Aunt Polly's Porch

Missing My Baby…

2012-01-29T17:12:00.001-05:00

My Bernina Artista 640E… my baby… sniff sniff… is in the quilt shop for repair and adjusting… sigh I am really missing her!!

Thank goodness, I have my old Bernina Virtuosa 160 to pull out of the closet and set up in my sewing table! The clear insert doesn’t fit too well, but I’m making do!

So, I was able to finally quilt my Schnibbles quilt for January- “Full House”yesterday.

I made it from Kate Spain’s beautiful collection- “Good Fortune”. Love the pastels with pops of red orange! Yowsza!!

I free-motion quilted it with meandering leaves.

I used a pretty hydrangea print from my stash for thebacking and a pretty swirly green fabric for the binding.

YAY! Am so happy to get the first Schnibbles project for the new year completed before the last day of the month!! Whew!!

I can’t wait to find out what comes next!!

SOOOO, what did you sew on this weekend??

Accuquilt GO! Snowflake Placemat Tut

2012-01-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

I finished the Accuquilt GO! Blogger Spotlight article and project this week. It will be published on February 8th!

They wanted a short little article showing the project created with one of their GO! dies… but I’m used to doing more in-depth tutorials with step-by-step photos and instructions… so I’m gonna do that here! I love my Accuquilt GO! It really does make cutting out shapes so quick and easy! And it makes detailed applique pieces like these snowflakes reallly super quick and easy!! Can you imagine cutting these out by hand?

So, I love to use machine applique over pieced blocks or backgrounds, don’t you? You can chose your favorite block and piece it, then fuse the applique over the block! I love the churn dash block, so that’s what I used for the background of the placemat… but you could use a log cabin block, a star block, a pinwheel, or even something as easy as a four patch.

I decided on the finished size of the placemat then made the churn dash block the size of the height for the placemat then added two strips on each side of the square block to make it into a rectangular shape.

I found a cute red novelty print for the back of the placemats with mugs on it. I chose some soft blues for the block background and a cheery red print to make the churn dash really pop! The snowflakes were made from a white on white fabric with fusible on the back. Cutting measurements for 4 placemats:

from block background blue-

8 squares @ 3 7/8”

2 @ 2” by 8”

2 @ 2” by 7”

8 @ 2 1/2” by 13”

4 center rectangles @ 7” by 8”

from red accent fabric-

8 squares @ 3 7/8”

2 @ 2” by 8”

2 @ 2” by 7”

from the white snowflake fabric-

4 squares @ 5 1/2” with your

favorite fusible on the back

4 backing pieces @ 13 1/4” by 18”

4 batting pieces @ 14” by 19”

Draw a line diagonally across the 3 7/8” blue squares.

Put one blue and one red square right sides together, and sew 1/4” away on BOTH sides of the drawn line.

Cut on the drawn line and voila!! Two identical half-square triangle blocks!! Repeat this with the other red and blue squares, press seams toward the darker fabric.

Next, sew eight sets of one red and one blue 2” by 7”strips, press seam toward the darker fabric.Next, sew eight sets of one red and one blue 2” by 8” strips, press seam toward the darker fabric.

Sew one 7” strip set to each 7” side of the center rectangle, press seam toward the darker fabric.

Sew one half-square triangle to each end of the 8” strip set as shown in the photo above!

Sew these pieces to each side of the center unit.

Finally, sew one 2 1/2” by 13” strip to each side of the finished block to create the rectangular placemat.

Now, the placemat background is done! Time to play with the GO! I used the Holiday Medley Die # 55043.

Carefully center two of the pre-fused white squares over the only the snowflake portion of the die and roll the die into the Go! Remove the excess cut fabric and repeat again with the remaining two white squares.

Center the one snowflake on each placemat front and fuse into place. I used a pale blue thread to stitch close to the snowflake applique edge all around with a straight stitch, but you could do any decorative stitch you like.

Layer the front right side down on top of the backing right side up then on top of the batting and pin.

Stitch 1/4” from the edges all around, leaving a 4” opening to turn it through. Turn it right sides out, press and top-stitch close to the edges all around.

Now, you can quilt it as desired. I just stitched in the ditch around the churn dash.

Oh, and here’s a little tip! I trained my family to always flip their placemats over before eating on them. That way if any food gets on it, it’s not on the pretty front!

And what’s fun about this type of project, is that you can change out the block you chose to make for the background, as well as the fusible applique and fabric, you can make placemats and table runners for every season!! Let’s GO! decorate!! Woo hoo!!

Busy Days

2012-01-17T22:58:00.001-05:00

OK, so I’m sure you are thinking

what a slacker I am so far this year!!

I promise I have been sewing!!

I’ve made 4 new winter corduroy

tops in great and fun colors.

And I joined the new One Schnibble

pattern a month group,

so I’ve been working on this

month’s pattern, “Full House”

which I’m making out of Kate

Spain’s “Good Fortune” collection.

I just LOVE making these little

Schnibbles quilts by “Miss Rosie”.

Carrie’s instructions are always

the best!! So clear and easy!

So, I’ve finished the top and it

is sandwiched and ready to quilt!

Buttttt, I have to get a special

blog post done for Accuquilt, who

asked me to be a guest blogger in

their spotlight series… so I have

to design, make and create a tutorial

using a GO! die…so quilting my little

January Schnibble quilt will have to

wait!! So stay tuned, dear friends!!

Resolution… no… a New Goal!!

2012-01-10T21:23:00.001-05:00

OK, I’ve totally given up on making New Years Resolutions these days. They just make you feel bad come February when you’ve already stopped working on them, right?

Soooo, I thought I’d try to make a goal I could actually reach instead!! I’m sick and tired of making the same dang meals every week!! So, my goal is to make one new recipe every week!! That’s not unrealistic, right?

Tonight I made a dish I’ve always heard about but never eaten or made- Osso Buco!! Woo hoo!! I read a zillion recipes online for it and sorta did my own thing! And it was DELICIOUS!! (I have to apologize for my terrible photos…really fuzzy!!) Here ya go!!

Osso Buco

2 lbs. veal shank (about 4)

1 c. chopped onion

3/4 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. petite carrots

3 large crushed garlic cloves

1/2 stick butter

1/4 c. chopped bacon or pancetta

3/4 c. white wine

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 Bay leaves, salt, pepper

(Pre-heat oven to 375!)

Using an enameled coated cast iron covered pot on the stovetop, brown the veal shanks in the butter, after dredging them in flour. Salt and pepper them as desired.

Remove the meat to a dish, add the onion, celery, garlic, bacon and spices to the pan drippings and saute for 10 minutes, then add the wine. Add the meat back to the pot. Pour the tomato sauce over the meat. Add the carrots and Bay leaves. Put the top on the pot, and place in the pre-heated oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with linguine, a green salad and Merlot!

Anddddd, guess who was waiting in the corner for something to drop on the floor…

Busy Day!

2012-01-08T22:03:00.001-05:00

My dear friend Kelly, over at Charming Chatter, has continued her “Word Up” activity for the new year of 2012!! My word last year was “Savor”…and I did allot of savoring last year! It’s taken me a few days to decide on a new word. My word finally found me today! “Simplify”!! As I am finally retiring from teaching at the end of this school year after 34 years in education, it will be really important for me to simplify a whole lot of my life!! I am really looking forward to it, too!!

