Fabscrap is Fabulous!

I was on Facebook or someone's blog the other day....I really wish I could remember where I read it!  Anyways, they were talking about Fabscrap.  It's a recycling firm in New York dedicated to recycling fabric from the fashion industry. 

So what did I do?

I went to the website to check it out! You can find it here.

I've been into leather for a while thanks to the wonderful Cathy Wiggins.  I love using it for applique details as it doesn't shred!  And I love all the textures you can get.

So...leather scrap bags for $4? Yes, you have to pay shipping.  I ordered five.  Couldn't help myself once I had to pay the shipping anyways.

Here's what I got.

Some fun textured leather.

This amazing metallic leather.

All these fun things!

And a whole box more of mostly gray, brown, and black scraps and samples and swatches.  It's a treasure and it was for a good cause too!

Countdown to Houston....7 days!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Inspired by My Son

My son has my natural spark for all things symmetrical.  Here is a dragon he build out of blocks.  It would make an amazing quilt block.

I also like the silver on this packaging.  Are they better than the regular Microtex?  I haven't decided yet.  I'll let you know.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

A Cat Bag

I bought this kit (a rarity for me) at Missouri Star last March because while I can't see using this fabric personally in a quilt, I love it!  What to do?  There was a bag kit!  Perfect.

It has two inside pickets...

And a zipper pocket.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Island Batik Ambassador's Needle Paper Scissors Challenge Part 3

It's time for the reveal of my Needle Paper Scissors Challenge for Island Batik Ambassadors!  Here it is!  I used the Kwik Sparklers patter from Two Kwik Quilts.  I also used the All a Flutter collection from Island Batiks.  I ran out of the pink I was using for the binding so I added in a little blue.  I like the pop it brings to the edge.

For the batting in this project I chose Hobb's Tuscany Collectoin 100% Wool.  It's fantastic and nice and lofty.

I also used Aurifil threads.  It was different this time however.  I used a 28 weight black thread in the top and a 50 weight in the bobbin.  It worked fantastically.

I had a lot of fun quilting this piece.  I did alternating lines of flowers and geometric spirals.  I like the juxtaposition of geometric and organic it brings.

If you are in Houston for Quilt Market you can see this in the Two Kwik Quilter's booth #101!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Peek a Who? Blog Hop and Giveaways!

Today it's my turn for the Peek a Who? Blog Hop from Marian at Seams to be Sew!  

I've decided to start a series of house quilts.  The first was a mushroom house which you can see here.

For this hop I decided to make a Witch's hat.  I had a great time picking out just the right purple fabric for hat.  I wanted the landscape to be stark so I made trees without leaves and no other nature elements except the grass.

I love the crooked panes of the windows.

It was fun making the door the "buckle" on the witches hat.  The brick driveway is fun too.

I added some paisleys in purple in the border to pick up the color of the hat.

Every witch needs a cauldron!  I stitched purple thread in it and then red over the top.

Here's the back.

Now it's time for the giveaways!

Timeless treasures is giving away this gorgeous bundle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is a gift certificate for the Fat Quarter Shop.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, Calibre Arts is giving a savings coupon of 50% off their mats.  Click here to go to Seams to be Sew to enter the giveaway each day.

To read the complete contest rules go to Seams to be Sew's blog.

Be sure to check out all the other amazing blogs on this hop!

Monday, October 22, 2018
Just Let Me Quilt | Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Words & Stitches
Melva Loves Scraps | Seams To Be Sew 
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Songbird Designs | Quilt Doodle Doodles
Made By Marney | SewGoldenAChance
Ms. P Designs USA | Seams To Be Sew 
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
MooseStashQuilting | Hand Stitched Treasure
DesertSky Quilting | Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Seams To Be Sew 
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Just Because Quilts | Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Patchwork Breeze | Life in the Scrapatch
Seams To Be Sew
Friday, October 26, 2018
Kathys Kwilts and More | Quilted Delights
Seams To Be Sew | Bumbleberry Style

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Hawaiian Applique Inspiration

My cousin Lisa is in Hawaii right now and sent me pictures of some gorgeous Hawaiian applique quilts.  These are in a train depot gift shop near Lihue, Kauai.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Island Batik Ambassador's Needle Paper Scissors Challenge Part 2

I'm using Two Kwik Quilter's pattern Kwik Sparklers for my Needle Paper Scissors Island Batik Ambassador Challenge this month.  I love how much fum this pattern is!  I decided I didn't want to hand applique my pieces down to my background and decided to machine applique them instead with a straight stitch about 1/16 of an inch away from the edge.  I am super pleased with how it turned out!  I decided to put it on a BLACK SOLID from Island Batik.  Yes, you read that right.  A black solid!  It's incredible to work with.  I won't use any other black ever again.

