Happy 2016

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

HapHappy New Year!

6!016!Feliz 2016!

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2016

Both quilts below are a free pattern from the fabric manufactures listed on the link.
I am thinking of presents on quilts.
The inspiration came from a quilt guild meeting when the presenter showed us her quilt with the little name tags and we immediately thought it would be a great idea for a signature quilt. I am thinking of combining both patterns and add a bow to the packages with the tags or vice versa.
May you have a wonderful time this season and through the year.

http://www.redroosterquilts.com/shop/product/all-wrapped-up-flurry-downloadable-quilt-pattern-from-moda/

http://www.unitednotions.com/fp_dear-mr-claus.pdf

Free Montmarte quilt pattern from Kaufman

These 2 quilts are from the same pattern; and they are available for free from the Robert kaufman's web site. The address is below.  http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/montmarte/#color:2

Happy T-Day

Birthday Blocks 2015- design wall

These are the blocks on my design wall. They were made for me by my wonderful Bee friends. Trying to make a decision on how to finish the quilt top. So thankful for generous friends.

what is on my design wall

Pumpkin Pincushion Free Pattern

To continue to share free patterns ideas, this one comes from Fiskars.

It is a cute pincushion very appropriate for the Fall season starting at the Northern hemisphere. If you are in the Southern one, try to make it in red fabrics for a great tomato pincushion for your Spring into Summer season.

I also would recommend to add walnut shell crumbs with the stuffing to add weight to your pincushion. This is sold where you get pet stuff in your stores. It is made to be added to reptile cages and such.

Little plastic pellets work as well.

http://www2.fiskars.com/Ideas-and-How-Tos/Crafting-and-Sewing/Sewing/Sewn-Pumpkin-Pincushion

Moda Bake shop free patterns

Continuing with the free stuff from generous designers and companies, here is Moda's site. This beautiful quilt pattern is there for anyone to be inspired to make something nice for someone else. There are quite a few more wonderful patterns.

http://www.modabakeshop.com/ 

Windham Fabrics free quilt patterns

If you are like me and my Bee, you make a lot of donation quilts. (We have so far this year, made almost 100 quilts.) If so, this site is for you. 

Thanks to generosity of many designers and the manufacturer, all you need is your supplies, a copy of any of the many, many patterns available there; and get busy.

Just one of the many patterns available

Woolie Bee at the QGGH show- July 2015

Sue Spargo came to the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston and taught a class  on her magnificent wool applique. We were so inspired that we started a Bee. Here are some of the art work that resulted from that class. Just amazing!

This last one is an original by Janice Schindler our bee master. One can look at it for hours and still not see all the details. Just lovely.

Quilt Guild of Greater Houston, July 2015 Show

Not many words, just look and see the variety and beauty of the quilts. This is a very small sample of the 245 quilts shown. The next show will be in 2017. I can't wait. 

Exhibit "The 5th Element" at 2015 Mega Artesanal

Still at the Mega Artesanal 2015 in SãoPaulo, Brazil. 

This great exhibition is a collection of quilts curated by Ciça Mora. I had a chance to meet Ciça and she told me that she has a Facebook group that works on a yearly theme and than she shows the quilts on large shows like this one. I was very impressed by the beauty and quality of the work. I am very temped to joint her group. The 2015 project is due soon, so maybe I will  be able to participate in 2016. 

Below is a small sample of the art work for "The Fifth Element."

Mega Artesanal 2015

From July 1-5 2015, The Mega Artesanal happened in São Paulo, Brazil. I was there this time of the year and took advantage to see it for myself. I went on Friday and it was very busy with loads of people. If you go next year, do buy your ticket on line to avoid major lines every where. Also, take the FREE van (please note the high light on FREE), from the Jabaquara subway station there, they will leave you at the door and you take that back again to the subway. It is a fair for all kinds of crafts.

Nice store for quilt patterns

Early morning, I could still walk around there.

I see my home town featured on the banner for trips

My favorite new magazine in Brazil (it is in Portuguese, only the name is in English)

Inspirations from Leuven

Leuven City Hall

Leuven is a small college town just  30 minutes train ride east of Brussels, Belgium. It is absolutely gorgeous and worth a visit. It is easy to be inspired here. 

Some of the beautiful manholes around town

Church window at St. Damian's Church

There is a beautiful quilt and yarn store at "Paris Street". Just in the center of town. Since it is a small town, it is hard to miss.
The name is : 't Wolwinketje - Parijstraat 25, B-3000 - Leuven.
If you stay around, you will also find other yarn stores and fabric stores. But this is the one I ended up buying some yarns and Danish fabrics.

't Wolwinkeltje

Plus Blocks

6 inches "Plus Block"

My quilting Bee, "The Cotton Pickin Bee" is making this block as an exchange. For this one, we are making the blocks 6 inches finished "(so they are 6.5" unfinished.) Each person can make up to 40 blocks and we will exchange them on our next meeting.

The construction of this block is very simple. It uses 2.5 inches strips, so if you have some pre-cuts that size, you can sew them in no time at all.

What you need for 1 block:

2 fabrics, one main color fabric and one background. We have decided that the background should be light.

Cut: Background fabric: 4 - 2.5 inches squares

Main color: 2 - 2.5 inches squares

                                 1 - 2.5 by 6.5 inches rectangle

Sewing the blocks is very easy. Use the 1/4 inch seam. Sew a background piece to each side of the main color squares. Press the seams to the main color.

Add the main color rectangle in between the 2 new 3 pieces rectangle you just sewn, press, trim to size if needed and you are done and done.

Enjoy, this is an easy and beautiful block.

I am linking this to Esther's quilt blog WIP's

http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/2015/04/wow-how-about-cup-of.html

I did modify construction a little, I cut these 2.5 by 5 inches, sew them together and than cut the new strip into 2.5 inches which gave the 2 pieces I need for the top and bottom of the main color rectangle. Don't let this confuse you. All I did is to cut the fabrics into rectangles and sew and cut.  I did not cut any squares as above.

trimming the unit into 2 top and bottom rectangles

Sewing the last seam. The purple thang shows how I mach the seams to make sure it all is lined up. The main color rectangle is underneath.

Some of the finished blocks