Polka dots for Amy G!

This one I have had cut and pinned for months! Ack!! I even missed my own month with everything going on! I'm sorry my friends!!

Tiny hearts

I am pretty embarrassed at how far behind I have gotten, but I'm trying to catch up and finish!! In the mail tomorrow and hopefully in time! I really thought I could handle doing this and having a baby. Then I also moved!

Becca's Peppermint Blocks

So, I meant to finish these blocks before we went to the States in October, but clearly that didn't happen.  I did finish them right after we got back, though, and they have been sitting there mocking me ever since.  In clearing off the sideboard in preparation for Thanksgiving decorations, I saw them once again and decided now would be a great time to send them off.  Hopefully you can still get your table runner done in time for Christmas!

And of course, I had to include a Swiss block. :)  Becca was my first friend when I moved here, and boy was I happy and thankful to have her.  She made the transition much, much easier!

Advice from a 1949 Singer Sewing Machine manual.

All I can say is that I am glad that I have a Bernina...you can sew when your house is messy AND when you, yourself are messy. 

In fact, the messier the better. Here's to sewing anytime!

Mardie 

candy for becca

here are your peppermint squares! I hope they're the right size. I wasn't sure how everyone was doing their HSTs. Only 86 days until Christmas!

emily

Peppermints for Becca

I'm feeling pretty proud, the month isn't even over and I'm done! Thank you Becca for having us do a simple yet cute square!

Christmas Pinwheels for Becca

I've turned over a new leaf! Here is my post for September...wait for it...IN SEPTEMBER!!
My real goal in life is to finish and post before Camie! Hope you like them, Becca.

Love, Mardie

I keep forgetting to ask Liz about using the labels... Help?

Mardie is catching up on all her posts...

Most of these squares have been sent off long ago...in fact, I sent of Amy Gardiner's without taking a picture first! With great embarrassment, I present the following: For Camie, Kristin, Jen, Nicole and Amy C.

(Why, Oh, Why is Kristin's square off to the right like that!!! Arrrggghhhhh!!)

Amy, we have books on umbrellas, ballerinas, birdhouses, homes, foreign places and ships anchors! I can't wait to see this finished!

Rose Trellis or (Hugs and Kisses) for Liz's baby Charlotte.
"Miss Kate
 by Bonnie and Camille 

Some other projects from this year:

Baby Charlotte on a simple stacked block baby quilt.
"30's Playtime" by Cloe's Closet

Railroad Crossings for my Idaho daughter Grace's baby, Andy.
Loved this "Oh, Boy!" by Blake Riley

 I am struggling with the blog... I will just publish with love to all. 

Thanks for my Patriotic Stars which keep coming in the mail! I'm so excited!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas-

Polka dots and Snowflakes-

A table runner is a great idea and I can't wait to see it.  I've always loved pinwheels!  I hope these are ok.

Little Helper

Jen, 

I think I'm going to love this quilt. Like a good little helper I tried to make these just right but somehow the end pieces almost always ended up narrower than you wished. Sorry! Hopefully they still work. 

I love you,

Nicole 

It's Patriotic September!

What? You haven't heard of this awesome holiday?  Well, it's when all the cool chicks decide to do their July blocks in September.  Technically, I did sew these in July, but didn't get around to mailing them, or posting them, until today. So, Patriotic September was born. :)

Mardie, I even have some of the red flower and cream/blue flower material left over, so I am sending that back as well.   I cannot wait to see this quilt when it is finished.  I bet it is going to be so gorgeous!

Two In A Row

Here are two finished squares from a very delinquent Hot Sprjngs quilter. I'm sorry the pictures aren't great. We lost our camera, so iPhone pics are the best I've got. 

For Mardie

For Amy C. (The pic is darker than it is in real life)

Hope these are ok!

Peppermint Candy Block

I had this sneaky suspicion that this was my month to chose the block, but was afraid to look at the list because of my crafters' guilt, as I have yet to finish Mardie or Amy C.'s block.  I am very sorry, ladies.  It is my goal to be all caught up this weekend.

I have been pining to do a Pickle Dish quilt, but my current life style is not affording me the time for such a delightfully complicated quilt.  So, I've opted for something I can most likely finish. 

Here you have a very simple half-square triangle block that will grace my kitchen as a Christmas table runner.

You will need:

(2)  8" squares in red (feel free to use solids or small, simple, or ditsy prints with a red background, just so red is the main color you see- brighter/cherry/summery reds are my preference and please stay away from muted/burgundy/orangey reds

(2) 8" squares in Kona white

Create 4 half-square triangle blocks (using your favorite method) that look like this:

Press seam allowances to the dark. 

Sew them together like this:

Press long seam allowances open.

That is it.

Thank you so much!

Caught up!

I feel like I have been out of town all summer and I got behind on my blocks. The kids went back to school yesterday and I reunited with my machine in my new craft room. The results were Mardie's blocks, Amy's block, and curtains for my daughter's room! Yay for time!!

