Friday, January 29, 2016

Friday Finish

This Jelly Roll Party quilt was a big hit with Ruth's Stitchery customers. Five "jelly rollers" made their quilt with the same fabrics as the sample!


The fabrics are "Cold Spell" by Laundry Basket Quilts. I love this collection particularly, because it has both batiks and cottons. For years, we quilters thought we shouldn't mix cottons and batiks. Edyta Sitar proved that rule to be wrong wrong wrong!

The pattern is "Winter Solstice" from Cozy Quilts. The only change I made to the pattern was using my favorite "Corner Clipper" ruler rather than sew and flip triangles for the star points.

Oh -- and the white "patches" in the border are class information signs for the shop!

Big snow predicted for Colorado this weekend. It's a "sew-day!"

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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

WIP Wednesday

The  January UFO "number" is "pick your favorite." My favorite UFO is "Ryokan."


Ryokan means "Japanese Inn." The pattern is from ThimbleCreek Quilts, designed by Joe Wood. I started this quilt at a Block Party at Ruth's Stitchery in 2013.  I had the twelve blocks in the pattern finished when My Little Sailor announced, "You know I have a full-size bed now, Mom!"

So I added eight more blocks. Each of the blocks I added means something to Jacob. The bottom two rows are the blocks I added.

From left to right, starting with the second row from the bottom:
Jacob's Ladder, Port and Starboard, Blacks and Tans (summer Navy uniform), One More Block (because I needed a 20th block!), Centennial Star (Colorado is the Centennial State), Martha Washington Star (his Mom's name is Martha, and he was born in Washington), Chinook
(the wind that blows down the mountains), Waves of the Sea.

The sashing is a Daiwabo fabric (from Japan!). It is an ombre design, going from dark to light to dark across the width of the fabric. It's cut into 1½" squares and set in a checkerboard design. I think the sashing looks like cobblestone streets. Because the pattern only has 12 blocks, I didn't buy enough to sash all 20 blocks. Friend Cathy to the rescue, she donated 1/2 yard of her sashing fabric so I could have the same sashing throughout! I have four more borders to add, then it will be ready for the quilter.  My plan is to take it to Japan with me in August when My Little Sailor re-enlists in the US Navy.

What is your favorite UFO?

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Sunday, January 24, 2016

Sunday Stash

I'm learning what my co-workers mean about spending one's paycheck before it is earned! Seeing the new stuff come into the shop every day makes it hard to resist!

Although this post will look like I've done nothing but shop this month, most of the "stash enhancement" is from Christmas.

I have so many photos to share, I think I'll only show the fabric this week. Next Sunday, I'll show off the patterns.

One of my Christmas-prezzies-to-myself was this fat quarter bundle from Minnick & Simpson, "Crazy for Red." I bought it thinking I would use some of it for my "A Quilt Block a Day" challenge. But it's so pretty, I can't bear to untie the ribbon!


Remember how I added the Tula Pink mystery to my 2016 UFO list? I was thrilled to find this Tula wide back in coral and pink. I love it so much, I've left it on the cutting table to admire!




My family home is in Melba, Idaho. Emma Jean Jansen designed the "Melba" collection for ella blue.


Emma Jean is an Australian designer, but we have these black-and-white Magpies in Idaho, too!


On my return from the last post-holiday airport run, I stopped off at Sew-Ciety in Castle Rock. It was hard, but I limited myself to this "Canyon" by Kate Spain charm pack:


and Amy Ellis's "Chic Neutrals" layer cake. Dona at Ruth's Stitchery made a sample quilt this month using the "City Blocks" pattern. I think it will be perfect for this layer cake!


Included in my Andover fabric for Lovebug Studios' "Dear Laura" mystery, I scored this "Fresh Cut" charm pack from BasicGrey. My favorite line of blenders! Westwood Acres Fabric offered a "mystery charm pack," so I didn't resist!



Today is "Staff Sew-in Day" at the shop. I'm determined to finish my January UFO! What are you sewing today?


From the desk of your auntmartisignature