Cozy Quilt Chatter

Spring Wall Hanging - Calendar Quilts

Post by Andrea Paden

When Kim Shaefer's Calendar Quilts first arrived in the shop, I thought it looked like a really neat project. It's a set of 12 different wall hangings to make with a new theme for each month of the year. But like most of you, I already had too many projects waiting at home, so I put it on my "wish list" for later. This year, Calendar Quilts was chosen as the project for Cozy Breakfast Club (formerly Thimbleberries) and Jan and Kara started making the samples. They turned out so cute and looked like a lot of fun to make! These wall hangings are a fairly small size and seemed like something I could manage to get done pretty fast, so I had to get my own and get to work!

I realized right away that the really nice thing about Calendar Quilts is that you get a good amount of practice on many basic quilting skills when making each banner. Yes, there are 12 quilts, but they are small (about 20 x 28) and you only have to make the ones you like. However, I would suggest trying them all and adding your own personal touches, or even varying the color palette here and there to really make it your own. I thought I would skip a couple, but when I saw our shop samples, I decided I liked them after all! When you tweak the colors or fabric style to match it to your decor and personal preference, you will enjoy it so much more. Or if you are giving it to someone as a gift (great idea!) use their favorite color or style. Every version I have seen so far has looked great.

The same basic format is used for each month with 15 - 4 1/2" squares framed by another 20 - 4 1/2" squares. Then you use fused applique to apply that month's design to the background. I have stuck to the directions, but a quilter with a larger stash might want to make things easy and just use 5" charm squares - it all works out just fine! In fact, just about everything about in these patterns is flexible, which makes them more fun to work with.

My favorite part of the process is picking the fabric for each part of the wall hanging, then cutting out the pieces. Who doesn't like playing with fabric? I had a real dilemma when I was working with my birds on this one. The color instructions show red birds perched on the birdhouse, but I really thought they should be yellow. I asked my friends at Friday Night Fever (my favorite sit-n-sew group), and most of them agreed on red. They just weren't seeing the "yellow vision". Hmmm? Well, I knew red birds would bug me for some reason because I had just decided that wasn't right. I wanted them to stand out and celebrate Spring! So I found the perfect bright yellow fabric and made my own sunny yellow birds, darn it! Cutting out my applique pieces was a breeze. I just got a pair of Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Scissors at our recent "West Wing" sale and I love 'em! The micro-serrated blades were specifically designed for applique and they do the job well. In fact, they have become my favorite scissors. And since I lost my multi-tasking little snips that I usually keep at my machine, I have been using them for just about everything that doesn't require a rotary cutter!

Calendar Quilts directions call for ironing all of your applique pieces down to the background, then quilting over the whole project. I did that on the first banner I made (February, because I got a late start), but I decided to follow Maureen's sample for April (with the umbrella and bright yellow rain boots) and did some free-motion quilting on the background before adding the applique. This was a great way to practice what I learned in Sarah Vedeler's Free Motion Quilting class without worrying about what I might do to a large quilt as I am learning. Again, this project is such a great size for practicing different quilting skills and nice for trying out different quilting designs. I wanted to mimic the flower shape in my quilting, so I made a template a bit larger than the flowers and traced around it on the background with a Chaco Liner. Then I just did continuous-line quilting over my markings connecting the flowers to each other with a little curly-que. And, hey! Sarah's class must have paid off because they turned out pretty good!

To stitch the applique in place, I used my zig-zag stitch on the branches and birdhouse and double blanket stitch around the birds to help them "pop". I even used variegated thread (a really forgiving tool!) on the flowers to soften the look of the stitches. On my leaves, I just used a longer straight stitch 1/4" inside the edge and up the center to give the look of veins. I lifted the edges off the background to help the leaves look like they are fluttering in a breeze. See, you can do all kinds of things with these "fabric pictures" to make them uniquely yours!

To finish off my wall hanging, I dug through my now unused boxes of scrapbooking supplies and found some metal elements that added a few nice little details to the birdhouse. I used a loopy brad to "hang" my birdhouse (see below) from the branch and a large grommet to frame the bird's front door (see above in the yellow birds photo).

I am so happy with my completed March quilt (even though I finished it in April!). Better late than never, right? I had fun making the design, enjoyed using scraps from some of my favorite fabrics, and loved adding my own personal touches (like bright yellow birds). I took a couple of evenings and part of a weekend to make my banner (two kids cause for a lot of interruptions!), but most quilters could easily finish each project in a day. The wall hanging is now up near our front door to welcome guests when they arrive. And the little yellow birds make me feel very cheerful every time I walk by.

More Information:

This project is great for beginners, but fun for everyone. You can pick up your own Calendar Quilts pattern is our shop, or find Calendar Quilts online if you are one of our Far-Away Friends.

Friday Night Fever Sit and Sew takes place at Cozy Quilt Shop on the fourth Friday of every month. The cost is $20 and includes your dinner, a place to sew, and a whole lot of fun. You can sign up anytime.

Cozy Breakfast Club is full for the current year, but keep an eye out this winter about next year's projects and for sign ups.

 

 

Building Blocks Month #1: Hammer & Nails

Post by Andrea Paden

Today I'm talking about a new program here at Cozy Quilt Shop. It's called "Building Blocks with Sharyn Craig"! Building Blocks is a monthly program designed by the one and only Sharyn Craig. But is isn’t just a matter of making one block each month (which is a wonderful, minimal obligation plan anyway), it’s about challenging yourself to make a block the way you want to make it - branching out, and seeing what happens.  Join me in making these fun, easy to piece blocks and follow along as I share some of my experiences.

I have been so excited about making my own Building Blocks! I enjoy Sharyn's teaching and design style so much and I knew that this would be a really fun project to do throughout the year. Her patterns are written well, very organized and easy to understand. And whether you are a beginner like me, or an experienced quilter, that is a good thing.

Getting Ready to Build

Building Blocks kits come in 5 different colorways - Black & White, Red, White & Blue, Red & Green, Brights, and Pastels. I chose to use the Brights as I haven't done any projects in bold colors yet and I thought it would be good for me to branch out. Before I even opened my kit bag, I flipped through Sharyn's Welcome Handout (you should ask for one when you buy your first block - we include them with your 1st Building Block web order) and was relieved to read that I didn't have to make my block with templates. That was not my favorite part of my Intro. to Quilting class - I'd rather just use my rotary cutter.

I picked a white-on-white fabric to use as my background fabric. Following Sharyn's advice, I went ahead and got 2 yards (you can always find use for a white-on-white!) to use for the background and any borders I might want to add later.

Before I started cutting, I made a few copies of the block from the cover image on my Hammer & Nails pattern from my desktop printer at home to make some sample designs.

When I was ready to pick which colored fabric would go into the block design in each place, I got a glass of iced tea and turned on Oprah, got out my kid's colored pencils and went to work on some making some different color options.

  
 
Once I got a block design that I was happy with, I went to work cutting, then piecing. I've noticed I can get very frustrated when I am piecing - I might be a little bit of a perfectionist. But once that block starts to take shape, I get a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment! And it even ended up being the right size! Here's what I ended up with:

 
Sharyn mentioned a great organization tip in her Handout: making a special box to keep all of your Building Blocks stuff throughout the year. It reminded me of those cool organization shows where they dump all your stuff on the driveway, go through it and put it all back neat and tidy. I love it! So I found a clear storage box I bought at Target and that is my new Building Blocks Box! I put my tip sheet, Month 1 kit and leftover fabric, and my completed block inside for storage until I get my next kit. I even put the leftover fabric right in the plastic bag for the Month 1 pattern to keep the box from becoming a mess.

 

Designing my own block was a lot of fun. I like being able to pick which fabric and/or colors to emphasize and what shapes to create. That's not something you get to do much in an everyday pattern. I'm already looking forward to February 1 when I can get my next kit! I wonder what those fabrics will look like? 

If you haven't gotten your own Building Blocks kit or pattern for Month 1, there's still time! Come in to the shop, call or go online to CozyQuilt.com Kits Page. You can also buy the Building Block Patterns alone if you want to use your own fabric for these blocks. And we offer Building Blocks in an Auto-Ship system! Just call the shop to be added to the list and we'll ship your kit or pattern after the 1st of each month - no need to order everytime!

