Post Number . . . . .

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200

! !! !!! !!!!

Wow, I can hardly believe it, this is the 200th post for my blog!!

Friday's post is a perfect example of one of the many reasons why I enjoy blogging. It all started with a simple little story about an ugly block I put together for Mocha Trail. First off, without my blog, who would I share my quilting stories with, so even after I had wasted my time and fabric making that ugly block, this is what popped into my mind, "Oh well, that will make for a good blog post".

No one else in my family quilts, so it's nice to always have someone to share my little quilting experiences , accomplishments, and yes even my boo-boo's with.

But the best part of that post, the comments! You are a smart bunch! Here's what I learned, maybe red in the background fabric does work, maybe the block will look good once it's mixed in with the rest of the blocks, and most importantly, it's not one block that makes that pattern work, it's ALL the blocks, working together! So while wanting to make each block better than the last is a fun goal, really, my main purpose should be making a set of blocks, that make the whole top better! Wow, thanks so much for that perspective, which was really totally lost on me!!

This is just one example of why I've enjoyed writing all 200 posts and loved hearing what you had to say about them.

So here's a little thank you, from my sewing room to yours....

How about a fat quarter bundle . . .

A fat quarter bundle of Fresh Palette by Carrie Nelson for Henry Glass Fabrics.

21 fat quarters of cheerful, bright, and downright lovely fabric.

I just love the assortment of colors, a nice fresh palette.

Plus, this is Carrie's first family of fabrics, how often do you get the opportunity to own the first family of fabric by a designer.....almost makes me want to keep it, hoard it, leave it on my shelf and pet it!

But that's not all.....

How about some fresh rulers too?

The other day, I noticed all the corners on my favorite square rulers were wonky, I'm hard on corners. Buying rulers is not a fun way to spend my sewing money, but sometimes, you've just got to break down and resupply. So while I was replacing my favorites, I picked up a few extra for you,

a 9 1/2" , 6 1/2" and 3 1/2 ruler.

Rules for giveaway;

Leave a comment, by Wednesday, November 10th, 5 am, Central Standard Time. No location restrictions, if the post office can find you, you're in!

Please leave a comment about your guidelines for buying fabric. Do you prefer fat quarter bundles, only buy for a pattern, buy too much so you don't run short, don't worry about amounts, there's always fabric to be had, follow the 3 yard rule for fabric you love....whatever, just pass along what seems to work for you when you go shopping.

I'll announce the winner Thursday, November 11th.

No sewing for me this weekend, but I'm still plugging away on my hsts for Belle Meade.

I don't know if the 656 hsts that I need will fill this basket, but the 236 I have made are looking pretty good! I'm loving my Easy Angle and plan to do a tutorial on using that ruler sometime this week.

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Humility Block . . . . .

Does this sound familiar, "honestly, I don't think this fabric can make an ugly block".... that was from my Wednesday post.....and at the time, I meant it, but now I've learned it's probably OK to think those thoughts, but saying them out loud, that's when you' re asking for trouble...

So yesterday, I started making a few more star blocks for Mocha Trail. I wanted to start on the star blocks because that seemed like the fun part of this project. Picking out different fabric combinations, watching them come together....

so I made two more blocks, threw them on my design wall and smiled.

My goal was to make my next block look even better than the 3 before it.

And I came up with this . . .

yikes, what was I thinking.

What a muddled mess!

I think I've figured out that red should not be in the background fabric

and the star center and star points should not be made from fabric with the same two colors, and only those two colors!!

Is that horrible or what!!

I'm trying to talk myself into putting this block on the back, I'm not so sure I can do it....some things are best forgotten!!

Monday will be my 200th post!!

Do you know what that means,

besides I talk too much,

giveaway!!

It will be short and sweet, so come on back and check it out.

Speaking of giveaways, Sandy, at Textile House is giving away Carrie Nelson's latest book, just hot off the presses, A Touch of Rosie Quilts. I'm passing this along because I'm the first commenter on Sandy's giveaway, and the first commenter never wins. So since I'll be buying this book, I thought I would give you the opportunity to win it!!

Have a great weekend!!!

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All Done . . . .

All done except the quilting that is, I don't quilt my own tops, but here's the flimsy.

For those of you stopping by for the first time, or the first time in awhile, this quilt was made from the pattern Nottingham Star by Grace's Dowry Quilts.

This is Lifetime Quilt # 62.

It finished at almost 70" x 70" and has approximately 894 pieces.

The border was a piece of cake,

I went with 4 different creams, reds, browns and stars.

Really, the whole project went together like a dream, and it seemed to go quickly for me.

Once this top is quilted, hopefully by next fall, I plan to put it in the middle of my kingsize bed, on top of a cream coverlet.

As I mentioned yesterday, I've gotten a few questions about how much fabric to buy. It's still hard for me to know how much of a new fabric to get, when I don't have an exact pattern in mind. Or look at this project, I made it from fabric I was collecting for a different pattern, so there's really no exact science to it, especially when you throw in different quilt sizes and little piecing versus extreme piecing. So from now on, when I finish a project, I'll try to give some additional information about the amount of fabric I used.

I have heard that when you see a fabric you like for a background or a border, 3 yards is a good amount. Route 44 needed 3 yards of the background fabric and 3 yards of dot fabric, so that rule held true for that quilt, which was around 75" x 75". I've yet to use a whole fat quarter bundle on a project, so I'm excited about Moda's new fat eighths bundles. One of those bundles with 3 yards for the border should make up a nice size quilt I would think.

I once got a note from a pattern designer asking me to remove some information I provided while working on one of her patterns. She thought I shared too much information and was breaking copyright laws. I had no problem removing the information, if I designed a pattern, I wouldn't want someone giving away all the details either, so I'm not going to provide the exact fabric requirements from the pattern, but they are more like guidelines to me anyway.

The pattern called for 4 different brown, cream and red fabrics.....that wasn't near the amount of variety that I wanted in my top. I probably went with 15 different browns, 20 different reds, and 20 different creams. You could easily make this pattern from scraps in your scrap basket.

I would say 16 fat eighths of the reds , 24 fat eighths of creams and around the same for the browns would give you ample fabric and plenty of variety for this project. I hope you find this information useful.

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An Inspiration Block, or Two . . .

I've got the borders on Nottingham Star, hopefully I'll be able to take a picture today so I can show it to you tomorrow, I'm very happy with it.

As soon as that last border was on that quilt, I jumped into my normal end of project routine of cleaning, dusting, vacuuming and straightening my sewing room so I could move on to my next project. Unlike last time, when I was all up in the air, willy nilly, this time I was a girl with a plan and on a mission!

So here's what will be filling my time for the month of November,

Mocha Trail

A Graceful Stitch Design by Denise Sheehan.

Nicole, at Sisters Choice, started on this quilt sometime last year. I was immediately attracted to the caramels, creams, and chocolates, whoops I mean browns, of her quilt. Between the name and the colors, this quilt makes me hungry!!

I didn't have any of those colors in my pathetic stash, so I bought the pattern and started looking for fat quarters anytime I would hit a quilt shop or show, which wasn't very often.

So time went by, I think Nicole got distracted and put her project aside, and I had a project box that has some nice creams, great browns, and no caramels. I was beginning to think I was never going to have the fabric I needed to make Mocha Trail.

Then this landed on my doorstep,

and Mocha Trail immediately popped into my brain.....this family of fabrics gave me everything I needed for my project, creams, caramels and browns..... how perfect was that!

And as if that fabric wasn't yummy enough, French General also created these lovely wovens in the same palette!!

But Maison De Garance, by French General for Moda had something extra.....REDS!! You know me and my love of red....

The reds in this family are luscious, although, in all honesty, I rarely meet a red I don't like.

So what's a girl to do, pull out the reds and use them for another project, save this family of fabric for a different project, or

add a new dimension to this project by working in the reds......

That was an easy choice for me, I'm working in the reds.

Here's my 9 patches inspiration block.

And here's the star inspiration block.

This star just happens to have a red center and dark brown points, but I intend to use all the fabrics in my bundle for the stars, I'm going caramel, brown and red scrappy center and points.

So here's what I've got so far,

and honestly, I don't think this fabric can make an ugly block. I'm looking forward to seeing how many beautiful combinations I can come up with for that star block.

The 9 patches block will not change, it will have the same red fabric and brown and cream 9 patches for each block.

I think I'm going to name mine Red Hot Mocha Trail, did you ever eat those Red Hots cinnamon candy balls as a kid, they were a such a pretty red, and they made your tongue burn and eyes water when you ate them, which didn't stop me.....I wonder if they still make Red Hots, I've not seen them in years.......sorry, I'm really distracted with the food part of this project....

So a funny thing happened when I asked Nicole where she stood on her Mocha Trail project and if she wanted to sew along.....she got her blocks out, thought about me adding red, and decided to jazz up her trail too, but she's not going red....pop over and see what Nicole's doing with her version, it's amazing, clever and trendy, very Nicole!!

I've gotten a few comments lately asking about how much fabric to buy for a project. This is something I struggle with too, being a new quilter and all. Plus, I want to have just the right amount of fabric, running short would break my heart, too much breaks the bank, so from now on, I thought I would talk about the amount of fabric I used for my projects. It will be nice to have it documented for me, and maybe help you as you hit the quilt stores. So more on that tomorrow, but one last thing.....

You know those browns and creams I was collecting for Mocha Trail, that's the fabric I used for Nottingham Star!

Don't you just love happy endings!!!

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Hello November . . . . .

So I've been packing up the Halloween decorations . . . . .

and making stars . . . .

and getting out my Thanksgiving decorations . . . . .

and making more stars . . . . .

Add a few borders and we'll call this one done!

Nothing says fall like some gourds, pinecones . . .

and Maison De Garance....

I'm all over my next project, no indecisions, no waffling, it's Maison De Garance by French General for me!!

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