A Winner's Packet

Remember the U Pick block tutorial I wrote last week for the Moose on the Porch Layer Cake Quilt Along ... Konda picked two winners and I got to send something sweet to Grethe in Norway!

*** Keep reading cuz you could win one too! ***

What's in the package?

• A kit to make the pin cushion you see pictured here. It's an original design by me and coordinates with my Nesting block of the month. The kit includes the wool, rick-rack, beads, buttons and silk ribbon.
• Three skeins of hand-dyed embroidery floss also for the pin cushion.
• A vintage-inspired packet of needles
• A greeting card with five 9" pieces of top quality Jacquard ribbon attached, the card can be mailed to a friend or the ribbons used to adorn many projects.

I hope you enjoy it Grethe!

By the way, I know that some of you have sewn this block as participants in my Skills-Building block of the month (it was block 5A). I've started a Flickr group for everyone to see how many different blocks you can get from this by changing the layout or color selection. I would love for you to up-load your blocks and add them to the U-Pick Group.

But even if you haven't participated in my Skills-Building BOM, you can go download the tutorial, make a block and post it in the U-Pick Flicker Group. No fooling, on April 1st, I'll pick a random winner and you'll get a pin cushion kit too!

In the meantime, you can see all the blocks made for the Layer Cake Quilt Along here. Konda's Quilt Along is a lot of fun, you should check out all the blocks! Pin It Now!

U Pick

Moose on the Porch Quilts is hosting a fun quilt along using Layer Cakes and I got to play along as one of the designers. Too fun, right? Phew, yeh! First I had to decide which block I wanted to share, then make it in 12" (that's huge for me) plus make sure you could get all the pieces from a Layer Cake (a 10" square).

I had a blast! and came up with this ... the U Pick block.

Every one of these blocks is made using the exact same elements and the fabrics in the same position ... I just shuffled the 9 units around to get the different options.

So, if you're wondering what layout I chose to sew my units into .. here it is!

I took a pic of the back for you too so you can see the pressing instructions in action.

And a close up of the points .. this is why I recommend not pressing the half-square triangle units until you've decided which layout to use.

So be sure to go check out Moose on the Porch Quilts
and the first 9 blocks.

You'll find the link to my block instructions here.

p.s. You can also play around by sewing the (red) bar to the (cream) edge of the goose instead of next to the triangles.

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I ♥ U (aka Got Dots part 2)

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  

Keep reading for more about Part 2 of the great GOT DOTS quilt along ... we're sure you'll love these hearts as much as I do.  xox

First I hope you are all having a wonderful day.  I just put dinner in the oven - something new that I'm hoping Axel will enjoy followed by Flowing Chocolate Cake before I head off to a quilting bee.  Yes, don't worry, he's fine with that ... in fact very fine with that.  A quiet evening at home is the best  {heart} gift I could give him tonight.

You see, I kept him awake last night and not for the fun reasons.  More because my tummy was talking to me because we had french fries from the local (literally next door) frituur last night because we had to come up with a quick fence fix because Whisper decided she should start jumping it because there's obviously more fun stuff to do "out there."  So I'm going out, he's staying in and chilling and next week we're going for dinner in Gent.

So ... it's here ... part 2 of the great GOT DOTS quilt along!  It took me a little while to get it all drawn and written up for you ... but yes, indeedy, these Hearts are for you - Happy Valentines Day!

I really enjoyed appliqueing these hearts and hope you will too.  I found it was easiest to applique every other heart (either the big ones or the little ones) and then fill in between with the other size.

Here's an idea of what your quilt could look like if you did just the Dots and the Hearts blocks ... but don't forget - the Bowls block templates will be coming in April in time for Easter.

I've also added a new page to my blog ... now you can link up to the great GOT DOTS quilt along.

You can download the templates and info here or here.  Or you can browse through it here below.

! ! ! H a P p Y   H a P p Y   H e A r T ~ D a Y ! ! !

x ~ o ~ x

Jovita

to all my European friends who are unfamiliar with this ... 
x = kiss & o = hug

p.s.  If you want to know more about the quilt featured at the top ... it's a mini(? - 18" x 22") I made a few years ago .. if you'd like the pattern let me know and I'll add it to the blog - it was a lot of fun to make!

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Drooling at the Victoria & Albert Museum {SALE}

George III reviewing the troops (detail)

Unknown maker, 1803–1805

Some of you may know that I went to London last summer to see their Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition. I fell in love over and over again! The quilts were amazing and I'll keep comments to myself about the exhibition itself - the choices ... the organization ... the curator ... I could go on and on ... but I won't.

In front of this quilt top, I could have stood *all* day ... sadly they had placed it at a dead end so I did not want to be a hog ... there were many others who wanted to enjoy it's beauty.  Of course there was this quilt, this quilt top, another top and this bed "hanging" among many others that I could have poured over for hours.  In the words of another blogger ... Jean, The Sneaky Magpie and many others were invited to a preview - the rest of us weren't allowed to take photos" so be sure and check out their blogs too.

The Victoria & Albert Museum describes the quilt top:

"Unlined patchwork coverlet made from a wide variety of plain and printed cottons. At the centre is a circular, figurative panel that has been pieced and embroidered, showing the review of volunteer troops in Hyde Park by King George III. The image is inspired by a print by John Singleton Copley of 1799. The ground is white cotton with a repeating pieced design of segmented circles in printed cottons. Each circle has a variety of different patterns within it, including stars, squares, crosses, diamonds and flowers. The printed cottons include coral-like shapes, dots, florals, hearts and anchors. Many are block-printed cottons from the late eighteenth century, and some were originally glazed. The central panel may have been inserted after the completion of this patchwork, as it cuts through two pieced representations of the sun and the moon. It suggests that the two may once have been separate patchwork projects, although they may have been worked by the same hand as both the stitching and textiles are consistent. The border comprises 40 pieced vignettes, alternately circular and oval in shape, showing patriotic, domestic and naval scenes taken from contemporary prints and paintings. The number of patches per scene ranges from around 23 to 45. Additional embroidery has been added to the central panel and border, worked with silk threads in chain, satin and long and short stitches. There is also evidence of drawing, and some areas have been stamped with black ink, such as the small birds in the central medallion. The coverlet is unlined, and small fragments of the original paper template can be found in several areas."

Would you like to know more:

• The curator's thoughts on the King George Coverlet are an interesting read.
• Susan Briscoe's discusses the possibility that this quilt top was a group project.  
• Janet Barnsley's has posted more photos on her blog A Quilter's Journal. 

I've been obsessing about the King George top since July and am dying to make a small wallhanging of the blocks (for our living room?).  At first glance you would think there were 100s of different blocks - but it turns out there are just 16 circular blocks which are repeated throughout the top.  So I was planning on drafting them and having some fun on the side ... guess what?  I don't have to.  Marta did it for us!

Want to join us in the King George Sew Along (SAL)?  Yes, her posts are in Spanish but Google translate does an "OK" job ... and the pattern downloads are in English.  If you're as keen as I am, grab this button and join the fun!  Now, what colors ....  Oh, yes, you should check out Samsy too, she has also drafted and made a couple blocks too and I *really* like her colors.

So what prompted me to finally remember to tell you all about this quilt?  The V&A is having a SALE!  including the fabrics which were specially printed by Liberty's for the Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition.  Pin It Now!

FAQ: the great GOT DOTS quilt along

Everything you want to know about the great GOT DOTS quilt along and more.

Q Where did the inspiration for this quilt along come from?
A A friend and I saw this quilt on display in the Bellevue Arts Museum.  Click on the photo for a larger view.

Q How big are the blocks.
A My blocks are 6" / 15cm finished blocks but you are welcome to adapt this to any size you desire.

Q How big is the quilt?
A It's been so long since I saw the original ... but I think it was about 72" wide.

Q How big will the quilt be?

A I am actually working on two quilts:  one will contain all three types of blocks (dots, hearts and bowls) and I am not sure yet how big it will be but first I am going to plan for a top that is 42" x 54" and then decide if I want it larger.  This means I will need a total of 63 blocks with a layout of 7 blocks across and 9 blocks down.
For the 2nd quilt I am using bright colors the dots blocks for a contemporary twist .. I'll share more about that quilt soon.

Q How much background fabric will I need?
A For 6"/ 15cm finished blocks I cut my backgrounds 7" / 18cm to allow for trimming after the blocks were appliqued.
For a quilt using 63 blocks and
          40" useable fabric width = 2-5/8 yards of fabric.
          42" useable fabric width = 2-1/8 yards of fabric.

Q How much fabric do I need for the dots, hearts and bowls?
A I am using only scraps for the appliques, so giving you a quantity is quite difficult.

• each DOT block contains 21 dots - you need a 1-1/4" circle for each dot.
• the HEART block contains 5 dots plus 8 hearts - for each you need about 2-1/4" x 2-1/2".
• the BOWL block contains 11 dots plus a 1-1/2" x 2" piece for the bowl.  

Q How many different blocks are in the GOT DOTS quilt?

A Three (3):  The dots block, the hearts block and the bowl block.

DOTS

HEARTS

LOLLIPOPS 

Q Where do I get the templates to get started?
A Check the right-hand column of my blog for links to each part of the quilt along as they are posted.

Do you have more questions, feel free to send them my way and I'll add the answers here! Pin It Now!