tula pink and the german qal

Greetings to everyone. Today, I am your guest blogger for the Tula Pink's, City Sampler - German QAL. I was asked by the very charming, Sandra from the Hohenbrunner Quilterin, to take over this Monday to host a couple of blocks. So, here I am, giving you some tips and advice, and my quirky opinion. We will look into the chapter called Haiku, blocks 88 and 89.

Hallo an alle! Heute bin ich Euer Gast-Bloggerin für Tula Pink's City Sampler QAL. Ich wurde von der sehr lieben Sandra von den Hohenbrunner Quliterin gebeten, diesen Montag ein paar Blocks zu übernehmen. So, hier bin ich nun um Euch ein paar Tips, Tricks und meine Erfahrung weiterzugeben. Wir werden uns das Kapitel "Haiku" mit den Blocks 88 und 89 ansehen.

First of all, I want to explain my relationship to Tula Pink and her book. When I first saw the book, I was intrigued. Then I ordered it and quickly thumbed through it when it arrived. Honestly, I thought the blocks were just too simple! I know my philosophy is "simple, easy, practical," but I wanted to "learn" something new, especially from a book I spent money on! I read the Introduction from Tula and started to understand where she was coming from and where she was headed. I liked it! She wanted to make a sampler...or rather present blocks that we could put together as randomly as we wanted without the hassle of learning new techniques or sewing complicated blocks. Let's face it, when we make a sampler, it is usually a collection of blocks with different and complex sewing layers to challenge our skills. I have made a couple of samplers...and I don't want to sew another one! Why? They are just too hard and too time consuming!! BUT, Tula presented simple and easy blocks that everyone could sew without the hassle of "perfecting" the technique or learning something new. It is sewing for peace, relaxation and tranquility! Sewing for FUN!

Als erstes würde ich gerne meine Verbindung zu Tula Pink und ihrem Buch erklären. Als ich das Buch das erste mal sah, war ich fasziniert. Dann habe ich es bestellt und nachdem es angekommen war sofort durchgeblättert. Ehrlich, zuerst dachte ich mir, dass die Blocks zu einfach waren! Meine Philosophie ist ja selbst "einfach, leicht, praktikabel", aber ich wollte ja selbst was neues lernen, erst recht, wenn ich schon dafür Geld ausgebe! Dann habe ich nochmal vorne angefangen und die Einleitung von Tula gelesen, verstanden, was sie sagen wollte. Und ich muss sagen: "Ich liebe es!" Sie wollte einen Sammlung machen, aus denen wir nach Lust und Laune aussuchen können ohne neue Nähtechniken zu lernen oder komplizierte Blöcke nähen zu müssen.Wenn wir ehrlich sind, dann bestehen Sampler, die wir machen, aus komplizierten Blöcken, die uns auf der einen Seite herausfordern aber auch gleichzeitig ewig dauern und bei Zeiten auf die Nerven gehen. Damit sind Sampler etwas, was man nicht allzu oft machen möchte. ABER hier kommt Tula mit ihrem Buch! Sie hat eine Zusammenstellung von leichten und einfachen Blöcken, die jeder meistern kann - und das in Ruhe, Entspannung und Frieden. Sewing for Fun!

What I really love about Tula's blocks and especially her fabric lines, is her sense of humor! As an experienced quilter, I like to make use of fussy cutting to bring more to a block. Tula not only designs this special type of fabric quilters love but makes use of it, in her self-designed sampler blocks! This is the challenge I see - make use of your fabric to create a second design or story. Okay, we usually use shades, tones, and contrast to tell the story in our blocks, but Tula promotes the use of fussy cutting to allow us think a bit more

Was ich wirklich an Tula's Blöcken und ihren Stoffen liebe, ist der Sinn für Humor! Als eine erfahrene Quilterin, nutze ich gerne "fussy cutting", um mehr aus einem Block zu machen. Und Tula entwirft diese speziellen Stoffmuster, die hierfür wie gemacht sind. Wir Quilter(innen) nutzen gerne Farbtöne und Kontraste um unseren Quilts eine Geschichte zu geben und Tula ermuntert uns geradezu mit ihren Stoffen mehr "fussy cutting" einzubauen.