OK, I did think I was going to do some sewing today…sigh…it didn’t happen! But, that was my choice, because I chose to redo my closet instead! I always get the re-organize bug every January… do you? Get the urge to clean out, redo, clear out, thin out, SIMPLIFY…

So, have you EVER seen a messier closet??

Look at all those purses, totes and other junk crammed up on that shelf!!

So, here are my new closet organizing bins and baskets! And Yogi’s here to help, too!!

I bought some of them at Tuesday Morning and some at TJ Maxx….two great stores to putz around in!! I do so love the “hunt”!

Anyhoo, after a few hours of sorting and tossing and re-organizing, it looks so much better…cleaner… prettier!! YAY!

And I have two bags of clothes to take to the donation center tomorrow!! Woo hoo!!

What did you do today?? Something fun?

A Bee-utiful Day!

2012-01-07T20:03:00.001-05:00

I want to thank all of you who so kindly sent my family and I such sweet thoughts and prayers.

They definitely helped us through the past sad days of preparing for and attending my dear Mother-In-Law’s funeral and burial this week. I held your dear thoughts and prayers in my heart and they helped me more than you can know!

We got home late Thursday night and both my dear husband and I had to get up early on Friday and go to work after missing the previous three days. Even though we were both emotionally and physically tired, it was good to get back to our usual routine.

Today was our January bee day at Linda’s house. I spent the time cutting out the Schnibbles quilt for this month. Look on my sidebar for this button-

Click on it if you are interested in finding out what this fun year-long activity is all about! Come on, join us!! Soooooo Fun!!

Anyhoo, I am using Kate Spain’s new collection “Good Fortune” to make this month’s Schnibble- “Full House”.

So, bee today was just what my soul needed… being with dear friends, being together, doing what we all love to do-

Eating, gossiping, sharing our stories, our lives…

our skills and expertise, our love of fabric and design…

and all things quilty!!

Today was a GOOD day!

What a week...

2011-12-31T09:31:00.001-05:00

I have no idea how this blog post will look as I'm having to use my iPad to write and post it...sigh...my laptop died on the day after Christmas and won't be fixed and reloaded until the end of next week. This has not to been a good week for us. In the middle of Christmas dinner, we got a phone call that my dear husband's mother had passed away at the nursing home where she was living with late stage Alzheimer's disease. She had not recognized any of us for a long time and stopped eating. We knew it was coming, but that did not make it any easier. Needless to say we are sad and stressed that the arrangements for her funeral mass and burial in two different states in the coming week all work out. Say a little prayer, ok? I'll get back to posting as soon as my laptop is back next weekend. I hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a really good New Year! God Bless! Polly :-)

Merry Christmas To All!!

2011-12-25T10:09:00.001-05:00

And to ALL a good day and night!!

Blog Hop Party Giveaway Winner

2011-12-17T21:04:00.001-05:00

Thank you for all the great quilting tips and lovely comments! Yogi was flattered by how many of you would take him as a prize!! Believe me, you’d send him right back…he is sooooooooo spoiled!!

The winner of the quilt book and Christmas panel giveaway is….

So, Jen, send me your full name and address and I’ll get the prize in the mail! See how excited Yogi is for you???

Last Saturday was bee at my friend Lorraine’s house! We have such fun chatting at bee. We all worked at the same elementary school at different points in time and still work in the local school system, so we have lots to gossip about. :-)

And Lorraine’s house was so wonderfully decorated for Christmas and the food was super yummy!! And, I finished my Christmas Tilt quilt!!

So when I got home from bee, I grabbed my camera and quilt and Yogi and went out on the deck to take some photos.

Dang, it was really cold out there….

So, Yogi was more than happy to sit on the quilt!!

I used a fun flannel on the back. My family fights over the flannel-backed quilts when it’s cold! And I found this cute Mary Engelbreit label to use on the back, too!!

What did you sew on this weekend?

Blog Hop Party Givaway

2011-12-09T19:08:00.001-05:00

Michele Foster, over at the Quilting Gallery, is hosting a Blog Hop Party from December 10 through the 17th! There are tons of blogs registered to participate in the hop and all are having giveaways, including me!

So, what am I giving away??

Nope! NOT my Yogi!! But…

how about this wonderful quilt book…

and this fun Christmas fabric panel??

To enter my giveaway, first you must be a follower of my blog, then leave a comment and tell me you are a follower and share your favorite quilting tip or favorite quilting notion.

Winner will be randomly chosen on December 17th at 9 pm!

Click on the Blog Hop Party button above on my side bar to visit the list of participating bloggers!! Let’s hop!!

Quilted Tree Skirt

2011-12-05T06:20:00.001-05:00

I have a 5’ tall country style artificial Christmas tree in my family room with a long skinny bare trunk that needed a new little tree skirt!

So, I pulled out some bright fun modern Christmas prints from the stash closet…

I cut one 5” strip cross-grain on eight different fabrics.

I sub-cut those strips into 5” squares.

I made 4 big nine patches using 2 fabrics for each.

I sewed then together, pinned the backing and batting and top together

and quilted it with a simple meander using a red and green variegated thread.

I cut a 3” circle from the very center, trimmed the edges and cut off the corners.

I made the binding from a fun green and red striped fabric and sewed it all around the edges, and hand sewed it down while watching TV last night!

Woo hoo! I love it there!! Don’t you?

What did you do this weekend?

SewCalGal’s Christmas Quilt Show 2011

2011-12-02T19:52:00.001-05:00

Holy Cow! I ALMOST MISSED IT!! YIKES!

I’ve been so busy around the house and at work that I’ve not been checking all my favorite blogs and I almost missed Darlene’s great Christmas Quilt Show 2011!

My official entry is this super fun Santa quilt!!

It was completely made from fabrics I already had in my stash…many were just scraps!

I put the top together at a fall quilt retreat about 7 years ago, then quilted it when I got back home!! Quilted fun swirls in the beards!

The pattern is in this awesome Art to Heart book by Nancy Halvorsen called “Santa’s Coming”.

I loved mixing and matching the different beiges and whites for the beards and mustaches!

And guess who else loves this quilt???

Yup! My sewing buddy, Yogi! His job is to test out all my quilts to make sure they are snuggly and toasty warm!! What a job!

Before you go, let me show you the other Christmas quilts that are out and about in my house this month!! This one hangs in my living room!

This new one is over my mantle now…just finished it last week!

This was over my mantle before the one above but is now hanging over our étagère’ in the family room!

This one was made using the same 2” squares technique as the one above, but this guy has slipped and fallen down!! Oooops!!

This is my one of my newest ones! I just finished this one at last month’s bee day!! Very vintagy looking fabric!!

This one was a Moda Bake Shop project during their “Christmas in July 2011” series! (You can go HERE to learn how to make one of your own!!)

This is another quilt of my own design called “Ribbon Candy” that I taught at a local quilt shop a few years ago.

Yogi likes this one, too!! LOL!!

This one is hanging on my front door this month!! Just loved his charming face!!

This little table topper was super fun and quick to make!! Love his mistletoe sprig!!

This was one of Miss Rosie’s Schnibbles patterns!! It fits perfectly on our ottoman!

Make sure you click on the button on the sidebar and go check out all the other entries in SewCalGal’s Christmas Quilt Show 2011!!

The Hustle Bustle Season Begins

2011-11-29T22:06:00.001-05:00

It’s been such a crazy last few weeks with Thanksgiving and on top of that, we’ve been busy helping out two sons move into new apartments on the weekends!

