Make It Modern Sponsor Quilt Taffy

Quilt Taffy is a friendly online fabric store run by Corrie and Des out of their home state of Idaho.  When I started sewing a few years ago, it was by sheer luck that I found their store first through eBay, and then later through Etsy. 

I love the custom charm packs in their store.  And they carry the newest collections and trendy designs.

Corrie has always been fast to respond to my requests for custom orders and even helped me purchase a Christmas present from her store and deliver it to my friend, writing a note to go inside the package.  She provides great service and fast shipping, usually the same day I place an order.

The latest fabric to hit their shelves is Denyse Schmidt’s Shelburne Falls.   They’ve also got jelly rolls, layer cakes, and fabric by the yard.  This sushi print from Robert Kaufman would make a cute tote or lunch sack.

If you follow Quilt Taffy’s blog, you can enter a giveaway every Thursday for fabric prizes like charm packs and fat quarter packs. 

One lucky Make It Modern winner will get her choice of charm pack from Quilt Taffy’s Etsy store.  Make sure you’ve mailed your blocks and uploaded your photos to Flickr by midnight on February 28th.  A winner’s name will randomly be drawn on March 1. 

Thanks, Quilt Taffy, for providing such an awesome sweet treat!   What would you pick if you won? 

I’d pick this sweet Little Matryoshka charm pack!

More Hourglass Star Blocks

Here are  a few of the other stars using oval elements.

Yesterday was my first day doing a blog hop…it was so much fun!!!  If you missed it, you can enter the giveaway for a $25 Quilt Taffy gift certificate here.

Yesterday was also my birthday.  I got a gift card to Joanns and am so excited to go and spend it.  I will be getting a new cutting mat and some rotary blades.  No fabric for me…I’m sticking with my diet, although of course I first thought I might get backing for my Summerlove quilt.  I keep thinking a bright blue backing would be the icing on the cake.   But I’m going with stash fabric, and I plan to do wavy line quilting.

Linking up to Freemotion by the River and Fabric Tuesday.  Have a great day!

Dots on Dots Blog Hop and Giveaway

Hourglass Star Block, finished size 11 x 11 inches.  I made my block from fat quarters picked by Maureen Cracknell for The Intrepid Thread that came in this bundle (photo from Maureen Cracknell Handmade).  The dots are called oval elements.

I started by separating the 10 fat quarters into 5 sets of dots/solid combos.

From the dots I cut two 5 x 5 squares and from the solids I cut five 4 x4 squares and two 5x5 squares.

Mark 1/4 lines on either side of the diagonal.

Pair up the dot/solid 5 x 5 squares and pin.  Sew along each line.

Cut right down the middle into two halves.

Then subcut the triangles into two by making a right angle.

You will end up with a little pile of triangles.  Press them all before opening up to set the seams.

Now, this is the most important part.  Finger press the seam open before pressing flat.  Finger pressing will keep your seams from getting wonky or distorted.  Pressing the seams open also makes the finished block flatter.

After pressing flat, I like to give it a little spray of starch and set everything one more time with a hot iron.  I don’t use steam.

Now, match up two triangles to make a square.

I pin the triangles together since the seams don’t nest.

Chain sew all your pieces.

Finger press again and flip over. 

Voila!  A pretty hourglass block.

Line up the diagonal on a square ruler with the seam line.  Trim to 4 inches square.

Very pretty!

Now lay out all your hourglass blocks with the solid 4 x 4 squares.

Press the seams toward the solid squares and you will end up with this hourglass star block.

Now, onto the important part!   I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to Quilt Taffy.  I’ve ordered from Corrie’s shop tons of times and she has sweet fabric and great customer service!  To enter, you must be a follower and leave a comment telling me your favorite fabric.  If you are a no-reply blogger please leave your email address in the comment.  Open to international entries and the winner will be announced next Monday, September 17th.  Have a great week and don’t forget to check out the other stops on the blog hop today:

Cat Patches

Busy Bee Quilts

Stitch by Stitch

Mary on Lake Pulaski

Just Let Me Quilt

[Amy's] Crafty Shenanigans

PolkaDotClassic

AnnieOak Designs

Blueberry Moon

You can find the entire schedule on Corrie’s blog here:

http://quilttaffy.blogspot.com/2012/08/dots-on-dots-blog-hop-schedule.html

Summerlove Update

I have finished up the first four rows of my Summerlove Hourglass quilt. 

Love, love, love!  The sashing is Essex linen, which I have never used before, but I find it soft and easy to sew with.  I may never buy Kona white again…just kidding!

I also joined A Bee in My Bonnet’s Row-Along.  I happen to have quite a stash of Lori Holt fabric, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  The first “filler” row is done, but I’m not loving my fabric choices.  I just kind of hurriedly picked them out while the kids were with me one afternoon.  It didn’t help that I didn’t understand the directions and picked out twice as many fabrics as needed—my error, not the direction’s.  Luckily it’s just a filler row, so hopefully I can refine my choices as the qal progresses since it’s mystery-ish and I’m not really sure exactly how prominent the focus fabrics will be.

I will be participating in the Dots on Dots blog hop coming up September 10-21 and giving away a $25 gift certificate to Quilt Taffy, where you can find lots of sweet fabric treats!  See you September 10th!