Riley Knows How To Party!

We've been having a marvelous time at the Riley Blake shop owners retreat! I'm feeling pretty crazy lucky to be here. 

Our first class was an adorable block from Lori Holt using her fabric line "Cozy Christmas" 

It's so cute!!! And so is she :) this is me and my momma while working on our project!

That was yesterday. We also got to do some English paper piecing with Sue Daley. Loved it and am only a bit worried about my future time having to be divided among regular tasks and cutting and gluing tiny hexagons. Of course Sue says once you do small hexi-s you never go larger! 

So I guess I'm toast. 

Today we did a class with Melly from "Melly and me" learning some great tips on making her adorable softies! She has quite a story, and is crazy talented!

This is from the last class that we took with Simple Simon & co! So awesome! We made maxi skirts using their excellent tips!

I can't even say how wonderful it's been to meet and visit with these amazing women! All of them are so talented and it's been a great retreat! Huge thanks to Riley Blake for putting this together and creating such an amazing environment of creativity and learning!

The Online Quilter's Market!

I posted a tutorial a little while ago on the Online Quilters Market!
This is a site created by the Missouri Star Quilt Co. Crew that allows quilters the opportunity to display tutorials, reviews, and fun new quilt happenings :)

By participating here it's your chance to be a star! There are some great things going up already... such as... my broken breakfast tutorial! I'd love it if you could go and vote up my post!

The great thing for anyone who posts is, once a post gets to 20 votes you get a gift certificate to the MSQC shop! Who doesn't want to get paid for blogging! There are lots of posts that go up over there but the really good ones deserve to be noticed so on top of the gift card a post with atleast 20 votes also gets posted on the MSQC blog for all of there readers to see and then come see you! It's a win for everyone!

So go help me out and then post your own! Have fun!

It's moving back in day!

I've been having a lovely weekend!

I hope you have too! That would make it all the lovely-er *I'd raise my eyebrow here if I could (I try but I don't know if I really succeed... besides who really needs the eyebrows I know lovely-er isn't a word anyway.)*

I've been off galavanting around with the lovely ladies of the Missouri Star Quilt Co. We've had a great weekend! I took my sewing stuff, then left it at my brother-in-laws house so I couldn't use it. Dang.

So after a weekend of sewing for my mother (not me) and playing with her and my sisters around Kansas City (this is mom being kidnapped, sort of, for the trip and loving it!)

I am now home unpacking and re-moving in to my sewing space.

That's got to be the worst part of a sewing trip is packing and unpacking everything you thought you might possibly need or use!

I have bags of projects to re-sort, supplies to replace, and plugging the machine back into it's permanent spot. Which is bigger deal than it sounds. It involves hanging cords just so and hoping they don't slip as I climb over tables and lay across them so I can reach between the wall and a desk to hopefully get the cord if it's still in the right place so I can plug it in. I need an extension cord. :)

After I finish moving back in I'm finishing up some curtains for my girls and then maybe a project or two that was in the bag of to work on last weekend :)

One other super cool thing happened last weekend,

my pattern was the daily deal at the MSQC website!

I'm sad I didn't get to tell you about it because I was out of town and I don't have a laptop but don't be to sad as I am developing new patterns I will be continuing to send them over there and we will keep seeing more Designing Happy on the Daily Deal site!

Turning circles with our Jelly Rolls!

Jelly Roll Week is here!!!! Cruise over to MSQC and partake in the goodness that will be coming for us all! We should start getting jelly roll ideas later to day or tommorrw! If you don't yet have a jelly roll the daily deal is here to help us all find fantastic deals on jelly rolls, layer cakes, charm packs, patterns, etc. and word has it that soon there will be a free charm pack available on the daily deal site with only the $5 shipping to pay for your entire order!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win my "Broken Breakfast" mini quilt by commenting on any of my "Jelly Roll (end of the) Week" posts and/or blogging about them for more entries! The giveaway is open till September 20th! So comment away and share the fun! One entry per comment, One entry for blogging, only one of each kind per post!
Sew many entries! Sew little time!

Of course, while your here enjoy a quick tute of a fabulously fun, little circular rug!

Supplies~

1 yard of Textured of base fabric
1 yard of Heavy upper base fabric
approx. 44-2.5" strips wof or Jelly roll strips
Basting spray


I'm gonna talk base fabric first. I chose random fabric that I simply had in my stash and I have a lot of random fabrics! I chose something textured for the bottom as this is likely going infront of a dresser in my daughters carpeted room. I chose a denim for the top because I had it, it was sturdy for light traffic, and it was dark so hopefully it will not look dirty to quickly.
You may choose whatever fabrics you like for your base.
You might consider
a piece of canvas,
or heavy drop cloth,
or a light, thrifted rug
(though I would try to avoid anything to thick for sewing purposes and without a plastic bottom.)
The idea is that it will be completely covered anyway!

Making the base~

Fold your fabric square into fourths and stack both pieces. Using a push pin and a length of ribbon that reaches from the folded corner to the raw edge pin the ribbon down to the folded corner of the fabric. Stretch the ribbon across and holding the ribbon and pencil to swing across the edge mark a quarter circle on the top layer of fabric

Use this as a guide to cut through all thicknesses of your base fabrics.

Lay your base circle's out right sides together with the wrong side of the heavy layer on the top. Pin around the edge and sew together leaving a small 4"-6" opening for turning.
Spray the wrong side of the heavy upper circle with basting spray and turn the base piece right side out smooth the circles out immediately so the basting spray can hold it correctly in place.

I did my fabric in circles of receding sizes. If using an actual Jelly roll I would reccomend a spiral pattern instead do this by simply curving in slightly as you aproach the end of the circle you are working on and continue following the edge never finishing a circle round till you reach the center. I recommend this because of the lack of matching fabrics in a typical jelly roll. Spiraling justs give a more scrappy look.

Add your ruffles~
Start by ironing your strips in half lengthwise and trimming the selvages from your jelly roll strips.

Sew your strip down as close to the outer edge of the upper base layeras you can (less than 1/4" from the edge), finger ruffling it slightly as you go.When you reach the end of one strip simply add another by butting the 2 raw edges together.

My outer row took approx. 4 1/2 strips.

If spiraling simply curve inwards slightly once you have made a full circle to the next row. If you're doing full color circles finish a row by ruffling your fabric and trimming it to meet the beginning of the row you were working on and doing a small backstitch.

Then simply scoot in and add another row. When you add your inner rows pull the ruffles from the outer row away from the fabric strip you're working with and line up the edge of the new strip with the sewing line of the first to get your placement spaced right. Continue in this manner adding circles or spiraling inward till you reach the center. For spiralling simply curve till you get there do a little backstitch and your done!
For circles you will take a scrap of one of your strips and using pinking shears cut out an approx. 2.5" circle. When you reach the center there should be a hole about the size of a quarter left to fill. Place your 2.5" circle directly over this space and do a little backstitched X in the center!
Hurray we're all done!

These are super cute and fun for a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom depending on your jelly roll :)

It's Jelly Roll Week Somewhere!

I think I miss spoke in my last post

and all my wonderful links were for naught! :)

Unfortunately, it is not Jelly Roll week at the MSQC blog yet!

Keep watch though it will be soon, and they will be featuring my happy little "Gooseberries" quilt.

But, until then lets make it Jelly roll week here!

Or at least Jelly roll end of the week! :)

Since it's short notice for me I'm gonna start with a list of my favorite jelly rolls. (Now remember that being jelly rolls this narrows the fabric selection considerably to only MODA choices and this is still incredibly difficult!)

Here's my top five! er.. 6!

(and even this group is subject to change and not in order :) )

Soiree by Lila Tueller

We all know how much I love Soiree. (if not follow some links off that last sentence and see me talk about Soiree) If I could I'd thank that wonderful miss Lila herself simply for existing and bringing her fabulous style into this world.

The Morris Workshop by Barbara Brackman

I'm finding I have a Barbara Brackman weakness. I love her scrolls and color combinations it makes Victorian fresh, new, and happy!

Hello Betty Retro by Chloe's Closet

Love the colors, particularly the Retro version of Hello Betty! The negative floral patterns really pop the color too!

Nouveau by Sentimental Studios

My sister and I have been smitten by this one for quite a while now!

WONDERLAND by MoMo

Aside from the fabulous bright and fanciful artwork on the all over designs, how can I not love a fabric that features sewing supplies! Aaah! I want it!

Arcadia by Sanae

Arcadia's grey background is the perfect backdrop for the yellows and oranges that bring us from Fall comfort to Spring freshness! The elegant modern design helps make any project classic... and trust me I need that!

Since I'm talking Sanae I'm going to slip in an extra and mention how much I love

Spooktacular by Sanae

This is my halloween color palette! Not to mention the perfect styling for me to use and my kids and me are gonna love the end result! In fact I plan to finish out some treat bags I started *ahem* last year *cough* with a little spooktacular style!

Geez, how do you choose? With that last one I made this my top 7! So, did I leave any out? What do you think? Tell me about your favorites!

A couple of quick notes...

I've got a new blog post up at MSQC and am looking for input on the pattern worthiness of this latest project :)

also check out this great giveaway p.s. i quilt: how about a giveaway?!?!

Knocking out projects right and left!

My sister came to visit and we combined our to do lists and now we are enjoying the fruits of our labors!

There's been binding and quilting and child caring! Applique, cutting, and movie watching :)

These are some of the projects we've been working on but oh how long the list still is!

If you go check out The Cutting Table blog at MSQC you can be sure to wish Sarah a Happy Birthday!

Log Cabin Backing

Before I start I'm thrilled to say that one of my Favorite Quilty Heroes was and is having giveaways to celebrate her 100th post and I was privileged to be one of the winners! I have to say it was quite a funny picture this morning of me in my pj's gasping and bouncing around while my husband stared on in wonder :D hehe! Anyway go check out her site she's amazing and maybe you'll be jumping around in your pj's soon too!

So, remember that post I was confessing my sins of the only sewing that had happened in weeks...

Well this is what it turned into!

I'm preparing to back the Log Cabin Suburbia quilt and I think it looks great! (personal opinion ;) ) I think I'm gonna try out some spray on basting for this one. Does anyone have a favorite brand? Spray on basting loves and hates? Let me know please! I'll being doing that soon or I'll chicken out because of the size and just visit the Missouri Star Quilt Co. with quilt in hand and see what there long arm can do for me! We shall see :)

Anyway this has been blogged over at MSQC and will be posted later this afternoon and you'll be able to cruise over and see more pics for now you can check out my sister's T-shirt quilts she has been doing for clients in Missouri that are currently being blogged on the MSQC blog The Cutting Table. Enjoy!

Poochiness Happenin' on the MSQC blog

Hey everyone! You can see my latest project posted over on the MSQC blog!

It's not finished yet but I'm enjoying the process :)

I'm thinking that I'll finish the top with the leftover Amy Butler Slate that I sashed my Log Cabin Suburbia in and I got some cute blue fuzzy stuff to back it, so, it will be nice and cuddly for my little guy to lay on :D

So anyway, go check it out & leave me some love! (hehe, That sounds like my grandma!)

Oops

So....

I have no idea what that last post was even supposed to be *blush* oops, sorry! I know that it was posted the day before I left on vacation :)

I'd been planning to update you all after the giveaway craziness but as expected, it was crazy so here's what happened last week.

I worked hard and finished my Spring Blooms mini quilt

...and started working on 1000 truffles to be made for my Brother in law's wedding last week. My sister in law and I worked on them till 5 am while watching "How I Met Your Mother" episodes and I only got about 700 done....

yeah I decided that would be good enough :D Hehe! Nothing like working till your husband wakes up in the morning to make you feel like you've done enough for awhile! Then this week while we were in Missouri at my good friend Laura's house I made the wedding cake! And now I'm home after baking like crazy over the last 2 weeks! Here's a picture of the wedding cake just because I worked so dang hard on it and I'm proud of it, but I'm looking forward to some fun projecting very soon! I've got great fabric for a night gown for my little girl from the MO Star Quilt Co. I'm also getting ready to try quilting a large baby quilt myself (Eek! The biggest project I've yet attempted!) I've got to tutorial the sashing for the Log Cabin Suburbia quilt along! And my favorite upcoming project involves some new fabric I got before the Missouri trip!