Inch by Inch, Spinning Stars Quilt Along

Finding sewing time these days is tough. I'm learning to sew in bits and pieces, accepting that a few minutes is better than not at all.

1. Fabric for Spinning Stars Quilt, 2. Does it look like anything yet? #spinningstars, 3. Test block complete. Center points need a little work. : ( #spinningstars, 4. #2 loving this ring with the blue. Points still mushy... Might fix it at the end, might not. #spinningstars, 5. Prolly TMI but here is a close up of the center. I've tried one open and one nested. Anyone know another trick?, 6. Went on a cutting bender. Future #spinningstars blocks., 7. Block #4, 8. 4 of 12 Spinning Stars w/ Mosaicmaker, 9. Hubs offered to cook dinner so I could sew. Best! #spinningstars

• 6th - I dropped the kids off at school and picked up my fabric.
  
• 12th - The quilt along began, and I was so excited! After starting the laundry, I made a test block.
  
• 14th - A busy day, but I rode the wave of excitement and squeezed in another block.
  
• 15-16th - I took the family to the fair and had a date night with hubby. Fun, but no sewing.
  
• 17th - No time to sew, we needed clean clothes and dishes!
  
• 18th - After school, I set up crafts in the playroom for the kids, and I went on a cutting bender. I got most of my pieces cut out. Yay! Then I made dinner. We were starving.
  
• 19th - Super sour lime ring block done. Yes! Fist pump!!
  
• 20-23rd - Too busy to sew, but I'm still thinking about my blocks.
  
• 24th - Must-sew-now. I think I started twitching or something. Hubs offered to make dinner so I could sew. I happily accepted and started a few more blocks.

Inch by inch, I'm getting there.  Fourteen days and four blocks.  Progress is feeling so slow but I'll take it!

Popover Sundress by Oliver & S

I made this sundress for my daughter using a free pattern from Oliver + S. When I went to Quilt Market this spring I fell in love with the fabric line, Dress up Days by Doohikey Desgins. Shari had the cutest little dolls made from a panel she designed. I could just imagine my daughter, swinging and playing all summer with her new little buddy in a dress *I* made for her. Pretty dreamy, right?

Well the reality is, she refused to wear the dress and gave me the doll since I loved it so much.  What a stinker!!!

At least they were fun to make. All of the pieces for the doll are included in the panel. Just cut and sew. She comes with different outfits and her striped legs look adorable with all of them.

The sundress pattern was super easy. Liesl suggests adding some trim and I remembered I had some ric-rac in my stash. Oh yeah, there is nothing sweeter than a touch of ric-rac. This pattern is well written, easy to follow, and very straight forward. I especially recommend it if you want to try out garment sewing or if you need a quick and satisfying project.

Pattern: Popover Sundress pattern from Oliver + S 

Fabric: Dress Up Days by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake

Meet my new fabric fairy... Dahlia.

Out of Hibernation with a Quilt Along

Apparently I hibernate in the Summer. Who knew?

Spinning Stars by Anna Maria Horner via ImAGingerMonkey on flickr

I am itching to start a new project!  Katy has a new quilt along starting tomorrow. Eee! We're going to make the Spinning Stars quilt pattern by Anna Maria Horner.

Spinning Stars in Chicopee

After much discussion, trial and futzing in EQ, I landed on a colored version that I loved. It's a little wild.  This is really more of a sketch. I wanted to see how the colors played together before I bought the fabric.  I'm planning on making mine one row longer to cover my feet.

Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt (plus a few others)

The fabric is Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt with a few more from my stash.

Now to make it. Wish me luck! I'm going to try paper piecing it using Ruth's template. It's only three pieces, why am I nervous?!?! You can read more about paper piecing this pattern in the Spinning Stars flickr group.