Magnolia Bay Quilts

Sew Scraps Along

2012-01-23T23:14:00.000-06:00

Have you been following along with Jodi during her month-long Sew Scraps Along over at Pleasant Home? If not, you've really missed some fabulous posts full of scrappy inspiration -- featured bloggers, featured tutorials, photographs of incredible quilts, prizes, and Jodi's own scrappy projects. (I wonder if she sleeps.) If you love scrappy quilts as much as I do, scoot on over there.

This week, Jodi is featuring my tutorial for the 60-Degree Quilt. She'll be sharing her version of this quilt, and I'm so anxious to see it.

You can find the first and second parts of the tutorial here. I've had to put this project aside for just a while to finish some other things, but I'll get back to it soon and show you how I put the blocks together. This has been such a fun quilt to make -- every block is a surprise. And it's a great project for using up lots of scraps.

As part of the Sew Scraps Along, I'm giving away a copy of my book, Scrap-Basket Sensations. If you'd like to win a copy, just leave a comment here. Comments will be closed Saturday at midnight. Good luck! And have fun over at Jodi's!

Kim

This and That

2011-12-29T07:40:00.000-06:00

Is it me, or has this year passed by at the speed of light? Although I've never had a panic attic, I thought I might be having my first one a few weeks ago when I heard Christmas music on the radio. I've been absent here for a little while, but I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season.

A few weeks ago, I received a sweet little package from Stephanie (Loft Creations). She made a key leash for me, and an adorable pincushion with kitty fabric. And polka dots! She sent me a package of polka dot charm squares from her stash a while back, and now I'm compelled to buy every polka dot fabric on the planet. Thanks so much, Stephanie, for the pincushion and key leash, and for sharing the number for the polka dot intervention hotline. Not that I intend to use it.

If you'd like to make your own key leash, Stephanie has a great tutorial for it here. If you're not familiar with Stephanie's work, she's a very talented pattern designer, so stop by and check out all her beautiful designs. You can find them online in her Etsy store or at Connecting Threads.

And then another package came in the mail from Mary at Quilt Hollow.

She made a tiny little quilt using Blessings fabric left over from the "Blessings from the Hollow" quilt she made for my book, Scrap-Basket Sensations. Blessings from the Hollow lives with Mary now, and every time we chat, I whine about not having it because it was one of my favorite quilts. She knows I'm just teasing. Mostly. :-) I love the fabric collection, and I recently ordered a fat quarter bundle while I could still find it. Thank you so much, Mary! It's such a special gift. It lives in my office at work now where I can enjoy it all day long.

I shared pictures earlier of a few batik Courthouse Steps blocks I was working on for the Northwest Florida Paralegal Association's charity auction. I forgot to share pictures of the finished quilt. Here is is with its new owner.

She seemed very excited to win the quilt, and I'm very happy the quilt went to a good home. :-)

Happy New Year to everyone!

Kim

60-Degree Quilt Tutorial - Part 2

2011-11-20T12:03:00.001-06:00

If you missed the first part of this tutorial, you can find it here. I'll add a button to my sidebar so you'll be able to find all the parts in one place if you decide to try it out later. I'm figuring it out as I go, and I'm pretty sure there will be at least one more part, maybe two.

Are you wondering how all of these pieces will fit together? Me, too. :-) I have a lot of triangle units put together, and not a single one is the same size. These are just a few of my units, and you can tell by looking at the bottom right corners how different they are. It really doesn't matter, though.

Separate your triangle units by size. In the picture below, the two triangles on the left are almost identical. The one on the right is just a little bigger. When I'm ready to sew these into rows, I'll sew the triangle units together, then trim off the top of the unit on the right. Remember that this isn't a "triangle quilt." The important thing is that you cut everything at a 60-degree angle. Your triangles will appear throughout the quilt accidentally. And as you get into it, you'll probably figure out how to make a few triangles on purpose.

Filler Strips

I don't have quite enough triangle units put together to begin sewing them into rows yet. But I'm thinking ahead (for once in my life), and anticipating that I'll need another large triangle here or there to fill up a row, or maybe an extra couple of inches to make some rows long enough without having to add an entire triangle unit. So I'm making some "filler strips" as I go. Here are some examples of a few. I've highlighted the 60-degree line in yellow again, but you can go to the first part of the tutorial for more complete instructions.

Example 1

Cut a few short strips the same width. The length doesn't matter. You can cut longer or shorter strips, depending on how long you want your filler strip to be. The width of these strips is 2 1/4".

Stack your strips so that the ends on the right are aligned. Trim.

Rotate the strips so the trimmed ends are on the left. Re-stack them so the uncut ends are aligned. Trim.

Lay out your 60-degree shapes and decide how you'll sew them together.

Place two pieces right sides together, and offset them so that the 1/4" seam allowance begins at the "valley" where the two pieces meet (see yellow arrows below).

Add the third shape, and you have a filler strip ready to use where you need to enlarge a triangle unit or fill in some space later.

This strip was the perfect size to add to a smaller triangle -- just a tiny bit longer than the triangle unit.

Sew the filler strip to any side of the triangle unit.

Trim the extra fabric from the filler strip.

Rotate, then trim the other side of the filler strip.

Example 2

This filler strip is a little fussier, but I like all the triangles in a row. I'll probably use this to fill in space between two triangle units when I sew the rows together. Start with two scraps of fabric. Looks like these are between 2 1/4" and 2 1/2", but you can use any size. I'm working with small scraps, but you can make your filler strip wider if you use larger scraps.

Trim the top strip at a 60-degree angle.

Rotate, then trim the other side of the top strip.

Now trim the bottom strip.

Rotate, then trim the remaining side of the bottom strip. You should have a 60-degree diamond shape.

Sew a strip to the diamond shape. The yellow strip below is wide enough to end up with a triangle after trimming.

If you'd like to make sure you maintain the triangle points in your filler strip, trim the extra strip so that the quarter-inch line of the ruler intersects with the seam line a quarter of an inch from the bottom of the filler strip (see yellow star in the below picture).

Trim the yellow strip.

Rotate, then trim again.

Sew another strip to continue making the filler strip. The green strip below isn't wide enough to make a full triangle, but it doesn't matter. Just keep sewing different sizes of strips and see what happens.

Trim the strip.

Rotate, then trim the other end of the strip.

Sew another strip of fabric to continue making the filler strip. Trim.

This time, I trimmed to make a diamond shap instead of a triangle. Doesn't matter -- just maintain the 60-degree angle throughout the filler strip.

Just keep sewing and trimming until your filler strip is the length you need.

Example 3

In this example, I sewed a few long strips together, then cut triangles and a few filler strips. I'll probably use these filler strips for building triangle units. Sew together a few strips, then trim at a 60-degree angle on the right side.

Cut to make a triangle.

Cut again to make another triangle.

To cut filler strips, place a line of the ruler along the trimmed edge of the strip set.

Continue cutting strips. Save the leftover piece on the end -- you may be able to use it for edge blocks later.

Be back later to show you what I'm doing with edge blocks. To all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, hope you're having a wonderful holiday weekend.

Kim

60-Degree Quilt Tutorial - Part 1

2011-11-10T17:57:00.001-06:00

Stuff to Know

This quilt is super easy to make. The difficult part is explaining how to put it together. I'm using lots of scraps, anywhere from (and this is a guess) 1" strips to 5" strips, or chunks of leftover fabric. All the units are different, and I haven't made two the same size yet. There isn't a pattern -- it's one of those make-it-up-as-you-go quilts. I'll show you how I piece a block, then show you some different ways to fill in areas. Once you know how it works, you can just sew like crazy. I'll show you how to put the quilt together in a later post. (Mine is still in pieces on the wall.) The important thing to remember is that every seam is a 60-degree angle. Another important thing to remember is that, when you use a strip of fabric, it should be a consistent width, i.e., if your strip is 2" wide on one end, and 3" wide on the other end, you won't maintain the 60-degree angle throughout the quilt. You can sew with a wonky strip, but you'll need to trim it afterwards.

You'll need a ruler with a 60-degree line marking. My ruler has two markings that go in opposite directions. I'm using a 12" x 6" ruler, and sometimes a 24" x 6" ruler. A 60-degree triangle ruler comes in handy for cutting triangles, but it isn't necessary.

Even though you can use triangles to build your blocks, this isn't really a triangle quilt. I sew random pieces together, then trim, and most of the triangles just appear accidentally. I don't worry about it, but if you want to know how to get a point, look for the * below.

I press my scraps before sewing so that I don't have to do a lot of pressing after I sew. Because a lot of the edges are on the bias, I don't want to press any more than necessary. If you ever thought about using starch before you sew, now might be a good time to try it.

The picture follows the instruction above it. I made the pictures a little smaller so the page won't take forever to load if you don't have a fast connection, but you can click on each picture to enlarge.

Cut A Few "Starter Pieces"

Begin by cutting a few 60-degree shapes from your strips. Not necessary, but it gives you a place to start. The size of the strips doesn't matter. Use an assortment so you'll have a variety of shapes. Place the 60-degree line of the ruler along the bottom edge of the strip, and the right edge of the ruler on the bottom corner of the strip. (I've highlighted the 60-degree line in yellow so you won't have to look for it.) Trim.

Place the 60-degree line of the ruler along the bottom edge of the strip, then trim the other side. I used the whole piece of fabric for this one, but you could make two shapes if you like, or even make a diamond shape.

