"Charmed" I'm Sure

I really do enjoy buying charm packs.  So much variety in fabrics, and they are just fun to play with I guess!
Today I have a fun quilt from Tamarack Shack.  Four Patch Charm Quilt is made using charm squares and some yardage too.  Just check it out here.  There is even a printable PDF pattern there for you to print.  When I looked at this pattern I thought how nice this would look in patriotic colors, perhaps a quilt for a veteran, but it would like lovely in any color you choose.
Another fun looking quilt from Moda Bake Shop using charms is Going Dutch.  It takes 4 packs of charms but makes a pretty big quilt.  While there be sure to check out all of the other free patterns they offer using charms as well as other pre-cuts.

Seeing Stars

Star quilts and blocks are some of the most popular to sew and here is a collection of them. This link from FavCraft will load up some really nice blocks and quilts, some of unusual, like the one with the drunkard's path in it.  I also enjoyed the cat laying in the pile of fabric scraps, so typical.

Bonnie Hunter has a cute star quilt called Story Time Stars.  Scrappy and great for kids. She also has Cathedral Stars and yet again, this will use up some more scraps. This really is pretty.

Michelle's Romantic Tangle has a great baby quilt that is also fast and easy and very pretty.  It's very graphic too. Little Miss Shabby has a great quilt made with four large star blocks.  Love this super sized Morning Star. Here is a great stash buster block of Little Miss Shabby's. I also loved her Organic quilt featured on Moda Bake Shop.

Judy Laguidara also has a beautiful star quilt called Road to Brownwood.  It has all her clearly written steps. Her website, called Patchwork Times, is a top site to get really beautiful patterns.  Thank you to all the designers and bloggers who share their wonderful ideas and for taking time to do this.   Diana

More Ideas...

It was a great meeting last night for the hearty souls who braved the cold.  We have such a nice group!  I will remind every one later in February too but at our next meeting we will be doing a Make and Take project that can be finished at our meeting.  You will need to bring scissors, sewing needle, and some off white or white thread.

Riley Blake Designs has a new block of the month for 2014 and its about celebrating the holidays with fabric and especially birthdays.  The first block has been posted; it's an ice cream cone block which is very sweet.
You can also watch a video on sewing this block here. You can also check out their many videos at this site and they are nice. I thought this crochet hook cozy was especially nice and a great idea as I tend to lose these.  Would make a great gift for a friend who crochets too.

Check out We All Sew for this beautiful wool pillow that features a snowflake.  I really like the simplicity of this.  I believe this site is a Bernina blog and has a lot of quilting and sewing information.  The Polka Dot Chair has a wonderful post about Hawaiian quilts and the process of making them.  Love them and the colors and makes me feel warmer already.  There are many links at the end of that post to take you to other informative places regarding the Hawaiian quilt style.  She also has a project at the Moda Bake Shop for a personalized pillow that is so sweet.  So check out Polka Dot Chair for a fun blog.

Just for giggles, I loved this Snoopy Quilt. Really cold again this morning so stay warm.  Diana

Poinsettias and other good things

I found a blog where she shows how to do machine binding with a flat felt seam foot.  The site is called A Woman A Day and she has a detailed account of how to apply binding in this manner.  I too am not crazy about doing bindings and a nice, faster method would be wonderful for most of the quilts I make.

Sew Kind of Wonderful has a pattern for a lovely poinsettia that is worth checking out. Just look at that pretty teal and white runner and then go down the page a bit and she has the pdf for the pattern.  Really  really pretty.

The soon to be New Year always brings to mind the dreaded word--organization.  My sewing room looks like a bomb fell in it right now and it definitely needs some organizing.  Moda has some tips for doing a little spiffying up of the room.  Good luck...Moda Bake Shop also has a tutorial for a quick stocking stuffer, hair scrunchies.  Love them. These were made by Karin of Cascade Quilts. She has a lot of nice quilts and also a tutorial for making pinwheels out of charm squares.  Enjoy these posts and have a nice day.   Diana

Jam or Marmalade?

Today I'd like Marmalade.  I love to visit the Moda Bake Shop site, remember our Lawn Chair Quilts, that's where they came from.  I liked this Marmalade Quilt because it appears to be an easy and fast way to use up those charm square packs that are so tempting.  I think this would also be a nice project to start with a beginner.

This Sunnyside Stars Quilt is a nice way to use those pretty large prints we always buy.  It's just large half square triangles.  And I love the sweet black lab in the photo...  Another thing, if you look at the quilt before quilting, you can see the secondary star pattern better.  That's a nice little surprise in the quilt.

Finally, I love, love this Family Tree pillow.  Maybe it's the tree, maybe it's the colors but it's a terrific look for the fall.  Stay warm and sew more.  Looks like some bad weather coming from the West.  Diana