Archives for August 2013

08-27-2013

Star Surround QAL

Star Surround Quilt-A-Long

Wow, didn’t this go by quick? Feels like I just started this quilt!

I have to say there was just so much excitement with this project for me. I love the block and really liked the goal oriented tasks each week. It also didn’t hurt that there was a chance at winning a prize each week either!

The last task is to get the blocks and top assembled and link up with Melissa@HappyQuilting. Melissa has been a fabulous host and has had great tutorials to go along with each step.Thanks a bunch Melissa for all your kind words and encouragement along the way:)

There will be four Grand Prize Winners for some 75.00 gift certificates to either Intrepid Thread or Fat Quarter Shop. I hope I haven’t used up all my winning mojo, because I would love to have a little spending spree:)

What would I do differently???

Well, I like my fabrics okay, but would rather have used something a little more bright and fun. My goal was to use some things I have from my stash(that is overflowing). This was a yellow bundle I bought at a quilt show several years ago. I wasn’t as picky then about fabrics and some of these are sooooo thin(poor quality), but oh well. Still a nice palette and a sweet traditional feel. Since it is a baby quilt I think it will suit nicely.

Secondly, nothing! I really loved the pattern and think I might just make another with a bright yellow/gray palette in the one large block design:)

Wish me luck!

Keep it Sassy♥

Links:

32 Add a comment

Filed Under: Star Surround QAL Tagged With: Star Surround QAL

08-24-2013

Block 12

Block 12 – Charleston Square

This block is from over at the Virtual Quilting Bee(hosted by AmySmart@Diary of a Quilter) and is created by Katie Blakesley@Swim,Bike,Quilt. I was glad to have one on the easier side this week. Really simple cutting instructions and easy to piece.

We are pretty much caught up with Amy at this point! She just posted Block 13 if you want to get started. Only 3 more to go:) I just can’t wait to get this top together.

I am also right on track with my Star Surround QAL with Melissa@Happy Quilting. This week we built the parts of the surround, excited to put these blocks together this week.

Check out some other awesome quilts in progress with the same QAL. Just give them a click to see what they are up to on their own blogs.

Melissa@MyFabricRelish, I just love this grey!

I am also loving this blue with the light centers over at Kristel@WIPgirl.

And…I think Sarah@SarahQuilts is sharing her good luck with me! Here is another fabric bundle that I won from Cynthia@CynthiaBrunzDesigns! Thanks for these lovely fabrics:)

Keep it Sassy♥

Links:

14 Add a comment

08-21-2013

Sassy Sampler

Bound and done! Finished up my Sassy Sampler quilt and an experiment in free motion quilting. Not even close to perfect, but I am happy with what I am learning. This was a good chance to practice lots of stitches and I tried to force my self to do just that! This quilt is not for anyone in particular and was lingering in my UFO pile, so it was perfect to let loose and stitch like I meant it:)

No marking allowed on this quilt, just free and easy…all the way.

My thread was a beige colored polyester that blended in most areas. *Bonus: Don’t see all the fumbles. *Down Side: It blended so well in some areas it actually made it difficult to see what I was doing, but definitely showed up in the dark brown areas!

Made a skinnier binding this go ’round…2″ strips to start. I usually use 2.5″ strips.

Machine bound, tutorial here.

Had fun with these swirls in the star petals.

Really liked the up and down bars, too. Easier than I thought.(eww…photo bombed by a bug)

Clamshell, wood grain, pebbles and wierd flame-swirl?…

Most difficult stitch: concentric swirls in two of my corner blocks. I found it very hard to keep the swirls circular. They are a little blobby(?) The other two corners were a paisley design. Much easier and when it gets a little off it doesn’t glare at you. The thread matched so well you can only see any of it in just the right light.

When done I had used 6 Bobbins and a spool and a half of thread(med-size spool). It is pretty stiff with all these stitches, but I haven’t washed it yet. Hoping it will soften up a bit and you probably will not be able to see many of the stitches in the wrinkles anyway.

One more UFO has bit the dust! On to the next.

Keep it Sassy♥

Links:

22 Add a comment

Filed Under: FMQ Tagged With: FMQ, Sampler

08-17-2013

Sample Please!

Hola Sassaritas! Hope you had a fabulous week. My internet has been el crasho, so let me catch you up on what I have been up to.

My progress on the Star Surround QAL with Melissa@Happy Quilting! All my lovely little stars. Liking the yellows, the polka dots and stripes are my favorite. I was doubting some of the fabrics, but I think they will add to the scrappines. It’s hard not to over think it, right?

Had a Friday off this week, which is awesome, because I got to pull out my Sampler quilt which I started almost 3 Years ago!!! I made this top with my Sassy Quilters Guild as we learned lots of new techniques and all about some popular traditional quilting blocks. It was a fun project and I only used scraps from my stash to make it. The colors were not my typical palette, but I took what I had and threw them in the pot, and here is what came out. I actually really like the combo. This year I am pulling out a lot of old tops I made (and then abandoned) and trying to get them done!

I am also trying to make myself continue to practice my FMQ on these tops. I am okay with all my machine quilting when it comes to straight lines or following markings, but I want to learn the “free” part of Free-Motion-Quilting:) So I went for it. No marking…just quilting what came to me. Sorry to say this felt like a flop, but since I used (mostly)matching thread, it doesn’t really show that much, except for on the dark brown, yikes! As I was contemplating why I don’t feel like I am progressing that much with this technique…I realized that if I added up my hours, it may be less than I think. I have concluded that I need some practice samples and actually go over each technique/design…A LOT! Get my muscle memory going and all. My usual M.O. is to have a quilt top sandwiched and sit down and power out a whole quilt in a day and then not do it again for a month or longer. More daily work and not making it a marathon may help….am I rambling now? Oh, well…I just want to be awesome without practicing…is that too much to ask??? Here are some pics:

Note: I am only showing the least scary pics:) This last one I knew would be rough with the dark fabric and light thread. I could have drawn it all out, but where is the fun in that…

On a super fun note :) here are some awesome fabrics I won from Lisa@InTheBoonDocks. Thanks Lisa!

Hmmmm….. what to do with these.

Keep it Sassy♥

And don’t forget to check out tomorrow’s Sunday Funday @627Handworks! Lot’s of free stuff to win:)

Links:

14 Add a comment

Filed Under: Fabric, WIP Wednesday Tagged With: FMQ, Sampler, Star Surround QAL

08-12-2013

Sunday Funday! on a Monday…

sundayfunday

Don’t you just love a giveaway? Julie@627Handworks is hosting a giveaway party on Sunday for the next five weeks. Yesterday was the first, I don’t think it is to late so go visit her here. Look at this delicious prize she is giving away:

week1

Stay tuned for the next five Sundays for where Julie will continue to give away a gift of quilty goodness! To make it even better she has asked several other bloggers to join in and share the love by linking up another giveaway. I am joining in on Sept. 15th.

So put it on your calendars!!! and don’t miss any goodies out there waiting to be claimed.

Keep it Sassy♥

Links:

Add a comment

Filed Under: Sunday Funday Tagged With: giveaway, sunday funday

08-11-2013

Star Surround- Flying Geese

This weeks homework for the Star Surround Quilt Along, with Melissa@Happy Quilting, was Flying Geese and lots of them. She has a great tutorial for making the flying geese units. There are several ways to make a flying geese unit, three that I know of. I had heard of this method, but had never tried it. I have to say it may be a favorite. Making them seemed to wiz by.

I even got to try out a special tool I bought for squaring up these things. I got it at a quilt show I went to in February. It is called a Bloc-Loc Flying Geese Ruler. There are channels that the quarter-inch seams fit snugly into, this “locks” the unit into the ruler(no slipping at all!) and you can just zip your rotary cutter around it. It eliminates the time spent on each unit lining up the tip of the goose to make sure you have a quarter-inch seam area, making sure all other sides are correct and then doing it again for the opposite sides. I give this product an A+++.

Last weeks homework was half square triangles and I also have a Bloc-Loc Ruler for half square triangles. This ruler works well for multiple sized units, so you still have to line up some numbers, but not the center on the diagonal seam. The flying geese ruler is only for units 2 x 4, which is the most used sized unit. They sell all kinds of these, so check them out: www.blocloc.com.

Don’t forget Melissa has a Flickr group for sharing your progress and maybe even winning some prizes if you link up! I also have an open Flickr group for all my own bloggy friends following along just so I don’t lose track of you:)

Keep it Sassy♥

Links:

10 Add a comment

Filed Under: Star Surround QAL Tagged With: flying geese, ruler, Star Surround QAL

08-07-2013

Stash Confessions…

So here it is…my stash unveiled. I am linking in with Sarah@SarahQuilts in with her You Show Me Yours and I’ll Show You Mine stash sharing party. Just for curiosity to see what you quilters out there are hoarding:) This white china cabinet? I got at a yard sale…already painted and everything! I feel like you ruin antique furniture when you paint it, but it looks so fresh and fun, so I am glad someone did the painful part for me:) I need to replace the string they were using for knobs though.

^This is my assortment of precuts and bundles^

I also have converted a couple shelves in this secretary to house fabric also. This room is suppose to be an office/sewing room, but I am slowly filling up all the office furniture with fabric! Yes, I still have a few priceless VHS I am holding onto:)

This is my wonderful sewing table I got from someone for $25, it’s from ikea and the legs are adjustable so you can change the height and is actually an L-shape! Yes, I realize it is hard to see amidst the clutter, but I am keeping it real here. I actually like to sew on the kitchen table, haven’t eaten on that thing in quite a while….but I could, so this is perfectly normal….right?

There are a few other areas in this room I couldn’t share for fear of an intervention(a few more shelves and a some tubs). I did decide a few weeks ago that I should actually use some of this fabric before continuing to buy more, but where is the fun in that:) This is what happens when you buy fabric because it is pretty and you have no idea what you are going to make with it, and in my defense some were large yard sale deals that couldn’t be passed up(Amy Butler, Kaffe Fasset…$1-3 bucks a yard!!!) and some was donated from a deceased quilter(she would be happy it was being loved). So once again I would like to state that I am perfectly fine….

Keep it Sassy♥

Links:

20 Add a comment

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: sewing room, stash

08-06-2013

Block 11

Block 11- Virtual Quilting Bee

This post is a little late because I was out of town this past week, my brother graduated from Navy Boot Camp! We made the long trip to Great Lakes, Illinois and also did a little sight seeing in Chicago. Did the signature hot dog and pizza…of course:) I really wanted to check out some local quilt shops, but figured I wouldn’t torture him on his one day of leave before heading to school in SC. Here is me and my little bro:

Don’t worry, I did find some quilt inspiration at Millennium Park in Chicago. Some cool art work that had me thinking of quilts…

Oh yeah, back to the quilt block! This weeks block is by AmyEllis@Amy’sCreativeSide. To get all the details on the previous blocks in Amy Smart’s Virtual Quilting Bee, visit Amy@Diary of a Quilter. This block was okay, a little confusing during construction,but that was my fabric choices I believe. I think I would have rather used white in place of the blue check print….and I promise this block is square! Do you notice sometimes printed fabric is printed a little wonky and in smaller straight cuts I think it makes it look crooked. No ripping here though:) It’ll do! I used my previous method of pressing open at four patch center and locking or nesting my abutting seams to make things flatter.