A Double Dose 2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, I hope you have been well! Before I forget, there is a chance for you a win a Stomping Ground Kit from Hancocks of Paducah! Click HERE for details and to vote your favorite version!

Summer came to an end, and my daughter started 7th grade this past week. Many of you had known her as Miss Baby since she was born. How time has flown by, and now I have a 7th grader in the house. This quilt I am sharing with you is inspired by my daughter’s love for the Little House on the Prairie books when she was much younger. I titled it “Little Village on the Prairie”. There is ONE block in this quilt that is not like the others…. can you spot it?

Little Village on the Prairie is featured in Quilters World Autumn 2021 issue. You may purchase the issue HERE.

The fabrics I used are from Warm Winter Wishes fabric line by Moda. I like this fabric line because the prints fund little accents that are versatile in any quilts. You may purchase the fabrics HERE.

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Since I missed our regular 2-Cent Tuesday last week, I am sharing my 2-Cents x 2 today!

#1. If you like to use as many fabrics as you possibly can in your applique projects, charm pack (or Fat Quarter bundles) could be your best friends. Since the applique pieces in many classes are small, charm squares make the perfect size to cut and prepare your pieces.

#2. If you wonder what background fabric to use for your quilt, color cards are really handy — especially when a color like white comes in different shades. It could be bright white, antique white, creamy white etc. Sometimes the colors shown on a computer screen for a solid is completely different in real life! That happened to me recently. I thought I was getting a dark navy indigo, and the actual fabric showed up as purple. That’s why a color card comes in really handy when you are trying to decide what shade you need for your quilt background.

And that’s my 2-cents in double dosage for this week and last! Now it’s your turn to share your 2-cents!

Have a lovely week.

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, it’s Tuesday again! I hope you have had a lovely start to your week. It’s time to think about fall — and I have a couple “colder months” fall quilts to share with you today!

#1. Autumn is Calling – featured with complete pattern in Quilters World Autumn 2021 issue. You may purchase the issue HERE.

#2. Autumn Leaves kit – purchase kit HERE.

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And my 2-cents for this week: USE YOUR PHONE to take pictures of your blocks before you sew them together, or even after the quilt top is sewn together, but BEFORE the quilt is quilted!

[Ask me how I know this is an important step! I recently turned in a magazine project where I didn’t realize one of the blocks was turned incorrectly. The project was quilted and bound and sent to the editor — before I realized the error! Fortunately the project is a small project, and it took me a day to re-make the project to resend to the editor.]

The picture you take doesn’t have to be fancy — following is one I took of Autumn is Calling before it was quilted!

That’s my 2-cents for today. Now it’s your turn to share yours with other quilters! Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a lovely rest of your week!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

Find all my stand-alone patterns: https://shrsl.com/337dq

(Late) 2-Cent Tuesday & World Elephant Day

Hello Friends, Happy Thursday and World Elephant Day to you! It’s time to re-read a poem about elephant written, by my daughter.

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***

The Elephant

by GKS, Jan 2021

Oh, creature of colossal height!

Oh, creature of such stately might!

Your trunk is like a garden hose

But bigger. And, as for your toes

They are huge! Oh, Mighty One,

When most see you they want to run.

Your trumpeting is louder than

An orchestra. And, having no fan

You slop black mud between your ears

Which takes care of your sweaty fears.

Your tusks! Well, they’re something to see!

For they are made of ivory!

Oh, wonderful! Marvelous to behold!

What a brave creature and bold!

I think we overlook your tail.

You show it off, but to no avail.

So I will help. Oh, lovely tail!

It’s quite thin, quite as thin as a rail.

And your legs! Oh, gracious, they’re like trees!

And just look at those giant knees!

Oh, how could I forget the ears?

With them, one most assuredly hears

Things that us humans do not know

Such as ‘Elephants know their friends from foes!’

Your physique is clumsy, I’m afraid.

It is the truth, it must be said.

However, you can run, if needed.

Your wise advice is quite best heeded

Because of your great memory

And because you are quite, quite free.

And now, my poetry must relent –

Goodbye, my friend, the elephant.

***

You may remember the quilt-along Pat Sloan did with my Stomping Ground pattern last fall. I have certainly enjoyed seeing the different elephant quilts made with the pattern.

There are two kits available that I know of at the moment —

Click here to purchase this kit using Moda’s Tochi fabrics:

Click here to pre-order this version with Moda’s Jungle Paradise fabrics:

***

And here’s my 2-cents for this week: I keep an inexpensive and small handheld vacuum close by when I am trimming my block pieces to keep my cutting mat clean. That keeps my trimming debris (aka fuzz and lint) to a minimum on my cutting mat! The vacuum works much better than me trying to scrape fabric debris off with my quilting ruler off the mat!

