Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Let's Hear It For Emily's New Book!

 

Hi, all!

Can you believe it's the last Friday in August already?  This year is just flying by - but Friday means that it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on, so I hope you're ready!  Let's go!

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As you all know, I may have a slight scrap problem.  After all, fabric is expensive, so we don't really want to throw even the leftovers away!  But mine are starting take over the studio...

...and I really need to find a way to use them - because they aren't doing anyone any good just stacked in bins!  Well, last week I was contacted by Emily Bailey of Em's Scrap Bag about her new book...

...and she wanted to know if I would be interested in reviewing her new book, Crumb Quilts, on my blog.  Well heck yeah!  I've known Emily for probably close to ten years.  I love her blog, and all of her scrappy endeavors, and her giving heart (she's the driving force behind Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo, one of our annual charities for Hands2Help) so of course I was willing to help.

As you can tell by the title, this book deals with using crumbs - those bits and scraps, even the smallest ones, left when a quilting project is completed.  Using crumbs means that there's almost no waste involved, which is a great thing!  After all, with fabric costing upwards of $12 a yard sometimes, it doesn't take much in the way of scraps to add up to a good chunk of change.  If you don't believe me, take some of your scraps and weigh them.  A yard of fabric weighs about 5.3 ounces.  How many yards are in that pile of fabric?  See what I mean?

Emily's book has great instructions (with photographs) to show you how to create crumb "fabric", and then she shares fifteen projects to inspire you to make and use your own crumb fabric!  I mean, just look at that quilt above - doesn't it just sparkle?  And I have quite a stash of black and white fabrics just gathering dust.....

But when I saw this picture, I fell in love!  I'm not a huge fan of appliqué, but those leaves!  (Can you tell I'm in the mood for a little fall weather and changing leaves?)  So I looked further on in the book to see what the whole quilt looked like...

...and wow, it didn't disappoint!  I'm definitely adding this quilt to my future sewing plans.  What a scrap buster!

So I think it's easy to see that I really....

...this book!   Small projects, big projects, there's something for everyone - because hey, we all have scraps, don't we?  Emily's book will be released on September 14, 2021, but you can pre-order it right now on Amazon and if the price drops, they'll adjust your charge accordingly.  And then you too can enjoy this beautiful book and use up those scraps!

So let's give Emily a big whoop whoop for a job well done!

Whoop whoop!!

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along 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

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? The Perfect Valentine's Gift...

 

Hi, all!

Friday has rolled around once more - and for many of us, it's been a week of cold weather, ice and snow.  I hope all of you have fared well, and have had power and heat.  We were fortunate, getting a lot of snow and ice but retaining our utilities, so it's been a week for sewing!  But today I'm not going to share any sewing, because my husband got me such a fabulous Valentine's Day present that I want you all to see.  So let's get our whoop whoop on and get started!

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I am so lucky that I have a husband who gets me, and who is a creative gift giver!  This year he gave me this great book...

It seems that he has noticed how many memory quilts I've been making lately!  His thought was that I might like to see some new ideas for them and found this book at our local bookstore.   I thought I'd share a few of the pages and ideas the author has, like photographing the clothing before cutting it up for the quilt...

...and interviewing the customer about their desire for a memory quilt, in order to understand how they feel about the pieces they want you to use.

She shows beautifully unique ways of utilizing the pieces of clothing...

...and some very fun and different ways to use t-shirts in quilts.

Her designs are interesting and individualized for each customer, and she shares a bit of their story with each quilt design.  Great photography in this book!

And finally, here's just a sneak peek of one of my favorite quilts in the book.  This is DEFINITELY on my list of quilts to make!

So I'm definitely whooping it up this week, with a fun new book to read and lots of time to sew!

Can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!  

What's making you whoop it up this week?

What's got you doing a little happy dance?

Share! We want to dance right along 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

I May Have A Scrap Problem.... Some New Things!!

Hi, all!

Oh, I was a bad girl this week - - - but considering the things I picked up will help me deal with my overwhelming supply of scraps, I'm going to use that as my justification!  I got some seriously happy mail on Monday, and I want to share a little bit about those in a minute.  But first, the progress on my Long Time Gone quilt...

I did end up remaking one of the blocks I had made previously, and I like it much better now!  Below you can see all the blocks I've made so far, together - I'm really liking the way this is coming together!

I tried to place the blocks in their approximate position in the finished quilt, so the big gaps are where future blocks and filler pieces will go.

Now on to my happy mail.  Look what showed up in my mail this week!!!  

Now I will freely admit to being a huge fan of Amanda Jean Nyberg.  Her blog was one of the first ones I found as a newbie quilter, and her simple yet creative designs helped me realize that yes, I really could do this!  So when I found out she had a new book coming out, I was really excited (can you tell?) and ordered it right away!  Once I started flipping through the book, I knew it would become a staple on my shelf.  First of all, there's a section just for me...

...and oh, wait, another section just for me.....

There are great quilt and project ideas (11 quilts, four pincushions, and cards) separated out by section...

I've got LOTS of squares...

...scads of strings...

...and tons of triangles!

