Sisters' Ten BOM March Inspiration Mosaic

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Thank you to all those who are putting their Sisters' Ten blocks in the flickr group!  Each month, it is so cool to see the different interpretations of that month's block.  Only three blocks in and we are really starting to get a feel for what this quilt will look like, don't you think?

Here is this month's mosaic with a few of my favorites....

1. Sisters Ten BOM for March, 2. March BOM #2 School Girl's Puzzle, 3. Sister's 10 Modern BOM (March) - Schoolgirl's Puzzle, 4. photo.JPG, 5. March BOM Alison Glass Fabrics, 6. Sister's Ten Modern BOM - March (1), 7. Sisters Ten march block #2 blogged today! Aka How My Blog Earns its Name., 8. March Sisters' 10 - 1, 9. The Sister's Ten BOM March-2, 10. SistersTen March, 11. Sisters' 10 Modern BOM- March #1, 12. Sister's Ten BOM March - 2

April's Sisters' Ten block will post one week from today, on April 5, 2013.  See you then! Pin It

Sew Fresh Fabrics DOT COM!

Pin It Peg, of Sew Fresh Fabrics, began supporting this little blog of mine in 2010, when I announced a swap I was holding called Kona Your World - a Kona FQ swap.  Since then, I have watched her etsy shop bloom, grow and evolve.  Thanks to all her hard work and your support, she is able to move her shop to her very own .COM!

The big happening launches next week on Monday, April 1st!

To get everyone in the mood to celebrate a new chapter of Sew Fresh Fabrics, Peg is offering some cool swag for the first customers at SewFreshFabrics.com:

* First 50 customers get a 25% off gift certificate good at the new site

* “A Hundred for a Hundred” - A $100 Gift Certificate will be awarded to one of the first 100 customers, winner drawn randomly

So mark your calendars to do some shopping on Monday!

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{simple} sunday

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I am pulling a fabric stack to make a baby quilt.  Baby quilts always make me happy since they are simple and fun.  I won't need nearly all this fabric, but I was having so much fun pulling and coordinating, I couldn't stop myself.  It will be fun to select the best option as I go.  I decided to make another Elephant Parade quilt from my pattern.  This one will be girly, no?

Elephant Parade Pattern available here and here. Pin It

Finally - the Star Quilt Top

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Here she is... the red, navy and aqua quilt top.  (I'm gonna have to think of a really good name for her?)  My paper-pieced pride.

Finished her up this week by adding 40 alternating HSTs to her sides and a whole lot of the red, light blue, and dark blue 30s print called Granny's Treasure from P&B.  An interesting mix of fabrics if you ask me.  Maybe that's why I like it so much.



This was the last block I had to paper piece to complete my set of five.  I modified the Nevada block in this book to suit the style of the quilt.  The photo in the book looks very spikey, but I wanted the spike in the star to blend more.  I'm pretty happy with how it came out.



Now, just to get this little lady basted up for some quilting.  How do you think I should quilt this?  I thought I could follow the zig zags in the negative space - but I'm not really settled on it.  Any suggestions?

P.S.  The local shop where I bought this print is having a crazy 30% off sale.  I got it for $5.88/yd.  They are a more traditional shop, but they have a bunch of Bonnie & Camille (Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern (and in Flannels too), American Jane/Punctuation, Basic Grey, Kate Spain, etc selling for some crazy prices. Pin It

Vintage Spice Racks

Pin It I forgot I wanted to share some of my antiquing finds as I decorate our new home.  When we moved, I thought it rather odd that the master bath had no medicine cabinet.  There is plenty of storage under the sinks, but that didn't help all the toiletries I wanted in easy reach without cluttering the counter.



So I turned to etsy to find these vintage spice racks. They are perfect for holding spray bottles and other powder room essentials. I couldn't resist adding a couple Ball jars on my shelf for cotton swabs and hair bands.


One for me and one for hubby.  What can I say?  He's a Brut man... :)

It adds a little vintage element to my bathroom.  Now if only I could get rid of the flat builder paint....

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Movin' Over

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I think this is where I'm setting up my new camp.... Pin It

Lately...

Pin It Life is full at the moment... Full of good things. I took my 3 boys on a date to the ice cream shop this afternoon. They love nothing more than ice cream for lunch on Wednesday Hump Day.   Nevermind that I sneak in a waffle cone of chocolate-peanut butter too.

The littlest one had his first birthday on Sunday.

We are remodeling parts of our new house.

Basketball practice.  Homework.

We've all been there.
So this busy bee has been working on smaller projects (like lanyards and mini clutches) while simultaneously avoiding this quilt.  The red, aqua and navy one.  I've also been working on other projects, ones which I cannot share, and are therefore zero fun to blog about.  But this one, I almost feel embarrassed to share an update on since I feel like I've been giving WIP updates on it for too long.



