The geese are done!

The geese are done!!    I choose to make the 324 geese and their associated rectangle blocks using 17 of the FQ from the yummy Blueberry Park FQ bundle.  (One of the geese was too shy for this group photo - sigh.)

What do 324 geese look like?   They are overflowing my plastic shoebox.

This is the block which finishes at 8''.  I'm planning a block layout of 9 x 9. 

I've made enough fundamental pieces for a 9 x 9 layout -

But I'm also thinking about having some negative space like this.

Not sure how I'll go until I start making some more blocks!

Everything is now kitted in groups of 5 blocks and I can't wait to get started.  (Perhaps my OMG goal for July???)  I've already made the spa appointment with my LAQ for late August.

Making all the geese blocks and the rectangle with triangle (whatever you call that) blocks was my goal for June.  (goal post)  I'll be linking up with OMG here at Red Letter Quilts. 

I'll be linking up with Fort Worth Studio, Confessions of a Fabric Addict,  Finish Up Friday, Thank Goodness It is Finished Friday, Sew Cute Tuesdays, , Freemotion by the River,  Fabric Tuesday's,  WIP Wednesday's,  Let's Bee Social, and Midweek Makers.

Three other things before I end 

First, make sure you enter the giveaway for a copy of the book Holiday Wishes!

Second, did you see my announcement yesterday for Bag It 2016?  Go check that out - not to be missed fun coming this fall!

And finally, check out my repeat QAL - patterns have been released for all the vowels plus p & q.  Check it out and join the fun!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Announcing Bag It 2016!

Last fall, I hosted an event called Bag It - weeks of blog tutorials all designed to encourage handmade as holiday gifts.

I'm thrilled to announce that Bag It is returning this fall and it will be bigger and better than before.  More tutorials, more ways to participate and plenty of inspiration for your holiday gift making!

And look at all the wonderful sponsors who have already lined up to support the event!!

These sponsors are just awesome!

American Made Brand    

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Bagmaker Supply   

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

By Annie's   

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Aurifil   

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Fat Quarter Shop 

 (Website  \  Facebook  \  Instagram)

Green Fairy Quilts  

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Island Batik   

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Warm Company   

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Zip It   

(Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram)

Interested in becoming a sponsor for Bag It 2016?  Drop me an email at elmstreetquilts at gmail dot com.

There are several ways to participate and earn entries for the random giveaways from our amazing list of sponsors.  (Note - not all entry options are weighted equally.  Details on this will be available come September!)

Show some sponsor love!  - Starting in September, there will be options to earn entries by virtually visiting each of the sponsors.  We'll share a bit about the sponsors across several posts so you have plenty of time to visit each one.  All those entries go into the overall entry Bag It virtual hat!

Make a bag (or 2 or 3 or more!) - Any bag - yes ANY bag - you make during the Bag It event earns you entries into the participant giveaway.  There will be plenty of tutorials from Elm Street Quilts to inspire and I'd be thrilled if you made one of those bags. That said, Bag It is all about making gifts for the holidays so any bag you make and share during the season of Bag It earns an entry.  Photos of bags can also be emailed to be entered.  All those entries from bags you make go into the overall Bag It virtual hat.



Share your own bag tutorial from your blog and join the bag tutorial linky.  The bag tutorial linky will open soon (more details coming).  Sharing a bag tutorial - or doing a new blog post that references an existing tutorial and the Bag It event - will also earn entry into the overall Bag It virtual hat!

Want to be a featured blogger during Bag It?  Drop me an email at elmstreetquilts at gmail dot com.

Be the first to hear any news about Bag It by signing up for Bag It specific notifications.

Signing up for the Elm Street Quilts newsletter (see sidebar) and / or joining the Elm Street Quilts Facebook QAL group are other ways to stay informed!


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Let's celebrate with a giveaway!

Happy birthday and congratulations to Fat Quarter Shop!


Fat Quarter Shop is celebrating their 13th year of being in business!  

You can save 13% off your entire purchase  by entering the code LUCKY13 and each purchase gives you an entry into a truly fantastic giveaway.  The sale and amazing giveaway at Fat Quarter Shop ends soon so don't delay!

The prizes are awesome - 11 people will win a $100 FQS gift card, 1 will win a $250 gift card and 1 winner will get a twelve month subscription to their Sew Sampler Box!!

But before you rush off to shop, take a minute to enter here to win a copy of the book Holiday Wishes to get you started on all your holiday creating!  Holiday Wishes was designed by Sherri Falls of This & That Pattern Company.

You can watch a video of all the pretty quilts from the book - I just love the one called Santa's Socks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Have a wonderful day! Patty

repeat QAL - Mind your p's & q's

Time to mind your p's and q's* !   Next set of blocks in the repeat QAL are available!

(*Origin of this expression  seems to be uncertain - I'm going with the care the printer had to take to avoid confusing these letters.  Seems applicable to paper piecing since the block prints backwards and the q will look like a p during assembly.)

Paper piecing patterns are available today for the letters p & q.  Links to the patterns for the vowels - a, e, i & u - can be found here.)

quilt

eat

sleep

repeat

• Download the paper piecing pattern for the letters p & q.    Note this download has TWO (2) information pages before the actual paper piece pattern sheets so only print the paper piece patterns on your special paper!  (This is your personal copy of the pattern.  Please don't share it with others - just send them to my blog and they can get their very own!)

• You'll need two (2) p's and one (1) q so just print one (1) copy of each of the paper piece pattern.  

• The letters p & q will be trimmed to 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 '' and will be 5 x 4 '' in the finished quilt.

If you are making the smaller quilt quilt and piecing the letters traditionally, you can get the pattern for the q block here..  (This is your personal copy of the pattern.  Please don't share it with others - just send them to my blog and they can get their very own!)

                                                   quilt

• For overall information on the QAL including any pattern updates, sponsor information and overall schedule, please visit the main repeat QAL page.

• There was a correction to the letter i pattern - make sure you check it out!

• Download a copy of the repeat QAL coloring sheet.

• Fabric requirement and suggested supply list are also available.

• Paper piecing tutorial

Share progress photos in the Elm Street Quilts QAL Facebook group.   Come cheer on others and make new friends.  

Don't use Facebook?  Share your progress on Instagram.  Make sure your tag the photo with@elmstreetquilts and use #ESQrepeatQAL as the social tag.     

Don't use Instagram either?  Send me a progress photo via email to elmstreetquilts at gmail dot com. 

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Look at all the pretty vowels!

Such great looking vowels have been turning up on Instagram #ESQrepeatQAL and on the Elm Street Quilts QAL Facebook group!

Credit to: Kathy T & @needledmom (top row), Kathy T and Kaholly (middle row), and Brenda and @opal.august (bottom row).    (Note - links are to either their instagram feed or their Facebook page.)

Come join the fun and get ready for the letters p and q blocks on Monday!   Miss a post, get caught up here.  Plenty of time to make the quilt - linky will open from mid-July to mid-August.

And make sure you read through yesterday's post in case you need to correct (or remake) your letter i block.  Also discussed the issue some are having getting the darn block pattern to print to proper scale on some printers.  Not to worry on that one - as long as it printing blocks to a consistent height, it is going to come together just fine.

Sharing progress photos on Instagram, in the Facebook group or emailing them to me will earn you some entries into the giveaway.  Read more about this here!


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Correction for the letter i block

Two important things for the repeat QAL.

First, I know some people are having problems with their printer getting the pdf pattern to print to the proper scale.  As long as the blocks are a CONSISTENT HEIGHT, don't worry about it.  The finishing instructions will help you adapt.   Your finished quilt might be slightly smaller but still gorgeous!  However, it would be helpful to me to know how much variance there actual is out there. Can you take this quick survey - just answer as many or as few of the letter measurements as you want!

Second, the letter i.  Sigh.

Late Wednesday, someone brought to my attention that the letter i block was incomplete - it was missing it's bottom background piece!  (How embarrassing for me and the poor letter i!)

In the process of creating the pdf, I pulled in the wrong block.  So sorry for my error!

It has been corrected and everyone who received the incorrect letter i block received an email from me with the updated block attached.  (The new i block is constructed slightly differently as well - a bit easier to assemble.)

The new file name is called Elm Street Quilts repeat QAL - letter a i u UPDATED.  If you haven't made your letter i block yet, you can just download a new copy.

And if you did make it already, I'd recommend making it again.  It is a quick block.  But if you'd prefer to fix what you got, keep reading!

