Needle and Thread Thursday

Oh, how I wish I had those beautiful winter photos with a quilt laying in the pristine, white snow.  Unfortunately, I have no such luck.  Now, don't get me wrong, we've had plenty of temperatures below freezing and even plenty of wind chills below zero;  but even though it seems like the rest of the country is getting days at home frolicking in the white stuff (even my family in south Louisiana!), here in the Memphis area everything is just brown.

Today, even though it was below freezing, the sun was shining and there wasn't any wind, so, we braved the cold and went outside for recess.  Our school dismisses at 4:00pm, so by the time I get home, there isn't enough sun to get great pictures in the winter.  So I took the outside opportunity to get some sunshiny photos of my latest quilt with a little 3rd grade help (there are two kids holding the quilt from behind in this picture.  They love holding them!).

I really do love the Kona Coal sashing, and I decided on a Denyse Schmidt orange print for the binding.  I had to add in a few fabrics to make the quilt big enough, and since I used every bit of my Happy Go Lucky fabric in the top, the backing just got some blocks of color using those extras.

I'm calling this one Stepping Stones.  I think it's bright and fun, and it reminds me of a path.  I can't wait to donate this one to a child in need.

Last week's NTT had so many fantastic links shared!  Here are a few that I just loved-

Heather at Quilts in the Queue shared this beauty.  See what I mean?  The snowy picture is absolutely stunning!

Barb at Mountain Quilt Works shared this fun Round and Round quilt top-

and Elise at Lovelea Designs shared her quilt and pattern, Gray Matter.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you're working on this week, so bring it on!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others.

3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

Happy Go Lucky Baby Quilt

Lately, I've been working on a little baby quilt made with Bonnie and Camille's Happy Go Lucky fabrics.

You may remember A Dash of Luck, my giant churn dash quilt made from this line.  Well, from a full fat quarter bundle, I was left with one 7.5(ish) inch square of each of the prints.  I've been hanging onto them, trying to figure out the best pattern to stretch them into a quilt of decent size.

I finally decided to keep it very simple and cut the squares in half, sew them into rows of "bricks," and sash them with Kona Coal.  Even still, I had to throw in some solid navy, white, and some cute orange and green polkadot fabrics to make the quilt big enough.  It will finish at about 45x52 inches.  When the quilt is turned the other way, it kind of looks like a coin quilt, although the bricks are 3 inches, which is a bit wide for "coins."

I'm not really sure what the plan is for this one yet.  I've been thinking that I want to start donating to the large children's hospital here to use for preemies, and our guild has some plans for that.  But I don't know any of the size requirements for those kinds of donations.  So once it's finished,I'll probably just hang onto this one until I find out!

Prepare to be Amazed

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit, but I have to say that I am pretty impressed with the organization makeover my stash received last night.  As you may remember, my stash is fairly modest, and since I don't have a sewing room, my fabric cabinet hangs out in my foyer.

I love the size of the cabinet, and it actually keeps my fabric purchases in check, but I needed to maximize the space.  I used comic book boards to make mini bolts from every fabric that is a fat quarter(ish) and larger, and I absolutely LOVE that I can see everything so easily!  Plus, there is actually plenty of room in there to add more bolts, yay!

I'm still using the third shelf for my bundles and fabric pulls-in-waiting.  Oh, and see that stack right there in the middle, that's all of the fabric that is smaller than a fat quarter, but still too big for my scrap baskets, arranged by color.  

That still leaves the bottom shelf for my extra comic book boards, painter's tape that I use for basting, and starch.  I went ahead and left my Christmas fabric as-is, because I don't really have the need to "shop" that part of my stash.

I also figured that while we're talking stash, I would go ahead and show you my latest goodies!  Lately, I've purchased a fat eighth bundle of Kate Spain's Sunnyside-

I've also pulled together this bundle using a few Bluebird Park fabrics, along with several others.  I want this quilt to work for a boy or a girl, so that nixed several of the Bluebird Park prints with flowers.

And since I haven't shared these yet either, check out these half yard bundles that my Mom and Dad got for me for Christmas.  Bonnie and Camille's Scrumptious and Heather Bailey's Freshcut...oh yeah- my parents rock!

Last but not least, I just got this absolutely fabulous stack of Amy Butler's Cameo for a special, secret project.  Since this is all I can show you for a long while, I wanted to be sure you got to see this fabulous stack while it's still uncut and pristine.

Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy... your fabrics are so bold and decadent, and I just adore them!  

By the way, I'm linking up this week with Sunday Stash!  Be sure to head over to Molli Sparkles and ogle at everyone else's fabric scores!

I'm also linking up with Friday Fabric Frenzy over at Fort Worth Fabric Studio!  Check it out!

Carousel Ride and NTT

Well, I finished up my Gyroscope quilt and I just have to say, I just love it.

Here in Tennessee, we keep getting little snippets of spring weather, and then we're abruptly thrust back into winter's grasp.  I know it's only January and we still have awhile before it really warms up, but I definitely think these colors are a bit of wishful thinking on my part.

After toying with different quilting ideas, I finally decided that I am who I am.  I keep telling myself that I'm going to branch out on my FMQ and try another design like spirals or pebbles, but when it comes right down to it, I can't bring myself to actually put it onto a quilt.  One of my favorite parts of the quilting process is the actual quilting, and I have found my stippling groove.  It's fast, reliable, and relaxing.  I can pretty much quilt anything in one sitting with it, which is a plus for my crazy schedule.  So, I really have a hard time choosing to do something different.  The other thing is, even before I knew what it was called, stippling has always been my favorite kind of quilting.

I definitely had some fun with the backing.  I had plenty of scrap fabric left over, and since almost all of these fabrics were yardage cuts, and my scraps were still WOF, the bold stripes were kind of a no-brainer.

I decided to call this one Carousel Ride.  The colors are so fun and it makes me think of a fair, with carousel horses spinning in beautiful, bright jewel tones.  The finished quilt measures approximately 48x60.

Last week's party was fantastic.  I'm not really all about the numbers game in this whole blogging adventure, but I do have to tell you that there were 84 projects linked up.  Wow-  just WOW!  That's by  far the most Needle and Thread Thursday has ever had, and I just want to say thank you for sharing, and for encouraging others!

So, without further ado- onto the awesome highlights from last week.  Believe me, choosing what to showcase is no easy feat!

Cristina at Pretty Little Quilts shared her sweet cherries quilt-

Marelize at Stitch by Stitch linked up this beautiful Summer Solstice quilt-

and Snips Snippets shared this stunning quilt made entirely with shot cottons-

All I can say is, y'all are kicking it into high gear in 2014!  I'm looking forward to checking out what you share this week!  Oh, and by the way- please bear with me on the comments.  I love looking at every single link, but sometimes leaving comments for so many takes me a while!  Let's party it up!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others.

3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

Gyroscope Quilt

I'm taking full advantage of the long weekend and getting in lots of sewing time.  I've always loved Rolling Stone quilt blocks.  There are lots of variations of this block, but I have not seen a quilt that connects them together.  So, I modified some of the measurements and sketched it out.

I think with the grid pattern in the background, it looks a lot like a gyroscope, so that's what I'm calling it!  The blocks are 13 inches, with 2 inch sashing.  The cutting and piecing on these is a bit time consuming, but definitely worth it!

It's Thursday Again!

And that means it's time for Needle and Thread Thursday!  Last Sunday, I went to my first Modern Quilt Guild meeting of the new year, and although our guild is very new and still very small, we've decided to get started on some charitable sewing.  One of the organizations we've decided to work for is Quilts of Valor, which I know is dear to many of you.

We decided to make a modern sampler quilt, to allow each of our members some freedom in the blocks sewn.  I worked on my first one this evening, since I'm between quilts right now.

I like this block, but I have to say that it didn't really come out the way I envisioned.  I wanted the center square and strips to be only about an inch wide but I couldn't make the math work out easily to do that.  As it is, it looks a lot like a weathervane block with different proportions.  Oh well, I'm sure it will look great in the quilt anyway, even if it is different from my original plan.

Last week, y'all just knocked my socks off with all of the great stuff linked up!

Stephanie at Quarter Incher showed off her QAYG herringbone quilt- gasp!  It is so stunning!

Janet at Simply Pieced linked up her flying geese quilt.  I'm going to brag a little bit and let you know that I had the privilege of seeing this one in person at our guild meeting Sunday and it is absolutely gorgeous!

and Keera at Live. Love. Sew shared her Springhouse Sugar quilt.  I just love the colors in this one, and her quilting is amazing!

So, what do you have going on this week?  Time to show it off!  Remember...

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others.

3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

Bohemian Charm

I haven't been absolutely head over heels in love with a quilt I've made since Hopscotch, and that was a couple of months ago, but boy do I love this one!  It was fun to create from the first cut, right up through the final stitch in the binding.

As I mentioned in my last post, all of the fabrics are Amy Butler, and they're a mix of the Lark, Love, Cameo, and Alchemy lines.   Even though they're from four different lines, the fabrics play so nicely together.

As much as I love the surreal colors on the front, I decided to tone down the backing a little bit by using a gray as the main fabric on the back.  The print isn't quite a polkadot, but it does have a small "dotty" pattern that you can see in detail on the picture of the label below.  I sewed the scraps in kind of a log cabin pattern, and added the medallion print from the Cameo line as well.  These fabrics are so fun though, I almost added them to my scrap baskets instead of using them up!

I quilted with a stipple, and kept it a little bit wide so that it didn't add too much busyness to the patterns in the quilt.  It also keeps the quilt nice and drapey.  With its carefree giant prints and vibrant mix of colors that clash just a little bit, I thought that the name Bohemian Charm fit this quilt perfectly.

I used Kona Teal for the binding, and it is the perfect shade.  I think the solid calms the quilt down a little bit too. The finished quilt measures 60x66, so it's a pretty large throw size.

I honestly don't know how I'm going to part with this one.  I suppose there is some consolation in the fact that I already made myself a quilt with Amy Butler's entire Soul Blossoms line last winter, but it's still going to be tough to let it go.  I just love it that much.  Of course, if I kept every quilt I made and loved, we would be literally be drowning in quilts over here!  I sure hope I'm not the only quilter who gets possessive of her quilts and has internal battles over how many I can keep!  Am I?

Amy Butler Quilt and NTT

I made excellent use of my cold day yesterday and finished up a quick quilt top with the Amy Butler bundle I have been itching to get into for quite some time.  These fabrics are a mix of Cameo, Love, Alchemy, and Lark- and I absolutely adore the violent assault of color that they have together.

Amy Butler's fabrics are so bold and graphic that I always worry about cutting them too much and losing the effect of the print.  I also tend to think that a pattern that is too fussy runs the risk of detracting from their beauty as well.  

This quilt is certainly busy, but I think the pattern works with the fabrics instead of against them.  These are 4 inch strips (finished) cut the full width of the fat quarter (21 inches), so the fabrics are in pretty decent sized chunks.  In person, that makes it seem not quite as busy.  The quilt measures just over 60x60 in.  I had lots of fun arranging the strips randomly and sewing them up, and it went together quickly!  I can't wait to get this one finished.  I love it that much!

Last week there were so many fantastic links to kick off the new year and I had so much fun browsing through all of them!

Pretty Little Quilts shared this stunner-

Squeeze Quilts shared this gorgeous quilt, made using my Purse Strings block tutorial.  I'm so honored!

and Amanda at What the Bobbin? linked up this blue and orange block sampler.  Love the colors!

Y'all started 2014 with a bang!  I can't wait to see what you've been working on this week!  Let's party!  Just remember...

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others.

3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

Girl's Best Friend

Right off the bat, just let me say that I wish I had been able to be more creative with my photo shoot for this quilt because the colors are so lovely,  but BRRRR!!!  It is just too darn cold.  Yesterday, our high was only 14 degrees, and today it is a balmy 23 with a wind chill of 13.  Now, I know that there are many of you who are dealing with much colder than this, and do on a regular basis, but I'm still a south Louisiana girl at heart, and I just can't take it.  It's all about perspective, you know!

I decided that Girl's Best Friend was just too perfect a name to pass up for this one.  Every time I look at this quilt, I see a diamond set with prongs.  I didn't really plan it that way; it was just a happy occurrence!

As I mentioned in my last post, I really enjoyed creating this pattern, but the only thing I might have done differently is  to make the blocks smaller.  These are 20 inch blocks, made with 5 inch segments.  I love the crown shape created by the white space between the diamonds, but I think it might look better if it was a little less expansive.  I do love the big chunks of the Vintage Modern fabric though!  I guess I can't have it both ways.

Of course, I used up the scraps in the backing, and added a Riley Blake aqua dot, along with a really beautiful gray fabric I found at Joann's.  I think I like the backing as much as the front!  I de-stressed from all of the holiday mayhem by meander quilting.   

I also found this sketch texture fabric in the perfect shade of red to use as the binding.  Reds are so difficult to match, so I snatched this one right up!

Woohoo!  My first finish of 2014!  (Even though I posted about it just last week, I actually finished Lilacs and Sunshine before Christmas)

Because the weather is so bitter and school is out (Tennessee is just not prepared for weather like this and many students don't own adequate outerwear), I have thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in, hanging out in my thermals and slippers, drinking hot chocolate, and cutting into these-

Oh yes...  I can't wait!  I got these from Fabric Ala Carte, a shop I only recently discovered.  They have a great selection of beautiful fabric bundles (FQ's, half yards, and full yard bundles!), yardage, and a clearance section with fantastic deals. 

I am so happy to welcome them as a new sponsor!  Check out the button below, or on my left sidebar!  

Fabric Ala Carte's 5th anniversary is next week, and Kris is offering free shipping on any US purchase $30 or more.  International buyers can contact Kris for an 18% discount.  To take advantage of these offers, use the coupon code 5thAnniversary!  Happy shopping, and stay warm friends!