WIP Granny Squares

Lee at Freshly Pieced isn't just hosting WIP this week...she's having a giveaway as well.

Plus, she's made the sweetest and freshest Log Cabin blocks.

Heading over to take a look at what other quilters are doing!

Last week I finished sashing and piecing my Scrappy Swoon blocks together.  I'm so pleased with how they turned out.  This will be a snuggle size quilt for us, so I'm just going to add white sashing and start basting.

Since I finished that up, I wanted to work on some Granny Squares that are all the rage right now.  I cut 1.5" squares from a Charm Pack of Moda's Sunkissed and added some scrappiness from the stash.

Here is is in sandwich mode.  I used basting spray and curved basting pins.  I've quilted a "petal" motif into the blocks and like the way the spray helped keep the top in place, but as I went to straight line quilt the sashing, my walking foot did not like the spray at all and things went wonky fast.

So, I'm picking out the straight lines, I'll press it again and then baste using more pins and see if that helps.

 

This was quick to make and I love the happy, spring colors.  This will hang in our front hall, which is being repainted and spruced up to some more modern colors.  Kilz is my new best friend to help cover the navy blue that was in there.

 

Hope today is a good one for you and that wherever you are, you're loved, happy and sewing something fun! 

 

Granny Squares on Fabric Tuesday

Randi has the sweetest "Little Granny" mini she's made up.

It was the inspiration for this

little quilt I whipped up over the weekend.

Jolene has the tute over on her blog.

She used 2.5" squares for her lap size quilt, but Randi's was made using only 1.5" and I knew I didn't want another largerish project.  I wanted quick, easy peasy, cute, and inspirational.

These were made using Randi's measurements and the finished blocks ended up being 5" square.

I liked the softness of her sashing, but wanted to use more of Moda's fabric line Sunkissed.

I had picked up a charm pack at a LQS last year and was saving it for just the right project.

Here's the back.  The word "hope" is very significant for me this year.  I have a lot of things I'd like to accomplish and is 2012 is the year I'm "hoping" to do just that.

Check out Fabric Story to see other quiltey goodness going on in blogland!

Here's hoping the day is kind to you!

Swoon Hoorahs for Me!

Amanda Jean hosts Finish It Up Friday each week along with Amy and Sew and Tell Friday.

Girlfriends, let me tell you...it's like walking through a botanical garden and art museum all in one fell swoop!

I'm always amazed at the creatvity and beauty out and about in the world of quilting.

Hope you can stop by her blog and partake of some of the yumminess!

A finish!

At last!

Way back at the end of September, I made a Baby Swoon Block and fell in love with the pattern.

September 29th to be exact.

Today is February 24th and I just finished sashing the yellow and purple blocks.

I finished piecing eight strips to sash the blocks this week while watching "Pride and Prejudice" the BBC version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Ahhhh. 

Shoulder slump.  Relaxed pose.  Eyes closed.

Time to piece the blocks together.

The stars are aligned.

Much chocolate has been sacrificed and much (too much) caffeine has been consumed.

Pinning.

Sewing.

Lifting. (this thing is heavy!)

Seams matched perfectly.

Spray.

Press.

Flip.

Spray.

Press.

Okay.  That was a lot of tension and work, wasn't it!

LOL

Here it is.  Still needing a sashing of white all the way around...but all the Scrappy Swoon Blocks are sewn together.

Ta Da!

Yeah!

Hooray!

Huzzah!

(many, manly thanks to the oldest and nextest for helping and daring life and limb for this shot!)

(does this mean I get to start a Granny Square mini-quilt because I was so very good and got this put together?)

Stay tuned!

WIP Wednesday Hexagons Galore

WIP Wednesday is here again?

Wow!

That week went fast didn't it?

Last Saturday, I got to go to a LQS and sew from 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon.

What a treat!

Time with quiltey friends and friends who brought their crochet projects to work on.

I took my Rose Star Quilt to work on.  There are fifteen "Y" seams just to join the blocks together.

Keeping it real here.  Our kitty Gizmo inspecting a dust bunny, a spot from Saturday's sew-in at the top right and the top left has a doggy paw print from Lady's checking things out.

Sheesh!

I'm also continuing to sew together sashing for the Scrappy Swoon Quilt I've been working on and hope to sash two more blocks to join together before the week is out.

Deborah from Simply Miss Luella asked if there was a tutorial online for the Scrappy Star Block.

I just string pieced scraps together and use the ruler mentioned in the post to cut them.  I piece them together with "Y" seams and then sash them.

I will try to take pictures next time I'm working on them.

Noga Quilts and Kritta...if you look closely at this block,

you can see the chevrons aren't all going the same way!  Doh!  So much for trying to fussy cut!

LOL

Hope you have a great day and get a chance to sew and be creative!

Scrappy Star Fabric Tuesday

Well, it's Tuesday again, and you know what that means:

Quilt Story is hosting their weekly linky party, Fabric Tuesday.

I just peeked at some of the other projects.

I'm so excited!  I see one already I need to go check out.

On Pinterest this week, I found this beautiful mini-quilt to repin.

This stunning mini served as inspiration this week for me.

I've been working on my Rose Star Quilt faithfully and still working on making the scrappy strips to go between my Scrappy Swoon and cutting up 3" x 3" blocks of scraps for more Snapshot blocks...

...so...

when I saw this scrappy Rainbow Star I thought, "Hey, I can do this!"

So in typical "Dee-scrappiness" mode I started cranking out scrappy diamonds.

I used Darlene Zimmerman's 60 Degree Diamond Ruler found at Joann's.

Using the largest measurement, the diamond blocks finish out at 4 1/4" (before being joined to form the star)

and I then added the white diamomds to make a hexagon.

I went to Joann's and looked at all the Kona colors they had and decided I liked plain old white the best to show off the colors.

A scrappy border of 3" (3 1/2" strips) will be between each finished star block.

Here you can see two others already joined.  These blocks measure out at about 26" from left point to right point, so it shouldn't take too many to make a nice sized snuggling quilt.

"Y" seams are no longer scary for me after so many projects using them.  The Rose Star Quilt, Jack's Chain and anything with hexagons.

And yes, I know.  I needed another quilt started like I need another hole in the head.

Big projects are...well...big.  And time consuming.  I don't want to get sick of something and never finish it, so I figure when ideas strike...to go with them to help keep me engaged at the machine.

Hope you stop by Quilt Story today to be inspired.

Finish It Up Friday~More Rose Star Blocks Finished

These are nine of the blocks I've finished for the Rose Star Block quilt.

This Saturday I'll have the whole morning and afternoon to piece them together with the white background.

Some quiltey friends, old and new, will be getting together at a LQS for a day of sewing, food and fellowship.

~Sigh~

I'm so excited.

Since Valentine's Day, I've managed to put together three more blocks to take to assemble this quilt top.

The above mosaic showed me I'm heavy on the pink side.

That might be a rebellion to all the testosterone that lives at my house.

LOL

This block was started before I realized how "pink" heavy I am.  The blue layer is about where I figured that out and switched it out with another pink I had chosen.

There.  That's definitely better.  Nothing like some FMF to brighten your day!  Still some pink to keep the block playing happy with the others, but some good strong yellow and brown in the mix.

And another mostly blue block to help balance the colors, but still some pink peekiing through to help it coordinate with the others.

As I said, I'm hoping to just work on piecing these all together Saturday and having a better idea of how big this needs to be to fit on hubsy-sweet's and I's bed.

More pictures to come after the sew-in.

I'm linking with Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday and Amy's Finish It Up Friday

Linky parties are like boxes of chocolates when you take the lid off.  You see such scrumptiousness inside, you can't help but take a closer look...and you usually find something very yummy to look at and leave a comment about!



Red Hot Valentine's Star Rose Block

Happy Valentine's Day!

As bold as can be!  Some red hot block lovin' goin' on here.

LOL

This is an eye popping block if ever there was one.

Waaaaay out of my usual soft, muted palette, but I desperately wanted to use the center rose and some special vintage fabric found last summer while out thrifting with hubby-Valentine's-sweet.  The lightest print with pink and orange fabric is so pretty in person.

Next up is a happy, scrappy flower gifted to me by KT surrounded by beautiful blues.  Can you see the bluebirds flitting around the block?  Love Kaffe Fassett's fabrics here to really draw the eye.

And last, but certainly not least, this crazy block!  If I had been thinking, I would have fixed the mistake (can you see it?).  I thought things looked a little, well, weird and spider-like...but it wasn't until I looked at the picture that I figured it out.  Oh well.  These blocks are like children.  I don't have a favorite, but love them all equally!

I'm linking up with Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday today and with Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday.

Can't wait to see all the quiltey love there.

Come join us, woncha!

Monday Musings

Pinteresting things going on all over.

Hi.  My name is Dee.  I've been Pinteresting now for over a month.  I guess you could say it's all my quiltey bloggey friends' faults.

Although, I know I need to take ownership of my own choices.

LOL

This is the 'Nanner Dog that was shared with all "my" kids at homeschool co-op this week.  Lots of interest in learning how to make these, crochet these, knit these, Play Doh these...Pinterest has been an awesome oasis of DIY/Crafts, Gardening and Outdoors for me.

My own huge "Happy Place" to go to when things in the real world get a little, well, stressed.

I also shared on my FB page this cute lil' fella with the caption,

"The only way we should ever push people."

A friend commented, "Hang on tight little mousie."

Yeah.  About that.

Seems we are imperfect people in an imperfect world.

Go figure.

And sometimes...many times...a lot of times...those imperfections spill out of ourselves and into other people's lives.

And it can get very dramatic.  And emotional.  And pushy. 

 People wanting.  People whining.

Selfishness and self servingness everywhere!

Argh!

So, imagine my delight when I read Penny's blog this morning.

It just made me smile.

If you have had a hard week for whatever reason, you should go read it too.

Trust me on this one.

Rose Star WIP is Still a WIP!

I've been working slowly and steadily since last week's WIP at Lee's blog Freshly Pieced.

This Rose Star block is on the sewing table for today to finish.  Jennifer Paganelli prints with Fassett/Mabley/Jacobson? print and some springey green KT gifted me a while back.

This is my new favorite block.

This was my last favorite block.

Yes.  I know it's only halfway there.  LOL  It's an edge piece and I hated cutting it off, but that's how the pattern works.  Grrrrr!  The center is a very old vintage linen print hubby sweets and I found out antique shopping last year.

This was my favorite before this one.

Amy Butler's Love takes center stage on this one, with Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane and some Flower Suger from Lecien.

This was my favorite before this one.

Sandi Henderson, more Paganelli and Kaffe Fassett.

My first favorite from last week is this one.

Pat Bravo, more Bailey and Pagenelli.

LOL

It's been so much fun picking out fabric for these blocks and you can sort of see me starting to join them together.  It's a quilt with imperfections.  It's a work in progress.  It's a learning curve.

I love it!

Marj left a comment letting me know she's working on the Rose Star blocks using machine piecing too if you'd like to take a look at how someone else is tackling this block.

Stop by Lee's blog...do it!  With your favorite beverage of choice and some chocolate.

You won't regret it.