Wonder Why?

Nothing puts a smile on my face more than Moda charm packs! 

Wonder why?

Maybe it's dreaming about all the things I can do with them?   Maybe it's cause I get a little sampling of the whole line?  Maybe it's cause they are 'color divided'?  All tidy and organized?  And the main focal fabric is on top?  Easy to store?  Label paper band so neat & easy to read?

Who cares?   I just love Moda Charm Packs!

Thanks to Fabric ala Carte for their great giveaway I won!  It's a Moda charm pack and I've got a BIG smile now.  This one is Clermont Farms by Polly Minick & Lauri Simpson.   Fabric alacarte also has a blog, so pay her a visit today too and tell her Sew Fun Quilts sent you.  http://thescrappyquilter.blogspot.com 

What are you smiling about today?

Thanks for visiting.

For the Love of Charm Squares

I love fabric charm squares!  

I confess  (yes...here's another confession from me) that I was one of those old  traditional quilters who just had to make complicated blocks with lots of triangles and a jillion pieces to each block.  NO MORE!    Quilting should be fun....not difficult!

And.........along came Moda with charm packs and Jelly rolls!  Hurray!


While on a recent Shop Hop (everything I bought is in a previous post) with my sister and niece, we saw several Sudoku quilts and all 3 of us bought Moda charm packs.  Now, I don't do  Sudoku puzzles or like the idea of having to arrange the squares in a certain way, but the colorful simplicity of the 9 patch  layout for the blocks just called  to me.  There is nothing more simple for making quilts than the square shape, and the simple 9 patch layout for blocks has been a favorite of quiltmakers for decades.   No complicated blocks ......fun to sew!

The Giddy line by Sandy Gervais for Moda is a winner!  I bought the turquoise for the borders, and already had some red that is perfect for the narrow sashings. 

Let the sorting begin for each block!

My "system" is easy....just number each block.

Since I'm using Giddy turquoise for my borders, I'll put a square of turquoise in the middle of all my blocks.

but, not all the same turquoise print.

Gosh....even my corners match on this block......(yay! no complications).

Stay tuned later to see the finished quilt top.



Thanks for visiting!

Chaining my ATM Card to my Panties!

Have you ever been on a Shop Hop?   


There's an annual shop hop in our area of Texas that's called the Bluebonnet Trail Shop Hop and it occurs every April for 4 days. 

My sister, niece and I were able to go visit some of the shops on two of the days.  We didn't make it to all of the shops this year, but the ones we hit loved my ATM card!    I thought I'd share  a few things  I bought.   Don't all of us quilters & fabricholics like to do Show & Tell???   Well, sure we do. 


Each shop gives a FREE Fat Quarter to each participant and here's a few of mine.  I already have several  plastic tubs full of fat quarters, but a quilter can never have too many.  Right?  I gave a couple of mine to my niece as she was doing a 'color coordinated' thing with hers and she needed certain ones.    A couple of the shops gave out simple free patterns too.....plus always lots of good eats & drinks.....and chances to win a grand prize of a $1500 gift basket, other gift baskets and $25 gift certificates. 

Bought 4 new patterns....always fun!  Why you ask?  I wanted them.....any other questions?

Mmmmmh!  I could just smell the coffee from this panel.

And what am I going to make with it?   Not gonna tell ya!

I bought 3 different quilt kit combinations for 3 different quilt projects that I just couldn't resist.  Yes, my ATM card kept jumping right out of my purse everytime I stopped to look at something.  Darn thing!  I should have chained it to my panties.  Only problem there would be  constantly  visiting the restrooms to unchain it. 


I Love Moda fabrics and this Lilac Hill by Brannock & Patek is clearly a winner.  I do have an idea of what to make with it.   When???...  is the question.

I've been a fan of Sandy Gervais for as long as she's been designing fabrics for Moda, so just had to have some Giddy in my life.  What am I going to do with it?? you ask.  I don't know yet.....just had to have some.  Love the red and aqua combination....what can I say?

I'll probably start with this project first, as I bought it first and it cost the most money....so that  helps justify making it first.  (Yeah..sure!)  The shop had a sample quilt using this pattern and these same fabrics  displayed, and when I walked in it drew me right over to it.  I love Florals and that jelly roll is GORGEOUS!    My ATM card jumped into my hand before I stopped looking at it....(it was so fast it probably would have torn my panties if it was chained to them.)

What a fun 2 days we had and can hardly wait to sew with my new "stuff".


Thanks for visiting.

Sometimes.......

Sometimes we just need to sew, sew, sew......and make something simple and easy.  That's what I did with a pack of  "It's a Hoot" Charm Squares from Moda.

The squares in the rows are off-set every other row.

Yes, I used my GO cutter to cut all the white 2 1/2" strips.

What do you do when you just want to sew, sew sew and don't want to make anything complicated??

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Time for Red and Hearts!

When I take down my Christmas decorations and the house looks all blah and bare, out come the bright reds and lots of hearts!    Ahhhh!  looks better now.  

Every time  the Heart Welcome ribbon thingie is displayed, I always promise  myself to make different ones for the different holidays.  AND, you know how those kind of promises never get on the "to do" list???.....maybe this year. 

Do all quilters have one or two favorite quilts they've made??
 
This is one of mine.  I love Sunbonnet Sue, and the blocks are hand embroidered using redwork.  At the time  they were finished, Moda Fabrics  had these wonderful red prints that worked perfect with them.  I've still got a bit of these same fabrics in my stash.  MODA is my absolute favorite too.

Here's close-up pics of a couple of the blocks.

My goodness...makes me want to do some more hand embroidery work...so relaxing and enjoyable.    Somewhere, there's a pair of unfinished embroidered pillow cases...mmmmmm??  Wonder where they are??  Do you embroider??


Sue's outline was quilted in the borders along with some loopy loops.

OK....OK....enough Sue, let's get back to the heart thingies......


Another Valentine pillow; machine embroidery called The Love Bug.

Here's a small heart wall hanging with embroidery design....tweets, I hang by the front door. If you have an embroidery machine, the  Embroidery Library has lots of these tweet designs for the different holidays.

Close up of the love birds.

Here's Crooked Hearts table topper.

There's also two or three table runners too, but enough hearts for one day!  Now......if they were chocolate hearts that's a different story......


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HOUSTON Quilt Show Pics.

My sister and I have gone to the Houston Quilt Festival many times.  It gets better, and bigger each year!   ALL of it was such great Eye Candy this year I walked around in a trance.  We could only GO  one day this year..."walk until you drop" ..for us.  There's no way you can see all the quilts (hundreds)  and visit all the vendors, (2200 booths) and see all the free shows & exhibits in one day.  Here's a few pictures to show you.   

Here's the Moda Bake Shop booth that was just so cute, we had to have "us" in it.  (just click on the words "Moda Bake Shop" to go to their blog.)

And of course.....my favorite booth, AccuQuilt!  You  do know that I won a GO cutter from AccuQuilt last June, didn't you?   Lee Nakamoto is showing me their new GO Baby....so tiny and cute.  Thanks, Lee for my free goodies!

Have you been to their new Sew and Tell Forum?  It's very informative, answers a lot of your questions,  members share pictures of their projects, and their Deal of the Day is posted there too.  You do not have to own an AccuQuilt cutter to participate.  Come join us!

It was wonderful to meet up with a couple of "online chat buddies" and finally put a face with the name.  Thank goodness for cell phones, or we would never have been able to find each other.  We met in the food court, and called each other to connect.  What fun!

I was pleased as punch to meet up with Pat Sloan.  For some fun times, you can follow her blog here.   http://patsloan.typepad.com/  Awwww!  her new fabric is yummy!

We were so exhausted from just our one day, we have vowed it's gotta be two full days of exhaustion next year. 

Clink!  Clink!    What's that noise?  

It's me saving my pennies in my piggy bank!

SEA BREEZES QUILT vs Alex

When I'm making a new quilt, sometimes the fabrics, colors or design speaks to me with a name...even before it is finished.    The whole time I was working on this one, I kept thinking of the sights, sounds and smells of the ocean, air, waves, beaches. 

I didn't realize that Alex (hurricane) was going to hit the Gulf Coast this week or I might have named this quilt  something else. 

I named her SEA BREEZES and she's for sale in my Etsy store.  Sure enjoyed working with all of these beautiful fabrics in blues and greens....from Moda's Nouveau fabric line; 224 small squares. 

FUN!  FUN!  FUN!  love fabrics, love quilts, love to sew!

Doesn't it just say SEA BREEZES to you too?

Wow! Great Moda Jelly Roll Giveaway.

mmmmh! I just received 10 chances for posting this link, plus 5 for my opinions, and 1 for my comment.........so IT'S MINE, ALL MINE! 
This one is just yummy!

http://blueberrybuckle.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/which-fabric-do-you-desire-another-giveaway.html

Have Fun!

PLAY WITH THE BUTTERFLIES!

Today's creation is another patchwork totebag from Moda's "Butterfly Fling" charm packs. The fabrics for this one are just yummy and made me feel Happy & Smiling the whole time I was making it.

It is for sale on auction in Ebay. Just click on the link below.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=190305184025

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LAVENDER ROSES THIS TIME!

MODA LAVENDER ROSES FABRIC!

My sister, Jerre, my niece and I all went to a couple more of the quilt shops on the Bluebonnet Patchwork Trail Shop Hop yesterday and I found the perfect button for this lavender rose bag. We had a real good time, and saw lots of beautiful quilts, great fabrics, wonderful inspiration for new projects. Bought a few fat quarters, a new Moda charm pack, and another pattern book for bags/purses/totes........stay tuned to see more.

I am really enjoying making all of these purses/totes and here is one from Moda fabrics called Sanctuary by 3 Sisters (sooooo appropriate, since I am always talking about us 3 sisters.) It will be for sale in my store on ebay too! Great detailing on this one; notice the side pocket for your sunglasses, and front pocket for your keys or cell phone.

Go to my Ebay store to see more pictures of the details:

http://stores.ebay.com/SEW-FUN-QUILTS-by-sewmeow

Thanks for visiting!

Another good day for Quilting!

Today is another good day for just sewing & quilting all day! Love it!

My sister, Sally, left yesterday to go back home to WY and miss her already. My other sister, Jerre, & I went to our Quilting Bee and sewed from 10:30am until about 3pm. She's working on a pretty pink feminine quilt for a new expected Great Grandaughter, and I worked on another new patchwork tote from Moda charmpacks.

The Ebay group I belong to (Quilters' Corner Group) and the Red Tag Sale we are having on Ebay is going great! We have lots of different items on auction and most of it relates to quilting & sewing...and lots of bidding! Hurray!

Go take a look! Put QCG Red Tag Sale in the search box on Ebay and over 85 items will come up for sale. Do some bidding and help us clean out our sewing rooms!

Have a great Thursday today!