Sew Sunshine

  My current work in progress is kind of slow going. I started it a few days ago but it is county fair here so I have not had much time to work on it.  I mentioned last week that I was making kits for part of my "purge" progress of my stash. I had one that in this quilt that was not quite enough fabric for the square I needed so I pieced it. I am guessing it is pretty hard to see and even less when I get it quilted. So I didn't give this kit but made it up myself. The kits I am referring to are "Quilts for Kids" kits. They have a booth at the fair where they are sewing quilts and talking about where these quilts go in our area. Most of the quilts go to our local hospitals for sick children.  Such a good cause. Anyway, this is my current top all from stash fabrics and scraps. Linking up with WIP Wed.   here  and Let's Bee Social HERE   And now the Winner of the pdf pattern from my test of the "Flowering Lonestar" pattern by Melissa at

  I am so excited to share with you the pattern I tested, "Flowering Lonestar" a new pattern by Melissa at SewBitterSweet Designs . I was so excited to be able to test this pattern for her.  This pattern goes together really quickly and is one of two patterns Melissa is launching today!!! Yes there are Y seams and Melissa helps you through. If you need more help in this area I found that the youtube video by Edyta Sitar HERE  will help you with some visuals. I knew I wanted to make a more masculine version of the lonestar. I used some FQ's from my stash and some lovely Basic Gray Grunge (my favorite). I think the colors worked well and for one last touch I made the background blocks on the side another color. I think it looks perfect for a baby boy! I did the quilting with Aurifil 50# weight color 5011 which blended with the prints nicely and highlighted the lighter side.  Spiral quilting with my walking foot to finish it off.  You can see I took a chance

    First up on my "Purge" progress is I made up some kits (4 complete kits and one partial that I will just sew up myself) for people to make when they visit the "Quilts for Kids" booth at the county fair next week. There will be a table set up with information about this charity.  If sewers are really interested in doing some work for this charity, Quilts for Kids provides patterns and fabric (already cut) and the backing and binding to make up this quilt. They give it to you in good faith to go home and add your own batting, sew it up and return it washed and ready to go to a sick child at our local hospitals.    Recently this charity donated some of their quilts to two towns nearby that were hit by tornados this year.  Which brings me to my next "purge" item: Scrap Happy 3 which is going to my guilds quilt drive.  Omaha Modern Quilt Guild has linked up with  Quilts of Compassion and  Accuquilt to deliver quilts to needy families that wer

But I did do it!!!! :) I finished my DIY Sampler from earlier this spring. It is one of the biggest I have tried to free-motion quilt on my home machine. I even used my moms old machine with a darning foot. I did an all over mum design because of all the busy blocks and color. I won't lie, I had some teary moments when the thread would suddenly go off tension and eyelash and then I would stop and start and it would be fine again. I still have a couple spots I didn't fix. It is okay, this one is mine. Kind of hard to see the floral quilting as I used orange thread with the mostly orange back. I also used the walking foot with the guide on it to stitch the binding back. It is not my favorite looking method but it worked pretty slick. Most of my scraps went into the back plus one orphan block.  Looks like a picnic quilt to me. :)  54" x 70" All stash scraps used in this were from previous quilts or orphan blocks left over from the 2012 Craftsy bom c

  Rachel over at Stitched in Color here   has gotten me motivated to do some much needed "purging" of my sewing stash. I have scraps that keep multiplying no matter what I do it seems. I have completed two rows of QAYG strips . 6 more to go to make the scrap herringbone quilt.  See tutorial here by Maureen Cracknell. Bonus...I have scraps of batting to use up too. So project #1 is well underway. I hope to get this done in time to donate it to the Quilts of Compassion drive. They are gathering quilts along with my Omaha Modern Quilt group to supply quilts to Pilger and Beaver Crossing towns which were hit by tornados this year.  Link to this finish is here Here are the first two I made in this style before I knew that scraps multiply on their own and that these were not even a blip on the radar of my scrap stash! :)

Pretty much cuteness right there! This is the Classic Block: Fresh Fabric bom over at SewCanShe HERE  for July. You have until Monday 7-21 to link up your block on FB. Over on the website the block is sized for 12" or 24". Well I picked the 24" and it goes together so fast and easy. I made 4 blocks to make a quick quilt. I think I might put some sashing in...what do you think? The chevron water seems to make it pretty bold but I think a tiny bit of red or something? between and maybe around the outside.   Still thinking on that.  So fun AND all from my stash!!!!! bonus! Linking up with WIP Wed over at Freshly Pieced   here and Let's Bee Social with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts   here  

Jen's is the orange and mine is the green. This is round two of the  hosted by Stephanie of Late night quilter and Sandy from One million stitches.  I am swapping with Jennifer Under the Juniper tree (check out her blog here ) on this swap and I am so glad. We are having a good time getting to know each other. Our swap question this round: Without any physical or mental limitations, or personal obligations such as children or money, if you could hold any occupation or talent what would you choose and why? Would you be a great artist, an Olympic athlete, a neurosurgeon – the possibilities are limitless – share with your partner what it is about that talent or profession that inspires you. I think it very curious that we both feel we are sort of doing something in our talent areas and without limitations we both would just do more along the same lines.  I already knew that Jen is musically talented as well as a talented quilt maker.  So if she could she would expand on th