by Sherri Sylvester | Aug 8, 2015
I’ve been thinking about making my Grandma a quilt for a few months. When my mom was visiting in July it seemed like the perfect time. It would go a bit faster, (Thanks Mom!) and three generations could work on it – my mom, myself and my kids – as a gift for the 4th generation, my grandma! I picked a quick quilt pattern and we set to work.
My kids sewed at least one of the seams each, my mom cut and helped me with piecing and we basted it together. Then my parents had to leave and it sat for a little bit while I scrambled to put together a 5 year old’s birthday party and pack us up for 5 days away. Everything got finished last Thursday and I’m so excited to send it off! While I write this the girls are hard at work making a card for their Great Grandma – one they’ve never met, since she lives on the other side of the country.
I’ve always wanted to make a Giant Vintage Star Quilt. It seemed easy enough and fast enough that it was do-able and wouldn’t end up as one of my WIP quilts – I’ve got too many of them that are sooooo close to finished. I should really get on that! Turns out it was perfect. We sized the squares down from the fat-quarter-friendly 18″, to 14″ so as to accommodate the fabric available (more on that later). Turns out it is a great lap size anyhow, finishing at 65″ square. I was even able to quilt it myself.
The fabric for this project was all in my stash and already pre-washed. Of course good, because we were in a hurry! The white was a lightweight set of curtains, I think – that came with the same fabric I used for these Easter maxi-dresses. I was going to use it to make this set of blocks, but since it was needed here plans changed! I did order some white not too long ago from Double Decker Fabrics (now closed) and it will stand in for the other project. (Oh, and the label was from Double Decker as well!)
The top is Spring Bloom fabric by Bella Caronia – scraps from these self-drafted dresses for the girls. I ended up with quite a bit of fabric left over since I needed extra for fussy cutting. I over-estimated a bit since it was my own pattern and I didn’t want to run out! Turns out it was perfect, just enough fabrics for exactly creating the star on the quilt. My mom was amazing and scrounged like crazy when she cut the pieces. In the end we only had to piece one of the large triangles!
The backing fabric is super soft Art Gallery Fabric, Jeni Baker “Dreamin Vintage” from Fabric Spark. It was originally going to be a top for me, but when I saw it with the Spring Bloom colours it was perfect. The border (again, scrounged from scraps and even cut off grain to get enough pieces!) sets it off perfectly. Don’t tell, but I think the back is my favorite! The cream background on the Dreamin’ Vintage adds so much warmth! (It’s sold out now, since I bought it last year, but you can check out her other vintage inspired fabrics here!)
Now that it is done, it’s into the mail and me holding my breath that it gets there. Not that I don’t trust the postal service… but it’s a bit nerve wracking! And it has to travel across the country and over a border…. ack!
Reader Feedback: Have you sewn a generational quilt?
Disclaimer: Fabric Spark provides fabric to me at a discount, and I in return link to their shop when I post related projects.
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 30, 2015
We’re headed on a long weekend vacation in about an hour. The last week has been filled with birthday party planning, partying and packing for said vacation! We now have an (almost) newly-minted 5 year old. Amazing how fast time flies. We definitely don’t have babies anymore over here!
She got her birthday gift from us a little early, and I was so excited when she wanted to have her own sewing machine. I did a bit of research and took a recommendation from Amy of Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop and bought a Janome New Home 1/2 size machine for her, in “Turbo Teal” no less! It’s smaller which is nice, it’s a lot slower than my Janome and it has a really great shaped presser foot that is built so it is really hard to get your fingers under the needle. (Sorry for the quick phone pictures – we were in the middle of packing when she got it!)
She is so excited to play with it and loves that it has “up to J” different stitches! Including her favorite, a scalloped zig-zag. It’s really simple to use and she’s been sewing lots of lines to test out the stitches. Of course I am over the moon that she loves sewing. And she seems to be intuitive about keeping her fingers safe, thank goodness! I was a bit worried since this machine does not have a speed control – but she got the hang of the foot pedal really quickly.
I will be able to give you a better review after we’ve got a few projects to show off. I love my Janome machines – so I’m sure it won’t disappoint. Now we are a 4-Janome family – lucky us!
It’s been so nice to spend the last few days with my kids, and we are looking forward to getting away for some friends and family time. Away from wifi and electricity even – though the cottage does have some solar power. We need a break, some swimming, sitting by the dock, fishing, canoeing… ahhh…. good thing we leave soon! I can’t wait!
I’ll be back late next week. Have a wonderful weekend!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 24, 2015
Hooray, it’s finally time to reveal who won the Thanks to YOU Week Giveaways!
As usual this is bittersweet for me, I’d love to give prizes to everyone! That said, I am super happy for the 14 winners! Many thanks to these amazing shops for providing our generous prizes!
Note: All winners were selected randomly using the Rafflecopter widget selection system. Thanks!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 20, 2015
It’s your last day to enter the 11 amazing Thanks to YOU Week Giveaways. Tonight (July 20th) at midnight EST they will close and tomorrow I’m so excited to find out who will win! (Winners will be posted later this week.)
I also really love the sewing tips that we got from our giveaway sponsors and thought they should all be in one place – just in case you skipped over them in your hurry to fill out the entry form! A lot of these are new-to-me tips, and I love learning something new, especially when it saves me time and brain power!
Which of these sewing tips is your new favorite?
| Bebe’s Sewing Tip: The majority of my quilts come from patterns I find in magazines or books. When I’m working on a pattern from a magazine (or book) I find it a pain to have to keep looking back and forth at a magazine/book that’s sitting on a table. I’m always losing my spot on the page or the page flips. Depending on how many different cuts I have to make I have two things that help me.