A little behind...

Kristin,

I hope these snowballs don't melt on their summer voyage overseas. They're not perfect but I sure had fun making them.  You can choose which one you want, I wasn't sure if the one on the left was to busy/foliage-y? Please forgive their late arrival.

my beautiful 12squared quilt

I absolutely adore my 2015 quilt.  I finished it on Saturday and plan to take it to the lake today for a picnic- just what it was intended for!
Thank you  to everyone who contributed!!
Camie

 No matter how I photograph it I just can't get a close-up of each block; I am sorry.  This seemed to be the best way to get a good feel for this quilt.  I do love it and it makes me happy to look at.  I did have to trim and adjust because a lot of the blocks were different sizes but the result is exactly what I wanted!  Thanks again.

block C for amy

This was really fun to make and I can't wait to see the quilt when it's finished.  I hope you like the fabrics.  Fabric selection is always a little nerve-racking.  I hope Peter Rabbit is one of your favorites because the third from the top screams Peter Rabbit. :) 

Books on the Shelf

square for Amy C

I hope the prints aren't too busy!  That last one on the right is my favorite right now.


For the Quilt Guild here, I've been asked to be in charge of the Modern Friendship Quilt.  I've chosen Raspberry Kiss! Those who sign up will make a bunch of squares in one color and then swap in March. Fun, huh? Do you have a favorite low-volume neutral?

photo credit: london_and_granger on Instagram

emily

Instruction Fail

So I didn't catch this until Nicole pointed out she hadn't been assigned a block, but I put Camie down for two different blocks and Nicole for none.  So I have fixed it in the original post, but thought I would make a new post just to be sure.  Camie is actually supposed to sew block C, and Nicole block B.  However, Camie, if you have already started/made block B, that is okay, I actually need four of them in total, so I will just make a second block C myself.  Thank you and sorry for the confusion!

Bookshelf

Okay, the block(s) I have chosen for this month are relatively simple, but when put together will make a really fun quilt.  I want to make the "read me with" quilt from the Moda Bakeshop.  We have a reading room/library where the children hang out with books, and to go on the couch there, I thought this quilt would serve both function and decoration.  They can cuddle up in while they read in the early mornings.  There are three different blocks that make up the quilt, so I am assigning certain ladies to sew certain blocks.

You can use whatever colors of fabric you have in your stash.  I just ask that the prints be more subtle, so that they look more like a book cover, and that they aren't too dark.  I want to hand embroider some of their favorite book titles on to the "spines" before I sew it all together and quilt it.  I will do that in black, so it needs to be able to be read. If you have some black thread handy, you could hold it up to your fabric choices.  If you can still see the thread, you are good to go, if not, please look for something else. :)

Oh, and then use Kona white for the white pieces you add on to the fabric strips.  Thanks!

Okay on to the tutorial, which I have shamelessly copied off the Moda website. The first block will be sewn by Amy G., Becca and Mardie.

STEP 2 – BLOCK A
Gather the following size pieces and lay them out as shown.
(2) 2 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ print rectangles, (3) 2 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ rectangles, and (1) 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ rectangles
(1) 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ solid square, and (3) 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangle.
Lay the solid rectangles onto the tops of the print strips and sew a 1/4″ seam along the edges.  Press.

Sew the 6 columns together.  Start by placing the second column onto the first, sew a 1/4″ seam along the edge.  Then place the third column onto the now sewn together first and second columns and sew a 1/4″ seam and so on until all 6 columns are sewn together.  Press.

Okay, and now on to block number 2.  That will be sewn by Liz, Emily, and Nicole.

STEP 3 – BLOCK B

Gather the following size pieces and lay them out as shown.
(1) 2 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ print rectangles, (2) 2 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ rectangles, and (3) 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ rectangles
(3) 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ solid square, and (2) 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangle.

Lay the solid rectangles onto the tops of the print strips and sew a 1/4″ seam along the edges.  Press.

Sew the 6 columns together.  Start by placing the second column onto the first, sew a 1/4″ seam along the edge.  Then place the third column onto the now sewn together first and second columns and sew a 1/4″ seam and so on until all 6 columns are sewn together.  Press.
And now on to the final block. This will be made by Camie, Kristin, and Jen.

STEP 4 – BLOCK C

Gather the following size pieces and lay them out as shown.
(2) 2 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ print rectangles, (1) 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ rectangle, (1) 2 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ rectangle,
(1) 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ rectangle and (1) 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle
(2) 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ solid rectangles, (3) 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ solid square, and (3) 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangle.

Lay the solid rectangles onto the tops of the print strips on either end of the strip and sew a 1/4″ seam along the edges.  Press.

Sew the 6 rows together.  Start by placing the second row onto the first, sew a 1/4″ seam along the edge.  Then place the third row onto the now sewn together first and second rpw and sew a 1/4″ seam and so on until all 6 rows are sewn together.  Press.

