Gratitude and a Giveaway

Yesterday our family went through this and this list of gratitude prompting questions.  Some of the questions were really unique and it made me think about all of the things that I am grateful for.

One of the things that I am grateful for is quilting.  I love the planning, picking fabric, cutting, sewing and quilting.  (Not so hip on basting and binding, but you can't have it all.)   When all is going well, it provides a sense of peace (some people say mind-numbing-piecing, I say peace).

I love taking beautiful fabrics and bringing them to a higher plane of beauty and order through piecing and quilting.  I love that my quilts are always beautiful even when my kitchen isn't. :)

I am more grateful than I can express for all of the people I have met through quilting.  I don't know if quilting attracts super cool people or if a shared passion makes us all compatible, but I love hanging out with my quilting friends.

I am grateful that I have had so many more opportunities than I could ever imagine open up to me through quilting.  It started with my first post on Moda Bakeshop and the journey just keeps going.


Did I mention that I am grateful for fabric?  There are so many beautiful fabrics!!!  And Moda Fabrics has graciously provided four charm packs for a giveaway today.  Let me tell you about them.

Dottie - Lots of dots in small and medium sizes.  A great basic and blender.  I know I have mentioned this before, I really like dots.

Purebred - Love horses and paint by number?  Then you will love this line.

Basic Mixologie - This is my favorite of the bunch (it almost stayed at my house).  Lots of tone on tone and small modern prints in great colors.  It should reach stores in December, so you are getting a sneak peek.

Flying Colors - This line of fabric features birds, rainbows and raindrops.  It is not due in stores until February.  You could be the first one on the block with this fabric!  Not that that is saying much in my neighborhood.  I think I am the only one on the block that haunts online fabric stores.  :)



To enter to win these charm packs, I want to know what you are grateful for.  There are three chances to win:

1. What are you grateful for today?  It can be quilting related or not.

2. What Moda designer or line of fabric are you most grateful for?
(I am super grateful for all of the great fabrics Sandy Klop of American Jane creates.)

3.  Share this giveaway on social media.  (on Instagram here.)

Please, leave a separate comment for each entry.

The giveaway is open to quilters with a US postal address.  (I am beyond sorry to have to limit it.)  It will run until the morning of Monday, November 30 CT.  A winner will be randomly selected after my children leave for school.

Thanks!  And have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

You Can Quilt! Building Skills For Beginners Blog Hop

Welcome to the blog hop for You Can Quilt! Building Skills for Beginners.  Marlene is an ambassador for Island Batik and has organized a blog hop with the other Island Batik Ambassadors.   Island Batik has provided the Ambassadors (and me!) with fabrics from their New Fall/Winter lines of fabric debuting at Fall Quilt Market.  Over the next four weeks we will each highlight one Skill Builder Set in the book and make the three quilt blocks in that set with our Island Batik fabric.  It will be a great opportunity to get a really good look at the book (and the new fabric lines).  I hope you will follow along and check out all of the posts.

I am kicking it off with Skill Builder Set 1: Learning the Basics.
This Skill Builder Set covers all of the basics: cutting, tips on sewing accurate 1/4" seams and pressing.  The three blocks in this set are all very basic, but give beginning quilters the chance to practice those basic skills before moving on to more complicated blocks.  The blocks were also chosen because they introduce chain piecing, sub-cutting and experimenting with value.

I was given a choice of fabrics from Island Batik's new lines and I choose the Jersey Shore line.  I love the bright colors!  To be honest, I have never really worked with batiks, so this was a new experience for me.  I wanted to make my blocks into a finished product (I don't need any more orphan blocks floating around!) and decided to make a table runner for my friend who just moved.  She loves batiks (perfect) and is decorating her kitchen and dining room in blues and green (perfect).

I edited the fabrics to blues and greens and got cutting.  These blocks come together quickly.  The batik fabric had a different feel than "normal" quilting cottons and I loved the way it pressed - nice and crisp.  

In no time I had the blocks finished and was ready to join them.  I like how you can see the different blocks, but the table runner is still cohesive.

I used some of the leftover fabric for the backing so the table runner would be reversible.

I quilted it with a small leaf and swirl - it seemed like the right motif with all the blues and greens.  Now it is all ready to go to it's new home.  A quick project, perfect for a beginner, that could be made with any of the blocks in the book.

We would love to give you the chance to win some fabric and a copy of You Can Quilt! Building Skills for Beginners.  For a chance to win you can enter with the Rafflecopter below.  You can also enter to win on each of the Ambassador's blogs throughout the blog hop. 

At the end of the blog hop we will randomly choose 4 winners.  Each winner will receive a copy of You Can Quilt! and a bundle of fabric.  There are two fat-eight bundles of Island Batik's Sweet Georgia Peach and two fat-eight bundles of a variety of Cotton and Steel prints that I used to make this Skill Builder quilt.  When we email the winners they will be able to indicate which bundle they would prefer on a first come, first serve basis.  Good luck!

Unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to US residents.
If you would like to purchase a copy of You Can Quilt! you can get a signed copy from Marlene or myself.  It is also available through AQS (as a hard copy or e-book) and Amazon.

I hope you have fun visiting the other posts during the next few weeks!  It will be great to get to see all of the blocks made up in Island Batik fabric.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oct. 9  -  1, Learning the Basics - Leila Gardunia  sewnbyleila.blogspot.com

Oct. 12 - 2, Half Square Triangles - Tammy Silvers  .tamarinis.typepad.com/

Oct 14 -  3, Quarter Square Triangles - Connie Kresin Campbell conniekresin.com

Oct. 16 - 4. Flying Geese - Maryellen McAuliffe teachpany.blogspot.com

Oct 19 -  5. Wonky Blocks - Christine McCrann Martinez madeinscraps.blogspot.com

Oct. 21 - 6. Improvisation - Connie Kauffman  kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com

Oct. 23 - 7. Foundation Paper Piecing - Joan Kawano moosestashquilting.blogspot.com

Oct. 26 - 8. Curves - Marlene Oddie  kissedquilts.blogspot.com

Oct. 28 - 9. One-Patch Blocks - Bea Lee beaquilter.com

Oct. 30 - 10. Applique - Barbara Gaddy bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com

Nov. 2  - 11. Inset Seams - Pamela Boatright  pamelaquilts.blogspot.com/

Nov. 4 – 12. Challenge Blocks - Linda Stewart Pearl onequiltingcircle.com

Nov. 6 – 13. Finishing – Marlene   kissedquilts.blogspot.com

Charity Quilt Link Up and Giveaway

I can't believe that it is the first of October (and that our congressmen are such ____ )!   During September I've shared different ideas about how to make Quick & Easy Charity Quilts.

two Fabric Blankets

orphan blocks & negative space

super-size it

applique 

quilt as you go

Goodness knows that there are tons of other great easy quilting ideas out there, so I also started the Quick & Easy Quilt Library.  If you find a great tutorial for a quick and easy quilt, please link it up there!  We already have quite a few.  Check it out!

A big thank you to the Fat Quarter Shop and Lisa Orgler Designs for sponsoring this charity quilt month.  If you have made a charity quilt this month, link up a picture of it here and you will be entered to win a package of super cute owl notecards and a $20 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop.  I will close the linky and pick a winner on Saturday.

Thanks for helping spread a bit of love and warmth!

Sherry, you are our winner!  I will give you an email.

Skill Builder Sampler Giveaway

Giveaway Closed!

Everyone had a pretty good chance of winning this week with only 10 entries, but that Random Number Generator picked Julie again!  Seriously, I didn't cheat!  Congratulations Julie!

Hello!  I have been rather missing this week - there's nothing big going on - just kids, laundry, shopping, 18lbs of strawberries (there was a great sale), picking fabric for a new project...all of the normal stuff that doesn't seem interesting enough to post about.

But I did search through my stash today and made this custom fat quarter bundle of fabrics that will go to someone who has completed blocks 28-30 of the Skill Builder Sampler.  I bought the cowgirl fabric years ago - I think it was my first purchase of yardage at a quilt store.  It was made up into the cutest pajamas complete with a bandanna collar for my little girl.  She is 11 now and her 2 year old sister is still wearing them.  They are the cutest things ever - the girls and the pjs.  :)

But I digress... this month for the Skill Builder Sampler we worked on odd shapes and templates (tumblers, apple cores and triangles) and I sure felt like my skills were stretched.  I realized that I don't like tracing and cutting out fabric by hand (that dang apple core block!).  Isn't that why they invented rotary cutters?  But the results sure are cute!

If you completed blocks 28-30, leave a comment saying so and I will enter you into the drawing to win some of my favorite fabrics.  I will pick a winner on Friday, May 4th.  We will also start making blocks with inset or y-seams that day.

1. copos, 2. SBS Block #30 - Triangles, 3. SBS #29 - Apple Core, 4. SBS block 29, 5. Apple Core Block, 6. Tumblers in red and white, 7. Block #29 - Apple Core, 8. #30- Equilateral Triangles, 9. SBS block 28

And just in case you haven't visited the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler flicker group lately, here is a sampling of some of the blocky-goodness that has been happening over there.  You guys are great!

Applique and Curves Giveaway

Edited:

Giveaway Closed!

Miranda, you are our winner!  Congratulations!

This has been a crazy skill building couple of months - I think almost everyone felt stretched making the applique blocks.   Some of us have sworn never to touch the stuff again.  :)  But I realized that even though I am not great at it that applique is sure fun to do while watching my favorite shows.

Curves...I was nervous about these.  More nervous about using templates than the actual sewing.  Quilting is so precise that I figured I could never cut out the pieces as accurately as I needed to.  But again, it wasn't as bad as I thought.  I definitely see more Drunkard's Paths in my future.

If you want to try making more curved blocks check out some of these tutorials:

1. Improv Curved Block from Sew Take a Hike:  Make 4 of these 6.5 inch blocks and sew together to make a 12.5 inch block
2. Set In Circle Tutorial from Cut to Pieces
3. Wonky Drunkard's Path by Needle and Spatula

If you completed all of the blocks, I think you deserve a prize.   I am offering a sample pack of 10 different Echino Nico prints.  Each piece is 9 inches square.

 You have three Chances to Win:

1. Leave a comment saying you finished all three applique blocks
2. Leave a comment saying you finished all three curved blocks
3. Leave a comment saying you made an extra curved or appliqued bonus block (you can use the tutorials above or make up your own block - go crazy on me!)

Giveaway ends the morning of Friday, February 3rd.

Check out everyone's blocks at our Skill Builder Sampler flickr group!

P.S.  If you want more practice and instruction about sewing curves, check out Rachel from Stitched in Color's online Curves Class.  The class starts on Feb. 1st.

Big Half Way Mark Giveaway for the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler

I can't believe there have been 6 months of the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler!

We started out by making sure we had the basics covered with cutting, 1/4 inch seams and pressing while making these blocks.  (oh, how I miss the days when my backyard was green...)

 We moved on to half square triangle and corner to corner sewing.  Finishing up with some quilt math.

 With all the different skills I tried to show many different methods for getting the same result.  We learned the traditional, corner to corner and magic method of making flying geese.

Then we learned how to make 1/4 square triangles and played around with improvisation.  

(I just realized I never wrote up the 1/4 square triangle math post...oops...coming soon...)

We tried out paper and fabric foundation piecing and started paper piecing.

And more paper piecing...oh how I love these paper pieced blocks!  Why did I wait so long to learn how to do this?  This is what the Skill Builder Sampler is all about! - just biting the bullet and doing things that we are scared of.

It was hard to get a picture of them all!

