Sew in Peace

Homeward Bound

2012-02-10T23:02:00.001-05:00

Behind every unfinished quilt is a story waiting to be told.

The blocks for this UFO came from a block-of-the-month

at a local quilt shop and have been sitting

in the same box for about ten years.

The entire block-of-the-month program was a frustration.

Since the directions were poorly written,

the blocks ended up as varying sizes.

I also hated the mixture of fabrics the shop owner selected.

In an attempt to salvage the project,

as an inexperienced quilter I sewed narrow borders

on several of the blocks to try to even them up.

The result was a whole bunch of ugly!

So at this point,

not only did I hate the fabrics

but there was no unifying pattern to tie the blocks together.

My older and wiser self decided

it was time to conquer this UFO!

The first thing I did was tear off many of the narrow borders

and re-frame each block in navy to tie all the blocks together.

Each block was then squared up to 12" to hide all the varying sizes.

Ah! That's much better!

To complete the top, a two inch strip of Kona snow was used for sashing

and a narrow, scrappy border was added in the outer border.

Finished size of the top is 62" x 75".

Here is a close up of a few of my favorite blocks.

This former unwanted and unloved UFO

is now moving on to bigger and better things!

It has been lovingly named "Homeward Bound"

and will be donated to the Quilts of Valor organization.

Special thanks to Alycia who has generously volunteered to

machine quilt this!

Do you have any UFO's waiting to be finished?

Linking up with:

Finish it Up Friday

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Quilts of Valor Progress Friday

Quilting Galleries UFO Challenge

Patchwork Times UFO Challenge

Sew Darn Crafty

May you always Sew in Peace!

Snowman Mug Rug

2012-01-31T18:12:00.001-05:00

Before Christmas I ran across an awesome tutorial to make a snowman mug rug,

but the finished product ended up as a 9" square which was a little larger than I wanted.

The snowman mug rug shown above finishes out at 5 1/2" x 7 1/2".

Here is what I did to alter the pattern.

1 - ivory fabric cut 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
4 - red dot fabric cut 2" x 2" for corners
2 - red dot fabric cut 2" x 5" for the sides of the block
2 - red dot fabric cut 1" x 9" for the top and bottom of the block
1 - backing fabric cut 7 1/2" x 9"

I followed the basic sewing instructions from the original tutorial,

but when I got to step 8 this is what I did.

After the carrot nose is applied using an iron-on bonding adhesive,

I laid a strip of tear away embroidery stabilizer beneath my block before I began

to stitch the nose in place.

I basically just laid the stabilizer on the back of the block,

then flipped the block

over to begin outlining the nose.

The embroidery stabilizer has just enough body to

stabilize the fabric as the carrot is attached.

I used a simple zig-zag stitch set to a very narrow width

for my outline.

The stabilizer instructions indicated that it can be "torn away" from the fabric,

but I opted to cut it away with a sharp scissors.

If you decide to cut the stabilizer away at this point,

pay careful attention that you do not cut into the snowman

or it will make him very sad and possibly nose-less!

The snowman face is machine quilted using a simple meandering stitch.

The rest of the mug rug was straight-line quilted

using the markings on a walking foot as a stitching guideline.

A few more hours of work and I'll have this stack of snowmen

completed and ready to store away for next Christmas:)

Linking up with:

Christmas Through the Year

Freshly Pieced
Finish it Up Friday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

May you always Sew in Peace!

January UFO Finish

2012-01-30T15:25:00.000-05:00

I started this I Spy quilt for my grandson several months ago and was finally

able to finish up the machine quilting.

The center is pieced with 77 - 5" I Spy blocks.

The outer border is made by joining 2 1/2" x 5" rectangles.

The outer border also has a 5" block to anchor each corner.

Finished size is approximately 44" x 62".

Here are a few of my favorite blocks.

The back was pieced with

"Wheels by My Mind's Eye" by Riley Blake Designs

and features different modes of transportation.

The flannel is ultra soft and snuggly.

Although the quilt does not appear to be square in this photo...it is!

Apparently the photographer will need to pay closer attention in the future:)

Now that my design wall is empty,

it's time to get busy on the next project.

Linking up with:

Sew Darn Crafty

Design Wall Monday

Made By You Monday

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sewing Caddy

2012-01-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

Seems I'm always making something to give away, but

this week my focus was to complete a sewing caddy for personal use.

The pincushion is made with an enclosed bag of uncooked rice,

and polyester fiberfill. The pincushion includes several

vintage fabrics given to me by my grandmother, and two

antique buttons inherited from my great-grandmother.

This makes me smile.

It features a detachable waste basket.

Best of all, the pattern was based on a free tutorial designed by

Elizabeth Hartman for Sew, Mama, Sew.

Wouldn't you enjoy one for yourself?

Linking up with:
Finish is up Friday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

where you can see other awesome projects that were finished this week.

May you always Sew in Peace!

One Flower Wednesday

2012-01-25T20:58:00.001-05:00

Happy to report two new additions to my flower garden this week!

If you are working on a hexagon project,

be sure to stop by Karen's support group and join us

each Wednesday.

May you always Sew in Peace!

Texas Tears - Block 4

2012-01-24T20:25:00.000-05:00

Civil War quilt along block 4 named "Texas Tears" just about got the best of me.

Perhaps it was the directions. (Certainly couldn't be me...sniff, sniff.)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Civil War Block 3

2012-01-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

One of my goals for the coming year is to finish up sewing projects that I've already started.

Today I am focusing on my Civil War quilt project. In case you are not aware,

Barbara Brackman has a Civil War Quilt-along posted on her blog until July of 2012.

Each post features a true story shared from the diaries and letters of those who lived during the Civil War, along with the pattern for a new 8" quilt block. Participants can learn about the Civil War and also learn to piece non-traditional quilt blocks from the past.

Block 3 entitled "Seven Sisters" represents the first seven states to form the Confederacy. The pattern features seven five point stars, but I opted to use a six point star instead. Each star is appliqued to the background fabric.

Not my favorite block to make, but it is finished:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Ringing in the New Year

2012-01-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

Every year it seams I face the Christmas season unprepared.

My intentions are good, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get it all done.

Can you relate?

To help make Christmas 2012 a stress-free season of joy,

Darlene at Quilting Daze is hosting

"Christmas Through the Year" club.

The goal is to make or purchase at least one Christmas gift each month

and thus face December with a good portion of your gifts on hand.

So...in the spirit of preparation

I was able to pick up a stack of gift bags on clearance at Menard's.

The snowman is my favorite.

I'm planning to use these red bags for Valentine's Day...

because that day usually sneaks up on me as well.

My favorite find of the day is this 2ft. tall Santa gnome.

Isn't he adorable!

He was on clearance for $12.50 at Menard's and is very well made.

My intentions were to use this for the white elephant Christmas exchange

my husband's family holds each year...but I'm beginning to reconsider.

He may end up being useful.

Santa gnome may need to stay at my house to provide inspiration for

my "Christmas Through the Year" journey.

Perhaps Santa gnome should sit on my cutting table to cheer me on

and oversee all my sewing projects.

Or perhaps Santa gnome should sit beside me while I surf the net

to help make sure my Christmas goals stay on target.

I always thought people who had gnomes were a little weird,

but that was before I began ringing in the New Year with a plan.

May you always Sew in Peace!

UFO Challenge 2012

2011-12-31T11:47:00.006-05:00

Patchwork Times is hosting a UFO Challenge for 2012

and it sounds like fun!

To participate, all you have to do is make a list of

12 UFOs you would like to complete in 2012

and blog about them at the end of each month.

Here is my list of sewing goals for 2012...

1. JJ's I Spy Quilt

2. JJ's flannel baby quilt

3. Antique Nine Patch

4. Mom's String Quilt

5. Baby A's flannel baby quilt

6. Civil War Quilt - (8 blocks per month)

7. Flower Garden Quilt - (4 blocks per month)

8. Donation Quilt for Margaret's Hope Chest

9. Donation Quilt for Quilts of Valor

10. Christmas potholders and table runners for Christmas 2012

11. Sew Christmas gifts for grandkids

12. Sew Birthday gifts for daughters

I've tried to keep my goals realistic...but one can hope...right? lol

Do you have a list of goals you want to accomplish in 2012?

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Mackenzie Gets a Quilt

2011-11-15T04:47:00.001-05:00

This doll quilt was made by request for Mackenzie.

The colors and pattern were selected by my oldest granddaughter

to match the flannel backing for the quilt.

The afternoon was spent planning and sewing together the quilt top.

Notice Mackenzie's face is covered

so she will be surprised when we finish.

"Mother" is pleased with the results...

...if only little brother will stay out of the way!

Mackenzie seemed pleased as well

and will most certainly sleep better now

that she has her own quilt:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Happy News

2011-10-31T18:06:00.000-04:00

This is the happy news you have been waiting for.

The final two packages of I Spy fabric have arrived

from the postal twilight zone!

(To see a larger view of any of the fabrics simply click on the photo.)

Fabrics received from Crystal at Hendrixville.

Crystal also sent along some additional I Spy fabrics

as a hostess gift. Thank you so much!

Fabrics received from Kari at The Purple Quiltapotamus.

I am also happy to announce the winner of the "kitty"

that was drawn from the swappers who met the mailing deadline of Oct. 15th.

And the winner is...

Jacque of Lily Pad Quilting!

Jacque will receive an additional 40 squares of I Spy fabric.

Congratulations!
We are so happy for you!

And the final happy news of the day...

Since I was able to be home today...

all the fabrics have been swapped and mailed.

Yep! You read that right!

Every package has been mailed

and should be

arriving at your home soon!

In the days ahead I'll be hosting another

I Spy Quilt Parade

and will be sending out an e-mail invite to all round 2 swappers.

I would be happy to post your photos on my blog and/or

I Spy flickr page with a link back to you

so others can be inspired by your lovely quilts.

In closing I would like to express my thanks to each and every swapper

for making this such a positive experience for me.

My hope is that each of you have been blessed from being a part of

our little online group:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Two Peeks and a Tip

2011-10-27T14:26:00.000-04:00

Let's think of something to do while we're waiting

on those final packages of I Spy fabric to arrive.

Hmmm....

How about a sneak peak at the fabrics that have

already been swapped?

There has been such a wonderful assortment of fabrics this round!

I can hardly wait to get these tables put away and begin sewing!

How about a sneak peak at my new sewing room?

This room has been a guest room the past few years

and sits empty most of the time...so I'm taking over.

After a fresh coat of paint I will be ready to move in.

I'm so excited about getting settled in this space!

Finally, how about a tip?

I found these OttLite bulbs at Lowe's. I already use OttLites

for my close up work, but didn't know they make bulbs for regular lamps.

If you are unfamiliar with the OttLite brand,

the light they produce is more like natural light which reduces eye strain.

To test it out, I replaced the two bulbs on the left with OttLites.

See the clear light that is cast on the left side of the ladder?

The two bulbs on the right are regular 60 watt ceiling fan bulbs.

OttLite bulbs are a bit pricey but I figure it will create less strain

on my eyes and that alone is priceless as we age.

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

I Spy Swap Update

2011-10-26T20:33:00.001-04:00

The mailman hasn't been quite so generous the past few days,

but there are a few more fabrics to share from the

I Spy Swap!

(To see a larger view of any of the fabrics simply click on the photo.)

Fabrics received from Kay at Kay'z Quiltz.

Sadly one swapper needed to drop out due to health reasons.

Here are a few fabrics I'm throwing in to take the spot at the last minute.

Fabrics received from Marta at Polka Dot Classic.

We are still inching toward the goal of being finished this week

and are waiting on two final packages to arrive.

