well phooey...

The UPS man had this for me today...

But sadly the laundry and dishes fairy didn't visit our house this weekend, so it will have to just sit there looking pretty.

This is the fabric for my next quilt pattern.  I've had the design all worked up in my head (another one I dreamt up while nursing Scarlet in the wee hours of the morning) and on EQ for a while, and I am really excited to see it actualized in fabric.

Speaking of things looking pretty... here is Miss Scarlet in her new hat.

Perfect.

My friend Jen made it... we're doing a little trade; I'm making her daughter a quilt, and she's making my kiddos little hats.  I know how to crochet blankets (or I used to at least), but nothing fancy like this.  I REALLY want to learn to knit... anyone know a good "teach yourself to knit" resource?

♥

And thank you for all the encouragement with the coming very soon French Kisses pattern. :)  It's nearly complete!  I just have the finishing directions to add... oh, and it'd probably be good to get the quilt back from Lindsay (at Eileen Quilts) and take a pretty cover photo.  I'm trying to think of Parisian places I can take it to... I'll have to keep thinking.

Sharon from Lilabelle Lane was so sweet to ask her husband to make me a quilt along button...

It's in the sidebar, but feel free to grab one!



Fabric requirements again:

10 light fat quarters as background (+ one quarter yard for border pieces)
10 medium/dark fat quarters

-- OR --

2 5/8 background yardage (includes border pieces)
and a layer cake or 10 medium/dark fat quarters

2 1/2 yds for the outer border (if you want to miter your corners)
5/8 yd. binding (cut at 2 1/4")
5 yds backing (will be more than enough to create the extra needed to send it to a long-armer if you'd like -- I used some extra fat quarters for my backing + 3 yds I believe)

"French Kisses" top and quilt along

My first pattern is almost done!  And here is the quilt top. :)

It just needs a few finishing touches... you know, like...
quilting (by Lindsay of Eileen Quilts -- can't wait to work with her!)...
testing (by Kelly)...
editing and publishing! (by me)


I'm sure it will be available as a PDF, and I'm trying to figure out if it will be cost-effective to have it available as a paper pattern too, but because of how I'm diagramming everything, it really will be best in color (easy to do with a PDF of course).


If you study the design, you can see that it is a play on a couple basic half-square triangle designs, two of my favorite HST designs.  One night (hmmm, I believe it was actually the wee hours of the morning), while I was nursing the Little Miss, I dreamt up combining the two designs (I do a lot of imaginary quilt play while I'm nursing).  The thing is, I love HST designs, but I don't like all the piecing that goes with them; all those little triangles really make for a lot of pieces!  So I thought about how I could potentially simplify the blocks, and here it is -- "French Kisses."


Wanna see it again?  But with different colors?
The first quilt I did up with this pattern is actually going to go on our bed.  Here is a picture of it without the borders added (fabric is Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson, if you're curious).  I did a lot of fussy cutting for this one, and also played with solids on the corners of the blocks.

Sleeping under it will be cozy. 

The pattern cover will feature the quilt in Rouenneries Deux, (as you all know how I like the French General fabrics) and the directions will be written for both fat quarters or a layer cake.  The pattern should be conducive to a fat-eighth bundle too, with the cutting diagrams easily lending themselves to figuring that out (all the cut sizes are less than 9").

yea!  Someone's making a button for me!

When the pattern is all ready, I'll be kicking it off with a quilt along, and a giveaway of this Rouenneries Deux layer cake!

So, if you like the design, and would like me to do your math for you, I'd love you to join us. :)

And if you want to get your fabric ready -- these are my (not 100% final and published, but really close) fabric requirements: 

Quilt measures 64" x 80"

20 fat quarters (10 light/background and 10 medium or dark)

2 1/4 yds. outer border (I used the roche solid because it looks like linen)

(If you want more variety for your focal centers or for fussy cutting, throw in an extra fat quarter or two)

OR

A layer cake

2 1/2 yds. background fabric

2 1/4 yds. border

(Again, throw in a fat quarter or two if you'd like more flexibility with your fabric choices, or to fussy cut)

I hope you like "French Kisses" as much as I do.

(sorry, again, couldn't help myself). ;)

And now may my children sleep dreamily so I can get the computer work for this done!

setting triangles for Granny (and mommy pics)

This is a mini tutorial, with a slight alternative to the original as posted by Jolene and Blue Elephant Stitches (you can also see her inspiration quilt here).  Krista is also doing a quilt-along with this quilt! :)


Anyway -- I didn't have time to actually sew this block together, but in case you do, here's the idea behind using setting triangles for making this block, rather than trimming and ending up with bias edges.  This is the same concept as you would use with blocks set on point.  Because I can never remember the equation, I use this resource: http://www.laurenandjessijung.com/resources_charts.html


I hope it makes sense!


1) You need: 
- eight 2 1/2" squares outer color
- five 2 1/2" squares inner color
- two 4 1/8" squares sashing (for sides)
- two 2 3/8" squares sashing (for corners) 

2) Cut the 4 1/8" squares on the diagonal twice; these will be used for the side setting spaces.
Cut the 2 3/8" squares on the diagonal once, and use these for the corners.





3) Arrange and sew in to rows on the diagonal (as Jolene showed!)





You want to keep the straight edges of the square lined up with the side of the triangle, so the acute angle edge of the triangle will stick out a little, and you'll have to trim the little "dog-ears."  (this is what I'm talking about -- Kristen has yet to trim hers).


Hope this helps!  Both methods work; I just prefer no bias edges!


These blocks are just adorable however you cut them! :)





Thank you again Jolene for your quilty genius.

________________________________________

(and now for a couple gratuitous cute kiddo pics)


Steiger likes to hold Scarlet's hand. ♥





And Daddy holding his baby girl.





And how Scarlet and I roll...

Oh wait!  One more -- Steiger did this the other night, and I promise neither Jay nor I had any hand in arranging these letters...

But it did make us laugh.

Come back tomorrow!*  I finished my "French Kisses" top and backing, and it's off to the quilter!  I will show you the top, give you fabric requirements, and you can think about if you want to quilt along with us!  (There might also be a giveaway involved... *hint hint*)

*"Tomorrow" is totally contingent on my two little ones... and whether or not my new glasses come in, because this morning I broke the nose pad off the ones I've been wearing the past three years.

oh granny...

I hope I'm as cute and sassy as you when I'm a granny.
(links to the inspiration for this quilt, and a tutorial in this post)

Linking to Fabric Tuesday. :)

getting ready for Granny

Many of you saw this quilt, and the subsequent craziness it has created...

As soon as I saw it though, I knew it was the quilt for me.



So I'm getting ready.

I'm just cutting and cutting.  I think I'll end up with a couple extra kits I might sell when I'm done.

Since my most recent quilts have been made from one collection, I am thoroughly enjoying this mix.  And hoping to get at least one block done tonight.

Jolene (the instigator of this craze) posted a tutorial on how she made her blocks.  I'm going to mostly follow it, with a couple changes.   Because I can't stand trimming blocks once I'm done, I plan to use setting triangles.  This is the link I use for calculating mine...

But this cutting is taking me forever...

Scarlet met Anna

... and they looked great together. :)

I told you before that Amanda and I were going to sew with Anna Maria Horner last Friday...

The quilt class was for Anna's new Patchwork Prism quilt, that is destined to be a free pattern on her site, and the Janome site.



Even though I brought my own fabric bundle (the quilt will be for Scarlet of course), I had to buy Anna Maria's bundle too.  Because it was amazing and I didn't have most of those fabrics, and I'd never get a chance to get all those together ever again.



I might share it with Kelly, if I can bring myself to.

I could blather on, but I have to mop before Scarlet wakes up, so I'll summarize the highlights --

- Watching Anna (by the way -- it's pronounced Anna with a short o sound, not short a sound) sort fabric at lightning speed -- it was amazing
- Getting to show off my daughter in her new little jacket



- Chatting the whole way there and back with Amanda.
- Chatting with AMH, and realizing she is every bit as genuine in person as she seems
- Seeing previews of Anna's new line -- Field Study -- I think it's my favorite of hers ever
- Listening to her describe how she does designs and colors -- something that really stuck with me is when she was explaining that in most fabric lines, the pink is the same pink throughout every print, but she tries to change hers a little, so they blend, but aren't the same color or too matchy-matchy.  She's really an incredible artist
- Only being a little bit starstruck... I really had to tell her that she has written my favorite blog post I've ever read... ever.

