Do You Hygge?

This winter I am. A little book that I gave Hanna for Christmas.

I spent some Hygge time yesterday watching a movie and thumbing through one of my favorite quilt books under a cozy quilt.

It was like spending time with friend and mentor.

What a good example of Hygge Gratitude.

So many inspiring quilts and images!

I love this Hygge List:

and some Hygge images from my house

 Still enjoying the charm of my village...

This happened yesterday morning.  Pretty

Last week I went to NJ to visit my quilt buddies and Pauline made Tortellini Soup.  When I asked her for the recipe she just laughed and told me she found it on my blog.  

I'm sharing it again today. Get the full recipe by clicking here.  Pauline now says it is "The Forgotten Soup".

I received this photo of Sheila's finished 2016 Broken Dishes Swap quilt.  Love it!  

I had quite a few stencil sales this week.  I hope you like it and thanks!

So, do you Hygge?

xo

Fan-tastic Fan Quilting

Hello.  I injured my wrist last week, so I don't have a lot of new things to share. I thought I'd share some Fabulous Fan Quilting images that I've collected.
What a great small antique quilt.

 These are set like Clamshells.  How neat.

 Here the quilter played around with which blades to quilt.  I love this quilt!

 Katy did this one and I love how she switched directions.  That Irish Chain got cray cray on the left side.

Lori had this on her blog - wow good one!

 Another example by Katy.  They frame the edge and collide in the middle.

 Oooh La La so elegant on this applique quilt.   I like the alternate block - very unique.

Which is your favorite?

These quilts and other antique quilts I've studied helped me develop my Fan Stencils.

I'll let you in on a secret.  If you get the small blade fan stencil, you can skip every other line and achieve the look of the original fan.

You can find them in my Etsy Shop by clicking here.   I will give you a 20% discount if you enter the code: SPARROW when ordering.

Whether you use my stencil or another, click here for my tutorial on marking them in the traditional way or use the photos in this post to try a new way.

I hope all you Swappers doing well with your Churn Dash Blocks.  I can't wait to see them all!

xo

Monday Musings

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

I usually post on Wednesdays, but thought I'd pop in today with a few random things.

I finished my baskets and bow tie quilt top.

For the backing I used this pretty print that I have had for about 10 years.

It was a challenge to match it

It isn't perfect, but pretty darn good don't you think?

Here is Monica's basket quilt in brights - it's great!

My swap blocks so far.  I'm doing the modern swap only this time.

 As you can see I am using different backgrounds and solids.
Here is a tip I posted on IG.  If you are using triangles on a roll, you may want to try stitching just inside the line so they come out the right size once you've pressed them.

 Also, I use a hot dry iron and just spritz a little water.  I find that steaming blocks can skew them a bit.  How do you press?  I also use a starch quite a bit.

Fun an Games~
I started this puzzle on New Years Eve and finished it yesterday.  It had 1000 piece and here is the progression:

We played this escape room board game.  It was super hard!  we solved it (using the clues) with less than 7 seconds to go.  Felt like we were in a James Bond movie.  There are 3 more to play.

Hope you are staying warm - it is so so cold here!  Coco will take any warmth she can find.

xo

2018 Churn Dash Tutorial

Hello 2018 Swappers!  Long Post - Read then READ again.

Wow - Sign ups closed in a matter of hours.  I gave up my spot on the repro list and added spots to accommodate as many as possible.  There is a waitlist.  For those who missed the sign up, feel free to use this tutorial to play along at home or with a sewing group.

This is the basic Churn Dash Block we're swapping.  

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

Swap Colors:  Please adhere to the color themes.

Repro Group - Civil War Prints (med/dark) with natural (off white) muslin.

Modern Group - Jewel Toned Solids with Low Volume Prints.

 Jewel Tone means no muddy colors - bright and pretty.

Here are some more examples of low volume prints.  No grey backgrounds please - we used that for the bow ties of 2014.

Please use only good quality, clean fabric. 

The Blocks finish at  6"  -   6 1/2" unfinished.

Start with a clean machine, good fine thread, a sharp needle and use your very best sewing skills.

***Make 1 block to test your size and adjust needle or seam allowance as needed to achieve a 6 1/2" unfinished block.***

For each block you will need:  (measurements are unfinished)
4 - 2 1/2" half square triangles
4 - 2 1/2" strip sets made with 2 1 1/2" strips
1 - 2 1/2" center square.

I like to use Triangles on a Roll because there is no trimming and they are accurate.  You can use your favorite method but you must achieve a 2 1/2" unfinished HST.

CAUTION - USE 2" FINISHED BLOCK SIZE PAPER.

Pin with flat pins, sew in the direction shown on the paper, shorten your stitch length for easy paper removal.  You can purchase this at your LQS or on line.

Check to make sure your HST is 2 1/2"

PRESS TOWARD THE DARK SIDE AND CLIP DOG EARS.

Make strip sets with  1 1/2" strips.

 PRESS TOWARD THE DARK STRIP.

 Cut to 2 1/2"

Cut 2 1/2" center squares:

Layout your block

Sew together into 3 horizontal sections and PRESS LIKE THIS:  Ooops - there is a pressing error here !!  yikes.  don't do it like this.

Sew sections together and PRESS LAST SEAM OPEN ACCORDING TO THIS PHOTO - DON'T SKIP THIS!

Viola!  Please check your size NOW.  You have to be with 1/8" of 6 1/2" unfinished.

NUMBER OF BLOCKS TO MAKE

**Important**
After working on the blocks yesterday, I decided we would be swapping 1 full set and 1 half set.  These are 6" blocks and take more time than previous swap blocks.  Here are the numbers:

Repro: 
Make 1 full set of 44 in one color combination.
Make 1 half set of 22 in another color combination.

Modern:
Make 1 full set of 36 in one color combination.
Make 1/2 set of 18 in another color combination.

If you are using FQs or smaller pieces you can use more than 4 fabrics total, but you can not make more that 1 full set the same.

Okay, please go to the top and read again, especially before you email me questions that I have already answered.

Important Facts:
Block Size:  6" finished (6 1/2" unfinished - no trimming!)
Repro Blocks to Make:    66
Modern Blocks to Make: 54
Mailing Deadline:  March 1st - NO EXCEPTIONS 

Please use the hashtag #fwb2018blockswap on your blog, Facebook and Instagram.

On Your Marks, Get Set - SEW!

xo