However, in order to do the applique I had to take the papers out...which meant cutting the black away.  In order to do this I used Elmer's School glue and a really fine tip to put a line around each applique.  Then I put them on the black, turned it over and ironed the glue dry from the back.  Then I cut away the extra black so I could pull out the papers.

Come back next week to see how I quilted it.

I'm off on quilt retreat!  I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - a Sneak Peek and Inspiration

Happy Free Motion Friday!  I usually try to stay ahead of my blog by about two weeks.  However, time got away from me as I'm working on a tight contest deadline right now.  So here's a peak at the back.  Really doesn't give you much, I know, but it will soon....I promise!  I'm going on quilt retreat this weekend you see and I plan to get a ton done to share with you in the coming months.

I also have this cute coloring that my son did.  I printed out the drawing because I can so see making a quilt with some pumpkins quilted like these.  Didn't he do an incredible job of coloring them?  He was so excited to work on them that he even got out his 64 count Crayola Crayons.  He said one was pumpkin colors, one was the last three colors of the rainbow and the third combined both of them.  I must admit that I love the colors and color scheme.  Huh.  Need to keep that in mind next time I'm picking fabrics.  Cools plus orange.  Got it.  

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Island Batik Ambassador's Needle Paper Scissors Challenge - Part 1

I like all kinds of paper piecing.  Both foundation piecing and English paper piecing.  For this month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge I am again playing with the All a Flutter collection from Island Batiks.  

I decided to do the new Kwik Sparklers pattern from Two Kwik Quilters.  I am sew excited by all the possibilities with the pieces from this pattern.  I will definitely be playing around with it some more!

Here's the first piece I turned.  In the original pattern it can be broken into three segments or just one.  I opted for the bigger piece to better show off the fabric.

Here's me playing around with pieces for color placement.

And the first quarter unit all stitched together!  Karie has GREAT tips in the pattern for how to do this successfully.

Come back Saturday to see the next steps in this project!

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Voting Inspiration

This came across my Facebook Feed and I just had to share.  YES, please VOTE.  But seriously, my first thought was ....QUILT DESIGN!  Happy Monday.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Appliqueing Leather Tip

I have been loving appliqueing with leather lately.  Especially for dots...it doesn't fray!  However, I'm doing a huge leather piece right now and the blanket stitches were looking wonky and it wasn't traveling under the presser foot right.  The stitches were way too close together and as needles leave holes in leather ripping really isn't an option.

What to do? My mom to the rescue!  This is a Bernina 56 foot.  Why is it green?  It's Teflon coated so it glides over the fabric!  It worked like a charm and my blanket stitches looked MUCH better.

You have to be careful when appliqueing leather because the layers can start to separate as shown right in front of the needle in the picture below.  What to do?  Make sure you use a large width.  I usually do 2.0.  With leather, I go at least 2.5 for width.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Doodling Makes Me Happy

I am a doodler.  I have always been a doodler.  I have trouble sitting still in staff meetings.  So what do I do?  Draw quilt patterns!  Duh!  Here's some I was fooling around with during my last day of training.  YES, I was listening.  But I was also doodling....

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Catching up on my Feathered Friends

I've been participating in Helen Godden's 2018 Block of the Month, Feathered Friends featuring birds of Australia.  Here are a few that I've painted.  They still need to be free motion quilted, but they'll get there.

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Inspired by My Son

This first picture was drawn on my phone with Sketch by my son.  Love it!

Here he is drawing first thing in the morning.  Love him.

He was also insistent that he had to sew before school one day...while still in him pajamas.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Black Fabric Bonanza

I'm working on some secret sewing that required unusual black fabric.  I'm sure I bought more than I'll ever use in the project, but I wanted to have a ton of textures to draw from.

Black striped leather!

Smooth black suede

Black leather with sequins on it!

Black textured satin.

Black velvet

Black taffeta with a burnout on it.

Regular black taffeta

Black satin

Black sheer with sequins.

Sequins!

Larger sequins!

I couldn't resist both sizes...

Now to work on finalizing the design!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy