Quilt Along Step 3

Okay, up next~ spray basting! Still my favorite way to baste. It makes the layers stick together so nicely so you can focus on quilting, not the safety pins. I posted before on spray basting, but since I am not computer saavy, I'm not sure how to provide a link to that exact post. Once you have sprayed each layer~ one half at a time~ like the photo above, you are ready to quilt. The top pic shows the thread I will be using. Its a Sulky thread with a sheen. I like that thread because it allows a sparkle. I have a hard time quilting all over these beautiful fabrics, so I am outlining the patches. I know I've written before about how I feel like I am scribbling all over these amazing fabrics, so I prefer the fabric to shine vs the quilting. I tend to pick a thread color that is the same as the backing. I am using Mary Trellis in aqua for the back, so the thread is the same shade. Off to quilt this!

Rainbow Around the Block

I really meant to post about this a long time ago, and here I am 4 days before the last cut off date writing about Rainbow Around the Block. Most of you, I'm sure, read Anna Maria Horner's blog & know she lives in TN where so many people lost everything in the flood this year. She is organizing a group to make quilts for those people. Recently a mom contacted me because she needed a new crib set for her 2 babies, so I am making her a bumper & skirt using Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley. The block on the lower right has some of the fabrics I'll be using including that amazing Antler Damask! Because of Sally, I felt even more motivated to sew some blocks to donate. I wish I could have completed more~ I kept them super simple so I could use scraps from peoples orders and make them as I go. I finished 9 & will mail them out today. I think if you worked on some this weekend and mailed them out monday, they would still get there by the 1st. Here's the link to the information on this program:
http://www.annamariahorner.com/rainbow.html I posted pics of some of the individual blocks in my flickr.

Quilt Along Step 2

Had to pause the posts for a weekend of soccer tournaments for my daughter! Okay, once your fabric is organized, start laying out a pleasing pattern. I start in the upper left corner with an 8x8 (I'm dropping the half inch for typing purposes) square of my inspiration fabric~ in this case Tanya~ then start going across the top until your patches add up to 42". So, first square 8, second 8, third 6. Keep going until you are at 42. Going under the original 8" square, do the same thing going down to 48". Fill in between a combination of patches with good distribution of color and sizes.

Next, start sewing blocks in sections like in the top picture. Once you have all sections sewn together, you are ready to start layering your quilt~ the next post! Get out your spray baster, batting & backing & I'll see you next post!

Random Patchwork Quilt Along

I've had some requests for directions on my random patchwork quilt, so I thought I would do that with a new baby quilt I'm working on as part of a set for Cortney. I am warning you that many of these directions are 'random'!! First, the number of fabrics needed? A completely personal choice. The more the merrier as you will see~ if you don't use enough of a variety, you will have duplicates near or next to each other. For this quilt, size 40x46 (apx), I have used various prints from Jennifer Paganelli's Poodle, Sisboom basics, Flower Power & Pretty Please in fuschia, turquoise, blue, pink & yellow. Usually I buy 1 yard of each print & use a little more than 1/2 yard of each in cutting them up. I like 10-12 fabrics in smaller & of course more for my larger sizes. I play with the pattern as I go, so I want a variety of sizes for every color & print, but not every piece will be used. I love to have at least 3 colors with one of the colors being a 'pop'. In this group, the yellow is my pop. The pile above is what's left after I designed the top. Probably enough for another 40x46. See what I mean about random?? Okay, here are the cutting instructions:
*From each fabric, cut strips in these sizes:
8.5, 6.5, 4.5 (for larger quilts I also cut 12.5)
*Then cut your strips again lengthwise into 8.5, 6.5, & 4.5
* When finished, you should have these sizes:
8.5x8.5, 8.5x6.5, 8.5x4.5, 6.5x6.5, 6.5x4.5 & 4.5x4.5
Next, I find it helpful to separate the piles by size & color on my floor or table. All 8.5 squares together in piles by color. The next post will be about the next step. If you have any questions, either leave a comment on my post if your profile links your email, or email me at sewfunbymonique@gmail.com.

Inspiration is Everywhere!

One of my favorite flowers is the morning glory. The ones in my backyard are actually my neighbor's vine that came over to hand out in my yard. I was thrilled! I just love their color & the brightness it adds to the shady side of my yard. I realized when I recently bought Amanda Fleur in blue that it would be a gorgeous picture together, so I pulled out my Lee paisley to coordinate & then pulled fabrics from her other lines until this top was filled with royal blues, aquas, bubblegum pinks and purpley pinks. I just love this combination that started out in my garden!

Holly's Fuzzy Friends

My daughter has been in love with all the plush animals on etsy. You will probably always see one favorited on the right side of my blog. My husband encouraged her to make her own as she is very creative. We bought a book called Felties & she is hooked. Just in the last 2 days she made the 3 animals. First the panda, then the mouse & the owl is her own design. Its fun for her to be sewing right by my side. Maybe some of her friends will appear in my shop as Christmas ornaments??

Selvedge Edge Project

A really fun project I have been occasionally working on. Its a dresser & I've been trying to use each fabric line once. I need about 6 or 7 more on the side. I have different plans for the drawer fronts~ they are really cute & different. So far I've been using spray glue & I think I will mod podge all over when I'm done. Its going to be a great memory of all the beautiful fabrics I've worked with the last couple of years!

New Sewing Room!!

I am so excited because we are adding on a larger sewing room for me!! You can see the plans in the first pic labeled 'new sitting room' because its off the master. Notice it will be bigger than our bedroom! :) I will be painting the walls the second color on the color chip based around Jennifer Paganelli's Loopy Vintage blue. I am also going to incorporate pink & green. I'm excited because my whole house is a dark red, olive & wheat. This will be a fun, creative area where I can use brights & vintage finds that are in my closet with no place to go (yet!).

Under that is half of my fabric closet in my old sewing room, then my unused old sewing room & then my dining room turned sewing room that drives everyone in my house nuts! I have been reading 'Studios' by Cloth, Paper, Scissors & would like to get 'Where Women Create' to get some ideas. Also, I have been favoriting sewing room pics on flickr. So far my wish list includes:

*Wall of cubbies for fabric organization

*Cutting table to fit my large 70x40 cutting mat

*Large 2'x5' ironing board

*Some sort of rod to hang ironed fabrics over

*Sewing table oriented towards back of room to look out the window

*12x12 laminated floor tiles to act as another measurement tool for laying out quilts & bumpers

(originally it was going to be wood, but loved the idea I saw about using the floor as a measuring tool!)

*Desk area with my computer, printer, etc.

*Fleece covered movable design board

*Counter space around half of the room to spread out & work on multiple projects

Sooo, what are your favorite things in your sewing room that you think I could incorporate in my 14X19 room?? I would love to hear any and all. If you have a link to a well organized sewing room I would love to see that, too! We are starting in October, most likely. Can't wait!!!!