Tillie's Treasure & Design Boards

I don't think I the only quilter who does this, but I tend to have more then one project going on at a time. I can't tell you when I started this quilt from the book "Nickle Quilts", but I know I have pulled it out more then once to work on it.

I pull it out to work on some, and then it goes back in it's bag to wait for another day.  I'm not really sure why, but it seems to be a quilt that I work on when I am in-between other projects.   I love quilts that have a secondary design, and Tillie's Treasure is one of them.  

 I think is neat is the way you start out with 4 - 5" squares  (a.k.a. Nickles), make half square triangles with them and then proceed to cut the half square triangles some more until you end up with this.

The book authors, Pat Speth and Charlene Thode call these units Small Wonders.  I agree! Once you have the 4 half square triangles cut I find it easiest to lay the pieces out before sewing so that I am assured that they will get assembled correctly. I have recently come across a neat way to make small design boards.

Lori Holt from Bee In My Bonnet posted a tutorial the other day on how she makes these neat little design boards.  You can find the link to her tutorial here!   I can stack up the design boards on top of each other and have 6 blocks ready to sew at one time!  I was so excited about the design boards that I had to use them right away, I didn't even wait long enough to put the pretty trim round the edges like Lori does (but I did add it later though).  I loved the way I could tilt a board with the finished block on it so I could always double check my work.

With the help of the design boards I was able to finish 5 blocks in record time.  In the past I would lay out one block at a time next to my sewing area. Many times a few pieces would get bumped and moved around. but I wouldn't notice it until after I had sewn a seam. I would then have to rip out seams and do it over again. That is now no longer a worry!

The boards are finished up with a strip of cloth that you hot glue in place. I have a feeling that this project will see the light of day more now...at least I hope so! Do you have a way that you organize your block pieces? If not, you just might want to try the little design boards. Thanks Lori - I love my new design boards! :)

Time For A Little Fun

I was able to spend some time in my "Summer Palace" the other day. I wanted to do some mindless sewing so I grabbed my scrap/string bin and decided to make some string blocks.

I like to use left over units such as hourglass or even trial blocks like the pineapple block as the base to work out from sometimes. I think it just adds a little fun touch to them. I was able to make 9 blocks that day! I have a feeling that these blocks will turn into a quilt for my guilds "Kids Quilts" program.  We give quilts to area children who are in need, ill etc. I am trying not to add too much pink or pastels into it as I would like to make a quilt for a boy this time around.

Yes, 9 blocks finished, but why can't I see a dent in the scrap bin????? lol

And The Winner Is...

And winner of the Snap Bags is......

Drum roll please....

Cindy Fragozo!!!!! Congrats Cindy!

Thanks for entering everyone! Its been fun!

A Giveaway! In Fact There are Two Different Giveaways!

I'm sorry, but this Giveaway has expired. :( 

I have been having some more fun with Snap Happy Bags. You can find my first post about them here. They are handy little things to have around and give as gifts, in fact I have actually given away all of the bags I have made. When I thought about this I decided why make some more to give away! I will be giving away two Snap Happy Bags on this blog, and another special bag on my Travel Talk With Marilyn blog and you can enter to win on both blogs!

First, the bags I am giving away here! Since it is the 4th of July weekend I decided to make them patriotic. What could be better then red, white and blue? Yes, the lucky winner will receive both bags!

The special bag that I am giving away on my Travel Talk With Marilyn blog is one I made using a scarf that was given to me on the Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Disney Wonder. During the cruise they had a Pirates IN the Caribbean Deck Party. Everyone received a scarf during the special dinner that night.

While I love the scarf as a souvenir, I wanted to do something with it. Why not make a bag out of it!

I cut out a couple of the skull and cross bones from the corners of the scarf to make the pull tabs on either side of the bag. This bag was so much fun to make. I will be able to make one for myself with the other scarf - and I will make it! lol

I thought you might like to see some people wearing a scarf like this at the Deck Party. I looked for a photo of myself wearing one but there wasn't one to be found.

Now for the giveaway rules! In order for your name to be put into the drawing  for the two Patriotic Snap Happy Bags you can do one or all of the following:

• Leave a comment on this post  for once chance. If you have your settings on noreply please add your email address to the comment to so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner!
• Become a Follower on this blog for a second chance. If you are a Follower already just let me know. :)
• Post this Giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post for a third chance. Make sure you come back and let me know that you did this!
• A winner will be drawn on Thursday, July 7, 2011 after 12:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.  

The rules are the same on the Pirates IN The Caribbean bag too, but you must go to the Travel Talk With Marilyn blog to enter. You will find that post here.

Good Luck on the Giveaway!

Snap To It With Snap Happy Bags!

Editors Note: This post was published some time ago, but when I went in today and changed the label and hit the publish button it republished it with today's date. Why? I have no clue. Sorry for the repost!

Hello! It has been a while since I have posted, and I have missed my quilting friends! Don't take me wrong, I have visited quilting blogs since my last post, but not as much as I would have liked!  I ran into a quilting friend of mine a while ago and her comment kept running through my head. Her name is Jan and she is one of the contributing authors at this neat blog, What a Load a Scrap . She said, "I wish you would blog again!"  I believe I am finally getting better at organizing my time since starting my new job, so I believe you will be seeing more posts from me!

This is one of my latest projects, Snap Happy bags! They really are a "snap" to make! Sorry, I just couldn't help saying that!

They really are easy and simple to do.You can make them in any size, the pattern gives you three different sizes and gives guidelines on how to make even more sizes.

I think the neatest thing about these bags is that they actually snap shut and you don't have to use snaps or magnets either!  You actually used metal measuring tapes that you can get at any home improvement store, cut them to desired length and insert them into the bags before you sew up the outside edges. The cupped metal measuring tape actually keeps the bags closed, and makes them easy to open too! I just love them.

You want to know something funny? See the two bags in the photos? I gave one to a friend as a gift. She loved it so much I gave her the other one too. Now I don't have any for myself. but you know what...I plan on fixing that really soon and I will show you the results!  Promise!