More progress on Simple Pleasures

I am really on a roll....might have another square done today!

Lots of sewing going on this weekend, but not much I can show yet.

Tomorrow I'll show you the progress on my Easy Flag quilt.

City Quilts Blog Tour Winners

The Winner of the City Quilts Book:

Shayla Sharp of Raggie Girls

Winner of a FQ stack of Kona Solids:

Vesuviusmama of  My Patchwork Life 

Congrats!

I will sending you emails and requesting your shipping info soon.

Have a great day!!

Block 11 Jelly Roll Quilt Along

Each weeks' block, is my favorite and this one is no exception. Love it.

steamy windows 2

This is the second steamy windows quilt that I have made.  It's Authentic...the pattern is in the book Strip On! by G.E. Designs.

I have been sewing this quilt top off and on since Christmas. 3 jelly rolls of Authentic {found on sale :)} and miles of sewing....paid off. I can't wait until the top is done. It should be nearly king size. And this one will be for a guest bed in our house. I want to repaint the guest rooms and everything around this color palette. 
We shall see if that really happens.....

Giant Pincushion Sew Along Step 3: Machine piecing

Step 3: Machine Piecing Instructions

*read through all directions first before beginning*

This is the basic layout to begin piecing your pincushion. It is constructed in the same order as the english paper pieced directions. However, this is a bit quicker.

Begin by piecing 2 of the 6-point diamonds together.

Repeat.

Add a third diamond to each pair.

You will have 2 halves.

**NOTE**

After machine piecing this pincushion 3 times, I ended up marking my hexagons with a 1/4" dot to indicate where the seam should start and end. It is CRITICAL for success with machine piecing.

Next take 1 hexagon and with right sides together pin on the a diamond.

Please use the original design above as your guide and carefully flip the hexagons in the correct direction.

This is a close up of piecing. I start and stop at the black dots.

Again, to piece the y-seam, I would start and stop at the black dot.  Then I would remove the piece from the machine and pivot the fabric to match the next dot of the y-seam.

Continue sewing and the result is below.

Press seams toward the hexagon.

Sew the center seam of the 6-pointed star.

Continue to add hexagons to your center 'star'

 The result is a 6-pointed star surrounded by hexagons.

Next week I will show you how to add the second 6-point star and complete the pincushion.

A few tips:

1. Don't be alarmed if your star is puckered up a bit.

 This is a pincushion and will be 3-D and with a button in the center...the puff/pucker will disappear.

2. Go slow and make sure you start and stop on the 1/4" dots.

3. It's okay if it's not perfect or you have a 'hole'. Flip the fabric right sides together and take a few more stitches to close the seam. Flip it back, and check, seam closed!

p.s. I made the machine pieced pincushion 3 times. There are pictures from all 3. I will show you "completed" pincushion pictures at the end of this sew along.

Please comment any questions and I will try to answer you ASAP.

Keep in mind I work Monday-Thursday so I sometimes get delayed in responses until Friday!

Giant Pincushion Sew Along Step 3: English Paper Piecing

Step 3: English Paper Piecing Construction

Here are the {6} 6-pointed diamonds layed out to be sewn.

Take 2 and hold them right sides together.

With needle and thread (I used red so you can see my stitch size and amount. You should use a matching thread), begin sewing a whip stitch (overcast stitch) across the side.

To finish off the side, put your needle through as if to make a stitch but do not pull it through.

Wrap the thread 3 times over the needle tip and pull thread through.

This will create a knot.

Trim excess thread.

Here is the first sewn pieces from the front.

And the back.

Continue by adding one more diamond.

It is best to piece 2 sets of 3 diamonds and then sew them together along the long side.

Make 2 of these 6-pointed diamonds.

Here is one of my pieced 6-point diamonds with the hexagons on the design space.

At this point, your other 6-pointed diamond is set aside.

You will continue to sew with a whip stitch the hexagons to the 6-pointed star.

Lay the hexagon on the 6 point diamond right sides together and whip stitch. 

The first pieces will be somewhat stiff since the papers are still in place.

As you stitch to all sides of the 6 point diamond, the paper piece may be removed.

You can see this in the picture below.

By removing the paper you can manipulate the fabric more easily and thus have an easier time sewing.

Here's how I fold to get my hexagons to lay flat to the diamonds while sewing.

Continue to add your hexagons to the diamonds as the first design shows.

Next week I will post adding the second 6-pointed diamond and final assembly.

p.s. I am working on the machine piecing tutorial. I hope to have it up today. Sorry for the delay.

Simple Pleasure progress

I have been slowly stitching these. I can't wait to start piecing the little quilt as I think the designs will really pop.

one thing leads to another

As I have mentioned in other posts, we have a small garden this year. Zucchini are abundant. You can see they are HUGE too....

I have been trying to figure out what to do with them, besides the run of the mill zucchini bread and sauteed vegetables.

Then I read Paper Pie's blog.

She found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen and her pictures looked amazing. 

I knew I needed to try the recipe.

Here's my Zucchini Galette.

It was a bit time consuming for someone like me that NEVER cooks.

I am trying to change that.

