Some New Things

I ran across 2 new linky parties, they sound so fun, 1 is new and the other one, I hadn't heard of, maybe you have.
Saturday Swap - Is a great place to share a swap you are working on or maybe have received, plus you can talk about swaps that are coming up or that maybe you are even hosting.
I love swaps, in fact I am working on my Needle book swap, so far the front is looking like this.

flower smocking with fresh water pearls.

I finally started to figure out the whole flower smocking part, by my 10 flower, so that's why the top row looks so good.  I am hoping overall it will look cute, but now to figure out if I want to do pink or red inside.

Ohh and look I just found this new swap, sounds so pretty and fun.

The second linky party I found was Friday Night Sew In (FNSI the rules), so sometime during the week you write a post about your Friday night plans (sewing wise, if you have a hot date, well a tad envious here, haven't had a date with my husband in 7 plus years) Then Friday night you do some sewing and on Saturday you write another post about how your work went.  Link up for this week is here, and then that means on Saturday I can link up there and also on SewJo Saturday.

Now if you are really into linky parties then you should check out Nesta's full page of them, she has like all of them listed, it is a great resource for feeling likable linked.  Go over to Ella & Nesta's Little Room.
The other thing I am working on is

My feather, almost done, just have the tip to finish.
But I got a little side tracked because I'm making a new bag, the Sugar & Spice bag from Chris W. Designs, hoping to get it done by Friday for her photography challenge.

Going with my new color love, blue and yellow.
Have you seen the way I like to do my zippers, I cut off the end, you can see it a little in this photo, where I am "auditioning" the zippers.

I have decided to go with the middle blue (zipit color Bright Blue), since I have a smaller zipper in that color for the inside pocket.

colors look much better as real ones and not on paper.

Some really great news, I have been in contact with Candice over at American Made Brands Solids and the Farm to Fabric Challenge can be opened to International guest as long as you have an American address to send the quilt to if it gets picked for the Challenge.  Sweet!
Okay that's it for me today, linking to WIP at Freshly Pieced.

Charity-Quilts and Fabric

I am combining 2 of my favorite linky parties:
The weekly Sunday Stash- love looking at fabrics
and Le Challenge, this month's theme was Charity.

I created 2 Charity quilts for The UK based Siblings Together, with the help of my Euro Siblings Together Bee Group.
One girl quilt:

 Sorry for the shody pictures, it's raining today and cloudy, I will get better ones, when I am finished quilting.
My bee girls did 7 of these colorful blocks and I did 2, I incorporated the cute little print in between the blocks to make the quilt a little bigger.

 Some Alison Glass in the dark green block, this block design is the Mosaic Tiles pattern in the book "Modern Bee Book" written by Lindsay Conner.

Mosaic Tiles block from the book "Modern Bee" from Lindsay Conner - See more at: http://secretlystitching.blogspot.gr/2014/02/mosaic-tiles-quilt-along-quilt-bag.html#sthash.28xtpKEl.dpuf

Mosaic Tiles block from the book "Modern Bee" from Lindsay Conner. - See more at: http://secretlystitching.blogspot.gr/2014/02/mosaic-tiles-quilt-along-quilt-bag.html#sthash.28xtpKEl.dpuf

Mosaic Tiles block from the book "Modern Bee" from Lindsay Conner. - See more at: http://secretlystitching.blogspot.gr/2014/02/mosaic-tiles-quilt-along-quilt-bag.html#sthash.28xtpKEl.dpuf

One boy quilt:

loosely based Anna Pattern from Jibberish Designs

 My bee girls made up 5 of these blocks and I just had to make 4 more, this is very loosely based on a pattern that I won in last year's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway week, you can read about it here along with some of the fabric that I won.

They both have this fun Free Spirit "Playa Sur" print designed by Yolanda Fundora and Cynthia Hart.

 For the backing:

I will quilt them a little more and bind them this week, look for them on Friday, lol, I actually have no idea of when they are due.

I had actually purchased different fabric for the boys quilt, thinking to go more "Spacey" but when I got the 5 blocks in from my bee mates, they looked more surfer dude than spacey so the backing fabric turned out to be a good choice for it.
I picked up these fabrics from Fort Worth Fabric Studio and Mel shipped them to me with my 1930's swap fabric.

Out of the World Panel from P&B Studio, with half a yard of matching space ship fabric.

They have the planetary system on the side, I thought these would be great to cut out and put on the front of the quilt and put the solar system panel on the back, but as I said I went more surfer than spacey.

I am keeping this and these great blenders for another boys quilt to make in the future.

 This fabric is a great price at less than $4 a yard, it is called Curls Penny Wise, she doesn't have much of this left, but it is a little stiffer than Kona solids and runs the color all of the way to the selvage, but there is no name on the selvage.  I love the design and this is a great blender.

