Sunday Stash: Some Solids

The best thing about my job at Ruth's Stitchery is, when I "ooh and aah" over a new fabric line, my boss orders it!

Such was the case when our fabric rep showed us this new group of solid batiks from Hoffman. Indah Solids by Me + You.

Although they look like any other solid fabric, the grey goods (the fabric before dyeing or printing) is the same as that used for batiks. So it doesn't fray, and it has a nice "hand." I snatched up the FQ bundles of both colorways before they even hit the shop floor.

Because I want to make this quilt from Beyond the Reef.

This simple block relies on the clever placement of accent fabrics to make the quilt look complicated -- but it's not!

The Indah collection also includes a printed batik line.

 I can't bear to open the bundle just yet, so here is a peek at all the colors:

I can't wait to cut into these pretties! But first, it's graduation time, and I have three graduation quilts to finish. Come back tomorrow to see the most recent graduation quilt on Design Wall Monday.

Halfway through May? How did that happen?

From the desk of your

WIP Wednesday: Park Bench BOM

I know, I know. I swore off Blocks of the Month for this year!

But Beth offered to teach Julie Herman's "Park Bench," and I already had the kit (bought it in Laramie last March) and well . . .

I have half the blocks finished!

Can you spy my mistake?

The block in the lower right is supposed to look like the one in the upper left. But by the time I realized I was putting it together wrong, I was past the point of no return! Luckily, one of the later blocks uses the same pieces. So I'll make it like the one in the upper left and no one will know the difference. Right?

Here's what the completed quilt will  look like:

(photo from Jaybird Quilts)

I'm using the same fabrics as Jaybird Quilts used for the cover quilt. They are "Botanics" by Carolyn Friedlander. I even scored enough "Curry" print used for the binding to back the quilt (at Ruth's Stitchery, of course!)

The QAL is supposed to last until the end of the year. HOWever (cough) Sonya is hosting Julie's newest BOM, "Sweet Tooth" this summer. So I want to finish up Park Bench ASAP so I can sew along with Sonya on Sweet Tooth!

(photo from Jaybird Quilts)

I am a big fan of Julie's patterns. Using her Hex n More and Sidekick rulers, there are no Y-seams in this fancy-looking quilt! Plus, her directions are super-clear and easy to follow. (OK, that is, is you actually follow the directions.)

Are you sewing a BOM this year? What is it? Share! Share!

From the desk of your

MAy Day UFO Parade

We won't be hanging flower baskets on neighbors' doors today -- still snow on the ground, and it's cold and windy this morning.

Luckily, we have pretty quilts to enjoy! First, the UFO number for May:

And now, on with the parade!

Jennifer is a recent UFO Challenger, and she is really cranking out the finishes. I love her little table topper. Jennifer let her 7 year old daughter play with the decorative stitches on her machine to quilt it. So fun, and what a great way to share the love of sewing!



Jenn's second finish for April was a set of placemats for a co-worker (they're both teachers) who raises chickens.

They'll be bound in grey and gifted to her friend when Jenn returns to work after compassionate leave. 

One of my favorite customers at Ruth's Stitchery, Ethel,  really puts me to shame with her productivity. But I love seeing what she makes with fabrics from our shop! This quilt uses Amy Ellis's new line, Serenity. 

Isn't it just lovely? So peaceful, and well -- serene!

A long-time blog follower and UFO challenger from Australia, Susan, sent in this photo of her Lori Holt Christmas quilt. Lori shared the QAL on Instagram back in 2014.  Susan substituted the strawberry block from Lori's Farm Girl Vintage for the log cabin block -- she says it's "more appropriate for an Australian Christmas." 

A group is doing Farm Girl Vintage as a block party at Ruth's Stitchery -- I can't wait to show them your quilt, Susan!

Kerry finished piecing her Bonnie Hunter mystery from last autumn. Allietare will have scalloped borders once it's quilted -- can't wait to see that! This is a large quilt -- 86" X 91" -- and Kerry reports it uses 25 yards of fabric! Way to make a dent in the scrap stash, Kerry!

All the details are at Kerry's Quilting, here.

Nancy finished Frivol #1, "Hello Darling." It is darling, and those cute tins of fabric and treats are darling, too! 

(Note: while researching the link for Frivols, I found that there is an error in the pattern contained in Frivols #1. Be sure to click on the link above before you start piecing!)

Nancy's second April finish served as an educational tool. The recipient of this cute baby quilt didn't really know about quilts -- she will now!

Another California girl has finished another Bonnie Hunter quilt. I love them, and I love that all Sandi's quilts' names begin with "K!" 

All I can say is "OHMIGOODNESS!"  Here's what Sandi wrote about this incredible kwilt:

Kissin' Korner is a Bonnie Hunter design called Kiss in the Corner!  She's awesome to bring us all the FREE patterns on her Quiltville website.  Here is a link to it should you want to make one too.  
 I really enjoy the smaller pieces.  This design used 2" and 1" finished squares.  I had everything in my stash to complete it including the back and a batting that will end up as one, but started out as four pieces.  I'm all about stretching out my stash, which also includes the batting =^.^=  You can read more about my project for April on my blog KwiltnKats..  Be sure to go to the labels box on the right and select Kissin' Korner for all about the project since I started it. You'll even learn about my oops!

