Hook

Here's my entry in Sinta and Sherri's Another Year of Schnibbles parade.

This quilt looks so much prettier in person, hopefully after it's quilted I can get a better picture.

I changed my Hook just a little, I wanted to be able to hang this quilt in my living room so I made my blocks about twice as big as the blocks in the pattern.  The original pattern finishes at 35" x 40", mine finished at 66 ' x 70".

The fabric is Little Black Dress 2 by BasicGrey for Moda.  I also used their Grunge fabric for the background.  If you're going to sew anything using Little Black Dress 2, try the light Grunge for your background, I love the look, it adds just the perfect little something.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 130

The pattern is Hook by Carrie Nelson for Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.

It has approximately 386 pieces.

Tomorrow is the parade, besides seeing Sinta And Sherri's finished Hook projects, I hope to see yours!  We'll also get to find out the project for April, it will be a fun day, no fooling! 

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Some Sew Kind of Wonderful

At the beginning of the year, when I blogged about my goals for 2014, one of the projects that I wanted to accomplish was to learn how to use the Quick Curve Ruler by Jenny Pedigo at Sew Kind of Wonderful.  I follow Jenny's blog from my Favorites List, I'm guessing many of you do too, I fall in love with every new pattern she creates.

I first met Jenny when she did some quilting for me.  Jenny did an amazing job of quilting my Belle Meade quilt.  (Lifetime Quilt Number 66)

I have this quilt out at my house a lot, it's a nice year round sort of quilt.

A few weeks ago Jenny offered some rejects up for adoption and I was the lucky winner.

Jenny made these blocks using her Quick Curve ruler out of the fabric line Treasures and Tidbits by Piece O'Cake Designs.  I have a plan for them but am waiting for some additional fabric before I can start.

And then I got the opportunity that finally made me get out my Quick Curve Ruler and make some blocks.

Jenny is designing a curve it up sampler quilt and was looking for some blocks testers, I jumped at the chance.  I wasn't sure how good of a block tester I would be, not only would I be testing the directions for the pattern, I would be using the ruler for the first time too.

This is my first attempt at a block and it turned out perfectly.  I do have some experience sewing curved pieces, about 5 years and 100 quilts ago I made a couple of Crazy Curve quilts.

One of my favorite things about this ruler is that the pieces are squared up, creating perfect blocks, even if your sewing isn't so perfect.

My second block was a little harder, but the directions were perfect and it came together just as it should.

These are my two tester blocks.  I used Kate Spain's Daydream fabric by Moda.   I plan to make all the blocks when the pattern is available, which should be around the first of May, be on the look out for it!

I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of aspects of the Quick Curve Ruler.  First off, it makes all sorts of curved designs and sizes.  For some reason I thought it just made one block, but I was wrong.  I was also pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use.  The directions I followed had wonderful directions and illustrations,   I had no trouble at all, as a matter of fact, I thought it was fun.  Finally, the blocks I made were made large and squared up, I'm not sure if all the patterns and blocks are this way, but it sure helps create a perfect block when the pieces are perfect when you start.

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It's Wednesday!

Nantucket is home from the quilter.  I pieced Nantucket with a few blogging friends last November, and now it's done and back home.

Connie Lancaster at Quilts Plus in Indianapolis, IN quilted this one for me.

I love he feathers in the big stars.

The border is just as amazing.  See that little quilted start in the plain carmel square.   Those are randomly placed in the border just like my pieced stars.

I was so happy with this quilt it went from the box to the red couch.

I'm going to have a Hook for the parade, how about you?

I'm using Little Black Dress 2 by BasicGrey for Moda.   I'm making my spinning stars a little bigger.  I cut my strips 6 inches wide which is producing a block about twice as big as the block in the pattern.  My favorite thing, that Grunge background! It really warms up the prints.  More about Hook next time. I hope you're planning on being in the parade!

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15 Degree Dresden Sampler Quilt

On my last blog post someone accused me of doing some secret sewing because I jumped to the end of the project without showing how I got there, which I thought was funny.  Some projects are worth showing my process, some are not.  I'm particularly fussy about showing too  much when the pattern is designed by someone else, giving folks the opportunity to copy my work without buying the pattern.

Well this top is all mine so feel free to copy away if it appeals to you.

I started this project last week.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to start next so I decided to experiment with my 15 degree dresden template.

On the first day I made the blocks in the top row of this picture.  The ones with the gigantic circle centers.  Not a good start.

These blocks caught my eye ages ago when Cindy at Hyacinth Quilt Designs made this quilt at a retreat and provided this tutorial.

On the second day I made the bottom row of blocks, I borrowed a new template that created a smaller hole in the center.  Day two was a better day.

On the third day I made two more blocks,

and decided that was enough of that.

On the fourth day I made this block.  You can't tell from the picture but it's pink polkadot.

I love pink and polkadots!

On the fifth day I made this block.

Which got me to this point.

The gray in the day 5 block didn't appeal to me, so I slept on it.

On the sixth day I made this block, which I named Spacely's Sprockets.  (any Jetson fans out there?)

And reworked my  day 5 block, sleeping on it did not increase its appeal.

Which got me here!

On the seventh day I made 5 of this style of block. (now you can see those dots!)

And came up with a design wall full of blocks.

On the eighth day I put everything together, and it was a breeze!

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 129

I've named it 15 Degree Dresden Sampler 

The fabric is Color Me Happy by V and Co for Moda

It finished at 58" x 58"

It has 643 pieces.

I'm working on Hook right now, I hope you are too!

Oh, and I owe you my accidental quilter story, next blog post for sure!

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Spiced Chai - Finished

Remember when I blogged about this book? 

Vintage Quilt Revival

And remember how I LOVED this quilt, Spiced Chai?

Well now I have my own.

The gray fabric in the original quilt is made from solids, I had one black solid and two gray solids so I decided to use prints instead.  I think it all worked out just fine.  All of the fabric was pulled from my happy stash fabric boxes.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 128

The pattern is Spiced Chai from the book Vintage Quilt Revival, by Katie Clark Blakesley, Lee Heinrich, and Faith Jones.  The Spiced Chai pattern is by Katie Clark Blakesley.

The quilt finished at 60" x 60"

It has approximately 208 pieces (that may be my new low)

I absolutely love this top, I think it's the simplicity of it.  

When I originally blogged about the Vintage Quilt Revival book I mentioned that a review on Amazon said there were some mistakes in the book.  I found none in Spiced Chai.  One of the authors of the book was kind enough to let me know that the pattern errata were listed here, there's also some other helpful tips there as well.  

The authors of this book are currently doing trunk shows in Pottery Barn stores across the nation.  If you happen to be in the Chicago area they will be in the Naperville and Oak Brook Pottery Barn stores this Saturday, March 8th.  What a great idea, to expose the masses to their craft through a store besides a quilt shop, maybe they'll get some new recruits.  I'm an accidental quilter, I'm sure there are more out there to be had.

And finally, have you heard, Hook is the pattern selected by Sinta and Sherri for the AYOS March sew-along?  The night after I read online about their selection I dreamed I made Hook using only 9 huge blocks, and they were all black!  I am making Hook, and  maybe I'l use some black, but I plan to make more than 9 huge blocks.

If the looks of this pattern is making you nervous do not let that scare you off, Carrie provided a wonderful tutorial on her blog, check it out (here), I think you'll get along just fine.

 I hope to see you in the parade!

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