Charley Harper Swap pt 1: Incoming

The #charleyharpersewnstudio swap wrapped up on the first of the month, and I received my parcel this week!

Eeee! Happy mail day!

I was blown away by the beauty of the mini quilt I found inside. 

The front

I love way she laid out the giraffe

And the fantastic hand quilting!

And these amazing cross stitched birds!!

The back

The label

The full package

She also included a few extras for me! She made a beautiful pin cushion and scissor fob, and she painted a magnet for me with one of the quotes I used for #wordsofwisdomwith52q during my stay at 52 Quilters. Her calligraphy is just gorgeous!

So beautiful!

She also sent some chocolates, which lasted a hot minute. So delicious. 

This package was such a delight to receive, and I am so happy that I participated in this swap. I've said it before (and I'm sure I'll say it again), I love Charley Harper!!

Let them eat cake! (And sew it, too!)

As you may have seen, I made a birthday cake block to share as my 52 Quilters contribution.

You can read all about it here

I was inspired by this pattern, but had to design my own to accommodate the size specifications, and my desire to have three candles.

So I set to work using Excel to plan out the picture. I decided each square would represent a quarter inch, so it was easy to figure out what size to cut all the pieces.

I cut and sewed the pieces together in groups from the bottom up. To make the angled corners (pieces B, E, H, M), line up the square pieces over the base piece and sew along the diagonal of the square, then press open.

At the end of building the block, I sewed long strips along all four sides, then squared up the block so that it measures 8.5x8.5 inches. 

If you use this pattern, please let me know how it goes! I planned it out initially, and amended as I went, but I haven't "tested it", so to speak. So if you try it and find any mistakes, please tell me. Or if you try it and don't find any mistakes, let me know that too! 

And last but not least...

Today was my last day with 52 Quilters, so I wrote a final blog post about my experience, my quilt block contribution, and thanking everyone profusely. It gets a bit gushy. Head over there to read it!

My 52Q block contribution - a birthday cake to celebrate my 30th!

And if you like the quilt block, I posted my pattern here.

More 52Q fun!

My lastest post has hit the 52Quilters blog , and it is all about creative ways to avoid spending a small fortune getting started on your quilting hobby. Head over there to read all about it!

I'm still over at 52Q!

My Briar Rose quilt, among other projects, makes another appearance in my guest blog post at 52 Quilters today. It's all about learning via the Internet,  believing in yourself to try something new, and being proud of yourself for your accomplishments without comparing yourself to others. Head over there to read more!

My week with 52 Quilters starts today!

Starting today, I will be guest blogging with the 52 Quilters project for the next week!

Please follow along at the 52 Quilters blog, and on Twitter and Instagram @52Quilters. My first blog post is an introduction post, so head over and get to know me a little more! This is going to be so much fun!  

52 Quilters

I recently heard about an interesting project in the works for 2015. Chris Webb had the great idea to start Twitter and Instagram accounts, and a blog called 52 Quilters.  He invited quilters of all different ages, skill levels, and quilty background to take over the accounts each week. They will share photos, stories, and inspiration with followers, giving a glimpse into their creative life. Also, they will make a patchwork square to contribute to a quilt that combines all their collective talent into one amazing quilt! Sounds like fun, right?

I decided to take a risk and applied to be a participant. And guess what? I was accepted! I get to take over from March 2-8, which coincides perfectly with my 30th birthday. What a fun and exciting way to celebrate this milestone! 

I hope that this project is a big success, and inspires existing quilters to continue excelling in their craft, and encourages future quilters to try their hand at it. 

For more information, and to follow along all year, go to 52quilters.com, follow on Twitter @52quilters and on Instagram @52quilters .