Small Quilt for July

You will love the little quilt I have chosen for this month's small quilt challenge. It's one of  my all-time favorites from my book from long ago, American Doll Quilts.

(Photo in book by Brent Kane)

This is the first 2-color quilt we have made in our Small-Quilt-a-Month challenge. Great for those of you who do not especially like the scrappy look, although I used a lot of different shirtings and blues in mine for a rather muted scrap look. If you're not fond of blue - how about making it in red and white . . . or pink and green?? Or red, white and blue if you're feeling particularly patriotic. The possibilities are endless. And while you're at it, why not make 2? Christmas will be here before you know it and they're small . . .

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Here's something new you will want to add to your fabric collection. I just received some samples of a new line by Pam Buda for Marcus Bros. It's called Heart of the Prairie-

The line has a lot of great indigoes. I think these will be perfect for making this little quilt.  Pam's new fabric should be in shops now.

This week, pick out your fabrics and start cutting the pieces. (If I get inspired to make ANOTHER one, you can see I've already picked out my fabric.) This should not take you very long. Next week, you can piece the  hourglass blocks together. The week after that, put the borders on. No stress. Take it in steps and you will certainly finish by the end of the month.

One thing I love about this quilt is that border. I sewed a small decorative stitch with dark blue thread through the center of the border. You know, those fancy stitches on your machine you never actually use, LOL? Have fun with this one - you're halfway there!

Sweet and simple and summery

Stencil Winners

Thanks so much to those of you who posted a comment here last week to win a free stencil.  Your comments were so cute and often funny and I could not pick easily so I thought it would be most fair to have my husband choose with his random-numbers-generator brain. So, here you go - the winners, picked at random, of the Rick Rack stencil are -

             Gayle at - The Middle Sister blog

             Sharlene at - sharzlee at aol dot com

             Kristy at  - soardkg at fuse dot net

Please e-mail me your mailing addresses and I will contact The Stencil Company and have your stencils sent out to you as soon as possible.

Many thanks again to the Stencil Company for this great idea. To those of you who did not win this time - if I could, I would send a stencil (or 2 or 3) to each and every one of you.  Please come back and  try again next month. And pick up some hand quilting between now and then. You will love it!

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Here it is,  almost the end of June. Is your June quilt finished?

This one was very quick and I know you are eager to move on to a new one. The next one will not be quite as simple but I will pick one that is just as cute. I would love to choose one from my first book, American Doll Quilts, but am not sure if many of you have that one. I have not decided yet and thought I would leave it up to all of you. Amazon has copies available if you do not own it. You can sometimes find copies on eBay. Also, my publisher, Martingale, has e-books available here.

Post a comment to let me know if you think this is a fair choice since it is an older book and hard to find. I suspect many of you probably already own it. Otherwise, pick a book you would like to use for the next Small Quilt of the Month and I will take your thoughts into consideration over the next couple of days before I decide. Don't forget, we will be making the Hexagons quilt from The Civil War Sewing Circle in October and that will make 3 from that book so far. I'd like to mix it up a little.

Remember that you can post a photo of your finished quilts on my Flickr group . Some of you have done that already and I love seeing your photos. You can always add any photo of a quilt you have made from one of my patterns or books.

I look forward to sharing our next small quilt for the month of July with you. NOTE:  I will post it on MONDAY - July 2.  Please do not e-mail me on Sunday, asking if I forgot. Look for it on Monday instead of Sunday. It will still be the beginning of the month and you will have plenty of time.

Adios, muchachas (I have to go, I am making an enchilada casserole for dinner . . .  Ole!)

Fun with Stencils

I'm still trying to finish up this small pinwheels quilt I started last year.

I hand quilted the center with diagonal lines and then stopped. I often get stumped by how to do the borders of my quilts. I recently became motivated to finish when Cindy from The Stencil Company e-mailed me to suggest a stencil giveaway here on the blog. Maybe this will help motivate some of you to finish up the quilting on your quilts as well. Quilting with stencils is so much fun and if you're making small quilts with me it's a pretty simple way to finish them. I have a nice variety and use the small stencils in some of my small blocks and also the border stencils at times when I get tired of straight-line stitching.

It seems that some of you like to hand quilt your small quilts just as much as I do because when I wrote about one stencil in particular that I liked to use for my borders, many of you contacted the company to buy the same stencil. Remember this quilt? And the simple Wave stencil I used in the borders? I blogged about it here . I will sometimes use the same stencil to quilt my sashings.

The Stencil Company and I are holding a Free Stencil Giveaway here on the blog every month. Is that cool or what?? About every month or so I will choose a stencil for you to use for  hand quilting your quilts and then demonstrate it on a quilt. All you have to do is post a message and I will choose 3 lucky winners every month.

