Row Along - Winter Wonderland!!

So I have never done a  row-along but have always wanted to.  So when I was asked to design a row for one I was super excited.  I love designing and it would give me the opportunity to finally participate in a Row-Along,  Double Bonus!!  This fun event is being  hosted by Patchwork Posse,  The theme is “Winter Wonderland,” and every 2nd and 4th Monday of each month there will a tutorial posted at Patchwork Posse for a new row.  The rows will be 48" wide and up to 10" tall.  So you will have a pretty nice size winter throw when you are done!!

Here is a list of the designers and when you can expect the new rows :)  I am so excited to be part of this amazing group of quilters!!

January 28: Patchwork Possie

February 11: Jo’s Country Junction

February 25: Robin Quilts, etc.

March 11: Quilter Chic

March 25: Buttons & Butterflies

April 8: Quiet Play

April 22: The Tulip Patch

May 13: Spring Water Designs

May 27: Twiddletails

June 10: Happy Quilting - That's Me :)

June 24: 42 Quilts

July 8: CraftyTammie

July 15: Patchwork Possie - Finishing it up and Prizes!!!

I have decided that I will be using my Blitzen Fat Eighth bundle to Row-Along.  I love this line and think it will make a wonderful Winter Wonderland quilt :)  So grab some Winter inspired fabric, and  get ready to  row along!!   

Stitching with Selvages

This month for the Beejeeber's Bee, Erica asked us to make a block inspired by Amanda Jean's Birch Tree Blocks.  I loved this block the first time I saw it on Amanda's blog so I was super excited to try one.  I started looking through my scraps picking out some favorites when I got to this overflowing top drawer and got a new idea :)  I have been saving selvages for a while now but have yet to use them, until yesterday :)

I pieced my selvages together like you would any fabric, you know right sides together and sew a seam, however I used a slightly smaller seam.  I know this isn't the traditional way of piecing selvages, but I wanted the block to match the others blocks in her quilt without all the piecing thread showing.  I just randomly pieced selvages, and then when I got a fair amount I trimmed them to 2" and 3" columns.

I kept the process up, and after a while, I had 3 beautiful selvage columns.  Aren't they  just fun.  Oh, and after I finished my columns, I decided I might as well put my selvages back a little neater.  I am totally loving the neat drawer now and plan to keep it that way for a while.

Once the strips were done it was simply a matter of adding them to a large grey square :)  I love improve piecing like this.  It is fun just to chop into fabric at any old angel!   And now my favorite thing to do is look over all the selvages and think about all of the different quilts I have made using those fabrics :)

I had so much fun with this.  I am so looking forward to my next time of playing with selvages :)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

Starburst Quilt-A-Long - Goose in the Corner and Half Square Triangles

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Starburst Quilt-A-Long.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win one of the $75.00 Gift Certificate grand prizes sponsored by The Intrepid Thread ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Once again, here is the schedule, but if you want to work ahead you can use the tutorial  just be sure to take pictures of your weekly assignments so you can link them up for weekly prizes :)

January 14 - Cutting Post
January 21 - Goose in the Corner and Half Square Triangles
January 28 - Flying Geese
February 4 - Building Blocks - At least 2
February 11 - Finish Blocks and Sashing
February 18 - Baste it, Quilt it, Bind It
March 4 - Starburst Parade and Grand Prizes

But before we get into this week's assignment let's get a winner from last weeks assignment!!


The Cutting Assignment winner who gets a lovely Salt Water Charm Pack is . . .#10 -Pam - Congrats :)

So here we are at January 21st and this weeks assignment is your Goose in the Corner Blocks and your Half Square Triangle Blocks.     Once again, my fabric is still having issues arriving at my house.  It finally got tracked down on it's way back to Julie and so now it is on it's way to my house for a second attempt and hopefully I will be updating these pictures very soon.  In the mean time, we will be using pictures that I can conveniently borrow from the  Starburst Tutorial.

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - PART 1 - GOOSE IN THE CORNER BLOCKS

Goose in the Corner blocks are not the first blocks in the tutorial but we are starting with them because they are the easiest :)


Start by gathering those piles you have marked as GC (Goose in the Corner)  You should have 16 large squares cut from your background fabric (either 6 1/2". 8 1/2", or 10 1/2") , and 16 smaller squares , 4 each from 4 different print fabrics, (either 3 1/2", 4 1/2", or 5 1/2").  Put the background squares in one pile and the print squares in another pile.  NOTE ** To save time, repeat each of the following sub-steps in an assembly line fashion making all 16 blocks at once verses one at a time.

On the wrong side of the print fabric, using your ruler, draw a pen line diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.  It is important that these lines are drawn accurately as they will be your sewing guide.

Lay your print square on your background square (in any corner) with rights sides together.  Pin both sides adjacent to that drawn line.  Make sure to put the pins far enough from the drawn line that your presser foot won't hit them as you sew :)   Stitch a seam directly ON TOP of your drawn line from upper right  hand corner to lower left corner.  Remember, chain stitch to save time.

Clip your threads between the blocks.  Align your ruler 1/4" OVER the stitched line.    Cut along the edge of the ruler creating your 1/4" seam.  The 2 loose triangles, one print and one background, are scrap :)

Press the seam towards the print fabric.

And now you have cute Goose in the Corner blocks.  Quick and easy!!  You should have 16 Goose in the Corner  blocks, 4 of each of your 4 fabrics :)  You can set these aside grouped by similar fabrics.

NOTE - If you don't want to scrap your other half of triangle you can always do this little trick to get a bonus  HST.  Simply draw another line 1/2" from your first drawn line.  Sew a seam directly on top of the second line as well.  Cut 1/4" from the first sewn seam like normal, and press.  You now have a Goose in the Corner block and a Bonus HST that you can use to piece in the backing or another project :)

Here are my Goose in the Corner Blocks, all ready to go ;)  (And, I also pictured my bonus HST's in the center :)

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - PART 2 - HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE BLOCKS

Half Square triangles are fun and fast and probably the most versatile building block in sewing.  (At least in my opinion :)  

Start by gathering those piles you have marked as HST (Halt Square Traingle)  You should have 32 squares cut from your background fabric (either 4", 5", or 6") , and 32 squares , 8 each from 4 different print fabrics, (either 4", 5", or 6").  Put the background squares in one pile and the print squares in another pile.  ** Once again,To save time, repeat each of the following sub-steps in an assembly line fashion.

 On the wrong side of the print fabric square, using your ruler, draw a pen line diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.

Lay your print square on your background square with rights sides together.  Pin both sides adjacent to that drawn line, and once again, be sure to place them far enough out to leave room for your presser foot to stitch on by.  Stitch a seam 1/4" from EITHER side of the drawn line (the black lines represent your stitching lines :)  The easiest way to assembly line stitch is to chain stitch the 1/4" seam on the right hand side of the line first for all 32 pinned square sets.  Then clip the threads between the squares.  Then go ahead stitch the 1/4" seam on the left hand side of all 32 pinned sets.

Now you can clip the remaining threads between the squares.  Next, align your ruler along the drawn center line.  Cut your pieces apart along that drawn line, creating the 1/4" seam on both sets of triangles.

Now press all of the squares towards the print fabric.

And now you are ready to trim up your HST.  You will trim to 3 1/2 for the 24" block, 4 1/2" for the 32" block and 5 1/2" for the 40" block.  This example uses the 3 1/2" square.  Start by aligning the 45 degree line on your square ruler with the seam line on your half square triangle.  Make sure that the raw edges of the half square triangle are over the 3 1/2" line's on your ruler.  Trim the 2 sides along the edge of the ruler.  There won't be a whole lot to trim.

Now spin your block 180 degrees.  Once again, align the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam line on your half square triangle.  Align the raw edges of the half square triangle under the ruler on the 3 1/2" lines on your ruler.  Trim the 2 sides along the edge of the ruler.

And now you have Perfect Half Square Triangles.  They take a bit of time to trim but are totally worth it!!  Having perfect HST's allows for perfect points down the road.    You should have 64 Half Square Triangles total.

**If you don't have a square ruler you can see the end of this tutorial on how to square up your HST's using a rectangle ruler.  It takes a second longer but still works :)

Here's my HST's.  I have a bit of a blister from trimming them all at once, but it was worth it ;)

And that's it!!  Get these 2 sets of blocks made and you assignment is complete!!!  And now you can enter to win the weekly prize :)

The Weekly Prizes are sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop and a huge thanks goes to them for their support of the Starburst Quilt-A-Long.

