Ode to Jodi...and a Shout-Out to Alie

Way back when I first discovered

such a thing as a blog,

I really loved reading one called

Simply This That and The Other.

Later it evolved into the blog

now known as Pleasant Home on Instagram,

and to this day, I break into a big smile

every time I see a new post has been published.

Jodi always shows big, beautiful photos on her blog.

My favorites are sewing related, but

she also features scenic wonders

and small-town sights that make me love America.

I love Jodi's tips on photography for blogging,

and I try to put as many of them to use as I can

with my little point-and-shoot camera.

There are great tips for lighting and backgrounds.

This photo made Explore on Flickr!

The single most important thing I learned is to make my photos

x-large on Blogger.

Here's an example...

this one is medium...the default when it's added to Blogger.

Pretty, right?

Here's the same photo, but made x-large.

{I rest my case.}

And then there are the tutorials...

there are loads of them that I keep going back to...

the funky pinwheel table runner...

and the heart mug rug are my faves so far!

If you are interested in learning more about photography,
you might enjoy the advice from this article,
"10 Cool Photo Projects."

Another feature that I always loved about Jodi's blog

was when she would provide a link to new-to-me blogs that

she had discovered.

I'd like to emulate my role model today,

and point you in the direction of a sweet new-ish blog

called Alie Makes.

Alie is a fascinating individual with a knack for explaining.

You can tell by her tutorials that she's

going to be a fabulous teacher,

when she graduates.

Head on over to discover Alie's posts,

and you'll find that she's got a great giveaway going on

right now!!!

{You won't be sorry you got to know Alie!}

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Making Do

I've given the subject of quilting a lot of thought...

I often wonder why I have the "need" to quilt.

I figure it's in my Pennsylvania Dutch genes,

and I just have to do it.

{I'm like a beagle who longs to chase rabbits, even though it's a house dog.}

Today I read a post by my dear friend Amanda

The Patchsmith,

about the philosophy of quilting.

I would highly recommend that you 

visit her blog to read about the Fabric of Life.

{Always good for a giggle, Amanda has a serious dimension as well.}

Amanda's mug rug for me, made with scraps

As I stitch and sew,
I love to think about the way our foremothers

somehow managed to create beautiful quilts
using only what they had on hand.

{Amanda thinks about this stuff, too.}

Antique 1930’s Garden quilt exhibited by Lynn Kough, 2013 AZQG
from Quilt Inspiration blog

As I thought of vintage quilts,
I was reminded of a project that I made 10 years ago,

and I'd like to share it with you today.
The block is called Bride's Bouquet,

but it's also known as Nose Gay

or Old-Fashioned Nose Gay.

There's a nice new post here about this block
on the blog called Tim Latimer - Quilts etc.

Believe it or not, I had never seen this blog before,

until I was researching the block for today's post.
This post was just written yesterday!

{Very timely, Tim!}

The story of my little table topper began
many years ago...
I made this label for the back of my project.

I won an Ebay bid for some scraps of feedsack cloth.
Along with the fabric pieces, I found an unfinished
Bride's Bouquet block.
I don't have a photo of the original block
I received, but it needed some work.
I picked apart the stitches
and put the block back together again, more carefully,
but in the same order as before.

{I'm pretty sure I had the luxuries of time and good lighting
that were lacking many years ago.}

I think it took me more than a few minutes to appreciate
the shocking selection of fabrics that the original quilter
used for the petal pieces.
Never, never, never 
would I have put all of these prints into the same quilt!

{Until I remade this block...and now I find them utterly charming.}

I had some pink polka dot feedsack scraps for the border,
and I used some vintage pink and green floral fabric for binding.
I made a crude cardboard template to mark clamshells
for the hand-quilting.

{I still remember the peace that came over me as I quilted this block.
My PA Dutch genes were working overtime that day.}

I think using bits of solids in 30's shades

helps to settle down those crazy feedsack prints.

I love "that green" and "bubble-gum pink" together.

Not only did our foremothers "make do" with what they had...
they also made it into something awesome.

Nowadays when I look at those wild prints,
playing so nicely together in this little old block,
I think to myself,
"That farmwife had an excellent eye for color."

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Giveaway Day! from Sew, Mama, Sew!

Today could be considered a holiday in blogland...

it's another Giveaway Day sponsored by Sew, Mama, Sew!

Comments are now closed for this giveaway.

I'd like to welcome new visitors to my blog,

as well as my regular followers,

and give you all a chance to win my prize.

I'm giving away a set of zippered pouches!

I've used a new PDF pattern I purchased

from V and Co,

called Color Block Zipper Pouches.

The pouches in the pattern sample are made with

Vanessa's soon-to-be-released line for Moda,

called Simply Style.

Since it won't be in stores until July,

I decided to use some of my Simply Color

fabric prints instead.

I used this line for my Simply Coasters Moda Bake Shop tutorial.

{Maybe we've met before over there?}

I was able to use 10" layer cake pieces for the bottoms of these pouches.

I think they look swell with the solid gray

and the bright zippers.

It's fun to open up the pouches

and see a splash of colorful lining inside each one.

I love the way they coordinate together,

in a small, medium, and large way.

Want these?

Just leave me a comment,

telling me what two-color combination is your favorite...today.

{I think mine is turquoise and lime.}

I will select a random winner on May 10

and notify the winner by email.

Please be sure I have a way to contact you,

if you would like to win.

Visit the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog for even more
chances to win, in 5 different categories!!!

Good luck!

UPDATE:
The winner of my giveaway is comment #10
AMBER

{Even her name is a pretty color!}


Congratulations, Amber,
and thanks to all of you for sharing your favorite color combos!

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Divided Baskets

Have you ever thought to yourself,

"What a great idea, and it's so simple

that I could have come up with it on my own!"

Well...this is NOT one of those times!

When I finished making my first

Divided Basket using Noodlehead's pattern,

I was kind of shocked that it really worked!

{That's what a genius Anna is!}

Before I ever began cutting and sewing,

I read the pattern through...

about 6 times...

trying to imagine how this was going to happen.

Oh, I knew it would turn out great somehow,

because there was all kinds of proof on the internet.

Anna had some talented people test her pattern,

and every one of them had success in a huge way.

Read the Noodlehead post for more examples.

{This one is by Lindsay of LRStitched.}

Source:  Noodlehead blog

I finally realized that this basket is not something

that is turned right-side-out at the very end.

There is a much more elegant and stress-free method

to create these baskets,

without the need to perform what amounts to a C-section,

in order to produce a finished basket.

I just plain followed the directions,

and at the end, I was rewarded with a lovely basket.

I am so pleased with my choices of fabrics

for my first divided basket.

I combined unrelated fabrics,

within a gray and yellow color palette.

It looks like the signature style of Susie's Sunroom, doesn't it?

The outside fabrics are home dec prints.
They give the basket a nice amount of sturdiness
and a pretty shape.

I found the text print at fabric.com

and I love the way it looks with a remnant

in yellow and gray that I picked up at JoAnn.

For the interior,

I think this Amy Butler print from Midwest Modern

is just right.

Now that my test drive was a big success,

I had the nerve to cut into a set of fabrics that I've been keeping

for just the perfect pattern.

Remember this post about the little bundle

I put together for a Fat Quarter Shop contest?

My prints remind me of a picnic in the meadow...

and obviously for any picnic, you're gonna need a BASKET.

I am happy to report that this little picnic basket

translated directly from my imagination

into my real world.

The gingham pocket is so charming against

the field of gray mushrooms.

Inside, the Gypsy Girl animal print is light and playful.

I still can't get over how clever this design is!
Even though I used quilting weight cottons this time,
the basket still has enough soft support to keep its shape.
The recommended interfacing does the trick!

There is room for creativity with this pattern,
in the print selection and placement.
It can be sewn with, or without,
a front pocket.

My favorite features are the little carrying handles.
I'm going to use my basket all summer long
on our deck, for holding napkins, plates, and other picnic items.

For those of you who have also made these baskets...
has anyone got tips on how to mail them inexpensively???
Please feel free to send me your advice.
I would love to make more to sell or send as gifts,
but am not quite sure how to package them.

I think I see many more baskets in my future.

Be sure to share your Across the Pond Sew Along
baskets for May, on the Flickr page!
There is lots of great inspiration over there!

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Across the Pond Sew Along - May Baskets

Welcome to the merry, merry month of May...

it's time to announce what's next in the

Across the Pond Sew Along!

{If you haven't joined already, it's never too late!}

It was my turn again to choose the project,

and I decided to select a THEME for May...

BASKETS.

There are so many beautiful and functional basket projects

out there for those of us who love to sew and quilt.

I'll get you started with some free projects and 

a tried-and-true pattern for sale.

Have you seen this Divided Basket by Noodlehead

that is so popular in so many of the cool blogs?

It's a for-sale PDF pattern that I've bought

and am totally in love with.

Photo:  Noodlehead - Divided Basket pattern

There are lots of fabulous versions
featured all over the web...
my heart skipped a beat when I saw
the one Julie made, at The Crafty Quilter!

{I've had a chance to make two of them already,

and I'll be showing them later in the month.}

Photo:  The Crafty Quilter blog

If you're looking for a free tutorial
for a fabric basket,
this one from the Make It Do blog
looks so charming!

She modified a tutorial from The Sometimes Crafter, adding handles.
You've got to stop by and see what purpose
this adorable basket is serving!

{It will make you smile, I guarantee it!}

Photo:  Make It Do blog

Basket blocks have been featured in

many quilt designs over the years...

in appliqued quilts...

Photo:  Basket Quilt by Always Quilts

pieced quilts...

Photo:  Bella Rose Quilts

and combinations of piecing and applique.

Photo:  Q is for Quilter blog

Remember last summer,

when I created my Zakk-ini Bread Basket?

That was a lot of fun, too...

what a great Mother's Day present that would make!

Don't forget to stop by and visit my co-hosts

Amanda The Patchsmith
and Susie's Sunroom,
to get more ideas for basket-making.

Share your finishes in our Flickr group for the
Across the Pond Sew Along.

{Stop by later for more updates on my May Basket finishes!}

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