2016 Planner Cover

A couple of my 2016 goals, sew from my stash and use a planner to help me  accomplish more, were the focus of my sewing earlier this week.

True confessions . . . I've never really used a planner before. I buy them. Every year. I just don't keep up with using them. This year I decided it was time to truly use one . . . for real.  To actually have a day-to-day plan to help me stay on task. To get more done. So I bought the Quilter's Planner by Late Night Quilter.

Admittedly I got off to a very bad start as far as January is concerned. But with February here, it's time to get in gear. I chose these fabrics. Modern leafy prints that tie in nicely to my blog name and identity. All from my stash. I even found a zipper in my stash so the only thing I needed to buy was the fusible fleece and elastic. So far so good at working from my stash.

Motivating to sew non-quilty things is usually a struggle for me. I think it has to do with following directions. Silly isn't it? After all, I write directions for quilt patterns so following directions for other things shouldn't be that big a deal. I used this tutorial by Amanda of What the Bobbin that was resized specifically for this planner.

I customized the inside front and back pockets to hold three business cards. One pocket for me in the front, two pockets in the back for my daughter and husband's cards. You never know when someone might be interested in jewelry, graphic design or fine art.

One thing that didn't work out quite right was where the elastic fell. I followed the directions but wish the elastic was set just a little farther in. It doesn't catch the pages to hold them open very well without adjusting the planner. I'm disappointed with this part.

I also made a couple of ribbon markers from paper clips. Aren't they cute? I think I'll make a couple more of these. They work better than the ribbon marker the pattern called for. I need to move it into the center so it doesn't pull when I open the planner to different pages. Right idea, wrong position to work.

Now that I have such a pretty cover, I have no excuse for not using my planner.

It also has a zip pocket on the front. Nice for holding extra pencils and miscellaneous items.

I'm thrilled to have this done and excited to put it to good use. I can honestly say that having a written plan for this week helped me stay on task. Yeah!!!

How about you . . . do you like to sew non-quilty things? Do you use a planner? I'd love a tip or two on how you make it work. I can use all the help I can get to stick with my planner goal.   : )

Linking up with WIP Wednesday,  Let's Bee Social,  Needle and Thread Thursday,  Really Random Thursday and Finish it up Friday.

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The Evolution of a Quilt

Do you ever have an idea for a quilt and then just never get it started? I'm talking years here. Maybe it's a rough sketch. Maybe it's just in your head. Or maybe you actually start the project and it evolves into something completely different? That's how I feel about my current project. It sat around forever and then evolved. For the better.

The initial idea sat around for years in the form of these leafy fabrics in my stash and this sketch. I don't buy traditional fabrics like this anymore but I still love their leafy goodness. After all, I love all things leafy.   : )

My intention was to make a wall quilt to use in the family room during the winter months when my decor goes mostly white with a touch of green. See my white post for more on that. I planned to use my leafy print collection including these great large scale leaf prints that I've saved just for this project. I love them!

I've also had another idea tucked away that was inspired by a lovely blue and white checkerboard quilt in a home decorating magazine I saw years ago. One of those images that's makes an impression and stays with you. It was so simple. So clean and crisp. I thought one day I'd make a checkerboard quilt with white and one additional color.

Then along came the scrappy trip quilts everyone was making not all that long ago. I learned Bonnie Hunter's clever technique for making these blocks. Love the technique. Love the look. Here are a few blocks made for a baby quilt.

After seeing numerous lovely Scrappy Trip quilts online, I had an aha moment. Why not use this technique to make the checkerboard blocks. Instead of a random placement of leafy prints they would appear somewhat clustered and create movement within the checkerboard look. I liked how it looked.

I started making blocks for the wall hanging and the idea evolved into a quilt for our master bedroom instead. True confessions . . . I call myself a quilter but I don't actually have a quilt on any of the beds in my house. Go figure. I think it's finally about time I make a quilt for a bed. Since leaves play a role in my bedroom decor, this idea was the perfect fit. Here are some of the blocks laid out on the bed. Checkerboard look I feel in love with. Leafy prints I love. Perfect.

I've been making these blocks on and off now for months, mostly at various guild sew days. I need about 68 give or take. Truth be told, I'm really tired of taking the same thing to sew day over and over, month after month.

This past weekend was the last time I'll be doing these at a sew day. Yeah! I spent the day cutting the final batch of strip sets into segments and then unsewing as the tutorial calls for. Here's a batch of them all ready for the next step.

See this post for my tips on how to keep the segments organized so you unsew the correct seams. Believe me . . . it's quite easy to make a mistake.

As I worked on the blocks for my bed quilt I had another aha moment. I should just bust out the wall quilt too. I only needed 9 more blocks plus some strips for the checkered edge. Why not make both? It seems like a no brainer and yet I hadn't seriously considered it once my thinking shifted to making a quilt for the bed.

Now I'm well on my way to having the wall quilt almost done and the bed quilt is getting closer and closer to completion too. All the blocks should be done by the end of the week. Then I just need to sew them into rows. WaHoo!!! It feels like two quilts in one.

Next month I hope to have two finished quilts to share. Two projects that have been on my to do list for way way too long. That's a really good way to start the year.

Do you have projects that you've wanted to make for a long time?
Why not move forward on just one of them this year?

Linking up with a few parties this week. Another of my 2016 goals.
Let's Bee Social, WIP Wednesday and Needle and Thread Thursday.

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Scrappy Trip Tips

This is one of my big WIP's at the moment . . .

Years ago I saw a blue and white checkerboard quilt in a home decorating magazine and it really made an impression. It was so clean and crisp, yet simple and striking. My version is green and white and I'm hoping to use up a lot of the traditional leaf prints I have leftover from my impressionist quilting days. They may not be modern fabrics but they do go really well in our bedroom.

I bet many of you have made a Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt. It's based on this great tutorial from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville and has been around for years. Just google Scrappy Trip or look for examples on Pinterest. The variety is amazing. Truth be told, I'd love to make many more of these. Maybe an all Kaffe. Maybe an all floral. Perhaps even an all low volume. Guess I ought to start cutting loads and loads of strips.   : )

Last year I had my BMQG members make blocks for this baby sized quilt in an attempt to use up some of my greens and aquas. Barely made a dent in my stash not to mention I discovered how few blues I have. That just led to more fabric, not less. I'm sure that never happens to you . . . haha.

Now I'm working on my leafy version. I like how the scrappy trip technique creates diagonal lines of different fabrics. I wanted to take advantage of this effect to emphasize different values and even different green hues throughout the quilt rather than have it be totally random.

As easy as this block is, there is one part where I tend to make mistakes so I thought I'd pass on a few tips. I'm assuming you are familiar with Bonnie's technique. If not, this won't make a lot of sense, so go check out the tutorial. I'd highly recommend learning her method. Once you try it you just might find yourself making multiple Scrappy Trip quilts like me.

On to the tips . . .

TIP:  Like any project, working assembly line speeds up the process. After cutting loads of strips, I grouped them by greens and then sewed the strip sets together assembly line fashion using chain piecing. I managed to get quite a nice stack of them done at the guild retreat in just a partial day.

If you know the tutorial, you know each strip set is sewn into a loop. Then the set is cut into segments, then you un-sew. Yes, I said un-sew. It sounds crazy but it really is a great method for this block.

TIP: Use the same assembly approach to cutting, and use some painters tape to mark the 2 1/2" mark on your ruler. Cutting just one segment the wrong width can wreck the whole strip set as you might not have enough for all 6 segments.

Once the segments are cut, the tutorial calls for un-sewing the loops to produce 6 segments with a staggered fabric placement. This is the point where I inevitably make a mistake by un-sewing the wrong seams.

TIP:  After cutting a strip set into segments leave them on the cutting board and slide the individual segment loops so all the seams you need to un-sew are at the top of each segment. I do this by leaving the first segment on the left as is. Then with the second segment in the row, slide the fabric loop so the white fabric is now at the top. With the third segment slide the fabric so the green that's at the bottom of segment #1 is now at the top. Continue sliding so that each segment has a different fabric at the top. You can see if you have it right by checking for the staggered progressive placement of the different fabrics. See the bottom photo.

TIP: Once they are properly positioned, clip them together along the edge you need to un-sew. This way there's no mistaking what to do when you get back to it. I find it nice to get several groups ready to un-sew and then do it in front of the TV in the evening. Be sure to clip the groups back together after you un-sew so the strips don't get mixed up.

Now that you have several groups ready to piece into blocks, it's back to assembly line sewing. But before you sew, play with the layout of strips. For my checkerboard block I have three possibilities as to which fabric falls directly across the longest diagonal. Here are the three possible arrangements I have. Each one has a different fabric in the longest diagonal. NOTE: If you're making an entirely scrappy block with 6 different fabrics you will have 6 possible fabrics that could create the longest diagonal.

Now compare the last two photos below. In the one on the left the sequence is correct and all diagonals have the correct fabric placement. In the photo on the right the sequence got mixed up, so even though the center diagonal is all the same fabric, the other diagonals are off. The fabrics aren't the same in each diagonal.

TIP:  Before sewing your strips together, take the time to be sure the diagonals all line up correctly. Sew them together into strip sets of two. Once you have three sewn strip sets you still have time to rearrange the layout and place a different fabric in the longest diagonal just by switching up the sewn segments. Before sewing the sets together check again that they are in the correct order.

TIP: Instead of pinning, use the tip of your small scissors or a stiletto to hold the seams together. If you pressed to the side as the tutorial instructs, there is no need for pins. Just line up the first seam intersection by nesting them together. Stitch through the intersection to secure. Stop and line up the next intersection. Continue until the entire seam is sewn. It's much quicker than taking time to pin and I'm generally a pinner. Chain piecing also speeds things up.

Now that I have this system down for un-sewing, the process is going along quite smoothly. I still have many more blocks to make for a queen size quilt so this block may continue to be my go-to for guild sew days. It's easy to have at the ready in my plasitc storage box.

Have you made a scrappy trip quilt? If so, what type of fabrics did you use?  Solids?  Modern Prints? Kaffe?  Traditional?

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

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Charity Time

My recent sewing has been primarily quilt bee blocks and charity work.
The September block for the Mid Century Modern Bee was this fantastic paper pieced block. It was made for Mary of Mary on Lake Pulaski. The block is called Starry Sky by SewKylie. and looks fantastic when several blocks come together. Note: I get an error when I try the original link to the block, but the link here will take you to the blog. Not sure what's up with that but it's a great block.

October is my month to be the queen bee for the MCM Bee. Whenever it's my turn I have the hardest time settling on what to have the others make. So many good ideas. So many quilts on my to-do list. In the past I've had them test blocks for my patterns, but this time I'm having the group make striped fabric from these colors.

I've been wanting to work with stripes for a long time and have quite a stash of stripe fabrics so this will give me something to play with. Not sure exactly what the end result will be but that's part of the fun.

My other WIP's have to do with charity work for the Boulder Modern Quilt Guild. Each year we adopt a different charity to support and this year our quilts will be going to a local assisted living facility.

While these quilts don't reflect my typical bright colorful style, I think they are well suited for the charity. Some of the fabrics were generously donated to the guild so I was able to not only piece the tops but also make pieced backs.

The first quilt uses a disappearing 9-patch, a block I've wanted to try for a long time. I think I will work with color placement more next time instead of the random placement used here. Have you ever made a disappearing 9-patch? There are several ways to lay out the blocks that result in entirely different looking quilts. It's a pretty fun design to play with so I'm looking forward to trying it again. I also like the big chunks of fabric for the backing. The back is actually giving me some ideas for a new quilt with large scale prints.

The other charity quilt is this plus block. I shared the top here when it was first made. I finally got around to piecing the back from some of the leftovers fabrics. Do you piece your backs or use a single fabric? I like the look of pieced backs but they do take time to sew together even when you use big chunks. No plan here . . . just piecing until the size was big enough. Not sure I like this one but it's done and I used up quite a bit of my older stash which is a good thing.

Well, that's about it for now. Next on my to-do list is to get the border figured out on my Drunkard's Path QAL quilt. Sorry to any of you who might be waiting for that post. I slipped behind a bit but promise it's coming.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.
Hop over and see what others are whipping up this week.

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Catching Up

Oh my . . . summer has flown by and now here it is the middle of September. I'm still here. Still designing. Still sewing a little here and there. Looking forward to lots more sewing when the cooler weather settles in.

Last week it was time to get my act together and make a pin cushion for the Pin Cushion Party blog hop over at Crazy Mom Quilts. This is Amanda Jean's first fabric line and it's so so fun. You'll be seeing my post and pin cushion on Saturday so stay tuned. In the mean time, go check out some of the cute pin cushions everyone is making with her fabric line. The line is called Good Neighbors and is sold exclusively by Connecting Threads. Here's a little sneak peek of some of the fabrics.

This week it was on to getting my mini started for the Kaffe Mini Swap happening mostly on Facebook and Instagram. If you're a Kaffe lover then take a look at #kaffeminiswap on Intsagram for some inspiration. Lots of fun things going on there. Here's some of the Kaffe prints I'm using. The one in the lower right, called Ferns, is a new one in my stash. I'm just loving the purple and aquas together. Definitely need to get more of this one.

This is what I have going on so far. I may add a little more . . . or not. We'll see. You might recognize the block. It's the same one I'm using for my Christmas quilt. You can see more about that on my blog under the Drunkard's Path QAL tab.

My other major WIP of the month is my next color post. September is the month for Yellow so I'm seeing yellow everywhere. Each new month finds me searching my home and environment for the chosen color and as a result I have become even more aware of color. Try it. You really will see more.

If you haven't seen my other color posts go here. So far I've done Purple, Green, Red and Blue. You can also see my daughter's color posts here on her blog.  Her jewelry is all about color so she's having just as much fun as I am looking for color. See her jewelry at Emily Claire Studio.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

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Catching Up

I haven't been sewing much this summer. Plenty of ideas, not to mention things I need to be sewing. But it's summer  . . . what more can I say.    : )

Since it's the end of the month already, it's high time I to got my act together and made my August bee block for the MidCenturyModern Bee. Mary of Molly Flanders asked for a basket block. I loved making basket blocks back in May for Carla so it was fun to do them again. Why did I wait?

Mary has a real vintage style about her work and I don't have a lot of fabric that fits that bill but I thought this sweet floral had a vintage vibe. My only problem was not refreshing my memory on what Mary asked for until I'd already made this one. She asked for neutral backgrounds. Not sure this blue print really counts as a neutral so I'm going to make another today. Hopefully she'll find a use for both.

These baskets are really easy blocks to make. I followed Elizabeth's tutorial so as not to reinvent the wheel. Seriously. Why struggle through when someone has figured it out for you?

I also managed to get this top sewn together over the weekend. I pulled out a box of finished blocks that hadn't been sewn together and took it to guild sew day. Remember when Emerald was the Pantone color of the year? Yep. That's how old these blocks are. So nice to make a little progress. Who knows when it will be quilted though.

Somewhere along the line I changed directions for the design and made this quilt instead. That's why the Emerald blocks languished till now.

I still really like the Emerald blocks so it was a good project to grab and go. Having a project or two sitting in the wings ready to take makes it easy when sew day is suddenly upon me and I haven't had time to gather something else. These nifty 12" x 12" scrapbook boxes made by Iris work really well for this. My Drunkard's Path is stored in one of them.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.
Also linking up with NTT at My Quilt Infatuation.
What have you been up to this summer?

Be sure to check out Mary's shop, Sunny Day Fabric. She and her sister have some wonderful selections including notions that you usually don't find at your average shop plus lots of sweet fabrics.

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My Colorful Baskets

Since it's mid June, it's about time I get May's MidCenturyModern bee blocks done don't you think?
If you saw my last blog post you know I'm behind due to lots of family events plus a little (ok, a lot) of procrastination mixed in for good measure.

Carla of Grace and Favour has been more than patient and understanding of my tardiness. Now I'm happy to say your blocks are done Carla. Here's my first basket block. Isn't it cute?

I think I procrastinated on this one because I have never made bias tape. Yes, it's true. I've never made my own bias tape. These little baskets don't really need very long pieces though . . . 12-15 inches will do. I followed Elizabeth's directions found here and they came together quite nicely. Don't know what I was afraid of. I didn't have the nifty pressing bar that Elizabeth used for hers so I made my own with a stiff, thin piece of chipboard. I cut my bias strips 1 1/2" wide and the chip board strip 1/2" wide x 14' long. To help slip it into the sewn strip, I rounded one end and it worked great. Thanks for the great little tutorial on baskets Elizabeth. It helped me over the hump.

Pinning the bias strip in place and easing a nice curve in preparation for stitching the inside edge.

Inside edge stitched and ready for the outside edge. A good press and it lays down just fine.


Here are my finished blocks for Carla. Making them was addictive once I got started.

I think they look so good all lined up together and am hoping my colors/fabrics will play well with the others Carla has received. Check out her baskets here and get a good sounding recipe for quinoa too. 

These blocks are a great way to use up scrappy chunks for the basket part. I really had so much fun that I'm thinking about making my own basket quilt now. Perhaps I'll use some of the fruit fabrics I have to make a Fruit Basket quilt. Or maybe an all Kaffe basket version. hmmmm . . . the possibilities are endless . . . 

My favorite baskets are the two in the lower left. Which one is your favorite?

Linking up with WIP Wednesday after a long hiatus.