This weeks  prize is a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop to get whatever you want!!!

So what do you have to do for a chance to win??  Simple . . . Just link up your HST and Goose in the Corner blocks at the end of this post :)  You can link to a blog post or a flickr picture, or whatever.  Just make sure to link up by next Monday morning as I will be announcing a winner at the beginning of next weeks post :)

If you don't get your blocks done by next week you can still link it up :) (just not in time for the prize :)    The linky will remain open until the end of the Quilt-A-Long.  Link up when you can :)

And don't forget to add your blocks to the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group!!!  

It's time to get sewing!!  I am so excited!!!

And remember - Questions??  Please don't hesitate to send them to me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Gathered Clutches - Hooray!!!

We'll I started this morning and managed to make four adorable, not quite perfect, but still totally cute gathered clutches!!  I used this tutorial from Noodlehead that I have had bookmarked forever.  I am so excited to have finally made these and to have had them actually turn out!!  Yippee Skippee!!

So, how about a little rundown :)
Making up all of the pieces was pretty easy.  Just your basic cutting straight lines and sewing seams.  The tabs on the zippers had me a little confused but I managed to figure it out.  I did learn something though about cutting.  See how my Octopus are floating sideways in the bottom left hand corner, ya gotta watch that directional print, oops :)

And a huge thank you for all of your suggestions.  It made a major difference to make the gathered fabric a little larger and then trim.  And I love the purple band vs the old dull color I originally pulled.  You all are the greatest!!!

After all the pieces were set it was time to put in the zipper.  This is the first time I have used the zipper foot on my machine.  I know, sad, but true.  It wen't pretty well but I did have a few hiccups.  Hey, no one is perfect right.

I managed to sew on the wrong side of the zipper for this piece and completely enclosed the zipper.  That's not gonna work.  A little unpicking always saves the day.   I also forgot to take a picture (a little frustrated at that point)  of me sewing directly on top of 2 zippers instead of to the side.  But, I learned a lot ;)

So once I got the zippers in it was time to sew the clutch together.  I have to admit, this is the part that I was the most concerned about.  The next picture tells the story :)

I managed to get the left side of each pouch turned quite nicely, the right sides were a bit of a different matter.  I did the pink one first and just didn't push out enough.  I was worried about busting the seam, should have worried less and pushed more.  Next were the yellow and green ones.  These had a struggle because I hadn't sewn the zipper in evenly in the last step.  See how on the picture above the zipper part lines up at the top but has a big gap at the bottom.  Live and learn.  But . . . by the time I got to the last one, perfection!!

So that's the rundown.  I learned a lot. Got a little frustrated, but mostly had a lot of fun.  And I want to make more, so that is a very good sign :)  So now, just for fun, let's see them each close up :)

 Clutch #1: Fabrics are Power Pop by Jenean Morrison for the main part and then 2 prints I got out of a clearance pile at my LQS  for the band and lining.  Sadly, I don't know the names of them.

Clutch #2: Fabrics are Heirloom by Joel Dewberry for the main part, Simply Color by Vanessa Christensen for the band, and Terrain by Kate Spain for the lining.

 Clutch #3: Fabrics are Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket for the main part and the band and Mendocino by Heather Ross for the lining.

Clutch #4: Fabrics are all So Sophie by My Mind's Eye and it happens to be my favorite :)

I can't wait to give these to my special friends.  Thanks for all of your help and advice.  It really made tackling this project so much easier :)  And now, back to some quilting :)

And since these were a huge first time finish for me, I am totally linking up to Amanda and Amy :)

Have you made these clutches??

So yesterday I found that I am in need of some cute adorable thank you gifts for 4 amazing ladies.  And I figured this was the perfect opportunity for me to attempt to conquer my fear of zippers and make 4 cute gathered clutches. I have had this super popular tutorial done by Noodlehead bookmarked for years to make and this is where I finally make it!!  So I ask, have you made it before??  Any pointers for someone attempting their first zippered pouch??

Oh and while we are at it, what do you think of the 4 fabric pulls?? I have a few of my own opinions but I want to hear yours.   So, what do you think??