The effort was soooo worth it. It was rich and delicious.

My husband was impressed (he's the cook here). The fact that he was impressed really motivates me to want to cook even more.

Here's a close up.  The crust has sour cream and lemon juice. There is just a hint of that when you are tasting, adds a punch to the dish.

I would definitely make it again.

Then after dinner, I was struck with QADD, you know Quilters' Attention Deficit Disorder. 

You know the days, when you have like 10 projects started, maybe 3 or 4 with deadlines or something and you just can't focus on them.

So you pull out a small sampler or charm pack and make this  >>>>>>>

City Weekend.

What is it? I have no idea.

What will I use it for? maybe a center of quilt that has yet to be designed?

or it needs more white somewhere to add applique to?

Or just leave it as is and use it in the spring or summer on an end table....

All I do know is it satisfied my QADD!!

Whew, cause I REALLY need to finish those other 10 projects today ;)

okay not 10. But sometimes it feels like 10.

Anyone else having QADD? let me know, or talk amongst yourselves.

p.s. sorry about the missing image "image" on my blog. Cutest blog on the block is moving there designs and backgrounds. I will be changing that today hopefully, if I can get if off of my background.

the love affair

I'm smitten, infatuated and in love with the new Moda lines that are coming.

Giddy

 By Sandy Gervais

Nov. 2010

Hideaway

By Lauren and Jessi Jung

Dec. 2010

Sugar Pop!

by LIZ Scott

Dec. 2010

I just had to share :)

City Quilts giveaway is still on. Make sure you enter and check out the last 2 stops of the blog tour.

 Next month I will be on a blog tour with another C&T Publishing auther Barbara Cline with more chances for you to win!

City Quilts Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Hi, I am Vickie of Spun Sugar Quilts.

This is the 11th stop on the City Quilts Blog Tour.

Many of you know me, but do you know Cherri House?

This blog tour is a very unique way to really get to "know" Cherri the designer.

I have always wanted to 'pick' the brain of my favorite designers and this was my chance to ask Cherri a few questions.

If you have been following the blog along you already know she has answered some real "WHOPPER" questions, like the one Pat Sloan asked, teasing ;)

If you are just joining the blog tour....then you still have time to go back to these awesome bloggers and enter to win a copy of City Quilts from C & T Publishing or a really cool solid fat quarter bundle from Robert Kaufman fabrics!!!

Quick links to all 13 participants:

July 12th – Cheryl Arkison

July 13th – Amy Lobsiger

July 14th – Stefanie Roman

July 15th – Pat Sloan

July 16th – Spool

July 17th – Allie/Robert Kaufman

July 18th – John/Fat Quarterly

July 19th – Emily Cier

July 20th – Sarah/Josh Sewer Sewist

July 21st – Julie / Jaybird

July 22nd – That's ME!

July 23rd – Jessica Levitt

July 24th – Kim Kight

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For the record, I have read the City Quilts book cover to cover at least 5 times since I was lucky enough to snag one at quilt market. I have been collecting solids ever since. Here's one of my stacks of Kona cotton solids.

My favorite quilt in the book is City Green.  I think because I gravitate toward blues and greens in much of my decor. 

City Lots is a killer. I just love the colors in that quilt.  

In general, I want to make every quilt in this book, it's truly a gem and should be added to all quilters libraries.

That brings me to my interview part of the tour. I had several questions that I wanted to ask..but I kept it to just 4!

1. What's your favorite color or colorway?

Cherri:

Why does the first question have to be the hardest? I would say 'blue', then I'd see something in red, and say 'red', then I'd see something in pink, and say 'pink'. Is 'every color is my favorite color' a legitimate answer? Because, that's my answer!

2. What trends do you see in the quilting and fabric industry?

Cherri:
Flowers always seem to be popular, but I'm thinking the whole "Japanese, cute thing" is everywhere! At this last market everything seemed much more graphic than the year before. Of course, solids are all the rage - right? If not, I'm working on changing that particular trend.

3. Have you thought about designing fabric with Lizzy, as a team?

Cherri:
Yes, but not actively. She has her own voice, and I wouldn't ever want her to do something with me, that would stifle it. As a Mom, it's much more important to me to support her, and get out of her way; than to have her try to compromise herself to do something together. If we were to do a line together, it would be more like me asking her if she wanted a snack while she slogged away at a computer. We have very different skill sets, and what she does is light years ahead of me in terms of drawing and illustration. Mine is doodling and hers is art!

4. Have you got another book in the works? or is that hush hush?

Cherri:
It would only be hush hush if I had something to share. At this stage, all the work is going on in my head, nothing concrete; but millions of ideas.

****************************************

Okay now you know some details about Cherri...and I know you are dying to get your hands on her book and some solids.

Leave a comment about what colorway of Kona Solids you'd like to win. 

 Chose from the bundles here!
Winners, of one copy of City Quilts courtesy of C & T Publishing and a Fat Quarter Bundle of Kona Solids donated by Robert Kaufman, will be chosen at random on July 30th!

*comments are now closed.*

p.s. Here's what I have been eyeing...now to just get my hands on it! LOL