Layer Cake Custard Quilt

What kind of pre-cut do you collect?  Honestly, I would love a fat quarter bundle, but usually that is not in the budget.  So I collect layer cakes.  They are a good amount of fabric with lots of possibilities.  I then have a hard time deciding which pattern to make.  I was excited to participate in the Fat Quarter Shop Quilt Along and make this super cute Layer Cake Custard Quilt.

You can find the YouTube tutorial here.

I chose to use Frost by Cotton and Steel.  I absolutely fell in love with this line when I saw it.  Those cardinals are my favorite!  But I was having a hard time cutting up this fabric.  That is the number one reason why I chose this layer cake for this pattern.  The Layer Cake Custard quilt shows off your favorite prints!

This quilt has so many fun prints!  Skiers, penguins, mice, snowflakes and my favorite cardinals.  I also like that this fabric line isn’t just Christmas-y prints.  I am planning on leaving this quilt out all through the blah January month.  Once I get it quilted that is.  Any tips on how to quilt this?  I really can only do straight line quilting.  Any ideas?

I love a good quilt swish!  I chose to use a white background.  I kept imagining snow while I was stitching this up.  This quilt was definitely getting me into the holiday spirit!

Here is the whole quilt!  I love all of the different prints!  And I am happy that I didn’t have to chop them up!  I also love the addition of pink to a winter quilt.  I have four girls so I love using pink in my quilts.

Thanks for following along!  Do you have a layer cake that is hard to cut up?  You should try out this pattern!  It is super fast and fun and keeps those precious prints front and center.

Chirp Out!

Jen

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Churn Dash Block

Today I am sharing another Sizzix back to the basics block with you.  If you missed my flying geese post, you can find it here.  The back to basic block I’m sharing today is the churn dash block.  This is one of my favorite traditional blocks.  I have plans to make a whole quilt using this block.

A churn dash block is made up of four half-square triangles.  Most methods of creating half-square triangles require trimming.  But with Sizzix, there is NO trimming!  Would you like to make a churn dash block with me?

Supplies you will need:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Sizzix Bigz Die- Half-Square Triangles, 4 1/2″ assembled square

Sizzix Bigz Die- Rectangle, 2″ x 4″ finished (2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ unfinished)

Fabric (1 print for the half-square triangles, 1 print for the rectangles and background fabric)

Sewing machine

Thread

Let’s get started!

Start by cutting out your half-square triangles.  You will need four print and four background pieces cut.  Using a 1/4″ seam, sew a background to the print.  Press towards the dark side.  And you are done!  NO TRIMMING!!!  Isn’t that amazing?!?

I am using Moda’s Fig Tree Coney Island for this block.  It is one of my favorites!

Next you need to cut out your rectangles.  You will need four print and four of the background fabric.  Tip:  Place the die on a bit of an angle as it goes through the machine.  The die will cut better when its not hitting on the straight lines.  After the pieces are cut out, stitch one print and one background piece together using a 1/4″ seam.  Press toward the dark side.

You will also need a 5″ square of background for the center of this block.

Now to assemble the block.  You will need two half-square triangles for the top and two for the bottom.  Sew them to either side of one of the rectangle blocks.  Press the seams to the right.  Then sew the remaining rectangle blocks to either side of the 5″ background square.  Press the seams to the left.

Assemble the block.  The seams should ‘nest’ as you stitch them together.  Stitch the rows together.  Press the block.  And you are done!

Now I’m off to work on more church dash blocks!

Chirp Out!

Jen

Flying Geese

Today I am going back to the basics.  I am sharing how to make a flying geese block with Sizzix’s dies.  Spoiler alert: There is NO trimming!

There are lots of methods out there for making flying geese.  Most of the ways I have found involve a lot of trimming.  Trimming happens to be my least favorite part.  I would rather be sewing!

I was thrilled to find this way of making flying geese.  I don’t have to trim anything!  Do you want to make some of these with me?

Supplies you will need:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Sizzix Bigz Die- Half-Square Triangles, 3 1/2″ Assembled Square

Sizzix Bigz Plus Q Die- Triangles, 3 1/2″ H x 6 1/2″ W

Fabric (two contrasting colors- I chose green gingham and white)

Sewing machine

Thread

Let’s get started!  First start by making you Sizzix sandwich- cutting mat, die, fabric, cutting mat.  The great thing about both of these dies is that they work great for a 10″ piece of fabric or a layer cake.

To make the half square triangle, fold a 10″ layer cake square into fourths.  Then make your Sizzix sandwich.  Remember, the Sizzix Big Shot can cut up to 8 layers of fabric!

After you have cut out your pieces, you will end up with 4 of the main print and 8 of the background half-square triangles.

Now for the fun part- sewing!  Using a 1/4″ seam, sew one white half-square triangle to the larger green triangle.  Then press it open.  Your pieces will look the pic below.

Then sew the remaining white half-square triangles to the other side of the larger green triangle.  Press them open.

