Cluck Cluck Sew

Summer Sampler 2020 and May Doings

May 15, 2020

This year I was asked to participate in the Summer Sampler 2020…if you are looking for a block of the week program to learn some new skills and put together an amazing sampler, I highly recommend this one! My block Lakeside is above, my block pattern released June 15th.

Look at these fun blocks!

There are 15 different quilters, and each Monday starting June 1st you receive a new quilt block and instructions. The theme this year is “Easier Than it Looks”…but I think a handful of these will still be a great challenge and learning opportunity. They also have a great Facebook group where you can get any help you need a long the way.

You can learn more and sign up here. Use code CLUCKCLUCKSEW for $5.00 off until the end of May.

Here’s a list of this years participating designers:

Nicole Neblett, Mama Love Quilts; Sherri McConnell, A Quilting Life; Erica Jackman, Kitchen Table Quilting; Lee Heinrich; Katie Blakesley, Swim Bike Quilt; Cheryl Brickey, Meadowmist Designs; Stefanie Satterwhite, Satterwhite Quilts; Faith Jones, Fresh Lemons Quilts; Giuseppe Ribaudo, Giucy Giuce; Malka Dubrawsky, Stitch In Dye; Megan Pitz, Canoe Ridge Creations; Vanessa Christenson, V and Co; Allison Harris, Cluck Cluck Sew; Devon Iott, Miss Make; Carolina Oneto

Here is my spirit animal energetically modeling my block:

(He’s not allowed on that table and he knows it!)

A few more totally random tidbits:

My favorite pom-pom tree is in bloom… I wait all year for this dang tree to bloom and it’s like Christmas when it does.

I haven’t purchased new fabric in awhile but I did get this stack of Ruby + Bee solids from Windham Fabrics. I’ll either make an all solids quilt with them, or I’ll mix these in with some of my favorite prints. I know all solid quilts are popular right now, but I just can’t quit the prints!

Ruby and Bee Solid fabrics, windham fabrics

My Mom finished up this beautiful Shimmer quilt and I snapped a picture while she was out of town. It’s all done from her scraps and stash with some scrappy blocks mixed in. I love how the grey fabrics in each block give this whole quilt a cohesive look.

Shimmer quilt

It’s backed with my favorite 90″ wideback minky, and let me just say…not having to cut and piece minky for a large quilt backing (SUCH A MESS!) is worth it’s weight in gold. Also this minky is the very softest. This was quilted by Kaitlyn in a classic baptist fan design.

So there’s some very random tidbits of the past week or so…now back to yard work for me!

Have a great weekend!

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Scrappy Ziggy Baby + Quilting with Kids!

May 8, 2020

I really love making new quilt tops, but actually finishing the quilts? Not nearly as fun. I have a closet of unfinished tops to prove it!

Since we’ve been home and I have nothing new to work on, I’ve been slowly finishing up some old tops and teaching my kids how to help.

I made this scrappy Ziggy Baby top a couple of years ago, and it was a great project to teach my boys how to finish a quilt. I used this pattern.

My boys are a great age where they can run the sewing machine easily by themselves and even keep a straight-ish line. I turned down the machine speed, taught them how to line up the edge of the walking foot along the seams, and they quilted along each one.

Anywhere they had to “eyeball” the line straight was tricky for them and I did the quilting. Besides that, and a bit of unpicking and re-stitching the wonky parts when no one was looking, they actually did a pretty great job!

Aaaaaand it only took us about 2 weeks to finish quilting it. ;) LOL…it was veeeery slow going.

I bound it, and I’ll help them donate it when we can.

The pattern is called Ziggy Baby…I wrote this one 9 years ago! I added a page to the PDF with the cut sizes and a coloring sheet to make it scrappy like this version.

What are you guys working on? Any fun quilting projects? I’ve been SO unproductive during this time, but I’m also enjoying the down time.

I’m definitely feeling ready to start a new project though, maybe I’ll make a few more quilt tops to add to my never ending closet of unfinished quilts!

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Stay Home Quilt and a Free Pattern

April 6, 2020

Stay Home Quilt Pattern

Anyone who has followed this blog for a minute knows I love house quilts…and staying at home is the perfect reason to make one right??!!

We have to stay at home for at least another month, and our schools have been cancelled for the rest of the school year. Trying to semi-educate my kids takes up a good chunk of my time, but in between pre-algebra and banging my head against the wall, I’m working in some time to sew.

I wrote up a fast pattern for this Stay Home quilt. It uses fat quarters or 1/4 yards, and since there isn’t a background fabric, I added in a lot of solids, a white solid, and near solids so the blocks wouldn’t look “too busy”, if you know what I mean.

I chose the colors out of the cute Rifle Paper Co. Amalfi print above.

These blocks are quick to sew, and Diagonal Seam Tape makes quick work of the stitch and flip corners without marking any lines.

These blocks would be adorable as a crib sized i-spy quilt….with cute novelty fabrics in each house, I need to make one!

I planned on basting/quilting this top myself last weekend…but now I think I’ll eventually send this top to a quilter when I have more “quarantine quilt tops” ready to send.

Also piecing new quilts feels way more fun than finishing quilts right now!