Heather and Megan feeling left out...

Hi. Megan and I have been feeling a little blue about this block party that we can't join. So we decided to do our own.  So we are going to have a block party between ourselves. We are going to post our blocks in the next few weeks for each category. We will post so you don't know who is who. That way people can't just vote for Megan because they like her better, (as they often do).  You will just have to vote for the block you like better.

Grand Prize:

2 yards of fabric from the others stash, one free week from posts and a custom pillow

We will put our first blocks up for voting this Thursday, traditional blocks.

Please join in on the fun and vote for your favorite Thursday!

Heather and Megan

Make a Difference by Quilting

Rene' from Rene' Creates is a very talented quilter we (and many of you)  have gotten to know through blogland! She recently sent us a link to a post of hers that she's very passionate about.  There is a charity called the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative that sells and auctions donated quilts to raise awareness and funding for research. Little did Rene know, our grandmother passed away 4 years ago this May with Alzheimer's.  And she was an avid quilter.  We each have quilts from her for our weddings and our babies.  She taught Heather how to knit.  We definitely get our crafty and creativity from that side of the family.  Quilting was probably the last hobby she was able to maintain.  So please read below to hear Rene's great thoughts and ideas to get us all motivated to help and check out AAQI for more information.  Thanks again Rene'.

Don't you just love the feeling you get with the promise of a new year....new goals....new challenges...new possibilities...especially when you're off to a great start in reaching those goals? 

AAQI #6342 Color Play

A major goal I set for myself this year was recommitting to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative by making Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts, and I am psyched to tell you that I completed two this weekend!

If you are not familiar with the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, go right now to their page to learn how this amazing organization "raises awareness and funds research through art." Just make sure you come back because I have more to say on the subject ;-)

Go ahead....I'll wait.......

Color Play is going in the mail today!

....pretty amazing organization, am I right?!  

Did you bid or buy any quilts while you were there?  {grins}

I recently purchased this quilt made by my good buddy Michele, and I have my eye on this one and this one made by fellow members of the Liberated Quilters Blog!!!

AAQI #6343 The Blues

I love making these quilts because it gives me an opportunity to try new techniques, practice my FMQ, and use my scraps, all while helping a worthy cause!  They are super quick as well, because the maximum size is 9 by 12 inches.

Would you like to make a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt?  Anyone and everyone is welcome and encouraged to make one.  You don't have to be part of a guild or the liberated quilter's group.  Just go to the Make a Priority: Alzheimer's quilt donation page to find out how.

I noticed that other bloggers had set a goal to make Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts too, so I thought it would be fun to challenge and motivate one another to keep that resolution.  

The Blues is also being mailed out today.

Thank you Michele and Susan for brainstorming with me!  Here's the scoop: 

1) Make a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt 

2) Register your quilt with the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative 

3) Repeat #1 and #2 as many times as you'd like ;-)

4) Tell all your artsy quilty friends to do the same

5) Consider adding your blog post to the AAQI Update blog

Edited to add:
The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative has come up with a way for us all to encourage our readers. Find out how by visiting the AAQI Update blog. [link to http://aaqiupdate.wordpress.com/get-ideas/] The AAQI will also be creating a button for our blogs soon.

On the last day of each month, come back and share the registration number(s) of the quilt(s) you made.  From those, we will have drawings for fun giveaways.  Maybe, we'll even have a Show and Tell so others will be inspired to make, bid and/or buy!

Sound like fun? {Please say yes!} 

If you are interested in playing, leave me a comment so I know I'm not doing this alone ;-)  Don't forget to tell all your bloggy friends.  Check back soon for further details.

I hope you are as excited as I am about this challenge!!!!!

Zig Zag Quilt from Hyacinth Quilt Designs

The past couple of days have been so fun! Thanks for all your support, Heather and I really love doing this blog.  We talk everyday about what's going on and the nice compliments we get.  We love you guys!!  Today we've got Cindy from Hyacinth Quilt Designs...let me tell you she is quite the talented quilter.  I really love this quilt top she just finished, I am smitten by anything gray these days.  Check out her 2010 round-up, such detailed quilts!  I'm amazed.  She's got a zig zag quilt (and tutorial) to share with us today, hooray!!  I have been dreaming, literally, of a zig zag quilt myself these days...however Heather has threatened me many times that my only goal and focus is Quilt Market in May.  Focus, focus, focus...


My Zig Zag quilt is done! I'm so happy with the results, especially the colors. Not a color combination I've tried before.

Gray, white, yellow and aqua...

And the back came out as pretty as the front. I used a gray Aurifil thread that had some subtle variegations in it. It was actually kind of an accident (or maybe a leap of faith), but the variegated thread created an interesting effect. I quilted each row in a "Feather Plume". The idea came from this Zig Zag quilt I found in my Zig Zag searching. The quilting was beautiful and she got the idea from this quilter.

Now for my little mishap story. I pin basted the whole quilt and as I added the LAST row of pins, I realized the backing was a little short at one end (I now think I had the quilt turned the wrong way on the backing). Not wanting to unpin and repin the whole quilt and knowing I had extra backing fabric, I decided that when I got to that end I would simply unpin a little and stitch another strip on to the backing. Of course when I was quilting and was almost done, in my haste I completely forgot to add the additional strip. My first thoughts were to unquilt (ugh!) or trim the quilt shorter (and ruin the design!). My easy solution was to take a strip of backing fabirc, turn under 1/4" on one long edge and applique it to the back. Voila! It worked (and actually looks like a sleeve). I hope you're never in that situation - but it seems like a good solution.

There are lots of ways to make a Zig Zag quilt. Here's my easy method. My quilt is 60" wide (10 triangles across) and 72" long (24 rows at 3" each).

From each fabric, cut a 7 1/4" strip. From the strip, cut 5 squares 7 1/4", cut twice diagonally and 1 square 3 7/8", cut once diagonally. You'll only need 19 of the large triangles.

Each row has 10 large triangles of one color and 9 large triangles plus 2 small triangles of another. Place them like this with one small triangle at one end...
and another small triangle at the other end.
Piecing these triangles is simple if you know the tricks. When sewing the small triangle on the ends, match up the 45 degree corners. On the opposite end you'll notice a corner hanging off also called the "dog ear" in quilting terms.
When you piece your large triangles together, you'll see that you have a "dog ear" on both ends. Line them up so that the inside of that little "V" that they form is 1/4" from the edge. When you first do this you may want to measure, but after you've done it for a while you can certainly eye-ball it.
Just keep making more and more rows and sew them together. You can use one set of triangles to split between the top and bottom rows.

Good luck! Let me know if you make one. I'm sleeping under mine tonight!

Fabric Tuesday number 20! Fun fun fun!

Hi all, First and foremost make sure to check out yesterdays post about the Quiltstory block party. Fun contest we are hosting with hundreds of dollars in prizes!!!

 A couple weeks I showed you this gorgeous pile from Aunt Bea's Fabric...here is my work in progress...

I cut them into 10" squares, and added a 6" border. 

Then I am rechopping it up again with my Twister tool... like this post...

 I should have it finished in a week or so to show you the final quilt. It is getting gorgeous!

I forgot to show you all this finish...I made this runner for my sister Amy. She loves pastel babyish colors (who doesn't) so I made her a Christmas runner in the cute pastel colors she loves...

 I tried straight line quilting for the first time, super fun! I can't wait to do that again!

Alright, your turn...

FABRIC TUESDAY

Edition 20

Link up a recent craft project that uses fabric...if you're new don't be shy!  This is for everyone.  Click the button to add your link at the bottom and link up a recent blog post where you used fabric to create or enhance something. Below are a few "rules" to play.

Mention us in your post with either a link or make it easy and add the button to your blog sidebar and you won't have to remember each week. ***You can take either our blog or our Fabric Tuesday buttons on the sidebar.***

You don't have to do this to link up, promise. However if you want to follow us, we follow back :) But please comment telling us you did so and we will hop right on over and make sure we're following too!

And how about we each take time to comment on the link just before yours, that's easy enough right? We'd love for this to be a linky party where everyone gets comments, so if you take the time to look, take a second to leave a comment!

Let's see those fabric creations!