Friday, November 28, 2014

a pillow for my brother

Welcome to finish it up Friday!
My youngest brother is a truck driver and he requested a pillow (or two?) for his truck. I didn't think any of the bright girly ones I had on hand were appropriate for him (hahahaha) but inspiration struck at just the right time. I had plenty of scraps leftover after finishing the mustard mishap quilt top, and since the scraps were still everywhere, I took the time to cut out some squares for a pillow. I basted it to some scrap batting and quilted it very simply. Super quick! 
I finished it with the envelope backing that I had made, but didn't use for this project. It was SO handy to have a pre-made back! I love how subtle it is, too. (There is a simple envelope backing tutorial here. It's my favorite way to finish a pillow.)
The pillow measures approximately 20" square. AND, it is scrap project #94/101.
 
Even though I made this for my brother, I kind of (really) want to keep it!!!! I love the simple, utilitarian feel that it has. I suppose I could just make another. Ha!  
 
Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!
finish it up Friday, 11/28/14
1. The Colorful Fabriholic  50. Sneak peak  
2. Christmas Quilt @ Modern Cozy  51. Jess @ Quilty Habit  
3. Eva-Bambi-Johansson  52. Swoon Baby Quilt the First  
4. Katy @ KatyQuilts  53. Quilting is more fun than Housework  
5. Mari @ The Academic Quilter  54. Janeen@QuiltArtDesigns  
6. Heather @ Modern Parti Quilts  55. Kerstin@sunset sewing  
7. Geta  56. karen @CapitolaQuilter Redwood Grove  
8. Ruth @ CB Crafty Corner  57. Little island Quilting  
9. Stacey @SLOstudio - Tule Pillows  58. syglad  
10. Sailor quilt @Zarkadia  59. syglad  
11. Karin @ Leigh Laurel  60. Hollie @ Just a Mom who Sews  
12. Katherine@adventuresinacraftinglife  61. Jak and Will by Stephanie D  
13. Michelle's Romantic Tangle  62. Penny G  
14. a little gift sewing  63. Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  
15. Tessa @ The Sewing Chick  64. Julia in Mississippi  
16. mini quilt | veni vidi vicky  65. Stephie @ Dawn Chorus Studio  
17. Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts  66. Julie @ That's Sew Julie  
18. Maxi quilts  67. Terri Faust Quilts  
19. GRACE AND FAVOUR  68. Beth @ Hello Quilty Lady  
20. Looking Glass Blog Hop Contest Giveaway  69. Star finished. Now borders to go  
21. Re-Useable Snack Bag  70. Bernie @ Needle and Foot  
22. Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses  71. Kate @ katiemaequilts  
23. pat in win wisco  72. Janice @ same but different  
24. Kim @PersimonDreams  73. Debbie  
25. Alidiza  74. How to Serge Perfect Napkins  
26. Ruth @Stitching Impressions  75. Quilting Panels ~ From My Carolina Home  
27. Giant HST Block Quilt Tute  76. Kaleidoscope Stars  
28. The Low Volume Block  77. Batman Mini Quilt  
29. Everything Stops For Tea  78. Kathy@KayakQuilting  
30. Nordic Sweater Quilt  79. Dresden Quilter  
31. Debbie @ Quilted By The Sea  80. Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches  
32. beth@lovelaughquilt  81. not a potholder - finish @ Dittencraft  
33. Two more for Quilts of Compassion  82. Patch the Giraffe  
34. 2014 Row by Row Experience in R.I.  83. Casandra @ Made Down South  
35. Janet @ Simply Pieced  84. "Free" quilt @ LoGoQuilts  
36. Simply Pieced: Scrap Busting Part 2  85. unpretentious quilter  
37. Reindeer Pillow  86. Amy @ 13 Spools  
38. Anneliese  87. Nordic Mini  
39. Lynn @ Cats in the Cupboard  88. Irish Chain Quilt by Tahnee  
40. Place mats and Pirates  89. Frankie Carson  
41. Wrapped Gift - ipatchandquilt  90. Hubblebird  
42. Jenny @ Romany Quilting  91. Quilting the Green Star  
43. Rachel @ Snippets of Sweetness  92. Dhia @Peach Patch Quilts  
44. Wendys Quilts and more  93. Leanne @ Devoted Quilter  
45. Liberty Applique Drawstring Gift Bag  94. wonky cross @snugharbor quilts  
46. Sam @ diary of a madfabriholic  95. Val's Quick Baby Gifts  
47. Hilary Florence Quilting Workshop  96. Judy@Quilt Paradigm  
48. Alice @Blossomquilts  97. Lisa @ simple dream quilts.com  
49. Sassy is finished  

