Let's Book It May 2016

May is in our rear view and that means it's time to show off our Let's Book It project at Vrooman's Quilts. I've been so busy sewing for other people that I wasn't sure I'd be showing up this month, but I managed to sneak this one in. A few months ago I cut 960 1.5 squares from scraps, they ended up being put in a baggie waiting for me to catch up. I can't tell you how many times I looked at that baggie and wondered what in the world I had been planning, those little squares looked more like something Sharon would love to play with.

I started going through bookmarks and there it was at From Blank Pages blog.  

I love the scrappy look and all of the colors, it's called Candyland quilt. I have now used all of my white scraps :) the other colors are still out of control. 

This came together really fast, for the quilting I just did outline stitching and crosshatch in the larger white areas. The directions were perfect. 

That's it for May, I love the Let's Book It party.  For anyone who doesn't know about the Let's Book It Party, it's the genius idea of Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts, make something from a book, magazine or pattern that you already have, you know, the one's you bought that are now gathering dust, make something and link up. It doesn't even have to be a finish, just work on it. I've been cleaning out old magazines and using mostly scraps, so it's a double clearing out although I still don't seem to have anymore space.Think about joining in, it's fun, easy, pretty much no rules and you're making something you already had planned to make. 

June will be crazy here, this girl is getting her doctorate and we have family coming in from all over. I expect to just explode with pride. 

 The soon to be Dr. Coral Gaffney

Later Gators,

Dana

Crafted Applique: New Possibilities Blog Hop and Giveaway

Welcome to my day of the Crafted Applique: New Possibilities Blog Hop! When Lara asked me to be part of the hop and do a review of her new book I was honored but, once I had read the book I was excited. She's come up with an idea for treating fabric so you can applique without worrying about fraying. 

So let me tell you about my friend Lara Buccella, the author (I just love saying that), we met through "Pet's on Quilts", it's true you meet the nicest people there. It wasn't until we had discussed pets, rescues, kids and so much of our lives that I found out she was writing a book, that's a good thing since I would have been awestruck, keep your movie stars, I'm impressed with creative people and boy, is she creative. Check out her blog and make sure you look at her "Good and Done" page and then look at her "imperfect" free motion quilting, I dream of being that imperfect.  

The book was waiting for me when I arrived home after a 2 1/2 hour drive from Key West, yes my life is hard. I thought I'd just skim it, but I ended up reading it cover to cover and became completely lost in the projects. Oh my, those projects! 

Look at this house, it's a sewing machine cover! The instructions are so clear and detailed I see this in my future, mine will probably have dogs in the flowerbeds and maybe a gremlin or two on the roof. 

That was biggest problem I had with this review, which project would I want to make first, they're not just patterns, although you can use them that way, they're projects to make some really fun, original things. 

I had an epiphany moment though and dug out my box of "I'll never make these" patterns. 

 I bought this ages ago and after looking at those tiny pieces and raw edges I knew it couldn't survive in my house, if something can't go through the dishwasher or washing machine it can't live here. 

I recently had this happen to one of my quilts that I had satin stitched all around the edges of the applique

and the last applique I did was orange peels with turned under edges and I'm not fond of how much the iron burned my fingers doing it that way.

Using Lara's method I made my little wall hanging, the prep time is a little longer than just ironing on a fusible, but after getting all the pieces in place I realized I didn't need to sew them down before sandwiching, I would normally spend hours doing a satin stitch. 

Here's my project out of the washer and dryer.

Then because I really wanted to see how good this was I threw that wall hanging into the washer and dryer every time I did laundry, he's been washed 6 times.

Here it is again after all of that washing, I did press it since my poor mama manatee was pretty wrinkled.

Here are the pieces that I couldn't have turned or zig zagged

Nothing is fraying, it all looks perfect and I am thrilled. 

The book also has a method to back coat fabric to stop that annoying see through when you layer a light applique over something darker, I've had that happen a few times, so on my next run to the mainland I'll be getting what I need so you can't see Santa's jolly red coat through his fluffy beard, so annoying.

The no fray and back coating processes are so easy and they won't gum up your machine or needle. I've been sworn to secrecy so don't ask, you can try to bribe me with fabric, that could be fun and a good test of just how strong and trustworthy I am. 

Lara has generously offered a copy of her book as a giveaway on every stop of the tour, so make sure you hop to each of the other bloggers, the list is below.

To win a copy here, just leave a comment about anything by June 4. You can tell me if you like applique or what fabric you would bribe me with :)   Please make sure I have an email address for you.

Even if you don't win a copy, this book is amazing and I highly recommend you buy a copy. Amazon is currently sold out (you rock Lara!) with more copies due on May 5th, but you can order a signed copy by clicking here. 

Crafted Appliqué: New Possibilities Blog Hop - May 1st to June 5th

Sunday, May 1 - Introduce the Hop and post the schedule on BuzzinBumble
Monday, May 2 - Valerie Smith - Pumpkin Patch Quilter
Tuesday, May 3 - Dana Gaffney - Stormy Days
Wednesday, May 4 - Lorna McMahon - Sew Fresh Quilts 
Thursday, May 5 - Mary S. - Needled Mom
Friday, May 6 - Heidi Kuntz - Red Letter Quilts
Saturday, May 7 - Alycia Carmin - Alycia Quilts
Sunday, May 8 - Amy DeCesare - Amy Made That
Monday, May 9 - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life
Tuesday, May 10 - Lara Buccella - Sew Mama Sew 

Wednesday, May 11 - Christina Cameli - A Few Scraps
Thursday, May 12 - Melissa Corry -  Happy Quilting
Friday, May 13 - Sarah Craig - Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Saturday, May 14 - Soma Acharya - Whims and Fancies 
Sunday, May 15 - Val Reynolds -  Val's Quilting Studio

Monday, May 16 - Angela Pingel - Cut to Pieces

Tuesday, May 17 - Sandra Walker - Musings of a Menopausal Melon
Wednesday, May 18 - Cheryl Brickey - Meadow Mist Designs
Thursday, May 19 - Judy Murphy - Quilt Paradigm
Friday, May 20 - Yvonne Fuchs - Quilting Jetgirl
Saturday, May 21 - Cindy Pieters - Stitchin' at Home
Sunday, May 22 - Susie Zlogar - Susie's Sunroom
Monday, May 23 - Connie Kresin-Campbell - Freemotion by the River
Tuesday, May 24 - Ruth Bourke - Charly & Ben's Crafty Corner
Wednesday, May 25 - Kaja Zieslar - Sew Slowly
Thursday, May 26 - Ann Brooks - Fret Not Yourself
Friday, May 27 - Cynthia Brunz - Quilting is More Fun Than Housework
Saturday, May 28 - Monday, May 30 ... Memorial Day Weekend in the U.S.
Tuesday, May 31 - Jenn Trott-Zisserson - Quarter Inch From the Edge
Wednesday, June 1 - Paulette Horn - The Way I Sew It
Thursday, June 2 - Sandra Jansen - Studio Sew of Course
Friday, June 3 - Christine Sherman - Triangles and Squares
Saturday, June 4 - Darlene Simmons - Quilt Shop Gal
Sunday, June 5 - Announce BuzzinBumble Giveaway Winners - Lara Buccella

One last picture because Wilbur loved the book and Brady's in the back photo bombing.

Later Gators,
Dana