Sometimes in the printing of pdf patterns, they loose their calibration a bit and what started out as an inch, is slightly less than an inch.   Just in case this happened to you, we are going to work this correction off an actual finished block that you have.

Measure distance between the background piece at the top and at the bottom of the letter u block.

Add 1/4 '' to that measurement and measure down from the top of the main part of the letter i block.  (Don't include the 'dot' part of the i.)

On your letter i block, mark a line that measurement down from the top.

Lay a piece of background fabric rough cut (to be trimmed later) at 2 1/2 '' square ; right sides together where the edge of the fabric is against the line you just drew.  

 Stitch your quarter inch seam.

Flip and press.  Compare to the letter u block - see those 'vvvvvvvv' in the photo below.  If all is good, then go ahead and cut aware the excess letter i fabric and trim.   (If not, recheck your measurements and repeat.)

Now that your center bits are lined up and fixed, you may need to trim a smidgen off the top.  My correction was less than 1/4''.

Whew!  All done!

Thanks much!  See you back here on Monday for the letter p and q!



Have a wonderful day! Patty

The (endless) lines of wavy quilting is DONE!

Although I usually take my large quilts to a wonderful LAQ, I opted to quilt my daughter's dorm quilt by myself on my own machine.  The only way I could tackle the monster was to use organic wavy lines.  This way I gave myself permission for the lines to be something other than straight.

I spread quilting the beast across multiple sessions, next going more than 45 minutes before taking a break.  Since it was 70 inches wide and 100 inches long, I would celebrate the completion of each 10'' row as a % of the quilt was done.

For the backing, I choose a soft, soft flannel gray with a diamond pattern.  My daughter wanted flannel (she is always cold) and the silver gray color works well with the quilt.

But flannel meant it was massively heavy as I draped it across my shoulders to hold some of the weight.  That said, I did it!

I just love the way it turned out and - more importantly - so does my daughter who will be taking this to her freshman dorm in the fall.

Now I need to make a label and bind!

Can wait to share the final quilt!

I'll be linking up with Fort Worth Studio, Confessions of a Fabric Addict,  Finish Up Friday, Thank Goodness It is Finished Friday, Patchwork Times, Sew Cute Tuesdays, , Freemotion by the River,  Fabric Tuesday's,  WIP Wednesday's,  Let's Bee Social,  and Midweek Makers.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

repeat QAL - the rest of the vowels - a, i, u

Time to make the rest of the vowels for your repeat quilt.   I am so excited that you are quilting along!  (For overall information on the QAL including any pattern updates, sponsor information and overall schedule, please visit the main repeat QAL page.)

Paper piecing patterns are available today for the letters a, i & u.  The letter e was available last week.

quilt

eat

sleep

repeat

• Download the paper piecing pattern for the letters a, i & u.    Note this download has TWO (2) information pages before the actual paper piece pattern sheets so only print the paper piece patterns on your special paper!  (This is your personal copy of the pattern.  Please don't share it with others - just send them to my blog and they can get their very own!)

• You'll need two (2) a's and one (1) u and one (1) i in the quilt so just print one (1) copy of each of the paper piece pattern.  The letter i and u are on the same pattern sheet.

• The letters a & u will be trimmed to 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 '' and will be 5 x 4 '' in the finished quilt.

•  The letter i will be trimmed to 5 1/2 x 2 1/4 '' and will be 5 x 1 3/4 '' in the finished quilt.

If you are making the smaller quilt quilt and piecing the letters traditionally, you can get the pattern for the ui block here.  (This is your personal copy of the pattern.  Please don't share it with others - just send them to my blog and they can get their very own!)

                                      quilt

• For overall information on the QAL including any pattern updates, sponsor information and overall schedule, please visit the main repeat QAL page.

• Download a copy of the repeat QAL coloring sheet.

• Fabric requirement and suggested supply list are also available.

• Paper piecing tutorial

Share progress photos in the Elm Street Quilts QAL Facebook group.   Come cheer on others and make new friends.  

Don't use Facebook?  Share your progress on Instagram.  Make sure your tag the photo with@elmstreetquilts and use #ESQrepeatQAL as the social tag.     

Don't use Instagram either?  Send me a progress photo via email to elmstreetquilts at gmail dot com. 




