Friday, July 29, 2016

Zinnia Zip Bag :: A Finish

My second bag finish of the week! This one finishes at about 9" tall by 12" wide by 2" deep. It is a Sue Spargo pattern, the Zinnia Zip Bag.

Here it is before assembly showing off the embroidery.


The front


The back



The inside


I bought this cute bird print a few years ago. I don't remember where. I've pulled it out a few times for various projects but it never made the cut, so to speak, until this project. It makes a cute lining.

I finished my bag differently than the pattern calls for. I used my usual zipper bag finish so that there are no raw edges on the inside. I did a tutorial for the process a little while ago. Here is the link: Basic Zipper Bag Tutorial


Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Mary Ann's Blocks

I hope you are enjoying the Goose on the Loose Quilt Along. If you haven't started yet it's not too late to join in! We are half way through the blocks and Mary Ann sent me a photo of her first six blocks.


Some of these are time consuming while others go together quickly. There will be twelve blocks plus setting and border options. Thus the finished size of the quilt will vary. The blocks are 12" finished so if you set them in a 3 block by 4 block arrangement with no sashing or borders the minimum size is 36" by 48" finished.

If you are playing along and want to send me a photo of your blocks that I can share here please do so!


Monday, July 25, 2016

Classroom Series from Sue Spargo :: A Finish

A few weeks ago I shared with you about the Classroom Series and our first project, the Circle Play Bag.

I have finished my bag!

Here it is with all the embroidery done but before I finished the bag.


It didn't take me long to complete the bag. Here is the back side.


The front side


And the inside


The finished size is about 6" tall by 12" wide by 2" deep. It's a fun one to stitch up!


Friday, July 22, 2016

New Art Group Project :: Part 2

As promised earlier this week, here is my project along with the first border.


The techniques I used are Migrating Flying Geese and partial seams. We followed Deb Tucker's instructions and used her technique sheet. She made a demonstration video of her technique which I embedded below:


If the embedded video doesn't work for you, click here for the direct link to it on YouTube

Here is the link to my first post on this project: New Art Group Project Part 1


Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Goose on the Loose :: Block 6

The block for this month is another fairly easy one although it may not be a fast one.


Here's what you need if you are using the Wing Clipper ruler:

(8) 4.5" squares of scrap fabrics for the geese
(32) 2.5" squares of background fabrics for the sky

You are making 2" by 3.5" unfinished size flying geese units (1.5" by 3" finished). Make 32 flying geese units. Sew them together in pairs that are "flying in the same direction" to create 3.5" squares. Using the above photo as a guide, layout your squares of pairs of flying geese into four rows of four squares each. Sew them in rows and then sew the rows together.

The other method I would recommend for this is the Flip, Flip, Finish method. For that you will need (32) 2" by 3.5" rectangles of scraps for the geese and (64) 2" squares of background fabrics. Make your flying geese units using the Flip, Flip, Finish method and then follow the directions above to sew your flying geese units together.

To make things scrappier and still use the Wing Clipper ruler, choose more than eight 4.5" squares of scrap fabrics for the geese. I think I used twenty 4.5" squares. This makes a lot of extra flying geese units! Only trim up the 32 you need for this block. Save the rest for future blocks. Hint: the next block requires 20 flying geese units the exact same size as the ones for this block (2" by 3.5" unfinished). 

As usual, if you have a question leave it in a comment. If I can, I will respond to you personally. If you are "no-reply" I will leave an answer as a comment and you will need to check back to see it.



Monday, July 18, 2016

New Art Group Project :: Part 1

My art group is beginning a new project. We are each making a medallion style quilt. Our center blocks are to be any 12" finished size block we want. This is mine.


If it looks familiar to you it's because I made another of these a few weeks ago. Click here to go to that post

Click here to go to the free pattern.

At our last art group meeting we drew numbers from one to six. I drew number one. This means that I am in charge of coming up with the technique for our first border. I worked on it yesterday but can't show you until after our next meeting. The next Goose on the Loose Quilt Along block will post on Wednesday, but I will show you my center with the first border soon.


Friday, July 15, 2016

Classroom Series from Sue Spargo

When I was planning for the opening of my shop I knew I wanted to carry Sue Spargo products and projects. One, because I love them personally. Two, because there is no where else in this area to purchase supplies.

My Sue Spargo classes are doing well and Sue has started a program for shops called the Classroom Series. Shops get the already kitted supplies for these projects and use them for their classes. Shops are not permitted to sell the kits separate from the class. So the only way to get the pattern or kits for these projects is through a participating shop. You know I couldn't resist that!

The first project we are doing is the Circle Play Bag. I got the applique done a few weeks ago.

Front

Back
I've begun the embellishing.


This is a great project for practicing stitches. 


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Zinnia Zip Bag

I recently got some new patterns from Sue Spargo in my shop.


I've had my eye on the Zinnia Zip Bag since I saw it at Market. I couldn't resist starting one.



Those are 1/2" hexies. I am using the Sue Daley papers rather than cut my own and my small glue stick for basting. Works great for me! I haven't picked my zipper or lining fabric yet. 

Love how it is coming together!


Monday, July 11, 2016

Fancy Forest

I have begun a small version Fancy Forest quilt. I just love Elizabeth Hartman's patterns! I made the Kittens a little bit ago.

I've only gotten the foxes done thus far but have all the blocks cut out.


I'm using purples and greens with a medium gray background. Loving it so far!


Friday, July 8, 2016

Shop Samples

Most of my sewing these days seems to be shop related. We received some fun Halloween prints recently. One of them is for an apron. It's one of those printed on the fabric type projects. Very easy and fast. I made one in an afternoon in between customers recently. Here is one of my employees modeling it.


We also received some Quiet Bunny fabrics. One of them makes a book.


Another printed on the fabric fast and easy project! The satisfaction of starting and finishing something adorable in one afternoon is addicting. I have started a longer term project though which I will show you soon.


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

License Plate Wristlet

Are you participating in Row by Row Experience this summer? If you don't know what it is, click here to go to their website and find out.

My shop, Alamosa Quilt Company, is a participating shop. Here is our row:



We also have license plates and last weekend I used them to make a small bag.



Above are the two sides of the outside. Below is the inside.


There are two smaller pockets inside as well.


The pattern is called License Plate Traveling Wristlet.


It's a fairly easy bag to make. The hardest part for me was making sure I had the license plates oriented properly when sewing them together. The pattern clearly shows how they are to go together but you know how easy it is to carefully line up something then mess it up when you go to sew the seam!

The pattern calls for three license plates but I only have two for my shop. I'm tempted to contact the other two shops in the area and ask if they will trade license plates with me so I can make one of these using plate from all three shops.


Monday, July 4, 2016

Guild Show Part Two

I can finally reveal my Telephone Quilt that I completed in April 2015 along with the rest of quilts in this series.


Mine is the left most one in the middle row. 

I described the details of this challenge in this post. They are lengthy so if you are interested in how this challenge works, click over to read the details.

Unfortunately we were not able to display all 10 of the quilts. The seventh one in the series is missing. I never got to see it but as I understand it the piece is all black with white dashed lines across the center. We think it is suppose to be a close-up of a road.

The challenge was fun and was a true "challenge" for me.



Friday, July 1, 2016

Guild Show Part One

My guild's annual show was last weekend. My art group entered our recent circles project. The link will take you to my last post on this project which contains links to all previous posts about it.

To recap, one day we made a bunch of abstract paintings. We decided to turn one of them into a project and just happened to pick one of the paintings I did. Each of us chose a small section of the original painting, enlarged it to 18" by 18" and then turned that section into a quilt.

Below is the result:


Mine is the one at the top left. Below is a more straight on shot taken at our last meeting, before all the mini quilts were attached to the quilted black background:


Also hanging at the show was my Oh My Stars! quilt.


Click here for the post where I shared the details about this one. I'll share a little more from the show in my next post.