1) I use a recipe book holder to hold my magazine/book while I’m working. This stops the pages from flipping and I find it easier to look at instructions when they are upright. I also use those reusable “sign here” labels that are used for documents to keep my place on the page. As I complete a cut I move the arrow to the next one.
2) Depending on how many different cuts I have to do sometimes I transfer the cutting instructions onto a dry erase board and erase as I do the cuts. ~ Canadian National Fabric |
| Sylvia’s Sewing Tip: Remember those little reinforcements we used (back in the day) on our paper for our binders? Well, they are a great way to label your sewing machine bobbins, so you won’t forget which thread you have on which bobbin – you can find them at your dollar store or stationary store. ~ Country Clothesline |
| Rita’s Sewing Tip: Maintenance is key – sewing machine maintenance (cleaning, change needles), personal maintenance (Hydrate – drink water, move/stretch often), tool maintenance (change rotary blades). The maker is only as good as his tools! They need not be expensive – just in good working order. ~ Fabric Please! |
| Daryl’s Sewing Tip: My best sewing tip is to take on something you’ve never sewn before. If you’re a quilter – make a dress, if you sew bags – slip-cover a chair. There is so much helpful information on blogs like Thread Riding Hood, your hand will be held every step of the way, and sewing is one of the most transferable skills there is. It will open up a whole new world of creative opportunities.~ Fabric Spark |
| Jill’s Sewing Tip: I have a scrap piece of fabric that I ALWAYS start sewing on before I start stitching – to prevent that snarl of stitches underneath your work or even worse – the edge being eaten by your machine! ~ Fishskin Fabric |
| Marlene’s Sewing Tip: Press, don’t iron. Press once to set your seam, then either press the seam to either one side or open. Then press again from the front. Pressing means picking your iron up and moving it along the fabric, overlapping as you go. Don’t iron! Ironing — where you slide the iron in a back and forth motion across the fabric — easily stretches and distorts the fabric. And don’t wait until the end to press – press as you go. This is true whether you’re sewing a quilt, clothing or — well, actually anything and everything. ~ Flare Fabrics |
| Alanna’s Sewing Tip: When sew garments always sew up a muslin first, it’s time consuming but so worth it. ~ Fridays Off Fabric Shop |
| Pam’s Sewing Tip: Use the best thread you can afford. We tend to spend a lot of money on fabric, but forget that the thread is going to have to hold it all together. My favourite is Aurifil. ~ Mad About Patchwork |
| Nikki’s Sewing Tip: My favorite sewing tip, although technically not a “tip”, is to listen to audio books while you sew. I’ve listened to so many great books (everyone, you HAVE to listen to The Girl With All the Gifts) while sewing, and it makes sewing twice as much fun! ~ Seam Allowance |
| Judy’s Sewing Tip: When you need to keep colours sorted while sewing – why not look in your baking cupboard? I sort small pieces into muffin cups and strips onto cookie sheets. At the end of the day they can be tidied up easily just by stacking them up! (Works great for Lego projects too!) ~ Sew Sisters |
| Lisa’s Sewing Tip: Never be afraid to try something new, you will be surprised at what you can do! ~ Stay Home Fabrics |
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 18, 2015
WOW, what a week this has been! Things have been going amazing-crazy over here. I hope you’ve had a chance to enter the 11 giveaways posted last week. I am so grateful to all the shops that have provided them! (P.S. You can still enter all the giveaways until Monday 20th at midnight EST!)
Thanks so much for all of your amazing comments and well-wishes! I was going to try to respond to them personally, and realized it would likely take me a week.
Please know you are deeply appreciated and that I read each and every comment – always! (Also, I now know you have impeccable taste in fabric… and what fabrics I could get you for your birthday!)
Today is like a Thread Riding Hood “Black Friday Weekend”! And, the 18th also happens to be my 36th birthday! So… your mission is to go buy some fabric for yourself, it’s your Birthday Party Take-Home goodie bag!
Discounts are valid TWO DAYS ONLY – July 18-19, 2015.
Please take time to thank these Canadian Shops for providing generous discounts for you to use. A great place to leave a “Thank You” is in their Notes section when you fill in the check out form for the shop. There are so many amazing deals! Have so much fun shopping! (P.S. Most of these shops ship internationally!)
For the sake of fairness I have listed the shops in alphabetical order.
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10% off + Free Shipping with Promo Code: TRH10shipp
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30% off with Discount Code: summer |
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20% off all Country Clothesline’s Fresh & Pretty fabrics by the yard and pre-cut bundles too! So many fantastic choices for your summer sewing projects! Use Discount Code: TRH3 |
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20% Cart Discount (does not stack with other coupons, excludes gift card purchases) with Discount Code: dd20trh |
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20% store-wide discount (sale items excluded) use Discount code: BLOGIVERSARY |
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Get another 15% off already discounted fabrics in the July Clearance Blast. Save on over 150 fabrics in the “Sale” section of the site. Two Days Only. Use Discount Code: Clearance Blast |
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12% Discount (applies to webstore purchases) use Discount Code: AUL3YZOV9 |
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20% off use Discount Code: FLAREFAB20 |
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15% off purchases of $50 or more (Includes sale items!) with Discount Code: Blogiversary |
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15% off with Discount Code: TRHBLOGIVERSARY |
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15% off EVERYTHING with Discount Code: TRH15 |
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10% off with Discount Code: TRHOOD10 |
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10% off with Discount Code: threeyears |
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25% off with Discount Code: threadridinghood |