Then you are done with your flying geese!  And NO trimming!  These finished at 3 1/2″ x 6 1/2″.  If you need other sizes of flying geese blocks, there are a lot of Sizzix dies to chose from.

You can get 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ flying geese unit with this triangle die and this half-square triangle die.  Or if you want a 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ flying geese you unit, you can use this triangle die and this half-square triangle die.

The possibilities are endless!  And no trimming!  Have fun making your flying geese!

Chirp Out!

Jen

 

Blog Remix- Pretty Pincushion

Do you need a quick project?  Or a fast gift for a quilty friend?  These pretty pincushions are the answer!  They are fast and super cute!  And who doesn’t need more pincushions in their lives?

This pincushion is part of the Fat Quarter Shop blog remix.  You can check out this YouTube video with Sherri McConnell and Kimberly from the Fat Quarter
Shop.  They walk you through the pincushion tutorial with lots of tricks and tips along the way.

The first step is to create a little patchwork.  I dug through my scrap bin and used up some of my favorite (and most hoarded) Bonnie and Camille fabric.  Some of these pieces I have been holding onto forever, like that original Ruby!

Most quilters stuff their pincushions with crushed walnuts shells.  But I am allergic to walnuts.  So I needed to find something else that was nut free.  I used poly pellets which worked great!  They added a weight to the pincushion so it won’t move on my work table.

Now I have a pretty pincushion to use while I work!  It really is cute as a button!  The Fat Quarter shop sells the cutest twill ribbon with fun sayings to use on your pincushion.  I also used my matching Bonnie and Camille Aurifil Thread to stitch this up!

So what are you waiting for?!?  Grab your favorite scraps or a mini charm pack and you can make one of these too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chirp Out!

Jen

The Friendship Quilt Along- Enduring

Today I get to share my Enduring block for the Friendship Quilt Along by Amanda Herring.  To make this quilt, you will need the templates and this quilt kit.  Or you can use different fabric.  But this quilt kit is so cute!

The key to this block is the buttons! But I can’t sew on the buttons until the quilt is quilted. So I have the block cut out, marked and waiting for the quilt construction.  I decided to make a needle book to showcase this cute block.

I have had a needle book on my make list for awhile.  I was excited for the excuse to finally make it.

The best part of making this block was picking out the buttons.  My grandma gave me a bunch of vintage buttons.  She bought them for $1 a box!  I can’t believe it!  I’m pretty sure I will never have to buy buttons again.

To make this needle book, I followed Amy Sinibaldi’s tutorial.  I made the book a bit bigger to accommodate the size of the block.  I had some leftover half-square triangles from my Hello Brooklyn quilt that I turned into a pinwheel block for the back.  I then added a book binding between the blocks.  I did a simple cross-hatch quilting design on the book.  After it was quilted, I used the template to mark the block.

I used my button foot to sew the buttons on.  I have a Bernina Record 830.  I had to search Ebay for a button foot (#152).  I am so glad I found one.  It is so helpful.  The button foot holds the button in place while you sew.

The best part of making a needle book is embellishing the pages.  I made these letter pins a few years ago and needed a place for them.  This needle book was perfect!  And I love the gingham ribbon!

I also used some pom poms!

And I used some rick-rack and a tag!

And last of all, the back!  I love pinwheel blocks!  I had sew much fun making this needle book!  Now I need to make more!

Chirp Out!

Jen

*This post contains affiliate links.

 

 

Pineapple Quilt

Do you participate in quilt block swaps?  I have participated in a few over the years.  I signed up for a pineapple block swap hosted by the lovely Jackie Padesky.  She also wrote this cute pattern.

I made these 18 blocks, kept 2, and sent 16 to her!  My blocks are made up of V and Co’s Simply Colorful fabric line for Moda.

I wanted a super scrappy quilt.  But I have NO yellow!  I don’t really care for the color so I don’t buy it or sew with it.  That’s one of the benefits of a swap.  I got lots of cute pineapples in return.  And they were scrappy!

I quilted straight(ish) lines in a cross-hatch pattern on this quilt.  I love the cross-hatch pattern and want to quilt it on every quilt! And don’t you just love a quilt swish?

I was so excited when I found this backing fabric!  Most pineapple fabric is a bit girly looking with lots of pink.  I wanted to give this quilt to my pineapple loving husband for his bday.  So navy pineapples=WIN!  (And that is another close up of my block!)

One more benefit of swaps is getting to meet so many amazing quilters from around the world!  I love getting to know people who love quilting as much as I do!  Have you done a swap?  If not, you should try it out!

Chirp Out!

Jen

 

Friendship Quilt Along- warm

I’m happy to share my Warm block for the Friendship Quilt Along today. This awesome quilt along is being hosted by Amanda Herring for Riley Blake. To make this block you need these cute templates. You can find them at the fat quarter shop here.This block is an appliqué block. My preferred method is to use Heat n Bond. I trace all of templates right onto the Heat n Bond. I then iron it to the wrong side of the fabric. Your pieces should look like the pic above. After I’ve ironed everything to the fabric, I cut them out. Then arrange the pieces according to the pattern. You can find the Friendship Quilt pattern here. Then I press them to the background fabric. Before pressing, make sure you measure 1/4″ from each of the points to the edge of the fabric so you don’t cut them off as you sew the quilt together. I then use a blanket stitch on my sewing machine to stitch around each piece. I used Aurifil thread to stitch each of the pieces. I am new to Aurifil thread and it sews like a dream! You can find the matching box set of Aurifil thread here. I love this block! It is so cute! I love what this quilt pattern stands for- friendship. Each block is representative of what a true friend is. Do you have that friend who is always warm and inviting? I’m grateful to have some warm friends in my life. I’ve also met some warm and inviting friends through the quilting world and I’m grateful for them. So are you quilting along with us?I hope you do! Chirp out!JenThis post contains affiliate links.

Hello Brooklyn

 

I’m excited to share my new pattern today as part of the Hello Lovely Riley Blake blog tour!  Hello Brooklyn!  Hello Lovely was designed by the lovely Amanda Herring.  She really outdid herself with this line!  I love it!  This quilt was so much fun to make.  And so much fun to take pics of!  You can find the pattern here.

I am really loving monochromatic quilts right now.  The pinks in Hello Lovely are, well, lovely!  I can’t decide which print is my favorite.  Maybe the main floral, or the polka dots.  Yeah, I can’t decide.  But run and go get some!  This line is so lovely!

I had Chelsea custom quilt this.  Each block is quilted to emphasize the block design.  She did swirls in the sashing (say that 10 times fast!) and beautiful flowers in the borders.  I could stare at this ALL day!  She really did an amazing job!

I love living outside of NYC.  The Brooklyn Bridge is one of my favorite places.  I knew I had to take this quilt there for a photo shoot.  I was able to get some fun shots of the architecture of the bridge and this quilt.  And we got some funny looks!

This quilt is a fun sampler quilt.  Which is perfect for a Brooklyn quilt since there are so many thing to do and so much diversity.  There are five different blocks.  You make each block six times and then you have a twin size quilt!  I love the variety a sampler quilt offers.  I don’t get bored making the same block over and over again.  Haha

I hope you love this quilt as much as I do!  Go check it out in my etsy shop here or my craftsy shop here.  Say Hello Brooklyn!

Chirp Out!

Jen

Fat Quarter Shop Snowballs Quilt

Today is our official first day of summer (no more school- yay)!  This quilt has all the summer vibes!  Bright yellows and a soft pink are just the right combo.  This fabric pull reminded me of pink lemonade!  Which is what we all nicknamed this quilt!

I pulled every yellow I had from my stash and came up with this.  I think those popsicles are my favorite!  I don’t sew with yellow much, so I had to get a couple more fat quarters.  This quilt has motivated me to sew with yellow more.  I love the finished product!  Is there a color that you don’t typically sew with?  Maybe you should try it out!

As I was working on this quilt, I fell in love with it even more.  So I decided to change the pattern and make it bigger!  Go big or go home!  This quilt pattern finished at 50″x 55 1/2″.  I decided to make this twin size!  To make it a twin size quilt, I made 77 yellow blocks and 77 white blocks.  I sewed 11 blocks in a row and made 14 rows. Daughter number three has already claimed it, so I think we have a winner!

I love to see those pretty yellows all swished together!  I used a variety of prints from Riley Blake, Moda and Art Gallery.  Don’t they all play together nicely?  I still think those popsicles are my favorite!

This is my favorite pic of the quilt.  I found these adorable lemons at Target!  Daughter number two was helping me take pics of this quilt.  She asked me if she could take a few pics and this is one she took!  I love it!  I should add that she is 10.  Her use of the close-up is spot on.  I also love the sun spots coming through the trees onto this quilt.  I should have her take all of my pics!  I think we have a budding photographer.

Have I convinced you to make this quilt yet?  It comes together quickly and is so fun to make!  The pattern is FREE from the Fat Quarter shop and can be found here.  Or you can watch the YouTube video here.  Grab a glass of pink lemonade and have a great summer making this quilt!

Chirp Out!

Jen

Home Mini

I am excited to release my new pattern Home Mini today!  You can find it in my shop here.  If you have been following along for awhile, you know I’m a big Bonnie and Camille fan!  I love their fabric designs!

It all started with this sweet little heart!  After making my large twin size Home quilt (which you can find here) I just knew I needed to make a mini quilt.

I picked out some of my favorite Bonnie and Camille prints from my scrap bin!  Can you name all of the fabric lines I used?  If you don’t have a bursting scrap bin like mine (oops!), this pattern is also charm pack friendly!

I loved taking pics of this quilt!  The Alphabitties from Fat Quarter Shop were a fun addition!

I picked some of my favorite colors for this quilt.  I wanted to keep the hearts pink or red. I also couldn’t make a quilt without aqua!  The navy print from Vintage Picnic is probably one of my favorites of all time!

I hope you enjoy making this pattern as much as I did!

Chirp Out!

Jen