Crafty Sewing & Quilting: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

What is "Pets On Quilts"?

Padsworth, over at Lily Pad Quilting is hosting

Pets on Quilts Blog Hop!

It starts on August 1st - Hop over and check it out.

This is my favorite photo of Toby kissing Gabby!

And the quilt is one of my favorites too!

There is a link in my sidebar to Pets on Quilts --->

Toby and Gabby poised so nicely for the photos!

And then Gabby got tired...

Click here for posts about my quilt --- Think Outside the BLOCK Quilt - 4 of my posts about the Quilt behind Toby and Gabby - Click here to view all 4 posts.

I am sharing and sponsoring Pets on Quilts with 3 Quilting Prizes! Check out what I am sharing for the Prizes and couple other sponsors too! Click here.

Join in on the fun of Pets on Quilts Blog Hop!

Enjoy your day!

Marcia

Monday, July 30, 2012

Thumbing through my Holiday Fabrics....

...Getting ready for my "Think Christmas" Post on August 1st.

Here is a sneak peek of the fabrics I chose for my "Think Christmas" quilt project.

Now hop over and check out today's featured bloggers for the "Think Christmas Blog Hop"!

It was another HOT day in Wisconsin - so cool off and Think Christmas!

Marcia

Friday, July 27, 2012

First Tomatoes on Display!

My first couple tomatoes started to ripen around the 4th of July. These were the first three!

I had a couple every day and now about 10 a day. I expect by the end of July to have way more than I can use.

I added the daisy for some highlights of color! They are always in full bloom around the 4th of July.

This photo would make a great inspiration for a quilt color combination. "It looks like a quilt to me!"

I am planning to make pizza sauce this summer. My brother and his son and my Mom are coming to visit sometime in August. We can make pizza sauce in memory of my Dad. He made the best pizza and pizza sauce!

I find inspiration when taking photos of my garden and all the colors in my world...

Enjoy your day!

Marcia

This post is from my Lunch Looks Like a Quilt Blog. I just wanted to share it today with you to share where I find my inspirations.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Announcing the Winner of the Free Quilting!

The Winner is Cherry

from Cherry Blossoms - Quilting Studio

and she wins:

Free Quilting,

Free Batting,

and Free Thread!

What size?
on a table topper
or a table runner
or a small wall hanging
or two place mats
or 4 mug rugs!
Sizes will range depending upon what item you choose to be quilted, But No larger than 20 inches X 20 inches.
Winner provides quilt top and quilt backing fabric. Winner pays the shipping both ways.

I have contacted Cherry by email to let her know she won.

I will be sharing another Free Quilting, Free Thread and Free Batting Giveaway on the next Blog Hop too --- Think Christmas! I'll be posting on August 1st.

Where have I been?

My daughter got married the beginning of July. We have been enjoying time with my daughter and her husband and our new family from the Netherlands. I honestly thought I would post a few posts, but we took a wonderful "Stay Vacation" in our own home and hosted everyone here!

This is the white Morning Glory that was in full bloom on the morning of my daughter's wedding. Just one white flower!

Stayed tuned for more photos later this week...

Enjoy your day!

Marcia

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Red, White, and Blue Blog Block Hop and Quilting Giveaway!

First, Thanks for hopping over to see my Red, White, and Blue Block and I would like to invite you to enter my Quilting Giveaway!

I just couldn't resist making the Zig Zag Block in the Red, White, and Blue! Since I am a long arm quilter, with a whole quilt shop full of extra wide fabrics, it makes sense to use them. I chose the Red from the Quilter's Blenders Fabrics and the Blue in a Colortone Floral Fabric. The white is a white on white fabric. This white is similar to the one I carry in the extra wide fabrics. I love the textures in each of the fabrics!

The Zig Zag Block is a simple block to construct and if you already follow my blog, you have seen similar posts in different colors. You will love it in Red, White, and Blue!

Press/iron your fabric. Then rotary cut strips from each color. I am not giving you an amount as we are only making some blocks, not a whole quilt.

White fabric: 5 inches wide by length of fabric

Blue and Red fabric: 1 1/2 and 2 inch strips of both

Stitch blue and red strips on opposite sides of the white strips. Some with both blue and both red and some with red and blue. No photo of this step, but you should be able to understand it. It will make sense as we go along.

Press/iron the red and blue strips with the seam allowance away from the white. Rotary cut them 5 inches across to make several blocks that have strips on two opposite sides.

Stitch red and blue strips to the other two sides.

Remember, it doesn't matter if they are 2 inch or 1 1/2 inch strips. Just stitch them on. It doesn't matter which colors either.

At this point, you should have white squares that have strips stitched onto all four sides. Press/iron.

Don't worry about trimming the ends of the strips. You could even cut them with a scissors, as we are going to rotary cut again. They are also all different sizes, because we used different size strips.

Press/iron. Then, we will slice - rotary cut the block into four sections.

I don't know why the picture is sideways? It uploaded that way. I can't fixed it. But I think you get the idea.

Here are the 4 sections.

Now we will square up each section at an angle.

Trim the right side and the top. Make sure the square is lined up, so you can cut a 3 1/4" or a 3 " block.

Then flip it around and cut the bottom and the left sides.

I put the trimmed pieces around the block, so you can see how I cut it.

That's it! The Zig Zag Block!

Another option, would have been to start with little squares of the white fabric and just added strips onto two of the sides and then angle squared it up.

OK, so what is so cool about the Zig Zag block?

It's fun and easy!
No matching of seams!
A perfect block to use up scraps and strips!
Forms cool designs with the zigs and zags when you layout the block to make a quilt top!

Here are a few layouts:

I placed a sheet down first, so I would not have to lay out all the white squares. I positioned all the zig zig blocks with the zig zag in the top right corner.

I mixed them up and started a new design. You can see I have cut some 3 1/4 inch white squares or 3 inches, if you squared up your zig zag blocks to 3 inches.

I positioned the zig zag corners together on this layout. I just kept moving them around and trying new patterns.

I love the red and blue against the white! It looks like a chain or a braid.

Next, I tried them in a straight pattern. This time I grabbed the ones that were all blue or all red.

Mixed them up again.

This time, I tried alternating the reds and the blues to create this pattern.

The possibilities seem endless!
Want to see more Zig Zag designs? Click here.

Thanks for hopping by!

I am sharing a Giveaway today of my Free Style Quilting. I am a long arm quilter. I quilt full time, 5 days a week, and in business for over 9 years. There are links in the sidebars to posts about recent quilting winners and free style quilting.

You can enter for a chance to win:

Free Quilting,

Free Batting,

and Free Thread!

What size?
on a table topper
or a table runner
or a small wall hanging
or two place mats
or 4 mug rugs!
Sizes will range depending upon what item you choose to be quilted, But No larger than 20 inches X 20 inches.
Winner provides quilt top and quilt backing fabric.
Winner pays shipping both ways - Open to everyone!
Plus, if you win and you don't have a little quilt that needs to be quilted, you can share your prize with a friend.

Leave a comment to enter - Tell me what you would have quilted if you win! If you are new to following my blog, you can click on the links in the sidebar for viewing the different styles of free style quilting. They link you to several posts for each style.

I always reply to comments, but I will be a little slow to reply as we will be hosting our new family and friends and celebrating the wedding of our daughter in July. Please make sure you leave an email, if you are a no reply blogger. Thanks!

Giveaway ends Saturday, July 21st, Midnight CST and will be announced on ~~Sunday, July 22nd.~~ Tuesday July 24th <- Update.

Thanks to Jane's Fabrics for hosting the Red, White, and Blue Blog Hop!