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Thursday, November 27, 2014

mustard mishap quilt top

I found a few minutes to sew this morning before all the thanksgiving craziness started. It felt great to finish this quilt top! As you can see, I did add the mustard into the mix. I love what it adds! I almost chickened out, but I'm glad I went with it!  The quilt top is 100 scraps: mainly chambray, denim, linen, gingham and a few wovens. Many thanks to Anna for the bag of scraps!

The quilt top measures about 58" x 74".

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating today! I hope your day is fun and stress free. :) Thanks to each and every one of you for stopping by and reading my blog. I'm so thankful that you do. It means more than I can say. xo

Monday, November 24, 2014

mini trees!

Do you ever get one of those ideas that rattle around in your brain that just won't quit until you try it out? That's exactly what happened with these mini trees. I would think about them before falling asleep, when I woke up in the morning, when cooking lunch. After several days, I figured enough was enough and I finally gave the idea a go.
There was much squealing of delight when I made the first one. My kids squealed right along with me, which was a bonus. :)
I made 6 blocks.
Then 9.
Then I turned them into a mini quilt. I absolutely love it!!! Thankfully we have a fresh coat of snow today for photography purposes. (Ha!) The mini measures 15.5" x 23" and the pattern is in progress. Hurray for fun ideas that work!

Happy Monday to you!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Saturday socks

Welcome to finish it up Friday!
I'm so excited to share my finish for today....another pair of hand knit socks! I'm calling these "Saturday socks" and I knit them especially for my 11 year old son. He LOVES Saturdays, big comfy sweatshirts, being wrapped in a quilt (or two) and now he has a pair of hand knit socks to add to his Saturday ensemble. He's soooo excited for them, which I find absolutely charming. He's my middle child, so it is RARE that he gets new clothes, much less something made just for him. (It's usually all hand me downs.) I tell you, those middle children have it rough! Ha!

Turns out it isn't much easier to take sock photos on someone else's feet...
...but we had fun trying! :)
We joked that they look like old man socks. They do, but that works out, too. We always say he is an old man trapped in a kid's body. He's peculiar as the day is long and we love him to pieces.
These are my 10th pair of hand knit sock to date! My patterns are nearly worn out!
After 10 pairs, I finally feel like I can do a decent job at knitting socks! I've tweaked the pattern to my liking and I re-wrote it in a way that makes sense to me. I've got the PDF posted here as a free download. I'm not qualified to offer up technical knitting help, but if you want to have a go at the pattern, feel free to give it a shot!
 
Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week! Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!
finish it up Friday, 11/21/14
1. Modern Block Mini | Ants to Sugar  65. tubakk, Norway  
2. Our Busy Little Bunch  66. Everything Is Coming Up Rosie  
3. Sam @ diary of a madfabriholic  67. Little Island Quilting  
4. Tea Party - zuckerkuss  68. Watermelon Diva  
5. Essex Linen Travel Bag Collection  69. Alice @Blossomquilts  
6. Eva-Bambi-Johansson  70. Sewing for Baby Girl (The Days Dewings)  
7. Melissa @ Happy Quilting  71. How to aggravate a quilter  
8. Prepping For My December Guild Meeting  72. Jana Machado: Night Sky QAL - week 4!  
9. Kansas Twister @ Sewfrench  73. "hoot!" @ Simple Crafty Life  
10. The Little Red Hen  74. Cindy@Live a Colorful Life  
11. Janet @ Simply Pieced  75. double zip pouch - Karen  
12. Mari @ The Academic Quilter  76. Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop  
13. Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts-embroidery  77. Ruth @Stitching Impressions  
14. Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts - quilt  78. Bower Bird Patch: Telopea  
15. Vera @ Negligent style  79. Steph Blair Sews: (and crochets)  
16. Hiday Ornaments :: PorcupineStew  80. Steph Blair Sews: a woodland heightchart  
17. svetlana@sotakhandmade  81. Something New Quilt  
18. Roxi's Ramblings  82. This and That Quilt  
19. Alidiza  83. Lizzie Lenard - Stitching by Numbers  
20. Katy @KatyQuilts  84. Three Maple Leaves Table Runner  
21. Judy@Quilt Paradigm  85. Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts  
22. Sew Me Something Good  86. Christmas gifts @Creatin' in the Sticks  
23. Katie @ Good Golly Ginger  87. pat in wi  
24. Darcy at Modern Cozy  88. Dee  
25. Julie @ That's Sew Julie  89. Amanda @ Everyday Fray  
26. Karabeta Castle  90. Shelley @The Carpenters Daughter who Quilts  
27. Grinch Quilt @ goldshoegirl  91. Debbie @ A Quilter's Table  
28. Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs  92. Cheryl Arkison  
29. ashley@wasntquiltinday  93. Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches  
30. Katherine-Adventures in a crafting life  94. Tanya Quilts in CO  
31. AMH Nine Patch {Quilt Top Finished}  95. Marianne  
32. Michelle's Romantic Tangle  96. SewPsychd Super Quick Car Seat Quilt  
33. Jo's Country Junction  97. Miss Alissa  
34. Karen  98. Amy @ 13 Spools  
35. Lindasquiltmania  99. Beth @ Hello Quilty Lady  
36. Janeen @ QuiltArtDesigns  100. doll quilts  
37. Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation  101. Christmas stockings -Stacey@SLOstudio  
38. Emmajane @ Stitch and Pieces  102. Rangers Station Quilt | Factotum of Arts  
39. City House Studio: Reindeer!  103. Another Baby Quilt @ LoGoQuilts  
40. Xmas tree  104. Sharon  
41. Mama Spark  105. I QUILT FOR FUN  
42. Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts  106. Adrianne @ On the Windy Side  
43. Charlotte@GrammieQs  107. Liberty Patchwork Infinity Scarf  
44. Val's Eye Spy Finish  108. Jan O  
45. Patchwork Collage - Terri's Notebook  109. Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  
46. cathy@blueberrypatch  110. Julia in Mississippi  
47. Quilting is more fun than Housework  111. Pirates Ahoy @ CTC  
48. Rachel @ The Life of Riley  112. Megan @ Crooked Tail Crafts  
49. Wendi: almost finished  113. Patch the Giraffe  
50. Sharon at Color Girl  114. Joanna @ Riddle and {Whimsy}  
51. Geta  115. Terri Faust Quilts  
52. Hexies and mug rugs  116. refashion a linen shirt  
53. My Sewing Room  117. Nesta @ Ella and Nesta's Little Room  
54. Shannon w/ Jellyroll Baskets Quilt  118. gina @ Party of 8  
55. Nancy@PugMomQuilts  119. A coffee bag turned into big bag  
56. Heather @ Modern Parti Quilts  120. DeborahGun @ Sunshinethroughtherain  
57. Gunilla  121. Frankie Carson  
58. Orange Quilt @ dittencraft  122. Modern Turquoise Pillow  
59. Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty  123. Christmas tree Mini Quilt  
60. Karin @ Leigh Laurel  124. Janice @ Quick Gifts  
61. Jess @ Quilty Habit  125. Baby Quilt by Dresden Lane  
62. Brenda@ Scraps and Strings  126. Autumn Table Topper & Giveaway  
63. Shannyn  127. Maria Shell @ Tales of a Stitcher  
64. Plaid #4  

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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

sewing for the fun of it

A few weeks ago a friend gave me a huge bag of scraps. A garbage bag full! There were a ton of denim scraps, lots of linen, some gingham, and several assorted utilitarian type fabrics, among other things. I sorted through the bag and I thought this would be a fun and interesting palette....in an understated way, of course.
Yesterday I started to sew from that pile of scraps, just for the fun of it. And it was SO fun! I thought I would call this quilt "moody", because it matches the gray blustery weather we have been enjoying (ahem) here in Minnesota.
I've also been toying with the idea of adding a streak of yellow somewhere in the mix and calling the quilt "mustard mishap". The title alone entertains me so much, I just can't tell you! I think I'm getting  a little loopy and already experiencing signs of cabin fever. (Although it's much too early in the season for that.)
Whether I add the mustard or not, I really like where this is headed!
 
I'm trying to convince myself that another WIP is not a big deal. I've added 3 in the last week! I'm up to 15 (official) works in progress with a few more that I'm still in denial over. It's a slippery slope.....

Monday, November 17, 2014

winner

The winner of the e-book Free Motion Quilting for Beginners (and those who think they can't) is Gill! Thanks to all of you who entered the giveaway.

Happy Monday to you!

Friday, November 14, 2014

doe quilt top

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Yesterday afternoon I started making a contact print pillow (using the tutorial here). I love the pattern because it is simple and quick. Plus, it is a great way to showcase one mini charm pack. I made pieces for the envelope backing before I even assembled the pillow top, so I would feel like I was on the ball when I got to that stage. What can I say? I like to shake things up. :)
The fabric is Doe, by Carolyn Friedlander, which will be released in December. This is two weeks in a row that I've used new fabric. It feels great! (However, I'm not convinced that I've turned over a new leaf quite yet...)

At some point after I pieced the pillow top, I thought, "wouldn't this look great floating on a big solid background?" So I pulled out a yard of iron colored Kona cotton and tried it out.
Yep! Turns out it looks great floating on a sea of grey! I guess I didn't need those pillow backing pieces after all. (Figures, right???)
This palette is quite out of my comfort zone and I had doubts about it when I was laying things out. But, now that it's sewn up, I really like it! It's good to stretch yourself.
I like how the wide borders give this piece a gallery feel. Of course the quilting is going to make or break the quilt. (No pressure there!) Hopefully I can execute the fuzzy plans I have brewing in my head. The quilt top measures 42 1/2" x 43".

