Applique, Hand Stitching, Quilting, Sponsored Post, Tutorials

Lucky Love St. Patrick’s Day Reversible Table Runner {Sizzix Tutorial}

March 12, 2016 kittywilkin 4 Comments

Today I’m excited to be sharing another tutorial on the Sizzix blog, this time for a really sharp-looking table runner (if I do say so myself)! I’m typically not one to make seasonal decor, since the seasons come and go so quickly, but this one is reversible so I can use it all year long. Ever since I first cut wool felt with the Sizzix, I’ve been wanting to do a wool felt applique project, and once I realized I could make four-leaf clovers using my Primitive hearts die, it was game on. I backed the table runner in one of my all time favorite Alison Glass neutrals, Botany in Taupe from Ex Libris, which I certainly won’t mind looking at for the non-St. Patrick’s Day part of the year!

Since I love to make the most of the tools I have, this project is also exciting since it’s the third unique project I’ve made using the Primitive hearts #3 die from Sizzix. You may remember my Growing Tree Wall hanging and Valentine’s Day Garland tutorials, the first two projects I made using this die. You know it’s a winner when there seems to be an endless stream of projects that can be made out of a certain tool.

I try to make my tutorials helpful to the entire sewing and quilting world, even if you don’t yet have a Sizzix or other die cutting machine, and this one is no different.

In this tutorial, I share:

a neat trick for making four leaf clovers out a heart die (you could use it with a heart hole-punch, too, if you have that);
tips on accurate straight-line quilting without having to physically mark your quilt; and,
how to blanket stitch.

Head on over to the Sizzix blog to read the full tutorial, and I hope you enjoy!

Do you make seasonal projects? How and where do you store them when they are off season? I may need to take some notes if this keeps up!

I’m linking up with Tips & Tutorials Tuesday with Stephanie at Late Night Quilter.

Color Inspiration

Color Inspiration Thursday {66}

March 10, 2016 kittywilkin 5 Comments

I have been on the hunt for signs of spring, but the frozen ground is not yet giving us much ease. It was a fairly sunny day early this week and looked quite warm, so the kids and I headed outdoors to do a serious search for real signs of spring. Instead, what do we get? Snow! Within 20 minutes the sun dipped behind a cloud, the temperature dropped, and it began snowing! So much for spring! This week’s color inspiration palettes are from photos I took during that snowy search. It’s as close as we can get to spring just yet. Color palettes are made using Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs, and of course the matching solids and Aurifil threads are an added bonus!

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Lead, Kona Coffee, Kona Moss, Bella Etchings Slate, Kona Pewter, Kona White

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1246 – Grey
1130 – V Dk Bark
2905 – Army Green
2900 – Lt Khaki Green
2606 – Mist
2800 – Mint Ice

There may not be much bright color out in nature these days, but there’s always texture. I love the texture of this lichen-laden tree branch! The mix of bark, lichen, moss, and snow creates a great variety of visual texture. The earth tones ring out strongly in this one, too.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Platinum, Kona Pewter, Bella Chocolate, Kona Espresso, Kona Avocado, Bella Avocado

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2612 – Arctic Sky
5004 – Grey Smoke
1140 – Bark
1285 – Med Bark
4173 – Dk Olive
2910 – Med Olive

This is as close as we’re getting to spring colors so far here in Maine. These little daffodil sprouts are trying their hardest to push up through the frozen ground, standing strong despite snow and ice, and waiting patiently. I know that it won’t be long before these little sprouts reach with earnest and the flowers begin to appear. Once spring hits, I know it will begin a cascade of flowers that will snowball quickly (how about that for punny irony—snowballing spring flower blooms!). I can’t wait!

Update: Maine spring weather is as fickle as ever. Yesterday it was nearly 60 degrees and we all played outside without coats!

Maddie and Finn Spring — (L) Maddie, Finn, and Abadee Abadoo, one of our chickens, yesterday (Wednesday). (R) Our first taste of bare feet weather!

Spring is upon us (at least at the moment)!

Quilting, Tutorials

Favorite Finishing Techniques and Tools

March 8, 2016 kittywilkin 8 Comments

With so many fabulous tutorials out there in this vast internet world, I try to avoid reinventing the wheel whenever possible. So far, when it comes to finishing my quilts and other stitched projects, I’ve had great luck in finding clear, well-written tutorials that help clarify exactly how to best finish a project. Today I thought it might be helpful for me to create a reference list of my top go-to finishing tutorials and tools to share with you.

Here is a visual map I drew to help keep track of my favorite methods during an #Honestcraftroomies Periscope hop about this topic a few weeks ago, along with my top favorite finishing tools. (If you click the photo it should open in another tab a bit larger so that it’s easier to read. All of the information is in the blog post, too, though!)

I’ll begin by linking to each of my favorite finishing tutorials below with a brief explanation as to why it is a favorite (Each heading and photo link to the tutorial. Click and it will open in another tab. Peruse at leisure. Bookmark. Revel in sweet knowledge!)

Making Straight-Grain Quilt Bindings
by Bijou Lovely

Holly DeGroot at Bijou Lovely was one of the first quilters I started following regularly, and for good reason. Her photos are superb and eye candy abounds! This tutorial is super straight-forward and has clear photos for every step. It also shows you how to get the end of your binding ready for the next step: attaching it to the quilt, which is very helpful. When binding any large, rectangular quilt, either entirely by machine or hand-stitched to the back, this is how I make my binding.

Attaching Binding to a Quilt
by Bijou Lovely

This gets you set up for hand stitching your binding to the back of your quilt. The brilliance is in the overlap join where the beginning and end of your binding meet. For someone who initially struggled with getting that final binding seam sewn straight and in the proper place (hi, that’s me!), this tutorial was a lifesaver!

Machine Binding a Quilt
by Cluck Cluck Sew

While I love hand stitching bindings to the backs of quilts, some quilts just warrant machine binding, either for durability or for the sake of saving yourself a bit of time. This tutorial is fabulous! I now machine bind all baby quilts and kid quilts, and I use this tutorial to help machine bind things like mug rugs and table runners, too!

Binding Tiny Things
by Crazy Mom Quilts

This tutorial makes binding tiny things a breeze. Seriously! One tip I have to emphasize is the step where you press the binding away from the front of the quilt after sewing it on. This step makes all the difference in the accuracy of your final stitches and the overall perfection of your finished (finished! yay!) mini. If you are at all infected by the mini mini quilt bug, this tutorial is a must!

My Top 3 Finishing Tools

Finishing a quilt includes more than binding. To me, quilting and burying threads count within the ranks of “finishing steps”, too. I have three top tools that I couldn’t live without when it comes to actually quilting a quilt and burying all those threads. (Each tool name is linked to where you can buy it, but they are not affiliate links; they are just there for your convenience. I’ve heard rumors that Maine does not allow affiliate link payout, and I’m thinking they may be true. You probably will see a lot less affiliate links, but I will always link to products because I think it’s helpful to you!!)

Hera Marker

When I first heard of a Hera marker, I envisioned a special pen. The name is misleading a bit until you realize that it “marks” the quilt with creases, NOT with actual physical marks like a pen, pencil, or chalk would. (The white thing in the photo above is the Hera marker for those of you who have not yet heard of them). Hera markers are my go-to quilt marking tool, and I use one for marking straight lines for small quilting projects, marking increments before free motion quilting, marking seam lines when joining binding or sewing HSTs, and just about any other time I need to mark the fabric somehow.

Painter’s tape

Painter’s tape is another fantastic tool for those of us who shudder at the thought of actually writing on a quilt top. I use painter’s tape to help keep straight line quilting evenly spaced and as a visual guide when sectioning off areas of free motion quilting. It is easily repositionable, and paired with a ruler, can be placed exactly straight. You NEED some of this in your quilting arsenal. (I also use it to tape up quilt blocks for photos!)

