A Quilt Along, My Life

1(or more…)-A-Day, 3″ Blocks — Squares In A Box

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Squares In A Box Block Day

How many 3″ spool blocks did you make yesterday?

Since I’ve been getting asked

“how many blocks do I need to make?”

&

“how many days will we be making blocks?”

The answer is:

We will continue to make blocks

until I’ve used a piece of

EVERY Thimbleberries

fabric in this basket,

 

& in my cart!

 

Lol, not sure I’ll live that long.

The real answer is make as many as you want.

I have no idea what I’ll make with these blocks.

I just want to give us something fun & easy

to work on instead of watching TV or reading the news all day.

Sew & have fun!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is Squares in a Box.

Cut:

  • 2 rec’s. of outer fabric 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
  • 2 sq’s. of outer fabric 1 1/2″
  • 1 sq. of inner fabric 1 1/2″

 

& if you’re an overachiever,

cut a couple, a few or even 100 more!

Sew the inner sq. between the 2 outer sq’s.

Next sew the block together.

Voila!

Show us your blocks at my Sewing With Susan FB Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life

Sewing Coronavirus CDC-compliant face masks for staff

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If not now, eventually we will all affected by the Coronavirus either directly or indirectly.

3 of our children are healthcare workers working directly with patients every day;

our daughter a nurse practitioner,

her husband an RN

& our Daughter-in-law a physical therapist.

Let me tell you, more than ever this mom is praying for their & all of our safety!

So, last night when our nurse practitioner daughter sent me a link from the hospital that her husband works at asking for help with making masks & mentioned maybe I could maybe write on my blog to help get the word out, I said sure!

Here’s a link that I found from Deaconess Hospital with a very good (short) video that shows a woman actually making a mask, giving exact dimensions for fabric & elastic.

I had no elastic the right size, but fortunately my mom did!

Since my parents have been quarantined for nearly 2 weeks

I feel safe handling stuff from them.

Can you relate?

After watching the video last night I noticed these fabrics in my sewing room.

Recognize them?

They’re scraps from making my QAYG, Jellyroll Joyride quilt

samples for spring market this time last year.

Today I set to sewing masks while chatting

(on the phone) with a quilting friend!

Less than 2 hours later I had these:

I have more fabric & more elastic so I will make more tomorrow.

A local quilt shop, Patchwork Plus is a local drop off spot for them.

“Drop off at the shop on Wednesday or Thursday 11-3 each week.
You can also mail them to the shop at 62 E. Ferguson Ave, Wood River, IL 62095.
Please put them in a plastic bag.
DO NOT TAKE THEM TO THE HOSPITALS OR NURSING HOMES!”

If you can help, I’m sure there is need in your area also.

If you don’t have any masks in your household

you may want to make enough for your family too

just in case the need arises for use.

Please pray for the safety of our healthcare workers,

first responders & everyone helping in this dangerous time.

Thank you!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

 

 

A Quilt Along, My Life

1(or more…)-A-Day, 3″ Blocks –Spool

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Spool Block Day

3″ blocks are quick,

easy,

fun

& don’t take a lot of fabric!

Yup!

I decided on my treasured Thimbleberries stash,

which ironically is still growing

(with the help of my friends & this isn’t all of it!)

although Lynette Jensen hasn’t designed any in several years.

Cut:

  • 2 black rec’s. 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
  • 6 cream sq’s. 1 1/2″
  • 1 awesome sq. 1 1/2″ notice I fussy cute mine ;)

Are you familiar with my “Lazy Susan” flying geese method?

Instead of drawing a line on the square,

I lay a ruler over the lined up square & rectangle

with the 1/4″ line corner to corner instead,

then cut off the corners.

I just noticed this morning that this Creative Grids ruler

is visibly able to align with both corners at once.

I typically use my 6″ Omnigrid ruler.

NOTE: This isn’t a typical flying geese block.

Typically you must do 1 corner at a time.

This gives me a place to align the scant 1/4″ seam.

Sew the 2 seams with scant 1/4″.

Press seams as sewn, then open for less bulk.

Sew awesome 1 1/2″ sq. between the 2 cream 1 1 2″ sq’s.

Press seams as sewn, then open.

Sew rows together.

Voila!

I like that word…

Then cut some more fabrics…

to make more…

Show us your blocks at my Sewing With Susan FB Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Quilt Along, My Life

Want To Sew 1-A-Day 3″ Blocks With Me?

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During my 3 1/2″ hour commute to my studio this morning,

(OK, I was very much sidetracked when I started cleaning behind my computer that got pulled out yesterday to try & help my husband work from home. I then spent the next 3 1/2 hours pulling out furniture, vacuuming, dusting & cleaning every window inside & out!)

It was time, but I do not enjoy the task!

Lots of time for thinking though…

The idea came to me after I self imposed my own quarantine nearly 2 weeks ago.

Then in hearing from my friend, Chris over the weekend who’s sister-in-law had passed away from the virus,

I made a decision that I was going to help in my own way.

