Little Bluebell

GIVEAWAY: 1,000 and What?!?

2012-01-26T00:26:00.000-08:00

I recently passed a big milestone on this little blog of mine.1,000 followers!! I know there are even more that read along in your readers, through blogger, your inboxes and even bookmarked as a favorite blog. Thank ALL of you for visiting and sharing this space with me. Each and every one of you! Your comments and friendship inspire me to keep sharing and creating.

A fun look at Little Bluebell so far...

TOP 3 POSTS:

TOP 3 PROJECTS:

Peaceful Pagoda

2012-01-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Choose Colors

Step 2: Choose Fabrics

One of my favorite things to do is play with color and fabric. Inspiration is everywhere! Sometimes it starts with one fabric that I see and just love. Then I start thinking, what would I do with that?

The other night I was window shopping online at The Intrepid Thread. Kate Spain's new line Good Fortune had just arrived and I was excited to take a closer look. I was drawn immediately to the Tranquility Lantern Flower print. I really liked the mix of purple, aqua and orange.

Then I browsed through the other fabrics looking for prints I liked in those colors. Initially I opened anything that might work. I was looking for a variety of scale, value, and subject (i.e. not too many florals or dots) and I narrowed the list down slowly. It was not surprising that many of them came from Good Fortune!

Sometimes my day dreaming stops there. Other times, I start to build a quilt.

Introducing a double hourglass quilt named, Peaceful Pagoda.

Step 3: Build A Quilt

** Edited to add: Stay tuned for a custom bundle from The Intrepid Thread and a GIVEAWAY. Eeeek!!!

FABRICS USED:

California Swoon #2

2012-01-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

These Swoon blocks are like a really good book that you can't put down. Just one more chapter...

California Swoon #2

I just love these two fabrics together. Look at the birds and the leaves. Cute!

Fabric: Meet the Gang & Little Apples

I'm hoping to squeeze out a few more Swoon blocks tomorrow at our Guild Sew Day. If you're local, come on over! : )

Swoon Quilt Along

2012-01-19T05:16:00.000-08:00

I am so giddy about this project I can't sit still.

These colors...

This pattern...

Image Credit: Thimble Blossoms by Camille Roskelley

SWOON!

California Swoon #1

It all started last spring when I was sitting at home ogling the Quilt Market photos on twitter. I remember seeing this booth photo and taking full notice of the quilt in the back right-hand corner. What is that? It was Swoon by Camille Roskelley. The scale of those stars made my heart beat faster. I loved it.

Fast forward several months and I started seeing some gorgeous versions of this pattern showing up on flickr. This halloween quilt from Amanda, this sweet baby girl version from Tracey, and this scrappy block from Erin. Oh-my-goodness, talk about love! I was anxiously watching from the sidelines. I already had several quilts started that I should be working on. No need to add to the project pile. Right?

Enter the Pillow Talk Swap. I decided my partner needed a Swoon pillow. Yes she did. It is such a great, dynamic block and it was a lot of fun to make. I knew I wanted to make a whole Swoon quilt someday.

Now let's talk about Katy. I don't know how she does it. Last year she got me started making the Single Girl pattern by Denyse Schmidt. Katy somehow knew that I had the pattern, knew I was dying to make it, knew that I cannot resist a good quilt along and knew that I was busy with other stuff and needed a nudge. Katy started a Swoon quilt along over on flickr. Love her! Over 400 Swooners crowded around and said Yes! Me too! I'm in! Amazing.

And so it begins. I am so happy to begin!

LINKS:

Swoon Quilt Along on Flickr
Katy's Swoon Quilt Along Introduction
Camille's Introduces new patterns, including Swoon
Pattern available in Camille's shop, Thimble Blossoms

Blocks for The Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee

2012-01-16T05:12:00.000-08:00

California Quilt Block

One of my new bee friends Diane, made a block named after her home state, Hawaii. I loved that. Now when I look at the block she sent me, I smile and think of her in Hawaii.

When I was looking for inspiration for my own blocks, I looked at the 12" block section of the Quilter's Cache and I saw a California block. It looked like fun block so I sewed up a sample in my colors of aqua, orange and pink. My fabric choices left it kind of mushy looking. I still like the block, but I decided to go in a different direction for my bee blocks.

Strings on the work table

I have a bin of 1.5" strips. Whenever I'm cutting up fabric for projects, I cut small leftover bits into 2.5" or 1.5" strips and save them. I looked through the colors, and I noticed I had a lot of aqua, yellow, red and gray. Perfect colors for the blocks I needed to make.

Scrappy block for Jill

I decided to make string blocks with a twist. After several failed attempts, I found one I really liked using half strings and half solid.

1. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee, 2. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee, 3. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee, 4. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee

My favorite thing about participating in this bee is working with everyone's colors and pushing myself to make something different. Are you in any Quilt Bees? What do you like about them?

LINKS:

Diane's Hawaii Blocks
California Block Tutorial from the Quilter's Cache
The 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee
My other 4x5 blog entries, Block Making, Modern 4x5 Bee, Cross Strings

Flurry for Breakfast

2012-01-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

Liberated Star

Flurry for breakfast...or lunch, or dinner. I made these placemats for my guild's holiday swap. A little patchwork, a liberated star and a lot of happy holidays!! I used Flurry by Kate Spain and Moda Bella Solid in Christmas Red and White.

This corner makes me happy.

I'm always looking for ways to improve my corners. I tried a new (to me) technique and it worked out pretty well. Instead of stopping 1/4" from your corner and ending your stitching line, you turn it 90 degrees and sew right off of the edge.

Flurry Placemat

Kate Spain sure has a way with Christmas fabric doesn't she? Did you see the sneak peek of "Joy" on Kate's blog?? I LOVE it! It's so JOYful. Bah-dum-ching. ; ) Zig zags? Snowflakes? and Winter Mint? Yes please!!

Here's a closer look at Joy from Moda (pdf).

I know it's January and Christmas is over. I'll get there. ; )

Photo Credit: Jaye from Artquiltmaker

Here are the BAMQG swappers (I'm at the bottom left, kneeling and holding my awesome aprons from Jen).

Introducing Bahama Mama, a Blogger's Choice Challenge

2011-12-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

Laura at Quokka Quilts issued a challenge on her blog. Create your own Blogger's Choice bundles. Choose 12 prints and 3 solids. I jumped at the chance to play because I love making mood boards. To make it just a little more interesting, there are also judges and prizes. Yes! Come play along. : )

Currently, my house looks like a tornado hit it. Toys, boxes and Christmas decorations are all over the place. It's a happy mess, but still a mess. I need a tropical vacation. Introducing, "Bahama Mamma." Oh Cabana boy?!?!

You can see I was drawn to lots of warm, sunny, saturated tones. Mai Tai anyone?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

Fabric Wreath blogged here

I'm busy wrapping up the last of the holiday prep over here at Casa Bluebell. Today I've been in the kitchen finishing up some handmade goodies. On the short list is:

Little helpers hard at work.

Over the next couple of days I'm looking forward to family, smiles, and hugs. Revisiting old traditions and making new memories. Yes, I'm a bit of a sap. : ) Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight. See you in the New Year!! xx A

Pinned Ya Pinterest

2011-12-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

Do you use Pinterest? Did you know that even if you don't use Pinterest you can see which of your pictures or blog posts people are pinning/bookmarking? You can! Use this nifty little trick and see what's hot from your own blog.

Type the following into your browser ... http://pinterest.com/source/___InsertYourWebsiteHere___/

Here is what mine looks like: http://pinterest.com/source/littlebluebell.com/

And here's what my readers are liking these days: Daisy Mae, Baby Mish Mash, Fabric Keychains, Pillow Talk Swap, Modern Crosses, Big Zig

Meet Molly the Waldorf Inspired Doll

2011-12-19T03:53:00.000-08:00

Every year I try to make my kids something for their birthdays. This year, I made Molly for my daughter. I've been obsessively researching how to make these Waldorf/Steiner style cloth dolls for a couple of years now. There is something so endearing about them. This is the first doll I've ever made and I needed to talk myself into it. Shaping the head is like nothing I've ever seen before. It was definitely a process and very satisfying in the end. I had her *almost* finished for last year's birthday, but I ran out of creative steam and time. Poor Molly still needed hair and clothes.

The doll skin is a very fine cotton interlock that I bought here. She's stuffed with carded wool stuffing from here. Her hair is a mix of three different yarns I picked out at a local yarn shop. Even though I had a pattern, making the clothes was the hardest for me to do. The fabric for her pinafore is Pam Kitty Morning from here, and the pants are upcyled from my daughter's old shirt.

See the little rosebud at the neckline? I cut a skinny strip (pinky sized) of tshirt, folded it in half and rolled it up. A few hand stitches hold it in place.

Here are some of the books and websites that I found helpful. If you have any favorite patterns or hints for making dolls I'd love to hear. I'm already planning on making another one. : )

BOOKS:

ONLINE TUTORIALS:

WINNER: Daisy Mae Giveaway

2011-12-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you for stopping by and entering my giveaway!! Also a big thank you to Sew Mama Sew for hosting another awesome Giveaway Day!

The winner of the Daisy Mae fat quarter bundle is....... Shana. Congratulations Shana!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. My baby girl is turning four and I have a doll project two years in the making to finish up. I'll share pictures when I'm done. Oh, and I have cupcakes to bake. She requested rainbow cupcakes again. That girl LOVES rainbows. Which reminds me... I need to get the Sprinkles quilt out of the WIP pile and into the finished pile. It needs some straight line quilting, don't you think?

Giveaway: Daisy Mae by Denyse Schmidt

2011-12-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been announced.

Hello Peeps, it's time for Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day. I'm giving away 19 fat quarters of Daisy Mae by Denyse Schmidt. That's the entire collection!! Exciting right? : )

TO ENTER:

What is your favorite color? Leave one comment below.

BONUS ENTRY:

Do you follow my blog? Please leave a second comment.

This giveaway ends on Friday, December 16th, 2011. One lucky winner will be chosen randomly. International entries are welcome.

Thank you so much for stopping by!!! See you on Friday when I announce the winner. : )

Member Spotlight at BAMQG

2011-12-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wanna see my fabric stash? Or find out where I get my inspiration? Head on over the the BAMQG blog today... http://bayareamodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/2011/12/member-spotlight-adrianne-ove.html

Placemats

Meanwhile, this elf is hard at work. See you soon!

Fabric Keychains

2011-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

It was the end of the year and I wanted to give each of my fellow BAMQG officers a special gift. My wishlist: something handmade, something pretty, something fabric related and something useful. That's a lot of somethings isn't it?

