Time to spill the beans!

 Hello friends, 

Today is finally the day that I can reveal the secret project that I have been working on for Fat Quarter Shop!

{Disclosure: My post contains affiliate links, which earn me a few pennies if you click and buy something through those. There is absolutely NO additional cost to you when you buy through one of my links}

I have been teasing you with glimpses of my fabric selection, but wasn't allowed to show the pattern or the blocks or the quilt, until given the green light by Fat Quarter Shop....

....but now that day has finally arrived~ YAHOO!

First, I will reveal that the name of the pattern is Ribbon Border and it is from the Classic & Vintage Quilt Series that Fat Quarter Shop has put together. You can see all the patterns from this collection by clicking HERE ( click). There are so many fun patterns to choose from, and all at a really reasonable cost. I am not sure if they all do, but the pattern we were given has 4 different size options, which makes the pattern so very versatile!

 Here is a peek at the original pattern that we were given:

I really liked the color scheme in the original pattern, so really wanted to attempt a close copy!

So, without further ado, here she is, MY version of Ribbon Border! 

As I shared before, the fabric is called SUNWASHED and it was designed by Corey Yoder. I knew when I saw the pattern that I wanted to use some happy, summery fabrics, although I have seen the other makers' fabric choices, and they are all great looking, so I don't think you can really go wrong with any color/fabric choices!

If you would like to check out the SUNWASHED collection, you can do so by clicking HERE( click).

This quilt top was pretty simple to put together, and didn't take much time, especially because I chain-pieced!

Obviously the big squares are super simple, and the other blocks are constructed in 2 seperate halves that are then sewn together. I would say the only tricky part of those blocks is that they are 1) cut on the bias, so more stretchy, and 2) they are sewn from the point, and we all know how sewing machines love to "eat" those points when we first start to sew!

 

So here are the tips and hints that I wrote down as I was sewing my top:

• Because of the bias edges, fabric pieces will stretch more easily~ use starch and pins to keep shapes looking proper.
• Trim up each and every block after construction to keep them true to size.
• Trim dog ears.
• Start sewing on a LEADER ( or scrap piece) of fabric, which you can feed through the machine at a straight angle, rather than a pointy corner, which has a tendency to be pulled into the throatplate.
• Lay out your left and right block components as you piece them~ they look very similar and it is easy to place a piece the wrong direction!

One last hint, and I learned this from my mistake ;). DO follow the pressing directions given in the pattern! I thought I knew better and pressed some pieces a different direction and paid for that arrogance later on! Just do as it says, trust me ;).

As I mentioned before, this is just my quilt TOP...I did not have a chance to layer and quilt it yet, but I do believe it is 3rd in  queue~ Ha! Our Spring, Summer, and Fall ( so far) have been crazy busy and I have barely spent any time in my quilt room...boohoooo. Fingers crossed that that changes one of these days!

Here are some more pics of my quilt top in our garden. The day I took my photos it was super sunny, and my colors look a little bleached....or should I say "sunwashed"? Ha!

And p.s. those rosebushes on either side of my arbor produce beautiful blooms, but are extremely prickly! They got a good trimming after I extracted both myself and the quilt top from some of those thorns!

Well, there you have it...my secret sewing finally revealed! I hope you enjoyed the photos and that the hints help you if you decide to sew your own version. Do make sure you go check out all the other versions of this pattern as well! It is really fun to see the various outcomes and just goes to show how fabric choices make a huge difference. You should be able to read all about them on the Jolly Jabber blog, starting today! 

And now I would like to ask for your help! I need a good name for this quilt! Does anyone have any imaginative suggestions? Please pop it in the comments below!

Even if you have no name suggestions, as always, I love it when you leave a comment! It lets me know there are people out there reading my ramblings ;).

 If you are not a subscriber, but would like to receive a notification whenever I publish a new blog post ( which is not very often), just send me an email or use the box at the bottom of the left- hand sidebar and I will make sure to get you added to my list.

Until next time~happy creating!

Monique

I am so ashamed.....

 dear friends, 

In my last blog post I promised that I would write more frequently....

guess what? That last blog post was written August 4th, and here we have arrived in October and I have not kept my promise.... I am so ashamed!

I could give you lots of excuses ( and they are all legitimate ones!), but I'm not going to. Instead, I will just get right down to what has been going on at Farmhouse Quilts....

[my post contains affiliate links; please see my disclosure in the sidebar]

I was very excited to be invited by Fat Quarter Shop to sew up a quilt in their Classic & Vintage quilt series ( click)! I chose some very fun fabrics, Sunwashed, by Corey Yoder (click), and have been busy making my sample...

Aren't those fabrics yummy?? It has been really fun working with them! They are cheery and sunny and I think they look great in the pattern!

While I can't share the pattern just yet ( we have to keep that a secret for now), I can tell you that it is called Ribbon Border and the pattern will be released on October 24th! I can't wait to show you my version!

Other than the sewalong, I have been having fun playing with my new Accuquilt dies...they have come out with a bunch of new applique dies and I have to admit they are my favorites! Most recently I picked up the SLOTH ( OMG, so CUTE!) and the MERMAID/MERMAN ( argh, I'm dying over the cuteness of it all!)

I have not had a chance to play with either of these dies yet, but I will be very soon! I even found some adorable mermaid fabric to go with that die, that I think will be perfect for borders and alternate blocks. If you want to check these out you can click this link HERE for the sloth, and this link HERE for the merpeople. 

And I want to share a little secret with you...I joined AQ circle+,  which is a monthly subscription that Accuquilt offers now. I really wasn't going to, because all those monthly subscriptions to everything adds up, but the benefits include FREE shipping ( which covers the monthly cost right there), plus there are all these AMAZING extras: With my first order I received a free gift, and as a member you get to see ( and order) the new die earlier than non- members, and at a discount! And your reward points are TRIPLED, which means more money for you to spend on purchases! Last, but certainly not least, are the special sale emails I receive quite frequently!. 

When I joined I figured I would try it for a few months and see if it was worth it, and it totally is! If you want to see all the details you can click HERE and see if it would be a good choice for you as well. I can tell you honestly that I would give up my subscription to any of the streaming services to keep my AQ circle+ account!

So what else to share with you...

I finished all my blocks for the Bee Vintage quilt by Lori Holt, but I'm ashamed to say the top has not been put together yet...

I am hoping to get back to this project very soon! Although....Christmas is fast approaching and I probably should start some projects for that season....Falalalala....hahahaha....

Alright, to finish up this blog post I will leave you with some more photos~this has been an awfully wordy post and some more eye candy is in order. These are photos of acivities that have kept me busy these past few months....a new color on our front door ( I think this may be the 4th time it has been painted?!), the addition of some new flowerboxes on our sunporch, some vintage trims that I picked up at a cute sewing themed booth, a close-up of some of my favorite blocks for the Bee Vintage sewalong, and a redwork piece that ( I think!) I started when we lived in Montana, so at least 16 years ago! Don't ever give up on those UFOS!

What is the oldest UFO that you will confess to? Inquiring minds want to know! ;)

 Until next time~happy creating!

Monique