Saturday, June 25, 2011

While We're on the Subject of Free Patterns...


22 Free Patterns - Download Now

Here is a really neat deal from AccuQuilt.  Sign up for their newsletter, and get 22 Free Patterns!  This is a cool deal even if you don't own an AccuQuilt cutter yet...free patterns are free patterns right!  Just click on the picture above (or the one on my sidebar to the right) to sign up for the newsletter and download your free patterns :)


Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Friday, June 24, 2011

Free Pattern! Stars & Bars

Summer is here, and it's that Patriotic time of year!  Just in time for the 4th of July, I thought it'd be fun to offer a Free Pattern called Stars & Bars.  This generous 64" x 77 1/2" Throw size quilt is quick and easy to make (so I'm sure you can have one done in time for Fireworks next week!).  To help with that endeavor, if you have an AccuQuilt Go! cutter, it's very AccuQuilt cutting friendly :)

Even if you don't have an AccuQuilt cutter, the strip piecing makes it quick to sew up, and it's a great use of scraps!  Make several and donate some ~ it meets the size guidelines for Quilts of Valor too :)

You can download the pdf file here from my website.  I designed the pattern to say Thank You to those brave men and women who have served our country.  Use the pattern any way you wish, it's my gift to you ~ and share the link with everyone...If you or a friend make one, I'd love to see pictures and especially tell us if you are making one for a soldier!!! 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Playing with Warm Fuzzies

I've had some crazy stressful days lately, so with my little bit of sewing time when I got home today I wanted to work on something easy and quick.  So I used some flannel fabrics that were donated by my web friend Rita for our Mountain Baby Blanket initiative, and cut some rag squares with my AccuQuilt Go! Cutter.  I know there are plenty of Rag Quilt tutorials out there, but I figured I'd show you how easy it was to whip mine up (And it's the first Rag Quilt I've ever made!)

For each rag square (Cut with the 8 1/2" Rag Die #55013), I layered a 6 1/2" square of batting (cut using the 6 1/2" square die #55000) ~ perfect use for leftover batting pieces by the way!  When cutting my flannel rag squares I cut two layers of flannel at a time.  Any more than that with my Rag Die was pretty difficult to run through, so I didn't push it. 

Then another rag square is layered on top (wrong sides together with the batting in between).  Then, so the batting doesn't do any shifting in there, sew two diagonal lines from corner to corner to quilt each block.  I didn't do any pinning for this, but I did find that using a walking foot was helpful with the layers.  I was able to chain stitch all of the blocks pretty quickly too.

After all of the blocks are sandwiched, sew the blocks into rows.  I made mine from 20 blocks set in 5 rows of 4 blocks.  When sewing the blocks together, use a large 1" seam allowance.  My machine had this handy line marked 25 that happens to be 1" from needle center, so I could use that as my reference.  If your machine doesn't have a marking for a 1" seam allowance, you can apply painters tape on your machine bed as your reference line. 

Press the seams between the blocks open.

Then sew the rows together in the same manner.  After all the rows are sewn together, sew all around the outside edge, again about an inch in. 

This is what the finished front looked like before I washed and dried it to fray the edges.  It measured about 28" x 34" before I washed it (I had not pre-washed any of the fabrics before sewing).  Then after laundering the final quilt measures approx. 27" x 33".  It's the perfect size for nap-time cuddling, and for traveling in the car seat or stroller.  After all, if you make it too big a toddler can't drag it around as a Lovey easily. 

I used the same fabric for the front and back of each of my block sandwiches, so this is what the back of my little quilt looks like.  I love these muted 1930's vintage prints :)

So here she is all finished.  By using the AccuQuilt Go! Rag Die, I didn't have to do any of that cutting to fringe the edges after it was assembled.  I just threw it in the washer and was all done!  Playing with the warm fuzzies, and getting the instant gratification of a quick project definitely topped off my day on a good note. 

I've listed it for sale in my Etsy store and the proceeds will go to paying for shipping for our next box full of donations to go out to the Christian Appalachian Project for the Mountain Baby Blankets Initiate...And I have enough fabrics left over to make another one to put in the box and donate :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Friday, June 17, 2011

Re-Using an Old Standby

Do you remember when baby food came in glass jars?  I think every dad that I knew growing up had the old stand by nuts and bolts storage unit in his workshop that was made by nailing the jar lids to a piece of wood and the jars hung below when screwed into their lids. 

I think you can still find the little glass jars, but now there are also these cool little plastic (bph free) containers.  With my little grand daughter eating baby food, I now have a source for these cute little containers...hmmm, what to do with them...

