadquilts

Linking to:  Fabric Tuesday
                  WIP Wednesday
                  Finish It Up Friday 

Simple Project: Ironing Board Cover

I decided to clean up my sewing space last weekend, and after moving my ironing board to a new spot, thought it could use a new cover.  I looked around online and found this tutorial.  After choosing the fabrics, I got to work.  It was pretty easy to make; I think it took longer to pick out the fabrics than to actually make it. I just put the new cover over the old one, which had the padding attached. 

tie on new cover, old one still in place

I did make one mistake {maybe two}.  When tracing around the board, I only left 3 1/2" instead of the 4" that the tutorial recommended.  It doesn't seem to be causing any problems though.  I really like how it turned out, and that it adds a pop of color to my white room.  The maybe mistake is that I didn't pre-wash my fabrics.  Hopefully they won't bleed or shrink too much.  Maybe all that heat will set the dyes.  : /

All in all, it was a fun project! Now I'm thinking about painting a cabinet in the room a fun color, like apple green.  My son, who shares the space, asked that I not paint it pink.  : ) 

Fabrics used:  Sew Cherry (green dot/flower) and Large Gingham by Riley Blake, Pam Kitty Picnic (middle band) by Pam Kitty/Lakehouse.  

Linking to:  Sew Many Ways - Sew Darn Crafty
                    Quilt Story - Fabric Tuesday 

Notebook Covers

I wanted to make some gifts for Mother's Day, and since we like to keep it simple, I chose these notebook covers.

I used Lori Holt's tutorial that she did for AllPeopleQuilt.com. The covers came together quickly and turned out great.  Each has a small pocket on the front for pens and pencils, and two large pockets on the inside covers for notes and such, and fits an inexpensive standard spiral notebook. 

After the cutting was done, each took about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to complete.  Later, I found some cute coordinating pens at Walmart and put one in each notebook (no pic of those).  And of course, I made one for myself, because I'm a mom too.  : )  I used some adorable Pam Kitty fabric for mine.

I think I'll keep sewing & quilting notes in it.  Like my long list of works-in-progress.


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Fabrics available here 

Linking to:  Sew Many Ways - Sew Darn Crafty 
             Quilt Story - Fabric Tuesday 

Things That Are Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  In honor of this special day, I'd like to share a few favorite green things: 

My new letter "S" that my friend Pam made for me.  She's been following along with Moda's Spell It With Fabric blog hop.  Pam, our friend Linda and I get together once a month to sew and chat, and she surprised us with our own letters.  It's now hanging in my sewing area.  

Not having very many St. Patrick's Day decorations, I started this embroidery project.  When it's done, I'll put it in a little pillow to decorate with {next year}.  

A green pinwheel from a current project.

Lovely green pine trees at our cabin, which we visited this weekend.  We could only get there by 4-wheeler because of the snow and mud, which we didn't mind so much. 

 

Hopefully I can get some time in tonight sewing on that pinwheel project I mentioned earlier.  I only have a few blocks to go and then I can start sewing them together.  Can't wait to share that!

Linking to:  Sew Darn Crafty Linky Party

                     Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday

Birthday Gift

I love making pillowcases.  They're instant gratification.  Over the weekend, I made this one for my little granddaughter who just turned 3.  She's crazy about pink, so of course that's what color it had to be.  I stuffed it with an inexpensive pillow from the discount store and she loved it.  A girl can't have too many pillows.  : )

There's a great tutorial here (choose the AllPeopleQuilt link for a PDF).  Fabrics used available here and here. 

Linking to:  Sew Darn Crafty
             My Quilt Infatuation

Hello Again

Good to be back!  Here's what I've been up to:

I started a new quilt using Bonnie and Camille's Happy Go Lucky fabrics.  I'm calling it "Happy Pinwheels".  I have almost all of the 63 blocks done.  

 

Still tweaking my new sewing space -

 

 

Found some treasures at the thrift store -

some coveted turquoise Pyrex, and hex-y juice glasses

vintage pillowcases

And made some little needle books using this panel -

What have you been up to? 

Sharing at:  NTT at My Quilt Infatuation

Winner!!

Hi everyone!  We have a winner of the Quilter's Blog Hop & Giveaway.....nicolesender!  She is lucky number 103 (chosen by the True Random Number Generator).  I have emailed her and hope to hear back soon so I can get the goodies in the mail.

Turkey #1 is thawing in the sink and almost ready for the oven, and everyone's been assigned their side-dishes.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  I hope to be able to take some time this weekend and get my first-ever Christmas quilt (for me) basted.  Be back next week with pictures if I'm successful.    

