Supernova Sunset

Any chance you were wondering what I was sewing while sitting outside on the porch in Kentucky?

Well lucky you, read on to find out. 

We were learning how to make a Bargello quilt. A certain little sister said something along the lines of “you can make it in one weekend” and we were sold. Of course, this would require possibly reading the size of the quilt before deciding you could make it in one weekend. As it turns out, the quilt I started is a king size quilt (Actually a king size, not just something that feels ginormous. I promise, it is.). Obviously it was not finished in one weekend. It is far from finished. 

 
When I started pulling my fabric for this quilt I chose to use colors from Oklahoma sunsets and sunrises. I’ve always been enamored by the bright, brilliant colors that appear morning and night so I am mixing them into a quilt. 

 Once I had my fabric, I cut 2.5” strips of each. 

 

After all the strips were cut I lined them up using a drying rack and started piecing together my panel or strata. By midnight on Friday all my panels were ready to press. 

That is until I decided I didn’t like the way I had sewn on my three yellows. Another date with my handy-dandy seam ripper and I was back on track. Pressing happened and then I started the long, tedious process of cutting different widths to follow along the pattern grid. 

Once you have various strips cut, you take the rows at different points and reattach them or use different rows to create the pattern shown on the template. 

 A few strips in, I realized something was off with the bottom half pattern template. I have decided to focus only on the top half and then repeat the top half again since they are mirror image patterns (or should be). These things happen and it is still a wonderful pattern. I cannot wait to see the finished product. 

 

This was when I finally noticed my quilt was in fact going to be a king size quilt (notice the painters tape holding up rows outside of the design board I was using). I had a brief freak out moment and I thought I was going to stop or at least shorten my quilt, but I had made it this far, I might as well keep plowing through. 

When the weekend came to an end, I had all of my top half strips cut apart and resewn. Now, I just need to sew these strips together-that sounds easy enough. 

I am hoping I can finish this quilt soon and that it does not become one of my infinite number of my work in progress projects. 

Wish me luck, or better yet, want to come sew? 

See you at the machine,

•Care

**If you like this quilt, the pattern is called SUPERNOVA and is available in Eileen Wright’s book Twist and Turn Bargello Quilts available here.**

Wishing for Weekends

Last weekend was one for the memory books. 

Thursday after work I raced home, grabbed my bag and sewing machine, then jumped in my mom’s car. Off we were to drive late into the night. The most worrisome part were the two bridges I knew we would be crossing an hour from Paducah (really, a small town around Paducah). I hate these bridges. There are two skinny, skinny lanes, no shoulders, RVs and semis can’t seem to stay on their side, and you are way up high in the air. If you have ever driven over them, you won’t forget it. My mom always tries to tell me to look at the barges and whatever is crossing under the bridge, but she doesn’t seem to understand if I look anywhere we will be swimming. 
 
Anyways, we obviously made it over the bridges- barely.

After midnight sometime we pulled into my sisters’ driveway and we were exhausted.

Friday was a sewing-on-the-porch day. Fabric was cut, machines were set up, and we were ready. Whenever we have sewing-on-the-porch days I feel like we are sitting in a magazine photo or in a movie. Their land is gorgeous with free range chickens, a duck named “Quackers” and a wraparound porch. It is quite possibly my favorite place to sew. That was until the wind decided to show up and blow our fabric all over the yard. Although the chickens loved it and we found it quite funny, I’m sure we all looked a little crazy running around making sure we found all of our pieces. Well, even with the wind it is still my favorite place to sew.

 

Friday my mom and I ended up staying awake sewing until after midnight and we were tired Saturday but ready to take on the day. Saturday was our shopping day and a hotdog roast day with family and neighbors. 

 

Backyard Fabrics is my favorite quilt shop in Kentucky. I always make sure to stop by there and this trip was no exception. Of course, we also made a quick stop at Hancocks of Paducah. After these two stops we were loaded and off to sew. 

 

More sewing happened and we paused for a fun night by the fire, riding a hayride, and making s’mores before it was back inside to sew some more. Another late night happened, but we were well on our way to figuring out this quilt. 
 

Sunday was our last day. We spent the morning working on the layouts of our quilts and packing up the car. 

It was a quick, but fun trip and I cannot wait to have a repeat of it soon. 

  

I have been waiting months for the trip that happened this past weekend. A three day weekend, a 8+ hour drive, a hayride, a day on the porch, time with my sisters, and time behind my machine. Count me in, always!

See you at the machine,

•Care

 

WIP Week Wrap Up

{WIP= Work In Progress}

How was your work in progress week? Did you get anything wrapped up? I would love to see pictures on Instagram or Facebook of what you accomplished. 
Here is the quilt I was able to finish up this week. It is made using half square triangles and half of an orange layer cake. It took me a little while to settle on the layout, but I am really enjoying the finished product. 

I definitely recommend playing with half square triangles anytime you’re needing a little inspiration. 

On to the next quilt! (Of course, first I must finish this binding) 
See you at the machine, 

•Care

It’s WIP Week!

{WIP=Work In Progress}

Good morning, afternoon, and evening. 

Can you believe we have entered into the month of September and it is almost Fall?

How about the fact that there are less than THREE months before the year is over? Nope, not possible! 

Knowing there are only THREE months left has lit a fire under my fanny to get some of my Work In Progress {WIP} quilts pulled together. 

With that said, we are going to start this month with a WIP Week. It’s the perfect time to get those Christmas gifts started or finished, shrink your pile of unfinished projects, or just dive in and add another quilt to your list of finished projects for 2016. Who knows, maybe that was a New Years Resolution? Better get a move on it. 

Share your finished projects or even your WIPs on the new Facebook page or on Instagram with #WIPweek. 

I cannot wait to see what you are all working on. Invite your friends and let’s make it a party. 

This is my first WIP to tackle. 
See you at the machine, 

Care

Poppies & Pinwheels

I’m working on a few projects going on around the house, but I finished the binding on this little jewel, Poppies & Pinwheels, and thought I would share.

It might have been sprinkling when I had the chance to run down the street and snap these pictures, but there’s no harm in getting a little wet 😉 .  Ever since I started this quilt I imagined this picture and I just could not wait!

 

And lastly, my favorite picture I took while finishing the binding on a road trip..

 

See you at the machine,

•Care

The Magic Ruler Strikes Again

Hello! Hello! How was your weekend?

We have been working through different blocks a ruler I was shown recently can make. I decided to use a charm pack and make a quilt using these blocks.

 

 

As you can see, this ruler really is magic.  Cindy Casciato is the master mind behind it and you can purchase it here in her shop.

I just love how this block comes together.  The squares always have a great point and making it with a stripe pattern really show it off.

 

To see the other blocks we have been creating, you can visit them here and here.

We almost have an entire quilt pieced.  Tomorrow I will share the last block and then how I put them together.  Check back soon to see a fun quilt using a charm pack and this magic ruler. It is pretty cute if I do say so myself. 🙂

 

See you at the machine,

•Care

 

 

 

The Geese are Flying with this Magic Ruler

Earlier this week I introduced you all to this magical ruler, and today I’m going to show you another block it can create. 

 Cindy Casciato- the creator of this ruler- is amazing! She came up with this wonderful tool and has exceptional instruction pages to guide you on exactly what size square you need to start with and has reference sheets available for purchase in her shop. 

 

Since she has done such a great job creating these, I will not share what size block you need to start with in order to obtain a certain finished block. I am merely showing you the fabulous blocks that can be created using The Magic Triangle Tool. 

 In my opinion, anything that allows me to make blocks with properly, pointed points and keeps me from having to fight with 1/8” (or really, anything under a half inch) is a game changer! This tool is completely worth it. 
 

How about a few Flying Geese to start the day?   

See you at the machine,

•Care

 

 

 

Fabulous, Fun Find (A Magic Ruler)

I cannot believe another week has already started.  My to do list is always longer than the weekend, but cheers to a new week, a new day and a new find!

The ruler is called The Magic Triangle Tool by Cindy Casciato.  {magic, I promise}

If you want to join this magic ruler party, you can purchase it here.

As you have probably noticed, I enjoy love the challenge of working with pinwheels.  Lining up the points, keeping a uniform seam, and then pressing the block open to reveal awesome points or a complete flop—these things make me happy.

With that said, I hate dealing with cutting specific 1/8”, 3/8″, who-even-knows inch squaresto create the right size block for the pattern at hand.  That takes too much work.  It takes too much brain power that could be spent playing with fabric and creating other quilts.  This is where the extra special, Magic Triangle ruler enters the party.

Half inch and whole inches; that is all you have to worry about.  It is fabulous!

For the next several days I am going to be making many of the blocks this ONE tool can create.  I have dug out a charm pack by MODA called Little Miss Sunshine that I will be using.  At the end, we will have a quilt made using the blocks we create in the coming days.

Okay, enough talk about it.  Here is how this little tool works!

To make a pinwheel, you will need 4 squares of fabric

Lay the fabric right sides together

Lay the Magic Triangle tool point to point.

Draw a line on either side of the tool. I use a frixion pen for this step.

Once the lines are drawn, you will sew on each line.

The first block you can create using this fabulous tool is a half square triangle.

Chain stitching can be your friend.

Once you sew along both lines, cut down the middle.

Cut down the middle of both blocks. You can use a ruler and rotary cutter or just cut between the seams with scissors.

Press your blocks.

And of course, since I love pinwheels, I made a handy-dandy pinwheel using today’s blocks.

Check back tomorrow to see what other fantastic blocks this magic tool can create.

See you at the machine,

•Care

{Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any products shown or mentioned in this post. I am just sharing what I love.}

Finish Line

We made it to Saturday; the end of our WIP Challenge.

Did you get your WIP finished? If not, we will have other WIP Challenges.  The point of this challenge was to get your wheels turning, to get your unfinished projects in the forefront of your mind, and to spark an interest in finishing them.  Even if you did not get to finish them; hopefully you will be able to pull them out the next time you have a couple “free” days.  (Do those exist anymore?)

 

I promised pictures today and here they are.  Enjoy!

If you like this pattern check back in the next couple weeks for a tutorial.

Tomorrow is a new day for more projects.  I think I will be binding.

 

See you at the machine,

•Care

 

A Race to the Finish Line

We made it to Friday! That means we only have ONE more day in our WIP Challenge.

Time to burn the midnight oil to finish up these WIPs before this challenge ends.

Are you close? Can you see the finish line?

I might be a little bit behind, but I will have this little quilt finished tomorrow.

Get those machines humming and lets cross the finish line together!

 

 

See you at the machine,

•Care