Monday, April 29, 2019

Hand Pieced QAL - The Blue Quilt



Tomorrow - April 30 - is the last day to link up finished quilt tops to be entered into the Grand Prize drawing for the Hand Pieced QAL!


I finished my second quilt top this weekend, opting to go with a thin 2'' border instead of the other options debated.  Basically, the deciding factor was the size of the wall where I wanted to display the quilt!


It was a lot of fun to make a 2 color version.  I will be hand quilting this one and intend to just enjoy the process.


I like how some of the spun seams show up on the back!

There are over 70 quilt tops entered into the grand prize drawing - can't wait to see the last finishes!

Thanks to my wonderful co-host Kristin from Simple Handmade Everyday for making this QAL extra special!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

One Monthly Goal April Finish link-up

Ready to link up your April finishes?
Don't panic - this link-up is open until April 30 at 11:55 pm ET.


My goal for April was to finish a quilt for one of my very special sisters.  You can read more about my quilt Special on this post.


There will be three winners this month - Fat Quarter Shop is offering a $25 gift certificate, Aurifil will be offering a large spool set from our featured designer and Alison Glass is offering one lucky winner a 6 pattern bundle (pdf version) of her patterns Feather, Color Plus, Cobblestone, Cathedral, Tessellation and Neeedlebook.


Visit the One Monthly Goal event page for the specific requirements for links and social tags. 

And remember, to be eligible for the prize(s) by random drawing you must linkup at both the goal setting and the accomplishment linkup in a given month. (
April Goal Setting Link-up.)

Make sure you add a link to this OMG post so others can follow where you are linking.   Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post:  


Sign up to receive email notifications when the One Monthly Goal linkup is open.  Think of it as a helpful reminder!  Joining the link-up from Instagram -see the tutorial.

Congratulations to Liz, Edith, and Sharon - our lucky winners for April.  Winners were chosen randomly and have accepted their prizes by email.  (updated 5/3)







Thanks for linking up!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, April 22, 2019

Special

For the last ten years, each time one of my six sisters hits the big 5-0 birthday, I've made them a quilt.  When I think back over these quilts, they have certainly evolved - my skill has greatly improved and my designs have shifted to be more modern.

I wanted the quilt for this particular sister to be very special.  She is already special just being who she is but she has also done an awful lot to help out my dad as he is going through some serious health issues.

She didn't know I was making her a quilt.  When I asked her what her favorite color was (Navy), she likely thought I was making her yet another zipped bag.


With her favorite color in mind, a stack of Alison Glass prints and a consultation with another sister, I decided to go with my variation of  Fish in the Sea by Rebecca Severt.   


I drew up my own version to have 50 geese with the intent that the straight line quilting run diagonal in the background color stopping and starting at the edge of the geese.

Then within the geese themselves, I machine quilted about 1/4'' from edge using matching thread.

The result was just as I had hoped although there were many, many threads to bury!


To add a bit of fun and interest, I hand quilted around some of the geese and added some lines of hand quilting across the quilt.


The quilt is throw sized.  I used a Moda wide back for the back of the quilt.  It is a dark sky blue with darker large dots.


Turns out Navy is REALLY hard to photograph true to color.  (Or perhaps it is that I am not a good enough photographer.)   The very first photo in this post is the closest representation of what the color looks like.

And, for the record, this is actually Painter's Palette Midnight Blue.  It seemed to me like a prettier shade than the color actually called Navy!

(I'll be linking up here.)



Have a wonderful day! Patty

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Her Favorite Things

We've a family friend in her twenties who loves her Converse.  She'll be visiting us next month and I wanted to make her something special.


This young lady is in a wheelchair so I've sized the quilt so that she can tuck it around her while in the chair.  I plan to put flannel on the back to make it extra cozy.


I love paper piecing and really had to force myself to stop making blocks once I had 6 of them.  I kept finding fabric in my stash thinking that it would make such a great color for a sneaker.

The Converse block pattern is from Kristy @ Quiet Play.


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, April 15, 2019

My 100 Day project

Have you heard about the 100 Day Project?  While it officially kicked off on April 2, you can certainly start your own 100 days of creativity anytime you want.


I decided to hand piece every day starting with these drunkards path blocks.


 I don't yet know if I'll make 100 of these blocks or some of these and some of something else - that is part of the 100 day journey.   


So far, I have stuck to the schedule and pieced one every day.  Fingers crossed I can keep this up!

Fabric is Alison Glass and various low volume for the background.


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Friday, April 12, 2019

Hands to Help Charity Quilt

Once again in 2019, Sarah  is hosting a Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge


I've chosen to make baby quilts for the Jack's Basket - an organization that delivers baskets to families who are celebrating the birth of a new baby with Down syndrome.  As a mom of a now 23 year old with Down syndrome, this organization really touched my heart.


Quilts need to be done and mailed by May 31!  I've already pulled fabric for a second quilt. 



Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Hand Pieced Blue


I made a second set of blocks along with all the lovely people participating in the Hand Pieced QAL.  I am really loving the blue and white.

With my center pieced, I'm auditioning settings in EQ7.

The first two make use of the fabric I have on hand, the third one requires a fabric purchase!

Option 1 - set the blocks with asymmetrical borders - this is a 5" on top and right and a 2" on the left and bottom.  The quilt would finish roughly 27'' square.


This second one is my least favorite.  The quilt would finish about 24'' square - perhaps an option if I decide to make this a pillow.


My third option  (ignore the fact that the blocks are set differently) matches the on-point setting I used in my first version of the quilt.  This quilt would measure 32'' square.


While I play around with layouts, I've put my blocks up on my design wall - so fun to look at.  It is also fun to look at the back side of my project.  I love how easy it is to spin seams on hand pieced blocks!


These blocks were seriously so much fun to do.  Finished quilt top are popping up on are final grand prize link-up.  Folks have to the end of April to get their quilt tops done!


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, April 8, 2019

March Temperatures

I so much enjoyed making a temperature quilt in 2018 that I've started one again for this year.  While I did hexies for 2018, I've decided to just hand piece squares for 2019.  It only takes a minute to add each square.


The first column is January 1 - 15 and the last column on the right is March 16-31.

Interesting to compare to 2018 - overall 2018 had more really, really cold days but also generally had more mild days.  I'm very interested to see how the block of orange (temps in the 80s) and red (temps in the 90s) will look this year.


There are so many temperature quilts popping up and I love them.  I wrote up a tutorial on a temperature quilt if you are interested.  In addition, Anina is running a 2019 QAL!

Here is a mapping of the colors.



Have a wonderful day! Patty

Friday, April 5, 2019

Union Square block

Fat Quarter Shop is revisiting Classic and Vintage blocks and trying to look at them in all new ways.  Today, several bloggers are sharing their interpretation of the Union Square block.


Before piecing my block, I wanted to play around with fabric placement.  There are likely endless possibilities but these are my three favorites.  (EQ8 quilt design program makes playing with different color combinations on a block so fun and easy!)



I chose my favorite look from these and made a block.   I intend to make the block into a mini quilt.  It was fun to play with fabric placement before sewing up the block.   (Fabrics pictured are Painter's Palette solids.)



See more versions of this block on the Jolly Jaber.  You can download the pdf pattern here and there is a youtube video tutorial as well!  Make sure you check out the Union Square quilt kit too!

(Note - this post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase something.  However, this will not change your price in any way.)


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Hand Pieced QAL Grand Prize Link-up

Can you believe we are at the end of the QAL?

It all began with the simple 4 patch.  Now here we are, nine block patterns, dozens of tutorials, hundreds of hand pieced blocks and a continually growing Facebook community.


Kristin and I have enjoyed every single minute!  Every block, every stitch, every opportunity to share our love for hand piecing!

And for those of you asking what comes next, we have some ideas but give us some time to finish up this QAL first!
Just getting started?  You still have time to get caught up!  All the information you need can be found here on the main event page.

Thanks to our generous sponsors, we've assembled some amazing grand prize packages.  There will be four Grand Prize winners. (Read more about the grand prizes on this post.)





































To be eligible for a Grand Prize, you must:


  • Share a photo of a completed quilt top (i.e. the flimsy) or a completed quilt in the link-up below or via email. All entries must be submitted by midnight April 30 ET / 9 pm April 30 PT.
  • The quilt top (blocks, sashing and borders) must be entirely hand pieced.
  • Quilt tops must use at least five unique blocks from the Hand Pieced QAL.  You can use any layout that you chose for your quilt top.  (Instructions for two possible layouts can be found here.)
  • Blocks can be constructed using different units (ex: using two HST to make a flying geese).. Blocks can also be made a different size.
Winners will be chosen randomly and notified via email.  Winners have 72 hours to claim their prize - if we don't hear back, we will draw another name.  Once winners have claimed their prize, this post will be updated with the names of the winners.
Photos can be shared from a blog, Flickr, or Pinterest and must include a  link to Elm Street Quilts or Simple Handmade Everyday.  Photos can also be shared via a public Instagram and must contain the tag #handpiecedqal.  Don't have a way to share? You can also email them to handpiecedqal at gmail dot com. Please put the words GRAND PRIZE entry in the email subject line.  Need instructions on how to link-up? See the tutorial!


Quilts shared must follow the guidelines above to be eligible to win a prize.

Congratulations to Danice, Olivia, Barbara & Carla - the lucky grand prize winners!! (updated 5/8)


We hope you take a few minutes to visit others and make new friends!


Please note - sharing a photo in the link-up gives Elm Street Quilts and Simple Handmade Everyday permission to feature a photo of your block on their sites.  Full attribution will be given.





Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Hand Pieced QAL - Grand Prize link-up opens tomorrow!

The time has come to turn your pile of hand pieced blocks into a quilt top.  Get this done by the end of April for a chance to win a fabulous prize in the Grand Prize link-up!



We've been thrilled with all of the blocks that we've seen in our link-ups, on Instagram and in the Facebook group.  The interest in the QAL has exceeded our expectations and we've had such a blast working through the QAL with everyone.

As you are working on hand piecing your quilt tops, we wanted to give you a little extra incentive with a reveal of the grand prizes!


Thanks to our generous sponsors, we've assembled some amazing grand prizes:











 There will be four Grand Prize winners. To be eligible for a grand prize, you must:



  • Share a photo of a completed quilt top (i.e. the flimsy) or a completed quilt in the grand prize link-up (opens April 4) or via email.
  • The quilt top (blocks, sashing and borders) must be entirely hand pieced.
  • Quilt tops must use at least five unique blocks from the Hand Pieced QAL.  You can use any layout that you chose for your quilt top.  (Instructions for two possible layouts can be found here.)
  • Blocks can be constructed using different units (ex: using two HST to make a flying geese).. Blocks can also be made a different size.



See you tomorrow for the grand prize link-up!!!


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, April 1, 2019

One Monthly Goal April Goal Setting Link-up

Welcome to April!  We had 129 goals linked up for March - lets see what this month brings!   (Did you see the overall announcement for the sponsors and featured designers for 2019?  It will blow you away!)



New to One Monthly Goal?  Welcome!  To join, share a photo of your project, some words about what you want to accomplish in a blog post, an Instagram post (tutorial) or a post on Flickr and add that photo to the link-up.  Return at the end of the month and share your results.  You can read about the event and the rules on the main event page.

We have wonderful sponsors this month - three (3) winners will be randomly chosen from those that link up in both the goal and the finish event.  




Fat Quarter Shop offers a tremendous selection of fabric, notions, books and just about anything you will need for your project. Consider their Sew Sampler box to receive a monthly surprise delivery of fabric and fun.  Fat Quarter Shop is offering a $25 gift certificate to one lucky participant.



Aurifil is home to a beautiful rainbow of thread in all weights, perfect for any of your sewing and quilting needs.  My favorite product is the designer collection boxes which coordinate with various fabric lines and this month's prize will be a large spool thread set from our featured designer!  (How cool is that?)


I am just thrilled to be featuring Alison Glass as our featured designer for April.  Alison is an award winning pattern and textile designer with a impressive portfolio of fabric, quilt patterns, and embroidery patterns.  She also has notecards, stickers, enamel pins and more adorned with her delightful designs. 

In addition to her many patterns, Alison has also authored a book - Alison Glass Applique: The Essential Guild To Modern Applique.  (affiliate link)

Alison is currently running a quilt-along for her latest quilt pattern - Trinket (shown below).  Trinket has 40 foundation pieced blocks and the QAL sets the pace of one block per day with plenty of time to complete your quilt top.  For more information about the pattern and the QAL, visit the main page or check out the #trinketsal to see all the amazing blocks shared so far.


Image and quilt credit: Alison Glass
And, finally, the fabric! Alison's fabric lines are filled with deep, rich, wonderful saturated colors.  While many of the prints read solid, they are actually covered with amazing illustrations of the world around us.  Alison is offering several new lines in 2019, including her first holiday line called Holiday plus a collection of low volume prints called Sunprint Light.


Mariner Cloth, Sunprint Light, and HolidayImage and fabric credit - Alison Glass
Alison is offering one lucky winner a 6 pattern bundle (pdf version) of her patterns Feather, Color Plus, Cobblestone, Cathedral, Tessellation and Neeedlebook.  (see photo).

You can visit Alison on Instagram, on Facebook, and see more of her patterns , fabric and other merchandise in her shop 

My goal for April is to finish a quilt which is a gift for someone special.  Since I don't know whether they read my blog or not, I'm simply showing a small sneak peak.  The geese fabric I'm using is designed by Alison!



Now it is your turn to link up - what is your goal for this month?  (A goal could be to finish a quilt but it could also be to attach a binding.  Whatever it takes to help you move forward and make progress on your projects!  And as long as the project involves making something with a needle and/or fabric, you can link up!)

Make sure you visit the One Monthly Goal event page for the specific requirements for links and social tags. 
 Your blog post (or Flickr post) must contain a photo of your project, a clearly stated goal and a link back to Elm Street Quilts.  Your Instagram post must include a photo of your project, a clearly stated goal and the tag #onemonthlygoal.  (Entries which don't contain the required information may be disqualified.)

And remember, to be eligible for the prize(s) by random drawing you must linkup at both the goal setting and the accomplishment linkup in a given month.   (The One Monthly Goal accomplishment linkup will be available on April 25.)

Make sure you add a link to this OMG post so others can find the OMG link-up from your blog.  Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post: 
 










Have a wonderful day! Patty