Yellow By Golly!

A couple of weeks ago, I just started sewing yellow scraps together for the sheer fun and happiness of it all.

Winter is gray and blah here in Cornland and yellow is one of my favorite colors.

It never fails to bring a smile!

 These came next. 

And the next thing you know, I have two complete blocks.

All together, I made nine and here is where I am now.  I finished off the edges because I do not want to make another large top.  LOL  I have enough of them not finished around here.

Maybe a mini quilt?

They are known as Ozark Tiles or Shoo Fly blocks, and now that I've made them, it seems I see them everywhere!

Here are some beautiful examples I've found.

Lark Crafts free tutorial

Keepsake Quilting pattern to buy

Pinterest

Last week, Quilt Story had 64 linky entries!

Freshly Pieced had 238!

And Crazy Mom Quilts had 114!

If these linky parties don't get a person motivated, nothing will!  Take some time to go look and "ooh" and "aah" at all the quiltey goodness going on in the world.

Helps with all the blah going on here in Soybean Springs!

Pinspired!

Pinterest strikes again!

How lovely is this from Tabatha at Bending Pins!
You should go check out her blog!  It's so inspirational and has tons of yummy eye candy.

I have been wanting to buy a 45degree angle ruler for a while and what better excuse than to try my hand at piecing something inspired by this.

So, I did!  You can also see some gorgeous fabric picked up from a LQS and Kate Spain's "Honey Honey".  I used the 2" measurements for the diamonds and the squares ended up 2 3/4" sq.  I'd like to think I'm getting better with the math at figuring out a block I don't have a pattern for, or am resizing. 

This is my first attempt at piecing all the center seams together.  Blah!

I tore everything apart, cut new diamonds and used Elmer's glue (I'm getting true fabric glue next time) to help me keep the fabric stationary  while stitching.  It also helps to make sure all your seams are pressed clockwise and clip a little into the bulk of where the seams meet.  Big improvement!  

I watched this tutorial before stitching the star the second time and while I was stitching it.  

Here is the pieced block before trimming.  I love the solid Kona blues as the star!  I tried to alternate pink and orange squares around it and then went to alternating pink/orange and blue for the outer diamonds.

While I love this block and am glad I took the time to repiece the center, it's not quite as polished as I was hoping for.  I was wanting a wall hanging, but after sashing it with scraps:

I think I will make myself a pillow for the den.  Some points aren't true and cut off in places.  More learning and practicing coming up.

I'm still crushing over Florence's wall hangings and will probably piece this again with the goal of having something as beautiful to hang on my wall!

Each week, Quilt Story, Freshly Pieced, and Crazy Mom Quilts host linky parties where you can share what you're doing as a quilter and blogger and see what other quilters are working on.  I never walk away without being encouraged, smiling, thinking, and working on a new idea someone has given me!  I learn so much from these ladies.

Hope this week sees you warm and sewing!



Winner!

Wow!
A huge "Thank You!" to everybody for their encouraging comments and entries for the basket!
How awesome is it that you can "meet" people in New Zealand, Australia, Israel and even in your own state through blogging about a shared passion!

Housekeeping before announcing the winner:

Deere Driver asked for the tutorial to make the basket.  Ayumi of Pink Penguin has the best one to make this type of basket, hands down.  I added the flower using a handy Olfa Rotary Cutter I got for Christmas from the Hubster. (more on that later)

Pat and Cath asked about the Frixion Pen from Pilot.  Amazon and Overstock, as well as Staples and Office Dept carry them.  I found mine at a LQS, so asking for them by name or asking to have them stocked might be a way to get them where you are.
Sandra gives a timely warning for using them with batiks saying they leave "bleach marks".  Good to know as I'm looking at a pile for a quilt for hubby.

I've fallen in love with the Scrappy Trips Around the World blocks and quilts popping up all over blogland, Pinterest and Instagram.  If you've seen them, can you blame me?

I'm using 2" sq blocks to make mine and they go together so easy...I can sit and put one together and not miss a beat homeschooling two active boys, cooking, or doing laundry!  Easy peasy!  Plus, I get to revisit all my favorites from the scrap buckets.

My first one quickly went to two and the next thing you know...there are six of them!  Just like bunnies!

LOL

I'm trying to keep a darker strip in the middle of the blocks as I go and give the center a "Granny Square" sort of feel.  I think the watercolor effect is so pretty!

I'm working on a sweet little project for a giveaway in February!  These will fiinish up as Needlebooks.  One as an "encouragement, I'm thinking of you, you are loved" gift for a neighbor whose mother just got out of the hopsital from having pneumonia.  My friend and her family spent Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays driving back and forth from Indiana to Georgia to be with their mom/grandma.  It's been a hard holiday season for her and I want her to know how much I appreciate her friendship (going on for over ten years!) and her being such a sweet neighbor.

The other one will be given away in February.  One of the things I wanted to do this year was to make two things each month to give away.  One to someone here I interact with on a daily/weekly basis and one to a friend of mine from the blog.

Thanks for being such sweet bloggy friends!
The winner of the basket is Anjeanette! 

Don't forget you have a chance to go to three quilt shows this week!  The linky parties hosted by Quilt Story, Freshly Pieced and Crazy Mom Quilts are always inspiring and encouraging for any quilter!



Fun with FMQ and a Giveaway!

January 1st I started quilting "Hens and Chicks". 

Pinterest had given me the inspiration for a FMQ feather.

Pretty easy peasy, straight forward.  I thought it was something I could do.  So out came my trusty Pilot Frixion pen to draw on the design.

If you have never used one of these before, you're really missing out!  It's a smooth pen suitable for drawing quilting designs on your fabric without staining.  If you make a mistake, use your iron (follow package instructions) and the markings are erased!  It does have a temperature limitation in that at like, about 20 below temps, the markings come back...but I'm hardly ever out when it's that cold, let alone my quilts!  LOL

I started quilting...and endured a horrendous and painful squeaking from my darning foot.  Crap!  Quick call to the local sewing machine store and Mr. Fix It.  Not open.  Why?  Because it was New Year's Day and he had the nerve to want to close shop and spend time with his family.  LOL

Okay.  Call to my LQS.  Also closed.  What was wrong with these people!  I was having a quilting crisis and they weren't there!

Ack!

So, I turned to my two best friends...Hubby and Google.  I oiled the darning foot and while I was in there I cleaned everything again, adjusted the bobbin tension and oiled the wick.

This is what the finished feather looks like.

(backing fabric)

Happy.  Happy.  Happy.

I decided to add a shadow to one side of the feather as I went along.  Bonus!  My stitch length seems to have worked itself out for now.  Woo Hoo!  My machine is purring and quilting like a dream.

Here is the finished table quilt in its new home.

I love the girliness (three boys here) of it all!  I quilted a heart into the center of each larger block's center.

Now for the giveaway!

I meant to do this at 300 posts, but Life got in the way and I totally forgot.

So, here we go!

A sweet little basket using scraps from the "Hens and Chicks" table quilt.  It's four inches high, two inches wide and six inches long.  Perfect for storing scraps, fat quarters for your next project, nail polish, hair doodles, or candy!

There are three chances to win per person.

Leave a comment here for a chance (please put your email in your comment), become a follower for another (or let me know you already are, and blog about the giveaway and let me know here in a comment so I can come visit your blog too!  I will have one of my "little" elves draw a name Sunday the 13th and I'll announce the winner the following Monday.

Linking up a sneak peak of another Pinspired project to Fabric Tuesday, WIP Wednesday, and Finish It Up Friday.

After editing, Angie and Gale, KY quilter will be "upgraded" to having three chances. 

LOL