On to the blocks - Block #88 and #89 are from the chapter called "Haiku." With that, I tried to incorporate this idea of "composition" into my design using images from a panel I wanted to use. First I looked for images that would not be caught within the seam allowance. I taped off the required size using some washi tape on my 6.5" ruler to make my "window."

Auf zu den Blöcken -  die Blöcke #88 und #89 sind aus dem Kapitel "Haiku". Hierbei versuchte ich die Idee der "Zusammenstellung" in mein Design zu übertragen und hierbei Bilder aus einem Stoffpaneel zu nutzen. Als Erstes habe ich nach Bilderausschnitten gesucht, die nicht in die Stoffzugabe reichen. Als Hilfe habe ich mit Klebeband das Fenster auf meinen 6,5'' Lineal markiert um den späteren Stoffausschnitt besser beurteilen zu können.

Then I looked for coordinating and contrasting fabric to see in which direction I wanted to go. I really liked the grays and the greens and thought this a strong possibility. I thought the purple, however, was a little too contrasty for me. The turquoise didn't seem to fit at all...at least not a fabric from my color stash. Gray and green it is!
Danach habe ich nach dazu passenden Stoffen mit schönen Kontrasten gesucht. Die Zusammenstellung von grau und grün hat mir von Beginn an gut gefallen. Das Lila war mir zu stark im Kontrast (zumindest was ich an Stoffen da hatte - haben wir nicht alle zu wenig Stoffe zuhause?) und das Türkis hat irgendwie gar nicht gepasst. Grün und Grau das war es also!

So the hardest part is over -  my color preference. After that, it was quick and easy to sew the block together - no hassles, no matching up seams! Here it is! Pure sewing enjoyment!
Das Schwerste war also geschafft - meine Farbzusammenstellung. Danach war es einfach die Blöcke zu nähen - kein Ärger, keine zusammenstoßenden Nähte. Hier sind sie! Pures Nähvergnügen.

On to block 89. This is a really fantastic block making use of a blazing tree and inverting one part of the same fabric in another part of the block. The block presented is also very tone-in-tone. I love it, but didn't want to recreate it...this is my block, not Tula's. She is allowing me to stray from the path as stated in the introduction. ;-) I wanted to use the same panel and found these cute little bunnies.
Auf zu Block #89. Dies ist ein wirklich toller Block, der einen leuchtenden Baum nutzt und einen Teil hieraus in einem anderen Teil des Blocks wieder auf nimmt. Die Abstimmung ist sehr Ton-in-Ton, was ich sehr mag, aber so nicht umsetzen wollte. Es soll ja auch mein Block werden und nicht Tula's. Sie erlaubt ja auch ausdrücklich in der Einleitung vom vorgeschlagenen Weg abzuweichen. Ich wollte bei meinem Paneel bleiben und habe diese zuckersüßen Häschen gefunden. 

I also wondered what I would use the blocks for later since I am not participating in the entire QAL. Do I want the two blocks to match or coordinate in any way? What can I do with them later? I didn't think the additional yellow was going to help the block in any way. I liked the green I used in the previous block and thought it could tie the two together...if you are going for this.

Ich habe dann weiter überlegt, was ich mit den beiden Blöcken später anfangen möchte, da ich nicht den ganzen QAL mitmache. Sollen die beiden Blöcke zusammenpassen, d.h. nebeneinander stehen? Ich dachte nicht, dass das zweite Gelb dem Ganzen wirklich hilft. Mir hat das Grün aus dem ersten Block gut gefallen und hilft die beiden Blöcke zu verbinden... und so habe ich es dann auch gemacht.

I had a little bit left over from the fussy cut rabbits section and tried it to make it fit for the corner segments. I tried out several scraps, but just wasn't coming up with something that appealed to me. I ended up using something completely different in the end.

Ich hatte noch ein paar Reste von den "fussy cut" Häschen und habe versucht hier etwas passendes für die like obere Ecke zu finden. Aber nichts wollte so recht passen. Zum Schluss habe ich mich dann doch für etwas ganz anderes entschieden.

