A New Pattern & More Blog Hopping Fun!

After spending a long day at the hospital with my dad, my day was brightened today when I came home to a mail delivery of my newest pattern!  This is called Shoot for the Stars!  Mary Nielsen of Keep Me In Quilts made this quilt sample for me and did the beautiful quilting on it :)

At 42 inches square it makes a great child's carry along/cuddle quilt!  It's available for sale here on my website and will be available at Quiltwoman.com any day now :) 
This one is made with the Bubble Gum Basics fabric collection from Henry Glass Fabrics.

 

Here is a scrappy version of the same quilt.  I even did a scrappy binding around the edges.  It's a fun, quick and easy quilt to make up :)

Then I found out that I was mentioned in a feature on The Quilt Ladies blog!  Beth Staub writes the Quilt Ladies Book collection and has a really nice blog that you might want to check out.  Thanks Beth, you made me smile today :)

Finally, don't forget that the Team of Bloggers that Love their Accuquilt Blog Hop is on Day Two!  Today you can get a holiday table runner pattern, some great block/project ideas, and sign up for a give away at Marjorie's Quilting Bee.  And view a great video on how to make a round flower block using the Accuquilt Go Flower die and some folded fabric, get some great gift ideas, and get in on yet another give away at Cotton Cocktails!  The fun just keeps going on and on ~ join in all week for more bloggers sharing tips and fun things!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Accuquilt Go! Autumn Penny Runner

A great big happy welcome to any blog hoppers who are stopping by today!  Come on in, get comfortable and play along :)  Since it’s Autumn, I’m playing with wool and my Accuquilt Go!

I started with wool and homespun fabric pieces and the Accuquilt Go! Fall Medley Die #55014.
Additionally to complete this project you will need a wool fat quarter (approx. 18 x 28”) for the background, a half yard of backing fabric (I used a homespun cotton), and Paper-backed Fusible Web.

If you don’t have an Accuquilt Go! You can still make this Autumn Penny Runner, you’ll just have to cut out all your shapes with scissors ~ look for oak leaf stencils, or use an actual leaf to fashion your own template ~ but you can’t beat the Accuquilt Go for speed and accuracy here :)

 

Because I’m a fusible person, and I’m going for quick with this project, I fused some Heat n Bond Lite to the back of my wool scraps before running them through the cutter.   If you’re not a fusible/machine blanket stitch person, you can cut your wool pieces without fusible, and hand blanket stitch around the edges (I like this look too, but I’m going for fast on this particular project).

Bigger wool pieces can be folded to lay over a shape on the die to yield two pieces that lean in different directions.
Tip: mark your die shapes with a sharpie pen to aid in laying the fabric over the shape that you want to use.  I also like to mark little hash-marks out on the edges of the die so I can align fabric along the top/bottom of a shape easily. 

I used random Fall colors and cut the following shapes:
(7) Oak leaves
(10) Acorns & Caps
(3) Pumpkins

Trim the wool fat quarter background piece to 17 1/2 x 14”, and arrange the pumpkins and oak leaves in the center any way that you like.  Press them with the iron to fuse them in place, and machine blanket stitch all the edges.  Note that I still like to use some pins after pressing to hold the Lite fusible in place while I manipulate the piece through the sewing machine.  I just remove the pin before I stitch around each shape.

With leftover background wool, cut out ten 2 3/4 x 4” rectangles, and round two corners on one end to make the penny runner tabs.  Fuse and blanket stitch the ten acorns and caps to these tabs about 1/2" from the rounded edge.

Again, because I’m a fusible person, I added fusible to the back of the table runner center and the ten penny tabs.  I arranged them on top of my homespun backing fabric with the ten penny tabs layered about ½” underneath the table runner center. And fused all in place.

…this held the penny tabs in place while I blanket stitched down both ends of the table runner center through all layers.

Now with a pair of scissors, trim away the excess backing fabric…

…And blanket stitch all around the outside edge.  I used a regular 50 wt thread that I had on hand in a dark brown for all of the blanket stitching, but it would also look really nice with a thicker thread, and a larger blanket stitch to make it more prominent.

So here it is on my sideboard all ready for Fall, my Autumn Penny Runner ~ and it only took me three hours to make from start to finish!  The overall finished size is 24 ½ x 14”.  I’ll leave this out through Thanksgiving until I decorate our home for Christmas.

And now for a little reward to any of you who have managed to read through this entire post and make it to the bottom…How about a Give Away!  Leave a comment on this post, and at the end of this week’s blog hop I’ll choose one name randomly to receive a wool fat quarter and three cut pumpkin shapes to get you started on your own Autumn Penny Runner :)

     Winner was drawn on Oct 3rd ~ WvHummnbrd won! Congratulations :)

Don’t forget to hop over to SewCalGal’s blog today for more Accuquilt Blog Hop fun, and visit the rest of the participating bloggers all this week! You can see the schedule here for the entire hop.

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

It's an Accuquilt Autumn Blog Hop!

Autumn is here so I've been playing with wool.  I'm popping in with just a little sneak peek today...I know, I know, that's kind of mean!

You can see the rest of this project on Monday!  I'm really excited that I'll be participating in a Blog Hop that starts on Monday, September 27th with a group of Bloggers with Accuquilt Products.  You won't want to miss this!  We will all be sharing projects/inspiration, tips, tutorials, maybe some videos, and I know some give aways!  Even if you don't own an Accuquilt cutter yet, come along on our hop anyway!  I don't want any of my friends to feel left out, I know my project can still be made without an Accuquilt Go! Cutter (it'll just take a bit longer to make up your templates and cut it all out ~ the time savings is where the value of the cutter comes in to play for me). 

My day is Monday!!  Here is the schedule and the bloggers that will be participating:

Monday, September 27th

SewCalGal

Spring Water Designs

Tuesday, September 28th

Marjorie's Quilting Bee

Cotton Cocktails

Wed., September 29th

Love Bug Studios

Spun Sugar Quilts

Thur., September 30th

Quilted Inspirations
Fabrics N Quilts

Friday., October lst

Beautiful Seams

Sew Fun Quilts
Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

A Bluebird Happy Day!

It's a happy day today...

A Bluebird of Happiness kind of day :)

I'm so happy because I finished block number twelve of my Baltimore Album quilt ~ and just in time for the class show and tell coming up this weekend!  This is a simple "folksy" kind of block that I designed myself to go into my quilt (I knew I wanted at least one block of mine in there).  I think I might embellish it with a little stitchery before it's set into the final quilt, but who knows :)  This has been quite a process quilt so far!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Adding to my Little Collections

I went on a couple of little creative excursions this past weekend (also known as treasure hunts or junkin').  I visited a new-to-me antique store, and my best friend and I hit a large flea market.  In the process I got a few ideas for some quilt blocks, and I came home with some new additions to my little collections. 

I got some more wooden spools with some beautiful colors of thread on them, still in nice condition!

I found this wooden darning egg.  I still didn't have one of these in my collection, so I had to get it.  Now, on the next junket I'm looking for a cool old iron trivet. 

So for now I'm keeping my little treasures on this wall display that used to be in my kitchen, that has now been relocated to my sewing room.  The old button card and needle pack on the top were treasures found in the drawer of my Grandmother's treadle machine back when I received it. 

This weekend I also scored this vintage pair of German scissors.  The price was just a couple of dollars and they are still sharp to the point and very usable.  I love the old patina, and now these scissors live right next to my sewing machine (replacing a contemporary pair of the same size that have been retired after being used to cut carpet, complete with staples ~ never a good idea by the way).

And just for fun, I couldn't leave this guy at the flea market.  I really did try to...I spotted him early in the morning, and proudly kept on walking.  But when he was still there at the end when we were leaving, I figured he was meant to come home with me...so he did :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

A Little Show and Tell With My Friends

Our Jo Morton Club 9 has finished, but we still had one more gathering at the shop before our little break just to get together.  And you know we always have things to show that we've been working on.  I didn't have a quilt this month, but I brought in my Signature Exchange blocks that I swapped with the Jo Morton Stitchers Yahoo Group and I just got back in the mail this week.  I think there are 134 of them, and they are from people all over the world...and Jo participated too!  It was a great swap, and now I have to decide on a way to set them...hmm...wheels are turning...

Here are some of the other projects that were shared last night. 

Peggy Schaum does lovely stitchery and has been busy on these little mini quilts that she can display/swap out as the seasons change. 

They are little patterns from Bare Roots.  I love the fabrics that she combined to frame her stitchery!

Sandy Lynch showed us another version of the Sisters quilt from Jo Morton.  She did the inking method on her center sisters block.  So sweet :)

And because we are such an eclectic group, and don't just make quilts, here are a few accessories that were shown last night.  Barbara Lanore made this cute bag from the Cherrywood collection of fabrics. I don't remember if she said the pattern she used, but I think the suede look of the fabric is just perfect with the handles she chose. 

...and Karen Watkins brought in a couple of her finished needlepoint belts that we've been watching her work on at past gatherings.

I love the colors :)

Finally, this is what I came home from the shop with!  Jo Morton's Complements fat quarter bundle.  And Sew It Goes now has the entire collection both on bolts and fat quarter bundles :)  Sweet!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Aunt Pitty Pat Leaves an Impression

It's been quite a week.  Tuesday I had the dreaded yearly Gyn appointment, and today I have a dental appointment for a teeth cleaning.  I don't know how I lined all these "fun" things up together, but I guess I'm getting them over with. 

But it hasn't been all bad, last night was the first meeting of the Baltimore Applique Society for this season.  Sue Troyan and her "very dear friend" Aunt Pitty Pat gave a lecture on the Power of Quilts (I apologize for not having any pictures of that, but I didn't have the chance to clear it before the lecture, so I didn't take any.  It was a delightful lecture though, and if you ever get the opportunity to socialize with Aunt Pitty Pat, definitely take it).  

She showed many quilts, both old and contemporary, and shared their stories and illustrated that just as the quilter influences the creation of a quilt, each quilt affects everyone it encounters.  It was powerful (and I ~ in my currently pitiful perimenopausal state ~ cried through most of the program...but I wasn't alone).  The stories attached to these quilts (that ranged from very elaborate to captivatingly simple) added emotional impact to the quilt itself and are literally touching generations.  It shows how important it is to label and document your quilts!!

So the pictures that I do have are the items that I purchased last night at the meeting.  The notebook is is a compilation of quilt history and tributes from the Quilters Hall of Fame at the Marie Webster House in Marion Indiana.  I hope to visit here sometime soon, in the meantime the book has many full page color photos of beautiful historic quilts and some wonderful stories of the quilters that are honored.  I'm looking forward to my easy-chair time tonight so I can delve more into it.  You can purchase one here from the Quilters Hall of Fame gift shop :)

And I'm excited to have a pattern pack of the BAS latest project, the Lady of Victory Quilt.  The original quilt is owned by Mary Koval who very generously allowed the BAS to trace the patterns.  It is 109" x 109" and is dated to 1846-1848 based on both the block patterns and the fabrics used in the quilt.  Stay tuned as the BAS members will be making two reproductions of this quilt, one of which will be raffled.  I'm very excited about this project ~ this type of block is my favorite Baltimore Applique style, and I hope that I get to make a block for one of the quilts!  I'll keep you posted on the progress of this project as it comes together :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

The Quilting Elves Have Been Hard At Work

One of my little quilting elves gave these two quilts back to me to box up for the Mountain Baby Blankets donations to Christian Appalachian Project.  Isn't it a happy quilt :)

These are tops that were generously donated to us for Mountain Baby Blankets, and Mary Nielsen of Keep Me In Quilts, quilted them up for me in her "spare time". 

Mary does beautiful work on her HQ 16, and we are very fortunate that she is so generous with her time too (because you should see my pile, and somehow it's not getting any smaller!)

And aren't these backs bright and happy too!  They were donated as well :)

I'm accumulating a bunch of kiddie fabric scraps from these and past projects that hopefully I can cut up this weekend with my Accuquilt Go! and whip up a couple more donation quilts pretty quickly to fill up a box for shipment :)

...And if you're looking for a cute give away, head over to Stephanie's A Ditchen Time Quilts to enter her Blog Anniversary Give Away for a sweet little purse that she made :)  It goes until September 17th.  Thanks Stephanie!  And while you are there, read Stephanie's account of her memories of 9/11, it's worth the time.

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Meet Abby's Owl

This is Abby's Owl...

And this is Abby!

My daughter decorated the nursery with some cute owl decals, and wanted to keep the theme going, so I designed this owl applique for a crib size quilt that she will hang on the wall (the overall quilt  measures 48" x 54"). 

But first it will hang in the Quiltwoman.com booth at Quilt Market in October because it's my newest pattern!  I'm so excited about it, I made it with Summer Song fabric from Riley Blake designs so it's very bright and happy ~ and yellow is my very favorite color!

[And you know, because I'm shameless,  I have to fit in at least one more picture of my little sweeties ~ Like a good big sister, Elsie is telling Abby to look at the camera]

Anyway, because when Elsie was a baby I made her a small crib quilt with a coordinating larger quilt that they like to lay and play on (more on that it this older post), I knew I wanted to make a larger coordinating quilt for Abby too.

So this is Abby's Stars!  It measures 76" x 76".  The pieced stars are the same style in each quilt, and by using the same fabric line, it coordinates nicely with the smaller Abby's Owl, and will fit on a regular bed to make a nice comprehensive set to decorate a child's room.  I love the large polka dot in this fabric collection :) Both of these quilts were beautifully quilted by my friend Mary of Keep Me In Quilts.

And the best news is that Abby's Stars is included as a bonus in the Abby's Owl pattern ~ so that's two quilts in one pattern!  It's available for purchase now at Quiltwoman or at Spring Water Designs :)

**For you Accuquilt Go! lovers here some dies that can be used to cut out much of these quilts:

Abby's Owl

55010 Go Square 5"        

55021 Vale Dies HST 2" & Square 2 1/2"        

55022 Go Square 2"

55017 Go Strip Cutter 2 1/2"        

55024 Go Strip Cutter 1 1/2"             

55012 Circle 2", 3", 5"

Abby's Stars

55006 Go Square 3 1/2"        

55012 Value Die 2 1/2" Square        

55017 Go Strip Cutter 2 1/2"

My Circle Gets the Square Pattern is completely Go Compatible, and we two more patterns are in the works that are also to be published soon that are Go! Friendly so stay tuned!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn