Monday, March 18, 2013

How Did you Spend National Quilting Day???

Saturday was National Quilting Day and lucky for me, the sun was shinning which means the kids joined daddy for some major yard work/play.  Which also meant the littlest kid and I enjoyed some major sewing room time!!

I managed to finish sewing up my book blocks that I started here.


Then I cut, placed, and secure-stitched some applique.


And I even managed to sew it all into a quilt top that actually got basted the same day!!


All in all, a pretty fabulous way to spend National Quilting Day!!

I am hoping to get this quilted up today (as soon as I decide on a design) with that tutorial soon to follow :)

So how did you spend National Quilting Day????

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Lucky Winner

It's time to see who has the luck of the Irish with them!!  Thank you to ChristaQuilts for sponsoring the fabulous Kona Solids giveaway !!  I am sure you all enjoyed getting to know her shop a little better :)


And the lucky winner is . . . 

Congrats to Chiska!!  Have fun choosing your favorite Kona Solids :)



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Friday, March 15, 2013

A Happy Birthday Finish Finally Used

So a year and a half ago I finished this cute Happy Birthday banner and matching table topper and shipped it off to become part of the Sweet Celebrations book.    I haven't shared much about it since, except for some other little kids enjoying their cake on it from the promo picture here, because we haven't had any birthday's since it made it's way home.  But yesterday, my little Kamryn turned 4 and I got to finally use my finish from over a year before!!!  Yippee Skippee, I was totally thrilled!!!  I mean, It's so stinking cute!!!


And as you can see, Kamryn was so excited as well!!!  Although I think that might have to do more with the presents than the adorable Birthday Decor :)  She added to my joy by choosing to wear the patchwork dress I made for her older sister a few years back.  She said it was the perfect birthday outfit :)  And in case your wondering,  I used Amanda's wonderful tutorial for the dress and I will be linking up to Amanda's as well :)


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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Refracted Remake

My Refracted quilt returned home from the Quilt Con show last week.  I was excited to get it back and see what was said about it.  Then I opened the box, and like a lot of other blogger friends, got a shock, that turned into disappointment, that resulted in some tears, and finished with a crumbled up piece of paper thrown in the garbage.  That took all of about 5 minutes.

The next morning brought a new day and with it some fabulous blog posts that brought me peace and clarity.  Especially Angela's,  Thank you Angela!!  In reading through all of the supportive comments given to her, I realized something important.  This wonderful online world of quilters is a family in every sense of the word.  We support each other, we stick up for each other,  we love and encourage each other when we are down and we are each important and have a value in making up the whole.   I am so happy to be a part of this family!!

So, after some time, and some contemplating "trying to walk in someone else's shoes"  I decided, that in my mind, the MQG, including the judges are part of this family too.  They were trying to help. Maybe not the most tactful way of helping, but trying none the less.  I would never want the responsibility that they were given and so I can't really get upset about the way they did it.  And making this decision made me happier!!


So . . . to keep me on the "happier" path, I decided I would take some of the critique given and give it a go.   I really didn't remember much of the specifics from the critique (that's what happens when you read something once and throw it away), but I did remember the comment that the judges wished the quilt fabrics represented more of the inspiration behind the quilt.

The inspiration  for this quilt was the way light refracts from a prism into a rainbow.  So . . . If I am taking that representation literally, I figured I need some black and white, and a Kona charm pack . . .


Divided into a light, medium, and dark rainbow.  And I am ready to start cutting!!


I still love the original Refracted just the way it is, and will always love it regardless of how it was received because it was my idea and vision of it.  But I figure, every quilt has another way to be looked at and interpreted (Heck, that is why I love doing Quilt-A-Longs!), and if someone else see's another vision of mine, who's to say it won't come out just as lovely.  And I just happen to have a partner for the  FLQS, who is all about improv piecing and rainbows.   Could there be a more perfect opportunity to do a little Rainbow Refracted Remake ? :)  I get more and more excited about this project the more I think about it!!  And it has the added bonus of me also getting happier about the whole Quilt Con thing.   So thanks Judges, I am sure you did your very best with a task that not many of us would want, and I will take from it what will help me to improve to my very best.
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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Books bring on a math refresher course.

** Note - If you are looking for the ChristaQuilts Kona Solids Giveaway you will find it here :)

Yesterday afternoon I spent 3 1/2 making this little book block.  Crazy, I know.  I mean seriously, you look at this and think, 10 maybe 15 minutes right.  We'll here's the story.


When I first designed this little angled block I figured easy, just take a large square, slice it diagonal and add a piece to each side, then just add a strip to the top and bottom and square it up.  Easy, pretty, very little waste, and no need for paper piecing knowledge,  Right!!!  Wrong.  It could be right for improv. quilting, but . . .


This little guy is going in a designed quilt and needed specific measurements.  That is what I figured out in attempt 1.  Just adding to the sides and not worrying about the size of the square made for way to much of an angle and trimming it would have cut off the book.

So, I start trying to remember my geometry and angles, (I am sure there are easier ways of doing this but my mind was set and I was going to figure it out!!)  Attempt 2 found me closer to the right angle so I was getting excited but then I realized a new thing to worry about.  My book corners needed to be 1/4" away from the edges or I would be having a floating book.  Grrr!!  I start trying to figure out how to make this work, try and remember more math, and set to it again.  (Honestly, I am sure I could have walked away and come back with a better plan, but sometimes you just get that tunnel vision ;)

Once again, I tweak a bit here and a bit there, and get pretty excited because Attempt 3 is oh so close, I mean seriously, it was off by like 1/2".  I start to wonder why I ever doubted.  (Although 2 1/2 hours have been lost with nothing to show. )  Once last trial run and attempt 4 gets all trimmed up and I smile and resist the urge to start pumping my fist and shouting "I am smarter than a 5th grader!"


Time to try it out on the real thing!!    Yup, perfectly trimmed to my designated size and each corner floating a perfect 1/4" away from the edge.  Yippee Skippee!!


Add it into it's block and you have an adorable little book shelf.


Oh, and I think the biggest motivation to get this figured out was that this will be part of a tutorial!!  I am so excited to share the rest of what I have envisioned. (Especially now that the math class is over.)

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!




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