It took some thinking and I came up with this fun idea. I paired sterling silver glass lockets with cute Heather Ross fabric. I just love her illustrations! Add some scrapbook paper and a ribbon for gift giving. If you're making these for you non-fabric friends, add an initial or a photograph instead.

I bought the fabric from Sew Deerly Loved. It's called Heather Ross, Munki Munki, Notions. The lockets were in my stash. If you search etsy supplies for "glass lockets" you will find something similar.

I Love Echo by Lotta Jansdotter

2011-11-21T05:45:00.000-08:00

Echo by Lotta Jandsdotter

My Favorite Prints, Echo by Lotta Jansdotter

From the first preview on her blog, I was smitten with Echo by Lotta Jansdotter. It's crisp, fresh, organic, bold, earthy, modern and awesome!! I bought mine from The Intrepid Thread. Julie was so clever to pair it with some coordinating solids. They are all so gorgeous together.

Lotta Prints by Lotta Jansdotter

Earlier this year I attended Lotta's printing workshop in Palm Springs, Ca. I had so much fun making a stencil and printing my own fabric. Lotta is such a talented and inspiring lady. At the workshop, she encouraged us to focus on simple shapes, inspired by everyday things. That's what I love about Echo. The motifs are simple and yet so stylish. On the way out, I shyly asked her to sign my book. She smiled a big smile and said (as only Lotta can), "Of course!"

My handmade stencil from Lotta's workshop.

Source: hopskipjump.typepad.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

This picture of Lotta was pinned from Fiona's site, Hop Skip Jump. Fiona made her own quilt and the picture above was her inspiration. I am 99% sure this is what I want to make with my pretty pile of Echo. If I could buy Lotta's sample from her book I would. I love it that much. What do you think about Echo?

Want more? Visit Lotta's website, www.jansdotter.com and check out my Lotta Love board on Pinterest. If you're interested in printing your own fabric by hand, I highly recommend the book, Lotta Prints.

Big Zig and Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson

2011-11-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson in person you are missing out! Wait, let me rephrase that. If you haven't felt Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson you are missing out!!! It's poplin and so soft and smooth and wonderful. I started cutting into it as soon as it arrived. I'm working with the solids first, but I also have a fat quarter set of Sunset Garden waiting for a turn on the cutting table, as well as this quilt that was inspired by the medallion print.

The quilting is slow going. The picture above shows what it looks like two hours in.

I was planning on showing you this quilt finished with a big ta-da, but when I saw the sale I decided to share it a little early in case you want to make your own.

This is Big Zig...

Color placement plays a huge roll in this simple, but bold layout. Here's one for you to color. : ) My half square triangles measure 9" each and the final quilt will measure 51"x68". If you use smaller 6" blocks and the same layout, it would make a perfect baby/toddler sized quilt, 33"x44".

Fabricworm has Secret Garden on sale ... today only, 25% off!!! Click on any of the prints to see the sale price. For this quilt I bought the half yard set of Michael Miller Cotton Couture solids and I have some leftovers.

More pictures coming soon. Later today if I can bribe DH to hold it up before work.

Evolution of a Quilt Design

2011-11-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a quilt design using half square triangles. It is supposed to be for an Accuquilt Go tutorial, except I'm having the hardest time getting my Go Baby fabric cutter to work. There has been a lot of back and forth with Customer Service, returns (shipping costs adding up!), deliveries and scrap fabric. In the meantime, I'm working out what I'm going to make.

This idea started months ago. I knew I wanted to use one of the half square triangle (HST) dies and my stack of Heirloom fabric by Joel Dewberry.

I made this sample block awhile back and I really liked it!

The stars looked a lot different once I put them together. Kind of plain and flat. I didn't really like the secondary shapes that formed. Especially the square. It's so... square.

I tried adding another block to break up the stars and set it on point. This is a sweet little layout, but not really what I was looking for. It didn't feel like a good match with the modern, graphic fabric. It would make a super cute baby quilt though.

The HSTs weren't sewn together in stars yet, so why not use one of my favorite HST layouts. I love the repetition and the scattered colors. I added a taupe color to ground the light Heirloom prints. This quickly became the front runner, but I wanted to push myself further. What else? What else could I make?

At this point, the kids are asleep, there is some kind of show playing on the TV (background noise) and the DH and I are working away on our laptops. I gave the "rotate block" button a workout in EQ. It was the DH's idea to break it up into quadrants (I'm sure it was his sci-fi influence). Brilliant! I really liked the movement here and also the crisp white and the warm and bold Heirloom. The only thing I didn't love about it was the overall square shape. Again with the squares. Picky Pickerson. I know.

What else...

I stopped for the night and in the morning I decided to try again but with the actual fabric and not the computer. I don't know how many incarnations of HST layouts I went through. There were a lot. Stripes? No. Zig zags? No. Chevrons? No. Broken Dishes? No. My arms were getting tired. What else?!

Why not start with something I already liked and expand on that idea? Change it up a little. This is a riff on the pillow I made for the Pillow Talk Swap.

I knew I was done and I had the one when instead of thinking, I could make this, I was thinking, I want to make this. Right now! I left the room, came back... peek. Yup, I still like it. I had lunch, got the kids from school, went to the library and Target. Still like it? Yes. I really do. It's bold, crisp and scrappy. The blocks are big enough to show off the gorgeous fabric and there is a lot of movement and interest.

I hope you like it too. Tutorial coming really soon.

Sunday Stash: Daisy Mae by Denyse Schmidt

2011-11-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

Three stores in five days and I finally got my hands on these beauties. Come to Mama!

Daisy Mae by Denyse Schmidt. Now available now at Jo-ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Featured on Modern Day Quilts

2011-11-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today my quilt, Liberated Habitat, is featured on Modern Day Quilts. Watch out Picasso here comes Adrianne. : )

This is so exciting! I've followed Modern Day Quilts from the beginning and I just love it. You know how you have a blog or two that are must read? This is one of mine. In fact, it's in my google reader so I don't miss a post. If you have never been over there you must check it out. Maybe get a snack first because you're going to be clicking, next, next, next.

If you're visiting my blog for the first time, welcome. I'm so glad you're here!! Have a look around and let me know what you think.

-Adrianne

Urgent, Blocks for San Bruno

2011-11-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

Mod Mosaic Block for Kelsey

This is an urgent call for blocks, Kelsey is making a quilt for a family in need. This family lost their home in the San Bruno gas line explosion last year, the husband is currently in the hospital after someone else hit his car on the way to work, and they are expecting their first baby in December. They need a quilt hug for sure! Read all about it on Kelsey's blog post here. Kelsey is asking for blocks, scraps and help spreading the word.

Introducing, Liberated Habitat

2011-11-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

The BIG REVEAL...

Introducing, Liberated Habitat

Finished with less than 12 hours to spare before my guild meeting. Phew. Let's just say as President of the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild I had extra motivation to get this done by Saturday's meeting. ; ) As I hand stitched the binding late Friday night, I was very thankful this wasn't a big quilt. It only measures 30"x45". The name was inspired by a comment that Jodi left in an earlier blog post. Thanks Jodi, I think I did manage to liberate the Habitat. LOL. It all started with fat eighths of Habitat by Jay McCarrol and a handful of Kona solids.

I used one of Gwen Marston's designs from her book, Liberated Quiltmaking II. For the quilting, I sewed crazy, criss-cross quilting lines all over to echo the lines on two of the prints. While I was quilting it, I laughed and asked, "how will I know when I'm done?" Hmmm... very free flowing. It was fun!

Tom said it looked like a Picasso. Not necessarily in a supportive tone. More of a goading, sassy one. So my reply was to sign it and frame it like a painting. So there. : P

It was a challenge pushing through with my original vision. I had my doubts. I had lots of support to "embrace the crazy" from my friends. It's not that I don't like it, it's just so different than what I usually do. Looking at it now, it's hard to believe I made it. For that very reason I love it. Thank you friends for encouraging me to finish, thank you BAMQG for working along side me with your own challenges, thank you Tom for inspiring a cheeky finish and thank you Free Spirit for supplying our guild with fabric to play with!!

Pillow Talk Swap 6

2011-11-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

I participated in the latest round of the Pillow Talk Swap on flickr. The deadline to mail our pillows was November 1st.

This is the pillow I sent out on... November 1st. : )

After stalking my secret partner on his/her blog, through his/her flickr projects and favorites I put together this stack of fabrics I thought he/she would like. Sorry for all the he/she stuff. It's a secret you see.

The fabric sat around awhile, marinating, waiting to become something. Narrowing it down to one idea is hard. There are so many possibilities, so many things you could do.

Image Credit: Seven Island Fabrics

One of the fabrics is a cheater print and I started thinking, what if I cut those squares apart and treated it as separate fabrics? I remembered how much I loved Erin's scrappy Swoon block. If I made one Swoon block a little smaller, it would be a great pillow.

I liked the idea of it, but I wasn't sure how it would look. My friend Jaye says, "make visual decisions visually". So I drafted the block in EQ and colored it with a similar color palette. I LOVED it.

I bought the pattern Swoon by Camille Roskelley and started piecing the blocks. I made some changes as I went. For a scrappy look, I broke up the big rectangles into squares. The cheater print and linen were so great together I decided to not use any of the other fabrics. I also changed the center square from a colored block to plain linen one. Slowly I'm learning to listen to my instincts as I go.

Pressing the seams open helped match up all those points.

I had a few extra blocks and I added them to the back. Now my pillow is on it's way to it's new home. I hope my partner likes it as much as I do.

The Pillow Talk Swap

The end. : )
-A

Delighted by The Quilted Fish

2011-10-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Julie is part of the creative team for Riley Blake and I was lucky enough to be invited to her Delighted launch party. Delighted is the newest line by The Quilted Fish for Riley Blake.

Image Source: The Intrepid Thread

We had fun giggling and crafting. Look at these cute pincushion rings we made.

I have a little crush on the sunny one.

These would make a cute gift for your sewing friends for the holidays, or just because. It's also a fun crafty project for a sew day. If you would like to make one too Julie has a video tutorial that shows you how.

LINKS:
Julie's Pincushion Ring Tutorial
Entire line of Delighted
The Quilted Fish blog
Riley Blake

Craft Hope Sock Monkey Drive

2011-10-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Craft Hope is requesting Sock Monkeys for victims of the Texas wildfires. They must be handmade and the deadline is November 24th, 2011. I'm hoping to get my kids involved with making these cuties. I always see great striped socks at Target so I added a couple of pairs to my shopping list this week. Then I headed over to flickr and Pinterest for some inspiration. Let's take a look shall we?

