Ok, I know I already made this block and showed this in my previous post.  But isn't more better? At least sometimes?  I'm going to include 2 rows of this block in my quilt.  I just had fun with it and had pulled (from my stash) more fabric than I needed for just one row so instead of 5 houses I made 10.

Several of the houses have more geometric prints rather than florals.  It is a bit of a change for me but I enjoy the variety of some of the more modern quilt fabrics.  This peachy sketch fabric just looked like it would make a cute house.

I'm really in love with herringbone and hounds-tooth   So when these became available in quilt weight, I wanted to have a few colors.  And this measuring print was too cute, so I picked up 1/2 yard of each.  I think they make a fun house.

More mixing of floral and geometric.  This one is one of my favorites.

Same with this house.  I like this blue and white check for a faux window, too.

I like this house a lot, too.  If you notice the chimneys, or not chimneys, I put 2 weather vanes there cut from vintage fabric.  The one on the right adds a bit of Pennsylvania Dutch to this house.  I like that.

-nanette

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I had a few hours on Saturday to make Lori's next row in her quilt Row Along.  Row 10 is little houses and they were really fun to make.  If you are not sewing this quilt along with Lori, you are missing out.  Seriously.

The fun starts when deciding what fabrics to use for the houses.  I went with the directions in matching the door to the chimneys.  I decided to make those with the most bold fabrics.

I love shopping my own stash when making the row along.  Everyone knows I really love a fabric house.

I had this newer green and white brick fabric for another project so it was good to use this in this quilt first.

I kept my houses with the basic colors of my other rows for this project -  so pretty much using my very favoirte fabric fabric colors.

Lori picked another great theme for this row.  The houses were easy and quick. Now I need to stitch together my little houses to make the next row.  I am really itching to join all the rows together.  Soon I hope.

-nanette

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I've decided on a way to organize my trips before stitching them into a flimsy.  

I focused on making a similar color or intensity somewhere in the block and matched up 4 squares creating a "round".

Then when lining up the group of 4 blocks, I tried to make sure the groups created a secondary trip.

I didn't place the similar color round in the same place in all my groupings of 4.  And not all my groups had this strong of a color match.

I also tried to place contrast of light and darker fabrics in each of my blocks so that the "rounds" stood out.

Since the project is scrappy, it still has that fabulously unplanned look of a scrap quilt but I think the pattern is more recognizable this way.

Thanks to my daughter Jamie for helping me take photos.  She has a nice camera and does a great job.  She calls the project Pixels Around the World.  I love that name.

-nanette

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It has been a week since I've posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing.  When life gets stressful and complex, it is a treat to stake out my sewing room to watch a movie, cut and sew, and block out worries and concerns.

I've always had a passion for patchwork squares.  There is something so simple and perfect about fabric squares sewn together.  Instead of working on existing projects and my latest pattern, I put everything aside and went back to my roots of squares and scraps.  It has been just what I needed.  It is like putting my brain on auto pilot.

Most of you are aware of the wave hitting blogs and quilt sewers everywhere.  Bonnie at Quiltville has put together a tutorial that has gone viral.  I've been really impressed and inspired by everyone making this project. #scrappytripalong

I've made piles and piles of scrappy 12" blocks - 64 to be exact.  I want to make a queen size quilt for our guest bedroom.  I realize I have lots of quilts that are from patterns I've created but not enough quilts to just put on the beds and use.  Isn't that silly?  I've always loved the trips around the world pattern and I've been wanting to make another one.  Perfect timing.

This quilt will go with everything and anything.  Scraps are to be used and enjoyed on a bed.  Just stitching the fabrics together reminded me of other projects and times when and where I've picked up some of the fabrics.  Good times.

Now the work begins putting the squares together.  I will have 8 blocks across and 8 down.  I am going to lay them out on the floor in my living room and see how they come together.  But since scrappy goes with scrappy, I won't get too wrapped up in block placement.

Life goes from one challenge to the next.  This too shall pass.  But this quilt will last for years and years.

-nanette

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I have been waiting for Lori to put up block 9 on her block for the Row Along.  I was excited to see the twinkling winter star block and got busy as soon as I could.

Picking out fabric is always a fun part.  I've used many of the same fabrics for the other 8 blocks but with a new one thrown in here and there, too.  This row used 16 fabrics so it was good to add a few new prints.

The stars were easy and fun to make.  I'm glad I read the instructions well this time because I would have pointed my stars with the other ends up.  And they would have not looked cute like Lori's.

As I was sewing I kept thinking of the Primary song "I Am Like A Star Shining Brightly".  It is just a very sweet child's song.  It made me feel good to sew these little bright winter stars.

I fussy cut a little piece from Pam's PKL valentine fabric to make this little barrette for Allison.  It made a very cute button hair clip.  It should have taken me 5 minutes but took about 45.  The button wouldn't go together (I've made hundreds of covered buttons), the glue was hard, the 2nd glue was hard....etc.  Anyway it was worth it in the end.  It turned out really cute.

