Pack Patch Mini Quilt Along, READY!

{Pack Patch Mini Quilt Along} started back in April and have completed the quilt along last Friday. To be so honest with you, I am still overwhelmed with the friends who joined and quilt along with me last ten weeks! I can't remember well why I decided to start the quilt along when our life was in between times! You probably don't know, there were many Fridays after I post the themes I quickly started packing for our Friday travel to search a permanent place to live. Indeed, it was exhausted between travel and life, unexpected events! Then on Saturday when we returned; I log in {Pack Patch Mini} and I see so many new blocks pop in the pool already! They really made me smile and glad you have enjoy this quilt along! This quilt along has giving me many opportunities to meet new friends and reconnect with some older friends.  Fresh energy to think the new themes right after I post. Giving me opportunity to share some of thoughts with you and thank you for joining me! Within 10 weeks, we completed 20 different themes and new challenges in seeking colors and giving more in-depth thoughts of their own color choice!  

In this mini quilt,  it comes with 20 blocks and each block has a theme to go behind it! My favorite block is the Cheddar block! It was a great reading about Cheddar quilt back in 1940's! I shared a little bit of the reading in the post. While I was reading the article; a quick lighting though of  Cheddar/bright yellow is either a "loved" and a "oh my goodness" color responds! So, the themes got changed the last mintues! I love how cheddar block pops up from the mini quilt, but also gets tone down by the other blocks. I'd say it highlight the mini quilt and give a focal point! 

My biggest challenge about this mini quilt along is that I am not able to visit everyone's block each week. Sometimes the day just fleet away and I've wished that I could have manage to get a day and  visit through the pool and visit with everyone! What I love about this quilt along is that I love reading your conversations in the posts! Indeed, I check on them daily and read through them! I try not to interrupt your conversations! It feels like hosting a tea party in our dinning room and everyone is having a great time! I wish you all can come to have some pie and tea/coffee with me! It would be real fun to play and brainstorms together~ 

Oh.. I am sure you are ready for the assembling tutorial now!  Let's get start it! 

Arrange blocks: I arranged the blocks by weekly themes, so I can see the change of the blocks from week to week and look into colors I've used. If you've remember that I mentioned in week 3,  I used too much greens and blues. Towards to the end of the blocks, these two colors "almost" eliminated!  However, you can decide on your block arrangement.

Sashing Fabric: You would need 1/2 yard of the sashing fabric. I used Kona Bone for the mini quilt. The options are open. You can try linen fabric that would be blend the colors down and give natural look to the quilt.

 - Cut 15 pieces of  1.5"x3.5" from the sashing fabric between each block
 - Lay the 1.5"x3.5" between first row of the blocks; as arrangement of ab ab ab ab
    ; a (block) b(sashing fabric)
 

-Set 1/4" seam allowance
-Join the blocks and sashing fabric together and make them into {Block Row}

 -Repeat for the next 4 sets of {Block Row}

 -Cut 4 pieces of 1.5"x 19"
  {Measure your joined {Block Row} width before cutting the sashing length, sometimes it might be  0.25" off}
 - Sew 1.5"x19" sashing stripe to the bottom of Block Row 1 piece

 - Bring the Block Row 2 piece out and join the top of the Block Row 2 piece to the 1.5"x19" sashing

 - I prefer sewing with open seam allowance in the back to avoid the thick seam allowance. I wish I have {fork pins} to avoid so many small pins, but pinning always help stabilized the pieces together

 -Repeat for all rows; press seam allowance open in the back

 -Cut 2 pieces of 2.5"x 21" {measure the length of your quilt block top, it might be 0.25 off; adjust the length according to your finished/press size}. Sew the sashing pieces to the right and left side of the quilt top.

 -Cut 2 pieces of 3"x 22" {measure the width of the press quilt top piece, it might be 0.25 off; adjust the size according to the finished size}. Sew the sashing pieces to the top and bottom of the quilt top.

- Use iron, press the seams open in the back! 

- Select your backing fabric; backing and batting pieces need at least 25"x25"

 -Sandwich the batting between quilt top and backing fabric

 - Hand-quilting or machine quilting would be personal preference.

 -Machine quilting goes really fast for this mini quilt!

 -Use 1/8" seam allowance and machine baste around the mini quilt after quilting the quilt.

 -Trim off the excess batting/backing pieces/ square the quilt

 - Cut 3 stripes of 2.25" WOF for binding

 -Attache the binding to mini quilt

 -Backing quilt detail

 - My favorite part of quilting... hand-binding the quilt! and you?

