March Believe Circle Quilt

Hello Believers!
For March's quilt, I'd like to do a variations on the Churn Dash block.  The Churn Dash is my all time favorite traditional quilt block.  I love how you can change up the fabrics and color ways and create lots of variations!  

Below is a diagram of several variations on the Churn Dash.  Most of them use the 3x3 grid, with all squares being equal sizes, but some, like the Wrench, Puss in the Corner II, Ruins of Jericho, Whirling Five Patch and Grandmother's Choice and Grandmother's Choice II, though all use a 3x3 grid, the spacing of the grid is not equal.  

This is a diagram I did for fun; in no way do I expect the color layout to be exactly as I show. This is an idea of what you can do!

You can find a lot of these quilt blocks, with directions, online.  Several of these come from the book, 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks by Judy Hopkins.  I am happy to share cutting/assembly directions with you if you want to do a particular block and cannot find online directions.  Just let me know!

Please create your favorite version of the Churn Dash using the Design Seeds color scheme below.  You can use the light gray, white or low volume as your background.  I'd like to avoid a creamy background for this project please.  Or you can do one of the colors as a background (as I show in the diagram).   Feel free to use solids or prints.  Mix up the colors if you'd like.  Make it modern, make it yours!  

Piece and Quilt did an Urban Churn Dash sew along at the beginning of this year, and that is also a neat block if you care to check that out.  It's also on IG under #urbanchurndashsewalong.  These blocks finish at 24"  . . .

Which leads me to size.  You can make two 12" x 12" finished blocks, or if you want to make one super-sized 24" x 24" finished, feel free.  You can even make a few 6" x 6" blocks as well.  I just want them to be finished square and at a size divisible by 6.  Make what is the equivalent to our usual two 12x12, however you want to divide that up.

Please let me know if you have any questions!  I look forward to seeing what you all create!

Hugs and Happy Sewing!
Nicole

Churn Dash Finish and Blogger's Quilt Festival

I finished up the Churn & Dash baby quilt for my cousin's new baby.  He is supposed to enter this world next weekend, so I wanted to finish this project up before his birth!  And, as luck would have it, Amy, from Amy's Creative Side, is hosting her Fall edition of the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  I am going to enter this quilt under the Baby Quilt category.  This will be my first ever entry into anything quilt related.

Henderson's Churn & Dash Quilt

The story of this quilt:  My cousin, Ken and his wife, Jennifer, are expecting their first child in early November.  This will be the 4th great grandchild (my sister has the first 3, and the youngest of those is 6), so we are all super excited about having another baby around.  Ken,(the soon-to-be father), was definitely one of my grandfather's faves (tho my grandfather would say he had no favorites). My grandfather would be so excited and proud to know that the Swift name will be carried on.  My grandfather passed last summer, at the age of 99.  He was a farmer and raised horses, so the farm theme of Madrona Road is perfect for my family's history and heritage.

I have been hoarding my collection of Madrona Road for a while now, just waiting on the perfect project.  The quilt design is one that I have had sketched out for a while, and I thought the Madrona Road fabric was just perfect for this project; but I needed a reason to start a new quilt (you know, 'cause I've got a TON of wips!).  When I found out that Jennifer was preggers, I had my excuse!

I am over the moon about how this finished up!  I think I'm going to make one for me in the pink colorway of Madrona Road.  The churn dashes vary in size from 3" to 12".  I ended up doing dogwood/orange peel free motion quilting.  I am still learning FMQ, so it's not perfect, but I am so pleased with the outcome.

Another front shot

Pieced Back with leftover blocks

Front details!  Love the Donkey!

Back details:  leftover 6" blocks and fabric
remnant for signature

Quilt Stats:

Size:  48" x 56"
Blocks:  Churn Dash, 3", 6", 9" and 12"
Layout and Design:  By me
Fabric:  Madrona Road, blue colorway
Quilted:  Free Motion Dogwoods, by moi

Pretty stacked

So, if you'd like, head on over to Amy's blog and vote for your favorite quilt.  There are lots of categories!  I love this online festival; there is so much good work!  I hope you get inspired to create!

Cheers-
Nicole

A Little Mother-Daughter Sewing

I am back from a wonderful weekend of Mother-Daugher sewing!  I went to the Ponderosa Quilt and Sew Retreat this weekend with some of my buds from Sew South and their moms.  We had an amazing time! 

Ponderosa (photo by Lee Monroe)

Here's the back story:  My mom and I both went to Sew South this year, and we met Chrissy (Sew Lux Fabric and Gifts) and Lee (May Chappell).  Both of their mom's sew. Awesome!  So, Chrissy thought it would be amaze-balls to have a weekend of sewing with our moms.  She got the ball rolling and we made it happen this past weekend. The place we stayed is owned by the Moda rep that Sew Lux buys from, Kim, and she is awesome.  Her center is huge, has plenty of room for sewing, laying out, ironing, whatever.  And talk about tools:  we were like kids in a candy store.  She had every ruler know to man, plus more.  I got to try the Go! Baby AccuQuilt for the first time.  So awesome!  She has a ton of dies, so that was fun.  

The retreat has great beds, a fantastic kitchen and it's just outside of Asheville (in Waynesville).  Super easy to get to.  The weekend was so fun and so productive!

Look at all the books!  (photo by Chrissy Lux)

The kitchen

Lee finished, 2, count 'em, 2, quilt tops from her awesome new Lazy Sunday quilt pattern.  You can get it as a kit through Sew Lux in both Sweet Serenade and High Street. See Lee's quilt tops below.

Lazy Sunday quilt pattern by Lee Monroe (photo by Lee Monroe)

Two finished quilt tops (Sweet Serenade-left, High Street-right; photo by Lee Monroe)

Ann, Lee's mom, finished up a awesome Lazy Sunday quilt top made from Sweetwater's new Road 15 line.  Sew Lux sells this too!

Road 15 quilt top in progress (Lazy Sunday pattern-photo by Lee Monroe)

Amanda turned out some awesomeness:  a wall hanging, mini quilt and quilt top!  They looked amazing!  Sew Lux sells the mini quilt as a kit.  So great for Halloween!

Amanda's quilt top (photo by Chrissy Lux)

Beverly (Amanda's mom) make a cute apron and make her very first quilt block.  She's hooked now.

Linda (Chrissy's mom) brought several UFOs.  She finished 3!  

Chrissy finished a Super Tote in Kate Spain's new Sunnyside line!  They have it in the shop!

Chrissy's tote! (photo by Chrissy Lux)

Vickie (my mom) brought a mug rug kit to make (available at Sew Lux) and a cute fabric bucket to make.  She cranked out both of these!  

I finished making the blocks for my cousin's baby quilt.  I even got most of the piecing done!

Churn Dash quilt in progress (prior to piecing)

We all had such a fun time that we've planned another one for early 2014!  It was great to connect with my mom and get to know my friends' moms too!  I can hardly wait for the next one!

Happy stitching!
Nicole