Of course they can be used to store nuts and bolts (see ThriftyFun blog), spices (see Simplify blog),  an array of office supplies, and personal care items,

...and even as Monarch butterfly rearing chambers (see the Monarch Watch blog).  (By the way, they are accepting donations of them if you have an abundance of the little containers.)

But of course for me, I'm going to find a use for them in the sewing room!  They stack very nicely and work great on a shelf in my studio holding different types of sewing machine bobbins.  I also have some filled with beads and pins...and I can attest to the fact that they are perfect filled with M&Ms next to my sewing machine :)

I had even added some "bling" to some, and made a pincushion top to give them as favors for my sewing retreat buddies (yes for the retreat that I missed while sick last weekend, so they'll have to get them later).  I just made a little pillow the size of the lid, and hot glued it on top.  (Spray paint the lid first so that you don't see the hot glue through the clear lid.) And decorate the sides with cute ribbon. 

If you don't know anyone with a baby, and you don't really want to eat baby food yourself ~ fear not, you can even buy these cute little containers already empty from TessCreates Etsy Shop, and 10% of the proceeds of the sale goes to charity.  I think you can find just about anything on the internet these days!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Wind Back in My Sails...

Have you ever felt like this little doll?  I've had a crazy week and a half, and have felt like she looks for most of it ~ I hate to admit it, but I probably do look a little bit like her too.  I've been super busy (both with quilty work and "day job" work), then I was sick over the weekend which caused me to miss a much needed quilt retreat with my sewing buddies :(

Now knee deep in another busy week (mostly "day job" work, which is NOT my fun work, and preparing my house for an upcoming party this weekend),  I got some fun news that brightened my week...The August issue of Create & Decorate is now on news stands!

...and if you turn to page 22, you'll see my little quilt The Wind in Your Sails.  It's a cute little quilted banner that's really easy and quick to make up, just in time for Summer!   

That bit of news has perked me up, and now with the wind restored to my sails, I can get through the rest of my work week, get my house cleaned and ready for guests, and enjoy the Baptism of my little Abby on Sunday ~ and maybe not look so much like the little doll on the cover of the magazine through it all :)

Enjoy, And be Thankful for the day!
~ Dawn

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Happy Flag Day!

In honor of Flag Day in America (...and my daughter's birthday today ~ Happy Birthday Lisa!), here are a few cool items on Etsy by some talented artists.  Click here to see the entire Treasury and be able to click on the individual listings :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Cottage Breeze

 
This is Cottage Breeze.  It's a large bed size quilt that I designed that measures 96" square, and it's made with the Anneke's Fabric Collection designed by Jennifer Chiaverini for Red Rooster Fabrics.  I'm so excited to be able to finally show and tell ~ it's one of my favorite quilts I've made!  This baby is going to be on my bed come this fall, I love the rich, traditional fabrics :)

I designed and pieced the top (and note ~ there's no applique on this one), and my friend Mary of Keep Me In Quilts quilted it for me.  She does beautiful long arm work!

The pattern for Cottage Breeze can be found in the August/September issue of Quilt Magazine which is hot off the presses and can be found on the news stands now!

Even though it's a large quilt, it's pretty easy to make ~ the simple center block and the large borders help it to go together really quickly :)

Kits for the quilt can be found here, and Anneke's Collection fabrics on bolts can be found here :)  But hurry, they're selling out quick!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Friday, June 3, 2011

A Sale and Some Friday Facebook Fun!


I've been having so much fun with promotions lately, I thought we'd have some Summer Fun over on My Website!  For a limited time, you'll received one Free Spring Water Designs pattern for every $20.00 of other merchandise or fabric that you purchase!  Just specify which pattern that you want in your message at check out, it's that easy!  (Limit: one free pattern per purchase).
Also, select quilt and apron kits are 20% off while quantities last! 
Like our American Beauty Quilt Kit ~ Just in time for Independence Day, this kit was $105.00  Now get it for $84.00, That's 20% off!  


...And for some Friday Fun over on Facebook, my Madras Summer Tote is featured as the Answer to AccuQuilt's Friday Fun Trivia question today! Head on over to their FB page for a chance to win a Go! Baby Fabric Cutter :)  But you have to hurry, that will end this afternoon!


And if you're not already a FB fan of Spring Water Designs, visit my page too :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

A Special Promotion!

My Madras Summer Tote is being featured on the front page of the AccuQuilt website ~ How cool is that!
 
You can get the downloadable pattern for Free, yep I said free!  Plus the AccuQuilt dies that are used to make the tote are 20% off.  Just go to AccuQuilt's website, but hurry this special only lasts for one week!  Remember, you also get AccuQuilt Reward Points for all of your purchases from their site.

If you missed it, you can read more about the Madras Summer Tote, and the extra bonus project that's included in the pattern here. 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn