The Splendid Sampler, Block 5 "Simple Simon"

This was fun! But also, I need to remember, that simple is not always easy... This was great for practicing accuracy, because if everything is not cut and sewn right, those seams are not going to lign up right...

To join the fun, go to The Splendid Sampler's website, download the patterns and go!

Pencil case presents

Miss V was going to a birthday party and asked me to sew pencil cases for her friends.

I had made 5 pencil cases for presents late last year, and one of them was to be similar to those:

The other 2 were for boys, she chose the fabrics and the zippers:

I followed a tutorial from A Spoonful of Sugar, and they came together pretty quick.

The birthday was today - so these have been gifted. Now I need to work on my blocks for The Splendid Sampler. I guess I'll always be a little bit behind on that quilt :) That's ok!

Happy Birthday to me ❤️

Yesterday was my birthday, I was too busy celebrating it with the kids, to show you these beautiful roses Mr W sent me :-)

WIP: Scrappy Wonky Spiderwebs

....so, while I'm working on block 4 in The Splendid Sampler, and waiting for Month 2 of the Sarah Fielke BOM, I'll share something else I am working on - on and off in between the quilt-alongs!
I have so many scrappy strips in all different widths. I bet I can make several quilts just from these strips. I have not sorted them in any way, and one of the things I like about working with scraps is, that everything is more or less ready to use as is.

I love the spiderweb block, so I have been working on a quilt with that block - I made mine wonky, just because I like it that way

The top is almost done, but it's little small....so I am thinking about ideas for a border. I have a few ideas I have to audition :-)

For this, I bought the grey background fabric, the rest is all scraps. Oh my....

The Splendid Sampler, Block 2 "Wings"

I made this block twice as well. The first one is mostly white, and that just doesn't work for me. I was concerned that a mix of colors would make the block so busy that you wouldn't be able to see the butterflies - but I think it works.
I am not very good at quilting over embroidery, so I decided to draw the antennae onto the butterflies. 

To get an overview of the LO, I did lay it all out on the table before sewing it up. It's fun to sew with such little pieces. These are 1'' finished.

If you want to join, go to www.thesplendidsampler.com - the patterns are free, and it's a lot of fun to sew these 6.5'' squares. I am probably not going to be able to sew all of them, but that's ok. It's a fun learning process.

The Splendid Sampler, Block 1 "Hearts Aflutter"

I am trying to catch up the first 2 blocks. I had made one of block 1 already, but didn't like it. So I made another:

I always like pictures with quilts with lots of white - but they never really work for me. Somehow I cannot balance the white, and it just doesn't look good. So I am going to play it safe, and use very little white, and lots of color :-)

This was the first block I had made:

Much too much white for me.... I kept it, but it will most likely be an orphan going into another project some other time....

The Splendid Sampler, Block 3 "Lots of Love"

So since I am behind, I am starting with block #3 - and then catching up!

I chose to put the color in the background fabric, instead of in the hearts. I like it.

It's a lot of little scares. My first time sewing with 1'' squares.

Cutting was the most difficult part

Now on to block 1 and 2.

You can find all the patterns and other info on The Splendid Samplers website.

Pillows for presents

I made these pillowcases for my mom. I gave her one already, and am giving her the other one for Mother's Day - thinking ahead! Yay!

This was one of the first things I made in a long time, so my quilting is quilt rusty, but they turned out ok, I think.

My mother liked it anyway - that's the most important thing.

I chose a solid grey for the back, and put in a zipper, so they are easy to throw in the wash.

I can't remember the name of the fabric line, it was a charm square pack I had in my stash.

Sarah Fielke BOM: Happy Days Month 1 Completed

24 stars and 1 Churn Dash block completed. I am so happy!

As you can see, my design "wall" is a piece of batting on the back of a door :-) So fitting a whole quilt on there is not possible - for that I use the floor!

I try to prep my sewing while the kids sleep (because I can do that in fromt of the tv), so I pressed and trimmed all the HSTs needed for star points, and then it was really quick to sew them all up.

The next pattern is a week away, so I have time to do some other sewing before then.

Blue and Green Stars for my Bed

I am going to share some of the quilts I have finished while I didn't blog.

One of them is this huge quilt, it was finished in 2014.

I had wanted a star quilt for a long time, and also a new quilt for my bed - so a combination of the two seemed like a good idea.

I pieced all the stars and stitched them into two panels of 8 stars

Working on the 2 panels, instead of the entire quilt, made everything a lot easier. I could quilt it on my domestic machine without too much hazzle.

I attached the 2 panels by using a quilt-as-you-go method. I just googled it, and read a few how-to's and did what made the most sense to me.

It fits my bed, and I am really happy with how it turned out.

You can see on the backing, that I have stitched the 2 panels together right across the middle of the quilt.

The quilt-as-you-go method wasn't bad. I'd do it again. if I were to make another big quilt like this.

Moomin Sew Together Bag for Miss V

Miss V chose Moomin fabrics for her Sew Together Bag.

I have had this in my stash for years, and have not ever dared cut into it. But when she asked for it, I knew, that this would be the perfect use for these fabrics.

I think the hardest part of sewing these bags, is when the sidepanels have to be sewn down to the lining and the exterior panel.

Once that is done, there's only binding left to do

Miss V chose white binding, I never would have chosen white - but it really works!

I think I'll take a break from these bags now.....but, I would like one more for me......

We'll have to wait and see!

The never-ending hexie project

I have seen so many hexie project on instagram - and it always makes me think "hey! I can do that too..."

So, I have started a hexie project of my own. I had some paper on hand, so I cut the hexies

I don't have a lot of hexies basted at a time, I keep them in a small IKEA plastic container that I borrowed from Miss V

She also helps me by pairing up hexies for flowers. Once she is happy with one, she stacks the hexies and puts a rubberband around them

Once in a while, she'll lay the finished flowers out on the floor - for us to see that we are making progress

She and I are still going back and forth on the layout. Should we leave it like this, or make the more traditional Grandmas Flower Garden quilt. Oh well, there's still plenty of time to decide :-)

While we try to make a decision on the LO, we both enjoy seeing the stack of flowers grow taller

We'll get there. Slow and steady gets the job done, right?

Batman/Star Wars Sew Together Bag for A

After the kids saw the Sew Together Bag I made for my hexie project, they both want one :-)

They have picked their fabrics, and today I started.

My 8yo (almost 9yo) A chose Star Wars for the lining and Batman for the exterior of his bag.

He is lucky to have a mom who loves Batman - and have hoarded all the Batman prints.

The zipper sandwich came together fine, I am always a little nervous about sewing with metal zippers. Especially when it's a tight fit like here. But everything went well :-)

After sewing the pocket linings together wrong 2-3 times (!), it was finally time to attach the side panels. It looks more and more like a bag...

I love using the binding clips to hold the side panels in place - much better than pins if you ask me!

Once the side panels are attached, the tricky part of sewing this bag is over. 

I handstitch the binding down, I prefer that to trying to machine stitch it down.

And here it is! One down, one to go.

......not counting the ones I want to make for myself. I think I need one in Batman fabrics 

(Pattern is from Sew Demented)

Sarah Fielke BOM: Happy Days

I have always wanted to do a BOM, but I have always felt too busy to have a chance to follow through to the end. Now that the kids are older, I believe I have a shot!

So when I saw, that Sarah Fielke has a 2016 BOM, I had to join!

I have chosen to make this quilt out of only solids. A black background and bright solids:

The pattern calls for quite a few of these stars, so I am trying to get a bunch of them done - plus they are so fun  to make!

Matching up colors is my favourite part:

Prepping while the kids sleep, so I am ready to sew in the morning

The first block is a Churn Dash. I have never made that block before, but I think it went ok anyway

These are the blocks I have made so far. This is really fun :-)

Happy Days!

Christmas Tree Skirt 2015

I have wanted to make a Christmas Tree skirt for the longest time, but I never could figure out, which one I wanted to make - until I came across the Prismatic Medallion pattern on Robert Kaufmans website.

I pulled my fabrics - the kids loved this part :-)

The pattern looks a little complicated, but it really isn't. For me, the layout of the colors was the hardest part. The triangles came together without too many issues.

...and here it is under the tree:

A good thing about this pattern is, that you'll be cutting fabrics for 2 at the same time!

Sewing presents and catching up

I bet you have heard this before, but in 2016 I am going to try to make as much from my stash as I can. I will need to buy stuff here and there, zippers, batting etc. But I really should stay away from getting more fabric for my stash.... Let's see how this goes :-)

I have been sewing a lot of presents - mostly catching up. I can't show them all, because they haven't been gifted yet. But I can show you these pillows:

I love these fabrics from Cotton + Steel

I know it's a simple design, but I really didn't want to draw attention away from the prints...

I also made this Sew Together Bag (pattern by SewDemented), I had the pattern for the longest time before finally putting on my brave pants and making one! 

Considering how much it holds, it really isn't that big when it's closed. 

It fits into a tote quite easily, and can be brought everywhere. Perfect for handstitching projects.

I am using it for my never-ending hexies project:

Now my kids want one each, they have started pulling fabrics....