But Yogi and I have been really busy sewing, too.

I made four pretty little Christmas wall quilts for my three sisters and my parents.

I took these sneak peek photos then totally forgot to take a finished photo of one to share with you after I sent them to my family in Florida last week… sigh

Then I started decorating the house for Christmas on Black Friday and decided I wanted a new mini-quilt to hang over the mantle.

I had this adorable Mary Engelbreit Santa panel, so I used part of it to make a little wallhanging!

I think it’s perfect for the space!!

I’ve got the whole house decorated, the lights on the live tree in the living room, but still have to put on the ornaments. If you remember my Demon Tree from last year, you’ll understand why I’m letting the tree sit with only lights for a few days… if not, read this-

http://auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/2010/12/demon-tree.html

So, what are you working on these days?

P.S. Yogi is just plum tuckered out from all this sewing and decorating!!

Guess What???

2011-11-17T20:04:00.001-05:00

Yogi and I are in the Winter 2011 issue of Interweave’s “Studios” magazine! Woo hoo!! :-)

I’ve known since mid summer, but could not share it until now!!

I am thrilled at the lovely layout!

I actually took all the photos back in August…seems like ages ago!!

It was really hard to select the 15 photos I could submit from the millions I took!!

They also published my iPad Sleeve design!! Wanna make one??

SOOO???? Waddaudink??

Sooooooooo My Bad!!

2011-11-15T21:26:00.001-05:00

I am still here… life has been crazy busy lately, so I’ve not been keeping up with my blogging… sigh

But in my defense, the last few weeks have been non-stop at work and then when I get home, I’ve got just as many things to do.

It IS the busy season!! Got all the Halloween stuff taken down and packed away until next year… and got all the Thanksgiving stuff out.

My November decor is full of scarecrows!!

Back when I used to have booths at local craft fairs, I sure did sell lots of scarecrows every fall! :-)

How many real scarecrows have you ever seen out in a field? (No fair counting the one in the Wizard of Oz!)

I don’t think I’ve EVER seen a real scarecrow out in a field… but they DO exist, right?

Do you decorate with scarecrows for fall??? Do you have a favorite one? I do! This little guy!

I made him about 20 years ago! His pants were made out of an old worn out pair of my son’s jeans!! He’s holding a little bird’s nest with an egg in it! :-)

My Baylarian Christmas Quilt

2011-11-02T17:29:00.001-04:00

I finally got my act together and took some pix of my 50’s looking Christmas quilt!

I was able to finish the binding at our last bee.

I decided to name it- “My Baylarian Christmas”.

I grew up in Orlando, Florida on a little dead end street named Baylarian Boulevard.

This quilt reminds me so much of Christmases at home on Baylarian Boulevard growing up!! It will be a favorite quilt for me!!

Do you have a favorite Christmas quilt?

Tell me all about it!!

(Only 53 more days until Christmas!!)

Work In Progress

2011-10-27T21:21:00.001-04:00

I’ve wanted to make this jellyroll quilt for years! It’s called “Tilt” and I’ve been saving a Mary Engelbreit jellyroll for it!

Yogi was happy to be back in the sewing room!

I love playing with the fabrics and deciding which strips to put together!

After sub-cutting the strips, we have a stack of pieces for the frame block and one for the pinwheel blocks.

Yogi is getting bored today and is itching to go outside …

now that the rain has stopped!

So that’s it for now!

More to come!! What are YOU working on???

Busy Bee Day!

2011-10-23T17:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was our bee day for October! and it was at my house! Such fun!!

We don’t all work on the same project. We each work on whatever we want to. I usually try to do handwork at bee so I don’t need to lug around a machine.

We do so much talking that I have learned NOT to do any cutting at bee! I always make a mistake because I’m not paying close enough attention… so I end up wasting fabric! So, I NEVER cut at bee!

I sewed down the binding on my Christmas quilt! So, another UFO completed!! YAY!

We had warm coffee cake when folks got here at 9am and snacks in between then for lunch we had white chicken chili and some awesome apple raisin bread with chocolate cake for dessert! YUM!

Work in Progress

2011-10-19T20:26:00.001-04:00

I am quilting a Christmas top I made at last fall’s quilt guild retreat.

I bought the kit for the quilt several years ago at our local annual quilt show, but didn’t get the top made until retreat last fall.

I love the vintage look of these fabrics. It’s a very 50’s vibe!! And being that I was born in the 50’s, it seems like HOME to me… like Christmases of my youth!!

We’ve got bee on Saturday here at my house, so I’ll hand sew the binding down then! I can’t wait!! Woo hoo!!

Halloweens of the Past!

2011-10-17T21:30:00.001-04:00

Do you have some old photographs of you as a child dressed up for Halloween? This was me in 1959 dressed up as a gypsy for Halloween!

Wanna share your photos????

Simply Wonderful!

2011-10-09T19:35:00.001-04:00

I was able to spend most of the day in my sewing room! I just can’t show you

details of the project as it is for a dear friend who reads my blog, so only little bits and pieces this time!!

My sweet Yogi enjoyed the day in the sewing room, too! Zzzzzzzzzz!

The sun was coming in and he loves to snooze in the sun in his comfy bed on my sewing table.

This was a fairly small project, so I was able to get it pieced, quilted and

even the binding and label sewn on as we watched football this afternoon.

Yogi really didn’t want to get out of his bed and come downstairs at all!!

Wake up, Yogi!! Time for football!!

Only 25 Days Until…

2011-10-06T18:09:00.001-04:00

Halloween!!!

I LOVE Halloween!

Here in northern Virginia,

Halloween is the peak

of our gorgeous fall color!!

Soooo, I have to make sure

our home is decorated and

ready to celebrate

All Hallows Eve!!

I DON’T buy our

Trick or Treat candy

until the day before…

because we’d eat it

up for sure!!

What’s your favorite candy story from Halloween?

Did your parents go through your pillowcase of

candy and check it all out?

Did you get 2 pieces of candy every day in your

lunchbox for months until it was all gone?

What was your most treasured Halloween

costume as a child…

or teen….

or adult?

Did you go

Trick or Treating

with siblings or friends

or always with parents tagging along?

Did you play any

mean tricks????

Were any tricks

played on you??

Soooooooooooo…..

are you ready

for Halloween????

I am!!

Teacher’s Pet

2011-10-03T18:18:00.001-04:00

I still had a few places I needed some more Back To School decor to put out in September, so after I made my teacher doll, Miss Goodchild, I decided to make another school doll while all my school fabric was out! Meet the Teacher’s Pet!

She sat on my fireplace mantle under the schoolhouse quilt.

She’s holding a little slate that she uses to practice her ABC’s and 123’s!! She has long wavy pigtails and pantaloons made from the handwriting fabric!

I just put her away along with all the other school stuff that was out for the month of September. All my Halloween stuff is out now! I’ll take lots of photos of my spooky decor and will post it soon!! This is sooo my favorite holiday!

Here’s a sneak peek of someone snoozin’ away on a favorite Halloween quilt!!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

2011-10-02T16:22:00.001-04:00

OK, I’ve always wondered where that saying came from….anyone know? Anyhoooo… a BIG thank you to Darlene over at Sewcalgal for organizing the Accuquilt Fall Blog Hop!! I so enjoyed seeing the participants projects and learning their tips and tricks!!

Thank you, also, for those of you who entered my fusible fall leaves givaway!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful favorite fall memories with us! It sure does seem that fall is a favorite time of year for so many reasons!! I heart fall big time…especially Halloween!!

Now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for…

The winner of the fusible fall leaves issssssss-

VickiT !!

So, Vicki, congrats!! Some fusible fabric leaves will be winging your way as soon as you send me your snail mail address!!

Thank you again, for all the awesome comments!! One of you all suggested I add the email update button to my blog, so I did!! If you want to get my blog posts via email, just fill in your email address in the box at the top on the right just above my profile photo!!

AccuQuilt Fall Blog Hop 2011

2011-09-30T06:14:00.001-04:00

I love my GO! As cutting out stuff for quilting is my least favorite part of the process, using my GO! sure makes me happy! And, as autumn is my favorite season, I used my GO! to make a beautiful table runner I can use all season.

The dies used for this project are the fall medley # 55041 and the 2 1/2” strip cutter # 55017.

The first thing is to select some gorgeous fall leaf colors. I used stash and scraps to collect 3 or 4 different values and textures of main leaf colors…including pink!!

You will also need some fusible of your choice!

I plan to use this runner on my dining room table, so I used several darker values of blues for the background fabrics.

I am only using the leaf and acorn potion of the die, so I cut the fabric only big enough to cover that portion. After cutting and pressing the size rectangles I needed for the leaf/acorn die, I pressed fusible onto the back of each piece of fabric.

Using the GO! is pretty much the same with all dies. First off, here’s a little tip. The GO!, although quite heavy, can slide a bit sometimes while in use, so to avoid this, I use this rubbery Grip It Shelf and Drawer Liner underneath it.

Lay two fused fabric pieces on top of the dark rubber side of the die over the cutting area which is much easier to see if you beforehand outline the cutting edges on the rubber with a black Sharpie.

Next, lay the thick white plastic mat over the fabric and die.

Slide the two as if one under the center bar using one hand to push

and the other to turn the crank.

When it has passed all the way under the bar and out to the other side, it is done!

Now, remove the plastic mat and separate the cut out leaves and acorns from the leftover fused fabric.

I like to keep the leftovers as they are all fused and ready to be cut out and used on small appliqué projects,

so I stack them up and put them in a big ziploc for safe keeping!!

Now, do the same process until all the leaves and acorns are cut out using die # 55041 and then

use die # 55017 to cut out at least one 2 1/2” by width of fabric (about 42”) for each of 9 blue fabrics for the background blocks. You won’t need that much for the center strips of the blocks… so use up those scraps.

Now, sub-cut those 2 1/2” wide blue background strips for the 10 1/2” log cabin blocks as follows-

cut four 2 1/2” square from fabric 1

cut four 2 1/2” square from fabric 2

cut four 4 1/2” piece from fabric 3

cut four 4 1/2” piece from fabric 4

cut four 6 1/2” piece from fabric 5

cut four 6 1/2” piece from fabric 6

cut four 8 1/2” piece from fabric 7

cut four 8 1/2” piece from fabric 8

cut four 10 1/2” piece from fabric 9

Now they will be sewn together in exactly the order that they were cut-

fabric 1 square to fabric 2 square,

then press, add fabric three rectangle to the first two pieces you sewed/pressed,

and so on …

until you have sewn…

all the pieces together…

to create the 10 1/2” log cabin block.

Repeat this process to create all 4 blocks!

Next cut out three 10” squares from one of the blue fabrics then cut them in half diagonally. These are your setting triangles that fill in the spaces on each side of the log cabins on point.

Lay them all out and sew them together in diagonal rows, pressing as you go. Cut out your batting and backing fabric a tad bigger all around, pin it all together and quilt as desired. I did an all-over meander with variegated thread. Press then trim off the excess batting and backing.

Next is the fun part!! You can use your leaves and acorns to create any design on your table runner you like!

I tried several different designs before settling on

this one with four oak leaves and an acorn centered symmetrically on each log cabin block and one maple leaf centered on each setting triangle.

You can choose whichever design you like!

Now, we have to remove the paper backing off all the leaves and acorns. Here’s another tip! Score the paper on the back of each leaf/acorn with a sharp pin then, slightly fold it on that scored line and slide your fingernail under the scored edge and the paper can then be easily peeled off leaving the cut edges intact.

I pressed the fused leaves down first- leaving off the center acorns.

I used a heavier variegated thread

to stitch around each leaf and add veins.

Then I fused on the four acorns and stitched around them, as well!! And that is it!! The table runner top is now complete!! Just bind it and add a label on the back! All done!

Waddaudink??

You like??? I hope so!!

And, as usual…

guess what Yogi was doing…

the whole time I was making this?

YUP!! Snoozin’ away! What a life, huh?

Would you like some fusible fall leaves of your own to use on a fall project? I’m giving away a bag of pre-cut leaves ready to use!!

Only two requirements!!

Follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you are a follower…

and tell me your favorite fall childhood memory!!

I’ll draw a winner and announce it on Sunday night!! Good luck!! Happy Fall Y’all!! :-)

Day Four of Accuquilt Fall Blog Hop

2011-09-29T16:50:00.001-04:00

Here’s this week’s lineup!!

Monday, September 26th-

Darlene from www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 27th -
Terrie from www.terriesandelin.blogspot.com/
Sharon from www.craizeecorner.blogspot.com/Wednesday,

September 28th -
Katrina from www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.com/

Today head on over to Connie’s blog first for some tips and tricks on how to use the Go! and the fall leaf medley die to make a beautiful Maple Leaf Centerpiece mini-quilt!! So cute! And be sure to enter her givaway for a kit of precut fabric to make your own centerpiece mini-quilt just like hers!!

Then head on over to Mary’s blog for another quilt using the tumbler die- but it makes a lantern quilt! Just wonderful! And be sure to enter her givaway for a kit to make a wallhanging created with her Roly Poly Owl Block!

Thursday, September 29th -
Connie from www.conniekresin.blogspot.com
Mary from www.tulip-patch.blogspot.com

And most importantly, Friday is MY day!! So make sure you come back to see me on Friday!! I’ll be posting a fall table runner tutorial AND offering a great givaway,too!

Friday, September 30th-
Polly from www.auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/

See you at the HOP!!

Day Three of Accuquilt Fall Blog Hop

2011-09-28T13:09:00.001-04:00

Here’s this week’s lineup!!

Monday, September 26th-

Darlene from www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 27th -
Terrie from www.terriesandelin.blogspot.com/
Sharon from www.craizeecorner.blogspot.com/

Today head on over to Katrina’s blog for some tips and tricks on how to use the Go! and three dies- the chisel die, the square die and the pumpkins die to make an awesome fall table runner!! So cute! And be sure to enter her givaway for a kit of precut fabric to make your own fall table runner just like hers!!

Wednesday, September 28th -
Katrina from www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 29th -
Connie from www.conniekresin.blogspot.com
Mary from www.tulip-patch.blogspot.com

And most importantly, Friday is MY day!! So make sure you come back to see me on Friday!! I’ll be posting a fall table runner tutorial AND offering a great givaway,too!

Friday, September 30th-
Polly from www.auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/

See you at the HOP!!

Day Two of the Accuquilt Fall Blog Hop

2011-09-27T12:45:00.001-04:00

Here’s this week’s lineup!!

Monday, September 26th-

Darlene from www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

Today is a “twofer”, so start out by heading on over to Terrie’s blog for some tips and tricks on how to use the Go! to subcut a charm pack and you should see all the cute stuff she made!! And be sure to enter her givaway for some adorable mug rugs!!

Then, be sure to go to Sharon’s blog to see how she used the new breast cancer ribbon die to make a little memorial quilt in honor of her Mother-in-Law who passed away due to cancer.

Tuesday, September 27th -
Terrie from www.terriesandelin.blogspot.com/
Sharon from www.craizeecorner.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 28th -
Katrina from www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 29th -
Connie from www.conniekresin.blogspot.com
Mary from www.tulip-patch.blogspot.com

And most importantly, Friday is MY day!! So make sure you come back to see me on Friday!! I’ll be posting a fall table runner tutorial AND offering a great givaway!

Friday, September 30th-
Polly from www.auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/

See you at the HOP!!

Day One of the Accuquilt Fall Blog Hop

2011-09-26T20:58:00.001-04:00

Here’s this week’s lineup!!

Today, head on over to our fearless leader- Darlene (aka Sewcalgal)’s blog for some tips and tricks on how to use the awesome tumbler die to make a super fun and fast Halloween quilt! It’s a real stashbuster!! And she’s giving away some pre-cut tumblers so you can make your own Halloween lap quilt!!

Darlene from www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 27th -
Terrie from www.terriesandelin.blogspot.com/
Sharon from www.craizeecorner.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 28th -
Katrina from www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 29th -
Connie from www.conniekresin.blogspot.com
Mary from www.tulip-patch.blogspot.com

And most importantly, Friday is MY day!! So make sure you come back to see me on Friday!! I’ll be posting a fall table runner tutorial AND offering a great givaway!

Friday, September 30th-
Polly from www.auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/

So, hurry over to Sewcalgal’s blog today and start hopping!! See you at the HOP!!

I’m Still Alive…

2011-09-22T14:13:00.001-04:00

but this says it all….

Boy, do I need some quality quilting time in my sewing room!!

Ready to Hop??

2011-09-18T15:06:00.001-04:00

Next week, some Accuquilt bloggers will be participating in the Accuquilt Fall Blog Hop! Darlene, aka Sewcalgal, has organized a fun and informative week of Accuquilt Go! tutorials, designs and givaways!
Won’t you join us?

Here’s the lineup!!
Monday, September 26th -
Darlene from http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, September 27th -
Terrie from http://www.terriesandelin.blogspot.com/
Sharon from http://www.craizeecorner.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, September 28th -
Katrina from http://www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.com/
Thursday, September 29th -
Connie from www.conniekresin.blogspot.com
Mary from www.tulip-patch.blogspot.com
Friday, September 30th-
Polly from http://www.auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/

Yogi and I hope you will join us on Friday,
September 30th for a new Accuquilt Go! tutorial
on a new fall themed tabletunner!!

I’ll also be giving away some beautiful fall leaves
with fusible on the back, cut out with my Go! and
ready for the winner to use on a fall project!!
Mark your calendars now!!

Meet Miss Goodchild!!

2011-09-11T18:21:00.001-04:00

I still need a few more things to out out in September for “Back To School”. I had a gardener lady pattern, so I adapted it to make a teacher doll.

Meet Miss Goodchild! She is a strict school marm who loves her children and expects them all to love learning as much as she loves teaching!!

I used my favorite Michael Miller apple fabric for her dress and I took apart an old teacher wallhanging I used to use in my classroom that was made from a cute school panel. I used the panel and ABC strips for her apron. I still need to paint some toothpicks yellow and make some pencils to stick in her bun!!

I found some more teacher-ish school prints at G-Street this weekend, too!! May have to make some more things with them… stay tuned!!

Back to School!

2011-09-05T19:35:00.001-04:00

As I posted before, I am needing some more teacher stuff to decorate my house with for September. And I really needed something school-ish to hang over the mantle in the family room.

So, I sketched up a design on one inch block graph paper including an old-fashioned schoolhouse, falling leaves, a tree branch with an apple hanging from it… notice how excited Yogi is about my project! :-)

I picked some appropriately fun fabrics from my stash closet.

I cut out the pieces I needed for all the different parts!

It was just like putting a puzzle together. I made the leaves first…then the apple, then the schoolhouse then pieced the sky and grass around it all.

I added a thin brown border then a wider border with a favorite fall forest print! I layered it with a backing and batting and quilted it with a black metallic thread that had bits of primary colors woven in it!

I bound it with a pretty green fabric, added some three dimensional leaves on the branch and apple and a small gold bell on the schoolhouse.

So, what do you think?

MODA Blog Hop

2011-09-03T21:01:00.001-04:00

September is National Sewing Month and
the Moda designers will be having a month long blog hop beginning September 6th featuring a daily post and project from each of the participating designers. Each designer is featuring a fun make it and take style project that is inspired by the country fair theme.

Here’s the lineup for the blog hop!!

September 6th Sandy Gervais of Pieces from My Heart

September 7th Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs

September 8th Barb/Mary from Me and My Sister Designs

September 9th Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms

September 10th Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts

September 11th Basic Grey

September 12th Polly/Laurie from Minick and Simpson

September 13th Sandy Klop from American Jane (Post will be featured on Moda's blog)

September 14th Liesl from Oliver + S

September 15th Joanna from Fig Tree and Co.

September 16th Lynne from Kansas Troubles

September 17th Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs

September 18th Aneela Hoey from Comfortstitching.com

September 19th Barbara from Barbara Brackman

September 20th Bonnie from Cotton Way

September 21st Christina from Cabbages and Roses

September 22nd Deb Strain

September 23rd Jan Patek of Brannock and Patek

September 24th Lauren and Jessi Jung

September 25th Stephanie from Lily Ashbury

September 26th Julie from Cosmo Cricket

September 27th Kate Spain

September 28th Karla, Susan and Lisa from Sweetwater

September 29th Kaari from French General

September 30th Lisa from Primitive Gatherings

and the fun continues into October

October 1st Kathy from Kathy Schmitz Studio

October 2nd Liz from Liz Scott Designs

So, get ready for a whole month of fun ideas and great sewing! I can’t wait!!

An Apple for the Teacher

2011-08-31T21:14:00.001-04:00

I finished a new door quilt for my front door to use every September.

I named it “An apple for the Teacher”.

I used the curled apple pattern from an Art To Heart book by Nancy Halvorsen.

I love her stuff!! And this seems very modern to me!

Next, I’ll be making a new September quilt to hang over the mantle with a schoolhouse on it!

What are you working on?

Back to Work!

2011-08-29T19:51:00.001-04:00

Today was first day back for Fairfax county teachers. We had an all day staff meeting…sigh

I kept thinking about how much

I’d rather be at home with

sewing in my studio…

I’ve realized how little “teacher” stuff I have to put out for September. So, I dug out some stuff from my teacher supply boxes in my basement to put out… still not much. So, I’m working on something new for my front door …

I’m about half done… and I can only work on it now after work at night… sigh… so bummed…

Back to School Mini Quilt

2011-08-25T20:52:00.001-04:00

I love schoolish things! And that makes sense as I’ve been a teacher for 34 years now!! I have a Snoopy “Back to School” flag that I put out front the night before I go back to school each fall for the last 18 years or so.

It is quite faded, but I love it anyway!!

I also have a fun little mini flag out front that says it all for me regarding education!

And I have this fun flag that goes out on my deck! I love Peanuts, especially Snoopy!!

I’ll be putting them all out on Sunday night as Monday starts the new school year for us teachers here in Fairfax county…sigh!

Where did summer go? :-(

So, I’ll also be taking down and putting away all my summer decor stuff and putting out some other school decorations inside this weekend. Yogi and I decided we needed a mini quilt for my metal stand to go with the whole school theme. Yogi is very decisive, you know!! :-)

So, I sketched out an old fashioned school house then selected some fabrics from my stash to use.

Notice how Yogi is actively helping me audition the various fabrics…

I traced each part of the design on the paper side of the fusible,

then pressed it onto the wrong side of each fabric.

Then I cut out each piece.

I scored the paper on the back with a straight pin and peeled the paper off.

The mini quilt has to be 12” square finished, so I used a school stripe I’ve had for years for the 2 1/2” wide border and made a viewing template in order to preview and then fussy cut four cornerstones for the border.

I need an 8 1/2” square for the center and so I pieced this square with a blue for the sky and green for the grass. After the background is finished, I pressed the fused pieces of the school, roof, steps, door, bell, sun, flag and bushes onto the background.

I used black thread and a straight stitch to stitch around each piece.

I used a light blue thread to then quilt the sky and a green thread to quilt the grass and a red, white and blue variegated thread to quilt the borders and cornerstones.

I added black rickrack on the seam lines of the borders and cornerstones. I trimmed the extra batting and backing away.

I used a solid black fabric for the binding.

I hand stitched the binding down on the back and TaaaDaaa!! All done! :-)

Don’t forget a label on the back!! Oh, and I hate putting hanging sleeves on these little quilts, so I hang it using 4 quilting safety pins!!

So, what are you working on today??

Needagottahaveone

2011-08-23T22:27:00.004-04:00

I saw this awesome phrase in a print for sale somewhere on Etsy, I think. The phrase really stuck with me!

So, I decided I needed to make it into a pillow for my sewing room. I just printed it on regular white copy paper and pinned it on top of the fabric with fusible interfacing pressed on the back. I stitched through the paper with just a simple straight stitch. Removing the paper before further stitching on the words was not fun…it took forever!!

I should have used the paper piecing paper instead of plain old copy paper as it would have been soooooooooooo much easier to remove!!

After removing the paper, I just freehand stitched over and over until I liked how it looked!! I added that little flower and black jumbo rick rack around the edges!!

I am pleased how it turned out!!

Waddudink?? You like??

What are you working on these days??

Professional Tote

2011-08-22T20:07:00.001-04:00

Ok, so, I’ve already made a new purse for back to school (my work) next Monday. So, next on my list was a new computer tote bag.

I’ve had the pattern for at least 3 years…

and it took me three full sewing days to make it!!

The pattern is very well written…

all 26 pages of instruction and 2 pages of cutting direction!!

I really do love how it turned out…

but I still don’t want to go back to work!! :-(

Camp Quiltalong Prize Giveaway!

2011-08-19T15:40:00.001-04:00

Join in some campfire fun for a chance to win great prizes totaling over $1500! Fons & Porter, Fabric.com, and AccuQuilt have teamed up to provide us all with a huge giveaway on Facebook.

Simply “Like” these Facebook pages and gain access to all three sections of a secret code that unlock your chance to win! Follow the camp trail on the bottom of each sponsor’s page and it will take you to the next campground to retrieve the next section of code. Once you’ve captured all three pieces of the secret code, go to www.accuquilt.com/indianblocks

and enter the full code to register to win!

Your summer camping trip begins at AccuQuilt, so get GO!-ing at

http://www.facebook.com/accuquilt?sk=wall#!/accuquilt?sk=app_10467688569

Good luck!! Hope you win something wonderful!!

And, by the way, don't forget you can download 22 free patterns by clicking the button on my sidebar that looks like this and signing up for the AccuQuilt newsletter! Check it out!!

Hope you are having a terrific summer!

Fall is just around the corner!!

Another UFO Done!

2011-08-18T20:20:00.001-04:00

I made this fall panel quilt top over a year ago, but never quilted it. So, as I am trying very hard to complete one UFO between new projects, I pulled it out and quilted it on Saturday!

As you know, I am really into Halloween lately, and so it continues with this quilt!

I bought this panel over 5 years ago with my sister, Patty, when we visited a quilt shop on vacation in North Carolina. It sat in my stash for years!

Then I saw the border fabric one day when I was browsing at our local G-Street Fabrics and knew it was made to go with this panel!

I just quilted it with a simple meander all over using fun multi-colored thread. Super quick and easy!! I finished the binding and label at bee on Monday! YAY!

Only 2 more quilt tops to quilt up left in my sewing room!!

Woo hoo!! Gotta love that!!

What are you working on today?

BEE-utiful Friends!

2011-08-17T19:57:00.001-04:00

I am so very blessed in so many ways. I have the most generous and wonderful bee-mates!! We had bee on Monday at Linda’s gorgeous house. Look what my phenomenal bee-mates gave me!!

And I was feeling sorry for myself during summer school as they were all off and going to quilt shops around the country (Keepsake, Hancock’s of Paducah) and to Quilt Odyssey in PA… and I was working summer school…

Aren’t bee friends the BEST??? MINE ARE!!!

Thank you dear friends!! :-)

Pets on Quilts Show 2011

2011-08-16T10:02:00.001-04:00

I LOVE this fun activity that Darlene, aka Sewcalgal, organizes for us every summer!

If you read my blog much, then you know how much I adore my Westie, Yogi.

He is my constant companion in my sewing and quilting adventures.

He has a permanent bed on my sewing table in my studio. He is is sooo many pictures and posts here on my blog.

My two sons are grown and Yogi helped us with a quiet empty nest! He is our third “son”!!

If there is a quilt on any piece of furniture (which there is a zillion of in my home)

or even any piece of block of a quilt in the making that Yogi can get to, he is soooooo ON it!! LITERALLY!!

And not only does my camera LOVE Yogi, Yogi is a camera hog, too!!

A romance made in heaven, don’t you think!?! This was last year’s photo in the Pets on Quilts Show.

Here is this year’s photo-

The quilt is my own design - “Four Squared”.

We hope you are having a fun summer and staying as cool as possible in the heat! The sewing room is the perfect place to be in all this heat, right?

Well, Yogi and I sure think so!! :-)

Make sure you check out all the other pets on quilts in the show. We all love our pets!! :-)

A New Go! Tote

2011-08-13T20:03:00.009-04:00

I know that AccuQuilt sells a rolling cart for the GO!

but I’d rather spend that money on new dies and fabric!

But the little bag you get with the GO!

does leave allot to be desired! YUK!

So, I decided to make a
much cuter tote for my GO!

I measured the GO! and decided to store it
in the tote with the handle up, so I didn’t
have to figure how to design the tote around it!

I cut a big piece of vintage Mary Engelbreit fabric from my stash, some batting and backing and quilted it all over. I cut off a strip to use for the handle along with some 2” wide webbing. I pressed the long sides of the strip under about 1/2” and cut the webbing about 1” shorter at each end than the quilted strip.

Then pinned the quilted strip on top of the webbing.

I stitched close to the edge down both sides
and also down the middle.

I folded the extended end of the quilted strip
under the edge of the webbing on both ends.

I folded the large quilted piece in half and
sewed up the two side seams.
I zigzagged the edges to finish them.

I boxed the bottom corners and cut off the
excess and zigzagged those edges, too.

I bound the top edge with a cute black polka dot fabric.
I sewed the short ends of the strap on the bag
over the side seams.

I sewed some velcro on the
top edges to close it.

I really love how it turned out!

It looks cute on my shelf and the tote is strong enough to carry my GO! to bee!! And because I saved money by not buying the cart, I just bought two more dies!! Woo hoo!!

And guess what my Yogi was doin’
the whole time I was makin’ this tote?

YUP! Just snoozin’ away!!

What a life, huh??! :-)

Meet Mrs. Spidey!

2011-08-11T17:46:00.001-04:00

My dear bee friend, Suzanne, gave me a cool Halloween mat kit last year, but I never got it made!

It came with all the strips needed to make the mat!

I love the fabrics included in the kit!

I used my own scraps for the eyes and added some fangs!

I used 2 layers of jumbo rickrack for the legs.

I bound it with solid black fabric.

I had some corners of the strip pieced fabric leftover after cutting out the spider body…

And you know I just can’t throw it out…

So, I cut out a little tiny spider body, sewed it together, filled it with sand… added some little leftover pieces of rickrack…and buttons…

So, my Mrs. Spidey has a sweet baby pin cushion!!

I CAN’T WAIT for HALLOWEEN!! :-)

So, what are you sewing on for Halloween?

Purse Insert

2011-08-09T22:10:00.001-04:00

After posting about my new Back-to-School purse and using a purse insert, I received lots of questions about it. This is the pattern I used for the two I’ve made and I taught it at our local quilt shop.

It is not a quick and easy project but it is well worth the effort. The one in my purse now is 3 years old, so they wear well!

This is my new one. I wanted you to see it up close.

I did change a few things on the pattern. I added more credit card slots and took away the clear driver’s license pocket and added a regular cloth pocket there.

This company has published another insert that looks a bit easier than this one, in case you’re interested!

Halloween Tablerunner

2011-08-08T22:52:00.001-04:00

I bought this cute tablerunner kit for Halloween from the Clotilde catalog. I am soooo READY for the summer heat to give way to the crisp cooler fall days! Aren’t you?

I love the panel that came in it!!

I’ve never done prairie points, so I thought this would be a good way to learn how to make/use them!

Making the prairie points was easy and fun! Fold a square twice and that’s it!!

Don’t you just love the witchy shoes??

Rituals

2011-08-05T15:05:00.001-04:00

Do you have them? Little things you do every year around the same time…that by now have become a ritual? I do! I’m ending my 33rd year in the teaching profession and I can finally say that I will be retiring at the end of the next school year! Woo hoo! Longgggg time coming…

One of my rituals through the years is buying or making a new purse for Back to School. The night before the first day of school for teachers every August, I would put away my fun summer bag and put all my stuff in the new purse as a way of changing my mindset from summer time off to back to school/work!

So, when I saw this purse pattern the other day, I knew it would be just the perfect one to make for my Back to School bag! I just love it!!

What do you look for when making/buying a purse? I use a purse insert instead of a wallet and checkbook, card case, etc….

so the first thing I look at is the size to make sure it will fit in the bag. Second is the straps. Most of the time I like a shoulder strap so my hands are free.

And of course, the color…well, it’s hard to find one purse that goes with everything… but this one has ties that can be made to match just about everything! And what’s more, I made this quilted purse last year

and wore it out… but it has a bunch of ties that would fit this new purse perfectly!! So, I could quickly make this purse and already have many ties to choose from. This is the pattern I used..,very quick to sew up!!

So, I am all ready for my late August ritual!! Now, on to bigger and better projects!! Today is the last day at summer school!! I am SOOOOO glad it is finally over! It will be really good to be off for a few weeks before it starts all over again on August 29th! Still in the mood to sew on fall fabrics… hoping to cool off these hot temps, I guess!!

So, what are you working on?

Scrappy Scarecrow Quilt

2011-08-02T21:09:00.001-04:00

I mentioned in a previous bee post that I had finished a fall quilt that I had begun at last fall’s local guild retreat.

I had such fun making this quilt because the scarecrow panel was an old favorite one made by Daisy Kingdom in the 90’s and I used doll making leftover scraps to do the patchwork.

So,when I look at this quilt, I can remember sooooo many dolls and fall critters I had made back in the day of my many fall craft fairs back in south Florida.

Look at this fall scarecrow I made decades ago… you might see the fabric in the quilt border!!

This is one of the fun things about using scraps for quilts… they become memory quilts and thus so much more valuable to us!!

Do you have special quilts made from special treasured scraps that are just like seeing old friends again when you open them up?

Let’s “Gather” Together…

2011-07-30T17:24:00.001-04:00

I have always wanted to make a quilted slipcover for my black leather sewing chair. So, that’s exactly what I did! I can’t give you measurements for this as all chairs will be different, but I can explain my process!

I will admit first off, that I have never been taught how to make slipcovers, so it was not second nature to me! But, I figured if I was logical about it, I could figure it out! First thing, I took measurements of the chair, and selected the fabrics to use…which is always time consuming for me! But my sewing room curtains and decor is all Mary Engelbreit, so I chose her fabrics for the chair cover, too! I cut out two large pieces for the front/seat and back of the chair, added batting and backing and quilted those two pieces first!

I rounded the top corners and after measuring how far down the sides the seam should go, with right sides together, I sewed that seam from one side around the top and down the other side.

I left it wrong side out and slipped it over the chair back. I was then able to adjust those top corners to fit the chair better. I pinned them and slipped the cover off and sewed right on that pinned line! I trimmed the seams to 3/8” and zigzagged the raw edges.

Next, I put the cover back on the chair and used pins to mark the places on the sides that need to be cut out to fit around the arm rests. I slit those areas and rolled the excess fabric to the inside and stitched them down. I also sewed on a long thin piece of matching ribbon at the line where the back meets the seat which will be wrapped under the chair and tied in a bow to secure the seat cover.

Time to make the ruffle! So, how do you gather fabric when making a ruffle? I have used this same method for years and believe me, when you make country dolls, you are making ruffles on every one!! So I’ve made zillions of ruffles- large and small!

First thing I do is make two rows of stitching with a very long stitch length and leave long thread tails at both ends. The rows are 1/4” apart. Then I mark the middle of the ruffle and the middle of where it is being sewn onto and put a pin securing the two centers.

Next, I firmly hold the top thread tail of the first line of stitching and the bottom thread tail of the second line of stitching together in my right hand and slowly move the fabric into gathers with my left hand by pushing it to the left- toward the center which is secured with that pin… straightening gathers as I go. Once I have it gathered enough for the ruffle end to fit perfectly to the length you need, pin it all down, adjusting the gathers to your taste.

When the ruffle is all gathered and pinned, sew right down the middle of the space between the two rows of stitching with a small stitch length. If you want to zigzag the raw edges together, you can do that, too.

Then you can very easily pull out the row of gathering stitches that are outside the seam allowance and showing on the right side of the project by grasping the LONGEST thread of that gathering line and pulling it right out.

I hope this is easy to picture and understand. I’ve found this to be such an easy method to make perfect gathers on any sewn project.

