In the almost two years (ugh, I know, right?) since I made my Wee Sublime Sampler from patterns by Wee Wonderfuls and Sublime Stitching, I’ve imagined it stretched into some sort of frame, much like this:
But when I see a little quilt like this, the wheels start spinning in a whole new direction….
As December looms nearer, are your homemade gift plans getting less and less elaborate?
Mine too.
Luckily for all of us, potholders are quilts, too.
Just ask burstyriffic.
Adorable!
I have a little bit of a hard time finding holiday decor that I love. I find an aggressively red and green palette to be a little bit pedestrian for my tastes, and, since I live in CA, it hardly makes sense to go with a hardcore winter wonderland theme. So when I find something festive that’s hip yet homey, I get super excited.
These peace banners by Moon Spirit Studios just slay me. Cute without being Hallmark, they’re the perfect size for sprucing up a corner of your home without overwhelming it. And what better way to decorate than with a message of peace?
Available on etsy.
One of the possibly unintended but definitely cool side effects of the Quilting Bee Explosion is getting a chance to try out a bunch of blocks and learn what you like to make. Accent on the “to make.” Once upon a time, this is what sampler quilts were for – but we all know it’s easy to lose interest in such a big project.
Anyway, I want to take a moment to sing the praises of blocks we love to make. I personally love anvils, log cabins, and Aunt Addie’s Album. These are things to keep in mind if I ever want to make a whole quilt out of a single block.
And why would I want to do that? Well, here’s one reason:
Mary’s Ohio Star quilt was made in just a few days’ time as a wedding gift. And if you think about it, it’s as traditional as it gets. But if you just look at it and enjoy it, it’s wonderfully chic and modern. Using a small slice of the color wheel certainly updates the overall look, but I think the use of just one block contributes a great deal to that as well.
What are some of your favorite blocks?
As many of us have learned the hard way, making something by hand doesn’t necessarily mean saving a lot of cash. Supplies are often pricey, and projects that can be made on the cheap may eat up much of our valuable time – which is currency too, when you think about it!
Lucky for all of us, Sew, Mama, Sew! is always there with its arsenal of awesome tutorials. Their Handmade Holidays series is seemingly infinite amount of information, but they offer up projects year-round that are totally worth checking out in this last mad dash toward holiday gift season.
My current obsession is Elizabeth’s method for quick-piecing tiny squares, which not only makes short work out of something that usually takes a long time, but is a great project for using scraps. Aka, leftovers. Aka, they’re free. And wouldn’t this make a great gift?
I think this technique would translate beautifully to an 11″ x 15″ hotpad, which will delight any casserole-lover, and though Elizabeth does not recommend interfaced blocks for blankets, remember that tear-away and water soluble interfacing do exist.
Just another reason to love tutorial Tuesdays – all the possibilities!
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that I’m spending a long weekend in Las Vegas, not gambling, but pretending I am. And, naturally, pretending I’m winning, and using said winnings to buy fabulous quilts. Such as:
Why yes, I did save the best for last!
I’m not sure why Fish Gumbo by critterpat slays me so – beyond the truth, universally acknowledged, that madras is AWESOME.
I mean, I spent enough of my youth fishing with my dad to know that I’m not really into it. And fish, like salad, is something I’ll eat for the health benefits, but you won’t catch me getting really worked up about it.
Yet, here I am, fantasizing about hanging this in my office some day. Maybe it’s the colors. Maybe it’s the shapes.
Or maybe it’s the feeling that this quilt is just something that a full-fledged lady eccentric cannot live without.
I’ll have to think about this and get back to you.
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