But did you know that sometimes procrastination can lead to a giant whale-sized light bulb?  Ding!  I was making these blocks from this book with no real plan.  My stalling has actually proved beneficial now.  I know what I am going to do with them, and I've only one block left to make.



Which is a good thing, since I am at the end of my rope with paper piecing. See me and paper piecing have a love-hate relationship.

Hopefully, I'll have a quilt top to show next week. But I also might get sucked into watching more Walking Dead with the hubby.  At least removing the paper off the back of these blocks gives me something to look at when the zombies come out... Pin It

10-Minute Sewing Project: How to Sew a Lanyard

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Who doesn't love a quick and easy project?  I sure do!  And since I needed to replace the lanyard I had, I thought I'd do a quick tutorial for you all.  You'll probably spend more time choosing what fabric to use than actually making this lanyard.

Materials.

• 3 3/4" x width of fabric (wof) strip*
• 1" swivel hook
• coordinating thread

*The width of the fabric strip will depend upon the size of the swivel hook.  I am using a 1" hook, pictured on the right and middle below.  If you are using a smaller hook (pictured left), cut your fabric strip 1/4" less than 4 x the width of your hook.  (i.e. for the 1" inch hook, 4 * 1" - 1/4" is 3 3/4".  for a 1/2" hook, 4 * 1/2" - 1/4" is 1 3/4".)

1.  Fold the fabric strip in half lengthwise and press to create a crease in the center of the strip.

2.  Open the strip.  This time fold the outside edge to meet the pressed center line.  Press.

3.  Repeat this process of folding and pressing with the other side of the fabric strip.

4.  Fold the unit from step 3 in half again, tucking the unfinished edges inside the strip.  Press and pin in place.

5.  Topstitch 1/8" away from the edge on both sides of the strip.

This will give the strip a nice finished look.

6.  Fold the strip in half, bringing the two raw edges together.  Slip the swivel hook over the two raw ends.  Next, fold the ends over first 1/2" to tuck raw edges inside, then fold again 1 1/2".

7.  Stitch a square with an X through it to secure.  **Hint** if you have a walking foot for your sewing machine, it really helps sew over all the layers.  I definitely recommend it for this step.

And here I am modeling my new lanyard...  I use one all the time for my keys.  It seems I am always carrying 8 things in the parking lot - a baby, grocery bags, holding a little hand, packages, our to-go order from Panera, etc. - and knowing exactly where my keys are and having them easily accessible makes life a little easier for me... :)

Hope you enjoy this quick project!

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25% Off Bundles and PreCuts at Pink Castle Fabrics

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This time it's for real!  Brenda at Pink Castle Fabrics is really moving - she has the keys and everything! (If you follow her on Instagram, she's been posting pics of the new shop.)  It's been a long time in the works for PCF, poor Brenda's living room is overflowing with fabric and now she has to move it all.  Help her "move" some of this fabric and she has a special coupon code for you all weekend - BUNDLE25.  

25% off all bundles and precuts with coupon code BUNDLE25!

Here are a few of my favorites.

Morning Tea Time Bundle

Don't you love when a shop creates bundles color coordinated across different fabric lines?  These type of bundles are my favorite, and Pink Castle offers a lot.

Macaw Bundle

I've really got a thing for navy lately...

Of course, there are lots of fun bundles from new collections like Pearl Bracelets, Shelburne Falls, and Comma.

AND I personally am a Sale Section Stalker.  Brenda often has 1/2 yards for $2.50.  That's less than a normal FQ!  So I am a fan of Scrap Packs and the Sale Section.

Happy Shopping!

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Sisters' Ten Block of the Month Background Fabric Cuts

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**Get the latest dish from Andover Fabrics here**

Before we cut too deep into our background fabric, I thought it best to make our large cuts for the negative space in the middle of the quilt.  And while we are at it, we should also set aside the sashing pieces.  This way we can be sure our large cuts are safe and make the best use of leftover pieces of background fabric in other blocks. Actually, we should have done this first, please forgive me.  I am learning too when it comes to running a BOM.  

Cutting Instructions for Sashing and Negative Space.

For 12" blocks.

• Cut (5) 1 1/2" x 77 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (12) 1 1/2" x 12 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 12 1/2" x 26 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 12 1/2" x 39 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 12 1/2" x 40 1/2" of Fabric A (background).

For 9" blocks.

• Cut (5) 1 1/2" x 59 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (12) 1 1/2" x 9 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 9 1/2" x 20 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 9 1/2" x 30 1/2" of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 9 1/2" x 31 1/2" of Fabric A (background).

{This post is a part of the Sisters' Ten Modern Block of the Month Club.  Sisters' Ten BOM will post new blocks the first Friday of the month in 2013.  Feel free to join in the fun with us anytime throughout the year.  For all things Sisters' Ten, go here.  April's block will post on 4-05-13.}

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Keychain Clutch Sweatshop

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I decided to go back to the well with the Keychain Clutches.  The kids loved them when I made them for their teachers over Christmas, so when my oldest got an ipod shuffle from Santa, perfect opportunity to make up another batch.

Super cute, quick and useful.  I plan to send some along to my niece and nephews too.  But shh, it's a surprise... :)

I discovered this pattern is perfect for leftover Layer Cake Squares.  The pouches above are made with Ten Little Things by Jenn Ski - left over 10" x 10" squares I had from making the So Soft Washcloths for Moda Bakeshop.

Did you know that Joel Dewberry Heirloom pairs so well with camo too?

P.S. If you like Michelle Patterns for cute little pouches and such, she runs a $5 Friday special every week if you sign up for her newsletter.  I've been picking up a couple extra patterns on Fridays here and there.  I'm hoping to try out some new ones soon!

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Sisters' Ten Modern BOM March Block: School Girl's Puzzle

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**Get the latest dish from Andover Fabrics here**

And we're back with the March block for the Sisters' Ten Modern Block of the Month Club!  This is the block that is featured in the BOM button up there and it is called School Girl's Puzzle.

{Sisters' Ten BOM will post new blocks the first Friday of the month in 2013.  Feel free to join in the fun with us anytime throughout the year.  For all things Sisters' Ten, go here.}

**If you prefer to print out your patterns, a downloadable PDF file is available for just $1.00.** 

Buy Now

Cutting Instructions.

For 12" blocks.

• Cut (5) 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" squares of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" squares of Fabric B.
• Cut (3) 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" squares of Fabric C.
• Cut (2) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares of Fabric C.
• Cut (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square of Fabric D.  

For 9" blocks.

• Cut (5) 3 3/8" x 3 3/8" squares of Fabric A (background).
• Cut (2) 3 3/8" x 3 3/8" squares of Fabric B.
• Cut (3) 3 3/8" x 3 3/8" squares of Fabric C.
• Cut (2) 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" squares of Fabric C.
• Cut (4) 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" square of Fabric D.  

Piecing Instructions.

*Use a scant 1/4" on all seam allowances. See the Scant Rant series for details.

1.  Make Half-Square Triangle (HST) units with Fabric A and Fabric B.  Use (2) Fabric A squares and the (2) Fabric B squares to make (4) total Half-Square Triangle units using the method in this tutorial.  The HSTs should be trimmed down to:

                      12" blocks:  3 1/2" (unfinished size).

                        9" blocks:  2 3/4" (unfinished size).

2.  Make Half-Square Triangle (HST) units with Fabric A and Fabric C.  Use the remaining (3) Fabric A squares and the (3) larger Fabric C squares to make (6) total Half-Square Triangle units using the method in this tutorial.  The HSTs should be trimmed down to: 

                      12" blocks:  3 1/2" (unfinished size).

                        9" blocks: 2 3/4" (unfinished size).

3.  Layout the Half-Square Triangle Units, remaining Fabric C squares and Fabric D squares as shown below.

 

4.  Sew each of the four rows together, alternating the direction the seams are pressed.

5.   Sew the rows together and you're done!

6.   Make (2) blocks.  They may be identical blocks or made from differing fabrics for a scrappier look.  This month try to think a little more about value when selecting your block fabrics.  As you can see when the blocks are side by side, I chose to give each block a different feel.  Block 1 on the left has a more subtle and understated feel.  Block 2 on the right is loud and pulls your attention.  I also substituted another fabric in the brown center blocks for visual interest in Block 2.  Play with the color a bit.  Sampler quilts often have a lot going on - so sometimes finding a place for the eye to rest can be tricky.  It will be fun to play with the block arrangement later if you have blocks with differing values in them.

Fabric is Alison Glass for Andover, Lucky Penny with background Quilter's Linen in Straw by Robert Kaufman.

Please add your blocks to the flickr group for Sisters' Ten when you get a chance.  Thank you to everyone who is contributing to the group - all of your blocks look great!  

[Is anyone still reading?  :)  I wanted to ask your opinion.  This month for the tutorial I used diagrams for the block instructions instead of photos.  Do you have a preference?  My lightbox/photography studio is too small to accommodate all the pieces so I've been having some difficulty with the step by step shots.  I like the diagrams - I think they look clean and professional.  But really I'd like to know what is easier for you to work from.  I appreciate your comments!]

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