Showing posts sorted by date for query be my valentine. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query be my valentine. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Dear Jane Progress

Seems like I'm off to a great start this year.  Considering I started my Dear Jane journey in 2010, that's only 11 years to get the center completed LOL . . . . 



I'm hoping that, in between sewing hexagons for the sew along that started in January and the upcoming little Valentine's Day Mini Mystery Quilt, maybe I can get some more triangles finished (31 down, 21 to go plus the 4 corner blocks). Oh dear. It always sounds so daunting. I make some progress and I feel good about it, but then - there's still so much more to do. How DID our friend Jane Stickle even manage this? And in the 1860s no less, without the EQ Dear Jane software for help with directions and paper piecing! I know for a fact I could not have done it without that help. 

                                  

                                     

                                 


                                    

I keep my poster up in my sewing room for a constant reminder.

                           

If you are thinking about making a Dear Jane quilt but can't find the book . . . .  Did you know that Brenda Papadakis, who wrote the Dear Jane book, has come out with a second edition of Dear Jane? It's the 25th Anniversary edition. The original one with the yellow cover has been out of print for quite a few years and is really hard to find. My own copy is all dog eared and marked up after ten years and so I treated myself to a brand new one (with a blue cover LOL). Hopefully, this will renew interest in The Quilt and some of us will get inspired to finish the ones we've started when others begin theirs for the first time. 


                                
If you feel you need a little motivation to work on your Dear Jane or maybe begin one, here's a post I wrote several years ago about my journey.

                             

Oh yeah! Join me this month in my Facebook group for a Valentine's Day Mini Mystery Quilt.



This little sew along begins on Friday, January 14, 2022 in the group. It will be another small and simple design and won't take you too long. We'll do this in quick steps every week so it won't interfere too much with hexagons or anything else you're stitching right now. Bring out your pink and red reproduction fabric scraps along with some shirtings or light  prints. I'll give you the cutting directions on Friday. The following week we'll make the blocks and the week after we'll put the quilt together. Simple and fun and you'll be done in time for Valentine's Day. You'll need one pink print, one red print and one or two shirting prints. If you like scrappy, then choose two different reds and a couple of different lights for variety. But use the same pink fabric. Have a fun weekend! 



Sunday, February 14, 2021

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! We had a Pincushion challenge in my Facebook Small quilt Lovers group today. I hadn't done any cross stitch in awhile so decided to add a bit to my pincushion this year.  It was so relaxing. I think I need to do some every now and then. Maybe finish one of the samplers I started many years ago. 


Here's a little heart quilt I made last year. I made the framed one on the lower right. The red heart appliqued on pink was a little gift made by my friend Jeanne Lucas. 


Oh, I also was able to finish that little heart quilt made from four patches last week. Another one I kept putting off. I left it sitting out unfinished on the dining room table for a few weeks so I could remind myself to actually get the quilting done by Feb 14. It worked! 



I got a little sidetracked and forgot to post something on the Schoolgirl Sampler Sew along here. Just a reminder - we're on Week 7 and you're more than halfway there if you're still following along.  See some tips posted in the file on my website  on the Schoolgirl Sampler Sew Along page. 


Sue's blocks for Week 7


If you're following along on the older Mystery Quilt from 2018 that I'm rerunning every month on the 15th, Clue 2 will be posted on my website on Monday, Feb 15. 






Saturday, January 30, 2021

Sew Along - Week 5

We're moving along on the Schoolgirl Sampler Sew Along. It's Week 5 and I can't believe so many of you are participating and continue to stay motivated. This week's blocks are posted in the Facebook group files and on my website. Except for those tiny half-square triangles, the blocks are not difficult. Just take your time and make sure you cut and sew accurately. A scant 1/4" seam may help your blocks come out well. But just do whatever works for you. 


(Blocks by sue Bennett) 

I thought you might like to see some blocks made by others in the groups - 


(Blocks made by Robin McGuire)


(More Blocks by Robin)

*  *  *

In other news -  we're also working on our new 2021 Mystery Quilt. You can find the monthly patterns in the Facebook group files or on my website under the 2021 Mystery Quilt page.  The patterns will be posted on the first of each month through May 2021. Simple and scrappy and easy to make. Just grab some scraps and download the pattern for the first step that was posted in January. I will post Step 2 on Monday, Feb 1.


I am also re-running an older Mystery from 2018 based on requests from some group members who missed it the first time around. So it doesn't get too confusing, look for those patterns on my website under the 2018 Mystery. Patterns will be posted on the 15th of each month. It's a fun one too!




We're supposed to get some snow today and tomorrow. Looks like it will be a good weekend to stay in and do some sewing. Plenty to do! Did I mention we're also doing a February Valentine challenge?? Make a pinushion with red or pink fabric for our parade on February 14. Lots of small block inspiration in the Schoolgirl sampler book  . . . 


Last year's pincushions. 





(Patterns for heart quilts available on my website or Etsy shop)









Thursday, August 27, 2020

A Few Small Finishes

Making little quilts is a whole lot of fun. But it drives me nuts when I have so many unfinished ones stacked up. It's satisfying to design and make them for my groups but then they always seem to pile up - unfinished - as I constantly move onto other things.  Most of them are simple enough - don't know why I have such a problem finishing them. Last week I decided enough was enough.  I want to work on so many other quilts (large ones, mostly) but I knew if the small ones kept hanging over my head I'd probably never get anything finished. There will always be new projects and ideas pulling me in but sometimes it's good to sit down and just complete something, am I right?

I feel like I've done a FEW little things this year.  For a change, I actually finished a monthly challenge - the small quilt for August. 

                           

And my Tumbler/Thimbles doll quilt - 



Lately, I get giddy when I finally finish something, even something small.  



