Quilty Fun's 1st Birthday Party!!!

We are having a party! Today Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet and Fat Quarter Shop are celebrating the 1st birthday of Lori's fabulous first book Quilty Fun.

Lori has created this super cute birthday block for the occasion. You can download the instructions for the block HERE!

I had fun picking fabrics for the block. Of course, I had to use some of Lori's fabrics! My daughter kept commenting how cute the block was when I was making it. She just had a birthday and she got a mandolin. I am going to turn the block into a little tote bag for her to keep some of her guitar and mandolin accessories.

I also pulled some fabric to finally get started on this adorable Apple-licious quilt from Quilty Fun! I love this quilt and can't wait to get started on it!

Be sure to check out the other birthday blocks and download the free pattern HERE!
And the book is available for purchase HERE!

Have a great day!

Happy Sewing!
xo Erin

Christmas Keepsakes Blog Tour and a Giveaway!

 

Hi there! Today is my stop on Shabby Fabric's Christmas Keepsakes blog tour. Christmas Keepsakes is the newest Block of the Month quilt from Shabby Fabrics. The quilt measures 36" x 36" and features nine Christmas applique blocks. They offer a choice of traditional or laser cut  and pre-fused applique kits with the border, backing and all of the embellishments are included for this 10 month program. Christmas Keepsakes begins in January 2015 and runs through October 2015, giving you time to complete it before Christmas!     

Shabby Fabrics asked if I'd like to make a couple blocks from the quilt. I was more than willing when I saw the quilt! The blocks are adorable. I have made a few Christmas quilts over the years but they have always been gifts for someone. I think I'm going to make the whole BOM and have this as my family's Christmas quilt. Honestly, I was so excited when the package for the blocks came I didn't even snap a picture of all of the elements in the package. I opened mine up and started making them right away.

I love the swirly lollipop! Isn't it the cutest thing?!

And the candy cane is just as cute!
I've done a lot of applique but never with the pre fused laser cut pieces like this. I really loved using them. It was so nice to not have to trace and cut everything first. I had my blocks fused to the backgrounds in no time.

I taped my paper and block to my light box (a.k.a. my window) to trace the embroidery lines. Then I sat down to stitch everything.

I started by using my machine using a straight stitch. I think it looked good but after embroidering the little lines I wanted to hand stitch all of the block. I used 3 strands of embroidery floss for mine. I absolutely love them!!!

Make sure to stop by each of the blogs below for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Shabby Fabrics!!! Then stop by Shabby Fabrics blog tomorrow the 10th for a chance to win too! So leave a coment below for a chance to win!!! and visit the other too!!!

Here is a list of the other ladies on the blog tour:

 

Tuesday, October 7th

Paula @ The Sassy Quilter

Erin @ Stay at Home Mummy

Karin @ Leigh Laurel Studios

Wednesday, October 8th

Melissa @ Happy Quilting

Kristyne @ Pretty by Hand

Thursday, October 9th

Erin @ Why Not Sew?

Caroline @ SewCanShe

Happy Sewing!!
xo Erin

Indian Summer Maple Leaf Quilt and a Giveaway!

Today I am participating in the Benartex Feels Like Fall blog hop. Check out my tutorial for this Maple Leaves Quilt on their blog Sew in Love {with Fabric} using their Indian Summer and Burlap fabric. Don't forget to comment here to enter to win a fat quarter bundle of the fabric!!!

Be sure to check out the other great projects by these talented folks on the blog tour!!!

Day 1: Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation featuring the Harvest Song collection
Day 2: Christina from Sometimes Crafter featuring the Spooktacular collection
Day 3: Melissa from My Fabric Relish featuring the Daily Zen collection
Day 4: Benartex blog design team featuring the Fall Festival collection
Day 5: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring the Spooktacular collection
Day 6: Erin from Why Not Sew featuring the Indian Summer collection


Happy Sewing!
xo Erin

Fun Things Going On...

I hope you will join me this week for a couple of fun blog hops I'm participating in.

Tomorrow October 8th, I'll have a tutorial posted on Benartex's Sew in Love {with Fabric} blog with a fat quarter bundle giveaway on my blog.

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Thursday October 9th, I'll have some super cute blocks to show you for the Christmas Keepsakes Blog Tour for Shabby Fabrics and a $25 gift certificate giveaway.

I also wanted to mention Fat Quarter Shops new 2015 Quilt-Along. The Snapshots Quilt-Along will be benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Their Quilt Along has 12 traditionally pieced picturesque (novelty) blocks that capture and celebrate moments of happiness in our lives.

The Quilt Along officially starts January 15^th, 2015 and they will release the first block pattern on the 15^th of each month for the rest of 2015. All they ask from the participants is to donate to St. Jude every time they download their patterns.Fat Quarter Shop and Moda Fabrics will match up to $10,000 from our donations for a total of $20,000. To read more about this quilt along, please visit their blog:
http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/2014/09/meet-our-2015-quilt-along.html

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a wonderful organization. It's one that I try to donate to whenever possible. So I am loving the idea behind this Quilt-Along.