And the rule of thumb for how long a ruffle should be is double! Take the measurement of where the ruffle is to be sewn and double that and that is how long to cut the ruffle.

I sewed ruffles onto the bottom of the slip cover and added black and white checkered wide ribbon to each end around the arm rests and where the back meets the front. Isn’t this old Mary Engelbreit sewing theme fabric just too cute?

After putting it on the chair, I decided I wanted a sash to tie in the back, so I took it off and made two black print sashes and sewed one to each side, put it back on the chair and voila!!! A fun and girly sewing chair!!

So?? What are you working on today??

AccuQuilt GO Baby Winner!!

2011-07-28T21:41:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all you new followers for your entries for the givaway! And a bigger THANK YOU for my longtime loyal followers!! You all keep me going!!

SOOOOOOOOOOO, tired of waiting??? The winner of the GO Baby selected by random drawing issssss-

CONGRATULATIONS, Kim!! Make sure you reply to the email I sent you with your snail mail address!! Woo hoo!! Make sure we all get to see photos of the first thing you make with your new BABY!! Get GO!-ing!! :-)

Natural Beauty

2011-07-28T08:44:00.001-04:00

While I am not fond of spiders, I do admire their skill and dedication to their craft!

With all this heat, I’m having to water my potted plants out on my deck everyday. And MAN, does the painted wooden deck boards get HOT!! Even Yogi comes right in when I go inside…no lollygagging out there these days!!

Anyhoo, look at the skill of this spider!! I think she must be a

“long-armer”….

come on, you know that was funny!! Of course, my very arachnophobic husband and grown sons immediately swept this web down when I showed it to them…sigh…

P.S. Check back here tomorrow morning to see who won the AccuQuilt GO Baby! Who knows?? Maybe YOU!!

Enter Here To Win a Go Baby!

2011-07-22T18:14:00.001-04:00

With a big thanks to AccuQuilt, I am able to give away an AccuQuilt GO! Baby cutter and 3 dies of your choice!

Here are the rules:

1. This givaway is only open to my followers, so if you are not yet following my blog, you must do so first and must mention being a follower in your comment!

2. Go to the AccuQuilt website - here and pick your 3 favorite Go Baby dies.

3. Come back here and leave a comment to THIS BLOG POST ONLY with your name, the 3 dies you want if you're the winner, and a way to contact you in case you are the winner. If you don't have your email showing on your blog or if you don't have a blog, then you must leave your email address. If your name is drawn and I can’t contact you, then another winner will be chosen.

4. For a second entry to win - post about this givaway on your blog and provide a URL for your post in a second comment here on THIS BLOG POST ONLY!

Only comments here on THIS BLOG POST will be included in this giveaway so please DON’T leave a comment on the AccuQuilt Facebook page.

The Giveaway will end at 9:00pm (eastern standard time) on Wednesday, July 27th and the winner will be announced on Friday, July 29th!

Good luck to everyone who enters!!

GO!-ing, GO!-ing, DONE!!

2011-07-21T21:40:00.001-04:00

I quilted and bound the tumbler Halloween quilt I showed in earlier posts. I cut out all the tumblers using my Accuquilt GO! 6 1/2” tumbler die. And boy, was it quick and easy and TOTALLY pain-free! I HATE cutting out quilts, so what a joy it was to cut out this quilt!!

I started with 8 fat quarters then added tumblers from stash yardage, and my Halloween scrap bin. What a good way to use up scraps!! :-)

It’s only 110 degrees outside here today in the DC area, so photographing this out on the deck is burning my bare feet!! YIKES!!

And Yogi was quick to go inside this time…the heck with squirrel watching in this heat!!

I do love the backing fabric, too! I cut out a goofy Jack O’Lantern from my stash and used it for the label! Gotta love that grin, right?

SOOOOOOOO… ya think you might like to see how easy it is to cut out a quilt on a GO Baby?

Stick around…’cause Accuquilt has given me one to give away! And, three dies, too!! So, Stay tuned!!

Still GO!-ing Over Here!!

2011-07-16T21:02:00.001-04:00

Yogi and I spent a good part of the day in my sewing room working on my Halloween tumbler quilt cut out entirely last week on my Accuquilt Go!

Very easy to assemble!

Sew the tumblers into rows.

Then sew the rows together!

Just doesn’t get any easier!!

When it was all sewn together, I just trimmed the side to be straight with a ruler!

This is the cool fabric I am using for the backing. When I saw it online last year, I just HAD to have it! One of our favorite old Halloween cartoons is “The Halloween Tree” based on a Ray Bradbury book.

It explains all about Halloween and how it came to involve witches and skeletons and monsters…very cool!! My students through the years always loved that movie, too! So the backing fabric reminds me of years of bringing up my sons and students at Halloween time!

I pinned the top and batting together and it is ready to be quilted!! Hopefully tomorrow!!

Guess what Yogi was doing while I was sewing?

Love My GO!!

2011-07-16T09:52:00.001-04:00

I’ve had my Accuquilt GO! for quite a while but have not posted a tutorial or project as there are a zillion around…tons on the wonderful Accuquilt site and even more on YouTube! And although I don’t do video, I hope you’ll find this tut of still photos instructional! :-)

Those of you who are teachers or have worked or volunteered in a school- especially an elementary school in the last 10 years or so, have seen and used an Ellison Letter Machine. And if you have, then you know how to use the Accuquilt GO! and Baby. It works exactly the same but you use fabric instead of construction paper!

Ok, so meet my GO! and all her dies! I have three die racks full and already need a fourth.

I keep the die instruction guides that come with the die in a big binder along with some printed out charts from the Accuquilt website

and the Block of the Month instruction sheets that you can get when you sign up for their newletter on the web site.

So, it’s summer and I’m dyin’ to make a new quilt using my Halloween fat quarters and scraps. And what it realllly HOT right now in quilting??? Tumbler quilts! And I have the 6 1/2” tumbler die for my GO!

So, I’m starting with one packet of 8 FQ’s. I press each FQ flat then fold it into thirds and then fold it again into half and cut across the last fold giving me two folded pieces that will make 6 tumblers in two batches of three. Accuquilt suggests cutting no more than 4 layers or less at one time depending on the fabric thickness. And, to make it easier to see the cutting edges, they suggest you trace the die cutting outline on the rubber with a permanent Sharpie.

I lay one folded piece on the die, making sure the edges completely cover the die cutting marks.

Cover it with the thick opaque plastic cutting mat.

Roll it under the center bar using the handle

and when it comes out on the other side, remove the plastic mat and VOILA!!!

The three tumblers are all cut out

and you can either throw away the leftover scraps or toss them in your scrap bin.

So, I cut out 6 tumblers from the 8 FQ’s, then I used a few pieces of scrap yardage from my stash to cut some more…

and this is what I’ve got up on the design wall so far!

I want to make it bigger, so will now get out my Halloween scrap bin and use all the pieces big enough to cover the die!!

So, now I’ve got it the size I want- 13 tumblers across by 10 tumblers down.

I hope to sew them all together today, then I will trim the outside edges straight. I’ll be back soon with the finished quilt!! Time to sew!!

What are you sewing this weekend??

Where is he??

2011-07-14T21:49:00.001-04:00

OH!! There you are, Yogi!

You always start out snoozin’ away on the top of the couch cushions…

Then you just slide your way down into the crevice!

Yes, I’m talkin’ about YOU, buddy!!

Peek-a-boo! We all see you!! :-)