Category Archives: Quilting

January Blocks of the Month Done!!

Posted on February 2, 2012 | 5 Comments

I decided it would be great fun to participate in a block of the month group this year.  One of my goals (you know those resolutions…he,he) for the year is to do more quilting and to learn some new techniques.

I read about a block of the month class/workshop that is going on over at Craftsy.com, and it’s free, so I checked it out!

This is such a great class! And did I mention that it is free! (I have also signed up for 3 other classes over there, but more about them another time.)  The class is being taught by Amy Gibson.  And if you haven’t checked out the Craftsy platform, you really need to get over there!

January Blocks

Here are my two blocks for January.  Hanging a little lopsided on my design board, but done!  Yay!  I chose white for my main background and sashing color.  I am using different blues from my stash for the balance of the materials.  I have so much fabric, I know I can get a quilt done just using my stash. And blue is my favorite color.  I thought that a blue and white quilt would be just stunning!

Asterisk Block

Here is a closer look at my Asterisk block.  January blocks are slashed blocks.  This is the first time that I have sewn using this method, and it’s so easy, and liberating!  I can see me using this method to come up with some new blocks easily!

Wonky Pound Sign

This block Amy calls the Wonky Pound Sign.  I haven’t decided which way I will lay it in the quilt at this point, but it was really a fun block to make.

The February blocks are now posted up and the video is ready to roll! February is working with half-square triangles.  The blocks are called Balkan Puzzle and Chunky Chevron.  There will be more of a variety of fabrics used in these, so they will be a little more interesting.

This is really getting my creative juices flowing, which is why I decided to do it.  It’s not too late to sign up if you’re interested!  I have a link here, and then one in my sidebar.  Click on over and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Learning New Things

Posted on January 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

Along with the new year comes the renewed feeling of energy to start new things, tidy up old things, and move on.  I am so thankful for the beginning of the new year because of this feeling.  I don’t seem to feel this way any other time of the year.  Which brings me to the reason for this post.

I was browsing the internet gathering up some inspiration and looking for something that I would enjoy participating in, that I figured I would actually follow through on (something that has been a bit hard for me to do this last year or so, chuckle!)  I ran across this quilt along project that I felt would fit perfectly in my plans for 2012 and what I would like to accomplish, learn some new techniques for my sewing and get back to quilting!

Leah has a website, The Free Motion Quilting Project, where she is doing a weekly quilt along, meaning not piecing and making quilts, but teaching different quilting techniques for machine quilting!  Perfect! 

So many of us, I’m sure I’m not the only one, are afraid to move out of our comfort zone and try some new things.  And I know that I need a kick from behind to get myself going on some of these projects!

So, even though she has already started this, I am so excited to know that I will be learning some new things, and practicing along with others who are where I am, needing that nudge!

If you’re interested, click on the link above, or in my sidebar, and join us!  The more the merrier!

 

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My Design Board

Posted on June 15, 2011 | 1 Comment

I have been wanting to make a design board to lay out some of the patchwork projects that I do, for quite awhile. It makes it so much easier to see how things look together when they are laid out so that you can step back and look at them, rather than spreading everything out across a table.  I don’t have a lot of floor space in my sewing room, in fact it is filled to the brim!  So I came up with an easy and inexpensive way to make one.

Design Board

This is my hanging design board.  My sewing room is a light, light blue (actually called ash white) so it is sort of hard for me to get a really good picture of it.

I purchased a sturdy built bulletin board that was in good condition from the Goodwill.  It measures about 24″ high and 36″ across.   It is the perfect size for this wall, which is across from a double window, so it gets a lot of natural light.

Sewing Room Window

The board is so easy to make.  I didn’t take pictures along the way, but I know you will be able to follow what I am saying.

I gathered together some polyester batting, a piece of white flannel, my staple gun and the bulletin board.

First you need to lay the flannel out (I used the floor) with the right side out, or facing the floor.  Next, lay your batting on top of the flannel. Make sure that your batting will wrap around the outside edges of the wood frame on the bulletin board.  Next lay the bulletin board front (face) down on the batting. Then wrap the flannel and batting piece around the frame of the bulletin board to the back.

Starting on one long side, I pulled the flannel to the back, folded under the edge (just to make it look neater.  Not necessarily a requirement) of the flannel, and then stapled. I did the first long side, starting in the middle and working my way out to the ends, then went around the board to the second long side.

After you staple the long edges, move to the short ones, starting in the middle of each, and working your way down each side, stapling to the outside edges.  When you get to the corners, just fold the excess in and tuck it under, then staple.

Fold in the Corner and Staple

After that, if you need a hook, add one on.  Where you place it will depend on the size of your board and how you prefer to hang it.  Yay, you’re done!

Using My Design Board!

Now you can just place your material up on the board and rearrange until you get the design that you want!  The fabric just stays up on the flannel.  Or if you have heavier items, you can use pins to hold the pieces up as well.

Yay!  I am so happy to have this board! Now I guess I better get my blocks together and get them sewn!

Thanks for stopping by!

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