Farm Girl Vintage Fever!

There is a new book by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet........
Have you caught the fever yet? .......

There is quite a "buzz" on instagram.......
A sew along is starting May 1 and going til October..........

Lori will be posting on her blog every Friday.....

The photo above is the book and Farm Girl Vintage Fat Quarter bundle...
I ordered these from fatquartershop.com
If you want to do this....don't wait...my order came in two days from Texas to California!

As Lori would say.....YeeHaw!!!!

String Bean Challenge quilt

Pat Sloan gave us a challenge on her blog and a free pattern.

I have posted it on instagram, her facebook group and flickr.....

I used mostly Pat's bobbins and bits fabric but added some other fabrics too.

I haven't decided how to quilt it yet???  Any ideas?  Wondering how others are quilting theirs?

Link to Pat Sloan's blog

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Link to Connie at Freemotion by the River

Halloween? In March?

Instagram is a fun place to check out,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
there was a tutorial by studiojujuquilts and I had to try it.,,,
It is foundation piecing with muslin and a fun method.

At first I wanted to do a spring project but the Halloween theme is what I used and I love it!

I will use this as a wall hanging or mug rug.  There are a few photos on my instagram from start to end.

Be sure to check out the tutorial with photos (11 steps photos) by studiojujuquilts on instagram from two days ago.

Now I need to get back to my string bean challenge (Pat Sloan's pattern).

Linking to Freemotion by the River

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Microwave bowl holder tutorial

 I put a photo collage on instagram last evening of this project I finished this week.  A microwave bowl holder that I made and gave as a gift last evening.  These are fun to make and so easy.  I used Wrap-N-Zap and two Paris related fabrics each cut 11" square.  Quilt an X from corner to corner on each fabric with batting.  The blue shows the X quilted.

Darts are made after folding each side to the center.

The darts are 1" in and 2 1/4" down.

Pin right sides together and stitch around edge.

Leave about a 3" opening for turning.

Stitch around the edge on right sides....done!

Linking with Link a Finish Friday.

Also linking with Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Grand Illusion mystery quilt, part 3

Clue #3 was last Friday and I have mostly gathered fabrics, cut some and haven't done any sewing on clue #3.  I hope to do some sewing on this before Friday.
I have been sewing on other projects and I have put some photos on instagram and will blog later about them.
This is such a fun mystery and I love to see what everyone else is doing on this mystery.
I am linking to Bonnie Hunter's Monday Link-up.
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Grand Illusion mystery quilt, part 2

Linking up to Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville with a photo of some of my progress on the quilt.

For part 2 I am using the rectangles and squares method and then making HSTs from the extra cut off from the corners using Bonnie's method of not wasting.  It is fun to be doing this quilt with so many others that are sharing their progress.  Fun....fun....fun!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Grand Illusion mystery, part 1

Here is my start of Bonnie Hunter's mystery.  She gave the first clue last Friday at quiltville.blogspot.com.

This is the first time I have used the Easy Angle ruler that Bonnie uses.  I got it several years ago and never got to it before now.  I just purchased several of the Bloc Loc rulers and am using one for squaring the HSTs.  There is really not much to trim with this method.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I am linking up to Mystery Monday Link-Up, Part 1

tote bag finish from IG tutorial

 Another finish!!  Yesterday I finished this tote bag that I started several months ago..

 It is from an instagram tutorial by daisycottagequilting and to find it on IG use #bagtutorial

 Sharon uses lots of photos and descriptions to make this.  She said to use fusible interfacing for the lining and that is what I used.  Go check out her tutorial.

 Here is a photo of the right sides together getting ready to sew them together.  I need lots of photos and directions when I am doing a new project so that is why I am including this photo.
Anyone that wants to make one of these I would just do it.  There is a lot of help on the internet and lots of different ways to make a tote!

Our Tuesday small quilt group is working on self-mitered log cabin blocks.  Here is my first one and the pattern is on vellum...thanks to Jan Krentz.  She did a wonderful demo for us on Tuesday night.  I have a lot of 2" strips cut out of lights and darks and I need to find mediums.  This is tricky for me to get them in order.  But this is a very fun block to do!!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl
linking to finish it up Friday crazymomquilts and
Link a Finish Friday Richard and Tonya quilts
Link to Freemotion by the River

Reversible tote finished and some fabrics for mystery

 This week I finished the reversible tote that I started last year....
the instructions are from a free class from Craftsy....Bag Making Basics...
and I purchased the kit to go with the class.

It is easy to make.....
when I do a project like this I like reading the directions AND watching a video.....

The last photo shows fabric I purchased this week for Bonnie Hunter's mystery that starts in two weeks.  She has information at her blog to get fabric ready before she gives the first clue.  At least I will be starting this mystery quilt....     Go check it out.
To find out more.... http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/grand-illusion-mystery.html

Who else has made the reversible tote?
Who else is doing the mystery?

Smiles and hugs....Caryl
linking to crazy mom quilts
also linking to Freemotion by the River

friendship bag finished

 Here is my cute little friendship bag....made it with no handles...
The tutorial is at psiquilt....very easy to make.
I think everyone should make at least one of these!

 Here is a photo after I quilted it and before cutting off the batting...
I quilted loops and heart leaves.....my favorites when I haven't done FMQ for awhile!

 In between other projects I am sewing up these little 16 patches....

I am using 1½" strips cut about 5" and sew 4 together....
then cross cut into 1½" strips....
then I sew them into 16 patches.
I got the idea for this method from red pepper quilts postage stamp tutorial.

Now I have some other tote bags I have started and I need to finish them.
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking to crazy mom quilts

Sunset color filled the sky

These photos are from yesterday on our cycle ride to the mountains...

 Here is a photo of the sky about two hours before sunset...

 Cuyamaca Park

 Meatloaf dinner was highly recommended by our waitress and it was delicious!

 In Julian at the corner of the town hall looking west.....

At scenic overlook area above Santa Ysabel waiting for the sunset....

These photos do not begin to capture the beauty we saw.....

The whole sky was so beautiful and it stayed gorgeous long after sunset....

We still love riding as much as ever and have no plans for this to be the last ride into the sunset.

Traffic Jam Placemats and bookmarks

 I finally finished all of the four placemats.  I have been working on these for awhile and have photos on instagram from weeks ago when I started these.
I had four blocks I was going to use for a "traffic jam" quilt...a free pattern by Pat Sloan.
I changed my mind and decided to make placemats instead and use the batik squares for making scrappycrossroads blocks.
I put Pat Sloan's Eat Your Fruits 'n Veggies fabric on the sides of the traffic jam blocks to make them placemat size.
Then I did some applique, quilting and have slowly been working on finishing them.

 Earlier this week I was looking for something that I could just sew.  I had the walking foot on my machine and had some batting pieces trimmed from a previous quilt.  I had some 1½" strips left from another project I am working on.....so let's sew!

 Here are the strips sewn to the batting pieces before I cut them apart.

 I used a narrow batting piece as a leader and ender to sew the other three!

 Here they are finished and at different sizes depending on the batting strips!!

And here are the backs.  I guess they will be bookmarks!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I am linking to finish it Friday and Link a Finish Friday