For the love of swaps

I’ve participated in a lot of swaps over the years, from Block Swap Adventure to online bees to handmade Christmas gifts.  Sometimes I’ve been blown away by the creativity and skill of my partner.  A few times my partner was a dud or never answered any communication.  Oh well, the positive experiences far outweigh the negative ones.

The DCMQG hosted it’s first swap among members this month, a mug rug swap!  My partner listed red and white fabric and batiks as dislikes.  She asked for a big-sized mug rug (around 10-12 inches) and I stalked her blog a little and found out she likes cats and dogs and dislikes tea and possibly likes retr0-looking funky fabric.  So going on that information, I got to work!

Am I the only person who finds making wonky stars completely mind-boggling???  I know I’ve said it before, but visualizing where things will go is SO DIFFICULT!!!  Luckily it turned out that all the letters were upright.  I used white Aurifil thread to densely quilt straight lines on a diagonal.  (Aside:  I sent my sister the Aurifil piecing box for her birthday this month and she is now an Aurifil convert as well.)

I wasn’t sure if my partner drinks coffee or not, so I sent some of my favorite hot chocolate and this cute owl mug with the mug rug.

The backing fabric is this pretty Color Me Retro blue/purple/green  floral print.

It was mailed yesterday, so it should be received today or Monday. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

DC Modern Quilt Guild Sewing

There are several group projects in the works at the DC Modern Quilt Guild and this past week I made and mailed off some blocks to contribute.

Sending love and wishes for good health to a member undergoing breast cancer treatment.  The request was for all sorts of variations of granny squares in aqua, coral and low volume prints.

This block has my favorite “low volume” print in it.

The doves are (hopefully) a subtle message of love and peace.

A block for a baby quilt.

And blocks for a group quilt for 100 Quilts for Kids.

This economy block square was paper pieced and the pattern can be found here and the directions here.  It was so easy to do and all the points and seam allowances are spot on. 

I was hoping to make it to the guild meeting this weekend, but school starts next week and I’ve been feeling quite “cat’s in the cradle”-ish so I’ll be staying home with the family this time and enjoying one last summer weekend of beaches, boat rides, and pool days. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Easy As Pie Quilt Along {Plus a Giveaway!}

Hello!  My name is Jamie and I have designed a quilt for the fabulous fabric store 1 Choice 4 Quilting.  The fabric is called “Little Apples” by Aneela Hoey and Nicole has put together some fabulous quilt kits that include all the fabric for the top, backing, and binding!

The finished quilt measures 54” x 70” and is made from one layer cake and an additional 1.5 yards of solid (I used Moda Bella Saffron), 3/4 yard for the border and binding, and exactly 4 yards for backing. 

What I loved about making this quilt is how fast and easy it comes together, which is why I decided to call it “Easy As Pie.”  Since it’s made with a layer cake, there is no need to spend time obsessing about fabric choices, doing any complicated cutting or trimming, and the blocks and rows come together super fast!  This quilt is perfect for a new-to-quilting sewist or a seasoned pro who is looking for a quick quilt that is fun to make!  I have put together easy to follow tutorials with lots of photos, and if you are a beginner, there are videos you can use to help guide you step-by-step through the process!

You can find those quilt kits here.  The price is an amazing $67.99 for all the fabric you need to complete the entire quilt!!!  Nicole has even given you the option of picking your own backing fabric so you can customize your kit!  And while you are browsing, check out the newest Moda releases like Snap Pop, PB & J, and Spring House.  1 Choice 4 Quilting has same day shipping if you place your order before 4pm EST and all orders over $50 SHIP FOR FREE!!!  Yes, you heard that right, free priority USPS shipping for orders over $50!!!  It’s not that hard to spend $50 on quality quilt shop fabric, right?

The posts for each step of the quilt along will be found here on my blog:

February 4th:  Cutting and piecing pinwheel and sawtooth rows

February 11th:  Cutting and piecing wonky star blocks and center row

February 18th:  Sewing together rows and adding borders

February 25th:  Post your photo to Flickr by this day for a PRIZE!

Upload your progress and finished quilt photos to the Flickr page and if you complete your quilt top by February 25th (it does not have to be quilted and bound) you will be entered to win a quilt kit and one lucky winner will get a quilt kit for the next project in March!!!

1 Choice 4 Quilting is offering a super giveaway today!!!  One lucky winner will get an “Easy As Pie” Quilt Kit!!!  Just leave any comment on this blog post, and if you are a follower of my blog, you can have an additional entry!  Just leave me a comment letting me know how you follow.  You can also enter on Nicole’s 1 Choice 4 Quilting blog.  There are up to eight ways to win this sweet quilt kit!  The winner will be chosen on Monday, January 28th at noon.  Good luck and hope to have you quilting along with me in February!