Bertie's Quilt & Creative Space Tag

This little quilt is 47"x47", and has hung on my 

design wall for a few weeks. A friend of mine

pieced it last winter at a class while on vacation

somewhere sunny. She asked me to quilt it 

for her, and gave me free rein as to how.

The colors may be a little truer here.

The sashing and borders are the palest

pink, and it's really a pretty quilt top.

It was a bit of a dilemma for me to decide the 

quilting, as this is a quilt she is looking forward 

to leaving for a great-grandchild someday. 

I wanted it to be nicely done for her.

I decided it needed a little motif inside the 

blocks, and came up with this feathered 

wreath. A heart in the middle seemed to 

fit the style of the baby quilt, too.

I spray basted this one. I am finding that there 

are different situations where the spray basting 

works better for me than pinning. If I have any 

doubt about straightness of top or backing, I 

can see where to anticipate a wrinkle before 

I actually start to quilt.

Wreaths and hearts all out of the way,

I started the sashing. Simple leaves and 

vines with curling. I did use a water 

soluble marker to sketch an idea out,

and followed it loosley.  The mottling

you see in the pink is because I've

misted the top to get rid of the marking.

I do like her choice of backing. Very sweet

and appropriate. The quilting shows nicely.

I used a basic cream Aurifil in 50#.

Afterward my husband and I nabbed the Kubota

and went back on the hills for some peace and

quiet. There's nothing like being deep in the 

woods. We popped out on our way to a meadow,

and the hill was covered in blackberry blooms.

It's going to be a good year for the pie maker.

This little beauty caught my eye. I snapped

a picture so I could look it up later.

Any ideas?

Creative Space Tag is at Sew Preeti Quilts.

Preeti's post on "How Many Shades of Gray?" 

is up, and even her writing is full of energy!

I'm so happy to have her adding to our

bloggers sharing their creative spaces, and

she's already tagged Jasmine of Quilt Kisses.

For those of you who are curious, Maryse

at Maryse Makes Things came up with the 

idea after I posted about my new space,

and told me to run with the idea. We both

thought it would be fun to see where 

quilters create, and inspire each other 

with ideas about space usage. I've seen so

many great ideas, and made mental notes

for changes I should make. If you would 

like to share your space, let me know in

an email, and I'll add your name.

Until we meet again...

Come on, Doxie girls.

Let's go sew.

Linking up with~
Freemotion by the River
Quilt Story
Patchwork Times

                                                    

Stash, Cash, and Quilter Blogger

I want to show you a few different stash
additions I scored this week. Lucky me, I paid
almost 1/2 of list price for my finds. I shop
often, early in the morning when I might find
new sale things just put out, and when the store
is emptiest. It saves standing in lines, and adds
to my time sewing in the studio.

Of course, every Secret Garden 
needs a hidden key. I already
have ideas for making just a simple
quilt with large blocks as a 
summer throw.

I shy away from individual fat quarters most
of the time. They are usually priced $2.50 and 
up around here, and unless it's special, I don't
want to pay $10 a yard for fabric. The same
goes for most pre-cuts like jelly rolls, charms,
etc. You can read my post where I break 
down the actually cost of those enticing bits.

Stripping the Charm from Pre-Cuts

Upsides and Downfalls of Pre-Cuts

Winter Sunshine HST Top Finish 
and Pre-Cut Wrap Up

Like all 'rules', this isn't hard and fast. There
are times when convenience wins out, and 
I need a specific pre-cut. I just want to buy
it aware of the price per yard.

There is a bin where my LQS wraps one yard
pieces for $6 a yard. I have found some
prizes like Art Gallery fabrics in there, and
ocassionally something odd I was looking for.
Pay attention to where in the store things
are displayed. It's no different than grocery
shopping. Usually the less expensive items
are in least accessible areas, like downstairs
or in the back corner.

I have been talking with other quilting 
bloggers about the price of fabric. Here in
the US we seem to have it easiest on our
billfold, and maybe a better selection of
quilt stores, depending on where you live.
I can think of about 10 within an hour--
many I've never even been to yet.
Prices where I have shopped are in the 
$7-$8 for solids, and $10-$11 for brand name
quilting prints. Sale prices for close-out 
fabrics run $5-8 here.

Can We Talk? 
Please Leave Me a Comment

I'd love to know what you're paying where
you live, and how you buy your different
fabrics, whether at you local quilt store
or online. Do you have tricks to manage your
shipping or import tax add-on's if you buy 
out of country? Cost management is 
essential whether we quilt as a hobby or 
profession. Many people have found
the recent US economy to be a tough place
to sell product, and this all impacts
our bottom lines.

Even when we can buy our fabric cheaply,
how do we know what to charge for our quilts?

Craftsy--Tips for Pricing Your Handmade Goods
Hunter's Design Studio--What's It Worth?
The Quilting Edge--Pricing One's Work...
SewMamaSew--Placing a Value on Your Quilts
by Molli Sparkles
And please read yesterday's post on 
Molli Sparkles, too!

I've had cost analysis on the brain lately while
I try to figure out if I can afford a long arm.
Yes, I've been bitten badly. Summers are 
generally slower for quilters while we spend
more of our time outdoors, and it's a great 
time to think about how you're spending your
resources. Of course, it's also a weekend
where many online stores are having sales,
and my Inbox is flooded with flyers.

*************

Have you seen my new button to the right?

I came across a resource on another blogger's

page a few weeks back, and followed up on it.

I discovered the QuilterBlogs.com network,

and was pleased they accepted Pink Doxies

into their listings. It's not only a great, FREE 

place to list your blog, but I've found it's a

remarkable place to FIND blogs I was

missing out on. Today they have listed just 

under 1700 quilter's blogs! If you are a 

quilting blogger, this is an easy decision.

Get over there, and get it listed.

The Doxie girls and I are looking forward
to hearing from you today. In the meantime...

Come on, Doxie girls.
The garden is planted, so...
let's go sew.

Linking up with~
Molli Sparkles

Memorial Day and Pet Project Show #21

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the 
men and women who have died in service. It is 
a day to pause, and remember freedom is not 
free. My heart goes out to all who are 
remembering family and friends today.

 This wall hanging was made from the same 

pattern I've been using from Jen Kingwell's

book, Quilt Lovely. I'm sure I've seen a heart

modified this way before, but not where.

The piecing is fairly tedious when the strips

are cut only 1" wide. Not all my strips 

were spot on so I made sure to square up

all the blocks before joining them.

I made sure to match the lowest horizontal

strip on the upper quadrants. At least it

gives the 'illusion' that it matches even if

the rest of the strips are a little off.

I had a batting scrap to use, and made my

backing twice as large so I had something to 

hold on to. There's nothing harder than trying

to FMQ an itty bitty piece. I started to FMQ in

the white area, and it didn't look right. I 

ripped out about 12" of stitching. Then I

started over, and just outlined the hearts

with Aurifil 50#. It was enough as the

blocks were already busy enough.

I attached my binding to the back, and 

then realized I hadn't trimmed the edges

quite enough. Would you believe that when 

I trimmed the edge I cut the corner off 

my binding? 

It doesn't pay to hurry, and, Yes, you 

can section binding, but it's not fun!

This binding warranted hand sewing, and 

I looked forward to a little t.v. time with

my daughter. One episode of "The Gilmore

Girls," and I was done.

I thought you would like to see the fabrics

close up. I think it's so interesting how blocks

look close up while we're picking out fabrics

and sewing vs. the whole finished effect.

Linking up with~
Show and Tell Tuesday
Monday Makers
Show and Tell with Bambi
Oh, Scrap!
Cooking Up Quilts
Hug-a-Bit Quilts
Sew She Can

Sew Many Ways

Woohoo, Doxie Girls!
It's Saturday, and time for the weekly 

Pink Doxies 

Pet Project Show. 

Add your link here every Saturday. 

Rules

Do we have to have rules? 

No worries! It's EASY.

1. Use the blue 'Add Your Link' button (below)
to upload a picture of something you've created 
in the past week. Any kind of handiwork--
share it now! It can be a work in progress, 
finally finished, or even your fab new fabric. 
Whatever it is that inspired you to create this 
week, we'd like to see it here. 

2. Please link to a specific post, and not just your
blog address. It makes it easy for anyone following 

your link to find the project.

3. Provide a backlink to Pink Doxies with a link in
your post, or pick up our Pet Project Show
button in the sidebar. Copy the code, then 
create a Pet Show widget with 'Add by HTML' 
on your Layout page.

-OR-

1. You can link up to your Instagram. 
Click on the Instagram icon at the bottom 
of the link up screen. The URL of your Instagram 
feed will be your link. 
Please hashtag #pinkdoxiespetproject

Either way you link up, remember it's a party
here, so schmooze with the crowd! Visit others 
who've linked up. Leave a comment so they 
know what you like about their work. 

Don't miss a post! 

Follow me on Bloglovin' or by email. 

The Linky Party starts now, and runs until
Monday, May 25th at midnight. 

Spread the word, and tell all your stitchy friends.

*The first Saturday party of each month will
feature several of the Doxies' and my
favorite link ups. 
By linking up, you are giving permission for me
to post your picture with a link back to your 

blog or Instagram account. 

An InLinkz Link-up

One Lovely Blog Award at Pink Doxies

I was nominated for the "One Lovely Blog Award" 

this past week by a blogger friend. Within a 

few days, several more nominated Pink Doxies.

