Lynn Carson Harris

Brenda's Stars - and a giveaway

I finished and washed my latest quilt, Brenda's Stars. It is heavily quilted in the linen look background and the star centers. The sashing and star points are not quilted.

Here's the full view.

50 by 62 inches. It shrank a bit in the quilting and washing.
If you like this quilt you can find it here in my shop.

Brenda from Pink Castle Fabrics  gave me the great modern fabrics for this quilt. It was fun to browse through Brenda's great selection and put these fabrics together. Thanks Brenda! She has put together a bundle of just what you'll need to make your own quilt top like this. You'll get the fabric shown below for the blocks plus some Free Spirit Jade for the sashing. She also has fat quarter bundles of these fabrics if you want to try your own design.

(edit to add-these bundles are no longer available but you could substitute other fabrics or even use scraps and follow the same pattern.)

Here are some basic directions for the quilt as I made it.
I prewash all fabrics.
Starch the fabrics before cutting. You will be cutting quarter square triangles with bias cuts on two sides. Starch will help stabilize the fabric for piecing.

Cut from the fabrics:

large floral         - 20  6 1/8 inch squares
fat quarter spots - 50   5 1/4 inch squares
                           30   1 1/2 inch squares
quilter's linen      - 80  4 1/2 inch squares
                           20  5 1/4 inch squares

Cut all of the 5 1/4 inch squares on the diagonals as shown to make quarter square triangles.

Lay out the blocks as shown.

You will be piecing the block into diagonal chunks. Sew the first groups together as shown. Be careful not to stretch the pieces as you sew and press.

I pressed the seams toward the linen triangle and away from the linen square.

Continue sewing the pieces together into sections as shown.

Sew the last two seams to make the block.

Here you can see how I pressed the seams. I wanted all the seams around the center square to be pressed toward the center because this gives a straighter edge to the center piece of the block.

Measure the size of your completed block (mine measured 12 1/2 inches). Cut 49 1 1/2 inch wide rectangles the length of your completed block (12 1/2 inches).

Lay the quilt out the way you want it to be sewn together.

Sew the top together, sandwich with the batting, and quilt as desired.

Now for the give away! Brenda is giving away a fat quarter bundle of all of these fabrics to one of you lucky readers! Since it's a giveaway and giveaways should be fun and I like to read fun and interesting comments I'm asking you to tell me a joke.  To enter the contest tell me a funny, clean joke that is fit for a six year old. I'd like to be able to share them with P. 

This is her favorite joke:
Why was 6 afraid of 7?

Because 7 ate 9.

Ha, ha.

I'll leave the comments open until Tuesday at midnight.

ETA - This give away is closed.

Flashback Friday

1967.
We never had a dog. This must have been my uncle's dog.

That's one of my sisters in the background.

Handmade

I am remembering when P made some bird ornaments for gifts last year. M was also thrilled to find his and put it on the tree.

Wordless Wednesday

New York Book Show 2012

Congratulations to Gwen Marston! Her book, 37 Sketches, has won an award in the category "Special Trade General Book under $75" to be presented at the 2012 New York Book Show in March.

You know, it's not every quilt book that shows up on the New York Book Show list!

Gwen changed the way I approach quilting. I take any class of hers that I can because I know I will always learn something unexpected. I am glad I have been able to attend so many of her retreats and now I am thrilled that her latest book has gotten this recognition. Kudos and thank you, Gwen!

If you want to be a proud owner of one of these special books you can order one directly from Gwen.

Order from Gwen Marston, Box 155, Beaver Island, MI 49782.
U.S. $29.95 plus 3.99 shipping
Canada shipping 6.00
International shipping 12.00
Checks payable to Beaver Island Quilts

You can read more about the book on her website.

Thanks, Gwen, for doing what you do, and doing it so well.

More Tealorange

I have gotten the last blocks from my bee members!

These beauties are from LauraJ.

she even sent me FOUR extras!

I LOVE that they are all different. Some are very pointy and some are more fat and squarish. Have I mentioned how excited I am about this quilt???

We've Been Decorating

Decorating for the holidays takes us a long time. I love our mix of thrifted vintage, family heirloom, gifted, travel collected, and handmade decorations.
Putting lights on the tree is exhausting for me. There are six hundred lights on this tree! Remember, it's the one on the right in this picture.  I like the little lights! They help get through the long winter. If only we could leave the tree up through March! Once the lights are on the tree the decorating is all fun. 

P and I have fun remembering all of the ornaments and who made them or where they come from. This is the beginning of the season for me -really thinking of and remembering loved ones. Holding the ornaments and choosing just the right place on the tree is a time to pause and remember. I feel a little like I have family members and friends past and present visiting for a short while. There are so many ornaments made for us, by us, and purchased on travels around the world hanging on our tree. Each year I treasure this trip down memory lane touching each little treasure.
We ALMOST have all the decorations on the tree. almost.
We are even using a new (to us) tree topper this year.
Oh, and we still need to find the white sheet that goes under the tree and add the icicles.

P is looking forward to doing her homework and coloring in the glow of the tree lights after school.

I have a quilt that I need to finish but I also really want to mix up some gingerbread dough for cookie boy cookies, and there are the other boxes of decorations. What is a mother to do?

Thoughtful Sunday

"Front yards are boring.
Backyards tell stories."

 

"Backyards," Popcorn, James Stevenson, 1998.

The Tree

Yesterday we cut our tree.

After last year's success with one of our homegrown trees, we went straight to the field to cut our Christmas tree this year. We only had a handful that were large enough so we were able to make our choice quickly.

We chose the one on the right.

It was the perfect afterschool activity to start our weekend.
Have a great weekend.

Flashback Friday - Paleontologists

1974

This must have been the summer that we visited Dinosaur National Monument. Here we are camped in the North Dakota Badlands. We spent a long time unearthing a jaw in the gully behind our campsite. We were sure it was a dinosaur - jaw my father informed us it was a cow jaw. My sister says she still has those teeth!

In the morning our tents were COVERED with mosquitoes. We broke camp quickly and tossed everything in the car without packing it neatly. We had breakfast farther down the road.

Look, all three of us were wearing keds! I guess we had different colors so we would know whose were whose.  My sister on the left is wearing a home made sun hat.  I am in the middle wearing a dress/shorts set made by my mom. I still have both patterns.  We were so cool!