Self-threading needles

These needles sound magical, and trust me–they are! When you have a gabillion threads to bury after epically quilting your quilt baby, the self-threading (also called easy-threading) needles are your bff (that stands for ‘best friend forever’, for those of you who aren’t savvy to teenage acronyms). The drawing I did of the self-threading needles shows how they work best (in my humble opinion) so I’ve included that above. Basically, they have an open top so that you can just pop your thread end right down into the eye of the needle, easily burying threads like a champ, again, and again, and again, and again…

I hope this collection of resources is helpful to you. There’s nothing like finishing a quilt, and these tutorials have helped those final steps be as smooth as possible for me. You know me; I love to share the love!

I’m sure there are more great tips and techniques that haven’t yet crossed my quilting path, and I’d love to learn about them. What are some of your favorite finishing techniques or tutorials that I haven’t included here? Thank you in advance for sharing!

I’m linking up with Tips & Tutorials Tuesday and Quilting Mod’s Lessons Learned Linky #3.

Quilting, Stash Building

Stash Building: Art Theory Panels in a Panic

March 6, 2016 kittywilkin 10 Comments

My recent scour of the internet in search of Carolyn Friedlander’s old Architextures fabrics for THIS project has given me a new appreciation for stashing your favorites before they disappear. Once a fabric line is out of print, especially if it’s been out of print for a while, those fabrics are GONE. Legit, no stores have them, not even Etsy, gone.

This realization gave me a little bit of a panic, so I quickly contacted my local quilt shop Fiddlehead Artisan Supply and had them set aside three yards of the Alison Glass Art Theory panels from Ex Libris (Andover Fabrics) in charcoal and one yard in white. Better safe than sorry, right? If I could afford to buy a bolt of each and every Sun Print fabric, too, I totally would. But the line has to be drawn somewhere!!

It’s no secret that I love Alison Glass fabrics, and these panels are just SO gorgeous. I have a few projects in mind already for these, and I don’t think I will ever tire of the colors and design. Having a bit of “extra” in the stash never hurt anyone.

Maybe I’ll even get brave and cut into a few to use bits and pieces in a project beyond the full intact round panel. Maybe.

If you want to stock up before it’s too late, Fiddlehead does still have some yardage of these panels available, I think. They are not listed online, but if you call the store you can order some. No, I’m not *trying* to be an enabler. No, I don’t work for Alison Glass (to answer your question, Nancy! lol But wouldn’t that be a dream!?), but I really do honest-to-goodness love the vivid designs in her fabric. I’m trying to help. Really. Or if you are on a fabric diet, go ahead and let me know your birthday and I’ll set a panel aside for you.

I mean, look at those details!

I’m linking up with Molli Sparkles’ Sunday Stash traveling edition, which is hosted by Irene from Patchwork and Pastry today.

Life, Quilting

Tipping Point: 9 Months

March 5, 2016 kittywilkin 18 Comments

Finn has officially been growing on the outside as long as he grew on the inside. (Well, if you want to get really technical, he has another two weeks since he was born at 42 weeks gestation, but I’m just going with generalities a bit). This feels like the tipping point, for some reason. It’s amazing to think about the amount of growth that has happened over the past 18 months. Mind boggling, really. 18 months ago he was simply cells, and now…. wow! Life is miraculous, there’s no doubt. With month nine, I’m now working on the final row of his Milestone Quilt. Only three more blocks until it will be finished and ready to assemble. That means only three more months until my little baby will be a year old.

When I was thinking about what monthly milestones he’s been working on and meeting, and therefore which ones I wanted to document here, I immediately thought of his experiments with standing. He is getting steadier on his feet and will sometimes *briefly* let go of whatever it is he’s holding and stand on his own. Up until the photo shoot yesterday, though, these standing bouts lasted only a second or two.

You can imagine my surprise when Finn stood on his own for a few minutes, albeit propped against the wall! There’s my 9-month old boy!

As you can see, he’s still putting just about everything in his mouth, chomping at the bit as his teeth work their way in. He still has only those bottom two, but his top teeth look like they are getting close to breaking through. The drool faucet is often turned on.

I’m really loving seeing his quilt come to life. It does take some restraint to make such a simple quilt in such a long, drawn out time, but I think it is so worth it. I’m seeing my quilt-making mature as I watch my son grow, and I’m keeping the project completely manageable. This month I’m proud to say I made his block a few days in advance, and did the photoshoot yesterday. I won’t try to count how many months saw a last-minute day-of rushed shoot and late night sewing sessions. This month, I’m winning.

