12 Days of Sisboom!!!

I'm feeling a little guilty right now, because I actually get to post TWICE on the 12 Days of Sisboom!!  I'm not sure how I weaseled  got so lucky, but glad I am!  I could go on and on about how I love Jennifer Paganelli…but I've already done that so I will just get right to it!!!

One of the things I love about Sisboom fabric is all of the fabric lines always look so nice together!!!   On the quilt I am sharing, I have fabrics from the very beginning of Sisboom to present day Sisboom!  There has NOT been a fabric line from Jennifer that I don't like!   If you like her fabric, buy it now!!!  Seriously!  Since her style is timeless you will always have a use for it, and her fabrics tend to increase in value!   If you CAN find some of her vintage lines, you are going to pay about $70.00 a yard for it!!!    I regret using up all of my fabric I had from her Girlfriends and ModGirls line.  Ugh!  I have bits and pieces…and I will hang onto them forever.  Actually, I am making a quilt just for me with them!!!

I want to thank  Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation.    I used her tutorial for this quilt.  Isn't it a great pattern?   I loved making this quilt, and I have another one from her pattern in progress. I just know I'll be making a lot of these!

Check out her blog, she has a lot of pretty things to look at, and  she is super talented!!!!

Oh I love this quilt!!!!  

See the back?    My favorite yellow of all time!

All of the fabrics you see except the bottom two reds are from Jennifer.    Different lines, but they look nice together.  I absolutely LOVE that yellow!   It is the perfect shade.  I am hoarding it!

The fabric you see below on the far right bottom is from her Modgirls line.  I love it!  And yes, I am also hoarding it!!!  

A quilt blowing in the breeze…lovely isn't it??

Thankfully the blog tour isn't over yet!  we have four days left….I have them listed below.  Please stop by and be sure to leave a comment!!

December 17 Hold It Right There
December 18 Sew Fun By Monique
December 19 Small Town Girls Clothier Marie Madeline Studio
December 20 Granny B's Clothesline Lilac Lane by Melissa Stramel

12 Wonderful Days of Sisboom…..Oh and a Quilted Heart Tutorial!

                                                 Quilted heart Tutorial

 Welcome to my blog!  I am so thrilled to be a part of the 12 days of celebrating Jennifer Paganelli!

 I can't think of anyone more worthy of celebrating!   Not only is Jennifer an amazing designer that just never quits, she is such an encouragement to so many people! She is always celebrating others, it's time she was celebrated!!    If you need a pick me up, take a look at her  her blog.  It is dripping with creative ideas, and such happiness!!!  I go there every time I need a smile!   She truly loves to encourage.   I have never met her in person.  I've chatted with her on the phone, had some Facebook conversations with her….but never in person!  Someday I'm going to show up at her house!  Stalker alert!

 I first became acquainted with Jennifer's fabrics way back when she designed Modgirls.  I had no idea who Jennifer was, but I loved her fabrics and so did my customers!  I eventually started paying attention to the DESIGNER behind these amazing fabrics. I found her blog.  I found other people that love her as much as I do!  Oh what fun!   I really do love every fabric line she has created.  Jennifer never ceases to surprise me with her creativity.  So with all that, I give you a Quilted Heart Tutorial using her latest line Lucky Girl!

First you need to cut about 9-10 different strips of fabric 3" wide.  I had fat quarters, so that is what I used.  The length doesn't really matter, it's the width that's important!  You could use scraps too.  The goal is to cut 3" squares.  You will also need a background fabric. For this pillow I used white, but you could use any solid color you wish.  

Cut these strips into 3" squares.  You will need 30 printed blocks and 16 solid blocks. 

Now put together 10 sets of a solid square and a printed square.  Line them up nicely, and then with a pencil or a washable marker draw a line down the middle.  If you're confused…scroll down to the other pictures!  I need lots of pictures because I'm pretty much always confused when it comes to  following a pattern!  

See…there's your line!  

Now put a pin in it!  I like pretty pins, because I just like pretty things.  This pin is from my friend Jessica.   She was sewing at my house one day, and left these pretty green pins.  I kept them because they remind me of her.  She can't have them back!  Once you have it pinned, sew along the line. Right on the line!   

Like this!  Now where did that boring white pin come from?  Just ignore it.  

Just cut off one side and press it open 

Once you  press open your seam  it will look like this.  Isn't that pretty?  Once you have made 10 of these, put your squares together to make a pretty heart.  

Pretty Heart 

Now you re ready to sew each row.   Make sure you are careful to sew those squares the right way!  When your rows are done, press your first row of seams to the right, your second row to the left and so on.  That way when you sew the rows together your seams will be opposite and line up nicely.  

There it is!  All sewn together.  Now you can decide what you want to do with it.   I added small borders to make this into a pillow.  You could also make more blocks to make a nice quilt.  Or a wall hanging.  Or…you get the idea!  

For a 20" pillow I added 3" borders

All done and ready to quilt!   

And there it is!  time to make more :)

Check out some of my other partners in crime…all celebrating Jennifer!

December 09 Sew Pretty Dresses
December 10 Sweeter Than Cupcakes
December 11 Sweet Baby Jamie
December 12 Hickity Pickity Handmade Dress Haven
December 13 Tabbo Designs 100 Billion Stars
December 14 Heavenlelgh Blessings Boutique
December 15 Scientific Seamstress
December 16 Sweet Baby Jamie
December 17 Hold It Right There
December 18 Sew Fun By Monique
December 19 Small Town Girls Clothier Marie Madeline Studio
December 20 Granny B's Clothesline Lilac Lane by Melissa Stramel

A New Quilt

I put aside my Drunkards Path block for now.....I had an idea for a new quilt I want to make just for me!!!  The book I'm using for the pattern is a bit older and outdated so I am tweaking the pattern just a bit.   This takes longer, but is worth it for what I want to accomplish.   I have gotten some of my Girlfriends fabric out for this one.  I look forward to snuggling with this quilt and thinking of all the wonderful girlfriends I have!!!   I am blessed :)   Can one of my girlfriends tell me how to get rid of the black lines around my blocks?  I'm terrible with computers!!!