Hopefully the mailman will cooperate:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Baby & Me Quilt

2011-10-22T22:06:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to finish this quilt
for a friend who recently had a baby boy.
It is may appear to be pieced blocks,
but is actually a panel called
"Baby & Me" by Leanne Anderson
for Henry Glass Fabrics.
I spied this panel at our local quilt shop
and knew it would make a great baby quilt.
I added both the green and almond borders to increase the size.

Hopefully it will get lots of use:)

Linking up with:

Friday Night Sew In

Finish it up Friday

May you always Sew in Peace

Sandra

I Spy Mail Update

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Check out these sweet fabrics that have just arrived for the

I Spy Swap!

(To see a larger view of any of the fabrics simply click on the photo.)

Fabrics received from Melissa at That's Just Crafty.

Fabrics received from Chiska at Muddy Spring.

Chiska also enclosed several extra squares of novelty fabrics

as a hostess gift. Thank you so much for your

thoughtfulness!

Fabrics received from Julianna at Life after Hanswife.

Fabrics received from Patty.

Fabrics received from Laurie.

Laurie also sent along quilters note pad as a hostess gift.

Thank you so much Laurie!

At this point we are just waiting on a few packages to arrive

before the swapping begins:)

In closing, keep in mind that tonight is the monthly Friday Night Sew In,

so gather up an unfinished project and plan to join us!

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

I Spy More Mail:)

2011-10-20T10:02:00.000-04:00

Here are the latest fabulous fabrics that have been entered in the

I Spy Swap!

(To see a larger view of any of the fabrics simply click on the photo.)

Fabrics received from Mary Claire at Chez Petro.

Fabrics received from Carin at Margaret's Hope Chest.

Fabrics received from Needled Mom.

Fabrics received from Hilachas.

Hilachas also enclosed a beautiful piece of Christmas fabric

as a hostess gift. Thank you so much for your

thoughtfulness!

Fabrics received from Lucy at Crazy for Purple.

At this point I have heard from all the swappers and have been told

that all fabrics are in the mail and headed this way.

We should be on target to complete the swap on schedule!

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

I Spy Mail / One Flower Wednesday

2011-10-18T21:19:00.001-04:00

Here's the next batch of fabrics for the I Spy Swap!

(To see a larger view of any of the fabrics simply click on the photo.)

Fabrics received from Sandra at Sew in Peace.

Fabrics received from Rose.

Fabrics received from Vickie at A Creative Notion.

Fabrics received from Crystal Z.

Fabrics received from Kathryn at Needles and Pins.

Fabrics received from Marta at Polka Dot Classic.

Fabrics received from Beth.

If you are looking for creative ways to lay out your

I Spy blocks,

be sure to check out the

I Spy Quilt Parade

and the

photos posted on flickr.

We have several new additions!

And finally...

It's been ages since I've worked on my hexagons for

One Flower Wednesday.

Even though I wasn't able to get a flower completed

this week

I was able to restock my supply:)

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

I Spy Mail

2011-10-17T23:21:00.000-04:00

Here is the first group of fabrics to arrive for the

I Spy Swap!

(To see a larger view of any of the fabrics simply click on the photo.)

Fabrics received from Susan at Blackberry Creek

Susan also sent along an adorable card

and several extra squares as a hostess gift.

Thank you!

Fabrics received from Amy at Lexington Quilter.

Fabrics received from Suzanne at The Colorado Lady.

Fabrics received from Karen at K's Quilting Corner.

Fabrics received from Emily.

Fabrics received from Linda.

Fabrics received from Renae.

Fabrics received from Jacque at Lily Pad Quilting.

Fabrics received from Jessica at Just Enough Style.

Stay tuned!

I'm thinking there will be more mail tomorrow:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Last Call for Swappers

2011-10-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

I'm pleased to say the swap is filled

with the exception of one space in question.

SewinNC when you registered for the swap

you did not post an e-mail address so I have no way to contact you.

If you plan to participate in the swap you must contact me no later than noon today.

After noon today...this space will be up for grabs

to the first person who signs up here.

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

I Spy Quilt Parade

2011-10-11T12:31:00.002-04:00

It's time to share some quilts from Round 1 of the I Spy Swap.

All participants were invited to share photos of their quilts.

Here are the photos received to date.

Hope you enjoy the Parade of Quilts!

Sharon from Camp Gramma made this lovely quilt
which features a twisted block pattern.
I really like how the striped fabric Sharon chose frames
the blocks. Her granddaughter is sure to enjoy this sweet quilt.

Carin from Margaret's Hope Chest used her I Spy blocks
to frame sections of this quilt. If you look closely on the second
photo, you will see the beautiful straight line quilting
Carin used to finish the quilt. Beautiful job Carin!

Carin hosts a ministry called Margaret's Hope Chest
which is a non-profit ministry that
makes and distributes quilts to those in need of hope.

To date, they have given away over a thousand quilts!

Visit the website to view other inspiring children's quilts.

This quilt was submitted by a Nana who desires to remain anonymous.

I'm thinking it has something to do with Christmas quilts

for the grandkids and tech savy parents. lol

I guess we'll call her Nana A.

Nana A.'s first quilt top features I Spy blocks separated by rows of color.

I love the simplicity of this design!

In Nana A.'s second quilt top

she placed the I Spy squares into blocks and framed

it with cheerful yellow fabric.

Oh no Nana! Hope they do not recognize your shoes!

Nana A.'s third quilt top is laid out the same as the previous

quilt. This one features blue sashing.

Beautiful!

In Nana A.'s fourth quilt top

she laid out the squares in a string quilt pattern.

The sashing not only frames the blocks

but also adds length and width to the quilt.

Love the cheerful border on this one!

Nana A.'s fifth quilt is similar to the style of the fourth.

She was actually in the process of machine quilting

and was generous enough to allow me to take a few photos.

She also adds creativity to the back of her quilts.

Yep that Nana A. is a busy beaver!

This quilt was submitted by Needled Mom.

Isn't it a beauty? She used a basic snowball block pattern

and then set each block on point.

Perhaps we can convince her to post a tutorial:)

This quilt was submitted by Cheri at Jovaliquilts.

The extra fabric sewn to each I Spy block adds and extra punch of color

to the layout. Very nice!

You can read more details here.

Thank you ladies for taking the time to share photos of your quilts!

This is one of my quilts made with a

square in a square pattern.

A few extra blocks were added to the back.

Details are posted here.

This quilt is a modern take on an I Spy quilt.

Tutorial is posted here.

This is one of my quilts in process.

I have it machine quilted and just need to

add the binding.

Yay!

This quilt is also in process.

The top is finished and I'm currently piecing the back.

There are 88 squares on the inside alone.

For the border, I simply cut the 5" squares in half.

It was also a great way to use up scraps of

leftover novelty fabrics.

This will be a Christmas gift for my little Rocketman.

I'm hoping he will find it challenging:)

Well, there you have it.

So what did you think? Were you inspired?

Hope you enjoyed the "I Spy Parade of Quilts".

It was sure great having you!

There are still a few spaces left for anyone who would like

to join the next round of the I Spy Swap.

Please sign up here.

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Swap Basics

2011-10-06T06:28:00.000-04:00

Let's face it.

When we participate in a swap we all want to receive value for our efforts.

Fellow swappers feel the same way so only submit fabric that you would be pleased to receive.

In fact, let's think of this as the...

Golden Rule of Swapping.

"Swap with others,
as you would have others swap with you."

It helps when everyone is on the same page so let's look

at the guidelines for this fabric swap.

* Choose appropriate fabric
* Cut fabric carefully
* Package correctly
* Mail on time

Choose Appropriate Fabric

Only submit 100% cotton, "quilt shop" quality fabric.

If you have any doubt on the quality hold the fabric up to a window.

If you can see through the fabric...

please do not enter it in this swap or it will be returned to you...unswapped.

Look for items that children will easily recognize, have plenty of color,

and can fit within a 5" square.

Do not submit license prints, team prints, or flowers.

To give you an idea of what we are looking for

these are a few of the fabrics I will be swapping for this round.

If you need further inspiration click here to view fabrics that were entered in Round 1.

Cut Fabric Carefully

You will need 3 different fabrics - 1 yard of each.

a mixture of fat quarters.

Machine wash and dry fabrics.

Press.

With fabric folded and selvage edges even,

trim off the selvage edge.

This is an important step.

No one wants to receive a selvedge as part of their square.

Be careful to maximize the design on your fabric.
Cut 40 squares of each of the three fabrics.

Depending on the pattern and width of the fabric you may have squares left over.

Squares need to be cut 5"x 5".

Cut a total of 120 squares.

Package Correctly

After you have cut your fabric

place 40 squares into 3 separate plastic bags.

Inside one of the plastic bags include YOUR name and

address in case the package gets lost in shipping.

(Let's cross our fingers on that not happening...)

Place the 3 packages of fabric into a large envelope

which includes

*an additional envelope with

with your name, address, and prepaid return postage.

Mail on Time

Please have all packages in the mail by Saturday, October 15th.

As an added incentive...

every participant who mails their fabrics to me

with a post mark of October 15 (or earlier)

will automatically be entered in a drawing (the kitty)
to receive an additional

40 Squares of I Spy fabric!

That's like a
free charm pack!

Once I receive all the fabrics I will "swap" them and

return 120 different squares to you.

My goal is to get the swapped fabric back to you the week of October 25th.

You should have enough squares to make several

interesting children's quilts.

If you would like to join the swap spaces are still available!

Please sign up on this post.

We would love to have you join us!

May you always Sew in Peace

Sandra

I Spy Swap Sign-up!

2011-10-01T07:43:00.000-04:00

This past Spring I hosted an I Spy Swap and in the process made

some new friends and received some awesome fabric.

Christmas is just around the corner

and although I have several I Spy quilts made,

I'm still hoping to gather more fabric to complete the remaining quilts on my list.

You can see the quilts I made from the last swap here, here, and here.

In fact...here is my latest quilt in progress

and it used up ALOT of squares!

So being the resourceful Nana that I am...

I've "mustered up the gumption" to host another I Spy Swap.

As an added incentive...

every participant who mails their fabrics to me

with a post mark of October 15 (or earlier)

will automatically be entered in a drawing (the kitty)
to receive an additional

40 Squares of I Spy fabric!

That's like a
free charm pack!

If you would like to join the 5" I Spy Swap here are the details.

* Purchase 1 yard of 3 different fabrics OR pull a mixture of I Spy fabrics from your stash.
Be sure the fabrics are 100% cotton, "quilt shop quality" novelty prints. No thin fabric
please or it will be returned un-swapped. No license prints, team prints or flowers.
Choose interesting items that children can easily recognize and only submit fabrics
you would want to receive.

* Pre-wash fabrics. Cut 120 - 5"x 5" squares being careful to maximize the design
in each square. Read this post for details on cutting your fabric.

* Mail 120 - 5 " squares (with return postage) no later than October 15th
to be entered in a drawing for the "kitty"

Read this post for instructions on how to package and ship your fabrics.

* Swap is limited to 40 spaces. To participate more than once, be sure to sign up twice.

* Receive 120 different 5 inch novelty squares the week of October 25th.

* Participants will receive an e-mail confirmation which includes a mailing address,
and can post their fabrics and projects at the Sew in Peace flickr group

If you have a blog

please grab the I Spy button on my sidebar

to invite your followers to join us!

In order to have a successful swap, mathematically we either need 20 or 40 participants.

I'm hopeful we can reach a total of 40 participants in the next few days.
If we do not reach a total of 40 before Oct. 15th
the swap will be limited to the first 20 who sign up.

Since I already have 7 spaces filled the first 33 to sign up are in.

If you would like to join the swap please leave a comment below that

includes your e-mail or URL address

sign you name

and e-mail me privately at
sandra.sewinpeace@gmail.com

Who's ready to swap?

Modern I Spy Tutorial

2011-09-27T08:55:00.000-04:00

How about a modern I Spy quilt?

This pattern uses a total of 51- 5" I Spy squares in the following colors:

Red - 9

Orange -8

Yellow - 8

Green - 9

Blue - 9

Indigo/Violet - 8

All seams are sewn with a 1/4" seam allowance.

The quilt is made up of two different blocks labeled here as Block "A" and Block "B".

You will need three blocks of Block A and three of Block B.

Block A

To make Block A you will need:

9 - I Spy squares cut 5"x5"

8 - pastel fabric squares cut 5"x5'

4 - print fabric strips cut 5"x 9 1/4"

The corner units of this block are a basic 4 patch.

The 4 patch blocks are connected with the print fabric

and then sewn together as rows to complete Block A.

Finished block measures 22 1/2" square.

Finish three Block A units.

Block B

To make Block B you will need:

8 - I Spy squares cut 5"x5"

5 - pastel fabric squares cut 5"x5'

4 - print fabric strips cut 5"x 13 1/2"

The center of Block B is a basic 9-patch surrounded by

four pieced border units.

To attach the border units lay the first one on top of the 9 patch block.

Sew the seam....EXCEPT for the final 1/4".

Notice just below the bottom pin there is a pencil mark 1/4"

from the edge of the 9 patch. Do NOT sew the final 1/4".

Attach the top and side border.

Attach the final border being careful to ONLY sew it to the 9 patch block.

Finish sewing the remainder of the first border seam.

Finished block measures 22 1/2" square.

Complete three Block B units.

The top is finished with 2" sashing and a 3" border
and measures 74"x 50".

Baste the quilt to prepare for machine quilting.
Click here to see how I pin baste my quilts.

This quilt was finished with basic straight line quilting in the center
and free-motion quilting in the outer border.

If you end up using this pattern, please give credit back to this post.

You are welcome to post photos of your Modern I Spy quilt

here.

~~If you would like to make an I Spy quilt or just begin collecting fabric...~~

~~sign up for the next swap begins soon!~~

Tentative plans for the next I Spy Swap will be Spring of 2012.

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Sneak Peak

2011-09-20T23:14:00.000-04:00

I started this I Spy quilt ages ago and opted to go with straight line quilting.
Perhaps that was a mistake.

It always seems to take longer to quilt when I take this approach.

Hopefully it will be finished later this week.
At least that is the plan...

May you always Sew in Peace!
Sandra

Postage Stamp Quilt Tutorial

2011-07-21T05:44:00.003-04:00

My scrappy postage stamp quilt begins with a variety of 2 1/2" squares of fabric.

I picked up this box of pre-cut fabric and miscellaneous blocks at an auction for $3.00.

I'm all about eliminating clutter, so these quilt blocks are being recycled.

It did not take long to discover that some of the auction squares were not

totally "square". To resolve this issue, I cut a white square 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".

You can see it in the photo above on the right.

When the auction fabric is laid on top of the white square,

it is easy to determine if each piece of fabric measures true to 2 1/2 inches.

The squares that did not measure up were set aside for another day.

The auction fabric was then sorted into piles according to color.

The squares fit perfectly into this wooden silverware box

making it easy to select various color combinations.

Materials List

various scraps cut 2 1/2" square (total of 183)
white or neutral fabric cut 2 1/2" square (total of 182)
2 strips of fabric cut 2 1/2" x 29 3/4" (for top and bottom of inner border)
2 strips of fabric cut 2 1/2" x 41 (for sides of inner border)
2 strips of fabric cut 3 1/2" x 37 1/2" (for top and bottom of outer border)
2 strips of fabric cut 3 1/2" x 51 1/2" ( for sides of outer border)
batting 46" x 54"
fabric cut 48" x 56" for backing
fabric cut 2 1/2" and sewn into 190" strip for binding
finished quilt measures approximately 42 1/2" x 50 1/2"

Step 1: Sewing the Center

Sew squares using 1/4" seam allowance alternating one white fabric with one scrappy fabric.
There are 15 squares in each row.
There are a total of 19 rows.
When this step is completed your project should measure approximately 29 1/2" x 37 1/2".
Press seams.

Step 2: Attach Inner Border

Attach inner border (A) by sewing a strip of the 2 1/2" x 29 3/4" to the top and bottom.
Attach inner border (B) by sewing a strip of the 2 1/2" x 41" to the sides.
Press seams.

Step 3: Attach Scrappy Border

Attach scrappy border (A) by sewing 17 squares to the top and bottom.
Attach scrappy border (B) by sewing 23 squares to the sides.
(Please note: I could not display the correct number of squares for the border in the above diagram.)
Press seams.

Step 4: Attach Outer Border

Attach outer border (A) by sewing a strip of the 3 1/2" x 37 1/2" to the top and bottom.
Attach outer border (B) by sewing a strip of the 3 1/2" x 51 1/2" to the sides.
Press seams.
Finished quilt top should measure approximately 42 1/2" x 50 1/2"

Square up corners.

Pin quilt top to batting and backing.

Click here learn how to pin baste a quilt.

Painters tape is an easy way to mark a quilt for straight line quilting.

Complete quilt by attaching 2 1/2" binding.

Enjoy!

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Making Progress

2011-07-14T16:27:00.000-04:00

Making progress. Yesiree!

I'm really loving the postage stamp concept

and the secondary pattern that appeared in the quilting.

Now I just need to find the time to bind it.

Hopefully soon:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

Sneak Peak

2011-07-10T16:08:00.000-04:00

Finally took a break from the busy schedule to sew.

It's cheaper than therapy.

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

One Flower Wednesday

2011-05-26T22:47:00.001-04:00

Finally getting my photos posted for One Flower Wednesday.

I discovered some plaid fabric in my stash that I thought would

add interest to my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

Yep. I'm liking it:)

I was able to complete two more flowers this week,

and am still on the lookout for fabric to use for the pathway.

This is block 3 for the Civil War quilt-along.

The pattern showed five point stars, but I felt that six point stars look better

and came up with a plan to create my own.

This is my first applique project,

so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Keep your fingers crossed!

