Piece, Love and Snow
It has been another weekend of stormy, snowy, cold weather. I made the most of it from the cozy little corner of my sewing room. Piece, Love and Snow says it pretty well.
It all started with some secret sewing on a project I’m working on for The Fat Quarter Shop. This is all I can show you for now. Watch for my post coming in late March. It’s been fun sewing with this Reef fabric (Elizabeth Hartman for Robert Kaufman). The fabric is bright and fun.
Moda Love Mini
In my ongoing quest to play with the squirrels in my sewing room rather than stick to the tasks/projects at hand, I decided to make a 12-inch Moda mini this weekend. It all started with this little French General mini charm pack.
The original plan was to use the tan for the background fabric, but plans change. I’ve had this little mini charm pack for I don’t know how long, taking up all 2.5 inches of drawer space. Time to put it to use.
I can make the simplest tasks difficult. I wasn’t feeling the love for this mini while I worked on it. It is a challenge to use the squares in the pack when the darks and lights are pretty evenly balanced. Or at least I think that’s why I had problems. 18 darks and lights were needed for the HSTs, and then 12 darks were needed for the solid blocks. My little charm pack had 42 pieces, and not enough contrast pieces for the 12 solid, although the pattern only called for one mini charm pack. I’m still trying to figure out if I read the pattern wrong. Anyway, I pulled some reds from my stash that were as close as I could find.
The quilt itself didn’t take long to put together. My first finish looked like this.
See those two light HSTs on the left, and the one on the top row, third from the right? It just wasn’t going to satisfy me, looking like that. The ripper and I spent some time together; by this time, some of the language was salty. Actually it didn’t take that long to sneak a new HST in for those three.
The sun was shining this morning, so threw my coat over my capris, stepped into my boots and out onto our deck and pinned this mini to the Christmas tree for a quick (and I mean, really quick, cold, windy) photo.
For the quilting, I stitched in the ditch around the design, then added a little bit of straight stitching in the outer background squares.
Make, Piece, forget the Love.
Can you tell I’ve been cooped up in the house for a few too many days with a heading like that? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I had two fat quarters sitting on my sewing table, waiting to be made into bowl cozies. I finally got them done today.
When I saw the fruit print, I had to buy it. It’s so cheerful and happy. Besides it’s good to have color with your food, right?!?
Storage Pods
Another project that I’ve wanted to try was making this storage pod from a pattern by Fabric Editions, Inc. The pattern was highlighted in a blog, but I cannot recall whose.
Here’s a closer photo.
This little pod measures 5-1/2″ x 9″ x 5″. The outer fabric is Maker Maker that I bought from Bernie at Needle & Foot. I love the feel of the fabric; it’s great for making projects like this. The lining fabric is a piece I had in my stash, and I don’t have any information on it.
Here’s a side view, so you can see the way the front of the pod dips.
This little project is quick and easy. There is no quilting, although I think it would be fun to give that a try. Once the pod is sewn together, the last thing to do is a quick topstitch around the edge.
I think these pods would make a great gift for grads, baby showers, wedding showers, etc. This one will go to my daughter’s friend who happens to love pink.
Although I’m truly getting just a bit stir crazy from staying indoors, I really enjoyed this weekend of sewing!
What about you? What did you do this weekend?
Linking up today with Beth at Cooking Up Quilts and Becca at Pretty Piney.
Wendy
47 Comments
marissthequilter
You have obviously found your mojo! Your Moda mini quilt is charming
piecefulwendy
Thank you, Mariss. Yes, my mojo returned!
Cindy Pieters
Looks like your mojo has come out of hiding.
piecefulwendy
It has, thanks!
Preeti
Obviously being cooped up indoors can be depressing but lookalike you made the most of it. I am sending sunshine your way…as soon as I get some here 🙂 I understand how the lack of contrast in the HST bothered you. It would bother me too. Love the warm fall colors in the star.
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Preeti, for sending the sunshine with your comment!
KatyQuilts
I love all of your little projects! The mini is adorable. I have a fat 8th bundle of the same fabrics and can’t seem to find up with a project fit them either. Yours is wonderful!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Katy. Can’t wait to see what you create with yours!
Melanie McNeil
Your star mini turned out great, especially with replacing the 3 units for stronger contrast. Sounds like you’re having fun, even though winter seems a bit long this year!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Melanie, I did enjoy myself!
Quilting Jeannie Zimmerman
I love the little storage pod. I have a similar one pinned off the side of my sewing glider. I use it to catch threads while I sew. I stuffed a little batting to the bottom and the threads cling to it. I wish I had seen yours first, I love the loop! Thanks for sharing.
piecefulwendy
A thread catcher would be a great use for it!
karenfae
well this weekend part of it was spent cursing the internet – it has been down over 24 hours now and we are using our phones for internet which is ok, but not good enough to do a post so no post from me today unless it comes back up. Love your small projects. I never make mini quilts I don’t know what I would do with them. Sometimes I think of making some mini’s for a wall or something but somehow they grow into large quilts instead! Hope you snow stops!!
piecefulwendy
Hope your internet woes are over soon!
karenfae
back up!!
piecefulwendy
Yay!
My Sewful Retirement
Hi Wendy, your Moda love mini is super cute! Looks like you got a lot accomplished during your snow in! I spent Saturday outside we finally had 85 degree weather ….spent Sunday working on orders for my Etsy shop. I’m hoping I can work on my February goal today!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Karla! 85 sounds lovely!
Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
I love that you completed so many projects over the weekend! Great job on using up some of your stash. Your mini quilt is adorable, and the quilting really highlights the design. I hope you can get out and about soon!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Beth!
RicefordStreams
Ooo, I love the snippets of Reef fabric, so that’ll be a fun reveal. You made some cool projects this weekend! I literally have a few stacks of charms and mini charms lined up for the Moda Love pattern, but have the same issue: too many low-volume prints that won’t provide enough contrast. I’m going to do the same as you and cut some squares from my stash to fill in. So that’s what my project is for this week to keep busy during the cold snap. The pouch is a nice gift idea–thanks for sharing it!
piecefulwendy
The Reef project has been fun. Looking forward to seeing your Moda Love projects!
Vicki in MN
Give you a snow storm and it is pedal to the metal;) The mini is so darn cute. I have 4 identical patriotic mini charms that I have been scratching my head over trying to figure out what to do with them. Love the fruit fabric bowl also.
piecefulwendy
Haha! Yes, a little snow and I’m gonna sew!
Diann Bottrell
You’ve been working on lots of fun things! I love your Moda Love mini – I don’t know if you read Koka Quilts’ blog, but I think she is showing the same pattern in her post today in bed quilt size. It looks like a great pattern – I’ll have to go check it out! I really like the big star it creates. Hoping the weather lightens up a bit more on you this week!
piecefulwendy
Thanks! I’ll go check out her post!
catpatches
Looks like you kept plenty busy during the snowy weather. The little quilt turned out very cute, and I love your picture hanging from the tree. We have a couple of inches here today, but it seems the valley is just wet. I need to go into town for coffee(!). Hope the roads are clear a little later on.
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Barbara! Hope you were able to get your coffee.
JanineMarie
There’s nothing like a nasty winter to get the indoor squirrels to come out to play. Your mini is so cute—and you are very brave to have gone outside to photograph it. I’m intrigued by the little pod. I can see various uses for it, but is it meant to be a thread catcher?
piecefulwendy
I think the pod could be used in several different ways. A gift bag, thread catcher, etc.
rl2b2017
Hi Wendy! Lots of love in this post! That pod thingy is pretty darn cool, and I LOVE the fabrics you chose. Seems like a LONG time until the end of March to see that pretty secret project. Where’s your picture of your project that you took on the angle and shared on IG? I think that was this star hanging, no? It sure looks cute and cold hanging from the evergreen. I would be feeling very housebound by now myself. ~smile~ Roseanne
piecefulwendy
That angle picture was for my Batik Burst quilt. Thanks!
Bernie
Looks like you made good use of your time while stuck inside. It was so cold and windy out today so we never left the house. It wasn’t worth it!! Not supposed to be a whole lot better tomorrow either.
Love the little catch-all bag you made with the maker maker. Perfect use for that fabric – it has a nice weight to it for something like that.
piecefulwendy
The wind and cold are just brutal here. Best to stay in on those days! Thanks! I might make another pod or two with the rest of the Maker Maker fabric!
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
My first thought is, you’re wearing capris in this weather?!! Yes, we are all ready to move into spring!!! Secondly, I love your FG mini!!! Great call on the HST swap out. It looks perfect hanging on your pine tree. Creative photo shoot! Fun little extra makes, too.
piecefulwendy
I wear capris when I’m home pretty much all year long. Didn’t want to change for a quick step outside. Haha! Thanks!
Sandra Walker
Great squirrels here! Man you are the QUEEN squirrel snagger! I can’t wait to see what you’ve cooked up for FQS. I’d love to sew for them one day…have certainly spent a fair amount of money there ha!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Sandra! The FQS projects are fun to do. The two I’m doing in March are pretty low key, so I’m enjoying that.
Kathleen McCormick
You were right to take those out, it makes it work so much better. FQShop sewing – yay for you! I do see a few squirrels in your blog….hold on….maybe next month – longer and no travel for me!!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Kathleen, I’m sure those squirrels will wait for you. 😉
Becca // Pretty Piney Quilts
You’ve had quite a productive snowbound weekend! That kind of weather alone turns my language salty, but adding a seam ripper to the mix would probably break me. 😉 I love that storage pod–great fabrics, too!
Thanks for linking up to What I Made Monday!
piecefulwendy
Haha! Yeah, the seam ripper wasn’t on the original invitation list!! It worked out ok in the end!
Louise Hornor
Lots of fun little projects! Seems like there’s often a point in the process where we fall a little out of love with it, but hopefully the good feelings return before it is finished. A couple of HSTs with low contrast can make one a bit cranky, I know! But just look at how sweet the final mini is 🙂
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Louise, it was a good decision in the end!
cheriec12
All your projects look great. Isn’t it great to finish some quick projects and get that done and on to the next feeling. I’ve been meaning to make some bowl cozies. My bowls are always so hot when the come out of the microwave especially when we decide to eat at the sofa and watch TV.
piecefulwendy
That’s exactly why I made the cozies. Quick and easy to make too.
thedarlingdogwood
I love that seahorse in your pile of trimmings and look forward to seeing your secret sewing! That pod is so cute!! I hadn’t seen that particular pattern before. I usually avoid 3D sewing but this one looks like I might actually be able to make it. I agree, I see all sorts of possibilities. Great fabrics in yours. Enjoy your weekend!