I've Joined the Granny Revolution

I finally decided to stop looking and start doing! I've seen many, many wonderful granny square blocks in the past couple of months, and they've certainly been on my list of blocks to try. Today I sorted and ironed the suitable scraps that I was able to locate. Not having a firm idea of how I wanted my blocks to look, I went with sorting the scraps by color. Some future blocks may end up quite scrappy, while others may contain scraps all from one line.
This one, my first block, is made from my brown pile of scraps. It was the smallest pile, therefore the easiest to decide what would go in. I don't know who makes the little sheep or hedgehog fabric, I received it in a bundle of scraps from Etsy awhile ago. It sure is cute, I think. The other print is from Alphabet Soup by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake. After trimming, my block measured 9" x 9.25"

Sunday Stash

This is probably my last Sunday Stash for awhile. I feel that I'm amassing more fabric than I know what to do with! I've "challenged" myself to not buy any more print fabrics. Solids only as needed. I'm even going to (try) to restrain myself from vintage sheet buying. I have waaayy too many at the present time. That being said, here's my latest fabric haul.
Chevrons! As soon as I saw this little bundle it went straight into my cart. These chevrons are by Riley Blake and I think they are just fantastic, although I am surprised there isn't a purple. I purchased my bundle from Westwood Acres on Etsy.

Next, I finally received the rest of my Flea Market Fancy fat quarter bundle from The Intrepid Thread. They've got a new shop in addition to their Etsy shop.

Continuing with my Denyse Schmidt fabric obsession, I purchased a bunch of prints of her Hope Valley line from Hawthorne Threads I've been looking at these prints over the past month or so and I finally bit the bullet. I can't say I'm as thrilled with this in person as compared to what it looked like online. The tones are quite a bit more muted than what I was expecting. Not sure what I'll use this for yet.

I found some of this Dear Stella fabric in the sale section at Hawthorne Threads. I thinking I could use it with my Promenade to make a particular quilt I have in mind, but I have not checked to see if they are compatible yet. Even if not, it's sweet and will go with sometning.

Also from Hawthorne Threads, a few miscellaneous prints. Left to right Michael Miller, Garden Daisy (not from Hawthorne),Michael Miller, Put a Lid on It in Charcoal, Daiwabo Tip Top Canvas Hippos in Yellow, Daiwabo Bitty Berries in Pink, Daiwabo Tiny Flowers in Buttercup.

Then there's this Valerie Wells Marrakech print. I had no idea that the elephants were as big as they are. Somehow I never noticed a scale ruler or something. So if you're thinking of getting this and did not know either, be forewarned!

And finally, I finished buying the needed fabrics for my husband's quilt. Being a car enthusiast, particularly classic muscle cars, a car quilt is the only way to go. I got most of these from Fabric Paradise, the others are from various Etsy shops.

Now, I should really be set for awhile with fabric, right?? Sure....:)

I'm on Fire Saturday!

That's right, I was on fire today. I feel like I got so much accomplished as far as my quilting projects go. I was finished up my plus top on Friday and today I picked the backing from one of my many thrifted sheets, made the sandwich, pin basted and now it's all quilted and edges trimmed. All it needs now is the binding.

I was also able to do the same for the Delilah baby quilt. I was having a hard time picking a backing from my stash because I kept thinking, "something pink, something pink to match the pink". I was unable to come up with anything I liked, then I changed my way of thinking and went with something green! It's a very light green pattern, and I think it suits well enough. Now this one only awaits a binding, too.

After I did those two, I put in some work on re-quilting the purple vintage sheet baby quilt I made awhile ago on my old machine. I didn't realize until I was done that the purple thread I was using on the top was showing through on the back. I've since learned that is a tension problem. Since then I've changed to lavender thread for front and back and it looks much better. No picture to show at this time.
My final sewing activity was deciding on the layout for my Central Park quilt and getting the first 3 of 7 rows sewn. Again, no pictures, but I'm sure I'll have some by WIP Wednesday.

WIP Wednesday

Well, I got the baby Delilah quilt top all finished. I actually had another row to put along the bottom, but it was looking like it would be way too long compared to the width, so I left it off. Maybe I'll be able to use it in the backing. I only had 6 prints of Delilah left, so there's not too much variety, and now I'm thinking I should have used Kona Snow instead of the white. Oh well.

I've made progress on my plus quilt. I've done 14 rows, only 4 more to go. I had planned to stop at 16, until I realized I had made it 17 columns wide and didn't want it to be wider than it is tall. I suppose I could just turn it...we'll see.

