Mayday UFO Parade

Did you ever make flower baskets and hang them on the neighbor's doors on May day? The little boys and I used to do that -- as Gretchen Rubin says, "The days are long, but the years are short."

First things first, the UFO number for May is:

#12

I'm writing today's post on an Apple computer, so if things look a bit different, blame that!

We have a special guest  "finisher" this month. It's my courtesy niece, Faith. I'm having so much fun sewing and painting our nails together!

Faith made this quilt for her teacher using a V Christensen "Color Theory" charm pack and a Villa Rosa Designs pattern, "La France."  Cute and super easy!

Sandi finished "Checkered Past," a free pattern from Barbara Brackman. She calls it "Kuriosity," of course -- must have a "K" name! Details and a link to the pattern are on Sandi's blog, KwiltnKats, here.

Debra B. made some cutie-patooty baby quilts this month! (Panels from Cozy Quilts in El Cajon, CA, in case you want some!).

And a last-minute finish with a funny story from Debra:

Walled Garden by Sheila Sinclair Snyder was done Patriotic-style - at least an attempt was made. I thought I had all of the diagramming done correctly and from the looks of it - that wasn't the case. I am a little disappointed, but I learned one thing in making this quilt - a designer I am not.

I still like it, Debra!

Kerry's April finish is from Bonnie Hunter's "Adventures With Leaders and Enders." It's "Sister's Nine Patch," and you can read all about it on Kerry's Quilting blog, here.

Heather has two finishes this month. First up is "Ye Olde Schoolhouse," a Prairie Women Sewing Circle project by Pam Buda:

Her second finish is "Lozenges," Bonnie Hunter's 2014-15 leader/ender project. BTW, Bonnie's new "Leaders and Enders" project will be announced next month!

More details on Heather's quilts are at her blog, Peachy Pages, here.

Nancy's blog post is titled "Work Gets in the Way." Which is why she has the blocks finished for her Vintage Modern quilt, but they aren't sewn together. That's OK, Nancy, finishing the blocks was your goal and you reached it!

Here's Donna's UFO for this month. She writes, "Someone (I can't remember who) gave me a fat quarter of the yellow print and I fell in love with it. I have looked everywhere and can't find any more so I used most of it in as large a block as I could so that it would definitely be noticed. It is such a cute print!"

I have to agree, Donna!

Mary says the UFO Parade was just the "little push" she needed to finish this Fairies quilt she has had "for years." So cute, Mary!

I hope I haven't missed anyone's UFO this month. I'm away from home and using a friend's computer, so I'm never sure I'm getting everything right! Please let me know if I missed you, and I'll edit the post!

Texas quilt/yarn shop report next Sunday, May 10!

From the desk of your

Tuesday Tutorial: HST Stripes

It can be so frustrating using striped fabrics to make half square triangles (HSTs) or flying geese.

Cathy showed us a neat trick to ensure the strips are going the same direction on both sides of your HST or flying geese.

Basically, the trick is to cut one HST top-left to bottom-right and the other the reverse.

Here I am using the "draw a diagonal line, sew 1/4" in each side and cut" method of making HSTs.

I've marked one square left to right, and the other right to left:

If I use the bottom half of each square:

I can make a flying geese with the stripes going the same direction on each side:

The top half of each square results in a flying geese with the stripes going side to side:

 If you are making an Ohio Star or similar block, where you want the stripes to go the same direction all the way around the block,the HST method won't work. Unless you want to make twice as many HSTs as you need, and waste half of them.

It's possible to make all the HSTs with the stripes going the same way by using the EZ Angle tool.

Cut a strip of striped and a strip of background fabric the size you want the HST raw-edge to raw-edge. In this case, I'm using 2.5" strips. layered right sides together.

Normally, you would cut one HST, then flip the tool and cut the next one.

But look what happens! You get two identical HSTs.

When arranged for flying geese (or star points), the stripes are perpendicular.

In order to make flying geese or HTSs with the stripes parallel, cut the striped fabric and the background separately.

Remember, we want miror image striped triangles. So cut two layers of striped fabric, right sides together (RST).

Then cut either two background triangles RST, or cut the "goose" in a single layer.

I hope this will save some fabric from mis-cuts for you!

From the desk of your

Sunday Stash:That's Not All

I told you! Three Sunday Stashes in a row? Wow!

My idea of a really great shop is one that has fabric I can't find at my LQS. Around the Block in Cheyenne, Wyoming is a really great shop!

Here is the last of my stash enhancement from the Downton Abbey Retreat trip:

"Branching Out" from  Hoffman Fabrics. Designated for drawstring bags.

"Paw Prints" by Kathy Davis for Free Spirit. Because it looks just like Samosa!

Alexander Henry Fabric Collection, Westminster Fibers, "Sanibel" by Gina Martin for Moda. 

More drawstring bags.

"bisou dot: by De Leon Design group for Alexander Henry, "vie en rose" by Alexander Henry. 

You guessed it -- more bags!

I'm a major "Wizard of Oz" fan, and when I found out Around the Block is doing a WoO BOM, well. These darling little half-pint milk cartons each contain a block that will finish at 8" X 9" and make up onto a perfect wall hanging size quilt. They are designed by Happy Hollow Designs. And ohmigoodness, they have WoO ornaments, too!

So far, I have "Funky Monkey," "Tin Can Man," "City Folk," and "Farm Fresh Eggs."

Another really great quilt shop is Cotton Candy Sewing Shop in Loveland, Colorado. Chrystal's shop specializes in modern fabrics and fun project samples.

Since I'm no longer driving to Ohio twice a year, with a little detour to Stewartsville and the shop of Tula Pink's mama, I missed this collection completely!

Moon Shine by Tula Pink for Free Spirit

Ever since Carolyn Friedlander came to speak at the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild last month:

Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman. My new obsession.

Peter Jorjus for Blend; Bartholo-meow's Reef by timandbeck

 I know! I won the entire fat quarter collection of Valori Well's "Cocoon" when it first came out. But this print is on linen! Won't it make a wonderful drawstring bag?

"Cocoon" by Valori Wells for Westminster

I usually shop for yarn at Loopy Ewe in Ft. Collins. They have really stepped up their fabric selection since my last visit!

"Doe" by Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman

If you're a "Sweetwater" fan, you may have heard of Fort Morgan, Colorado. Not only is it the home of the Sweetwater girls, it's home to Inspirations Quilt Shop. It was my first stop on my Retreat Road Trip, so I only bought two patterns. (I know! Gasp!) Good ones, though!

The staff at Inspirations has this design made up in Downton Abbey fabrics. Since I have the entire Downton Abbey FQ collection, I had to have this pattern!

Abbey Lane Quilts is the designer of the clever "Beatle Bag." Friend Mary will be teaching the class on this bag at Ruth's Stitchery later this month. "Meter Maid" is a 15 fat quarter quilt -- perfect for some of those FQ bundles I can't seem to resist!

And "just one more" low volume bundle. I so appreciate Pile O'Fabric, because they label each FQ with the fabric name, manufacturer, designer and collection. They even include the SKU, so if you need more of a specific print, it's so easy to order!

 

 "Maker" Low Volume Bundle

Guess what? They have quilt shops in Texas! 
More Sunday Stash Reports to follow!


From the desk of your