Now make a few triangles. Again, the size doesn't matter. You'll end up chopping off a lot of the points anyway. I just find it easier sometimes to use triangles rather than bigger chunks of fabric. Make lots of sizes. And don't worry if you chop off some points -- the 60-degree angle is what matters. Place the 60-degree line of the ruler along the bottom edge of the strip. Trim.

Rotate the strip so the trimmed edge is on the left. Place the 60-degree line of the ruler along the top of the strip, and the edge of the ruler at the bottom of the strip. Cut to make a triangle.

To continue cutting triangles, place the 60-degree line of the ruler along the bottom edge of the strip and the edge of the ruler at the top of the strip. Cut to make another triangle. You can continue cutting triangles, or you can save the leftover piece for later -- it already has a 60-degree angle, and you'll find something to attach it to later.

Here's an example of some 60-degree shapes and triangles.

Let's Put Some Segments Together!

Below is an example of how I might construct a unit. Since you'll be working with different sizes of strips, don't worry if yours doesn't look like this one. Start with one of your 60-degree shapes or a triangle, and sew a strip of fabric to it. Press in either direction. Place the 60-degree line of the ruler along the bottom of the triangle or shape. * Now I'm going for a point at the bottom of the green fabric. Make sure the quarter-inch line on the ruler intersects with the seam about a quarter of an inch from the bottom of the triangle. (Hope that makes sense.) I've marked a yellow X below where the ruler marking and seam should intersect.

Leave the 60-degree line along the bottom of the triangle, but slide the ruler over so that the left edge is even with the left side of the triangle. Trim off the green strip. (If you have trouble cutting at this angle, rotate so that the piece you're trimming is on the right.)

Sew a triangle or chunk of fabric to the bottom right corner. 60-degree line on the bottom; trim on the right.

Rotate so the yellow triangle is on top. 60-degree line on the bottom; trim on the right. And now you have a little segement. I like to make lots of segements to combine in different ways.

Let's do another one! Sew a couple of rectangles together. Place the 60-degree line of the ruler on the seam line, and the edge of the ruler at the bottom corner. Trim.

Now trim the other side. (I'll stop telling you now where to place the 60-degree line -- just make sure's it's on an edge or on a seam.)

Add a strip (green here). Trim the right.

Rotate so the strip is on the bottom. Trim the other end of the strip.

Sew a strip to the left side of the unit. Trim.

Rotate so the strip is on the bottom. Trim.

How we have two segments. But they're not quite the same size. No worries. Just decide which of the points on the largest triangle unit you'd like to sacrifice. I decided to sacrifice the green on the left since the strip is wider.

Sew the triangle units together, maching the bottom corners. You'll have excess fabric on the top. Trim off the excess.

Now sew something big (a large strip or a large triangle) to the right side of the unit. Trim.

Rotate so the bottom of the unit is on the right. Trim

To finish out the point, add a little piece of fabric. Trim.

Rotate so the bottom of the unit is on the right. Trim.

I had a 60-degree shape already cut, so I added it to the top. Trim the right side.

Rotate, and trim the other side.

To finish out the point, add a small chunk of fabric. Trim on the right.

Rotate, and trim on the left.

Now you have a finished triangle unit. Just keep making triangles and don't worry about the size. I'll be back later to show you some filler units and how to make it all fit together.

To keep from having to post another hundred pictures, I made a collage showing the progression of a different block. Maybe it will help to see it put together step by step. Pictures are shown before trimming and after trimming.

Hope you'll give it a try. It's so much fun! I'll be back later with more.

Kim

60-Degree Quilt

2011-11-10T07:17:00.001-06:00

Quilt designs don't typically just pop into my head. I'm not very imaginative. I play around with blocks on the computer until I see something I halfway like. So when I dreamt about this quilt a few nights ago (probably the salsa I ate way too late), I couldn't wait to see how it worked out.

These are just some of the units thrown up on my design wall in no order.

I have a long way to go before it turns into a quilt, but I'll be sharing my progress as I go.

And maybe do a tutorial -- it's so much fun!

Have a great day!

Kim

Happy Friday!

2011-10-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

Just popping in to wish you all a lovely weekend. The weather has been beautiful here lately -- a nice change from the heat. I'm not quite ready for winter, but so glad the heat and humidity are gone.

Not much quilty stuff taking place lately, but I've been adding to my stash a little here and there. Here are some of ny new favorites.

Butterscotch & Roses by Fig Tree & Co. Isn't it sweet? I love all the colors in this bundle.

A few new dots. I ~~blame~~ credit Stephanie -- she got me started and now I can't stop. :-)

And how fun is this? Lonely Hearts Ads by Timeless Treasures. I have no idea what

I'll do with this fabric, but I knew it had to come home with me. Too cute.

I hope all of you have a super weekend!

Kim

Playing in My Room

2011-10-09T08:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, and I'm sure I'll regret not spending some time outdoors. For now, though, I'm thankful to have found time to get some things accomplished in my play room.

This makes me happy.

And it makes me want to sew. It's Summer House by Lily Ashbury.

This will have to wait until I get a little further along on this.

The Northwest Florida Paralegal Association is holding an auction to benefit Children's Services Center. I agonized over what I might donate for the auction, then decided a Courthouse Steps quilt would be appropriate for an auction involving the local legal community. Duh. Can you believe I didn't think of that immediately?

And before I get much further into this, I need to finish machine quilting this.

I should probably think about having my eyes checked. It seems I can't sew a straight line. :-)

Kim

My Project and Winner of Sew the Perfect Gift

2011-10-05T07:35:00.002-05:00

When I told you about this book last weekend,

I forgot to tell you which project I made.

Tiny Table Topper is my quick and easy gift project.

Photography by Brent Kane

I also forgot to tell you that you can order the E-Book

from Martingale and Company if you want it now.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Brent Kane

photographed all of these beautiful projects.

And now (before I forget that, too),

the winner of Sew the Perfect Gift . . .

. . . is Carol! If you'll send me your mailing address,

you can get started making all those gifts!

Kim

Sew the Perfect Gift

2011-10-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

A long time ago (or so it seems), Mary Green, the Editor-in-Chief of Martingale & Company, e-mailed me about an exciting new book in the works, and asked if I'd like to contribute a project. Being a huge fan of Martingale & Company, I naturally said yes. Who wouldn't, right? They're so good at what they do, and they're absolutely great to work with.

This week, a package arrived at my door. When I opened it, I gasped when I saw this:

Sew the Perfect Gift. Inside this book are 25 delightful projects that you can make for gifts. 25! How many times have you thought of making a gift for a friend, teacher, sister, or neighbor, but thought you wouldn't have time? Or thought they wouldn't like it? This book is full of really nice (and quick) projects from some of your favorite designers to make for everyone on your list -- pillows, quilts, reuseable lunch bags, a bracelet, journal, purse, scarf, and many, many more beautiful and useful gift ideas.

I really like the "It's Easy to be Green" section where you'll find ideas for upcycling materials and making eco-friendly gifts. The projects throughout the book include very detailed instructions and illustrations, so if you've been thinking of trying a new technique like using wool, fusible materials, sewing a zipper, or embroidery, just choose a project and try it out. While you're making an extraordinary gift, you can learn a new skill.

And to get you started on your gift-making (just in time for the holidays!), the lovely folks at Martingale & Company sent a copy of Sew the Perfect Gift for me to share with you. If you'd like to get busy making your super-special gifts, just leave a comment here, and tell me what kind of gift you'd like to make. I'll choose a winner from the random number thingy on Wednesday. If you can't wait until Wednesday, it's available in quilt shops and online.

Have a good weekend. I'll see you Wednesday!

Kim

A Good Day

2011-09-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

Putting all the blocks together.

Starting a new project.

Starting another new project.

Thinking about starting a third new project. :-)

Sewing all morning and half the afternoon, then having hubby surprise me with a bunny pancake.

And peaches!

Seriously. A good day.

Hope you have a good week!

Kim

Random Stuff and Random Number Winner

2011-08-31T06:47:00.000-05:00

I haven't accomplished a lot lately, unless you consider buying fabric an accomplishment. I do. I get a little overwhelmed with all the choices, styles, and colors. I love that we have so many options, but fabric shopping without a plan is dangerous.

Over the weekend, I worked on this quilt for a co-worker who's having a baby really soon. Actually, his wife will be having the baby. I'll share better pictures after it's quilted. I still need to trim the blocks and sew them together. It's made entirely from scraps, and it's the easiest quilt ever. Seriously.

Since I'm not always able to share what I'm working on, and struggle to think of anything interesting to blab about, I got a giggle from this post by Dawn at Linen Closet Quilts. Too funny!

So it's time to announce the winner of Sue Abrey's new book, Pick Four. Congratulations to Happy Cottage Quilter! If you'll send me your mailing address, your book will be on its way soon.

If you haven't visited all the stops on the Pick Four Blog Hop, there's still time. Here are the remaining stops:

Sunday, August 28 - Barb at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb (giveaway open until 9/3)
Monday, August 29 - Darlene at Insights from SewCalGal (giveaway open until 9/4)
Tuesday, August 30 - Lynn at Sew'n Wild Oaks (giveaway open until 9/3)
TODAY, August 31 - Paulette at Sweet P Quilting
Thursday, September 1 - Trudi at Quilting Prolifically
Friday, September 2 - Hazel at Cotton Cocktails

See you at Paulette's!