Sandi, that is really something! I had to biggie-size the photo so everyone could see the details of this beauty.

Happy May Day -- 

and keep those cards (emails) and letters (photos) coming!

From the desk of your

Design Wall Monday

Spring might  come to Colorado before the month of May -- but we don't count on it!

When the DH saw this quilt on the design wall, he commented, "Oh, that looks like Spring."

Well, yeah! The pattern is called "Springtime!"  It's a free download from Windham Fabrics, and uses the Modern Country Collection by Mary Elizabeth Kinch. The colors in the fabric are more bright and clear than they show in this indoor-lighting photo. Ruth's Stitchery carries the entire line of Modern Country -- and they have cut obese eighth bundles of the  lights and the darks.

The design calls for quarter-square triangles. Here is my tutorial for one quarter-square triangle method. I'll try to post a different method for Tuesday Tutorial. I made extra QSTs so the quilt will finish at about 75" X 85" -- big enough for a full bed.

My little peach tree is blooming. And I think it escaped the last freeze. 

Spring is coming!




From the desk of your

Sunday Stash Report

What does one do when a spring snowstorm hits, and the quilt shop closes early? One plays with one's stash additions for the month, that's what!

I am so lucky to have a boss at Ruth's Stitchery who is willing to order any little thing staffers admire. When the Moda fabric rep came by, I raved and raved about the new Jen Kingwell lines. So Cathy ordered not only the complete line of "Just a Speck," but also the complete line of Jen's backgrounds, "Behind the Scenes."

I made the June Jelly Roll Party sample using "Just a Speck." But I bought a quarter-yard of every one of the "Behind the Scenes" fabrics just for my low-volume stash!

Friend Teresa owned the Denver shop, "Treelotta." The brick-and-mortar shop has closed, but Teresa occasionally has a pop-up shop in her home. I was over the moon when I saw that she had the newest Tula Pink collection, "Chipper." 

And she also had Denyse Schmidt's "Hadley." Sharp followers will point out that I already owned quarter-yard cuts of this line. I'm thinking maybe 2017 should be the year of DS! All Denyse Schmidt, all the time!

I added a few scraps of Anna Maria Horner to my stash, preparing for a shop sample. Ruth's has the complete new AMH "True Colors" line, but none of the older fabrics. Some friends from Front Range Modern Quilt Guild are doing a QAL using AMH's "Color Dive" pattern. I could probably provide AMH  fabrics for all who want to participate!

I also picked up these adorable vintage notecards featuring McCall's pattern illustrations at Ruth's Stitchery. I can't decide if I want to use them for birthday cards for special quilty friends, or frame them!

And my bedtime reading is now Amy Butler's Blossom -- Vols. 1 & 2, now available in print.

Last weekend was the Springtime in the Rockies Shop Hop and the Pueblo Quilt and Stitch Expo -- I'll share some stash enhancement from the two show next time!



From the desk of your

Some Friday Finishes

Just because I haven't been posting, doesn't mean I haven't been piecing!

Here are some finishes from this month:

1.  The very first "modern" quilt I made was pieced several years ago. I finally had it quilted by Vivian at Ruth's Stitchery.

The fabrics are all Kona cottons. The greens are from a FQ bundle, "Poseidon." The pattern is from Northcott.

Sorry I forgot to take a photo before Anne hung the quilt in the shop! The colors are much more intense in person.

2.  Robert Kaufman fabrics chose their own "color of the year" for 2016. It's "Highlight," a vivid yellow reminiscent of the first highlighter pens -- remember those?

I used Tula Pink's "Houndstooth" pattern from her book, "Quilts from the House of Tula Pink." The single black block is a Hoffman batik called Raven. I call this quilt "Crow in the Wheatfield."

3.  The third finish is the sample for the May Jelly Roll Party.

It's called "Vintage Tulips" and I used Bonnie and Camille's "Vintage Picnic" jelly roll, along with a few older Bonnie and Camille fabrics. 

Snow predicted for Colorado this weekend -- 

maybe it will be a "sew day!"

From the desk of your

What's on the Design Wall?

I absolutely love the quilt that's on the design wall this week. 

Not only is the design named for my co-author and Younger Son -- Jacob's Ladder -- the fabric is by one of my favorite designers, Jen Kingwell.

Jen's fabric line is called "Just a Speck." You can see why in these close-ups of the quilt top:

Isn't that the most fun? I'll use a fabric from her Lollies line for the backing. The fabric has eight different prints -- great for scrappy piecing!

I've made several Jacob's ladder quilts in my day. In fact, one of the very first quilts I ever made was a Jacob's Ladder -- for Jacob! This one uses 2½" strips. The pattern is from Cozy Quilts.

(photo from CozyQuilts.com)

This quilt will be the June Jelly Roll Party project at Ruth's Stitchery.

What's on your design wall this week?


From the desk of your