June Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop

When I was a girl, I always wanted a Crayola Crayon Box 64 with the built in sharpener in the back.  Every August when we went to town to get our school supplies, I recall begging my mom for the "big box" of crayons.  But it wasn't on the list.  A box that big wasn't required by the teacher.  So my mom would say no.  I don't remember if I pouted, but I'm betting that I did.  In the long run, it was probably a really good lesson for me. Make do. Be thankful for what you have.

Well, I'm not a little girl anymore, but let me tell you I was pretty thrilled to receive my June Sew Sampler box and find the Riley Blake Crayola Fabric Colors box filled with 10 beautiful Confetti Cotton fat quarters.  This is even BETTER than a 64 box with sharpener!  The fabric colors are richly saturated and I can't wait to make something with them.  The June Sew Sample box was off to a great start!

The treasures I found next included some darling twill ribbon, another Sew Sampler Block Recipe, and BLUE Alphabitties.  I already own the pink ones and I use them all the time. It will be so nice to have another set, in another color.  

Of course the fun didn't end there.  I was excited to find a beautiful pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew, a black Frixion Ball Erasable quilter's pen, and a Creative Grids 2 1/2" ruler! Seriously! What a haul!  

I've made a handful of Cluck Cluck Sew quilts in my time, and the patterns are always top notch. I'm sure the "Shimmer" pattern will be the same.  I'm also very happy to get my hands on a Frixion pen and give that a whirl!  While I do own a 2 1/2" ruler, it is not from Creative Grids.  This ruler definitely has better markings and of course that trademark grip. I am a big fan of Creative Grids rulers.

If you'd like to know more about this great subscription program, please check out one of my earlier posts (April Sew Sampler Box or May Sew Sampler Box). Basically, Sew Sampler is a monthly subscription quilting box from Fat Quarter Shop that automatically delivers surprise quilting goodies to my door every month.  Please visit Fat Quarter Shop for all the details! 

Thank you Fat Quarter Shop for the terrific June box.  I love every bit of it! And thank you all for stopping by the blog today!  I hope you get carried away quilting often!

~Taunja

New Pattern: Sweetly Scalloped

Thank you for stopping by to check out my newest pattern, "Sweetly Scalloped." My vision with "Sweetly Scalloped" was to design a quilt that would show the range and beauty of a fabric line, with special emphasis on a favored focal fabric. I wanted a design that was clean and linear, but also incorporated soft, sweet edges.  So out of that idea emerged a layering of several 2 1/2" strips and a favorite floral fabric, all framed by soft scallops.  I hope you like it!

"Sweetly Scalloped" measures 59 1/2" x 70 1/2" and is jelly roll or rolie polie friendly. For my quilt, I decided to create my own strip set by cutting 2 1/2" strips from several of my favorite Fig Tree & Company fabrics.  I think I may have five Fig Tree lines in this quilt, which I love!  It is pictured below as a layered throw on a full sized bed.  You could add an additional border or two if you wanted a larger quilt with more drop!

When making your choices for this quilt, the key is selecting a strong focal fabric (mine is the red floral from Strawberry Fields Revisited) and a prominent scallop fabric, and then building from there.  I am already imagining this quilt in seasonal prints or children's fabric with a vintage flair.  The possibilities are endless!

"Sweetly Scalloped" is available on my Etsy Shop. Special thank you to Barb Erickson at Quilts on Broadway for the lovely quilting! We chose a design called "Baby Curls," which seems to complement the fabric so nicely.

Thank you, blog readers, for your continued support and encouragement! I hope you will give "Sweetly Scalloped" a try.  It is a fun weekend project and a great excuse to break into your favorite 2 1/2" precut stash. Now head to your sewing room and get carried away quilting, my friends!

~Taunja

Crossroads Quilt Along: the Intersection Block

Well here we are, on the fifth month of the Crossroads Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop. Next month we will tackle the Chain Blocks (18 of them!) and then move on to the borders in August followed by the pieced backing in September. It seems like just yesterday that I was dancing (literally) around my sewing room because I had received my Strawberry Fields Revisited bundle.  

This month's assignment was three Intersection Blocks.  I truly enjoyed making these blocks. In fact, I found the first corner of one block to be so cute that I had to stop and photograph it! I'm tempted to make a whole quilt of just these . . . someday!

