Hexagon Flowers from The Quilt Barn

We love The Quilt Barn!  Heather has been fortunate enough to attend a quilting retreat at their brick and mortar shop in Idaho.  The Quilt Barn is an awesome shop with all things quilty and sewing.  Then they also have a cute blog and offer lots of fun tutorials and other things.  Here's an awesome hexi tutorial from Tara!

Anyone remember this quilt I made last year? I used about 18 Moda Mini Charm Packs and about 4 yards of background fabric.  I had a great time making it and it was, actually, pretty easy. It just takes lots of time.
I think of this as a modern Grandmother's Garden. I didn't want to sew together the hundreds of plain spacers that go between each flower. I was sure I would lose interest. Buuuut...if I didn't have to make the spacers? Perfect

Here is how you can make a Hexie Flower Quilt. A baby quilt would be cute too, and wouldn't be as time consuming..

To see the awesome Hexagon Flower Tutorial, click HERE 

A Quilt for Baby Belle

Warning: Picture Overload

I've got another quilt finish (Megan), so I had to sneak in my own feature :)  My sister-in-law just had her first baby, a sweet baby girl Annabelle.  I called my SIL a few months into her pregnancy and asked her what colors she liked.  She said she was really into yellow, pink and brown.  Well just prior to that Heather and I got the whole line of Just Dandy.  Perfect right?  Except that I had the blue/green colorway and Heather took the pink/yellow colorway.  AND I had already used mine on these messenger bags.  Sigh.  After a lot of pouting and bribery (and more pouting) Heather gave me some.  I don't think there could have been a more perfect line!

I went through several designs with this, all of them were HST though :)  At one point it was a zig-zag quilt.  Ultimately I settled on this design and I liked having the pink/cream double hourglass to offset the yellow.

I used some leftover Peacock Lane for binding. I need more of those fabrics, amazing for the stash, seriously.

I also gave baby Belle Lola's Quilt :)  I figure if I ever have a girl I will want to do all pink/red/purple for her.  Already having two boys I literally have blue and green in every room.

I used Joel Dewberry's Heirloom for backing.  I straight stitched about 1/4" on the sides of the seams.  It made a neat pattern and I love the six-pointed stars in the middle.

Next I had to make her one of my Carseat Canopy's from Oh Baby!.  I used felt for the flowers and added a pearl in the middle.  I loved working with so much pink!  Here's the supplies you need for the flowers:

Two colors of felt, scissors (these teflon Havel's are my fave...they're really really good!), glue gun and disappearing ink pen.  I used the cup opening for the lighter pink and large circles, cut 4.  From the bottom of the cup cut the darker pink, cut 4.  Fold in half twice using the glue gun to keep in place. Arrange like below and add a pearl or two to the top!  Ta-da! How's that for a mini tutorial??

I also made her a nursing cover with Midnight Garden from Michael Miller.  Those come together fast...some boning and D-rigs and you're good to go!  Got to have one of those right?

I made an extra flower with a hair clip on the back.

Seriously it was so much fun to make girl stuff!  And it felt nice to go "overboard" since it was for a niece...now to get to meet that sweet baby girl!  They're in Florida and we're in Arizona, so it may take some time but it'll happen. Until then Skype will suffice.

Thanks for stopping by!

Meg Finished a Quilt!

I finished Lola's Quilt!!  Yay!

And sweet little Lola's Quilt ended up being for our brand new niece, AnnaBelle.  Couldn't be happier!!

I made this quilt in the spring, I didn't know anyone (at the time) having a baby girl.  I loved the fabrics...all the Lagoon color stories from Michael Miller.  And I was given the chance to do a tutorial using an Accuquilt.

TUTORIAL FOR LOLA'S QUILT HERE

Finished quilt size 30.5" x 40.5"

Perfect for new little babies!

I played around with the quilting on this one.  Since it didn't have a home, yet, I tried a decorative stitch.  It turned out sweet and I learned a lot.

The flowers were a fun feminine touch.  Although there are flower prints in the rest of the fabrics, I really felt like I needed to add more femininity.  Plus I LOVE putting applique over simple quilt patterns.

Polka dot backing.

 I was happy to find this binding, I auditioned a lot!!  But this was sweet, finished it nicely without standing out. Plus aqua is just a fab color, don't you think?

It feels great to post a finish!  I had this quilt top sitting around for a while.  Next week I'll share the other quilt I made just for baby AnnaBelle :)

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!  He's 3 today!!!

Stitched Buntings and Birdies from Clover and Violet

Today's feature is from Clara and Jennie of Clover and Violet. Super cute blog!!  I really love their little niche.  They design really cute bags and totes, I love this Ruby Market Tote they did. They also do a lot of stitching and embroidery...and this quilt today is to-die-for sweet. And you can totally make your own, check out this index, tons and tons of info and directions on this quilt! It makes me want to start stitching this instant!!  Make sure to stop by Clover and Violet and check out all their fun tutorials and their shop!