[And yes, I need a new cutting mat. I am still researching what I should get next…]

That’s all I have for my 2-cents this week. Now it’s your turn to share your 2 or 3 cents!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a lovely rest of your week.

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, I hope you are doing well. I do apologize for missing last week’s 2-Cent Tuesday. Too much happening at the same time. But here I am today — we are less than 3 weeks before the new school year starts for my daughter. And we are busy getting things done before school starts again.

Two weeks ago, I shared with you my Farmhouse Comfort quilt in the Quilts for Autumn book.

I actually have a second quilt included in the same book, Acorn Juggling! The squirrel block looks hard, but it really isn’t.

You may purchase the book HERE.

***

Meanwhile, fall is just around the corner, and I am not JUST KITTEN AROUND!

You may purchase the kit and/or paper pattern HERE.

Or you may purchase the fabrics HERE.

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And for my 2-cents today… You know how sometimes when you are trying to draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of a square for making half-square-triangle units, and the square would go wobbly a bit, and then that causes the diagonal line to go wonky? That happens to me especially when dealing with small squares…. to solve that problem, I have a mini tiny cutting mat right by my machine where I place the squares and then draw my diagonal lines. The cutting mat keeps the squares in place, and my diagonal lines accurate!

This is my mat HERE – except mine is quite well worn now! At 5″ x 8″, it is just a really nice size.

So, that’s my 2-cents for this week! It’s your turn to share your 2-cents. I hope you have a lovely rest of your summer. See you next time!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, I hope you had a lovely start to your week, and that you are still enjoying your summer. Our summer weather seems milder than years past, and I have enjoyed the fact I am still able to walk outside and not feel like I was going to vaporize!

But for those who are enduring the summer heat as best as you can, just know that autumn is coming soon! I am happy to share with you one of my newest published quilt, Farmhouse Comfort. It is in Annie’s new book Quilts for Autumn. You may purchase the book HERE. I actually have two projects in that book.

I have heard from quilters who expressed that they are looking for quilt designs that use fewer fabrics. Farmhouse Comfort uses 3 fabrics!

And that brings up my 2-cents for this week:

Quilts made with solid fabrics are in a class by themselves. Solids are great for striking visual effects in that the colors of the fabric are not “broken” up in anyway as in prints, plus quilts made with solids are perfect for showing off quilted texture! Next time you are at your quilt shop, you might spend a few extra minutes in the solids section?

That’s it from me today — now it’s your turn! Tell me which company (companies) makes your favorite solids!

Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely rest of your week!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, it’s Tuesday again! I hope you had a great start to your week. It’s been a busy sort of week, but I did manage to get Scissors & Spools pattern listed in my shop.

Scissors & Spools is a Layer Cake (10″ Squares)-Friendly pattern. The quilt finishes at 46″ x 61″. Click here to purchase the pattern in PDF format. Or, if you prefer the paper format, Fat Quarter Shop has them.

***

Did you know this past Sunday was National Sewing Machine Day?

I am often asked what machine I use — I am a Bernina girl, from the very beginning.

But here are my 2-cents on purchasing a sewing machine:

Always test out a machine at a local dealer before you make the purchase. While you are at the dealer, ask as many questions as you can think of! Sometimes, ALL your sewing needs might be met in a mid level model instead of the schnazziest model.

BUT a friendly note of caution – in purchasing a sewing machine, just know that the machine will determine the level of sewing enjoyment. If you end up getting a machine with which you constantly fight, you won’t enjoy sewing as much as if you had gotten a machine that is more collaborative!

It’s your turn to share your 2-cents on purchasing a sewing machine!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a lovely rest of your week!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, it’s Tuesday again! I hope you are well.

I have another magazine featured quilt to share with you today – Split Decisions in Quilts and More Summer 2021 issue. This one is a little bit out of the box as the quilt only uses 3 fabrics. That almost never happens. But do stay tuned, in a few weeks I hope to share with you another quilt that will hopefully make you laugh when compared with Split Decisions.

This quilt uses my triangle tricks that I had share with you in a previous 2-Cent Tuesday post HERE.

***

I had shared with you I have a hobbit-hole sized sewing room where I cram every thing sewing/quilting-related into the room so they don’t spill to the other areas of the house. So I have a rather small cutting area. Small cutting area means small cutting mat. Small cutting mat means smaller rulers. Two rulers I can’t live without are: 8″ x 8″ square, and 6″ x 12″ rectangle! I find that I can almost cut any pieces with those 2 rulers. Even when I have to cut a strip that is, say, 3″ x 14 1/2″. I would fold my fabric in half, and cut 3″ x 7 1/4″ using my 6″ x 9″ rectangle. My two cents today is to find your favorite rulers, and use them to fit your circumstances!

