bee block round up

These past few days I think my sewing room has been freaking out...crazy things have been happening down there, in that I've actually been using it!  I've had a one track mind set to bee blocks the past few days, and it feels great to be not only caught up, but ahead, as November's blocks are done and in the books as well!

This block is for Jennie in the Stash Bee.  She asked for these awesome String X blocks, inspired by Becky's quilt in pinks and purples.  I may have made a funny face when I saw she wanted purple, as it's just not a color I seem to be drawn too when fabric buying, but  I managed to dig through my scraps and find more than enough purple buried in there.  Jennie asked that  we not sew the four sections together so she can mix and match them.  I cannot wait to see this quilt come together, its sure to be deliciously scrappy!  Jennie has a tutorial for her block here, if you are interested.

I get the month of November off from the Stash Bee, because its my month!  As usual, I scoured flickr and pinterest to find the perfect bee block for my bee mates, and settled on a block inspired by this one Erin made.



I knew I wanted something scrappy, and something that would avoid needing a universal solid for everyone to use, and this block fit the bill perfectly!  I doctored the tutorial slightly to make a 12.5" block, and have a mini tutorial posted here, about half way down the page, if you are interested.  I've asked for oranges, yellows and aquas, and am planning on this being a Christmas gift.  Can't wait to see what everyone makes!



For October in the our Do. Good Stitches circle, Toni asked for flying geese.  She planning a quilt like this one by Ashley of Film in the Fridge using fall colors: oranges, yellows, reds, browns, and purples.  This has me inspired to make a quilt using these fun geese units, I'm racking my brain of people I haven't made quilts for yet!



Like I said, not only am I caught up on my bee blocks, I'm actually ahead of the game!  While I was on my bee block kick, I decided to throw in Amanda's November blocks as well.  She asked for Square in square blocks using aquas, greys, navy blues, and black.  While I don't have much black in my stash, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to snip off a corner of my Madrona Road Memoir print that I just love to pieces.  I love working with improv-y blocks like this one, so much fun to dig through the scrap bin and sew and snip until I like what I see!

 On an aside from bee blocks, I've also been working on finishing up this little guy:



Yep!  Thats my finished scrappy weekender, complete with lining and all!  Now that the sun has set by the time I get home from work, pictures will have to wait until tomorrow or Sunday, but I'm completely smitten, I need a trip to take ASAP to take this guy out on the town!  While the blog has been a bit slow as of late, Instagram is my new favorite thing!  Its great for posting quick pics of what I'm stitching, you can now follow along on your computers web browser, here's my profile: @sewcraftyjess

Tula Pink sew along: Snow Globes quilt top

Today is quite the busy quilty day around these parts!  If you didn't see it earlier, I have another free quilt tutorial over at the Moda Bake Shop today, stop over and check it out...

And when you get back, pop over to Sara's and check out my Snow Globes quilt top and pattern review!  I'm taking over Sara's blog today as part of the Tula Pink sew along, thanks for having me Sara!

I'm taking over Sara's blog today!  Pop on over and checkout the Tula Pink blog hop, and my Snow Globes quilt top!

Moda Bake Shop Simply Woven quilt tutorial

Exciting news today!  I have another free quilt tutorial over at the Moda Bake Shop for everyone on this fine Wednesday!  Head on over to the Moda Bake Shop and check out Simply Woven.  This quilt comes together very quickly using jelly rolls, a solid background fabric and a fun slice and dice block construction method.  

I was lucky enough to get to play with some Simply Color by V and Co.  I absolutely love the bright saturated colors in this line, and plan on stocking up on yardage in those chevrons and hombre solids.  Love. Simply Color is available this month, so be on the lookout for this great fabric line!



Be sure to stop over to the Moda Bake Shop, and leave me a comment to tell me what you think!

Quilt Stats

Quilt Name:  Simply Woven

Quilt Pattern:  Simply Woven, my very own free quilt tutorial available at the Moda Bake Shop

Quilt Size:  72" x 96"

Fabrics:  V and Co. Simply Color, Moda Bella Solid in white

Binding:  V and Co. Simply Color, Diamonds in Graphite Grey

Quilting:  All over free motion loopy quilting

call me...crazy?

I never thought in a million bajillion years I would ever be pulling out this pattern again, but I'm finding myself working on this:

I love my first weekender to pieces, but once I finished it I never imagined a second one anywhere in my future. While I was #notgoingtosewingsummit, I was avidly following along Instagram the whole weekend, and fell in love with the scrappy weekenders, that were popping up, inspired by the scrappy weekender Elizabeth made, and decided I needed to have one.  Now.

 

I dug out my blue, green, grey and yellow scrap bins, and went to town sorting out my favorite scraps, and stitching them using the quilt as you go method Elizabeth described here.



I have the two main panels stitched, with the pockets, top and sides to go.  With one weekender under my belt, I'm planning a few alterations to the pattern already, including a removable shoulder strap like this one, and perhaps leaving the side pockets off like this one, as I plan including lots and lots of interior pockets.  Including bag feet and a hard bottom is a must on this weekender, as the bottom of my first one has taken a good bit of a beating from use.



For now my scrap bins have fully taken over my sewing table, and I'm enjoying stitching away!  More to come on this guy soon, I'm still deciding on a cording and handle fabric, but I'm thinking some Crosshatch sketch in citron or maybe some Heath in grey may be just the ticket.

WIP Wednesday {10.10.12}

Ahhh it feels so good to be back.  I really want to commit to posting WIP Wednesday updates every week again, even when there's not much sewing going on, its like the one constant that keeps all the crazy out of control WIPs in check.  Kind of like stitchy inventory of sorts!

