Pillow Talk Swap #10

In addition to the Pretty Little Pouch Swap #7, I also signed up for the Pillow Talk Swap #10 on Flickr.  I really had a wonderful time participating in this swap.  Just like the Pretty Little Pouch Swap #7, the swap was kicked off with each participant posting an inspiration mosaic, so that their secret partner can pull colors and ideas for their own creation.  This was my mosaic...bright geometric patterns (stars, triangles, chevrons, pluses).

1. Pillow Talk Swap 7 - Finished 2. Not available 3. Not available 4. Not available 5. Not available 6. Not available 7. PTS5 Done! 8. Scrappy Applique Pillow - 2 9. PTS7 all finished! 10. PST4 11. Finished Pillow Talk Swap Round 9 Pillow 12. Cathedral Windows

I can't show you my partner's mosaic, however this is what I created for her!  I used the Quilter's Cache template to create a 9 block paper pieced Tallahassee pillow!  This is the first time I ever paper pieced, and although there was a bit of a learning curve, I am SO glad I challenged myself, as I love how the pillow turned out.

I used a happy mixture of  Rilley Blake fabrics (Sugar and Spice, Delighted, and Apple of My Eye), as well as some Simply Style, and Architextures for the background.  Here is a close up of the quilting.  I opted to only quilt the squares of the background and flower centers, that way I wouldn't take away from the colorful flower petals.



The back is just as happy as the front!  I used a blue and gray chevron stripe print from Paula Prass, and opted for the polka dots from the center flower to hide the zipper.  The pillow is binded with the Gray Eyelets from Flea Market Fancy.  I had a really hard time letting this pillow go, but hope that it will bring my partner joy!

This is the sweet zippered pouch and goodies I received from my partner in the Pretty Little Pouch Swap #7!  :)

Madhuri Mini Churn Dash Quilt - Tutorial

I have a very special tutorial to share with you today, as I have a new love for Mini Quilts (instant gratification!) and hope that you will have a blast making a Madhui Mini Churn Dash Quilt of your own.  Scraps work best for this quilt, however if you want to use fresh fabric, I've included yardage requirements in the Materials list.  Let's get started...

Materials:
Madhuri Main Orange= 1/8 yard
Madhuri Diamond Blue= 1/8 yard
Madhuri Stripe Blue= 1/8 yard
Madhuri Elephant Orange= 1/8 yard (only need enough to fussy cut one 3" elephant)
Solid White= 1/8 yard
Solid Hot Pink= 1/8 yard
Backing= 1/2 yard
Binding= 1/4 yard
Quilt Batting= 18"x18"

Instructions:

1.  From the Madhuri Main Orange, cut the following:

• (4) 2 3/4" high x 1 3/4" wide
• (2) 1 3/4" high x 5 1/2" wide
• (2) 1 3/4" high x 4" wide
• (1) 3" square

    From the Madhuri Diamond Blue, cut the following:

• (4) 2 3/4" high x 1 3/4" wide
• (2) 1 3/4" high x 5 1/2" wide
• (2) 1 3/4" high x 4" wide
• (1) 3" square

    From the Madhuri Stripe Blue, cut the following:

• (4) 2 3/4" square
• (4) 1 1/8" high x 2 3/4" wide

    From the Madhuri Elephant Orange, fussy cut the following:

• (1) 2 3/4" square

    From the Solid White, cut the following:

• (4) 2 3/4" squares
• (8) 1 1/8" high x 2 3/4" wide

    From the Solid Hot Pink, cut the following:

• (2) 3" square
• (4) 4" high x 1 3/4" wide
• (4) 1 3/4" high x 2 3/4" wide

2.  We'll start off with sewing the Churn Dash block together.  Take the 3" squares (Main Orange; Diamond Blue; Solid Hot Pink), with right sides together, draw a diagonal line from one end to the other and sew 1/4" on both side of the line.  Cut across the line and press.  You've just created four Half Square Triangles (HST).

3.  With right sides together, sew one of the 1 1/8" high x 2 3/4" wide Madhuri Stripe Blue to the 1 3/4" high x 2 3/4" wide Solid Hot Pink.  Press seam, and repeat for a total of four.

4.  Sew two of the pieces you made in Step #3 to each side of the fussy cut Madhuri Elephant Orange.  Press seams and set aside.

 

5.  Sew one of the HST Madhuri Diamond Blue to the left side of one of the pieces you made in Step #3.  Press seams and repeat, sewing a HST Madhuri Diamond Blue to the left side.  Sew one of the HST Madhuri Main Orange to the remaining side.  Press seams and repeat.  You now should have two pieces, alternating HST on both sides, with the piece you made in Step #3 in the middle.

6.  Sew one of the pieces you made in Step #5 to the middle piece made in Step #4, right sides together, with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Press and sew the second piece you made in Step #5 to the bottom.  Press and set aside.

7.  Sew one of the 1 1/8" high x 2 3/4" wide Solid White pieces to the right side of the Madhuri Striped Blue 2 3/4" square.  Press and sew a second 1 1/8" high x 2 3/4" wide Solid White pieces to the remaining side.  Press and repeat until you have a total of four pieces.

