Technicolor Ghost

Back in May I took part in the Henry Glass Desire to Inspire Challenge.  The challenge.... they send you a mystery bundle of fabric and you have 3 weeks to make whatever you like using only the fabrics provided, then post pictures of your creation.   You can see my challenge projects here.  The project and all the leftover fabrics are yours to keep.  My mystery bundle was Toile and Trouble by Shelly Comiskey. With the leftover fabrics and a few solids pulled from my stash I stitched up a very colorful quilt this weekend.  

 Now let me say I was speed piecing so my accuracy on the blocks wasn't my best work.  Since this will be a utility quilt for the grandkids I squared up the blocks the best I could and continued with the pedal to the medal.

I don't think the grandkids will care about accuracy.  But they'll love the busy and bright fabrics.  It'll be perfect for taking along on hayrides.

A few little fussy cut pieces in the sashing.  

 My favorite part of the quilt is the corners.  It looks complicated but with the strips being the same width I pressed the seams in opposite directions so they would nest together nicely with little pinning.   Click here for a tutorial on mitering corners.

There's still more leftover Halloween fabric.  Enough for another small quilt and maybe a couple of treat bags for the kids.

I've linked up this post to the following inspiring blogs.  

Love Laugh Quilt

~ Lea Anne ~

Podunk Pickin's #6

This week I found a sweet and easy quilt block tutorial to share with you.  Alyce@TheBeeHive has posted a tutorial for this quick and easy block called Quatrefoil designed by Clover and Violet.  Click here for the instructions.

Don't forget I've a sponsor for this month, that means another giveaway for those who add a link to the Podunk Pickin's linky party.  I should know more about the giveaway in a day or two.  I'll update this post when we work out all the details.

So what is Podunk Pickin's?

Podunk Pickin's theme is pretty simple...Sewing and Quilting tips and tutorials.  You can link up an old post on your blog that you want to revive or a new one. You don't need a blog to link up.  The Inlinkz widget allows you to link from other social media accounts.  No tip or tutorial is to small, the little things can make a big difference to a new quilter.  I'm going to ask that you only add one link per week.  Then at the end of the month I'll draw one winner from all the entries during that month.  This month you'll have until October 31 to add a link and be entered in the drawing.  There's plenty of time for you to write and link up new tips and tutorials every week until then.  You can earn two entries per week by doing the following.

• Earn one entry by adding a new link to one of your tip or tutorials on your blog.  
• If  you link back to Podunk Pickin's linky Party and add the Podunk Pickin's image  on your linked post you get another entry

An InLinkz Link-up

Flimsy Friday

So tell me, does this fall in the modern quilt category?  Is it a baby quilt due to the size?  Maybe a wall hanging?  I'm not sure what it is other than bold.  

I had big plans for adding applique and more color in the borders.  You can see the border ideas here and here.   As the quilt came together my vision for the finished quilt changed.  There was even a thought of appliqued words in the borders.    But it all seemed just too over the top.  Now my thoughts are on the quilting.

I could quilt the leaves and words....maybe.  There so much quilting space for such a small quilt.  Definitely a quilting design challenge.  

Getting the print to show up in the pictures was almost impossible.  Photo editing to the rescue.

If you'd like to make this block you can find a very basic cutting tutorial here.  It's just for the block, not the entire quilt.

Thank you for all your suggestions on naming this quilt, you gals are so creative.  As I sit here typing up this post I came up with the name.

Moody Blooms

I'm linking up this post with

Link a Finish Friday 

Can I get a WhoopWhoop

Fabric Frenzy Friday

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday

~ Lea Anne ~

Throwback Thursday Quilt

Morning, Quilty Friends!  Are you ready for a quick trip down my scrappy memory lane?  For the next three Thursdays I'll be sharing quilts made from this batch of scrappy fabrics.  But first let me do a little shout out to Krista@KristaQuilts for hosting the Throwback Thursday Linky Party.    

Hop on over and link up some of your oldies but goodies or just be inspired.

My quilt for this week was made because I wanted to make a quilt using every print fabric that was in my small stash at that time.  The plan was for a simple quilt that looked vintage.  So I pulled out the paper and calculator and started drafting something simple.  After doing the quilty math  a 2.5" strip was cut from each fabric.  If my memory serves me right, this is the first quilt that using the flippy corners method.   You know the stitch, clip and flip.

As each new block went on the design wall the excitement grew.  LOVE LOVE LOVE scrappy!  Mr. Podunk however said "that quilt is chaos".  My response 

"It's the Beauty in Chaos"  And that's how her name came to be

 "The Beauty in Chaos"  

Not only has my quilting improved greatly since these pictures were taken but so has my photography skills.  What you can't see is the quilting in each block done by my embroidery machine.  The straight line stitching was done on my Domestic Machine.  And some of the leftover HST's from the flippy corners were put into the border.

The Beauty in Chaos quickly became my favorite quilt and everyone else's favorite.   There were many requests to take her off my hands but I just couldn't let her go.  My best friend since 7th grade, Barb, had expressed her interest in it many times but I couldn't let her go.  I offered her any other quilt but not this one, nope she wanted my Beauty.  We've been through so much together, the good, the bad and boy was there some ugly moments when I wanted to strangle her, but our friendship has survived.  She's the sister I never had.  So when we found out there was a tumor the size of a grapefruit in her uterus the quilt was the least I could do.  Yep she owns My Beauty.  No words were spoken when  covering her with it at the hospital after surgery.  I loved this quilt but I love her more.

