SALE TIME and a Quick Share!

SALE TIME!  TODAY ONLY!  

Coupon code BLACK15 at checkout for 15% off ALL orders!  Beat the holiday rush!  

And a quick share.  I completed one of my Northern Exposure placements last night. I used all my little scraps for the binding. Fun to take a little scrap and make it into something lovely!

 A full post on the whole set coming.

For now you can see more on the Northern Exposure quilt and pattern here.

What are you sewing up this Friday?  Link in the comments to share!

Whimsical Northern Exposure Quilt & Pattern Review

A while back a customer turned me on to a Lunden Design pattern that she was working with.

 I checked them out and was compelled to strike up a conversation with Melissa, the designer, and voila !

…fast forward to this!

Melissa’s Northern Exposure pattern was SUCH a delight to work with!

I’m a novice quilter. So that’s saying something.

One of my favorite aspects of making the blocks was how forgiving they can be.

No tricky corners to match!  Simple to cut; a breeze to assemble and a very pretty ratio!

I made the crib size quilt which only requires 8 blocks.

I used these prints from the Raaga collection and whipped them up in a jiffy!

I think it was less then a few of hours of cutting and sewing.  Very easy.

 

However, once I got them completed and laid them out I realized I wanted a little more softness.

The two blues are LOVELY prints for sure! Two of my favorite from the Raaga collection in fact.

 But I just craved a girly Raaga quilt!  So, I put aside 6 of the 8 and made six more.

No worries though!  The others won’t go to waste!

They will become lovely placemats in an upcoming post!

Oh and, in case you noticed, I added the sporty stripe down the center of the quilt that is not included in the pattern!  That was my addition….because I made a mistake creative deviation while assembling.

I would rather design around a mistake if possible. I rip plenty of seams already!

Most often the result of the creative solution is the detail I love the best about my projects.  It’s what makes them mine.

So finally I had all 8 ready to go!  The rest of the assembly was easy as pie.

Mel’s instructions are simple, clear and concise and I am, generally speaking, not always very patient with directions.

My husband will tell you I don’t even READ instructions….well Mel’s pattern proves I do….when they are written well!

Once the top was complete I was SO glad I went with my gut and remade those blocks!

For the quilting, I wanted to keep to the boxy, modern look of the design so it was straight lines all around

and little boxes in the boxes.

If you would like to make one you are in luck!  The shop has the pattern in stock!  (That’s how much I liked it!)

You can purchase the pattern alone, the pattern kit (any prints you desire) or you can purchase the pattern along with the PRE-CUT prints shown in this quilt!  How easy is that ?

WHAT?  Wait a minute !  You mean to tell me you will cut the fabric OUT FOR ME ?  Yup!  I KNOW how hard it can be to take on handcrafted in a world where  time, these days, seems compressed.  I wanted to make it as simple as possible to say YES to handcrafted!

Want to see what else Lunden Deisgns has to offer?  See her other amazing patterns in her shop!

Be sure and share on Facebook or better yet Instagram!

Linked to Crazy Mom Quilts

Ruffle Pillow and other goodies.

Recently a friend asked if I was willing to make a donation for a charity auction she’s a part of.   I thought of the Twins in Stripes, Minus a Twin quilt I just finished as an option but just the quilt felt too one dimensional to grab someones attention at an auction.  So I whipped up this little pillow, a trio of burp clothes and a little outfit to round it out.

The pillow picks up on the ruffle from the quilt and would be perfect for a nursery rocker.  It looked a little plain so I added the bow which prompted me to add the bow to the quilt as well.  Just gave it that little charm it needed.

 

The back of the pillow is a button closure so really it can be reversible.

The trio of burp clothes are Monaluna’s  prints on the front (Gumdrops, Buttons and Wonderland) and organic cotton fleece on the back side.

This little onesie and the hat are hand embroidered with designs lifted from the Wonderland print on the burp cloth.

All and all I was proud of how it all came together.  Hopefully it does well in the auction!

If anyone is curious to learn how to transfer a design to fabric, like I did for the onesie, post in the comments.

If there is interest I can put together a tutorial.

Linked up at Crazy Mom Quilts

Quickest Quilt Yet: Reversible Apples, and Barns and Sheep OH MY!

My daughter has been visiting a nearby farm, first for summer horse camp and now for weekly lessons, for a few years now.  The owners are a husband-wife duo we have come to absolutely adore.  The owner’s daughter just had her first baby.  Back in August.  , Between the end of summer activities and the back to school chaos (right??) I ended up a bit behind on a gift to celebrate the new arrival.

This little quilt was the perfect project for immediate satisfaction (and last minute gift giving!).

From start to finish the top took a total of … five minutes… to cut even edges. The cheater print, Apples Barn Cow,  from the organic Free Range collection on the front made a quick start.  Bah Bah Black Sheep on the back and Polka Oot in Black for the binding round out the rest of the quilt.

When it was done I realized….it was reversible.  BONUS!

  

I drew the lines on the quilt diagonally in both directions with my beloved Frixion pen and sewed the back and front together with the batting sandwiched in between.  An hour later of easy sewing I had a quilt ready for the binding.   Seriously….an hour!

Three episodes of Project Runway later and the binding was hand sewn on!

All told, the quilt took about an hour of assembly, creating the binding and behind the sewing machine and just over two hours of hand stitching.  Not bad for a completed quilt!

 

I didn’t write up a full tutorial but if anyone wants more information just let me know.

Any one else have a QUICK quilt to share?

Linked up with Crazy Mom Quilts for a Friday Finish and Quilt Matters.

Twins in Stripes Quilt … minus one twin!

Kristy, over at The Vintage Clothespin, shared her clever pattern with me.

Thank you Kristy!  It was a REALLY fun project!

I whipped up the top of this quilt at the end of summer while tucked away at one of our favorite vacation spots in Michigan.

This is my temporary sewing room with an amazing view of a meandering river FULL of salmon the size of a five year old!

 

I was searching for a few projects to work on while there since I would have DEDICATED sewing time while the rest of the family was fishing.  (…happy dance…. )   After going through all the options I kept coming back to this image and I knew it had to be the one.

I selected Weave in Red for my ruffle panel and binding.  Bright White and Stone solids for the remainder of the front and Buttons in Red for the back.  I ADORE that ruffle accent!  I’ve made a gazillion ruffles  while sewing little frocks for the Girl but it never occurred to me to use it as an element in a quilt.

 Guess that shows how new to quilting I am.

The pattern was  clear as could be and very easy to follow, which I am ALWAYS thankful for when attempting quilts!

The one hint I would add is, in Step 4, while basting along the top and bottom of the ruffle, use a DIFFERENT color thread.

That way when you have to rip out the basting later on you will KNOW which one to rip out!

What fun!  Now I just need someone to have a GIRL!  Lots of boys lately!

Has anyone else made one of these?

Scrap solutions, zipper-style!

Back today with a couple more tutorials featuring quick and easy way to use up your scrap fabric. (Although when I see other people’s tutorials, I often end up liking their fabric choices and then want to use something new, which sort of defeats the using-up-the-scraps concept!)

1. Triple Zip Pouch by Debbie at A Quilter’s Table

Not 1, not 2, but 3 zippers! Debbie’s tutorial is super clear and easy to follow, so even if you’re a novice at zippers, you’ll be able to make this cute bag. Have fun mixing and matching scraps–you can even create a patchwork look for the back of the bag or the bottom section.

And, going super small:

2. Teeny Little iPod Cozy by Emily at Mommy’s Nap Time

There’s just something about a tiny project that is so compelling! Even if you don’t have an iPod, I’m sure you can find a purpose for this flat little zip pouch. Be sure to pick fabric with a small print, though, or you won’t see the design.

3. Pontoms Pouch by Emily at Mommy’s Nap Time

Another super-small project which can be attached to a keychain. Emily likes to make these out of laminated fabric, and she’s got a great upcycling tip for an unexpected source for this type of fabric.

Have you seen any great scrap tutorials out there? Let me know about them!

Fabric Friday: Welcome Summer!

It’s the Friday before Memorial Weekend here in the U.S., which means summer is around the corner!

Summer-themed prints seemed like the perfect choice for Fabric Friday.

Here are four, all of which remind me of summer vacation!

Here’s a closer look at each of these fun prints. What would you make with them?

Summer cruising bikes!

Organic Her Cruiser from Birch

Retro campers!

Organic Camper Rally from Camp Sur collection by Jay-Cyn from Birch

Time to paddle!

Organic Paddle Hatch from Camp Sur

Organic Cross Country by Monaluna from Birch

 

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy it and thank a service member or veteran if you see one.

Scrap-inspiration

Scraps…we’ve all got them and we’re always looking for ideas on how to use them up, and create something neat at the same time.

Today I’m sharing some inspiration: three easy-to-sew and functional projects that you can make from your fabric stash.

1. Kindle Case Tutorial by Jennifer at Ellison Lane. 

This project is perfect for a combination of small and larger scraps, and you can pick a favorite print to showcase in the pieced square on the front. Make one for yourself, or sew up one as a gift (hey, father’s day is around the corner, and with some modern and/or manly prints, you can be ready to go!).

2. Needlebook Tutorial by Jennifer  at Ellison Lane. 

This project is so cute that even friends who can’t thread a needle will want one! Plus, it’s functional–who couldn’t use a needlebook for sewing emergencies or buttons that pop off? Tiny pieces means an opportunity to use up those smaller scraps. The inside of the needlebook has two pockets–so much fun to decide which fabrics to put where!

3. Lego Storage Bag by Leigh at Freshly Pieced.

Ideal for larger scrap pieces and/or strips leftover from other projects–kids will love it! This storage bag opens up to become a playmat, and then the drawstring closure makes for easy cleanup.

What is your favorite scrap project? What do you want to make with your scraps?

Show and Tell Monday

It’s so gratifying to see what customers with their fabric purchases! Today we’ve got a chevron theme going on–first, pillows with a clever recycling tip and then a laundry room makeover!

Jenny from Happy Baby Crochet used this fabric to freshen up some old and ugly couches (hey, those are her words…we’re just quoting!). You can see her post and her recycling tip for yarn scraps here.

Photo courtesy of Happy Baby Crochet

Beth Nichole from Enjoy the Little Things used a home decor-weight multicolor chevron print to brighten up her laundry room with a curtain that hides some functional shelving. You can see her post and makeover here.

Photo courtesy of Enjoy the Little Things

Thanks, ladies, for sharing your projects!

p.s. To the rest of our readers–I’d love to see what you’re making with fabric from Sew Fine Fabrics! Post a photo on our Facebook page or send one to: sewfinefabricblog (at) gmail.com

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

Twice a year, the quilting and sewing industry comes together for Quilt Market, a huge trade show where companies introduce new fabric lines, tools, patterns, and more, and lucky attendees (quilt shop owners and others working in the industry) get to ogle aisle after aisle of gorgeous quilts, clever bags, and inspiration overload, including a quilt gallery. But if you don’t work in the industry, you’re probably not in Portland, Oregon, right now. Rather, you’re at home reading this post on your computer.

Five years ago, Amy over at Amy’s Creative Side came up with an idea for everyone at home: a Blogger’s Quilt Festival. Twice a year, coinciding with Quilt Market, Amy holds what is basically an online quilt show on her blog, called the Blogger’s Quilt Festival. Bloggers can submit a quilt by entering a link, and anyone and everyone can browse through their own personal quilt show. Pretty cool!  The show has grown each time; it now boasts 15 different categories, and there are prizes galore.

Guess who else you’ll find at the Festival? Sew Fine Fabric! The shop is sponsoring the Baby Quilt category with a gift certificate for the winner, and we also have a gift certificate for general participation. We are thrilled to be part of this great event!

If you have a blog and a quilt to enter, head on over and share your talents! Otherwise, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of lemonade, sit back, and enjoy a quilt show on your computer screen: Blogger’s Quilt Festival Spring 2013! The show runs May 17-24 (entries) and then voting runs through the 31st.