FWQAL Week 5

This week's blocks resulted in my favorite block and one I could care less about.  I dreaded Block 11.  It just looked like so much cutting, blah.  I couldn't find the right fabrics and decided to abandon the method of trying to match my fabric choices to the colors in the original blocks (just not enough cream, brown and yellows in my stash!)  I am so glad I did.  

Block 11: Broken Dishes

This is my favorite so far.  I love the contrast and how that brown print just pops!  

Block 12: Broken Sugar Bowl

This block actually started out as my favorite for this week and I made it first.  I was excited about the fabric choices and the design.  Once I finished it I really didn't like it!  I don't hate it, but it's not my favorite.  Once it's mixed with 110 others I'll forget about it!

I can't wait to get to next weeks blocks (so much so that I might just make them today!)

12 Finished!

99 To Go!

Sample Quilt Top

**WARNING** Poor indoor, quick photographs were taken...please look past the bad coloring and creases. 

I few weeks ago I was asked to make a sample for the most adorable looking shop in Massachusetts!  I was so excited and the He Zigs She Zags pattern by Tallgrass Prairie and some Summertime fabric was coming to me!! 

Let me tell you, this quilt didn't happen without a bunch of issues along the way!  The shop owner sent me the fabric that was listed in requirements on the pattern.  Great!  Time to start cutitng.  Well after I got all the fabric cut for the zig zags I didn't have enough fabric for the appliqued flowers.  So we worked it out to do the stars instead (pattern includes star and flower shapes)  Not what either of us wanted but we would make do.  So continue sewing and sewing and sewing....ugh, bias work....and then I got half way through.  Yikes, no more big white triangles.  I had the amount of fabric that was supposed to be needed, I cut it the right way but why was I short half of the triangles.  My initial thought was I misunderstood the pattern and needed to cut the big squares into 4 triangles and not 2.  No big deal.  I would just cut the ones already done in half and sew back together.  Nope!  This made the triangles way to small for the zig zags.  There was absolutely no way that was the solution.  I emailed the shop owner (again) and we decided to just make the quilt half as big.  This made it look very awkward if I made it half the size.  Luckily, if I took some length off the rows I had enough sections to make 2 more rows.  That made the top much more visually pleasing and not like someone just gave up with a half a zig.  And the quilt is still a good size.  It's as tall as I am and I'm practically 6 feet tall!  Since the quilt was smaller now I would have enough fabric for the flowers (yay!) since I didn't need as many.  I actually think that this modified size is better for a snuggly quilt than the original twin size (unless of course you wanted it on a twin size bed!)  

Has anyone else used this pattern or heard about this fabric shortage in the pattern?  I find it really hard to believe that a mistake this large would go through testers, but mistakes do happen.  Or did I cut wrong?  If so what did I do so I don't do it again?  My advice on this pattern is to buy about a 1/2 yard extra solid so that if you want a twin size quilt you can have one!

Now that it's all done and ready to be mailed out and arriving at it's new home I really like it!  I was so frustrated through out, and swore I would never make this horrendous quilt again.....but now I'm already thinking about what fabrics I want to use to make my own!  

FWQAL Week 4 (a little later)

I usually try to have my Farmers Wife Quilt Along posts on Wednesdays.  This past week was a little crazy getting the shop sample done...something with a deadline was a little more important that my long term quilt along!  I finished it this morning and this afternoon I was so excited to play with fabric and make fast, simple blocks!  What a welcome change! 

 Block 9: Box

Block 10: Bowtie

Progress Bar

Look over there ---------------------->

Do you see it?!  (RSS followers, now is when you need to see my real page)

Yes!  That's it!  I figured out how to make a progress bar for my little hexies!

I know I have more than 140 made (a LOT more!) but I am going to count them as completed once they are put into their group of 100.  It's easier for me to remember and add them up that way.

Yay for yet another tool to keep me organized on this adventure!

Hexagon Update

It's been another month into my crazy hexagon adventure.  I'm making some great progress (and I'm not sick of them yet!)

Here is everything that is all together, basting stitches and paper removed:

 100 hexagons

140 attached into strips of 10.  These strips need to be attached to each other.  I'm doing this step in chunks since I don't want new fabrics all lumped together, I would rather have fabrics from different lines mixed throughout.

And here is the case, 72 single hexagons awaiting being sewn together.  I have filled up the case once before and once it was empty it was so sad looking.  Luckily, it doesn't take long to fill it back up!

And a big thank you to anyone who has given me 2 1/2 inch squares this month.  I appreciate it!

Stay Put Towel

Little man is going to be mobile before we know it and he's already showing that he's quite the mischievous guy! 
Coincidentally, I am also in need of new dishtowels.  They get used a lot more now that I'm at home and I'm washing bottles all day!  I found this tutorial at Pin. Sew. Press and knew I had to make one!  Now when the day comes that little man is all over the house I won't be constantly re-hanging the kitchen towel!

I haven't had anything to link up to Sew Modern Monday in a long time!  

Go check out all the awesomeness at Canoe Ridge!

3x6 Bee 2nd Quarter

I am all done with the second quarter of the 3x6 bee.  Here are all my lovely blocks from my hive.  Don't they just look awesome together!?  I can't wait to start the third quarter and start on a whole  new batch of blocks!

Thanks hive 23 for all your hard work!

FWQAL Weel 3 and a big project

I got two more blocks done this week.  I would have had three but I redid one.

Block 7: Birds in the Air

.Block 8 Bouquet

This is the one I redid.  Originally I had the medallion print as the background and the pink swirls in the "bouquet".  It was so busy it hurt my eyes!  I redid it and flip-flopped the fabrics.  It's still really busy, but it doesn't hurt my eyes!  I decided to keep it as it is for now.  Once everything is done and I look at it all together I will redo any blocks that hurt!

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to make a sample for an awesome quilt shop in Massachusetts.  The fabric and pattern arrived yesterday so all my other WIPs are getting shelved until I finish this one.  It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.  I will share more once I get the top done!  (Sorry for no pictures, I'm too lazy to get the camera out this morning, baby was up a bunch last night!) 

Farmer's Wife QAL Week 2

I made 4 blocks this week.  (yay!)   I'm getting a little worried about the scrappy-ness of these blocks.  I hope that in the end they will all flow together.  Since I'm using fabrics from my stash so pieces will pop up in multiple blocks and I'm using the colors in the book as a guide I should be ok...I hope!  Total scrappy is difficult for me so I guess this is the main challenge of this quilt.

Now onto this weeks blocks...
Block 3: Basket...I still have to put the handle on the basket so I will have to update this later!

 Block 4: Basket Weave

Block 5: Bat Wing

 Block 6: Big Dipper

Dancing Squares

I think this is one of my favorite finishes! The straight line quilting seemed like it took forever but was completely worth it!  I used a charm pack of the oop Eva by Basic Gray and bordered with Kona.  It is simply a square within a square within a square.  It was a great quilt to chain piece.

All fresh out of the dryer, folded up and ready for a new home!

Another Quilt Along

I have always been one to have a main project, finish it and then move onto the next project.  Something switched in me and now I decided I am one of those people who has a lot of projects going at once.  So once you cross the threshold into the land of many WIPs what's one more!?!  And I found the perfect one more.




  I saw the posts on Don't Call Me Betsy's Kaleidoscope QAL and I thought it was a beautiful quilt.  Then I saw it some more, and I decided I can't live without making one too!  I'm going to use up some more scraps so there it's kinda like a quilt made out of nothing.  I hope that the scrapy look will be ok for this, I would rather use up some of my FQ bundles, but I have big plans for all of those.   And if I don't like the scrapy look after I start, I can always buy another FQ bundle and make a second quilt! 

Little Pouch

I had a little bit of free time during an afternoon nap for the little one and I needed a quick sewing fix!  I had just enough time to make a little zippered pouch.

 

It's cute and tiny, only 4 inches.  It fits all the necessities and even an iPhone (without a case).  I used up some of my left over Bliss and added a pretty bow for a little girly extra.  I used a bright aqua inside and I love it!

This pouch is listed for sale on my facebook page. 

Linked up with

Farmer's Wife QAL Week 1

 There's a new QAL out there in blog/twitter land!  It was started by the wonderful Amanda at PorkChop Quilts and Angela at Fussy Cut  And I jumped on board for this one!  I love sampler quilts and I love the history behind them.  What I don't love is the fabric.  So of course I'm making this in fun, modern prints.  I am going to use what I can find out of my stash and I am going to match the colors to the original then sashed in white.

The quilt along will be doing 2 blocks a week, totally doable!  I'm going in order of the book, so here are my first two blocs.

Block 1: Attic Windows
Fabric Used: some Amy Butler Soul Blossoms, DS Quilts, and the blue and green came from a scrap pack (I think they are Tina Givens)

Block 2: Autumn Tints
Fabric: DS Quilts, Bliss and some random scraps.  I hate how I cut the green squares not straight, I might redo those! 

And if you want to see everyone's blocks check out the Flickr group!

A Finish!

It felt good to sit back at my machine this week.  And I have a quick finish to show!

 

Some simple piecing using a Cat in the Hat panel.  This quilt top was a quick finish and I needed that right now!  The back is a Cat in the Hat stripe and bound in a wacky blue and red dot (also from the Cat in the Hat line)

I have decided that it is time for me to try and sell some quilts and other handmade items.  It will be my financial contribution since I am now a stay at home mom.   As a trial run I am posting items on the K*D Quilts Facebook Page  and using that as my "shop".  This quilt will be listed.  I also have a few items that are finishing binding or in the works on my sewing table. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!