Have a wonderful day! Patty

Cape Hatteras mini

Love lighthouses and love quilting - so put them together, make a mini and here is what you get - Cape Hatteras!

For those not familiar, Cape Hatteras is one of the majestic lighthouses on the North Carolina Outer Banks.  I've never climbed it (too chicken) but my family has several times.  In 1999, the lighthouse was moved further from the ocean!

This mini finishes just shy of 5 x 6''.  I had fun with my thread painting of the beach grass.  The binding is the hardest bit - I did a foldover binding.

First I cut my backing fabric roughly an inch wider all around and pinned for quilting.

Then I trimmed it to about 5/8 '' and folded it in half to meet the edge of the quilt/batting and then folded it again.   Use lots of pins and then sew slowly.

Make Modern magazine has issued a mini mini challenge with some great prizes.   There are lots and lots of minis out there on  #MMminimini  Instagram.

You can find out more information on the Make Modern magazine mini mini challenge  - but check quick, it ends soon!  And if you want to make your very own lighthouse, I posted the pattern here on Craftsy.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

5 tips for new bloggers

Yvonne @Quilting Jet Girl, Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs, and Stephanie @Late Night Quilt are  hosting a new bloggers blog hop and invited older experienced bloggers to write an advice post.


I first started my A Stitch in Time blog in 2010 and this blog - Elm Street Quilts - in late 2014.  I enjoy writing my blog posts and connecting with other quilters.  I decided to start the second blog to focus on creating a place for hosting QALs and other fun events.  All of my original content flows to the new blog while I still post on my older blog my different blocks from the QALs I'm participating in.  (I've got a QAL underway right now - check it out!)

Across both blogs, I post 3-4 times a week so I wanted to share five tips about being a blogger.

1.  Have a schedule.  Whether you blog once a month, once a week or more frequently, set a schedule for yourself.  Use a calendar or planner, map out your plan for posts in pencil.   When the post is written, check it off so you know it is done and ready to go!

Use the schedule option in blogger to set your posts so they will post in the future at the date and time you want.

2.  Work in batches.  I'm busy working my way through various QALs including doing the Farmer's Wife 1930's blocks.  For my Farmer's Wife, my goal is to do a blog post after I finish a set of two blocks.  Long before I've started the block, I can put together the draft post.  I can list the name of the block, links to prior posts etc, perhaps general information on the QAL.

Once everything is ready to go, the post will sit in my draft folder until the block is actually sewn.  Once the photo is ready, I can upload the photo and add any commentary - perhaps on how tough (or easy) the block might have been to put together.

3.  Take great photos and size them as x-large in your post.  Everyone wants to see photos of pretty quilts, projects & supplies, both finished items as well as in progress shots.   This means they want to see the photo.  Google photos defaults to 'medium' size which means my glorious photo of basting pins looks like this.

But if I make it extra-large, everyone can really enjoy the photo!

To adjust the size and maybe add a caption, left click on the photo to display the options.

4. Put your blog name & url on each photo.   There are several free tools available that make it very easy to add text to your photos.  If someone borrows or pins a photo from your blog, it will have your information on it.  I always add my blog name and my blog URL, usually in the bottom right hand corner.  (See the pin photo above.)

One of the easiest tools to use to add text to your photo is picmonkey.   Besides adding text and basic cropping, there are all sorts of options for enhancing your photo.

Canva is another great tool for making some fun graphics for your blog like the one at the top of this post.  You can upload a photo (or use one of the stock photos available) and then play around with graphics for adding text.  There is a lot of content available for free and some photos and graphics only cost a dollar.

5. Make new friends.  Join linky parties (you can find a list of many of them here), participate in blog hops, follow blogs and comment, comment, comment.    Some of my favorite linky parties are Fort Worth Studio, Blossom Heart Quilts, Freemotion by the River.  Quiltfabrication, Quilt Story, Sew Fresh Quilts , and Red Letter Quilts OMG. 

And when someone leaves a comment on your blog, respond back via email.  Your response could be a simple thank you or perhaps you'll start up a conversation and make a new friend. And go check out their blog if they have one.

There you go - my 5 tips for new bloggers.  Have any tips of your own to share?  Leave them in the comments.

Finally, no post (of mine) is complete without a photo of a quilt or of fabric so I'll leave you with this one.

Have a wonderful day! Patty