Fall Quilt Market & a Sidetrip to Galveston

I attended the Fall Quilt Market, held in Houston, two weekends ago.  I LOVE Quilt Market!  So much inspiration and excitement.  Always a great way to see what's up and coming, and what's here to stay (at least for awhile).  As I walked the aisles with my friend Linda, these were some of the trends that I noticed: 

Simple Shapes, Large Designs and Vibrant Color -

Robert Kaufman Kona solids booth

Robert Kaufman booth

 

sorry, didn't get the name on this booth

 

Ella Blue booth

 

Quilt at the In The Beginning booth

 

Quilt at the Riley Blake booth

I love these quilts at the Franklin Quilt Co. booth

Christa Watson's Charming Chevron
 (Christa is my good friend and she had no idea her quilt would be at Market.  Boy was she delighted when I emailed her this picture! Hop on over to her blog and read all about it.)

Younger Designers - 

Vanessa Christenson of V & Co.

Jeni Baker of In Color Order

Camille Roskelley (that's her husband minding the store)

Free-Motion Quilting & Modern Quilts

Lots of books on these subjects

Retro -

Quilting Treasure's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

April Showers by Bonnie & Camille/Moda

Bags -

London City Bag by Pink Sand Beach

 Scrap Happy Purse  by Crazy Mom Quilts

 

Ombre bag by V & Co. (to be in a future magazine)

Zipper bags at the Riley Blake booth

Colors that are hot right now - navy, aqua, emerald, gray, hot pink and orange.  Love the way designers are mixing navy with aqua, navy with emerald, and even emerald with lime greens.  Solids continue to be popular.  Using dark blue, gray, green, yellow and other solid colors for backgrounds give a project a modern, yet vintage look.  (What's old is new again...)  Other notables - dense machine quilting, solids woven with shades of the same color, ombre, chevrons and denim.  Something for everyone.  

My husband came with me this time and we snuck (sneaked?) in a visit to the Gulf.  We rented a car and drove to Galveston, which is only about 45 minutes south of Houston.

On one of the piers

We had beautiful weather that day.  One of things we did was ride the ferry to Port Bolivar and back.  Such a fun little ride - we saw dolphins playing along side and in front of the boat.  (Sorry, no pics of them.)

The only decent picture of both of us.

  

One of the ferries coming in

This girl from the desert southwest isn't used to the humidity and my hair was a mess the whole weekend.  : /  

Linking to: Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday
                    Share Your Cup Thursday

Quilt Retreat & A Binding Question

Me and my project for the weekend

Last weekend I attended our local quilt guild's annual retreat with my quilt-y girlfriends.  I had a blast!  It's something that I look forward to all year long.  We talk, share, learn, eat, make new friends, and sew until we're exhausted. 

Christa working on her famous chevron blocks

Linda working on her oh-so-pretty 25-patch blocks

We had lots of room this year for all who wanted to attend - I think the number was around 130.  We were set up in a HUGE event tent outside of the hotel where we stayed.  Everything for the event was in there - sewing, eating, shopping and classes.   The lighting was not great, but we were allowed to bring our own lighting, so problem solved.  It was also cooler than usual that weekend, 70's instead of 90's, so it got a bit chilly in the evenings.  I doubt that will happen again, though, we live in the desert.

Christa giving a free-motion quilting demo during her Charming Chevrons class

We each had our own table, which was really nice for free-motion quilting, and that is what I did most of the weekend.  I quilted wavy diagonal lines on my scrappy-trip-around-the-world, and got it almost finished at the retreat.  (I finished quilting it a few days later at home and am now getting ready to bind it.)

  

My retreat neighbor Linda, worked on her pinwheel quilt, from the book Scrap Basket Beauties by Kim Brackett.  Coincidentally, I've been wanting to make the same quilt from that book, using my leftover American Jane fabrics (seen above) with a dark blue background.  She said it went together really nicely.  Can't wait to start that one. 

 

All the meal tables were nicely decorated with quilted table toppers and fun handmade dolls, and were given away after lunch on the final day.  Christa was thrilled to win this pinwheel topper made by a longtime guild member. 

Can't wait 'til next year! 

Now for the question -- have you ever used 2" strips for your binding? I have a dark blue stripe that is perfect for the binding on the scrappy trips quilt, but only have enough for 2" strips. (I usually use 2 1/4" strips.)  I'd love to hear what you use.  

Linking to:  Anything Goes Mondays

                  Fabric Tuesday

                  WIP Wednesday

                  From The Farm Blog 

                  Really Random Thursdays 

                  I Quilt