Are you Texting While Sewing?

Are you working on your block(s) for the Texting While Sewing contest?  I hope so!  If you need a refresher on the rules, you can find them right here. And the prize list is here, thanks to the participation of all the wonderful sponsors in my sidebar.

1. Rosebud, 2. dwriter, 3. Books Bee Block for Allegory, 4. Quilter's Bible, 5. Turkey Tracks?, 6. texting while sewing block, 7. Art Studio Theme, 8. Text While Sewing Block

Here are some of the great entries that have already popped up in the Texting While Sewing Flickr group.  Aren't they wonderful?  And each is so different from the next. I love that.  We have a mixture of traditional piecing, paper piecing and applique!

Have you picked up any new text fabrics lately?

I am waiting for some Madrona Road Memoir to arrive in my mailbox.  Right now you can find it at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics and The Fat Quarter Shop. Becca has said that it is coming to Sew Me A Song soon too.

I recently received a few texty prints from Sew Me A Song. They included:

Keep Calm

and 

How to Make a Pillowcase

I can't wait to see your entries!  If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask.  

If you have not entered my Summerlove giveaway courtesy of Art Gallery Fabrics, it is open through Friday so you still have time.

Summerlove Blooms Tutorial

I'm excited to share my first project as a member of the Art Gallery Fabrics Fat Quarter Gang!  I designed this paper pieced pillow cover pattern that I am calling Summerlove Blooms.

If you are new to paper piecing, this might be a great place for you to start.  My tutorial will take you through the paper piecing step by step with photographs.  The pattern is available as a pdf download on the Art Gallery Fabrics Blog.  

If you'd like to win your own set of the same eight fat quarters I used to make this project, you can enter the giveaway here and I will draw a winner on Friday, August 3.

My rules:
Just leave a comment here on my blog

Art Gallery Fabrics rules:
Subscribe to the Art Gallery Fabrics blog
Follow Art Gallery Fabrics on Pinterest
Like Art Gallery Fabrics on Facebook (optional)

 Please post pictures of your completed projects on the Art Gallery Fabrics Flickr group--there are random giveaways!

Cheater Screen Printing with Sizzix

I'm happy to help celebrate Eileen Hull with Sizzix today!  Her Doily Lace Medallion Die inspired my project. I am using it here in combination with Scrappy Cat's Vintage Doily Die to demonstrate an easy method of screen printing your own fabric!

I gathered my supplies--a screen (I used a Yudu screen but you can use any silk screen), contact paper, my Big Shot and the two dies.  I cut several doilies out of the contact paper.

After I had an assortment of doilies, I taped off the edges of my silkscreen (with clear packing tape).  Then I peeled off the backing of the contact paper doilies and arranged them on my screen.

I then used the screen to print prewashed white Essex linen with a variety of ink colors.  I use Yudu inks as well as Versatex inks when I print on fabric.  I couldn't take pictures of this process, not being a super woman who can photograph while inking!

This method of screen printing results in a screen that is somewhat temporary.  However, I was able to wash the screen three times and print a number of pieces of fabric in three colors of ink before the contact paper started lifting on me.  That's not bad for skipping the entire emulsion stage!  The emulsion stage is the most complicated part of screen printing because you should work in a dark room, need to get the right thickness of emulsion on your screen, time the burning stage right, etc.

This method is very straightforward.  You still have to practice a bit to get the right amount of ink on your screen and to apply the right amount of pressure while printing but it is a great beginner screen printing project.  The last step is heat setting your fabric with an iron.

So there you have it, cheater screen printing with your Sizzix! To check out the rest of the Design Team member's projects, click here. I think you just might find an Eileen Hull giveaway too!

Indie

Look at what arrived!  It's Indie, the new collection by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics. Pat shares the inspiration behind this collection on the AGF blog. While I was waiting for the post man, I was concocting my plan for these prints.

I started cutting right away! I was obviously inspired by the herringbone craze. Mine will be scrappy like this eye catching quilt by Bijou Lovely. My blocks are rectangular though and paper pieced because I wanted to vary the width of the strips and still get everything to line up with relative ease! Each block will have one "v" made of Essex natural, in different spots on different blocks. I'll also throw in an occasional strip of Medium Aqua Essex.  I can't wait to make more!

Stash Trad Bee--Lone Starburst

I just finished this block for Brioni for the Stash Trad Bee.  She asked for a scrappy as possible Lone Starburst block with white or cream background. I went with Kona White and challenged myself to keep only to my scraps.  It was a fun block to make.  You can find the tutorial here.

I often find myself jealous of other bloggers meeting in real life but I had a turn on Thursday!  Stephanie from Two Peas in a Pod lives a two day drive away but was visiting NH this past week.  She and her father took a two hour drive down to my neck of the woods for a visit.  It was fun to meet her and show her a bit of the area.  We enjoyed a new make your own frozen yogurt sundae place downtown.  My girls were with us and loved it...and interrupted every couple of minutes.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Kona Modern Quilts Winner

And the winner of the Kona Modern Quilts bundle from Marmalade Fabrics is....

Number 66, Britt-inger. Congratulations!

 If you would like to follow the blog of Cynthia Frenette, the designer behind Kona Modern Quilts, click here.

And if you are disappointed that you didn't win, this link will take you to the Kona Modern Quilts page at Marmalade Fabrics ;)

Envelope Wristlet Tutorial

I know that large envelope clutches are the craze but I am a petite person and feel conspicuous carrying a large bag.  So I designed this Envelope Wristlet using Little Black Dress by Basic Grey.  

The flap is paper pieced and embellished with a button.

The inside is fully lined with a snap closure and an inside pocket.  If you'd like to try the tutorial, please visit the Basic Grey blog today for a pdf download.  Have fun!

Kona Modern Quilts Giveaway

Thanks to Tammy at Marmalade Fabrics, I have the pleasure of offering you a chance at a great giveaway today! 

How would you like a bundle containing 1/2 yard cuts of 6 prints from the Kona Modern Quilts Pacific Colorstory?

Kona solids matching the Pacific collection are Pepper, Lake, Tomato, Chinese Red, Windsor, Emerald, White, Ash, Corn, Cadet and Blue.  You can find these solids at Marmalade as well as fat quarters, yardage and bundles of the Kona Modern Quilts line in the Pacific, Berry and Merlot Colorstories. 

If you'd like a chance to win this bundle, just leave a comment below.  It can be anything--tell me if you have shopped with Tammy before, what you'd make with this bundle, which print is your favorite.

This is my favorite, Kona Modern Quilts Pacific Circles, just in case you were curious!

I will use the Random Number Generator to pick a winner on Friday July 20th.  Good luck!  

Contest Questions Answered

You know about the Texting while Sewing Contest right??  If you do not, the Rules of the Contest can be found here, and the incentive (prizes!) can be found here.  I'd like to say a great big thank you again to my sponsors for the wonderful prizes.  If you are still looking for material for your entries, please check out the links in my sidebar. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for!

I have received a few questions about the contest and I thought I would take a minute to write my answers here in case anyone else was wondering the same things.

1.  Can I enter more than one block?  Yes!  You may enter more than one block but please write a separate blog post for each entry when it is link up time and link up each entry individually. That will help me when corresponding with our guest judges Kerry and Ayumi.  No individual can win more than one prize, however.

2.  Is applique acceptable?  Yes it is.

3.  Can I make my own text fabric?  Sure thing!

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!  Feel free to join the Flickr group as well. A couple of people have already shared their entries and there are some pretty stacks of text fabrics there too.

New York Beauty Complete

It's done!  My New York Beauty variation is complete.  It measures just under 45" square.  I drafted my own patterns for each arc because I wanted to vary the lengths and widths of the points within the arcs.  I haven't seen that done before with a NYB block, not to say that it hasn't been done.  I thought it would be a unique approach to the traditional block.

I used white for the background of all the arcs but used black and white prints within some of the blocks for the center quarter circles and the outer arcs.

The New York Beauty blocks are framed with an Ebony Grunge border.  The outer border was also paper pieced and hand drafted so that each point varied in height and width, as they do within the arcs.  The corner blocks are small Drunkard's Path blocks.

This photo shows the quilting the best.  I quilted the center of the quilt with concentric circles in white thread. The Grunge border is quilted with straight lines, 1/4" apart, in black thread.  I echo quilted the triangles in the outer border.

The backing is pieced with all black and white prints because I wanted my bobbin threads to match my top threads which meant that both black and white threads would be showing on the back. They blend really well this way.  I used black Heath for the binding.

Although this picture shows only a corner of the quilt, it's my favorite image!

Summer Fans Pillow Tutorial

Good afternoon!  I am sharing a tutorial for this Summer Fans pillow cover on the Sizzix blog today.  Please pop over and take a look.

Basting

I'm basting today, in between caring for my son who has been sick with an icky virus for several days now.  What are you up to?  

Who has started sewing their block for the Texting While Sewing Contest?

A Partridge in a Pear Tree Ornament Set

You may think that it is too early to start thinking of Christmas.  I might agree except that summer is the perfect time to start a portable project and Christmas ornaments are just that!  I love this little set that I just finished.  Each ornament takes quite a bit of hand stitching time but it can be done on the lake, at the shore, pool side, in waiting rooms, etc.  

The partridge ornament was made using the Sizzix die Bird 2 with Bonus Textured Impressions.  I cut two of the bird die using some gorgeous natural white wool felt from National Nonwovens.  I took one of the pieces of precut felt and placed it inside the embossing folder on the multipurpose platform , Tab 1, in between the cutting pads.  

This is what the felt looks like embossed. I know that the embossing will not hold in untreated felt, as the fibers shift around, but my hope was that they would last long enough for me to use them as an embroidery pattern.  And they did!

I more or less followed the embossing patterns using a simple back stitch, a lazy daisy stitch and french knots. I used Cosmo's beautiful Seasons variegated embroidery floss.

After the embroidery was complete, I added a single sequin for the eye held in place with a clear glass seed bead.  Then I used a blanket stitch to hold the two layers of the bird together, left an opening for stuffing, and then closed it up.

The pear was cut using the Sizzix Pear Die.  Again, I used National Nonwovens felt to cut the pieces of the pear.  I cut two of the complete pear for the front and back of the ornament.  I cut the inner pear out of a wheat colored felt and the innermost pieces out of the natural white like the bird.

I stacked the felt pieces on the pear and used Cosmo embroidery floss to secure them with a blanket stitch.

I added tear shaped beads that I happened to have for the pear seeds.  I added three sequins to the leaf for a little sparkle.

Again, I used the blanket stitch around the perimeter and stuffed.

Happy summer sewing (thinking of Christmas)!

Winterkist

I do love a happy mail day and I had one this week.  I received Kerry's block for my month of the Cocorico bee.  And I also got this little stack of Winterkist by Monica Solorio-Snow of Happy Zombie.  It was sent to me by Lynne and I am going to be using it to write a tutorial for Fat Quarterly.  I am in the process of deciding what to make.  What would you like to see?  Thoughts?  It's not your typical Christmas fabric so it seems to call for not your typical Christmas project.  (The colors are better in person.  My camera was not cooperating with me here--not for lack of trying, repeatedly.)

Texting While Sewing Contest Prizes!

I am so happy that so many of you have expressed interest in making a block for the Texting While Sewing contest...even before the prizes were announced!  I know you are eager to know what I have for prizes though.  Here goes:

The First Place Winner will receive:

A $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop.  Did you know that they even have a texting fabric?  Hysterical.

From Sew Me A Song, a bundle of eight half yard cuts of Becca's newest and greatest text fabrics for a total of 4 yards.

From Quilted Treasures, a Lucy's Crab Shack Bundle your choice of "Guy" or "Gal" (gal pictured above).

And for those who have trouble with the fine print (he, he, he) a Beam N Read hands free crafting light and magnifier.

The Second Prize Winner will receive:

A $40 gift certificate from Sew Fresh Fabrics to spend however you like.

A $35 gift certificate to Zipit, my all time favorite zipper shop on Etsy.

From Sew Me A Song, a fat quarter bundle of eight of Becca's newest and greatest text fabrics for a total of 2 yards.

The Third Place Winner will receive:

A $25 gift certificate to spend at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics.

From Sew Me A Song, a fat quarter bundle of eight of Becca's newest and greatest text fabrics for a total of 2 yards.

1/2 yard cuts of the three colorways of Summersville Alphabetty for a total of 1 1/2 yard from Marmalade Fabrics. 

And a charm pack of Summersville from Quilted Treasures.

I am so thankful to all of the sponsors who so willingly contributed prizes for this contest.  If you are shopping for new text fabrics, I'd love it if you'd visit their shops.  They all have such a wonderful selection.  For contest details, see my post here.

So tell me, are you in?