Bucket List Quilt #3

Today, I'm interrupting my Summer Blog Series Challenge to report on my 2015 Quilty Resolution to complete 6 quilts on my bucket list (see initial post here).

My goal was to finish one quilt every two months, and I'll be sharing the third quilt today. (I completed Carnival in February, and Juggle in April),

For my third quilt, I chose the Pow-Wow pattern by CluckCluckSew. I wanted to use up some leftover pieces of Groovy Guitar and coordinating fabrics, and I thought this would be the perfect pattern to showcase them.

The background fabric is a Kona solid in Medium Grey.

For the backing, I went with Minky Dot in Charcoal from Hawthorne Threads. Even though it seems a little more expensive, the fact that it is extra wide means that you often need less yardage, and you don't have to piece the backing!

I did make my quilt one row longer than the pattern originally called for (this was the crib size version).

I enjoyed the pattern very much, and definitely see myself making it again in the future!

 

Quilty Resolutions

Last January, I made 7 Quilty Resolutions. Before I make any this year, I thought I'd better check in to see how I did in 2014

#1 Package up finished quilts

FAILED IT!

I still need to work on this one. It is so much more fun to make quilts than to package them. But I do love having them ready to ship, so I'm determined to try to nail this goal in 2015.

#2 Use up fabric in my fabric drawers to make room for new fabric!

NAILED IT!

I did use up a lot of previously purchased fabric making quilts this year, and I was more careful about what I added to my stash. Obviously, I still have a very healthy stash, but it has been fun using it! Here are a few of the quilts I made from stash/ WIP's this year:

#3 Spend at least five minutes daily keeping up with my Etsy tax Excel spreadsheets

FAILED IT!

I did okay on this for the first three months. Then I lost my momentum. Then, I hated myself in December for not keeping up with it. Sigh.

#4 Continue to blog regularly, and do a blog makeover

NAILED IT! (mostly)

I'm going to call this one a success, although there is more more to be done, and there were many bad months of blogging. I did redeem myself at the end of the year with a great month of blogging, and I finally learned how to change fonts, colors, etc

# 5 Make at least one donation quilt each quarter

NAILED IT! (Only three of the four are pictured)

#6 Use up scraps in the pink Rubbermaid tote

FAILED IT!

Although I did use up a lot of scraps from my sewing room, the infamous pink Rubbermaid tote is untouched. Maybe this year?

#7 Write at least one new pattern each quarter.

NAILED IT!

I wrote four new patterns in 2014! This resolution was a great incentive to put some focus on my pattern writing.

So, moving on to 2015...in lieu of resolutions, I've decided on a bucket list of quilts I'd like to make based on patterns I purchased (but didn't necessarily make!). I'll be sharing those in an upcoming blog post!

 

Twenty-Five Quilts, Day 6

One of my resolutions this year was to use up some stash (to free up room for new fabric, of course!). When I received a custom order for a Les Amis quilt this fall, I decided to cut up all of my remaining Les Amis fabrics and make two quilts. This is the "leftovers" quilt -- the custom order version had 42 blocks -- but this one makes a nice crib size.

I didn't want to purchase any extra fabric for the backing, so I pieced together some scraps from the from, as well as two Les Amis fabrics from previous quilt backings. I really like the way it turned out!

I will miss these fabrics -- they are just adorable -- but I'm sure there are many lovely fabrics waiting to take their place in my storage drawers!

 

Final New Year's Quilty Resolution

My final New Year's Quilty Resolution is to write four new patterns this year. I'm happy to announce that my first new pattern is ready to share!

This pattern was inspired by an antique pinwheel top that I finished in June for a colleague. I loved the double pinwheel block design and decided to play around with it a bit:

I made some blocks out of Denyse Schmidt's "Blossom Reel" fabric collection (from the DS Quilts fabrics sold at JoAnn's). I really love how Denyse's fabrics have a modern, yet vintage vibe, so I thought they would be perfect for updating this antique design.

One of my favorite parts is they grey dot sashing! Grey is such a great color to pair with modern fabrics.

The pattern is written in a tutorial style, with step-by-step instructions and full color photos throughout. I have included four size options (baby, lap, twin coverlet and full). It is now available for immediate download in both my Etsy shop, and my Craftsy pattern store.

Here's a comparison of my inspiration, and the finished update. I'm looking forward to making the pattern in another fabric collection, as well!

 

New Year's Quilty Resolution #3

The fun side of having an Etsy quilting business is getting to play with lots and lots of fabric!

The less fun side is having to deal with this:

So, Quilty Resolution # 3 is to spend at least five minutes a day updating my tax Excel spreadsheets so that I am not overwhelmed at the end of the year!

 

New Year's Quilty Resolution, Day 2

I'm starting off 2014 with a series of blog posts on my Quilty Resolutions. Hopefully, putting them in cyberspace will make me more likely to stick with them!

Anyone who has virtually visited my sewing room (to take a tour of my tiny, but functional space, see this post) knows that one of my favorite storage items are these cube drawers from Michaels:

I purchased the cubes 2 or 3 at a time (on sale or with a coupon) over a period of several months, and eventually built this 4 x 4 structure. Although I would love to purchase more and add on, I am at the point of maximum capacity in my current sewing space.

I absolutely love the way fat quarters, jelly rolls, and charm packs fit perfectly in the drawers. It is so easy to see what I have on hand, and very easy to return fabrics to their proper storage!

I have labeled the drawers with the names of either designers or fabric collections for sorting purposes.

So, on to the resolution part: my fabric stash has exceeded drawer capacity, so it is time to start going through the drawers and make some quilts out of what I already own, so that I can free up some space for the fabrics under my sewing table!

Quilty Resolution # 2: "sew" my way through some fabric drawers to make room for new fabrics (and at the same time, try to cut down on what I add to the stash!)

 

New Year's Quilty Resolution # 1

Happy New Year!

Since my Twenty-Five Days of Quilts blog post challenge seemed to be such a great motivator for me to power through and finish things, I thought I would try a series of Quilty Resolutions. Hopefully, I'll be more inclined to follow through if they are etched in cyberspace!

Resolution # 1: Package Finished Quilts:

Before I mail out a completed quilt to an Etsy customer, I wash it, package it up in a simple fabric bag (made from muslin or sheets I buy on clearance!), tie it with a scrap of fabric, and attach a tag with wash/care instructions. I also enclose a matching Kleenex fabric holder as a little gift.

I have a great shelving unit from Sam's that I use to store all the completed quilts in Priority mail boxes (most of my quilts are mailed in medium flat rate, or regional rate, boxes. When they are packaged and ready to go, they store beautifully, remain dust free, and are ready to ship as soon as an order comes in. Since I work full time, I love having the boxes ready to go -- I can print out a label in the morning, and take it with me to mail from work. I keep a numbered list of quilts and boxes so it is easy to find the one I need.

Unfortunately, I like quilting more than packaging, so this is usually what happens -- most of the quilts end up in boxes on the shelf, but without all the packaging details! So, my first Quilty Resolution of 2014 is to package one quilt each day until I catch up, and then to try to maintain the system by packaging up quilts as soon as I take photos and list them!