Spring cleaning, new Etsy shop listings and a new quilt project

Although we still have snow in the yard and ice on the lake, I’m hopeful that warmer weather is just around the corner. There are some positive signs: the robins are singing and the sun is shining longer each evening. My hopefulness translated into some spring cleaning in my sewing room, which meant a restocking of my Etsy shop!

I’ve been holding onto some much-loved charm packs, jelly rolls, bolt-end fabric and other bundles. I decided to let go of some treasured merchandise and list it in my Etsy shop. I hope you’ll find that special something you’ve been looking for! Here’s a little peek of some of my listings:

 

 

I’ve also been busy working on a new quilt. I’m making the “Wayne & Gordie” pattern from the book Miss Rosie’s Farmhouse Favorites by Carrie Nelson. This nine-patch quilt uses the strip piecing method, so it goes together quickly. For fabrics, I’ve selected dusty reds and blues from some favorites Moda designers: Sweetwater, Lella Boutique and 3 Sisters. Don’t they play nicely together?

Later this week I’ll be picking up two other quilts from my longarm quilter friend, Barb, of Quilts on Broadway.  I’m excited to see them, bind them, and share them with you soon.  

I hope you all are experiencing good health, good weather, and good sewing!

~Taunja

A scrappy quilt featuring low volume fabrics

Hello quilting friends! I’m popping in today to show you a recent finish, my Happy Trails quilt featuring some favorite low volume prints from Fig Tree & Company. Happy Trails is just one of six fabulous patterns available in the Scrappy Project Planner by Lori Holt.

There are several reasons this quilt is special to me:

First, I took my time with it. Too often, quilt making becomes a rush due to deadlines. But this quilt evolved slowly.  I ordered the Scrappy Project Planner from My Timeless Day back in November of 2017. I took my time learning what the planner had to offer, used it to get myself organized, and perused the patterns. A few months later I began selecting and cutting fabrics for the Happy Trails quilt pattern. I continued to work on it between other projects, whenever I had time. 

Second, I sewed mostly from my stash. I often donate fabric to local churches, charities or friends. But there are certain fabrics I hang onto because I know I will be able to incorporate them into future quilts. That’s how I feel about most Fig Tree fabrics, especially the low volume (neutral reading) prints. It was a joy to cut from this stash of fabrics I’ve been collecting for several years.

You can see how nicely this quilt coordinates with another low volume project of mine, an over-sized orange peel pillow. There is just something about those soft Fig Tree prints that makes a person feel all cuddly and loved.

Third, I created my own personal vision for Lori’s pattern.  Using the graph paper sheets in her planner, I set out to stitch up a quilt where the chain was the dominant color element and the squares were softer and secondary. Lori’s quilt is more colorful and has more energy than mine, but I like the soft, quiet feeling of my finished quilt. It’s good for each of us to employ a little creative license, and anytime adults have an excuse to color, that is a good thing!

Fourth, my Happy Trails quilt was finished in a lovely fashion by a dear lady and wonderful machine quilter, Starlit Bear of Starlit Quilts. Star and I selected an allover Baptist Fan pattern, and I absolutely love it.  Star gave me some other options, but she gently nudged me in the direction of the fan, and I’m so glad she did.  It has a wonderful texture, don’t you think?

While I’m happy to have my Happy Trails quilt completed, I’m also content with the more deliberate, slow moving journey of this quilt. Using the planner played a big role in that process. If you are interested in the Scrappy Project Planner, there are still a few in stock at My Timeless Day. Even if you only occasionally use the planning sections of the book, the patterns alone are worth the purchase. FYI: the planner is not dated, so you can use it for years to come!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I hope you all find time to get carried away quilting!

~Taunja 

Summer Moon: a sampler book by Carrie Nelson

Last week I received a lovely surprise in my mailbox. The kind folks at It’s Sew Emma/Fat Quarter Shop sent me a copy of Carrie Nelson’s new book, “Summer Moon,” which features a beautiful and unique sampler quilt. After spending some time looking at all of the pretty photos in the book, I zipped on over to my sewing room and made up one of the blocks, the Maple Star!