That’s it from me today. It’s now your turn — what size(s) is/are your favorite rulers?

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, I hope your week got off a stupendous start! I am catching up on my rotations of quilt projects this week. Click HERE if you hadn’t read my two cents on UFOs.

I often receive questions about if fat quarters can be substituted for the yardages listed in my patterns. I often use FQs for my for-sale patterns when possible, mainly because I like that the use of FQs is an easy way to make a quilt look more scrappy. The other reason is that FQs are much easier to store than fabric yardages.

If you ever wonder about the feasibility of using FQs in any patterns, my two cents on that are to either:

#1. determine first the pieces needed for a particular fabric as indicated in the pattern. Then, use pencil and paper to map out a cutting strategy, and see if all the pieces can be cut from a FQ (18″ x 21″). The following cutting diagram used in some of my patterns gives an idea what you can do:

#2. You can also tape pieces of paper together to make a rectangle of 18″ x 21″, and cut out the pieces as if you are cutting from fabric. That way, you don’t waste an actual fabric FQ!

Well, those are my two-cents for today! Happy Quilting, and I hope you have a lovely rest of the week.

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Here are a few FQ-friendly patterns from my Etsy shop if you are interested. Click HERE to purchase the pattern pdfs.

Stomping Ground:

Basketful of Blessings

Tiddlywinks

Fanciful Floor

Just Kitten Around

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

2-Cent Tuesday

Hello Friends, it is 11.30pm my time on Tuesday, and it looks like I made our 2-Cent Tuesday party in the nick of time! I hope you have had a good day. First off, a new magazine feature in the Summer 2021 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects! So often browns are used as accent fabrics in blocks. I set out to give the various browns the major role in this quilt design.

And here are my two cents for today: I never cut all my block pieces at one time before sewing. AFTER COMPLETING A TEST BLOCK (always do a test block!), I only cut enough pieces to do the number of blocks in one block colorway. That keep things from being too boring and monotonous for me.

For example, in the brown house quilt above — I would cut enough pieces for one light brown colorway, and sew the pieces together to make the blocks. Then, I cut the second round of fabrics – enough to make blocks of a different colorway, and so forth! I find that I keep my concentration better that way and make fewer mistakes.

And those are my 2-cents for today, now it’s your turn! Happy Quilting, my Friends!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

Season to Taste Book Tour

Happy Friday, Friends — I’d bet you didn’t expect to hear from me so soon! Before I go on, I want to thank you for the comments you left on my previous posts. From now on, I will be responding to your comments a little differently: INSTEAD OF RESPONDING TO SOME OF YOU VIA EMAIL, I AM GOING TO BE POSTING MY RESPONSES AFTER YOUR COMMENTS. I may not always respond to each comment, but I do read all your comments.

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Today is my turn in Jessica Dayon’s Season to to Taste book tour! If you haven’t heard of this newly released quilting book, you need to check it out. You may have seen Jessica’s work all over the place, because she is an amazing designer! She hosts many quilt-alongs as well. Check out Jessica’s blog HERE.

Jessica’s book takes you through an entire year of 12 quilts (with complete patterns) according to the seasons. So, it’s a really neat book concept. For my book tour project, I decided to make a mini quilt out of the large leaf block in Jessica’s Gratitude quilt.

I just recently finished a leaf quilt myself, but the way I constructed my leaf blocks was different from the way Jessica constructed hers. So I was intrigued. I followed the steps exactly as prescribed in the instructions. I like the way Jessica made her leaf blocks, especially how to make 4 HST units at one time!

Jessica also hand-embroidered sayings on her large leaf block in the book. I decided to quilt mine instead — because I can quilt much faster than I can do handwork, haha!

I really enjoyed making this mini quilt. I set out with the following goals with this project:

#1. CHECKED! Making a mini red/white solid quilt – for some reason I have never been brave enough to do a red/white solid quilt. So I thought working on a mini first would help me get a feel of things!

#2. CHECKED! Trying a different way to make a familiar block – Jessica’s method is brilliant!

#3. CHECKED! For the last seven years or so, I have been playing with the idea of feathers and letters — and I was able to try it out on this mini quilt! This is the first public sighting of my feathers and letters concept. You will be seeing more feathers & letters from me soon!

I have more technical aspects about this mini quilt to share, but will save that for a different day — because today is Jessica’s day! Would you check out her book HERE?

Till next time — have a great weekend!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

Monday Check-in!

Hello Friends, I hope you had a great weekend. How is it that we are in late January already?

I thought today is a fun day to share a poem Gwen recently wrote of the elephant.

