1. Hexagon cushion, 2. Merrily Going Round!, 3. Mod Pop wallhanging, 4. Circle wedge mini quilt in modern aqua colours, 5. 3x6 tester block finished, 6. Prince Charming quilt top, 7. French Kisses King size, 8. Monsterz Baby Quilt, 9. Pillow for Jules
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Before I go, I wanted to let you know about some great labor day sales from my lovely sponsors! I'll be doing a bit of shopping too. Will update this list if there are any more!
Pink Castle Fabrics - Code LABOR20 for 20% off everything
PoppySeed Fabrics - Code laborday15 for 15% off entire order
Contemporary Cloth - 50% off clearance, no code needed!
Bloomerie Fabrics - Back to School sale, here!
JAQS Fabrics - Code LaborDay2012 for 15% off all Fabric Bundles, Patterns & Children Themed Prints
The Intrepid Thread - Code LABOR10 for 10% off everything
Happy Friday! :)
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
It's time for Quilt Camp!
So, what exactly is Quilt Camp? It's a fun retreat here in the Midwest where you'll have the opportunity to take classes, finish up some holiday sewing, and socialize with friends! There is lots of free sewing time scheduled in, so bring that stack of works in progress, or start a new one!
Quilt Camp is being held at Hankerd Inn in Pleasant Lake, Michigan! Check it out!
Onto the classes! Faith is going to be teaching Foundation Piecing with this awesome Pointsetta block she designed! You can choose to make either a quilt or a mini quilt in her class!
Heather is going to be teaching Improvisational Piecing! How beautiful is this pillow of hers? You'll be making one too!
Brenda is going to be teaching English Paper Piecing! Learn to make hexagons and applique them to bags, napkins, etc!
I'll be teaching my Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern! Great for wrapping up gifts! Apart from construction methods, we'll talk about ways to personalize these bags!
I hope you'll join us, it's going to be a lot of fun! I'm already excited!
Just like camp, we're all sharing rooms! Each room has it's own bathroom, and many have a fireplace too! It's going to be a cozy winter camp out! You will need to be able to bring your own sewing machine (you can fly with them) or make arrangements :)
Here is more information on Quilt Camp, including pricing and the schedule! You can purchase your Quilt Camp ticket here for December 7th-9th. You can purchase the extra night here for December 6th.
There are only 30 spots, so sign up quick!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Catch Up!
Hi all! It's been a long day, so I'll try to keep this post short and sweet, but I just couldn't wait to share what I've been up to lately! Still trying to get back into a normal routine after being away for over a week!
I did finally manage to get to my sewing machine! You know how much I love quick quilts and big blocks, I can't stop myself! This quilt was cut up and sewn together in less than 24 hours using Pat Bravo's Indie collection and White Linen Pure Elements. This is going to be my Fall lap quilt for sure, can't wait to quilt it up! I know I'll find some inspiration in Angela's book!
This quilt is my next pattern in the works. Am also working on another using different size blocks!
I had fun with a little no-sew project last week too! Aunt Karen (Hi again!) gave me this rocking chair pincushion that belonged to my Grandma! It had seen much better days, the fabric was dirty and it was actually broken, you can see it here. So I took it apart, fixed it, and "reupholstered" it! I wanted it to have a vintage modern feel, so this print from Bari J's Lilly Belle was the perfect fit!
It seems I forgot a few very important thrifting finds to report this weekend. Mr. Gnome bell now has a wife! He is from 1980 and she is from 1979! Don't they make a cute couple? :)
I also found this bright red metal chest of drawers! It was a little dinged up when we found it, but my Dad helped fix it right up. I love, love, love it! It is right at home in my sewing room!
Been trying out some new recipes lately. Tonight I tried out this homemade granola recipe, not bad! Salty and sweet! I used slivered almonds instead of walnuts and added a pinch of nutmeg!
George!
I'm happy to welcome two new sponsors! First up is Threadbias, a fun new community for sewers (I'm Jenib320 on there)! Second is Canton Village Quilt Works, a lovely shop run by Jackie!
Today I love the..
Smell of: Granola in the oven
Sound of: The Lorax
Taste of: Diet Coke
Sight of: Beautiful day
Feel of: A good laugh
Good Things about Today:
- Finally cleaned the apartment!
- Hanging out with George
- Cute videos: Shopping Penguin
- $1 burrito day at Pancheros!
I did finally manage to get to my sewing machine! You know how much I love quick quilts and big blocks, I can't stop myself! This quilt was cut up and sewn together in less than 24 hours using Pat Bravo's Indie collection and White Linen Pure Elements. This is going to be my Fall lap quilt for sure, can't wait to quilt it up! I know I'll find some inspiration in Angela's book!
This quilt is my next pattern in the works. Am also working on another using different size blocks!
I had fun with a little no-sew project last week too! Aunt Karen (Hi again!) gave me this rocking chair pincushion that belonged to my Grandma! It had seen much better days, the fabric was dirty and it was actually broken, you can see it here. So I took it apart, fixed it, and "reupholstered" it! I wanted it to have a vintage modern feel, so this print from Bari J's Lilly Belle was the perfect fit!
It seems I forgot a few very important thrifting finds to report this weekend. Mr. Gnome bell now has a wife! He is from 1980 and she is from 1979! Don't they make a cute couple? :)
I also found this bright red metal chest of drawers! It was a little dinged up when we found it, but my Dad helped fix it right up. I love, love, love it! It is right at home in my sewing room!
Been trying out some new recipes lately. Tonight I tried out this homemade granola recipe, not bad! Salty and sweet! I used slivered almonds instead of walnuts and added a pinch of nutmeg!
George!
I'm happy to welcome two new sponsors! First up is Threadbias, a fun new community for sewers (I'm Jenib320 on there)! Second is Canton Village Quilt Works, a lovely shop run by Jackie!
Today I love the..
Smell of: Granola in the oven
Sound of: The Lorax
Taste of: Diet Coke
Sight of: Beautiful day
Feel of: A good laugh
Good Things about Today:
- Finally cleaned the apartment!
- Hanging out with George
- Cute videos: Shopping Penguin
- $1 burrito day at Pancheros!
Monday, August 27, 2012
100 Quilts for Kids
Today I'm here to talk about a wonderful annual charity quilt drive put on by Katie Blakesley of Swim, Bike, Quilt and the DC Modern Quilt Guild called 100 Quilts for Kids. The idea is simple, Make a quilt or two. Donate it to a child in need, locally if you can. Link up your donated quilts for a chance to win some great prizes!
Need some motivation? Join in on the 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along! We all have a "quilts to make" list a mile long, so for my stop on the blog hop I wanted to highlight a few of my tutorials that would make great, quick, charity quilts!
Quilting for charity is a lot of fun, and a great way to use our skills for good! Think about using up old WIPs (works in progress!), leftover blocks, or trying out a new pattern! I'm going to donate a few myself too!
All the stops on the blog hop:
Need some motivation? Join in on the 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along! We all have a "quilts to make" list a mile long, so for my stop on the blog hop I wanted to highlight a few of my tutorials that would make great, quick, charity quilts!
Plus Quilt Tutorial (and pattern!)
Quilting for charity is a lot of fun, and a great way to use our skills for good! Think about using up old WIPs (works in progress!), leftover blocks, or trying out a new pattern! I'm going to donate a few myself too!
All the stops on the blog hop:
July 2: Lynne @ Lily’s Quilts
July 9: Dana @ Dana and Thread, Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
July 16: Lee @ Freshly Pieced
July 23: Katy @ Monkey Do
August 20: Melissa @ Happy Quilting
September 10: Elizabeth @ Oh, Frannson!, Anne Marie @ Gen X Quilters
September 24: Angela @ Moda Home Mom
September 25: Sara @ Sew Sweetness
Don't forget to check out the 100 Quilts for Kids Flickr Group! More information on 100 Quilts for Kids here.
Happy Quilting!
Don't forget to check out the 100 Quilts for Kids Flickr Group! More information on 100 Quilts for Kids here.
Happy Quilting!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Arithmetic Quilt Pattern
Happy Sunday! I'm excited to share a new quilt pattern with you today! I've taken one of my most popular tutorials, the Plus Quilt Tutorial (which is still available of course!), and given it a major upgrade with this pattern, Arithmetic! I've been asked many times for help making other sizes, and especially if I'd provide it in PDF form. This pattern is so much more than that!
The original tutorial uses 4.5" squares to make a throw sized quilt. In the pattern version, you'll find instructions/measurements/fabric requirements for quilts using 2.5" squares (for scrap lovers!), 4.5" squares and 8" squares. On top of that, you can choose from six quilt sizes: Baby, Throw, Twin, Double, Queen, and King! So, you've got 18 different options for your plus quilt adventures!
I've included "plus totals" for all the sizes as well to make it easy to cut from scraps, or if you have different yardage than suggested!
8" Squares (Queen)
4.5" Squares (Throw)
2.5" Squares (Baby)
I have fabrics pulled for a baby sized quilt using 2.5" squares! The all solids plus quilt I've made was given to my parents, and I want one for myself to hang on the wall. I'm using Art Gallery Pure Elements in Mauvelous, Verve Violet, Crystal Pink, Quartz Pink, Lemonade, Dark Citron, Mirage Blue and Tile Blue. Hoping to start cutting today!
You can find Arithmetic in my pattern shop, here!
As always, thanks for your support!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Thrifting Finds
Hope you are all having a good weekend! Ours is going pretty well so far! Did a big grocery run this morning, and finished up a new pattern which I'll share with you tomorrow! For now, I want to share my thrift and antique store finds from my trip!
We stayed on Lake Michigan for the first half of our trip, and I was so happy to be able to meet up with Jessica for a bit of thrifting! It was so nice to see her again and catch-up properly, we had such a great time! I found the clock, ceramic elephant and glass dish on our trip along with a sheet and muffin tin! The remaining goodies came from a few antique shops in Ohio and my Mom found me the tall tin! I could not resist the fruit canisters, they were only $2 each!
I had been getting pretty discouraged about the vintage sheet selection here in Madison, but boy did a trip home do wonders! I found all these linens in one day! We hit the big time, for sure! I also found three curtain panels and a table cloth (on the left!). You can find most of these sheets in my etsy shop here.
I was so, so happy to find some vintage enamelware! The Cathrineholm bowls both came from antique stores, but compared to Ebay/Etsy prices, they were a steal! The bottom bowl is in awesome condition, and I have a larger bowl in those same colors. They look so pretty together! I love the colors in the green one too!
My Mom spotted the coffee pot at our local Goodwill, $5! It is Milanoware by Lantoni, made in Italy. It is extremely similar to the Dansk Kobenstyle Coffee Pot. I haven't had any luck finding more information about it. One was obviously influenced by the other. I'm apt to think that this one is a knock off of Kobenstyle, but honestly have nothing to support that, just my gut feeling! Regardless, I'm excited to add it to my collection! For comparison photos of Kobenstyle vs. Milanoware, see my Enamelware set on flickr.
This Cathrineholm pan isn't a new acquisition. I actually thrifted it over a year ago, a few days before we moved from Ohio to Wisconsin. When I found it though, it had no lid! I immediately set up a saved search on Ebay and finally the right size and color popped up a few weeks ago! And it fits perfectly, yay! :)
Happy Thrifting!
We stayed on Lake Michigan for the first half of our trip, and I was so happy to be able to meet up with Jessica for a bit of thrifting! It was so nice to see her again and catch-up properly, we had such a great time! I found the clock, ceramic elephant and glass dish on our trip along with a sheet and muffin tin! The remaining goodies came from a few antique shops in Ohio and my Mom found me the tall tin! I could not resist the fruit canisters, they were only $2 each!
I had been getting pretty discouraged about the vintage sheet selection here in Madison, but boy did a trip home do wonders! I found all these linens in one day! We hit the big time, for sure! I also found three curtain panels and a table cloth (on the left!). You can find most of these sheets in my etsy shop here.
I was so, so happy to find some vintage enamelware! The Cathrineholm bowls both came from antique stores, but compared to Ebay/Etsy prices, they were a steal! The bottom bowl is in awesome condition, and I have a larger bowl in those same colors. They look so pretty together! I love the colors in the green one too!
My Mom spotted the coffee pot at our local Goodwill, $5! It is Milanoware by Lantoni, made in Italy. It is extremely similar to the Dansk Kobenstyle Coffee Pot. I haven't had any luck finding more information about it. One was obviously influenced by the other. I'm apt to think that this one is a knock off of Kobenstyle, but honestly have nothing to support that, just my gut feeling! Regardless, I'm excited to add it to my collection! For comparison photos of Kobenstyle vs. Milanoware, see my Enamelware set on flickr.
This Cathrineholm pan isn't a new acquisition. I actually thrifted it over a year ago, a few days before we moved from Ohio to Wisconsin. When I found it though, it had no lid! I immediately set up a saved search on Ebay and finally the right size and color popped up a few weeks ago! And it fits perfectly, yay! :)
Happy Thrifting!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Favorites
1. Finished improv chevron, 2. Good Folks blocks finished!, 3. Pillows on Friday..., 4. Graduation Quilt, 5. QAYG Tote Kitchen Side, 6. Scrappy Log Cabin, 7. Indie by Pat Bravo, 8. juliana blanket, 9. Flower Power!
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Happy Friday! :)
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Happy Friday! :)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Vintage Quilts
First and foremost, thank you for all of your kind words and support on yesterday's news! I was SO nervous to spill the beans! Like barely ate, barely slept, nervous. As your sweet comments, emails, and tweets came pouring in, I felt so relieved! It's so new to me, it's hard to wrap my head around just yet! :)
I have a few posts lined up to share the fruits and adventures of our vacation last week! Today I am sharing with you SIX vintage quilts that my sweet Aunt Karen (Hi!!) gave me! I love them so much! I don't know much about them, but I think they were all made by someone in our family. So, let's take a peek!
I'm totally in love with this dresden quilt, I have a thing for dresden plates! The way the centers and the plates are done is so different than other quilts I've seen, it is so cool looking! They're all hand appliqued and it's entirely hand quilted as well! There are some seriously awesome fabrics in this one!
My Mom said this one was on her parent's or grandparent's bed (I can't remember which!), for a long time. This one is probably my favorite. You just can't beat a vintage double wedding ring. I'm thinking that despite my hatred of templates I will probably have to make one at some point! I am pretty sure it's hand pieced, it's definitely hand quilted.
This one feels SO modern to me! The crazy scrappiness and the back, oh boy! It's like getting two quilts in one!
How cool is the back?! Mostly solids with a few prints mixed in! It looks like it's a lot of old clothes. I love, love, love it! This has me totally inspired to make an all solids crazy quilt!
This red and white quilt is just a top. It's actually in pretty good condition! A few stains I might attempt to get out, but I probably won't try too hard, they aren't bad! This one is also hand pieced. Will definitely have to get this one quilted!
I'm assuming this baby quilt was pieced around the same time as the first red and white one. This one was obviously used, a lot! Very well loved! Again, hand pieced and quilted.
We knew the least about this one, but it's still lovely! I love the flowers that were quilted in the negative space, so neat!
If you'd like to see more photos of these quilts and other vintage quilts you can find them in my flickr set, here.
Happy Quilting!
I have a few posts lined up to share the fruits and adventures of our vacation last week! Today I am sharing with you SIX vintage quilts that my sweet Aunt Karen (Hi!!) gave me! I love them so much! I don't know much about them, but I think they were all made by someone in our family. So, let's take a peek!
I'm totally in love with this dresden quilt, I have a thing for dresden plates! The way the centers and the plates are done is so different than other quilts I've seen, it is so cool looking! They're all hand appliqued and it's entirely hand quilted as well! There are some seriously awesome fabrics in this one!
My Mom said this one was on her parent's or grandparent's bed (I can't remember which!), for a long time. This one is probably my favorite. You just can't beat a vintage double wedding ring. I'm thinking that despite my hatred of templates I will probably have to make one at some point! I am pretty sure it's hand pieced, it's definitely hand quilted.
This one feels SO modern to me! The crazy scrappiness and the back, oh boy! It's like getting two quilts in one!
How cool is the back?! Mostly solids with a few prints mixed in! It looks like it's a lot of old clothes. I love, love, love it! This has me totally inspired to make an all solids crazy quilt!
