Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Threadbias Briar Rose Challenge

I have been hearing about Threadbias for some time know and kept thinking that I should check it out but in the day to day goings on never got around to it.  Then, the other day I happened to hear about the Threadbias Briar Rose Challenge.Well, nothing like a challenge with the opportunity for some Heather Ross fabric for some motivation :)



So . . . I popped on over and signed up for a trial account.  Threadbias is an online community where you can share patterns, projects, pictures, and play with their Live Design Tool.   I didn't spend to much time checking out the community, but I got familiar with the Design Tool while drafting my little Challenge Entry.  I found it a little difficult at first, most likely because the way you design is quite a lot different from EQ7 which is what I am used to.  But after a little bit, I started to get the hang of it.  And before to long, I had drafted up my Star Surround Block into a quilt top.  (I decided to draft up something I had already designed so that I could focus on learning the program and less on the designing, that and I am strongly leaning towards a quilt-a-long and it is fun to see it in quilt format :)


So here is my entry.  I am calling it A Rose Among Thorns.  The contest goes until May 5th so if you want to give the designing tool a try and maybe win some awesome fabric, pop on over ;)  

Just wondering . . . When writing this post I debated about writing why I liked my EQ7 for designing more than this Design Tool, but I realized it wouldn't be fair as I have been using EQ7 for 2 years and the design tool for 2 hours.  So then I thought, maybe I should just write a post on what I like (or love being the case) about EQ7.  Would you be interested in a post like that??

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Featured at Jolly Jabber

Today the Jolly Jabber, Fat Quarter Shop's blog,  is featuring a little write up on Modern Baby and included Daddy's Little Girl in the post.  So exciting :)  So if you have a second, pop on over to check it out :)  Fat Quarter Shop also has Modern Baby available for purchase now!! Eeekk!!  I still can't believe it is in print!!


And don't forget, the Modern Baby Blog tour is continuing to roll on with lots of opportunities for you to win your very own copy.  Here's the schedule :)  And I will be back on Thursday for my stop :)

April 18, Thursday       Jenny from StitchThis! 
April 19, Friday            Shea Henderson from Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio 
April 22, Monday          Jake Finch from Generation Q Magazine
April 23, Tuesday        Audrie Bidwell from Blue is Bleu
April 24, Wed              Carolyn Friedlander from Carolyn Friedlander
April 25, Thursday       Melissa Corry from Happy Quilting  (That's Me)
April 26, Friday            Jen Eskridge from Reanna Lily Designs
April 29, Monday          Sarah Flynn from Fairy Face Designs
April 30, Tuesday        Dana Bolyard from Old Red Barn Company
May 1, Wednesday     Amy Smart from Diary of a Quilter
May 2, Thursday         Carrie Bloomston from Such Designs
May 3, Fri                    Victoria Findlay Wolfe from Victoria Findlay Wolfe Quilts
May 6, Monday            Lindsey Rhodes from LRstitched
May 7, Tuesday           Pippa Eccles Armbrester from Pippa Quilts


Seriously, every time I think about this  book is just get so excited!!  Thank you to Martingale Publishing for allowing me to be part of this!!  I can't wait for May to go to Market and sit down with all of the other contributors.  I figure I will be so happy I will either start dancing or crying.  Who knows what emotion will win out ;)  




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Monday, April 22, 2013

Weekend Working

First off, Thank you for all your sweet comments on my Going Dutch Block and Tutorial!!!  You guys are the best!  And I am so excited to see so many of them popping up in the Virtual Quilting Bee Flickr group.  One of my favorite things about designing is seeing how different one block can look based on fabric choice and color placement!!  Seriously, if you have a sec, pop on over and check out the variations :)  So Fun!!


This weekend the sun finally came out and melted all the snow, which meant the family headed outside for some yard work.  And I tell you, my "yard work muscles" are feeling it today.  I was the pack mule for these bricks, all 100+ of them, yikes.   But it is worth it to see the transformation. One of these days, when we are finished,  (which means it could be a while) I will do a little before and after post :)


After the yard work, I did manage to get in a little evening sewing.  I transformed this fantastic Smore Love jelly roll by Eric and Julie Comstock for Moda which is absolutely fantastic!!!


Into these blocks, which sadly, I can't show any more of.  Yup, another secret project, but at least this one is only a few months)


All in all, a pretty fantastic weekend.  I hope you all have a Wonderful Weekend as well and here it so a Marvelous Monday!!
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Friday, April 19, 2013

Going Dutch Block Tutorial - Block 4 of the Virtual Quilting Bee

Today I am so excited to share a new quilt block tutorial.  I call it, Going Dutch.


Going Dutch is the 4th block in the Virtual Quilting Bee hosted by Amy of Diary of a Quilter.  Amy is a dear, sweet friend and I am so very excited to be a part of her bee!!  And as part of this virtual gathering, there will most likely be many of you stopping by Happy Quilting for the first time.  Welcome!!  I hope you enjoy your visit and take a minute to poke around, there's always lots of quilting goodness going on around here :)

Oh, and if you are new to the Virtual Quilting Bee you can see the previous three blocks and get more general info about the Virtual Quilting Bee and how you can participate by popping on over to the Virtual Quilting Bee page at Amy's :) 


So . . . Here's Going Dutch :)  

Start by cutting the following:
   From your background fabric cut (2) 3" x 3" squares and (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares
   From each of your 2 focal fabrics cut (1) 3" x 3" square, (2) 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles,
        and (2) 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" squares.


Using your ruler, draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of (4) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" background squares and on all of the focal fabric squares.


Lay your marked background squares on your 4 focal fabric rectangles aligned at the top with rights sides together as shown.    Pin both sides adjacent to that drawn line.  Make sure to put them out far enough that your presser foot won't hit them as you sew on by :)   Now, place your (4) 1 1/2" marked focal fabric squares aligned at the bottom right with right sides together as shown.  Pin as directed earlier.   Stitch a seam directly on top of your drawn line for all 8 seams.


Align your ruler 1/4" over your stitched line.  Cut along the edge of the ruler.  Scrap your loose triangles.


Press your seams.  I found it easiest to press my seams open, but press as you prefer.  Set these 4 pieces aside for the moment.


Gather your (4) 3" squares, 2 background fabric and 2 focal fabrics.  Lay your marked print square on your background square with rights sides together.  Pin both sides adjacent to that drawn line, once again placing them far enough for the presser foot :)  Stitch a 1/4" seam along both sides of the drawn line (the black lines represent your stitching lines :)  


Align your ruler along the drawn center line.  Cut along the edge of the ruler.  Press your seams.  Once again, I pressed mine open.


Trim your four half square triangles to 2 1/2" using the angle line on a square ruler.  If you are unsure how to trim HST's see this tutorial :)


Gather (4) 2 1/2" background squares and lay them out as follows.  Place the HST onto the background square with right sides together.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Pin if desired :)  Press the 4 seams.


And now your pieces are all made and you are ready to sew the block together.  Lay your 8 pieced rectangles out as follows creating 4 quadrants.


Sew each set of rectangles into squares.   Just place one rectangle onto another with right sides together, I find this easiest to do with it all laid out so you don't goof (like I did once) and start spinning pieces.  Pin along the edges and then sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  Press the seams, I opened them to avoid bulk :)

Now sew the top 2 squares into a row and the bottom 2 squares into a row.  Place the right square onto the left with right sides together and pin along the edge taking care to match up your little triangle seams.  They will lay right on top of one another and it is important to get those pretty points in the center that the line up.  Press your seams.


And one last seam to sew.  Place the top row onto the bottom with right sides together.  Match the center seam and the little triangle seams once again.  Pin them in place.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  Press the seam.


And now sit back and enjoy your cute little 8" Going Dutch quilt block!!


And here she is in solids.  Isn't it fun how different fabrics can create different looks, that is one of my favorite things about quilting!!


Be sure to add your Going Dutch quilt block to the Virtual Quilting Bee Flickr Group as well as the Inspired by Happy Quilting Flickr Group.

EDIT - Some of you have inquired about making this block on a larger scale so I whipped up this little chart of the fabrics you need to cut for 5 different block size options. Note, the last line of the chart isn't fabric that needs to be cut, it just gives you a reference of what size to trim your Half Square Triangles :)   Have fun :!


Hope you have enjoyed the tutorial ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

And since this finishes up my part of the VQB I'm linking up to Amanda's :)

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Refracted Rainbows Mini - A Finish

I started this mini with the purpose to remake my original Refracted quilt with the feedback I received from Quilt Con.  And I am happy to say that I am so loving it!!!  Seriously, this one is going to be hard to mail off to my partner :)    Each of those little refracted rainbows are 2 1/2" finished.  So cute and tiny :)


For the back, I added the remaining 2 rainbows and framed them up.  I will be writing on them for a label but didn't want my partner to know yet :)  I used my favorite text print from Mama Said Sew for the backing fabric!!  I mean, what could be more perfect for a mini quilt back than definitions of quilting terms :)



And a close up on the quilting.  I wanted to give a look of the rainbows extending, like they do out of a prism :)  I am super happy with how it turned out.  And I love the way the color threads pop on the black sashing!


In the end, I love the Remake as much as the original!!  Love it when that happens :)



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