I tried to work on the layout with the Central Park squares, but wasn't happy with what I came up with. So I'm thinking I may do the pull a random square out of a bag assembly. And that's all I've worked on this week. Linking up with:

Sunday Stash

It's Sunday stash time again and this week my cup runneth over! First, I have this nice little stack of Denyse Schmidt's prints that I received from my friend Fiona. She's purchased from my shop several times and this time she set up a special listing for me in her shop. Some of these are the prints that were only released in Australia, like the red Sweet Nut Gingham on top.

Next, some more Denyse Schmidt! I a few of the Flea Market Fancy Legacy prints in half yards from Hawthorne Threads. I am still awaiting my fat quarter bundle for this line, but there were a few prints that I knew I'd want a bit more than a FQ, and they have arrived first.

I've long admired the Ruby line by Bonnie & Camille for Moda, but for some reason never got around to buying any, until now. It's not anywhere near all the prints, but these 13 fat quarters are a start. These were only about $2 per fq at Handmade is Heartmade. Hopefully I'll be able to collect the rest before they become unavailable.

Since I really like Ruby, it's no surprise to me that I am drawn to Bonnie & Camille's new Vintage Modern line. I keep seeing that yardage will be available in May, but I could not resist this deeply discounted layer cake from Happy Valley Quilting. Such pretty prints.

And, while I was looking around Happy Valley Quilting, this layer cake of Good Fortune popped into my cart. I only have a few pieces of this line, so it is nice to have at least one piece of every print.

And finally a line that didn't grab my attention from the get go, but grew on me as I kept seeing it in my browsing. It's none other than California Girl by Moda. I was able to get the full fq bundle from Passionate Quilter for an awesomely good price. She has a couple of other bundles for different lines that may be worth checking out.

WIP Wednesday

Still haven't had as much time to sew as I would like, but I have made some progress on the Plus Quilt. It has 17 rows of total. I've sewn up 8 rows so far, so that's about half way.

Some of the time I could have been sewing, I was instead cutting out pieces for 2 more quilts! This is a stack of Delilah by Tanya Whelan that I'll be making into a baby quilt, I've actually started to sew these together, I just don't have an updated picture to show.

And this is a stack of Central Park by Kate Spain. I'm making myself a quilt out of this. Specifically, one similar to this one as seen on The Elven Garden blog. I think it is just gorgeous. Mine will be similar, but I won't be using the animal prints. I have my pieces cut, just haven't started it yet.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Hurray for Eeyore! and Pyrex Help Please

When my husband and I were leaving the thrift store yesterday, I spotted a huge stuffed Eeyore that was so very cute. Eeyore is one of my favorite characters, so I seriously considered buying him. Not really being able to justify the purchase, I let it decided against buying him. On the drive home I mentioned how it would have been great to get him, and have him sit in the back seat of my car. The husband asked if he should turn around and go back, but again, I said nah.
By the time we got home, Eeyore was out of sight, out of mind. I forgot all about him...until I got home from work today. Look what I found sitting on the couch waiting for me!

That's right, my husband went back this morning before he went to work and purchased it. It was such a sweet surprise! Now, for the money shot, I offer this.

He's all buckled up and ready for adventures.
On another note, does anyone know the name of this Pyrex print? I stopped at a different thrift store on the way home from work and picked up a few things...

March Block for the BOM

I didn't get too much sewing done today, but I did get my block finished for the In Color Order Block of the Month. After sewing my first block in January, I tried the alternative method for making the triangles that Jeni posted on her blog. I thought I had the whole method down pat, but I ended up sewing on the diagonal and cutting them that way too. I didn't realize what I had done until I went to lay out the block and nothing was working!
I had to unpick all of my sewing and re-sew the triangles together the way they were supposed to be. At least this should make a lasting reminder for next month, so I'll do it right the first time!
Here's the block, using DS Quilts Aunt Edna and Picnics & Fairgrounds, and it actually measured 12.5", just like it was supposed to all along. I'm thanking my new Brother for this good news.

Thrift Store Finds Saturday

Yesterday I went to the early AM showing of Dr. Seuss' the Lorax. It was pretty enjoyable, but I think I could have waited to see it on DVD. After going to see The Lorax I went to the thrift store. Usually I'll wait until Sunday, but I figured I'd scope things out and see whether it was worth coming back for additional sales. An hour and a few dollars later, I was happy I had gone yesterday. I think I found some pretty nifty stuff, and most of it is in the shop, or will be soon.
I'll share some of the goodies here, but it would be way too picture heavy to show them all.
2yds of this rayon/polyester type of fabric. It's all silky, like the material used for scarves. Although it is in my favorite football team's colors, I'll not be holding on to this piece.

How about this lovely Pear and Apple tablecloth? I think it is so funky and retro. Our dining table is a repository for everything but food, so I won't be keeping this one either.

And here's a That's So 70s piece. You might want to put on some sunglasses before you look.

And the final showing for today is another piece of fabric. There's nothing on the selvedge, so no idea when or who it is from, but it is vibrant.

I also found several more sheets and pillowcases, and a few other fabrics, so check the shop if you're interested in seeing them all.
I'll be linking up with Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures

My Brother is So Quiet!

No, not my family brother, my new Brother sewing machine! I've had it for almost a week. My old machine was a Singer. I should have taken a picture to show, but I only have eyes for my Brother now. I'd been wanting something a bit fancier than what I had, actually I wanted something a lot fancier than what I had. Not having the means to spend $$$$ on what is, so far, only my hobby, and hasn't earned me any money, I've purchased what I think so far is a pretty nifty machine.
I read lots of reviews and looked at lots of specs before I decided on the Special Edition Project Runway machine. Mostly, I wanted some fancier stitches, and a larger harp space. I got those things, and more. So much more it seems.
I'm sure a lot of folks discovered these wonderful advantages years ago, but they are all new to me, so I'll mention what I like best, in case anybody is thinking about making a change.
1. Automatic needle threading. Such a beautiful thing! No more trying to line up the thread and pushing it through, only to have it stick to my finger and come un-threaded when I pull my hand away.
2. Thread cutting with the touch of a button. I'm still trying to get used to not reaching for my scissors every time I need to clip the thread.
3. It's quiet! Not silent mind you, but compared to my Singer, it's a big difference. I do my crafting in the living room, the same place we watch TV. I've never felt comfortable trying to sew while anyone was watching a program because the machine would be too loud to enjoy the show. Now I don't have to stop just because someone's watching TV.
4. Lots o' Feet. I probably will not use most of the feet, but it is nice to have the opportunity. It came with 12 feet, plus a bunch of other nice tools and doodads.
5. More than 200 stitches. I've been hesitant to even think about ever doing applique, but with the blanket stitch, it should be a breeze. There's also a stippling stitch. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hoping I'll like it.
6. Knee lift attachment. I foresee this coming in handy when I'm using that stippling stitch, or what ever stitch I use to do my machine quilting.
7. The automatic needle down position. Such a wonderful idea, whenever I stop sewing, the needle sinks into the fabric, no more forgetting and messing up the alignment.
I'm sure there are many more things I could wax poetic about with this machine, but these are the most important to me, so far.
And lest you think it's allgood, I do have to say that I am annoyed by at least one thing. The machine resets the settings every time it is turned off, then on. I've already broken one needle because I forgot to move the needle back to the middle position, and I'll still sometimes forget to lengthen my stitch length, but it's becoming imprinted, and should soon be second nature.
In case anyone is interested, I purchased mine from Overstock.com. I was able to use a $30 off coupon and they had free shipping. I know, I know, you're supposed to buy from a dealer and do all kinds of test drives, but I'm way too shy to go that route, and luckily, it's worked out.

Sunday Stash

Not too much to share this week. I'm trying to save for some must haves that will be coming up soon. I've purchased this bundle of 1930s Aunt Grace fat quarters from Daisy Cottage Quilting. It was supposed to come with 5 solids, but I only received 22 prints, no solids. I do have a specific block in mind for these, which I hope to get to sometime this year. It's just not at the top of my priority list right now.

Next, an assortment of fat quarters that I purchased from The Intrepid Thread.
These are from 3 different lines. From left to right, Desert Daydreams - Coffee Beans in Gold and Turquoise, Verona - Stripe in Teal, Grey and Red, Desert Daydreams - Navajo Tile in Sky and Violet and Cosmos Ruby in Violet.

Some American Jane Fairy Tale Friends from Fat Quarter Shop. I liked these on the shop site, but I'm not sure if I really like them in person.

And finally, I've gotten my hands on some more Metro Living Circles by Michael Miller. A couple of theses prints are from Pink Castle Fabrics

Quilts Finished 2011

Happier Quilt

Christmas Gift Quilt

Red and White Pinwheel Quilt

Delilah Heart Block Quilt

On the Road to Spring Quilt

Postage Stamp Quilt

Paintbox Quilt