Here are my three completed blocks. Joanna of Fig Tree & Company selected such lovely color and print combinations for this quilt. I just can't wait to see my finished top! 

You can join the quilt along at any time! Visit the Fat Quarter Shop for the details! All proceeds go to a wonderful cause, the March of Dimes. If you are quilting along, be sure to share your progress and creations on the Crossroads Facebook Group and also on Instagram using the hashtag #crossroadsquiltalong! 

Who else is quilting along?

Below is a list of the talented quilters who will be sharing their progress each month on their own blogs. Please visit their blogs to see their creations as well!

• Joanna of Fig Tree Quilts (@figtreequilts)
• Pat Sloan (@quilterpatsloan)
• April of Prairie Grass Patterns (@amrosenthal)
• Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)
• Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)
• Angie of Gnome Angel (@gnomeangel)
• Vanessa of Lella Boutique (@lellaboutique)
• Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)
• Erin of Why Not Sew (@whynotsewquilts)
• Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)
• Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)
• Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapvinelane)
• And my Instagram handle is @taunjalynn

Thanks for stopping by the blog! I hope you get carried away quilting often!

~Taunja

The graduation quilts

This past weekend was a busy and exciting time for my family, as our daughter, niece and nephew all graduated from high school! We are so proud of these kids.  They are hard working, kind, funny and smart.  I have no doubt they will each make a positive impact on the world as they pursue their dreams.

As the resident quilt maker in the family, our gift to each of them was a quilt to take to college.  It may sound corny, but my sincere hope is that these quilts will bring them comfort and happiness when they are away from home.  I hope when they are wrapped in these quilts while studying, sleeping, or watching a movie, they will be reminded of how much they are loved.  

My daughter Haley helped me select the fabrics and patterns for all three. Nephew Ben's quilt is masculine and subtly reflects his love of the outdoors.  It also coordinates with his new college colors! Niece Jordan's quilt is made of lively, bright pastels, perfectly matching her bright and sunny personality!  Haley chose her fabrics because she thought they created a nice mix of "girly with a bit of edge." I really like how the Moda grunge gray/lavender in the lattice makes a striking cut through the feminine pastels.  I've included the pattern names and materials used for each quilt below.  

Ben's Quilt

Size: 62 1/2" x 90 1/2"
Pattern: "Mosaic" from the book Fat Quarter Style by It's Sew Emma
Fabrics: Gathered fat quarters from my local quilt shop, Quilts on Broadway (several Moda lines, including a brown-tone grunge, and a Kona navy solid)
Machine Quilting: Quilts on Broadway

Jordan's Quilt

Size: 60" x 70"
Pattern: "Creamsicle" by Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts
Fabrics: "Scrumptious" by Bonnie & Camille for Moda and "Tile Pile in Sunset" by Michael Miller.
Machine Quilting: Quilts on Broadway

Haley's Quilt

Size: 74 1/2" x 80 1/2"
Pattern: "Pretty in Pink" from the book Livin' Large by Heather Mulder Peterson
Fabrics: "True Luck" by Stephanie Ryan for Moda and "Grunge" by Basic Grey for Moda.
Machine Quilting: Quilts on Broadway

Thank you for stopping by the blog today!  Congratulations to our three graduates!

~Taunja

Charm pack giveaway winner with Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Happy Friday to all my quilting friends! Thank you for your kind comments regarding the simple half square triangle table topper I made using the lovely charm packs I received from Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  It seems that everyone is eager to get their hands on some "Bumble Berries" fabric by the Jungs for Moda!  It really is a pretty line, and I enjoyed sewing with it. Fort Worth Fabric Studio has the collection available for preorder on their website, so I hope you'll check that out! 

I love the excitement of doing a giveaway, but I dread that there will only be one winner! As in the past, I copied and pasted all of your entries into an Excel file and did several shuffles of all the rows in the spreadsheet.  There was no one at home for me to ask for a "number picking volunteer," so I randomly chose the number 30.  I then checked row 30 on my spreadsheet, and the lucky winner of the Bumble Berries and Moda Bella White charm packs is Susan E. Congratulations Susan!  We'll be in touch via email so that Fort Worth Fabric Studio can ship your prize to you when the fabric arrives at their shop in July.

Thank you to my terrific sponsor Fort Worth Fabric Studio for hosting this giveaway. And thank you all for stopping by the blog.  I hope you find time to get carried away quilting this weekend!

~Taunja