Happy Monday! Today I've got a fun Scrappy Star Quilt that comes together really fast by taking advantage of giant blocks!  It's a twist on my Giant Vintage Star Quilt Tutorial! This is a fun summery quilt, perfect for a picnic at the park or a quick gift! It's a healthy throw size finishing at 68" square!

This was originally published as a guest tutorial on the Art Gallery Fabrics Blog.


I'm using my fabric line with Art Gallery Fabrics, Color Me Retro, for this quilt! I paired it with my favorite Pure Element solid, Lemonade!

Sewing Level: Beginner Friendly

Materials:
- 10 fat quarters of Color Me Retro
- 1 1/2 yards of Pure Element solid in Lemonade
- 4 1/4 yards of backing fabric
- 2 1/4 yards of 90” wide batting
- 1/2 yard of binding fabric
- Coordinating thread

Finished Size: Approx 68" square
Seam Allowance: 1/4" unless otherwise noted

Cutting:
(WOF = Width of Fabric)

From each print:
- Cut (1) 18”x18” square

From solid fabric:
- Cut (3) 18”xWOF strips
- Subcut each strip into (2) 18”x18” squares

Instructions:

Scrappy Star Quilt Tutorial, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

1. Cut each of the 18” squares and cut in half along the diagonal. A 24” ruler isn’t long
enough, you can extend it temporarily by taping another ruler to one end. You should
have a total of 20 print triangles and 12 solid triangles.

Scrappy Star Quilt Tutorial, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

2. Sew pairs of triangles together to create 16 blocks. First pair up solid triangles with
print triangles, then pair up remaining print triangles. Press seams open.

Scrappy Star Quilt Tutorial, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

3. Arrange blocks using the diagram above. Sew blocks together in each row. Press
seams in one direction, alternating every other row.


4. Sew rows together. Press seams open.



Baste, quilt, bind and enjoy! For more photos and info about the finished quilt, see here.

If you make this quilt, I hope you'll add a photo to the In Color Order Flickr Group!

Happy Sewing!

Favorites

Favorites, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

1. Neon and Neutral II, 2. sundburnt country quilt top, 3. Diamond Derby, 4. Bloomin' Pillow - Quilt As You Go, 5. Wonky Bee - Indigomouse, 6. Micro Mod, 7. Wonky Quilt Bee - April, 8. + + + finished, 9. Untitled

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!

This Week in Snapshots

Garland Making, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Happy Thursday! I wanted to pop in quickly to share a few Instagram (@jenib320) snapshots from this week!

Some garland in the making! I'm using my Fun Fun Bunting pattern from Pretty in Patchwork Holidays. 

Details, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Installed my first sew-in frame this week.  It was fun to add a little extra color too!

Work in Progress, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Stitched up my next Fat Quarter Gang tutorial this weekend, it will be live on Monday!

Pom-Pom Making, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I've been making pom pom's in front of the tv this week!

Color Me Retro, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Cut into a bunch of Color Me Retro!

Longarm Class, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

On Sunday I attended a class at The Electric Needle with the Madison Modern Quilt Guild to get trained on their longarm.  I'm excited to go and rent time soon!

George, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

George bun, hard at work being cute!

Today I love the..
Smell of: Fresh air
Sound of: SVU
Taste of: Cadbury mini eggs
Sight of: Sunshine
Feel of: Driving with the windows down

Good Things about Today:
- Started a new project
- Happy mail
- Successful class tonight
- Beautiful weather

Adventures in Thrifting

Vintage Sewing Machine, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Happy Monday! I realized this morning that I never shared the photos I took from all the thrifting and antiquing I did with my parents last month during their visit.  We went around town to my regular haunts and we also did a little driving to hit some out of town shops.  I often take photos of the lovely things I leave behind! 

How sweet is this green New Home sewing machine? Love the color!

Peanut Butter Tin, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

What can I say, I love vintage tins. This peanut butter one is so cool!

Animal Crackers Box, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Love the drawings on this cracker box.

Vintage Hexagon Quilt Top, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I can't resist tins and quilt tops! Love this layout for hexagons!

