Tag Archives: Books

A Super Quick QAYG!

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About a year or so after I learned how to quilt, I started looking online for different ways/options to do things such as binding, basting,etc.  As a new quilter, binding was my least favorite part of quilting.  I dreaded it!  There had to be an easier way of binding than how I’d been taught! 

One of the first sites I came across was Quilting In The Rain. It was love at first sight! Jera’s instructional and pattern tutorials are simple and quick. I found her binding tutorials very refreshing.  I stalked her blog many a night and always left inspired.  I’ve made several of her patterns over the last few years; the latest being one from her book Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern which I won an autographed copy of on an Instagram giveaway!
I needed something that would go together super quick for an upcoming baby shower and chose the Queen Anne Steps pattern. 


It worked perfectly for the 3 fabrics I’d chosen to match the decor in the baby’s room and it’s a good size; 48 1/2″ x 60 1/2″.  

It’s definitely a pattern one could complete in about 8 hours or so…depending on how fancy you get w/your quilting however,  I did it in about 4 shorter sessions. 

I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice FMQ, however it proved to be difficult for me because I matched my thread to the fabric and couldn’t really see what the heck I was doing! Since I did match the thread to the fabric, I sewed all the pink strips first, then the blue and lastly the orange. I did practice FMQ on all the pink strips and quickly switched to simple wavy and straight lines for the next 2 colors. 

I used the leftover strips to make a matching pillow.

In case you didn’t notice, I finally made a blog signature! I used this tutorial I found on Val’s Quilting Studio  Tutorials page.  Afterward I started looking around on how to make a custom header and came across this tutorial using Pic Monkey.  I’ve been playing around w/it all week…but my blog header is still a work in progress! Hopefully soon I will get it and my blog looking exactly how I want it. But for now, what you see, is what you get! =)

A Thread for Life
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, 
is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4

Linking up at:
Needle and Thread Thursday
TGIFF!
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?


Until next time, Happy Quilting and God Bless!

Patterns, Books and Progress, Oh My!

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When I first started quilting and discovered FaveQuilts, I was so thankful for all the FREE quilt patterns. (It’s where I found some of the blogs I follow too!)

 I was super excited that I would never have to pay for a pattern or book! Well that lasted for a long while, but in the past year I’ve purchased a few patterns and more recently, a couple of books! I pre-ordered this modern quilt as you go book a few months ago and I can’t wait for it to be distributed next month. And even more recently, after falling in love w/ a beautiful kaleidoscope quilt seen on Fresh Off The Frame, I ordered Ricky Tims’ book, Kool Kaleidoscope Quilts.

And speaking of books, I recently inherited a great deal of books from the AQG who closed their library earlier this year. Members were allowed to choose pretty much any books we wanted. Here are the ones I chose.

my son cut off my head

In Quilty news, I did get the college-bound quilt basted last weekend and have even started quilting it. I’m using the techniques that Ann Petersen teaches in her Craftsy class: Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine.

Here’s what I have so far on the Summer Star Mini.

Tomorrow I’m bringing my sister to quilting, the once a month get together w/the sisters from church,and I’m going to assist her in making a simple lap quilt. Maybe she’ll become a quilting maniac like me. 😉

In Yoga news, 2 weeks down, 10 more to go! Keep praying for me.

A Thread for Life
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV

Until next time, Happy Quilting and God Bless.

Still Learning, a Quick Finish and Freebies!

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There are a couple of things from this week that I’m excited about.

First, I learned how to tie a Quilters Knot! The gal who taught it to the kids at sew camp this week was surprised that I didn’t already know how; and honestly, I was a little embarrassed. But there was one other mature quilter who also didn’t know…so I didn’t feel so bad after all. 😉  This is something I could have learned from YouTube, but I wasn’t interested before that day because I’d been using a knotting technique I learned from +Quilting In The Rain‘s tutorial.  Before this tutorial, my knots were also “ghetto”. I’m thankful to have added another technique to my quilters resume.

And the other thing I’m excited about is also something I discovered at sew camp: Chaco Liners by Clover! These chalk pens and liners work wonderfully for marking quilts w/straight or curvy lines, half square triangles and any other fabric markings. There is no mess and the chalk just washes or brushes away.  They come in several colors and are refillable! I bought yellow and white.

Sew Camp
This is the 3rd year my quilt chapter, Quilters Anonymous,  has held kids sew camp. It’s a week long day camp, Mon – Fri. There are 2 sessions, 9a – noon and 1p – 3p.  Last year I volunteered for 1 afternoon. This year, I did 2 full days. Next year, I’m planning on doing the entire week. I really enjoyed it. The kids had the option of making 4 smaller projects or 1 lap quilt.  I brought my youngest son (19) to camp one day and he made a thread catcher/scrap bag and a zippered mesh bag. He was pleased w/his accomplishments and now has a greater appreciation for my craft.

The quilt I just finished was the lap quilt project we taught at camp. It went together so quickly and I whipped it out in no time. I did my first mitered corner on this quilt.

I am slowly but surely getting all the pieces cut out to make the Summer Star Mini Quilt for my sis’ work office.   Next on my quilting/sewing agenda is to get the College Bound quilt quilted for my niece.  I’ve already got the backing pieced. My goal is to have it basted this weekend.

In other news, I bought a 3 mos, Bikram “HOT” Yoga deal on Living Social.  I started it this week. The class time that works best for me and the one I prefer is at 530a, Mon, Weds, Fri.  If you aren’t familiar w/Bikram Yoga, it’s a 90 min yoga class that is done in a room that is 104 degrees Fahrenheit! I can’t believe I paid for such torture. One week down, 11 more to go! Pray for me!!

And for all my Nookers out there in case you don’t already know, Barnes and Noble has Free Fridays  on The Nook Blog. They offer a free book, a free app AND a free video every week! A great way to grow your library w/o spending a penny!

A Thread for Life
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. –Phil 3:12-14