A Weekend Project: Playing with Pinwheels

This weekend I wanted to work on a quilt project, but was really not inspired to work on on anything I had on the table, so i looked around for a quick project. Usually, that means that I dig through my bin of Quiltsmart ZigZapps!, but this time I pulled out two Rambling Rose by Moda charms packs I'd gotten at their end og the year sale. It was just enough to do something new and small enough to finish.

I perused my quilt pins on Pinterest and decided to finally get over my (irrational) fear of triangles, so I decided to do a pinwheel table topper. I sorted through the teals, pinks, brown and tan 5-inch squares and matched them up to make pairs for the pinwheels. I paired each pink with a tan and each teal with a dark brown. I had two 5-inch squares of each fabric and matched the same fabrics together. 

I know that pinwheels are easy, but just in case you haven't made any, here is the simple method I used.

First, I flipped over one in each pair (the pink or the teal) and drew a diagonal like from top to bottom like this.

Then I pinned each marked square with its mate, right sides together, on either side of the line.

At the sewing machine, I used the line as a guide and sewed 1/4 inch on each side of the line. After each one was sewn on each side of the line I cut the pairs apart on the line, creating two half-square traingles, a little larger than 4 1/2 inches each. (Not shown.)

Afterwards, I had 4 half-square traingles of each of the fabric pairs.

I trimmed each one down to the next half-inch. Unfortunately, I was watching my little guy play in the back yard and cutting the squares in front of our big picture window and cut a few sets at 4-inches before realizing my mistake, so then I just made all of them 4-inch squares.

Once I had the sets of half-square triangles, I flipped them all sorts of ways to see what my choices were, but this time I stayed with my original plan and decided to make pinwheels. 

I sewed them together and soon had 16-pinwheels ready to be put together. 

I'll show you the finished tabletopper later. I am hoping to use it for a feature story I am writing for TEAinTEXAS' summer issue.

This was a quick and easy project. If it wasn't for our sewer line breaking, unexpected out of town family stopping by for a visit, vehicle maintenance and birthday dinner out with friends, I would have been able to finish it in one weekend!!

Until our next cup of tea,

Life and Crafts: A Balancing Act

What a busy weekend we had! It's been a few days since my last post because we really ran around a lot this weekend. Lunch with my parents, trip to a quilt shop where Grammie got to show off the No. 1 Grandchild to her friends, a trip to the store to start our first ever holiday village, with A LOT of input and advice from the littlest among us. Who knew he was such an expert!?!

I was able to get some work started on a variety of projects this weekend, including some work on the next border row for my Lone Robin which is Quiltsmart inspired this year. I can't show you what I am doing, but I can tell you that I am excited about the technique that I am using for this border.

I actually spent a little time throughout the past few days conversing with Mattie and Quiltsmart Mandy about project notes and ideas. So inspirational when you find friends who share the same interests and passions.

There was so much going on event through yesterday and this morning that I am only now getting to sit down and write it all down. In fact, I am sitting here with a fireside seat at La Madeleine, ready to write a book, but I only have time for a blog post or two. Mmm, this tomoato soup is amazing ... Oh, right. I'm on a time limit!!

I also made some Christmas ornaments this weekend and will post as soon as I take photos.

This time of year is filled with so much inspiration everywhere! The past few weeks I have been out delivering the Winter Issue of TEAinTEXAS and I have visited about 5-7 antique shops a week. Just this morning, I visited an antique shop and found a lost treasure that will eventually find a home at my mom's house, but I'll tell you all about it before then.

My list of Quiltsmart projects is growing, but still manageable. There are some quick projects that I will be showing finished soon, and some that will take a little bit more time as my calendar fills with holiday activities. 

Until our next cup of tea ...

The End of Another Quilt Show

We closed out the 40th Annual International Quilt Festival with a bang. O.k., maybe not a bang, so much as a clatter (of tea canisters) and a snap (of the plastic bin lids). It was my first year working at the TEAinTEXAS booth and the first year not working at the Bear Thread Designs booth (though I did help set up the booth).

I was excited to see so many quilters who enjoyed tea, many of them actively looking for us and expressing relief upon finding us because we were not in our usual location. This year we had a double booth instead of the regular single booth because in addition to our 25 tea blends, we had tea pots, tea balls, and strainers. 

We also had a large collection of gift items such as a trio tea chest, a 12 Teas of Christmas, both Texas-themed and Quilter's-themed gift sets, and Celebration cups, a papercraft teacup with a teabag and spoon, perfect for stocking stuffers. 

The best part (if you asked me) was the samples! We sampled at least 3 of our teas each day, as well as our DILLectible Dill Dip perfect for cucumber sandwiches and our scones. So much yummy-ness!! 

There were so many booth there and lots of inspiration. I chatted with quite a few friends such as Tea Time Quilting in Houston and Jordan Fabrics. Of course, once again I got fabric from Jordan Fabrics and I fell in love with an apron pattern from Tea Time Quilting, so that's been added to my project list.  

Tea Time Quilting is a TEAinTEXAS partner and were across the aisle from us at the festival, so I'm quite glad they are close by because I fell in love with so much fabric in their booth but both booths were fairly busy the wholes festival so I didn't have much of a chance to shop. I'm not worried, I have to deliver the Holiday TEAinTEXAS issue this week and hopefully will get to pick up some sweet treats.

I think the most amazing and inspirational part of the festival is the quilt display. There was a collection of red and white quilts commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Festival and it was just breathe-taking.

Well, I'm off to go and reorganize my fabric stash since I destroyed it choosing fabrics for the 4 pattern samples TEAinTEXAS sells at the festivals and craft fairs. I'll post photos of those later ...

Until our next cup of tea ...

Quiltsmart Rescue

Hopefully you are enjoying the Quiltsmart posts. I am very excited about the projects and having so much fun with them. A few set backs, but it's less stressful when I have multiple projects to work on. I hate when I am so focused on one project, if I come to a problem like fabric shortage or running out of the correct thread, it derails the entire day!

So yesterday, I was working on my medallion for my solo Round Robin and despite being pinned to the fabric the printed interfacing was snagging on the bottom of the foot on my machine. The previous 20+ pieces I had sewn had no issue. But things happen and it made this piece all puckered and wobbly (technical term!). My Mom thorized that the bobbin had gotten snagged on something internally because the stitches got really close together in some parts. 

Since I hadn't changed the foot, stitch, tension, etc., it seemed plausible. I was worried about how to proceed since this was a centerpiece that the "feathers" revolve around. So my options were:

Discard the piece and go on without it (Quickest method)

Replace it with a ZigZapp circle or other shape (Easiest method)

Carefully try rip the stitches and salvage the interfacing and fabric (Chaleenging method)

Mom and Mattie have both said that the interfacing is stronger than it appears, so as long as I was careful it would be o.k. 

So in the end, I was able to fix the problem. Obviously, its not something you'd want to do often, but at least ypu don't have to scrap a project because of a mistake!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! A Proclaimation!

I have declared it The Year of Quiltsmart! Seriously, I have so much interfacing that I have purchased or been gifted from the owner, Mattie, over the past 2 years or so and I have a list of projects I have been wanting to do. 

Mattie and my Mom, who owns Bear Thread Designs, have worked together for years, friends almost from the start. As we all do, we help our mom's friends nearly as much as our own moms, so sometimes when I help Mattie she will pass along printed interfacing that was pulled from stock because it was printed wrong, or too light, or other minor imperfections. I guess she thinks I'm too old to reward with ice cream (I'm not Mattie!!)

Anyway, last weekend as I was looking for a particular fabric I decided this year (meaning school year) was going to be Quiltsmart Project Year!! I'm a little excited! 

Wednesday night I was watching reruns with my husband of our favorite show and decided to multi-task and organize some of my craft room stuff, which ended up being organizing and sorting my Quiltsmart printed interfacing ... 

Thursday night, I was able to finish sewing the pieces of the Princess Feather Medallion to their fabric and all except 3 pieces were flipped and ironed. Hope to finish that this weekend so I can get the medallion sewn down and be ready when the Round Robin meets in September.

 

 

Last night, I worked on the design and plan for a floral quilt, using Quiltsmart ZigZapps. I even started sewing because  this quilt is one that I am very excited about. It's one that I have wanted to mimic from a quilt my mother has from a class. Since it was applique, I didn't even attempt it, but I found a way to recreate it with Quiltsmart! 

 

 

So, um, yeah. Now you know I am a project-hopper. I usually work on about 3 projects at a time, rotating to whatever project hits me when I walk into the room. I actually get projects done.

I'll keep you posted as the projects progress.

Until our next cup of tea ...

 

Picking Back Up On These Patriotic Projects

This past weekend, life finally slowed down long enough for me to pull my chair up to the sewing machine for a little stress-relieving sewing. First I did a little organizing, my craft stuff is in a pile since we added a third workspace to our office/craft room once I started working from home for the magazine ... but the craft shelf was put on hold when our little guy had one too many tantrums about picking up his toys and Daddy boxed everything up and put it in the office. It didn't affect him at all. It's been three months and he hasn't missed the toys at all. {sigh}

So for now, everything craft-related is still in boxes until we can sort through and get rid of the toys and he earns the rest back with helping us around the house, but more on that later.

While I was looking through the boxes, trying to find something to work on (trust me there were quite a few half-finished to choose from). I found a small group of triangles made from strips. So I started sewing them together.

The stripes were going in various directions and I ended up with three different blocks in the end.

I made two of these ...

... Six of these ...

... And two of these ...





The way I cut them was random and not by any pattern, rather a passing thought that was apparently interesting enough for me to make a bunch of strips and sewed them together, then cut. Unfortunately, I cannot find the notes I'd made to allow me to make more, so that's why I was left with triangles in a pile. But not to waste them, I decided to sew them together and see what inspiration I would find. After staring at this random group of blocks, I think I've got an idea of what I'd like to with them now.

This small flag was made around the same time as the strips. I used a star from Quiltsmart, and I think I may make some more of these for a small table topper or something ...

Well, I'll keep you posted on the progress of these projects and more ...

Until our next cup of tea ...

Waiting with Anticipation ...

Editor's Note: I had wanted to post this yesterday, but had to wait for my mom to return from the Quilt Retreat where they revealed the Round Robin quilts to the owners. I was unable to make it and since she didn't return until nearly 10 p.m., this post is going out today instead.

This week I finished my first Quilting Round Robin. Last November my Mom and a group of quilting friends needed another person to fill out their Round Robin, which was part of 3 other groups of 6. Since we started a meeting behind and one person short, we needed to attend our first meeting, their second meeting, with our medallion block and one border.

This was my medallion, is Sweet Tea Cottage Block of the Sweetheart Cottages in the Follow Your Heart Pattern by The Quilt Company. It was the first pieced quilt block like this. It was not as hard as I thought it would be and look forward to trying other patterns in the future.

 

Then I added a checker board style border and solid to bring out more of the green accents in the medallion.

 

 

The Shabby Chic look and soft pinks and greens are something that I have always loved though it was not the dream George had in mind for a home when we got married, so I never really decorated the home in that theme. But when I saw the Sweet Tea Cottage Block, I know it had to be the centerpoint of my quilt.