 This month  - starting today - we will be giving away the Rick Rack stencil -

Look how cute it is!

And easy too. Use the stencil to mark the lines with your favorite tool - a washable fabric pen or a quilting pencil, whatever. Your choice. Then just quilt on the lines and erase or wash them out when you're done.  I'll try to show you what it looks like when I'm finished.

I used my new Sewline marking pencil with green lead.

And even if you don't win a stencil this time, you can still order them directly from the company. To make it easy for you to find the stencils I like to use for my small quilts, click here. (Look at that - they created a special page just for my Sentimental Quilter followers (you)). These are just some of the stencils that I think are fun to use to quilt your small quilts.

Wouldn't a quilt block look cute quilted with this one??

To win your free stencil, go ahead and finish this sentence: "When I'm not quilting, I am . . . ."  Post a nice creative message and we'll see what happens. And remember to keep it clean, please. Some of us are old ladies . . . .

I'll choose a winner sometime next week. Remember to give me your name and a link to your e-mail or blog so I can notify you. This is important. I get upset when some of you ask me a question and then do not leave me an e-mail address so I can respond. There will be another stencil giveaway next month too so keep checking back to see which one is next and if I can keep up with all the hand quilting. I'm telling you, quilting with stencils is going to be so much fun!

I See Hexagons in Your Future

I know I am sounding like a broken record, but maybe some of you have missed it or just found my blog and books and perhaps are just joining us now. Every month we make a small quilt in order to finish a goal of making 12 small quilts this year. I choose the pattern from one of my books. (Yes, that means you have to have the book or borrow it to make the quilt.) This month's quilt is easy (see posting below this one and then also search the blog Archives by month for the other quilts). So when you finish it, here's something else to think about. Some of you have requested that we do the Hexagon quilt from my latest book, The Civil War Sewing Circle, this year and I decided that this will be the quilt for the month of October.  

If you have time this summer, you can get a head start by making your little hexagons in preparation for sewing the quilt together later in the fall. So now you know and don't say I didn't give you fair warning. I know it's only June, and even though you may think you have plenty of time, wouldn't it be smart to get some of the hexagons flowers finished now? Then you can whip up the quilt rather quickly come October. Those of you who are still dreaming of catching up and making 12 quilts with us this year, stop stalling - time to get to work.

These hexagons are so much fun and very easy too. Try making just a couple and you'll soon be hooked. If you get started now,  by October you'll have enough flowerettes for several hexagon quilts.  While you're at it, you might want to make this cute little box that's in the book too. The perfect size for keeping them safe. No little puppies with prying paws will even know they're in there!

Look in the book for directions to make the quilt. If you get started making the flowers now, they'll be all ready to put together and won't that be nice? The hard part will be finished.

I used printable hexagons generated by this website to make mine and set each to come out at .60. Print them out on cardstock so you can use them over and over. There are also places that sell pre-cut paper hexagons but this worked fine for me since I already had a ton of cardstock lying around.

Just cut out the hexagon paper pieces, place on the wrong side of a small scrap, cut 1/4 inch around the shape and then fold over the edges and baste one at a time. The stitches should not go through the paper.

I like to punch a hole in the center of the paper before I cut them out and find that if I use a small applique pin to hold the fabric in place the paper does not slip so much. And then it's also easy to pull the paper piece out later with a seam ripper.

Once you've made your hexagons, you then connect them (like spokes on a wheel) to the center hexagon, one at a time. (Directions in the book)

Hexagon quilts were actually very popular during the 19th century even though we are more familiar with calling them Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts from the '30s. Sometimes they were called Mosaic or Honeycomb quilts. Even though my little quilt is finished I still like to pick up some scraps and make a few every now and them - it's so relaxing. Maybe I'll make a bigger one someday. I think I probably have enough.

Simple is Good

Making simple little doll quilts refreshes, inspires and soothes me. And I'll bet it does the  same for many of you too. If you're still with me and enjoying making one sweet little doll quilt a month so that you can have a pile of 12 quilts to display at the end of the year, the quilt for June will be very easy and quick. I know everyone gets busy during the summer and so I chose Scrap Squares from my book The Civil War Sewing Circle (you will find the pattern on page 24).

This one will go very fast (I've already made 2!) and then those of you who are so inclined (but a little behind) can easily spend the rest of the month catching up with some of the other quilts we've made this year. Go back to the Archives on this blog (by month) to see the other quilts we've worked on.

So, follow the pattern in the book and pick through your scraps to find your 12 squares, 20 cornerstones and sashing and get to work! 

