Stamp Collecting Quilt

I am so super excited today to share another finish.  And this finish has been over a year in the making which is what makes is so super exciting to share.  So without futher ado . . . my Stamp Collecting Quilt!!!  Isn't it just so fun!!!!

A long time ago, like clear back here in 2015, I broke up all my Moda Candy packs and sorted them into a whole slew of piles.  (which of course I add to each time I have a small scrap when cutting out new quilts ;)     I planned to use all of these little 2 1/2" squares  for Leader and Ender Projects.    I used the strictly tone on tone piles for my first Leader and Ender project, the Super Scrappy Triple Irish Chain quilt.    When I finished it, I wondered what I could make with the next pile of  2 1/2" squares, the ones that read a certain color but had other colors mixed in with them.   And then it hit me, I have always wanted to make a postage stamp quilt and what better way to make it happen then as a Leader and Ender project.   And how perfect would it be to show a collection of all my favorite fabrics and designers!!!

So a postage stamp quilt became my next Leader and Ender project.    I love that these projects just slowly build while working on other quilts ;)   I started by making 2 patches, sewing a white background square to a color background square.  Some of the "white background squares" read pretty dark and some of the "color background squares" read pretty light, but I didn't stress to much about this.   I just went with it, trusting it would come out in the end.  After having a massive stack of 2 patches, I turned them into 4 patches, and then 8 patches and finally into 16 patches.  

I didn't worry about counting out the squares in the beginning, I just kept working up to 16 patches, and when I had a large enough stack of those (as in a few weeks ago) I finally sewed the blocks into a quilt top, and I am just so excited with how it turned out!!!!  I didn't stress to much about placement, again, I just tried to keep it relaxed sewing and made sure I didn't have a super dark print right next to another super dark print.  It pretty much balanced itself thanks to the initial 2 patch sewing.  

And I just love all of those happy colors popping out among the lighter prints.  I just love how it kind of looks like there is a pattern but then it also looks pretty random.  So ya, Balanced is a good word I guess, and I am just thrilled with that because it is just a wonderful way to show off all of those 2 1/2" squares :)   And I can now say I made a postage stamp quilt!!!!

When it came time to quilt it up, I decided on simple arches.  I just love the way it makes the squares pop ;)   And in the border (which I added last minute and love how it highlights the patchwork all the more) I did fun little swirls.   

And look how awesome that texture is.   So much fun!!!  I love that arches come together to make that cool orange peel design.  The interlocking circles just make me smile ever time!!  And I made it 72" x 72" so we could use it as a picnic blanket and you better believe I will be running my hand over all that yummy texture every time we take it out :)

And for the binding, I got to go to my binding extra's box ;)  Every time I finish binding a quilt, I put the bit of leftover in this cute little box.  Then when I need a scrappy binding, I just pull out the pieces that match the quilt, sew them end to end, and I have a scrappy binding ready to go in just a few minutes.   Love it!!!

 And I just love how it adds that happy color of finish on the edge of the border.  It really ties it back into the patchwork :)  I just love, love, love a scrappy binding.   And if you noticed in the picture above, the brown got nixed while I was sewing it to the quilt, it just didn't fit with all of those happy pops of color ;)

And that is my Stamp Collecting Quilt!!!!   And I just love it ;)   And like any true collection, the fun part now is looking over it and seeing how many little pieces of patchwork I recognize.    My kids were blown away last night when I let them randomly pick a square and then I would tell them the fabric line and the designer of the fabric ;)  I did pretty good too if I do say so myself !!   It truly is a fabric Stamp Collection of so many wonderful projects and memories all tied into this quilt ;)

You can play along too!!!   It really is fun :)  See a square your recognize, (you can click on the picture to see it larger)  leave a comment with the name of the fabric line name and the designer.   I wonder how many we can list ;)

And just in case you are wondering, I have my next Leader and Ender Project all planned out and ready to start working on.  You can see more about it here :)  

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

Linking this finish up to Amanda's, and Sarah's :)   

Bumped way up the "To Make List"

So remember on Monday when I said my girls loved the new Flitter pattern and fabric that I got in my sew sampler box and how I would have to add it to my To Make List ??  Well, as my kids would put it  . . . "it butted in line" to the front :)  I am totally sidetracked by this project and so loving it and it just makes me smile to see the girls so excited!!!  I cut the quilt out on Tuesday, ya know, gotta "get back on that horse" after my little Monday Accident. 

And then yesterday I had a lovely little chain stitching session and then pressed it all last night ;)  And how fun is that, you can already see the butterflies coming together.  I think this quilt top will be getting done rather quickly, although it might have to wait for quilting as I am teaching out of town next week and have another tutorial to get finished before I go.  But we shall see, gotta love these little Sidetracks that are just so fun, you can't seem to stop sewing on them!!!

I am off for some Happy Quilting!!   I hope you have a very Happy Quilting day as well :)

Sew Sampler Bandages to the Rescue!!!

So remember on Monday when I said I was super excited for my new Lori Holt bandages so I could use them in my classes??  Well, that must have been putting some bad quilty karma out in the universe, because not a few hours later after posting that, I managed to slice my fingerprint clean off my finger.  I couldn't believe it.   I have cut out hundreds of quilts and never an accident, and then the day I mention sewing bandaged, I mange to need one. 

