Across the Pond Sew Along

Sunday, December 31, 2017

The Adventures of Mr Whiskers #4

Mr Whiskers #4

Today I am sharing my 4th, and final , block in the 'Adventures of Mr Whiskers' block series!!

The digital magazine,  Paper Piecing 1/4"   is now out with the first issue for 2018...
Issue 16  Jan - Mar 2018   !  { available HERE }  The theme of this issue is " In the Garden.
There are 14 projects  jam-packed in to  Issue 16 !!


Paper Piecing 1/4 "   Issue 16  Jan-Mar 2018  

Here is my version of Mr Whiskers #4:


Design by :   Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
Size:   18" x 18"

Mr Whiskers #4  blockinside Issue 16  
Made by Susie     Susie's Sunroom

I guess he's been getting enough cat treats to fill up his tummy, as he fell asleep with a little fish  still in his paw !

Here are some photos of these cute Mr Whiskers blocks:













I think I will be making them into a wallhanging!  Of course, these would be really cute if I made them into 18" pillows!!



What do you think, Whiskers?!  


As usual, there are so many beautiful and fun patterns included in the magazine:




        

Wishing you and your family A Happy New Year !    May your bobbin always be full!!


I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:      

Monday, October 2, 2017

Kitten Kaboodle Quilt

A Kitty Quilt

Cuteness Alert!!  There 's another  cute, new quilt pattern being released today, by Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts!   ( She's @SewFreshQuilts on Instagram)

It's the Kitten Kaboodle quilt!!  Awwww,  it's a  quilt with kittens!! 



Kitten Kaboodle Quilt by Lorna McMahon
Sew Fresh Quilts  { avail here }

 Here's what one of my  sweet little kitten looks like....

A sweet kitten block:   10.5 " x 14.5 " unfinished

And here's my  litter of kittens...

Six sweet little kittens!  by Susie's Sunroom

I finished my flimsy quilt top, and plan on using the gray dotted collar fabric for the binding.  The background fabric is a bright turquoise fabric, with little stars.  Sorry the lighting made it hard to capture the true turquoise  color.






 This is a nice quilt size for a child.  The six kittens make it a finished size of 36" x 38".  It would be easy to add kittens to enlarge the quilt.



Lorna's directions are excellent  and easy to follow !  She creates detailed diagrams and charts.  
And as an option, the Kitten Kaboodle pattern includes the directions to make the kitten without the collars, too. 





Whiskers made an inspection of the kittens.  I think she prefers being an "only furbaby." LOL  






Check back  here on my blog soon, to see my completed Kitten Kaboodle quilt!  

And hop on over to Sew Fresh Quilts  ( here ), to see this Kitten Kaboodle pattern, and loads of other awesome patterns in her shop!!  You will be sure to find something you want to make!   You can see the Kissy Fishy Quilt I made by clicking HERE.

Thank you, Lorna, for giving me the opportunity to test the pattern for you!  I just love it!
I think it will be a great quilt to make for baby gifts!! 
I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:   Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts   and 
                      Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!  @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict   and
                        TGIFF @ Anja Quilts   and
                      Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts

                           

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Mr Whiskers Meets a New Friend

Mr Whiskers Meets a New Friend ( or meal? )!

September was a busy month for me, as my choirs at church started rehearsing again, and I worked on  project testing some new patterns for some fabulous designers.

Today, the newest edition of " Paper Piecing 1/4" Digital Magazine  " is released!  These cute , modern foundation paper pieced patterns are created by the talented  Janeen, of Quilt Art Designs.   { avail HERE }

If you have been following my blog, you may be guessing that I will be sharing  the third block in QAD 's  " Adventures of Mr Whiskers " .  And you are right.




Adventures of Mr Whiskers #3
.... included in Paper Piecing 1/4" Vol 15 Oct-Dec 2017




Miss Whiskers took a moment out of her busy day to pose for Mommy
and show you the newest block...
Pattern:    Mr Whiskers #3          avail at Quilt Art Designs   {here}  
Size:  18 " finished block


In the third block, Mr Whiskers happens upon a strange  creature...  is he friend or food ?   A "Freal" ( Friend/Meal) ??



Adventures of Mr Whiskers 3      by Susie's Sunroom

Now one thing I love about Janeen's designs, is the attention she gives to the eyes.  Look at the details in this fish!!   I am not exaggerating....  the fish's left eyeball has  31 sections to it!

The fish close up




Mr Whiskers #3    by Susie's Sunroom




Want to see all three of my  Mr Whiskers's Adventures blocks?

Mr Whiskers's Adventures 1-3  by Susie's Sunroom
My other posts :  #1 here  and #2 here



This Issue 15 has lots and lots of other fun patterns in it .... seasonal ones, too!  Here's a peek!
**  I see cute mini quilts!!

Previews of Issue 15   Paper Piecing 1/4" magazine

I have keeping busy and "out of trouble" , sewing some items for my Etsy shop. 
If you want to see what I have in the shop, just click on the SusiesSunroomShop  button under the header, to the far right .    
  
I also  started sewing a Gypsy Wife Quilt this fall, too.   ( Pattern by Jen Kingwell.  )   I just couldn't resist. It is a fun sew along with   GnomeAngel  , and Instagram  @GnomeAngel .  You can see my IG pictures, by clicking on my IG pictures on the right sidebar.  I am having a blast putting together brash and bright fabrics, and mainly from my stash.  I realized I had some fabrics stashed away in a bundle from Tula Pink, Amy Butler and Alison Glass !


Hope your fall is off to a great  start!


I'm off to my sewing room!

Pattern provided by QAD Publishing

I am linking up at: Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts  and
                        Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts
                             

Saturday, August 26, 2017

A Huge Single Girl Tote Bag

A Super-Sized Zen Zip Tote Bag

This little journey  (HUGE tote bag !) began in   early summer,  when I saw some Instagram photos of blocks being made by my friend Gina, @PartyOfEightOurStory and Party of Eight Our Story blog.   Gina happens to be one of my enablers.... almost everything she makes, I want to make,  (I confess !)  to copy !!
***There just isn't enough time in a day for me  to make all that she makes, and all that my other primary enablers make!!***  

Gina was making  some Free -Wheeling Single Girl blocks .  Go check her gorgeous work  at her Instagram @PartyOfEightOurStory  !!   This quilt pattern  is designed by Denyse Schmidt , DSQuilts ... available {here}. 

I decided to make the block using up a modern charm pack from my stash...
Barcelona  by Zen Chic for Moda.   I liked the way the lime greens pop out when I added a lime green border!


My Single Girl block using a Zen Chic Barcelona charm pack

Now this is a big block, measuring in at about 20 " square finished!  I didn't have any more Barcelona fabric, and wondered what to do with the block.  I liked the Barcelona fabric so much better when it was made up, than when it was laying there as 5 " charm squares!

I decided to feature this bold Single Girl block on the front of a big zippered tote.  
I wanted a tote bag with a  zippered top closure that had lots of pockets.
My solution.... I decided to modify a pattern from a book I have had for awhile...              " Handmade Style" by Anna Graham, of  Noodlehead blog.  
I rounded up my "modern looking" black denim fabric, and some  of my stash DSQuilts fabric that blended so well with Barcelona...  Aunt Edna ( gray with cream dots.)

First, I quilted the Single Girl block, using my walking foot and straight line quilting.

So here is the result of this pattern modification.... My Super-Sized Zen Zip Tote Bag


Super-Sized Zen Zip Tote Bag  by Susie's Sunroom

The Details:

Patterns used:      Free -Wheeling Single Girl blocks  by Denyse Schmidt  (here )
                        and     the Zip Top Tote   from Handmade Style" by Anna Graham (here)

Tote bag size:   23" tall x 17 " across at bottom and 22" across at top  x 7 " deep !

Top closure:   22 " zipper

Handles:  27 " each

Pockets:   Outer-   back side slip pocket:  12 " tall x 22 " across
             Inner slip pocket - 6" tall x 9 " across    in pieced Barcelona fabric
             Inner zippered pocket -  11 " tall x 15 " across  ( 13" zipper) 

Fabrics:  Barcelona  by Zen Chic for Moda  ( a charm pack)
             Solid Kona Cottons  in lime
            Lining -  gray  Aunt Edna  by DS Quilts
            Denim -   black  bottomweight with striations ( lines)


This is the back of the tote.  I quilted it to provide some more structure.


The back of the tote... features a pieced Barcelona fabric- trimmed outer slip pocket

It looks even bigger in person!!










Seriously,  you could hold at least two cats inside this tote bag! ( Not that that would have a good outcome !!  )

But it would make an excellent weekend trip bag. Or a  carry-on bag for the overhead compartment in an airplane.  

 My sister saw this  tote bag  in person, and told me how awesome it would be for a quilter to take  along to sewing guilds ...  It can hold a full quilt  to show and tell,  a   WIP quilt ,  and still have room for fabric,  rulers , cutting boards and tools.... Or to take along to a quilt show and shop,  to fill up with new fabrics and tools!!


A neutral gray fabric lining.... where the pieced Barcelona slip pocket contrasts!

A side view.....  Can you see that Barcelona trimmed slip pocket on the back?!

I love the black denim with this fabric!!   




After I made my Super-Sized Zen Zip Tote bag,  I remembered that I made a small clutch purse awhile back.... using a pattern by Samantha of Sewing Patterns by Mrs H.  
It features  paper pieced sunset rays, and denim ...




The clutch with Barcelona flap and black denim   made by Susie's Sunroom
Clutch size:  6.5 " tall x 9 " across

I think they just naturally belong together, don't you?






The back pocket of the tote bag can easily hold the sunrise clutch (and more!)....





The clutch  inside flap is  more colorful Barcelona, and the main lining is an orange solid.  There's a pieced Barcelona slip pocket inside  there , too!










Check out my Etsy Shop.... you can find it , and some  more items, available for purchase in there!    {SusiesSunroomShop  on Etsy }






I'm off to my sewing room!


Linking up at:     Let's Bee Social @  Sew Fresh Quilts   and

                          Can I Get A Whoop Whoop @  Confessions of a Fabric Addict   and 
                           TGIFF  @ Anja Quilts    and 

                               Finished Or Not Friday  @  Busy Hands Quilting  

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Summer Blossoms


Blossoms and Sewing...

Time to share  a project that I  made  earlier this summer....

 Mini Blossom        pattern by JoAnna at Fig Tree and Co.  {here}
                                    Finished quilt size:   24 " x 24 "


Mini Blossom Quilt
Made with Chestnut Street fabric 

The fabric in this mini quilt are  Fig Tree's Chestnut Street .  My sister, Amy , at Amy Made That! blog,  gave me a charm pack of Chestnut Street, and there happened to be a little challenge on Instagram ( mine is  @SusiesSunroom ):  make a block using Fig Tree fabrics.  I made one for the challenge, selecting "like" colors of charm squares (5" squares) for each blossom flower,  and it was so cute that I made all four blossoms to complete a mini Blossom quilt!

I have a HUGE stash of Fig Tree fabrics, so I pulled out some "vintage"  Millhouse Inn red for the border, and some newer Farmhouse for the green binding!  I love how the old and the new fabric lines can blend together! The background fabric is made of scraps of my cream background fabrics.  

These colors in the Chestnut Street line  are beautiful, yet subtle, and I apologize for the "faded out"   pictures not showing their true beauty.  


The Aqua Block


Uhmmmm,  I may or may not have found these little casseroles , on clearance, and picked them up because they had a Fig Tree and Co "look " to them!
I love the black and orange fabrics!


Sorry for the color issues!


The yellow is so fresh and pretty (in person!)



No, I didn't find yellow casseroles!


All ready to  sew the binding to the back of the quilt!

Loving the look  of the scrappy cream background fabrics:







Mini Blossom   made by Susie's Sunroom

I quilted diagonally, in one direction, using my favorite combination of my walking foot and Aurifil #2021 50 wt thread.  I think it all came together , mixing fresh and new with vintage!






I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:       Let's Bee Social @  Sew Fresh Quilts   and

                                 BOMS Away  @ Katie Mae Quilts  and
                            Midweek Makers  @ Quilt Fabrication     and
                           Show Off Saturday @ Sew Can She     and
                             Can I Get a Whoop Whoop ! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict