happy monday!

i had a very productive weekend!

did you?
i vowed to spend 95% of my free time sewing and 5% of my time on the computer... it wasn't easy but well worth it!

i got the pincushions done for my giveaway winners! vicky & amy they will be on their way to you both today!

i stuffed my bakeshop pincushions with fiberfill to take all the pictures... but i knew that wasn't the best thing for pincushions... i just ran out of time... but i didn't want to send vicky & amy ones they couldn't use so i went on the hunt for crushed walnut shells... because they are apparently the best for pincushions... i also had heard you need to go to the pet store to get this stuff... well i don't have a pet and i've never been to a pet store... but i did this weekend... and apparently the actual purpose of crushed walnut shells is lizard litter... who knew?

i'll also be mailing out this cute yellow chick fabric today to julia she has an etsy store and a blog... we met earlier this year at Art Star Craft Bazaar.... i bought her dress from this tula pink fabric and i think she knew i was addicted to tula pink!! she offered to swap me all her scraps for some bright and fun fabric... her package arrived while i was away and i was excited to get it when i got home! then i was off to find a suitable swap fabric which i did on saturday...


last package going out today is to rachel.. just cause...an arcadia honeybun i got her at quilt festival... my patisserie pincushion... an aviary charm pack and some leftover simplicity layer cake squares... she knows about the honeybun... but not the rest... the pincushion is hers b/c the strips were hers!... but rach.. don't use it... cause its got fiberfill.. just stick it someplace to look pretty.. like near your lamp... and then the charm pack... well that charm pack has been sitting on my table for months talking to me and asking to be made into something... and i love it but i don't know what to make... and it told me i better use it or give it to someone that will... so rachel get out that matching mini honeybun and use this charm pack and layer cake squares ok? good. thanks.

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and best of all i finished my gypsy rose disappearing 9-patch topper!
kit from lani @ the quilt shoppe
pattern by rachel over @ modabakeshop


how it arrived... all cute and with a treat... but that isn't in the picture cause i ate it as soon as i opened it... i love skittles!!

blocks started like this...

and ended up like this...
i love it!!

it is a perfect size to be a topper or to lay over the back of the couch... or hang from a door...

sittin all pretty on the bench i made when i was 10.. or 11... somewhere around that age... all i know was i said dad i want to build a bench... all out of 2x4s!!!

again with the bench...with the pieced back peeking out...

here is how i did the back... i could have done it solid but i wanted to try something new...

instead of adding the label after the quilt was done i pieced it into the backing... i used 2" strips around it to frame it and then used the extra fabric from my sashing and binding... (if you want to do this make sure you cut your binding strips first so you make sure you have enough!)

and lastly... i just had to share this one... cause i think its funny... that would be me standing behind the quilt waving it around... one person photo shoots are fun!!
so did you have a productive weekend?
let me know!

another giveaway to tell you all about.. {ended}

amy.. aka park city girl has designed a rockin bag and is having a giveaway for two patterns...

go check it out!

and if you don't win.. you can go buy it on etsy!

have a good weekend!!

i'll be back monday with lots to share!!

i bought a quilt!

i know what you are thinking... i make quilts... so why did i buy one? why not!!

at the long beach quilt festival i got the opportunity to see a lot of amazing work.. and this one quilt.. it spoke to me. look at the quilting... so detailed and soo pretty!!!

i mean look at it... i love this line and didn't get enough of it when it was out... if a kit was available i probably would have bought it but they were sold out... (you can get the pattern here) i made two bags from this line and had one with me at the show... i think it made Nancy happy to know that her quilt was going to someoene that was really going to appreciate it and take care of it!

Nancy, the quiltmaker and designer was there and it was 7pm on saturday... the price was right and even though they hadn't planned on selling the quilts until sunday... they agreed when i explained that i wouldn't be back...

Nancy and her husband were incredibly sweet and took apart their display to sell me the quilt.. thanks again!! check out Nancy's site... she has lots of kits and patterns available!

here it is... it matches my room perfectly!! my walls are tan and brown, furniture white, and existing bedding is blue, tan and brown... i love it!!! (ignore the spring quilt.. i got busy and never finished summer!)

wip wednesday...

is unpacking...

yeah i know not very exciting...

i promise more exciting posts once i adjust to east coast time...

but what is exciting..

is that rachel has a giveaway going on for a $50 gift certificate for the fat quarter shop...

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go check it out..

i pick you!

the boy has made his choices.... in a very scientific matter that involved me making a spreadsheet of all comments and points earned.. and him picking some numbers...

#7 amylouwho!! who won with her comment "Hushabye, please?"

and

#168 vicky aka laquilter!! who commented "I love pincushions, and would give one of yours a wonderful home! :) Have fun at Long Beach."

so congrats!! amy you'll get hushabye and vicky will be getting simple abundance... the crazy thing is... vicky said to have fun at long beach... and i did.. and i got to meet her! and my nephew really did pick her... which is so weird... vicky's blog is one of the first i began reading.. it was well over a year ago and she is a hoot!!

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a tidbit of info on the bags from this year's festival... the quilt featured on the side of them.. yeah i know its amazing right...

well it is the work of the very talented Gretchen who i have the pleasure of working with and learning from! how cool is that???

the boy got a hold of one of my bags and didn't want to give it back!

he is seriously a ton of fun!!

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so more about festival...

on thursday i took Charlotte Angotti's class "Let me Surprise You" -- her website says "Known for her humor, her way with fabric/color and her pre-cut kits Charlotte believes her hobby is quilt making and her job is teaching others to enjoy it as much as she does." and it is so true! her class was a riot and i loved every minute of it!

i was the "queen" and the first to finish a block... this of course happened because i abandoned sewing my pink and white triangles onto my middle units and rushed to make my corner pieces.. it was then a race to get it all together... after that i think i spent more time talking then sewing and i still have lots to do!

luckily i found this fat quarter bundle on the show floor and now i have lots of border and backing options!

i have to admit... i have a problem...

and it always seems to start with this ribbon.. you know... the moda kind that says "hey i'm a pre-cut... come look at me"

some honeybuns... patisserie & summer fun

some charms... strawberry lemonade & sunshine wovens

more honeybuns... arcadia.. neptune... & wonderland..

nest layer cake & jelly roll...

here is the wonderland honeybun with some yummy yardage...

and a ton of american jane.. what isn't in the picture is the 3 kits i bought from her and a few patterns... i already had them carefully packed in my suitcase before i realized there were no pictures... so it'll have to wait till i get home...

but the mother of all finds... was a full moon forest jelly roll... yes kids.. i found one... i hugged the woman who's booth it was... i think i may have scared her..

and then when i thought it couldn't get better... yardage of the owl print... i know... it was like finding gold.. i snatched it all up... it was in one yard cuts but i wasn't leaving any behind... there was a girl named michelle who spotted me and knew what i had... and when i found one more cut i caved and was nice enough to let her buy it... karma better love me one day!

so yes... i have a problem... but i don't want anyone to fix it!

i bought more than pre-cuts... i got this yummy bundle to go with my fabric from oh fransson's giveaway...

and these kits and rulers to go with the giveaway from lani @ thequiltshoppe

Jere'e is the designer behind Quilted Quickies and is a sweetheart!

and lots that isn't photographed yet.. but shoved in my suitcase... i promise to share more info once i'm home!

and then there was the ladies of beyond the reef... natalie runs the show...she blogs... she quilts... and is all in all one of the most intriguing people i've ever met... she invited me over to her house... to eat... to learn... and to play with her dog hula... before i went back to my brother's house she even made me walk the very few steps to the water and sand and made me stick my toes in... she has amazing friends... like crazy suzanne... who come in from near and far to support her and help her run the booth... i'll never forget this amazing group of people...

and last but not least... i met modalissa... yes the one and only...
i was star struck for a few minutes but she quickly made me feel at ease... she is an absolutely amazing person that is full of ideas and inspiration... i'm very proud to be a part of the moda bake shop and i'm looking forward to making more things for all of you!!

sandy klop!

thank you for all of your comments on my pincushions!


i'm here in LA safe and sound and i've been having a blast... i took a class.. learned a ton... bought a ton of fabric... and there has been lots of laughter with quilters and my nephew!


the highlight of last night was meeting Sandy Klop!!
she really is just as adorable and sweet in person as i imagined!



i'll post pictures of my purchases and festival when i have a free moment... and who knows when that will be???

giant pincushions & a giveaway! {ended}

my newest moda bake shop tutorial is up!

these pincushions are super easy and fun.. so go check it out!

to celebrate i'm having a giveaway..

here are the details...

the prizes

2 giant pincushions made by me!

one from hushabye...

and one from simple abundance

enter by leaving me a comment...

extra entry by commenting over at the moda bake shop

another for being a follower..

and 3 extra entries if you blog about my pincushions & giveaway..

giveaway closed!!

so you can have up to six entries!!

make sure and tell me if you want hushabye or simple abundance...

2 winners drawn at random...

i'll leave it open until midnight EST on sunday night...

and on monday morning i'll let this little one pick the two winners...

so do you know what that means?... it means i'll be in LA with him!! i miss my nephew so much!!

my trip will also include a visit to the international quilt festival in long beach... if you are going let me know! i'll have internet access but i'll be busy helping them pack to move... so i may not be around as much as usual.. but i'll be sure to take lots of pictures at quilt festival to share with all of you!!

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oh and i can't forget about wip wednesday... since i'm flying today.. (i'm actually probably in the air as you read this)... my wip project is to put labels on all the quilts i made in my brother's house! i cut them out.. wrote up the details... and packed them in my suitcase... i'll be ironing and sewing them on when i get there! can you believe my first quilt.. from this post... doesn't have a label? well not for long!!

good luck on winning a pincushion!

Label tutorial... The Spoonflower way

A bit of background.

I had made over 100 quilts with no labels. (don’t kill me) I just did not see the point. Every book, pattern, magazine told me to do it, but I didn’t. Then Sue held a demo at the shop and showed all kinds of Quilts with different labels. Simple, complex, fused, pieces and so on. It was the first time I really got the point of a label. The quilt that sold me on needing to make them was one that Sue had acquired at an estate or church sale of some kind. It had no label… no info at all. It is very old and has immaculate hand quilting of hands and feet throughout the border. They are all sizes and probably the family of the quilt maker, but nobody will ever know. I’m sure the person that made it just wasn’t thinking about what would happen 100 years from when they made it…. I started to think about my quilts in 100 years and realized I need to make labels!


Since Sue’s workshop I have made 2 labels by hand but I wanted a simpler method that would have all of my info and be easy to read. I’ve got a plan about going back and labeling all my quilts..even if they are not in my house anymore!!

So then came spoonflower….
If you haven’t played around with Spoonflower yet you are missing out. They rock.
They will print a yard of fabric for $18 with your art on it…(42" x 36").....They can print more or less as well.

Depending on your label size you can get 60 or more on one yard of fabric which means each label costs 30cents!




Here is how you do it.

1. Decide what size label you want to make and what information you would want on it. I designed two.

my personal labels are 6.00in x 4.00in
so on a yard you can get a 9x7 = 63 labels
(i printed these horizontal to maximize space)

my blog labels are 5.83in x 3.62in
so on a yard you can get 10x7 = 70 labels


(42" x 36") = printable area on a yard of fabric...

Examples
4”x4” = 10x9 = 90
5”x5” = 8x7 = 56
5” x 4” = 8x9 = 72
6” x 3” = 7x12 = 84
The possibilities are endless!



2. Decide what you want on your label.

This was where I realized I'd end up making two.

- Above is one that has my block header, name, e-mail and blog address. I put a small box in the bottom right for details that will relate to the specific quilt the label is going on.

- Below is a logo of my initials that I designed while in college. It has my name, e-mail, and city. This one will be used on projects made before my blog, or ones that are more personal.


3. Make your file. Spoonflower prints at 150dpi which is dots per inch. That means a 6”x4” label would be 900 pixels by 600 pixels. You can use Photoshop or any graphic software you have to do this. Add text, graphical elements or even a picture. Pictures will not always print well but I’m happy with how mine turned out. You can order a swatch to test your colors first if you want.

Spoonflower has a lot of info on their faq page of their blog about resolution, color, and more. One thing I found handy was the ability to download a color palate for Photoshop. (you can see it on the right in the screen shot below)



I wanted the ability to be able to fuse these to a project or piece them into the backing fabric. Because of that I added seam allowances with cut lines around my artwork. For fusing I cut right inside the line and I’m good to go. For piecing I cut in the middle of my guide lines and since they are about an 1/8” from where I cut they will be hidden in the seam allowance.

To do this make sure you design your art with extra space around it. Once you are done designing draw lines 1/8" in from each side. See below.




4. Once you are happy with your images upload it to Spoonflower. If you are new you will have to make an account but it only takes a minute. As I mentioned earlier you can order a swatch. They cost $5 and are worth it if you are worried about your colors or will be printing a large qty. You can just go ahead and order a yard which is what I did for this project. Place your order and wait for it to come. Considering the product has to be printed for you their turnaround time is pretty fast.

screen shot of a yard of fabric



screen shot of a FQ of fabric


another screen shot of a yard of fabric... you can see here that i decided to print this label in 4 colors... so after designing it i made the file twice as wide and twice as tall and the file i uploaded to Spoonflower had 4 labels on it... because the print count was odd (7x9) i have more of some colors than others but that is fine with me!


5. Once they arrive ohh and ahh for a while. Then get to work!

apply fusible to the back and cut out a label...


use a permanent pen to write info specific to that quilt... i used a pigma micron 08 in black..


place on quilt... and iron... i suggest stitching it down by hand as well.. i just didn't get to do that yet!


a quilt that is no longer without a label!!

Questions?? Leave them in the comments section or e-mail me. I'm sure I may have left something out, so just let me know. I'm here to help!!

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want to link to this tutorial?

grab a button!

{144 x 144}

{250x250}

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other useful label tutorials...

rachel made a good tutorial on labels... if your handwriting is all cute like hers

Jacquie at tallgrass prairie studio

Amanda jean’s no computer method

the sometimes crafter has a good one for making one sheet from word

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there is more than just labels that you can do with Spoonflower...

Tula Pink printed fabric with tuna cans on it and made a “tula of the sea” bag
(i so want this fabric!!)

...also check out Spoonflower's flickr page

© 2009-2022 Julie R. Herman. All rights reserved.

No part of this tutorial or pattern may be reproduced without written consent of Jaybird Quilts.