Scrap Quilt Secrets Blog Hop

Spring is the perfect time for a new quilt book release and I couldn't be more happy to be helping Diane spread the news about her new book, Scrap Quilt Secrets.(Of course, they will not be secrets any longer!)I cannot remember when I discovered Diane's blog, Butterfly Threads Quilting, but if I remember correctly my first comment said, "Why haven't I found you sooner?" She is super talented and loves to share with her blog readers. So naturally, a book would seem like the next step. Continue reading and you can have many opportunities to win this new release!

Her "secret" recipe for creating amazing scrap quilts. S-C-R-A-P-S

S- style

C- Contrast

R- Repetition

A- Accents

P- Palettes

S- Selvages

What a fun and easy way to remember the "secrets"!

I took the "easy route and made a little quilt using her house pattern. Oh my goodness, I used only 2 1/2" squares and strips and 1 1/2" squares and strips for the little houses. Assembly was so easy and fun!

Here is my first block. No templates were involved in the building of this house.....  For me, it looks pretty darn perfect!

I made a few big, and a few little. I wasn't quite as slow and careful on the other construction, but I think it turned out super cute! The large houses finish at 10", the small ones 5". 

All 16 of the quilt projects were laid out very well with easy to follow instructions. Kudos Diane on a quilt book well written!

To win your own copy please leave a comment on this blog post. If you are international you can sign up to win the e-version of Diane's book. 

Feel free to hop around to the other designers as well!!

3/21    C&T Blog http://www.ctpub.com/blog/

with Diane (that’s me)www.butterflythreadsquilting.com

3/22    Bonnie Hunter http://quiltville.blogspot.com/

3/23    Lori http://humblequilts.blogspot.com/

3/24    Karen http://nanagirlquilts.blogspot.com/  

3/25    Audrey http://quiltyfolk.blogspot.com/

3/26    Pat Sloan http://blog.patsloan.com/

3/27    Valerie http://myplvl.blogspot.com/

3/28    Kelly http://pinkadotquilts.blogspot.com/

3/29    Victoria Findlay Wolfe http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/

3/30    Rachaeldaisy http://bluemountaindaisy.blogspot.com/

3/31    Angie http://quiltingcrescent.blogspot.com/

4/1       Julie http://quiltjewelry.blogspot.com/

4/2       Barb Www.funwithbarb.com

I'll post the winner on my blog April 1st. That ain't no foolin'!

I'm doing a lecture with lots of quilts in Sisters tonight at the Stitchin' Post at 6;30. If you can make it, I'd love it! Love to you all!

Comments are now closed! Thank you to all who entered!

Phenomenal Friday

This has been a crazy week, starting off with losing an hour! I had puppy class Monday and Wednesday because we were making up one class. It's an hour drive ONE WAY - thank goodness Elsa is a great passenger. She is also really exhausted when we leave too. (Me too!)

Here are 5 more blocks of Cheri's scrap basket quilt. They are fun and simple.

 This was Elsa yesterday in my sewing room. Is it any wonder I'm not getting a lot of sewing done? Her injury is almost all closed up! Yay! Wonder how long it will take for her hair to grow back.

Here is the backing of ,y doll quilt for the swap. I'm hand quilting it in the evenings. 

Sunday night at midnight is the cut off. If you have not sent me your mailing address at any point this week, you are not signed up! I think we will have about 70 swappers again this year! Thanks for your understanding on the rules and such. It gets a little crazy. 

Here's my Instagram for this week.  

Loved The Nightingale, couldn't quite get into The Truth According to Us. 

I'm looking forward to the weekend! Make it a wonderful one!

More Thoughts on Fabric Shopping

I had thought about this post since having a question about it at the guild meeting last Monday. I saw Diane's thoughtful  post HERE and am following up with my own blog post. 

My fabric shopping has changed with my quilt style. Almost always I stop by Fabric Depot when I head into Portland- it's right on my way to my daughters. It is huge and can get overwhelming if you are just going in without a plan. 

 First, look what I saw the last time I was there. This lovely display of Victoria Findley's new fabric line and a wonderful story that I took the time to read. Congrats Victoria!!

And then there is rows and rows of beautiful fabric.

Lovely Lovely reproductions. 

 Oh wow! I haven't seen these before. Carolina Blues by Paula Barnes. I LOVE them!

Even with 30% off everything I think 9.45 is more than I like to pay if I don't have a plan for the yardage..  Unless I'm  looking for something really specific I rarely purchase yardage at Fabric Depot.

This is my favorite corner (remnants) and it suites most of the quilts I make- scrappy. 

 Here's a fun piece of reproduction. 

A gorgeous piece designed by Laundry Basket Quilts

 Lots of fun modern pieces too!

The last time I was at Fabric Depot I did purchase 1 yard of Bella solid- Fig Tree Cream for the 1857 quilt, but I also found these lovely reproductions on the remnant rack. The blue one is by French General and the madder is a lovely repro by Judie Rothermel. I also grabbed that great piece of linen. All 3 of these were about $7. I'm happy making purchases this way.

Now you know why most of my quilt backs are pieced with various fabric! I forgot to show you the back of Jill's Jewel Box on Monday. These fabrics came from her stash as well.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! I'm finally feeling better.

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

I made these awesome basket blocks this weekend. The patterns are/were free at Legends & Lace. You can find them under Baskets Galore. I won't mince words- they are challenging blocks!

 

And I got most of the fabric to make them from this big box of scraps I won from 

Cyndi at Busy Thimble blog. I had so much fun choosing fabrics from this. Thank you again Cyndi!!

 And I won this book from Jo of Jo's Country Junction. I love that this is pocket size!

 Look at the wonderful information at my fingertips! It is available from Landauer Publishing. I think you may be able to get it as a free download if you sign up to get their newsletter!

Now we are all winners! Have a fantastic week.

A Little of This..A Little of That

Thank you for posting your CC&C links! I'm loving every quilt!! Please, even if you are not finished and it's in pieces on your design wall or table, snap a photo and show us. If you do not have a blog please email me the photo and I'll link it up!
Did I mention there's be a random drawing at the end?? C'mon, don't be shy!!!


I have been working on a few projects but nothing really to show.

I pieced the backing for the George Washington quilt, adding the Declaration of Independence, the Martha W block and a few other bits and pieces. I was hoping to possibly get it quilted before President's Day but that is coming too fast!

I've also been machine quilting my Christmas quilt, which means it is set up for quilting and I can't move on to other projects until it's done. Good motivation huh?

I have been doing a little hand applique on the Vicksburg BOM, although I have to admit the Wool Crazy is pulling me in every time I have a few minutes for handwork. I told myself I'd do 10 minutes of applique a day on the BOM, then I can work on the wool applique.


I can't leave you without a photo so here is a few fabrics I've pulled out for my class next week. Looks like I'll need to purchase a few more brights while I'm there. This is a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm ready for it!

Irish Chain Quilt DONE!

For some people 2 weeks and 2 days from start to finish on a quilt may seem like a long time. For me it was FAST! I put the final stitches in the binding Monday night!! Woo-Hoo!
When I told my daughter I was working feverishly on a quilt for the wedding she asked if she'd be driving while I finished it! I'll tell her she's off the hook now.

I was so happy to get the crosshatching done I had to snap a photo.


I'm not a fancy label maker (obviously) but I generally make one before I attach the binding. I fold the right and upper sides under a 1/4" and line up the other two sides with the raw edge of the quilt. When I add the binding I just have the two sides of the label to stitch under. The label isn't quite as easy to remove either.

"Anonymous, no-replycomment blogger" left a message when I accidently sewed the binding on the front of the quilts. She or he wrote "You have a chance for a completely machine-sewed binding. Use invisible thread and a zig-zag stitch."

I've tried this once or twice and have not had good results at all. My friend, Randy, from the Sunriver sewathon does hers this way and it looks great. Mine doesn't.

Crumbs in the Sewing Room

I've been digging through and cleaning out a few areas of my sewing room that needed attention. I mentioned last week "crumbs"; those bits and pieces of blocks that seem to multiply as fast as my scraps. Where did these come from?! I recognize a few, like the flying geese strips from the RR Crossing quilt and a Rupp block that I obviously didn't have the colors figured out. (it is still pretty cute though huh?) but I really think someone snuck in here at night and dropped of the drunkards path blocks and about a hundred HST in all sizes.
I'm not sure if the plan is still to work on these over Sisters week or not, but I am determined to do something with them.
Aren't you glad I didn't have a drawing for these? Ha, I'd probably have a negative reader amount!!