-nanette

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If you search  the word valentine in the upper left hand corner of my blog you will see I love to make projects for Valentine's Day.  There are even some I forgot about.  Seriously.

This was a scrappy heart I made last year.  You can read about it HERE.  You can't have too many hearts this time of year.  Right?  This was a really fun and fast project that I machine quilted myself (a perfect size for anyone).

I do love 2.5" squares and try to use them as often as I can in projects.  Seeing these red bits brings back good memories of other projects, some of them from years back.  I like to save 2.5" scraps.  For me, that is the smallest size I save.  Otherwise, it just gets overwhelming for me.

You can't go wrong with red.  Dip into your scraps and see what you can come up with for Valentine's Day.  

-nanette

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I knew when my Pam Kitty Love fabric came in the mail from Pam that I wanted to make a project for Valentine's Day.  I adore Pam's fabric.  It is like Pam and Holly created fabric just for me.

I thought I would use my tutorial found here for the hearts and sew up a table runner for my big kitchen table.   The tutorial was easily adapted and I made 5 connecting hearts.  Smaller tables may want to make 3 hearts.

I used my scraps from my PamKittyLove quilt (working on the pattern) that I'll be showing soon.  I love the vintage valentines in the border print and the little conversation hearts in the sashing. 

I quilted the runner myself.  I cross hatched the hearts, pebble quilted the light fabrics and stippled in the border.  The project went pretty fast but the project did take most of one day from start to finish.  I bound the runner with Pam's red gingham (love that!). 

I placed my reproduction (Target several years ago) platter in the center of the table.  I think the runner and platter look very cute together.

There is still plenty of time to sew for Valentine's Day.  Scrappy hearts are fun and super easy to make, especially when teamed up with PamKittyLove.  

-nanette

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I'm getting in the swim of 2013 as we go into our 2nd week of the new year.  But before I show you what I'm doing this week I wanted to show a few pics from Christmas.

My friend Sandi, is someone that is always "in tune".  Sandi is always serving others and often sends me and Allison treats from Minnesota. This Christmas gift arrived several weeks in time to enjoy before the holidays.

Sandi knows Allison loves Elmo.  I think we've really enjoyed this fun book together, along with the other treats.  Thanks so much Sandi.  Aunt Sandi is a very special person.

Nan in Washington is another one of my super friends.  This fabulous package arrived for me on Christmas Eve.  I call that perfect mailing.

Nan always knows the exact gift.  What could be more "me" in 2012 than this Queenly inspired gift?  Pure perfection.  Thanks Nan.  Love it all.

I feel kind of guilty for this fabric gift from Tricia.  I think I begged her for it, or nearly did.  The dishes on fabric are lovely and so pretty.  Even British, too.  Thanks Tricia.  This is special fabric.

My friend and neighbor Laura dislocated her shoulder right before Christmas.  I was so glad when she asked me to sew up this last minute doll quilt for her granddaughter.  Laura does so much for others, so I was very happy to help her this time.  Thanks for asking me, Laura.  It was fun.

I had to share this funny little clip from our Christmas fun.  Having our granddaughters living in our home is a blessing.  I purchased a cheapy Santa suit for Mason to be a pretend Santa.  It ended up being so much fun we had Santa come several days.  And even Jamie got into the act and played Santa.  Allison never knew they were anything but her "special" Santas.  Playing this still makes me laugh out loud.  Allison was kind of shy with our Santa but was happy to sit on Santa's lap and asked for him/her everyday.

Fun stuff.

-nanette

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Between 12/19 and 12/23 I bound 2 quilts.  One was the Christmas quilt I showed in the last post and the other one was a huge (103"x108") quilt for my daughter Tracey and her husband Eliot.  Needless to say I had cracked and very sore fingertips.  But it was well worth it.

Tracey and Eliot live in Tulsa and recently purchased their first home.  They were here for Christmas with us (fun).  We mailed the quilt to them after the holidays.  Tracey washed and dried it to get it all soft for their bed.  I think it looks great.  Apparently their cat likes it, too.  I really like the drop on the sides so I'm glad it ended up being that size.

I was going for a "vintage modern" look with the quilt keeping with the colors of their bedroom.  Wendy quilted this all over rose pattern.  I wanted the machine quilting to fill in the open space.  I used this coral key print for the border but had to limit my the size due to the size of my backing fabric.  Whitney and Shelbie helped me lay the blocks out on the living room floor to get a nice mix of color and pattern.

The centers of the blocks are navy, again to go with the theme of the room, and the prints were fat quarters I had in my stash or ones I picked-up for this project.  Later I thought the "t" could stand for Tracey.  I was amazed at how much of the tan I needed and ended up having to order fabric 3 times.  It was a big quilt but I'm very happy with it and hope they are as well.  This Christmas gift will last a long time to come and hopefully remind them of home.

-nanette

PS - We've all had the flu at my house.  So it has been tough getting back into the swing of things but I think I'm finally on the mend.

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