Color Card- The Real Deal + a knockoff

 This week I got this in my mail...a Moda Bella Solids Color Card!  I had heard of Kona Cards but did not know Moda made those, too.  I literally squealed and jumped up and down when I opened the package.  My husband said "but you can't make anything out of those...they're tiny!"  Very funny.  For me it means no more going buggy eyed trying to compare pictures on the internet when I am ordering solids...woo-hoo!  Lately I have been really drawn to solids & shot cottons.

The closest place to buy quality solids for me is Hobby Lobby.  They carry some Kona colors.  When my bff Amie (The Fabric Warrior) was here for the Quilt Festival in October, we took samples of the kona scraps we had and made makeshift color cards.  I had seen a girl who did this with glue (sorry I don't know the blog name, but if you know who just tell me and I'll update this post to include the link!) but we took a lesson from scrapbookers and just sewed some scraps onto an index card and labeled them.  We pinked the edges with my pinking shears to cut down on fraying.   No more mystery background fabric around here.

Grateful...

”A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

This morning I dropped the kids off at school and started making my way to the long arm quilter in Alvin, Texas with the quilt top that is going to be published in a magazine.

I get to the big intersection in our town and get in the left turn lane to go toward Alvin. I sit there in my van and the protected left turns green in my lane and the 2 lanes beside me get a regular green light. I hesitate. Something stops me. I sit there and look at that green arrow like I am just looking at a picture and nothing in me says "that means go." I saw a truck coming from the left hand side barrel through where I would have been and slam into the cars that had been beside me. That would have been me. I would have been the first hit...the hardest hit. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God protected me today. Thankfully, the other drivers are unhurt, but I know if I had been hit first at the higher impact things could have been bad...very bad...my father was killed in this type of accident.

I'm grateful today for the protection I received from this accident, but even more grateful for the protection I received when I accepted His Son's sacrifice and made him my Lord.

Y'all have a good Thursday...and since this is a quilting blog I'll let you know i went with a tulip motif for the quilting. SHOCKING, I know!

Fabric is a lot like hair...

The above clip is one of my favorite moments from Seinfeld EVER. If you haven't seen it, watch it...I'll wait.

Ok, you're back...funny, huh? I'm sitting here staring at Mt.St. Laundrypile yet again...a Monday tradition around here. I'm thinking fabric is a lot like hair. I want to buy it, look at it, touch it, cut it up, sew it together, admire it, play with it, and repeat the whole process over and over...but the MINUTE that fabric touches my laundry pile, I don't want near it with a TEN FOOT POLE!

Happy Monday, y'all...hope your laundry piles are not as daunting as mine.

The Happy Place

This little wall hanging started as a quilt, but it was in my UFO pile for a couple of months. Time to move on! I don't hang on to WIPs...they have to get used up, donated, or thrown out. Too many unfinished things make me really overwhelmed and take the joy out quilting for me. I've been told this (among other things) means I am not a "real quilter." Whatever that means...that is probably a post for another day.

Anyway, It devolved into a sewing machine cover and then, upon looking really wonky due to my telescoping thread thingies, I decided just to make my favorite blocks into a wall hanging.

In my happy place we are always stocked on thread...

notions...

and American Jane! The jelly rolls really make me happy because I used the tiniest of scraps ...I feel so excited to be able to use those tiny scraps and preserve that fabric.

And can I just say I took this little ugly wicker dresser thingie and stuck it inside my child size chifferobe and started putting sewing sstuff in there.  It looks so organized...I am feeling like Martha when I open the doors up

Until my scrap pile brings me crashing back to reality...

Tricia from Notes of Sincerity nominated me as a Liebster blog...a blog she loves.  Awww...I love hearing from Tricia and reading her blog and I'm glad this blog is one of her "happy places".  Now I get to nominate 3 small bloggers that I love no repeaters from my last thingie! 

1. Planet Kendar - this belongs to a real life friend who had the audacity to move away and then have a baby.  THE NERVE!  At least she is blogging now so I feel I can keep up with her
2. The Other Side of Me She is a crafter & quilter who is very open about her faith- love that!
3. Molly's Cottage She is a military wife currently living in my home state, Alabama.  She has been on Moda Bakeshop and I was totally in love with her quilt design on there. 

Ok, All done. These things make me so nervous b/c I hate leaving people out.  Thanks Tricia!  Go check out those blogs!

Charlie Brown Quiltalong Part 1: The Supply List

As I have stated before, we will not start sewing until the first of March. Today I wanted to post all the supplies so you can take advantage of sales or get what you need. Our finished quilt will measure 54x63...a good lap size for a woman or snuggle size for a kid.

Fabric to represent the background (shirt color); 3 yds (if you want to use the same fabric as your binding, you will have enough as your "scraps" to serve as your binding from this I will be using a yellow. Pick something that is solid or reads as solid and is nondirectional. ANY COLOR IS OK- this is YOUR quilt!

Zizzag fabric (I am using black): 1 yard

Backing fabric: Use a peanuts sheet if you have one. If not, you can use 3 3/8 yd fabric

Binding: as mentioned before, you can use your scraps of your background fabric as your binding. If you would like a separate color of binding, you can get 1/2 yd of the binding of your choice.

batting: 54x63" PLUS whatever extra you usually do. If you like 4" on either side, add 8" to both those numbers (64x 71). Again, this depends on you and your preferences.

HELPFUL TOOLS: It would be VERY helpful to have a square ruler greater than 10.5" We are going to be constructing our HSTs out of 10.5" squares and trimming them down to 9.5" The rest of our quilt will pretty much be a whole cloth quilt (yay, how easy!!!). This is beginner friendly and will go together quickly. I will give helpful hints on dealing with long seams and constructing HSTs.

A rotary cutter & mat are strongly recommended

Thanks for playing along and let me know if you have any questions at all!

Please email me if you have any questions.

Passing it on...

Alright, Staci over the theconfusedquilter.blogspot.com nominated me for this and Staci is right.  She IS confused!  Anybody who sees me rollin' through the school  drop-off line in my Nick & Nora Jammies will tell you that if I have a style, it is "comfy." 

There are a two rules for this award; one is that I have to share 8 things about myself, and the second, is pass the award to 8 other blogs.  

Anyway, I'm just gonna say a big thanks to Staci and pass it on to some other blogs I like to read...and I am gonna stick to small blogs.

1.Notes of Sincerity 
She is a super sweet gal.
2Sew Much Beauty
She is also a sweetheart...made me LOL once...and I am not an LOLer.
3.Sew Addicted to Quilting
Mad Sewing Skillz...check out her header photo if you need proof.
4.http://freyedknots.blogspot.com/
Another sweetie with sewing skillz...very new blog.
5.Fabric Warrior
My best friend who is a natural quilter.
6.hillbillyhandiworks 
My fellow Peanuts fanatic
7.Life On The Farm
My mother in law who also sews
8.Gena's Garden 
My cousin in law who is our own personal pioneer woman

Now 8 things about me (stolen from my facebook 25 random things about me note that we all just had to do a few mos ago).

1.I hate for my wrists to be touched. It is just so disconcerting to me. Most of the time I will wear 3/4 sleeve shirts, shirts that are way too big (like Erik's) or I will roll up my sleeves. I can't wear a watch and I have only worn bracelets that were very big a few times. Thank God I live in this warm climate!

2.I have worked as a Barista at 2 separate places. I don't like going to coffee houses because I know how the equipment SHOULD be cleaned and how few of my past coworkers ever DID that level of cleaning. The things I have seen will cure any $4 coffee habit.

3.I resist technology (except Tivo which was my homegirl from day 1)

4.  I have a rare thing with my genetic sequence or something where I sometimes test positive for HIV using standard tests. I have had to do a very expensive series tests to prove that I am not HIV + to the state of Texas (since I did birth a child here).  Major Drama...though I knew I didn't have HIV b/c I had a similar issue when I first donated blood at age 17.  Fun times taking your newborn baby into an appointment with one of the top HIV/AIDS OBGYNs in the country.  FUN TIMES!

5.  After my first date with my now husband, my friends were so nosy (spying out of a window when we got back) and when they asked how it went and I said "he's nice, but it's not like I'm gonna marry him!"  I'm glad I was wrong.

6.  I truly think my 6 year old will be a writer one day.  He's just too funny.  His kindergarten teacher got him started making books and I bought him a ton of barebooks to create because he did such a good job.  Last year he won the creative writer award.  Mommy suspicions: confirmed. 

7.  I knew I was having twins before the doctor said something about it.  I had symptoms really early and I just knew.  I didn't tell anybody because I really hate when people build it up in their head they are having twins and act like 1 healthy baby is a letdown. 

8.  I LOVE bathroom humor.  It's a good thing I have 3 boys...they think that is my best quality.

Soooooo....do y'all have any confessions to share, too???

Wanna design quilts? Try these websites!

Here is my first tessellated pattern (besides squares)...see the end of the post for more on that.

I don't have any fancy software for writing up new quilt patterns- we are still working on graph paper and pencils here.  I just donated my stone tablet and chisel to the salvation army so I'm accepting technology in baby steps.  I have found a couple of online sites that are easy enough for me to do and a lot more fun that playing solitaire or bejeweled.   I wanted to share with you guys.

The simplest example of tessellation (see below)

Just wanted to share a couple of free websites today.  One I have used extensively is My Web Quilter .  They have backing and binding calculators for the math challenged among us as well as a neat tool which will allow you to see traditional quilt blocks together even with various colors so that you can try to create neat secondary patterns at the touch of a button VS. filling in a billion graph paper squares.

My favorite tessellated quilt to date!

Another site I just discovered is actually not for quilters at all.  It's a Tessellation maker.  Tessellations are patterns that interlock together.  The most basic would be patchwork squares.  Others include houndstooth (yay), plus sign quilts, whirlygigs, pinwheels, lantern light quilts, tumbler quilts, hexagons, diamonds, and triangles.  The tesselation maker lets you test out different colors and play around with everything from triangles to diamonds to squares and Half Square Triangles.  Go check out this tesselation maker site and see what you can create!

Vintage Fabric Finds...I am in LOVE!

 I went to my favorite thrift store Thursday to drop off some toys (yay) and potties (DOUBLE YAY!).  I had to go in and check out what was inside.  I think I let out an audible gasp when I saw this little dog panel...cut and ready to be sen up (that paw is folded, not cut off).  I put him on my design wall and he is looking pretty happy there.  No feeding, grooming, vet bills...this is the canine for me.  I do have a scottie, but after him all dogs will be of the fabric variety (I HOPE!).

 But then it got better.  A cute pink elephant with wonky gingham AND a beret???  Sign me up!  This is soooo cute.  It says "I am an elephant." 

And on the backside it says "I work in the circus."  I love reading the "suggestions for stuffing": cotton batting, shredded foam rubber, nylon stockings, or Kapok.  Nothing says "lovable stuffie" like shredded foam rubber and grandma's old stockings!  I had to google Kapok:

Kapok is soft, smooth, hygienic, non-toxic, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. It is breathable, allows air circulation and has healthful benefits. It can be reused for generations, without developing mold or decaying. It even floats!

Apparently it is also called Java Cotton and it comes from the seed pods of the kapok tree.  I guess the fact that Poly batting as not an option on the stuffing instructions means this fabric was is older than polyester.  Sweet.

I got 3 panels of the elephants and the puppy for 75 cents.  Total.  Woop-woop!  My mind is going 1000 miles an hour thinking about what I should do with these cuties.  Any suggestions????

2 Legit 2 Quit

Well I went ahead and had some copies of Houndstooth Heritage printed up for the shop in Mississippi.  I also printed 1 for my sister.  She travels a lot for her job and I have appointed her my North Alabama Sales Rep.  Isn't she a lucky gal?  The pay is...the quilt on the cover.  Totally worth it, right????

I worked seriously hard on this, folks.  Never again will I look at a pattern and squawk "EIGHT DOLLARS!!!!".  I went through the pattern with a fine toothed comb and changed some things up just to be extra clear on a few points.  I also had 3 friends from church who are quilters go over it.  They told me people who bought the pattern would think it was one of the best written patterns they had ever used.  Part of me says "they are just saying that b/c they are nice" but then I think "well surely they would not lie IN CHURCH." 

The pattern is 5 color pages long (puts the $ in Kinko$) and I ordered the official looking plastic bags with hang holes.  I paid way too much per bag because I only got 100 and not the typical 1000.  I  am totally worried this will FLOP and then I will be using quilt pattern bags to pack peanut butter sammiches in for the next 10 years.  Glad I got so few because they have a little tobacco stank in them.  Yum.  There goes my plan to use them for the kid's lunch if I am a failure!

If you are a shop owner then you can email me at marylane_brown@yahoo.com and place your order.  Hopefully the stanky bags will be aired out soon.

A little wonderland...

Yes, that is my dirty table and half rotten bananas...keepin' it real here!

If you recall, my BFF Amie bought me some Wonderland in exchange for quilting a baby quilt for her.  I wanted to keep the fabric for myself, but I didn't want YET ANOTHER quilt for me right now.  I have hung on to a few too many lately and there are more I feel I can't get rid of "just in case".  Anyway, I decided to make a table runner and some pillows so I could enjoy the fabric... it is probably my favorite non-American Jane line in memory.

My 7 year old (obviously unfamiliar with the concept of table runners) asked me "who's THAT quilt for???"  I said "somebody really tall and skinny."  He said "well then it's not for somebody in THIS house."  Ouch!!!  I just got schooled by a 7 year old.

And I made 2 quilted pillow covers.  The first was a simple patchwork, the other was my attempt at doing a 2nd generation disappearing nine patch that a commenter once mentioned.  I did not bother to look up the info again...just went on memory.  Big mistake- HUGE.  My 7 year old thinks the funky one is better, so we're keeping it up.  I love putting those pillows up on the couch (which is about a million times a day...apparently they are prime fort building materials).

Wake me when it's spring...

I am not diggin' this cold weather.  My brother-in-law's mother is an insanely gifted hand quilter and last time we spoke she was telling me how she loved quilting in the winter.  It's gonna take a lot more than a cozy quilt in my lap to make me happy about winter.  All of my fabric choices lately are screaming SPRING!

 This is a doll quilt I made from the scraps of a bigger project.  I love scrappy quilts but I have to be honest that I hate saving scraps.  I love cutting new, crisp YARDAGE.  I am not even a huge fan of fat quarters.  I had all these little 2.5" squares left from a project and I decided to sew them up before they got all wrinkled in the scrap bin.  Once that happens, my motivation to use them goes way down.  I quilted this in a new-to-me free motion pattern of budding vines.  It is so fun to see so many American Jane prints together.  It makes me almost motivated to make a king sized quilt from my huge American Jane stash...but then I would be really sad since most of it is very hard to find now.

For the back I made an inscription block and I used up some of my happy campers scraps (yes, I still have those after 2 twin size quilts, 2 dog feeding mats, and a baby quilt!).  The quilt measured 18"x23" before washing...perfect American girl size. 

Sneak Peek Alert- The white squares in my doll quilt came from the above stack...I miscut some of my Moda Bella Solids Jelly Roll strips from my newest Moda Bake Shop quilt.  Luckily I had enough left over, because it is a huge drive to the nearest place that carries Moda solids.

Since I don't have a little girl, I'm listing the doll quilt in my etsy shop. 

How do you teach a boy how to sew???

My 6 (almost 7) year old is dying to learn how to quilt. The only problem is that he gets bored even doing a pillowcase. I am at a loss as to what to do about it. I am so excited that he is excited and I want to spend time with him while he cares about it befoe he goes all Cat's-in-the-Cradle on me, but it just ends in frustration. ANY SUGGESTIONS??? We have been working on this scrap wreath but now he and I are both claiming ownership...

He asked me to take a picture of his lego restaurant for the lego website and also my blog.  When he was 5 he told everyone his mom was a world famous quilter...I did not even have a blog.  This year he got a little older/wiser and realized I was not world famous.  I told him about the magazine thingie and he said "are they even gonna sell that in LAS VEGAS?"  I told him I guessed so and he said "wow mom...you really ARE a world famous quilter!"  Let's go "awwww" together, ok?  Anyway, he wanted me to post pictures of his lego creations because I guess he thinks he can become a world famous Brickmaster. 

So what can you do to include the kids in your sewing???

Charlie Brown quiltalong update...

A few of you wanted to do the Charlie Brown quiltalong, and since one of those few is my mother-in-law, that means we will proceed!

One of the lovely commenters said she can't buy the fabrics until February and since all three of my boys are born in February I am going to be broke in February anyway (yeah, don't bother doing the backwards math to figure out what comes 9 months before February...the oldest was supposed to be born in January and the twins were supposed to be born in March). I am going to post a supply list soon but we will not begin cutting/sewing until March 1...that just happens to be my 2 year anniversary as a quilter. This will give you plenty of time to save some cash and get supplies. You could also start trolling ebay or thrift stores for a good deal on a Peanuts sheet for the backing. Thrifting + Quilting= Fun Times. If you are a beginner, never fear...this will be a very easy quilt and I will post either tutorials for each step or links to good tutorials.

If you have any questions or comments about the quiltalong, just email me at marylane_brown at yahoo dot com

Happiness is...a warm quilt

First order of business...the giveaway winner. #18 was selected at Random.org and our winner is:

Paula Ganyard said...
My sewing goals for 2011 are to get some UFOs done. I have an art quilt to finish and I have 3 traditional quilts, 2 applique projects and a lap quilt for my Dad to do. When I stop to think about it I guess what I really need to do in 2011 is schedule quilting time, that is the only way it is going to get done. Happy 2011!
January 1, 2011 9:42 AM

Ok Paula...sorry to heap another project onto your pile, but you win a pattern from the shop! Congrats and hope you love it.

As you may know, my kids are huge Peanuts fans.  I made the above quilt for my oldest son.  It is twin size.  Of all the quilts I've ever made, it's the one I have longed for a do-over on.  My mitered binding is not great, my stippling was terrible, and I used wal-mart fabric and poly batting.  It is still loved, but I love the idea and always wanted to do another one when my skills improved.  Last week, I found the most awesome vintage Peanuts sheet ever, and I knew my time for a do-over arrived.

Is there any interest in a quilt-along for this pattern?  If so, let me know in the comments section and be sure to include the size you're interested in.  This quilt is super easy...just a few half square triangles but otherwise a whole cloth quilt.  Super beginner friendly, super easy...and yet it is the quilt that has received more compliments from others of all the ones I have made.  Happiness is a warm quilt!  You don't have to do yellow, either.  Erik's cousin Michelle blogs at Life Sews On (don't you love that name) and she made one with multi zigzags and various colors of charlie brown shirts through the years for her factoid loving brother.  Some colors are blue, orange, yellow, red, green...but whatever the recipient likes will work.  Of course let me put out the legal disclaimer that this not officially licensed related to United Features Syndicate, blah blah blah (insert trumpet blurbs since I am talking like a grown up).    This quilt is just easy and fun.  I made a cute button on the sidebar...feel free to grab it for your blog if you want to, whether or not you are interested in participating.  .

And speaking of variations, my mother-in-law made this cracker quilt using my MBS tutorial but with yardage instead of pre-cuts.  She blogs at Life On The Farm. She arranged many of the like crackers together to get an X.  I like that she made it her own.  I thought that would also be a really cute way to do an X's and O's quilt and then a reader sent me a pic of how she did just that!

Go visit Jo  to see the cracker quilt made in Pure.  It is awesome, too!

I love seeing all the variations.   If I got EQ7 it would be the end of me!

New Bakeshop Tutorial & a pattern giveaway! CLOSED

Hey everyone! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today I have a new tutorial posted on Moda Bakeshop. I worked as a barista in college so it's only fitting that I do a tutorial with Java fabric, right? I know not everyone is a coffee drinker but inside the tutorial are instructions for a 1 seam flying geese block. It makes cute little pockets- tons of possibilities there.  If you have a moment, I'd appreciate if you checked it out and left some comment love over at the Bake Shop (seriously, I might have a self esteem crisis if you don't!) ;)

I usually do a giveaway on the day of an MBS tutorial but after my three boys had to accompany me to the post office during the pre-Christmas craziness I don't think I want to show my face there just yet.  Instead, I am giving one commenter a copy of the PDF pattern of their choice from my etsy shop:

 Houndstooth Heritage (a 56x64 lap quilt) featuring bias free construction or

 

the Helix quilt which includes instructions for baby, lap, or twin size.

To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post telling me what your sewing goals are for 2011.   Mine would probably be having more than 2 patterns in my shop and to finish the packaging for my patterns to be sold in brick/mortar...my Mother-in-law's fave shop, The Village Cloth Shoppe in Dekalb, MS,  is gonna give me a go!  Woo-hoo!


Good luck and have a great New Year!  Giveaway to close January 4....