This red and white quilt is just a top. It's actually in pretty good condition! A few stains I might attempt to get out, but I probably won't try too hard, they aren't bad! This one is also hand pieced. Will definitely have to get this one quilted!
I'm assuming this baby quilt was pieced around the same time as the first red and white one. This one was obviously used, a lot! Very well loved! Again, hand pieced and quilted.
We knew the least about this one, but it's still lovely! I love the flowers that were quilted in the negative space, so neat!
If you'd like to see more photos of these quilts and other vintage quilts you can find them in my flickr set, here.
Happy Quilting!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The Big News!
Are you ready!?
You can see all the prints on the Art Gallery Fabrics website, here. It will be in stores in February-March 2013!
I hope you like it! I've started a Color Me Retro Pinterest Board to share a bit of my inspiration for the line with you! :)
Monday, August 20, 2012
New Look + Exciting News!
Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to a good start! I'm gearing up for a great one!
I have some beyond exciting news to share with you tomorrow, so I wanted the blog to look its best! It was high time to update things, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think everything looks fresh and clean! I hope you'll take a look around!
I did all of the re-designing myself using the Adobe Creative Suite (I know a few of you asked!). I edit my photos in Lightroom and Photoshop, the graphics were drawn in Illustrator, and my patterns are put together in InDesign.
Okay, you're all going to come back tomorrow for the news, right?! You won't want to miss it! :)
I have some beyond exciting news to share with you tomorrow, so I wanted the blog to look its best! It was high time to update things, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think everything looks fresh and clean! I hope you'll take a look around!
I did all of the re-designing myself using the Adobe Creative Suite (I know a few of you asked!). I edit my photos in Lightroom and Photoshop, the graphics were drawn in Illustrator, and my patterns are put together in InDesign.
Okay, you're all going to come back tomorrow for the news, right?! You won't want to miss it! :)
Giveaway Winners
Apologies on the wait announcing these winners! Everything was so crazy before we left for vacation! Without further ado..
The two winners of the Celebration giveaway (fabric + color cards!) are:
#300 Carrie Siegfried and #192 TexPat!
And the winner of the Pink Castle Stash Stack giveaway is:
#607 Mary Malone!
Congrats! I'll be emailing you all today! :)
Sunday, August 19, 2012
New Garments
Hi Everybody! We are now safely back in Wisconsin but oh-so-tired! It was a long day of driving, so I'm going to make this quick! I couldn't wait any longer to share these garments with you!
I've already made a lot of Tova tunics and Tanks using the Wiksten patterns, but these two were special. Both used extra special fabrics and feel so luxurious! The first is a Tova tunic made using Liberty Tana Lawn. It feels like butter!
The second is a shirt (using the Wiksten Tank pattern with sleeves from the Scout Tee by Grainline), made from Nani Iro double gauze! I love how this fabric feels, and the colors are so me! I got mine from Form and Fabric!
These are already getting a lot of wear, and I just finished them last week and the week before! They fit right in my wardrobe :)
I am teaching classes for both of these patterns at The Sewcial Lounge here in Madison next month! The Tova class is Saturday, September 8th at 9am, and the Tank class is Wednesday, September 12th at 5:30pm. Go here to sign up!
*I'll announce the winners of our recent giveaways tomorrow!*
I've already made a lot of Tova tunics and Tanks using the Wiksten patterns, but these two were special. Both used extra special fabrics and feel so luxurious! The first is a Tova tunic made using Liberty Tana Lawn. It feels like butter!
The second is a shirt (using the Wiksten Tank pattern with sleeves from the Scout Tee by Grainline), made from Nani Iro double gauze! I love how this fabric feels, and the colors are so me! I got mine from Form and Fabric!
These are already getting a lot of wear, and I just finished them last week and the week before! They fit right in my wardrobe :)
I am teaching classes for both of these patterns at The Sewcial Lounge here in Madison next month! The Tova class is Saturday, September 8th at 9am, and the Tank class is Wednesday, September 12th at 5:30pm. Go here to sign up!
*I'll announce the winners of our recent giveaways tomorrow!*