Friday, August 19, 2016

Civil War Pinnie

I have trouble concentrating on my current projects and getting finishes...oh yes I do...especially when I find a cute pattern from Marcus Fabrics that everyone else probably made years ago!  Ha!

This is not a dainty project, it measures around 8 or 8 1/2 inches across but it is magnificent  :)  Those Civil War ladies knew how to make a pincushion...and I adore it in wool.
 I recently saw this on a blog I follow, Three Sheep Studio and she has one for sale that she made in red which is gorgeous!!
 I expect I will get lots of use out of this and it makes me feel good that I used a bit of the wool I bought Wednesday at the Wool Rug Show in Archbold...hey Cheryl, you use any of yours yet??  Lol!!


Wednesday, August 17, 2016

In Our Garden August Winner of FQS Gift Certificate

Hiya, just a quick note to announce the winner of the FQS $25 gift certificate from the drawing...by the way, you can still find the patterns for the blocks for this month here.



My Lovely Sponsors 


Random Number Generator chose...

Kathy E. <duchick@gmail.com>
   
Aug 2        

Kathy E. has left a new comment on your post "In Our Garden Blog Hop - August Blocks, It's My Mo...":

I really like planting my garden the best! I get sore and stiff, but it's all worth it when those flowers bloom and the butterflies come around!

Posted by Kathy E. to krislovesfabric at August 2, 2016 at 10:57 PM


Congratulations Kathy E!!  You should be receiving an email soon with your gift certificate code.

Thanks to everyone who played along!!  I love seeing your blocks and it was great fun to read your comments!

Thursday, August 11, 2016

AQS Show in Grand Rapids

I went up to Grand Rapids to the AQS Show yesterday and was happy to see it well attended.  After all the posts lately about the dire state of the industry and the issues with AQS deciding to no longer publish books...well, I wondered...

I went with my friends Marie and Beth Ann and had a very nice time indeed.
 I was in a wool mood - must have been the fact that it was in the 90's again yesterday, I don't know.  I was, as always, impressed by the Primitive Gatherings booth and a good portion of my purchases came from there.
 I didn't take many pictures -but, oh my!!  this quilt...wow!!
I left the lady's hands taking pictures next to me in this shot so you could better appreciate THE SCALE!!  Just wow!

There was also a beautiful Lion King Challenge and a grouping of Patriotic / War quilts curated by Sue Reich that were wonderful to see.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Christmas in August - Is That a Thing?!!

I fell into another project...
 because the heart wants what the heart wants  :)

You can find the free patterns on Lisa Bongean's blog here...it just started.
I am doing mine in green even though this is a red and white qal...yes, I know ;) 

Monday, August 8, 2016

Shenandoah Valley Botanical Quilt - August Yellow Tulip

I am sewing along with the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Quilt project - the pattern is provided by the Virginia Quilt Museum and all pattern sales benefit the museum. Dawn, from Collector with a Needle, and Doreen, from Aunt Reen’s Place, are hosting a quiltalong for this quilt, here.


The pattern size as provided by the museum easily makes 9 inch blocks. I am doing mine in wool so that I can make that size (8 1/2" finished), many are enlarging the pattern and all the participant's resulting blocks are well worth a look...so pretty!

This is my version of the block for August, labelled Yellow Tulip:

 And here are the blocks arranged together so far...

 Now I need to go give this guy, Buddy, and his partner in crime Sam a bit of company outside in this 90 degree heat, they are much more into running and jumping than I am though...thanks for stopping by!!

Friday, August 5, 2016

Wandering Camera - August edition

I am linking with my friend Soma's Wandering camera series, check out the others here...

 If you are looking for my free blocks for the In Our Garden QAL click here (there is a giveaway too!)


I am having trouble with sciatica the last couple days so I have a slow walk to show you today...

First, I was able to can some green relish earlier this week to use up some of the abundance of produce in our garden...
 This is so good, my friend Cheryl gave me the recipe...I always have a ton of green tomatoes and this year is no exception.

 It takes loads of peppers also though so we pretty much had to harvest all we had, I am waiting for them to come back now!
 I hate to show you my unruly tomato vines, they got ahead of me and I didn't prune/tie them as I should have...brings to mind that giant plant that eats people...hmmmm.
 This is a fun gourd vine...and you can see our bees in the background.  I am allergic to stings so I don't so any weeding back here.
 I like the angle of this picture because it looks like our sunflower reaches over the treeline :)
I adore sunflowers and this is a happy one!
Hoping to have our first sweet corn for supper tonight??!!

 We have been lucky with several pickings of green beans this year.
 Not sure what's going on here, I have a whole patch of milkweed but the caterpillars all want this one??!!
 My walking buddies, Buddy and Sam.
A view of the garden...I call the fence the rhino enclosure, it does do a good job of keeping the deer, raccoons, bunnies, and unruly lab puppies out.

Thanks for joining me on my walk this morning :)

Linking up with Whims and Fancies Wandering Camera.

 

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Lego Harry Potter QAL with Whims and Fancies

If you are looking for my blocks for the In Our Garden QAL click here (there is a giveaway too!)

I had a very nice weekend and in between outside adventures managed to sew up my friend Soma's first Lego Harry Potter quiltalong block...I love her designs, they always fascinate me with the detail she manages to fit within her blocks...


Dumbledore is assisting with color / fabric choices for this project and I believe he has hit upon a good range with this bundle I found at Yoders Department Store in Shipshewana last week.

I also bought the new HP book/screenplay Sunday and, well...I didn't care for it  :(  Anyone else read it yet?

Monday, August 1, 2016

In Our Garden Blog Hop - August Blocks, It's My Month!!

 Sew Incredibly Crazy
Wow!  You've made it past the halfway point of the hop and today I have the pleasure of sharing my blocks with you...


But first, I want to thank all the great sponsors who have been so gracious in sponsoring our hop. 

This month the hop is sponsored by Riley Blake.

They provided this pretty fabric called Calico Days by designer Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet that I used to create my blocks as well as a giveaway for those who are going to sew-along with us in a linky party later this month.

The other wonderful sponsor for this month is the  Fat Quarter Shop who is also providing a giveaway on this post!
My Lovely Sponsors 


Be sure to leave a comment on this post on what your favorite gardening task is to be entered in the drawing for the FQS gift certificate.  We will pick a winner on August 15th!

Giveaway Closed!!

Now, let's get to my blocks for August...

Block 1 is a "Churny" Flower
I love a good churn dash so I made my block with that type of construction but a coloration and scale to represent a posy...

 To make this block I used:
2   5" squares of background (white)
2   5" squares green print
4   2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles background (white)
2   2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles blue plaid
2   4" x 4 1/2" rectangles blue plaid
2   1 1/2" x 2" rectangles blue plaid
1   1 1/2" x 1 1/2" square yellow


To construct the half square triangles for the corners, I took the two pairs of 5 inch squares, placed them right sides together green against white and drew a line from corner to corner.  Then I sewed a quarter inch from either side of the marked line and cut on the marked line. This gave me four half square triangles slightly oversized which I pressed then trimmed to 4 1/2".

 Next, I arranged the pieces into my flower as shown below:
 Then I sewed the pairs of rectangles and the center rectangles and square together as shown below:
 It is now time to assemble the 3 columns...each should measure 4 1/2" x 12 1/2" at this point
 And finally, sew the columns together to produce the "Churny" Flower block which measures 12 1/2" x 12 1/2"
 Here is the back to show how I pressed the seams, feel free to press them open if you like to achieve a flatter block.

 
My second block is called Trowel Time
It is an applique block.  I used fusible machine applique on my sample.


Here is the link for the pattern on Craftsy for you to make your own Trowel Time block.


My favorite method of machine applique is fusible applique and I like to use a black thread to outline the shapes, I think it makes it look like a child's drawing.  You are welcome to use your favorite style of applique whether it is a button hole stitch or a zigzag or even needleturn...you will need to add a seam allowance if you wish to needleturn by hand.  

The pattern has not been reversed but is easy to place on a lightbox or against a window to trace if you would like it going the direction I have it on my model...it would look equally good facing the other direction though!!

Here are my versions of prior blocks and the future designers from this QAL as well as the links used to find them:
 

Month 1 February
Amy – Sew Incredibly Crazy

Block #1 and Block #2 from Amy's design, you can find the patterns by visiting her blog.
March
Carol – Just Let Me Quilt 

Blocks 3 & 4 are designed by Carol and you can find the patterns here.

 
April 


May


 June
Sue – Super Mom No Cape
 


July
Joan – Moosestash Quilting





September
Pat – Life in the Scrapatch


October
Vicki – More Stars in Comanche


November
Lana – It Seams to be Sew


December
Jan - Sew and Sow Farm


January

Amy – Sew Incredibly Crazy– Final Blocks and wrap up



You can also join the Facebook group if you like and share your blocks and/or see what everyone else is making.

CLICK HERE

 Reminder: Be sure to leave a comment on this post on what your favorite gardening task is to be entered in the drawing for the FQS gift certificate.  We will pick a winner on August 15th!

Giveaway Closed!!