Source: sockmonkey.co.uk via Adrianne on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

Image Source: maribel made via flickr

Image Source: sunsetgirl creations via flickr

Aren't they cute? You could totally do this!! Let's make a mountain of monkeys for the kids. : ) More information on the following links.

Craft Hope website

Craft Hope on Facebook

Sock Monkey Tutorial links at Craft Hope

Habitat, It's All Happening

2011-10-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick snap of my design wall today. My project is coming along for the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild Habitat challenge. I'm using a block idea from the book Liberated Quilt Making II by Gwen Marston. I've been wanting to try out this block for a long time. They're a lot of fun to put together. You start with a square and a rectangle and then piece them at whatever angle you like. Each one is a little different from the next. I cut all my fabric into pieces and then just sat at the sewing machine and went for it. Today is the persnickety part, fitting all the pieces together like a puzzle. I think once it's all put together it will have a cool kaleidoscope effect. Switching the focus back and forth between the pattern of the Habitat fabrics and the solids.

You may have noticed that one piece up there doesn't look like the others. That's my daughter's contribution. She made that block at make and take booth at Quilting In The Garden. Eye brows were raised when she chose tropical fish for the background for her poinsettia. I secretly admired her determination when they tried to steer her towards the Christmas background, but she knew what she liked and wouldn't be swayed. Fish it is. She is so proud of her quilt, she showed it off to anyone who would listen. She added it to the wall and said I could give it to a baby that needs to stay warm. My heart swelled with pride. I love that girl!!

Baby Safari, Finished!

2011-10-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Whew. Finished with a day to spare. It has been a quilting marathon this past week. I guess I do better with a deadline. Who knew? This quilt has been brought to you by take out, coffee, Pandora, and Dadurday. What's Dadurday you ask? It's when Dad takes the kids out on Saturday to bond, eat tons of candy, run around like monkeys and give Mom a break. You hadn't heard? Well now you know. Go on and share it with your hubby. : )

Let's see, I started cutting fabric last Saturday at the guild meeting, finished up on Tuesday, made the fussy cut blocks on Wednesday, pieced it Thursday and Friday (with my littlest helper) and finished it up today. I could not do this every week. It was like I was playing Monopoly. Do not stop. Do not pass go. Do not do laundry. Do not do dishes. Wasn't that how it went?

Let's take a closer look.

Speaking of Pandora. This quilt had a soundtrack. It did! I am not making this up. Check out the playlist:

(I'm linking where I can to a YouTube video so you can hear it if you want to)

Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell
Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles
New Morning by Lisa Loeb & Elizabeth Mitchell
Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
New Soul by Yael Naim & David Donatien
You Are My Sunshine by Elizabeth Mitchell

If I could add one more song to this near perfect list, I would include this version of Baby Mine by Allison Krauss, a family favorite.

LINKS:
Baby Safari, Beginnings
Baby Safari, Sneak Peek
Dadurday is real!
Pandora, Internet Radio

Baby Safari, Sneak Peek

2011-10-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek of my design wall today. Baby Safari is well under way. I cut a bunch of charm squares from the fabric stack I showed you earlier. I really love these colors together, especially for a baby quilt. They are so warm and happy. I had the charm blocks done and on the wall and the quilt was telling it needed a little something more. The animals in the main Central Park print are so cute so I fussy cut a few and framed them with scraps. It took a little figuring getting each one to fit into a 5"x5" grid. Remember when I did the Fat Quarterly quilt along?

For that quilt, I fussy cut some of the Circa 50 print. They ended up being my favorite blocks. I like just a few sprinkled in for interest. Kind of like Where's Waldo, but way better. This quilt has to be finished by this weekend so I've got to boogaloo. Ha! Do you ever use that phrase? My Mama did growing up and I guess it stuck. ; )

I hope you all have a happy weekend. Sew something will ya?
-A

Project Terrain, Part One

2011-10-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

I took the cute mini charms that Kate sent me and turned them into two lanyards. I made one for me and one to share at my next guild meeting. I followed this tutorial by my friend Trish at Two Peas in a Pod Designs. Aren't they cute? It's a quick, satisfying project that's perfect for those little pieces of your favorite fabrics. I found the hardware in the jewelry section of Michael's craft store.

My daughter's eyes lit up when she saw them. She said they were just like her teacher's name tags at school. I bet the aren't pretty patchwork lanyards! Wouldn't that be a cute teacher gift?

PROJECT NOTE: I used the mini charms as is (2.5") and I didn't cut them down to the 2" that is written in the tutorial.

Safari Baby Beginnings

2011-10-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all of your positive feedback on my Cross Strings block!! There has been some interest in a tutorial or a quilt along. I think that sounds like a lot of FUN! Let me see what I can come up. : )

Today, I've got a new baby quilt in the works. The Mother-to-be likes purple and the nursery will have a safari theme. My goal is to make a soft, happy quilt that will grow with the new baby.

I really like this print from Central Park by Kate Spain. I'm using the third one from the left. Purple? Check! Animals? Check! Fun, fresh color palette? Check!

I chose my colors based on the print. I'm using mostly purples and yellow with a just hint of taupe and blue for balance. There is a variety of values within each color and I stayed away from anything too light since the animal print is on a white background. Add in a mix of scale and shapes and we're looking good. Aren't they pretty together?

Purples

Taupes

Blues

Yellows

The baby shower is coming up fast so I've got to run and cut. Not at the same time silly!

-A

Cross Strings Block for the 4x5 Modern Bee

2011-10-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

4 x 5 .... that is five blocks to send out to my bee mates. The block I designed turned out to be a little intense sewing wise. First making the strips, sewing the strings and matching all of those points. I'm calling the block, "Cross Strings."

Now that I look at the design wall full of blocks I am really happy with the way they turned out. Maybe it's like having a baby. Once the baby is in your arms you forget about the labor part. These ladies are worth it. You should see the awesome blocks they made for me. I will share them here later this week. I really lucked out with the best hive (don't tell the others). The talent in my group is amazing!!

The next round of the Modern 4x5 Bee is just starting up if you're interested in joining. As of this morning there were 40 slots left and they were going quick.

For Jessica

For Charise

For Rachel

For Tina

For Amelia

Then, I couldn't sleep last night so I got up and played with EQ7. What else can I do with these blocks? What would they look like all together? What about a Cross Strings quilt?

Aren't the colors great? I think my subconscious was still thinking about the BAMQG Joel Dewberry Heirloom challenge. Kind of wild. The working title for this quilt is "Jungle Stripes". When DH woke up this morning I pounced on him and in a crazy sleep deprived, talking to fast, excited voice said, "look what I came up with last night. What do you think?" He thinks it's a little Crazytown. Hmmm, maybe it was my concept delivery. ; ) I kinda want to start making this quilt... TODAY!

Smile! It's Monday.
-Adrianne

A Happy Surprise from Kate Spain

2011-09-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Lookie what I got in the mail from the lovely, generous and thoughtful Kate Spain. It's the cutest mini charm pack ever!! Wait? What? Lemme back up a sec. I was reading the Intrepid Thread and Julie posted that Terrain by Kate Spain had arrived in her shop. So, of course I was excited, and of course I left a comment. Well, Kate was reading along too and she sent all the commenters a surprise in the mail.

Thank you Kate! Thank you Julie! I have a big, huge smile on my face today. You guys are the best!!

Here are some of my favorites from Terrain. The colors in this entire line are so pretty and saturated. Love!

Leaves in Foliage

Footpath in Bloom

Forest Floor in Bloom

Quilting In The Garden 2011, Alden Lane Nursery

2011-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to a local quilt show called Quilting In The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, Ca. I look forward to this every year. They hang hundreds of quilts from their majestic Oak trees. It is such a beautiful sight!! This year they had over 200 quilts hanging in every nook can cranny. Here are some of my favorites.

Quilting In The Garden 2011

# 99 Ocean Daisies by Becky Perry

# 193 Generations by Madge Fordyce

#9 Jewels for the Night by AnnaBelle Horgan

Would you like to see more? Click on the slide show below to view all my photos from this year's show. You can also view them individually here.

Quilting In The Garden 2011, Alden Lane Nursery, Livermore, Ca

LINKS:

My photos from Quilting In The Garden 2010
Alden Lane Nursery
2010 Photo album from C & T Publishing

Block Making

2011-09-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the Modern 4x5 Bee, before we got partners, before we pulled fabric, we each put together an inspiration mosaic of our favorite blocks. A little something to get the creative juices flowing. Here are some of my favorite blocks that have been made by others. You can click on the links below the picture to see each block on flickr.

1. tutorial: scrappy stars, 2. Scrappy Plus Block--Do good Stitches, 3. do. Good Stitches - June, 4. Pillow Talk Swap 4, 5. pillow talk swap received!, 6. favorite colors, 7. DQS10 full frontal, 8. www.flickr.com/photos/caribousmom/5849987922/in/gallery-l..., 9. Bee Mental Blocks, 10. WIP: Christmas Quilt, 11. Blythe-Size Bee - Wonky Stars for Pippa, 12. 3x6 bee block - process post

After I pulled the fabric for my Modern 4x5 Bee buddies, I got stuck. There were so many fabrics I wanted to use and it's hard to fit them all into a 12" block. I knew I wanted something scrappy. Inspiration struck while I was sitting at Starbucks, drinking an Iced Vanilla Latte, helping my five year old with his homework and waiting to pick up my three year old from Preschool. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon. ; ) In the spirit of sharing my process I will show you my messy sketch.

I like this block because I can use lots of different prints, there is a lot of movement and interest within the block, and I love the crisp, chunky, cross/plus/x, in the middle as a resting place. Since I don't have buckets of coordinated scraps I am making scraps one strip at a time from yardage. I know there are some of you laughing your heads off right now. Making scraps? Lady, are you crazy?!!?

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. Tomorrow, I'm headed to one of my favorite local quilt shows at the Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore. This year's featured artists are Rob Appell and Verna Mosquera. They hang all the quilts from their huge Oak trees. It is so beautiful!!

Finished! 100 Quilts for Kids

2011-09-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

How am I supposed to follow up a blog post about a $600 quilt? With a charity quilt of course. ; ) There were some really good points made in the comments yesterday. Comments about how your pricing affects others, different products might have different profit margins, and most crafters and quilters don't sell their quilts wholesale. Most importantly remember that you make quilts because you LOVE it.

So here we go. Hot off the sewing table... "Charming Sherbet Pips".

I loved making this quilt!! The charm packs were so cute on their own I didn't need to add anything. Hey, some days you're a cook and some days you're a chef. Today, I enjoyed being a cook. I could just sit down, sew, and let my mind wander. It felt wonderful.

I used this quilting guide for the first time and it worked great. Just slide it into your walking foot, and presto, a straight line guide that goes beyond the width of your foot. Yahooie!

As soon as I saw this cute scarf print I knew I would use it as a binding on a quilt. I also attached the binding with my machine instead of by hand. *gasp* I know! It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought and I finished a lot faster. On the other hand, there was no snuggling underneath, watching (or listening to) a good movie, rounding the corners and finally a finish. Different tools for different days.

My daughter was eyeing this laid out on the table and thinks we should keep it there, "Mama, it makes the table so pretty". She's right, but this quilt is destined for the 100 quilts for kids project going on now at Swim, Bike, Quilt.

The end. : )

The $600 Baby Quilt

2011-09-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

$600 Quilt

It has crossed my mind to sell baby quilts. I love making them and I'm starting realize there is not that many babies in my life. What is a quilt making lady to do?

I've never sat down and formulated a business plan, set a price structure or an opened an etsy shop. Nothing as organized and official as all of that. It's more of a what if game I play inside my head. This is the kind of game that keeps me awake at night. Not all nights, but some.

Yesterday in my google reader, a blog post popped up by some of my favorite fabric artists, Ink & Spindle. It was all about pricing your wares. They explained a pricing formula taking into account, cost of goods, artist's time, wholesale prices, retail prices. It all sounded very structured and well thought out. I found myself nodding. It made a lot of sense.

Just for fun... I ran the numbers for a simple patchwork baby quilt. Following the formula, my quilt would need to be priced at $600. $600! I value handmade. I love making quilts. I don't know if the world is ready for the $600 baby quilt. Even if it is a gorgeous, boutique, one of a kind, baby quilt. ; )

I think the missing part of the equation is what is your target customer willing to pay?

Some food for thought that's for sure!

LINKS:
Blog post, The Formula by Ink & Spindle

Book, Craft Inc., by Meg Mateo Ilasco

NOTE TO SELF: I have that book. Time to reread it! Sheesh.

Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee

2011-09-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be participating in the Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee on flickr. This bee is a modern sampler bee that swaps four times a year in groups of five, or hives as we call them. Each member creates five blocks. The block pattern is the makers choice and the colors are the receivers choice. For me it's all about the fabrics. I loved pulling out stacks and stacks of fabrics in my hive-mates colors. Let me show you what I found so far...

Amelia requested yellow, aqua, light and medium gray with a white background. It was easy to get started when I saw my Baby Mish Mash Quilt in her inspiration mosaic. I would like to add some of the deeper aqua and gray tones. And elephants!

Tina requested orange, pink and yellow with a white background. I really liked the mix of colors in the pinwheel and string quilts from her mosaic. I need to find some more orange.

Jessica (aka Our Hive Mama) requested aqua, yellow, light and medium gray with a white background. I really like those scrappy square blocks in the middle row of her mosaic. I like the addition of the gray and aqua Hope Valley print. I have that and I need to find that to add to her stack.

Charise requested red, pink, yellow and white. I had to dig a little deeper in the cupboard to find some nice clear reds. If I look through my scraps I will find the Andalucia dots, the Good Folks cathedral print. Nicey Jane would fit right in too.

Rachel requested light aqua, light yellow, gray and white. I will start with the same stack as Jessica and Amelia, but for Rachel I want to make it softer and use more of lighter tones.

So the big question is.... what am I going to *make* with it. Which block? I have to admit I'm having a hard time deciding. I want to include lot and lots of fun fabric in each block. That is a lot for 12" isn't it? So scrappy with a purpose. : )

LINKS:

Reprinting Pez or Pezzy by Sandy Klop

2011-09-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

photo from Moda

Oh happy day!! It's true. They are reprinting the much beloved Pez print by Sandy Klop. It actual name is Pezzy, but you know what they mean right?? Just look at the all the pretty colors. Oh-my! I'm going to need a pezzy quilt. Here is the style sheet (or whatever they're called) from Moda.

The multi-colored version will be available as part of the Fairy Tales collection available in October. The Intrepid Thread has it listed on the Coming Soon page.

Shhh... Sandy is giving away a jelly roll over on the Moda blog. Don't tell anyone because I really want to win! ; )

PS- I know I already posted today, but I just had to tell someone. I already squealed and scared poor Daisy dog.

Charming Sherbet Pips

2011-09-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

a finished top

a quilt label

I love Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hoey and I went a little crazy buying charm packs awhile back. It took me two days to arrange the squares and one dato sew up the top. True! The colors and illustrations of this line make me so happy. I hope they will make some little kid happy too. I'm finishing this up as part of 100 Quilts for Kids. You still have a couple of weeks to finish a quilt and participate.

I'm going to channel my inner Rita (redpepperquilts) and use straight lines all over this top. Wish me luck!! : )

-Adrianne

Color Palette Tools

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the Dead Simple Quilt Along at Lily's Quilts? Reading Lynne's blog post reminded me of how much I love playing with color!!! I wanted to share with you some of the valuable color tools and inspiration sources I use. Whether or not I join the quilt along depends on how simple, dead simple is. I am up to my ears in projects at the moment. Lynne says, "resistance is futile". Ha! We shall see... it looks like a lot of fun.

QUILTS MADE MODERN: There is a great section on color theory in the book, Quilts Made Modern by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. I especially took note of the section on color proportion. The look of your quilt changes drastically when you change how much of each color to include. Are you looking to make a blue and orange quilt or a blue quilt with orange accents?

Quilts Made Modern by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr

PHOTOSHOP: For a quick custom color palette, use the eye dropper and paint bucket tool in Photoshop. Flower pictures are great to start with because Mother Nature is the color expert!

KULER: Kuler is an Adobe web-based color theme application. It's free and if you love color... addicting!! I usually browse what other people have uploaded and find all kinds of color combos I like. You can also create your own themes and share them on the site.

Brilliant Vintage on Kuler

Identification on Kuler

BIG HUGE LABS: The online Color Palette Generator from Big Huge Labs will pull a selection of colors from your pictures. It can be a picture of anything! Here is an example of what it chose from one of my pictures.

DESIGN SEEDS: Jessica loves color and it shows! Almost everyday she posts one of these custom color palettes on her website, Design Seeds. You can casually browse at all of the eye candy or you can search based on color.

Source: design-seeds.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

PINTEREST: As a visual catalog of things you love, look through your Pinterest pins and you will find all kinds of great color combinations. Here are some of mine. See? Pretty colors are everywhere!

Source: etsy.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

Source: maryjanesandgaloshes.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

LINKS:

Giveaway: Peko Peko Cookbook

2011-09-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Image from: Peko Peko Cookbook

Sometimes I come across a giveaway that is too good to keep to myself. If you cook, eat, or like the idea supporting Japan relief efforts then this giveaway is for you! Robin from What About The Food is giving away a copy of Peko Peko, A Charity Cookbook for Japan!! This book is full of family friendly Japanese recipes. Pork and Shitake Gyoza (pot stickers)? Yes please!!

TO ENTER: Visit What About The Food
ENDS: September 15, 2011

Jane Market Bag

2011-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend?! Our three day weekend was spent...

Sewing and a Guild Meeting!!(Me)

House concert by Cindy Alexander. Awesome!!

Arcade Day (the Boy)

Movie Night w/ Bambi II (the Girl)

Back, to back, to back episodes of Game of Thrones (the DH)

I love it when we each have time to do something we want to. Most weekends we just can't fit it all in. Two days is too short!

Fabric used: Damask, Sparrow and Woodgrain from Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2.

Peek-a-Boo Sparrow and Wood Grain handles.

What?? White out on the selvage?

I made two Jane Market Bags. This is a great bag pattern!! The lining, pockets and finished seams make for a very polished tote. The pattern is well written and has lots of pictures for visual people (ME!). I've made a few now and I find myself buying fabric with this bag in mind. I love picking the contrasting sides and pockets. For the handles I usually pick a dot or stripe. This time I went with a wood grain print. Ohlala! Unlike the original bag, I attached the handles in between the inner and outer layers.

My friend Jaye has been making several of these and bringing them for Show & Tell at the guild meetings. She is the bag making Queen!! : )

LINKS:

Jane Market Bag Pattern by Alicia Paulson of Rosy Little Things
Alicia's Jane Market Bag Debut Post from April '09
One of my all time favorite versions by Christina of The Sometimes Crafter
Add fusible fleece like Jessica at Twin Fibers and it will stand on it's own!!
Jane Market Bag Flickr Group... all Jane bags... all the time!!

Garden By The Sea, Continued...

2011-09-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

It's all Mary's fault!! She was the first to comment on my last post and she asked, "What will you make with that pretty collection?". Honestly, I had no plans beyond playing with the online swatches. It's something I love to do, but I don't have the time, or let's face it, the budget to act on every idea. Mary's comment got me thinking, what if... What if I did buy those fabrics? What would I make? It was a bulldog of a thought and it would not let go. So working late into the night and into the afternoon and I came up with a plan I love!

You can see some of the crocheted afghans I've been admiring on Pinterest. That was such a surprise. I guess you never know what is going to influence you next.

As I was coloring in the blocks, I was thinking of the colors of the sea, the sky, and the sweet potted geraniums from my daydream. My only regret is that I couldn't incorporate that gorgeous medallion print that started this whole thing. The circles in that print are big. They measure about 10" across. I think it would make a very pretty backing.

I hope you have a great weekend! I'm off to a guild meeting in the morning and I can't wait!!

-Adrianne

WINNER: Little Apples Giveaway

2011-09-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Just popping in real quick before dinner to post the winner of my Little Apples giveaway. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and entered. I had so much fun reading through your comments!! I told Tom he should take a look. He did and then he snuck in a comment himself. You can see it towards the end if you're curious. ; )

The WINNER is........

Michelle of Chellemybelle Designs. Congratulations Michelle!!!

Garden By The Sea

2011-08-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have been eyeing this print from Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson. It's so pretty and swirly. I especially love it in the Speckle color. I was window shopping at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics and the next thing you know I was day dreaming of lunching in Carmel, Ca. Carmel, officially named, Carmel-By-The-Sea is a little seaside town with cute shops, yummy cafes and sweet pots of geraniums everywhere. The houses in the village are known for their secret gardens.

This is my daydream, "Garden By The Sea"

FEATURE FABRIC:

Garden Gate in Speckle, Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson

COORDINATES:

Scissors in Coral, Tailor Made by Cosmo Cricket
Lime Ta Dot
Natural, Kona Cotton Solid
Spencer Stripe in Mint, Parisville by Tula Pink
Herb, Kona Cotton Solid
Vintage Catalog in Coral, Tailor Made by Cosmo Cricket
Tile Flourish in Green, Heirloom by Joel Dewberry
Aqua, Kona Cotton Solid
Welcome Road Slate, Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey
Coral, Kona Cotton Solid
Lisa in Pink, Poodle by Jennifer Paganelli
Deco Fans in Pink, Dolce by Tanya Whelan

This is the last day to enter my Little Apples giveaway. Good luck everyone!! I'll see you tomorrow when I announce the winner.

