Sunday, July 31, 2016

Kaffe Fassett on SALE at Craftsy!!!


Hi, all!

Have you been bitten by the bohemian bug?  I sure have - and I don't know any better way to indulge in bohemian splendor than by using Kaffe Fassett fabrics. So imagine the thrill that went through me when I saw that Kaffe Fassett fabrics are on sale today at Craftsy!


Kaffe's classic fabric with all those gorgeous colors and patterns, AND the shot cottons - y'all, if you haven't felt the shot cottons, you must - they are fabulous!!!


Kits and pre-cuts, too, if you love the fabric but don't have a plan in mind - there's a little something for everyone!  All 50% off - a steal!! So hop on over to Craftsy and check it out!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS I am a Craftsy affiliate, so clicking on a link in my blog may earn me a little money and help support this blog - but it doesn't cost you a penny extra! I hope you find something you LOVE!! 

Friday, July 29, 2016

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Lots of Catching Up Going on!

Hi, all!

Wow, it feels like forever since we've had a regular Whoop Whoop Friday!  Or at least, since I've been able to share something - the quilt-along took precedence over everything else for the last two weeks. But I'm going to make up for it today and share some of the things I've been working on during those two weeks - and I hope you're ready to share what you've been working on too!   So let's get whooping....

When I came back from the beach (no whooping about that - I'm SO ready to go back!) I got busy quilting, and finished up the economy block quilt in time to get it sent off to my niece for her baby shower!



Then I quilted the snowflake quilt for the quilt-along.


Next up, eleven children's quilts for Stash Builder Box's Heartbuilder's program.  I had the honor of quilting these beautiful tops which were created by other Heartbuilders.  These will be going to the My Stuff Bags program, which provides a bag with personal items and a blanket to kids in foster care.


Then came this commission job, a table runner...


And this t-shirt quilt, another commission job.  I love paying work!


And I've got two other projects in progress, but I'll save them for next week!

Whew!  It's been a busy two weeks!  Can I get a whoop whoop??

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's your turn! 

What's got you whooping it up this week?


What's making you dance a little happy dance?

Share - we want to dance with you -
And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight - 

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah



Monday, July 25, 2016

Twelve Days of Christmas in July, and the Final Day of the Quilt-along!

Hi, all!

Can you believe it - it's finally here!  The last day of the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop!  For the past twelve days, you've been shown some great gift ideas, quilting projects, decorations, recipes, a little bit of everything to get you in the Christmas crafting mood! I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.  But it's not over yet - we've got three more great quilt bloggers joining us today for their turn!

First up is Susan, who blogs at Quilt Fabrication.  Susan has been doing a fabulous job recapping what's happening each day of the hop, plus she showed a sneak peek of her project for today - I can't wait to see the final reveal!

Then you can hop over to see Beth from Cooking Up Quilts.  Beth's blog is new to me, and she's got some really cool things going on over there.  I love her Monday linky party - Main Crush Monday - and I bet you will too!  She has an original design to share with us today - how exciting!

And then to wrap it all up, Linda over at One Quilting Circle has a fun Christmas-themed wall hanging to share with us.  Linda stays busy as an Island Batik Ambassador but I'm so glad she managed to squeeze out some time for the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop!

So go check out all the posts today, then come back here.  Not only do we have the final steps for the quilt-along quilt, but you'll have an opportunity to link up and share any Christmas projects you've been inspired to do as a result of the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop!  I do hope you'll show off your efforts - it's always fun to see what others do with your designs.  That linky party will stay open until next Sunday, July 31st at midnight just to round out the month.

And if you've missed a stop or two, here's a list of all the blogs involved so you can catch up!

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts
                    Carole Carter @ From My Carolina Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist
                   Chris Dodsley @ Made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion
                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn
                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble
                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne
                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio
                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.
                     Zenia Rene Lewis @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt
                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ
                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication
                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts
                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle


See you in a few for the last step in the quilt-along!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*


Welcome to the last day of the quilt-along!  Have you kept up?  If not, I'm sure you're close, and will have your very own Christmas quilt to show off this year!  Let's get those borders on!

Gather up the 4.5" x 41.5" background strips and the 4.5" x 28.5" background strips.  Pairing one of each, sew the short edges together so that you have a 4.5" x 69.5" strip.  Repeat until you have the four border strips.  Press the seams to one side.

Pinning at both ends and easing the fabric as needed, sew the borders to the right and left sides of your center piece.  Press the seams toward the borders.

Take a border piece and sew a 4.5" cornerstone to each end of the strip.  Press the seams in toward the background piece.  Make two.

Pin one of these longer strips to the top of your quilt, matching the seams where the cornerstones and borders meet and easing the center as needed to make it fit.  Repeat for the bottom of the quilt.  Press the seams toward the borders.


Hang your finished quilt up on the design wall and stand back.  Take in that beautiful quilt top you just created, and say to yourself, "I WILL get this quilted in time for Christmas!"

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And if you've been on the fence about joining in the quilt-along, here's a little inspiration from me - a slightly different version of this quilt that I made last year.  This was the prototype for the quilt we've been working on for the past twelve days.