You know, it was just a happy, happy day.  Scarlet did great with Grandma, and was a little hit when I got to introduce her.  And Anna didn't even mind that she wanted to 'nom nom' on her finger. :)



In fact, I think she might have even liked it a little.

(And I *just* noticed the title of the quilt book behind me!)

patchwork prism choices

I *think* I've chosen my fabrics for my Patchwork Prism class with Anna Maria Horner.

This is the quilt featured at the class Amanda and I are going to attend tomorrow.

I've thought long and hard about buying the kit, because well... even the mock-up up there is amazing.  

But goodness knows I have enough fabric already, and rainbows are gorgeous, but not as guaranteed to get a lot of use at our house.

Partly inspired by my Blogger's choice bundle (that didn't win), and partly inspired by the fact that I am determined to make a red quilt in honor of my favorite color and my favorite girl I think I'm going with this palette.

It's my gray, taupe, cream, brown, red, and pink palette

And shot outdoors

I really can't help it.  

This sweet print from Urban Chiks was my starting point, and I went from there.

And I think I'm going to love it. 

And I think our lovely teacher is going to laugh at me when she sees my GIGANTIC pile of fabric I bring. 

Now wish me luck! 

* It wouldn't seem that luck was needed beings that I'll be sewing all day, and with wonderful people, but I have to set an alarm for 4:00 so I can feed Scarlet (if she isn't awake by then), and then feed her before we leave about 7:00, and then drive 90 miles and hope there isn't traffic, and then Daddy has to get Scarlet to Grandma's who is going to bring her to the sewing day (I figure no one will mind if I feed my girl), and then Grandma is going to run errands, and then Scarlet will come back and eat again, and then Mommy will keep sewing while Scarlet goes home with Grandma, and then Amanda and I will drive home and I'll get my Scarlet again.  I'm just hoping Scarlet does well with her bottles when she's not with me, and I don't explode or anything like that... oh, and traffic's not too bad.  So yea, I'm a little nervous too.

And I have to sew the buttons on Scarlet's little jacket.

WIP Wednesday - the first of February

Linking to Lee's WIP Wednesday...



A peek of a finish!

The baby this quilt is intended for turned one last week... and it inspired me to (finally) get it done!  Full tutorial coming soon (I'll let you know when I know the exact dates)

I've had this quilt in the works for a long time, as you can see that it was done in "Pure" by Sweetwater... but the design looks great in other lines too (as you can see here)

---------------

In progress:


- Because Amanda and I are going to sew with Anna Maria Horner on Friday (!!!!), and because Scarlet will be making an interlude there (Mama's gotta sew, but a girl's still gotta eat), I decided she needed a new jacket.

I made the smallest size, and I'm not sure how long it will fit her, but it's cute.  I've decided garment sewing is pretty gratifying and goes MUCH faster than most quilts (despite having a bit of trouble on one of the sleeve attachments).  It's absolutely beautiful.  And if I'm honest, I'm a little jealous of Miss Scarlet, who gets to be decked out in designer velveteen and voile, with imported Japanese double gauze (Naomi Ito for Nani Iro) for the lining.  You must have a mama who really loves you miss Scarlet. ;)

- My yardage to finish up my Rouenneries Deux projects is here.

Here's a peek of "French Kisses"  This is a really quick project to piece, and I think quite pretty. :)  

- I need to get backing done for my practice version of the "French Kisses" design.  This quilt will be going on our bed.  

(Yes, we have had a very mild "winter" this year)

Now I'm off to pick fabric for my AMH sewing day!  I think I might be a tad bit intimidated with my choices... maybe just a *little*

Still don't have my total number of bucket projects counted up, but at least I got one of them done this week! And I didn't start anything new either (at least, not quilts...)

Now go visit our friend Lee and see the rest of them! :)