Showing posts with label Christmas 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas 2013. Show all posts

Friday, August 9, 2013

Twinkle - A Modern Christmas Quilt

 
An Improv Christmas Star Block

Ho! Ho! Ho! 
Today is my day!

Thanks to Madame Santa Samm for getting us all in the holiday spirit by sponsoring this festive blog hop!
 
To find all the elves who have been busy, busy, busy
getting ready for Christmas,
visit our
Thanks, Carol!

For this blog hop I wanted to try something new. 
I saw a improv modern star block somewhere on a blog awhile back
and have been wanting to try it ever since. 

So my Twinkle Star Quilt is born!
 
 
Here are the gorgeous shimmery fabrics I am using for my new
Modern Christmas Star quilt!
 
 
I cut the silvery background fabric in sets of rectangles in three sizes:
3" x 5" ,  4" x 6" and 5" x 7"
 
I cut the corresponding strips for the stars in three widths,
1", 1.25" and 1.5"
 
 
I used my Easy Recs Tool to cut the corners.
I did not make any effort to cut these even sizes.
The idea is that the stars points will be uneven.
 
 
I laid out each improv star.
 

I sewed on the strips for the star shape.
 
 
 I sewed the rectangles together, pressed
and trimmed into rectangular blocks. 
The blocks are not all the same size. 
I squared the block by laying a straight line across the middle seam.


Here are some of my blocks in an improv layout.
The idea is that there will be a lot of "negative space" in this quilt
with the shimmery gray background fabric.
 
 
Butterfly is being very helpful and playful in my sewing room
by keeping me company, pressing my fabric
and helping me arrange ... and rearrange ... the pieces.
 

I am having fun playing with the pieces to this puzzle, too.
I have an idea of how I want my quilt to look, but I have not drawn it out on paper or computer like I usually do. 
For this quilt, I want to keep is easy and let it fall together as it will.
 
I do wish I had a little more at this time to show you.

Over two weeks ago I made this "test block."

For more "how-to's" on making this block, click Here.
This quilt should have gone together quickly and easily.
 
Unfortunately, this week I have had to take time away from my sewing room for an unexpected visit to an opthamologist. 
 
As many of my friends and regular readers may know, I have had vision problems all my life and for the past few years my eyes have taken a downward turn.  Recently my vision has become much worse, much faster than anticipated.  For the last month or two, I have tried to ignore the signs while I was focused on my daughter's wedding preparations, but the time has come to face facts. 
 
My regular eye doctor has been telling me the last few years that I would someday need surgery "sooner or later."
 
"Sooner" has arrived. The first of several eye surgeries is being scheduled three months from now, the earliest that can be accommodated by the surgeons.  Afterwards during recovery, I have been forewarned that it may be slower than is usual for this procedure, due to the other problems in my eyes.  Then I will initiate the process to repeat the procedure to have the second eye operated on.  Somewhere further down the road there will be more surgeries.  These surgeries are all efforts to prolong my vision.
 
I will be taking things each day as it comes.
 
I have faith that will keep me strong and going forward.
 
Sewing is my the best therapy for me right now and I will be in my sewing room as much as possible and hope to have more to show for my efforts soon.
  ... just keep sewing ... just keep sewing ...
 
Thank you for visiting my scrapatch.
 
I hope you have enjoyed my post and all of the
 
You will not want to miss a stop on this merry sleigh ride
so please visit all my quilting friends of the day
in the links below ...
 
August 9th
 
Life in the Scrapatch (you are here!)
Sew We Quilt

Have a merry time counting down the days until Christmas!
 
Christmas countdown banner
 
Christmas will be joyous!
 
<3
 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Quilty Christmas in July


A Merry Hexie Quilty in July!

My quilty corner has been enveloped in the longest, hottest heat wave of the summer.  While I have been staying inside in the breeze of the AC and quilting the table quilts for My Girl and Her Groom, I have been enjoying my breaks by cooling off with all the Christmas in July quiltiness in blogland.

While I am quilting I am dreaming of a Quilty Christmas.

Visions of my project for the ...
 
are dancing in my head!

I am posting on August 9th!

To get into the spirit I took a picture of the
 
 
 Hexie Quilty Trivet that I made last year.
 
It was made as a quilt test project from a sample block I made for the
 
 
Tumbling Christmas Blocks Quilt


featured in my Quilty Christmas Open House post.
Tutorials for the "no y seams" easy piecing of this traditional pattern
may be found in My Tutorials.
 
Here is a pictorial of how I made the Hexie Trivet:
 
 
2 diamonds and 2 triangles to make this block
The triangles are sewn to the top of the diamonds and then
the seams are nested and the two units are sewn together
to make the third diamond.
Sewn into strips, these make tumbling blocks with no "y" seams.
 
 
quilted onto batting and backing

 
 QAYG borders added

 
more quilting


trimmed to hexagon shape
 
 
ready to finish
 
 
flannel backing and binding.
 
 
I used this last on my holiday table.
I am planning to make more quilty trivets this year.
 
Have you been following these cool and Christmasy blog hops?
 
 
Christmas in July Blog Hop @ The Crafty Quilter

or
 
my personal favorite blog hop for this month ...
 
 
 
from one of my LQS, Quilter's Way
 
Lots of great ideas and tutorials to get you in the
Christmas in July spirit!
 
Enjoy!
 
Happy Christmas in July!

:o)
 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Hi, Ho! Hi, Ho! Hi, Ho, Ho Ho!

 
My Patchwork Stocking Tutorial Here
 
Sign Ups Are Open!
 
 
Madame Santa Samm
@
 Sew We Quilt
 
is organizing all the quilty elves to start getting ready!
 
Apply to
 
Head Elf Carol
@
Just Let me Quilt
 
 
 
Hi, Ho!
Hi, Ho!
It is off to work I go!
 
Ho! Ho! Ho!
 
:)