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8.29.2014

Haunting Hexie Halloween Quilt


So.. It's the end of August....That means all the Halloween decorations have been up in stores for the last few weeks... I'm not one to complain (unless I'm looking for a seasonal summer item that can no longer be found because apparently it's already Halloween!)because I LOVE Halloween. I mean I LOVE IT!!!! I vacillate between proclaiming it (or Christmas) as my favorite holiday. But let me be clear, I DO NOT like to be scared. I won't watch scary movies. I don't like dark and disturbing things. What I like are the fun, silly, and cute monsters of Halloween. Those cute pumpkins and monsters were the inspiration for this quilt.

8.18.2014

Star of LORAYME




It was a cold winter night and I was yearning to be in the arms of my man, but fate had taken him away this night. I was alone and short on cheddar. I had invested my meager teaching salary on a month’s supply of diet coke. I sat in my rocker contemplating the state of humanity. I began dozing off, and precipitously a vision of the night sky appeared, filled with millions of stars, unclouded from the light pollution of the city. It was so clear what I needed to do. I had the direction and inspiration. I abruptly awoke…. It was time to quilt. The time of the evening star was upon me but the lateness of the hour could not hamper my inspiration. I began gathering any material I could get my hands on. I would use scraps to create my masterpiece. I worked into the early hours of the morning, fueled by the diet coke, nothing could stop me from finishing my masterpiece. My work was nearing completion, but wait! I was lacking a fat square and snuggly backing… with my monetary retaining being in short supply from the aforementioned stock up of diet coke, what was I to do? It can’t end like this… what was I to do?

Tune in next week for the dramatic conclusion of “A Quilting Affair”.

   Here are the directions just in case you have lovely scraps that you want to put to good use.

For center square:
Print Fabric
4 - 4 1/2" squares or 1 - 8 1/2" square (if you have enough fabric)
8 - 4 1/2" triangles (use the easy angle templet, I have used mine a ton and I LOVE it!)
White Fabric
4 - 4 1/2" squares
8 - 4 1/2" triangles
Outside triangles:
Print Fabrics
96 - 2 1/2 triangles
48 - 2 1/2" squares (if you have enough fabric you can cut 12 - 4 1/2" squares)
White Fabric
96 - 2 1/2" triangles
48 - 2 1/2" squares
Border Around Large Star
White Fabric
2 - 1 1/2 x 16 1/2"
Border in between small Stars
White Fabric
4 -  1 1/2 x 8 1/2"
Full length border in between Stars and for 1st border
White Fabric
4 - 1 1/ 2 x 34 1/2"
2 -  1 1/2 x 36 1/2"
Pieced border
Lot of scraps
2 1/2" and then start sewing together to make border
2 - 2 1/2 x 36 1/2"
2 - 2 1/2 x 40 1/2"
Third Border
White Fabric
2 - 2 x 40 1/2"
2 - 2 x  43 1/2"
Fourth Border
Blue Fabric
2 - 2 1/2  x 43 1/2"
2 - 2 1/2 x 47 1/2"
Fifth Border
White Fabric
2 - 3 1/2 x 47 1/2"
2 - 5 1/2 x 52 1/2"
You really need the "Easy Angle" templet for the triangles....the yare so much easier to make using it.
Cut all your pieces first and then chain stitch all the triangles together. Press triangles while right sides are still together to set the seams. Then press open.
* Sew 4 1/2" square to triangle to next triangle to white square
*Sew triangle to colored square to colored square to triangle
*Same as above
*Sew 4 1/2" square to triangle to next triangle to white square
*Sew all four rows together
Do the same thing with all triangles
*Sew 1 1/2 x 16 1/2" border on opposite sides of large star
*Sew two small stars together, sew two more small stars together, sew two more small stars together and finally sew the last two small stars together. (You will have each of the corner stars left that have not been sewn to anything).
*Sew 1 1/2 x 8 1/2" white strips to outside of stars and then sew the single star to them, then you will have two rows with four stars and then two rows with two stars.
*Sew 1 1/2 x 34 1/2" white to strips of four stars
*Sew strips with two stars to border of white on the big star. Then sew on to big star.
*Sew next 1 1/2 x 34 1/2" border on to two opposite sides.
*Sew 1 1/2 x 36 1/2" to other sides.
*Sew pieced border on
*Sew white 2 x 40 1/2" on next to border then 2 x 43 1/2" on to opposite sides
*Sew blue border on.
*Sew 3 1/2 x 47 1/2" on opposite sides and then last border on the opposite sides.
I used polyester batting
I bought 2 1/3 yards flannel for the back and 1/2 yard for the binding






8.16.2014

Not-so-Easy Diagonal Squares (but they are pretty)

This beautiful fabric was bought while visiting my mother in Bend, Oregon. I wish I had paid better attention to the maker, but I do remember some of it said Lotta Jansdaughter. (Note to self....start paying attention)
The flannel back is from a cute little mother and daughter shop located in Tooele. The line is called Maywood and it is the softest, best quality flannel I've ever purchased.
This quilt is made exactly the same as the diagonal square quilt I made for my granddaughter, Violet. However, I put strips running both directions in between the squares and I added extra borders around outside to make it lap size. It's finished size is about 56x60".
Now, just need some weather that isn't 100 degrees so I can curl up in it. Just kidding, the only reason I want cooler weather is so that when I gaze up from my sewing machine to the out-of-doors I don't have to feel guilty for neglecting my yard.

Ombre Ribbon Cake




Looking through my photos of this cake, I realize that I did not take great photos to do a tutorial... But I'm still going to try to explain this process the best I can because this cake was so much fun to make and it looks beautiful! 
First things first, bake and frost your cake. The layer of frosting underneath your ombre ribbons doesn't have to be perfect. Just try to get a nice shape so that the ribbons lay flat. I left the top of my cake white, so I did try harder to smooth that out as best as I could. Oh and if you're wondering what frosting recipe I use... 

8.14.2014

Triangle Christmas Quilt

It's summer, which means it's time to start sewing for CHRISTMAS! 
I celebrated my birthday yesterday, spent the day sewing and hanging out with family. All day long I kept thinking "I want to give away a free pattern for my birthday!". Unfortunately I never got around to it (where does the time go!). SO today I am happy to blog a free Christmas pattern! Why Christmas? Because I LOVE Christmas and I LOVED making this super cute Christmas quilt. This is a SUPER easy pattern and great for beginners!