Flying Geese Block

Flying Geese plus a few more squares!!!  I'm using some of my Girlfriends fabrics...yummy!!

Some of these are auditioning...it takes forever to choose the right fabric!!!  

Drunkards Path Quilt Block

I have been wanting to make a Drunkards Path Quilt for quite awhile.  I purchased an Accuquilt Baby Go about 5 months ago and am just getting around to using it!  Sad...I know!    I always have something else for somebody else that needs to be done.    That's o.k., not complaining!  But...I'm not getting anything creative done for me.  It's always a challenge to properly balance our lives, isn't it!   I decided I need to spend at least enough time today to finish one block.  So...I did!  I knew I wanted to use something really fun and eclectic for this block, so Jennifer Paganelli's Superfly is the first thing that came to my mind!  Her fabrics shout out FUN!!!    I did finish one block!  Just in time to get ready to pick up my son from school, then we're going to work out,I'll make dinner and hopefully  have enough energy tonight to make another block!  I REALLY love this, so I think it's a good possibility!!

Quilts...Doll Quilts and Madrona Road...oh my!

I have been busily working on a request for a customer this week.  I am busily working because I seem to have lots of custom orders for quilts coming in so I don't want to fall behind.    Life is funny.  I haven't had a custom order for a QUILT in a long time!  Now I have about four.    Not complaining!  I love making quilts.   My customer had found a quilt like this in my past sales, and wanted one larger.  Plus she wanted a matching doll quilt.   She said she wanted this to be her "forever" quilt for her daughter.  I can't tell you how happy that makes me that she would choose ME for make her  daughters forever quilt!    I am honored!  I also made a quick little quilt yesterday from this fabric I have been HIGHLY anticipating!  It's Madrona Road by Violet Craft.  I love her name...Violet Craft!  Isn't it just perfect for a fabric designer!!!   I loved her last line Peacock Lane, and this Madrona Road is just as wonderful as Peacock Lane!   I have more ideas for this fabric, but I just had to make something with it this week!!   I'll have more to show in a few weeks with Madrona Road.  Have  a lovely Sunday!!!

Doll Quilt

Doll Quilt with Baby Quilt

Madrona Road!!!

A Crib Sheet with Piping Tutorial...it's finally here!!!

Please read through all instructions before you begin!!   

You will need to choose 3 fabrics.  Your base, (mine is red) sides (aqua) and piping fabric.

Base should measure 29" x 52", for the sides you will need two pieces  8 1/2" by 30",  and two pieces 8 1/2" by 53".  For the piping fabric you will need 5 strips of fabric measuring  2 x 42inches.   don't forget your actual piping cord!!  I used  Simplicity 4/32".  You will also need 2 yards of 1/4" elastic.

First cut out your fabric pieces

Cut off the edges of your selvedges for your piping fabric

Once you have cut off the edges of your selvedges on your piping fabric, sew all of your pieces together  .  Iron your seams flat.

When you have sewn all your piping fabric together , make your piping.  I use my zipper foot for this

Piping is done!!!!

Sew your piping onto the right side of your base fabric, matching raw  edges.

The corners are tricky!  I cut the corners a bit to help ease the piping around  the corners of the base.   Don't worry, it's going to be fabulous!!!  

When you come to the end of the piping and you need to join the ends, , I sort of criss cross them  so there won't be too much bulk.  don't forget to backstitch!

Now it's time for the sides!  Sew ALL of them together.  Start with one long side, one short side, one long side and then one short side, and then that short side to the long side.     When you're done it should look like  a tube.   

We are going to make the casing for the elastic first, so turn under the edge about 1/4" and iron!

Now turn that under about 5/8" and iron it down

Now sew all around on the edge, leaving about 1 1/2' opening.  This is where you will put your elastic once you're all done,  but not yet!!

Now it's time to pin the sides onto the base like this!!   

Once you've pinned it, sew it as close the the piping as you can get!!!!   Once you're done I zig zag my seams.  I suppose if you have a serger you would serge!  Frankly I'm too intimidated to purchase a serger, I am sure I would never be able to thread it :)

This is how it looks all sewn together, isn't it lovely?   Now it's time to put your elastic on!!  I attach a safety pin to the elastic, and then work the elastic through the casing.    

Once you have worked your elastic into the casing be sure to sew your elastic pieces together.  I like to use a small zig zag stitch, just to make sure it's secure.  Now sew together the opening and.....

 Look!  A nice crib sheet with piping.  It's not that hard!!!!

A leopard pillow??

Leopard and Roses....kinda like leather and lace?

I have never been too into animal prints, so when a customer requested a leopard print pillow to match the bedding I was making with Heather Bailey's lovely roses I thought it should be interesting!!!    She knew exactly what she wanted, so who was I to say no?    I finished it today and I absolutely LOVE it!!!   Isn't it gorgeous?  Who would have thought Heather's roses looked good with leopard?    

She also ordered 2 shams and a double sized dust ruffle.  I was in too much of a hurry to take pics of them all

I am so glad I finished this up today,  for tomorrow we go to the mountains!!  woot!  so excited!  It's been in the triple digits here FOREVER!  I'm ready for some cool mountain air.   Have a lovely weekend, be  back Monday!