Progress: Modern Crosses

2011-08-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's the first week of school and Mama finished a quilt top! Yahoooooo! It's been such a long time. I'm feeling a little rusty and exhilarated all at once.

This is my version of the Modern Crosses pattern from Susan Beal's book, Modern Log Cabin Quilting. I first blogged about it here. I LOVE this pattern. I will definitely be making it again. Maybe reverse the colors next time, or scrappy, or maybe monochromatic, or solids. There are so many possibilities. Susan just showed a pillow version of this block made with Pendleton wool. I really love the way that looks too.

The leftovers are being pieced together for the back. Quilting and binding will follow shortly. I'm trying to decide between simple straight lines and an all over meander. I read somewhere that the denser the quilting, the more durable the quilt. Is there any truth to that? This one is headed to Japan so I want it to be the best it can be. What would you do?

One night this week I was feeling adventurous and sewed up a test block for my upcoming Accuquilt tutorial. Heirloom half square triangles. What'cha think?

Meanwhile, Mr. L is busy working on his letters, and Miss H is happy as a clam gluing glitter and sparkles to construction paper. Win-win-win!!! When I go to pick them up they both get a big huge grin on their faces, run for hugs, and shout, "Mommy!" Then they start chatting excitedly about their day. It's the best feeling ever.

Happy weekend everyone. : )
-A

Sugar Creek by Denyse Schmidt

2011-08-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

**Update: Sugar Creek is now available online at Joann's!!**

I went in to Joann's to buy batting for our next guild meeting. They were out of batting, but I came home with these pretties instead. Does that ever happen to you? You go in for thread or needles and you leave with "other". I love this other! Introducing... Sugar Creek by Denyse Schmidt, but you already knew that didn't you? ; )

A little sampling of what my store had in stock.

Larger cuts of my favorites. I LOVE these!

There are a few prints I couldn't find anywhere. Namely the burgundy colorway. In fact I have been following along in the flickr group and no one has seen the burgundy prints. It's very strange. Yoo-hoo.... burgundy where are you?

And this little girl... gaining a steady three pounds a week and going through puppy food like crazy. We discovered bully sticks (thanks to a great suggestion here, thanks Paskiaq!!) and she's a happy chewer. I didn't know what they were so I googled it. Ew! I'm warning you, don't google it. Just don't.

If your looking for the giveaway, you can find it here.

100 Quilts for Kids

2011-08-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about 100 Quilts for Kids? It's a quilt drive hosted by Kate at Swim, Bike, Quilt. She is asking quilters to make and donate a quilt for children in their communities. She's offering up some great prizes as some incentive too. You should go read her blog post here.

I will be making a quilt and donating it to the local NICU where my children were born. This is something very near and dear to my heart and it feels so good to be able to "do something". Do you have an extra charm pack, a UFO or a overstuffed scrap basket? Make a quilt for a baby. Baby quilts are a quick finish and they mean the world to the special person who receives it.

Here are the rules as posted on Kate's blog:

100 Quilts for Kids Basics

-Make a quilt (baby, toddler, twin)

-Take a picture/s of the quilt (fabric, in progress and finished shots all welcome), and add them to the nascent 100 Quilts for Kids flickr group

-Link up on September 28-30 or October 12-14 to be eligible for fabric related prizes

-Donate (most important part!) your quilt/s to a child or organization in your community (i.e., my quilts are going to an organization in DC that provides care for children waiting foster care placement; my mom would donate to a group of her choice in the Bay Area)

PS, Great response to my Little Apples giveaway so far!! Reading your comments is much better than twiddling my thumbs waiting to pick up L from his first day of school. Only 75 minutes left to go, but whose counting?! : )

Giveaway: Little Apples by Aneela Hoey

2011-08-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

**This giveaway has ended. The winner is Michelle from Chellemybelle Designs. Congratulations!!! **

It's back to school time. Let's celebrate! I have a layer cake of Little Apples by Aneela Hoey to give to one of you!!! DH bought this in Cincinnati with my fabric friends in mind. He knows that you (like me) love a good fabric giveaway.

I can't wait to make something with this fabric. The illustrations are so sweet and the colors are gorgeous together. They're just right for Fall. If you haven't read the inspiration posts on Aneela's blog you should. You will love them. Here are some links for you: From Seed To Fabric, Round and Round and Plaits the Way I Like It

Do you want to see Little Apples in action? These are some of the projects I've been admiring:

Apple Crate Quilt by Angela at Fussy Cut

Pillow by Julie at The Intrepid Thread

Firecracker by Katy at iamagingermonkey

Upside down Little Apples by Allison at Cluck Cluck Sew

WIN Little Apples by Aneela Hoey

Up for grabs is one layer cake of Little Apples by Aneela Hoey for Moda. A layer cake is a stack of 10"x10" squares from one fabric collection.

ENTER TO WIN:

1) Leave one comment below.

2) Do you follow my blog? Yes? Enter a second comment for another chance to win. I always take care of my readers. ; ) Thank you all for checking in to see what I'm up to. With the kids in school I'm excited to get back at it!!

International entries are welcome! One winner will be selected randomly on September 1st, 2011. The winner will be contacted via email. Please make sure your email is visible in your profile or added to your comment.

Good luck everyone!! We'll talk more soon.

-Adrianne

Sunday Stash 17: Cincinnati Adventures

2011-08-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a Sunday Stash in a long time and I thought it would be fun to share what the DH brought home from Cincinnati. He's a good storyteller don't you think? He assures me it did really happen just-like-that. Unbelievable!

To know him is to love him. Tom loves surprises, he loves a squeegee hunt and he loves over the top. One time, about 8 years ago, he ripped a page out of the phone book to find an obscure album for a gift. Together we hit every single music store, new and used, within a 50 mile radius. I'm talking Rasputin's, Amoeba, Streelight Records, The Warehouse, Sam Goody, etc... I looked at the long list of stores and I asked him why don't we call and find out who has it. With a twinkle in his eye he replied, "that's no fun."

So, let the fun begin!

SEWN STUDIO, CINCINNATI, OH

Straight from the suitcase

All of my bundles were beautifully wrapped in twill tape

FIFI & FIDO BY ANNA GRIFFIN

Do you see the "hound"stooth and herring"bone"? Ha!

Dog bed for Daisy?

CARMEN BY ANNA GRIFFIN

My very favorite print. So soft and lovely.

TOM'S PICK

We both love Sherbet Pips. He doesn't know it yet, but I bought yardage of the gray puppies for lounge pants for him. I think it just moved to the top of the sewing list. ; )

LITTLE APPLES BY ANEELA HOEY

One for me and one for???? Stay tuned. : )

GRATUITOUS PUPPY SHOT

Sorry, couldn't resist that last one.

Happy Saturday, Times Three

2011-08-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

What a great day!

1) DH surprised me with fabric from Sewn Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio. Read his funny story about what he had to go through to get it!!

2) A fun afternoon of quilting and fabric talk with my modern quilt guild. Lots of stuff in the works there. Habitat anyone?! I also received some puppy toys and sage advice from fellow dog owners. I love it!

3) I was featured on Fat Quarterly! Well... not *me* but my quilt. What a wonderful surprise!! You can see my Modern Crosses Quilt towards the end (it's the aqua and red one) http://www.fatquarterly.com/week-4-mlcq-apron-along.html I blogged about the quilt here. Once it's finished it's being donated to Quilts for Japan. The fabric was supplied by Julie at The Intrepid Thread.

Busy, Not Productive

2011-08-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

What the heck happened to July? I admit I've been busy, just not very productive in the quilting department.

Silly Daisy crawls under her dog bed in her crate. She is learning sit, down, come, and most importantly no bite! Man can this dog get mouthy! She's not too interested in her Kong toy (stuffed even). Any tips for buying bones or toys?

The kids are out of school, enjoying sprinklers by day and froyo by night. I think they're too young for, "I'm bored" but I have noticed they get crabby around 3pm everyday. Just in time for me to take an energy dive myself. I'm trying out a home style matinee today complete with popcorn and juice. Wish me luck!

A little retail therapy. I went to Michael's looking for Fandago stationary after Kate Spain posted this. Success!

I made the Pioneer Woman's Alfredo last night because H. batted her eyelashes and told me it was her favorite. She rarely makes requests and I loved making it for her.

I have a serious hankering of my own. I see Rice Krispie Treats in my future. I always add a smidge of vanilla like my Mama taught me.

I've been cutting fabric bundles for our upcoming BAMQG Habitat challenge. w00t! We have our monthly meeting this Saturday and I can't wait!!

A box from Accuquilt arrived at my doorstep. I am trying to finish quilting my Kona challenge first before opening it up. It's taunting me from the doorway, "Open! Open! Open!"

I had a dream where I turned this stack of fabric into this quilt.

EQ and I are getting to know each other. The photographer and designer in me wishes it was a little more like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. I do really like the print rotary instructions function.

Joel Dewberry's Heirloom has landed. I bought a stack from the Intrepid Thread. I really love the quilting weight. Have you seen the home dec line? Oh my!

Speaking of The Intrepid Thread. Julie is having an blogiversary and a huge giveaway. Julie and I know each other through the guild and she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Her online shop is one of my favorites. She has the best customer service!!! Go have a look and tell her Little Bluebell sent you. : )

H's closet doors need fixing. I'm pretty handy but I can't figure out how to take off the original wheels. Argh. So frustrating!

We took the kids to see Winnie the Pooh. I thought it was sweet and kind of sleepy. The kids thought it was hilarious. Mostly. The Backson was a little disconcerting.

A picnic in Paris? Yes please!! Hey. I've got bread, cheese and a quilt. Maybe a picnic in the backyard?

I first heard this song on Tara's blog and I can't get enough. Perfect background music for a California summer.

I can't believe it's August already. All aboard! Full steam ahead until school starts! Gulp! Already?!

Adrianne

Friendship Bracelets

2011-07-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Ah friendship bracelets, you caught me happily by surprise. I loved making these when I was younger. Picking out the colors of embroidery floss was the very best part.

It all started a couple of weeks ago. Heather posted a link to this Purl Bee tutorial. Then last week Jeni posted a great guide to picking colors. The next thing you know, I was pinning strands to my knee, happily knotting away my evening. Crazy fun!

I still have these summery, sherbety colors on my mind. I might make a few more while the kids splash around in the sprinkler. Maybe I'll try the chevron stripe. I never could do that one. : )

Isn't the slower pace of summer great?

Meet Daisy

2011-07-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our family... Daisy.

Daisy was born on a ranch in the Sierra Foothills near Yosemite. I had been looking for weeks for just the right dog for our family. When I called and talked to Mitzi, the owner of Kellybar Ranch, I knew I had found the perfect match. She said she had three Labrador puppies available. I decided to take my family on a little adventure to pick out our new puppy. Three hours later we found ourselves up a dirt road, in the mountains, overlooking a lake. It was beautiful! We spent a lot of time playing with the puppies before we picked our girl. That turned out way easier than the four of us agreeing on a name. Here is a glimpse of the last five days:

Clementine: 1 of 4

Maggie: 1 of 4

Puppers 1 of 4

Mayshore: 1 of 4

Padme: 1 of 4

Goldie: 2 of 4

Lucy: 2 of 4

Penelope: 3 of 4

Daisy: 4 of 4 WINNER!!!

Daisy is such a sweetheart and we love her so much already. She loves to play outside with the kids. The more water the better! When it's time to settle down, she finds a quiet spot at Daddy's feet.

The cats are not too sure but hopefully they will come around. : )

Have a good weekend!

-Adrianne

Mermaid Mug Rug

2011-07-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

A small finish... but a finish! We had a blind mug rug swap at our last guild meeting. I had so much fun picking out these fabrics from my scrap basket. Isn't the mermaid the sweetest thing you've ever seen?! She's from Kokka's November Books collection.

Next up I've got to finish quilting my Modern Peel quilt so I can bring it to show and tell.

New Blog Banner... Again.

2011-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

I was feeling an itch for change. It's the same itch that makes me rearrange furniture. Following that logic, I guess my blog banner is a couch. It needed an update, a refresh. This was going to take more than toss pillows. My previous banner (with bobbins) had been up since last year. That's ages in the blog world right?

A couple of days ago, I designed the stripey, herringbone-ish banner above. The inspiration came from this business card I saw on Pinterest. I loved the crisp feeling of that card. After I put it on my blog though it didn't feel quite right. A little too generic?

I tried to see it through the eyes of someone visiting my blog for the first time. Maybe a a blog banner should give you a clue to what lies inside?

I went through my project folders and gathered some of my favorite pictures. Then I cropped them, lined them up and added a title. It feels more like me and as an added bonus I can bring back my polka dot background. Woohoo! I missed the dots. : )

Everyday Summer

2011-06-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

It all started with a trip to the grocery store. I was hungry, hot and thirsty. This magazine was taunting me in the check out line...

I added it to the conveyor belt.

Later that day while the kids were playing, I sat with my feet in the kiddie pool flipping through the pages. I kept going back to the cover. There was something about that bold fuchsia, bright blue and warm yellow. Why yes Martha, that does feel like summer!

A couple of days later I was browsing fabric online, as you do, and I came across this print by Anna Maria Horner. This print is not new, I know this print. Isn't it lovely? Suddenly I couldn't get enough.

The next thing you know I was picking out coordinates and I had, "Everyday Summer".

FEATURE FABRIC:

Guest of Honor, Garden Party by Anna Maria Horner

COORDINATES:

Ginseng by Joel Dewberry
Alphabet Soup by Zoe Pearn
Park Slope by Erin McMorris
Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler
Loulouthi by Anna Maria Horner
Loulouthi by Anna Maria Horner
Loulouthi by Anna Maria Horner
Poodle by Jennifer Paganelli
Midwest Modern by Amy Butler
Loulouthi by Anna Maria Horner
Modern Meadow by Joel Dewbery
Bijoux by Heather Bailey

FWQAL: The Beginning

2011-06-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

1. Farmer's Wife #9, 2. Farmer's Wife #2, 3. Farmers Wife #1, 4. Farmer's Wife #29

I am IN! If you've been reading my blog for a little bit it's probably not a big surprise that I've joined The Farmer's Wife Quilt Along (FWQAL). I cannot resist a good quilt along! I was a little worried at first. Templates? Traditional Sampler Quilt? Now that I've started it's all I can think about. The flickr group is hopping with activity. It's so much fun! I really like the slow contemplation of making each block. Summer is in full swing and family life is busier than ever. It's satisfying to sit down and finish one small block at a time. Baby steps.

After a lot of indecision about which fabrics to use I decided on Just Wing It by Momo (third stack from left). I chose it because it had bright, clear colors, fun prints to fussy cut and strong small scale prints for all the little pieces.

I don't plan on blogging each of the blocks, but I will be adding them to this flickr set.

Do you want to play too?? It will be so much fun and remember it's a long term project. Just two blocks a week.

FLICKR GROUP
INTRODUCTION POSTS BY AMANDA and ANGELA
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
BUY THE BOOK

I've been...

2011-06-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Quilting. Circle quiting is a lot harder than I thought. I really want this to work and not look so wobbly. Unsewing is in my future. Try, try again. ; )

Buying fabric from Australia

Swapping with friends.

Adding to my bookshelf and contemplating new beginnings.

Give Me A Seven!

2011-06-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

Little personalized t-shirts are a great gift, but I feel like I need something to go with it. When you don't have time to make a quilt, what else is a fun sewing project for a new baby?

I made this onesie for a special friend using Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 and a Schmetz ball point needle. Did you know that knit fabrics can run like pantyhose if you get a hole in it? Not good! A ball point needle has a rounded tip and pushes the t-shirt fibers aside instead of piercing them like universal and sharp needles.

The fabric is by Heather Ross. It's from an out of print line called, Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries. I love it so much!! The sketched wildflowers are sweet and the cotton is incredibly soft. I was excited to see it again as part of Heather's new line, Far, Far Away III (preview here).

Chirp! Chirp! Hello!!

2011-06-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Chirp! Chirp! Hello!! All that daydreaming and I must have fallen asleep. Sheesh, nothing but crickets for too many days. How have you been? What are you all up to?

My laptop decided to call it quits. Maybe my last giveaway did it in. : ) Super Hubs to the rescue. He set up a new one for me and recovered all my files. My hero!

I've been working on my Kona challenge quilt for the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild. It's a modern twist on the classic orange peel block, which I love. I'm calling it "Modern Peel". Get it? : )

My son graduated preschool this week. Sniff. Sniff. How did he get so big so fast?! His class put on a show and sang sweet little songs that melted my heart. My eyes got teary and I felt like I was in the middle of a Hallmark movie. He's my first born and now I get it.

I'm happy to be back in action and I'll see you next week.
-Adrianne

Daydreaming of Cutting Tables

2011-05-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Source: flickr.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

Heather Bailey's Sewing Room

I quilt at the kitchen table. My family has slowly migrated all around me. To my right is my husband who works from home on his laptop, to my left is my son, working on an art project, and across from me, is my daughter coloring. Our table measures 45" around. Yup, I measured and it's cozy! : )

I'm dreaming of adding a cutting table where I can work. Alone, but with good company near by.

Source: rosylittlethings.typepad.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

Sewing Room from Alicia Paulson (Posie Gets Cozy)

WISHLIST:

Counter Height
Storage
Wheels to move if necessary
Big enough to hold my 24"x36" cutting mat
Under $200

I pinned all kind of possibilities to Pinterest tonight in the name of research. Not surprising lots of Ikea options popped up. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear. What do you love about your cutting table? Is there anything you wish were different? Are you like me and dreaming of cutting tables??

Source: chaletgirl.wordpress.com via Adrianne on Pinterest

Chaletgirl, The New Sewing Room

WARNING: Click for more eye candy on my Pinterest

WINNER: DS Quilts Collection, Picnic & Fairgrounds

2011-05-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

WOW! I am blown away by the over 900 comments!!! My hands are shaking picking the winner. Talk about pressure. I quadruple checked my counting and...

Random.org chose...

Congratulations Sue!!!!!!! I'm sending you an email. : )

On the Design Wall: Modern Crosses

2011-05-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

Lest you think all I do is buy fabric and give it away... I want you to see that I've been sewing too. : ) I've been adding more modern crosses to my design wall. They're all hanging out getting to know each other. With only two colors, I'm trying to decide if the red and aqua should alternate. Maybe a more random mix would look better. What do you think?

This design is from the book, Modern Log Cabin Quilting by Susan Beal. It is such a great pattern. I can't wait to make another one!! This version on flickr is really beautiful and so is this one. Mine started with a bundle of Sugar and Spice by the Quilted Fish, which happens to come with some great stripes. Striped binding anyone? Oh yeah! About fifteen more blocks to go...

If you are here for the giveaway, welcome! Click on this link to enter. ~~Hurry though, this is the last day to enter. I will be choosing the winner tonight.~~ **Edited to add: I originally said the giveaway would go until May 5th. Sorry about that. Sheesh, you still have plenty of time to enter! ** I'm so excited. Good luck everyone!!!!!

-Adrianne

Sunday Stash 16: Habitat by Jay McCarroll

2011-05-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Habitat by Jay McCarroll

I've grown to love it when my DH goes out of town for business. He drives through Paso Robles, Ca and stops at Birch Fabrics (aka, Fabricworm) and buys fabric! Before you get too jealous he didn't buy these for me. He said something about the forum... and buttons...

Happy Sunday peeps. I hope you're having a good one!! : )
-Adrianne

A Garbage Bowl For Quilters

2011-04-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

Cooks use them why not quilters? What's that you ask? A garbage bowl of course! : ) I picked up this cute little bowl and it's perfect for holding all my trimmy, fluffy, thready mess as I work. Even fabric garbage is pretty isn't it?

Starting A Supernova

2011-04-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

A pretty stack of fabric...

Inspired by a Spring blossom...

Washed and line dried...

Cut into strips and sorted...

I'm a little behind the rest of the group but very excited to start my very own Supernova quilt. My friend Lee is hosting this quilt along. Visit her blog here and read all about it. You can join at any time!! : )

I had a hard time deciding on which fabrics to use for this quilt. The quilt blocks are very graphic and I'm experimenting with a softer color palette. I started with a fat eighth stack of Sunkissed by Sweetwater and traded the green prints for more orange, yellow and pink from my stash. Fresh and Springy, yes?

What colors are you playing with this week?

-A

DS Quilts Collection Giveaway

2011-04-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered! : )

For me, for you, for me, for YOU... (any other Idol fans out there?)

I went back for more...

I brought home a few prints from my first shopping trip. Then, I had an idea for a quilt and I needed a little piece of each print. Earlier, Denyse posted on her Facebook fan page "...my understanding is they expect it to go fast, based on this past weekend, and it's unlikely they will reprint it. Get it while you can!" This may or may not have sent me immediately to the store. ; )

Luckily between my two local stores I could find all 21 prints! I really only need fat quarters of each one, but Jo-ann's won't cut fat quarters. Quarter yards, yes. Fat Quarters, no. Hrmph! Ok, ok, I can accept that.

I can always buy half yards and cut my own fat quarter bundle. Then I will have a second fat quarter bundle left over. Do you see where I'm going with this yet?? I know there are lots of people who want this fabric and can't get it themselves.

Maybe you? Keep reading...

I'm sharing the love people!

Up for grabs is one complete fat quarter bundle of Denyse Schmidt's, super popular new fabric, DS Quilts Collection, Picnic and Fairgrounds (one look at flickr or etsy and you will see what I'm talking about). All 21 fat quarters hot off my cutting table, folded and ready to go to their new home. Sound good? Ok! Here's how to play...

EVERYONE HAS 3 CHANCES TO WIN!!!

1) Leave a comment below

2) Become a follower (or tell me if you already do) and leave a second comment

3) Share the giveaway on your blog OR tweet about it (@Little_Bluebell) and leave a third comment

International entries are welcome! One winner will be selected randomly on May 5th, 2011. The winner will be contacted via email. Please make sure your email is visible in your profile or added to your comment.

Dear Denyse, I'm a fan

2011-04-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

fa.nat.ic
a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal

You know your a fan of Denyse Schmidt when:

you are glued to the computer all week after hearing of a surprise release of new fabric on Monday
your finger is bent from hitting refresh for the latest news
oogle all the pictures in the flickr group, and realize at some point you really can't favorite them all, or can you?
briefly consider driving 2.5 hours to Roseville, Ca because they were the first in the area to have it. decide that's just crazy
instead stalk not one, but three local Joann stores for inventory
drag family through rush hour on a weeknight when you find a store that has it
smile with relief when you spy the bolts on a handcart by the stockroom door
endure the "big box" line and sloppy cuts so you can take your favorites home
fold it, stack it, photograph it so you can share the love with other fans

Yup, I'm a fan. : )

This is Denyse Schmidt's newest fabric available exclusively at Joann Fabric and Crafts. Denyse says it will be on their website soon and there will be more released this Summer and Fall. Fellow fan Lucia put together this file showing all 21 prints.

One more look...

Quilts for Japan

2011-04-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sugar and Spice by The Quilted Fish

At the last BAMQG guild meeting, my fellow quilters donated supplies to make a quilt for Japan. Julie donated this gorgeous stack of fabric from her shop, The Intrepid Thread. That same week I bought this book, and I've been itching to make the quilt on the cover ever since.

My son (5 years old) asked who I was making this quilt for. This is a popular question whenever I start a new quilt. When I explained that it was for someone in Japan that I didn't know but really needs a quilt. He wanted to know if I thought there was a kid his size that needed a quilt too. My heart swelled. I had a stack of donated charms that I had cut in half. He set to work right away arranging them on the design wall. This is his work in progress...

Each piece was placed thoughtfully and with determination. He drew out a design on a piece of paper so I would know how to sew them together. I think someone has been watching me. : )

If you would like more information about Quilts for Japan, please visit this link.

Sunday Stash 15: Birthday Goodies

2011-04-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

purchased at Wondrous Woven Fabrics

Arctic Sea custom bundle, purchased at Fabricworm

purchased at Pink Chalk Fabrics

It was late into the evening on my Birthday and DH says (with a twinkle in his eye), "You can buy some fabric for your birthday if you want to, but you better hurry because your birthday is almost over."

Have you ever seen that show called Supermarket Sweep where the contestants have two minutes to rush through the grocery store and shop?

My birthday just happened to be during some awesome sales at some of my favorite online shops, Wondrous Woven Fabrics, Fabricworm, and Pink Chalk Fabrics. I bought fabric for a quilt backing and binding, two bags for me, jammie pants for the littles and some I just could not resist... I'm looking at you Fabricworm!

I sewed!

2011-04-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

We've been sick and busy and it had been too many days since I turned on my sewing machine. This weekend I sewed and it felt sooooo good. I was holding up my Sprinkles quilt after a good pressing and I noticed the light shinning through all of the colors. Aren't they pretty together?

Sunday Stash 14: Australian Style

2011-04-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

A bundle of Australian goodness from my good friend Georgia. She made the apple pincushion. Isn't it gorgeous?! You must have a closer look...

I love it!!! I have to confess that I have not stuck a pin in it yet. I just move it from room to room. It makes me smile. : ) And the fabric. Oh you must see the fabric. Some of it is new to me and some of it has been long admired. All of it is wonderful and made in Australia. ; ) I included links to all the designers if you want to learn more.

Aunty Cookie

Sprout Design

Ink and Spindle

Spin Spin and The Red Thread

Kristen Doran Design

The Red Thread

Thank you my friend!! I feel spoiled rotten. xx

Staying Done

2011-03-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Camille Roskelley's book, Simplify and among the gorgeous fabric and the inspiring quilts there is a quote that has really stuck with me. She says in the dedication, "I would also like to dedicate this to every other mom out there who wants to make something that just stays done."

Amongst the laundry, the dishes, the cooking and the cleaning... my blocks are done and thankfully they will stay done.

They're part of a challenge for the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild. We shared fat quarters from Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow. Then we had to make any kind of square block using the fat quarters and stash fabric. I got the center fabric and the navy herringbone. I picked blues and greens from my stash that would go with the other Modern Meadow fabrics. Speaking of Joel Dewberry... did you see that Aviary 2 is starting to arrive in stores? Hooray! It is at the top of my wishlist.

Are you working on something that stays done this week?

My Precious

2011-03-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

A little stack of happiness arrived from Kaelin of The Plaid Scottie. I really like reading Kaelin's blog. She inspires me, she makes me smile and sometimes... she makes me hungry. There is always something fun going on. Last week she was celebrating her blogiversary and I lucked out with this fat quarter stack of Katie Jump Rope. Woo-hooo!!!

Hop on over to see what she has in store the the Doll Quilt Swap. It's going to be so cute!

On the Design Wall: Sprinkles

2011-03-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hi. Happy Monday! Did you have a good weekend?

I dreamed of cupcakes. Yummy rainbow cupcakes from my daughter's birthday which was in December... but never mind that part. Take a closer look. Do you see a quilt idea hiding in there? Look at the tippy top. Look at the sprinkles.

Photo by Robin Ove

The nine patches for my Kona challenge quilt didn't work out. When I stood back and looked at the pieces on the wall there was nothing holding it together. Which caused me to sit and stare at the wall, unsure of where to go next. I realized it was the squares that were bothering me.

I got out some paper and started brainstorming ways to break up their blockiness. I would finish a sketch and declare to DH, "I could do this! Or this, what about this?" "Uh-hmm," he says each time. Big hugs to him for letting me spin my wheels so noisily. Finally I had an idea that felt right. Then in a burst of productivity I cut and sewed all weekend.

Introducing Sprinkles...

It's definitely a work in progress. This is more or less the top half. I have even more colors to add. I'm not sure about the leftover squares. Maybe a border? Maybe just extras... they measure 1"x3.5". Yikes! I'm also thinking ahead about binding and quilting options. I would love a stripe. Do you know of any that would work with these colors? Or maybe white. I've never done a white binding.

Wordless Wednesday: Single Girl Quilt

2011-03-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Quilt Along with Freshly Pieced?

2011-03-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

Why yes, I think I will! : )

My friend Lee is hosting her first quilt along based on her super cool Supernova quilt! Come join us!! Read all about it here on her blog, Freshly Pieced.

Template Trouble

2011-03-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

Notice anything wrong with exhibit a ? The U looks like a U, but what about the line underneath? Warning! Warning! Template trouble!!

Last night I was happily working on my single girl quilt. This pattern has no less than 31 templates. I traced all of my pieces and set it aside to cut out today. In the light of morning I noticed that something was not right. I traced a handful of templates upside down!! Luckily I noticed this before I cut my fabric, but still. Arggggh!

I went outside, got some fresh air, checked on the garden...

Deep breath. Ok, now I'm ready to try again.

How do I avoid this in the future? Either stop tracing templates at night while watching tv... or place a small dot in the top left of each template. When you lay your template down to trace if the dot is not on the left it's not the right way.

Another Use For Lizard Litter

2011-03-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

Bean Bags!!!

After reading my title you probably had one of two reactions. Either...Yes! What? or What the heck is lizard litter?

Lizard litter is crushed walnut shells sold in pet stores. It makes for a wonderful pincushion filling. I was first introduced to it during the Scrappy Pincushion Swap. The only problem is it's sold in big bags and even after making several pincushions I have more. I've been trying to think of ways to use it up.

The walnut shell pieces are teeny tiny.

Enter the humble bean bag. My son and I picked out a handful of leftover charm squares, sewed them up, and filled them with the lizard litter. They're great! Not as heavy as sand, not at lumpy as dried beans and peas. There is a little bit of a dust factor to start with but it goes away quickly. You can see we share a love for American Jane fabric!! : )

TIPS:

1) Shorten the stitch length on your sewing machine. This will keep the filling from leaking out the sides of your bean bags.

2) I prefer the Zilla brand sold at Pet Smart. It is crushed finer than the other brands.

3) I use a candy making squeeze bottle. This is much easier than using a funnel or a spoon. I bought mine at Michael's Craft Store. Cut off the tip to make the hole bigger. Store it inside your bag of lizard litter when you're done.

4) Work over a plate to contain the mess.

Possibilities, A Kona Challenge

2011-03-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Kona by Robert Kaufman, Dusty Palette

Last month at the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild meeting we were happily surprised by these gorgeous bundles of fabric from Robert Kaufman.

Our challenge is to make a name tag and a quilt. Anything goes... I'm having fun stacking, piling and rearranging all these colors. While I'm really drawn to the greens, some of the others have me puzzled. I'm challenging myself to try to use them all.

I like the idea of a simple nine patch to feature the interaction of color. The balance of warm and the cool. It's surprising how much I like some of these combinations. Like this berry, blue-gray and marigold along the top row.

And the cornflower, orange and taupe along the left of this grouping.

Oh the possibilities! My plan is to cut the squares down and use 2.5" squares. All of the centers will be the cream. Cream sashing around all the blocks would be nice too. It will give each nine patch room to breathe. What do you think? Do any of these colors catch your eye?

-Adrianne

Featured on Quilt Story

2011-03-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Pssst.... I'm so excited and honored. Today my LOVE quilt is featured on Quilt Story. Check it out here!! Thank you Heather and Megan. : )

You can read more about LOVE here, here and here. For inquiring minds... this quilt now resides on my daughter's bed. She calls it "the polka dot one" and it's her favorite.

Project Piles

2011-03-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

So far this week I've only managed to make piles on my ironing board. I've got a hexagon pile, a to be mailed pile, a single girl pile, a scraps to be put away pile, and a strips to be sewn pile. So far no sewing for me this week. I can't seem to get off the computer. It's only Wednesday so maybe there is still hope for me. Are you piling or sewing this week?

Meanwhile... look at what I designed for our local modern quilt guild... I LOVE it. I think I need a tote bag or a mug or something. Or a quilt! Wouldn't it make a great quilt? : )

Machine Piecing Hexagon Crush

2011-02-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

Are you wondering what happened with my big chunky hexagons? Here they are in a very raw state. Strings everywhere and not even pressed yet (they will be pressed open). I probably should have pressed as I went, but once I sat down I just kept going. This method requires a little bit of a hokey pokey dance at the machine and I didn't want to get confused.

I'm machine piecing them. Yes machine... piecing... hexagons. My friend Ruth showed us this technique at the last Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild meeting. We didn't make a video of Ruth, but I'm starting to think we should have! Luckily, another quilter already thought of that. Here is a video tutorial by Lady Havartine:

Have you got a crush on hexagons too? Post a link in the comments.
-Adrianne

Single Girls Unite!!

2011-02-23T15:47:00.000-08:00

I have loved the Single Girl quilt pattern by Denyse Schmidt from a distance for a very long time. I put it off because it involved templates and curved piecing. Leave it to Katie, Megan and Nova to encourage me to buy the pattern and give it a go. These three ladies have put together a support group for this pattern. Everyday someone is adding another fantastic version. It was just the kick in the booty I need to go ahead and buy the pattern and try it. The Single Girl flickr group is 238 members strong (and counting).

I'm using my favorites prints from City Weekend by Liesl Gibson for Olive & S. I adore this color combination. It feels so fresh and vibrant.

-Adrianne

Sunday Stash 13

2011-02-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

I went in for a ruler and came out with fat quarters. They were calling to me from the baskets by the counter, "Take me home with you."

From Top to Bottom

1) Felicity by Emily Taylor for Riley Blake

2) Delilah by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit

3) Delilah by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit

4) Henna Garden by Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller

I bought these locally at the Granary.

*Note to self, go back for more Delilah! The whole range is gorgeous and it feels wonderful.

Winnnaaaah(s)

2011-02-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

You guys are ALL so great I couldn't stop at just one winner. I added two more prizes. Surprise!! : ) By random drawing the winner(s) are...

Sara who blogs at saraisabee won

a Fat Quarter Bundle of Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner

Kelli who blogs at Kellis Pieces won

a Dream On Layer Cake by the Urban Chiks

Judy won

a Charm Pack of Bliss by Bonnie & Camille

Congratulations Ladies!! Please send me your mailing addresses.

See you next week with more hexagons.

-Adrianne

On the Design Wall: Hexagon Crush

2011-02-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Lookie, I've got big, chunky hexagons on my design wall. My friend Bari introduced me to this super easy hexagon technique. It's great because you can make your hexagons any size you want... even 6". I want to show you how I went about cutting into my Innocent Crush fat quarters.

1) Fold your Fat Quarter in half with the selvage along the top. Cut one 6" strip.

**I'm making a lap sized quilt. I cut two 6" strips from each fat quarter in the bundle. This will give me 132 hexagons and extra scraps to play with later. w00t!**

2) Open your strip and refold it in half lengthwise. The fold goes at the bottom.

3) Line up your ruler (like in the video below) and cut on either side of your ruler.

4) Keep lining up your ruler and cut down the strip.

5) Unfold your pieces and look... hexagons! Easy right?

6) Playing with leftovers...

7) This is the only ruler I could find locally. It worked great!

Enter to win an Innocent Crush bundle. Then you could make your own Hexagon Crush quilt. : )

And without further ado... take it away Kaye Wood

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

These are headed to preschool today. Aren't they cute? We used this tutorial from the long thread. I wasn't sure he would be up to writing his name 32 times so I scanned in his signature and printed as part of the card. For the cute hearts, I found a silicone baking mold at Joann's. We both loved making these.

Speaking of Joann's, did you know they have a phone app for their coupons? Check it out. It's a little cumbersome handing over your phone to the cashiers, but the good news is you never leave home without your coupon. : )

There is still time to enter my Innocent Crush giveaway.

My friend Cathy is having a Valentine's giveaway at her shop Wondrous Woven Fabrics. Don't miss out on this one... I'm just sayin'! : )

Sunday Stash 12

2011-02-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

Imported Indigo from South Africa

Who knew I would become so smitten with Indigo fabrics? I really, really love them. They remind me of my Dad's hankies. He carried a navy and white handkerchief in his back pocket as long as I can remember. They were so soft and always ready to dab a tear, wipe a nose or brush off a scraped knee. As a teenager I remember using them for a très chic headscarf. I'm starting to think this was a sentimental purchase! : )

I saw these at a local trade show and I was instantly taken with their designs. Brand new indigo fabrics are stiff and honestly, they smell a little strange. I was looking around the booth trying to figure out what in the heck people made with them. I kept thinking to myself, this is regular fabric right? The owner assured me that it was just starched heavily and it would wash out without any problem. The starch has to do with the history of indigo fabrics and guaranteeing authenticity for the last 100 years. I came home with this small sampling from Cotton In The Cabin. I'm excited shuffle to these into a modern quilt and see what happens.

Do you have a sentimental color?

-Adrianne

Innocent Crush Giveaway!

2011-02-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to cut into my Innocent Crush. Sometimes when I don't know what I want to make, I create an inspiration gallery on flickr. A direction emerges and my choice becomes clear. Big, giant, crush-worthy hexagons. : )

1. wildflowers, 2. my quilt, 3. half hexagon quilt, 4. Hopefull Hexagon Pillow, 5. Half Hexagon Quilt, 6. Hexagon Quilt , 7. YIP 365.299 :: Honeycomb Hexagon quilt from Fresh Quilting, 8. 3/1.2011 whirlygig quilt - WIP, 9. Big Hexes Quilt, 10. Good Folks Quilt: Front, 11. A quilt for me!, 12. moon glow, 13. the joy of hex quilt progress!, 14. Soul Blossoms, 15. Soul Blossoms, 16. Sunshine quilt progess-7, 17. on it's way...., 18. Castle Peeps

Innocent Crush - 22 FQs

Today I'm celebrating YOU. I am so thankful for everyone that comes and visits my blog and offers support, encouragement, advice, laughter and friendship. You guys rock my socks off!! : ) As a thank you, I'm giving away a full fat quarter set of Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner!!!

WIN: A Fat Quarter bundle of Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner

ALREADY FOLLOWING: If you are one of my 521 followers DO NOTHING. Each and everyone of you is already entered... TWICE. That's right, I have my list and there are two entries for each of you. I love you guys! : )

NEW FOLLOWERS: If you are new here and would like to become a follower, WELCOME! : ) Click "follow" in the upper right corner of my blog and add one comment to this post letting me know you're a new follower.

International entries are welcome. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, February 18th, 2011.

P.S. This is Anna and me with big smiles in her booth at Fall Quilt Market 2010! And yes, that's Innocent Crush on my Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag.

Postage Stamp Quilt

2011-02-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time I didn't quilt and I loved looking at antique quilts on ebay. I would find lots of quilts I liked and only a few I could afford. Postage stamp quilts always caught my eye. I loved the confetti of colors and the orderly squares. I actually had a saved search that informed me of all new listings for "antique postage stamp quilt". I never bought one but I always wished I had one. Now thanks to Rachel's quilt along... I do. Well almost...

This quilt top is well on its way to becoming a full fledged postage stamp quilt. We used two jelly rolls and that was it. Pretty straight forward but lots of seams and pressing. A LOT of bobbin thread. If I were to do this pattern again, I would use 6 squares to a block instead of five. That way there would be one block (instead of an Block A and a Block B) and it would naturally alternate.

I didn't realize until I put it on the bed for pictures how satisfying this project was. I am *almost* the proud owner of a postage stamp quilt. Eeee! The best part is, I made it. Am I crazy to think this would be perfect hand tied?!?

Notice all the pins? Pins are your friend for this quilt.

Pressing seams to the side helps line up all those tiny squares.

PS, I Love it! : )

It was a Sewing Santuary

2011-01-31T23:04:00.000-08:00

Heather Ross's Workshop in Palm Springs was AMAZING!! Imagine a weekend spent with a room full of fellow crafty sewists from all over AND Heather Ross, Lotta Jansdotter, Gretchen Hirsch (aka Gertie), Kelly Wilkinson and Melanie Falick. We laughed, we printed, we ate, we lounged and we sewed. Then we sewed some more. My little crafty heart is so full it could burst. Do I look sheepish and deliriously happy in these pictures? I was! It was like being at a secret sewing sanctuary nestled poolside, in the desert.

I was one of the first to arrive and while checking in I turned to my left... The woman standing right next to me at the counter was the Heather Ross! Before I had a chance to freak out (oh come on, you would have!) I introduced myself. She was so warm and welcoming and had a sparkle in her eyes. I was instantly at ease and so happy to be there.

Lotta... Oh how I loved Lotta. She was so fun to talk to! First thing Saturday she taught a printing workshop out on the patio. It was a lovely sunny morning and she walked us through the steps of creating a stencil and pouncing the paint onto fabric. She's one super talented lady and a great teacher. Once I had my stencil cut and my paint mixed I couldn't be stopped. : )

Gretchen and I got to be roommates. How lucky am I? She brought a closet full of gorgeous handmade dresses. All totally Mad Men worthy. ; ) We both cursed the teeny tiny table top ironing board. What is a girl to do? She was such a big help in the sewing room. Lots of tips, tricks and garment construction knowledge. Her book will be released later this year from STC craft. We all learned a lot from Gertie!!

Sometimes I just sat back and soaked it all in. There was so much inspiration and creative goodness swirling all around me. Heather gave a presentation on creating fabric designs and repeats. I loved seeing her process and watching her artwork come to life. Melanie Falick talked to us a bit about the publishing world and what to look forward to from STC craft. I got to thumb through a copy of the new Oliver and S book and I can't wait for the March 2011 release. If you haven't see the preview video they did you have to check it out. It's really cute.

The weekend flew by and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye. I left with a smile on my face, two *almost* finished projects (to be revealed soon) and a bunch of new friends. Thank you Heather and Co., let's do it again sometime!! : )

If you want to read even more about the weekend... see these blog posts.

Sewing Geek

Make Grow Gather

Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing

Lotta Jansdotter

Marirob

Heather Ross