My Grandma Just Got Bigger

That's my Grandmother's Flower Garden variation block, not my actual grandma.

I crafted these blocks out of my From Outside In stripey prints and a cream colored solid.

Initially, I designed this quilt to be pieced as a series of hexagons, but then I started thinking about ease of construction.

And I realized that, though they'd always "read" as hexagons, the pieces could be put together as triangles. Way easier, people.

And then the rows could make blocks and so on.

Add a little straight line machine quilting and...

My Grandma just got supersized super easy!

Improv Courthouse Steps

I'm in final wrap-up for Quilt market mode which really means scrambling to finish projects before I head out on Friday.
Before things get any crazier though I wanted to share with you my finished Improve Courthouse Steps quilt.

I quilted the entire thing from start to finish yesterday and then finished binding it this morning. I've got a bit of backache which is pretty funny considering I just came back from Colorado where I ran the Barr Trail and around Garden of the Gods, hiked halfway up Pike's Peak and ascended the Manitou Incline...twice. Those didn't seem to bother me, but machine quilting this piece has me taking ibuprofen.
No matter. I'm super happy with the way this quilt turned out and it has sparked loads of new ideas for using the stripes featured in my new collection for Moda, From Outside In.

Mini Quilt Monday meets what I was supposed to blog about last Friday

How's that for a long, un-catchy title? Let's hope my epitaph is a little bit more of an attention grabber.
But, the truth is the truth. I was supposed to blog about new additions to the shop last Friday and instead I was, you know, eating bon-bons.
Ok, maybe not eating bon-bons, but it didn't happen, so I'm going to add(read shove) that into this post.
First though, a mini quilt:

or two:

or maybe even three:

All these are made with Moda Pre-cuts called Honeycombs. They are and I say this as a self-proclaimed expert on the value of sliced bread, the best invention since...well, you know.
I love them so much I plan on carrying them in my store(along with a pattern designed just for them) when they are released in January of 2014.
The one with the circle dyed in its center is one of these:

I patterned a few hexagons by clamping and over dyeing them like I do my Twinkle circles.
Serious excitement ensued when I un-clamped these babies, but, no mention of their relation to the greatness of sliced bread. That's reserved for the hexagons themselves.
I see lots of possibilities with these and that excitement is inspiring all sorts of new ideas with the other pre-cuts as well.
More on that in a future post.

As for what's new in my shop, well I've got a couple of new pieces of fabric patterned with new designs.

And plans to add a bunch of quilts over the next few days. So, if you have a chance, check it out.

Mid-Week Workshop::Floor Pillows

I mentioned in Monday's post that I was helping my friend, Nan, who, by the way refers to herself as my Sousstress( you know, like a chef has a sous chef to assist him/her, Nan is my seamstress assistant, a Sousstress). Nan was looking to cheer up some pillow forms in anticipation of house guests. Well, this got me to thinking about pillows and floors and tutorials and stuff to make to promote my new fabric collection.
And all that thinking led to today's mid-week workshop project, floor pillows.
Like these:

Don't those look squishibly comfortable? I think I'll add squishibly to the English lexicon along with sousstress.
Let me assure you they are. So, go ahead, grab some fabrics and make a few.

Here's how:

Materials:
About 3/4 of a yard of 2 coordinating cotton prints or solids
Self-healing mat
Rotary cutter
Quilter's clear, acrylic ruler
Coordinating machine sewing thread
Iron
Pins
24" x 24" pillow form

Cutting the Fabric:
1. From one fabric, cut a 24" x 24" square
2. From second fabric, cut two 16" x 24" rectangles

Making the Pillow Cover:
1. Working with one of the 16" x 24" rectangles,  wrong side facing up, press a 1/4" seam allowance, along one long edge.

2. Press an additional 1" seam allowance along same edge.

3. Machine stitch folded edge about 1/4" from fold.
4. Repeat steps 1-4 to make second half of envelope backing with remaining 16" x 24" rectangle.
5. With right sides facing, pin together pillow front (24" x 24" square) and stitched rectangles of envelope pillow back, making sure stitched edges of envelope backing overlap in center of pillow cover.
6. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew together all 4 edges.
7. Turn pillow cover right side out through envelope opening.
8. Press seams. Insert pillow form.

Begin squishibility testing with good book and glass of wine.

Mid-Week Workshop::Kinda, Sorta...

I say kinda, sorta because, though this mid-week "workshop" is filled with hopefully loads of good stuff, it's not exactly a tutorial.
My planned tutorial was coming along fine until the mail came on Monday and this arrived:

One of the many perks of designing for Moda is getting freebies of their packaged fabric in my various designs. For every collection I've received jelly rolls and fat quarter packs and layer cakes. But, I'd never gotten this before. I suspect because this must be new, but how amazing is this? They are pre-cut hexies. Large pre-cut hexies measuring about 5" along each edge.
Needless to say, I had to stop whatever I was doing and work with these. I think you understand.
My first project was very simple.

Each package contains 42 hexagons in a variety of patterns and color ways. I selected 7 in a similar palette and created a single flower block.

I added some diamonds and triangles to square off the block as well as some 2" strips to give it a wee bit more size.

Next up: quilting in a much loved design,

rounding the edges,

and hand binding.
Normally, I'd sew down the binding with a zig-zag stitch in a coordinating thread, but I was still a bit giddy from excitement over these pre-cut hexagons.

Now what? How about a second one in a warmer palette:

Or resist patterning the pre-cuts and over dyeing?

The results of this little experiment are in the dryer as I write.
A world(one in the shape of a hexagon, not a circle) of possibilities awaits.

Recents

Just a few images that hopefully capture some of the goings on in my studio this week.

 

 

Bolt ends from my new collection, From Outside In

 

The beginnings of a new Twinkle Quilt

Experimenting with some of the prints in my new collection

Lots going on in my studio, but there's always time to make a new dress.

From Outside In

That's the name of my new fabric collection for Moda Fabrics and I couldn't be more excited.

I took this super-quick preview shot yesterday after I laid all 33 prints, 6 solids, and 1 cheater cloth print (yes, there's a cheater print in this collection too) out on my dining table. These are just a few and they are all beautiful!
See the one on the very far right? Well I'm washing that one today to prep it for this pattern, but with this modification.
And I'm thinking about re-creating this pillow with the stripes in my new collection.
And I have plans for a quilt that features the prints set against a neutral background. Maybe with some curved piecing for extra, good measure.
I wasn't planning on having today's post be about these fabrics, but when I opened the box(all 78 pounds of it), I got so excited, I knew I would share at least a tidbit about this with you all today.
Now it's back to the projects I was working on and clearing some shelf space for these new beauties.
Have a great weekend!