500 Instagram Followers

It's been a slow week which culminated in snow here in Denver. Yes, I said snow. The second earliest snow fall in recorded history as a matter of fact. We got up this morning and excitedly checked, then all stood quietly at the window watching the little white flakes float down from the sky. It was so beautiful.

Before I get to the my big news and the giveaway, a little about other crafts that I worked on this week.

First up are the key fobs, one for myself and one for little boy. The materials for my fob came from Issue 11 of Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. This magazine is from the same publisher as Mollie Makes and they are my favorites from the UK. I plan to use a pattern set from one of the previous issues for my Urban Home Goods Swap later this year.

The second fob I made using some team logo fabric I found at Joann Fabric. Now, I am more a fan of certain players then of a whole team with the exception of the Seattle Seahawks. If you follow American football at all then you know that being a Seahawks fan living in Bronco country is a hard thing right now. Enough on that though, little boy wanted this fob so badly, so I caved and made it for him. It's been two days he's had it on his backpack and already I have heard from one of other parents asking where I got it, so I can see there will need to be some in my shop soon.

I also made these quilt hangers. They are super easy just double sided velcro glued to wooden clothes pins. Since none of my quilts have sleeves, finding ways to hang them for photos has been a creative challenge of its own, but now all I have to do is strap the clothes pins over the banister/branch/rod, clip in the quilt, and away I go. Below are two quilts of mine, Paper Hearts completed at FRMQG Retreat in Feb. 2014 and one of the first quilts I ever did, Roman Blocks, both making use of my new quilt hangers.

Finally, my big news is I have hit 500 followers on Instagram! 

This is amazing and awesome and just cool cool cool. It means so much to me knowing that so many people, both friend and complete strangers, find what I am doing interesting. Thank you all, your attention is greatly appreciated!

In celebration I am doing a giveaway on Instagram. All you have to do is take or tag a picture of your favorite finished object from the last 500 days (so since May of 2013) with my name @ayragon and #500IGfriends . I will pick a winner next Friday, Sept 19th 2014, and send out a happy mail package with some fabric and thread and miscellaneous goodies. I take so much inspiration from all the great images on Instagram that I want to give back to those that lend me their advice and that online window into their lives.

Block Number 37

Just a quick update for all, I finally made a Number 37 block that is 6.5" square. I updated the workaround posted over the weekend and below is an image of the finished block and the other two.

Also, here is the finished block and the 4 1" HST that were extras. I see I may have to make a fourth block since my greens are very close in value (center block). (Sigh) No rest for the weary.

Moda Modern Building Blocks

I am so excited that my first month's subscription for the Moda Modern Building Blocks quilt pattern came at the end of last month. I managed to restrain myself from cutting all the fabric that came for the various blocks and just started with block num.37. Good thing too, because I could not for the life of me figure out what I was doing incorrectly.

The block is too small. For a 6" finished block I need a 6.5" unfinished block to account for seam allowances. It is assembled using triangles, which can be tricky because of bias sewing, but I measured carefully and followed the limited directions in the pattern. My points do not line up and the block is messy. You can see how the HST in the corners run off the edge and how some of the points are staggered. Not pretty.

After a few days of planning and hypothesizing I decided to try the pattern instructions again but being super careful of my technique.

• I used only one ruler, instead of my square ruler and long ruler
• I checked and marked my 1/4" seam allowance on my machine and used a scant 1/4" seam allowance when sewing, replaced the needle, and oiled the machine
• I pressed with ample steam on high heat being sure to pin bias seams to prevent stretching
• I trimmed dog ears and pressed seams to nest and avoid bulking

As you can see, despite my best efforts, the pattern instructions just yield a small block and the points do not line up. I am sure there are a number of extra things I could do to prevent the fabric from distorting, such as pre-washing and using starch spray, and I may have to consider some of these going forward, but really the pattern should produce the resulting block for all fabrics and quilters. 

I did note in the construction the second time that the center square (yellow in blue) measured only 3" square instead of 3.5" and that the geese on the side were only 1.5" tall instead of 2". This pattern has a number of 1/8th inch increment cuts and triangles, which are not easy to work with. Though it calls for more planning, there are ways to create these blocks (not just num.37, but all the blocks) using squares and rectangles, making 2 HST or 4 FG at a time, which result in more precise blocks and less heartache.

As I make this pattern, I will document it here under the Modern Building Blocks link on the right. I foresee having a number of orphan blocks at the end of this quilt which will all go into the backing. As a note to those that bought the kit, my construction changes may eat up more fabric than your kit provides. I will do my best to stay as true to the pattern as possible, but I am neither an employee or a pattern tester for Moda, so the changes in construction I make are to be used at your own risk with the pre-packaged kits.

Other than MMBB I have been working on this large block quilt made of Cotton & Steel. The bright teal is Julianna Horner from Joann Fabric and the white background is from Bonnie Christine's new line, Winged. I wanted to make a quilt that was just a large block and as it grew, I realized I needed to make it more, so it is not done yet while I decide on the next border. I am thinking blue diamonds and pink pluses but that could change on a whim.

What an exciting first week of fall and the rest of the month is looking up too. In two weeks my guild will be holding the first ever Fall Retreat at The Hideaway in Monument, CO. I am excited to be part of this retreat and will probably take the time to finish projects in my studio instead of starting new ones. We shall see.

Have a Happy Labor Day

It has been one of those weeks when the anticipation of a long weekend seems to have worked against me and my little boy. We are exhausted after his third full week of school and ready for a little time home with my husband relaxing and not needing to do anything.

This week has been about finishing my Kitty Mini Quilt and the Sew Together Bag that will hold all the other goodies I'm sending to my partner. After this I am not doing any more swaps for 2014. I have a monthly subscription for the new Moda Basic Building Blocks quilt and want to devote more time to projects I should finish by the end of the year. I think my 2014 UFO October list will include a certain t-shirt quilt, a couple of kits that just need to be pieced, and at least two knitting items.

I am still mulling over the surface pattern design I want to create using what I learned two weeks back in Bonnie Christine's class on CreativeLive. See my previous post for links and more information but mostly I am probably a little too unfocused to actually commit to design even six prints right now but I still want to try.

Finally, I'll make this short and sweet ending with this yarn I dyed last weekend. I was working on a blanket I have had in my basket for months now and decided I wanted something with fall colors and in a fingering weight yarn so I could make a shawlette to wear when the weather starts to turn cold. Since I don't belive we are too far away from our first snowfall I want to have something fun and custom to be able to whip on in a second. I also ordered yarn for a more ambitious project that I will start probably in a month or so that will be for when the real cold comes in November.

KittyMiniSwap and Gracie Queen

It's blog post Friday, as promised and though there's not much, there is something.

I have been working on this mini quilt for the Kitty Mini Quilt Swap being hosted by Felice over at Sew ScatterBrained all week long. It was actually in the works last week and then I scrapped the whole concept direction and rerouted to these adorable flying geese. Now, as a secret swap I cannot name the intended recipient, though she has seemed receptive to the direction I am headed in, so I am pretty sure it will be a well received object.

Along with the quilt I have collected a pile of little goodies to include in the swap and may or may not have a SewTogether Bag to add for carrying all the goodness in. That will be next week's project and may remain a true secret.

The only other thing of note this week was I found a quilting frame that is not only a fit for my machine but is actually sold in tandem with my machine by the manufacturer. On three different sites I can find The Grace Company Gracie Queen and King quilting frames with my machine as the intended work horse, and I even so conveniently know of a shop that reps them that is, get this, a five minute drive down the road from my house. It's a match meant to be so I am now actively saving to be able to purchase the frame later this year or early next year. At $700 to $900 depending on bells and whistles it's not an enormous purchase but it's a far cry from the $10K tag on some long-arms. Added that I am not ready for a long-arm, the fold and store mid arm frame will be best for me.

Now I am off to working more on this mini and the extras for that swap. Figures I might be done by the end of August and it's not due to the USPS until the beginning of October!

Past, Present, and Future

Hello again. It's been a quick summer break in our home. Now, with the first week under our belt, I am doing some back to school organizing.

First up has been this poor neglected blog. It was May the last time I posted which is unacceptable. So, today and going forward I am going to commit to posting on Fridays. It may not be a real juicy or productive post most weeks, but it will be consistent and let's be honest, even if I have just a new zippered pouch to show, then at least I am creating.

Next is a quick note about this quilt. This is the Kate Spain line Daydream. I bought a charm pack of the fabric a while back and put it all together in this small sample piece. I call these sitting mat size because it is not large enough to be a crib or baby size but it is too big to be considered a true mini. I use this piece to find filler fabrics. The great functionality of this line is that there are prints both large and small in scale, high and low in volume, and in a whole range of colors. Even if I am not using that fabric specifically, I have an example to give me an idea of what I want or need for other projects.

Second for this blog post is the amazing class I have be in the last three days. From Creative Live, Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost Blog has been teaching all about Surface Pattern Design which is pretty much the art of making patterns. She uses Adobe Illustrator and in the class shows us how to start with a sketch and get all the way to a finished print line. This is HUGE to me because it steps me through everything! It has been a great three days and I bought the videos so I can go back anytime and review what I learned. It was well worth the money and since I already have a Creative Suite from Adobe, now I can get the most out of the programs and actually start producing surface patterns for my own use and maybe more.

Now this next quilt is also a sitting mat size and came from a collection of random gray shade fabrics I got in a swap a couple years back. Truth to tell this was my first mail away swap ever and it was so fun I jump to participate in these types of swaps. The fabric was originally charm size and then I manipulated it some more to get this overlapping weave. This quilt has served as the construction and design foundation for my BasketWeave quilt pattern.

 Finally, I want to finish up this post with a few more finished objects. First is a quilt near and dear to my heart, Beautiful Mess. This quilt is throw size and I use it on my bed every night. It is backed in flannel so it is warm and cozy. The block is the Japanese x & + from City Stitches Blog and all the fabric with the exception of one + is from Birch Fabrics. Perhaps it is the organic cotton, maybe it's the flannel, but for whatever reason I sometimes have to go hunt down this quilt in the evenings because everyone seems in my family seems to enjoy spending time in this quilt too.

Below is a table runner that has ended up on the fireplace hearth of our master bedroom. Now, we don't use that fireplace because it is currently blocked by other furnishings, but the table runner covers the stone hearth and softens that portion of the fireplace. Also below is my Boat Tote. This bag is large enough for a two rolled beach towels but currently I am using it for some knitting projects. The inside of the tote is lined in a laminated fabric so that it is easy to clean out after having damp items in it.

I am off to practice some more surface pattern designing and to finish a couple of blocks for tomorrow's FRMQG meeting. I recently joined the national Modern Quilt Guild and have signed-up for a Michael Miller fabric challenge so watch for that too. Have a great week, everyone and see you next Friday!

Making the most of myself

As Mother's Day swiftly approaches I find myself in the unique position of working on a number of projects for other people and yet nothing I can show you.  Soon, after the third Saturday this month, I will have the Colorful Colorado Challenge quilt to blog about, a special few t-shirt quilts to share, and a very secret wedding gift to surprise a new couple with.

It's all so much fun to get into my studio every day and have so many fantastic projects to dive right into. I will be back in a couple more weeks to post photos and share stories but for now, Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there!

The Denver Driving Mitts

Hello again everyone! Two posts in one month is some kind of record for me, right? I just wanted to put out there that the link to my Denver Driving Mitts pattern is live!

From the blog you can download it directly without having to go to Ravelry, though I do encourage you to go check them out. Ravelry is a yarn arts site with patterns, over 100,000 of them free, for knitters, crocheters, and yarn artists of all levels and creativity. I first joined the site almost two years ago to search for knitting patterns, and through the friends I have made and the knitting experience I gained, I am now confident and comfortable to post my own pattern. Enjoy!

Long weekends and short deadlines

Hello everyone and Happy Holiday Weekend to you all. I find myself busier this weekend then most due to the little man's Valentines Party on Friday, the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild meeting all day Saturday, swimming and LEGO Movie today, and no rest for this lady with extra days off from school for the President's Day federal holiday and a flex day out of school on Tuesday. Goodness, it's a good thing our annual quilters' retreat is fast approaching because I am going to need three days off after all this!

I have been happily knitting and quilting away since my last post at the beginning of January, completing the second Globetrotting BOM inspired by Venice. I have been to Venice once back in 2002 with my husband, though he was then my boyfriend. We did a month long tour of Europe via train, hitting cities like Paris and London, Amsterdam and Zurich, and ending in Venice and Rome. It was magical and a trip I hope to repeat with my husband and son someday when little man is older and better able to enjoy museums.


I also managed to complete a quilt of my own design for my son's PTO to sell. The funds are for the school so the children do not have to sell magazines or wrapping paper. I called it Hand Burst and will put together a quick tutorial. It's super simple and going to a good cause.


As other projects are completed I will continue to update my FO page. Right now I am thinking I might try to complete at least one quilt a month for all of 2014. Wish me luck and happy holiday to you all!

The first 7 days

At the end of last year I was amazed by how quickly 2013 seemed to pass by. Wasn't it just yesterday we were all doing Scrappy Trip Along quilts and getting our Pay it Forward 2013 lists filled? And now it's 7 days into 2014, that's a whole week!

And what a week it has been. I managed to compete my Japanese X & + quilt, Beautiful Mess, a set of pillowcases, and a few miscellaneous other items I cannot post just yet [they are gift sensitive]. Here are a few images of the quilt and the pillowcases. I used the tutorial from City Stitches for the quilt and the pillowcases are just the regular old one yard pattern.

I hope everyone else had a rocking holiday season and that the new year has started off well for you.