Sew Sunshine

About 2 years ago I took a Sherry Lynn Wood class with my local modern quilt guild. It was a kind of create as you go starting block and see where it takes you. No plans. I took to class several old shirts, some kind of white tablecloth with birds on it and some interesting red sort of Asian inspired fabric with gold highlights. I started with the curved pieces in the near center making quarter curves.  The striped fabric evolved and many of the shapes that worked their way around this piece that sort of looks like my back window.  I let these shapes dictate the outer edge which ended up kind of wavy.  The gray fabric is some kind of light weight pant fabric. I ended up making a 2" bias out of a pant leg and was so surprised how well it went on. Even in the corners which are not square at all. It lays really smooth all around. I think I need to block it yet because the quilting makes it more puckered than I like.  I call it back yard musings because I often...

This weeks challenge for Persimon Dreams Project Quilting theme is Inside out. Oh boy this was a bit of a question mark.  I had something in mind but was not sure if I could make it work and in a week. This is a horrible picture but it has the spot to the right mid area that I bled on  so thought I would share!! ha I decided on a modern tshirt wholecloth quilt with reverse applique raw edge cutouts.   I layered fleece for the backing, then a slick lycra type jersey crazy print fabric and then a cotton/poly/lycra t-shirt fabric over the top. Drew my design, pinned and cut out the shapes. Once cut I stitched around loosely leaving all the knots on the outside back.  Why (k)not?  I am just going to say this was a bit tough to stitch through and I punched at least 9 holes into myself doing it even with thimbles and guards. The lycra made the weave/knit tight and sometimes my needle went through and sometimes I had to force it thus getting punched in v...

I recently dug in my closet and found a box of 5" flannel squares I had cut out a few years ago. I made a simple tie quilt with them and thought it was time to use up the rest of the box. (did not succeed but every bit helps) Most of these were from old flannel shirts of my husbands.  I found a soft layer of fleecy blanket left over from a previous denim quilt. I had an old blanket that had two soft layers perfect for the inside of a simple flannel quilt like this. I was however short about 6" so I frankensteined some small pieces of batting onto the edge. I had no idea if it would work but I tied this and washed it and everything is fine! Simple ties in each square held it together just right.  Another recycle/upcycle project completed.  The trouble with digging in a craft closet, well any closet really is you never know what you will find. I came across this old pair of pants my husband had. It had ginormous side pockets on the leg perfect to make over into a bag. So I ...

"Delectable X 3" 60" x 69" hand quilted big stitch white cotton 30wt thread I finally finished this UFO recently. Several years ago already, I got together with my friend and fellow quilter Jen and we did a batch of indigo and other dyes. I had picked up a thrift old sheet. This sheet was super tightly woven and soft. I tore it in pieces and did some dye folds then didn't know what to do with the different ones. I decided as a background for this easy Delectable Mountain block 3 prong version it would be great. I played around with the traditional 4 prong but liked this bolder 3 version better. I made an easy tutorial  HERE . The sheet has a border of flowers in blue and green so I decided to just use it in this quilt and it is my favorite part! Today my friend and I went down  to the sunken gardens and to the rose garden and took some pics.  I did some big stitch hand quilting in white for this piece. The sheet was a little tight for the bigger thread I used bu...

approx 29" x 29" In my quest to clean and organize a bit in my sewing room(s) I plan to see what I can come up with for challenges that I already have.  This 8 sided spider web is for the Project Quilting  season 8 first challenge - "8 is great". I was working on cleaning up the floor in my sewing room and I came across 2 bags of mostly useless selvages. I didn't know what I was doing when I saved them and they were mostly too skinny to even use or there was no wording or color bubbles. Crazy! So I found enough to do this spider web. Drafted a triangle template with newspaper and started laying them out. The inspiration for this piece really came from my friend  Jennifer . Right before the holidays she started a string quilt spiderweb that is so awesome so I knew I wanted to put it on my bucket list. Well, no time like the present.  I took this when it was 2 degrees F out. My hands were a little shaky to say the least. I am so pleased with this piece. N...

This is probably a bit unusual but my Friday Finish (now Saturday) is to finish up a post I was going to make back in November. (yep that far behind on some things) Today is the day!!! Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday   I was really happy recently when one of my quilt guilds offered up a challenge to make an upcycled or recycled project. I didn't know what I was going to make so I dug around through my closets. That was a bit of downer! ha I have stuff and no place for it to go and I am saving things for who knows what purprose...but someday??? You know what I mean?  As soon as it is thrown away I will want it for something.  In my searching I found a box of flannel shirt squares I cut up several years ago. My husband was in a flannel shirt phase and then not. Lots of plaids and I figured why not make a big "Plus" quilt with them.  I love how this turned out. I didn't know that flannel could be so easy to sew but very heavy. I ended up n...