April Sale: Thread

Monday, April 11, 2016

http://incolororder.bigcartel.com/category/thread
Happy Monday! During the month of April, I'm doing a bit of Spring cleaning in my shop (incolororder.bigcartel.com)! Each Monday in April, I'll be announcing a new sale. The sale will run from Monday to the following Sunday!

This week, I'm holding a sale on thread! All thread boxes are $10 off! This includes both sizes of my Aurifil thread collections, Tidbits and Favorite Things. Plus, all thread orders include a free pattern! The sale is good through April 17th.

As an added bonus, I'll be including an extra goody in all sale orders! A paper pattern, George button, or maybe even some fabric!

Shop the sale here.

Prices have been adjusted, no coupon code needed. While supplies last.

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Happy Wednesday! I'm so happy to bring you the first of a series of quilt settings to accompany my book, Patchwork Essentials: The Half-Square Triangle. I wanted to share something that would be a good add-on to the 60 Block Chart included in the book! The blocks in that section can be used in many ways, including in the final chapter of quilts in the book.


See this finished quilt here.

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Over the next few weeks/months I'll be sharing additional quilt settings (layouts!) that you could use with those blocks, blocks from my Simply Sampled or Half-Square Triangle Sampler patterns, or any 12" finished quilt blocks! The quilts will be different sizes, and take a different number of blocks. I'll be sharing instructions for the quilt setting only, not the blocks. I will however be sharing fabric requirements to help guide you on making the half-square triangle blocks from the book needed for each setting!

The first quilt setting I am sharing is a big one! It's mostly made up of blocks, so you don't have a lot of extra work to do after those are done!

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Still need a copy of my book? Pick one up here!

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Sewing Level: Intermediate/Confident Beginner
Finished size: 60"x84"

Materials:
- (27) 12.5" unfinished quilt blocks
- 1 1/4 yards of background fabric
- 5 1/4 yards of backing fabric
- 68" x 92" piece of batting
- 5/8 yard of binding
- Coordinating thread

Notes:
WOF = Width of Fabric (42")
Fat Quarter = 18" x 21"


Cutting:
From background fabric:
- Cut (3) 12.5" x WOF strips
- From each strip, cut (3) 12.5" squares for a total of 8

From binding fabric:
- Cut (8) 2.5" x WOF strips

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To make 27 half-square triangle quilt blocks, you'll need:
2-at-a-time HST method 4-at-a-time HST method 8-at-a-time HST method
Print fabric 11 fat quarters 12 fat quarters 14 fat quarters
Background fabric 2 1/2 yds 2 5/8 yds 2 1/2 yds
Cut print and background fabric into squares for 3" finished half-square triangles. Reference charts on pages 15-17 of Patchwork Essentials for cut square size and trimming information. Make a total of 432 half-square triangles. Sew half-square triangles into 27 blocks, use block chart on pages 85-99 for block layouts.
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Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Instructions:
*Use a 1/4" seam allowance unless otherwise noted.*

1. Arrange blocks using the diagram.

2. Sew blocks together in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction every other row.

3. Sew rows together. Press seams open.

4. Cut backing yardage in half. Press. Trim off the selvedges and sew your pieces together lengthwise. Press seam open.

5. Basting: Using masking or painter’s tape, tape the backing to a clean, hard surface, right side down. Spread out your batting on top of the backing. Smooth out any wrinkles. Carefully spread out your quilt top on top of the batting, right side up. Pin your top, I like to use curved safety pins, spacing the pins a few inches apart. Make sure that your pins are going through all three layers.

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
6. Quilting: Quilt as desired, by machine or by hand. Trim away excess batting and backing fabric.

7. Binding: Trim off selvedges and sew your binding strips together to form one long strip, press seams open. Fold in half lengthwise, pressing with your iron as you fold. Attach binding using your preferred method. For a detailed tutorial on attaching your binding to both sides by machine, see here.

Over and Above Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Enjoy! Share your progress and finished quilt photos using the #patchworkessentials hashtag on social media or add it to the In Color Order Flickr Group!

Check out the other free quilt setting tutorials in this series:
Interlaced Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Interlaced Quilt Setting Tutorial

Blockade Quilt Setting Tutorial - In Color Order
Blockade Quilt Setting Tutorial

Happy Quilting!

April Sale: Books!

Monday, April 4, 2016


Happy Monday! During the month of April, I'm doing a bit of Spring cleaning in my shop! Each Monday in April, I'll be announcing a new sale. The sale will run from Monday to the following Sunday!

This week, I'm holding a sale on books! I have a limited number of copies of books that I've contributed to, plus copies of my book! They're all on sale from now until April 10th.

As an added bonus, I'll be including an extra goody in all sale orders! A paper pattern, George button, or maybe even some fabric!

Shop the sale here.

Prices have been adjusted, no coupon code needed.

March 2016 Report

Friday, April 1, 2016


I can't believe March is already over! As usual, we had crazy weather from 70s to snow. Typical March. I'm definitely looking forward to warmer weather and things are just starting to turn green, which is always exciting. I tend to get a bit blue at the end of winter, everything just looks so gross and dead. I love the transitional seasons, so seeing things start to spring up is promising!


This month, I tried to blog off a schedule, something I'd like to do more of. For most of the month it worked great! But, at the end of the month I got off track. It's hard to keep to a schedule if you don't finish the things you schedule to blog about! Hopefully I can get back on track for April.


I didn't do a ton of sewing this month, between working on pattern stuff and trying to take it a bit easier. I did get my Glamp Stitchalot Quilt finished, which was a big win! I also cut out a lot of projects. Five garments, a quilt and a Maker's Tote. Looking forward to stitching those up!


There wasn't much knitting going on either. Started the second Fiddlehead mitten, but haven't gotten too far. I did start a new hat, a Citadel. Hats are one of my favorite things to knit. Jacey and I did a bunch of scheming this week and helped me pick yarns for two new projects that I am happy about.


To keep myself accountable I'm tracking my yardage for both yarn and fabric. Here is how I did in March:

March Fabric
Used up: 24.5 yards
Brought in: 55 yards
Net: +30.5 yards
Year to date: +44.75 yards

March Yarn
Used up: 652 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: -652 yards
Year to date: -739 yards

So, there is some explanation on the fabric this month. First, I was sent 17 yards of the new Denims from Art Gallery Fabrics. I also went on a weekend trip with friends up to S.R. Harris in Brooklyn Park, MN (a massive fabric warehouse!) at the beginning of the month. Plus, I received quite a bit of fabric as gifts this month, only 21 of those 55 yards were purchased. Obviously I need to make up for this huge intake in the next few months! On the yarn side, I didn't finish any projects but I did send a bunch of worsted/dk scraps to Amanda for her scrappy crocheted blanket project! Also, I should note, I'm not counting any fabric as used up until I've finished the project completely.


For my other goals, I didn't make too much of a dent this month. I did finish my double wedding ring monthly goal, so that's something! I cut two garments I've never made before: a Josephine Blouse and an Archer Popover. I'm looking forward to working on those. I didn't end up making a list or evaluating my works in progress. I did work on putting together a quilt top for the traveling bee I'm in, Fantastic Quilt Voyage. I even pieced a backing! I also sewed up an all double gauze Nani Iro quilt top that I'm really excited about!


I completed another month of Project 365: a photo a day using my DSLR camera.


George bunny! He is recovering from his Easter duties! :)

Happy April!