Finished Churn Dash Quilts

I started making a churn dash quilt for my sister-in-law last April.  Her birthday is in July, so I’d have plenty of time to finish it right?  Yeah, no. It didn’t work out that way.  But, I did get it finished in time for Christmas…… along with one for me!

I used fabric by Jennifer Paganelli that I have had for years and years.  They were just waiting for the right quilt(s) to come along.

For my sister-in-law’s quilt, I chose a happy, green and blue small print fabric.  Since the backing is bright green and purple, I thought subdued would be a better border choice.

The second quilt I opted for a bright, bold, green, rose print.

I chose a calmer backing for this quilt.

The green combination was a bit of a gamble, but there are so many colors on the front, I figured I could get away with it.  Sometimes you just have to go with what you love!

We now have two happy, bright colored, cuddle in the winter quilts!

Stormy

Star Bright Table Topper

Every year my talented sister takes our family pictures (which always turn out awesome). And every year, I make her a table topper quilt.  It’s a good swap and we both end up happy.  I’m pretty excited about this year’s quilt.

My sister wanted a star quilt, so I came up with this pattern to show off all the cute fabrics.  The turquoise and gray are so striking together.

She did a great job picking out the fabrics.  And since she gave me all the scraps, I may have to make a little something for me too!

Stormy

It’s a great day!

Cooler weather is finally coming to the southwest!  Leaves are starting to show color and I’m pulling out my pants and sweaters. AND… I finished two quilt tops! Wahoo!

I made not one, but two churn dash quilts!  I’m waiting for the backing fabric to come in the mail before quilting, then more pictures will follow.

ALSO, I received this lovely bundle in the mail today….

The fabric is “Boathouse” by Sweetwater.  I will be using this fat quarter bundle for a block of the month quilt I’m starting soon.  I’m super excited about the pattern, so if you are interested, start collecting your fabric!

Also, one last bit of news.  I have finally started an Instagram account.  I know, I’m a little (a lot) behind the times, but I get there eventually.  So, if you want to follow me on Instagram, just look for SewStormy.

See,  I told you it was a good day!

Stormy

Moda Building Blocks–Month 2

I finally made it back to my sewing room!  It’s been three weeks and I’ve been going through sewing withdrawals.  After having family in town then falling on the stairs and spraining my ankle, my sewing room has been a bit lonely. I’ve been torturing myself by looking at cute fabric and quilts online, designing my own quilts then wishing I could go make them.  Finally, I’m able to use my pedal foot again! (For short periods of time.) I just got month three of the Fig Tree version of the Moda Building Blocks quilt in the mail and had not even started month two.  I had a little catching up to do.

Aren’t they cute?  I figure by the time I’m done piecing this quilt, I’ll be an expert at 6 inch blocks. My points are getting better every block!

Stormy

Around the World Blog Hop

Hi all!  I was invited to join the ‘Around the World Blog Hop’ by Rhonda from Olie & Evie.  I am so excited she has asked me to join this blog hop.  Rhonda has a great blog featuring all the fun and inspiring projects she’s been working on and items that she has listed on her etsy shop.  So if you haven’t had a chance to take a look, hop on over for some fresh ideas!

Now I’m supposed to tell you a little about myself.  My name is actually Shannon, not Stormy.  Surprise!  Years ago, my soon-to-be husband gave me the nickname ‘Stormy’ and it stuck.  He is the only one who calls me Stormy (except maybe my kids when I don’t answer to ‘mom’).  I like the nickname and when I decided to start a blog, ‘Sew Stormy’ sounded so much better than ‘Sew Shannon’, so I went with it.  I have five children, four girls and one boy.  This year is the first year they have all been in school, so I have big quilting plans!  I learned to sew from my mom, my grandma and in a Home Economics class in Jr. High.  I started quilting after my third baby was born because I wanted to make a baby quilt.  I bought some ‘how to’ quilt books and watched lots of quilting television shows. Now, it is my absolute favorite past time.  Especially when I watch old movies while I sew.

On to the questions…..

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

You wouldn’t think this would be a hard question, but I have so very many projects it  was hard to decided which ones to show you. I am not the kind of person to start one project and stick with it until it’s finished.  I work on whatever I feel like that day.  So, I decided to show you my most recent projects…..

I started my first hexagon quilt about a year ago.  I don’t pull it out often because I rarely have the time to sit and hand piece, but one day I will have a beautiful grandmother’s flower garden quilt.

One of my favorite quilts I have ever made was for my nephew last year.  It features my two favorite kinds of quilt blocks.  Pinwheels and stars.  I love it so much, I started another quilt for me.  Because it doesn’t have a deadline, it is taking a lot longer to finish than I had hoped.

These gorgeous churn dash blocks are for a quilt I am making for my sister-in-law’s birthday that was last July.  I’ve been a little busy…. Maybe it’ll be a birthday/Christmas present!   I was loving the bright, happy, Jennifer Paganelli fabrics so much, I also made this for me……

It’s not perfect, but it turned out so very cute and mini!  (11 1/2 inches!)

These blocks are the beginnings to the Fig Tree version of the Moda ‘Modern Building Blocks’ quilt.  I am about seven blocks behind, so I have to get moving!

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHER OF ITS GENRE?

The only way I think my work is really different than others is the wide variety of fabrics and patterns I enjoy using.  My tastes change often.  I never get stuck on certain colors or styles.  Just give me a few months and I’ll have a new favorite.

WHY DO I WRITE/CREATE WHAT I DO?

I love pattern and color and I love mixing and matching to come up with new looks.  My favorite part of quilting is deciding on the pattern of the quilt and which fabric is going to go where.  My heart is broken over the fact that the nearest quilt shop is 3 hours away.  It is so difficult to pick out fabrics from a picture on the computer.  That is why most of my quilts are made from fabric lines that are made to match each other.  The majority of my shopping is done online or while I am in Utah visiting family.

I also love quilts.  They are beautiful. I have quilts all over my home. They are on my tables, walls, beds, rolled up in corners, draped over sofas and chairs. They tell a story about who made them and who they were made for.  They trigger memories and are shared out of love. Everyone should have their own quilt.

HOW DOES MY WRITING/CREATING PROCESS WORK?

It’s different each time. Sometimes I see a quilt I love and copy it exactly.  Sometimes I fall in love with some fabric and flip through patterns for weeks or months to find just the right one.  Other times I come up with my own quilt design while doodling and wait until I see just the right fabric before making it.

A couple years ago I designed a star quilt for a block of the week.  It was designed week by week.  I didn’t really know how it was going to turn out but, it is now another of my favorite quilts.  I plan on creating another sampler quilt sew along soon! 

Anyway, thanks for reading all of my ramblings.  I started this blog to show family and friends what I was working on and now I aim to inspire others to see and experience the joy of quilting for themselves. 

For next week, I am passing along the blog hop to my friend Briana and her sisters from Babblings and More.  They have a wonderful blog that shows off all the super creativity that runs in their family.  They are so versatile in their craftiness, I promise you will find something you will want to create!

Stormy

Stitchery revisited

Sometimes I like to sit in my sewing room and look through my drawers of sewing ‘scraps’.  There are quilt squares that were never made into quilts, pieces of lace and trim, pillowcase edging from my grandmother and great grandmother, cute little buttons, and many other fun knick knacks to admire.  During my most recent perusal, I came across a stitchery I started years and years ago.  I don’t know why I thought I could possibly finish it, considering I had three children under the age of six at the time.  But, I gave it a try.  I was able to cut all the pieces out, sew them together, trace the pattern and get started on the embroidery.  I don’t know whether I got tired of working on it or if I got sidetracked and forgot about it, but the project never got finished. 

Sometimes it’s hard to go back and finish a project started so long ago because your skills have improved and you know you could do a much better job the second time around. (Which just might be the case here.)