I'm going to create a Page on the blog where you'll be able to find the links for the quilt-along and for all the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop posts so they will be easily available for reference.  

And now I'm hoping that those of you who have been quilting along will share your own quilts - and those of you who have made projects inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas blog hop can share your creations too!  So link up below and let's all do a little happy dance together for getting a jump on Christmas!


The linky party will stay open until next Sunday 7/31 at midnight, so there's plenty of time to work on your projects and share your progress!  Be sure to check out what everyone else has done, too - it's always fun to see the variations inspired by the originals!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Sunday, July 24, 2016

12 Days of Christmas in July, and Quilt-Along, Day 11!!

Hi, all!

Can you believe we're eleven days in to the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop?  If we were collecting the presents in the song - you know, a partridge in a pear tree and all that - we'd currently have 286 items piled up around the house!  Can you imagine - 11 partridges in pear trees, 20 turtle doves, 27 French hens, 32 calling birds, 35 gold rings, 36 egg-laying geese, 35 swimming swans, 32 milk-maids, 27 dancing ladies, 20 leaping lords, and 11 pipers adding to the racket!  I read online that PNC Wealth Management measures the changing cost of the items on the list, and in 2015, the company disclosed that the cost of all the gifts would total $34,131 - and I bet that didn't even include the cost of storing all that wildlife and feeding all those people!

Hopefully all the stops of this blog hop have given you something much more useful - some great gift and decoration ideas for Christmas that you can use now and in the future!  Let's see what's in store today...

Carolyn blogs at ...byCJ and has a great project to share with us today!  She's been on a bit of a blogging hiatus for a while, so be sure to drop by and leave her some encouraging comments - we'd like to see more of her in blogland!!!

Tisha, from Quilty Therapy, will be sharing a scrappy project with us today.  Be sure to take some time to look around her blog while you're there - she has a fun style and is always doing something interesting!  

So hop on over and check out today's offerings, then come back here for Day 11 of the quilt-along.  We're so close to having a new Christmas quilt made - are you excited yet?  See you in a few...


*&*&*&*&*&*&*


Today we'll be putting the center of the quilt together.  Gather up your centerstone 4.5" square and the four 4.5" x 32.5" strips.

TIP:  This is a really good time to lay your quilt out with the centerstone in place (cornerstones too if you need it to visualize) and be sure that you like the fabric you chose for them.  (Don't ask me how I know this!)  If you are happy with your choice, proceed!  If not, swap it out now for something you like better.

Take one of your large blocks and a 32.5" strip.  Sew the strip to the right side of the block, matching the ends and easing fabric as needed.  If the center of your block is directional, be sure it's going the right direction!

Now take a second block and sew it to the other side of the 32.5" strip, also matching the ends and easing fabric as needed. Press the seams toward the sashing strip.

Repeat for the other pair of blocks.

Now take one of the 32.5" strips and your centerstone.  Sew the centerstone to the right side of the strip.  Take the remaining 32.5" strip and sew it to the right side of the centerstone.  Press the seams toward the sashing strips, away from the centerstone.

Take one of your block strips and pin it to the top of the narrow strip you just made, matching ends and seams. Sew the seam.  Repeat for the other block strip, sewing it to the bottom of the narrow strip.  Press the seams toward the narrow sashing strip.

TIP:  Corner and centerstones may seem like a fiddly affectation, but they will allow you to line up your blocks perfectly every time. I usually include them in my sashing - if I don't want a contrasting color, I just make them out of the same background fabric.

Congratulations!  The center of the quilt is done!  One more day and you'll have a finished quilt top!

Hugs and see you tomorrow!

Sarah

Here's a list of all the bloggers participating in the hop so you can catch up if needed!

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts
                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist
                   Chris Dodsley @ Made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion
                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn
                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble
                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne
                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio
                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.
                     Zenia Rene Lewis @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt
                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ
                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication
                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts
                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle

Saturday, July 23, 2016

12 Days of Christmas in July, and Quilt-Along Day 10!

 Hi, all!

Can you believe that Christmas is only twenty-two weeks away?  And those twenty-two weeks will go by in a flash.  But hopefully you've found some great ideas in the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop - and there's still more to come!

Today we've got two more great bloggers all ready to share their amazing ideas with you!  First up is Joanne, who blogs at Everyone Deserves a Quilt.  Joanne definitely has Christmas on the brain right now - her blog is jingling all the way!  Be sure to check out her post today - she's having a giveaway, too!

And then hop over to see Paige, at Quilted Blooms.  Paige calls herself a traditional quilter with a love of appliqué and a recent fondness for all things modern - and you should check out her finished quilts gallery.  She's really taken on modern and has some beautiful creations!  She's got something special to share with us today - I hope you're as excited as I am to see exactly what she's made!

So hop on over and check out today's bloggers, then come back for Day 10 of the quilt-along.  The end is in sight!!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*


Today we're going to finish assembling the blocks.  You should have three stacks from yesterday - arranged vertically, you will have a right, center and left stack.  



If space permits, take the left hand stack and the center stack and lay them next to your sewing machine as shown above.

Lay the top strip from the right hand stack face down top of the left hand stack and pick up the top pair. Pin to match seams as needed and stitch the seam.  Repeat for all four sets.  Press the seams toward the outside of the block.


Lay the units you just created to the far left of your sewing machine bed, with the rearming right side units to the right of it as shown above.  Lay one unit from the right hand stack face down on the left hand stack and pick up the top pair.  Pin as needed to match seams and sew the seam.  Repeat for all four units.  Press the seams toward the outside of the block.


Your blocks are now complete!  Put them up on the design wall and just imagine how close you are to a finished top.  Just two more rounds of sewing - two hours or less - and you'll be done!

Hugs and see you tomorrow!

Sarah

Here's the list of all the great bloggers involved in the hop... catch up if you need to!

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts
                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist
                   Chris Dodsley @ Made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion
                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn
                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble
                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne
                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio
                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.
                     Zenia Rene Lewis @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt
                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ
                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication
                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts

                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle

Friday, July 22, 2016

Whoop Whoop Friday, 12 Days of Christmas in July, and Quilt-Along, Day 9!

Hi, all!

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet?  Are you whooping about a great project you've started that's going to brighten someone's home? Have you started on a new Christmas quilt?  Well then, it's time to whoop it up and show off what you're doing!  And even if you haven't been working on Christmas this week, I hope you'll share what you've been working on - because that's what Whoop Whoop Friday is all about!



This is also the ninth day of the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop, and we've got two great bloggers to hear from today!  First up is Alla, who blogs over at Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes. (Don't you just love that name?) Her blog's a lot of fun to read, too!  When she told me what her plan was for her day on the hop, I was so excited - I can't wait to see the final result.  You're going to love this!

And then you need to hop over and see Zenia Rene at A Quilted Passion.  Zenia Rene has a fun monthly linky party, and she makes the most unique crafted item - Mr. PeePotty.  You really need to check it out!  She's also got a great gift item to show you today, something I bet you'll find really useful.

So hop on over and check them out, then come back for the next set of instructions in the quilt-along!  


*&*&*&*&*&*&*

"Eye on the prize..."
Today we'll start assembling the blocks. We'll be putting the units together in three rows for each block.


Row A:  The top row.  Make two stacks next to your sewing machine.  On the left, four "C" units, arrows pointing up and left, and on the right, four "B" units, arrows pointing up.

Lay a "B" unit on top of a "C" unit, face down, and pick up the pair.  Pinning as needed to match seams, sew the seam.  Repeat until all four pairs are sewn together.  You can chain piece these, but because of the size, you may choose not to.  If you do, cut them apart, then press the seams toward the center "B" unit.


Now lay four "C" units next to your sewing machine, with the arrows pointing up and right.  Place the pairs you just pieced to the left of those "C" units, with the "B" unit next to them and pointing up.  Lay one of the "C" units face down on top of the "B" unit, pin as needed, and sew the seam. Repeat until all four sets are sewn together.  Press the seams toward the center "B" unit.  Set these units aside.


Row B:  The center row.  Make two stacks next to your sewing machine. On the left, four "B" units, arrows pointing left, and on the right, four "A" units (the square-in-square blocks).

Lay an "A" unit on top of a "B" unit, face down, and pick up the pair.  Pinning as needed to match seams, sew the seam.  Repeat until all four pairs are sewn together.  Press seams toward the "B" units.


Now lay four more "B" units next to your sewing machine, arrows pointing right. Lay the units you just pressed to the left of those units, with the "A" units in the center.  Lay one of the "B" units face down on top of the "A" unit, pin as needed, and sew the seam. Repeat until all four sets are sewn together.  Press the seams toward the "B" units.  Set these units aside.


Row C:  The bottom row.  Make two stacks next to your sewing machine.  On the left, four "C" units, arrows pointing left and down, and on the right, four "B" units, arrows pointing down.

Lay a "B" unit face down on top of a "C" unit, and pick up the pair. Pinning as needed to match seams, sew the seam.  Repeat until all four pairs are sewn together.  Press seams toward the "B" unit.


Now lay four "C" units, arrows pointing down and right, next to your sewing machine.  Lay the units you just pressed to the left of those units, with the "B" units next to them.  Lay one of the "C" units face odeon on top of the "B" unit, pin as needed, and sew the seam. Repeat until all four sets are sewn together.  Press the seams toward the "B" units.  Set these units aside.


Arrange on your design wall, gaze admiringly and give yourself a big pat on the back!  You're well on the way to having a new Christmas quilt in three more days!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's time to do some whoop-whooping!


What's got you doing a little happy dance today?

Share - we want to dance right along with you -
And it's always more fun to dance with friends!!

Remember, it doesn't have to be a finish - 
Just something that's making you smile!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight - 

Hope to see you there!
Hugs!!

Sarah

Need to catch up on the hop? Here's a list of all the bloggers!


July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts
                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist
                   Chris Dodsley @ Made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion
                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn
                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble
                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne
                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio
                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.
                     Zenia Rene Lewis @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt
                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ
                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication
                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts
                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle