Sew Sampler Baskets Quilt Top

So remember yesterday when I said I couldn't wait to put together my Sew Sampler Basket Quilt Top . . . Well I wasn't kidding.  I woke up early this morning and it was the first thing I wanted to work on.    And before you know it, Eeekk, So loving this!!!

When I first started these basket blocks a year ago, my plan was to use a solid background, but this morning I remembered I had the leftover "low volume" Fat Quarters from my Roundabout Quilt that uses this same line, and how fun would it be to keep the whole Low Volume theme from the basket backgrounds throughout the back of the quilt.  So I quickly pressed and cut, and then I was on fire sewing this together ;)

And I love that I also had those skinny piano keys border already cut from my Roundabout as well.  They were a little scrap piece that were all in the same size and worked perfect for that skinny little border that I just love!!!   Now it is time to get it quilted up and then I have made a scrappy print binding from some of the leftover basket pieces. It will be the perfect finish ;)  Now I just have to decide how to quilt it???  I am thinking my all over Fireworks, but we'll see.  

And I might have my Baskets Quilt Top done . . . but this fabric is already starting a New Project!!!   sSince I had a Fat Eighth bundle for these baskets and a Fat Quarter bundle of this fantastic Freedom line by Sweewater for the Roundabout quilt . . . I still had some leftovers . . . and I instantly knew what I wanted to make with them.  I started slicing everything into 2 1/2" strips, and what really makes it fun is that all the strips are different lengths depending on how much was used for the baskets.

And then I sliced up all the leftover Low Volume prints and stacked them up.   Won't this goregous stack make the best 4th of July Ribbons Quilt!!!!   Time to get stitching ;)

Thanks for popping in today and each day!!  I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Linking up this quilt top finish to Amanda's, Sarah's, and Myra's ;)

March Sew Sampler Box!!!

Another month come and gone and another happy Blue Box arriving on my doorstep!! My March Sew Sampler box showed up and I was all kinds of squealing when I opened the lid to see that Spectrum was this month's theme ;)    I just knew it was going to have a rainbow of quilty goodness inside and it did not disappoint!!! So excited!!!

I have already played with Vanessa Christensen's new Ombre Confetti Metallic fabrics in this Shine Quilt and Tutorial, so I was so happy to find a Half Yard Bundle of 4 stunning colors!!  Doesn't that just make you so happy for Spring :)   I don't know what these are going to be used for yet, but I am thinking they will be for something special indeed.  

And how fun is this new Curvy Log Cabin ruler!!!   Talk about some fun tiny piecing.  And I am so loving that center star in The Sparkler Quilt.  This has me wanting to make a quilt of just curvy stars.  Wouldn't that be so awesome!!  And since the ruler just trims, I can just use scrappy strips to put it together and it will go so quick ;)

And I was thrilled to see more True Grips!!  These were in one of the first Sew Sampler Boxes and I love adding them to the backs of my rulers.  They really do eliminate a lot of the slipping, which is nice as I try not to put as much pressure on my ruler anymore (don't want to have to have carpal tunnel surgery again in 5 years, tee hee hee ;)   And finally, this Bella Rose Gold Tape Measure is just so pretty.   I don't see myself using it a whole lot (not much of a garment maker here ;)  but I know just the person that it will be a wonderful little gift for ;)   

And I am so, so, so excited because this is the final Basket Block!!!   Block 12 and wow, I can't believe how fast that went by!!!  My goal is to get all 12 blocks made up into a quilt before next month, because I wan't this done before we see the big reveal of what to expect for the next year!!!  I totally can't wait to see this new years blocks ;)

And that is my March Sew Sampler Box  . . . and wow, this marks the end of 2 years with Sew Sampler and I have just loved every month of it!!  Can't wait for Year 3 to see what amazing quilty goodness it brings!!!


Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!


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If you Give a Quilter a Sale

So you know that book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie . . . Well that is how today's post is going down ;)

You see, two weeks ago, Martingale Publishing had their Semi-annual Warehouse Sale,   And if you give a Quilter a book sale . . . She will have to browse through it.   I love adding to my quilting library at this sale, but this year, I didn't buy quilting books, I bought Bag books!!!   Windy City Bags by Sara Lawson and Style and Swing by Susan Dunlop to be exact and I am super excited (and scared)  I have wanted to give bag making a try for a while now, and now I think it might actually happen!  But if you give a Quilter a Structured Bag Book . . .  you are going to need some Structure :)   So off, I went to buy some Soft and Stable ;)

