Paper Piecing

I took a class last week on paper piecing using patterns from England Design Studios.  I have taken paper piecing classes before, but this method was very different.  I really enjoyed it and bought a pattern.  Here is what we worked on.

  I like the way it went together and how it allows you to piece absolutely any shape.  I plan to come up with some patterns of my own.

I took my mini iron to the paper piecing class with me and used a hand towel for an ironing mat.  When the class was over my iron was still hot.  (something I didn't think about until I was unplugging it.) I wrapped it in the hand towel and it was fine, but I decided I wanted a better solution to for an ironing pad and traveling with a hot iron.  Here is what I came up with.....

I made an ironing pad with Insul-Bright sandwiched between two layers of batting and then covered with fabric.

   I added a loop

   on one end and

two tabs with velcro

on the other end.

   Here is my ironing pad

with my mini iron



I put the loop over

the handle of the

hot iron

I rolled the iron

toward the center

and used one

tab with velcro

to secure the cord

I rolled the

iron over

once more

I used the other tab to wrap around the outside to secure the iron and cord



Playing around in the Sewing Room

I had a lazy weekend around the house, but managed to get some things done in the sewing room. 

First I have to show you the marvelous package of scraps that came from Sara at Sew Sara.  She organized a fantastic scrap swap and I had great swap partners.  I saw on her blog that she needed someone to take on another partner so I volunteered.  It turns out that she had already filled the extra spot, but suggested that we do an additional swap ourselves.  Here is what I received:

I know the picture is fuzzy, but believe me when I tell you it is an amazing collection of scraps.

And now on to the sewing...

My daughter was putting together a gift for a friend's 1 year-old and decided on a swimming theme.  I made a nametag for the basket of goodies and love the way it trned out!

  

I am working on a pillow that I have almost completed, and will share pictures when it is finished.  I made four stars for the Just One Star  project.  Two blue and two red. 

They went together well and I am so glad I participated in this project.  They will be mailed off to Moda tomorrow.  If you haven't participated in this yet, you still have time.  The deadline to get your block to Moda is May 1st.  If you want more information pleae go HERE.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend,

Happy Quilting ;)

Laura

The 11th Hour

Another last-minute finish!  This month's Le Petite project is called Endless Summer. 

I chose to make it out of City Weekend.  That fabric really grew on me over time and I decided to use it for this project.

 

The Endless Summer pattern was very easy to assemble.  Because I decided to make all nine of my blocks with different fabric combinations, It took a little planning to figure out how to cut the fabric. The pattern is written for cutting multiple blocks out of the same fabrics.  Once I wrote down my peices and their sizes, the cutting went pretty quickly.

Here is my first block.  I loved it immediately!

After the first one went together so smoothly, I was ready to finish up the others. 

These went together very quickly.

I finished all of them last night.

And I finished the rest of the assembly tonight.........At the 11th Hour!!! 

(please forgive me with the terrible pictures)

I am anxious to see all the other entries in the parade here and here tomorrow.  Go check them out!!!!

A Beautiful Rainbow!

I joined the Sew Sara Scrap Swap here and have received all my scraps. 

They are all treasured!  I have been given the most beautiful rainbow of scraps from the greatest swap partners ever!!!!  Here is what I received:

WOW!

Thank you so much, Riel, Debi, Jennifer, Becki and Robin.  These lovely ladies were very generous and I couldn't be more thrilled with the beautiful variety of color I received.  They came from New Brunswick, Canada and from Louisiana, Arizona, Michigan and Alabama in the US.

 I am going to try my hand at the Bottled Rainbows Quilt.  Check out the QAL here at Stiched in Color.

With all of these treasures, it will be gorgeous.

Supernova Quilt-Along

Well, it seems I can't avoid a challenge.  I have decided to take the plunge on another quilt-along.  I will be starting the Supernova Quilt-Along this week.  I am really excited about this because I love the design.  I will be using a Giddy jelly roll and a cream background.  I love the colors and think they will work well in groups for this project.  If you want to join in the fun, head over to Freshly Pieced to get all the details and fabric requirements. 

I have decided to use this Giddy jelly roll for my fabrics with a cream colored background.

Giveaway at Samelia's Mum

There is a lovely giveway going on at Samelia's Mum.  Such beautiful prizes!!!  Go HERE to visit her blog and enter.  You will be glad you did!!!

Visa Gift card from Tropicana

Go to this blog, http://thepolkadotchair.blogspot.com/2011/03/help-me-find-good-in-mornings.html , and leave a comment about how you put the good in your morning and you can be entered in a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card from Tropicana.  I did!

Ok, I know it has been a (long) while....

I haven't posted on my blog in a long time, but I have been doing a lot of sewing.  Just haven't managed to get it posted up here.  I have also been keeping up with others' blogs, but not my own.

Here goes:

                                                         I have sewn the Le Petite project for February,

                                                                                                       

made the next two blocks in my Layer Cake Quilt Along. (caught up for 2 weeks now, whew),

finished the top of my JANUARY Rainbow Scrap project,

Made some cute little scrappy red hearts for my February Rainbow Scrap project, to donate to Christ's Church New Zeland

Made and donated these pillowcases along with 6 new pillows and a large bag of pillowcases collected at our LQS, The French Knot Quilt Shop, to the local Women's Shelter,

 and made a couple of baby gifts for a friend's expectant daughter.



Wow, Now that even seems like a lot to me, but what bliss to have been able so spend so much time sewing!  My friend called me a "Sewing Machine"  Get it? 

happy quilting, ;)

Laura

Sweet Baby Treats and a Pincushion

I have finished a couple of projects the last couple of days.  First I finished the pincushion I made for the Scrappy Pincushion Swap on Flickr and I really love the way it turned out.  It was purely from scratch and from inspiration I got form stalking my swap partner. 

This was so fun to make.  I have never done anything like this before, but I am hooked. I loved making this pincushion and the pintoppers to go with it.  My first attempt at making pintoppers and working with Sculpey clay.  I will do lots more of this.

I am going to a baby shower for a baby boy and decided to make gifts.  The onesie, shoes and burp cloth were also fun to make and embelish.  They came together easily and I like the way they turned out.  I may make a diaper holder or something else to put with it, or just add a package of diapers or wipes.  Here they are:

Front of onesie

back of onesie. 

I LOVE TO SEW!!!

Happy Quilting ;),

Laura

Basic Needs

I am very inspired by the charitable nature of the quilters.  Today I learned about The Basics Charity Challenge at Cara Quilts.  I am honored to participate as I am blessed to have the basics in my home or the ability to go get whatever I need, when I need it.  I thank God for all he has blessed my family with and for Cara, her kind heart and her story that has inspired me to give.  Please go and read her story and participate if you can.

I am donating 6 pillowcases to our local women's shelter.  I have donated pillowcases before, but this time I am donating the pillows to go with them.

Happy Quilting ;)

Laura

YAY, I am ready to mail my 3x6 Sampler Quilt Mini Bee blocks

I am so happy that I joined this BEE.  It has been so much fun chatting with the girls in my Beehive!  Everyone seems to have a great sense of humor and is very friendly.  This is my very first Bee and I feel so fortunate to be included.  I finished my blocks this weekend for my wonderful Beemates.  I am so glad I decided to try a new block and I learned how to make spiderweb blocks.  They are pretty easy and turned out amazing.  I love them all and it is hard to give them away.  I have them all ready to go into mail this week.

I really hope everyone loves their block a much as I do.





Happy Quilting ;)

Laura

Block Party

Well, I entered a block at the Block Party here at Quiltstory.  I am # 80 in the traditional category. It is late to post this as it ends today, but go check it out.  You can enter till 9pm tonight.

Playing Catch-Up

I have been spending a lot of time in the sewing room the last few days.  From trying to organize my sewing room and making fabric bins, to catching up on blocks and starting a few new projects, I have been busy.  Below are a few things I have been working on.

This is a little doggie quilt I made for a friend's new puppy.  It was so easy and I love the way it turned out.  I used 1 yard each of 3 different fabrics and I Free Motion Quilted it!  It was so much fun and only took a few  hours from start to finish.

I finished up my Valentine Mini Quilt and got it put up.  (and only 4 days into the month.....)

These are pictures of a Caddy I made.  It has loops for holding things I use at my macine often, a large weighted bean bag (aquarium rock bag) pincushion and a removable thread catcher for easy emptying.  I love it and wish I had made it long ago.

This is the 1st block from the Block-A-Palooza.  I am so happy with the fabric I chose for this project and can't wait to see how the other blocks turn out.  I am using Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane.  I love this line of fabric.

And here are the fabric bins I have been working on.  I covered some dollar store collapsable bins with white muslin and a colorful fabric strip to represent what color is in the bin.  There are several more, but I couldn't get them all in the photo.  These are on a shelf above my sewing table.  Once I get organized, I will post photos of my sewing room.  Right now it is in a terrible state of chaos. 



Happy Quilting ;)

Laura