Improv. Quilt Back

Oh my goodness, We had a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend!!!  Sadly, I forgot to take the camera. (of course)  So I will try to sum it up for you . . . good food, warm sun, beautiful beach, great friends and some very, very happy children!!!

So now this morning, I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to sort our laundry, pay bills, and basically get life back together.  But I did take a few seconds out to check out what kind of leftovers I had after completing my 30's reproduction fabric project (Which I promise to show more of in the coming future :)

I love pieced backs and am excited that I should have enough leftover to make a cute pieced backing.  I have never made a pieced back completely improvising as I go but I keep hearing how fun it is.  So I decided this morning, today is the day to check that off my list.  I know this will be hard for me as I always like to have a plan, but I have made up my mind.  I am just going to start picking things up and sewing, and see how it ends up :)  Wish me luck :)

Have you improvised pieced before??  Do you like it or not so much??  Tell me your story before I share my experience and opinion. (hopefully tomorrow, if all goes to plan, which it never does :)

Winner, Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered in my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!!!   Let's get right to it :)

The winner of the Freebird Charm Pack is . . .  #226 . . . Char!!!!!

Char 26said...

I've always liked the Freebird fabric, it's so colorful!

May 23, 2011 9:36 PM 

(yes, I know this number only says 26 but my counter stars over at 200 :)

Congrats to Char!!!  I have sent you an email to get your address :)

Have a Happy Quilting Weekend and Enjoy your Memorial Day Break!!!  We are headed to the beach!!!!  The water will be cold but that won't stop my kids from having a blast!

Teacher Gifts

It's the last day to enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway here :)

It hit me this morning when my son was running around singing something about only having  to wake up for 2 more weeks that there are just over 2 weeks of school left.  Yikes!!!  That means 2 more weeks to get teacher gifts done.  And of course, I haven't even thought about what to do, Double Yikes!!!

Quick, Quick, off to the Google Mobile to do some "research" on great Teacher Gift Tutorials.  After about 10 minutes I had made my selection.  And I have to say, I was not shocked at all to find that my favorite tutorial just happened to be at The Moda Bake Shop and by none other than Rachel from p.s. I quilt.

So I am off to the store to get some wooden frames so that I can whip up 3 of these adorable teacher frames.  Thanks Rachel!!!  You saved my sanity (and there isn't much of it left lately :)

Photo courtesy of the Moda Bake Shop.  Click on Photo to link to Rachel's Tutorial :)

To Trim or Not to Trim??

*** NOTE - If you are looking for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway you can find it here :)

So do you remember when I showed this picture of HST's the other day??  I always like to cut my squares for HST's 1/2" larger than the finish size. (Instead of the exact 3/8 size)  I mostly do this because I just can't seem to sew those diagonals as straight as I would like :)  Because of this I "get" to trim.

I spent the other day (and honestly, it felt like the whole day) trimming up this "little" pile.  here is what I ended up with.  (Side note . . .  Maybe I am weird, but I just love scrappy piles like this, I think they are cute looking :)

While in the middle of trimming I often found myself thinking, "Wow, this is a ton of work to trim off less than 1/8" ish off each side of the square, I wonder if it really makes a difference."  As soon as I was done I looked over at my perfect HST squares and thought, "Oh, they are so pretty and I am glad I did that, even though I can't feel my hand anymore :)".   Now that I am sewing with them I am constantly thinking, "Oh, I am so glad I took the time to trim them, their points are so perfect."

So this week I made the realization that for me (and I only speak for myself here) it is worth my time to trim those teeny tiny edges.  So now I am wondering . . . .  what do you prefer???  

Do you spend hours trimming for perfect HST's?

Do you move right on to sewing and adjust seams as necessary??

Do you cut your blocks 3/8" difference instead and eliminate the need altogether?

  This inquiring mind wants to know ;)

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

It's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!!!!  Welcome to all my visitors old and new.  I know you have lots of giveaways to get to so we will make this quick.  Up for grabs, a  Freebird Charm Pack by MoMo !!!! 

Don't you just love these prints!!!!

How to enter . . . Simple!!  Be a follower of Happy Quilting, or become one,

 and leave a comment!!!  

That's it, Easy :)  Just click the follow button on the top of the blog and then leave me any old comment.  It doesnt' have to say "I follow your blog", (aren't you getting tired of that?), it can say anything!  (but ya know, keep it clean :)  

One entry per person, Please :)  International Entries Welcome.  Giveaway will close on Thrusday May 28th at 5:00 EST.  Mr. Random.Org will choose a winner.  I will notify the winner and announce it here on Friday Morning :)

Thanks for visiting!! Ya all come back now, ya hear!!! 

 Here is a quick link back to Sew Mama Sew :)