 

As far as my first Round Robin experience, I would have to say it was very intimidating. I am a novice quilter, at best, mostly making large repeating blocks. I have been exploring with Quiltsmart's printed interfacing, but I have very little confidence in my own skills. It was a big hindrance because despite the support and encouragement of the other quilts in my team and the others in the group, I still felt like I would be the person to mess up these beautiful quilts for everyone else and it soon prevented me from having fun. I learned a lot from the other participants and really enjoyed the experience, but after some thought I decided to continue in the Round Robin ... but solo. That just means each meeting I will work on a quilt and add a border, it will just be one quilt - mine. That way if I ruin it, or waste fabric trying to do something new, or any of the other worries I had, it will be at a cost to me, not another quilter. In fact, it will be the one I wrote about in my last post.

 

But regardless, last night was amazing. My mom arrived, as I said, pretty late. We had just come back from an Astros (MLB) baseball game and was trying to get the 4-year-old to settle down after copious amounts of junk food and sugary treats.

 

She arrived, ready to reveal my quilt and this is what greeted me ...

 

 

 

A few close ups of the various borders ...

 



 

Absolutely beautiful! I just keep opening it up and looking at it ... only to find something new to fall in love with. {sigh}

I will probably add another border or two to finish it off, and then hopefully get it quilted. But this wasn't the only tea-themed surprise this weekend. Come back later to learn what else I got to feed my obsession!

Until our next cup of tea ...

 

Quilting with Quiltsmart

So I just finished the last of the quilts from the Round Robin I participated in this past year (post on that coming tomorrow). But during that time I have been wanting to just saddle up the the sewing machine and get creative with some of the Quiltsmart interfacing I've got in my QS box in my sewing room. It sits there staring at me, begging to be inspiring but with so much on my plate lately and the commitments that I'd made didn't allow me to just be creative at the sewing machine. In fact, sometimes I was stressed trying to get to the projects on my list!

But, the Round Robin quilt that I finished on Tuesday was the final project to be complete! So excited!! Even though I am in the final frenzied weeks of the Fall Quilt Issue at TEAinTEXAS, I did spend my lunch hour "playing". 

I had previously started working on a Princess Feather pattern. The first border is not necessarily a border as much as turning the medallion on point. Something that I am scared to do because of the math involved and the potiental to waste fabric getting it right. But turning it on point using the grid interfacing and 2-in squares. Previously I had cut the squares and ironed them to the interfacing hoping for time to sew them ... but then my sewing machine broke.

But my dear sweet husband surprised me with a Husquvarna Viking Opal 670 in May and now I am in heaven!! So today, I finally had the time to get some stitching done, so off I went, getting started on my waiting Quiltsmart project!

Oh, did I mention it's Christmas themed!?! I have never made a quilt with the holiday theme or colors. I have always been hesitant because it was a little intimidating to make a quilt that was Christmas-y without being childish or "country", I wasn't sure if I could make one that was elegant and holiday-insired. But I am up for the challenge!! 

So let's see where this journey takes us!!

I am also in the early stages of working on a secret Quiltsmart project, something that I'd been thinking of and making notes on for about a year now. I'll post some sneak peeks of it, but am hoping that I can have the full vision complete by Christmas for a big reveal. Fingers crossed! 

Until our next cup of tea ...

 

Freebie Friday: Falling in Love with Fall

I'm not going to lie, I LOVE fall. Its been hard though, being stationed in Miami these last 2 years. I miss "fall" ... the color changes, cooler weather, random hot beverages ...

My favorite holiday is Christmas and hubby's is Halloween, so we go all out! I have really been in the mood lately- taking out decorations, working on Fall/Halloween projects ... all while the temp steadily rises. Yep, the highs are in the 90s this week and I am hoping for a random cool front.

With that said, this week's Friday Freebie was super fun ... and slightly scary!

designed by: Glory Bee
Pattern found at her blog: Glory Bee-Free Boo Chart

Stitched:
September 2011

Material:
Charles Craft diamond terry weave towel with
a 16-count Aida border

Floss:
Pattern Reccommendations for DMC
with the exception of pumpkin changed to DMC 722.

Until our next cup of tea ...