Who doesn't love a pile of small quilts?

Or perhaps several on a clothesline?

Playing with Scraps

I get a little distressed when my sewing area is messy and that makes me not want to quilt. I've been so busy with other stuff and that's been my excuse, even though I know that the simple act of quilting will make me feel better. So, while I haven't quite taken the time to exactly tidy it ALL up, I  did start organizing some of my scraps (again and again and again). I love making scrap quilts and I have a few cute ideas but my method of making scrappy quilts requires a little planning.

Some quilters like to choose their fabrics at random when they make a scrap quilt, but I prefer to take my time and play with different colors until I find a scheme that I like. Takes longer, but I really enjoy that process. And I think that the simple act of playing around with fabric brings inspiration. Sometimes I simply choose a few colors to start a quilt and then use different shades of those colors over and over again interspersed with tiny bits of other contrasting scrap pieces.

I'm still trying to finish up the quilting on this quilt I started last year. Believe it or not, there's a theme here . . . .

Anyway, I usually start organizing my scrap pieces by taking them out of the baskets I throw them into when I'm sewing a project.

I will sit on the floor, turn on the TV and just mindlessly organize all the small pieces into piles according to color. Maybe it's silly, but I save even the tiniest ones because . . . well, you just never know.  And I love to place even a very small piece of one of my really old favorite prints into a quilt.

I place the scraps into zip-lock bags (according to color) and then put the bags into a "scrap bin" which I almost always take out when I start another project. This way I can easily see the colors of the scraps I may want to mix in with my new fabrics and have the choice of different shades of the same color right there in the bag when I want to make a block.

It's very easy to pull pieces and just sew a scrappy block -

Larger scrap pieces go into bins with drawers that are easy  to pull out if I need a bigger piece.

I have a hard time sewing if my space is messy and when this happens (right now, LOL) I can get lazy and ignore it and just get involved in something else. So the sooner I get it cleaned up, the more likely I am to make something fun. But, hey, at least the garden is looking good. One thing at a time . . . .

The peonies popped! And today they're fading already . . .

I haven't planted Sunflowers since the kids were little . . .

Do any of you have your own special organizing tips for making scrap quilts?

My Forgotten Garden

My garden is like a patchwork quilt. When I first started gardening about 15 years ago, I jumped into it  rather blindly. We had a large shady backyard with a few big trees and plenty of shrubs but not much landscaping and nothing you would call a garden. I loved the natural look of it but craved some color.  One day, on impulse, I went to a garden center and bought quite a few beautiful, expensive plants. I had no gardening experience and could not get anyone to help me so I followed a couple of gardening guides and just bought what I liked. How hard could it be, I thought? You dig some holes in the ground and put some plants in the dirt. Hah!

That first year was sort of a hit-or-miss disaster. Gardening is a lot of work!  And a garden needs sun, something that was lacking in my backyard. By the next year only a few of the plants came back and some others had taken over the garden. I learned as I went along though. Every year I got a little better at it. Reminds me of  my quilting journey . . . .

Eventually, I got some good advice and had fun playing with plants and watching my garden mature and change over the years. I tried a lot of different plants to see what worked best. After a time, where there was once nothing but dirt and grass, my back yard was transformed into a more or less restful haven.

But it was still mostly green. The hostas have clearly overtaken the patio garden this year. They should have been divided in the spring - a couple of springs ago, actually - but I didn't get around to it.

I yearned for a cottage garden, though. There is little sun in the back and the only full sun spots are in the front. So a few years ago I convinced my husband to have a picket fence built near the front door and then he put in a small patio and dug out some beds so I could do some planting along it. I went out and bought some more of those expensive plants. And I got a bench for Mother's Day that year.

My sort of  homemade "cottagey" garden. A work in progress.

Today the shrub roses are going crazy, the Peony is getting ready to bloom and pretty soon there will be another burst of color from the Phlox. Not bad. If I manage to get in some annuals, I say we'll call the front finished for now.

One of my favorite spots . . .

This book has been on my shelf for a little while. Hmmm  . . . time to finally read it, I think.

I haven't done much in the garden for a couple of years, mostly because I was sick or recovering from surgery at prime gardening time and couldn't bend or lift or else it was because I was having trouble with my knee, whatever. Excuses, excuses. And for two years I simply did not have the energy to take care of a garden. But this year I'm all better and so excited to get back to it. Because it's been neglected a bit there's a lot of work to be done.

The back is a little wild and crazy and overgrown right now.

The yard has good bones though and there's plenty of space to work with -

Lots of room for dogs to play. But no color. I want to plant a shade garden all along the fence. I think it has lots of potential. Give me some tips on what to plant, all you shade gardeners out there.

So much work to do here it's pathetic.

I'll be dividing some of the  plants that are already in the garden and moving things around, playing with scraps so to speak. Last week I bought a bunch of perennials from a sale through a local garden club. They were very cheap and all so pretty. I like to experiment with plants and every time I buy expensive plants at a garden center, they flop or don't come back the next year. These are cuttings of established plants from local gardens in this area and I've done this before so I know they will do well in my garden too. As I was loading the plants into my car I had to laugh. I felt like I was making a quilt from scraps instead of going out and buying new fabric LOL. Something I'm very good at. We'll see if my scrap theory works in the garden.

I bought a Bleeding Heart. Again. I love these so much but have not had luck with them in the past. Third time is a charm maybe? Right after I put it in the ground, a little black dog on a mission to capture a chipmunk ran across it and broke a few stems. Arrgh!

My own mission will be to buy some Hollyhocks and Foxglove this year to put near my picket fence.

Hollyhocks from a few years ago.

This summer I'll be a regular at the Chicago Botanic Gardens near me, snapping photos, searching for inspiration -

The beautiful English Walled Garden at the Chicago Botanic Gardens

Wish me luck in getting my garden back into shape. My sewing space also needs sprucing up but never mind that. One thing at a time. For now, I think I have my work cut out for me.

Don't Be Intimidated by Scrap Quilts

Reminder - get going on your Civil War Stars quilt if you haven't already. The quilt for this month is a very scrappy one.

I recently met some quilters who said that  making scrap quilts intimidates them. Many antique quilts were made from scraps and those of you who know my quilt style know that this is my favorite type of quilt. Not all scrap quilts are created alike, however, and you can always control just how scrappy your quilt turns out. If you are accustomed to making matchy quilts, just try going a little scrappy at first -  throw in a few different blocks amongst your matching blocks. It will grow on you. And take a look at antique quilts.

If you're afraid to go too scrappy - use the same colored sashing throughout to pull the scrap blocks together.

You can always try using different scrap blocks with the same background fabric.

When I lecture and show my quilts, I am often asked how I get that particular scrappy look in my quilts. I learned to  do this early on by studying old quilts that I was drawn to and determining what it was about them that I loved. In the quilt below, each block is made from different prints, no two color combinations are repeated. Antique quilts are often scrappy like this because they simply had to use what was available. I like to think that the women who made these quilts didn't just create them randomly, however.  In many of them you see that wonderful creative essence of play.

If I'm making a scrappy quilt, I like to make it using simple blocks. Simple blocks can be made to look more complex than they actually are by using a large variety of fabrics. And you can use the same block and  make another quilt with different fabrics for a totally unique look. Try it sometime.

Ophelia (Princess Lia)  is not usually allowed to play or sleep on my quilts but OMG how cute does she  look here? Poised and posed. If I stay perfectly still, like a statue, maybe Mom won't notice I'm on her quilt . . . .

 She thinks I'm playing when I yell at her to get off the quilt and she does this every time I try to set up my quilts for the camera.

What I love about this blue stars quilt (which was modeled after an antique quilt made with scrappy LeMoyne Star blocks on a light background), is that while the backgrounds of the blocks are blue, each is made with a different blue print.  Still blue, but using different prints gives it a subtle tone and keeps it from looking too matchy. A good way to go if you usually make matchy quilts and are afraid of making each block different. Just make the backgrounds of the blocks different. I think  it gives a nice old-fashioned feel to the quilt. And it's easy because the blocks are made using half-square triangles, no set-in seams. The quilt is in my book Remembering Adelia.

This one is in Adelia too . . .

I miss this particular quilt because right now it is hanging in the Grout Museum in Waterloo, Iowa for their Civil War Commemorative Quilts exhibit and will be there until Sept. If you have not seen this exhibit and are planning a trip to Iowa, please stop and take a look. It's a very nice exhibit. Scrappy quilts, antique quilts and lots and lots of small quilts too. I  blogged about it here.

But I'm getting off track. And sorry  - Blogger is messing with my fonts again and I can't change the type size or make it all the same so everything looks crappy, Arrgh! 

For many, the best way to make a scrappy quilt is to be spontaneous. I like to plan a little bit and always make extra blocks for a quilt. Use light prints with medium prints and medium prints with dark prints. Try making some extra blocks in varied colors and play around with them in the setting until you come up with a combination you like.  Set them together with the light and darker blocks contrasting for a nice flow. But don't fuss too much. It's not as hard as it seems if you just take the time to play and find what is pleasing to your eye. Throw in a lot of the colors you love and your scrap quilt will turn out just fine.