Friday, January 31, 2014

"The Snug Society Gives Back" ~ Tutorial for Spilt 9 Patch Block

Spilt 9 Patch Block

This block was made for


This is the group quilt initiative of
of which  I have been a member for many years.

The Q&N is a free and open forum and all quilters of all 
experience are welcome and it is a wonderful place to learn about quilting
and meet online quilting friends.

These are the areas where the Snug Society gives back ...
This is a safe home for children in crisis in Texas.
Most of these children arrive with few or no possessions.
Our quilt closet allows a new arrival to pick one 
to hug and to keep and take with them when they leave.
Economically one of the most difficult places to live in our country. 
One of the coldest, too.
These quilts are given in "honoring ceremonies" to those who need.

In each of these places, a forum member has a personal contact
who sees to the distribution of these quilts.

The Q&N also has its own little QOV initiative ...
... with the thought that every one who serves our country deserves 
a quilt to say thanks. We have also made quilts for service members in the UK.
Each quilt is designed and made with the recipient in mind and
members may nominate anyone who has served to receive a quilt.

I have made many friends and many quilts here.

My bestest quilty friend,


is currently organizing a quilt for Harmony Home


 Find Some Scrap Fabrics
Since this is a quilt for a child, I look for bright and happy colors and fabrics.
I had a toy print with a light green background
so I added an "I Spy" element to my blocks.
Other members have just used bright tonal fabrics.

This month we are using some of our green and orange scraps
to make the 


for the quilt closet at the children's crisis center.


Katiniss Helps.

This is a 9.5" block unfinished.

  
For each scrappy block the pattern calls for ...

4 DARK 3 and 1/2" squares and 2 DARK 3 and 7/8" squares
and
3 LIGHT 3 and 1/2" squares and 2 LIGHT 3 and 7/8" squares 

... for each 9" finished block.

(for the HSTs I cut 4" squares and trim to 3.5" size if need be)

Choose fabrics with a lot of contrast so the layout will pop.

I cut my 3.5" squares and my 4" squares to make the HST units 
and I laid out my blocks in a stack.
Then I chain pieced them together.


When I am piecing blocks I like to leave the pieces for each block
"chained together" with the threads from my chains.
This makes assembling the blocks easy by keeping the units and rows together.


I lay the pieced sections out next to the ones I need to add. 


Then I just keep adding until I have a all the blocks done.


Then I check my seams and press.


The layout possibilities of this block are great!

 I like making these blocks and sending pieces of my fabric to cover the world in love.


My friend Dorian says,
"We are always looking for more volunteers to help make these quilts. What we do is we sign up for making blocks, piecing and quilting a quilt each month or two. We also have volunteers give the backing and battings or send money to the quilter to purchase these items.

If you want to help out, then come on over and sign up to the forum. It's free and painless ;) and go to one of the charity threads and volunteer whatever you are comfortable doing."



I hope you will join us!


Katniss days, "Every Paw Helps!"

~~~ <3 ~~~

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Don't Let the Door Stop You Blog Hop!



My New Door Stoppers!
Don't Stop My Playful Quilty Kitties!

My quilty kitties and I say "Thanks, Madame Samm, for hosting this hop.


This is one of my new door stoppers!
It is a toy box for my quilty kitties. 


My quilty kitties like to play.


Their favorite place to play is the doorway to my sewing room. 
Butterfly is on guard here and she says, "These are MY toys."


When she is done playing and guarding she leaves.
The Cat does not pick up her toys.


Katniss  arrives and says, "Who has been playing with MY toys?"


After perusing her options Katniss selects a  favorite toy.


Bats it behind the door ... as Butterfly arrives ...


... to see who is playing with HER toys. 


Katniss and Butterfly will chase this into the other rooms
and just like my kiddos when they were little ...


my quilty kitties leave their toys all over the floor 
and I am always stepping on them.


So when it came time to decide what to make for a new door stopper 
for my sewing room doorway


a fabric "Kitty Toy Box" 
seemed a great way to go!


I got the idea for making this fabric box from


I started with 12.5" squares as I wanted the finished box large
 enough to hold a few kitty toys and 
I and followed her tutorial HERE
Tina has a great quilting blog.
Check out her beautiful quilts!


My quilty kitties all time favorite toys are marbles.


Katniss plays marbles.


Butterfly and Katniss Play marbles together.
There was a marble on this table before Butterfly rolled it onto the floor.

(Yes, I know ... My Cats Are On The Dining Room Table!
This is the table that also has a big cutting mat under the table cloth.
It is a multi-use table.
I always clean the table and put a fresh new cloth when it is actually used for dining.)

Marbles are the weight that keeps my new door stopper in place.
This makes my kitties very happy.


 Butterfly can scoop a marble right out of the box.
Butterfly is a smart cat.


Katniss can try to scoop a marble out of the box.
She will learn.
Katniss has learned most of what she knows about being a cat from Butterfly.

This is my second new door stopper!


I love the colors and print in the multicolor floral print in the
  She Who Sews line from Quilting Treasures

Sew ...


I used it for the door stopper for my sewing room!

I found this idea and followed the tutorial in this link ... 


The cost of two long tubes were under a dollar  
and I could make one two-sided door stopper per tube.



These are foam insulation tubes for pipes and are easily available at any home improvement or hardware store. Real insulation so they really stop the drafts.
I like this economical plan!

The covers can easily be removed for washing, too!

I will be making more of these for the cold drafts that sneak under the doors
during these cold winter months in the scrapatch.


I hope you like my door stopper ideas as much as my kitties and I do.

Do not let the door stop you from visiting all the blog hoppers today ...

January 30th

Thanks to 

our blog host, Mdm. Samm @ Sew We Quilt,
and
our great cheerleader, Carla @ Creatin' in the Sticks,
for this fun blog hop!


Now, if only I can get my kitties to put their toys away in this basket!


Katniss Says, "Thanks for the toy box and for picking up my toys!"
and
Thank you for visiting my scrapatch today!

Before you go ...

If you have not entered my


Grow Your Blog Hop Mug Rug Giveaway

There is still time to do so.
Click on the above link for details!

The winner will be announced on February 15th!

Happy Hopping!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update:  Katniss reminded me that she has been to visit with the pretty kitties 
@
Feline Friday @Sarah Did It

for way to long.

So we are linking up today.

Katniss says, "Purrrrrr!"

:)

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Quilty Auntie Quilt in Process


Just look at these fabulous pink/black/white Rail Fence Blocks!

It looks like Valentine's Day came early to my sewing room!

I did not make all these great blocks.

I only made one.

These blocks were made by the 


for one of our members baby-girl-to-be!

The baby mommy and daddy chose these colors for their baby girl's nursery.

I am the lucky quilty auntie who gets to piece this top.

Then I will send it off to our volunteer quilter for the finishing touches.

I love making these group baby quilts to welcome
the precious little ones to our world.

I am waiting for the last two block to arrive,
then I will get to piece the top!

A Lovely Year of Finishes

Piecing this top will be my February AYOLF Goal!

Linking up today with the February Goal setting party 
@
Fiber of All Sorts

More piccies coming soon!

~ <3 ~ 

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

My January AYOLF Goal Finished!

A Lovely Year of Finishes


is Done! 


My plan was to take these pieces of the puzzle 
and sew them into a ...


quilt top ...

and then turn them into a ...



for my grandbaby-to-be!



This project was completed in time for the 

I am still working on writing the pattern for this design.


I am also getting ready for the Baby Shower for my daughter, 
which will be in February.

Today I am linking up with all the other great finishes at the 

@

I am already making plans for my February Goal.

February will be a very busy month for me!

Thanks to AYLOF for helping me to meet my quilting goals this year
with this wonderful quilty party!

:)