While busily praying,

binding

& sleeving

my new,

but no-longer-going-to-quilt-market quilts

these past few days,

I decided since a lot of you enjoyed our little 3″ blocks

from my 12 Days of Christmas quilt-along,

that more little 3″ blocks would be fun now too!

Everyone has fabric enough for 3″ blocks, right?

For now, gather your “collection”

& get it ready with Mary Ellen’s Best Press.

Working with little pieces is no big deal

when you press them with Best Press first!

Spring? Civil war? Batiks? Brights? Christmas? Scrappy?

Doesn’t matter!

Just use your favorites.

I’ve not decided yet myself… maybe Thimbleberries?

I will decide & I will get to work so you can start sewing!

I’ve already decided on the first block

and did some browsing here for more ideas.

Are you with me?

Want a little bit of sewing each day

to take your mind off of the things we cannot control?

Chop, chop, go make some decisions!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

My Life, Quarantine Quilting

Second Quarantine Quilting UFO Finish

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The second UFO that’s been on my list for almost a year…

Robin’s Wreaths,

a 5-part quilt designed by my good friend,

Robin Koehler of Nestlings By Robin.

It was featured in

AQ Magazine 2018-2019.

I had the 6 blocks complete pretty much on schedule

with the release of each of the magazines.

The tiny leaf templates were all cut out

& fused to the leaf fabric.

That’s where I stalled out when I got too busy with market prep this time last spring…

So this is where I began.

Trimming seam allowances & gluing.

Starting with the smallest of leaves,

then the little bit larger, small leaves.

It’s my own fault!

I thought it would be so cute made miniature.

I actually made the templates from the printed

size templates in the magazine instead of enlarging them 200%.

Next, to glue the tiny leaves to the 6 finished blocks.

An issue which came with making a smaller version of this quilt is the fact that I had to improvise parts of the design that were just too small to incorporate into this scale.

Some I turned bias strips into stitched vines & some I left off completely.

The blocks are still very full of applique!

Next, borders!

This was a great opportunity to use my new Cricut BrightPad.

Love this!

I’ve been using a very old & crude (but much loved)

version of a light box that my then college boyfriend

(now husband of 31 years)

made for me to use in my design classes.

Lots of little hearts were next.

Thanks goodness for my Apliquick tools!

These things are a life saver!

It took me all day,

but the borders were soon made

& ready for stitching;

applique by machine then embroidery by hand.

It was nice having some hand work to do while watching TV.

With top complete, it was time to contemplate how to quilt it.

I decided on a grid to complement the block background

so as not to overpower the tiny applique.

These blocks are only 5″ finished.

It doesn’t take much to fill them.

Then binding!

And voila!

It now resides in a place of honor in our kitchen.

LOVE it!

Love that I could finish it in this crazy quarantine period.

What are you working on?

Please share your projects & progress on my Sewing With Susan FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Please stay home & stay safe!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life

Are You Quilting During This Time Of Quarantine?

suznquilts

It’s a very crazy time these days for sure.

I’ve been self quarantining myself this past week.

With Spring Quilt Market being cancelled &

my teaching scheduled been put on hold,

I decided I would work on a couple of UFO’s,

something I NEVER do!

The first UFO on my list was Diane Knott

of Butterfly Threads Quilting‘s,

Under The Mistletoe.

This is a pickle dish block made with foundation paper piecing

that Diane taught at our guild’s Quilt Away 2019.

I had just 1 block & 1 more “football” made.

So, my favorite part, I set to choose football fabrics!

I love FPP accuracy!

I trimmed the excess with my rotary cutter.

It’s quicker than scissors.

I just hold the ruler right where I want to trim, sliding it along the cutting line.

Inner curves are easy.

Outer curves, even easier!

It was fun watching this piece grow!

I love using my stash,

not worrying about how old a fabric is

or how it my appear photographed.

Soon I was sewing in the corners & side pieces.

A fellow guild member, Loraine, who had finished hers,

recommended how to quilt it.

Something else I don’t do a lot of is my own quilting.

I love the way my table runner turned out!

If you don’t have any UFO’s (lolololololol)

& you’d like a project to work on today,

my quilting friend,

Gudrun of GE Designs

is having a quilt along with a free download pattern today.

What are you doing during this time?

Please share your projects & progress on my Sewing With Susan FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Please stay home & stay safe!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

New quilt pattern

Bitsy Pink & Red Hearts New Patterns

suznquilts

I’ve been having lots of fun playing with tiny heart blocks.

By tiny, I mean like 1″ tiny hearts!

Trust me when I say,

Mary Ellen’s Best Press is one of my best friends!

It doesn’t make the fabric stiff, it just gives it more body.

I just spray & press each fabric with Best Press before cutting

& I have no issues working with the tiny pieces.

I had so much fun that I didn’t stop with one…

Both quilts fit onto the Ackfeld 12″ stand.

Eventually I’ll make sleeves,

but I couldn’t resist using some cool (new to me)

vintage clips to hang them instead of a sleeve.

Please forgive me.

If you’d like to make them for yourself or a friend,

I put them on my website today.

Just 1 Tiny Dresden plate

(so easy!!!)

& just $10 + shipping.

You can also find the 12″ stands on my “Notions” page.

Happy early Valentine’s Day!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

My Life, New Notions

Circle, Circles & More Circles

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Yesterday while I was running errands

I bopped into a local flea market

& found that a new one popped up 2 doors down!

While there I spied this cool lithograph tin.

In case you don’t really know me…

I’m a sucker for junk that holds other junk!!!

There must be a term for people like me… (besides crazy…).

How cool is this one?

Right away I knew that my 1″ circles would fit perfectly!

I could also put 1/2″ circles in the small end.

However, that would last 30 seconds until they would all be mixed together, so no!

They will stay in their own tin.

Then 2 doors down I spied 2 tins that would hold my new size circles; 1 1/2″.

This morning I remembered that I hadn’t tried out my new 1 1/2″

circle cutters that I ordered in last month yet.

Within 5 minutes I filled the two new tins.

Voila, 216 circle templates!

Ready to start making some doll heads,

or Tiny/Mini plates for Dresden Village

or Around The Block.

Or something new…

I love cutting ahead.

It keeps me organized &

the fact that I don’t have to stop what I’m doing to get the freezer paper out

& meticulously cut circles is heavenly!

Just count out as many circle templates that I need,

whatever size I need

& start pressing them to the fabric.

That’s how I get so much done.

I’m basically lazy, true story!

Each size template has it’s own cool tin.

If you’ve had me in for a workshop you know that I’m good at sharing too.

This is my traveling workshop tin.

I bring it full of templates for the project I’m teaching & I share!

The 1 1/2″ circle cutters are now on the “Notions” page of my website.

Hopefully it’s just in time for your next Suzn Quilts project.

If you’re interested in having me come teach for your guild

check out my “Workshop” page for pricing & offerings.

Planning to get lots of sewing done this weekend, you?

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

Mystery Quilt-Along

The 12 Days of Christmas Tiny Mystery, Day 12

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Welcome to

the 12 Days of Christmas

Tiny Mystery quilt, Day 12.

Thanks for sharing those

adorable tiny blocks!

It has been lots of fun watching your progress!

Today is assembly day.

Wow, these 12 Days of Christmas have passed by quickly.

It’s time to turn your cute little blocks

into a cute little quilt.

Sew the top row together in the order shown below.

For the middle row,

sew the rail fence to the heart & the tree to the log cabin

then sew them to the Tiny Dresden block.

Sew the bottom row together as shown.

Pressing:

I pressed the center row toward the Tiny Dresden plate block,

then pressed the top & bottom rows accordingly

so they would nest with the middle row.

I removed most of the stitches in all of the seam allowances

to help the quilt lie flatter.

Finally sew the 3 rows together.

There aren’t many seams that need to be pinned,

but if seams met, I pinned them.

Again, I removed most of the stitches within seam allowances

& pressed to the direction of least resistance.

It’s pictured on Ackfeld’s 12″ Meandering Stand.

This will be a great way to display your finished

12 Days Of Christmas quilt

don’t you think?

They’re available on my notions page if you’d like one.

I can’t wait to get mine quilted & finished!

How about you?

Merry Christmas

&

Best Wishes for a great 2020!

Please post pics over at my Sewing With Susan Facebook group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

 

Mystery Quilt-Along

The 12 Days of Christmas Tiny Mystery, Day 11

suznquilts

Welcome to

the 12 Days of Christmas

Tiny Mystery quilt, Day 11.

Thanks for sharing those

adorable tiny blocks!

If you’re not already a member,

you should join so you can share & see everyone’s progress:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

 

We’ll make 4 Tiny 9-Patch blocks today.

You can cut strips to make them quickly,

but……………

I want mine all different so I’m cutting squares instead.

For each 9-Patch Cut:

  • 5 red squares 1 1/2″ (20 total)
  • 4 cream squares 1 1/2″ (16 total)

I organized them, then chain pieced them.

I didn’t cut them apart or press them yet.

I opened each pair of sewn squares

to arrange the 3rd square nice & straight

before sewing it.

Yay for my knee lift that acts as a third hand!

I don’t press 9-Patch blocks until they’re complete.

Please don’t turn me in to the quilt police!

I find the seams “nest” better if I don’t press them.

I pinned each seam with the seam allowances toward the red fabric.

If you finger press the seams in opposite directions

the seams will nest &

make it almost impossible to not match at the corners!

I cut the 2 chain piecing connecting threads on each seam,

then pressed the seams flat as sewn with the iron.

Next, I opened & finger pressed, then I ironed them.

I didn’t cut the stitches in each seam,

I just showed it who’s the boss &

worked them free as I manipulated

the seam allowances nice & flat!

Then the iron quickly reminds me who’s

really the boss

when my fingers get a bit too close…

It’s a love/hate relationship! Lol

Actually I burn myself so frequently

that I don’t even pay attention anymore.

These are the last blocks.

Tomorrow is assembly day!

Don’t forget to post pics over at my Sewing With Susan Facebook group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

See you tomorrow.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan