working on . . .

The hexagons are coming along after a Spring Break car trip. I think I doubled the total from last time.

I also cut a whole bunch of triangles yesterday. Way more than 400 - and I don't really feel like counting them all.

Now they're all ready to sew into double hourglasses.


What are you working on?

Winner!

Thank you, thank you for all the comments and for all my new readers! I loved reading all your comments and visiting all your blogs.

The winner of the Heather Ross fabrics is:

Bek who said: the thing i love most about sewing is that i can take what looks like a pile of colourful flat sheets and turn it into something amazing and beautiful - and the fact that not eveyone can do it, makes it even more worth it!

Congratulations Bek! And to all of you who didn't win - I hope to do another great fabric giveaway soon-ish!

same pattern - two totally different quilts

First of all - thank you for all the comments I've received on the giveaway and for all of you who follow and read my blog! If you're looking for the giveaway - you can enter here.

A long, long time ago I started the 9 patch quilt along with Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts. She was using scraps, but I didn't want so use mine for this project. I don't love the traditional nine patch design (with an x through it), but I had some purple (purple?) in my stash that I'd had for at least 10 years. I figured it was a good way to use it up and a new challenge - why not?

So I set to work cutting it into squares. I finished the quilt top and then put it away for at least a year. Just recently I figured out the perfect person to give it to because I really don't want it. I don't even really like purple. I started collecting purple and yellow because of this one print (the posies on white background). So I gave it to Emily - of Emerson Quilting - and now it looks like this:

Not my fave. But I'm pretty sure the new owner loves it. And that's really all that matters anyway.

After I'd already started the purple one I saw this one by Rita of Red Pepper Quilts. It was around the time that everyone was going crazy for Katie Jump Rope and I talked myself into buying most of the line. I don't love the browns in that line with the rest of the fabrics, so I picked the ones I liked and started another 9 patch. This time with a white center and random colors all around. It is completely different and I like it much better!

I strip pieced this one rather than cutting out each square separately to begin with. I liked that much better and it came together faster. I did a scrappy binding and used the green posies (found on clearance) for the back. Emily also quilted this one for me and I love the quilting on it.

Lesson learned: If I don't like a fabric - I shouldn't try to make a quilt with it. (Unless it's for someone else - who will like it.)

A giveaway!

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Did you miss out on Heather Ross's Mendocino line? I bought some thinking that I might, one day, have a little girl. Well, I don't think that will ever happen (if you don't know me - I am the lucky mom of 5 boys!)

And so I am giving these cute fabrics away to one of you - my lovely readers!

The winner will receive a fat quarter each of:

Mendocino Underwater Sisters in natural,

Mendocino Giant Octopi in natural,

Mendocino Underwater Sisters in blush,

Mendocino Giant Octopi in aqua,

West Hill floral stripe with gold leaves

You will get 1 entry for each of the following (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. Leave a comment on this post about what you enjoy sewing

2. You are a follower of this blog or you read this blog in google reader

3. Become a follower of this blog

4. Blog about this giveaway (include the link)

5. Tweet about this giveaway

This giveaway will close Sunday night at midnight Mountain Time. Thanks for reading!

p.s. I have a pretty great fabric stash - if I do say so myself - and I am planning more great giveaways in the future!

man quilt tutorial

I really tried to get a tutorial ready with photos and everything, but it's just not happening. So I'll give you a very brief tutorial. Finished size is 63 x 87 - a perfect twin size.

What you'll need to cut:

70 shirting blocks - 9.5 x 3.5" (9 x 3" finished)

63 white blocks - 9.5 x 3.5" (9 x 3" finished)

6 sashing strips - 3.5 x 57.5" (3 x 57" finished)

2 borders for top and bottom - 4.5 x 57.5"

2 side borders - 4.5 x 89.5

I used 10 or 11 XL shirts (not including the white ones), but didn't use up all the fabric in them. You'll want to check the shirt for holes, worn spots (elbows), and stains.

I used the shirt front without a pocket, the sleeves, and the back. The back has the most fabric, so if you don't want to mess with smaller sections - just start with that.

I also strip pieced. So instead of cutting a block 9.5 x 3.5" I cut a 20 x 3.5" long strip. I sewed 6 of them together (shirt, white, shirt, white, shirt, white), pressed the seams, then squared and cut them into 2 sections 9.5" wide.

If you were going to use non shirting fabrics you'd need:

3 1/2 yards sashing and borders

2 yards total of 8-10 different fabrics

or 8 1/4 yard cuts

or 10 fat quarters

binding

Pyrex Explosion Sale

Do you like Pyrex?

Amy (my quilty friend) has a bunch of pyrex for sale on her her blog - Sukie. Go over and check it out!

Daisy Cinderella Set, a photo by Amy.Newbold on Flickr.

I scored this lovely set!