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

Grandmother's Flower Garden - Literally!

2011-05-19T15:54:00.003-04:00

In the past, quilters gathered in churches accross this nation to raise support those on the mission field.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in such a church. In fact, the above photo was taken for an article which appeared in our county newspaper back in the 1960's. The lady in the center was my great-grandmother.

She had a loving personality and devoted herself to caring for her family and those around her. If you look closely, you can see a white handkerchief laying on her lap under the quilt. I cannot ever remember seeing her without one of those handkerchiefs. However, I'm not sure what is up with that large white collar on her dress...lol. Being the thrifty person that she was, she was probably covering a hole or a stain on her dress.

The lady on the far right is her daughter, my grandmother. It is hard for me to express how deeply I love this woman, for she is in many ways my inspiration. She was smiling in this photo which was characteristic of her personality, and always looked at the drinking glass as being half-full. She was also my neighbor and I credit much of my early skills in sewing to the patience she extended toward teaching me. You may be interested to know that I was also present when the above photo was taken. I was pretty young at the time and spending the day with my grandmother. When the photo was taken I was on the floor under the quilt!

Recently, I had the opportunity at auction to purchase several quilts from my great-grandparents estate.

This Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top was among the collection. I'm not certain when it was made, but my guess is that my grandmother and her sisters pieced it together during the 1930's when they were young girls. I can picture the three girls toting around these blocks to local sewing bees and proudly adding their blocks to the quilt. Some of the fabrics are most certainly original 1930's fabrics and my mother believes feed sack fabrics were used as well.

Here is a close up a few of the blocks.

Some are nicely pieced...

...and others not.

Sadly, at one time this top was washed and the edges are frayed.

It looks as if muslin was used for the pathway and it is pretty thin.

I guess I should fill in one more piece of information and tell you that this is one of 13 quilts I was able to acquire from my great-grandmother's collection.

The the awesome thing is...I didn't pay much for them, but that is a story in itself for another day.

So given the condition of this quilt top and the sentimental value to me personally, what would you do? Would you quilt it? Would you open up some of those ugly seams and correct them?

I'd love to gain some insight from others!

Oh and I almost forgot! Here are my flowers for One Flower Wednesday.

I was able to finish two this week.

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

Civil War Blocks

2011-05-17T14:51:00.001-04:00

Back in January quilt historian Barbara Brackman started a Civil War quilt-along.

Each week a true story is shared from the diaries and letters of those who lived during the Civil War

along with the pattern for a new 8 " quilt block.
By making one block per week
participants learn about the Civil War and at the end of the year
will have a quilt of their own as a keepsake.

Even though I am a few blocks behind,
I've decided this looks like a worthwhile learning experience.
Here are my first two blocks.

Block 1 - Catch Me If You Can

Block 2 - North Star

There is also a Civil War Quilts flickr group
where you can view blocks and piecing tips that are posted by other partcipants.
Best of all there is no fee to join the quilt-along
and you can begin at any time your schedule allows.

May you always Sew in Peace:)
Sandra

Winner!

2011-05-14T21:11:00.001-04:00

Recently, Margaret's Hope Chest hosted an

Anniversary Giveaway and...I can't believe it, but I am a winner!

The prize included:

twin size Hobbs Heirloom Cotton Batting,

a beautiful assortment of fabric,

Essential Thread's Garden Set,

a package of quilters pins,

a roll of Heat Press,

"In a Twinkle Youthful Quilt Designs" quilting book by Kay Mackenzie,

AND... a cute little hand-made pin cushion!

All I can say Carin, is "Thank you so very much!"

I look forward to getting a project started to test out these new products.

For those who are not familiar, Margaret's Hope Chest is a non-profit ministry that

makes and distributes quilts to those in need of hope.

To date, they have given away over a thousand quilts!

Visit their website for ways that you can help bring comfort to the hurting one quilt at a time.

In closing, Friday, May 20th is the monthly Friday Night Sew In,

so gather up an unfinished project and make plans to join us!

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

One Flower Wednesday

2011-05-11T06:16:00.001-04:00

For this week's One Flower Wednesday

I was able to finish three flowers for my

Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

Finally, I'm getting back in the groove of making these flowers

and here's the biggy...

I'm enjoying it!

I was also able to finish several blocks for the Quilting Bee at Margaret's Hope Chest.

A quilt will be made for Jordon with these blocks combining animal or car fabric

and yellow, red, orange, or blue solids.

These blocks were made with the Cluck Cluck Sew's Stack and Wack Block Tutorial.

If you decide to make this block, be warned that the instructions are somewhat off.

After several attempts, I believe the center block needs to be larger in order

to make the 7 1/2" block turn out correctly.

A quilt will be made for N'Tari with these blocks

using basketball or football fabric and white, black, or blue for the cross fabric.

These blocks were made with the That Girl That Quilts Cross Block Tutorial.

I really liked making this block, perhaps because the directions were easy to follow.

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

Swap Day!

2011-05-10T09:33:00.000-04:00

Swap Day has arrived!

Time to wrap up all the final details and get the fabric shipped out.

So first things first...

Where did all the fabric come from?

You may be interested to know it came from...

Pensacola, Florida

Champaign, Illinois

University Place, Washington

Lehi, Utah

Evanston, Wyoming

Loveland, Colorado

Sidney, Ohio

Mountain Home, Idaho

Grafton, Wisconsin

Modesto, California

Santa Rosa Valley, California

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Enterprise, Utah

Lilburn, Georgia

Lexington, Ohio

Parma, Idaho

Lyman, Wyoming

Bay City, Texas

Findlay, Ohio

Lunenburg, Massachusetts

Orem, Utah

Lees Summit, Missouri

Gilliam, Missouri

Lewiston, New York

Chillwack, British Columbia / Canada

Vernon, British Columbia / Canada

and

Stellarton, Nova Scotia / Canada.

All the fabric piles were carefully laid out to prepare for swapping.

This is when it really pays to have extra tables in the house.

It also pays to have friends that love quilting:)

After several hours of swapping

all the piles were swapped and ready to be shipped out.

And now to annouce our winners!

The Cutest Fabric Award goes to Cindy!

Cindy entered this adorable Retro Car fabric

and will receive a Barnyard Buddies charm pack by Amy Bradley!

Congratulations Cindy and thank you everyone for taking the time to vote.

And now for the drawing of the kitty!

All participants who submitted their fabrics with a postmark of April 15th

or earlier qualified for the drawing of 120 additional 5 inch I Spy squares.

A list was formed and the winner chosen using Random Number Generator,

and the winner is

Sharon of Camp Gramma!

Congratulations Sharon!

We will expect to see some awesome quilts coming from your neck of the woods:)

Sent and Received

The final part of the swap is a return trip to the post office, and here is the update.

All I Spy packages within the USA (except for New York) were mailed Saturday, May 7th.

All I Spy packages to Canada and the New York package were mailed Monday, May 9th.
Would all swappers kindly reply to this post or by e-mail when your fabrics arrive?

Also, as you begin making projects with your squares

please feel free to post your photos on the group flickr site

so we can all stay connected in our I Spy journey.

Thank you everyone for an awesome swap!

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

I Spy Top 10 Fabrics

2011-05-04T16:55:00.003-04:00

Sorry friends for the delay in posting.

We made an unexpected trip out of town last week, then I came down with a flu bug

and so it goes...Sigh.

Just a few final details to wrap up on the I Spy Swap.

It has been so much fun seeing all the different fabrics that have been submitted to the swap.

Now it is time to decide on a winner for the

With imput from several of my friends and grandchildren,

the list has been narrowed down to ten fabrics and although I know it is difficult....

would you kindly vote for one of the following 10 fabrics?

1. Colorful Crayons

Submitted by Babette.

2. Cupcakes Submitted by Sharon at Camp Gramma.

3. Dalmation Dogs

Submitted by Amy at Lexington Quilter.

4. Wide-eyed Pigs
Submitted by Vickie.

5. Retro Car

Submitted by Cindy.

6. Which one is Nemo?

Submitted by Patty.

7. Gardening items
submitted by Cassie at Birdo Love Moo

8. Snoozing Owls

Submitted by Cheri at jovaliquilts.

9. Primative zoo animals
Submitted by Amy at Little Country Bumpkins.

10. Apples

Submitted by Crystal at Henrixville.

One of the ten participants listed above will be the winner of the

Cutest Fabric Award

and will receive a Barnyard Buddies charm pack by Amy Bradley

to add to their I Spy collection!

So here's the scoop on how to vote:

1. Voting is open to all followers of this blog and/or members of the I Spy Swap.

2. Please vote for only one fabric.

3. Voting will remain open until midnight Friday, May 6th (EST)

So which fabric gets your vote?

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

I Spy the Final Four!

2011-04-27T16:37:00.001-04:00

Here are the final four fabrics for the

I Spy Swap!

Fabric received from Valerie.

Valerie also sent along an extra packet of I Spy squares as a gift.

Thank you so much Valerie!

My number #1 grandson will love the racecar fabric in his quilt.

Fabric received from Terri.

Fabric received from Babette.

Fabric received from Carin at Margaret's Hope Chest.

If you are not familiar with Margaret's Hope Chest please take the time to read
about this ministry which brings hope and comfort to those who are hurting.
They are currently holding a quilt drive and anniversary giveaway.
As of April 1st, they have already given away 1,000 quilts!

Tomorrow I'll be posting photos of the Top Ten finalists in the Cutest I Spy Fabric Contest!

We should be on target to complete the I Spy Swap by May 1st as planned!
All I Spy fabrics can be viewed on flickr by clicking here.

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

I Spy / One Flower Wednesday

2011-04-21T10:18:00.001-04:00

I was able to finish two flowers this week for my

Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

At least progress is being made...

...and I was once again able to participate in One Flower Wednesday.

My pile is growing ever so slowly...sigh.

Here are the latest fabrics for the

I Spy Swap!

Fabrics received from Chiska.

Chiska also sent along a lovely charm square

and two chocolate bunnies!

I was intrigued with the artisic wrapping on the bunnies.

So cute!

Thank your for your thoughtfulness Chiska!

However,

I'm afraid the bunnies did not survive until Easter:)

Fabrics received from Cindy.

Fabrics received from Frances.

Fabrics received from Jenny.

Fabric received from Sharon at Camp Granmma.

Fabric received from Annie at Adventures in Oz.

Annie also sent along this cute little embroidery scissors as a gift.

These will come in handy. Thank you Annie!

At this point we are waiting for the last four packages of fabric to arrive.

We should be on target to complete the swap by May 1st as planned!

All I Spy fabrics can be viewed on flickr by clicking

here.

In other news,

Annie is hosting a Finish Your Project Challenge

so be sure to check out the details!

This is the perfect motivation to pull out those unfinished projects and get to work.

The winner will receive a $30.00 shopping spree at Crazy Quilt Girl Fabric Shop!

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

Latest I Spy Fabrics

2011-04-19T15:09:00.001-04:00

Looks like another rainy day in my neck of the woods.

How about where you live?

Seems like the perfect opportunity to get a little sewing done

and watch my favorite Jane Austen movie.

Pride and Prejudice is a classic tale of love and misunderstanding,

and was nominated for four Academy Awards.

If you haven't seen it yet I assure you it is very entertaining.

Here are the latest fabrics for the

I Spy Swap!

Fabrics received from Patty.

Fabrics received from Shigae.

Fabrics received from Raquel.

Fabrics received from Vickie.

At this point I have heard from all the swappers and have been told

that all fabrics are in the mail and headed this way.

We should be on target to wrap up the swap by May 1st as planned!

All I Spy fabrics can be viewed on flickr

so be sure to check out the cute designs and leave a comment.

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

Hurray for the Mail Lady!

2011-04-18T16:28:00.001-04:00

In the continuing saga of me and the mail lady...

We had heavy rain here on Saturday and I was gone all morning.

Between the rain and the high winds I wan't sure what I would find when

I returned home to check on the mail.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the packages all stacked neatly on the porch!

Hurray for the mail lady!

Here are the latest fabrics for the

I Spy Swap!

Fabrics received from Laurie at Simple Things in Life.

Fabrics received from Amy at Little Country Bumpkins.

Fabrics received from Mary.

Fabrics received from Cheri at jovaliquilts.

I'll be posting more photos tomorrow,

and the drawing for the kitty will be held later this week

so stay tuned!

All I Spy fabrics can be viewed on flickr

so be sure to check out the cute designs and leave a comment.

May you always Sew in Peace:)

Sandra

Friday Night Sew In - April

2011-04-17T22:59:00.000-04:00

For this month's Friday Night Sew In

I worked on piecing the back of this I Spy quilt.

Not real exciting...so I opted to show the front of the quilt instead.

Hopefully I'll be able to get it machine quilted later this week.

You can see other projects made during the Friday Night Sew In

by clicking here.

In other news, I recently won this lovely fiber art pin

at a give-away hosted by quiltcrazyjennalouise!

Jennifer is very artistic so be sure to check out all her creatjve projects.

Thank you Jennifer!

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

More I Spy Mail

2011-04-15T21:04:00.002-04:00

Our mail lady was not having a good day today.

There were too many packages to fit inside our mailbox

so she had to get out of her car and physically place them on the front porch.

This did NOT put a smile on her face.

Please do not tell her the packages are full of I Spy fabrics...

or that more packages are on their way.

Here are the latest fabrics entered in the

I Spy Swap!

Fabrics received from Amy at Lexington Quilter.

Fabrics received from Sala at My Crazy Sew Called Life.

Fabric received from Becky at The Quilting Booklady.

Becky also sent along a few extra I Spy squares as a gift.

Thank you Becky! I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

All I Spy fabrics can be viewed on flickr

so check out the cute designs and leave a comment!

Next week will be the drawing to win the kitty...so stay tuned!

Now I'm off to participate in this month's Friday Night Sew In.
Hope you can join us:)

May you always Sew in Peace!
Sandra

I Spy More Mail

2011-04-14T06:50:00.000-04:00

It has been so much fun opening packages of I Spy fabrics.

Almost like Christmas...everyday!

Fabrics received from Alisha.

Fabrics received from Karen.

Fabrics received from Crystal.

Crystal also sent along a lovely handmade card

and a super cute little packet of fabric by Kate Spain for Moda!

Thank you Crystal!

The packet features 40- 2 1/2" coordinating squares.

(I have been unable to find the official name of this precut,

so if you know the official name, I'd love to hear from you.)

JoAnna sent along this charm packet by Sandy Gervais with her I Spy fabrics.
Oh my JoAnna! Thank you so much!
I certainly wasn't expecting these extra goodies:)

All I Spy fabrics can be viewed on flickr.

As a reminder to swappers who have not yet mailed their fabrics...
all packages with a postmark of April 15th (or earlier)
will qualify forthe drawing to win the kitty!

May you always Sew in Peace!
Sandra

I Spy Mail

2011-04-12T05:38:00.001-04:00

Here are the latest fabulous fabrics that have been entered in the

I Spy Swap!

Fabrics received from Cassie

Fabrics received from Ixchelle

Fabrics received from Kristine.

All fabrics can be viewed on flickr by clicking here!

As a reminder to swappers who have not yet mailed their fabrics...

all packages with a postmark of April 15th (or earlier) will qualify for

the drawing to win the kitty!

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

On the Design Wall...

2011-04-07T21:31:00.002-04:00

Quilt based on Amanda Jean's Fair and Square pattern.

Another I Spy?

Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it?

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

I Spy Swap Update

2011-04-02T23:00:00.007-04:00

So here's the scoop.

I hate (really, really hate) changing my mind once I make a decision

but...

I'm going to extend the signup for my I Spy Swap and here's why.

In order to have a sucessful swap, mathmatically we either need 20 or 40 participants.

Since we are currently at a solid 27 swappers,

I'm hopeful we can reach a total of 40 participants in the next few days.

As an extra incentive...

every participant who mails their fabrics to me

with a post mark of April 15th (or earlier)

will be automatically entered in a drawing to receive an additional batch of I Spy fabric!

(That's a total of 120 extra - 5 inch squares!)

This I Spy giveaway will be refered to as the "kitty".

Nice kitty!

After April 15th,

there will also be an online vote for the cutest fabric submitted to the swap.

One lucky participant will win a Barnyard Buddies charm pack by Amy Bradley!

Signup for the swap is now closed!
Thanks everyone!

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra

I Spy Quilt Ideas

2011-04-01T10:43:00.010-04:00

My latest I Spy finish!

Close up of a few blocks.

The quilt back...

Finished with flannel and a few additional I Spy blocks.

The inspiration for my quilt was based on Quiltville's square in a square tutorial.

For this quilt I used 5 inch I Spy blocks.

---------- For more I Spy inspiration, be sure to check out the following links----------

Mary at Mary Quilts - free PDF patterns on the left side of her blog that you can download.
Quilting Library has a page of links to patterns that work well with I Spy fabrics.
Bonnie at Quiltville has a free four-patch pattern.
Better Homes and Gardens has a cute magnifying glass pattern.
Melissa at Happy Quilting has an easy to follow tutorial posted on her blog.
Kathy at Craft Hope has a tutorial posted for a quilt that uses rectangular blocks.
Cluck Cluck and Sew has a pattern available in her etsy shop for a modern I Spy.
Amy has a pattern at Moda Bake Shop that would work well for an I Spy quilt.
Jacqui at Treadle Quilts has made alot of wonderful I Spy quilts!
Google Images is another great source for ideas.

Update - Click here to see the I Spy Quilt Parade from Swap 1

Hope this inspires you to make your own I Spy quilt:)

May you always Sew in Peace!

Sandra