I think the Universe was telling me, "Do It!"
I read whatever I could, but there seem to be
no firm origins to find, yet I'm sure it's out 
there. There were 2 buttons in Blogland about
it. I think the pink is my favorite, but both
are the same thing.

So, here I am with my own post for the

"One Lovely Blog Award."

Sincere gratitude to~

Iris at Crazydutchbirdquilts

Kaja at Sew Slowly

Sandra at Musing of a Menopausa Melon

Marly at Marly's Quilts

There are few rules, per se, except these 3:

*Thank the person (or persons) who gave 
you the nomination.

*List 7 things about yourself people might
not know.

*Nominate other blogs you feel are Lovely!
Some have put a number on it, but Iris at
crazydutchbirdquilts has said she's confirmed
the wording as 'other'. I'm going with her 
definition as it was holding up my posting.

         

   Thank you to each of the wonderful bloggers

above who nominated Pink Doxies. I encourage 
you to visit them. They are all quilting bloggers

whom I follow and admire.

7 Things You Might Not Know About Me

  1. I am careful about being gluten-free, but will

ocassionally cheat and have a beer. I pay for it

the next morning in the way I feel.

2. I had never even read another blog before 

I decided to write one. I am spontaneous!

3. I worry about my projects looking 'too cute'.

4. I read widely. I had the luxury of 

homeschooling my children for 17 years, and 

read to keep up with their reading. We covered 

literature from the Greeks to present today, and 

are all still readers. I have no one favorite 

author, but am always excited to get a new 

Tarquin Hall mystery. Greek Myth is a favorite.

Also, by the way, I am officially retiring 

this year. Woohoo!

5. I am a creature of habit as is my family.

We eat at the same Mexican restaurant at 

least once a week, and we all have our same

thing almost every time. I see it as a decision

I don't have to make.

6. I am allergic to cats, guinea pigs, rabbits,

horses...but not Doxies, thank Heaven!

7. I really, really hate getting stuck by a pin!

That wasn't so hard. Now to nominate several

blogs for One Lovely Blog Award. Please excuse
me for not naming so many as it seems to be
permeating Blogland. That's GOOD! It's wonderful
to highlight the good things we share, and 
this is a lovely way to pass the light.

Bambi at Bambisyr med sin Quiltglädje

VeggieMummy from Tales from the Riverbank

Melissa from A Small Sample Study 
(of works in progress)

Linda at Art in Search
Teje at Nerospost

Be well this Friday, and be sure to visit Pink Doxies
Pet Project Show tomorrow to link up your
goodies from the week. I have something 
patriotic in progress for Memorial Day
to show you. 

'Til then--

Come on, Doxie girls.
Gotta go sew today!

Modern Heart Zip Bag

I thought my little orphan block would be 

helped by framing.There were some darker strips 

that I’d decided were a bit too dark, but that 

was after I’d sewn it together.  I think the deep 

purple helped the colors pop, and the low 

volume background recede.  

To give it a little edgier look, I offset the border. 

This gave me both a solid color, and larger space 

to add some SLQ as an accent, and I had fun. 

It’s just a little pattern of crossing lines that 

ensures the sandwich is secure.

The backing was a diagonal print to start with,

and I marked every 1/2" with a chalk pencil.

I chose not to quilt every line, though, and 

picked a few here and there to keep it random. 

I used Aurifil #2309, my go-to 

off-white quilting thread in 50 wt.

I used a little contrasting fabric on each end of my 

zipper to get a good fit. I always use nylon zippers 

with bags! Metal zippers look very cool and hip, 

but those teeth can destroy your manicure in 

a heartbeat when you’re trying to get in and 

out of a bag--not that I have a mani, you know.

I chose to sew down the zipper on the inside

instead of finishing all the edges. Just the 

tiniest bit showed out from underneath.

The backing is a diagonal print from the ‘Elementary’ 

line from ‘Moda’. I like how it helps the bag 

from looking ‘too cute’.

I sewed front and back pieces wrong sides together 

in a scant ¼" seam. Then I added a Anna Marie 

Horner floral binding. It created contrast on the 

back, and picked up the heart fabrics in the front.

Tah-dah!

I wonder what I should do with it now?

I'm thankful for the rains this spring,

and our beautiful show of blooms.

The azaleas are in full bloom now,

and I'm awaiting my pink poppies.

Come on, Doxie girls.

Let's go outside and enjoy the sunshine

until the mosquitoes eat us up!

Linking up with~
Crazy Mom Quilts
Fort Worth Studio
Quilt Shop Gal
Confessions of a Fabric Addicit
TGIFF
WIP Be Gone LAFF
Quilting Jet Girl
My Quilt Infatuation
Freshly Pieced
Sew Fresh Quilts

Quilt Story