But while I was looking for Soft and Stable, I noticed a little banner that said Fat Quarter Shop was having their Annual Spring Cleaning Sale!!  And if you give a Quilter a Sale . . . she has to browse through it, right :)   I like to search the pre-cuts first and was so excited to find a Little Miss Sunshine Jelly Roll in the sale because I absolutely love this line and had used my layer cake in a previous project.   But if you Give a Quilter a Jelly Roll . . . She will need a project to make with it.  And  I instantly thought of the  Jelly Roll Rug Pattern.  I have loved seeing all of these on Instagram and I have so, so, so wanted to make one.  Not only are they super cute, but they would use up some of my endless batting scraps!!!   I can't wait to start this, and I have a feeling I won't be able to stop at just 1, good thing I have more Jelly Rolls stashed ;)

And I was all ready to check out, But if you Give a Quilter an Amazing Sale . . . She has to buy more than one Pre-Cut, right :)  (Please tell me you all add extra goodies in your cart just because :  You all know I love Charm Packs and I just let a good friend use my Just Another Walk in the Woods Charm Pack to make a Charming Tote and it turned out so cute, I knew I needed to make one in the same fabric.   And the Grand Canal Charm Pack, well I just love Kate Spain and hey, I could have got the layer cake too :)

So I am curious, is this how you find your quilting shopping works too??  I wouldn't be surprised because you know, If you Give a Quilter a Sale . . . 

Hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day ;) 



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Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day so let's have some fun :)

But first, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the $25.00 Gift Certificate from Lou Lou's Fabric Shop  is . . .   Number #42. Congrats Mary on Lake Pulaski !!!   I have emailed you :)      

 

  

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Olie and Evie.  Rhonda's shop is so fun and full of so much amazing quilting goodness!!!!  Of course, there is the amazing fabric shop we all know and love along with longarm quilting, gift certificates, preorders, and a destash page!!    Rhonda has so much to share so be sure to pop on over and check it out!!!

And Rhonda's has a fantastic Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!!     Olie and Evie  is giving one lucky winner a copy of Lissa Alexander's new book Oh, Scrap!  that I reveiwed last week, as well as a Moda Scrap Bag to go along with it!!!  You will be all set to get your Scrap Quilting On!!!   What an awesome giveaway ;)   

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.  Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that tells me a scrappy quilt that is on your to make list  ;)   

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Olie and Evie love.   You can follow them on  Facebook, Instagram  or Pinterest or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Olie and Evie Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday,  April 3rd when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Clementine Quilt Along - Peaches & Plenty

It's the 25th and that means it is month 3 of the Clementine Quilt Along hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop!!!! I am having so much fun with these blocks!!!  This month's set of blocks is called Peaches & Plenty and they are just so much fun because wow, talk about so many wonderful points!! 

Again, we are making a 20" and 12" version of the block.  And this month's blocks are all about my two favorite quilting units, Flying Geese and HST's ;)   Aren't they just the best for making such great designs!!    And honestly, I just love watching all of those points come together, especially in the center pinwheel!!   So fun :)

So are you joining in the Clementine fun???  If so, you can download the block pattern right here and  then pop on over and donate $5.00  to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  :) I just love doing these annual Charity QAL's!!!    And wow, the goal is half way there!!  Quilters are just the most amazing people!!

And like always, Fat Quarter Shop has made an super fun  You Tube video tutorials that walk you through making this month's block.  And I just love the peppy little tune they put the tutorial to, so fun!!

Be sure to share all of your Clementine progress on social media with #clementinequiltalong and check out these fabulous bloggers who are quilting along for some Peaches & Plenty block inspiration :)  

*April of April Rosenthal (@amrosenthal)

Bonnie of Sunset Family Living (@sunsetfamilyliving)

Cara of That Crafty Cara (@thatcraftycara)
Carrie of Moda Cutting Table (@modafabrics)

Denise of Pieced Brain (@piecedbrain)

Elise of Elise and Emelie (@eliseandemelie)

Gina of Carpe Quiltin (@gina_tell_carpequiltin)

Heather of A Creative Pursuit (@acreativemama)

Hilary of By Hilary Jordan (@byhilaryjordan)

Jan of Cocoa Quilts (@cocoaquilts)

Jen of Heritage Threads (@heritage.threads)

Joanne of Quilts by Joanne (@turtlequilterjo)

Kairle of Kairle Oaks Handcrafted Goodness (@kairleoaks)

Kendra of Good Starter (@good_starter)

Kristen of 3 in the Nest (@threeinthenestraleigh)

Kristina of Center Street Quilts (@centerstreetquilts)

Leah of Ponderings from My Heart (@ponderingsfrommyheart)

Melanie of A Bit of Scrap Stuff (@mellierc)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Pat of Pat Sloan (@quilterpatsloan)

Pat B. of Life in the Scrapatch (@scrapatches)

Patty of Elm Street Quilts (@elmstreetquilts)

Rebecca of One Wee Bird (@oneweebird)

Sarah of 123 Quilt (@123quilt)

Seema of SSK Craft Shop (@sskcraftshop)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Stephanie of Quilt 'n Party (@quiltnparty)

Tanya of Tanya Quilts in CO (@tanyaquiltsinco)

Teresa of Aurea's Kitchen (@aureaskitchen)

Vickie of Crocheting Vixen (@crochetingvixen)

And there is Month 3 of the Clementine Quilt Along which means we are half way done!!!!   Be back next month  on the 25th to share the fourth set of blocks!! There is still lots of time to join in the  Clementine Quilting Along??  We are having much fun!!!

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

Kismet - A Finished Quilt!!

I made this quilt a year ago and have been anxiously awaiting to share it ;)  I showed just a bit of it earlier this week when I shared  Lissa Alexander's   Oh, Scrap!book that it can be found in.  Which you can still enter to win an e-book copy of, just sayin ;)   But I wanted to share more here today, because this quilt really deserves it's own post.   I am so glad that Lissa asked if I could make it for her amazing Oh, Scrap! book.  It was so incredibly fun to make and was a fantastic stash buster, double bonus!!    It's called Kismet and I just love it!!!

When Lissa first asked me to make a quilt for her Oh, Scrap!  book over a year ago, she asked if I could come up with an alternate colorway of her fun Courthouse Steps design.  I looked through my scrap stash (yes, its getting so large I am considering it stash now :)  and immediately knew I wanted to make Lissa's  blocks in beautiful blues and greens as those were the drawers that were overflowing.  I just love seeing this combination of cool colors and after I had it all put together, I realized that my scrap stash is pretty bright and happy ;)   Which is just perfect for me ;) 

Kismet is made with 1 1/2" width strips that finish at 1".  Talk about scrappy goodness!!!  I love scrap quilts and scrap quilts made of tiny pieces, amazing!!!   Sure, it took a little while to cut them all out, but totally worth it :)   And what a great way to combine so many bits of pieces of other quilts into one quilt.  I love that scrappy quilts also make wonderful memory quilts ;)  

 And I love the way Lissa designed this quilt to go together on point.  It really makes you take a second look as it seems to be a string quilt when you first see it, until you notice all of the edges of the block are stair stepping.    Such a cool optical illusion that way!!

When it came time to quilt it I decided on simply wavy horizontal lines.   I figured with all of that scrappy goodness, I wanted to keep it simple in the quilting ;)   And I love how nice and soft it keeps the quilt ;)

And I just had to share this fun picture of Kismet blowing in the wind ;)  And speaking of fun, I found out from Lissa  that Kismet got it's name because it really ended up being fateful that I made a quilt in this alternate colorway.  You see, the original Courthouse Steps quilt for Lissa's book that she had made turned up missing when it was time to send the quilts to the publisher.   So Kismet ended up being the actual pattern quilt in the book and Lissa came up with the perfect name for it.

And that is Kismet  :)  It finises at 74" x 92" and I have two boys that really want to claim it as their new bedspread.  We will have to see how that plays out, although I have enough blue and green scraps still to make a matching set, tee hee hee ;) 

Thanks for stopping in today and sharing this long awaited finish with me!!

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Weekend :)

Linking up to Amanda's, Sarah's, and Myra's ;)  

Teaching Times - Quilty Friends Winter Retreat

This was the first time I taught at the Quilty Friends Winter Retreat held at Bryce Canyon and I had oh so much fun!!!!   The retreat was 3 fun filled days of sewing, friends, and food ;)    I already posted back here about how much fun Barbara and I had in class, and the two classes I taught were just fantastic!!!   This is a tight knit group that comes to this retreat every year (as in they open registration and it is full in 1-2 days) so to be among them in class was just fantastic.   And the trunk shows and guest speakers were so fun :)   And I have to mention the food!  I have never attended a retreat where the meals were part of it, but this Inn had a restaurant attached to the hotel where we ate our lunches and dinners together as a group :)  Talk about amazing meals with so many laughs and good friends, I just loved it!!!

The first class I taught was my Moroccan Lullaby Pattern pattern!!   This is always a fun class to teach and I just love getting to share my way of making Lattice Blocks, especially because for a lot of students, it's their first time making Lattice Blocks which is always great because I love it when we get to try new things in class!!! !   And it is always so fun to see all of the different fabrics everyone chooses.     We had some fun background fabrics this time around that are so going to pop!!

And here is a closer look at each of their blocks. Everyone did such an amazing job!!!  By the end of class, everyone had finished a block and quite a few were well on their way to more blocks ;)  All of these ladies were so great to work with and I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see everyone get so excited when they sew together that last seam!! 

The next day I taught my  Corkscrew Pattern  with 8 amazing ladies!!!  We were a smaller class but we still had just as much fun and good times :)  I wasn't able to get a group picture as several gals were heading home after class and everyone was leaving at different times to be sure and get home in good driving conditions.   But here you can see each of their blocks and how great they all did.   I just love teaching Corkscrew because it is one of those designs that looks super complex, but when broken down, it's really very manageable and oh so much fun!!!  And everyone's blocks just looked so awesome, I can't wait to see these blocks turned into quilts :)

And that is what I will look forward to next year!!!   Everyone gets to bring back their quilt finishes from previous years retreats and share them, and I am so hoping to get to see some of these blocks turned into finished quilts ;)  It really is just the best to get to see quilts from class finished and how happy their quilter is with them!!   Already looking forward to next February!!! 

If I have said it once, I have said it 100 times,  I love teaching quilting classes!!!!    I can't wait for June when I get to teach at the  Panguitch Quilt Walk .  Maybe I will see you there ;)  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

Oh, Scrap! Blog Hop and Giveaway

Today I am so very excited to share with you all a fantastic new book, Oh, Scrap! by my very good friend, Lissa Alexander !!  And let me just tell you, this book is incredible!!!  I can't stop adding to the list of  "to make" quilts from this!!!   And since they are all scrap quilts, and my scrap bins continue to overflow, I just might have to make them all (eventually ;)

You might know Lissa as Moda Lissa.   She is the head of Marketing at Moda Fabrics and is an amazing quilter!!!  This is her first stand alone book, but she has been the creative genius working behind the scenes on lots of compilation books, like the Moda All Star Books, and the Sweet Celebration book which just happened to be my first time being published in a book.   I am still so grateful that she sent me a little invite to be a part of that book as it really got me started on the publishing path.   Lissa has been a wonderful friend and mentor guiding me through a lot of this industry and giving me wonderful opportunities to share my work :)   I can not thank her enough for her friendship and guidance!!

Lissa has been working in the quilting industry for over 25 years and this book is like getting all of that scrappy quilting knowledge tied up with lots of pretty pictures and a bow on top :)  Seriously, it is amazing!!!  You will find so many wonderful tidbits of scrappy goodness that Lissa has picked up over the years and is now sharing in her own fun way.  Reading through the book truly feels like I am sitting at Lissa's kitchen table with a pile of scraps as we go through it and decide how best to use them.   Which, I would totally love to literally do someday!!! 

And as I said before, Oh, Scrap! is full of amazing scrap quilts and you will want to make every single one of them.    And now I am excited to finally get to share that I was so very blessed to have made one of the quilts in  Oh, Scrap! !!!  It's called Kismet and I just love it!!!   A long while back,  Lissa asked if I could take her Courthouse Steps block and make it up in my own color layout  to give it a new spin and of course, I couldn't say yes fast enough!!  

  I went to my scrap bins and instantly realized that I had an overflowing box of blues and greens and thought they would be perfect for a relaxing type feel.  I started cutting a string of blue in green from every piece of scrap in my bins.  This was such a fun trip down memory lane for me. I love that about scrap quilts, they really are a wonderful representation of so many other quilts and more importantly, the people those quilts were for ;)    And they also look pretty fun all laid out in a row ;)  

I had so much fun making up the Kismet blocks and they really went together fast as I just chain pieced each new row on all the blocks.   And before you knew it, Kistmet!!!  I can't say how happy I am with how this scrappy quilt came together and I am again, so grateful that Lissa asked me to be a small part of her incredible Oh, Scrap! book!!!   I will share lots more about this quilt later on, but for know, I want to get back to more quilts from Oh, Scrap!