If you haven't been quilting along with the Skill Builder Sampler, now is a perfect time to join in.  We are going to start hitting skills that even long time quilters might not have tried their hand at.  Here is the schedule for the rest of the Sampler:

December - Applique (many different methods will be shown)
January - Curved Blocks
February - Wonky Blocks
March - Odd Shapes (tumblers, apple cores, hexagons)
April - Inset Seams
May - There is No Way I Can Make That Block! Blocks  :)

For all of you who have been following along - THANK YOU! - it would have been totally lame and depressing to write all these tutorials for only one or two people.  As a thank you and reward for participating in the Skill Builder Sampler we are having a Big Half Way Mark Giveaway.  And because I want to motivate anyone who has fallen behind to catch up I have three different prize options.   Everyone likes different fabrics  and I wanted the prize to appeal to everyone.

 For those who love reproduction fabric:  

A jelly roll of 1862 Battle Hymn and one yard of Kona Snow.

 For those who are drawn to brights:  

10 fat quarters of Treasures and Tidbits and 1.5 yards of Kona White.

For sweet dot lovers:  

8 fat quarters of assorted dots, a half yard of the pink floral from Snippets, 

and 1.5 yards of Kona Unbleached (my favorite "white"). 

Any of these prize packages would be enough fabric to make a large lap sized quilt.

To be entered in the giveaway:

• You must have completed blocks 1-18 in the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler.  A list of all blocks and links to the tutorials can be found at the link at the top of the page.  
• You must post a picture of all of your blocks on the Skill Builder Sampler flickr site or email me a picture of the completed blocks.
• Then leave a comment in this post.  Let me know what fabric package you would like if you are the randomly selected winner.

The giveaway closes on Friday, December 2nd at 7:00 am Central Time, at which time a randomly selected person will win the fabric package of their choice.  That gives you two weeks to catch up.   Totally do-able.  :)

You Can Do It!

Blocks 13-15 Giveaway Winner

The winner of a bundle of Echino prints is #13 - Miranda!!!

Here are her beautiful blocks.  I love seeing all of the different prints everyone is using and these make me want to whip out my own DS prints and start sewing.  

I happened to win something today too!  Barbara Brackman hosted a giveaway to celebrate her new line of Old Fashioned Calicoes and this picture of me in calico was a winner.  Go here to read more.

Blocks 13-15 Giveaway

 This month's blocks in the Skill Builder Sampler weren't exactly normal, were they?  We started off with a paper foundation string block, then a fabric foundation crazy quilt block and finished up with a paper piecing practice block.  We have started to leave the basic quilting skills and are moving into skills that we might not have practiced before.  Kind of scary and uncomfortable.

Coming up in November we will continue to work on paper piecing, in December we will practice applique and in January we will start the year off with curves.  Now would be a great time for quilters who feel comfortable with the basics, but who want to stretch their skills to jump in.

If you have fallen behind, no fear, catch up as you can.  These tutorials will be there when you need them.  But...the half way mark of the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler is at the end of November and there will be a larger than normal giveaway for everyone who has completed all of the blocks.  Enough fabric to make a lap sized quilt!

But for now, if you have completed Blocks 13-15 leave a comment below and you might win a "mini layer cake" of Echino fabric.  There are nine 9 inch squares of various prints from the Nico Spring 2011 collection.  I didn't see why everyone gushed about these cotton/linen blends until I got some in a swap.  I love the feel of the heavier linen and the prints are really fun.  If you don't win and want to buy a package click here.

Giveaway Closed

Block 10-12 Giveaway

It has been a busy week around here.  I am glad it was a catch up week for the Sampler.  Next month we will start exploring foundation pieced blocks.  But for now, leave a comment below if you have finished blocks 10, 11 and 12 in the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler.  I will draw a winner from the comments Friday, October 7th after the kids go to school.

This month's prize is a fat quarter pack of these fun prints from Treasures and Tidbits collection by Robert Kaufman.  So cute!  So get sewing!!  :)  I hope you have a great weekend!

I've Finished All 3 Blocks Giveaway!

Augh!  I accidentally closed the giveaway early.  

All comments from here on out will be entered in next month's drawing as an extra comment.

Giveaway closes for real at midnight tonight.

Have you made all three blocks in the We Can Do It!  Skill Builder Sampler?  If you have, you are eligible for this giveaway.  Leave a comment saying you have completed all three blocks.  If you have made the bonus block described in this post leave a second comment.  What can you win?

Four fat quarters of Kona Cotton fabric.  Left to right:  Medium Pink, Bahama Blue, Sunflower and Spring.  A great springy addition to any stash.  Giveaway closes at midnight July 15th.

We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler

On June 17^th I am going to be kicking off the “We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler.” You can just call it the Skill Builder Sampler or SBS if you want. :)  Some of the recent blogland talk got me thinking about things that I want to try out in my quilting. I realized I was just a bit scared and nervous about trying new things. It is always easier to try something new with a friend and so I hope we can all work through this sampler quilt together.  Each month I will focus on a different quilting skill and provide tutorials for three 12 inch quilt blocks using the month's skill.  Some of the skills you might already have – please, leave any advice or additional tips in the comments for us – but I know there will be something for everyone to learn.

I have designed this sampler so that a beginning quilter can easily move from block to block and build their quilting skills. The beginning blocks will review basic skills and concepts that can be applied to any quilt. I will liberally reference other blogs and tutorials which have already described and explained the techniques and skills we will be learning.

Here is the outline for Skill Builder Sampler:

June:

Skills: Cutting, ¼ inch seam allowance and value.

Blocks: Log Cabin and Around the World

July: Half Square Triangles and Quarter Square Triangles

August: Flying Geese

September: Wonky Blocks

October: Foundation Piecing

November: Paper Piecing

December: Raw Edge and Needle Turn Applique

January: Curves

February: Improvisational Blocks

March: Working with odd shapes (tumblers, hexagons, apple cores)

April: Inset Seams

May: “There's no way I can sew that block!!!” - but you totally can because we now have the Skillz.

(we will also learn how to draft and use templates - those skill will be used in multiple months)

The first three weeks of each month we will make blocks based on that set of skills and the forth week will be a catch up week. Everyone who is caught up at the end of the month will be entered in a drawing for a special prize. (Probably fabric, because everyone Loves fabric, right?)

By the end of the year you will have 36 twelve inch blocks you can make into a queen sized quilt or you can divide them up and make several smaller quilts. But more importantly, you will have the skills and the confidence to tackle any quilting project you can dream up.  Priceless.

............

Edited (5/15):  The Skill Builder Sampler will is available for purchase in book form!  It has been renamed "You Can Quilt!  Building Skills for Beginners" but covers the same skills with the easy, medium and challenging blocks and is a million times better than the original quilt along.  It is perfect for the beginning quilter or the experienced quilter who wants to branch out and learn new skills.  Find more information and order a signed copy in my Etsy shop or order on Amazon.  Because of the release of the book some posts have been removed.

............

For this to work, I need your help. Doing new things is fun and easy with friends, but truth be told, I don't have a million and one online friends. Truth is, not everyone will want to participate in this Skill Builder Sampler. That's ok, but I want everyone to be able to check it out and decided if it is right for them.

Could you help me get the word out?   I'll bribe you.... :)  I have two fat quarter stacks of fabric just waiting to go to a good home. One of Denyse Schmit's new line of fabric and a stack of Japanese fairy tale prints. 

For a chance to win:

1. Leave a comment. Any advice, block suggestions or skills I am missing would be great. Oh, and tell me which fabric pack you will like.
2. Blog about The Skill Builder Sampler, connect back here and leave a second comment telling me you did.
3. Put the “We Can Do It” button on your sidebar and leave a comment telling me you did.
   
   

<a href="http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5610215441_879482f1e0_m.jpg" alt="BWS tips button" width="150" height="200" /></a>

Three chances to win! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. I will close the drawing and announce the two winners on June 1^st. Thanks for helping spread the word!  We Can Do It!

Edited:  I have posted fabric requirements here.
Edited:  Sorry this post disappeared for awhile - it is back!  The giveaway is now closed, but keep spreading the word and get ready for our first block on June 17th!