Spell it with Moda

Warning! This post contains MANY photos! 

A few months back I noticed that there was a Spell it with Moda quilt-along, and after I saw the third letter I was ready to jump in with both feet. My Instagram feed provided loads of inspiration. I didn't start until after all of the letters were released, but I had been thinking about my stash of 30's reproductions and knew that's what I'd be using.  I chose the old-fashioned Baptist fan quilting pattern in keeping with the era of the fabrics. 

My finished quilt is 71" wide x 100" inches long. I made the blocks in order and had so much fun. After I chose the fabrics for my letter A, I kind of became a little obsessed with going through my stash and challenging myself to come up with something to fit each letter. I also decided to make way more filler blocks than what the pattern called for. It should fit a twin bed with plenty of room to hang down the sides. 

 I can just picture talking about this quilt with my future grandchildren, Lord willing I get some. ;-) I'm looking forward to a day when I might have little ones spending the night with me, baking cookies by day, and being tucked under a quilt at night.

What's to talk about?

A is for Anchor's Aweigh, B is for blue and blossoms and boat!

C is for cherries, circles, and churn dash. D is for daisies and dogs.

E is for Eggplant, and economy block. F is Fluorescent.

F is also for flying geese. G is for goose and Granny square.

H is for Hourglass and happy children.

I is for Irish Chain.

J is for Japanese. K is for Kitties.

L is for Little Bo Peep, Queen Anne's Lace, and Log Cabin.

M is for Maraschino cherries and Maple leaf.

N is for nursery rhymes and Northern Lights.

O is for Ohio Star.

P is for Pinwheel, purple, pansies, plaid, and polka dots.

And... here's where it starts to fall apart. I got tired. Q? well, the whole thing is a quilt!

R is difficult to see, but it's retro.

S is for strawberries and schoolhouse.

T is for Turquoise. U is for umbrella.

V is a variation of a star. Lame, I know.

Wait! I perked back up for W. Waterwheel and windmills.

X. This block gave me such a hard time. The black fabric was wonky, and I tore it apart three times before finally getting it right. And then what??? The quilting on it looks horrible. I was so disappointed when I saw this. It was the very first thing my eyes went to. Well, I guess X marks the spot. And not in a good way.

Y. I've got nothing but a bunch of hexagons. By this point I was ready to be done.

Y & Z. Zinnias maybe?

As tired as I was of thinking abut the letters, I was excited over this adorable mini- elephant binding. I finished hand-stitching it just last night.

This is one of my favorite quilts yet.

If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me at 5redhens.

Hexie Needlebook

Paper pieced hexagons, cheery colors, bees, hand-quilting, and embroidery all worked together to create this adorable little needlebook. Swoon!

Wedding Season

We were invited to two summer weddings within a few weeks of one another. Autumn was to be in the first, and Mac was in the latter. He was a groomsman as well as helping with the music for the ceremony.

As I perused the registries of the perspective couples I noticed that although these two brides had unique preferences, they seemed to like a few similar, though not identical things, particularly when it came to setting the table. Keeping these similarities in mind, I entered the fabric store and chose a few coordinating pieces that seemed suitable to the tastes of both women.

I decided to make each couple a reversible table runner, and rounded out the gift with cloth napkins and a white serving dish. Thought not entirely identical, the runners are pretty close. 

I pieced the two runners fairly quickly, then set about the work of basting, and finally quilting and binding. 

All of that hard work made me hungry, and I wanted to see how the white plates looked against the patchwork. I was pleased!

Anna and Morgan were the first couple to wed. They had a beautiful June afternoon wedding. 

Their wedding was beautiful, and the reception was so much fun. It was great to catch up with old friends. 

Meanwhile, Verne had a great time dancing with Autumn and Abigail. 

Anna and Morgan's finished runner, 

and their serving piece.

Ben and Shelby were the second couple to marry, and had a gorgeous outdoor wedding at a winery. It threatened to rain, but the weather held off and the setting was perfect. 

Abigail looked like she could have been part of the wedding party. She certainly matched Mac's bow tie!

Ben and Shelby's finished table runner and serving piece. 

Ah, weddings! They sure are fun!

Snap Happy

Another gift completed and given. Several of you were curious about the little "purses" that I showed in this post.

The pattern is called Snap Happy by The stitchin' Sisters and can be found at their website, here.

Abigail and I recently went to see Autumn and visited a little quilt shop along the way. We found these coordinating fabrics that were perfect for a cupcake loving girl. Not too cutesy, not too juvenile, we agreed that these were pretty, feminine, and perfect!

The larger pouch was filled with a key chain and two small notepads. I tucked a Starbucks gift card into the smaller one. The set was presented to the girl Collin has taken a shine to as a birthday gift, and she was thrilled.

Pin It to Win It

My friend Randi from i have to say... is running a fabulous contest in which you choose a fat-quarter bundle from her Etsy fabric shop, Fresh Squeezed Fabrics, and pin it to one of your boards on Pinterest. If you get as many repins, off of your ORIGINAL pin, as the bundle is worth, you win the bundle. Would you mind helping me out if you do the whole Pinterest thing? You can find my original pin here, http://pinterest.com/pin/76139049921453266/ .

The above photo isn't of the bundle I'm trying to win, but of a recent purchase I made from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics. If you're in the market for fabric, I'd encourage you to check her on-line shop out. Her service is second to none!

A New Sewing Space

Because you asked, here are some photos of the room, completely organized. I think these photos turned out well, and reflect the true color of the walls unlike the photo from the floor post. 

Because we homeschool, a table in the room is a must. I can sew while the kids work on their studies. It also comes in handy during the evenings when Verne sets his work computer up, and I can do my thing. (See his computer bag sitting there on the floor?) Together, but each working separately. We're both happy and productive! The quilt above the table is this one. 

My work space consists of three tables. One for cutting, and two for sewing. You know, in case Abigail wants to sew, or I want to have a friend join me.

Verne moved my utility board and my design wall into the room for me.

I thought the walls needed a little something else, and so I'm tackling a new project. I just cut it out yesterday.

For some reason, Lucy was skeptical of the new floor. A pink throw rug was just the thing to lure her in. She happily lays here now.