LuLu Lane

These past couple of days, I've been putting together a new quilt with a palette that is a little unusual for me.  It's not often that I work with brown, but in the LuLu Lane collection, it really is lovely.

The lattice pattern with these fabrics is simple, but it creates such a pretty wash of color.  Last time I made a quilt with this pattern, several asked me how to make this quick block.  It's super simple!  Just cut starting squares at 6.5 inches, then slice them along the diagonal.  Cut the center strips at 1.5" x 10.5" and sew between the two halves.  Give the block a press, and trim to 6.5" inches.  Easy peasy and oh, so pretty!

**Edited, since a few have asked- I was able to just "eyeball" to line up the two triangle halves.  There is a little bit of wiggle room there.  Then, when I trimmed the block to size, I used the bias line on my square ruler to make sure the strip was centered within the block.

I'm looking forward to getting this one all quilted and finished!

Kite Festival and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday!  This week, I've finished up this cute little baby quilt.  My April CMM blocks also got done, but I'll save those for the post on Sunday.

I love the simplicity of the half square triangle, and the layout options are practically endless.  I opted for a random layout on this quilt, and I think the layout, along with the happy colors, gives the look of lots of kites flying.  So, I'm calling this one Kite Festival.

The backing of this quilt is an example of what happens when quilt math goes wrong.  In a hurry to get started, I determined that I needed 64 blocks for this quilt, and promptly started cutting four squares from each of my 16 prints.  Of course, since each pair of squares yields four HST, I realized too late that I was actually cutting double the number of squares that I actually needed.  Well, waste not, want not!  All of the extras just went on the back, and lesson learned-  even for a simple quilt, don't do quilt math in a rush.

I finished it off with a binding in Kona Candy Blue, and now this one is all ready for baby boy snuggles!

Okay then!  Let's get to the highlights from last week's party!  Look at this adorable Sea Otter quilt by Jess at Quilty Habit-

I'm loving the colors in this quilt by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

And this sunny Flying Geese quilt by The Lilac Cat makes me wish for warm, sunshiny days!

What are you working on this week?  I can't wait to see.  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!  :)

Angelic and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I've finished up my latest Take Flight quilt (the last one for awhile), and I'm so pleased with it.  To be clear, I love the original version as well, but practice does indeed make perfect, and I'm happier with the feathers on this one.

The wings are a little tricky since they can't really be quilted upside down (it would be difficult to get the angle of the feathers just right).  So the right wing is pretty easy, without too much bulk in the throat of the machine, but when it's time to quilt the left one, almost the entire quilt is bunched up in the throat.  Obviously it's doable, but it does require a little more patience to keep everything smooth and even.  I quilted with one of my favorites; Aurifil 40 wt. Dove #2600.  The soft gray adds just a little extra dimension to the wings, but it blends in so well with the scrappy background too.

The background of this one is quilted with a much denser stipple than the original, which really gives the wings a puffier look.  The spacing between the stippling lines is about a quarter inch.  I don't usually enjoy quilting this densely, but sometimes it's worth it.  This is one of those times for sure.

On the back, I used a combination of this gorgeous bold floral from the Recollection line by Katarina Roccella, with Moda Grunge fabric in Aruba.  The flowers are pixelated, which echoes the chunky background on the front of the quilt, and the quilting shows up so well on the Grunge.

One of my favorite parts of the quilt is the binding.  When I make a scrappy quilt with all of the colors, I usually opt for a black or gray binding, but I'm loving the choice of metallic gold!  It's Cloud 9 Glimmer Solids in Champagne, and the photo just doesn't do it justice.  Even though it is in full sun, the sparkle is so much prettier in person.  I'm calling this one Angelic, just to differentiate it from the original Take Flight quilt.

So, let's get right to the highlights from last week's awesome party!  This bright beauty is by Kris at Sew Sunshine-

Shelley at A Pigeon in Pungo shared her fantastic Opal Bracelet mini-

And this stunner, called Cascade, is by Liz at Savor Every Stitch-

Just, wow!  I'm amazed at all of the fabulous eye-candy shared week after week.  So much inspiration.  Let's party, friends!

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!  :)

Perfectionism

When I teach classes, I stress that I'm not a perfectionist quilter.  Constantly ripping out seams is demoralizing, and can stop quilt progress in its tracks.  I firmly believe that to improve a skill, it's best just to gain experience and practice by forging ahead to get the project finished.  So, I rarely rip out seams, unless I truly can't help it.

On the other hand, practice does make perfect, and when I made the Will's Wings quilt for my friend, the feather detail quilting on the wings turned out so much better the second time around that I couldn't help a remake for keeps.  I'm hoping that the third time's the charm for this pattern and I can't wait to start quilting it!

I also wanted to share a gorgeous version of the Take Flight pattern, made by a friend in my guild who tested the pattern for me.  She made this quilt for a friend in memory of her husband, and the black/gray ombre wings are so striking, and definitely give the quilt a more masculine look.

ps- the Take Flight pattern is an exclusive FREE bonus pattern, only available with the purchase of my brand new book Stash Statement.  You can get a signed copy in my Etsy shop HERE!

Florida Sunset and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks my latest quilt looks like it belongs amongst sunny, warm weather.  My wild thing strolled through my studio as I was quilting it and casually mentioned that it looks like the sunset from our beach vacations.  As far as I'm concerned, that's the perfect inspiration for a name- Florida Sunset it is!

Shades of teal and orange always strike me as very Floridian, and the addition of navy just gives the quilt more depth.

I stippled this quilt with Aurifil 40 wt. #1133, Bright Orange, and though it really just blends into the quilt from a distance, up close, the extra pop of color in the quilting stitches is fun.

All of my leftovers went into the backing of this quilt (though I did have to pull an extra aqua fabric from my stash to widen it out).  I used Kona Navy for the binding, and went ahead and stitched it with the orange thread as well.  The dark binding frames the colors in the quilt really well, and since I also used a stripe of Kona Navy on the backing, it worked out perfectly!

I love when I can make an entire quilt from my stash, and this one was even better, since I even pieced together some batting leftovers for it.  It is destined for the silent auction at our church to benefit youth mission trips, and I hope it sells high for them.

So, let's go ahead and check out the features from last week's party.  This beauty is by Stitching Stories by Sharon.  I love these peaceful colors!

I'm in love with this quilt by The Lilac Cat.  The warm palette, as well as the block pattern are so lovely.

And I'm so impressed with this awesome Fountain Pen quilt block from Soma at Whims and Fancies (ps- check out her post the pattern!)

Alright, friends.  Are you ready to party?  Let's 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!  :)

Come On, Spring! (and NTT)

Last week was my wild thing's spring break, and ordinarily by that time rolls around, the weather already has me thinking about wearing flip flops, short sleeves, and spring flower planting.  This year though, we seem to be caught in the winter that will not go away.  Well, it may not be spring outside, but I'm the boss of the season in my sewing studio.  I pulled a palette of fresh, bright colors from my stash and sewed this easy quilt top in an effort to will away the winter doldrums.

Each spring, the youth group at our church hosts a crawfish boil and silent auction to help fund their summer mission trips, so this quilt is destined for donation.  I think the shades of orange, teal, and navy, as well as the busier vibe are fun for a teen and I'm looking forward to finishing it. 

Before we get to the features from last week's party, check out the other BIG thing that is happening this week-

Yes, my friends.  I am signing, packaging, and shipping out the very first of my books this week!  I'm expecting another shipment tomorrow, so by the end of this week, books should be on the way for everyone who has already ordered.  Hooray!

OOPS!  Edited to add- I forgot to announce the winner of this month's giveaway!  Congrats to comment number 68, Kathy.  I'll be contacting you ASAP via email so you can get that awesome Blue Hawaii bundle from Fort Worth Fabric Studio!






Okay, y'all!  Last week's party was amazing.  This Postcard From Sweden quilt top is from Tanya Quilts in CO- 

This Odori quilt is by Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty.  She has links to the free pattern in her post!

This adorable Baby Sea Animals quilt is by Jess at Quilty Habit.

And this bold, graphic Exploding Stars quilt is by Danice at Homespun Hannah.

I really could have chosen several more projects to highlight this week.  Specifically, there were so many different plus sign quilts shared for the Modern Plus Sign Quilts book tour.  Rather than just choose only a few of them to highlight, I'm just going to say- if you missed them, you definitely need to go back and take a look.

Okay y'all!  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!  :)

CMM March Blocks

It seems crazy that we are already three months into the Classic Meets Modern BOM Quilt Along, and yet, here we are!  This month's blocks went together pretty quickly, and with everything that has been going on in the past couple of weeks, I am grateful for it.

With strip piecing, and only one set of HST, the Propeller block is especially easy to put together.

The Sawtooth Stars took a little more time, but only because I attempted to first put the block together without trimming the HST.  I wasted more time trying to get around this step than I would have spent just trimming the HST to size.  Lesson learned.

**ps- the cutting instructions on this block are correct, but there is a typo in the HST instructions.  The HST should be made with 3.5" squares, which will yield 2" HST (though they will need to be trimmed to size).  The PDF has already been updated on Etsy and Craftsy!  Thanks for pointing it out for me, Diane!

When these blocks were finished, I couldn't help but lay them all out on my design wall to admire the way they are looking together.

Ordinarily, when I make a quilt, I make all of my fabric choices ahead of time.  Although I did use the blank sheet in the pattern to plan out my color distribution, I have been choosing my fabrics for each block at the start of every month when I actually sew them, and I am enjoying that process.

I can't wait to see your March blocks!  Let's link them up!

1.  If you're a little late to the party, it's okay!  You can still join in anytime.  This is a Block of the Month Quilt Along, so we will only be completing two blocks each month.  The pace is leisurely and it will be easy to catch up.  You can get the Classic Meets Modern pattern in my Etsy or Craftsy shops (links on my right sidebar).

2.  Remember, the link party opens on the 15th of each month, and will close at midnight CST on the last day of the month.  You can certainly link to my weekly NTT post if you like, but be sure to link your quilt along blocks to this party, so everyone is sure to see your progress.

3.  You don't have to have a blog to join in!  You can link to an Instagram post, or even a Flickr account.  Use the hashtag #classicmeetsmodernbomqal on Instagram!  If you do have a blog, grab a button for your sidebar to let everyone know you're participating!

<a href=" http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/2018/01/classic-meets-modern-kickoff.html" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y450/kellydyoung/CMM%20button-2_zpsd8gude1q.jpg " border="0" alt="Classic Meets Modern QAL" /> </a>

4. Finally, don't forget about the prizes! Several goodies will be up for grabs at the end of the year for anyone who links up a finished quilt top!