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Monday, June 30, 2014

Mystery swap update.

"Monday, Monday so good to me..."

I wanted to update you all on the Mystery Swap. First off thank you to all who filled out the questionnaire. I received some really good feed back. Most of you liked Spain the best, sorry Morocco. I have made some changes per all of your feedback.





So due to popular demand I am going to open the Summer Vacation Swap- Theme: Spain, to 56 participants. Each participant will be responsible for 1 yard of fabric that goes with the theme. Each yard will be cut into 56 - 5" charm squares. Each participant may sign up for up to two slots, possibly more depending on how fast we fill up. You must have a flickr account and can sign up here.

Fabric can be based on color or the inspiration board, a design that goes with the theme and so on. The only No, No's would be NO kids prints or batiks. Fabrics need to be vibrant and spicy! Pretty simple right. I will post mail dates once the swap is full.

Now for the best part fabric inspiration!!


Have a great Monday, Monday!


Linking up with Drowning in Fabric.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Friday Finsh and a Winner!!

It's Friday, and that means its time for a finish and a winner! Recently Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts was asking for pattern testers for her Ombre Studio Mini Quilts, and I jumped at the opportunity! I choose to work on the Quilt mini. I picked a Kona Roll up-Sunrise, and used Kona white for the back ground. The patten was a breeze! As I was making it I thought that either would make a great mini quilt or even a pillow, and I'm sure many of you could come up with even other ways to use this great patten. Here's what I came up with.


For the back I used left over strips from my Kona Roll to make a Kansas Sunrise. I also used the scraps for the binding.

Lorna is having a linky party where you can see all of the mini's that were made by everyone who tested her patterns. So head on over and check them out!

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts and Crazy Mom Quilts.

Ok now for the winner of the Lark Cottons FQ bundle give away!



The winner is Mom C.!

Love so many of the collections. I was at a quilt retreat last week and one of the quilters was using Ghastlies. It was so darling. I want to copy her. Thanks.

Mom C. please send me an email and I will get this out to you ASAP!

Thanks to all who participated in the give away!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

WIP-Charity Quilts

Happy Humpday! This week I have been working on getting the tops put together from some star bee blocks that I received. The first one is Scrap Jar Stars pattern by A Little Bit Biased. I have seen this block a lot lately and really liked it. I had asked for a Brown, Orange and Aqua color theme for the blocks as I really like this color combo.



The second is the Inverted Star block by Common Threads a free pattern on Craftsy. I also asked for the same color theme on these blocks.



I have backs picked out for both, so now I just need to get them basted and quilted. These will be going to Happy Chemo

I'd love to hear about what your working on this week! Happy Sewing!


Linking up with Freshly Pieced



Monday, June 23, 2014

Sunday Stash

Today is all about Kona Solids. I personally love Kona in all colors. I recently purchased this lovely stack for a swap. I wanted to choose some colors I had not used before.



The colors from left to right: Royal, Persimmon, Pomegranate, and Wasabi. I just love all of these, they are so bright and cheery. The Royal looked more blue online but when it arrived I noticed it really is more on the purple shade. The Persimmon and Pomegranate are just rich and vibrant. I found the Wasabi to be my favorite. Its just the right amount of limey green without being neon like. This is a short and sweet post, as its been a long busy weekend here! Happy Monday.

*****Reminder*** Don't forget the coupon code for 15% off at Lark Cottons ends today! (06/23/14 @ midnight). You can find the code here along with a giveaway (giveaway open till 06/27/14).




Linking up with Sunday Stash


Friday, June 20, 2014

Welcome Lark Cottons! -Giveaway


I'd like to introduce and welcome my new Sponsor Lark Cottons.


 Based out of Portland Oregon, Lark Cottons, owned by Heather,  is an online fabric shop specializing in fabrics with a fresh modern aesthetic. They offer several collections. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Ghastlies -Alexander Henry

I am in love with the Ghastlies and Lark Cottons is offering the newest addition A Ghastlie End in the shop. 

Cat Nap-Lizzy House



They also offer a great variety of organic and Japanese Import Fabrics. I've had my eye on these Charley Harper Organics for quite some time and was pleased to find them in the shop.



I think these Japanese Imports would be great for and I-spy quilt!


Well I could go on and on, Lark Cottons offers many wonderful fabrics. Along with some many choices the site is easy to use. You can search fabrics by Designer, Collections, Themes and even by Type. So if your looking for something specific its right at your finger tips. I like this feature because I can just peruse all the pretty fabrics or if I need something for a specific project I can select the category I need and get right to it.

In case you need an excuse to take a look, Heather at Lark Cottons is offering Stitching @ The Green Desk readers a 15% off all fabrics - (excluding remnants) - thru Monday, June 23rd till midnight with code greendesk. Enjoy!  

Note: Code is case sensitive and must be entered on the shopping cart page.

:Giveaway:
Sponsored by Lark Cottons

 
One lucky reader will win the Eretheral Mosaic bundle to pad their stash! For a chance to win head on over to Lark Cottons and let me know what your favorite collection is. For a second chance my followers can leave an additional comment letting me know how you follow my blog. Giveaway is open to US residents only this time and will remain open thru  June 27th!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Morocco or Spain- Mystery Swap

It's Summer and officially vacation time. I was thinking it would be fun to have a Summer Vacation themed Mystery Swap. Mystery Swap, what's that you say? Basically there would be a preselected theme, in this case Summer Vacation, I would select the fabrics, cut them into charms, and send them to you. I am currently securing the best price possible for fabric, and the shipping would be included in the charm pack price. I will be posting more about that as soon as I get it sorted out. I will be offering full charm packs-112 charms, and half charm packs-56 charms with limited spots. All fabric will be quilt shop quality.

Here are a couple of the themes I was thinking about doing along with some possible fabric choices.


{Possible fabric options} 

________________________________________________________




 {Possible Fabric options}

So now I would like to know which is your favorite? Have any of you been to these destinations, if so lucky you! If not (or even if you have) I invite you to come along with me this summer, virtually through fabric, and visit these amazing vacation destinations. Feel free to vote below on these two pallets and the charm pack size you would prefer. Please only vote once for each question. Thank you.  
Linking up with Drowning in Fabric


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

WIP

This week has been busy, busy, busy! I'm ready for things to slow down just a bit, so the kids and I can enjoy the summer! This week I have been pattern testing for Lorna over at Sew Fresh Quilts.

Lorna recently inquired for some pattern testers on her blog for her Ombre Studio Sewing Studio mini quilt patterns. I offered to help her out. Lorna graciously sent me both patterns (I love to Sew and I love to Quilt) and said I could do one or both. I decided to do the I love the Quilt mini. I thought Kona solids would work great for the Ombre effect so I scoured the Internet for color inspiration. I ultimately chose this Kona roll up in Sunrise.


It reminds me of a Kansas sunrise. Love it!


The roll up worked out great as the pattern calls for strips. I had very little waste. I chose Kona white for the back ground.

Here are a couple of the pieces finished.



This has been a really fun pattern to put together.


I'm thinking of using the left over Kona roll up to make a scrappy back and binding. But as I kept putting pieces together I thought this might make a really nice pillow as well, so now I am torn, pillow or mini quilt?

Lorna is hosting a linky party over at Sew Fresh Quilts on June 27th. Be sure to check it out to see all the wonderful mini quilts! If you can't wait till then Lorna has a flickr page where you can see all of the progress so far.

I would love to hear about what you are working on this week! Have a great Wednesday!!


Linking up with Freshly Pieced.


Monday, June 16, 2014

#operationgivewarmth

 
 
 

I wanted to share something special with you all today. One of my favorite blogs is No Hats in the House written by Sarah Sharp. She is hosting a monthly color inspiration for quilt blocks. Each month she posts a color pallet and folks can make blocks with either all or just some of the colors in the pallet. You can pick any block you want as long as it is in the color range for the month.

April's Color pallet:







May's color pallet:



The best part about these blocks is that they will be going to the foundation My Very Own Blanket. MVOB is a non-profit that provides blankets (quilts) to children in the foster care system in hopes that it will bring them comfort.

Isn't this wonderful! Well I thought so too! It's easy peasy, just head over to No Hats in the House and you can find the monthly color pallet postings in her side bar. You can send a few each month, or just one, or even send a few during the months you have time for extra sewing. If you would like to help out by making some blocks you can find more information here. There is also a flickr page where you can see all the blocks that have been made so far.

Here's the color pallet for June:

 
 
 
This is such a wonderful cause and I hope some of you out there are able to participate, I would love to see your blocks! If you are unable to make up some blocks head on over to Sarah's blog and give her a high five for hosting this wonderful project!
 
Belinda
 
 
Linking up with Stitch by Stitch.

 
 


Sunday Stash


It's raining here again, which is great for the plants and trees and well pretty much everything. However it barely lets up long enough to keep my yard from becoming a jungle! Seriously there could be wild animals out there.

While I'm warding off wild animals in my rain boots, I thought I would share a fabric bundle I created with you all.


Heather at Lark Cottons sponsored a mosaic contest using fabrics from her shop and the theme was Ethereal. The idea was to make a mosaic and then the top ten would be selected and then bloggers could vote for their favorite bundle. The first and second place winners would get there personal bundle for free and the bundles would be available for purchase in Heather's shop for others as well! What a deal right, so I had to try this out.

 Ethereal for me evokes images of light, airy and vintage. I love pretty much anything vintage. So I made up this mosaic.
 
 
It took me a while to come up with this as there were so many wonderful fabrics to choose from, but ultimately I gravitated towards these beauties.
 
