Showing posts with label blocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blocks. Show all posts

December 29, 2018

Fancy Little Mug Rugs from Solid Stars

Hello, Friends!
I have a fun little gift project to share today!



I made three little mug rugs, using
some 6 1/2" star blocks that I made
a short long time ago. 

{Ahem...time flies.}

You can read more about the Moda Sweetwater solid bundle
of fabrics that I used, in this post.




I had such fun stitching up these solid blocks!
I used one of them on the back of a little table runner,


Hmmm...solid blocks do tend to show "mistakes", 
don't they?
I'm pretty sure I've always had some issues,
but busier prints tend to mask them better.


A little miracle occurred when I pressed some fusible fleece
to the back of the stars. Everything flattened out nicely!
I had some little iron-on labels in my stash,
also from Sweetwater, so I decided to use them to
dress up these little orphan blocks.


It didn't hurt that the tiny houses also disguised those imperfections!


The little labels were easily ironed and stitched into place.


I used a Frixion pen to mark quilting lines.
I used a different quilting design for each block, 
just for added interest.


When the quilting was done, a quick press
with a hot iron removed the Frixion lines.


I trimmed up the blocks and prepared them for binding.


I used some leftover jelly roll strips, cut to 1 1/5" width,
to bind each block with a different print.


to finish off these little beauties in no time.
Feel free to try it - you'll love it!
It's a single-fold binding that works great for
small projects like mug rugs or mini quilts!


{I made one slight modification to the tutorial
and used a straight seam, instead of a diagonal seam, 
to attach the ends of the binding together.}


I chose a pretty print from Treehouse Club,
also from Moda Sweetwater, for the backings.
I still have lots of my fat quarter left over.


I only needed 3 7" squares...yay!


I wish I had time to make dozens
and dozens of these!


Little mug rugs are a great way to show off individual blocks.


That's one reason I like to join sew alongs,
even if I don't expect to use the blocks in a quilt.


Blocks can be made into special gifts
for friends, whether they are quilty friends or not.


These little orphan blocks will find their way to loving homes.
How do YOU like to use extra blocks?
Let me know in a comment!


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September 5, 2016

Project Sweetwater - Solids - Part I

Hello, Friends!
 Earlier this summer I got a fun box in the mail,
from Project Sweetwater.


Even though I ordered it for myself,
it was very exciting to have it delivered.
Inside, I found all of the things that were promised,
and a few little fun surprises.


The star of the show was this amazing
bundle of solids, curated by the girls of Sweetwater.


I couldn't stop taking pictures of it...
this bundle looks so smart and inviting,
yet I hated to unwrap that pretty ribbon.


There was a project booklet filled with tempting blocks
that could be created from these awesome colors.
Oh, yes...I had to open the bundle and get started.


I love the simple graphic designs of the projects.
I'm taking my time, since my hand is still not strong,
but this is good therapy.


I'm sharpening my skills,
and next time I'll show you some things I've discovered
about sewing with accuracy.


Until then...
enjoy another pretty bundle photo!



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September 21, 2015

Farm Girl Vintage Blocks - Peas, Carrots and Lots More

Now, where we?...
Life interrupted our conversation about my
Farm Girl Vintage blocks.
The last time I blogged, I was talking about the
Pumpkin season seemed so far away...
and now it's almost autumn!


I'm so tempted to skip ahead and show you
my blocks that match up with the sew along...
but let's stay in alphabetical order,
so I won't miss any.

{This book is so much fun that I'm making every single block in it.}

So, the next block in the book was the Peas and Carrots block.
Yay!
After making that pumpkin,
I decided that my finished quilt is going to need some more orange.

{Do you have orange-o-phobia? You really should get over it. 
Some pretty orange fabrics are very therapeutic...trust me.}


I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this block.
I've been skill-building as I work my way through the book.


Oh.My. How I looked forward to making the next block...
Pie Cherries!
This block was probably the deal-breaker block.
I couldn't wait to buy the book after seeing these cherries.


To be honest, I feel a wee bit of disappointment
in my version of the block.
Check it out - my stems are not as uniform as they should be.


But never mind...my pie bird loves these cherries just as they are.


I adore cherry red color anywhere in the kitchen.
It's so retro.


Next in the book is a simple little Pinwheels block.
It's a classic favorite, fun to make, and oh, so cute!


I followed my own tips, and I chose prints of similar value.


I think my favorite one is...that orange one.

{What is the opposite of orange-o-phobia? I have that.}


Have you ever made a Postage Stamp block?
I really want to make an old-fashioned quilt made
entirely of postage stamp blocks, using all of my favorite fabrics.


You don't even need a pattern to create these blocks from 1 1/2" squares.


Just use an accurate scant 1/4" seam, and the squares line up perfectly.


Ahem...almost all the time.


Just because we're best fabric friends,
and I know you love fabrics almost as much as I do,
I'll show you some more close-ups of my postage stamp block.


Just one more photo, to say goodbye for now.
Come back soon to see more of my Farm Girl Vintage blocks!



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November 23, 2013

Quilty Fun - Courthouse Steps

I'm having more Quilty Fun
than one person ought to be allowed to have!
This week's sew along block is called
Courthouse Steps,
and these are my finished blocks.


A little disclaimer:
I took a whole bunch of pictures of my blocks,
and I want to show them all!


I've given the Quilty Fun book a rave review already,
and this sew along only adds to the long list
of reasons why I love this book so much.


The Courthouse Steps block
is kind of buried deep within the book...
it's just one minor component of a bonus project.


this classic little block is brought out to play
with all of the other blocks that were featured
in the original row quilt.

{It deserves a bigger role, don't you think?}


Once a week, making just a couple
of blocks, is a such a fun way to sew along...
and I really appreciate that fact that there is a
Christmas break included!


I hope you'll think about joining the
if you've got the book!


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