Moda's Sampler Block Shuffle Week 2

I hope you are enjoying making these blocks as much as I am!  I am beyond proud of the fact that I've been able to make 2 blocks of each of the patterns so far.  I hope I can keep going at this pace!

Here are all of my blocks so far!!!

This weeks blocks were designed by Moda's designers V and Co, Kathy Schmitz Studios and American Jane.  All three of these blocks are pretty easy to make and I was introduced to a different way of making half square triangles.  Sampler Block Shuffle was designed to be make out of Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Fat Quarter Bundles or Fat Eighth Bundles.  I am making mine out of a Layer Cake and a Jelly Roll.  If you are using a Jelly Roll to make your 2 1/2" half square triangles (hst) you will cut 2 - 2 1/2" squares (1 focus fabric & 1 background) for each hst, draw a diagonal line, stitch right on the line and then cut off the excess from one side of the sewn line.  When you presss, make certain you set your seams first, you are working with the bias and bias stretches!  I have inserted a short video clip to show you how to make these out of 2 1/2" strips in this weeks video.

Sampler Block Shuffle Week 2

I realize that picking a favorite block is similar to picking a favorite child but I have to be honest, I am in love with the block designed by American Jane this week, I've always had a soft spot for Start! 

 I can not believe how much I've already learned about color value by working on these blocks and by placing the background color in different places (one of the benefits of doing two blocks for each pattern).  Last week when I picked out my colors for the block designed by Me and My Sister Design I was at first really happy with them but once I put the blocks together I realized the blue and the brown I had used were so similar in value that you really don't notice the overall pattern design.

 Notice the difference between the block in the lower left corner versus the upper right corner?  These are made from the same patter, just different color placement.  I'm not going to take this block apart and redo it, I'm going to put it in my quilt and it will be one of my learning blocks :)!

Next Friday will be blocks 7, 8 & 9 and I will also be showing you how to make Flying Geese!  I would love to see what your blocks look like!  You can show off your blocks by tagging me on Instagram @MissMarkersQuilts, Facebook @ Miss Marker's Quilts or email me your pictures @ Margaret@missmarkersquilts.com!

Happy Quilting!

Hand Sewn Binding

Yesterday I worked on hand sewing some binding on a quilt.  Hand sewing binding down is one of those things that I really do enjoy doing.  I know some people don't enjoy it because it takes so long but honestly I do, I enjoy the pace of it and how very relaxing it is because it isn't one of those things that you are expected to be able to do quickly.  Hand sewing binding down (especially on a big quilts) requires you to sit back for a few minutes and slowly work away at it.

Often I hand stitching my bindings while watching TV in the evening or while listening to a good book.  I hope my tutorial is informative and that you also enjoy hand stitching binding.

Thanks so much & Happy Quilting!!

Margaret

Layer Cake Love

I had fun in my sewing room last weekend in between quilting quilts I got to design and make my own quilt!  It only took me 3 hours from start to finish, just enough time to get my 'sewing fix' but not so much time that it thew me off schedule.

Check out my YouTube Video for complete instructions on how to make this adorable quilt!

Happy Quilting!

Petit Fours by Hummingbird Highway

Hi Everyone!



I had a chance to do a little sewing of my own this past weekend and I decided that Joan Ford's pattern 'Petit Fours' would work out great!  The pattern calls for a Layer Cake, a Jelly Roll and then a small amount for the binding and inner border.



I used a Jo Morton line of fabric for the 10" Squares and a Moda solid Jelly Roll to go along with it.  I am THRILLED with how it looks!

The pattern was not difficult at all but I did make a cutting mistake along the way.  I've read both of Joan's books (Cut The Scraps & Scraps Plus One) and LOVED both of the books.  I found them VERY easy to read and are both filled with fantastic hints. 

These colors are not my normal colors by any means but this quilt already has someone's name on it for Christmas!  Yes, one Christmas present done with the exception of the label!!!

I thought you might enjoy a peek at the back.  

Happy Quilting!

Quilter's Take Manhattan!

Quilter’s Take Manhattan!

I was actually thinking they should have changed the name of the show from Quilter’s Take Manhattan to O’Susannah’s Takes Manhattan!  See all those people?  Well more than half of them were all from O’Susannah’s!  Sue took 2 buses loaded with Quilters to Manhattan and it was a blast! 

Now for the real eye candy!  The quilts!

Every type of quilt was there.  There were real modern quilts, landscape quilts and antique quilts.  Mark Dunn (Owner of Moda Fabrics) brought some quilts from his personal collection to share with us. 

And a very special quilt from his personal collection, the first quilt his son made for him!

A Jelly Roll Quilt!

Did you know that every year Moda features a reproduction quilt?  It’s called Quilts for a Cause.  Mr. Dunn brought quite a few of them, both the Antique Quilt and Moda’s modern day version of the quilt.   

Have  you seen the 2014 quilt yet?

Give us a call or send us an email, we've got the kits!  Kits normally cost $160.00, for a limited time our price is $140.00 (While supplies last)!  This quilt is honoring Libby Lehman.  

  

Here you can see The Antique quilt behind Mark’s son and he is holding Moda’s version of the quilt. 

Now you can see both a Antique and the reproduction next to each other.  The matching of the colors is amazing!

The following quilt (the Woman’s face) from a distance is pretty, very pretty but when you got up close to it an realized what it was, well it was simply stunning and truly pulled at your heart strings.

It was made up of thousands of pictures of women that had had Cancer.

           

And it was beautiful!

We had a wonderful time and EVERYONE was exhausted when it was time to go home!

If you plan to be in or around NYC September 2015, you should go!  Quilter’s Take Manhattan is put on by the Quilt Alliance (Alliance for American Quilts).  Here is a link Quilt Alliance page where you can get more information and sign up to the eNews. 

Happy Quilting Everyone!

So Much Going On!

The last couple of days have been absolutely amazing!  Especially yesterday, Friday September 13, 2013!  I've never been one of those people that are superstitious about Friday the 13th in fact some of the most wonderful moments in my life were on Friday the 13th!  I witnessed my niece being born on Friday the 13th (many years ago), yesterday I was part of a fantastic celebration at a quilt shop and I won something from Lissa Moda Blog on Friday the 13th!

First and foremost, Happy Birthday Jillian Sarah!  Love you TONS!

Second, I spent yesterday at O'Susannah's Quilts and Gifts in Watkins Glen NY.  O'Susannah's was selected as a TOP TEN quilt shop by Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler Magazine!!!  I've had this little secret since January and believe me it has been one tough secret to keep!  If you haven't had a chance to visit O'Susannah's and you are in the NY Finger Lakes area stop in and see her wonderful shop!  Yesterday the shop had a huge party and 'unwrapped' the boxes of the magazine!  Here's a snapshot of Sue and her very first customer on the day she opened the shop opening the box of magazines.

Do you remember pictures of the quilt in the background?  Search back through my blog and you can see pictures of when I quilted it!  When you get the magazine take a close look at MANY of the quilts and you will see that I quilted a bunch of them.

The next great thing that happened to me yesterday was I won a Quilt Top from Moda Lissa's Blog!!  I NEVER win anything!  In fact my husband jokes with me about how 'unlucky I am!  Years ago were were in Atlantic City, I was there for work and my husband came along and met up with friends of ours.  I spent most of the day in a convention center but once in a while got a break to check up on them and see what fun they were having in the casinos.  My husband loves to tell the story about how there were doing so well at the slot machines UNTIL I called, yup, they all insisted on telling me (repeated times) how they knew it was me calling because they immediately started loosing money at the slots! We still love to laugh about that.

Well any way back to my lucky 13 day!  Moda Lissa has been running a give away this month, she cleaned out her sewing room and is giving away some really great prizes!  On Thursday I entered for Chocolat Quilt Blocks Giveaway and on Friday I WON!!  I still can't believe it!  

It's another busy weekend at Miss Marker's!  I ordered a barn quilt sign of my logo this morning, can't wait to show it to you AND we are off to a wedding this afternoon.  A very special couple are getting married, they are close friends of our oldest daughter and her husband.  Tracy, Tony, Austin & Natalie are all in the wedding so I'll be sharing photos!  And just so you know the bride is pretty special to me too, she was born on my birthday!!!

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Margaret

And I Thought Last Weekend Was Busy!!

I'm really not certain where the week went to but it's already Friday!  This week has been spent for the most part at my Long Arm.  I ended last week and started this week working on a Block of the Month quilt for The Quilting Bee in Sodus NY.  It's really a pretty quilt, and a pretty reasonably price BOM.  Each month you will receive a block, the instructions, the fabric to complete one block and all the sashing & borders for $20.00 per month.

Here's a couple of pictures of it when it came off the Long Arm.

I really like the backs of quilts!

The backing is off white Extra Wide backing from Moda.

The front of the quilt, there are a total of 9 - 12" blocks in the center, there are two outside borders, one have 6 - 6" blocks and the outside border has a large corner blocks.  

This is my absolute favorite block in the entire quilt!

The corner blocks were quilted with a triangle feather pattern called Abundant Feathers.

You can tell I really liked the center block!

That's how the week started, stay tuned to find out how the remainder of the week went!!

Happy Quilting!

Laundry Basket Quilts!!!!

Take a look at this quilt!  It’s it beautiful?  I’m absolutely head over heels in love with it!!!

72" x 72"

 

This quilt is designed by Laundry Basket Quilt and can be done as a block of the month.  What is really fantastic about it is Moda and Laundry Basket Quilts have designed what they call Silhouettes. 

 

Silhouettes are laser cut pieces of the fabric that have the fusing on the back!!  All you have to do is ‘peal’ and ‘stick’ them to your backing fabric and you are ready to go!  Talk about EASY!!  Once you’ve pressed the Silhouettes to your background fabric you can finish them by using your favorite method, button hole stitch (machine or hand), zig zag stitch or satin stitch!

I would love to do this as a monthly video block of the month lesson!  Anyone interested in joining me??

 

Happy Quilting!!