It's finally done!  I wasn't sure way back in May when I started this quilt that I'd ever actually finish it!  But all the wonderful participants of the Embroidery 101: Stitch & Quilt Along kept me going, and now I have one of my favorite quilts ever! {And, if you missed out on it the first time around, the tutorials and patterns are still available here!}

Along with everyone else, I learned a lot through making this quilt. Each block was not only an adventure in stitching, but also in drawing and designing, things I'd never really done a lot of. I really feel like I grew with each block.

But instead of saying too much, I'll let the quilt do the talking this time. Here are a few of my favorite blocks, though it's really hard to narrow it down...

The Quilt From H-E-Double

Ah. I love real people.  And by real I mean people that are funny and honest and even though we can be whoever we want online, some people are really themselves.  That's why I love this feature by Annie from Originate and Renovate. You'll get to read her feature and know why it's the quilt from H-E-Double in a second...but in case you don't somehow know Annie let me introduce her.  First they are one of our lovely sponsors, she and her family own a fabric shop (in person and online) Sew Obsessed. Also her blog Originate and Renovate is a great mix of lifestyle, sewing and family.  She's got loads of original tutorials.  Make sure to stop by if you haven't before. Okay now read! :)

Edited to add: Some people weren't able to see pictures before, that should be fixed!  If you cannot see them please let me know!

On a rare occasion, I see a quilt that I MUST make. That's exactly what happened on a winter's day last year when I first saw Camille Roskelly's June Bug Pattern . Her new fabric line was out and I HAD to have it. 

I don't usually buy the same fabrics as the pattern cover, but the springy colors took me away from what seemed like a never ending snow. I bought everything right then and there and set it aside for the perfect quilting day.  

A few months later, My sister and I decided to open a fabric shop. We needed to decorate with quilts and I knew which one I wanted to make, so I pulled out the fabric I had been saving and started on the quilting nightmare.  I don't mean the pattern. No, the pattern and directions were fabulous. 

In fact, the entire quilt top was like a little piece of heaven during a furious race against time to get our shop up and running.  It was when I pinned it to the long arm machine to start quilting that all the headaches began.  As I quilted along, on the first row, my machine stopped moving! I had a tiny hole in a seam in the quilt top and had ripped it open and attached myself to the batting. I had to CUT to get my machine off!  I was some how able to salvage the quilt, but not with out leaving an ugly stitched up mess.  I made it through the rest of the quilting process okay, until I pulled it off the machine and saw that I had attached my backing with the seam out!!  There was no going back at this point, the entire thing was quilted.  Then I started to look at my quilting and lo and behold a giant 10" x 5" gap with NO QUILTING.

I am no perfectionist, but this was out of hand.  Too frustrated to look at this quilt for a moment longer and I sent down to my mother in Las Vegas to bind  and hang in the shop.  She said the binding was a huge pain and she wasn't sure why, I informed her the quilt was cursed. When it was finally finished, my Sister hung it on the shop wall very crooked and meant to rehang it, but got busy doing other things and before she could get to it, who walked into the shop to check out the new fabric store in town, CAMILLE ROSKELLY! 

I wish this were all a joke.  The most ironic part of this quilt is the fact that the fabric it's made from is called "Bliss".  Bliss!!! I think not. 

Despite all the problems this quilt has, it now hangs in my daughters nursery and looks darling (if you don't look too closely). Every time someone compliments it, I have to laugh, because in this quilts case, life gave me lemonade and I some how made a lemon. 

Lola's Quilt and a Winner!

First and foremost, 1000 followers?!?  This has been such a highlight in our busy schedule.  We can sincerely say THANK YOU!  We appreciate all of you who read daily (or often), who've submitted and let us feature your quilts, who've commented on all the pretty features, who link-up and participate in Fabric Tuesday, THANK YOU!  We are so happy this blog is thriving, it's achieving so much of what we wanted which was to bring quilters together and share the amazing stories behind quilts.

As promised I have a tutorial for you of this quilt:

Finished Quilt Size 30.5" x 40.5"

Let me clarify, I received a Go! Baby fabric cutter from Accuquilt to review, but it doesn't mean I have to give a positive review.  I made this entire quilt using the fabric cutter, but you do not have to have one to make it...just may be faster if you do.  Especially the circles.  If you're using the Go! Baby I used the 2.5" die strip cutter and the circles die, 2", 3" and 5".

Materials needed:

Twenty strips (whichever colors and patterns you choose), 2.5" x 44" (see below)

Six white strips, 2.5" x 40.5"

Three 5" circles (main flower)

Three 3" circles (middle flower)

Three 2" circles (center flower)

2 green fabrics, 3" x 5" (large leaves)

3 green fabrics, 3" x 3" (small leaves)

*I provide a template for circles and leaves in a moment*

Edited to add: Some very smart readers had some good insight.  You DO NOT need 44" in length (I am so used to yardage I didn't consider otherwise!  Ha!)  You only NEED 20.5" in length.  So a few options, you could make two quilts and cut double white strips.  You could use fat quarters.  Or you could take 10 strips 2.5" x 44" sewn together as show below, cut down the middle and sew top to bottom.)

