double hourglass~ all quilted!

Saturday was quite the gloomy, drizzly, Seattle day; so quilting the oh, so cheery double hourglass quilt was the perfect match, to add a little sunshine into my day. Today, I'm planning on finishing it up with the binding, so it can be sent to my swap partner soon! Just debating on going with the Katie jump rope basket weave, in either aqua or green??

Hope everyone has a bright and sunny week! I hope I do, especially with it being spring break. :)

project improv~ the quilt top

I finally have my project improv quilt top all done, and I think I can get it quilted by the end of the month. I'm not one that can whip out a large quilt each week, but am excited if I get one done each month. Hey, I think for a beginner with 6 kiddos that is pretty good. :)

I picked up some striped white minky and am planning on doing the back with that so it will be nice and soft for cuddling up under while watching movies. Has anyone ever stippled over minky? My plan is to try, so we'll see how it works.

The end! :)

a scrappy week-end~ in aqua and red!!

This week-end I whipped up a little doll quilt to hang in my kitchen since I'm just starting to re-decorate it with mushrooms. Isn't that so shocking!! :) It was a fun way to use some of my scraps, and I love how it turned out. And it was finished in a week-end.

I also did my project improv charity block from my aqua and red scraps. It is a fun wonky strip block, and will be sent off this week, to arrive just in time for the deadline of April 1st.

Hope everone has a magical week!! :)

a new look~ after lots of problem solving!!

If you've come and visited the last couple days you've probably seen several different backgrounds, and a few glitches. I think it is all sorted out, and now I finallly have a new background and banner that compliments a few of my favorite fabrics. :)

I first tried several different backgrounds from The Cutest Blog on the Block, and didn't find one that really went well. On their website they have some instructions on how to create your own, so I followed the steps, used some digital scrapbook papers, some fun elements, and thought I had it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't that simple. It would come out repeating the background, way too big, or too small.

Here is one where it is way too big-

With lots of help, from tcbotb, and some very kind etsy members, we actually problem solved this. My screen is a wide screen, so I needed to make the images much, much smaller, since it enlarges and stretches everything. For the repeating, MovieProps from etsy figured that one out, and even a few more glitches. He even gave me the html coding to finally get it all right.

THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who helped out with getting my little blog looking like new!!!

double hourglass~ the tutorial!!

This is my first tutorial, and I'm so excited to be able to share with you how I came up with my method for the double hourglass block. When I was figuring this out, I used Netties quilt as a guide. I'm not sure if this is the way that Nettie did her blocks, but she didn't mind me sharing with you the way I figured it out. THANKS Nettie!!

If you need, click on the pictures to enlarge them. I made mosaics to help show it in steps.


1. For one block, you need a 5 inch charm square in a pattern fabric, and then one 5 inch square in a white fabric.

2. Using a rotary cutter, cut a straight line from corner to corner. Do the same with the other corners.

3. Now you have 8 triangles. 4 of the pattern, and 4 of the white. You're are only using half of them for one block.

4. On my cutting mat, I used the 90 degree angle at the 6 inch point. If you measure down 2 inches, mine has a diagonal line there. This is where I used my rotary cutter and cut my triangles. So your cutting 2 inches off the top of your triangle. Do that with your pattern, and white triangles. If you have a triangular ruler, you can use that as well. I don't have one, so I just used my regular ruler.

5. Pair up your small triangles with the bottom part of the triangles. You should pair them up so you have one pattern and one white, that makes up one triangle.

6. Place right sides together on the straight middle line.


7. At this point, I sew a 1/8 inch seam. I use a 1/8 inch seam because it makes the triangles a little easier to manage for me, and when sewing in further steps, it makes it easier for the seams to not get in the way.

8. I sew them in a chain to help the process go a little faster. I'll even sew several blocks at a time.

9. Hold the small triangle...

10. and then press the seem towards the small triangle.

11. Trim the triangles.

12. Now you have 4 triangles, and you can see it starting to look like a double hourglass block.


13. Place right sides together.

14. I sew 1/4 inch seams from now on. Sew a 1/4inch seam, and I also sew them in a chain at this point too. Anything to save some time!! :)

15. Press seams to one side.

16. You're getting closer!

17. Place right sides together, and sew a 1/4 inch seam.

18. This is where I press the seam open, so it doesn't get too bulky on one side. I then use my scissors to trim off the little extras on each corner.


Yippee!! You just completed one block!! Go back and follow the directions to sew the rest of your blocks.

A few helpful tips when sewing your blocks together-

When I went to sew my blocks together, I didn't trim them. You can trim them if you would like to make them all the same size, and have them perfectly square. The reason I didn't, I was worried I would loose too much of the block with trimming.

I sewed my blocks together, and the rows didn't end up straight. I still didn't really trim at this point. When I was sewing the rows together is where I straighten everything up, so they came out straight. I'm not sure if this is what I should have done, but I was really worried about looseing too much with trimming. Any ideas, you're welcome to share.

For the white border, I cut 3 1/2 inch strips.

Please let me know if anything does not making sense. I really am new to quilting, so I'm not sure if this is the best way for making the blocks. But I just went with what worked best for me.

double hourglass~ the quilt top!

I have the quilt top finished for the doll quilt swap. This has been a fun little quilt to piece together. I can't wait to get started on the one for my sewing room now!

I added a couple blocks of the oh, so cute Japanese hedgehog fabrics; i just couldn't resist. It just wouldn't be a quilt from me without some cutsie japanesey ones in there, right?? I hope my partner doesn't mind. Then she can think of me when she looks at those two blocks. :)

I'll work on a tutorial, and will hopfully get that posted for next week. Thanks for all the interest. :)

double hourglass~ piecing together

i've got about half of the double hourglass blocks pieced, and am having so much fun with these little blocks. they are about 3 1/2 inch squared; i cut 5 inch charms from the flea market fancy fabrics and also from the kona white. i use half of each charm for one block, so that means i can make one for my swap partner and then one for me, to hang in my sewing room! :) i've also loved working with some brighter fabrics than i normally do.

hope everyone has a lovely week!

project improv~ a wip

i now have all the squares pieced, but still need to add the white sashing to most of them. after that, it is just sewing the sqaure together, and then quilting it. i'm starting to see this come together. :)

i love the scrappiness of this one.


hope everyone has a cheerful week-end!

doll quilt swap

i signed up to join in doll quilt swap 6, and am so excited. not that i really needed something else to add to my list of sewing projects, but i couldn't pass up the fun. with this swap it is a secret to who you have, and who has you. now if you know me, i have the hardest time keeping secrets so that means i better get this done quickly so i can spill the beans.

after searching my partners flickr fav's, her blog, and the preferences that came with the email; i now have the fabrics picked. the fun flea market fancy fabrics were the perfect match for my partner. they are bright and cheery and will add a little sunshine in her life. :)

i think i've decided on the double hourglass quilt, which was inspired by netties oh, so lovely quilt. i think all the white in the quilt will help offset the lovely brights of the flea market fancy. nettie mentioned it is a bit of an undertaking, but hopefully with this being a doll quilt it will be fun, but challenging. :)

isn't nettie's hourglass quilt beautiful!!

i also made a fun mosiac for my swap partner, to give some little hints of what i'm drooling over! :) these are popping up on flickr in the doll quilt swap group, and are so fun to peek at, seeing what everyone's favorites are.

hope everyone has a magical day!!

the whirly pinwheel~ finished!!

i'm so excited to have the whirly pinwheel all finished. i completed the binding on saturday and just love how it turned out. i even love it more resting in its new home, at the end of my daughters bed.

my daughter holding up the quilt for me. don't you just love her hat! alessandra made my kiddos the most adorable crocheted hats. i just love them! THANKS alessandra! :)

how it looks at the end of the bed

i had to include a picture of my one of my little guys wearing his hat. :)

hope everyone has a super spectacular week!