Cinderella Record, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Such sweet illustrations.

Vintage Tied Quilt, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Another fun quilt! Love how scrappy it is!

Vintage Star Quilt, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Love the fabrics in this one!

Metal Baskets, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Cute metal picnic baskets, I love the floral one!

Columbus Antique Mall, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Lots of vintage kitchenware!

Schlitz Tray, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I really wanted to bring home this metal tray, but it was too pricey!

Pincushions, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Cute pincushions made using metal jar lids!

Happy Thrifting!

Weekend Pattern Sale

Happy Weekend! It's supposed to be a beautiful day here in Madison, so why not kick it off with a pattern sale! All patterns are 25% off using code APRIL13, in my pattern shop, today and tomorrow!

Have a great day!

Favorites

Favorites, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

1. More progress in Fab Little Quilt, 2. super tote, 3. Retro Rubies Back // Retro Rubies QAL, 4. 2 pouch for 2013, 5. Gulp. using the #mendocino . Low volume Virginia Star from the book #50fabulouspaperpiecedstars #virginiastar #paperpiecing #quilting #patchwork #heatherross #lowvolume #sewing, 6. Bright and Flashy Flying Geese Quilt, 7. Scrap Quilt, 8. Blue and White Double Wedding Ring - 29, 9. Quilt in progress

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!

Sewing Away!

Quilting, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Happy Thursday! Hope you're all having a good week! Personally, I'm ready for the weekend! I'll still be sewing, but at least things seem to slow down a little bit!

It's so hard not being able to show you guys everything I'm working on! I'm going to try my best to show little peeks here and there though! No harm in sharing the back of a pillow top I finished today! I played around with pebble quilting on this one, I'm happy with how it turned out, but man it takes forever!

Another Peek, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

As promised, a little peek at some details.  I tried using leather straps and rivets for the first time today.  Let's just say it took a few times to get it right! Was totally inspired by Anna's tote from a few months back, and the Around Town Tote Bag from Liberty Love!

I ordered my leather straps from here.  I picked up the rivets/tools at a local craft shop.

Basting, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Lately every time I have class at The Sewcial Lounge I've made sure to get a quilt ready to baste too.  So much easier than basting on carpet, and there is always good conversation.  Speaking of classes, there are still a few spots left in next week's Lined Drawstring Bag Class, next Thursday, April 25th from 6:00pm-8:30pm.  For more information and registration see here.

Shining Stars Block of the Month - April, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Stitched up April's blocks for the Shining Stars Block of the Month Club this week! We're using Color Me Retro and Art Gallery Blenders for this quilt. For more information head over to Pink Castle Fabrics, here!

Sweet Purse Frames, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Couldn't resist a few cute purse frames! I've always loved this style with the giant colorful clasps! I bought mine from this shop on Etsy.

Sew-it... Today - Issue 4, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Sew-it... Today - Issue 4, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Sew-it... Today Issue 4 arrived today!  I was happy to have two sizes of my drawstring bag in this issue! Both feature Color Me Retro and Art Gallery Pure Elements.

You can find Issue 4 on newsstands and on Sew-it's website here.

George, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

George, looking as sweet as ever!

Today I love the..
Smell of: Vanilla
Sound of: Harry Potter 7
Taste of: Honeycomb cereal
Sight of: Sunshine
Feel of: Sitting on the couch for a bit

Good Things about Today:
- Finally cleaned out the sock drawer
- Finished two projects today
- Michael came home early!
- Colorful mail!

Sewing, Pyrex, and a Sneak Peek!

Sneak Peek!, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Hi There! Things have been a bit quiet around here, and I don't have much to show for it (yet!).  It seems like there are so many things all happening at the same time, craziness!  I'm in full on Quilt Market prep mode! I am excited to share a little sneaky peek of my new collection, which I'll be debuting at Market!  I hope to share the whole collection soon!

Art Gallery Fabrics Elements, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

It's been sewing, sewing, sewing 24/7 over here! I've officially taken over the kitchen island, since it means I can sew in the evenings when Michael is home.  Plus this way I can look over and see George any time I want.  It makes it slightly inconvenient to use the kitchen for cooking (haha), but oh well! It's working for now!

Singer Featherweight, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I've actually been doing most of my sewing on my featherweight! It is so fantastic for piecing, I'm really preferring it over my other machines for patchwork. I know some of that is it's charm, but I'm okay with it! :)

Deer & Doe, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

As soon as I find a second to do some for fun sewing, I'm going to stitch up this awesome Datura Blouse pattern by Deer and Doe.  The pattern itself is beautiful and very well done, not to mention to shirt looks awesome! Can't wait!

Love Quilting & Patchwork at Jo-Ann!, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Remember the new UK magazine  Love Quilting & Patchwork I shared about last month? You can now find it at your local Jo-Ann in addition to Barnes & Noble! Yay! It's a good one, I'm so happy to be included in it!

Pink Pyrex Refrigerator Set, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I finally finished my pink vintage pyrex refrigerator set.  I've been lusting after this set since I first started collecting.  I managed to snatch the last dish off eBay last week after finding the other pieces at an antique mall a few months ago. It was definitely worth the wait, I love it!

George, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

George!

Don't forget, Sewing Summit tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 16th at 10am MST! 

Today I love the..
Smell of: Cappuccino
Sound of: The Beach Boys
Taste of: Culver's
Sight of: Sunshine
Feel of: 60 degree weather

Good Things about Today:
- Warm sunny morning!
- Productive day!
- Happy mail!
- SVU sewing marathon!

Favorites

Favorites, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

1. Untitled, 2. Single Girl, 3. February Project Mini | Stargazer, 4. FLiQS Spiral of Geese, 5. Field Study Triangle Quilt Top, 6. Flowers in the Sun, 7. Log Cabin Quilt, 8. WIP, 9. Scrap Attack - String Along Quilt top !

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!

Sewing Summit 2013!

Happy Tuesday! I'm excited to share some news with you today! I'll be teaching at Sewing Summit this Fall!  I'm so happy to be returning as a teacher again this year, I love being involved with this great event!  Make sure and check out the other teachers announced today too!

Sewing Summit 2012 - Salt Lake City, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Tickets go on sale in one week! They sold out really fast last year and are expected to sell out again, so don't hesitate if you're interested in attending! They go on sale Tuesday, April 16th, 2013, at 10:00 am MST.  You can find out more about the registration process here.

You can read my previous Sewing Summit experiences here: Sewing Summit 2011 part 1 & part 2, Sewing Summit 2012.

The Sewing Summit, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

This year I'll be teaching something completely different from years past! My class is HTML Basics for Bloggers.  HTML is the major language used to create websites, but most blogging platforms allow users to create and design a blog without knowing it. Regardless, even an elementary understanding can be useful, and help you take your blog to the next level. In this class we will cover basic HTML to improve your blog or start one, common coding for sewing/quilting bloggers, resources for design, and more advanced coding.

I'm really excited to be tackling this topic! I taught myself HTML in 6th grade when I was working on my first websites/blogs.  It's not hard, but can be intimidating! I'm hoping to take the fear out of it!

They've still got a few spots open for teachers, so if you've been on the fence, I encourage you to apply! You can find all the details here.

Hope to see you there!

American Patchwork & Quilting Radio

Today's the day! In a few hours I'll be a guest on Pat Sloan's radio show, American Patchwork & Quilting Radio! It will be live at 4:00pm EST (3:00pm CST), and will be available to listen afterwards as well, here!  You can also download it to your computer through iTunes, here!

If you're new to In Color Order, welcome! I hope you'll take a look around! Here are a few reader favorites to get you started:


Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial


Art of Choosing: Creative Fabric Selection


Patchwork Duffel Bag (Bari J's Holiday in London Pattern)
 

Safe Sewing: Crafting with Arthritis


Half-Square Triangle Block of the Month Quilt


For more information about my fabric design process, and my Color Me Retro collection with Art Gallery Fabrics, see here.


For more information on my patterns, and where to find them, see here.

George, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

Last but certainly not least, George the rabbit!

Keep up with all things In Color Order on Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Cheers!