Other times, you just lose interest because your tastes have changed or the project isn’t turning out how you wanted it to.

Since so much time and effort has been put into the project, it’s hard to know what to do with it.

So, it sits in a drawer until one day it gets pulled out for a closer look and maybe interest will take hold again and a cute little stitchery will be finished a decade or so after it was started…..

Stormy

Crochet Pillow 2

I did it! I finished crocheting the second pillowcase! I can barely move my hands and wrists today, but it was worth it.

I decided to crochet a large granny square for the second pillow.  It turned out super cute and really adds a pop to the family room!

I had a hard time deciding on the color repeat.  Since I’m trying to incorporate grey into the room (and I wanted to match the first pillow), I opted to use the grey yarn on every other row.  I’m pretty happy with the results.  My kids say the crocheted pillows are their favorite because they are so soft.  (I used the brand “I Love This Yarn” from Hobby Lobby because it is extra soft.)

Maybe I’ll get the afghan I started last year finished too…

Stormy

Crochet Pillow

It seems at the beginning of every school year, our family get sick.  The germs spread like wildfire through all the school children, then get brought home and  passed along to family members at home (like mothers).  I got to spend the Labor Day weekend with a head cold.  But, there is something good that came out of laying in bed for two days….

Because I grew up in Utah, in my mind the beginning of school means cooler weather is coming soon. That’s not really the case in the Southwest. (We hit 105 yesterday. Blech.)  But, I can’t help it, I want to start wearing scarves and boots and pull out my crocheting. 

Two of my couch pillows had seen better days, so I decided to cover them with a crochet pillow case.  I grabbed a couple skeins of yarn and crocheted away!  This is the result of my first pillowcase.  For the finishing touch, I added a cute little flower for an added accent.  My yucky old pillow has gained a new life!  I still haven’t decided on a pattern for the second pillow.  If I’m still sick over the next few days, I’ll have another picture to show you.

Stormy

It’s school time!

The dreaded day arrived.  The first day of school.  I don’t think I slept any better than my kids.  I stressed right along with them.  This year we have a new high schooler, a new middle schooler, and a new kindergartener!  My stomach has had butterflies for two weeks.  Luckily we’ve only had a few kinks to iron out, and everybody is doing well. 

I am  home alone for the first time ever! And, I am not making the adjustment as easily as I had planned.  I miss my kiddos. But, I am enjoying my sewing time.  Which brings me to…….

…. this lovely block.  I signed up for the Fig Tree Style Modern Block of the Month by Moda.   I love this quilt pattern!  Since Joanna Figuero is one of my favorite Moda designers,  I couldn’t resist sewing all the lovely blocks together in Moda/Fig Tree colors.  This block is a whopping 36 inches!  I put my scissors on the block to give you a sense of it’s size.  It’s going to be an awesome quilt.  I’m super excited to be making it…. along with my ten other ongoing projects.

So, three cheers to a productive fall sewing season!

Stormy

Mini Churn Dash

Because of the recent popularity in mini quilts, I started thinking about what my current quilt project would look like in a mini size.  I got a little sidetracked with the idea of a tiny churn dash block.  For some reason I thought it would be faster to make 9 mini blocks than 9 full size blocks.  Silly me. But, they did turn out awfully cute.

I should have done it with the paper piecing method for better accuracy.   But, even with a few not so perfect points, it makes a great addition to my wall of mini quilts. 

Each block finished at 3 inches and the overall quilt is 11  1/2 inches.  It is truly a tiny quilt!

Stormy

Sewing room organization

For the last two months I have been doing everything but sewing.  This has been the craziest summer!  My sewing room  has been the house dumping ground.  So instead of sitting in the mess and sewing, I decided to do a little cleaning first.  It’s still not perfect, but much better than it was this morning. 

I’ve added a few new stacks of fabric from this summer’s shopping that I can’t wait to get started on.

My girls helped me organize my buttons into these cute little jars I found at World Market.

This is the beginnings of a ‘mini quilt’ wall.  The Sunbonnet Sue was made by my great- grandmother and the mini hexagon quilt was made by my mom.  The green and cream quilt is awaiting some serious quilting inspiration before being finished.  The pattern is from Joanna Figuero’s book “With Fabric and Thread”.

Lastly, these are the shelves my husband installed for me months ago.  They are supposed to help me keep my work tables a little cleaner.  Lol. At least for a short while after my annual sewing room organizing and cleaning…

The rest of the room is not worthy of any picture taking, but I’m working on that too.

Now that I have a little more space to move around in, perhaps my creative quilting juices will start flowing again.  (Or maybe my creativity will have to wait until school starts.)

Stormy

Churn Dash beginnings

I’m finally finished sewing trek clothes!  Yay! I made 6 skirts, 6 aprons, 2 dresses and 14 neck coolers.  Whew! Now, I can finally get back to quilting (at least for a short time period before all the summer vacationing and pioneer trekking start).

My next quilt is going to be a birthday present for my awesome sister-in-law.  I’ve been trying to decide what it should look like for months.  I finally chose a beautiful stack of bright Jennifer Paganelli fabrics.  I have had this fabric for years and years, but they never quite made it to the cutting table.  But now, because my sister-in-law likes bright, happy colors, this stack of fat quarters is the perfect choice for her quilt.

Since the fabric prints are super busy, I chose a simple quilt block that will show off each print…. The Churn Dash….  Originally, I didn’t like this block much, but it is growing on me.  I’ve recently seen a few gorgeous quilts made from the churn dash block and  have loved them enough to try one of my own.  I thought I should start with one block just to be sure I was going to like it…

I’m really happy with the results.  So pretty!  Now off I go to make a few dozen of these cuties.

Stormy

Four patch and stripes baby quilt

Awhile ago I wanted to try making a quilt using a stripe fabric for the sashing strips.  Ordinarily, I would think this would make the quilt too busy. But, I thought it would be perfect for a cheerful baby/toddler quilt.  I found a stripe fabric that I loved and matched the rest of the fabrics to the stripes.

I kept the pattern very simple because there were so many prints involved (and I happen to like four patch quilts). It turned out so cute I made two of them, one for my daughter and one for my niece.  They both love their pinkalicious quilts.

Stormy

Stormy

Classic Movie Quiz 2

Not only am I a big fan of quilting, but I also love old movies.  There’s nothing I love to do more than cuddle up with a quilt and watch old movies.  A few years ago, I made a fun little movie quiz (found here) to see if you could name the film by looking at the picture.  I thought it would be fun to do another quiz, but a little more difficult.  If you can’t figure out the movie, just scroll your mouse over the picture to get the answer.  Good Luck!

How did you do?  These are all fabulous movies and I highly recommend all of them.  If you haven’t seen one, you should definitely give it a try. 

Stormy

**Update** I’m curious how you scored.  Leave me a comment to let me know how you did and to suggest a favorite movie for my next classic movie quiz!

**Warning**  **Spoilers!**

I noticed there was no way to view the answers to the quiz using a mobile device, so here are the answers:

1. Desk Set 2. The Trouble with Harry 3. Man’s Favorite Sport 4. Pillow Talk 5. The African Queen 6. The Long Long Trailer 7. How to Marry a Millionaire 8. Shadow of the Thin Man (From the series ‘The Thin Man’) 9. The Americanization of Emily 10. Midnight Lace

A Quick Update

The other day I was trying to find a post on my own blog of one of my quilts.  I had forgotten what the name of it was, so it took me forever to go find the pictures!  I thought there must be a better way.  So, my ‘Finished Quilts’ page now includes small pictures of my quilts, not just links to the post.  Now, it is MUCH easier to navigate through my blog to look at all the quilt pictures. As always, I love your feed back, so let me know what you think!

Meanwhile, here’s a close up of a bright, fun quilt I have never posted about. It’s called Paris BeBe.

I’ll have to pull it off my daughter’s bed and take some better pictures of it soon.

Stormy