I love the simplicity of this project so very much. I also like how this project took a few unexpected turns along the way. It's keeps things interesting when a project takes you on a detour or two! Love that!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!
finish it up Friday, 11/14/14
1. Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts  70. Bernie @ Needle and Foot  
2. Eva-Bambi-Johansson  71. JanineMarie: Big Girl Quilt Finish  
3. Tree Mini Quilt | Ants to Sugar  72. Shauna of Shauna's World  
4. 6 Quilts In Under 5 Hours!  73. Afton @ Quilting Mod  
5. Heather @ Modern Parti Quilts  74. Sweet little Elf  
6. Happy Flowers Liberated 9 Patch SemiTute  75. Wendys Quilts and more  
7. PorcupineStew  76. re•engineered :: bricks baby quilt  
8. Cotton+Steel Pillowcases  77. Nat @ Made in Home  
9. Alison@thechainpiecer  78. Candy Cane: A Finished Quilt  
10. Quilt Finish - Fen Koan  79. Janeen@QuiltArtDesigns  
11. final touches for the craft fair  80. Lucy @ Charm About You  
12. Orange Peel Completed  81. Wendi with curve it up  
13. Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts  82. plaid quilt with a twist  
14. Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs  83. Molli Sparkles  
15. A Bright Corner  84. Daniela of blockMquilts  
16. alidiza  85. Blue/Green Forest Quilt  
17. Mari @ The Academic Quilter  86. 3-D Scooter Quilt  
18. Hula Girl Quilt finished!  87. DIY Liberty Patchwork Infinity Scarf  
19. Hexie Weekend  88. Jana Machado: Night Sky QAL - week 3!  
20. Happy Go Lucky Pinwheels  89. Isa's Baby Quilt  
21. Geta Grama  90. AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits  
22. Julia in Mississippi  91. Megan: Sew Stitching Cute  
23. Purse Pattern Finish @CTC  92. Rabbit Medallion - Border #2  
24. MeekManor--Victorian Baby Crazy Quilt  93. Mammafairy  
25. Celtic Thistle Stitches  94. marianne @sew paint it  
26. Heather P's blog  95. Tremolo @ Night Quilter  
27. Megan @ Crooked Tail Crafts  96. Melissa G  
28. Karin @ Leigh Laurel  97. Heather @ QA Creations  
29. Endless Chain @ Sewfrench  98. Triangles & Squares  
30. Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation  99. Hilary Florence  
31. Thanksgiving 101  100. Alice @Blossomquilts  
32. Karen  101. GJen NZ - Fat Quarter Fizzy  
33. Quilting is more fun than Housework  102. monster@Augustsnow  
34. Cape Weekend, Part 2  103. a maiden hair fern: airplanes in doe  
35. Cape Weekend, Part 1  104. Carolyn  
36. Snowcatcher  105. One Project down  
37. Terri's Patchwork Zipper Pouch  106. Michelle @ CityHouseStudio  
38. Kinda Quilty  107. Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop  
39. Katie @ Good Golly Ginger  108. Jan @ Another Hatchett Job  
40. My Sewing Room  109. Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches  
41. A Sparrow Finish  110. Sue@quiltingthegreenstar  
42. Kate @ katiemaequilts  111. Patty @ Quilting with a view  
43. Darcy @ Modern Cozy  112. jessica pearl  
44. Kate @ katiemaequilts  113. Making My Little Monster  
45. Lynn @ Cats in the Cupboard  114. Debbie  
46. Dresden Quilter  115. Maggie @ a gus a gaggle and a girly  
47. Lizzie Lenard - Free Motion Seascape  116. Maggie @ a gus a gaggle and a girly  
48. Mario @ Cora's Quilts  117. Stacey @SLOstudio - x plus pillows  
49. Emmajane @ stitch and pieces  118. Nann's holiday projects  
50. Mihaela@abeeautifulday.blogspot.com  119. Amy @13 Spools  
51. Everything Is Coming Up Rosie  120. Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  
52. Shelley @The Carpenters Daughter who Quilts  121. Nana  
53. Jane in Kansas  122. Elaine/MuddlingThrough  
54. Ruth @Stitching Impressions  123. Amy @ Diary of a Quilter  
55. KatyQuilts  124. Terri Faust Quilts  
56. Teal Purple Owls Baby Set - Belinda  125. Purse @ Dresden Lane  
57. Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts  126. sally from Sally's Angelworks  
58. Mary Stori  127. Gail @ The Cozy Quiltter  
59. Marina-Quilt+  128. Vicki@A Quilter's MIssion  
60. Margaret  129. Liberty Patchwork Tote Bag  
61. Sam @ Diary of a Madfabriholic  130. Frankie Carson  
62. Mary @ SeeMaryQuilt  131. The Easy Quilter  
63. svetlana@sotakhandmade  132. DeborahGun@Sunshinethroughtherain  
64. Maartje@quiltinginamsterdam  133. Tanya Quilts in CO  
65. heather | lark cottons  134. Elnora @elnorac  
66. Dresden Plate Quilt Top  135. Jess @ Quilty Habit  
67. Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty  136. Rachel @ Quiltineering  
68. Heather @ Peachy Pages  137. Turkey Place mat and More  
69. beth@lovelaughquilt  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Free Motion Quilting For Beginners (and those who think they can't)

I've had the chance to review the book Free Motion Quilting for Beginners (and those who think they can't), by Molly Hanson. I love that title!
I'm a big proponent of quilting your own quilts, as you know, and I've read a lot of books about free motion quilting. I like how everyone presents the information in their own personal way....there is always more to learn! This book presents all the practical information you need to get started. More importantly, it gives you the confidence to jump in and give free motion quilting a try. There are 15 projects in the book that encourage you to start small and increase your comfort level with free motion quilting before you tackle something larger, like a quilt. What I love most about this book is Molly's tone of encouragement throughout the text and the projects. She is great at guiding you though the entire process!
I've done a lot of free motion quilting and I love how relaxing it can be. I also know how easy it can be to get in a rut. I challenged myself to get out of my box, so to speak and try some new-to-me, designs. I gave this squared off stippling pattern a try and it went pretty well! I had to slow down and think about where I was going from time to time, but it was fun! I could see doing this all over a whole quilt.
I also quilted a few swatches of different designs and I turned them into a set of coasters. Binding them was a little fiddly, but totally worth it! (I can say that now that they are done. Ha!) These are great because I not only used scraps of fabric, but scraps of batting as well. Hurray! I'm happy to count these as scrap project #94/101.
 
If you would like the chance to win an e-book copy of Free Motion Quilting for Beginners, please leave me a comment in this post. In your comment, I'd love to hear what your favorite go-to FMQ pattern is. Or, if you are new to FMQ, I'd like to hear what pattern you would like to master. I will pick winner in a few days!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Machine Quilting 101: marking your quilt


Welcome to another installment in the machine quilting 101 series! Slowly but surely I will get to all of the quilting topics. This series has taken me much longer than I had originally anticipated, but that seems to be the way it is--with almost everything! All that to say...today we will be talking about marking your quilt!
 
Here are a few tools for marking that I've used again and again. I would recommend all of them! 3 out of 4 of them are made by Clover...I guess they know what they are doing!
From top to bottom:
Chaco Liner (pen-style)
Hera Marker
Water Soluble Marker (Fine tip)
Painter's Tape

A few things to mention right off the bat:

1. Before committing to any marking tool, test it on scrap fabric (or a scrap quilt sandwich). Do this before you mark your project, preferably using the same materials as your project, because the marking tools could act differently on different materials. It's better to be safe than sorry!

2. I always mark my projects after they are basted. Often times that means removing pins in certain areas before marking. I don't know if that's normal or not, but it's what I've always done. Also, I mark only a few lines at a time...sometimes only one line at a time. It's a lot of starting and stopping, but it seems to work the best for me. It prevents quilting fatigue, if nothing else! :)

Now, a quick overview of the tools:
The chaco liner is the newest marking tool that I have tried. It's nifty! Basically there is a tube of powdered chalk that you roll on with the built in marking wheel. It makes a little clicking sound as you mark, which is oddly satisfying. I have only used this tool a bit, but so far, so good! I was concerned that the chalk may not come out, but it seemed to pounce out when I sewed. Perfect! I did notice that chalk wears off fairly quickly, but not before I needed it to. For a small project like this pillow cover, it was just fine. I would recommend washing the project after it's finished to make sure all the chalk residue comes out.

The chalk comes in blue, white, yellow and pink. I had the hardest time deciding which color to purchase, but I ended up with blue. I could see adding more of the colors to my collection of marking tools over time. It was $9.50 and replacement cartridges are available.

The hera marker is another great tool! I've used this one quite a bit and I love it. All you need to do is run the hera marker along a straight edge and it creases/scores the fabric. I love this option because no chalk or ink goes onto your fabric. It's very temporary, but it holds up long enough to quilt the line(s) you need to quilt. I've found that this works better on darker fabrics than on white fabric. White reflects light so it's harder to see the marked lines. Again, I will say that I only mark one or two lines at a time, then I quilt those few lines. I repeat the process as many times as necessary.

I think I paid $6.95 for the hera marker at my local quilt shop a few years ago. It was money well spent! There are two kinds of hera markers: the larger one I've shown here and the slim. I've tried both and I'd definitely recommend the larger one.

The fine tip water soluble marker was the first marking tool I purchased that I actually liked. I've only bought two of them so far, because they last for years! I love the fine tip and it's been a very rare occasion that the ink didn't come out of the fabric. I was about to say that I never mark when I am free motion quilting, but when I am spiral quilting, I almost always mark the center (and I use my free motion foot for that part). Once the area is quilted, I spritz it lightly with a water bottle and just like magic, the ink disappears.

I have a hard time finding this particular marker in any stores that I shop at in real life, so I order them on-line from Connecting Threads. (They happen to be on sale at the moment for only $3.00, usually $5.00.) Like I said, they last for years, so it's a good deal, sale or not!

Painter's tape is another great option for marking, which I've covered in my grid quilting tutorial. This method of marking is perfect for small projects, especially placemats. I suppose you could use this method up to baby quilt size without a problem, but anything larger than that gets cumbersome! I haven't bought painter's tape in quite a while, but it is a reasonably priced option as well.

To mark or not to mark, that is the question!
If you would have asked me a few years ago how many quilts I mark, I would say very few. I've noticed that I am starting to mark more than I did in the past. I also do more straight line quilting than I used to, so that would be part of it. On the quilt shown above, it looks like I could have just followed the lines of the pattern, no marking required. However, some of the logs were uneven, and that made me stray in awkward places. I ended up ripping out those stitches and I went back and marked the lines using a combination of the hera marker and the fine tip blue marker. It took extra time, but I was much happier with the results. In the end, I think that is the key...a good finished product!

I think that's all I have for today! I'd love to hear your thoughts on marking quilts. If you have a favorite marking tool that you absolutely can't live without, please tell me about it!

Monday, November 10, 2014

and so it begins

I got the call at 5:45 this morning that we had our first snow day of the season. The kids were more than thrilled to stay home! I thought the 14" of snow that was predicted was just a bunch of hype, but as the day wore on, it was apparent I was wrong (so very wrong) and that "they" kind of knew what they were talking about.
We certainly are starting the season off with a bang!
I am so glad that I had a quilt basted and ready to quilt! It's been a busy day with everyone home (and all that snow to shovel) but I managed to find time to quilt two bobbins worth. It's not a lot, but I'll take it!
 
It's days like today that make me thankful that I am a quilter. I love not only the end result (the quilt itself), but I enjoy the process as well. It feels like forever since I free motion quilted anything and I forget how relaxing it can be! (When things are going well, that is!) And so far, so good. Hurray for that!
 
Happy Monday to you!

Friday, November 07, 2014

baggy pouch

Welcome to finish it up Friday!
I ventured into uncharted territory this week. I managed to use new fabric (while it is still new!) and a new pattern...all in one fell swoop! It was fun to actually use the new stuff rather than to add it to a mile long "to do" list, you know? I need to do that more often!

The fabric is Fresh Cut by Basic Grey for Moda.
The pattern is Aneela's adorable baggy pouch.
This is the small pouch. It was a fun and fairly quick project. Of course making the patchwork and quilting it takes a little extra time, but it's totally worth it! I'm excited to sew up the larger size next.
I wish I would have used a longer zipper or added fabric tab ends, but now I know for next time. This project is just imperfect enough that I wouldn't give it to someone, so I guess I'm going to have to suffer and keep it for myself. Darn. :) I really love the sweetness and the colors of this fabric line.
It finishes at about 8" x 5".

I think that this is one of the best ways I've found to use a mini charm pack to date! All my kids want (at least) one of these pouches and I could use at least a dozen myself. Ha! It's a good thing I have a stock pile of mini charms and zippers on hand. I have a feeling I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday!

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

birch trees in progress

My ticker tape scrap drawer was packed to the gills, so I thought it was time to make another bright birch trees quilt. Yesterday, when I said that all the scrap projects I am currently working on are intense, I wasn't kidding! I've made quite a dent in my tiny scraps (yes, it IS possible) so I think it's time to set this one aside for a bit. Besides, I am in need of a few background pieces, and I don't want to break my fabric fast quite yet. I'm on day 94 (!!!) of not buying fabric so I want to keep that record going. At this point I might as well go for an even 100, don't you think?
 
It's been fun to revisit this pattern. I made the first version in 2012 and my skills have improved a bit since then. (Hurray for that!) I'm curious, do you ever sew the same pattern twice? Or are you a one and done kind of person? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject!
 
Happy Tuesday! xo

Monday, November 03, 2014

scraps in progress

I've been sewing quite a bit the past several days, which has been so nice! All of my works in progress are intense and scrappy, so I have been jumping from project to project to keep things interesting. I pulled out this WIP that my daughter and I have been working on together. It's quite hard for me to give up control, but it's nice working with her. She has dubbed it "the family couch time quilt". Since it's going to be for the whole family, we are going to make every member of the family (my husband included) make a few blocks for it. It looks kind of chaotic right now, but I love it all the same. Let me just say, no one (and I mean NO ONE) can do wonky quite like an 8 year old! Ha!
I hope that I never tire of working with scraps. They are my absolute favorite!

Yesterday marked 8 years since I wrote my first blog post. (!!!!) I can hardly believe that it's been that long, but then again, I can scarcely remember life before blogging. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for reading, encouraging and cheering me on. It really and truly means SO MUCH! Thank you! xoxoxoxo

Happy Monday to you!