{ Red Letter Day : The First Block }

I've finished four blocks already and number five is cut and ready to sew. I love this pattern ! It really comes together easily. Of course that's only because the instructions on all Thimble Blossom patterns are well written and clear. Even I can't make a mistake.

 

This is the first block I finished and so far, it's my favorite.

 

I really like this fabric line, Weeds by Me & My Sister Designs. I set aside enough fat quarters to make my own Red Letter Day quilt. I may just keep going once the first nine blocks are done.

 

We'll see though since I found out I'm going to be a great- aunt and will have a baby quilt to work on. I can't wait. 

{ It Wouldn't Be Spring Without Some Weeds}

I've been waiting for the perfect project to use my fat quarter bundle of  Weeds, by Me & My Sister Designs. It's been staring at me for months.

 

I bounced between a Swoon quilt for the guest bedroom and Red Letter Day, also by Thimble Blossoms.

 

Red Letter Day won. I paired off 16 fat quarter last weekend and started cutting. The directions are easy to follow and the blocks come together quickly.  They finish around 23 inches.

I'm ready to start sewing the third block. Yay!

 

She'll be a gift for someone special so I'm not going to post any photos of the blocks,

 just in case she happens along this silly blog. I am really happy with the look so far.

 

This fabric line is so much fun to work with. I even have plenty of fat quarters left to make a Red Letter Day for myself. Wait, does anyone actually make a quilt for themselves? Every time I plan one, another quilt to be gifted jumps ahead.

 

Happy sewing!

 

 

 

 

 

{ Sister's Choice for My Sister }

Well, she's washed, dried and folded. All ready to be boxed and shipped to her new home in Florida.

 

I'm so happy with the finished quilt. I enjoyed working with the pattern, Sister's Choice, which I though was an appropriate Christmas quilt design. With the stars and all. And the name,too.

 

It was a very user friendly pattern and it was free, which makes it even better. I used Moda Bella solids in Christmas Green, Burgundy and Snow. The backing, I can't remember the details. It does blend nicely with Snow and it has pretty Christmassy gold in the print. The quilting was done with a gold thread {love, love, love} in a swirly, ornament pattern. It finished at 54x66.

 

Photo overload to follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little note about quilt labels. . . . . when I started quilting and I was looking for information on the internet nearly all resources mentioned being sure to label all quilts so that years down the road, maybe even generations later, there would be a history of who made the quilt, when, for whom and for what occasion Up until I made my niece's {Come Sail Away} quilt I had handwritten my labels and attached them using various styles and methods.

This is my second embroidered label and I love throwing in something extra special at the end of the project.

It's not perfect, but it's wrought by my hand.

 



{ And the List Goes on......}

Sometimes I don't know what's wrong with me. I keep telling myself that I will not buy any more fabric until I've made a quilt using fabric I already have. Then what happens? Another amazing fabric line is released and I get suckered into purchasing it in one form or another.

The latest fabric crack is Best.Day.Ever! by April Rosenthal for Moda. How great are these colors!

They make me happy just looking at them. The line isn't officially being released until October but one of my favorite online fabric shops, Stash Addict Quilts, was offering pre-cuts. I ordered a Fat Eighth bundle and some coordinating Moda Bella solids from Fat Quarter Shop, another favorite place to shop.

So, my {To-Do} list  just got bigger. I already know the pattern I'll be using, Seaside Stars by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter.

I think I purchased this pattern two years ago but was waiting for just the right fabric. I 'm sure I finally found it. Now I'll have to decide where to slip this project in the line-up. It may be a good quilt to work on during the gray days of winter. Ya think?

{ Lattice Quilt for Steph}

I'm a little late getting around to posting photos of the quilt I finished for Steph's Christmas gift. The pattern is Lattice Quilt by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter and the fabric is Little Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings. This fabric line was perfect to match her living room colors and would even coordinate with her bedroom. Two thumbs up!

{Seaside Stars or The Projects Keep Piling Up}

Why do I keep reading quilt blogs?  More often than not I get myself into trouble. Either it's drooling over a new fabric line or oogling a new quilt pattern. This morning I was oogling. Amy Smart of {Diary of a Quilter} blogged about her new {Seaside Stars} pattern. I love star quilts and haven't been able to make one, yet. It took me all of 30 seconds to look at her photos and download it instantly. I love Amy's patterns. Her instructions are written clearly, which is a big plus for me. This is the third pattern I've ordered from her.



Photo by Amy Smart @ Diary of a Quilter

Amy gives instructions for a 72x72 quilt, as well as for twin, queen & king sized quilts. I'm thinking this would make a great quilt for use at the beach, for sunset watching not sunbathing.

Photo by Amy Smart @ Diary of a Quilter

So, I'm going to check my email and download this pattern. It will go in the pile of projects pending. The fun comes when deciding which fabrics to use. I've already got some ideas.

{Spools & Flower Girl or Why Did I Buy More Quilt Patterns?}

I've found a lot of free quilt patterns online and have downloaded several that I like and plan to make...someday. There are other patterns that are so pretty that I can't help but purchase them with the hope that the perfect fabric will materialize {ha ha} and I'll create a beauty. 
I have been eyeballing two patterns from Camille at {Thimble Blossoms}. I've already purchased her {Swoon} pattern, which I'm making as a gift. I plan on a second {Swoon} quilt for ME from Bonnie & Camille's {Ruby} fabric line. I love their fabrics.


These are two of Camille's newest patterns:

Photo from Camille's blog {Simplify}

Photo from Camille's blog {Simplify}

This morning I caved and ordered them both. Why not? I'll just add them to my "to do" list, which is ever increasing. I'm hoping someday I'll have all the time I want for my crafty hobbies and these quilts, a drawer full of knit socks, and my stained glass Orca panel will get done. 

{Next Up}

Since I finished the baby's Granny Square Quilt last week I haven't had a chance to get back to sewing. I did decide on a {counted cross stitch} project to bring out to Mattituck this summer. It's a really sweet farm/country scene with barns and cows and sheep and flowers.....just right for Steph.  The wording across the bottom reads 'Live Simple  Be Content'. It sounds like a great idea to me. It's very involved though. There are very few areas of the Aida cloth that will not be covered with cross stitches. And, my eyes are getting older and those little holes are much harder to see than I remember. I may have to up the magnification on the drugstore glasses while I work on it.


So, it was time to figure out my next  'at home' project. The nights Brian has band practice are perfect for sewing. I set up my table in the living room, put on a show I know he has no interest in and get going. A few weeks back I saw a great quilt pattern on Make it Do. I haven't had a chance to make a quilt with stars yet so I purchased the pattern and put it away until the right fabric came along. 

The right fabric came along completely by accident. Quickly. I purchased Friendship by Howard Marcus in a Fat Eighth bundle with plans on purchasing yardage down the line when it went on sale. There was a sale at Fat Quarter Shop, I ordered enough yardage for a quilt back, border and binding. I got the fabric, color looked off. I looked at the receipt and it was the wrong fabric collection. Oops! Now, I will take that 'wrong' fabric along with 5 charm packs and 2 1/2 yards of red fabric and make {Oh My Stars!}. The fabrics I bought are American Banner Rose by Minick & Simpson.

I'll be throwing in two charm packs of Friendship for a little variety. I've located the solid red from the American Banner Rose collection and will use that for the stars.


Tomorrow night is band practice which means my rotary cutter and I have a date. I read through this pattern and it looks to be fairly simple. I'm still waiting for the red fabric to arrive so I'll start with the charms. I think I'll like this.