The sampler quilt is comprised of 24 blocks that are each made in three different sizes: 5”, 6 1/2” and 8” unfinished. The book includes setting instructions (frames) for the small and medium blocks so that when the quilt is laid out for final assembly, all blocks are the same size. It’s a unique concept that makes for a very whimsical finished quilt.

“Summer Moon” is set up in a block of the month format that takes 10 months to complete. Fat Quarter Shop will be hosting a BOM sew along which begins in May. Make sure you are following their blog, the Jolly Jabber, for details!  

To get my feet wet, I whipped together a 6 1/2” Maple Star block featuring prints from the Nest collection by Lella Boutique for Moda. I just love that line! I’ve also mixed in some Corey Yoder favorites from her new Strawberry Jam collection, as well as the fabulous text print (bottom of stack) from Lella Boutique’s upcoming Lollipop Garden collection. 

I’m not sure I’ll be able to make all of the blocks required each month, but I’m setting a goal to make at least the assigned medium blocks each month. That’s the beauty of a sampler/BOM program: the book provides you with the structure, but you can go at your own pace and customize the quilt to your liking. You are the boss, remember!

I’ve sewn many Carrie Nelson patterns over the years. I’m a particular fan of her “Schnibbles” books. And now we have "Summer Moon," a collaboration between Carrie and the talented publishing team at It’s Sew Emma. Yes, that is a stellar combination!

At the end of this post I’ve included the block schedule and fabric requirements from the book. This should help give you a jump start in planning and ordering, or you could throw caution to the wind and play from your stash, like me!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, quilting friends. “Summer Moon” is available now at Fat Quarter Shop. It truly is a beautiful book you’ll be happy to add to your quilting library.

~Taunja

Flower Tile: a charm pack quilt for spring

February may be winding down, but winter is not. Today we’re in a blizzard warning and the week ahead will bring more snow and cold temps. Once again, I looked to my quilts to bring a vision of spring to the inside of my home since mother nature is not cooperating.  Yesterday I graced our table with my Flower Tile quilt, and it cheered me right up!

Flower Tile is a charm pack quilt that finishes at 44 1/2" square. My sample features the Strawberry Fields Revisited collection by Fig Tree & Company, but I think this pattern would look terrific in a variety of fabrics and colorways! There are some really pretty collections debuting this spring: “Strawberry Jam” by Corey Yoder and “Garden Variety” or “Lollipop Garden” by Lella Boutique come to mind.

Here are the material requirements for Flower Tile:

(1) charm pack, or (27) 5” squares

Green................................ 1/3 yard

White................................ 1 1/8 yards

Inner Border...................... 1/4 yard

Outer Border...................... 2/3 yard

Backing............................. 3 yards

Binding............................. 1/2 yard

Flower Tile is available at many quilt shops and also in paper or electronic format on my Etsy Shop. Quilt shop owners: wholesale information is available here. This pattern would make a great class project. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Don't forget to tag me on Instagram if you make one of my patterns. I love to see what you’re sewing!

~Taunja

A "lake" pillow for my Lakeside Star quilt

Do you ever catch yourself smiling, really smiling, when no one else is around? I’m a pretty happy person, so I think I’m often smiling on the inside, but I don’t think my face makes a smile too often when I’m all alone. It’s a bit like talking to yourself.  When you catch yourself doing it, you stop and think . . . and maybe giggle!

Well, I caught myself “smiling out loud” when this pillow arrived from Jennifer at Farm Fresh Stitches. I ordered this pillow to go with my Lakeside Star quilt, and it’s exactly what I wanted, but even better . . . it’s fun, touchable, whimsical and totally happy! 

I love how Jennifer fussy cut the letter “L” from the navy text print of the Sweet Tea collection. (If you recall from my earlier post, the Lakeside Star quilt features Sweet Tea, the newest collection by Sweetwater for Moda.)  

The darling letters, cozy chenille, and special finishing touch on the pillow back . . . all contribute to make this pillow a smiler!

I’ve decided that the Lakeside Star quilt will find its home in our second guest room, which has a log siding feature on one wall. That room is in transition, as our son has started his new job and is only here part-time.  Once he gets totally settled, I have some fun plans for this room. The Lakeside Star quilt and coordinating pillow will be my jumping off point!

They say that smiling is good for your physical health, mental health and attitude.  Well, I think that smiling when you’re all alone may have even more benefits, because when you realize you’re doing it, there is an added layer of surprise and joy. It’s a bit like being a kid again!

I hope you’ll zip on over to the Farm Fresh Stitches website and see all that Jennifer has to offer.  You’ll be glad to add her as a quilty friend! I also see that LouLou’s Fabric Shop has just two fabric kits remaining if you’d like to make your own Lakeside Star quilt. Better hustle, as they're going fast!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you find time to get carried away quilting, or whatever makes you smile!

~Taunja

A simple patchwork quilt

Some of the best quilts are simple patchwork quilts, wouldn’t you agree? Last fall I purchased a half yard bundle of the Oxford collection by Sweetwater for Moda. My bundle included the blues and greens from the collection, in both prints and wovens. I pondered a few different ideas and looked through all of my patterns and books, but in the end, I couldn’t get past how pretty the fabrics looked just lying next to each other. And so it was decided . . . a really big, easy peasy patchwork quilt.

There is so much that I love about this simple quilt: the calming color palette, the subtle design of the florals, the mix of the smooth cotton and the softer, tactile wovens. The Oxford Patchwork will be a perfect guest room quilt. It’s welcoming and pretty . . . but not so fussy that guests are afraid to wrap up in it.

My Oxford Patchwork quilt finishes at 85” x 110”! Yes, she is BIG! But she is also quick to sew. I’ve included some basic instructions at the end of this post, in case you’d like to make something similar!

I sent my quilt to Lindsey at Primrose Cottage Quilts for the machine quilting. We chose this soft and pleasing wave pattern. Yep, this is definitely a lakeside quilt . . . blues and greens and soft wavy quilting lines. Thank you so much Lindsey! You put the perfect finishing touch on a quilt that I hope makes all of my guests feel welcome.

Our guest room is a work in progress. I’d like to find a pretty headboard and maybe a fun painted sign to hang above the bed. I’m on the hunt for another crocheted throw pillow, as the one in the picture is actually from our master bedroom.

My mother-in-law sets a tray on her guest room bed with a book, a little cross-stitch pillow, some floral greens and a couple of rolled wash cloths.  Maybe I should attempt something like that. It’s such a welcoming idea!

I guess there is no rush to get this room in order, so I will take my time. The bed has clean sheets and is topped with a pretty new quilt.  For most of the guests who come to stay, that works just fine.

Thanks for stopping by, quilting friends. If you love the look of these Oxford prints, I purchased mine from Fat Quarter Shop and I see they still have some prints available. The collection also includes a lovely red range. Mixed with the blues, they would make a festive patriotic patchwork quilt! 

~Taunja

Basic Instructions: Oxford Patchwork Quilt

Finished Size: 85” x 110”

Materials:

15 assorted 1/2 yards

Binding: 1 yard

Backing: 7 3/4 yards (backing size: 93” x 118”) 

Tips:

If you are using wovens like I did, I would recommend spraying them with starch or a product like Mary Ellen’s Best Press. Wovens are very “shifty.” 

When piecing, I recommend using a walking foot and doing lots of pinning.  Again, wovens are shifty!

Cutting:

From each 1/2 yard, cut (14) rectangles 6” x 9”. 

Here’s how:

1. Trim your half yard to a perfect 18” x width of fabric.  (They often come just a bit larger than 18” wide, depending on who cut your yardage.)
2. Starting at one of the selvage edges, cut (7) strips 6” x 18”.
3. Cut each of those (7) strips in half to yield (14) rectangles 6” x 9”.
4. You will end up with (210) rectangles.  You will use (200).

Assembly:

As you can imagine, the assembly process is really easy.  Lay out all of the rectangles on your design wall (or in my case, design floor) until you have a nice mix of print and color. The layout is 10 x 20 (10 rectangles per row; 20 rectangles per column).

Once you have a layout you like, take a picture with your phone or iPad and print it out if possible. The picture will become your cheat sheet for keeping the rectangles in order during sewing and assembly!

Sew the rectangles together from left to right, creating 20 rows.  Press row 1 to the left.  Press row 2 to the right. Continue pressing in that alternating manner.

Next sew the 20 rows together from top to bottom.  Press seams in one direction.

Prep your backing. Quilt as desired and then bind!

New pattern: Lakeside Star, a fat quarter quilt

Last fall I wrote about how my new surroundings were inspiring my quilting decisions. We moved to a new home on an intimate lake encircled by peeling birch trees and majestic oaks, with native reeds along the shoreline, a lawn dotted with tiny acorns, and birds of every kind and color . . . it was both simple and wonderful. 

The indigo water and the reflection of the butterscotch-colored oak leaves on the lake’s surface really spoke to me. I wanted to create a quilt that reflected the beauty of those colors and also honored the simple but beautiful views. From that, my new pattern, Lakeside Star, was born.

Lakeside Star is a fat quarter friendly quilt that finishes at 74” square. The simplicity of the layout mixed with just the right color choices is what creates a bold statement. 

The idea is to gather fat quarters from four (or five) colors, with one of them being dominant. My quilt combines navy, splash (light blue), taupe and vanilla (ivory) prints from the new “Sweet Tea” collection by Sweetwater for Moda. My dominant color is a soft orange. The orange fat quarters came from my stash.

The construction of this quilt is straight forward and perfect for a beginning quilter! My pattern includes pressing and layout tips as well. While I’m partial to the colorway I’ve selected for this quilt, I can see this working with many different color ranges. 

By now you surely have noticed the fabulous machine quilting by Jennifer of Farm Fresh Stitches. We chose a pattern called “Sweet Orange Peel.” Isn’t it the perfect complement to this quilt? I love how the design is contemporary but also a bit feminine. So pretty!

I’ve been a huge fan of Jennifer’s since I started following her work on Instagram (@farmfreshstitches) a while back. I hope you’ll visit her website, because my words won’t do justice to how creative this lady is! Not only is she a fabulous longarm quilter, she also offers other services, including t-shirt/memory quilts and custom name pillows.  Her work is absolutely darling and inspiring! Here are a few photos of Jennifer's creations, courtesy of her website:

Finally, I have to share a photo of how my quilt was shipped to me after Jennifer worked her magic. Lakeside Star arrived beautifully folded and wrapped with a lovely set of ribbons, just like a precious gift. Jennifer also tucked in some sweet little gifts and a personal note. I get the feeling that Jennifer’s business is so much more than doing good work, it’s also a mission to brings joy to others! Mission accomplished!

I hope you’ll consider giving Lakeside Star a try. I am already scheming up another version of this quilt using some Christmas prints. The pattern is available as a digital PDF on my Etsy Shop.

If you'd like to make a Lakeside Star similar to mine, I'm pleased to announce that LouLou's Fabric Shop is offering a fabric kit! You'll need to purchase the pattern on my Etsy Shop, but then you can just zip over to LouLou's for the fabric you need. Shop owner Jamie has selected fat quarters, borders and binding fabric predominantly from the Sweet Tea collection by Sweetwater, the collection I used in my quilt.  For the oranges, Jamie has created a custom pull from her store. She has a great eye, and I know you'll be in good hands ordering your fabric kit from LouLou's!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and hearing about this new pattern. I never want to wish away my days and weeks, but I have to say that I am anxious to photograph Lakeside Star outside next fall, in the natural world that inspired her! 

~Taunja