A Dream and A Stitch: February 2017

Monday, February 27, 2017

February Muggamo!

February is almost done and I have yet to share with you my super cute mug rug for the month.
Jen over at Patterns by Jen is sharing a new Mug Rug pattern every month. Fun little projects that go together so quickly and are a great gift for friends (or yourself :) ). You can find January's tutorial and February's tutorial Here and Here.

I know exactly who I am gifting this one to. Now if I could only remember to put it in the mail...

I don't fussy cut very often, but this Love just wanted to be part of the February Muggamo!

I made an attempt at little tiny quilted hearts. Some good, some not great, but still cute if you ask me.

The little swirls were very hard to do from the front because the thread matched the fabric.

Not your traditional Valentine colors, but I like it and see myself making this mug rug will all kinds of fussy cut bits.

Linking up with the usual--all on my sidebar.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

ScrappyFinish

Lately it seems that I have been doing so much and so little at the same time.
I have been pattern testing for others and finishing up a few new patterns for myself. And in between that, I have been trying to get some of the WIPs off my list to make some room and feel some sense of accomplishment. AND I have been desperately trying to bring some organization and order to all of my sewing storage chaos. The boxes and piles of fabric are surrounding me.

My sewing space is a corner of my bedroom, this includes storage and table and chair. I feel so overwhelmed with all of it. I don't want to get rid of it, but in its current state, it is so uninspiring.
I am half tempted to say that I don't need a living room (we don't even use it really) and move all of my sewing out there with the beautiful daylight from the sliding glass door and the long walls. It's an option I suppose. How do those of you with limited space deal? Is your sewing space in a state of constant moving?

I did manage a couple of finishes amidst all this chaos though. The first is my February block for our Bee Inspired group. It was a super fun block to make and you can read all about my block HERE. Everyone else posts about their blocks too, so don't forget to keep reading.

My finished block.

I also finally finished a scrap quilt that I started a couple of years ago on a Sew Saturday with my aunt. She finished hers a long time ago, but I found that I was never able to work on it for too long. It sat basted and ready for quilting for quite awhile and when I finally started quilting it, that was when my old machine went kaput. But, I am happy to say that this last weekend I finally put that last binding stitch on it and it is my new cozy, scrappy, travel with me quilt. It is going to be that one that I just toss in the car when I head to the beach, or go camping, or just need a quilt to cuddle with on the couch.

I really wanted to get some good outdoor photos of this one, to capture the bright colors, but it is still dark by time I get home and rainy and muddy to boot, so I'll have to settle for some slightly dark indoor shots this time. As I was driving to work this morning I really, really wished I could just pull over on the side of the road, call in late to work and take my quilt photos here:

It was so creepy-beautiful! Imagine a colorful quilt hanging from one of those branches.

It's a dark photo, but it will be the quilt's natural habitat. :)

This is one of those quilts that has a huge layout mistake in it, but I didn't notice until I had it all laid out and basted. I decided it gave it character.

I almost forgot to use my labels this time, but luckily I remembered before I finished the binding and was able to add it in there. I love these labels! If you are interested, I ordered them from Finer Ribbon. Here.

Linking up to:

Let's Bee Social

Wednesday Wait Loss

Needle & Thread Thursday

Finished or not Friday

Fabric Frenzy Friday

Friday, February 10, 2017

Jen & Jan's Mini QAL - Quilter's Laundry Day Tutorial

We are doing another Blog Hop - QAL!
Janice from Color, Creating and Quilting and I are doing another Mini Quilt Blog Hop and Quilt Along. Last time, we did a Shadow Block Mini Quilt: HERE and HERE.

This time around, we have created the cutest little pattern for you. We have called it Quilter's Laundry Day. It is a quick finish that you can personalize so many ways.

AND we have prizes!!
(keep reading to find out what...)

This is going to be a long post with the tutorial included, so I will get right to it.

Day of the Hop - Friday, March 10th
To participate in the Blog Hop, where you share your version of Quilter's Laundry Day, please let us know in a comment or email. (adreamandastitch (at) gmail (dot) com). We will need your name, email, and blog or Instagram. Please let us know if you want to participate before Friday, March 3rd so we have time to get the hop together.
Here is the link to the PDF pattern: Quilter's Laundry Day
Grab a button.
Have Fun!