My block looks completely different than Tula's block as far as the effect and colors, but all of the pieces are the same. I used two of the same fabrics from the previous block and added a matching fabric with yellow and gray.

Mein Block sieht im Vergleich zu Tula's Block komplett anders aus, im Bezug auf Ausstrahlung und Farben. Die Stoffzuschnitte sind allerdings die gleichen. Ich habe zwei Stoffe aus dem vorherigen Block wieder verwendet mit einem zusätzlichen Stoff mit dazu passendem Grau und Gelb.

And here are the two blocks together...my sister blocks #88 & #89. So my advice is to look for interesting fabrics that have fussy cut pictures...mix and match from panels or unusual fabrics. Try out matching and contrasting fabrics. Think about if the blocks will be next to each other or not. And most importantly, HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Und hier sind die beiden Blöcke zusammen ... meine Geschwisterblöcke #88 und #89. Meine Empfehlung hieraus ist es interessante Stoffe mit "fussy cut" Bildern zu nehmen und sie mit anderen Paneelen und ungewöhnlichen Stoffen abzustimmen. Versucht Euch ruhig mal mit der Zusammenstellung von Stoffen, die nicht augenscheinlich zusammen passen! Überlegt Euch ob die Blöcke später nebeneinander oder sonst farblich oder von Design her in Bezug stehen. Und am wichtigsten von Allem, HABT SPASS DABEI!

I am very curious to see how you interpret this chapter, especially these two blocks and would love to see your progress so far. Please leave a comment in the section below, so we all can see your blocks!


Please leave a comment below stating your favorite color scheme for the blocks. In one weeks time I will draw one of the commenters (meeting the above requirement) that will receive the matching mug rugs from the two blocks I made as a giveaway. A reply address is mandatory.

Ich bin sehr neugierig, wie ihr das Kapitel in euren Arbeiten interpretiert, speziell für diese beiden Blöcke. Ich würde gerne sehen, wie ihr hierbei voran kommt. Bitte hinterlasst unten einen Kommentar mit einem Link, damit wir alle ein Bild Eures Blocks bewundern können.

Hinterlass doch bitte einen Kommentar mit Deiner Lieblingsfarbzusammenstellung für diese beiden Blöcke. In einer Woche werde ich aus allen Kommentaren (mit genannter Lieblingsfarbe) einen ziehen, der die beiden Kaffeeuntersetzer geschenkt bekommt. Voraussetzung ist natürlich eine hinterlassene Antwortadresse.

The giveaway closes on Monday, March 30! Thanks for dropping by!
Die Geschenkaktion endet am 30. März! Danke fürs Vorbeischauen!

low volumes

I have discovered a new love of "low volume" prints or for newcomers a light/white fabric with a low to medium tone on top. They are not tone-on-tones because they read as beige, cream, or gray. It gives a new dimension to the fabric. I was introduced to this from my friend Sandra and really had no idea what she was talking about. And instead of totally looking like an idiot, I just skipped right over what she was talking about. I know understand the term and am embracing it full-heartedly.

I just received this quilt from Emilly, my swap partner for the month of October, at the Doll Quilt Monthly Swap. It is the perfect use of low volumes! Just look at the beautiful composition using improvisation sewing, bright fall colors and low volume prints. I truly love it!! Then I understood completely where this new trend is heading - the look of scrappy with the use of low volumes instead of just "snow white" or "gray" as the neutral. Cool...I like this!

Doll Quilt received from Emilly

Then the next question...can I do this?? No. My stash is totally lacking creams, whites, and low volumes. Of course I wanted to order from the US, but it takes soooo long. Sometimes it can take up to two months before I receive new fabric lines and then I have to pay not only state tax (Mehrwertsteuer) but import tax as well. If I have it USPS'd I would also have to pay an additional charge to rush it through customs! The alternative was to pay more per yardage (or meter) for a price of 18-19€/meter. I think this is a steep price, but in the end, it might be cheaper? You tell me. What is your experience.?

So, I was on the hunt for some really nice new low volumes within the EU. The first two online shops I stopped at were Stoffekontor and Cotton and Color. I didn't find a huge assortment of what I was looking for, but I did find a few fabrics. I was also really turned on by the blacks as well, even more so than the whites. These are the new additions to my stash-

And I was so excited when I received them, I had to get started. The sun has been really nice to us the past week and making a presence almost every day. Looking at the some of the ideas from our Pillow Swap, I went right to work adding coordinating bright fabrics for greater contrast. I love contrast!

As you can see, I have not mastered this "style." I think there are a few too many non-low volume prints in there, but I am still working largely with my own stash. It is still a part of me. I am undecided if I like it, especially for a swap partner. I will get back to it after the holidays when there is more sunlight. Maybe I keep it, maybe I go for something totally different. Who knows!

I look forward to adding more and more of this fascinating fabric to my stash!

Happy Holidays!
Karen

new design for a sewing kit

I have had it on my mind to make up a pretty little sewing kit. I don't sew too much by hand, but I do like to close my binding up with hand stitching. Then I usually grab my embroidery scissors, thread, pin cushion and quilting needle. I thought it would be nice to have a central place to put it all and grab if I want to take a little travel.

This is a pattern I received as a gift from one of my patchwork friends. I thought I would sew it together according to the directions to see how I liked it. Is it practical? Does it fit my function? Is it pretty? Is it durable? Would I make it for someone else?

What is nice about this pattern, is that it uses (2) 5" charm cardboard pieces to stabilize it. The directions I have are in German, but most likely were translated from English thinking about the charm board. Both sides of the inner flap had a little pocket. I removed it from the back flap, because I thought it was too much. I like the double felt flap for pins but my piece was too thick. The original stated to sew it in like a book, but that didn't look right to me with the pocket. My scissors are also pretty loose and would fly out. I was supposed to attach a ribbon behind the pockets to bind the booklet closed, but I am not a ribbon-type girl. I am still searching for a good solution for a sewing case! I need a place for needles, thread, and embroidery scissors. It should look modern and be durable. No country look, no ribbons.

I finished up this panel which originated from Mini Disco from Julie at Jaybird Quilts. I could use it for a new sewing kit. I loved the design and it must have reminded me of my own with mini triangles. After I started sewing it all together. I lost my patience. My points weren't matching up anymore. I lost my desire, and put it aside for a while.

A couple of months later I started sewing on it again. I still wasn't happy with it; that's why I am not showing the front. It was supposed to look more like the one on the left, but I didn't make it that far. My design was a little tricker without a flat edge...more of a shape shifter design. Oh well, we all learn from the mistakes!

A bit of sound advice: this pattern looks awesome in solids..not prints. It is very tricky to get all of those points to match up too! Congratulations to all who successfully made the Mini Disco! This one is from Quilt et Textilkunst in Munich. It is worth it to buy the pattern, but a bit of patience also has to be planned in. Good luck!

I am still working on a simple, easy and practical needle case/sewing kit. If you have any advice or nice links for me, please pass them on. I would love to hear from you!!

mystic rainbow chevron pattern

Life is grand and then you are blessed with time. Sometimes I have so many ideas, I don't know what to do with them all. You would think that I am a chaot who has an idea..jumps in..and forgets all about it and starts something totally different. (I would not be surprised if my friends say that about me.) Well, I never forgot about this one. I always wanted to make it and did! It is finished!! I also took the time to write the instructions. It is called Mystic Rainbow Chevron and has three different layouts.

The idea came about at end of last year when the Kona Cotton Essentials Challenge was announced and I entered it. I had a small stash of 6" Color Essentials and wanted desperately to use them up but didn't know how. I decided to make a rainbow with chevrons but mix it up just a bit.

Here is the picture that I posted in 2013:

You can slightly see the pattern in the background and if you look closely, you can see it is just a tad bit different than the one shown above. Why? Because I am offering three different versions for three different tastes.

What is really great about this pattern is that you are given a coloring page to design your own colorway. You can use any color scheme ranging from gradients to a rainbow or even in masculine neutrals. Have fun with this little mini. It measures about 11 x 15.5 inches. You can use it for a placemat or a tablet case panel.

The pattern is all paper piecing expect for the borders...take a second look...all of the chevrons line up perfectly! I told you I was looking for the easiest way to make chevrons that was fast and perfect...and here it is! the chevrons nest every time.

