Somebody stop me!

I have added quite a bit to my stash in the last couple months and I've been using some of it, so that doesn't add too much guilt.  There are so many cute fabrics out there I just can't seem to help myself!  I'm really excited about Fig Tree's Strawberry Fields coming out, and I just found the charm packs on sale already here at a site called 1 Choice 4 Quilting. (Psst- everything is 20 to 30% off!!!)  I hemmed and hawed and finally gave in and ordered.  And while I was there, I just had to grab a yard of this adorable fabric I've never seen.

Its from Riley Blake, called Rainy Days and Mondays.  Its so cute I couldn't resist at such great deal.  Isn't it adorable?  I got a coordinating small print too and I think it will become a mug rug.  I've been inspired by the Mug Rug Madness.  It's a rainy day here, so I think it was kismet! 

Moda Fabric Destash over at Etsy

I've listed a few fabrics in my Etsy shop at good prices.  They are all Moda and all really lovely, but I find myself looking for brighter color values.  Can you tell I like reds?

Quick sew project

Have you ever done a booth at a craft fair, or helped out a friend with one?  My sister will be showing her jewelry at a fair this weekend and I'm going to help.  I thought instead of a cash box we might use short aprons instead.  The One Yard Wonders book has a cute little apron for holding clothespins that I thought would be just the thing.

Of course it calls for one yard of the fabric you'll be using, and since I'm a rebel I chose a favorite fat quarter along with some solid yardage to coordinate for mine.  I figured I should do mine first and get the proverbial kinks out of my techniques.  A fat quarter wasn't really enough to do the pattern properly so I fudged it.  Took about 2 hours from cutting to finish and I'm hoping the second one goes quicker.  Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out the instructions, especially when it comes to right sides and wrong sides. 

Here's my Granny's Clothespin Apron Inspired Apron.

And for anyone attempting the pattern out of the book, please go to their errata page found here.  The measurements for the waistband and ties are incorrect and won't fit together smoothly if you follow the pattern as printed.  There are actually 16 patterns with errata notes.  Probably not bad for a book that full of fun projects!

Finally a Flimsy!

Things have been very busy lately (who hasn't?) between work and helping my sister get ready for a jewelry booth at a craft show next weekend, so I haven't had alot of time to sew.  But last night after work I was motivated and I finished the main portion of my Daisy Chain quilt.  My plan is to add an aqua border in the clematis pattern, another strip of white and then a navy binding.  Right now it measures 36.5 by 49, which is not quite big enough to nap under, I think.   I mean, I'm short but I'm not that short. ;)

It has now exceeded the size of my design wall, so I had to pin it to the sheers so you could see it in all its glory!  I'm so excited to be this far along that I'm tempted to just start quilting now, but I think I'll stick with the original plan.  The extra border of color will make it look a little more finished, I think.

I caught the bug!

The hexie bug that is!  Have you seen all the gorgeous hexagon creations out there on the internet lately?  I've seen some lovely antique quilts in Grandmothers Flower Garden and some hip new creations too - pillows and table runners and all kinds of cute home decor in modern, fresh fabrics.  Its amazing how changing the fabric can change a pattern. 

I found some hexagons to print & cut for the paper piecing part, and sat down last night with a selection of Erin McMorris' Wildwood fabrics.  Pinks and greens and yellows seemed like just the thing.  Three hours and several dvr'd episodes of TopChef later, I had a stack of flowers-to-be!

I can see how these can become addicting.  You just finger press and baste, and finger press and baste, and time passes very quickly!  I'm not sure what these will become, but I'm loving the hexie bug!

Stash Enhancement Alert

If you are looking to expand your stash Suzie Q Quilts has some great options in their sale section!  I added to my stash of 12 Days of Christmas, found some must haves from Michael Miller's Mezzanine, and some Heather Bailey prints that I can't live without. 

I do love the Fab Shop Hop, but I always get into trouble!

Daisy Chain

I had my own little Friday night sewing session and I am a happy girl.  True confession time: I have never finished an actual quilt.  Mostly I have made applique blocks and a few pieced blocks, and lots of small sewing projects but when it comes to coordinating fabrics and picking a pattern, I stumble around and never accomplish anything.  I buy alot of fabric, but I've never committed to a quilt.  A while ago I bought a set of 5 inch fabric charms from Amy Butler's Daisy Chain line in the blues, but its not a pre-made charm pack.  A seller on eBay (Material Girl Chic) groups about 8 different fabrics and you get 5 of each.  I love her kits!  I have the hardest time choosing which fabrics go together well, even from a single line, let alone a whole shop full of choices.  Her well designed kits make it super easy.

So I purchased the set of Daisy Chain in blues, and decided to start easy.  Since there were 5 of each pattern, I just lined them up on my design wall (aka flannel pinned to the wall) and decided to do white sashing.  Simple, pleasing to the eye, and hopefully not too much of a challenge for my first finished quilt.  Once I got the math figured out for the size I wanted, I realized that I needed 6 charms in some fabrics and had to shop.  Shucks, I had to shop. ;)  I picked out the fabrics that I needed for the extra charms, for an inner border, for the binding and for an interesting back.

I started chain piecing and I plugged away for a good hour or so, until I needed to rip out one seam.

I fixed my seam and quit for the night, with 5 of my 8 rows all ready for the next set of sashing.  I'm using white Moda muslin for the sashing because I have alot on hand. Can you tell which rows are sewn together? 

I can't wait till Sunday afternoon when I can go at it again!