Here goes:

The Elephant

by GKS, Jan 2021

Oh, creature of colossal height!

Oh, creature of such stately might!

Your trunk is like a garden hose

But bigger. And, as for your toes

They are huge! Oh, Mighty One,

When most see you they want to run.

Your trumpeting is louder than

An orchestra. And, having no fan

You slop black mud between your ears

Which takes care of your sweaty fears.

Your tusks! Well, they’re something to see!

For they are made of ivory!

Oh, wonderful! Marvelous to behold!

What a brave creature and bold!

I think we overlook your tail.

You show it off, but to no avail.

So I will help. Oh, lovely tail!

It’s quite thin, quite as thin as a rail.

And your legs! Oh, gracious, they’re like trees!

And just look at those giant knees!

Oh, how could I forget the ears?

With them, one most assuredly hears

Things that us humans do not know

Such as ‘Elephants know their friends from foes!’

Your physique is clumsy, I’m afraid.

It is the truth, it must be said.

However, you can run, if needed.

Your wise advice is quite best heeded

Because of your great memory

And because you are quite, quite free.

And now, my poetry must relent –

Goodbye, my friend, the elephant.

So, how’s your stomp going if you decided to join the fun? Feel free still to jump in anytime. Pat Sloan has the information HERE. Pat’s schedule has 2 more Mondays left after today.

Check out Pat’s Facebook Quilt Along page HERE and see all the different versions of Elephant blocks. Just looking at the fabric choices is most inspiring. Pat Sloan has the information on the quilt along on her blog HERE.

You may purchase the Pattern PDF here. And Fat Quarter Shop has both paper and PDF formats here. I am sewing along and making a second quilt. This is one of my blocks using Woodland Song fabrics by Poppie Cotton.

I want to thank those of you who have purchased my patterns, and supporting my daughter’s college fund! I released two more patterns within the last week. Both are availabe from my Etsy Shop HERE.

Patriot Dream

2. At A Glance — because New Year means new clipboards to keep track of quilt projects.

That’s all for now — I hope you enjoyed Gwen’s little poem, and I will be back tomorrow with my 2-Cent Tuesday!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16

Merry Christmas 2020 & Stomping Ground Sewalong

Hello Friends, Merry Christmas to you! I hope you had a blessed one. I know that many of of us weren’t able to do what we usually do for Christmas this year, but I was comforted to know that Christmas is Christmas no matter what I usually do! So this year without our usuals, I was able to focus on the FIRST Christmas, and enjoyed the simple things. My daughter and I even “binge-listened” to Bach’s 6-part Christmas Oratoria in one sitting on the radio, as opposed to, say, watch a group perform live. “Mom, this is really old-fashioned, and I love it!” – said my daughter.

Watching the wildlife that come through our yard is always special.

Earlier in December, my daughter hosted a Christmas party for her American Heritage Girls troop. My oven was working almost 24-7 for several days there while I dried orange slices while my daughter was in school. The orange slices were then used to decorate the centerpieces. I ended up with tree upon tree after the party. What you see aren’t all. I ended up scattering the rest throughout the entire house.

During the hectic craziness leading up to Christmas, I had a red and cream quilt published in the Feb 2021 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. This quilt has the most half-square-triangle units I have EVER made that go into one quilt – 936 of them! The quilt isn’t hard – just lots of repetitive parts! I had to say the whole process was made really fun because of the pretty fabrics I used. For this quilt, I used La Rouge Rose fabrics by Moda.

And if you subscribe to Pat Sloan’s blog or YouTube channel, you know TODAY is the day! Today starts the sewalong Pat Sloan is doing with my Stomping Ground pattern! Here is a screen shot from Pat’s blog post dated December 21, 2020. Click here for her YouTube episode on how to cut pieces for an elephant with a 10″ layer cake square.

Here are pictures of the quilt I had made before. This version is made with Pat’s Morrison Park fabrics.

Here are a few more color options if you want to join the sewalong but aren’t sure about what fabrics to use:

I am making this quilt the second time with Woodland Songbirds by Poppie Cotton! These fabrics are really sweet. Look me up on Instagram later to see my blocks. My handle is ivory_spring.

Well, where to get the pattern?

From my Etsy shop (pdf download): click HERE.

From Fat Quarter Shop (pdf download): click HERE.

From Fat Quarter Shop (paper format): clikc HERE.

And that is it — Ready, set, stomp for the New Year! Blessings to you all. I shall check in with you after the New Year!

***

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivory_spring/

My Etsy Shop (THREADS SHIP FREE to continental US): https://www.etsy.com/shop/ivoryspring 

My Online Machine Quilting Classes: https://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/instructor.html?id=16