I am very happy to say that these blenders do NOT bleed, so happy about that, I get so sad when my fabric bleeds.

 The colors I chose match really well with the "Out of this World" Panel and spaceship fabric.

This panel is also called Out of this World (a very popular fabric line name) but is made by Stonehenge and it glows in the dark, I will be using this for the Charity, it is going to be a pillow cover.

Sarah asked what I was going to do with my spools, do you like?

I also got this fabric, just for me! from Fort Worth Fabric Studios, I really wanted to try the brand Adornit, I had just heard about it and I wanted to see what their fabric was like, I love it, it has a great hand and feel to it. Looks like she has sold out of this print, but she has others.

It runs diagonally to the selvage and has great words like SPARKLE in it, the background color is a cream with patches of light tan, it makes the printing look old world, I really love it.  Can't wait to get more of their fabrics.
More on the Charity quilts later this week and a Thank you to all of the people to help me make them.
If you did not enter in the Big Birthday Bash Giveaway, make sure you do!

Mixteca Lights

It first started with the Fabric.

A Half Yard Bundle of Organic Mixteca.
I love the angles and bold prints and wild colors.
What could I do with these fabrics that would give them justice.
And a place to shine all on their own.
I was following along with the Sew Sweetness Jaybird Quilts Sew Along
and then I saw it, the perfect pattern,
it had angles, and big blocks so you could see the fabric,
it was perfect!
Northern Lights!
Here is my version
Mixteca Lights! 

the wind kept picking it up in the corner.

 I did a poll the last few days and I got some very
creative help, the fabric was a little busy all together
so I sewed in some sashing between the rows.
Thank you creative team collaborators!

I could only iron it today, totally forgetting that today
was the last day of my son's Kindergarten and so
we had party time this morning and not mommy
sewing time, we did take the quilt top on a walk
to find the perfect photo shoot area.

We have this great old rock house ruins in our nieghborhood
I wanted to climb the walls but our Greek neighbor started yelling about
snakes and the heat of the day, yes, they really like to be in your business.

The angle of the old walls remind me of the angles in the quilt.

 The colors are so bright and vibrant, just like nature.

 I made sure to match up the birds heads, don't want any chopped off heads.

 See the angles inside of the  prints match perfectly with the angles of the quilt pattern.
Did I tell you how really awesome the Hex N More Ruler is,
It's Awesome!

Quilt Stats:
This is the Baby Size
with half inch sashing between the blocks
Pieced with Aurifil 50wt 2600 (my favorite a lt. grey)
can't wait to quilt it this summer!

Linking to the Jaybird Quilts Sew Along at Sew Sweetness.
SewJo Saturday
and Show Off Saturday.

Challenges, QAL's and Swaps!

Thank you everyone, who made a comment yesterday on my post about what to do.
I wanted to keep the quilt all organic cottons so I didn't have much choice in solid colors but I did have a grey and created a half inch sashing between the blocks.

What Do You Think?  I love it, it is hard to photograph though, I will do some more tomorrow.

I have not ironed it yet, I will tonight or tomorrow.
I am excited that I got the top done in time for the Jaybird Quilt Sew Along.
I may do some quilting on it tomorrow, I don't want to finish it up because I think this would be a fun quilt to work on during a new Quilt Along, A Free Motion Quilt Along, doesn't that sound fun! (dates July 1st to September 30th) blog button on the side.
Another fun Challenge Marblehead Challenge, getting to play with fabric is so fun.

 There is plenty of time to get ready for this one! The Deadline is December 1st.
I'm excited about the American Made Brands Challenge, Farm to Fabric Challenge, but they say it is for US residents only, bummer.  But I can't wait to see what everyone else creates!

Chris W. Designs Photographic Competition now this is a good one, if you have one of her patterns or if you have made one of her purses or bags, she needs help with making some good photographs, the deadline for this is very soon though, June 20th.

SWAPS:
Fabric Scrap Swap
1930's 4 Fat Quarter's Swap with Missouri Mel
and how about doing a Fabric Bomb!

I hope you get a chance to check all of these out, each link will take you to a new window, so click to your hearts content, and if you come across a swap or challenge let me know, I am addicted to them :)
Have a great weekend.
Mara
 

WIP- Northern Lights Quilt

HELP!

I love my fabrics, 

I love my quilt pattern, 

The ruler is awesome,

but the designer (me) is failing completely.

This is what I am working on.

I had my pretty Mixteca fabrics and when I saw the pattern Northern Lights, I said that is the perfect pattern for these beautiful fabrics.  Amanda sent me the ruler and pattern last week (got it on my birthday).