I hope to "see" you this week for some fun sewing projects! I also want to catch up soon and show you my new baby... she's a featherweight!  Hope all is well where you are. Have a good night!

Happy Sewing!
xo Erin

Heather Ross Far, Far Away Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway from Fat Quarter Shop

Today I have an awesome giveaway for you from Fat Quarter Shop. They are going to give one of you a fat quarter bundle of Far, Far Away the newest line from Heather Ross for Windham fabrics.
I am such a fan of Heather Ross. This line irresistibly cute. I ordered some for myself and it is even prettier in person. The fabric is soft and feels really nice. I am so excited that this collection was made into quilting weight cotton. The original release of Far, Far Away (2009) was a double gauze material and I wanted to get it back then but was never quite sure I'd use it in a quilt. With this release I knew I wanted to have some of it. Can you really resist the little princess and the pea fabric? I couldn't!

To enter leave a comment below and I'll pick a winner next Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Sewing!
xo Erin

National Sewing and Quilting Month

Good Morning! Did you know that September is National Sewing and Quilting month? Fat Quarter Shop is celebrating by hosting an  "I Love Sewing and Quilting" blog tour. The tour is to celebrate the art of sewing and quilting! How fun is that! Fat Quarter Shop challenged us to make something new to us. I do consider myself primarily a quilter but I have sewn all kinds of things.

There are 2 things that challenge me are darts (eek) and piping! I've tried adding piping to things a few times and it always comes out uneven and kind of bad looking. So I tried piping again on this tote and I think it's better than the piping I did on this bag. It is something I still need a lot of practice with. I do plan to tackle darts again someday.....maybe. Here are a few questions Fat Quarter Shop asked us to answer:

1.       How did you start quilting/sewing?

I started sewing Barbie Doll clothes when I was little. Then as a teenager I would sew patchwork up the sides of my pants and I embroidered everything! I really got serious about sewing when my first baby was born. I started making her dresses and clothes with a sewing machine my mother in law gave me. Then I discovered quilting in 2001 and never looked back. I HAVE to sew often or I get a little cooky :) haha! no seriously! 

That's why I love these little badges FQS made... It's so true! I have to sew something most days and always have to have a project going or I get overwhelmed with all of the creative ideas stuck in my head. Sometimes writing them down and drawing them out helps but a little sewing always does the job!

2.       When was the first time you knew that you were a quilter/sewer?

Oh, this took forever! I'd say about 5 years after I started quilting I considered myself a quilter. That was probably how long it took for my confidence to catch up with the skills I'd learned.

3.       Do you have any sewing/quilting horror stories or faux pas? Yes! my first quilt, it's was a mess! It's here.

4.       What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out in sewing/quilting? Enjoy the process, don't rush it. Be confident in your choices and have fun. Practice is also the key to learning any new skill so Sew often, I recommend everyday :) 

Be sure to catch up with the other sewers and quilters on the blog tour and see what they made for the challenge!

Sherri of A Quilting Life

Amy of Amy's Creative Side

Alyce of Blossom Heart Blog

Charise of Charise Creates

Lucy of Charm About You

Erin of Dog Under My Desk

Amy of During Quiet Time

Rachel of Family Ever After

Anne Marie of Generation X Quilters

Marni of Haberdashery Fun

Melissa of Happy Quilting

Katy of I'm A Ginger Monkey

Elizabeth of In the Boon Docks

Jana of Jana Machado

Lynne of Lily's Quilts

Maureen of Made by Marzipan

Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister Designs

Melanie of I Heart Stitching

Kaye of Miss Print

Dana of Old Red Barn Co.

Natalia of Piece N' Quilt

Denise of Pieced Brain

Stephanie of Quarter Incher

Jane of Quilt Jane

Heather and Megan of Quilt Story

Cheryl of Quilter Chic

Michele of Quilting Gallery

Allison of Quilting Mumma

Teresa of Quilting Stitching & Sew On

Leslie of Seasoned Homemaker

Kelli of Seriously.. I Think It Needs Stitches

Liz of Sew4Home

Erin of Sew At Home Mummy

Sara of Sew Sweetness

Leanne of She Can Quilt

Vickie of Spun Sugar Quilts

Amy of Stitchery Dickory Dock

Tonya of The Crafty Mummy

Julie of The Crafty Quilter

Paula of The Sassy Quilter

Erin of Why Not Sew?

So Fat Quarter Shop wants to challenge YOU to try a new project new with them! Share your projects on their Facebook, Google +, and Instagram using #fqschallenge !

They also have the cutest free quilt pattern to celebrate the occasion! You can find the PDF here . Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Sewing!

xo Erin

P.S. the tote is free pattern from Crafty Hipster made especially for a featherweight.

Fat Quarter Style Winner!

Congratulations Heather! I'll get the book out to you ASAP! and thank you to all who entered.