October Sew Sampler Box!!!

Wow, October has just been flying by!!!  And what a lovely October it has been.  I don't know about you, but we have spent some lovely time up in the mountains watching the leaves change and that just makes me smile.   And another thing that makes me smile, My October  Sew Sampler box arriving in the mail!!!  The theme for October's box was Just my Type and I am thrilled with all of the amazing quilting goodies I found inside.

We start out with fabric . . . and this month's fabric has me super excited!!!  It is a Petite Modern Backgrounds More Paper Jelly Roll.  I absolutely loved the first Modern Backgrounds line, making not 1, not 2, but 3 Quilts using it!!!   Ya, it was perfect for my Alma Mater quilts!!!!  And I am so excited to use this jelly roll of the new Modern Background line.  And I absolutely love the Ellipsis Quilt pattern that was sent with the box and plan to use the Petitie Jelly Roll for just that.  I know, weird that I won't add red, but honestly, how perfect is this pattern for a new little boy, and I just happen to have a new nephew on the way ;)  On the list to make!!!

And I was thrilled to find, that the box included the super neat X Blocks Basix ruler that you use to make the above pattern.   It is also the ruler you use to make the Basic X Block that is the coolest star block.  I have always loved this star block,  but never gotten around to looking up how to make it.   And wouldn't you know, all you need is a strip set and this awesome ruler!!! 

And since all I needed was some strips , now that I have the ruler, there was no way I was going to let this super fun star quilt continue to languish in the "someday" file in my head ;)   And you know, I always need a good Alma Mater quilt, might as well get ahead on a few.  So I whipped up a few strip sets, and before you know it . . . Stars!!!   Aren't they so cool!!!    I will be sure to share more on the progress of this quilt and how awesome and easy this little BasiX ruler is!!

The notions in this month's box were awesome as well.  My daughter has already "called" these super chic Quilt3R Label Set.  She says I already have my own, so she should get to add these into the quilts she makes.  I figure, sounds fair to me!!!    And I did not know that you could buy pre-made quilt sleeves, but as that is one of my least favorite things to make, you can imagine how excited I was to find this little gem in my box!!!  Another awesome bit of quilting goodness!!! 

And of course, with a new box, there is a new Barn Block!!!  And this month's was so much fun to make!!!  I am talking over 50 squares measuring 1 1/2" and then some!!!   Talk about your tiny little points!!!   And after last month, I decided to just keep mixing in more shades of white.   Super fun!!!   And now that I am typing this, I notice I sewed the Star block upside down. Ah well, I can fix that in a snap ;) 

And that's my October Sew Sampler Box, and I am already having so much fun with it ;)  I can't wait to share more of this awesome Basic-X Block quilt with you!!!    Fat Quarter Shop, If I have said it once, I have said it a 100 times, man I love my little Aqua Box!!!!

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

** This post contains affiliate links. 

Wool Ironing Mat & Giveaway

So when I was teaching up in Bryce Canyon earlier this year, there were a bunch of ladies that brought a Wool Ironing Mat to class to press their piecing.  I had never seen a Wool Ironing Mat, and asked them about it.   And oh my goodness, did they love their Wool Ironing Mats!!!   It has since, been in the back of my mind that I should try one out, but you know how things get busy and you forget ;)    Well, you can imagine how delighted I was when the good folks at Precious Quilting Tools emailed me to see if I wanted to try one of their Wool Ironing Mats ;)   Could it be more perfect!!

I was eager to try this mat out and see what all the Wool Ironing Mat excitement was all about.    And here was what I found over the last month of using it.  First off,  the mat is 1/2" thick so it makes it super easy to set it on any surface and press.  And the thought of having a portable pressing station that is super easy to pack and take with me when I teach.   So awesome!!! 

Second, because the mat is made of 100% Felted Wool, it is said to retain heat so that you can iron your fabric and it is like ironing from both sides at the same time.    And I was very happy to find that this was totally true.    Whenever I press seams open, I start from the back, and then give a quick once over on the front.

But when I flipped my pressing over, I found it really wasn't necessary.  My piecing was lying super flat and didn't need the once over.   I tried it with both my cordless Panasonic iron, and my pop up  Oliso iron and both had the same results ;)     And I also noticed that the wool held the fabric in place a bit, which was nice and handy and will help to avoid stretching.

And I loved that when my block was all done, even with so many matching points, it all laid super flat.   And you all know, super flat seams is a super good thing!!!  I will say,  I use a lot of steam, and when using steam on this Wool Mat, you get a bit of a wool smell.  However, it isn't a strong scent,  but if you have sensitivity to that, its a good thing to note.   Also,  I can't see myself using this to press long strip sets or yardage as it would be tedious to have to keep shifting the fabric over the mat, but for travel and pressing units, it is going to be amazing!!!

And that is my experience with my new Wool Ironing Mat and I am so excited to add it to my sewing room ;)    And the great folks at Precision Quilting Tools have allowed me to give away a second Wool Ironing Mat to one my readers!!!  

GIVEAWAY ENDED - All you have to do for your chance to win your own Wool Ironing Mat is leave me a comment at the end of this post that tells me if you like Ironing.    (my husband thinks it is quite odd that while I will press for 2 hours every night, I procrastinate ironing the Sunday shirts like nobody's business.  Pressing is fun, Ironing is a chore, tee hee hee ;)     The giveaway will be open until Monday morning when I will announce a winner here on this post ;)  

And it's that simple!!!   Thanks again to the wonderful folks at Precision Quilting Tools for sponsoring this giveaway.   And if you don't win, but still want to try out a Wool Ironing Mat, you can find them at Precision Quilting Tools  or on Amazon, or most likely at your local quilt shop ;)

And the Winner is  . . . 156 . . . Mom C .  Congrats, I have emailed you ;)

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

P.S.  In case you are wondering, The quilt blocks shown are from a new pattern I have in the works ;) Can't wait to share more!!! 

** This post contains affiliate links. 

Teaching Times - Utah Quilt Fest 2018!!!

I had such a great time this year teaching at the Utah Quilt Festival!!!  This was my third year teaching at this retreat and it is just a great one ;)   Barbara and I traveled up to Layton Utah for the retreat and had a wonderful time meeting with so many amazing quilty friends, some that we have met from previous years and a lot of new friends as well.  I just love that retreats are all about happy sewing times filled with love and laughter.

The first class I taught my Corkscrew pattern.   This is such a great class!!!  You go over so many basic piecing units and then some great tricks to have them all come together with perfect points.   Everyone did such a great job and their blocks are all just amazing!!!  And everyone finished a block by the end of class, which is just awesome as this one has quite a few pieces ;)   And I just loved seeing the different fabrics everyone choose :)

And I was super excited that Karen Tuttle, who was in my class at this same retreat the year before, brought her finished Moroccan Lullaby quilt to class to share with me.   It is just so pretty!!!  I should have taken a close up of the quilting, it is just stunning!!!  It is always so fun to see finishes from past years and it just brings a smile to my face to know these aren't turning into UFO's ;)    

The evening I taught my new Playground Picnic  pattern.   And I have to say, I was a little nervous for this class.   It's always a little scarier to teach a brand new pattern.  When I teach a class I have taught before I already know where students are going to get a little confused, or where it's easy to flip a block, etc.   But the first time, we flying blind :)   But I shouldn't have worried at all, because this class was amazing and we breezed right through, and it was oh so much fun!!!   And Shauna even brought chocolate, which is always great for an evening class!!!   And look how fun everyone's blocks are!!!  I can't wait to see these quilts come together :)

And my last class was the next morning and I taught my Square Dance pattern.   And this class was huge!!!  There were 26 students, and they all did amazing!!!  Lucky for me, This pattern is a little easier, otherwise it might have been a little crazy with that many people.   But it was just amazing.    The sewing machines just hummed away amid lots of laughter and smiles and I ran around the room seeing all of these amazing blocks come together.   Everyone did such a great job, and this class really showed just how different a quilt can look by simply changing the fabrics.   Just incredible!!! . 

And one student in class had so much fun she just couldn't stop.  Dana Tye sent me a picture of her gorgeous finished Square Dance quilt last week!!!  Isn't it just so fun!!!   And she finished it so fast!!!  I just love getting to see these finishes.   In class, each project starts as just a few blocks, and then I send them off to finish on their own.   And when they send back pictures of the finishes, well, it is akin to the feeling of a proud mama ;)   I just love it!!! 

And that is the Utah Quilt Festival in a nutshell.  It truly was such a fun few days getting to sew with so many amazing people and just enjoying the general quilty atmosphere.    I know I say it every time I get back from a retreat, but I just love to teach!!!!  It just makes my heart happy ;) 

And if you are wondering where I will be teaching next, you can always click on the Events/Teaching  tab at the top of my blog ;)   It has links to my 2019 teaching times so far ;)  Until next time, Happy Quilting!!!  

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 Little Halloween Pillow Kit of Stitched Pumpkins from Shabby Fabrics is . . .  Number #35 . . .   Congrats DD!!!   I have emailed you :)      

 

       

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by The Scarlet Thread Quilt Co.  Julie has a fantastic new shop with lots of amazing fabric goodness!!!  And, she always has amazing prices (including the awesome Clearance Selection) that make it so fun to fill up a cart ;) 

And the Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for a $25.00 Gift Certificate to The Scarlet Thread Quilt Co.  Yup, we all love a good little shopping spree in a brand new store!!!  Isn't it fun to get to pick out your favorites ;)

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 if you have started your Christmas Shopping Yet???  (I used to be done by this time of year, now I am just starting ;)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Scarlet Thread Quilt Co. love.   You can follow them on   Facebook,  or Sign up for their Newsletter (just scroll down a bit) .  Or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Scarlet Thread Quilt Co. Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, October 31st when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Seeing Stars Quilt Finish!!!

Today  I am so excited to be sharing my Finished Seeing Stars Quilt!!!!   And I even finished it for the actual parade of the Quilt Along, and now it is all ready for Christmas ;)   I absolutely love making Christmas Quilts, and I had so much fun with all of these wonderful stars each and every week!!!

Just in case you are new friend visiting, the Seeing Stars quilt is the Quilt Along that I hosted over the last two months.  Each of the posts for the Quilt-A-Long will always be on my blog.  You can follow these links to walk you through each step,  week-by-week on how to make a Roundabout Quilt , just in case you want to make your own.

Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement 

Double Star Block

Curvy Star Block  

Pinwheel Star Block 

Improv Star Block 

Basic Star Block 

Applique Star Block 

 Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky

Seeing Stars Parade and Grand Prize Winners

And as I said, this was such a fun quilt to piece!!!  Of course, it always makes it more fun to be piecing along with lots of quilty friends.   But you all know how much I love making Star Blocks.   And I had a great time designing this quilt to specifically work on lots of different techniques in creating different stars.   So ya, I loved every minute of curved, improv., applique, and of course, basic piecing!!!  I just love how the blocks pop and then a second later the secondary designs jump out at you :)    And I just love the way they all come together ;)

And ya know, you can never go wrong with making another Christmas quilt :)  I used a Fat Quarter Bundle of Swell Christmas by Urban Chicks for Moda for my quilt, and I absolutely love those jolly Santa Clauses, Beautiful Poinsettia's, and wonderful Plaids.  It is such a classically perfect Christmas line, and I just loved how it made each and every star shine in cuddly Christmas goodness!! 

When it came time to quilt, I had ideas of originally doing loopy stars, ya know, to go with the quilt design. But as I was loading the quilt on, I thought, how fun to match the Plaids instead!!!   So straight line quilting, and lots of back and forth in fun cream, red, green, and pink.    But ya, notice how there are no horizontal lines to finish this plaid look.   Ya, two problems.   One, I was having tension issues, which was causing me serious tension.   And two, somehow my leader was attached to the machine off centered, which meant my backing was off centered, which essentially left me 0" of backing left on one side of the quilt.   So while I had enough to cover the back, there was nothing left to pin it to the leaders in the opposite directions.   So long story short, the quilted plaid idea turned into quilted straight lines in opposite colors ;) 

But hey, it still looks awesome, even if it wasn't my original idea.  And I love the different color threads, it just adds a fun little pop!!!     Also,  I am happy to say that I figured out the tension problem, got the leader reset, and now I am all good to go for the next quilt ;)  Sometimes, I just have to adjust my plan to make sure I am still Happy Quilting ;) 

And that is my Seeing Stars Quilt Along Quilt!!!   And I am so, so, so happy with the finish!!!   Thanks again to everyone that quilted along with me, as that is what will always be the most special part of this quilt!!!  It truly is a wonderful reminder of so many great friends and each one of their beautiful quilts!!!!

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

Linking this finish to Myra's, and Sarah's ;)