That's it for this month!  Thank you so much, ladies!  I think it will be so fun to have all the books look different, as that is how our real bookshelves look!  Please send your finished blocks to my mom's house.  Jane Lasko 777 South 400 East #3, St. George, Utah 84770. I will be seeing her the second weekend in October, so try and have the blocks to her by then to save yourself some postage.

Pretty Polka Dots for Amy G.

I loved the way this block turned out.  Normally, I am a matchy-matchy kind of girl, but all the different sized dots did end up looking pretty good together. 

However, I later found some more polka dot fabric in my stash, and ended up making a second one that is more matchy-matchy.  If you don't want to use it, I won't be offended, but I just had to see how it would finished. :)

And the reason I didn't get these blocks done in time was that I decided to "quickly" make a quilt for a friend who is moving back to America.  Only I had helpers, which always makes it take longer.  Because they don't iron it as carefully as I would have, and they didn't notice/care that some of the blocks were not cut the correct size, and sewed everything together anyway, making all the seams not match up.  It was a nightmare unpicking everything, sizing up the blocks, and then trying to figure out where in the pattern the block went again.  Still, it turned out pretty nice in the end and she was super happy with it, got teary-eyed and everything, which is just the reaction you want from a labor of love, so it was all good in the end. :)

And yes, I will be getting up the tutorial for my August block very soon.  It is a simple one, but I have wanted one of these quilts for a long time and am super excited to have you help me with it.  (Cuz I trust your cutting and ironing skills. haha! )

one red square

I'm sorry there's only one block, Mardie.  The stripes on my second block were sewn so that they are horizontal, not vertical.  Would you mind sending me two 2 1/2" squares of mums & stripes fabrics?  Then I will finish the second.  My husband took my kids camping last night and even with a perfectly quiet house without any distractions I still managed to orient those wrong.  I'm sorry!

Mardie's expecting twins! (stars, that is)

Mardie asked me to do one square from this year and one from last year.  Here they are...

Happy Pioneer Day!

emily

Mardie's Twin Star Tutorial (Red Square)

Here is an example of the block pattern for the Twin Stars Quilt.

Last year we made blue stars, this year we will make red squares. 

I am asking you to make 2 RED squares. They are small squares (8 1/2").  

I am sending all of the fabric to you. (Mailed this morning!)

This is the red square that we will do this month.

Enclosed in your mailed packet, PLEASE find 2 1/2" strips or squares of:

Cream fabric

Red with flowers fabric

Cream with Red berries

Cream with Blue and Ivy fabric

Cream with Red flowers

Cream with Red "mums"

Red and White stripe

Please do not substitute any of the fabrics. If you need more, let me know. 

Be careful cutting, some of the strips are cut close. 

Mostly you will have extra fabric after cutting. 

Please return any excess with your finished squares. I may need it for finishing other squares.

When sewing, please use 1/4" seams

PLEASE pay attention to the orientation of the fabrics. 

Flowers and stripes, vertically, up and down, etc.

This square is made up of Half-square triangles, and a few Flying Geese. 

A. Let's start with the Flying Geese. You will make 4 of these units.

Cut the Cream with Blue and Ivy fabric strip into Four  4 1/2" X 2 1/2" rectangles.

You will need Eight 2 1/2" squares of the Cream.

 

Draw a line from corner to corner of the Cream squares.
Place 1 Cream square in the corner of the Cream with Blue and Ivy rectangle. 

 

 Stitch ON the drawn line.

 
Press to the dark. Trim 1/4". Press again.
Repeat...Three more times.

 

B. Half-square triangles, lots of them!

2 Units: Red stripe with Cream and "mums"

2 Units: Red with flowers and Cream with small red flowers

4 Units: Red with flowers and Cream with Red berries

Cut all (if needed) into 2 1/2" squares. 

 
  

 

Draw a line from corner to corner on one of your matching squares. Plan out your orientation NOW. So that the lines and flowers are correct vertically.

  

Stitch from corner to corner ON the drawn line. Trim 1/4" as shown. Press to light. 

Lay out your Half-square triangles as shown above. Again, check your orientation. As you stitch these together, then press seams open to lessen thickness.  
 



C. Repeat the process for the corner units. Again, watch and plan for proper orientation. 
I had to deconstruct a finished square to get some pictures of the corner units. Now I can't get the photos to transfer to my computer! Aarrrgghhhh!!!! Please use your imagination. Lol.

Assemble the corner squares as above. (except that it is not finished)

D. With all of the units ready, lay out the square as follows. (Yup, this is the only picture I have.)

Stitch the units together in columns, press open.

Stitch columns together to complete the square. Press seams open. 

Please do not trim the square(s). 

When I get the photos to transfer I will put them in for a more complete ending. Although, I doubt if I need to do so. You are all so able and talented.
Thank you, ladies! I hope you liked the square(s). 
Mardie