The Patchsmith's Sampler Sew-Along - blocks 1, 2, and 3

Hello, Friends!

Have you ever joined a sew-along?
I would highly recommend one that is going on right now
over at The Patchsmith's lovely blog:

To get started, order your copy of the book,
The Patchsmith's Sampler Quilt Blocks here on Craftsy.
There are 50 amazing blocks,
fun for anyone to create, 
whether you are an experienced stitcher, 
or someone who is just developing your sewing skills!

The book is priced at only $12.99 - what a bargain!
It's in PDF format, and you can choose to print any or all pages.
I'm just using the computer or my phone for instructions, only printing
template pages as necessary, for applique pieces.

Photo from The Patchsmith blog, showing patchwork and applique blocks

If you're just starting out on your sewing journey as a beginner,
DoYouSew.com is a wonderful resource with some great information!


Today I'm sharing my first three blocks from the sampler book.

For my blocks, I've been using some leftover jelly roll strips
from a line called Simply Sweet by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup.
I've had it in my stash for a good long time.

{Like...9 years!!! hahahaha}

Block 1 - Brick Wall,was the perfect place to start.
There were lots of little pieces, but no seams to match.

For the Guiding Star block (#2),
I selected four different colors of stars to make.
My background for the blocks is a tonal white dot print,
and I like the way it sets off the bright prints.

The third block was a Watermelon block, mostly patchwork,
but with a tiny applique accent.
I love to cut out my pieces when I have time,
then stitch them up in no time.

This little block comes together quickly,
from the inside out.
Look at the finished patchwork - very cute, huh?

And now...The Patchsmith adds her design magic...
little black appliques for the "pips".
What a difference they make!

I'll be continuing my sampler journey here on the blog,
and I would love to have you join me!

Find more photos by following me on Instagram.
I am @eamylove.The Patchsmith and I are no strangers to sew-alongs.
We became fast friends as a result of the Zakka Style Sew Along
years ago...maybe YOU can meet lifelong friends through the Patchsmith's Sampler Sew-Along!

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Crafted Applique - Book Release Blog Hop (Giveaway is now closed.)

Hello, Friends!

I often open my blog posts with that greeting,

and today I'm so excited to share a new book

that was written by one of my Friends!

Introducing...Crafted Applique, by Lara Buccella!

{Scroll down to find out how you can win a copy of Crafted Applique!}

This giveaway is now closed. The winning comment was #3 - Heather K.

I "met" Lara through blogging,

and I've been anticipating her book release

with great excitement.

I could tell from Lara's blog style that we were

in for a treat with a quilting book

that is both instructional and exciting!

Lara herself had told me that she had

developed a unique method

for creating applique designs.

I LOVE a good mystery book,

so when my copy arrived,

I sat down to discover this innovative approach

to raw-edge applique.

"Hello Mr. Ranger, Sir!" Insulated Pic-a-nic Bag from Crafted Applique

Oh.My.Goodness. 

This book is a light-bulb for me.

Without revealing the secret...

there is a good reason why it's named "Crafted Applique."

This technique will appeal to the crafter in the quilter!

May of us have dabbled in making other artsy-craftsy projects,

and preparing the applique will bring back happy memories.

The technique is simple and inexpensive,

versatile and innovative.

You will ask yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?" 

It will make you look at your fabric stash in a whole new way!

Daisy Hot Pad project from Crafted Applique

I can tell that some of my fabrics that have been ignored

will be starring in future projects.

I knew I liked these prints,

but now I understand why I liked them.

They have so much potential!

How can you get this book? Well...I'm glad you asked!

I've posted my review on Amazon.com,

where this book is now available at a bargain price.
You can also find it at Lara's Big Cartel shop
for a very special sale price,
or on the American Quilter's Society website.

-OR-

Maybe you can win a copy of Crafted Applique!!!
To enter the random giveaway,
just leave a comment on this post,
to describe how you feel about applique.
Love it, hate it, fear it, or admire it?
This giveaway ends at midnight on
Saturday, May 14, 2016.

I'll contact the winner by email,
so include your email address if you are a no-reply blogger.

There are plenty of other opportunities
to win a copy of Crafted Applique,
by visiting all of these stops along the blog hop.
Lara herself is adding some more fun giveaways,
too, so keep on checking in at BuzzinBumble blog!

{This giveaway is now closed. The winner - comment #3 - Heather K was contacted by email.}

Crafted Appliqué… New Possibilities Blog Hop - May 1^st to June 5^th 2016

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Lara Buccella BuzzinBumble   Introduce Tour	2 Valerie Smith Pumpkin Patch Quilter	3 Dana Gaffney Stormy Days	4 Lorna McMahon Sew Fresh Quilts	5 Mary Schuberg Needled Mom	6 Heidi Kuntz Red Letter Quilts	7 Alycia Carmin Alycia Quilts
8 Amy DeCesare Amy Made That	9 Sherri McConnell A Quilting Life	10 Lara Buccella Sew Mama Sew Guest Post	11 Christina Cameli A Few Scraps	12 Melissa Corry Happy Quilting	13 Sarah Craig Confessions of a Fabric Addict	14 Soma Acharya Whims & Fancies
15 Valerie Reynolds Val’s Quilting Studio	16 Angela Pingel Cut to Pieces	17 Sandra Walker Musings of a Menopausal Melon	18 Cheryl Brickey Meadow Mist Designs	19 Judy Murphy Quilt Paradigm	20 Yvonne Fuchs Quilting Jetgirl	21 Cindy Pieters Stitchin’ at Home
22 Susie Zlogar Susie’s Sunroom	23 Connie Campbell Freemotion by the River	24 Ruth Bourke Charly & Ben’s Crafty Corner	25 Kaja Zieslar Sew Slowly	26 Ann Brooks Fret Not Yourself	27 Cynthia Brunz Quilting is More Fun Than Housework	28 Holiday
29 Holiday	30 Holiday	31 Jenn Trott-Zisserson Quarter Inch from the Edge	1 Paulette Horn The Way I Sew It	2 Sandra Jansen Studio Sew of Course	3 Christine Sherman Triangles & Squares	4 Darlene Simmons Quilt Shop Gal
5 Lara Buccella BuzzinBumble Giveaway Winners Announced!

Crafted Applique provides lots of detailed information,

teaching a new way to create appliqued projects.

The inspiration will continue long after the first project is finished!

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Spring Petals Table Topper QAL - Color Me Retro

Hello, Friends!

Have you been quilting along

over at The Crafty Quilter's

Spring Petals Quilt Along?

This quilt along came along at just the right time for me!

I was ready for a new table topper for my kitchen table,

and I had just the right stash of fabrics on hand.

The Crafty Quilter did such a great job planning this
quilt along. The pace was just right - a new lesson each week,
with extra time to add linky photos at the end.
All fun...no stress!

I took this opportunity to use my fat quarters of
Color Me Retro fabrics by Jeni Baker for Art Gallery.

{They have adorable names...Florette, Kitchenette, and Dulcette.}

I've had these prints since they were first released,
and it's about time I used them to brighten my kitchen.
I had some fun positioning the background prints
in a directional design.
For the triangle edges, I chose the violet floral stripe.

Here's how my table topper looked
with the background stitched and petals fused into place.
I think my favorite step in this project
was deciding how to place the petals!

Next I appliqued my petals using my Pfaff's blanket stitch.
I love that stitch, and it's the reason I chose my machine 14 years ago.
After all of the petals were stitched, I added the petal centers.

What a difference those centers made...they brought out the lime.
This was such a pleasant surprise, because I'd already
planned to use a lime polka dot for the binding.

For the quilting, I decided to go lightly.
I stitched around each petal,
plus added a right angle to echo the violet triangle shapes.

{I forgot to take this shot before the project was finished.} 

{You can see the overall design best on the back.}

Let's do a bit of time traveling...back in time from the photo above!
After the quilting was completed, I carefully trimmed the table topper.

So, what about binding all of those corners, including the inverted ones?

Oh, The Crafty Quilter has a tutorial for that!
I'm not gonna lie...it was a bit tricky,
and it took like.for.ever to handstitch the binding
to the back, but it was really worth it!

I love my finished table topper...it's something I'm keeping,
just for myself. It will make me think of my friend Julie,
The Crafty Quilter, and all of my friends who quilted along.

I bet I'll make another one someday!

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