You can see more examples on Craftsy. And the best part of all - the pattern will be available for a very minimal fee of $1.49! Yahoo...have fun!

Why am I charging a fee? Well, many of you have downloaded the free patterns in the past. That is great...it makes me happy, but it would make me happier to see you sewing my patterns. Would you buy a pattern and not make it? And hey, a girl has got to make an honest living as well. ;-)

I can wait to see what you do with the pattern. Don't forget to share with us all. Thanks again! Karen

tangram and pinwheel variation

Motivation is a big problem right now. Is anyone else struggling with this too....summertime fun? I think we all are?! Time for sewing is very limited with such nice weather. I'd rather be sitting by the pool reading a super good book!

I managed to take the time and go to my monthly patchwork guild meeting. We decided this year, several of us were going to present a block or technique for all the others to try out. At the end of the year, we should have enough new blocks for a sampler commemorating our 20 years as a patchwork group.

The two previous months, we made a puzzle block and an Atarashii block. These two didn't go as well as I wanted them to, because they were very time intensive. Actually, I don't even have the puzzle block finished. But the blocks for June and Juli went very smoothly. Although I didn't even take my fabricto my meeting, let alone my sewing machine to the meeting, I did take notes and help out my friend, Marianne. She also nudged me along to finish these two blocks this week instead of putting them off. This post is dedicated to her - she reads (or looks at) my blog, but never comments. I think it is because I write strictly in English. Well, we'll see if we can get this post translated into German so she can read it too. ;-)

Both of these blocks (tangram and pinwheel variation) measure roughly 19cm or about seven inches. After I made these two, I thought about making my folded star a little smaller or ripping out the borders and adjusting the size to match the others. I might even finish the puzzle block a little smaller to be more in unison with the others.

I also really like to make blocks if they don't take too long to sew. You know me; I don't like it too complicated, or I just won't finish it. I think about one to two hours to complete a block is just about the right amount of time I like to take. My SewKitschy blocks take about three to four hours when I take my time and try to get the fabrics right. My North Pole blocks take much longer. My Hasenbach Challenge is just about finished and was quite easy to sew. The blocks were simple, and I kept the fabrics limited. And of course there is the Jump Start SAL. The blocks were so awesomely easy, I could fit it in between projects.

How long do you like to take for your blocks? I would like to hear from you. Please leave a comment below. If you are new to the site, please follow or subscribe for updates.

the Man's Quilt

Most of us have a special partner, that we like to spoil every now and then. We especially like to show them just how much we love them too. In the quilting world, that is usually our men! They support us with our color and design choices. They forgive us we we spend too much time behind the sewing machine. Don't they deserve to be appreciated too, especially with their own quilt? Of course, they do!!

Shortly after I got married, I started working on a quilt for my husband using plaids and a very bland solid wheat fabric. I found a pattern in an Australian magazine and wanted to recreate it. The pattern looked simple enough, and it was no doubt a "man's quilt" which you don't typically see. As things go, the project got put on hold, because it was more complicated than I was capable of. Pressing became a nightmare. And the solid wheat fabric no longer appealed to me. It was looking too "country." The project got put on hold!

This is the original block. Today, I would only make two separate blocks - a flying geese and parallelogram with sew and flip in the corners. It would look better, be easier to sew and more accurate! (The original HST are still tucked away carefully waiting for another day as well as four full-sized finished blocks.)

Flash forward - our 10 year anniversary was approaching (quickly). I wanted to finish my quilt for my husband who was feeling neglected all these years, because he never received his own quilt. I redesigned the quilt using the original plaid fabrics and added the solid color brown and a hint of pistachio.

I worked on the quilt on the side for a couple of months being careful not to show my husband. Our anniversary came and went. No quilt was ready. When I heard that our local quilt shop owner was ready to start taking orders on her long arm quilting machine, I jumped right on it. I took the quilt top, a very nice and warm cotton batting and an over sized backing that I had tucked away somewhere in my stash to Ms. Sabine Feldmann of Quilt Oase. She is my guru...the quilt goddess galore. She knows everything! I showed her the top, and she knew exactly what to do. We agreed that an allover quilt design would fit the top perfectly. And here it is:

Isn't it gorgeous? Sabine used a variegated thread which shows up perfectly over the brown and pistachio colors. She used a nice big swirly that allows the quilt to lay comfortably when in use, because this is my husbands new sofa blankie! It is long enough for him and is a proud 2,10cm long! The blanket, not my husband. ;-) I wanted to get it finished quickly, but still chose to hand-stitch the binding closed! I used bigger stitches, but it was worth the extra time.

He was kind enough to model for me too; that's him behind the blanket!

He has been enjoying the quilt in the evenings for a while now. He truly enjoys it and has mentioned several times that he loves the geometric shapes mixed in with the roundness of the swirlies. He asked if I hated it, because of the brown and dark colors. No I don't! It is not my typical color palette, true, but I love this quilt. I love the simplicity and scrappy feel. I am so happy this one is staying with us too! And, I don't think it looks one bit country either!

You can see more pictures of the quilt here on flickr. You can also see some of the WIP going on with it. I saved all of the pictures so it would totally be a surprise.

If you would like to have your quilt long arm quilted, or you live in southern Germany and don't know of a local long arm quilter, look up Sabine Feldmann. She is the hottest new artist on the long arm machine! She also runs a full service quilt shop with classes on everything!

http://www.quilt-oase.com/

Happy sewing and quilting!

Jump Start! a new SAL

Lately, I have been struggling about sewing and my motivation as well as the lack of time. I came across this fun and very short little SAL from EQ7 called Jump Start! It explains how to start up EQ7, design quilts, find blocks and print them out. It does not tell you how to sew your blocks together, unfortunately. This you just have to find out for yourself. It is not too late to hook up and join in the fun!

I acquired this yummy yellow and gray fabric last year and was just waiting for that perfect project to come along. And here it is. I will be making four blocks (I think), and this was the first one. I followed the rules and made the block just as it was illustrated from the program. You can change around the fabrics and make some really striking blocks, but I wanted to follow the rules this time. I like how it turned out with the gray in the middle and then radiates outward with different fabrics.

I just noticed something about this block. Normally, I am all into the color white (or snow rather) in my quilts these days. There is no white in this block!! I think that is why I am liking it soo much! I am not much for the color gray, but the yellow really sparkles here and puts a little sunshine out on the cloudy day.I am anxious to make the other blocks. This is going to turn out to be a very striking and modern table topper, or purse front or wall hanging.

Enjoy your weekend! I will try to get in a little more sewing time this weekend. We'll see what I can whip up.

new pattern sneak peek

Oh my goodness. I survived Easter vacation alone with the kids! If today is your first day at home without the kids too, can you feel with me? It was very nice having a bit of morning time back for myself. I did manage to work a little on a new pattern that I hope to upload to Craftsy by the end of this week. Here is your exclusive sneak peek!

Back in January 2014, I participated in a quilt challenge called "Wake me up to Kona - Color Essentials" using just solids. I seldom use just solids or just prints in my quilt designs, so it hurt just a bit to stay within the guidelines. I came up with an original quilt using 60° triangles and parallelograms called Linear Refraction. The pattern is for free and you can find it on my download page. All in all, it was a very rewarding experience for me.

This new design was inspired by that challenge. I know you are going to love this one just as much as I do. It falls in line with my philosophy - simple, easy, practical. Stay tuned, because this one is HOT!

wrist pin cushion for sewists

Recently I received an email from a reader about my linen sewing pin cushion that I made after my weekend retreat at a convent.  The very friendly, Ann from Australia wanted to know where she could get this pattern. I designed it myelf to the exact measurements of my own medium-sized wrist. The pattern is now available to you at Craftsy!

As I do with most patterns, I want it to be correct. So, I made several of these cushions tweeking the pattern to get them just right. I tried out different lengths of the elastic band and different materials that I filled the pin cushions with to get the exact feel that was comfortable and functional. It must hold the needles snug but the needles must also go in easily. A cotton filler might make it fluffy, but doesn't hold your needle. Risotto rice doen't work that well either. It is a nice medium sized grain that holds your needle, but dulls it as you push it in.

