A New Quilt Top

I love playing around with quilt design.  Sometimes I sketch on paper if an idea strikes me and I don't have my computer around, but usually I experiment in my design program while watching TV at night (I use Quilt Canvas).  Regular practice keeps my creativity flowing, and I definitely notice a slump in my creative mojo when I haven't played with design in awhile.

Lots of times, I don't even like a design enough to save it, and other times I save it, but tweak it over time before actually turning the pattern into a quilt.  Still other times, I create a design and have to make the quilt right away.  Such was the case with this new quilt top.

I immediately loved the interesting shape of the blocks, as well as the secondary cross pattern created in the negative space, and I knew it was perfect for my Amy Butler stash (plus a few additions).  I can't wait to finish this quilt, and I am planning to release the pattern.

This one has kind of a southwestern feel, or I think the shapes look a little like ancient Egyptian scarabs, or maybe even vintage brooches.  This one needs a name, so tell me- what do you see?

Winners, Another Mini, and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday!  The weeks of summer are slipping right on by, aren't they?  Well, my house is still not put back together, so sewing has been happening in small snippets lately.  I did manage to finish another mini quilt for my wall though.

This is my Baubles pattern (sized way down, of course), and it measures only 15 inches square.  I found all of the fabric bits for this one in my scrap jars, even the binding!  On the back, I used this fun fat quarter that I just haven't been able to work into another quilt.  The peacocks and flowers in this print are the perfect colors and so much fun, and I'm so happy I finally found a great place to use it.

So, before we get to the party, I owe you some July giveaway winners!

First, the winner of the gorgeous polkadot half yard bundle from Five Monkey Fabrics is comment number 25, lalaluu!

and the winner of the $50 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop is comment number 126, mpv61!

I am so excited for you ladies!  I'll be contacting you soon via email so that you can get your prizes.   Congratulations!





Okie dokie!  Time to share the amazing highlights from last week's party.  Look at this cutie from Deb at newcreativestate!

or this finished Star Light, Star Dark quilt called Illuminate by Jess at Quilty Habit.

and this Merry Mermaids quilt by Jen's Craft and Quilt Scrapbook is so fun and summery (ps- she made a second mermaid quilt, too)!

I hope you're ready to show me your latest projects in your sewing space!  It's time to link up!

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

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to 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!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Sun Dappled Sea

My sister is expecting her first child in November of this year, and is decorating the nursery in a nautical theme, with navy, aqua, and yellow.  A couple of weeks ago, I made a quilt to match the nursery, and since I was finally able to give it to her this past weekend, I can finally share it.

She asked for a quilt with the colors of the nursery, but with the exception of a couple of nautical fabrics, she did not want a themed quilt.  Since I prefer to make quilts without a theme anyway, that was perfectly fine by me!  I think the anchor and wave fabrics are the perfect subtle touch.

When I think of nautical themed decor, I usually think of navy, aqua, and red, and although I really love that combo as well, the yellow is a fresh twist.  This is definitely a palette that my nephew will appreciate for many years.

The colors and pattern of this quilt remind me of sunshine sparkles on the ocean, so I've named this one Sun Dappled Sea.  I am pleased to report that my sister loves the quilt, and I can't wait to see a photo of it draped across the crib!

I first made this pattern with my Strawberry Season quilt, and several people asked for a little block tutorial.  The blocks are a modified nine patch, finishing at 10 inches.  The main squares were cut at 4.5," the strips were cut 2.5" x 4.5," and the center square was cut 2.5."  This diagram shows the finished measurements of the block-

This quilt goes together quickly and easily, but I really love the lattice effect created when they are put together.

More Minis

You know, until I had the space for lots of minis, I never fully appreciated how much fun they are!  They are fast and a make great use of treasured bits of fabric.  Right now, I'm also working on some secret sewing, so minis are also a great way for me to sew something I can actually share with you.  In the last couple of days, I've made two more!

This is my Courtyard Tiles pattern, and this whole thing measures just 20 inches square.

The second one is my Gyroscope pattern, and it is even smaller- just 16 inches square.  Those little green sashing pieces are only at a half inch (finished), y'all!  This is another pattern that I need to expand to three sizes, but that will have to wait!  For now, I'm looking forward to making a few more fun mini quilts.

Last week's party was amazing!  Myra at Busy Hands Quilts shared her Brick Cottage Lane (2) quilt-

This pretty Palisades quilt is by Afton at Quilting Mod-

and this beauty, called Prairie Scratch, is from Jennie at Porch Swing Quilts-

Y'all are amazing!  Time to show me what you've got going on this week in your sewing space!

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

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to 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!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Space to Fill

Lately, I've been working on and idea that I've wanted to execute for quite some time.  I am finally creating a display of mini quilts in my sewing studio, and yesterday, I finished one for the wall.  Right now, with the madness of putting my house back together, I really need projects that I can finish in small snippets of time, so this is perfect!

This little mini measures 16 inches square, and has 228 pieces in it!  Those little HST's are only one inch finished, which is by far the tiniest piecing I've ever done.

My goal is to make a mini version of each of my published patterns, made in the colors of the original quilt.  This is a sized down version of my Paper Doll Dress-Up pattern.  Needless to say, I'd better get used to the tiny pieces, because sizing down patterns will mean more teeny pieces in my future.

For a long time, I have wanted a place to display mini quilts in my sewing space, but since the room was converted from my dining room, there were already some large things hanging on the walls.  The perfect wall for display had a set of iron gates on it.  The gates came from a salvage yard in New Orleans and I love them, but they are very heavy, so moving them was no small feat.

With all of the upheaval going on in my kitchen, I figured that now was as good a time as any to move some things around to get my mini wall space.  The gates have been moved, and once those patches get touched up, I have all of this space to fill.  I better get busy!

When I looked at the pattern to make the mini, I realized that I only wrote this pattern in one size.  It was my very first published pattern, and I didn't start writing patterns in multiple sizes until a little later.  Well friends, I decided to remedy that.  I have revised my Paper Doll Dress-Up pattern for three different sizes (lap, twin, and queen) and am re-releasing it.

The revised Paper Doll Dress-Up pattern is now available in my Craftsy and Etsy shops.  I hope you'll check it out!  This one was so quick and fun, and I can't wait to pick another pattern to start filling up that wall!

Chickadee and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I have been working on a little baby quilt for the last couple of days, and it didn't occur to me until after it was already quilted that I didn't take a process photo to share.

This quilt is for a baby girl due this fall, and this navy, poppy, and mint palette is super cute.  I pulled my favorite colors from this Michael Miller folk art bird print.

On the back, I pieced the leftovers, which included the very last of the bird print.  I'm not totally sure I was ready to part with this fabric just yet, but at least I have plenty of it on the back of my Dabbling quilt.

With the pieced binding, I was able to finish this one entirely from stash, which is something I've really been trying to do more of lately.

I named this one Chickadee, because the birds and colors are so fresh and happy!

Alrighty then!  Check out some of the amazing inspiration that was linked last week!  Oh my!  Maryse Make Things shared this stunner!

This beauty is from Shauna's World, and I love the variation in the low volume background.

and The Creative Side linked up her Colorful Quilt.  Love this palette!

One of the greatest parts of my day is at night, right before bed, when I ogle all of the quilty goodness that you share each week!  So, let's party!

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

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to 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!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Ripples

As I mentioned in last week's NTT post, I've been working on making a baby quilt from the small scraps of my Secret Lagoon quilt.  I didn't have many scraps, so I decided to use them to make a minimal quilt, and I used improv sewing to make the most of them.

When I took the photos of this one, the sunlight really threw the seams into high relief.  Crazy, because they are practically invisible in person (and I promise that they are straight!).  I wasn't sure how I was going to layout these improv HST's, so I cut several solid squares to fill out the quilt, giving myself plenty of layout options.  If I had planned a little better, I would have used large sections of the background fabric rather than using squares, but once they were cut, I certainly wasn't wasting them.

My larger leftover chunks made a perfect backing, and I used more of the lighter shade of navy marble fabric to bind it.

I definitely have a to-do list right now, but with all of the other madness happening in my house, a little whimsical improv sewing was just what I needed to decompress.  The design of this quilt reminds me of the disturbance created when stones are tossed into a peaceful body of water, so I thought that Ripples was an apt name.

Jackhammering...and NTT

Well friends, I wish I could tell you that all of the lightning strike hullabaloo was finished, but the hits just keep on coming.  Many, many more things were damaged by the strike than we initially realized, the most severe of which was the main water line in our concrete slab.  Did you know that in many older homes, the grounding wire was actually tied to the (highly conductive copper) plumbing line?  Smart, right?  Yeah...

I had absolutely no idea that a lightning strike could cause a pipe leak in the slab of my home until I saw water seeping up from my baseboards and tile and did a little research.  So here I sit, watching and listening to someone take a jackhammer to my kitchen floor to find and repair it.  I just keep reminding myself to be grateful for the fact that we are all okay...and thank the Lord for insurance!

Clearly, I am back in business with internet, so I am happy to *finally* get to reveal my Stacked Squares quilt.  I am calling this one Secret Lagoon.  The colors are so peaceful and soothing, which I really need these days, ha!

I used all of the scraps on the back, along with some green ombre Moda Marble fabric, as well as the softest shade of blue Kona.  It's hard to see, but I quilted this one in variegated green thread, which adds a lot of dimension to the quilt, and the lighter shade of navy in the binding is a perfect frame to finish this one off!

This quilt was made with a free Moda Bakeshop tutorial, found HERE, but instead of using precuts, I modified the pattern to use fat quarters or quarter yards.  Since several of you have asked, I'll go ahead and include my quarter yard and fat quarter cutting diagrams for you again-

I am working on another little quilt with the smaller scraps from this one, and it is almost finished.  Things just need to calm down a little bit so I can get it done!

With all of the crazy in my world right now, I almost forgot the highlights from the party tow weeks ago.  How could I do that??  This quilt by Sew Preeti is a beauty!

This Plus Plus by New Creative Side is lots of fun!

and even though the 4th of July has passed, this one by Pretty in the Port Quilts is fresh and summery!

Okay friends!  Since it's been two whole weeks since we last partied, I just know there is going to be so much awesomeness linked up this week;  I can't wait to see.  Be sure to link up more than one project if you need to!

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

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to 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!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)