 { the wind pick up the quilt then a quick snapped of this photo} 

 {the backing fabric is from IKEA and it really is lovely}

 This mini quilt will be hang in the sewing space to be！

Thank you again for this fun quilt along journey with me! And you know that I will start the second quilt along after our next move, which is coming up in 2 weeks! This move will be permanent and I will share more later with you!! For the second quilt along, I have gave some thoughts already and putting ideas in the sketch book! It is still not too late for the {pack patch mini quilt along}. Thank you for making me feel amazing in hosting this quilt along and you are all so amazing!

xxc

June Summer Days

Come on in, my friends... Yes, you've landed in {quarter inch mark}! In case you wondered, no sewing? no fabric here. I've taking a little sewing time off last two weeks. Do you cross stitch? I've just started it over this past weekending. I've always though I'd pick up stitching again and there was never a good timing to do so. Years ago, I used to make embroidered dish towels and sale them in the {shop} and local stores. At the time, there was not budget for fabric, sewing supplies, nor able to afford a sewing machine. I loved how DMC thread cost was inexpensive and the dish towels were were affortable in the local hardware store. Later on, as everything started running for us, I started patchworking, sewing, and stashing fabric. From time to time, I still embroider from S' drawings, but just skip the idea of making embroidered dish towels anymore.

This past weekending with helps from our dear friend, S and I learned how to count and cross stitching. It already became a loved "stitching" activity around here! For years, I've fancy a cross stitch sampler on a wall space and a little greeting sign "welcome" somewhere closed to the entry way. You know all the simple touches around the home.  While most of the sewing material are still packed up; start cross stitching has been a great for me. While S reads books I could sit by her quietly and work on the sampler. Indeed, I've missed count on two alphabets, can you tell?

June Summer has been pleasant in many ways. The weather has comfortable all week long until the summer storms arrived. The windows were open up during the days and the lights shine into the house each morning and bring much new energies to us! Our summer schedule has been running nicely daily; without much hiccup times between S and I. We have both agreed to manage this break like a summer camp. Beginning of the summer, we sat down and set a schedule for activities that we like to take part in. We each set small goals for what we like to accomplish before school starts for S this late summer. It seems like the older S gets the less detour we take!

I have started the next quilt last week. Indeed, it is S' belated Birthday quilt that I have postponed! She has been waiting nicely and perhaps will let this mama take her all the time she needs to dig in the fabric stashes. I did manage pull out 30 different prints, but haven't get the chance to finalized the fabrics that got pulled out. Indeed I have been procrastinating over the weekending about the pattern that I designed; allowed me to keep this quilt pattern unreveal for now. I am afraid I'll change it again in next few days.

For the second quilt idea is the quilt from Patchwork Tsushine June edition {the left quilt} in the photo. The scrappy quilt is always fun and personal! It will be for the living room space and probably will be cuddle up during the Friday movie nights. I'd say, it is going to be a quilt that will be use up the most once it is made and ready to be loved! I plan on a queen size, so we each can get a corner for the quilt.  I've start pulling fabric out as well, mainly blues, greens, yellows, and a little fuchsia.
Kona white would be the white for the sashing and adding some solid colors to cortinate some of busy prints.

While everything start falling together. I started to bake again! Yes, these scones are gone now! They are much appreciated here! The next sweet dish is {banana cream pie}! Have I mentioned that we missed the apple pie making last Fall, but I think a cool sweet dish for the June summer will make it up! The pie crust will be extra thicker, since we love it so much. I'll share with you how the pie turn out next time!

Oh, I have been keeping this secret for so long! Back in one May day morning, I received a phone call from the local Button Design committee. After a 5 minutes conversation, I was still surprised S won the Button contest. She spent a few nights to make the drawing. When she first received the design paper we did brainstorming together then off she hid herself in the room! The night before the submission date, S proudly presented her drawing to me and did you see herself portrait in the drawing? hint: the girl in blue shirt . Then follow that she had an interview from the local newspaper! This mama is very proud! Indeed so proud! Her drawing has been printed on the buttons for sale now. I will need to purchase some and send them to friends and families soon!

Onto the {mini quilt along}, we just finished our week 8 last Friday. We are getting closed to wrapped up our mini quilt along! It has been truly an amazing experiences to share and meet many quilters/sewers. I've wished that I could spend more time in the day to catch up all the blocks in the pool. Each day,  there are new blocks being upload in the pool and I am loving seeing so many ideas and colors every week! This fall, I plan on hosting another mini quilt along with a little twist. The plan has not been finalized, but I will start working on the details during the summer.  

The limited edition zippered pouches for the {shop}  has been updated. For the new pouches, I used one piece cloth to keep the large scale print and added the leather for the embellishment on the side of the pouch then added the copper domed rivets to make simple touch. I love how these prints turn out great with the zipper pouches. If you are looking for some simple style pouches you can find them in the {shop} now~

I can't really describe this summer cold that we've been fighting. It needs to end sooner or later for us. This caughting seems not quiet ready to leave us. I am not sure what to drink or eat to stop the late night sleep caught. I've been hearing S from the next door caught during the middle of the night and I am getting up to get water as well. Maybe another week will be better!

{THANK YOU} for all the sweet comment on {Fifi's quilt}. I will share your comments with her once she opens the box.  The package is still traveling since she hasn't mentioned to me it arrived this morning. Did I mentioned, I made Lucky, the pup two new patchwork mats? I didn't get the chance to take photos. Um, I'll ask Fifi to take photos while Lucky is on them.

xxc

Are you in? : Pack Patch MINI Quilt Along

Welcome to { Pack Patch MINI Quilt Along}! Oh, I am so excited to launch this quilt along; not just to fulfilled my promise from last year, but also to have some FUN! Here are few things that I would like to start before I go to far.

How to play along:

1) What type of fabric to use?
This quilt along's fabric is encourage to use from your scrap bins, ONLY! It is a great way to use scrap fabric and play with scraps that you've received from your swaps and generous fabric scraps that your sewing friends might have sent to you.

2)  How long would this quilt along be?
This quilt along will be 10 weeks long.

3) What is special about this quilt along?
Each Friday, there will be a sticky announcement in {Flickr Group} group discussion. Within the announcement, there will be a theme for each block and plan on two themes per a week. Please upload your blocks before the new sticky thread. If you have a little hiccup time, don't worry; we'll keep the threads, so you can catch later on.

4) How difficult is the quilt blocks?  

The blocks will be made from basic twelve patch block. This quilt along is suitable from the beginning quilters to advanced quilters.

5) How big is this mini quilt?
It will be 22"x24". However, the border measurement can be modify as desired!

6) Where is this quilt along being hosted?
{Pack Patch MINI quilt along} is hosted in Filckr {click}, so you will be able to visit each other's blocks and maybe meet new quilters from worldwide.

7)  Hiccup time
There would be a time that we are traveling or time we are ready to pack up our belong to our next destination. There might be a chance that will conflict the quilt along schedule, therefore the quilt along might run longer than 10 weeks, but our plan is 10 weeks at this moment.

8) Enjoy!

 Tutorial for Twelve Patch 

Cut 2 pieces of A print in 1.5"x4.75"
Cut 2 pieces of B print in 1.5"x4.75"
( They don't need to be exact in lengthwise)

 Lay four pieces of fabric in A.B.A.B order


 Sew A print to B print, repeat for the other set

Sew first set of AB prints to second set of AB prints

 Gental press the seam allowance to the same direction

 Bring the sewn block to the cutting mat; Cut ABAB blocks into 1.5" and will get three ABAB columns  { p.s. I save the semi large scraps after cutting}

 Three ABAB columns

Start with two ABAB columns. The prints will need to be opposite from each other; match the seam allowance

 Sew two ABAB columns together

 Repeat for last column

Here is the 12 patch block

—————————————— a little more talk 

This is the scrap bin I've started three years ago and it is PACK!!  Thank you to my swap friends and generous sewing friends who have contributed and enriched the scrap bins. I've made a {quilt} used from scraps only and blocks that's left from other quilts that've been made two years ago with lots stories behind it. We love it so much. It has been a be loved quilt here and the second quilt is on its way, but slowly!

{Pack Patch Mini Quilt Along} comes with a different concept approach! We'll mainly use two prints per each block and each block comes with a theme. It could be Summer jump on top grass! It sounds so vague, but try to think about summer on top grass? What color of fabric you think of it? what prints would work together? Be surprise yourself and think outside of box!  It might be BIG v.s. small?  

Some examples:

 Retro sewing room??

 simple elements?

 a letter to oversea?

 Not work so well?

 Rarely colors in my stash?

 Dots ONLY?

graphic and repetition?

value change?

busy and regular ? 

The first announcement for the first two blocks will be April 11th then so on.  I've started a first thread to introduce myself and hope to see you there, too!  If there's new thoughts will be discuss in the Flickr discussion board. 

see you at {Pack Patch MINI Quilt Along}

xxc