  **Note - If you get a little squeamish at the sight of blood, (like me) don't keep reading this post as the next two pics are from before the bandage :)  But know I am okay and healing :)

And of course, I was all alone at home when I managed to do this so I had to clean and bandage it myself.   I am not great with the sight of blood, especially my own and I might have gotten a bit faint while cleaning it, so I decided to take a picture to try and distract myself.  And that's when I realized just how much I had cut off. And because I cut it off, verses cutting into my finger, stitches wont help.  I just have to wait for the skin to grow back.

After applying pressure for a few minutes I got the bleeding to stop and saw that I had cut several layers of skin off.  I bandaged it up with lots of ointment and my Lori Holt Bandages, at least it looks cute!!!!   My sweetheart later let me know that I would no longer have a fingerprint in that spot.  (Sounds silly, but I didn't realize those don't grow back :)  The finger is still sore, especially if it gets bumped, ouch!!!   I changed the bandage this morning and it is still a lot of raw skin, but the very outer edge is starting to grow back, so maybe a weekish and I will be back to full steam.  I have to say, it really is a pain to try and align fabric to stitch without your middle finger, tee hee hee :)

Oh, and in case you are wondering, no fabric was stained in this little mishap.   I whipped my hand back super fast when I realized what I had done so no blood got on my fabric, whew!!

And one last funny note, someone was asking my husband how I did it and he explained that I cut it with a rotary cutter.  When they asked him what a rotary cutter was he explained that it is like a pizza cutter with a razor blade attached.  I thought it was a pretty good explanation :)  

Hope your having a very Happy (accident free) Quilting Day!!!!

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  Love You Jelly Roll from  Fat Quarter Shop   is . . .   Number #173. Congrats lindawwww!!!   I have emailed you :)      

 

 

  

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Warm Crochet.   I am still absolutely loving my pair of their beautiful scissors :)    They are  perfect for clipping chain stitching as they are super sharp and so comfortable in the hand.  And they are so pretty as well, double bonus!!!  Along with the giveaway, Warm Crochet is offering all Happy Quilting readers 10% off your purchase with the coupon code HQMC!!!  So fun :)  

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway, Warm Crochet is giving one luck reader a Pair of Scissors of their choice!!!     You can choose from Silver, Bronze Gold, or Red Bronze.  Some one is going to get super lucky and add the perfect addition to their stitching goodness :)

    

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 your favorite kind of hand work ;)

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Warm Crochet  love.  Visit The Shop and then tell me which color you would get!! 

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, February 6th , when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)  GIVEAWAY CLOSED . . . Winner is Emily Swaby!!!

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

January Sew Sampler Box!!!

It's the end of January already, wow, where did that month go!!!  The one wonderful thing about another month come and gone, is that it means another lovely blue box in my mailbox!!!   This month's theme is Butterfly Kisses and this Sew Sampler box  is filled with all kinds of adorable goodness!!!

I can't get over how adorable this Butterflies and Berries 10" Stacker by Riley Blake Designs is!!!  I just love those sweet colors and the prints are oh so cute!!!  The Flitter exclusive sew sampler pattern is equally adorable, and I have already had 2 little girls ask if I will make them the Butterfly quilt they saw in my blue box . . . yes, my girls have come to realize that the blue box is just as fun for them to go through as it is for mom ;)   Looks like I will be adding this quilt to my To Make List ;)  

And I just love these to cute for words Just Pins!!!  And wouldn't you know, they go just perfect with my Tuffet that I finished last week!!!!!   Don't they just look like I totally picked this fabric to go with the pins ;)  Just Pins has a whole assortment of these hand crafted pins and I can totally see myself collecting more of them to adorn my Tuffet, especially that cute little cupcake one!!!

And this month had a whole assortment of notions that I am just so excited about!!!  I absolutly love Lori Holt's Cute Cuts rulers and so I was super excited to find the 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" ruler in this months box!!!  It will be just perfect for cutting HST's in half :)   And the Needle Carry Card  was just what I needed.  I actually had to do some handwork when I was making my Tuffet and I had to go to the garage to get some pliers to get the needle out of the package it came in.  When I saw this little card, I immediately switched all of my hand needles to it!!!  And finally, those to cute Bee in my Bonnet Bandages!!!  This is something that I would never buy for myself, but I am so excited for!!  Every time I teach, someone always needs a bandage.  Most of the time it is just little pin sticks or even paper cuts from the pattern, but how fun will it be to give them a Sewing Bandage instead of a regular ole brown one.   Just to cute!!!  

And last but certainly not least,  this month's Basket Block!!!   Block 10 and I am just loving these.  This is the first time where I used the background color in the print color as well and I really like it.  I might just be doing that for the remaining 2 blocks :)   And can you believe it, 2 more blocks and it will be time to sew up another quilt top.  So fun!!!

And that is my January Sew Sampler Box  . . . and I just love it!!!  I don't know how Fat Quarter Shop just keeps managing to send me so many wonderful things.  And I love that so many of them are things that I wouldn't think to get myself, but are such wonderful little treats just for me :)   What can I say, I just love when my little blue box arrives :)

I am off to work on my upcoming Moda Bake Shop tutorial ;)  I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!!


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