Other quilts that needed to be finished - 

                              

I pulled out two and kept them on my sewing table. Made a plan - 

                            

                            

                                                                         Here we go -








Yay! 



Yesterday, I finished the other little one. Honestly, it took me all of an hour and a half so I don't know what the problem was that kept me procrastinating so long, LOL. 


All of these quilts are free patterns in my Facebook group and the other small quilt group. Now I've moved on to quilting my little log cabin quilt that was started last year.  Another easy finish I keep putting off. 



              More to do. Maybe I'll get this one finished before NEXT Valentine's Day -   


                                     


                         





Monday, February 3, 2020

Fun Little Things to Make in February

February always ends up being a busy but often creative month for me. The holiday crunch is over and I usually have more time so I get down to business. I often "think pink" around this time of year. Ever since the kids were little I loved decorating for Valentine's Day. It was always a very exciting time for school-age kids. "Secret" valentines, parties, candy, etc. Mine are all grown up now and so no more vinyl heart stickers on the windows but I still have fun displaying my pink or red quilts around the house and changing the wreath on the front door. Maybe getting a little chocolate . . . .



If you've been following my 2020 Mystery Quilt Sew Along you may have finished the blocks for January -



Well, we're moving right along. The blocks for February were posted a couple of day ago.


No photo description available.

These should keep you busy for awhile. You can find the patterns in my Facebook group files or on my website under the Mystery page. It's never too late to begin. If you haven't thought about starting the Mystery quilt yet, read more about it here.

If you're in the mood for more projects, join me in making some other things this month. My Facebook small quilt group also does monthly small quilt challenges. This month we're making a Valentine's Day themed quilt for the February Small Quilt Challenge.  Make a little quilt with a heart motif or make something using red or pink fabrics. The pattern is your choice but the file describing the challenge in our group files gives some suggestions. I hope some of you will join us. Here's the quilt I started and I really hope to get it quilted before too long. I designed it for the groups as a challenge idea a few years ago but never got around to making one of my own so this is the year. Just a simple four patch turned on point to make scrappy "hearts."


Perhaps there's a pattern you've always meant to make but never found the time? Maybe this is the year. Pick out some pretty fabric. Sew some squares or triangles together. Make something just for yourself. Put your heart into it.


Here are a few other suggestions. The Be My Little Valentine quilt from my book Small & Scrappy is a really easy project. 



My popular Vintage Valentine quilt that I designed last year is still available as a pattern on my website or in my Etsy shop. Many of you bought the kit from me and so perhaps that's another good idea.


This Little Sweethearts runner from a few years ago is also available as a pattern. I don't typically use novelty fabrics much but this one with all the little heart prints was fun and easy to make. Many of you bought this kit too so now may be the time to finally make it. 


Last year's February challenge pattern is also available in the online group files. 


As a little extra this month, I thought it might be fun to have a Valentine's Day pincushion challenge - make a sweet little pincushion with a Valentine's Day theme and post a picture in the group. These are usually really simple and fun and take hardly any time at all to complete. The fun part is always playing around with pretty red or pink fabrics. I know we could all use some little decorative things around the house for February so grab some of your scraps and make a little something. A few simple pinnies displayed in a bowl would be fun. We often get busy and always think we have so much to do but sometimes taking a little time for yourself to make something small and cute can be just what you need to perk you up in the winter. 









Making even a little something can motivate and energize you and just plain make you feel good. Or, here's a better idea - make a small gift for someone else.


"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart."   ~Helen Keller

Happy St. Valentine's Month!




Tuesday, February 5, 2019

The Shortest Month. And the Pinkest . . .

February is the shortest month so if you have quilting goals, you'd better get cracking. Here's Block #2 of my Mystery Quilt for 2019. Have you joined in yet? It's free and the patterns for the blocks are posted monthly. We're moving right along. The mystery will be revealed in July.


You can download the monthly patterns from Files in my Facebook small quilt lovers group or the Mystery page on my website. I love this block! It's called "Louisiana" and it's fast becoming one of my favorites. Very simple and yet if you use some pretty fabric combinations with nice contrast it looks more complicated than it really is.

I had pink and brown on my brain as we went into this month. The February small quilt challenge is a free little nine-patch quilt because I was playing around with some pink and brown nine-patch blocks  one evening and said What the heck, this might be perfect for the February challenge quilt - 



Quick and easy. Pattern is in Files in the groups. 




Here's a little more inspiration for February. If you haven't made the Be My Little Valentine quilt from my Small & Scrappy book yet, this may be a good month to get that one finished. Also simple and cute. Doesn't get much easier than four patches. 



More pink and brown - Last February, I started this sweet little hearts quilt and was finally able to finish it last week. I created some kits and also put a pattern up on my website. The kits have already sold out but if anyone would really, really like to purchase one, you may be able to twist my arm to make up a few more so please e-mail me (click on my blog profile for e-mail). I will do this if there's any interest. But I'd have to buy more fabric and you probably won't get them before Valentine's Day. So, let me know. You can also purchase the pattern alone and use your own scraps. 






If you follow along with our monthly challenges, we've still got a few more quilts to make from my Prairie Journey book this year. Last month, some of us made the little log cabin quilt. I forgot to post the pic of mine here. Of course it's not quilted yet because I got sidetracked by a few other things. (More pink and red. I was in antique mode.) 


I chose my colors and fabrics based on an antique doll quilt I saw on eBay. This one was so much fun and it really does stitch up rather easily. (FYI - Needle case was a gift made by a friend. Don't know the pattern.)


These little blocks really make my heart sing.  Make something with pink in it to perk yourself up and get over the gloomy winter doldrums. It won't be spring for awhile. Snow is gone and we have promises of ice and rain here this week. Yep, it's February. But, hey, at least it's the shortest month.