Kim

It's Official

2011-08-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

Brown is no longer my favorite color.

Summer House. By Lily Ashbury.

I neglected to mention in my last post that the give-away for this book will close on

Tuesday, around 5:00-ish, Central Time. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday.

Barb is hosting the blog hop today, so go by and visit her for another chance to win a copy.

The "tour guide" and author of Pick Four shared some information about Barb

that you'll be shocked to know.

And here are the rest of the stops on the Pick Four Blog Hop:

TODAY, August 28 - Barb at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Mon 29 Aug - Darlene at Insights from SewCalGal
Tues 30 Aug - Lynn at Sew'n Wild Oaks
Wed 31 Aug - Paulette at Sweet P Quilting
Thurs 1 Sep - Trudi at Quilting Prolifically
Fri 2 Sep - Hazel at Cotton Cocktails

See you at Barb's!

Kim

Pick Four Blog Hop - Day 4

2011-08-27T08:22:00.000-05:00

It's finally my turn to share with you Sue Abrey's new book, Pick Four.

Sue has provided very detailed instructions, beautifully illustrated, for making 12 gorgeous quilts in this book. The patterns are suitable for beginning quilters as well as more experienced quilters.

When I'm looking for a new quilting book, I usually flip through it to see if I like the projects. I definitely love all the projects in this book, but the first thing that really impressed me was that Sue has included close-up photos of the quilting on each of the projects, along with a section explaining the process for choosing the quilting design for each one. This is in addition to a separate chapter on quilting options! How many times have you finished piecing a quilt top and wondered, "How will I quilt it?" Reading Sue's comments about the quilting will certainly give you ideas.

The book also includes a section on choosing fabrics for your quilt. If you lack confidence in choosing fabrics, just use Sue's helpful hints to find "clues" in the fabric, and you'll soon be selecting fabrics effortlessly for a stunning quilt.

Sue and I have frequently discussed the differences in our quilting styles. Sue, along with many others, prefers quilts with limited fabrics. The book is written with these quilters in mind. Also, beginning quilters may not have a huge stash of fabrics to choose from. But what if you do like scrap quilts? Don't worry, I've already checked -- my opinion is that each of these designs would make a wonderful scrap quilt.

Sue will be giving away an autographed copy of Pick Four to one lucky person who comments on this post. If you'd like to be that lucky person, leave a comment here and answer this question:

When you "Pick Four," what color will be in at least one of your fabrics?

There are still lots of stops left on the tour. If you haven't visited Hazel, Mary, and Pat, go now!

Wednesday, August 24 - Hazel at Hazel's Quilts
Thursday, August 25 - Mary at Quilt Hollow
Friday, August 26 - Pat at Silver Thimble

The rest of the stops:

TODAY, August 27 - You're here! (Magnolia Bay Quilts)
Sunday, August 28 - Barb at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Mon 29 Aug - Darlene at Insights from SewCalGal
Tues 30 Aug - Lynn at Sew'n Wild Oaks
Wed 31 Aug - Paulette at Sweet P Quilting
Thurs 1 Sep - Trudi at Quilting Prolifically
Fri 2 Sep - Hazel at Cotton Cocktails

See you at Barb's tomorrow!

Kim

p.s. - To those you who may be in the path of Irene, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Be safe!

Entries are now closed. I'll announce the winner on 8/31.

Pick Four Blog Hop - Day 3

2011-08-26T07:37:00.000-05:00

Today's host of the Pick Four blog hop is Pat at Silver Thimble Talk. Pat also has a new book coming really soon! Not only is she giving away a copy of Sue's amazing book, but she has an extra surprise for you as well. For interesting facts about where Pat lives, stop by and visit our "tour guide."

If you haven't visited Hazel and Mary, go now!

Wednesday, August 24 - Hazel at Hazel's Quilts
Thursday, August 25 - Mary at Quilt Hollow

And here are the rest of the stops on the tour:

TODAY, August 26 - Pat at Silver Thimble
Saturday, August 27 - Come back here! (Magnolia Bay Quilts)
Sunday, August 28 - Barb at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Mon 29 Aug - Darlene at Insights from SewCalGal
Tues 30 Aug - Lynn at Sew'n Wild Oaks
Wed 31 Aug - Paulette at Sweet P Quilting
Thurs 1 Sep - Trudi at Quilting Prolifically
Fri 2 Sep - Hazel at Cotton Cocktails

See you back here tomorrow for my day on the blog hop!

Kim

Pick Four Blog Hop - Day 2

2011-08-25T07:26:00.000-05:00

Mary at Quilt Hollow is hosting today's stop on the blog hop. If you'd like to win a copy of this fabulous book, go by and visit with her. And stop by Sue's blog to read some interesting facts about where Mary lives.

If you missed Hazel's post yesterday, it's not too late!

Wednesday, August 24 - Hazel at Hazel's Quilts

The rest of the stops:

TODAY - August 25 - Mary at Quilt Hollow
Friday, August 26 - Pat at Silver Thimble
Saturday, August 27 - Come back here! (Magnolia Bay Quilts)
Sunday, August 28 - Barb at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Mon 29 Aug - Darlene at Insights from SewCalGal
Tues 30 Aug - Lynn at Sew'n Wild Oaks
Wed 31 Aug - Paulette at Sweet P Quilting
Thurs 1 Sep - Trudi at Quilting Prolifically
Fri 2 Sep - Hazel at Cotton Cocktails

Hope I see you at Pat's tomorrow!

Kim

Pick Four Blog Hop

2011-08-24T22:32:00.000-05:00

Please join us for the Pick Four Blog Hop. Sue Abrey, the charming and talented author of this book, will be your "tour guide." Each day, Sue will share interesting facts about the area where each blog hop participant lives. And each day, a different blogger will be giving away a signed copy of Sue's book! I'm very late for Day 1, but please stop by and visit Hazel to see what she has to say about the book.

So that you don't miss any of the stops, here's the schedule:

Today, August 24 - Hazel at Hazel's Quilts
Thursday, August 25 - Mary at Quilt Hollow
Friday, August 26 - Pat at Silver Thimble
Saturday, August 27 - Come back here! (Magnolia Bay Quilts)
Sunday, August 28 - Barb at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Mon 29 Aug - Darlene at Insights from SewCalGal
Tues 30 Aug - Lynn at Sew'n Wild Oaks
Wed 31 Aug - Paulette at Sweet P Quilting
Thurs 1 Sep - Trudi at Quilting Prolifically
Fri 2 Sep - Hazel at Cotton Cocktails

See you at Mary's tomorrow!

Kim

Oops!

2011-08-13T11:57:00.001-05:00

I ran out of time yesterday, and didn’t get around to posting the winner of Out of the Box with Easy Blocks. I chose the winner from the random number generator, but was too ~~busy~~ lazy to take a screen shot to post here. The winning number is 23. If I’ve counted correctly, the winner is Candace. If you’ll send me an e-mail with your mailing address, the book will be on its way.

I have a couple of projects in the works so I haven’t made much progress on my Farmer’s Wife blocks. These are the first three. And maybe the only three for a little while.

I’ll catch up one of these days, but for now I’m scrambling to find spare minutes here and there.

Hope you have a peaceful weekend!

Kim

Out of the Box with Easy Blocks

2011-08-07T09:16:00.001-05:00

Mary Lou Weidman and Melanie Bautista McFarland have combined their amazing talents and have just released the most wonderful book, Out of the Box with Easy Blocks.

You can’t help but smile when you see all the whimsical projects throughout this book. If you think you could never in a million years make an original and clever quilt like one of these, then you should definitely check out this book.

Using the “Hoochy Mama” technique for piecing blocks allows you to create a quilt that’s completely your own. You’ll find ideas for tons of blocks – people, animals, food, the alphabet – if you can think of it, you can sew it! And if you can’t think of it, by the time you finish reading this book, you will! I have so many ideas floating around in my head and can’t wait to put them all together with fabric.

The Gallery is full of projects that will make the creative part of your brain jump into overdrive.

There are also very helpful discussions about color and how to choose fabrics for your projects.

And an entire section on how to create faces!

If you’d like to get out of your box, just leave a comment here and tell me about a quilt you would like to make using Mary Lou’s and Melanie’s techniques, and you could win your very own autographed copy of Out of the Box with Easy Blocks! I’ll announce the winner on Friday.

Have a terrific week!

Kim

Couldn't Resist Any Longer

2011-07-12T19:01:00.002-05:00

I really tried. For several weeks. Even after seeing this post. And this one. And this one. Oh, and this one. And a hundred others. I'm sure I need some sort of therapy. If you'd like more details about the Farmer's Wife Quilt-A-Long, visit Amanda and Angela who are hosting this wonderful quilt-along.

Oh, and one more thing! The winner of a copy of Scrap-Basket Sensations is Kathie. Congratulations! If you'll send me your mailing address, the book will be on its way. And if you entered the drawing at The Fat Quarter Shop, hurry on over to see if you won a copy there. Thank you all for playing along.

Hope I run into you at the Farmer's Wife Quilt-A-Long!

Kim

Good Help Is So Hard to Find

2011-07-09T19:10:00.001-05:00

To his credit, he’s always on time, doesn’t make a lot of personal phone calls, and works for kitty treats.

Stop by Tuesday to find out the winner of Scrap-Basket Sensations. And if you haven’t entered The Fat Quarter Shop’s giveaway, go now!

Hope you’re all having a good weekend.

