SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

flannel

::Hit the Spot Finished!::

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Straight from the dryer in its crinklie goodness is Hit the Spot.

Three must be the lucky number, because that’s how many times I starting quilting it and then spent some time with the seam ripper.

I finally settled on this little square as a starting point and went round and round without worrying about straight lines so much.

The whole quilt is made with leftovers.  Some strip piecing and past binding discards,

and blocks made as samples for a past bee.

The background all pulled from my neutral scrap bin.  I probably should have gone with darker thread.  I had no clue how much the quilting would sink into the flannel bits.  Hit the Spot has linen, Kona, flannel and regular print quilting cottons.  I learned a bit about quilting with such a variety of different textured fabrics…no consistent stitch length.  I’m not winning any shows for sure.

It’s now up as a sample for my Improvisational Quilting Class come March.

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I started my Destash finally.  There are the Boys Squares (see this post) available again and you don’t have to bid!  I have a few sets so let me know if I need to relist.  Things have been moving out already without me even mentioning it here.  I’ll continue through the week.

:: Hit the Spot Quilt ::

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Straight from the dryer in its crinklie goodness is Hit the Spot.

Three must be the lucky number, because that’s how many times I starting quilting it and then spent some time with the seam ripper.

I finally settled on this little square as a starting point and went round and round without worrying about straight lines so much.

The whole quilt is made with leftovers.  Some strip piecing and past binding discards,

and blocks made as samples for a past bee.

The background all pulled from my neutral scrap bin.  I probably should have gone with darker thread.  I had no clue how much the quilting would sink into the flannel bits.  Hit the Spot has linen, Kona, flannel and regular print quilting cottons.  I learned a bit about quilting with such a variety of different textured fabrics…no consistent stitch length.  I’m not winning any shows for sure.

It’s now up as a sample for my Improvisational Quilting Class come March.

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I started my Destash finally.  There are the Boys Squares (see this post) available again and you don’t have to bid!  I have a few sets so let me know if I need to relist.  Things have been moving out already without me even mentioning it here.  I’ll continue through the week.

::Hit the Spot Quilt::

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Things have been a balancing act around here since we arrived home.  We had one of those life events happen with the passing of Jeffrey’s extremely sweet, very small, giggling 92-year old Norwegian grandmother G.G.  You crafty ladies would have appreciated this domestic arts diva.  She lived her whole life in her own home.

I was pretty thrilled this morning to take a breather and shake out this long forgotten baby quilt.  I put it up on the design wall for some quilting contemplation.  I have a few ideas and am even hoping to tap into some of the hand quilting knowledge you all provided on this blog and that I can’t find for the life of me.

I’m even more thrilled that I get some time to go sew this Saturday with the lovely ladies of the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild.  Of course I have to go.

I’ll quilt this up and help Noelle out with her school auction quilt.


There’s a lot I like about this quilt.  I like that the focuses in it are made with left overs from some Bee Blocks made from my own fabric stash and a ton of  random neutral fabrics.  It has texture with a mix of Kona, linen and flannel.  I think the design layout worked well too.

There’s some things that I also would change and those I won’t point out cause that would get me nowhere now would it?

I’m still working on making time for a Value Quilt A-long and think I picked some dates for classes.

Now just send me some sun…I’m in need.

 

 

Here’s to

::Viewing It Differently::

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Do you ever make a quilt that you just love, but it sits waiting for the perfect person to come along and as it ages you start to not like it as much as you previously did?

I resisted the urge to create another quilt for my friend Laura’s baby.  I originally posted the Butter Block quilt earlier in the year.  It was the first ‘on point’ quilt I’d ever created.  I love the colors.  I love the print fabrics, and I of course especially love that it contains flannel (borderline problem).

Now that it is mailed I am appreciating it more and more.

I have just a bit left of some of these favorite fabrics.  Sometimes it’s hard to use the ones you just adore.

I’m so pleased it has a happy home.

 

::Seeing Value Class:

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Ready to step up your quilt making?  Last chance this season to take my “Seeing Value” class at The Quilting Loft in Ballard.  I’ve said it before, but this class is really a two for one.  Half-square-triangles and the study of how value affects quilt design.  A must for the Modern Quilter.

Transform those favorite fabrics in your stash into a work of art and check out what others have created here.

When?

Wednesday October 27th from 6-9pm

Where?

The Quilting Loft

::Stinking Cute/Sunday Stash 40::

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Ok, it’s stinking cute AND it’s flannel.  I needed batting and zippers from Joann’s and of course I perused the flannel.  Not much there, but this yard-burner.  Jammies, pillow cases, receiving blankets… I bought a few yards at 60% off.

The aliens depicted are of the “peace out” variety.

And it has a coordinate already located in my fabric stash.

::First Quilt/Blankie::

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I can’t really call it a “quilt.”  There’s no piecing and barely any quilting for that matter.  It was my first attempt of the basics when Roan was just little and I know I love it more than he does.  It also happens to be the softest flannel blankie ever and still is used when one needs a small soft spot to sit.

Barely quilted it still manages itself through the wash.  I used a set of star shapes cookie cutters to mark the shape and quilted over the tracings.  The stars are all different sizes.

I machine stitched the binding done.  I’ve tried this several times and have concluded that I rather enjoy a movie, some couch time with my husband and the needle when it comes to the finale of the quilt.

Even with a lifetime of watching my Mother quilt, baby steps are needed to build skill and confidence.  Do you still have your first quilt?

::A Zig and a Zag::

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My family shuffled by me at 6:30 am wrapped in quilts to watch Germany and Argentina play.  We are all piled on the couch, Me=Happy.

Elio’s quilt is done.

My Mom and I tag-teamed this one for a family friend.  Our first collaborative quilt.  How fun.  I did the piecing and sewed on the binding, she quilted it and sewed down the binding while I was in KC.

And the half square triangles are still piled from Roan’s quilt.  I am so happy with both of these that I think a large zig zag is in the future for Roan.

Since I lost all control on E-bay and “won” (insert my husband saying “purchased”) all the Amy Butler flannel dot at an insane price I’ve used it here again for binding.

Storybook was another E-bay auction score that I used for the back.  Added some flannel space people to widen it.  My Mom did a stitch in the ditch zig zag that shows nicely from the  back.

Hope you like it little Elio!

::New Baby, New Quilt::

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Remember this quilt?

It should be ON a bed, but no…it’s still rolled up UNDER a bed.  But a new baby is on the way, so onto new things with leftover bits from that unfinished HST quilt.  One of the joys of HSTs is you can create so many different quilts from that single block.

So my first zig zag.  I love how the Carolina Chambray showcases the prints in contrast.  I’ve collected these boy prints for ages and certainly have a load of dots.

It’s generously sized, because to me nothing is lamer than a baby quilt you can’t actually wrap around a baby.

It’s sitting with my Mom now.  She’ll quilt it and bring it back when she visits in June.  We’ll bind it and she will deliver it to Kara.  As a family they can collectively dream under their wedding quilt and this lovely.

I’ll post more when it moves along.  Happy long weekend!  I hope it’s filled with sewing!

::Sew Katie Did on Sew Mama Sew::

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Have you been checking out the fabulous quilts and tips on round two of the Sew Mama Sew Quilting Month?

Are you looking for a small project?

(Photo by Chara Michele Photography)

Well I combined my invisible zipper tutorial with a quilted pillow project and it’s posted today!

Go make yourself some!

::Sew Mama Sew Quilting Month::

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Go ahead and click on it, you know you want to.  There are beautiful quilts and other quilty things to discover…and at the end of the month there will be a quilted pillow project by me!

Here’s a snippet of what’s to come.


::Butter Block Quilt::

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If I had enough Flea Market Fancy I would make another big enough for myself.

Mmmmm….buttery lovely flannel.  In my new favorite, white!

This was my first ‘on point’ quilt.  I struggled a bit with the waviness of the edge triangles, especially combined with the double trouble of flannel.

I was a spray baste virgin until the edges of this quilt required taming.

It worked quite well.  I serged its edges, then sewed the binding on in the opposite direction to help lay the edges flat. Make sense?  This seemed to help a bit.

Kinda hard to see, but I quilted squares using the white block as the middle and the triangles as the outer points to the square.  I love simple quilting, especially with flannel.  It leaves it soft and supple.

The Alexander Butterflies are a favorite.

Since my last post they have completely disappeared from the internet shopping world!

The binding I had originally planned from the beginning to be Heather Ross’s Lightening Bugs Dot in the blue and orange.  Good thinking to cut it all with out auditioning it first…added to the scrap pile.  Pulled this from the shelf and it was just perfect.

Some left over bits for the back.  Not so exciting, but it will do.

Hate to do it, but one last indoor shot to show the whole quilt.