June 27, 2013

One of the best kept quilting secrets - HST paper!

Ok, I seriously feel like the super nerdy kid that came across something that made me popular enough to join the 'cool kids' crowd!

How come no one smacked me over the head with this stuff??

I mean, I'd heard about paper piecing, but never tried it.

HST paper is a piece of paper, or a document that you print onto paper, that you pin to fabric that is right sides together. You then sew on the sewing lines, and cut on the cutting lines when you are done sewing. You end up with x amount of HSTs that are fantastically accurate and symmetrical. AND, you didn't have to fidget with tons of little triangles if you want a small finished HST.


Let me go back to the beginning.

I joined a mystery quilt thing with my local guild last summer. We got 3 different steps for cutting and piecing before we got the final block placement for the quilt.

The excitement for my first mystery quilt was huge!

Step one, knocked out in no time.

Step two: cut strips 2 3/8" wide and cut into squares, then into triangles and make 96 - 1 1/2" HST (Half Square Triangles).

That means 192 - 2 3/8" squares people.

Yea, ain't gonna happen....

So, there it sat, patiently waiting. I received step three at the following guild meeting. There it still sat. I even got the last step (in an envelope, as not to temp me). There it sat. There was even a show and tell for this mystery quilt (yea, there goes the surprise... funny thing is I've already forgotten what the final quilt looks like... haha). And it still sat.

Then I decided to actually read the pattern beyond the cutting instructions (novel idea really...). Well, there was an alternative method... HST PAPER!!

GEEZ!!!

...Face plant...

Know how long it takes to sew 108 HST with the paper???


Less than an hour, that includes: getting on your computer, printing the paper, trimming it, cutting the large pieces of fabric, pinning, a few text messages, a dirty diaper, and a bathroom break.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, HST Paper is FANTASTIC!!

You should go try it out.

Go get a free download for 9 different sizes that you can print from home at Quilting and What Not.

Here's a few ideas of what you could make with just a few HSTs:


1. Finished">http://flickr.com/photos/29655571@N08/8213665846/">Finished Field Study half-square triangle chevron quilt
2. Triangles">http://flickr.com/photos/37715522@N00/7730805986/">Triangles Bag
3. Half">http://flickr.com/photos/39275021@N05/5405663993/">Half Square triangle cushions
4. half-square">http://flickr.com/photos/30302047@N04/5685349559/">half-square triangle placemats
5. http://flickr.com/photos/70531558@N00/4175569730/">{ geometric squares quilt }
6. Chevron">http://flickr.com/photos/16468558@N03/6721058653/">Chevron Half Square Triangle Values Quilt and Pillow
7. Triangle">http://flickr.com/photos/29745380@N05/9084659293/">Triangle Patch Box Pouch
8. Innocent">http://flickr.com/photos/35368186@N06/6792934278/">Innocent Crush Patchwork Pillow Cover

June 21, 2013

Life is always better with chocolate, and fabric!

I feel like today is my birthday or something. My mother in law texted this morning to see if the kids wanted to come play at her house and on her playground for a bit this morning. Yes please. And, she made lunch for me for when I came to pick them up. YUM. And, my in laws are planning to take my kids to see the new Monsters University movie tonight.

It is always great to live near family.

The icing on the cake is that this was in my mailbox today:


It's my swap fabric from the rainbow swap I did. Seeing a package in the mailbox is always fun!

Maybe everyone is celebrating my un-birthday today... Oh YEA!

Now I just need some chocolate cake and the day will be made.

This is my second go round with this swap, so I have lots of squares. There are a few quilts I would love to make with all this wonderful color, but I keep getting the itch to design something new.

We shall see.

Here's what I've had my eye on lately:


Photo credit:

1. Tumbler">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8111087171/">Tumbler Quilt
2. Lilly">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8417333969/">Lilly Belle Quilt
3. Back">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8324338274/">Back of Pinwheel Doll Quilt
4. do.Good">http://flickr.com/photos/29046308@N07/9019188304/">do.Good Stitches - Bliss Circle - June 2013
5. Goose">http://flickr.com/photos/15477137@N03/8954049720/">Goose Creek blocks
6. Pow">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8169807607/">Pow Wow Quilt
7. I">http://flickr.com/photos/39731184@N05/8498896445/">I finally started this quilt. I bought the pattern a year ago. @imagingermonkey's fault. Love @croskelley's patterns, though. This is my April finish challenge.
8. Progress">http://flickr.com/photos/65239842@N07/8554640525/">Progress - MSMS
9. wish.http://flickr.com/photos/29745380@N05/8492471742/">wish.
>10. Ba{M}S">http://flickr.com/photos/61878020@N07/8350968482/">Ba{M}S: January Blocks
, 11. Blocks">http://flickr.com/photos/15477137@N03/8339146098/">Blocks 1-1912. HST">http://flickr.com/photos/28175883@N06/7362936888/">HST hanging
13. HST">http://flickr.com/photos/7401290@N07/6801300399/">HST Block of the Month: February
14. Not available
15. Not available
16. Not available

June 14, 2013

A Little Pink Dress & A 4-Year-Old

My youngest girl is now four. How time flies.


I took some photos of her about 2 Sundays before her birthday.

She's so pretty. I am just a little biased though!


This dress is special too.

You see, it was mine when I was a wee one. My Ma-Maw made it for me when I was about the same age, and seeing my girls wear it just makes me feel good. Really good.


My Ma-Maw sewed a lot of dresses and clothes for me, my brothers, and my cousins when we were growing up. I truly wish I had more of them to pass on.


It was magical what she could come up with for Halloween costumes!

Love you Ma-Maw!

I think my favorite part of this dress is the pinafore. Why aren't these around anymore??

Clearly I need to start making more clothing for my children.

June 8, 2013

I LOVE Summer

School's out this Friday, still can't believe it!

Is it just me or does everyone have the desire to drive to the beach and blast the 'School's Out For the Summer' song??

With all the crafting, workbooks, trips to the library and beach, and don't forget the traveling, this summer will rock I'm sure of it!

So, just incase you think I fell of the planet, we'll be busy doing lots of stuff like this:










Life is silly right now, and it's awesome!

I hope you all have a great summer too.


June 4, 2013

June Goals

Sadly, 2 of my 3 goals will be rolled over into this month.

I had a little bump in the road last month, and ended up needing to make this quilt much sooner than anticipated.

So this month I'll be doing:
- Quilt and bind my 'Took Me Forever' quilt
- Quilt and bind my 'Double Stuffed' quilt, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to donate it to OKCMQG
- Finish the top to my mint chocolate chip looking quilt (it's from a mystery quilt in my guild last year, so it does have a real pattern and name, just can't think of it now)
- Start putting together the pattern for my 'Double Stuffed' quilt, and maybe pull some fabric to make it non-scrappy.


That feels like a lot on the table for this month especially since school will be out the end of this week, but I'm feeling confident (for now...).

What do you have planned for projects this summer??



June 3, 2013

And, it's a Plus Sign Quilt

That snippet I showed you the other day was a little preview of this beauty:


It was a gift for a good friend back home who is having her first child.

I think I am still in a little shock that I got it done in about 4 weeks, yea that's right 4 weeks!

The backing is super cute, it's Michael Miller's Giraffe Love Grey.


















I even had time to hand stitch the info onto it, wash it and everything. I think I was the queen of having to hand stitch the binding on in the car on the way to whatever shower I was going to, and this would only work if my husband was making the trip with me. lol.


But no, this one got wrapped in a box and everything!

Of course, I had to take a few shots of my baby with it. Maybe I need to make him one now too.


So, even though I only got one of my goals done for May, I feel like I kicked sewing in the butt last month!!


Edited to add:

Quilt Stats:
Size: 56" square
Quilting: about 2" grid offset 1/4" of seams
Total time from start to finish: about 3 weeks
100% cotton fabric, thread, & batting
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