1. Textures Crosshatch Silver 2. Architextures Crosshatch Lake 3.Botanics Branches Ash  4. Botanics Leaves Tangerine 5.  Botanics Graph Paper Garden Charcoal 6. Palos Verde Abalone Cove (Voile)  7. Painter's Canvas Blue 8. Catnap Jewels Blue 9. Farm Fresh Haybale Pink 10. Barcelona City Map Cream 11. Bella Solid Zen Grey 12.Comma Swinging Slate
 
As I followed along in the contest, my bundle was picked as one of the top ten contenders. What!! I could not believe it. I finished in third place in the blogger vote and I was so excited that I about fell out of my chair when the results were posted. Now I know third place is not the winner, but I was honored that my fellow blog friends voted for my bundle!
 
So I went over to the Lark Cottons site to check out the winners bundles which can be found under Precuts and Bundles or by searching the key word Ethereal. When I arrived at that shop site I was surprised to find this:
 
 
         
Yup that's my bundle. I just knew I had to purchase it. So I did and it's even prettier in person. I would really love to make a beautiful quilt with it but I'm not sure I have the nerve to cut into it! It may end up along side my hoarded stash of Ghastlies, which I have yet to cut into, and just be admired safely out of the view of the rotary cutter.
 
I'd love to know what fabric lovelies you are hoarding!
 
 
Linking up with Mollie Sparkles for Sunday Stash
 

 
Belinda
 


Wednesday, June 11, 2014

WIP


OK so I joined the Star Light Star Bright QAL hosted by Melissa back in January (I didn't find this till February so I tried to play catch up), well it ended in April. I am still working on finishing this up. Yeah I know it's June now.

I started out pretty well, got all my pieces cut and even laid out a possible block option.
 
 
 
 
 So at this point I started making my HST's and Geese and thought this is going to be a breeze! Then it hit me, I was going to have to lay out each block one at a time, UGH! I realized I needed to know which fabrics to pair of for the HST's and needed to make sure that my directional prints were facing the right way. So I carefully laid out two blocks and completed them.





 I am happy with the way they both turned out, but let me tell you the stripe on the second block definitely gave me a few more grey hairs! I pinned, moved, rotated, and took pictures till I thought I had it just right and still had two spots I messed up. I'm not telling where they are!! I decided it just added charm to the block, at least that's what I'm going to tell myself! After this I decided to quit for the day, and I just never went back.

So after a long break I finally made some centers for some of the other blocks for the quilt.


Oh buggers there is that stripe again! I managed to at least get it going in the right direction this time!


 
 
 
4 down and 3 more to go. Then it will be time to make up and add the corners and sides.  Wish me luck!!
 
I would love to see what you have been working on this week!
 
Belinda
 
 
 
 
Linking up with:
 Freshly Pieced WIP Wednsday
Sew Fresh Quilts Let's Bee Social
Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation
I Quilt Thursday @ Pretty Bobbins
 
 
 
 
 




Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Happy Mail, Quilters ADD and Rain Boots.

It's the middle of summer and I'm wearing rain boots!! We have had rain off and on for the last two weeks and it was down right chilly yesterday! Brrr!! One of the wonderful perks of living in Kansas, you never have to change out the clothes in your closet! One day the temp is 65 and the next it's 95. Oh the joys.

Thank goodness for Happy Mail! I received my first block for the Friendship Supernova Swap from Erica this week!


Isn't it GORGEOUS! I love how her first block came out. We decided to just "go with the flow" and not use any particular placing of the fabrics in the blocks.  I love that we left all of this up to chance as the blocks are so diverse!

I also finished up my 2nd block for Erica this week.




I am really happy with how this one turned out with the exception of the center block, not sure it really fits. Here's pick of both my finished blocks together.


My first block is already in the mail to Erica, so she should be getting it soon! I hope she likes it!!


I also cut out the pieces for my first block for the swap, but that is as far as I got as my Quilters ADD kicked in after completing Erica's second block!




Do any of you suffer from Quilters ADD? Mine is the cause ...squirrel... of some UFO's sitting in a bucket in my sewing room. Yikes! Ah, well I will get to them sometime, right?

Well I'm going to pull up my rain boots and wade out to the mail box!! I'd love to hear about what your working on this week!

Happy Sewing!
Belinda

Linking up with Blossom Heart Quilts for:



                        And Quilt Story for:
                          And Building Blocks Tuesday.







Sunday, June 8, 2014

Sunday Stash! -#1







Charm packs galore! I added these lovelies to my stash this week courtesy of Southern Fabric! The charm packs are Heirloom in Ruby by Joel Dewberry. The tones are so rich and lovely in this line. I have a quick and easy project that I think these will work great in! I can't wait to get started. The little gems (mini's) are Daydream (love!!) by Kate Spain. One of these is destine for a journey to the west for a friend of mine. But its a secret, so don't tell!


After much debating I also scored this Kona Roll Up from Missouri Star Quilt Co.. It's full of red's, orange's, yellow's, pink's and green's! It reminds me of a Kansas sunrise overlooking a green wheat field in the early months of summer! This roll up has a mini quilt in its near future.

Wanna drool over some more gorgeous fabric? Head on over to Quilts from the attic, Nicholas is hosting the Sunday Stash this week! Oh and did I mention he has a giveaway!