Pillows

I've been on a pillow kick. Pillows are similar to mini quilts; you can experiment with colors and patterns in a small space.

This one is simple patchwork, but the colors really sing! The background is Painter's Canvas, by Laura Gunn. The patchwork center is a Lecien print, and that's what inspired this color combination.

Next, I started this fun little piece, which Olias seems to like! The center is Tula Pink Meteor Shower, which I just love! I thought it paired nicely with Ellen Luckett-Baker's Quilt Blocks print. (P.S. Have you seen her new Kokka line sneak peeks??) Add a little Painter's Canvas, and some additional Tula Pink prints and voila!

Another fun pillow.

Stash Fabric has the Meteor Shower Print and the Painter's Canvas.

Pink Castle also has plenty of Tula Pink available, if you're interested in any of these prints!

For both pillows, I used an envelope closure.
Next time, I'm going to use a covered zipper, like this SMS tutorial.

In case you're interested in one of these pillows, I've listed them in my little Etsy shop.

Happy Thursday!

How about some socks?

After knitting for FIVE years now, I can proudly say I just finished my THIRD pair of socks. As in, one, two, THREE.

Is it cheating that these are knit in sport weight instead of fingering weight?

Is it cheating that they are knit in the decadent Plucky Knitter Primo Sport?

Knitted socks are a luxury, because they just take so long to knit. I'm amazed at knitters that can quickly zip through them. I guess I'm just a slow knitter.

The pattern is by my friend Sam. It's a free pattern called Duckies, which is the cutest name ever.

I feel a sense of accomplishment, and upon finishing the second sock, I immediately cast on for a sweater.

In a very similar shade of red.

Fastest quilt top. ever

If you're in need of a super fast and lovely quilt top, I highly recommend Jeni's tutorial for the giant vintage star quilt.

I cut fabric for this Friday afternoon, and finished sewing it together last night. Overall time was probably five or six hours including ironing (and a few breaks).

I used a fat quarter bundle (8 prints) of a line called Vintage Summer by Little Yellow Bicycle for Blend Fabrics. I paired the prints with Kona Chocolate.

Elliott helped me get some pictures while we visited my mom this afternoon. I plan to get the back made this week, using more Chocolate, and a yard of the cheater print for the line (I got this from Brenda, but it is unfortunately sold out.) Of course, I am out of batting again (except for the one reserved for Swoon!), but as soon as it's back "in stock", I'll put this one in the quilting queue.

And to leave with you some cuteness, my friend Amy just welcomed a new kitty into her home. Ringo!

Some new happy fabrics

In the recent sale at Pink Castle Fabrics (which is still going on, actually!), I scored several of my favorite prints for $5 or $5 a yard!

I cannot get enough of Leah Duncan's Maya line. Summersville is another favorite. I think these two lines play nicely together!

It appears that I was also in a green mood in my recent stashing.

I may have to use these together in a quilt!

I'd also love to pick up a little more Field Study soon!! I just love those arrows and feathers!

Brenda is also offering a discount on all precuts/bundles right now, with the coupon code PRECUT20.

Well, as you can see, my helper is requesting my attention now.

I hope you all have a fun weekend! E's parents are visiting tomorrow, but I will try to share some fun things on Sunday!

Mid-week

I've got a few quick things to share with you today.

First up, the winner of the Kona card giveaway!
Courtesy of Brenda and Pink Castle Fabrics, the winner of the new Kona color card is #60, Tonya, who said her new favorite is poppy, since she has two girls to sew for.
Lovely choice, and congratulations! I sent you an email Tonya, so please send me your address to collect your prize!
Thanks to all who entered!

Over the weekend, I knit for several hours on this second sock! I actually finished, and the socks are blocking now. Hopefully, I can share the finish soon!

I also had a second go at Anna's lovely Gathered Clutch pattern. Funnily enough, my first gathered clutch was made last August, and I ended up sending it to Nicke.

For this version, I used two Lizzy House - Outfoxed prints, and I lined with a Kaffe Fassett Spot. I love those Spot prints!

Ignore my finger that needs lotion and just look at those soft Spots. And that great zipper tab!

Here's the other side, which I just could not get right. I tried several times, but it wasn't happening on this end. Anna's instructions are very clear; I think this mistake resulted from an error I made earlier in the pattern. Hopefully, my tabe will look nicer the next time!

I still love it, though!

I hope your week is going well!

FO: Improv Citrus Quilt

How about a finished quilt to start off the week?

The members of the do.Good Stitches Love circle made scrappy improv blocks in bright, citrus colors. I assembled the blocks, which were of various sizes, using stashed solids and prints.

The makers sent me an abundance of blocks, so I was able to make a nice-sized throw quilt, and used a few blocks for the back.

I quilted straight lines in one direction at varying widths in orange thread. It's bound in a Dear Stella basketweave.

This was my first time to quilt for do.Good Stitches, although I've been a member for just under two years. It's been a great experience, and this project was joyful. I love this quilt so much, and I intend to use citrus colors in a project to keep very soon.

Elliott was sweet enough to drive around with me yesterday to find this lovely location for photographing the quilt. And those are his feet.

This will be heading off to our chosen charity, Wrap Them in Love.

Have a great day, friends!

Scrappy blocks and a fabric observation

I was so glad Ara Jane picked the popular x & + blocks for this month in do.Good Stitches. Following a tutorial by badskirt amy, I feverishly went through my ginormous scrap bin, and had a great time pulling some favorite fabrics.

I've been wanting to try the block for ages, and a quilt full of these scrappy blocks is definitely high on my priority list.

I also received a few cuts of Anna Maria Horner's new Field Study last night from Stash Fabric, and noticed how well it works with some patchwork I started in Innocent Crush.

I think I may have to use the bits of Innocent Crush I've got left with the new cuts in a quilty project. Although, that reminds me of some WIP guilt I've got for my old Single Girl...

Kona Card Giveaway!

A lot of you asked in the last post about my banner. As much as I'd like to pretend that I drew that, I actually purchased it from Bloom Digital on Etsy. I love it, and I have a matching banner for my etsy shop.

So, on to some good news!
My pal Brenda, over at Pink Castle Fabrics, thought that one of you might need a new Kona color card.

I have the older version of the card, but your new card will have all 243 Kona shades.

The two cuts you see above are the new Leprechaun and Alegria.

Leprechaun is the dominant green in the citrus improv quilt (which I hope to be sharing this weekend, when I finally get some pictures!), and I've also used the new Parchment color, in the Scrappy Festive Table Runner I shared last week.

You can check out all of the Kona solids Brenda carries here.

Not to be an enabler, but Pink Castle also has a pretty massive sale going on right now, to clear room for all of the new fabrics coming in, which you can peruse here! I nabbed a little Summersville and Maya for myself. I just love both of those lines!

So, to win a brand new Kona card for yourself, tell me what Kona color (old or new) you've just recently discovered you love?
Mine is definitely Leprechaun. I cannot get enough of that shade!

One entry/comment per person.
I never ask you to follow my blog in order to participate in giveaways, but if you'd like to, please feel free! If you already do, thank you!

Also, if you are a no-reply blogger, please make sure I have a way to contact you!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Monday evening (the 20th), CST.

Good luck, and thanks for entering!

ETA: Comments are now closed. Thanks.

Wordless Wednesday: Stash Enhancements

From Stash Fabric

Nearly done!

So, first, I have to say, that I was blown away that my tote bag sold yesterday. I was having a pretty rough morning, and seeing that first sale email was amazing. I'm especially touched, that my good friend, Amy bought it. It means so much, Amy. Thank you!

So, today, a new day, I want to share a couple of photos I took last night. Since the photos, I have finished and washed the quilt. Photos soon!

I used a Dear Stella basketweave to make binding for the do.Good Stitches Citrus Improv quilt. Bella, of course, was happy to test out the quilt and make sure it's soft.

I'll share the finished quilt later this week.

xoxo

A quick note

I hope you don't have a case of the Mondays, like I do. Thanks for all your sweet comments on my table runner tutorial!

This week will be a doozy, but I wanted to pop in to share a little tote I finished over the weekend.

I used a little Melody Miller cut, along with two polka dots (It's a Hoot and Amy Butler Full Moon), Moda Measuring Tape canvas for the exterior. It's lined with a print from Leah Duncan's Maya. Lots of happy colors and fabrics! It's available (along with a couple of destash items) in case you're interested.

I have a baby quilt to share, but no pictures yet. Soon!

I've got a tutorial on Sew, Mama, Sew!

I'm pretty excited to share a tutorial with you today.

I made this table runner using part of a charm pack of Dear Mr. Claus by Cosmo Cricket and Kona Parchment (which is a great neutral!). You can find the tutorial here on Sew, Mama, Sew!

Since this runner has no binding, it's a fast way to make your home feel festive. I plan to make another for year-round use! It's a scrap friendly pattern, too, in case you're not the charm pack type.

If you try the tutorial, I'd love to see your version! I hope you like it!

in the works

I feel like I have a lot of pots on the stove right now, but in the best possible way.

This weekend, I finally sat down with the citrus improv blocks from the do.Good Stitches love circle. Since the blocks were all different sizes, I had a lot of fun putting the puzzle together.

I ended up with LOTS of blocks, and the quilt will end up being about 60" x 60". I used several blocks for a back section as well.

This picture shows most of the quilt top, but I'll be sure to share a picture once it's finished. These colors are so happy; I'm going to have to make a citrus-y quilt for myself at some point!

Oh, do you see that bold, kelly green solid (almost forms a border around a block in the bottom right)? That is my new favorite solid, from the new KONA colors. This one is appropriately called Leprechaun. It's the perfect shade of green, I think.

The binding has also been attached to the front of this baby quilt.

Received!

I received my Modernista swap package this week, and I couldn't be more thrilled with it! Safiya Alyse made my gifts.

Would you look at this quilting??

Safiya made me a sewing machine cover with wonky stars, and each area is separately quilted! Wowza.

It fits in with the rest of my colorful mini quilts I've received from friends.

She also sent me this fun project bag (from Ayumi's lunch bag tutorial. I just love the texty print she used! Yes, this will work very well to carry my knitting about!

Sometimes, signing up for a public swap can be a little risky, and you aren't guaranteed to love what you receive. But sometimes, the person works hard to make something you will love and enjoy, and it's clear Safiya put so much care into these fun things. Her quilting is inspiring! I need to start practicing some FMQ...

Thank you again, Safiya!

FO: Popsicle Trivet

The great thing about moms is is they understand how busy you are. They really don't want you to buy them expensive things. A handmade gift is enough to make them smile (although, most crafters feel the same way about that!). We celebrated my mom's birthday last week, and I managed to finish one gift on time. The second gift is waiting patiently to be completed. Maybe this weekend?

When I first purchased Ayumi's popsicle pattern over on Superbuzzy, I immediately knew I had to make a watermelon popsicle for my mom. Which I did. Since she and her husband just built a house together, I thought it would make a fun gift for the kitchen.

I added some borders of Summersville, a red(-ish) solid and a Riley Blake Domestic Diva print. To bind, I used an older Timeless Treasures print. The batting is Insul-brite.

I guess it's sort of silly to have a trivet (hot) with a popsicle (cold) on it? Ah, but it's cute and fun. She loved it. Win, win, win.