Revelry and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends.  My solid improv quilt is officially in the books. (and check out my improv curve sewing...this is a win for me!)

It is so bright and graphic, and just FUN!  With all of the color and pattern going on, it looks like a big party, so I decided to call it Revelry.  I really struggled with how to quilt this one.  It is super busy, and I didn't want the quilting to compete with the patterns in the quilt.  That being said, I felt that straight lines or a simple stipple were the best options for this one, and let's face it- I find straight lines to be so tedious and love stippling, so that settled it!  I'm pleased with the way the quilting disappears and lets the piecing madness really stand out.

This quilt was fun from start to finish, and really opened my eyes to a different side of improv.  Though I have improv pieced lots of quilts, I have never sewn specific blocks improv-style.  I incorporated churn dashes, braids, pinwheels, hourglasses, flying geese, crosses, log cabins, snowballs, strings, and triangles, and filled in space with strip sets and crazy improv- all without the use of a rotary cutter or ruler (though I did use them with the equilateral triangles and improv curves).  It kept things interesting to grab a few scraps, make a few blocks, and then move onto something else, never worrying whether the block was a certain size, or whether my points were perfect, etc.

On the back, I used a small, gray and black houndstooth print, which really makes those colors pop; and I added a strip of Kona Breakers for interest.

Scrappy solids make a perfect binding, and I love how it just almost disappears when looking at the quilt.  Sometimes I like for the binding to frame the quilt, but in this case, I didn't want to contain the crazy at all.

It took awhile to build up enough solid scraps to make this quilt, but this has definitely prompted me to play exclusively with solids more often!

Now, let's check out some of the awesome links from last week's party, like this pretty hexie quilt from Quilts From the Little House-

and look at these cute scrappy, happy baskets from Fleur De Lis Quilts (there's a tutorial!)-

and this Intertwined quilt from deJong Dream House is fantastic!

Wow!  such lovely projects going on, and I wish I could have included several more. Whether you're enjoying some snow, fresh spring weather, or something in between, I hope you've got lots going on in your sewing space this week. 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!  :)

Solid Scrap Frenzy and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  In continuing my scrap busting mission of late, I realized that though I have successfully used up my print scraps, I had SO many solid scraps that they deserved a quilt of their own.  It's no secret that I don't usually make quilts using all solids, so this accumulation has been going on for awhile.  I had lots of fun with this one.  Since it has so many different elements, I sewed for two solid days and didn't get bored with it at all.

When I started, I had no plan for the quilt at all.  I started with the large braid, and started building the quilt from there.  I used strips of small squares, strip sets, or improv blocks to fill in any places necessary.  I started making a few of each kind of block, and filled the space little by little.  It was very free and fun, as I sewed without measuring anything.  Each piece was made to fit with the existing chunk I was working with, and any extra was trimmed off.  I didn't have to worry about keeping individual blocks perfectly square or preserving triangle points.  The only thing I did worry about was making sure I sewed with correct seam allowance.  Though the quilt looks haphazard, its construction is sound.

My rotary cutter was used very sparingly as well.  It was mainly used to square up large sections, but I also cut my equilateral triangles (bottom left), and the curves on the strip sets.  All of the other blocks and trims were done by eye with my scissors, which adds to the great wonkiness of the quilt.  This one measures 58" x 62" and I'm looking forward to finishing it up, and thinking of a great name for it (suggestions welcome here!)

Last week's party was just amazing!  I love this quilt by Sew Preeti Quilts, called My Twitter Feed (and love the name, too!)

The Lilac Cat shared this awesome quilt.

and check out this fun flying geese mini by Twiggy and Opal.  Love!

Y'all just rock!  Let's see what you have going on this week!

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!  :)

A Family Keepsake and NTT

Happy March, and happy NTT, y'all!  We have been getting a taste of spring around here, and I am loving it!  This week, I've been working on a very special keepsake quilt, made with a couple of my mom's old chambray shirts.  These shirts were hand embroidered by my grandmother when my mom was a teen, and my mom actually helped stitch some of the designs!  As soon as I saw the shirts, I knew this quilt needed to be made with Anna Maria Horner fabrics!

I started by cutting the shirts into useable blocks.  Most blocks finished at either 4 or 6 inches, except for Holly Hobbie in the center, which is a full 12 inches, and the row of penguins, which is 3" x 12."  Once I cut and counted the embroidery squares, I used the AMH fabrics to fill in around them, making 25 different 12" blocks.  The randomness works so well with the fun, quirky designs, and makes it look like the embroidery really belongs there.