Fresh Flower Art Class

Post by Andrea Paden

You’ve gotta love a class with a Supply List that includes fresh flowers and a hammer, but no sewing machine! Oh yeah, ear plugs are optional. I am talking, of course, about a Fresh Flower art class I took at Cozy.  Or, as we like to call it, a Flower Pounding class. What I liked best about this class is that anyone can do it! You don’t have to be a quilter. You don’t even have to know how to sew at all. As long as you can swing a hammer, you can make something beautiful and have a blast doing it. I think it would be especially refreshing, say, for Mom’s with misbehaving children, disgruntled employees, irritated housewives, and anyone who may just be having a bad day. All that pounding with a hammer really gets those frustrations out! When I first saw the examples for our Fresh Flower Art Quilt class, I was ready to sign up immediately. These small sized art quilts looked so beautiful and different from anything else I have seen and my artsy-fartsy background kicked into high gear! I was also attracted to the fact that these are smaller sized projects and so not as intimidating to me as a full-sized quilt. In fact, you can make Fresh Flower Art Quilts in any size you like. You have full control. You really don’t even have to make them into a quilt. You can frame or display your finished piece without adding a backing or binding. You can make pictures to hang on the wall, cards to give away, pillows, or, if you choose, use these unique creations for various blocks to be sewn into a special quilt.Our class had people from all different walks of life and all different skill and experience levels. Just a sampling of our group included Jolene, a stay-at-home-Mom and former teacher new to quilting; Loretta, an experienced quilter; and Mary, an artist who does not quilt at all.
Our teacher was Peggy Caballero, a lovely and charming lady who gets you going with the basics and then just lets you go for it! Because the class can get a little loud, she suggests ear plugs or cotton balls to block the sound. And to get your attention after all that pounding begins, she just waves a “white flag” of fabric. The whole process is really very simple, but it was great to be in a group setting to learn this technique and see the results that everyone gets from their flowers. Everyone including Peggy brought different kinds of flowers from their yard or from a store and we all just shared around. It was so interesting to see how different flowers stained the fabric. Some that we all thought would work great just didn’t, and some we were sure wouldn’t give off much color turned out to produce the brightest results.

  
I don’t know if it was the fact that this class is just plain noisy or that there’s no pressure to sew a straight line…  but everybody in this class had a great time! It was so enjoyable to hammer away at these delicate flowers and end up with such pretty little images.

 
This technique would be a great one to learn and share with kids of all ages. How much fun would it be to spend a summer day outside with the kids pounding flowers? They would love it! You could make tote bags for the beach, park or school, custom t-shirts or bandanas. It would make a great project to include Dad in on as well. After all, it does require a hammer!If you aren’t using a pretreated fabric off the bolt for your project (we carry some in the shop), then you might want to investigate this terrific resource, Flower Pounding by Ann Frischkorn & Amy Sandrin to learn how to treat your own fabric so it holds the color and stands up to delicate washing better. This book is also our teacher’s favorite resource – she still refers to it even after 9 years of pounding! My favorite image is of the skateboarder. See, you can make colorful images with flowers and they don’t have to be just for girls!

Towards the end of class, we got instructions on how to add a few finishing touches to our art to create detail and enhance the colors we have created, and Voila! You have a Fresh Flower Art Quilt! What a unique item to decorate your home with or give to a friend. It takes a fraction of the time and expense that making an entire quilt takes, but is so elegant that it would be treasured by any recipient.

You can use flowers to create various shapes with templates. Peggy has made lots of different shapes including vases, cats, and even a seahorse. Fresh Flower Art Quilts, 2 will be given here at the shop in July for any students who have already taken the first class and want to create a larger project from start to finish while learning more advanced Flower Art techniques.

If you are interested in the Fresh Flower Art Class, Level 1, you can find information and class times on our website. Fresh Flower Art Quilts, 2 is best taken after attending the Level 1 class. 

Basket Full of Turnovers (FREE pattern!)

When I first saw this panel I knew just what I was going to do with it. …. Then when it came in, I went to work designing!  Now I am so thrilled that a little piecework and a peaceful little girl panel came together to make such a wonderful wall-hanging!

To get a FREE PDF copy of this complete pattern, just click here: Download Basket of Turnovers -Pattern

Ingredients:

80 Turnover Triangles of Baskets of Flowers
1 Baskets of Flowers Panel (any color as the girl is the same)
1 ½ yards of Background and Outer Border (cream)
⅛ yard of Inner Border Color 1 (red)
⅛ yard of Inner Border Color 2 (pink)
3 yards for Backing
½ yards of binding (cut into 6—2 ½” strips)

Very helpful tools:

 
  The Strip Tube Ruler^TM by Cozy Quilt Designs.  
  Shape Cut^TM  by June Tailor.
  The new Olfa Quick-Change Rotary Cutter (45mm)
  Light Steam a Seam fusible.

General Directions

(In case you missed it ablove, you can get a FREE PDF copy of this complete pattern, just click here: Download Basket of Turnovers -Pattern !)

Place two turnovers right sides together and sew a ¼” seam along the long side. (Tip: I put all of the light turnovers together and arranged them in the bottom right of the patchwork so they would create a subtle transition.)

Square up to 5 ½” before opening.  Here’s a great way to do that.

Bring your sets of turnovers to your cutting mat.

With the turnovers still right sides together, place the 5 ½” line of The Strip Tube RulerTM on your stitching line.  Place the left side of the ruler along the left edge of the triangles.

Trim the right side. (Note if you are left-handed, place the right side of the ruler along the right side of the fabric and trim the left side.)

If you’d like to trim away both sides, place the 5 ½” line on your stitching line and center the ruler on your triangles. Trim the right and left side, keeping the ruler in place.

Open to reveal your perfect 5 ½” half square triangle!

Trim your dog ears.

 

 

Repeat to make 36—5 ½” half square triangles from turnovers.

From your Background Fabric, cut 1—5 ½”  strip. From that, cut 4—5 ½” squares.

Agan from your Background Fabric, cut 1—6” strip and from that cut 4—6” squares. Cut those in half diagonally.  Partner these background triangles with the remaining turnovers triangles and make 36 —half square triangles measuring 5 ½” square.

Now put the blocks together as arranged in the picture at the top or bottom of this post.

Add Borders as follows:

Border 1
Top (2 ½" of background) 
Left (2 ½" of background) 
Bottom (4 ½" of background)
Right (4 ½" of background)

Border 2
Top (1 ½" of Color 1)
Left (1 ½" of Color 1)
Bottom (1 ½" of Color 2)
Right (1 ½" of Color 2)

Border 3
Top (2 ½" of background) 
Left (2 ½" of background) 
Bottom (4 ½" of background)
Right (4 ½" of background) 
Fussy cut the girl from the panel and appliqué onto the quilt!

This is how I did the appliqué:

I used two long pieces of Lite Steam a Seam. First I removed the loose paper backing, Then I put the nubby fusible side on the back of the girl in the panel, butting the sheets up against each other. Leaving the top paper in place, I ironed the fusible down.  If I had one really wide piece, I would have used that, but this worked just fine.

With the paper still on the fusible, I carefully fussy cut the girl out of the panel. (This was my favorite part because I left like a little girl playing with paper dolls.)

I didn’t want her to completely blend into the piecework, so I left a ¼” margin of background fabric on the left side of the girl.

 

I removed the paper backing and positioned the girl on the quilt top. Pinned her into place. Took her to the ironing board, removed the pins and pressed her down.

In a few days I will quilt and bind, but for now I want to get it on the wall for our San Diego Shop Hop!

I love her! I hope you do to... now go make one!  For a kit of our Turnover girl, click here.

A Time to Sew ... and sing... and eat.

It was Valentine's Day 2009.  I had completed a Strip Club presentation.  I didn't have the head for work, and why should I have to work on the most romantic day of the year.  So what did I do?

I sat and sewed. And ate. And sang. And laughed. And made new friends. And communed with my sewing machine again. 

At the Cozy Quilt Shop Valentines' Day Pot Luck Sit and Sew I was joined by 8 or 9 other happy quilters, some very tasty food, and Meryl Streep for a good time.  Ok, Meryl wasn't actually there, but the entire cast of Mama Mia kept us all company as we watched the movie.. not once, but twice (the second time with the karaoke words on the screen.)

Oh, let me just share, that before it all began, I got a gorgeous delivery from my very thoughtful (and envied) husband.

Do you want to know what I made? I am forever searching through my sewing stuff for hand sewing needles. Because so much of what I do is by machine, those old-fashion needles are really quite elusive.  But not any more.  I made a needle wallet!  I love the wallet, had a great time making it and am already using it. But what I really love is the fabric. It's called You've Got the Notions by Robert Kaufman. 

 

The front of the wallet is a bunch of dress forms. And the inside are white pins on black background. Totally perfect!

 

I found the pattern on the Sewing Republic website.

To go straight the the FREE PATTERN click here.