Texas Two Step Tutorial Part 2

Okay now we have our half square triangles complete and we have cut the strips for the 4 patch units. 
The first step is to sew the strips together and then press them to the dark. You will have 4 strip sets - 2 short and 2 long.  Now subcut each set.  You can cut them at 2 1/2" or you can cut them a little bigger which is what I like to do. 

Sew them together with colors on opposite side.  Then we are going to do the little pinwheel press.  Grasp the top layer on each side of the seam and gently pull the seam apart, you will end up with a little pinwheel with the allowance being pressed to the light side.

Now line up a ruler with the seam on the 2 1/4" line and trim each side.  You will end up with a 4 1/2" unit.

Each block for the swap is made up of 2 four patches and 2 half square triangles.  We really are trading blocks even though we are not sewing them together because each person can put them together differently.

  Here are a few ways to put a matching block together

If you separate the units and mix them up then you can come up with a lot of other ways to put these units together.

For swapping  if you stack the blocks offset as pictured

in sets of ten and then put each set in a zip-lok bag then you will be ready to bring them to the swap.

See you at the swap!

Quilt Show

Today is the first day of the Bear Creek Quilt Guild semi annual show.  It only happens every 2 years and I have been looking forward to it for a long time - 2 years to be exact, but I am not there and I will not be there at all.  I am in California taking care of 2 sweet little girls while their mama, my daughter, delivers another sweet baby girl. 

I entered 2 quilts in the competition.  My friend delivered them to the convention center yesterday.  I checked a blog of one of the members and she had put up some pictures and lo and behold there was one of my quilts!  I am thrilled to see it hanging!  Thanks Sherrill for taking the time to do a post before the show even starts.

Warning - Lots of quilting ahead

I really have been working hard although you wouldn't know it from reading my blog.  I have finished a few more samples for Sew It Up and I have been working on a quilt for our guild show next month.  It is one month from now and I still have to put the top together and quilt it!  I also realized that the birth of a new granddaughter is only a month away and I had better get a quilt made for her, so that is what is on my design wall.   

It looks pretty simple right now but I plan to add applique.  And of course since I am so late starting I had better make it simple.  I would like to get it done by next Tuesday night for guild show and tell.  I am usually finishing things at the last minute and then giving them away so I never get to share them so I thought it would be a good goal to get this done in time.  What was I thinking?

So my plan for the week is get the top together and start quilting it for the guild show and finish the baby quilt.

More Finished Projects

I am trying to record my finished projects this year and as I was updating my list the other day I kept thinking there was one more but I could not remember it.  Last night as I was falling asleep it came to me - I had just made a birthday dress for my 3 year old granddaughter Shannon.  How could I forget?

I purchased a kit called Hannah from Sew It Up when I started working there over a year ago.  I washed the fabric and then set it aside.  My daughter told me Shannon is wearing a 4 now and when I pulled out the kit I saw that it only went up to a 4 so it was now or never.  I was sure that the size 4 would be too big but she tried it on and it fit perfect and she looked so good.

Friday I made another mini Modkid pattern - Frida.  This one matches our store kit Pebbles and it is adorable.  I really like making doll clothes, I always have, there is something endearing about the small size that draws me in and the 18" doll is really a perfect size.

Snow Day Part II

We had a record snowfall yesterday, 9.5" (latest update is 12.5".)  I know that is not a lot compared to many places but we do not have equipment to deal with it.  If we had snowplows our streets would be cleared and if we had snow shovels our driveway would be cleared, but alas we do not.  My car is pretty much buried in the driveway.  My daughters car is at the end of the driveway because when she came home yesterday afternoon she kept spinning out trying to pull all the way in.  It is 33 degrees right now so maybe it will start melting but until it does we are kind of stuck.

As I sit at my computer I look out onto my backyard and as the light has brightened I noticed there is a huge tree branch on the path that broke off because of the weight of the snow.  Fortunately we have power so far.  I just let the dog out and she is quite puzzled by the tree in her path.

Schools have all been cancelled, I have had emails from stores that they are closed and the newspaper sent out an email last night and said that in case we don't get our paper we can read the news online today.  I guess it may be another sew day!

Snow Day Equals Sew Day

We are a little surprised here that we are having a second snow event in one season but I am taking it in stride and using my day for sewing instead of going to work.  I have quite a bit to catch up on, first I am sewing samples for the store.  Lorene is headed to the Sewing Show in Puyallup, Washington so we are very busy cutting kits and making new samples.  I completed a new Sara Jane sample using the Moda Basic Grey Blush line and a  bit of Texture Magic.  I also made a doll dress to match.  The pattern is Sister Smocks by Indygo Junction.

Next I made a doll dress to match one of our newest kits, Saphire,  I used the Dolly Dress Up pattern from Indygo Jucntion (which is the same I used for Sara Jane) and added 2 more panels, it matches the full size dress, every girl needs a doll dress to match, right?.

I need to sew a couple more doll outfits but I decided to take a break from clothing and I pulled out a purse I had already cut out.  It is an Amy Butler pattern, and I just needed to cut and fuse fleece and interfacing.  It turns out that cutting the fabric was no big deal compared to all of the fusible.  It took me a long time and then when I tried to fuse the interfacing it turns out that what I thought was fusible interfacing was not - I really should label things when I buy them.  So I had to start over with the correct fusible. 

Fusing is not a fun task but a few years ago I found a Singer press at a garage sale for $25, you can bet I snatched up that baby in a hurry!  I only pull it out when I have lots of fusing to do but it is great for that, unless you put the fusible on upside down and get gunk all over the pressing plate.  I tried to keep going but it all kept sticking so I quit for the night and watched a movie with the family.  Tomorrow I will clean the press and finish fusing but I may put the project back on hold while I work on some other things.

Back in the Saddle

My daughter and her two precious girls were here for the last two weeks so it has been "grammy time".  I am back to the sewing machine but I am having trouble getting focused after so long away.  I tried to sew a little while they were here but Shannon was very interested in the machine and all of the stuff so I couldn't do too much, I was able to make a doll outfit for the store using one of the new Modkids mini patterns for 18" dolls - so cute!

We did some photo shoots while they were here with the boots and skirts and shirts from Christmas, although the weather did not cooperate we did get some good outdoor photos on Saturday and on Monday we went over to our church building to get some indoors with all of the cousins since it was a very rainy day.

I was also able to finally give the wedding quilt to Mike and Chao, I finished it at the end of last year so I can't add it to my list for this year but I did say goodbye to it.  Sometimes it is so hard to let them go.