One of Finn’s new favorite positions is on his knees. He “stands on his knees” as Maddie likes to say, and bops up and down, chewing on a toy, or dancing along to music or just about any repetitive sound. He LOVES to dance. He still loves to smile, too.

With his increasingly steady stance, he is exploring the world with earnest. Those little hands reach and grab, trying to figure out every little thing. I’ve had to reevaluate the “safe zone” height in our house, since there have been a few large items pulled to the ground due to his exploring reach. No worries–all furniture and large items are securely fastened to the wall. Fortunately, Max made that a necessity so we are well prepared for our next active boy.

Finn still loves watching the chickens, and has begun to “talk” to them, as well as to the phone when it rings. He’s working on waving “hello” and loves to interact with others, especially his siblings.

Finn 9 month milestone quilt photo shoot — Finn “talking” to one of the friends who was here during the photoshoot. An epic 6-kid playdate was underway yesterday, but actually made the day more harmonious since everyone had a playmate.

As a year draws near, I’ve begun to think about how I want to preserve these milestone posts. While his baby book has been sorely neglected, I do have these updates each month and I’d like them to be in a preserved form. I’m thinking I will turn at least the highlights of each post (the photos and milestone accomplishments) into a book via Shutterfly. That way, Finn will have his quilt and his First Year book to look back on. I love this project more every month!

For those of you new to this project, you can see the full quilt layout plan, HERE in the 3 month post. You can see the full progression of Finn and his quilt’s growth so far HERE or by clicking the “Milestone Quilt” tab at the top of my blog. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

Crafting, Hand Stitching, Life

Denim Play, Literally

March 4, 2016 kittywilkin 11 Comments

I’ve been really itching to finish something–anything, so when I saw Leanne at Devoted Quilter’s blog post a few weeks ago with her blue jean English paper pieced (EPP) ball project, I knew I had to give it a try. With Finn just learning how to throw, plus two other kids who love to throw stuff around, and a large stack of jeans worn beyond the point of no return, paired with my desire to reuse and recycle as much as possible, this project was perfect.

It took me a bit longer to finish that I anticipated, as is typical, but today I finally finished this blue jeans ball! As Leanne suggested, I used the EPP templates provided by Abby at While She Naps. I glue basted most of the hexagons of old jeans to help make it a quick project, and I began stitching away!

At first I used 50wt Aurifil thread, but soon switched to 12wt. It was the perfect thickness to make the ball feel substantial and secure. I know this ball will be thrown and pummeled and beat on with the love only kids can exude with a well-loved toy, so I wanted to be sure it lasted the test of time.

One thing I learned during stitching this ball is that I need a thimble! I have old metal ones, but am so awkward in using them, I opted to just use coasters or, in some cases, wooden kid magnets to help ease the needle through the thick denim. This has been my down time and kid-napping-in-the-car project for the past two weeks, created through a series of #sewtake20s.

With the help of Finn and Max this morning, I stuffed the ball with 100% local wool I bought at Clementine Fabrics, a quasi-local but gorgeous fabric shop.

Max helped a bit but soon was distracted with the task of cooking up some sheep soup for us to share with his own big ball of wool.

Finn began roaming the rest of the playroom so that I could ladder-stitch the opening closed.

It’s a bit rougher than it could be, but I’m not well versed in 3D sewing. All three kids and a neighborhood friend have already had a blast playing with it within ten minutes of completion, so that’s what matters. Plus, I’ve begun the task of using old jeans for repurposed projects. Yay!

I’m linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday!

Hand Stitching, Quilting, Sponsored Post

Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses EPP {Sizzix Tutorial}

February 29, 2016 kittywilkin 7 Comments

Today I’m excited to be blogging over on the Sizzix blog, sharing a tutorial on how to piece the iconic Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses (PoTC) block. Lucy Boston blocks allow for endless meticulous cutting fun, the most kickassiduously planned pattern meet-ups, and of course lots of color play. (Translation: You can fussy cut your heart out and the blocks will look even more amazing the more meticulous you get). Since Lucy Boston blocks are English Paper Pieced (EPP), they are also great on-the-go projects. If you’re looking for a new EPP project but are getting a bit tired of hexies, I definitely would recommend Lucy Boston.

As you can see, I really stretched out of my color combination comfort zone with this project. With the Tula Pink Moonshine print as my focal fabric, I went wild with the blue, mustardy-yellow, and a pop of red palette. With my favorite Essex yarn dyed linen in charcoal as the background fabric, I’m really liking the way this is headed!

In my tutorial over on the Sizzix blog, I show how to:

make a fussy cutting planning template with the Sizzix Honeycombs and Squares die (so you don’t need to buy the acrylic template, too)
Find pattern repeats in fabric
Fussy cut using a Sizzix die cutting machine
Assemble the Lucy Boston PoTC block
I share tips on matching pattern meet-ups after fussy cutting, and more!

Many of these tips would be helpful to anyone wanting to create a Lucy Boston block, with or without a die cutting machine.

So head on over to the Sizzix blog and have a look at what I’ve been working on over the past few months!

I’m planning to turn my Lucy Boston blocks into a vertical wall hanging with three blocks and red accent squares. Stay tuned…

For other color combination inspiration, you can see another Lucy Boston PoTC project I did here, or peruse the Instagram feed of Rhea at Alewives Fabrics (one of my fav Maine quilt shops)–she’s a Lucy Boston fanatic!

I’m linking up with Design Wall Monday and tomorrow I’ll link to Stephanie’s Tips and Tutorials Tuesday. Check ’em out!

Also, just a reminder that today is the last day to enter the giveaway sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop! Comment on THIS post to enter!

Color Inspiration

Color Inspiration Thursday {65}

February 25, 2016 kittywilkin 6 Comments

This time of year is when I really start to yearn for green sprouts, new life, and colorful flowers. February, and even March, in Maine is usually pretty dismal. I appreciate the season, though, because this dark, dreary, still chilly and sometimes snowy time gets me really ready to appreciate and jump into spring, even those “warm” 45 degree days. I will soon be pulling out my grow lights and starting pots and getting some veggies started indoors–onions, definitely, perhaps some brussel sprouts or broccoli, or some rosemary. Possibly some cut flowers. I also usually succumb to the urge to buy flowers, and this year is no different. It is amazing what a vase of fresh flowers can do to enliven a home! Today’s color palettes are from photographs of some tulips I bought to help make February a little less grey. Color palettes are made with Play Craft’s Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Charcoal, Bella Brick Red, Kona Cocoa, Bella Dove, Bella Betty’s Brown, Kona Palm

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2468 – Dk Wine
1103 – Burgundy
2345 – Raisin
2375 – Antique Blush
1285 – Med Bark
5023 – Med Green

This palette is darker than I was hoping to find, but it still represents the little peek at the colors to come.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Grass Green, Kona Crimson, Bella Blush, Bella Bubblegum, Kona Pale Flesh, Kona Sunflower

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
5108 – Grass Green
2345 – Raisin
2245 – Red Orange
2420 – Fleshy Pink
2205 – Flesh
2125 – Wheat

Here are the light, springy colors I was hoping to see! I know that in a few short months, our gardens will be bursting with color, with new flowers and plants sprouting and flowering every day. Until then, I might just get a few teasers from the grocery store! Enjoy.

Paper piecing, Quilting, Stash Building

Carolyn Friedlander Modern Hexies Progress

February 24, 2016 kittywilkin 17 Comments

It’s no secret that Carolyn Friedlander is one of my favorite fabric designers. Last year, I made an entire quilt featuring her Doe fabric line, with cameos from Botanics and Architextures. But as her new fabric lines come out and continue to coordinate so well with her originals, I decided I wanted a quilt that truly showcased her varied and gorgeous fabrics. What better than a Modern Hexies mini quilt using Nicole at Modern Handcraft’s fabulous method?!

Now, I’m already putting myself up against a wall a bit, since I began this project after Architextures became all but extinct. I’m hoping, though, with a bit of luck and a few insider tips, I can eventually acquire at least a 2 1/2″ square of each of the fabrics from Architextures.

Thanks to a tip from Allison at Campbell Soup Diaries, I recently picked up one of my all time favorites, plus Ledger in Ivory, from Westwood Acres.

Through the #getyourquiltywishesgranted event on Instagram a few months back, I obtained a few more archaic Architextures prints, as well as the Carkai mini charms I’ve nearly made into hexies. I’m on my way!

I already have basted hexagons from all of Botanics and most of Carkai. I have some scraps left from my Doe quilt, so I’ll see where that brings me and go from there.

backed in text from architextures — Might be a bit too busy for my aesthetic.

I think I will make a few more hexies before ultimately deciding whether to back the hexies in my favorite Essex yarn dyed linen in charcoal, or to stick with solid white. Perhaps I’ll be crazy and use one of the still easily attainable text prints from Architextures as the background. Time will tell.

If you have any tiny (2 1/2″ square at least) scraps of Carolyn’s Architextures fabric, please let me know if I can persuade you to send them my way! I will be happy to compensate with fabric, chocolate, or cash money. And of course gratitude. Lots and lots of gratitude.

I thought I would link up with Lee’s Work in Progress Wednesday, but it appears I’ve been out of the WiP loop long enough to have missed that she’s taking a (potentially permanent) break from her link up. Oops! Still check out her blog at Freshly Pieced since she’s always making something gorg! I’m also going to go wild and link up with Molli Sparkles’ Sunday Stash since I’m finally sharing my new CF acquisitions.

Business, Sponsored Post

Sponsor Introduction: Fat Quarter Shop {& a Giveaway}

February 22, 2016 kittywilkin 309 Comments

I’m excited to kick off the week by announcing a new sponsor: Fat Quarter Shop. Many of you most likely know about this pinnacle online fabric shop that not only stocks a wide selection of fabrics, but also engages the community in a big way through free video tutorials and patterns, quilt alongs, block of the month clubs, and more. I’ve worked with Fat Quarter shop in the past during two separate quilt pattern blog hops: Layers of Charm and Welded, and they are also a big sponsor of the 1930s Farmer’s Wife Sew Along hosted by Angie at Gnome Angel, for which I’m an official blogger. Fat Quarter Shop has long been very supportive of independent bloggers. When they reached out to me wanting to sponsor my blog, I graciously accepted.

Here are some of my favorite features about Fat Quarter Shop:

They have a *really* extensive selection of fabrics that span from traditional to more modern.
They stock gorgeously curated bundles of solids, some of which have matching Aurifil threads!
The shop is searchable by color, which is always a good starting point in finding the perfect fabric for a project.
They seem to have an endless supply of novelty fabrics, which helps tremendously with eye spy or any other themed quilts.
They have many free tutorials and patterns that are great for both quick projects and skill building, not to mention learning short cuts that can help in all future quilt projects.
They have great sales including a 24 hour flash sale each day.
Their customer service is always stellar.

Giveaway Time!

Fat Quarter Shop is generously offering a Contemporary Splendid Sampler Fat Quarter Bundle, consisting of twenty (20) gorgeous fat quarters by Moda Fabrics, to one of my readers. This is a great stash-building bundle (look at those teals! swoon!), or perhaps a reason to jump in on the Splendid Sampler Sew Along by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson.

To enter the giveaway today, let me know your favorite fat quarter bundle offered by Fat Quarter Shop. You can peruse the selection HERE. Leave a comment and make sure I’m able to get ahold of you if you win. If you’re a follower of Night Quilter, leave a second comment telling me how you follow for a second entry. Tell me how you follow Fat Quarter Shop (facebook, twitter, Instagram, their blog Jolly Jabber, etc.) for a third entry.

~~This giveaway is open to US and international participants. The giveaway will be open until 8pm Monday 2/29 when I’ll select the winner randomly with random.org. Good luck!~~ Giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Pam S.!

Thanks again to the Fat Quarter Shop! Blog sponsors help me to keep this blog going by helping cover the costs of hosting, photography equipment, supplies, and of course time. Sweet, precious time. Many many thanks to all who support me!