Adventures in Babywearing

OMGoodness!! What a busy year.  Sorry folks but I had to dump the mystery quilt project.  I've been all wrapped up in making wrap conversion mei tai, podaegi and ring slings.  What's that you ask?  Mei Tais are a Chinese style soft structure carrier or SSC for your baby or toddler.  Podeagi or Pod is a Korean SSC and ring slings are a carrier that is just a long piece of fabric with two rings sewn to the end.

Here's a Girasol wrap that I converted, Gnomes are soooo cool:

 I got the applique pattern from www.UrbanTreads.com.  No incentive to promote their site but boy, do I love a lot of designs they have.  They even sell fabric on www.spoonflower.com which I love as well because they offer some very unique fabric.

 The "Hangin with my Gnomies" hood snaps to the padded shoulder straps.  There are two options for snapping in place.  One set of snaps are closer to the front for when you are carrying the baby on your front.  The other set is further back for when you are carrying your toddler on your back.  Putting those snaps on was a chore.  They did not want to go through all the padding plus the thickness of the fabric.  I ended up having to use an awl and hammer to get them through.

Anyway, I think I did a pretty good job of matching the rainbow stripes up on this one.

Have a great day!!

Creating the first block

Here's a "how to" for the first block to help you get started.  If you look at the block, you can break it up into four smaller blocks.  Upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right.

Please make sure that you either press with an iron after sewing each seam or "finger" press each seam after you sew.  I usually press both seam allowances to one side instead of opening up both seams and pressing them. 

The upper left is the easiest.  Cut out a 3 1/2" square from white fabric and a 3 1/2 " square from a light colored fabric.  The cut each piece diagonally.

Sew a white and a light piece (right sides together) on the long side of the triangle using a 1/4" seam allowance. 

For the other three small blocks, you will need to cut out the following:

Three 1 1/2" yellow squares:



For the dark gray pieces, two 1 1/2" squares and three 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" rectangles:

 For the black pieces, cut out two 1 1/2" squares and three 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" rectangles.  Then cut the 1 1/2" squares diagonally:

For the white and light gray pieces, cut one 2 1/2" square each, cut the squares diagonally then cut one triangle from each in half again.  For the medium gray, cut two 2 1/2" squares and cut diagonally:

Now you can lay out all the pieces to match up with the block design so you can see how to sew them together:

 Starting with a yellow square, a triangle of dark gray and a traingle of black, sew together like this:

Add a rectangle of dark gray to one side then a rectangle of black to the other side:

Add a medium gray triangle to the bottom right corner:

Add a light gray triangle to the top left corner:

Sew the upper left block to the upper right block together along the side seams. 

Sew the two lower blocks together using the same method as you sewed the upper right block.  Just make sure that you take into accout the different pieces used in the upper left corners of each.

Lower right:

Lower left:

Sew the two lower blocks together along the side seam.  Sew the upper blocks to the lower blocks together.  Here's what it looks like when it's finished with the sides trimmed and squared:

Until next Sunday when I will post the next block, Happy Sewing!!!

Let's get this party started!!

My vacation lasts a little longer than I expected.  It rained the one day I was at the beach, so I stayed a little longer :D.

Anyway, down to business; the supply list for the mystery quilt.  Hopefully, you will have fabric on hand for the blocks so you won't have to purchase any.

Here's a little hint as to what we will be creating, think The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh.  The sky at twilight with the various shades of the sky and the buildings.

Border 1: 1/4 yard

Border 2: 1 3/4 yard

Backing: 1 2/3 yards (make sure the fabric is at least 44" wide without the selvages otherwise you will need two additional scraps 3" x 60")

Binding: 1/2 yard

For the blocks, you will need at least 12 different 1/8 yard pieces of fabric.  Here's the color key for the blocks:

white - lightest colored scraps - example - white on white
light gray - examples - ecrus, light blues, light greys
medium gray - examples - reds, tans, medium greys, greens, blues, violets
dark gray - examples - browns, purples, dark greys, dark greens
black - very dark colored scraps examples - eggplants, forest greens, maroons,
yellow - warm prints to simulate starlight and window lights

And here's the first block (Garret Windows), make one, finished size 6 1/4" x 6 1/4" (includes a 1/4 seam allowance):

Here's the color code for this block; see above for color suggestions.

white = white or lighest colored scraps

light gray = use light/medium colored scraps

medium gray = use medium colored scraps

dark gray = use medium/dark colored scraps

black = use darkest colored scraps

yellow = starlight/window lights

I'm still available to anyone who wants to meet up on Sunday, July 10th.  If you find you can't understand my directions or need any additional help, feel free to send me an email; crazyseams@gmail.com 

Final thought, I really hope none of you have seen this before LOL!  If you have, please don't spoil it.  I will reveal the site I borrowed this mystery quilt from when we complete all the blocks.

Have fun and happy quilting!!!

Mystery Quilt It Is!!!

I'm currently working on the fabric yardage requirement for the quilt so we can all go fabric shopping!  One of my favorite things to do.  I will try to have it posted by next weekend which will give us two weeks to shop.  Also, I will post the first block pattern on the day of our first meeting for all you mommies who will be unable to attend.  Hopefully I will have figured out how to post a pdf by then. LOL 

BTW, just so you know, I borrowed the quilt from another website and I will reveal the site when we are finished with our own.

Decision time

Hi all, so first we have to decide what we want to work on.  I have two ideas in mind that I think would be fun for all.

The first is a mystery quilt.  I've been researching them and found one that I think everyone will like.  It's more of a wall hanging size quilt at only 35" x 54" but has all straight seams (easy peasy for a novice).  The way it works is that I will give you a supply list then one block at a time.  Now for some blocks, you will need to make more than one.  I give a few days for each block before I assign the next one.  I believe I will be able to post each block so we will not have to meet up until everyone has all their blocks made.  You will not know what the final quilt will look like until we meet up to assemble all the blocks.  If this is something we all like, then we can take turns being the quilt master "who knows all and sees all" and lead the group in another mystery quilt.  The one I'm looking at even has a short story to it.  And it's a "mystery"!!! LOL

The second is a theme quilt.  We will have to decide on a subject matter, color and style themes.  For example, flowers, pastel colors and traditional style fabric prints.  This quilt can be as big as we want to make it.  Each quilter will be given two or three blocks, five or six of each, to complete then a few weeks later we meet up and exchange blocks and begin assembling our quilts.

The other thing we need to vote on is when and where do you ladies want to meet.  I would like a Sunday afternoon and I will host the first get together.  Everyone can bring their machines (or use one of mine) to  work on the first block and we can set up in my dinning room.  My DH will take the children to the ILs so we can be alone for a few hours.  Anyone up for Sunday, July 10th, 1-3 PM?  This will give us all a chance to decide on what we want to work on and an opportunity for collecting supplies.

Now it's up to you to decide which quilt y'all want to work on.  Please use the comment space below to leave your preference or other idea.  Remember, majority rules, not me. 

I am super excited about having a quilting group.  Like I said in my post, I don't usually quilt but have always wanted to get serious about it.

Newbie to blogging

Just so you know, I'm not a writer nor a blogger; I'm all for math.  This is all new to me but I did want a way for all of us to stay connected as we work together on our quilts.  If I screw up, let me know.  I'm always open to comments or suggestions to help improve my skills.