Needle and Thread Thursday Time!

 Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I got my new fabric bundle this week (365 Fifth Avenue by Bari J), and though I love it as it is, I needed a few more fabrics for the quilt I'm planning, so I added some blenders from my stash to round it out and give the eye a few more places to rest amongst the florals.

Sometimes I work on a quilt by sewing one complete block at a time, but more often than not, I sew the smaller units for the entire quilt first (HST, snowball corners, flying geese, etc.), and then the blocks go together in a flash.  It doesn't make pretty progress photos to sew that way, but I find it much more efficient for me.  So, let's just say that I've been a snowball cornering fool these past couple of days, and I can't wait until I can show you something prettier!

My sewing has been in fits and spurts this week, because besides being glued to hurricane coverage (which is what happens when you grow up on the Gulf coast and still have tons of family there), we're getting very close to welcoming my father-in-law to Tennessee (from Texas).  He purchased a house about 15-20 minutes from us, and we could not be more thrilled to have him so close.  Much of my time lately has been spent at his home while it has been painted, carpets cleaned, etc., getting it all ready for his move-in next week!

Before we get to the highlights from last week's party.  I owe you two winners from my August sponsor post, generously supplied by Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  Comments 62 (Karrin) and 12 (Jocelyn) are this month's winners!  Congrats, ladies!

                         

Okay!  Now that we've taken care of business, check out the highlights from last week's party!  Myra at Busy Hands Quilts shared this sweet quilt-

Andree at Quilting and Learning showed off this little quilt.  I love the texture!

Anja Quilts shared this fun quilt finish-

And finally, Tubakk at Den syende himmel showed these TWO versions of her epic hexie quilt.  Just gorgeous!

Alright, y'all!  What's happening in your sewing space these days? Let's link 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 (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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

Finding Inspiration and NTT

Welcome to another Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all.  There are definitely ups and downs to being a one-project-at-a-time girl, and this week, the downside has come into sharp focus.  Most times, I have my next quilt idea all figured out before I even finish my current one, but there are times (like right now) that I don't, and with no other projects in the works to give me a spark, I've been at a sewing standstill.  My usual fallback for these times is to pull from my scrap jars, but I completely emptied those with my Strata Squared finish a few weeks ago.  So, onto another strategy, new fabric!  

There was a time when I purchased bundle after bundle and made quilts from single collections all the time.  These days, I prefer to mix my own fabrics and palettes and work from my stash as much as I possibly can (not knocking either method, by the way).  I've actually been doing a pretty good job of keeping my fabric habit under control, and my stash is getting noticeably smaller, which is a good thing. That being said, a new fabric collection that I really love almost always gives me the creative jolt I need, and this 365 Fifth Avenue collection by Bari J is oh so luscious (photo courtesy of Lady Belle Fabrics).

I'll mix in a few more blender fabrics from my stash, because I just can't help myself, but just like that, I already have a plan for these, and it's going to be awesome.  What do you do when your inspiration is lacking? How do you pull yourself out of a sewing slump?

One great way to get lots of inspiration is by browsing others' projects.  Whether it's through blog links or Instagram, the web is a treasure trove of eye candy, and last week's party had some great links, like this flag quilt shared by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

And this quilt by Sew Yummy is a stunner with that black background-

This penguin quilt by Anja Quilts is just adorable!

Carole at Fresh Off the Frame linked up this cute little quilt-

This scrappy beauty is by Linda at kokaquilts-

And finally, I love this quilt by Sew Preeti Quilts-

Okay, friends!  Let's get this party going!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

Moroccan Star and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  My latest quilt is all finished and I can't wait to see it draped across the sofa in my parents' lake house.  As I mentioned in my last post, my parents purchased a little fixer-upper place on the lake, and it is in the process of getting a big facelift.  The colors in this quilt are just right for it.

You know I love to piece the backs of my quilts, so I pulled many more prints than I really needed for the top.  The large variety of prints gives the quilt a controlled but scrappy charm, and it also means that I didn't have to do any additional shopping for the backing!

After quilting my Strata Squared quilt so densely, I decided to keep this one nice and soft with a wider stipple, and it adds just enough crinkle texture to bring the quilt to life without competing with the design.

As luck would have it, I had this fantastic navy and aqua swiss dot in my stash, and I knew right away that it would make a perfect binding.  You can never go wrong with polkadots!

I'm keeping this simple and consistent and calling this quilt Moroccan Star since it uses the block I designed last year by the same name.  I'm working on the Moroccan Star pattern, so be on the lookout for it soon!

Before we party, check out some of the projects from last week that caught my eye.  Check out this stunner by Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic-

Look at this loveliness shared by Shannon at The Flemings Nine-

I love everything about this quilt by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal, especially all of that fun quilting!

And check out this fun quilt by Gretchen's Little Corner-

Y'all are amazing, and so very inspirational.  Let's party, y'all!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

Lake House Quilt and NTT

Hey there y'all, and welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday!  I've finished up my Moroccan Stars quilt top and I have to say that I'm pretty smitten with it.  The colors are so pretty together.

Several weeks ago my parents bought a fixer-upper lake house, and when my mom decided on the color palette for it, I knew it would be a great one for my Moroccan Stars block.  These fresh, fun colors are going to look awesome added to the gray, beige, and warm woods in the house.  

I snapped this photo yesterday before basting, and now this quilt is all ready to be quilted.  There is still lots of work to do on the house, but this quilt will be perfect in the living room once it's done.

Last week's party was fantastic, and if you didn't get a chance to really browse through the links, be sure to  take a few minutes to take a look.  Here are a few that caught my eye.  Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting shared this Meadowland quilt-

Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room linked up this fabulous quilt top-

This amazingly cheery churn dash quilt is by Kris at Sew Sunshine-

Look at this yummy scrappalicious quilt by Rebecca Grace at Cheeky Cognoscenti-

I love the blue background in this scrappy quilt by Sew Yummy-

And this quilt by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal is so striking.

I got a little carried away with highlights this week, but I just couldn't help myself!  In fact, I had to stop myself from choosing more.  So, let's see what you've got going on this week!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

Summery Things and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all.  My visit last weekend with my grandparents was wonderful.  I've always treasured my time with them, but this pandemic has made me appreciate it even more.  Since they left, I've been busy sewing blocks for my newest quilt.

This is the Moroccan Star block that I showed last year as part of my stint as a guest designer for the International Association of Quilters, and I figured it was time to turn the block design into a full quilt.  I threw the blocks up on the design wall without pressing to see how they look, and I have to say that I love how they're coming together.  They just look so summery to me!

I also spent a good chunk of yesterday peeling and slicing peaches to freeze in simple syrup.  Peaches are one of my very favorite fruits, and when the daughter of one of our friends was selling 13 lb. boxes of peaches for a fundraiser, I just couldn't resist ordering one.  These were picked on a farm not far from here and delivered within just a couple of days, and are hands-down the best peaches I've ever eaten.

But... thirteen pounds of peaches is a bunch!  Once I got them, it suddenly occurred to me that there is absolutely NO way we could eat all of them fresh.  Thankfully, they were delivered before my grandparents went home, so they took some back to share with my parents.  That still left me to figure out what to do with fifteen peaches (still more that we could eat before they start to rot).

A few of them went into a cobbler right away because it just would have been a crime not to;  and the rest were all packaged up with a light simple syrup and frozen.  Now, I can have a taste of summer even when the weather starts to cool off!

It occurred to me yesterday that I have had houseguests three out of the last five weekends.  All fantastic visits, but I am looking forward to getting back into a more normal routine, and that includes getting back to more regular sewing time.

Last week's party had plenty of eye-catching quilts.  Check out this scrappy flying geese quilt by heARTs Creations-

This quilt by Linda at Flourishing Palms is so cheerful and fun!

This scrappy improv goodness is by Sew Preeti Quilts-

This quilt, called Containment, is by Vasudha at Storied Quilts and has a really powerful message.

And I love the soft color palette in this quilt by Better'n Dog Biscuits-

Wow, friends!  I love that you link up so much awesomeness every week.  Let's do it again!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

The Party is On!

This week, there has been zero sewing happening over here.  Instead, last weekend my father-in-law came for a visit.  He is actually moving here in a few weeks, but came to make a few decisions about the house he bought before he closes on it and moves.  We are thrilled that we will have him close to us very soon, because right now he is eleven hours away, and that is just too far.

And tomorrow, my grandparents are arriving for the weekend.  Usually, we go to visit them, but they decided to come here instead and I'm super excited to see them!  So instead of sewing, my time lately has been spent visiting, cooking, and cleaning between guests.  I have been able to plan my next quilt though, even if I haven't gotten any further along in the process.  I pulled this summery palette from my stash, and I'll get busy cutting into these next week!

Before we party, check out some of last week's eye-candy.  Julie's Quilts and Costumes shared two soft and sweet baby quilt finishes.

Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting linked up a whole slew of pretty charity quilts!  Awesome!

And I just love this quilt by JanineMarie at Quilts From the Little House.

Y'all are amazing.  So, without further ado, let's get this party on!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

Cloth Napkins and NTT

As the weeks of quarantine wear on, it's amazing what I've started to notice in my house.  For the past couple of weeks, I've taken note of the staggering number of paper towels and napkins that we go through on a daily basis.  With the three of us eating every meal at home now, I feel like we're constantly running out of some paper product, so I decided to remedy part of the situation with some quick and easy cloth napkins.

Since my kitchen is decorated with white, beige/tan, and several shades of green, I decided to raid my green stash and get down to work.  Apple, lime, grass, chartreuse, olive, leaf... I am an equal opportunity lover of all shades of green, so I didn't discriminate when pulling the fabrics for these napkins.  There are a few duplicates in there, but just a few!

Each napkin is backed with unbleached muslin to keep things simple since these are for everyday use.

I didn't take photos of the process, but these are SO easy to make.  To make some for yourself, follow these easy steps-

1.  Cut one 18" print fabric square for the front and one 18" muslin square for the back of the napkin.

2.  Place the squares right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam around the edge, leaving an opening (about 4") for turning the napkin right side out.  Don't forget to backstitch at the beginning and end!

3.  Clip each corner diagonally (without cutting the seam) to reduce bulk in the corners when turning it right side out.

4.  Turn the napkin right side out, using a chopstick or another blunt-edged tool to push the corners out fully.

5.  Fold the raw edges of fabric at the opening inward, and press the entire napkin flat.

6.  Topstitch around the entire napkin, about 1/8" from the edge, and make sure to sew the opening closed.  Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end to secure your stitches.  And you're done!

If you're unsure about one of the steps, you can check out my One Hour Baby Gift tutorial HERE.  The process is practically the same, and there are plenty of photos in that post.

I'm hopeful that two dozen napkins will be plenty to last between laundry loads, but we'll see.  I'm so pleased with the way these turned out, and I'm really happy to reduce our household waste too!  I don't know why I didn't think to make some sooner, and I'm already thinking ahead to making a holiday set too.

Before we party, let's check out a few highlights from last week's NTT.  Look at this simple, fun quilt by Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic-

Sally at Crafts, Cavies, and Cooking shared progress on this amazing project.  It's mesmerizing!

Take a look at this soothing beauty by Myra at Busy Hands Quilts-

DonnaleeQ linked up this fantastic quilt-

And Jayne at Twiggy and Opal showed off this stunner-

It was so hard to narrow down my highlights this week!  Y'all are so inspiring.  Let's get to this week's party, y'all!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)