Kim

Fat Quarter Shop's Scrap-Basket Sensations Quilt Club

2011-07-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

Have you been to The Fat Quarter Shop's blog, The Jolly Jabber today? I'm "visiting" over there today, so hop on over to see what's going on. Kimberly has paired patterns from my book, Scrap-Basket Sensations, with unbelievably gorgeous Moda Jelly Rolls. As a club member, you'll receive a complete kit every quarter that includes fabrics for the top, border and binding! There's also a separate club for the backing fabric. I know you'll love the Jelly Rolls Kimberly has chosen for each of the kits. Here's the kit that will ship in August -- Picnic made with the Hometown collection by Sweetwater.

And in November, you'll receive the kit for Flowers for Nana Girl made with Butterscotch and Roses by Fig Tree & Co.

Kimberly is generously giving away five copies of Scrap-Basket Sensations, so go on over now to find out how you can win a copy. And just for the fun of it, I'll be giving away a signed copy of the book here -- just leave a comment here and tell me your favorite thing (or four or five) about The Fat Quarter Shop.

See you at The Jolly Jabber!

Kim

Dots!

2011-07-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

Collecting polka dot fabric is my latest obsession. I picked up these Amy Butler Lotus fabrics from

Lily Bella Fabrics. I love that you can create your own fat quarter bundle there.

They'll look really nice with the fabrics I picked up recently.

And a very sweet friend shared a gazillion dotty charm squares from her stash!

Don't these look fun?

Stephanie is actually the person responsible for my quest to find every polka dot fabric on the planet. I was inspired by her posts here and here. She has a pattern coming soon, too. Thanks so much, Stephanie, for understanding my dot addiction and not being judgmental. :-)

And speaking of sweet friends, Wendy sent me the absolute cutest little bag with

stitched seashells. I love beachy things! Not only is this an adorable little bag,

but Wendy's work is perfection. Thank you so much, Wendy!

I hope all of you here in the U.S. have a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend!

Kim

Folded-Corner Triangles

2011-06-11T14:37:00.001-05:00

What do you do with your leftover folded-corner triangles? Do you make small quilts with them? Do you use them for pieced sashings?

Or do you throw them away without guilt and never give it another thought?

Personally, I can’t force myself to throw them away, so I just collect them and stuff them into a big apothecary jar. Looking through the jar is like an archeological dig. Each layer identifies a quilt I worked on, in the order I made it. If I couldn’t remember when I made the quilt, I would at least remember that it was before the pink and brown layer, but after the red and tan layer.

The jar is overflowing, so I thought it would be a good time to use some of them. These were on top of the jar, and from my latest project. I grabbed a few and sewed light and dark triangles together, using a small seam allowance (about 3/16”).

Since I’m not sure yet how I’ll put these together, I pressed the seams open. Now I won’t have to worry about bulky seam allowances, no matter how I arrange the half-square triangle units.

To make sure they end up the same size, I used the Bias Square Ruler to trim the unfinished units to 1 3/4”. You can use any ruler with a diagonal marking, but this is my favorite. My plan now is to decide on a layout and sew the units together in rows, using a full 1/4” seam allowance, then trimming off the excess and pressing the seam allowances in alternating directions from row to row.

And now for the fun part! These are some arrangements I played around with, using only 16 half-square triangle units. I’m leaning toward the layout in the middle row on the right.

If you’ve created anything using your folded-corner triangles, I would love for you to share a link to your post in the box below – it can be an older post, or one you do in the future. Hopefully the Linky thing will work. This is the first time I’ve tried to use it, and I’m a little challenged that way.

Hope you’re having a good weekend!

Kim

Weekend Fun

2011-06-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

It seems there is an issue with Blogger that hasn't been resolved. I am only able to leave comments on blogs that have the comments page set to pop up in a different window. If the comments page is embedded, I'm unable to leave a comment. Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon. I haven't forgotten about you, and I'm visiting every chance I get.

The Azalea City Quilters' Guild held its quilt show on Saturday. I went with two fellow bloggers and friends, Karen and Wendy. Such a fun day! We chattered, saw lots of beautiful quilts, had lunch, and spent lots of time stuck in traffic.

Here's a picture of the opportunity quilt that I was absolutely certain I would win.

It was made from Carrie's Cracked Pots pattern. The colors are a little different in this picture, but you'll have to trust me when I say it was one gorgeous quilt. I'm still waiting for the phone to ring, even though the drawing was on Saturday.

And here's my friend Ellen (The Quilting Station) at her vendor booth.

I love the quilt top hanging behind her. It's made with a Green Tea Bali Pop,

and it's even prettier in person.

The quilt show was held at a middle school, and I was fascinated by the painted ceiling tiles in the hallways. My apologies to all the people I tripped over as I photographed the ceiling. :-)

Wonder if my boss would let me paint the ceiling tiles in my office?

Have a great week!

Kim

Oh, My! Again

2011-05-30T14:40:00.001-05:00

So did you visit Sinta? If you did, you know that she made the first sample quilt for

Fat Quarter Shop's Scrap-Basket Sensations Quilt Club using the pattern for Picnic along with Hometown fabrics by Sweetwater. What you may not know is that Kimberly enjoyed your sweet comments and has decided to give away five more copies of the book!

The drawing will be on June 1, so scoot on over if you haven't entered.

I spent a little time in my playroom this weekend working with my bag of strings.

And trimming a few triangles.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Kim

Oh, My!

2011-05-25T19:21:00.000-05:00

You won't believe what Sinta and Fat Quarter Shop have been up to!

Click here to find out.

Is the Weekend Over Already?

2011-05-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or do weekend days go by so much faster than weekdays?

I worked on sample blocks yesterday for an upcoming class, and I had a lot of 2 1/2" strips left over. I had seen Heirloom Creations' Jelly Roll Race a while back, and decided to sew my leftover strips this way. Instead of sewing the strips with diagonal seams, I sewed them end to end. Since I wasn't using full-length strips, my quilt is smaller, but large enough for a baby quilt.

If you haven't seen the Jelly Roll Race video, check it out.

Have a good week!

Kim

Happy Friday!

2011-04-22T07:51:00.000-05:00

Sorry for my absence lately. You know how it is, right? When real life takes over, there isn't much time to play. The "thing" that has been causing me a lot of stress at work has been moved to later this fall. I'll be hyperventilating then, but for now I have a nice long weekend to relax and hopefully work on something fun.

Since I haven't been sewing lately, I thought I would share some pictures that some lovely people have shared over at the Scrap-Basket Group. Just click on the links below to see each of the quilts. Enjoy!

1. Nova, 2. Island Chain , 3. Over and Under, 4. Misty (from A Little Tangy), 5. Sprouting Pinwheels (from Pinwheel), 6. Scrap-Basket Paddlewheel, 7. Bali Sea Star, 8. Barbed Wire, 9. modified from Bali Sea Star, 10. Jenn's Christmas (from Summer Breeze), 11. Mocha Remix (from Kitchen Sink), 12. Spinning Bali Sea Star (modified from Bali Sea Star), 13. Pinwheel, 14. Kitchen Sink, 15. Snail Takes a Detour, 16. Over and Under, 17. Past and Present, 18. Cheryl's Snail Takes a Detour, 19. Cottage Miagia (from Beach Cottage), 20. Miagia (from Summer Breeze)

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Leftovers Again – This Time With Photos

2011-03-27T14:32:00.000-05:00

Do you have little bits of leftover 2 1/2” strips and charm squares? What do you do with them?

I'm playing around with a couple of things, and I've cut the leftovers into smaller pieces (ugh!) for a wildly scrappy quilt. Here's a sample of some of the fabrics. Maybe a solid white background to pull it together?

My friend Kathy has a new blog (Needle Delights Originals)! Kathy is a fellow quilting guild member, but she also designs counted needlepoint, and owns and operates a needlework store. I haven't tried counted needlepoint, but I'm in love with her designs that look like quilts. Like this one:

Her brick-and-mortar store is in Pensacola, Florida, but she also has an e-store here. So if you love needlepoint, quilts, or both, stop by and take a look.

Have a great week!

Kim

Leftovers

2011-03-27T10:26:00.004-05:00

Do you have little bits of leftover 2 1/2" strips and charm squares? What do you do with them?

Her brick-and-mortar store is in Pensacola, Florida, but she also has an e-store here. So if you love needlepoint, quilts, or both, stop by and take a look.

Have a great week!

Kim

Sweet Surprise

2011-03-12T12:32:00.000-06:00

Can you imagine how exciting it was to open the mail I received recently from Stephanie?

Stephanie is the Queen of All Things Dresden. And the Queen of a Few Other Things. Like bags. Have you seen her bag patterns? You can order them from Connecting Threads, or from Loft Creations' Etsy Shop. You can even download some of them in .pdf format if you don't want to wait for the mail. If you haven't visited Stephanie's blog, go on over and say hello. And if you run into Abby, give her a pat from me. You know how much I love me some cats, but I'd love to share custody of this D-O-G. (Sorry -- habit. We usually spell that word when the cats are around.)

Don't you love the blue and green Amy Butler fabrics? I've been in a blue and green mood for a while now, and I'm really enjoying this quilt. Thanks so much, Stephanie! The quilt is incredible -- I love everything about it.

Have a super weekend!

Kim

Project Photos

2011-03-05T18:16:00.002-06:00

It's so much fun to see all the different quilts you're making from Scrap-Basket Sensations! I considered creating a gallery on this blog to share them, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to do it the way I wanted to. So I made a Flickr group, and would love for you to join the group and share your pictures of projects you've made from Scrap-Basket Surprises and Scrap-Basket Sensations. I did it myself, so it couldn't be that hard, right? Just click on the picture below or the button on my sidebar, and you'll end up over there. Hopefully.

Hope you have a terrific week!

Kim

Oops!

2011-02-27T16:29:00.000-06:00

I realized I forgot to share pictures of the Spider Web quilt after I finished quilting it. This is definitely one of the brightest quilts I've ever made -- you know, being such a "brown" person.

I always thought a Spider Web quilt would be difficult to piece, but Marit has made it painless. To see her tutorial for a foundationless block, click here. I made smaller blocks for this quilt, but I'll be making the 12" block next. Can't stop at one, right? This one will soon be on its way to Bumble Beans, Inc.'s BASICS Quilt Gather.

I haven't gotten very far with my Jelly Rolls. I unrolled them and added them to my stash of strips, and they're still waiting for me. I like to stack the strips individually and put them in clear shoebox-size storage containers. It's easy to pull them out and "audition" them wiith other fabrics. I'm sure you've noticed how some of the fabric designers will incorporate a color or two from an older fabric line into a new one. I really love it when they do. Combining the new and old prints makes the quilt more interesting.

Hope you've had a good weekend!

Kim

Thank You

2011-02-23T20:00:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone for following along throughout the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour! I hope you enjoyed visiting all the blogs and seeing the projects in the book. And thank you to all the wonderful bloggers who participated. If you missed the chance to visit with them, go by anytime and get to know them. You'll be glad you did!

Sherri at A Quilting Life
Mary at Quilt Hollow
Stephanie at Loft Creations
Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts

Millie at Millie's Quilting
Sinta at Pink Pincushion
Darlene at Quilting Daze
Karen at Nana Girl Quilts

Sue at Quilt Times

Carol at Brown Quilts

And congratulations to all of those who won a copy of the book:

Deserae Quilts
Valerie Z (no blog)
Silver Thimble
Mary on Lake Pulaski
Muddling Through
Dotty Jane Designs
Humble Quilter
Pokeydot Quilting
Henrietta's Other Hat
Litamora's Quilt & Design

Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great week! I'm planning to treat myself to a little play time with these.
I'll let you know how it works out!

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 10

2011-02-19T07:34:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day of the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour. Our final stop will be Carol at Brown Quilts. While you're there, take a look around -- I know you'll enjoy your visit! She's an excellent quilter, and she shares a lot of beautiful projects.

These are all the stops on the tour. If you missed any, stop by and say hello, and enjoy visiting these talented and creative ladies. You still have time to enter the drawings at Karen's, Sue's, and Carol's.

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th
Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th
Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th
Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th
Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th
Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

See you at Carol's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 9

2011-02-18T02:00:00.005-06:00

Next stop for Day 9 is Sue at Quilt Times. Sue is sharing a quilt she made from Scrap-Basket Sensations. I forgot to ask Sue if she would mind my spreading gossip about her, but I know she's already told you that in a short while, her own book will be released!

Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts shared an interview yesterday,
so if you missed it, go by and and check it out!

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of the book!

I'll meet you over at Sue's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 8

2011-02-17T06:58:00.000-06:00

Today's stop on the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour is Karen at Nana Girl Quilts.

Karen and I have been close friends for a hundred years, give or take a few. She'll be

sharing pictures of some of the quilts she made for the book, so hurry on over!

These are the first seven stops. It isn't too late to go by and say hello,
and even win a copy of the book at some of the stops.

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of the book!

See you at Karen's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 7

2011-02-16T07:02:00.000-06:00

Day 7 of the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour is here, and Darlene at Quilting Daze is

our host day. Hurry on over if you've always wanted to know my shoe size! Ha!

(If you've visited Darlene before, you know she has a sense of humor.)

If you've missed any of the stops on the tour before today, you can visit now.

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th
Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th
Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th
Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

And here are the rest of the stops on the tour.

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of the book!

On my way to Darlene's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 6

2011-02-15T08:09:00.001-06:00

Sinta at Pink Pincushion will be our host for Day 6 of the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour. I get into trouble when I visit Sinta's blog because I usually want to make whatever she's working on. If you haven't visited, you're in for a treat.

And if you've missed any stops on the tour so far, you can hop on over now.

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th
Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th
Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

These are the rest of the stops on the tour -- we're over halfway through the tour!

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

You'll have a chance to win a copy of the book at each stop along the way.

See you at Sinta's!

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 5

2011-02-14T06:55:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Day 5 of the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour!

Millie at Millie's Quilting is our host today, and she will be sharing a project

she's working on from the book. She's a little bashful about it, but Millie's blog

was recently named one of Guide to Art Schools' Top 50 Blogs.

If you missed the first four stops on the tour, go by and say hello.

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th
Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th

And here are the rest of the stops on the tour:

Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

Each one will be giving away a copy of the book, so join us for each day of the blog tour!

Hope I run into you at Millie's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 4

2011-02-13T07:35:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Day 4 of the Scrap-Basket Surprises Blog Tour! Today's stop will be hosted by Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts. I love Nicole's elegant style. She made a gorgeous batik version of the Over and Under quilt and is sharing it on her blog today. She'll also be giving away a copy of the book, so hurry on over!

If you haven't visited the first three tour stops, go by and say hello.

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th

And here are the rest of the stops on the tour:

Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th

Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

Each one will be giving away a copy of the book, so join us for each day of the blog tour!

See you at Nicole's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 3

2011-02-12T06:29:00.000-06:00

Are you ready for Day 3 of the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour? Stephanie at Loft Creations will be hosting today's stop. While you're there, be sure to check out Stephanie's Etsy Shop to see all of Stephanie's patterns. She designs the most adorable bags. And if you see Abby, give her a pat for me.

If you'd like a win a copy of Scrap-Basket Sensations, hurry on over to Stephanie's!

Here are the rest of the stops on the tour. You'll have a chance to win a copy of the book at each stop!

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th

Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th

Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

I hope I run into you at Stephanie's!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 2

2011-02-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Day 2 of the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour! Mary at Quilt Hollow will be hosting today's stop on the tour. She'll be sharing a couple of really pretty quilts she made for the book, and telling you how one of the quilts got its name. And she'll be giving away a signed copy of the book!

I hope you'll join us for the tour. Here's the schedule:

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th

Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th

Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

If you missed Sherri's post yesterday, it isn't too late to stop by for a chance to win the book Sherri's giving away and see the project she's working on from the book.

Have a good day!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour - Day 1

2011-02-10T06:49:00.000-06:00

Thanks so much for joining us for the Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour!

Sherri at A Quilting Life will be hosting the first stop of the tour. Sherri is an

amazing quilter, and is always working on something gorgeous. Her blog is a

wonderful place to hang out if you're looking for inspiration.

Scoot on over to Sherri's blog where she'll be sharing her thoughts about the book and a

couple of other things. She'll also be giving away a copy of the book!

And so that you don't miss a stop on the tour, here's the schedule:

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th

Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th

Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

See you at Sherri's!

Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour

2011-02-09T06:49:00.001-06:00

The Scrap-Basket Sensations Blog Tour begins Thursday, February 10! Each day of the tour, a different talented and creative blogger will host a stop on the tour, sharing thoughts about the book, some pictures of the projects, and a chance to win a copy at each stop!

Here's a list of the stops on the tour:

Sherri at A Quilting Life - February 10th

Mary at Quilt Hollow - February 11th

Stephanie at Loft Creations - February 12th

Nicole at Sister's Choice Quilts - February 13th

Millie at Millie's Quilting - February 14th

Sinta at Pink Pincushion - February 15th

Darlene at Quilting Daze - February 16th

Karen at Nana Girl Quilts - February 17th

Sue at Quilt Times - February 18th

Carol at Brown Quilts - February 19th

Sherri will be starting things off tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

Kim

Loft Creations

2011-02-06T07:03:00.000-06:00

The date of my last post causes me alarm. Where did all those days go? I'm pretty sure I need a vacation. I really love my job -- I just wish I didn't have to go there so often. :-)

A few weeks ago, Stephanie celebrated some really good news by having a Pattern Palooza. Her patterns had been picked up by a wholesale company. I won the entire collection of her patterns! I had to snap a picture of the wrapping -- too pretty.

And here are the patterns. Some of the coolest bags I've ever seen!

You can pick up all of these patterns at Stephanie's Estsy shop here. Some are even available in .pdf format in case you want to get started today!

When I opened the package, the first thing I noticed (besides how pretty all the projects are) is the quality of the pattern covers. The photographs are amazing. Even the backs of the patterns are unique and appealing. See?

I can't wait to make one (or all!) of these bags. It's difficult to decide which one to make first, though. Saturday Market? Oak Park? I'll share pictures of my progress as soon as I make a decision. :-)

Thank you so much, Stephanie! And congratulations to you on your well-deserved success!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Sensations

2011-01-10T08:00:00.004-06:00

Even though months have passed, it seems like such a short time ago that I told you I was working on a new book. I'm thrilled to tell you that Scrap-Basket Sensations, published by Martingale & Company, will be released on January 11! Tomorrow!

Scrap-Basket Sensations includes instructions for 18 quilts using 2 1/2" strips. You can use Jelly Rolls, Bali Pops, scraps, or stash fabrics. The quilts are made from a wide variety of fabric styles, so there's something for everyone.