Fabric Requirements and Cutting:

*all measurements in inches*

SKY: (1)7.5x8.5, (1)3.5x5, (1)1.5x6.5, (2)3.5x1.5, (1)3.5 sq, (1)10.5x2.5

GRASS: (1)2.5 sq, (1)2.5x5, (1)1.5x4.5, (1)3 sq, (1)1.5x2.5, (1)2.5x9.5

POST: (2)1x5.5

HOUSE: (5)2.5x1.5, (1)1.5x6.5, (2)1.5x3.5, (1)2.5x6.5

ROOF: (1)3.5x6.5

CHIMNEY: (1)3.5x1.5

WINDOW: (1)2.5 sq (2)2.5x1.5

DOOR: (1)3.5x2.5

ROAD: (1)3 sq, (1)2.5 sq, (1)2.5x16.5 (can change to 1.5x16.5 if you prefer a narrow road or excluded. 2.5 height makes block 16.5x16.5)

(1) 4.5 sq *edit*(unfinished) MINI QUILT. Can be any pieced block or cut piece of fabric.

One of many websites that I found some super great blocks at:

Free Quilt Block Patterns Library

Recommendations: I starched all the fabric as I worked on this to keep the smaller pieces easy to work with. Use your preferred method. I also pressed in the direction that seemed most natural. Either to the dark fabric or away from the bulk of the seams. I like to press open in most cases, but again, this works with your preferred method.

Section A:

· Make 4.5 Mini Quilt

· Sew 1.5x4.5 GRASS to bottom of Mini Quilt

· Set aside

The pattern for my mini quilt can be found HERE.

Sew 3.5x5 SKY to 2.5x5 GRASS on long(5”) edge.

Cut (2) 1.5x5.5 strips from unit (2x5.5 remains)

Sew POST strips to both 5.5 sides of 2x5.5 unit

Cut unit in half creating (2) 1.5x5.5 strips

Sew SKY/GRASS strip to POST side of unit.

Making sure SKY & GRASS line up.
Make 2.

· With wider SKY/GRASS section facing out, sew SKY/GRASS/POST units to either side of MINI QUILT

· Sew 8.5x7.5 SKY to top of unit

· Set aside Section A

Section B:

B.1:

· Sew a 3.5x1.5 SKY strip to each 3.5 side of CHIMNEY 3.5x1.5 strip. Draw diagonal on wrong side of unit

· Place SKY/CHIMNEY unit right sides together on left side of 3.5x6.5 ROOF rectangle, making sure strips start horizontal and end up vertical when folded back and diagonal line goes top-right to bottom left

· Sew along diagonal and trim off excess seam allowance

· Draw diagonal on 3.5sq SKY

· Place on right side of unit and sew along diagonal. Trim excess seam allowance

· Sew 1.5x6.5 SKY to top of unit

B.2:

· Working left to right, 2.5 sides together

o Sew 1.5x2.5 HOUSE to 2.5sq WINDOW, then 1.5x2.5 HOUSE, then 1.5x2.5 WINDOW, then1.5x2.5 HOUSE

· Sew 1.5x6.5 HOUSE to top

· Sew unit B.2 to bottom of unit B.1

B.3:

· Sew a 1.5x2.5 HOUSE to each 2.5 side of 1.5x2.5 WINDOW

· Sew 1.5x3.5 HOUSE to bottom

· Sew 3.5x1.5 HOUSE to right side of 2.5x3.5 DOOR

o Sew DOOR side to right of HOUSE/WINDOW unit

· Sew 2.5x6.5 HOUSE to top of unit

· Sew unit B.3 to bottom of unit B.2

B.4:

· Sew 10.5x2.5 SKY to 2.5 sq GRASS

· Sew unit with GRASS on bottom to right side of other B unit

· Sew entire Section B to right side of Section A

Section C:

· Draw diagonal on wrong side of 3 sq ROAD. Place right sides together with 3 sq. GRASS. Sew ¼ seam on both sides of line to make 2 HST. Press open. Trim to 2.5 sq.