This week I've had a few quilty set backs, Bertha (my large and in charge sewing machine) and I almost came to blows on Saturday afternoon.   You see I was quilting away, happy as a clam, and all of a sudden, she decided that she wanted to break my needles!  I tried everything.  Threading my machine.  Rethreading my machine.  Changing the bobbin.  Rethreading the bobbin.  Changing needle size.  Changing machine settings.  Changing free motion feet. I even busted out my mini vaccuum attachment setting and cleaned out the bobbin case (helloooo lint.)  Alas, this was all to no avail.  That bitch my trusted stitchy side kick continued to break a needle about every 5 minutes.  Not only that, but she decided she didn't like the automatic needle threader, and that pulled stitches would be fun.  This was where I just. had. to. walk. away.  Bertha is now at the sewing machine doctor, so hopefully they can get her all straightened out and back to her quilty awesome-ness, and soon.  I'm missing her.  Terribly.

I've resorted to pulling out my back up machine to try and finish the quilting, but I realize I've been spoiled.  I sat behind my now seemingly mini machine, and it has absolutely no "get up and go."  How did I sew on this thing for so long??  Anyways, I'm not sure how much quilting I'll be able to finish on this quilt, as its pretty large (a generous twin size).  It feels a little bit like David and Goliath.  We'll see how it goes, I'm pulling for you David!!

In other news, the newest round of the 4x5 bee has officially kicked off.  I'm super excited, this bee always draws such awesome quilty peeps, amazing blocks are guaranteed!  In the midst of all the sewing machine drama  this weekend, I decided I'd work up a test block for my hive, that my little mini machine can handle.



I used Six White Horses Sharp Chevrons tutorial and I'm in love.  This block is paper pieced, I love the tiny detail and precision that paper piecing lends to quilt blocks.  So sharp crisp and clean.  I'll be pulling fabrics for the rest of my hive mates in case the quilting on mr. {mini} machine doesn't work out, I think he can at least handle a little paper piecing :-)

What have you been up to this week??  I'm hoping to keep myself nice and busy for the next few days to distract myself from the fact that I'm missing out on Sewing Summit this year.  Rest assured I'll be stalking/vicariously living through those attending via twitter and instragram!  Be sure to head over to Freshly Pieced and add your WIPs!

bee block catch up

I fell a little behind on bee blocks the last month or two, I always assume "I can work on those tomorrow" and then tomorrow turns into the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and before you know it, I'm frantically playing catch up.  Anyways, in the midst of repainting and "face lifting" our living room (pics to come soon), I did sneak a little sewing time to get caught up!

First off I have to share what has been pouring through my mailbox the last few weeks!  I'm in love with these blocks that the fine ladies of the Inspire circle of do. Good Stitches has made for me using my Techicolor Twist block tutorial.  I am so digging this quilt, the colors are just great, I'm waiting on one more block and have to make one more block, and then I can put together the quilt top!

This is my super late block, Amber requested these fun churn dash blocks for August in the Stash Bee using black, purple and white.  Working on this block made me realized how little purple and black I have in my stash!  I used some Pat Bravo Oval Elements in licorice, and is about as black as I could get.  Hopefully this works for Amber and it fits with her other blocks.

Also for the Stash Bee, Caroline requested fun scrappy log cabin blocks, and asked for fun bright fabrics.  Fun bright fabrics I can do!  I always enjoy digging through my scrap bins for blocks like this, hopefully she likes the fun text-y prints as well!

These blocks were for Andy in the Inspire circle of do. Good Stitches.  She requested two blocks in aqua and orange (colors I certainly am NOT lacking for in my stash!) using her very own Jumble quilt block pattern.  These blocks were so fun and quick to put together, I can't wait to see her finished quilt, it will make for a very cool pattern!

Quilt in a day

A very good friend of mine just had a baby, so of course a baby quilt was in order!  She didn't find out what she was having ahead of time, and instead of just making a gender neutral quilt, I decided to live life on the edge and wait till the baby was born to begin the quilt.

As the title of this post implies, this quilt was fully constructed in one day!  I have to say that is certainly a record for me, I headed down to my sewing room on Saturday morning, and started cutting, then piecing, and before I knew it, I had a quilt top!  Not that I don't love spending time with my husband, but the weekends he works are sometimes nice, as I get the entire day to do what I like, and Saturday that meant a quilty marathon.

As for the fabrics I used, I picked out my favorite baby friendly charms I received in an I Spy charm swap that Kati organized a few months ago, and paired them with turquoise, orange, green and grey prints I had in my stash, and added a ring of white to each block to give the eye a place to rest.  The blocks came together incredibly quick, thanks to chain piecing.

I used a random piece of Kona Grass I found in my solids stash for the backing, and while at first I thought it was a pretty boring choice, it actually shows off the quilting quite nicely!

I decided to step a tiny bit outside of my comfort zone and try a new (to me) FMQ design.  It actually reminds me alot of the quilting I did on my Scrappy Rainbow quilt last year so I guess its not that new, but I added intersecting lines for a sort of boxy robot feel.  I'm totally digging it, and think it really fits the design of this quilt great.




As for the binding, I used this fun stripey Riley Blake print I found in my stash, and its the icing on the cake.  I'm a sucker for stripey bindings, and this one is certainly no exception.



This little guy will be off to its new home tomorrow, hopefully little Tommy enjoys it as much as I do!

Quilt Stats

Quilt Name:  Modern I Spy

Quilt Pattern:  Charm squares in square in square layout

Quilt Size:  39" x 39"

Fabrics Used:  Assorted charms and prints in turquoise, greens, oranges and greys from stash with Kona White

Binding:  Zoofari by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake

Quilting:  Boxy free motion quilting done by me on my home machine