A blog book tour tour is in the works, so look for details soon. You'll have many opportunities to win your very own copy! In the meantime, though, I'd like to tell you a little about a few wonderful people who helped in so many ways to make this book a possibility. They all host blogs of their own, and have agreed to post today and share a few photos of the quilts they made.

Karen and I have been friends for many years, and have worked on so many quilting projects together. We worked in the same office for about twelve years, and spent our lunch hours piecing, quilting, basting, sewing on binding, and planning our next quilts. We "borrowed" an empty office in the building and set up a studio complete with two sewing machines, a design wall, cutting area, ironing station, and even a small stash of fabric. When I told Karen I would be working on a new book, she immediately asked which quilts she would be making. She ended up making four of the quilts and hand-sewing lots of binding. You can see the quilts that Karen made here.

Mary and I became friends through blogging. We discovered that we love the same fabric designers, the same fabrics, and the same patterns. I often ask her if she thinks she might be able to talk her husband into moving to the Gulf Coast. He hasn't agreed to it yet, but I'm still working on it. If you're a regular visitor of Mary's blog, you know that she does amazing longarm quilting. If not, go by and look at some of her work and you'll know why I'm so excited that she made two quilts for the new book. You can see Mary's quilts here.

Darlene and I developed a friendship through blogging as well. I'm an admirer of Darlene's work, and I'm always amazed by how much she accomplishes in such a short time. I'm convinced that she quilts in her sleep. Darlene also made two quilts for the new book -- one was made from a Jelly Roll, and the other was made from scraps left over from lots of her other quilts. Looking at the scrappy quilt she made is like taking a stroll through time. I recognize so many of the fabrics she used, and many of them had been in my own stash until I used the last little bits. To see Darlene's quilts, click here.

Having the work of these talented quilters included in my book is a real honor for me. And without their help, I certainly wouldn't have finished in time. I'm so grateful to them for contributing so much of their time and talent.

I'm very excited about the upcoming release of Scrap-Basket Sensations. I hope you'll like it as much as I do!

Kim

Special Gift

2010-12-11T12:58:00.000-06:00

I celebrated (?) a birthday recently, and my sweet friend, Mary, sent me this amazing quilt.

You probably can't tell from the picture above how small this quilt is, so here's a picture on my cutting mat.

I'm a really big fan of Mary's work. Look how tiny the pieces are!

And her quilting, as always, is so perfect.

Thank you so much, Mary! It's such a treasure, and so is your friendship!

Another blogmate quilted a special gift for my birthday, but I'm going to share that one with

you later. It matches something else I'll be showing you.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Kim

Winner of Bloom Creek Quilts

2010-11-24T19:15:00.000-06:00

Wow! You guys are really knowledgeable about button storage capacity!

There were lots of close guesses!

The first person to correctly guess the number of buttons in the dish was Darlene, who

guessed 236. Congratulations, Darlene!

And congratulations to Jan, who asked if she could have the buttons if she didn't win the book. It reminded me of my first blog giveaway where one of the visitors asked if she could have the cat in my blog header if she didn't win the book. I'm a little attached to my cats, but Jan, you just won 236 buttons.

Thank you all so much for playing along. It was a lot of fun watching all the guesses come in. Let's do it again next month, 'kay?

And to all who will be celebrating tomorrow, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Kim

Bloom Creek Quilts

2010-11-21T09:53:00.000-06:00

The lovely people at Martingale & Company sent a copy of this book to share with you.

Photography by Brent Kane

Bloom Creek Quilts by Vicki Bellino. You may be familiar with Vicki's work -- she has a successful quilt pattern company, Bloom Creek. She also hosts a blog by the same name. And now she has published this charming book!

The book is full of beautiful projects including quilts, wall hangings, a table runner,

a pillow, and a tote bag.

The projects are all pieced, but many include applique' motifs, just enough to make the quilt visually pleasing, but not so much that it takes forever to finish your project.

Vicki has provided full-size applique' patterns, along with the instructions for

three different applique' techniques.

I'm sure you'll find plenty of projects that would look great in your own home.

Hey! Where did the cat go?

If you'd like to win your very own copy of Bloom Creek Quilts, all you have to do is guess

the number of buttons in the dish. The first person to correctly guess (or guess the closest)

will be the lucky winner.

I'll announce the winner Wednesday evening.

Good luck!

Kim

We're Cooking With Gas

2010-11-11T08:15:00.001-06:00

One of my co-workers many years ago would use that phrase when we were making progress on a project. She'd say, "Now we're cooking with gas." I thought of her so many times while I was sewing these blocks together.

Wonder if she had a phrase that meant we still have lots of work to do?

For a great tutorial on how to make these spider web blocks, skedaddle on over to

Heather's blog at House of A La Mode.

Cheers!

Kim

Sidetracked

2010-10-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

Mary from Quilt Hollow sent me this Snap Happy bag recently. My girl kitty had been sick, and Mary sent this bag as a "just because" gift. She used the cutest cat fabric for the bag, and pumpkin fabric for the top of the bag. It snaps shut tightly because it has a metal tape measure in the top! And as always, her work is so nice. Thank you so much, Mary. You're too good to me!

I know I'm not the only one who gets distracted by all the amazing projects everyone else is working on, but I seem to go in many more directions than most people. That would probably explain the countless UFOs in my closet. I would think of signing up for a UFO challenge, but before I could finish making a list, I would have two more UFOs to add to it! I need some serious therapy.

Anyway, I've developed an unhealthy obsession over Spiderweb blocks. I ran across a tutorial at House of A La Mode, who was inspired by this tutorial at Quilt It. I'm not fond of foundation piecing (I don't like removing paper, and I don't like the idea of an extra layer of fabric in my seam allowances), so this method intrigued me. I had to make one (add one more project to "the list").

And then I had to make another one.

They're too much fun!

Here are some different Spiderweb quilts I found on Flickr. Just click on the links below the collage to see the full-size photos.

1. Progress on Spider Web Quilt, 2. Spiderweb Blocks, 3. my blocks for the Spiderweb Swap , 4. 6 rows of spideys (2 more to go), 5. Bee Happy progress-1, 6. spiderweb blocks together, 7. DSC07097, 8. Spiderweb Quilt, 9. Freshcut Spiderweb Quilt

Aren't they gorgeous?!!

And now I need to get back to what I was doing before I was sidetracked by Spiderwebs.

Cutting strips of old Robyn Pandolph fabrics to share with a special friend.

Have a great week!

Kim

15-Minute Triangles

2010-10-05T07:38:00.001-05:00

I'm finding it difficult these days to squeeze in even 15 minutes to play. My 15-minute triangles are waiting patiently for a little attention. Here's what they look like after adding a few more.

I think I need a vacation. Yeah, a vacation.

Hope you're having a good week.

Kim

Sophisticated Scissors and E-Patterns

2010-09-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

Don't they look pretty? Darlene made this adorable little fob for my scissors. She's such a sweetheart -- always doing the nicest things. Thanks you so much, Darlene. I'll really enjoy using my "fancy" scissors.

Did you know that Martingale & Company is now offering e-patterns? You can download a .pdf version of the Kitchen Sink quilt from my book, Scrap-Basket Surprises. There are patterns available from lots of other books, too -- just hop over here and check them out. The price is very reasonable, and you don't have to wait!

Hope you're having a terrific weekend!

Kim

Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along

2010-09-08T19:43:00.001-05:00

I finally picked up some fabrics for the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along. I know -- I'm really behind. With everything! Does anyone know where I can buy some big chunks of time?

Anyway, here are my fabrics. Pat Sloan designed the quilt for this round, and from what I've seen so far, it's going to be gorgeous!

And since I'm so late posting about the winner of Out of the Box, I asked my husband for a random number beween 1 and 31.

It's 25! Congratulations, Trudi! If you'll send me your mailing address, your book will be on its way.

Out of the Box

2010-09-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

Did you ever admire a whimsical, colorful quilt that told a story, but thought it would be impossible to make your own story quilt? Mary Lou Weidman's book, Out of the Box, provides page after page of tools and inspiration to help you create your own one-of-a-kind story quilt.

Mary Lou explains the process for making wonderful story quilts, including how to find the inspiration for your quilt, how to choose fabrics, and how to draw and create your own design. She encourages you to play, daydream, and have fun, and reinforces the idea that there's no "right way" to do it.

I enjoyed reading Mary Lou's chapter on the personality of fabrics and each fabric's job in the quilt. In addition to the gallery of quilts, every page in this book is "decorated" with the most interesting and colorful applique' shapes and pieced blocks. And I'm fascinated by the "Hoochy Mama" blocks that make up the borders of so many of these quilts. I would love to make an entire quilt using only the Hoochy Mama blocks.

Here are little snippets of just a few of the quilts in the gallery. There are too many to include here! Each quilter tells the story of the inspiration for the quilt.

This one is so sweet. Wouldn't it be fun to make a quilt that tells a story about someone you know? Or an event in your life? My head is spinning with all the possibilities.

To visit Mary Lou and see more fantastic quilts made by her and her students, scooch on over to Mary Lou's blog. I promise it'll make you smile.

And if you'd like to find your inner artist, just leave a comment here. I'll be announcing the winner of Out of the Box on Thursday. Have a great week!

Kim

Really Fun Weekend

2010-08-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

I took a little break to teach a class at (and recover from!) the Azalea City Quilters' Guild Retreat in Mobile, Alabama. We worked on the Monkey Business quilt from Scrap-Basket Surprises. There were monkeys everywhere! Some of the members worked on other projects that I threatened to sneak into my suitcase. They're such a talented and fun bunch of quilters that I decided to join their guild just to be able to attend their UFO retreat in January! (I pretty much invited myself, but they didn't argue about it, so I'm going.) Joan and Karen did a fabulous job of coordinating the retreat, and continued to work hard throughout the weekend making sure that everyone had a good time.

As if the retreat itself wasn't enough fun, my friend Karen went along with me, too! She was able to finish three projects while we were there. I tried to snap a picture of everyone's projects, but it seems I missed a couple. If you'd like to see pictures from the retreat, get comfortable and click HERE.

Thank you so much, ladies, for inviting me. I hope you had as much fun as I had. I look forward to seeing all of you again!

Kim

Bernina Love

2010-08-14T19:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for all your kind comments about my sick kitty last week. He's home from the kitty hospital now and seems to be doing well. This weekend my machine is in the shop for servicing, so I'm trying to talk myself into cleaning up my sewing room. It's shocking. Seriously.

When I dropped off my machine, I talked to my Bernina Dude about this.

She's really pretty, and does lots of cool stuff. On the other hand, I think if I were to pay that much for a machine, I should be able to drive it to work. And I don't need a new machine. But she is on sale. Can you hear the conversation in my head?

Thinking about a new machine has me wondering about other brands, too. What machine do you use? Do you love it or hate it? What are your favorite features? So many questions, I know. But if you feel strongly either way about a particular machine, I'd love to know about it.

Have a good weekend!

Kim

Weekend Stuff

2010-08-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

There hasn't been a lot of time for playing lately, and I'm beginning to get cranky. Sometimes new fabric is just the thing to make me a nice person again.

I've been gathering some of my 2 1/2" strips for a new project. I hope it turns out close to the way I pictured it in my head. If so, I'll be doing a tutorial here. These are some of the fabrics I'm thinking of using.

This little guy was in the kitty hospital last week. We brought him home yesterday afternoon, but ended up taking him to the emergency clinic late last night. Hopefully he'll be back home soon -- I won't even make a fuss when I find him in my basket of scraps.

Have a terrific week!

Kim

Have You Played Today?

2010-07-31T17:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday!

Kim

Lazy Sunday

2010-07-25T14:37:00.000-05:00

Lazy hot Sunday. I've been playing in my room a lot today. I made a block from the Asterisk Quilt-Along.

I found a scrap of a blue and green batik that I'd really like to find more of. I just wanted to try the block to see what it would look like. And now I'm in the mood to make something blue and green!

And my daily 15-minute ritual inspired by Bumble Beans' 15 Minutes Play blog:

I started with dark and light triangles, but then decided to see what would happen if I cut smaller triangles and bordered them. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I'm having a lot of fun getting there!

Stay cool!

Kim

Winner of Schnibbles Times Two

2010-07-22T07:51:00.000-05:00

So we all agree! We think Carrie's book is wonderful, Carrie's a doll, and she has a cool dog. The winning number is 44, and if I've counted correctly, the winner is Loris! If you'll send me your mailing address, you'll have the book soon. I hope it's not too worn -- I've really enjoyed it!

Off to work now. Hope you have a great day!

Kim

Schnibbles Times Two

2010-07-18T18:33:00.000-05:00

It seems like forever ago that I told you I'd be sharing Carrie Nelson's book with you. I couldn't give it away without first making one of these sweet quilts.

Carrie's Schnibbles patterns have been popular for a while now. There's even a parade every month in honor of Schnibbles. You can check out the Year of Schnibbles Parade at Sherri's blog and Sinta's blog. If you haven't heard of Schnibbles, they're smaller quilts made with 5-inch charm squares, and they're adorable.

Schnibbles Time Two includes patterns for 12 little Schnibbles quilts, but Carrie has also re-worked the patterns for making larger quilts from 10-inch layer cakes. She tells you how to make each of the quilts in the small and large sizes. So there are patterns for 12 quilts in two sizes!

The photographer, Brent Kane, did such a perfect job photographing all the quilts in an outdoor garden setting. I can't tell you how many times I've flipped through this book just looking at the pictures.

If you're familiar with Carrie's patterns and books, or if you follow her blog, you already know how funny she is. You'll giggle when you read the introduction and the acknowledgment pages. Miss Rosie even has her own "About Miss Rosie" page.

Carrie's instructions are easy to understand, and she provides lots of useful tips for avoiding problem situations. For example, she explains how to deal with pre-cut (unwashed) fabrics to avoid shrinking when you press with steam. Did I heed her advice? Of course not. I thought it was something that maybe could happen, but wasn't very likely to happen. It happened. Only a little, though. But I should have done what she said -- the lady really knows her stuff.

I've chosen the quilt in the bottom right corner in the picture above as my next Schnibbles project. Pretty, don't you think?

And here's one more -- the one I've been working on. X-Rated -- my very first Schnibbles quilt! (Does this qualify me as a Schnibbler?) I can't believe I waited so long to make one of these.

If you don't already have a copy of Schnibbles Times Two (and you don't mind that I drooled a little on this one and pretty much wore it out the first week I had it), leave a comment here and tell me what appeals to you the most about this book. Is it . . .

a. The projects are just so beautiful you can hardly stand it;

b. The author is so darn cute, sweet, and smart [jealous eye-roll here];

c. There are so many great projects;

d. You want to know more about Miss Rosie; or

e. All the above.

Check back here Thursday. I'll ask my husband to choose the winning number and let you know who the lucky person is. Until then, happy stitching!

Kim

Getting Closer

2010-07-11T19:28:00.001-05:00

How can you tell if you have a Schnibbles addiction? I'm pinning rows together on my first one, and I'm already planning the next one. Too fun!

I'll be sharing Carrie's book with you in a few days. You're gonna love it!

Have you visited Victoria over at Bumble Beans? She's wonderfully creative and unique, and I'm always amazed by the work she does. In addition to her "regular" blog, she created a blog to challenge us to spend 15 minutes a day playing. In fact, the name of the blog is "15 Minutes Play."

Even when I don't think I have time to sew, I do it anyway for at least 15 minutes. And most of the time, I end up spending a lot more than 15 minutes in my play room. During my 15-minute play time, I've been using little scraps to make bigger fabric for cutting triangles.

Skidaddle on over and see what else is going on over there.

Speaking of wildly creative people, you probably already know Stephanie (and Abby) at Loft Creations. If you don't, stop by there, too. I love everything she does. She just has a way with color and fabric that makes me happy. And make sure you visit her Etsy shop, too.

Hope you have a great week!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Surprises Quilt Club

2010-07-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

Fat Quarter Shop has the new sample quilt for the Scrap-Basket Surprises Quilt Club. Isn't it gorgeous?

In case you haven't heard about this club, Kimberly has paired patterns from my book, Scrap-Basket Surprises, with brand new Moda Jelly Rolls. Each quarter you'll receive a kit with two Jelly Rolls along with fabrics for the borders and binding, all in one neat package. How convenient is that? September's kit features Summer's End fabrics from Kansas Troubles Quilters. You can find out all the details by clicking here or on the link above.

I think Kimberly did a great job choosing fabrics for each of the quilts. How about you?

Hope you have a terrific week!

Kim

Cuttin' Up

2010-07-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Fabric, that is. I have a new rotary cutter, mat, and a five-pack of blades. So you know where you can find me, at least for a while.

I'm cutting these little Nature's Chorus charm packs today. I'm a Schnibbler now! Well, almost. I bought my first Schnibbles pattern recently. I've seen these adorable little quilts all over the place. And now I know why.
But before I started the quilt using the Schnibbles pattern I bought, this came in the mail.

I usually don't read quilt pattern books. I usually daydream over the pictures until I get ready to make one of the projects, then I'll read the instructions when I need them. But Carrie writes in a very entertaining way, so I found myself reading the entire book, minus the technical instructions.

I'm anxious to share everything I know about this book. As soon as I finish piecing the quilt I'm working on today, I'm going to do just that, and I'll also be giving away this copy of it. It's only a little damp where I drooled on it. It's okay -- you'll do the same thing when you see it.

Drop in again soon. I'll let you know how you can win Carrie's book, and I'll show you which quilt I finally decided to make.

To those who celebrate Independence Day, I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend. And now I'm going back to cutting.

Take care!

Kim

Pineapple Progress

2010-06-20T16:35:00.001-05:00

I was able to play in my room for a short while this weekend. I'm not sure where the time goes, but I haven't been able to do a lot of sewing lately. Today I made another pineapple block. That probably doesn't sound like progress to you, but my new goal is to make two or three blocks every month. At least that's my goal today. As you know, I have a short attention span. Very short.

The blocks are looking a little muddy. After looking at a black and white picture of the blocks, it looks like I'll need to work on the contrast a little more.

Karen and I began making Pineapple blocks at the same time. After we each made our first block, we were afraid we had jumped in over our heads. We even discussed making giant potholders from the existing blocks and pretending like it never happened. "What Pineapple blocks?" Right after that conversation, I found this pattern by Debra Roberts in the August 2010 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.

Pretty, huh? Since I had all my bright fabrics handy from making the Pineapple blocks, I had to try this one using some of my scraps.

Now what was I saying? Oh, right. Short attention span.

Have a great week!

Kim

Winner of Simple Style

2010-06-16T19:56:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much for playing along in the Simple Style give-away. I enjoyed reading all the comments, even though I haven't been able to respond to all of them yet. I'm getting a little bored with the random number generator routine, so next time I'll try to come up with something a little more creative for choosing the winner. (If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear about it.) For now, though, the winning number is 4! Carol, if you'll send me your mailing address, your new book will be on its way.

Happy stitching!

Kim

Simple Style

2010-06-13T10:22:00.001-05:00

Stylish and simple -- it doesn't get better than that. Sara Diepersloot has made it easy to create beautiful quilts in a lot less time. She uses fabric to create the style, and large pieces for simplicity.

We don't always have time to make quilts using hundreds of tiny pieces, but we can still whip up beautiful quilts using large pieces if we let our fabrics do the work.

Sara has included 20 projects, including large quilts (up to 89" in length), lap quilts, baby quilts, and table runners.

Although some of the quilts have large triangles, most are made using only squares or rectangles.

All of these quilts are perfect for gifts. You can personalize them with your own fabric choices.

These are only a few of my favorite quilts from the book. There are so many more! You can see a gallery of more of the sample projects by clicking HERE.

If you'd like to win your own copy of Sara's book, make sure you leave a comment here. To make it more fun, tell me what you'll do with the extra time you'll have on your hands after you make one of these quilts.

Hope you're having a good weekend. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday -- see you then!

Kim

Happy Saturday!

2010-06-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

Hopefully you've been more creative and productive than I've been lately. In case you didn't notice, I re-designed my blog. It was completely unintentional. Have you ever selected the wrong option at the exact instant that you realized it was the wrong option?

I really appreciate all the kind comments on my Blogger's Quilt Festival Post. Hopefully you had a chance to check out all the wonderful quilts. I still haven't finished visiting all the participants -- there are so many! I'd like to share a beautiful post that I saw while I was visiting. Just grab a tissue and go here.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

Kim

706 West Bridge Street

2010-05-21T20:04:00.000-05:00

I'm always the last to know stuff. I opened Google Reader to visit my favorite blogs, and I saw oodles of these little buttons. If you want to find out what this is all about, you'll have to go to Amy's blog. And while you're there, you might as well play along.

The quilt I'm sharing lives with my mother now. My friend Karen and I went nuts when Moda announced its challenge in 2004. (Remember the tin box full of the yummy neutral fabrics?) We each made quilts to enter in separate categories. Karen entered her quilt in the most creative category, and I went with the most Moda fabrics category. I just knew there wasn't a person on the planet who owned more Moda fabric than me. Turns out there are plenty!

When I counted the fabrics I used in this quilt, there were 706. The street number of my childhood home. So I named it 706 West Bridge Street in honor of my mom who taught me to sew, and my dad who loved working in his garden.

The half-square triangle units are two inches, and the squares in the checkerboard border are one inch.

I used freezer-paper applique' and stitched the motifs by hand.

This is the last quilt that I hand-quilted.

Hope you enjoyed your visit. Now hurry on over to Amy's and tell us about one of your quilts!

Have a great weekend!

Kim

Bad Kim

2010-05-15T14:18:00.001-05:00

I've been a little absent lately. Way too many things going on all at once. Finishing a new book, starting a new job (same firm, different position), visiting my mother and my mother-in-law, and slowly getting around to doing a little yard work. This kind of yard work:

I've managed to squeeze in a few minutes for sewing. My friend Karen asked me if I wanted to make a pineapple quilt. I said, "Sure, whatever." Only Karen thinks I said, "Yippee! I've always wanted to make a pineapple quilt! Can we start today?!" (Okay, so Karen's recollection is a little more accurate.) And now I'm knee-deep in brightly-colored strips.

Karen and I have been sharing strips since neither of us have tons of bright fabrics. This is my first and only block, but I'm hoping to find a little free time soon. Fingers crossed.

Hope all of you are doing well. I'll be by to visit soon!

Kim

He Just Wants to Help

2010-04-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

I'm loving this picture of my crazy cat. I was packing quilts to ship away for a trunk show, and this little monkey was right in the middle of everything until I threw him out of the room and closed the door.

Don't feel sorry for him -- he only looks sweet. (I fell for it, too.)

I enjoyed reading all of your comments about A Baker's Dozen. I'm so sorry I haven't had time to respond to all of them, but hopefully I can get around to doing that in the next few days.

So here's the random winning number:

A Quilter Awakens. (That's her blog name, not something that happened to me. At least not today.)

If you'll send me your mailing address, the book will be in your hands very soon!

Hope you all have a great week!

Kim

A Baker's Dozen

2010-04-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to share this book with you. The wonderful staff of That Patchwork Place have outdone themselves with this collection of thirteen quilts made from pre-cut fabrics -- jelly rolls, layer cakes, honey buns, charm squares, and fat quarters.

Don't have pre-cut fabrics? No problem. You can use your own fabrics if you refer to the "Stash Option" box provided for each project.

Aren't the quilts beautiful? The directions are straightforward and easy to follow, and include tips for working with pre-cut fabrics, using fusible web, machine blanket stitching, freezer-paper applique', pieced binding, and pinked edges.

I love the applique' designs on the quilts. The applique' is a nice touch, and yet you won't need to spend a lot of time to achieve the magic that applique' can work on your quilt. Nice, easy designs. No sharp points or drastic curves!

I really want to keep this book! But since the nice people at Martingale & Company were kind enough to send it to me, I decided I should be at least as generous and share it with you. So if you'd like to own this book, just leave a comment and tell me what you like about it. I'll be back Tuesday evening for the drawing.

Good luck!

Kim

It doesn't take much to make me happy.

2010-04-10T08:50:00.001-05:00

And this makes me happy.

Verna. By Kate Spain.

Machine Quilting

2010-04-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

The biggest challenge when I'm machine quilting is thread tension. To test my thread tension, I place scraps on the edge of my quilt on top of the batting, then quilt these little scraps while I adjust the tension.

For the most part, I enjoy machine quilting on my home machine, but lately I've been thinking that I may be ready for a longarm machine. Maybe. I guess. Who knows?

Those machines are a little pricey unless you're planning to start a business. Since I already have a job, I probably wouldn't want to commit to another one.

Then I read the comments on Nicole's post.

And I think I may be ready. Maybe. I guess. Who knows?

Hope you have a wonderful Easter!

Kim

Happy National Quilting Day!

2010-03-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

Hope you're celebrating, too!

2010-02-26T19:13:00.001-06:00

Psssst!

Do you wanna see the beautiful sample quilt for the Scrap-Basket Surprises Quilt Club?

Click!

Who's the Winner?

2010-02-24T20:31:00.000-06:00

Hi! Just stopping by to let you know that 20 is the lucky number chosen by the random number generator. (I tried to take a screen shot of the result, but then recalled that I don't know how to do that). Anyway, if I've counted accurately, the winner of Four-Patch Frolic is Call Me Crazy. If you'll send me your mailing address, your new book will be on its way!

Thanks to everyone for participating in the give-away. Hope you'll play along next month!

Later.

Kim

Four-Patch Frolic

2010-02-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

This book by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson (of Me and My Sister Designs) is full of the sweetest quilts you've ever seen. The quilts are all based on simple four-patch units, made from 5" and 10" squares. They've used their own whimsical fabrics that they designed for Moda, as well as fabrics from other Moda designers. If you enjoy using all those beautiful pre-cut fabric collections, you'll have a lot of fun with this book!

The blocks in the quilt below are made from a layer cake, and instructions are provided for the scalloped border.

You can almost smell the oranges when you see the Tangerine Tango quilt!

I agree with Barbara and Mary -- they believe that quilts should be "used and loved every day."

In addition to twelve different quilts, there are patterns for a table runner, pincushions and a pillowcase. All of the patterns are easy to follow and quick to make.

I'm itching to make some of these adorable pincushions.

Photography by Brent Kane

To see what else they've been up to, stop by and visit Barbara and Mary at Me and My Sister Designs. And if you'd like to have your very own copy of Four-Patch Frolic, compliments of Martingale & Company, leave a comment here. I'll do a random number drawing on Wednesday. How about Wednesday night, say 8-ish?

In the meantime, I'd love for you to meet my friend Karen. She and I have been friends for about 14 years. Karen is a super-talented quilter, and she recently joined the blogging community. Please stop by and welcome her. She'll be sharing lots of wonderful things that you won't want to miss.

See you Wednesday!

Kim

Scrap-Basket Surprises Quilt Club

2010-02-07T17:49:00.001-06:00

exciting is this? I'm so thrilled to tell you that the nice people at Fat Quarter Shop are offering a quarterly club using quilts from my book! They loved the book when it arrived, and decided to pair it with upcoming Moda Jelly Rolls. They'll be using some really nice collections. Each quarter, you'll receive a kit with two Jelly Rolls and enough yardage to complete the quilt top and the binding. They also offer a backing set club if you'd like a backing for your quilt. Now doesn't that sound fun? You can get the details from Fat Quarter Shop by clicking here.

Have a terrific week!

Kim

Sunday Stuff

2010-01-31T13:40:00.000-06:00

These blocks are for a tiny quilt that will be donated to my quilting guild for a silent auction. I used the "A Little Tangy" pattern from Scrap-Basket Surprises, reducing the block to 2 1/2" finished. Using the strings I've been playing with, I cut 1 1/2" strips to make these little cuties. They're making me so happy, I just had to share a picture!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Kim