What is really great about this wrist pin cushion is the total comfort! It does not slip and slide. The elastic does not cut into your wrist either. It takes on the warmth of your hand from the soft texture of the linen. I added a plastic guard as well, so the pins would not ram into your arm for that bitter shock. Ouch!

If you like to keep your pins close to you especially on your wrist, this is the perfect pin cushion for you! It is simple, easy, and practical!

Thank you for dropping by. I would love to see your creations, so don't forget to upload them to Craftsy!

it's a mod/mod world

Good morning everyone. I am so happy today; the sun is shining AGAIN! This has been a really incredible year. Although most of you in the United States have had a really hard winter with lots of snow, we in Germany have had one of the most mild winters ever. It was great. And now, spring has come early contrary to last year; spring arrived in late May. Every day last week the sun shined! And we have been blessed with several days this week. It can't get any better than this!

It's a Mod/Mod World is my quilt sampler I am making with the MOD/MOD QAL at Block Lotto. I have yet to show any of my blocks and have been working diligently. I now have my first three months completed and here it is.

My daughter helped with the first chevron block. I thought we were going to make the whole sampler together, but it got a little more challenging. We do not know what blocks Sophie has lined up for us in advance, but we are given a layout. (Sophie is a really great host and blogger. She writes all of the block instructions that are easy to follow and simpler to sew together.) You can choose from several different sizes, and I have chosen the smallest - measuring about 40" square. This way, I can learn new blocks and get away with just making the minimum number. I also am enjoying making the different sizes that join up in the end. I think my chevron is a little small, and I may have to rip it apart and resew to get the right dimensions.

I was supposed to make three bead blocks, but just made two the get the technique. I might make an additional one, and I might not. We'll see later.

I sewed the last block together this week - the Star Chain Block at the BlockLotto. The white areas are given as green, but since I have an abundance of Kona Snow, I thought it best to save the prints and use this yummy turquoise gradient as my chain. Can you tell it is lighter in the middle and gets darker on the corners? It is very subtle.

I recognize that I am getting a little powered out by the seven different QALs and exchange programs I have entered this year. BUT, I like my progress. It gives me incentive to keep going. What are your thoughts on this? Do you enjoy participating in a QAL? What are your blockades or hurdles? I would like to hear from YOU! Remember, you can write in English or German - I understand both, but am just too lazy to write in German. It gives me more time to sew. ;-)

And, don't forget, if you have made something in preparation for Christmas, don't forget to join in the Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew Linky Party on the previous post for your chance to win a prize. We are looking forward to seeing your creations!

Sewingly yours,
Karen

because retro is so now

I am psyched up for the new year! I am feeling good. I cleaned my sewing room and straightened up my fabrics. I put my most current projects (WIPs -Work in Progress) or UFOs and we call them here into plastic bags - I save them from the Fat Quarter Shop and reuse; I am so Schwäbisch! ;-) I met with a friend to talk about our projects and sewing together for more motivation. Can you feel the energy radiating?

Next on my project list for this week, now I have to think in weeks and not monthly posts, is/was Sew Kitschy. A German friend of mine asked me how "kitschy" translated into English. I think she was a little disappointed when I told her it was the same word. Okay, so the block of this month is that so adorable pot holder and oven mitt. What I really, really like about this BOM is the simplicity, and the retro, the red/turquoise, and only nine months! When I started laying out the fabric for the block, I wanted to use a big retro print for the background. All of the fabrics I have, are medium sized direction prints which started to present a challenge, but I mastered it. It can be done with a little patience. I did get this finished in one day (with other appointments and kids homework on the side). If you like the look of retro and want to use a larger print in the background, go for it! It is worth the effort.

And I wanted to share with you one of the preludes to Linear Refraction. As soon as I heard about the blog hop, I wanted to use some off these really fresh colors and mix them with brown. I have yet to complete this rather small foundation mix. I threw it away yesterday in the cleaning sparade. But oh, the lovely things you can do with Kona solids.

 

Enjoy the rest of your week. Soak up the sun rays whenever they poke through. And keep on sewing and posting!

Sewingly yours,

Karen

the forgotten five mini quilt

Hello everyone! My new favorite pattern is now available at Moda Bake Shop! Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments and support. A warm and special thanks to Lisa Calle for planning and organizing the project and to Sarah Huetschtemann for sewing it all together! The Moda Weaves
Collection looks like real linens in fantastic modern colors.

The pattern has directions for one 12" mini quilt, one 4" pin cushion and one 15" (40 x 40cm) pillowcase.

I can't explain how much fun this pattern really is. Everyone thinks that it is really complicated and time consuming, but it goes together like a snap.

I know that some people are intimidated by little quilts or little blocks, but now that I am making more mini quilts, I try to find ways or use special techniques to simplify the block and quilt making, especially for you. It is really too bad that mini quilt magazines are no longer published, because they illustrated a lot of very useful techniques.

I think you can use just about any type of fabric to make this creation. I have used solids, brights and pastels. Everything works, even plaids. You might want to steer away from large scale prints though. Larger scale prints don't usually work in any miniature quilt.

Here are a few of my favorite Forgotten Five Minis:

Don't forgot to join the site. I will be drawing a name/number this Friday. The lucky viewer will receive a little package of goodies from me including a charm pack to make lots of Forgotten Five Minis!

quilting retreat

It has been a while since I really had the chance to sew for myself without interruptions. So, I signed myself up for a quilting weekend at the Quilt Oase to rejuvenate my vitals and relax with the girls.

What to work on? I have a stack of woven plaids that have been with me for about a good ten years. I started a project for my husband using half-square triangles - HST and a tan neutral color. I found the pattern in an Australian Country Patchwork magazine and thought it was really great (at that time). Needless to say, I never completed the project and the patches are still in a metal tin somewhere in the basement. I still want to finish up a quilt for my hubby incorporating plaids, especially since we will be celebrating our tenth anniversary this year. How to make a modern quilt for a man using plaids?

I have been asking myself this question for about a month or two now. I have been looking high and low for patterns. I want to do something with 60° triangles to get more experience but don't want a typical country quilt. This one caught my attention by Jaybird Quilts? I can't exactly see who made it, but saw it referenced once.

I thought this could be a down and dirty pattern to cleanse and go quickly. Should I do it, or should I try to come up with something else? It states that the triangles are sewn on paper log cabin style. Do I really need the paper? Can't I just sew strips onto a pre-cut center triangle? I need advice. Does anyone have any?

MODERN PLAID QUILT IDEAS ANYONE?

lost in summertime feelings

Oh, my how flies by. I just checked out my own blog to realize that I have only ONE post in the Month of June. What was going on this month?? We had two birthdays and a house warming party! I had one weekend to enjoy the solitude of great weather and no interruptions where I could concentrate solely on my sewing hobby. How much better can life be?

I enjoyed a great post exposure of my new cutting table which was also posted at Ikea Hackers and took a little summertime break. I also finished up my DQM quilt for Mary Pat and will be sending to her within the next few days.

Here is what I made in my last weekend retreat - a cathedral window pin cushion. Now, this is my very first try at cathedral windows, and I am not the best at hand sewing. It takes me a while to get going and find my rhythm before my stitches are a little more even. The project is small, but I always take on more than I can chew; I just wanted to learn the technique and get a project finished!

When this one was done, I move on to the next one of learning how to sew in a zipper. I have sewn in zippers before, but I felt a little bit out of practice. I also learned how to "hide" the zipper underneath the fabric thanks to my dear instructor, Sabine of Quilt Oase!

I made four pillowcase covers for my old sofa in the new house. Since my wall in my dining room is PURPLE, I wanted to united the red sofa with the wall. I have been looking for the right fabric and then found this from Makower. I wanted it simple - [Simple, Easy, Practical] - The quilting took the longest since it was a "quilt as you sew" method.

I hope now that June is over, I have more time to get back to the topic at hand - more sewing and pattern designing. I have a new pattern waiting to be published. This one will be free of charge, because I want you all to have it and start your own sewing projects with it. It is a fun little project that your really can finish in just a few hours.

I would like to thank all of you that either subscribe or read my blog. I really and truly appreciate your support. Thank you for the wonderful comments as well.

Yours truly,
Karen