Star Sampler Quilt Along

A quilt-a-long is always so much fun. Plus, I love sampler quilts.  So, I decided to pick 12 of my favorite star blocks and do my own quilt-a-long.  Once I had the idea, I was so excited I couldn’t wait to start planning it.  The fabric I will be using is from the new Riley Blake line “Seaside” and a few additional fat quarters I picked up in Utah while shopping the fabric stores.  I have 20 fat quarters here to choose from, but you can use as few fabrics or as many as you like, depending on how scrappy you want your quilt to look.

Block #1  - 16 Patch Sawtooth -

Cutting and Fabric

Fabric 1 – Background (cream) cut (4) 3 1/2 in. squares and (4) 3 1/2 x 6 1/2in. rectangles.

Fabric 2 – Star Points (blue dot) cut (8) 3 1/2 in. squares.

Fabric 3 and 4 – Center Squares (multi floral and red geometric) cut (16) total (8 of ea,) 2 in. squares.

Step 1

Using a ruler and pencil (or fabric marker), draw a diagonal line on the back of Fabric 2 squares  from corner to corner.

Step 2

Lay your marked square (RST - right sides together) on top of a Fabric 1 rectangle, lining up one side, top and bottom.  Sew along your marked line.  Then, trim off the corner using a 1/4 in. seam allowance.  Press the seam allowance towards the darker fabric.

Step 3

Repeat Step 2 to sew another square to the opposite side of the rectangle.  Press open.

Make (4) flying geese blocks.

Step 4

Lay a square of Fabric 3 on Fabric 4 (RST) and sew a 1/4 in. along one side.  Repeat for all 8 sets of blocks creating (8) two patches.  Press all seams to darker fabric.  Then, lay all two patches (RST) and sew to make (4) strips of (4) squares. Sew strips together (pinning at corners) to make the final 16 patch.  Press.

(As I was typing the instructions, I realized I should have taken more pictures showing these steps.  Sorry.)

Step 5

Lay your blocks into three rows and sew each row together.  Then sew rows together making sure to pin the corners.

And you are finished with Block 1.  Yeah!  I hope you are as excited as I am to sew the next block!

Stormy

Her first quilt

I have been sewing nothing.  Zilch. Nada.  On the bright side, I got to buy lots and lots of fabric in Utah while I was vacationing there.  Yeah!! And, my little sister and her family came to visit us in Texas for a week. 

It was sooo very much fun.  We already miss you.  (Even with 10 kids running around!!) 

And…..  Daughter 2 finished her first quilt!  Yeah!!!  Her grandmother had picked up some flannels to make a  baby blanket, then decided not to make it and gave it to her fabulous granddaughter.  It was the perfect first quilt project.  Daughter 2  did such an awesome job!!  And come to find out, she’s even pickier than me about fabric placement.  (That’s not so surprising for anybody who knows her.)  I think it took her longer to decide on the square placement than it took to sew the quilt together.

I’m so very proud of her.  One more generation of quilters! Wahoo!

Stormy

Table Topper 2

Last year, my little sister did such on awesome job with our family pictures, I wanted to make her something as a thank you.  Enter Rendezvous II, a cute little topper for her square table.  She must have liked it because she has asked for another one this year.  (After I dragged her out and about through a cute little duck pond by her house for pictures this year. They turned out awesome again!)

So, this year she picked her own fabrics:

They are from the “Daydream” line by Riley Blake.  I’ve got a cute pinwheel quilt in mind that I can’t wait to start on.  I’m hoping to get it done this week.  I’ll keep you posted.

Stormy

Happy July 4th!

The fourth of July is all about family with us.  And we are getting some pretty awesome family time in!  I hope you are enjoying the holiday as much as we are.

Stormy

Peas and Carrots Quilt

I was browsing through a ‘retro quilt’ Google search the other day and I came across this super cute quilt on Diary of a Quilter.  It was made mostly using the American Jane line ‘peas and carrots’.    I thought to myself, I should make a quilt like that!  Then, I looked more closely at the fabric….. I did make a quilt like that!  Years ago!   It’s been awhile since anybody in this house has used this particular quilt because of the ridiculous everyday over 100 degree temperatures and the fact that I always put this quilt at the bottom of the quilt pile.  Why you ask?  Let’s just say that my first attempt at enlarging a baby quilt to a full size quilt did not go particularly well.  I did the math wrong for the corner and setting triangles and they turned out a little too small.  So while sewing, I stretched the fabric a bit too far.  The quilt wouldn’t lie flat, so when I quilted it, the fabric got some tucks in it.  And…. since it was already messed up, I practiced different quilting patterns on it.  Yeah, it’s not really one to pass down through the generations.   But, if you don’t look too closely and you squint a little, it doesn’t seem too bad. 

The quilting isn’t very stellar either.

I don’t feel too badly about it, because every one needs a quilt that can be drug around, used for picnics, and generally abused.  This is ours.

Stormy

More on kids…

Since I have been in my sewing room a total of 15 minutes to check my email in the last week, I thought I’d write about kids….. again.  (Sorry, they seem to occupy every minute of my time.) Yesterday was especially crazy.  My two oldest girls were packing for girls camp.  I’m afraid I got a little (lot) impatient with them.  It took three hours to pack for four days.  Every time we went over our check list, something else had been forgotten.  But, now that my husband is on a business trip, my girls are gone and I’m left with my three youngest, things have calmed down.  I can actually think straight and this is what I have been thinking:

I love how my adorable (Well maybe not.  He just let out a not so adorable burp right as I was typing this sentence.) little boy is sitting next to me drawing sea monster pictures and talking nonstop.  He tells me how good he is at memorizing because he can close his eyes while he recites. 

I love how my twelve year old sneaked out of bed last night at 11pm to unload the dishwasher for me. 

I love how my three year old has messy choppy hair (a result from last months self hair cut) and a messy cookie face right now and is as happy as can be, because her other mommy (daughter 3) is playing so sweetly with her.

I love how daughter 3 takes such good care of her little sister.

I love how my oldest daughter shares my love of all things mystery.  She adores Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and old detective radio shows.

What more could a mom ask for?  I’ll happily forgo sewing for awhile, so we can create some awesome summer memories with each other.

Stormy

Kiddo Photo Shoot

Summer is here.  School is out and we are busy!  Between awards assemblies, class parties, and kids underfoot, sewing has come to a dead stop.  But, I did get the kids dressed up and outside to do a photo shoot today.  It’s been on my to do list for months.  I thought it’d be fun to show some of the funny photos instead of the perfect ones.  They show so much more personality!

You might not think this is funny, but this is my oldest trying to look all serious.  It makes her look mad instead. 

My second is quite a nut.  We have a bunch of photos that look just like this.

There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good she was very very good and when she was bad she was horrid!  (I’ve teased my only curly top with this poem since she was little.  This is the look I always get.)

This is the “your crazy mom” look that I get when I’m making funny faces and noises trying to get just the right smile.  Love the eyebrow!

Do I even need to say anything?  I love it!

Stormy