Step 1:

Sew the twenty strips together, top to bottom.  The finished piece should measure 40.5" x 44".

*shown are cut measurements, not sewn or finished measurements

click to enlarge

Step 2:

Now cut this piece into strips, three 2.5" x 40.5" pieces and two 6.5" x 40.5".

*shown are cut measurements, not sewn or finished measurements

click to enlarge

Step 3:

Sewing side to side, alternate strip pieces and white 2.5" x 40.5" pieces as shown below.

*shown are cut measurements, not sewn or finished measurements

click to enlarge

Step 4:

Applique the flowers and leaves.  I used Steam a Seam Lite that I got at Joann.  It worked really well, and didn't gunk up my machine.  I like that it is thin, I haven't washed it yet but I think this will be my new applique method on quilts.  The circle and leaf shapes can be found here.

I have not quilted mine yet, I am waiting until after Market.  I will share it as soon as I do! 

We would love to know if you use this tutorial.  If you see any mistakes or have questions let us know.  Please only use this for personal use and not for re-sale.  Please include a link to us if you mention this tutorial on your site.  Thank you for understanding!

FINISHED QUILT HERE

Meg's Quilt and a Go! Baby GIVEAWAY!

Here is the quilt I created using the Accuquilt Go! Baby fabric cutter.  I originally blogged about it here.  This is for my "someday" baby girl.  I am not pregnant, nor will I be anytime soon, but I would love to have a little girl and name her Lola :)  Although honey is not on board with the name, I have my ways ;)

I've really wanted to use that citron green with grays and aqua, such a cool color combination.  Although the fabrics are girly, I needed to add the appliqué flowers to really make it pretty.

It's the prefect crib size, measuring 31" x 41".  

There's all sorts of fabrics in there, Heather Bailey, Michael Miller, MoMo for Moda...

I used a blanket stitch around the flowers.  Not quite sure how I'll quilt this, but I do know that I will not quilt it until after market :)

Next Thursday, May 5th I will be sharing a tutorial so you can make one too!  All of the piecing was cut with a Go! Baby fabric cutter, but you do not have to have one in order to create this.  I hope you'll come back and see :)

And the GIVEAWAY!

Your very own Go! Baby Fabric Cutter!  

$139.00 value

PLUS 3 dies of your choice!!

for mine I chose circles, 2.5" strips and the tumbler

How to win? You know the drill!

we've had so many giveaways lately!!

1. Leave a comment with your favorite die cutter, just go here to see more...
2. Comment if you follow us (or tell us you already do!)

That's it, let's keep it simple this time!! :) 

This giveaway is now closed.

Ruffle Quilt from Lilac Lane

Happy Monday everyone.  Quick little note, Heather posted her children's Easter dresses (made by her mil in gorgeous Bliss fabric) on our other blog Fresh Poppy Design, so check it out :)


Melissa from Lilac Lane is sharing a gorgeous quilt today, just check out this piecing!  A lot of the fabrics are from her daughter's clothing, so sweet.  Melissa is a pattern designer, fabric designer and a stay at home mommy.  Enjoy getting to know a little more about her and seeing such a pretty quilt!


A little about me: I'm a fabric and pattern designer and LOVE it! (patterns with QuiltWoman.com and fabric with _____ I can't say yet, but I'm bursting to tell! Maybe by Monday!) Technically, I'm also a pharmacist, although I don't practice much at all. And most of all, I'm a stay-at-home mommy. As far as what kind of quilter I am, I am certainly no perfectionist. I hate to rip! I took my first quilting class about 6 years ago. Before that I definitely quilted a lot, even since I was 10 years old, but I thought I knew what I was doing. LOL I learned a lot in those monthly classes, which I took for about 3 years and another one that lasted two years. Although I'm still no perfectionist, I've learned to do better the first time. Occasionally, I will rip out! But mostly I've learned techniques and shortcuts to make everything turn out better. I've been called the queen of making old look new. As in, I like to use old patterns and make them fresh with color, technique, and changing things up a bit. I'm very definitely a colorful person. I've just finished a quilt for McCalls Quick Quilts which has nine contrasting colors, and I've remarked that it may be the least I've ever put into a quilt. I love to make easy patterns that look difficult. Modern to me doesn't have to be just straight lines.


The Road to Redemption is finished! Those of you who have followed along for awhile remember this two year long quilt process. You can read all about it here. There are 33 small (6 inch) blocks and 12 large (12 inch) blocks. If you're wondering what took me so long, I added a ruffled border and was willing to wait for my ruffler foot to come in to do it. Was it worth it? Yes. But at times I felt like I would die at my machine before this quilt got finished. 

Yes it really did snow here today.

Quilted by Lisa Sipes, who is nominated for a Golden Quilter award for Best Long-Arm Quilter.

This pillowcase was a Christmas present from my sweet friend Marie.