I was even able to use the pockets, collar lapels, and the ric-rac from the bottom hem of the shirt.  Not a single bit of stitching was wasted!

You can see that these shirts were well loved.  The airplane and heart blocks were on the sleeves, and the lines you see are almost threadbare from ironing creases in them.

My very favorite design is the row of penguins.  On the shirt, they were marching from shoulder to shoulder across the back, and I think they are so cute!

I quilted this one with an all over meander in yellow thread, like blue jeans!  These shirts were very worn, so I didn't want to stitch the delicate fabric to death, but I knew that it needed enough quilting to stabilize it a little bit.

Lots of AMH leftovers went into the backing, and the chartreuse binding finishes it off!  The finished quilt measures 60" square, and I love how it turned out (my mom and grandmother do too!).  There are a couple of photos of my mom as a teen wearing these shirts while out on a date with my dad, and that alone makes this quilt special.  It's nice to know that even now, though the shirts have long been worn out, this beautiful hand work will have a new life in this quilt.

If you have some special fabrics and want to make a Keepsake quilt, I put together a graphic showing the finished block measurements to help you out (remember to add seam allowance when you cut!).  I color coded each block size, so it is easy to see how they all fit together.

Time to check out the features from last week's party!  This scrappy rainbow beauty is from Simply, Sarah-

and just look at this fantastic paper-pieced mini by Lori at Crossquilt-

and this modern pillow by Made by Chrissie D is just too much fun!  (ps- she has a tutorial for it!)

I can't wait to see what you're all working on this week!  Show me what you've got!

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!  :)

Vortex, Winners, and NTT

Welcome to another Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I finished my scrappy string quilt, and oh man, what an undertaking!

Scrap quilts are always my favorites.  It is so much fun to revisit some of my favorite fabrics, and it feels like I've really accomplished something when I empty out my scrap jars in the process.  I opted for a less traditional string layout on this one, and I'm really loving the single offset diamond.  It really draws your eye in, so I thought Vortex was a fitting name for it.

When I work with scraps that are bright and busy, I almost always choose either a black and white print for the back, or I make a rainbow stash backing.  Rainbow backings are easy to put together, and a great place to use up some serious stash!  It feels like a win to make a quilt without purchasing a single shred of fabric.

Though I didn't have to purchase fabric for this one, unfortunately, thread was a different story.  This twin quilt measures 72" x 96," and I decided to quilt with a dense, all over paisley design.  I thought that the two large spools of my favorite Aurifil white sitting on my rack would surely be plenty to finish it.  Oh, how wrong I was!  After hours and hours of quilting, it looked like I might make it, but alas-

My spool ran out with only five blocks left to quilt.  Since we don't have a local shop that sells Aurifil, that meant ordering and waiting for it to be shipped.  grrrrr...  I honestly don't know what possessed me to choose such a labor intensive motif for a quilt this big, but after almost 16 hours of quilting, I definitely appreciate the result!  You can see it really clearly on the solid yellow.

I framed out all of that crazy with a solid black binding, and the colors just pop against it.  Someone once told me that adding just a little bit of black really makes a quilt sparkle, and I must agree!

Since several of you asked after my last post, I figured I would quickly share my method for sewing string blocks without foundation piecing.  I don't like sewing to paper if I can help it, and I don't want the extra weight from using a fabric foundation.  I learned my lesson on that a few years ago, when I sewed this string quilt (a queen size!) to a Kona White foundation.  I think that quilt weighs 20 pounds!  Avoiding both of those is easy peasy if you use a square ruler.  I used an 8.5 inch ruler, but you can use whatever you like.  Just be aware of the length of your longest strings, and let that help you make your decision.

To make a string block with this method, use your ruler as a guide to make sure your strings cover the ruler completely.  Sew the strings offset, just as they are laid out, until you cover the whole area of the ruler.  In my Vortex quilt, I used a 1 inch white strip (1/2 inch finished) in the center of each of my blocks, but string quilts are equally pretty without a uniform center.  Check out my Vertigo quilt to see one that doesn't have uniform center strings.

Once your strings are all sewn together (covering the entire ruler), press the seams either open, or in one direction, and use that same ruler to trim your block into a perfect square.  If you're going for a wonky look, rotate your ruler a little while trimming, so that the center line isn't perfectly aligned.  So simple, and the resulting quilts are always fun!

Alrighty, friends!  I owe you some winners from last weeks amazing sponsor giveaways.

The winner of the spool of labels from Finer Ribbon is Melanie, comment number 42!

Lynne Tilley, comment number 148 is the winner of the $10 gift card to LouLou's Fabric Shop.

Comment number 115, Teagan, is the winner of the $25 gift certificate to Lady Belle Fabrics.

Sonya, comment number 57 is the winner of the beautiful Bejeweled bundle from Fort Worth Fabric Studio.







Congratulations to all of you ladies, and a huge thank you to all of my wonderful sponsoring shops that make it all possible!

Whew!  I feel like we've covered a lot in today's post, but we certainly can't party without a quick run down of awesomeness from last week!  So, really quickly-

This modern mini is from Anja Quilts

This scrappy star quilt is from Karen at Quilts, Etc.

and this modern art-inspired collection of minis is from Luna Lovequilts-

Okie dokie!  It's time to party, friends!

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!  :)

Modern Strings and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  My latest quilt top is made from a scrap jar dive, and it's a doozie.  It's loud and wonky, and I love it!

It's amazing how quickly scraps add up when you start sewing them together.  When I started, I didn't plan on making a quilt this large, but the my pile of strings didn't diminish as quickly as I anticipated.  This quilt measures 72" x 96," and although I used all of my strings long enough to cover the length of the center of the block. I still have LOTS of shorter ones left.  Every now and then, I get on a mission to get rid of all of my scraps at once.  Though I have pulled from my scrap jars selectively for certain quilts, it's been awhile since I've busted them completely, so it was time to put them to use.  Scrap quilts are always my favorites, and the way this one is shaping up is definitely not disappointing.  I can't wait to get it basted and quilted!

Oh my goodness!  Last week's party had so many amazing projects linked up, I had the hardest time choosing features today!  Just look at this awesomeness by Shauna's World-

And this fantastic variation of an orange peel quilt by Zarkadia Quilts-

And finally, this curved log cabin mini by Handwrought Quilts is so gorgeous.  The shades of gray in the background really make the rainbow strips pop!

Woohoo!  Y'all rock!  I always look forward to browsing the links each week, and I can't wait to see what you have going on.  By the way, I have FOUR giveaways going on right now, as well as a few great coupon codes from my favorite shops, so be sure to hop over HERE to enter.

Let's party, friends!

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!  :)

Butterfly Oasis and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  My parents came into town last weekend for a visit, and I finished my aunt's quilt, so that I could send it to Louisiana with them.  My aunt actually lives in Texas, but in a few weeks, my grandmother is taking a trip there, and the quilt will be passed off to its final destination.  We relay things like this as often as we can, and it's always fun when it works out that we don't have to ship things.  That meant that I had to finish this one up pretty quickly before my parents arrived, but it all worked out!

From a little bit of a distance, the quilt looks a bit busy, but because the colors are so calming, it still works. There are so many pretty prints in this one, and you can really see them so much better up close.

I used up all of the leftovers on the back, and decided on a clover green binding to finish it off.

Blues and greens are so soothing, and I love how this quilt turned out.  I decided to use the butterfly print as inspiration, and name it Butterfly Oasis.  I don't usually choose prints with animals in them, but I was drawn to this one!

Shall we get to last week's features?  Teresa at a Quilt and a Prayer shared this scrappy rainbow masterpiece.  So fun!

Tanya Quilts in CO shared Christmas patchwork Swoon quilt, along with a Swoon mini.  The patchwork variation is so unique, and I love that soft green background.

and this Flaming Star quilt by Monkey Needle is amazing!  LOVE!!

Y'all really rocked it out last week!  Time to show me what you're working on this week.  Let's link up, friends!

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!  :)

Happy NTT!

Welcome to the downhill slide of another week, friends!  I can't believe that a whole month of 2017 has already slipped by.  I actually have a quilt I can share with you today.  This quilt is for my aunt, who asked for shades of navy, green, aqua, and teal...aaand I just realized the quilt is sideways in the picture.  oh well.

As you may already know, this is one of my very favorite color palettes, so it was a perfect fun project after having to sew to a deadline lately.  In case you're wondering, this is the same block that I used for my Sugar Plum Fairy quilt (also at my aunt's request), and the block tutorial can be found at the post HERE.  Also, I feel compelled to say though this is a busier pattern, it is looking much busier in the photo than it does in person.  I think the cool colors keep it from being too overwhelming, too.  If I can manage it, this one is getting finished up tomorrow, so I can actually have a shareable Friday finish this week!

Last week's party was full of awesomeness, as usual!  Just look at this hexie project in shades of green by Den syende himmel.  Oh my goodness- what a labor of love!

or this bright and fun postage stamp quilt by Gretchen's Little Corner.

and this beautiful top from Quilting at the Farm.

Wow!!  Y'all finished out January with a bang!  Time to show what you have going on this week.  Let's party!

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!  :)