Springtime at Farmhouse Quilts

Hello friends!

It has been a while, hasn't it?

I have to share a true story: A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone who follows my blog,  and she was concerned that her name might have been removed from my mailing list because she hadn't received any new blog notifications....I let her know that indeed her name was still on my list, but I simply had not written anything new in a long while... ***hangs head in shame***. So here I am with a brand new post!

I have been busy these past few months, not only with quilting, but also starting another new facebook group, and ofcourse family and home activities.

In addition to my Farmhouse Quilts and Friends facebook group ( click here to join!), I felt that facebook needed another group, this one dedicated to people learning and using the Accuquilt cutting system. Initially I thought it would be a small group, basically consisting of a few of  my Farmhouse members, but the group grew ( very rapidly, I might add!) into a big group that has more members than Farmhouse Quilts! Which tells me that there is a need for it :). The name of my group is Made With Accuquilt~ A Friendly Support Group, and if you would like to check it out you can do so by clicking this link ( click).

As you can imagine, finding interesting posts to share in both groups keeps me plenty busy, but I have found time to make ( or at least get started on) some fun new projects:

I joined a BOM making the Longwood Garden quilt by Emily Taylor. Every month I will receive a package with a pattern and fabric, and at the end of 10 months I should have a beautiful collage quilt. 

( photo via Collagequilter.com)

So far I have completed the tulip block and I am up to date ( Ha!),but I know the next block has shipped out so it will be exciting to find out what it is. I sincerely hope that the swan and peacock will be left until later, when I hopefully will feel much more confident about fabric choices and placement!

In just a few days I am hoping to receive the kit to start the Quilted Scarecrow by Lori Holt.

( image via Fat Quarter Shop)

 Isn't he the sweetest scarecrow you ever saw? I was lucky enough to be invited to sew along with Fat Quarter Shop, so you will see my blocks appear, along with other bloggers', in social media posts soon. And I am so glad that this one will also be a SLOW sewalong so that I can take my time making each and every block! If you would like to find out more information about the pattern ( there is a cross-stitch pattern as well!) you can check out this link ( click). And be sure to follow me on Instagram to see updates on my progress as well~ you can find me here: https://www.instagram.com/farmhousequilts/.

As I mentioned, I started a facebook group dedicated to Accuquilt experiences, so I have been giving my machines a good work out while trying new blocks and making videos to share in my group. The more I use my machine and dies, the more I love them! They just make everything so easy-peasy, from the speed of cutting needed fabric, to the ease of putting blocks together. And it sure is nice to be in with a group of like-minded people :D. Here are just a few of the blocks and projects I have been working on:

 

I also won a prize from Accuquilt for sharing an Earth Day friendly project using their products and with that money I quickly ordered the Boxed Bag dies and the Rag Circle die ( no burning a hole in this pocket, I tell you! :D). This was the project I shared on their page: 

I used the Queen of Hearts die ( click here for more info) and made these sweet hearts from an old cutter quilt. I also added some stamped words ( stamped on twill tape that comes wrapped around Fat Quarter bundles), and some found buttons. I have used these to attach to giftbags, but you could also add a little bit of lavender and use them to freshen up closets and drawers.

Well, friends, that is all the news for now. I must get back outside and plant some more flowers, because we are having the most incredible summery weather at the moment, and I don't know how long that is going to last! I hope to see you in one or both of my groups, or come say hello on Instagram!

Until next time~happy creating!

Monique

April at Farmhouse Quilts

 ( please view this post in your browser by clicking the title!)

Hello there, 

How are you doing? It has been such a looooong time since I blogged! But this does mean that I have lots of projects to share, both in and out of the quilt room. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and let's catch up!

My hubby and I have been at it again with home and garden improvements! Even though the weather hasn't been at all cooperative, we haven't let that deter us and we have been busy getting ready for when warmer weather does arrive. Can you believe that I had to dress like this to work in the yard in March?

 Dear hubby was kind enough to build me some new garden beds, which we are trying out in a completely different spot in our yard. I love trees, but having 2 big Oak trees, plus the neighbor's tall hedge of Arborvitaes does make it a bit challenging to grow veggies...So hopefully this new spot will prove to be more successful! I am ready and have all my seed packets picked out! Now I just need some tomato plants and we are set. What is your favorite thing to grow?

You may have noticed that there seem to be a LOT of flower seeds in my collection :). Those are essential as well as far as I'm concerned ;). My sweet hubby was also kind enough to build me an arbor for my climbing roses. I am dreaming of having that part of our yard look like a lovely English cottage garden at some point in the near future! You know that I will be sharing photos, don't you?!

Inside the house we have been doing more updates on our kitchen. I think I shared that we repainted our kitchen cabinets yet again. This time we did a better job with a creamy white on the uppers, and an olive-y  green on the bottoms. We also replaced the hardware with something a bit more up to date. Super simple projects that didn't break the bank, although I did have to laugh when I saw that our paint had an additional "supply chain" cost added! 

Here is a reminder of what the kitchen looked like when we bought this house 3 years ago:

And here is what it looks like now, with new paint, new hardware, and a new countertop! 

Oooh, I can't forget my new sink and faucet! These came from a local building center and were all very affordable too, and they make the kitchen look so good!

We had added a temporary backsplash from wood to cover the wallpaper and are currently in the process of removing it and the offending wallpaper and installing some nice, white subway tile.

Again, a super cheap do-it-yourself kind of project, and I'm proud to report that I have done all the tiling ( but letting my husband handle the cutting with the saw~that wet and noisy and kind of scary thing!~ because I like having 10 fingers).

Alright, that's enough of home improvements, how about some quilty projects?

As usual I have about a million things on the go at once, and that is just how I like it. When I get bored doing one kind of project, I move onto another, and eventually I end up with a whole bunch of finished projects!

I used my Accuquilt cutter and dies and made a new Farmhouse Quilts banner for my quilt space! 

And I also used my cutter and different dies to make this little quilt that was a gift for an exchange: 

I just love how this one turned out!

I finished this quilt from a Fresh Dew Drops pattern I found on Etsy: 

...and am in the process of finishing this quilt using the same pattern but totally different fabrics and colorways:

I really wanted to use up some scraps so designed this quilt: 

One of the sweet ladies in my Facebook group offered to test the pattern for me and has been giving me some great feedback and I am hoping to present you all with my very first pattern for sale soon!

And finally, I went back to this quilt that  I had started and put aside last year. I wanted to use the cute panel that I found and build my blocks around those, again using lots and lots of wonky scraps. This quilt just brought me so much joy while under construction and I'm looking forward to big stitch quilting it with my favorite thread! 

Whew, so many new projects to share in this blog post....are you still with me or did I lose you along the way??

Well, if you made it all the way through, thank you! Please share in the comments what project(s) you are currently working on...whether quilt-related or not. I love to know what is keeping you busy!

Until next time~ happy creating!

Monique

( Disclaimer: My post contains affiliate links, which provide me with a small commission if you purchase something. This does not cost you one extra penny, but helps support Farmhouse Quilts. Thank you so much!)

Peter Rabbit in the garden, Peter Rabbit in the house!

 (please click title to open this blog post in your browser)

Hello friends, 

I hope Spring has sprung for good now in your neck of the woods! I just love the smell and sounds of Springtime! We have had a ton of wildlife visiting our yard: Squirrels ( but that is nothing new), chipmunks, birds, ducks ( yes, you read that right, and no, we do not live near water!) ,  and 2 rabbits, which I have dubbed Peter and Mopsy. I think Peter and Mopsy are nesting nearby, if not IN our yard ( possibly under our shed) because they make appearances very frequently. So I am expecting to see little baby bunnies pretty soon! Last year we ended up with a nest of bunnies right by our back porch. So cute for us to see, but not very clever of the mama, considering that our dogs walk past that spot frequently and it did not take long for them to be found! So we had to barricade the nest so that the dogs could not, but the mama could get to the babies. Not an easy task, I'll tell you! This year I hope that the rabbits are smarter, but just in case I have already barricaded the nesting spot from last year so no unwelcome doggie visits will be happening!

While we have Peter and Mopsy on the outside, I have added Peter on the inside of our house as well, in the form of my latest quilt! This one was just a super simple one, made with 4 inch squares, and then quilted very simply with swirls by me. It will be a perfect addition to our lap quilt collection! 

So, what is next on the docket?

Well, I still have my little happy tulips to work on...I think they are feeling just a little neglected these days:  

I keep all of these at the ready in my little embroidery container that is filled with my favorite Sulky thread ( click) ! The pattern for these little tulips I talked about in this post ( click).

And finally, I am still working on my red work quilt, made out of wonky red and white quilt blocks that I picked up at my local reuse store. 

I didn't fix them in any way, just sewed them together as they were and then added embroidered designs. Now I'm big stitch quilting the quilt and it is a labor of love! I just know this quilt will become one of my all time favorites because of all its wonkiness!

I can't forget to share a photo of my little helper, who loves to sit across my lap as I try and stitch. Yesterday he walked right over top of me and my quilt as I was stitching, not once, but TWICE, and with muddy paws! But who could be mad at this sweet little boy? 

I hope that you are finding some fun projects to work on this Spring too! If you are part of my Facebook group, I have issued a fun little challenge project to be completed by May 15th. I always love seeing people's creative interpretations of the challenges I provide! If you would like to be part of that group ( it is the BEST group of people!), you can go here to sign up( click).

 Until next time~happy creating!

Monique

A little Spring pillow ( please click title to view this post in your web browser)

 Hello again, friends!

This past week has been such a wonderful Spring-y week! The temperatures are warming up, and the birdies, squirrels, bunnies, and chipmunks have come out of hiding and are very busy...much to the delight of our 2 dogs who love to chase anything that dares come into our yard! But no worries, the little critters are much too fast and crafty to get caught by our dogs, and I swear sometimes that I hear them teasing our dogs with their chittering, just out of reach!

All this nice weather and sunshine is really popping out the bulbs, and I have been enjoying cleaning up the winter debris and making our gardens look presentable again. 

It also made me want to add a fun spring pillow to our living room chair, which, up to this week, still had a snowman pillow and Christmas quilt draped over it ( tsk, tsk, tsk!).

So I pulled out some fun scraps, put together a little scrappy tulip, and started my design....with the help of some new "toys" that just arrived in the mail ;). 

Are you familiar with the Accuquilt cutting systems? It is a die cutting system that allows you to roll your fabric through a machine, along with your chosen die and a mat, and when it comes out the other end you have perfectly cut shapes. Super convenient and very easy for people that have a hard time exerting enough pressure on rulers while rotary cutting. There are 4 different machines available, all the way from the small, really portable one, to the professional one that quilt shops use to cut their fabric. 

I treated myself to the GO! about 5 or 6 years ago, along with some dies, and have used it once in a while, to make this specific project, or that, but that was about the extent of it. 

But last week I attended one of their online workshops and they had some specials that I couldn't pass up, so that explains the new toys~Ha! 

As you know, I started a new quilt based on an old quilt that I own and it requires a LOT of 2.5 inch squares. So when I saw the die that cuts 9 of these squares at the same time I was SOLD! 2 1/2 inch squares just always come in handy so I think I will get my money's worth from that purchase ( just imagine how many mini charm packs I can make myself now!). 

( click here for link)

The other die that I thought would be so fun to own is the scallop die. I love adding scallops to just about anything, but normally I make them with rulers and by tracing  bowls, and lots of trial and error. The scallop die allows you to fold your fabric to make up to an 84 inch long scalloped piece of fabric! 

( click here for link)

Here is my scallop edge on my little pillow: 

Doesn't that just make you want to squeal?? ( I may have, just a little....). I might just go a little overboard making scalloped everything in the next few months.... an intervention may be required...

But anyway, back to my little pillow:

I found a teeny little tulip icon in a magazine and I redrew the shapes out in the size I wanted  and then dove into my scraps and pulled out some fun colors to make the tulip. I also rolled some scraps through my die-cutter and sewed the resulting squares together...super fast and easy ( as a matter of fact I was having so much fun rolling that die through my machine that I made a few too many squares...OOPS!). Then I fused some Heat 'n Bond Lite to the back of my dotty fabric and ran it through my machine along with the scallop die, and voila! Super easy and super fun! 

 

After some machine applique and some quick quilting, I was ready to add an envelope back to my front.

And there you have the final result! 

Turned out super sweet, even if I do say so myself, and it took no time at all! I'm thinking I should put together a little kit for anyone who is interested!

Here are a few more pics: 

I am providing links to products mentioned in this post for your convenience. If you happen to buy something through one of my links I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting me in this small way!

Accuquilt cutter and dies ( click)

2.5 inch die ( click)

Scallop die ( click)

Mats to go with dies ( click)

Until next time~happy creating!

Monique