8.  Sew one of the 4" high x 1 3/4" wide Solid Hot Pink pieces to the right side of the piece you made in Step #7.  Press and repeat until you have a total of four pieces.

 

 

9.  Sew one of the 1 3/4" high x 4" wide Madhuri Diamond Blue pieces to the piece you made in Step #4.  Press and repeat for a total of two.

10. Sew one of the 1 3/4" high x 4" wide Madhuri Main Orange to the alternating side of piece you made in Step #9.  Press and repeat for a total of two.

 11. Sew one of the pieces you made in Step #10 to the Churn Dash block you made in Step #6.  Sew the remaining piece you made in Step #10 to the other side.  Now the middle row of your Mini Quilt is complete.  Press and set aside.

12. Sew one of the 2 3/4" high x 1 3/4" wide Madhuri Diamond Blue pieces to the 3" square Solid White piece.  Press and sew a second 2 3/4" high x 1 3/4" wide Madhuri Diamond Blue piece to the opposite side.  Repeat until you have a total of two pieces.

13. Sew one of the 2 3/4" high x 1 3/4" wide Madhuri Main Orange pieces to the 3" square Solid White piece. Press and sew a second 2 3/4" high x 1 3/4" wide Madhuri Main Orange piece to the opposite side. Repeat until you have a total of two pieces.

 

14. Sew one of the pieces you made in Step #12 to one of the pieces you made in Step #7.  Now repeat, sewing one of the pieces you made in Step #13 to the opposite side.  Repeat until you have two rows.

15.  Sew one of the rows you made in Step #14 to the middle row of your Mini Quilt, made in Step #11.  Repeat with the second row you made in Step #14, on the opposite side of the middle row.  Press and set aside.

16.  For the last two rows, sew one of the 1 3/4" high x 5 1/2" wide Madhuri Diamond Blue to the 4" high x 1 3/4" wide Solid Hot Pink, and sew one of the 1 3/4" high x 5 1/2" wide Madhuri Main Orange on the opposite side.  Press and repeat.

17.  Sew one of the rows you made in Step #16 to the piece you made in Step #15.  Repeat with the second row you made in Step #16, on the opposite side.  Press and you're done!

18. Quilt and Bind as desired.

If you decide to make a Madhuri Mini Churn Dash Quilt, please post a photo to my Flickr Group, as I would love to see any and all variations!

Also make sure to hop on over to the other Creative Consultant's blogs, to check out their Madhuri Mini Tutorials:

Brooke - Silly Mama

Jackie - Jackie's Art Quilts

Jana - Adventures of a Cross Stitch Drama Queen

Stephanie - Peas in a Pod

Sally - Sally's Angelworks

Madhuri, by The Quilted Fish

I'm so bad at keeping secrets, but I was able to keep this sweet Mini under wraps until after Quilt Market- go me!!!  A couple weeks before Quilt Market, sweet Amanda of The Quilted Fish sent the Creative Team some of her new Madhuri fabric to play with.  We all made "Modern Mini Quilts", which were hung in Amanda's booth at Quilt Market.

This is the front of my Madhuri Mini.  I love the fussy cut elephant and the traditional Churn Dash block.

 

I pieced the back and quilted (for the the very first time!!!) this Mini with straight line stitches.  I love the simplity of the quliting, however am still bummed that the pink eleephant seam is wonky - you live and learn!

 

If you like the looks of this Mini, make sure you come back on 5/29/13, as I will be posting a tutorial, so that you can make your own.

 

Oh, and did I mention that Amanda won a 2nd place ribbon at Quilt Market for her double booth?  Here are a couple of photos that I borrowed from Amanda's blog (surely she won't mind!).  :)

 

Pretty Little Pouch Swap #7

I'm so excited to show you what I've been working on!  I signed up for the Pretty Little Pouch Swap on Flickr, as I LOVE any kind of bag (who doesn't, right!?!).  The Pouch Swap is kicked off with each participant posting an inspiration mosaic, so that their secret partner can pull colors and ideas for their own creation.  This was my mosaic...lots of bright colors, applique, and beautiful details!

1. Not available, 2.  a truly foxy pouch, 3. Not available, 4. Not available, 5. Not available, 6. Fun Summer Bunting Pouch, 7. Pretty little pouch swap - front, 8. Not available, 9. Not available, 10. Not available, 11. Not available, 12. Not available, 13. Pretty Little Pouch Swap - front, 14. Feather pouch exterior, 15. hexie pouch, 16. Owl pouches

I can't show you my partner's mosaic, as she hasn't yet received her pouch, however this is what I created for her!  She mentioned that she liked bright colors, black/white/gray, and texty prints.  I hope this is what she had in mind!

The Front and Back are mirror images of each other, with the dresden plate meeting connecting along the side seam.  The dresden is made up of Simply Style prints by V and Co., and the texty print is Mon Amie by Robert Kaufman (love!!!).

 My partner mentioned that she like gray (as do I!!!), so I opted for a gray Simply Style lining, which brings the pouch all together.

Here's a quick look at the side seam, where the dresden plates meet.

This beauty, along with a few goodies, is headed out in today's mail (aka the last day to mail for the swap!).  I really enjoyed the time I spent on this pouch, and hope to make one for myself in the near future. 

Fresh Mini Quilt Club - March 2013

I took a much needed day off from work (Friday) and created my own three day weekend (at home) sewing retreat.  It felt so good to have the opportunity to sew all weekend with no interruptions.  I'm not a doctor, but I honestly believe that sewing is good for the soul!  :)

Have you heard of Canoe Ridge Creations' 6 month Fresh Mini Quilt Club?  I signed up a couple of weeks ago and am SO glad that I did.  At the begin of the New Year I challenged myself to choose more difficult quilt projects (aka the Swoon that I'm working on for the Bestie QAL) and to get out of my quilting comfort zone (aka start making mini quilts that I can practice my free motion quilting skills on). 

Although I haven't yet found the courage to practice my free motion quilting skills, I did finish two mini quilt tops this weekend, which means I'm well on my way.  The first quilt top is for me, and will soon brighten up my sewing studio.

The second mini quilt top is for my Momma.  I think she might hang it in her office at work!  :)

Both mini quilts are made from a very old Riley Blake fabric line (Andrea Victoria), which I love.  It made its debut when I first started quilting, and unfortunately none of my local quilt shops carried the fabric (and I wasn't a savvy Etsy shopper back then).  A year or so my quilting friend was getting cleaning out her stash and offered me pieces of what you see above.  I've held onto Andrea Victoria for quite sometime, as I new the perfect project would come along!

4x5 Modern Quilt Bee - Spring!

Do you spend much time on Flickr?  I was browsing around yesterday, and noticed that the Spring sign ups are open for the 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee!  This will be my first Bee ever, and I am quite excited to participate and get to know the other ladies.  If you're interested, make sure to visit the Flickr group and sign up, as the hives are filling up quickly (note- I am the caretaker for hive #9- woo hoo!).

Here's a glimpse at my color inspiration board - Tangerine & Aqua!  The colors are so soothing.  :)

1) Modern Quilt Guild 2) Dorrie 3) Jeni Baker 4) N/A 5) coco+kelley

6) yolanda 7) Bluprint Textiles 8) elnorac 9) mrsmcporkchop

Swoon - Blocks #4 and #5

Blocks #4 and #5 of my Bestie quilt are complete, which means I only have four more to go- whew!!!

 I love the green/blue combo!  From my personal experience, if you're making a Swoon quilt of your own, I find that sewing the blocks in pairs is most efficient (rather than sewing one block at a time).

Truth be told, this block is a bit dark for my liking.  It may be a challenge to place the block within the quilt, but then again, I"m always up for a good challenge!

I'll be back soon with Blocks #6 and #7!  :)

Riley Blake Designs' Fabric Fest!!

Have you seen the details of Riley Blake Design's Fabric Fest in sunny Las Vegas, NV!?!    Fabric Fest is happening September 9-12, 2013 at the Southpoint Hotel, Casino & Spa (only 5 miles south of the famous Las Vegas strip!).

The ticket price includes accomodations, meals, classes, lectures, and make and takes!  Eleanor Burns is the scheduled Keyonte Speaker for Tuesday, Septemeber 10th, and Nancy Zieman on Wednesday, September 11th.  There are also a TON of classes/lectures to choose from, which are being taught by Amanda Herring, Amy Smart, Kim & Kris, and Lori Holt (just to name a few).

Swoon - Blocks #2 and #3

This past weekend proved to be a Swoon weekend, as I was able to finish 2 blocks (only 6 more to go!).  I love these blocks, especially with the fussy cut bouquet smack dab in the middle.  Seriously, could they get any more beautiful?  :)

Block #3 just may be my favorite to date. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm using the bouquet in turquoise print for the quilt backing, and the gray eyelet print for the binding.

I've been thinking a lot about Swoon possibilities, everything from holiday to everyday. Right now I have my eye on the Sweetcakes Hearts print (2nd row from the top) paired with pink/white/red solids. I think it would make a marvelous Valentine's Swoon quilt. Now I just have to find the fabric and the time!

Dr. Seuss Birthday Quilt

One month into 2013, and I have one finished quilt under my belt- not too shabby!  I love Dr. Seuss, and the fact that I read his books as a child and now my friend's kids are enjoying them.

My sweet friend Kiara's son turned one, and had a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party to celebrate!  Once I spotted the sweet Robert Kaufman Dr. Seuss fabrics on Etsy, I knew that a Dr. Seuss Birthday Quilt was in order for the big party!

I used Patchwork Plaza's One Block Two Block Red Block Blue Block quilt pattern.  Kiara and I took laid out the fabric, and then I whipped up the quilt in a day or so.  There are hardly any matching seams, thus the quick sewing!

My friend Joyce did the long arm quilting for me.  I love the circles and the choice of yellow thread. 

The quilt is backed with all of Dr. Seuss' book titles, and bound in a red and white stripe.  The quilt is so fun and colorful- perfect for a one year old!  :)