Churn Dash Baby Quilt II

Churn Dash II

I had some minor problems with the points when I made the first Churn Dash baby quilt. Check it out along with the book I'm working from in A Two Quilt Tuesday. I needed one more quilt in similar colors so I made another one.

This time I starched the squares before making the large HST, and was very careful while squaring up and trimming them. Once again, it was problematic piecing the giant nine patch. Goodness, you think I would have stopped, ripped, squared the other pieces, and then sewed it together. But, No, I just plowed on. The points aren't cut off as bad as the picture shows above, but one or two will be. I think I need a third try to work this out.

Making 2.5" Unfinished HST from a Jelly Roll

My First Jelly Roll Quilt: Date Unknown

The first jelly roll I purchased many years ago was "Saltwater" from Tula Pink. I fell in love with the "octopuses". (Check here if you use another form for the plural.) There is a seriously cute factor to the faces in her prints. I snapped up a jelly roll in the line, and set to making an easy quilt. I imagine this was among my first 5 so you know it's old!

Don't Fear Bias: Day 7

Yesterday's post, Bustin' the Scrap Piles with Easy HST, brought up a good comment. The comment mentioned that the HST method I had used would produce HST's with 4 bias edges. True! So many quilters hear the word 'bias', and they go into a sort of panicked frenzy--not everyone, of course, but particularly new quilters that have been warned about the dire dangers. Let's talk about this to bust the myth.

Bustin' the Scrap Piles with Easy HST: Day 6

HST the Easy Way

Even after yesterday's Scrappy Trips Around the World quilt, I still had a big pile of 5" squares left over. Sticking with my new theory of dealing with scraps as they happen, I took control. There is a terribly easy, no stress, low attention way to turn them into HST. (I say this because I plowed through the stacks all day while hanging with the dogs, and catching up on some t.v., and still didn't screw it up. I like that kind of sewing!)

Cutting HST with Directional Prints & Studio Goals List

November's Bee Hive Block

This pop of color was No. 6 on last week's To-Do List. It's the next-to-last Bee Hive Block to complete for the year. Blossom Heart Quilts organizes the Hives every year, and the blocks made for it come from a free archive of block tutorials hosted there. 

Blossom Heart Quilts Bee Hive Tutorials

This one was presented with a technique I wasn't comfortable with, but Alyce gave her modified version, which simply uses all HST. I was using 2 directional prints for the star tips, and want to show you a hint to make this work.

Halloween Quilt & Eerie Nights Blog Hop

No, you're not lost! 
I'm working out of my comfort zone, 
and trying a more traditional design.

I have to chuckle to myself because I have succumbed to quilter's peer pressure. At last weekend's retreat, I watched as my friends picked up fabric in the stores. Not just what they bought, but what they needed to touch. It was not necessarily what I would have chosen, or in my color palette or style. I normally choose brighter hues, and silky smooth fabrics like Art Gallery and Michael Miller solids are glorious to me. But I saw fingers touching wovens, flannels, and fabric printed to resemble burlap. (Burlap=chills!, and I am allergic to all jute products.) Texture is a big deal for me, and I started wondering if I avoided more traditional fabrics because I associated them with certain textures.

When to Ask for Help

Still hot off the ironing board!

I believe I write as often about struggling with projects as giving Pink Doxie readers help. Quilter bloggers don't wake up one day full of knowledge, and able to share expert tips and tutorials. We spend hours sewing, and figuring things out. I think I'm the Queen of Mistakes, but it's actually a quick way to learn if you aren't afraid. Sewing technique is more basic for me, while playing with design gets me really excited, and occassionally in over my head. I'm not shy to ask for help, and fellow bloggers are usually happy to help out. Thank you.

This was the real thing last night. No glamour shots here! This is how it looks when I'm trying to figure out if the whole idea is coming together or falling apart. I was more in the 'It's not working' camp earlier when I looked over just the blocks. Arranging them on the wall in as close to position as I could, it looked a little better. The additional fabrics are picks for the next blocks I'll make. I have the pattern turned below to reflect the design wall.

Solids aren't my first choice when I can use a print, and I thought this quilt would be fun to make in prints. I chose to use colors as close as possible to Moda's suggestion, but in a print that was mainly that one color. So a print that comes off as more a solid. I also decided it would be a stash only quilt, and I might have to modify my rules to make it work. That was the case in the large block where I used my Cotton+Steel kitties, and I'm running into more as I pull fabric for the next blocks. 

My biggest concern was whether the colors were all working together, but that may be more an issue with the mulit-colored pattern itself. You can see the how difficult it is to eye the chosen fabrics, and decide if they work. Today I made the top block, and the next two below. 

I'm more secure that it will work as I move on using additional colors. I've started with large blocks, and moved to medium next. The medium blocks are providing color across the spectrum to balance the large blocks with the slightly odd, unrelated colors. I'll plug away at this today, and hope to have it done by the end of the weekend to show you. Next week is going to be a doosey for new projects! (I have a BIG secret!)

The colors are given in Bella Solids, and I looked for a correspondence chart between Moda and Kona. I ran into Walnut Street Quilts blog, and a treasure trove of information about pressing, some errata to the cutting dimensions, and Moda to Kona colors! If you're making this pattern, she's your go-to resource. I'm so thankful to Patty for sharing so much solid information.

 Another thing that should be mentioned is there are no written directions in the pattern. There are diagrams for cutting and sewing order. You need to have some idea of how to do HST, Flying Geese, trimming up, and so on. A big help would have been the measurement of each finished section so it could be trimmed before sewing it to the next, but there is none. 

Heads Up: Mary at Strip Quilts has a sweet Giveaway for a table runner kit that runs until June 15th. This blog is a good visual resource for ideas using pre-cuts. It's easy to join, so check it out.

Linking up today with~
Quilt Shop Gal
Crazy Mom Quilts
A Quilting Reader's Garden
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Quilting Jet Girl

Monday Musings

 Last week I made the trip back to my favorite 

local quilt shop, Miller's Dry Goods. My mind and 

eyes were tuned into a different fabric selection, 

and I wasn't disappointed. I was looking for, and found, 

some highly patterned, and colorful floral pieces. 

My latest inspiration comes from a book I've

highlighted here several times, and is one

of my favorite go-to reads--

Quilting with a Modern Slant

This incredibly scrap-inspired quilt is the work

of Katie Pedersen, who blogs as Sew Katie Did.

I just love it!

I've been on a HST kick this year, and have written

about my frustration using pre-cuts when making 

them. The feedback I received was full of ideas, 

but two names kept coming up. One was Bloc-Loc 

for their squaring-up rulers. When I decided on this 

concept as my next project, and realized the extent 

of work, I contacted Bloc-Loc. We talked about my 

ideas,and they were gracious to send me a ruler 

to use as a demo here on Pink Doxies.

I was sent a 6.5" squaring up ruler. Bloc-Loc's suggestion

in their directions say to use one inch up, so a 7.5" 

square to start. I didn't have anything that large in

my scraps to use so I hit my stash--hard!

I have over 50 fabrics cut into squares or strips

at this point--

...and another 140 or so to go!

I went after pieces that I've never used 

before first, and filled in with others.

My trusty He-Man Ruler has been very helpful. My 

tendency with plastic rulers is to lose contact

with the edge right at the end, and it causes a 

swerve or divot in my strip. The heavier ruler

with the gripping foam underneath it helps

hold the fabric in place all the way to the end.

This is the idea of a finished block. I am already

willing to say I am notably impressed with the 

accuracy and ease of the Bloc-Loc ruler,

but floored by the increased speed I can work.

So far, SO Wonderful, Bloc-Loc!

 Also on my list of daily lessons to grow my skills is

to visit the Leah Day Free Motion Quilting Project.

Every single day I do something. There is a vast 

improvement in my skills even from the first 

video until now. It's FREE, and I'm so grateful

for all the resources packed in there.

I keep practicing so I can link up with

Lizzie Lenard's Vintage Sewing Blog on 

Thursday's when she hosts a link up party.

 My days are going in all directions, it seems,

but I feel I'm moving forward like the coming

of spring is. There are so many new things to

learn when you're trying to grow.

I'd love to hear what things you're working on

or how you're trying to grow your skills.

Please take a minute and let me know 

today in the comments.

I'm so honored to be 

featured today on~

and also at

I'm linking up today with~

Bambisyr med sin Quiltgladje!

Monday Makers

Hug-a-Bit Quilts

Cooking Up Quilts

Show and Tell Tuesdays
Sew Cute at Blossom Heart Quilts
Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story
Freemotion by the River
Late Night Quilter

Thank you so much for your 
link-up opportunities!

Time for work!

Come on, Doxie Girls.

Let's go sew.

Join for FREE! Pet Project Show #11

                                                                            

What do you think when you see a sign

with "Free" on it?

I have a tendency to think there's got to be

a catch, or in the case above, 

it's going to cost me a lot. 

'Cuz nothing is free! 

Really?

Winter Sunshine HST Top Finish and Pre-Cut Wrap Up

This reminds me of color prisms 

in the sunshine!

Would you believe I had one extra

unused HST, and no more?

That was lucky!

Upsides and Downfalls of Pre-Cuts

Isn't this just the cutest thing?
It's not my work, but that of Norma at 
Petit Design Co. 
The scrap rat in me loves the color punch it gives.

I'd been inspired by a 

Value Quilt Tutorial 

by 'Sew Katie Did', 

and tons of Pinterest links.