Friday, July 25, 2014

First Block-a-Day Finish

Rather than make 90 Shoo-Fly blocks for the Summer Block-a-Day, I decided to make several different projects using the Shoo-Fly block.

My first 30 blocks each finish at 15" -- for a double-bed sized quilt.


Almost too big for my quilt holder! The fabrics are blue Liberty of London Lifestyle prints, with three Moda Bella solids. I'm not normally a "blue" person, but this will be perfect in the downstairs bedroom.

I received an email from a follower who said so far she has made one Shoo-Fly block this summer. Not to worry, it is possible to make an entire quilt from just one (or two) blocks!


I spied this quilt in the Sew Downtown booth at Quilt Colorado last week. It is 66" square with one large and one small Shoo-Fly block. The shop has kits for the quilt; the pattern is in the Springtime in the Rockies program book.

July 30 is the 40th day of summer -- so I'm five blocks behind! How are you doing with your Block-a-Day?


From the desk of your auntmartisignature

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Sunday Stash and De-Stash

What a great week at Quilt Colorado! The quilt show was the best ever, and I learned sooooo much from Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio.

Not to mention, the vendors mall was better this year than I remember. I added a "few" goodies to the stash.

Stash


Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle design fabrics for Andover that are truly versatile for quilters. Their latest collection, "The Color Collection" is a group of tone on tones that will work with traditional-to-modern fabrics.


When I saw this quilt, I knew "My Little Sailor" had to have it! 

swatch

So I bought the kit -- maybe I'll send it to Japan for him to make; maybe I'll make it and send the finished quilt.

I added a few more fat quarters from Anna Maria Horner's new collection, Hand Drawn Garden. Some of the prints are re-colored fabrics from her earlier collections. One of them is the very first AMH print I ever bought. I didn't even know who AMH was at that time. Thanks, Chrystal, of Cotton Candy Sewing Shop in Loveland, for cutting FQs for me.


You know how crazy I am for fabrics I can't find anywhere else. Wow, did I score at Quilt Colorado! This FQ stack is "Terra Australis" by emma jean jansen for ella blue.  What's  more, they are Australian fat quarters, which measure 20" X 22". The fabrics are made in Japan, and I found them at Hannah's Quilts of Choudrant, Louisiana. If you're a Kaffe Fassett fan, Hannah's is the place for you.



Just had to pick up this incredible rayon batik to add to my "traveling wardrobe," since it's just the right colors. "Life is Good" sells a popover top that I will try to knock-off in this fabric.


And last, not from Quilt Colorado, but new to the stash this week: my first Cotton and Steel. Friend Cathy brought me the Cotton and Steel "candies" from Spring Market, and I'm going to use them to make my very first "Sew Together Bag." Mary is teaching the class at Ruth's Stitchery next week, yay!


De-Stash


I'm learning more about shipping than I ever wanted to know. For instance, I would not recommend a follower in the UK bid on today's de-stash. It has to go in a large flat-rate box, which would cost $80.50 US, that's 48 pounds in Britain! $17.45 within the US.

But it's a goodie!  


The red and yellow fabrics -- 5.5 yards of the red, 1+ yard of the yellow -- are both from Doreen Speckman's Provencal collection for Clothworks. 


The "de-stash" includes more than 3 yards of the two background whites, and assorted large scraps of the blue, yellow and white.

My plan was to make this quilt from a 2007 calendar. But of course, you are the boss of your quilting, you certainly don't need to make the same thing!


Here's how it works: I'll give this fabric away free. You just have to pay the shipping. 

Please comment on this post with your PayPal email address and zip code. I'll send you a PayPal invoice for the shipping cost, and when it's paid, "pop," it's in the mail to you!

I'm sorry, PayPal only and comments that don't include the PayPal address and zip code will be disregarded.

I have something new on the design wall from Quilt Colorado. Come back tomorrow to see what I made!


From the desk of your auntmartisignature