It was easy to cut up the fabrics with the ruler and I got all of that done yesterday.  

But now I am unsure of what I should do, in my head I had it looking like this.

My husband says it is too busy

So then I was thinking of making one side 

out of just the blue and green colored fabrics

and the other side of the quilt

The pink and orange, then it would be like a double sided quilt.

or I could put pink on top and the blues on the bottom.

Do you like my design wall?  

It's also called the bed and the hubby would like to take his nap on it now, 

but I told him I was working, lol.

Any help, criticism, or whatever would be great, this is of course not the full size of the quilt, 

the rows across is correct but take the picture above I would need to do 6 more rows,

for a total of 12 rows down.

Oh no I just thought of another way to do it, gotta go see how it will look.

Linking to Work In Progress Wednesdays! 

oh and I want to have this completed by Friday for the Challenge

going on over at Sew Sweetness, the Jaybird Quilts Sew Along

And if you haven't entered in my Big Birthday Bash giveaway, go on over and do so.

Birthday Packages-Sunday Stash Style!

I got 2 packages during my Birthday Week!  Awesome Packages, if you are visiting from Sunday Stash make sure to go and enter my Big Birthday Bash Giveaway!, you don't have to be a follower, if you are a fellow Sunday Stasher, since I consider you my Sunday newspaper and visit you weekly, I hope you feel the same way and come to visit me whenever I link up!
First a Big ol' Box of goodies from Renee of Quilts of a Feather, I won her SMS giveaway quilted pouch.  It is so SO pretty and fun of little surprises!  And was packed full of goodies.

The quilted pouch, I know it is hard to see, but each box is a little insect!

Big box of goodies, 1 Hot Tamales is missing :)

My ALL TIME FAVORITE CANDY!!!

Renee lives in New Mexico, she asked me if I missed anything from my home state (I went to High School and College in NM)  I said I missed Green Chili and wished it could be mailed but that would be crazy, but look she did it!!!  2 cans of delicious HATCH Green Chili, I cooked up the mild first and made Green Chili Stew, yummy!

The husband said it wasn't hot enough so next time I will use the Hot Can.

Pretty wooden spools, my first!!

A pattern that I already have plans for.

Red Chili Chocolate and a Lid for my "SWEET TEA" (insert Texas accent)

A spool of thread, that will go great with Essex linen, bobbin keepers and a FriXion pen

And she even found a card and the designer's name is Mara, how COOL is THAT!!

Renee, Thank you so Much for your very large and fun filled box of goodies, oh wait I forgot to show you the fabric she sent too!  Yep, she even sent fabric, now this is really cool, have you seen this kind of fabric before?

Blueprinting or cyanotype, she uses the softest fabric, it has a great hand, almost like Art Gallery Fabric.

A beautiful rich glowing red.

The same material used for the interior of the pouch a FQ

And everyone can use more chevron prints in their stash, right?

Thanks Renee!!


From Amanda at What the Bobbin?  I got my package of Christmas Brick Squares right on my birthday, it was a wonderful surprise, especially since the mail man normally doesn't come on Thursday's but he did this time.

Christmas brick swap fabrics.

I asked her if she could pick up some Rainbow Loom bands for my kids and this is what she picked up.

7 Packages, not only did she get them on sale, but she also used a coupon!  My kind a gal, Thanks Amanda, my kids are loving all of the new colors and I have already whipped up 6 bracelets.
I also had some rulers mailed to her that were on sale and had free US shipping so she could fill up my package,

The Hex N More and the Northern Lights Pattern by Jaybird Quilts, I thought would work perfectly with my Mixteca Fabric.

An Inchie See and Inchie Do ruler, I have a plan for this with my American Made Brand Solids, Spooler Spindles and a Binding tool ruler (I have heard these are awesome, and I need all the help I can get with my bindings)  All purchased at The Premium Sewing Outlet.

Now the Spooler Spindles, I was looking for a way for me to keep more organized, well they kind of work, on small spools, but not on large Aurifil or Guterman small spools

But they do work on the small Aurifil and my Greek Butterfly (Petaloudas) thread.

I kind of like the bobbin keepers that Renee sent better, but as soon as I buy more bobbins (I only have 5) I think I will enjoy the spooler spindles also, especially if I make one in every small Aurifil color I have, that would look so pretty.

Well that's it for my lovely Sunday Stash packages this week, it was so much fun photographing and petting everything!  Thanks Renee and Amanda for sending me such fantastic and fun things.  Oh and if you are wondering what happened to the other Hot Tamale Box......

All gone and eaten ;)

 Don't forget to enter the Big Birthday Bash Giveaway if you haven't, I will be adding something more later in the week so stay tuned :)