It's a Block Party...join!

We've been working on a really fun new project for the blog...and we're not the ones creating things, you are!  So this post may be a tiny bit lengthy, but trust me it is going to be fun and worth it!

QuiltStory's Block Party!

Basic idea: YOU (any and all of you) will create quilt blocks and submit them to QuiltStory's Block Party.  There will be three categories in which you can enter your block. Modern, Traditional and Creative.

How to submit: Three weeks from today we will have a linky party starting 12:01 am MST on Monday February 7th through Wednesday February 9th closing at 11:59 pm MST.  During this time you will submit your quilt block in one of the three categories, Modern, Traditional and Creative.  You can submit up to three blocks.

Categories: You will be the judge of which category your block falls in to, but it can be only one.  Modern or Traditional can mean the layout of the block or the fabrics.  Creative is referring to a block that maybe has applique, a pieced house block, etc.  You don't necessarily need to be experienced to enter this contest!  If you are unsure or new to quilting, I'd search through Flickr to get ideas on some quilt blocks!

Prizes:  We have got some amazing prizes for the winners of this contest!!  Let me introduce you to the sponsors and all the goodies you could win!

First Place Prizes

 The Fabric Shoppe

3 yard bundle of Organic Circa 50 Birch fabrics and pattern

$60 value

SkyeReve Fabrics

$50 Gift Certificate

Poppy Seed Fabrics

$50 Gift Certificate

Runners Up Prizes

The Fab Store

$25 Gift Certificate

Fat Quarter Shop

$25 Gift Certificate

Fresh Squeezed Fabric

$25 Gift Certificate

Elle Designs

Half Yard bundle of 9 Ivy Trellis by Riley Blake fabrics and pattern

Treasure Bay Fabrics

$25 Gift Certificate

Determining winners: We have fabulous celebrity guest judges to help Heather and I determine the winners. We wanted to do it this way because first a foremost we value these ladies opinions greatly!  Secondly we didn't want the popularity of a blog determining a winner based on votes.  We will basically be judging on skill and style and we will not be biased in the least!  The judges are Twin Fibers, SewSara, Flamingo Toes, Diary of a Quilter and AmyLouWho.  Over the next couple of weeks we'll get to know them better and tell you why we think they deserve to be our "celebrity" judges!

Here is our cute little button.  If you are going to participate in the block party, add this button to your sidebar. Whether or not you participate, we'd love for you to do a post about it, post a button, help get the word out there!  Not only will this be a great way to win prizes, but a great resource and inspiration for quilt blocks!

<center><a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-block-partyjoin.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Fresh Poppy Design" src="http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad311/freshpoppydesign/blockparty.jpg" /></a></center>

Boring additional details if you care to read on!:

• Winner will be announced on Friday February 11th
• The quilt block can be any size
• Make sure that you enter a single quilt block, ie not a close-up of a block on a quilt :)
• Your block does not have to be your own original idea, however if you did get the pattern or idea somewhere make sure to credit them in your post
• If you are not a US resident and win a prize, you'll be responsible for shipping charges
• EDITED TO ADD: If you do not have a blog you are still eligible to join!  Email 1-2 photos of your block(s) to myquiltstory{at}gmail{dot}com subject Block Party Submission.  We will then link your block(s) to the linky party 2/7-2/9.
• EDITED TO ADD: Your quilt block(s) should be completely unfinished.  ie not in a quilt, not bound, not quilted....just raw edges!

More questions?  No problem, comment here or email us at myquilststory[at]gmail[dot]com

Are you excited??!?!

Happy Quilting Melissa- natures pathways quilt...

Happy Quilting Melissa made this awesome quilt up with fabric that cost $1.50 a yard!!! That is impressive. Go check out her website for some fun tutorials, and lots of quilt inspiration....

We'll it never was beautifully sunny, but good enough to get a decent picture.  Introducing Nature's Pathways

I just love the way the sashings  pop out and I just can't get enough of scrappy bindings, Love them!!

 I made this quilt up for the JoAnn's quilt contest.  The fun thing behind it is that it shows quilting on a tight budged it still affordable.  I was able to score all of these beautiful prints out of their clearance section when the fabrics were an additional 50% off.  So $1.50 a yard!!!  You can't beat that!  Now, I know it isn't designer fabric, but for those that are just starting quilting or on a tight budget, it is a great way to still enjoy quilting goodness. Come February - ish  I will be starting a Quilt-A-Long of this pattern or a variation of it depending on what everyone likes best.  So if you are interested, click on over to my blog (happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com) and follow so that you can stay posted on all of the Quilt-A-Long updates :)

Another view of my leafy vine quilting

 I designed the pattern and was super happy with the way it turned out.  Trust me, it isn't put together how you would think it is :)  I love how the squares in the center are nipped off by the sashing to give them an embedded look :)  When I first put this quilt on my blog I threw out the idea of doing it in a Quilt-a-long.  I had a positive response so that is the plan.  

The back.  I did mitered corners on the borders for the first time.  I really liked doing them:)

Come February - ish  I will be starting a Quilt-A-Long of this pattern or a variation of it depending on what everyone likes best.  So if you are interested, click on over to my blog (happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com) and follow so that you can stay posted on all of the Quilt-A-Long updates :)

Ready to be snuggled and loved :)

Spinning Coins Quilt Tutorial

This is a quilt I finished up over Christmas, and today I'm giving you all the details so you can make one too!

I really really super adore this fabric, all of it.  How can you look at it and not be happy??  Seriously, whales, polka dots, argyle (oh argyle), owls...pears...I love it all.

I got this gorgeous fabric from Jody

It is a combination of fabrics from designer Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman

Remix, Metro Market and Urban Zoologie

Materials Needed:

• 6-8 fat quarters for the coins and pinwheels (the colored strips)
•  1 yard white cotton for sashing and borders
• 2/3 yard for binding
• 2 yards for backing

Any Nigel fans?  He's checking you out from the left, half-way up :)

this tutorial is assuming 44" width fabric and 1/4" seams

Step 1: Create 4 (or more) pinwheel blocks, finished size 8 inches.

Step 2: Cut fat quarters to 8 inches wide and a variety of lengths.  I just eyeballed it and made three piles of short, medium and tall strips.

Step 3: Sew three rows together using pinwheel blocks and fat quarter strips, each row should finish at 51 1/2" long.

the measurements above are from the finished quilt, figuring in the 1/4" seam

Step 4: Cut 5 inch strips in fabric width (44") from the white cotton.  Using the photo as a guide, sew coin rows to the white strips, one on each side and all together.

Step 5: Sew a 5 inch white cotton strip to the top and bottom of your quilt top.

And you've got your quilt top!  Easy Peasy!

Jody sent this fabulous pink polka dot backing, and trust me this quilt is going to a home with many many girls, it'll be a hit :)

I used straight line quilting pattern for this. On the coin strips I stitched approx. 1" apart, and on the white sashing I stitched 2-3" apart.

And this binding, I need more. I have never been more pleased with a binding!  See these rainbow stripes??  It's already inspired me for another quilt.

Finished Quilt Size: 40 1/2" x 60", lap size

Fabric line: Remix, Metro Market and Urban Zoologie by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman and 100% white cotton

I got all of this gorgeous fabric from Fabric Shoppe

Quilting: Straight-line

Who is this quilt for?: You!  This is a perfect beginners quilt, especially if you want to challenge yourself by trying more piecing (ie pinwheels) but not so much piecing it's intimidating.  This is a great quilt for scraps.  This is a great quilt to finish in a weekend.

*Please let me know if you have any questions or if anything is unclear.

*Please send us pictures of your finished quilt!  We'd love to see!  Send us an email myquiltstory{at}gmail{dot}com

*Please give us credit if you do use this pattern and post about it.  This is intended for personal use, making this as a gift is okay, but please do not to sell the pattern or quilts.

Thanks mommy for your beautiful home as a backdrop!

(and dad, but let's be honest, he doesn't even know what a blog is)

Blue Elephant stitches, darling stack of place mats...

I came across th is super cute project from Jolene of Blue Elephant Stitches, she made these as a Christmas gift! Seriously can I be her friend? I LOVE these darling place mats, but lets all be honest, nobody will ever use these as place mats, they are just too darling!  Make sure to check her blog out, lots of fun projects, great photos, lots of inspiration!

I'm not just the hugest fan of Christmas.  Somehow, the idea in my head of how the season should be, and how it really is, just gets me down a bit...   BUT, the one thing I love about Christmas is making gifts.  (which of course just adds to the sTreSs)

So, my mom had mentioned awhile back that she'd like a few placemats.  If anyone ever mentions something they'd like me to make, it immediately gets stored away in my brain, in a little file called "Things I Need/Want to Make for ______"  So if you secretly roll your eyes at homemade gifts and sewn stuff, just don't mention anything, and you'll probably get a gift card or some pretties from the store.  And if you've hinted about something you'd like me to make, and you haven't received it yet, don't worry, it's still on my list.  Unless I've forgotten, which happens verrrry rarely ;)

Getting back on topic here, my mom mentioned placemats:  and here they are.

All seven of them, which seems odd I know.  But that's where I ran out of time.  I think I might make a few more sometime, since these were rather fun to build.

I don't always know what my mom will like,  but I know that she LOVES dolls.  So I bought a fat quarter of Babushka doll fabric, and used it as color inspiration.  I also put a bit of this fabric into each placemat.

And since I hate getting bored, I decided to make each placemat different,  so here's where we get a bunch of photos.

And yes, our Christmas was a bit early, I gave them to her yesterday.  So I'm not spoiling any surprises.

I had so much fun making these.  The end.