I've even got plenty of snippets, much to the consternation of those who cut up scraps with me - I have a hard time throwing any piece of fabric away!!

I can't wait to get into the meat of this book and read more in depth what Amanda Jean has to teach me about scraps.  Plus the quilts are so-o-o-o-o-o gorgeous - I want to make them all!!

And then, speaking of quilts I want to make - - - I'm having so much fun with the Long Time Gone quilt (by Jen Kingwell) I went ahead and ordered her pattern for Gypsy Wife!  After all, a girl's gotta have a plan, right?  I figure I'll just jump right into making this one after I finish Long Time Gone, making one set of blocks each week.  Take that, scraps!!!

So that's what I've been doing with scraps this week.  How's that scrap monster of yours doing?  Is he getting a little tamer these days?

Feel free to link up below and share your own scrappy sewing!  

Hugs!

Sarah

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I May Have A Scrap Problem - A Great Resource!

Hi, all!

Well, after a long weekend spent driving to and from Richmond, VA with grandkids in tow, I spent Tuesday working on a t-shirt quilt and wondering what in the world I would post on today!  

Granted, I worked on this quilt a tiny bit - adding three more log cabin blocks and two more string blocks - but it's not really moving along fast enough to be called progress, is it?

So I decided to bring an old post out of the archives - a great book I reviewed a while back that gives some new and creative ideas for dealing with scraps!  I think you'll find it a useful resource as you try to tame your scrap monster!!!

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I've found a fun book for today, and it asks the question, "Have you met Roy G. Biv?"

Scrap Republic: 8 Quilt Projects for Those Who Love Color was written by Emily Cier in 2011.  In it, she talks about how to sort out your scraps for the projects in the book.  She also offers advice about quilting, backings, and bindings.  My favorite advice she gives, though, is related to this picture...

She makes great suggestions for changing up the patterns by changing up the basic block in various ways.  Ingenious!

From there, the book is broken down into two sections.  The first is for The Weekend Stasher, and is small and simple projects for those without much time or with a small stash of scraps.

It includes projects such as this one, done with a scrappy background and scrappy pieced circles.

For those without a big scrap stash, she also offers an alternative - what she calls Solace For The Scrapless.  It's the same quilt made with whole cloth instead of scraps.  This is offered for each quilt in the book - awesome!

And then there's the section for the rest of us - The I-Have-Nothing-To-Hide-Anymore Stasher!  One of her definitions of this quilter is "you no longer care how much fabric you've really collected and are so proud of it that no one dares to commit you to Fabric Stashers Anonymous."  That's me, for sure!

This section includes larger quilts, such as the lap size Whirl. I love this quilt for its fabulous movement!!

And then there is Pivot - another great quilt incorporating circles, but with a very different feel.

All in all, there are some great projects in this book that will help eat away at your scrap stash - and that's always a good thing!  Even if you don't make the quilts in the book, I think you would find a lot of inspiration in Emily's methods and designs.

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I promise to try and get back on track next week - summer is always exciting as we try to find the new rhythm for our days!  More time with the grandkids is fun, and it makes me be more intentional about the rest of my time - and that's always good!  

See you next week with some more scrappy goodness!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS Be sure to come by on Friday - there will be another giveaway, and you won't want to miss out on this one!

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Crafted Appliqué, and a Giveaway!

Hi, all!

Wow!  Can you believe it's Friday again already?  And as always, that means it's time to get our whoop whoop on!!  Are you ready?  I've got something really special to share today, so I know I am!

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Back in December, when I found out that my friend Lara had a book coming out, I was thrilled that she asked me to be part of her book release blog hop!  I love reviewing books for friends, and it's always an honor to be entrusted with the task.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that appliqué is not my first love - in fact, we've had a love-hate relationship over the years.  I know how to do it, but haven't ever really enjoyed it.  But when I looked through Lara's book, all that changed!  She has come up with a fantastic new method for appliqué that makes it all simple, and yields fabulous results!  For example, right after I read her book, I decided to use her technique for this quilt...

...and was SO pleased with the results.  There is no fraying, lovely clean edges, and all I did to secure the appliqués was some straight line stitching near the edge of the appliqué.  

So let me tell you what I really like about this book.  First of all, Lara starts out with an introduction that explains exactly what Crafted Appliqué is, and compares it to other methods of appliqué. She even does a test of several different methods, showing the results after washing, which will completely sell you on the possibilities of her method.  

Then there is a very well-written section on the process, which makes it easily understandable and very clear exactly how to experience great results the very first time you try it.  She's even come up with a method for back-coating fabric so that your background fabrics won't show through! 

And while you can use any of several methods to secure your appliqué to the background, I love that you can simply stitch them down with a straight stitch!  It makes it so much easier and less time-consuming, and you can use much more complex appliqués.  Here's a picture from the book that shows in great detail the stitching possibilities...

And look at how clean those edges are!  I'm telling you, even if you don't think appliqué is for you, this book will change your mind!  

The other day when I was looking over the book again preparing for this review, I spotted this adorable project...

This particular project is a needle case - a really nice one with pockets inside to hold not only hand sewing needles, but sewing machine needles too.  But when I saw it, it made me think of journal covers.  My grandchildren absolutely love writing in journals, so I thought I'd use the technique to make a journal cover.  

I gathered up some supplies - enlarged a picture from my copy of Heather Ross Prints and printed that cute little girl out on some printer fabric.  Grabbed a scrap piece of Essex linen and stitched her onto it, added a lining and a journal and voila!  An adorable little journal cover sure to be well-loved by one or the other of my granddaughters!  This appliqué had a lot of little tiny pieces, the locks of hair and the arms and feet, but I didn't have a single problem with them, thanks to Lara's great new technique!

And there's one more thing I love about this book - Lara is a wonderful writer, with a great conversational style that is easy and enjoyable to read.  Here's an example from the book that made me laugh out loud...

You've gotta love someone who will admit to her "oops moments" in writing!

And now comes the very best part of this book release blog hop - Lara is offering a copy of her book to one lucky reader!!  So how do you throw your hat in the ring for the giveaway?  Simple!  There are several ways you can enter...

1.  Leave a comment on this blog.  Let's make it interesting - answer the question in the comment before yours, and leave a question for the commenter after you.  I'll start with the first question - have you ever made an appliquéd quilt?

2.  Link up for Whoop Whoop Friday!  If this is your first time, it doesn't have to be a finish - it can just be something you've been doing the happy dance about this week! 

No need to leave an extra comment for this - 

I'll get your entry from the linky party!

3.  Be a follower of this blog! I'd love to know how you follow - Bloglovin, email, GFC, or something else!  Let me know in a separate comment.

NOTE:  Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment - because of changes in Gmail and Blogger, many more comments are coming up as "no-reply" and I'd hate to draw a winner, only to find that I had no way to notify them!

Entries will close at 6 pm CST on Thursday, May 19th, and I'll announce the winner next Friday, May 20th.  And if you really want to increase your chances of winning a copy of the book, check out all the other stops on the blog book tour!  The other reviews so far have been excellent, and each offers a chance to win a copy of the book.  

Crafted Appliqué: New Possibilities Blog Hop - May 1st to June 5th

Sunday, May 1 - Introduce the Hop and post the schedule on BuzzinBumble
Monday, May 2 - Valerie Smith - Pumpkin Patch Quilter
Tuesday, May 3 - Dana Gaffney - Stormy Days
Wednesday, May 4 - Lorna McMahon - Sew Fresh Quilts 
Thursday, May 5 - Mary S. - Needled Mom
Friday, May 6 - Heidi Kuntz - Red Letter Quilts
Saturday, May 7 - Alycia Carmin - Alycia Quilts
Sunday, May 8 - Amy DeCesare - Amy Made That
Monday, May 9 - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life
Tuesday, May 10 - Lara Buccella - Sew Mama Sew 

Wednesday, May 11 - Christina Cameli - A Few Scraps
Thursday, May 12 - Melissa Corry -  Happy Quilting
Friday, May 13 - Sarah Craig - Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Saturday, May 14 - Soma Acharya - Whims and Fancies 
Sunday, May 15 - Val Reynolds -  Val's Quilting Studio

Monday, May 16 - Angela Pingel - Cut to Pieces

Tuesday, May 17 - Sandra Walker - Musings of a Menopausal Melon
Wednesday, May 18 - Cheryl Brickey - Meadow Mist Designs
Thursday, May 19 - Judy Murphy - Quilt Paradigm
Friday, May 20 - Yvonne Fuchs - Quilting Jetgirl
Saturday, May 21 - Cindy Pieters - Stitchin' at Home
Sunday, May 22 - Susie Zlogar - Susie's Sunroom
Monday, May 23 - Connie Kresin-Campbell - Freemotion by the River
Tuesday, May 24 - Ruth Bourke - Charly & Ben's Crafty Corner
Wednesday, May 25 - Kaja Zieslar - Sew Slowly
Thursday, May 26 - Ann Brooks - Fret Not Yourself
Friday, May 27 - Cynthia Brunz - Quilting is More Fun Than Housework
Saturday, May 28 - Monday, May 30 ... Memorial Day Weekend in the U.S.
Tuesday, May 31 - Jenn Trott-Zisserson - Quarter Inch From the Edge
Wednesday, June 1 - Paulette Horn - The Way I Sew It
Thursday, June 2 - Sandra Jansen - Studio Sew of Course
Friday, June 3 - Christine Sherman - Triangles and Squares
Saturday, June 4 - Darlene Simmons - Quilt Shop Gal
Sunday, June 5 - Announce BuzzinBumble Giveaway Winners - Lara Buccella

And if you just can't wait and want to buy a copy of the book right now (I certainly wouldn't blame you!) have no fear - Lara has offered to refund your money if you win a copy on one of the giveaways!  You can purchase a signed copy on BuzzinBumble, or buy it from the AQS shop or through Amazon.

So - - - let's give Lara a great big whoop whoop!!

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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 right along with you -

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

This week, the party will stay open until Thursday, 

May 19th at 6 pm CST.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah