Scrap Saturday 'Locker Hooked Mat"

I was laboring over what to do with an extra Honey Bun of Aster Manor by 3 Sisters for Moda....

I thought and thought...& nothing....

While I was visiting with my friend Carol & her sister Cathy, I noticed that Cathy had made some locker hooked rugs. Hmm...how were those made I wondered. So I asked Cathy if she would give me a quick tutorial on how she hooks. I came home & immediately started on my Aster Manor mat that is only 5.5 X 14 inches. After I finished it, I decided that ALL the scraps I had from my Moda Scrapbags would be perfect for another mat/rug. So I cut a piece of hooking canvas & started another rug...this time a big one 20 X 32 inches! It's still a work in progress but I took some pictures to show you how it's done. Trully I am a visual learner, I need to figure out podcasting...maybe when I own an I-pod?? Anyhow...here are some pics.I cut my edge binding strips 3/4 inch and the "filling" strips I cut 1 inch....so one Moda scrapbag could yield 100 plus strips. This picture shows the strip from the back. The 1 inch strip is folded in a way that is easier to pull through to the other side. The eye of the needle is "threaded" with cotton cord. I used Coats & Clark dish cloth yarn leftovers that I had from knitting dishclothes since it doesn't show.


Using the special locker hooking needle...you have to 'hook' the fabric from the underside....



Pull it up through the front as shown.


Pull the cotton cording through your loop of fabric. As you can see above, my large rug isn't finished yet....but here is my Aster Manor mat...
I ♥ it.
I used a honey bun & cut the 1.5 inch strips to 1 inch for hooking. Now I did NOT throw away my 1/2 strips Oh No!...they are for another project entirely ;o


Thanks for stopping by my blog..I hope this inspired you to check out Locker Hooking to use up your scraps...hmmm maybe a new theme...Scrap Saturday. Scrap Saturday should be every Saturday!!!!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!

Hope you have a great day! My DD1 and I are heading to a costume/birthday party fun for all!

dah na-na-nah-nah-nah they say it's you're birthday...

It's my birthday too!

If you need a HUGE laugh...check out CakeWrecks.....it's killer. I used to be a cake decorator while in college...um I think I could have ended up on cake wrecks a few times...

hey I wasn't a pro!

Giveaway Alert

Jackie of Canton Village QuiltWorks is having a giveaway on her blog...hurry over and comment to win!! There are 5 cool prizes...including a Moda sample box, jelly roll and a layer cake...

Hey Jackie.....you can pick me for my birthday present! :) just teasing....

a special thank you

When I arrived home from Iowa this last weekend there was a special package waiting........ A box of treats from Me and My Sister....those gals are so sweet for sending this...it was totally unexpected. Thanks Barb and Mary...I adored meeting you at market!!

Inspiration from EQ6

I have been playing in EQ6 and changing fabrics in my One Pack Doll Quilt. I am intrigued how much the fabrics will change the look of it. Somehow my pics didn't end up the same size but it gives a good idea of the overall feel the line will give.

The 2 quilts below are Frolic by Sandy Gervais and Blush by Basic Grey
The 2 quilts here are Whimsy by FigTree Quilts and Eden by Lila Tueller
Now that I have colorized these...I want to make other one patch wonders with english paper piecing....hmmm maybe I'll head back to EQ and look at triangles, tumblers, octagons...there are so many options.

In the mean time I hope each of you decides to join my One Pack Doll Quilt Challenge for a chance to win 2 jelly rolls from the Fat Quarter Shop. Contest ends 11/30/09!

Verna...by Kate Spain for Moda...

I was lucky enough to score a jelly roll and layer cake of Kate Spain's new fabric line Verna at sample spree. Once home...I immediately started a project with it.

Here's the first pincushion I made using English Paper Pieces....I love hand piecing...because I can do it through my lunch break...a sewing machine won't fit on my office desk (I checked).
Since finishing the pincushion I have made a table topper quilt top...and designed another 3-4 quilts in EQ 6 using the line. I really like this one and still don't know which prints are my favorite...can you have 40 favorites??

p.s. don't forget about my new challenge "One Pack Doll Quilt"...challenge yourself to paper piecing....there's a chance to win 2 jelly rolls ... just for you...

"One Pack Doll Quilt" Challenge & Giveaway

Check out my newest Moda Bakeshop post the "One Pack Doll Quilt". A fun little doll quilt with a pack of 2 inch Hexagon paper pieces, 1 Fat Quarter and a charm pack of Moda Fabric....

I was so excited about this project that I decided to do a Challenge Giveaway.

It's as easy as 1-2-3!!

1. Choose any Charm pack of fabric

2. Create your own One Pack Doll Quilt using Moda Bakeshop Tutorial

3. Post a picture to my flickr group

Submit your picture of your completed One Pack Doll Quilt for a chance to win 2 jelly rolls of your choice from the FatQuarterShop !!!!

Deadline to submit your photo on my flickr is 11/30/09.

the classes etc.

I was able to buy a few patterns at market. These are a bundle of my faves. Sweetwater designed several with their new line Moda "Make Life Sweet". Karla of Sweetwater was very kind and helpful during market. I hope to see her again at future markets. I mentioned that I took a few classes and school houses. One of my favorite classes was this Needle Keeper by Bonnie Sullivan and All Through the Night patterns. Aurifil thread company donated these lovely wool threads to use on our very own needle keeper. As you can see I didn't get far, however the technique was taught well and the threads are like butter.

The second class I took was Applique the liqui-fuse Way. Helen gave us a pattern Eggplant Purr-mesan



Here is my applique...I still need to machine stitch it down. There weren't any machines for us to use for this class..but again it was the technique.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I am finally able to blog my quilt. This particular quilt has been on my blog before because it has been from Ohio to the Caribbean and back again..3 months it took to arrive back in Ohio from Florida. I started the center of the quilt with my 8 year old daughter. She was quickly bored...sewing doesn't seem to interest her much these days :( Anyhow, she informed me that the 25 X25 inch quilt wasn't big enough and she wanted it to fit her bed. So my MIL (she quilts!!) added jelly roll strips and more charms to make it twin size for Grace. My MIL also wanted to have it custom quilted and that's when the problems started. It was given to the quilter in Florida and then my in-laws went to India for 3 months. I thought my MIL had the quilt...she thought I had it!! Needless to say it was sitting in a warehouse in Georgia waiting for us to claim it. It finally made it home.
Grace uses it every night. It hold extra special meaning to me because not only did I piece a portion, Grace pieced the center, and my MIL finished the edges...3 generations of our family.

Edyta's Triangle Exchange....Fall Market 2009

One of the best school house classes I took was Edyta's Triangle Exchange. Edyta Sitar is the designer of Laundry Basket Fabrics. She is a wonderful, talented gal. This first pic is of all the Moda fabric designers that participated in Edyta's triangle exchange. They made a certain number of half square triangles using Edyta's triangle paper. Her new book explains how the whole exchange works. Carla from Sweetwater, Deb Strain, Jan Patek of Brannon & Patek fame, Laurie Simpson of Minick & Simpson, Mary and Barb of Me and My Sister. There were a few more designers not pictured such as Sandy Gervais, Sandy Klop, Lynn Hagmeier and Joanna Figueroa. Still it was an amazing school house. Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles


Sandy Gervais triangle quilt.....


Sweetwater's triangle quilt.....

Sandy Klop's quilt...and I LOVE the orange she used...made my heart sing.

Deb Strain's quilt with the help of Debbie Outlaw....

Jan Patek's quilt.....

Laurie's quilt of Minick & Simpson

Me and My Sister's quilt..using all those 'mudds' as they call them.

And of course Edyta's quilt....

I am hoping to organize my own online Triangle Exchange using Edyta's idea and her new book "Friendship Triangles".

Thanks for stopping by...let me know if you are interested in a triangle exchange!!!

Back Home from Market...

here are a few of the highlights....

Melly and Me's booth....absolutely a beauty. Melly didn't want to be photographed as it was the last day of market.

Here I am with Alex Anderson and Ricky Timms. Enthusiastic people, it's no wonder I learned quilting from Alex on Simply quilts.

Sandy Klop of American Jane....


She's got a new line called A Breath of Avignon by Moda (of course)...



Lila Tueller's line "Eden" is featured here. She's as beautiful in person as on her her blog.



I had several other pictures but they were inadvertently deleted by a pal after she transferred some of the pics of herself to her computer....so I don't have very many more market pics. I am not upset about it...just saying why I don't have lots and lots...but so many others do..they'll show you the good stuff!!
I am going to take some shots of the classes I took and talk about the people I met in future posts. Market was a HUGE learning experience....more to come :)

More market Pics...

This picture is for Vanessa....your babies arrived...and we wanted to show you...Wish you Were Here!!!!
This is Rachel Cross...she designs Creative Grid Rulers and she ROCKS...one of the sweetest ladies I have met so far.

and here's Patty Young at School House.

Rachel again....with a Sweet Moda Bakeshop Candy Box.....12 fabric lines and oh so tempting....

have I told you? I love Moda...............