~Lea Anne ~

Sycamore Hill Quilts

I hadn't planned on writing a post today, then I read my email. Have you seen this?!  Gorgeous!  This new BOM created by 

 Christy Burdick@ Sycamore Hill Quilts 

is called Longmeadow.  I love the Pennsylvania Dutch feel of this quilt.  Each month starting October 1st Christy will post a new block for this quilt and they are FREE. 

The quilt pattern isn't totally free.  The center block is sold as a PDF pattern at Patternspot.  It's very reasonably priced, a small price to pay for such an amazing pattern.  

How many of you are ready to start digging though those fabric bins?  

Enjoy!

~ Lea Anne ~

Vintage Makeover

Top of the week, top of the morn!   It's so nice to be back home and in my happy place.  While I was away there was a little time for wandering around the internet.  In my meandering I stumbled upon this unique block called Colonial Baskets.  The basket base made with dresden blades is adorable.   The basket handle is a little too pointy for my taste.  Let's see if I can rework this block and make it my own.

So in my quilty brain archives I know that a charm square(5" square) can yield 3 dresden blades 5 inches long. You can find a tutorial on how this is done here. Well did you know that one charm can also make 4 smaller blades?

Here's how it's done.  Pretty simple, huh?  

Now just stitch them together in groups of five.  I added a few extra pieces from my scrap box so I would have enough arcs to make a matching pillow or wall hanging.

The block below is my first reworked block idea.  I like the design but I've not committed to the basket and handle fabric.  As you can see by my poor drawing, I'd like to add a flower and some leaves.  Well.... that is IF I can find the right fabrics in my stash.  Of course the handle could be made from ricrac and the flowers from gingham.   So many ideas to play around with before actually making the block.  Oh the block name?  

Bumpkin Baskets!

~ Lea Anne ~

Podunk Pickin's #5

            I'm back in my spider web filled Studio for a few days.  It's been two weeks since I last stepped foot in here.  Thankfully the sun was shining through the window at just the right angle to show off the spiderwebs before entering.  The bad thing was I didn't see any spiders, so I know they'll show their ugly little selves at the most inopportune moment later in the week.   Hopefully they're little ones!

During my absence I ran across a cute free table topper pattern to share.  This Topiary Table Topper Tutorial(say that fast three times, HAHA) can be found at Blend Fabrics.   Adorable!

Now what you've all been waiting for because I'm super later announcing the giveaway winner.  And the winner of the Podunk Pickin's first official giveaway is LA Paylor@NotAfraidofColor. Congrats!  Lee Anna I've sent you an e-mail.

A big thank you to all who entered and linked up during the last month.   The party's not over!  There will be another giveaway at the end of October.  I've a sponsor for October but the details haven't been worked out due to my absence.  As soon as get all the details you will too.  Until then here's the how you can enter.

Podunk Pickin's theme is pretty simple...Sewing and Quilting tips and tutorials.  It can be an old post on your blog that you want to revive or a new one. You don't need a blog to link up.  The Inlinkz widget allows you to link from other social media accounts.  No tip or tutorial is to small, the little things can make a big difference to a new quilter.  I'm going to ask that you only add one link per week.  

There's plenty of time for you to write and link up new tips and tutorials every week until then.  You can earn two entries per week by doing the following.

• Earn one entry by adding a new link to one of your tip or tutorials on your blog.    

• If  you link back to Podunk Pickin's linky Party and add the Podunk Pickin's image  on your linked post you get another entry

Please add a new or different tutorial or tip each week during this giveaway period.  Repeated entries will not be counted in the giveaway.

An InLinkz Link-up

Podunk Pickin's #4

It's better late than never!  I've been super busy taking care of mom.  So let's make this short and sweet and get right to the linky party.

Podunk Pickin's theme is pretty simple...Sewing and Quilting tips and tutorials.  It can be an old post on your blog that you want to revive or a new one. You don't need a blog to link up.  The Inlinkz widget allows you to link from other social media accounts.  No tip or tutorial is to small, the little things can make a big difference to a new quilter.  I'm going to ask that you only add one link per week.  

And whats a party without prizes!  So to start off my new Podunk Pickin's linky party I'll be giving away a surprise quilty package containing fabric and a few other sewing related goodies.  A Hint on it's contents, I love bright fabric and applique.  The winner will be announced  the week of September 13th, 2015.  Due to moms illness I might be a day or two late announcing the winner.  There's plenty of time for you to write and link up new tips and tutorials every week until then.  You can earn two entries per week by doing the following.

• Earn one entry by adding a new link to one of your tip or tutorials on your blog.    

• If  you link back to Podunk Pickin's linky Party and add the Podunk Pickin's image  on your linked post you get another entry 

Please add a new or different tutorial or tip each week during this giveaway period.  Repeated entries will not be counted in the giveaway.

One more exciting thing...I've a sponsor for next months linky parties!  Yeah!  What does that mean for you?  Well it means there will be another giveaway in October for those who link up.    If you have a shop and would like to sponsor a month of Podunk Pickin's send me an email.

An InLinkz Link-up