Author: renegadequilter

hand sewing · Tula Pink

Hex On The Beach

renegadequilter2 Comments
i have never done english paper piecing before but the moment i saw this quilt i knew it was a must for me. the name alone was enough to buy it let alone the fabric and design of it.  the kit came in a neat box with just about everything needed to make it.
the fabric is all pre-cut and organized in little bags by print.  a fabric chart was included to match the print up with the number. which is very helpful if you have bad eyes like me and are not able to tell from the picture which fabric the pattern is talking about.

the quilt goes together in rows and each row is clearly laid out in the instructions.

when i first started i put the fabrics in order for the row and then made the hexi’s and then sewed the hexi’s together to make the row.  then i watched a few You Tube videos on english paper piecing and changed my process.  i sew all of the hexi’s of one color at one time then i put the hexi’s in order and sew the row together.

i keep the hexi’s by pattern in their little bags and i have written the pattern number on the bag.  again to help with the bad eye sight thing.

i have been working in sets of 3.  so once i have 3 rows made i stop and sew those rows together.

i have rows 1 thru 3 sewed together as well as rows 4 thru 6.  rows 7, 8 and 9 are next.

40 rows.  25 hexi’s per row.  1,000 hexi’s total.

when i explain to people what i am doing they think i have lost my mind.  i simply tell them that i am getting my money’s worth from this project.  some quilts you spend money on and have them done in a week this one i am hoping to have done by the time my oldest niece graduates high school.  she is 5 now.

this quilt will all be sewed by hand.  its a great project to take on trips.  in fact it has already traveled thousands of miles.

its not about the destination its about the journey.

happy sewing

quilt alongs · Tula Pink

City Sampler QA

renegadequilterLeave a comment
here are blocks 7, 8 and 9 from the Tula Pink City Sampler QA that i am doing.

block #7 gave me a bit of trouble with picking the right fabric.  like i said in an earlier post i am trying hard to stick to Tula’s color choices because i love her quilt from the book.  the browns in block #7 were not the issue for me.  it was the four corners that i just couldn’t seem to get right.  in Tula’s block the corners are Parisville.  in looking for color i picked the following for the corners the 1st time.

when it came time to sew the block i wasn’t feeling my 1st choice.  it was reading too much teal/blue and not enough green for me.  so i came up with a 2nd choice and made the block.

still not 100% happy with it but in the overall scheme of the quilt with 100 blocks it shouldn’t be an issue.

then i came across this.
a roll-up of Parisville.

side note – i have moved all of my mail sewing stuff to my new location however i have not moved all of my fabrics to my new location.  i thought all of my Tula fabric was in one container but to my surprise and luck it wasn’t.

i un-sewed block #7.  found the exact fabric in the roll-up.  cut it and sewed it and now i am at peace with block #7.

in this case the third time really is the charm.
block #8

block #9

i have blocks 10, 11 and 12 cut and ready to sew.

happy sewing
jaybird quilts · quilt alongs

Toes In The Sand

renegadequilter1 Comment
i have continued to make progress on the blocks for my Toes In The Sand quilt designed by Julie from Jaybird Quilts.  let me just say that it is very beneficial to double check before you cut.  i have a couple blocks i will be remaking because my brain had temporarily vacated my head during the cutting process.  i have decided that the not so accurate blocks will be incorporated into the back of the quilt.

Blocks #4

Blocks #5

Blocks #6

Blocks #7

i have been trying to keep a balance between the colors, the lights and the darks and the scale of the prints.  who the heck knows what the finished quilt will look like but i am really loving these blocks.  i might have to lay out all of the blocks and do a post with them and get some input on which direction to head.

happy sewing

quilt alongs · Tula Pink

City Sampler QA

renegadequilter2 Comments
into the 2nd week of the Tula Pink City Sampler QA.

i highly recommend this book to anyone who sews. these blocks are fun to make and there is nothing fussy about them at all. just cut and sew.

block #4

block #5

block #6

here are blocks 1 thru 6

as you can tell from my pictures i am following (as much as possible) Tula’s quilt blocks from the book with regards to fabric choices. i don’t think that i have ever made a quilt exactly like or close to the picture that came with the pattern. however, i am in love with Tula’s quit on the cover of the book. plain and simple its all about love. i am even considering setting the blocks in white. i know. it has to be love for me to consider a light background. not to worry. i already have plans spinning in my head for a second quilt using scraps and setting the blocks in black or brown or dark grey.

hop over to Sara’s blog Sew Sweetness to check out the other blocks or to even join the quilt along.

happy sewing
charity · H2H

H2H 2013

renegadequilter6 Comments
as in years past i have participated in the Hands 2 Help Charity Quilt Challenge hosted by Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict. since life has been so crazy for me these past few months and i haven’t been keeping up on my blog reading the sign ups slipped past me. that didn’t mean i couldn’t participate. i contacted Sarah and told her i have two quilts already to go and would it be ok to use those for this year’s H2H. the answer was yes. so here are this year’s H2H quilts.

this quilt above will be going to Happy Chemo

this quilt above will be going to Quilts Beyond Borders – Ethiopian Initiative

participating in H2H is a nice reminder to be thankful for what i have and the life i have been given.  even though it hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows for me lately i feel good knowing that these quilts will put a smile on another person’s face.  so many people have been kind and caring to me these past few months that i sort of feel like i am paying it forward.

thank you Sarah for leading up such a great cause again this year.

happy sewing

quilt alongs · Tula Pink

City Sampler QA

renegadequilterLeave a comment
as many of you already know the amazing Tula Pink has a new book out.
Tula Pink’s City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks
i knew i wanted to make this quilt but didn’t know when.  didn’t know which layout.  i just added it to my ‘want to make someday’ list.

until i was reading Sara’s blog Sew Sweetness and she announced that she would be hosting a quilt along for this book.  that was all the motivation that i needed to jump in and get started.  knowing other quilters out in blogland are quilting along with me through this book helps me to stay on task and get the blocks made.
Sew Sweetness

when it came to picking out fabric it wasn’t too hard of a choice for me.  i love the quilt on the cover.  i love Tula’s sketches in the book of each block.  so, i dug into my Tula stash for this one.  i think i have fabric from most of her lines…..  not sure if i have all of them.

my plan is to use mainly Tula’s fabric in the quilt with only adding some solids here and there.

block #1
as you can see Tula has not named the blocks.  she has given us the privilege of naming our own blocks and really making this quilt our own.  i have some thoughts for a naming them…….  just nothing set in stone yet.

block #2

block #3

i am very happy with how the first 3 blocks have turned out.  i am happy that i have decided to join in on this quilt along with the rest of my blogland friends.  its not to late.  hope over the Sara’s blog for all of the details.  there is also a Flickr group so check that out at well.

happy sewing
family

A Memorial Day Tradition

renegadequilter1 Comment
62. 
 that’s the number of geraniums that i have gotten every Memorial Day for the past several years. those 62 geraniums are put into a green rectangle flower boxes and a piece of grass green carpet is added to keep them upright as well as to cover the pots the geraniums are in. 

 we do it this way because that is how my grandpa has always done it.

for as long as i can remember my grandpa would put together these flower boxes each year and place them on family members graves each Memorial Day. six or seven years ago my cousin and i began helping my grandpa do this. 

 when we did this we would take a walk through our family’s history each year. some years there were several family members that joined us. other years it might just be a few of us, but it always got done.

with the passing of my grandpa this past year it was more important to me then ever that the tradition is carried on. so just like years past i ordered the geraniums. placed them in the boxes with the carpet and got them ready for their time in the sun.

my cousin put them out this year and i will be picking them up and reversing the process i did just days before. the geraniums are then given out to family and friends for them to plant and enjoy all summer long.

(my great-great uncle)

as our list of family members who have passed on gets longer somehow we have always managed to make the 31 flower boxes always work.
(my great-great grandparents)
and each year we get to remember those who were before us and how we are related. i think its pretty cool that we go as far back to the relatives who first came to this part of the country. those who helped make our area part of what it is today. my great-great grandfather was the first tailor in town. i guess sewing is in my blood.

(our town’s 1st tailor)

what ever you are doing on this Memorial Day i hope you pause and take a moment to remember those who have passed. those who have served. the people who are the reason we are here.

tomorrow i will be out picking up 31 flower pots. taking my walk through history and remembering my family members.

happy Memorial Day
jaybird quilts · quilt alongs · Tula Pink

Toes In The Sand

renegadequilter2 Comments
i have decided to jump on board with the Toes In The Sand Quilt Along.

it really didn’t take much to get me there. i just needed the pattern booklet.


if you have not heard about Toes In The Sand quilt pattern it is designed and written by Julie of Jaybird Quilts using her Hex N More ruler.  when it came to picking the fabric for this quilt i paused…. but only for a moment.  i have a stash of Prince Charming by Tula Pink.  i used this fabric for my Cartwheels quilt that i made in Sisters at a class from Tula.  for some crazy reason i over bought on….. every pattern.  😉

here are the blocks i have made so far.
  

blocks #1

blocks #2

blocks #3

as i said before i over bought on fabric for my Cartwheels quilt.  i had a grand idea to use this print for my background fabric on that quilt.

as usual my grand ideas are never thought all the way through.  i actually thought i would be able to pattern match this print in that quilt.  LMAO…..  crazy i know.  so now enter a more reasonable idea.  to use it as my setting fabric for Toes In The Sand.  i think that the large setting triangles in this fabric will be great with the various fun triangle blocks.  plus i need to do something with the yards and yards of this fabric.  

check back to see my progress.

happy sewing


clothing · family

I Love Being An Aunt

renegadequilter3 Comments
as you know i have a couple little monsters in my life. my niece’s. the oldest monster is turning 5 shortly and for Christmas she got an American Girl doll. so for her birthday i decided that her doll needed some new clothes. i checked out the prices of an ‘official’ American Girl doll outfits and passed out. once i recovered i remembered a pattern book i had bought a few years ago for doll clothes for 18″ dolls.

of course me being me – i didn’t follow the pattern directions and i did my own thing.

i used the pattern pieces as guides but used velcro instead of snaps for ease of use.

i lengthened this top instead of adding a ruffled bottom to it because i didn’t feel like dealing with a ruffle.

the best part of making these clothes was that it used up scraps that i had.

scraps from quilts, pajama pants, bags or even ones given to me from other sewers.  they were fun to make and easy to sew up.  i don’t have the name of the pattern book i used with me but i will update this post later with that information.

on another note – i know i haven’t been posting much lately….  or at all.  however i have been busy.  i have moved my sewing space out of my house and into its new location.  that takes some time getting things set up how you want them.  whew.  glad that is over.  i have also been working on a few other projects that i will be sharing here soon.

happy sewing

finished quilts · quilting · Tula Pink

My Favorite Quilt……..

renegadequilter1 Comment

STACKS

my favorite quilt of all time…. since i have been making quilts.

i don’t have a fancy smancy camera so i did the best that i could with what i got.  if you read my blog you know the story behind this quilt.  if not, check it out here.  its from a class i took from Tula Pink last year.

a few close up pics of my favorite parts of the quilt.  i love the squirrels.
the pinwheels intermixed with the other various sizes of fabrics makes this such a fun and happy quilt.
more squirrels.  i love fussy cutting fabric.

the back.  i found the fabric in a quilt shop not to far from me called Material Girls in their clearance section.  that is one of my things i do when i visit quilt shops.  i seek out their clearance section and see what they might have for possible backings.

Teresa from Quilting Is My Bliss quilted this quilt for me.  i met her at the Tula Pink class last year.  she did a honeycomb pattern all over the quilt and I LOVE IT!!!  the quilt was waiting on my door step one evening when i got home.  once i opened the box and saw Teresa’s amazing quilting i was so happy.  like Christmas morning happy when i was 6.  

this quilt has so many happy memories for me.  i love the fabric.  it was a great trip to Walla Walla for me.  an amazing class where i met some really cool quilt people.  Teresa being one of them. 

i had the binding ready and waiting so it went on the quilt a few days later.

this quilt is headed for my bed.  i made 4 pillowcases to go with it and i just ordered a purple dust ruffle.  silly i know but I LOVE THIS QUILT.  once its all together on my bed i will share a few more pics.

Stacks – my favorite quilt of all time

it makes me so happy during a time when i really need it.  that also might have something to do with why I LOVE IT so much.  

my Grandmother passed away this past week.  she lived to be 92 and had a great life.  i have lost 3 people that i was very close to in the past 9 months. my Grandpa, my Dad and my Grandma.  i know we are never given more then we can handle but……..  we could really use a break so if any of you are into sending good thoughts out to people we could really use some right now.

happy sewing