A Funny Thing Happened . . .

A funny thing happened when I was ordering my backing fabric for Hook.  I was looking at online stores searching for the best yardage price for Little Black Dress 2 by Basicgrey for Moda when I stumbled across this pattern that was issued along with the fabric.

Mesmerize

I was mesmerized and immediately ordered the downloadable pattern.  Since I had just used up the majority of my Little Black Dress 2 fabric on Hook I looked around my sewing studio for some different fabric for my top.

 And I came up with this.   

This pattern provides directions for three sizes, throw, twin, and king.  I went with the twin size.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 131

It finished at 72" x 72"

The majority of the fabric is Happy by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

It has approximately 396 pieces.

(Pattern tip - there is an error in the Cutting Directions of the Mesmerize pattern. If you read the pattern start to finish you'll catch it. It's more of a typographical mistake than an error.  Luckily I caught the mistake as I was making my inspiration block and before I had cut all the strips.)

Kathryn won my Quick Curve Ruler and pattern giveaway and chose the Urban 9 Patch for her pattern, great choice, that one is on my To Do List too.

Over 100 folks stopped by and left a comment to win this ruler.  Of the 100 comments a large percentage mentioned how they had yet to try curved piecing.  I think this ruler really gives you a great shot at successfully piecing curved blocks.  I think the patterns are very easy to follow, but if you're still not sure, Jenny has 3 great videos on her blog that will help you use her ruler.  The first video demonstrates how to cut the curves, the second video demonstrates how to piece the curves, and the final video demonstrates how to "square up" the blocks.  

And here's something else to consider, unless your sewing room is different than mine, there's no camera filming your every move, no judges peering over you shoulder, no reason no one but you ever has to know if your first or second attempt are less than perfect.  Be fearless,  there are so many fun patterns out there for curves, why should you miss out?

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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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