I knew as soon as Oh, Scrap! arrived in my mailbox, that I totally needed to start another scrap project, but the hard part is, which quilt to start on???  They are all just so fun!!  I debated on starting with the cover quilt, called Izzy Squared with all of it's yummy squared goodness, or maybe even this gorgeous Sherbet Stars quilt as I am a big fan on Lone Stars and their super fun construction.  

But in the end, it had to be Lissa's Surrounded quilt.  In the intro to this quilt, Lissa wrote about how she found she always had leftover light-colored prints from her Moda precuts that are known as "low volume" fabrics that didn't quite fit in her planned color schemes.   So she challenged herself to create a low-volume quilt and Surround was the result.    

This intro spoke to me as I find I am in that same boat of not using my Low-Volume prints from my pre-cuts :)  I have another scrap drawer that I throw all of these bits and pieces in wondering what i will ever use them for.   Well, the bin was tossed on the cutting mat yesterday and I started cutting.   Another super helpful tidbit from the book, you don't have to cut a scrap quilt out all at once!!!!

I love that Lissa's includes what pieces you need just for each block so you can cut until you get a tired of it, and then pull out the pieces you need to make a block.     I love those oh so cute, 1" finished chain blocks, but with hundreds of them needed in a quilt, I am happy to cut as I go ;)  And another helpful tidbit, Lissa helps explain about value and how it can help you determine what is "low-volume" which I have always wondered about ;)    See what I mean, so many jewels of scrappy hints!!!

So I have 1 block done and lots to go, but I am just thrilled to be making this scrappy Surrounded quilt!!!  I plan to use all solids in the chains and make a serious dent in my "low-volume" bin.   It's not often I make a quilt this way, one block at a time I mean,  but I am super excited to really take this project slow and enjoy the scrappy process.

And that is a small taste of Oh, Scrap!   I can't say enough good about this book!!  It truly is scraptastic and I don't see it going on the shelf for a long time.  I think I will finish one scrappy project and then just choose another from it's pages ;)  

And if you haven't had a chance to check out Oh, Scrap!, you are in for a treat!!   One lucky reader is going to win their own e-book copy of Oh, Scrap!  Lissa and Martingale are giving away of Oh, Scrap! along each stop of this fun Blog Hop!

 All you have to do to have a chance to win is leave me a comment telling me your favorite scrappy quilt you have made or want to make!!

I will choose a winner on Saturday, the 24rd :)    Good luck to all!!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED - The winner is #21 - Congrats to Linda!!!  I have emailed you ;) 

And be sure to follow along with the Oh, Scrap! blog tour for lots more chances to win and a ton more Oh, Scrap! eye candy!!!

Thursday – March 15 – Lissa Alexander

Friday – March 16 – Pat Sloan

Saturday – March 17 – Corey Yoder of Coriander Quilts

Sunday – March 18 – Barbara Brackman  

Monday – March 18 – Alison Dale of Fabric Expressions

Tuesday – March 20 – Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting

Wednesday – March 21 – Moi ~ The Cutting Table

Thursday – March 22 – Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life

Friday – March 23 – Kimberly Jolly of the Fat Quarter Shop

Saturday – March 24 – Teresa Silva of Quilting is My Bliss

Sunday – March 25 – Jane Davidson of QuiltJane

Monday – March 26 – Jenny Wilding Cardon of Martingale/That Patchwork Place

Thanks for popping in today and I hope you have a very Happy (and Scrappy) Quilting Day!!!

P.S.  It's still Tuesday and we are also have Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day along with this Giveaway.   If you are looking for that post, you will find it here ;) 


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Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day so let's have some fun :) 

But first, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the Somebunny Loves You Fat Quarter Collection from Four Peaches Fabric  is . . .   Number #189. Congrats Lynne Tilley!!!   I have emailed you :)      

 

  

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop .    Did you know that Jamie makes a new Lou Lou Bundle every Tuesday . . . there are so many to choose from and they are all just stunning!!!  Along with hosting the giveaway, Jamie is having a  Fantastic Sale with with lots of amazing discoutns!!!!  And Jamie is also offering all Happy Quilting readers a special discount of  20% off Your Cart with the code happyquilting !!!  Oh, so much fun shopping!!!

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for some shopping goodness!!  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop is offering one lucky reader a $25.00 Gift Certificate perfect to use on anything in the store, including any of the awesome Lou Lou Bundle's!!  Just perfect!!!!

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.   Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that tells me what you wore that was Green on St. Patrick's Day :)

 ENTRY 2 - Lets show Lou Lou's Fabric Shop some Love!!!!   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.  Or you can follow their blog or  visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Lou Lou's Fabric Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, March 27th  when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!