V and Co: simply style new patterns spring 2013

sometimes my husband comes home at night and says "your blog is really quiet...how am i supposed to know what's going on?" to which i give him a nasty look to his smirk. we talk every night. he knows what's going on. but it does shed light that i do a lot of "stuff" that doesn't make it onto the blog these days and often it looks like i sit in a warm cozy chair under a quilt sipping hot chocolate reading a book and then every once in a while i sew and show you how to make something...

as much as i don't think i would be happy being THAT relaxed...i do love posts like this where i can show off some of the crap i've been up to. and now those around me can actually see in pictures really that i wasn't lying and that i do really work from home so please excuse when i answer the door at noon in my pjs with string hanging from places string should not hang from.
i feel like this winter has passed me by (and i am SO OKAY with that) because for the past 4 or 5 weeks i've been holed up in my basement listening to talk radio, pandora, and some chic flicks on netflix, all the while sewing, and sewing, and sewing, and then sewing some more. unpicking when there are mistakes to figure out...and then sewing again.
but it is all worth it because i love it.
i truly and honestly love doing what i do.

 enough about me and lets show you all the stuff i've been doing to cause me to shed thread like a dog sheds hair in the spring.

i'd like to introduce the patterns that will go with my simply style collection with moda fabrics:

this line much like my first has a great array of color, ombre, and tone on tone. it was really fun to come up with patterns for this line :)
here's the first, bubbles:

i wanted a pattern that showed off the ombre fabric in the line. i'm really having a lot of fun thinking up ideas for ombre fabric and this time i used it to create these awesome diamond-y looking bubbles. the only ombre not used in the line for this pattern was the eggplant. but no worries i'll work something out with just that...maybe this summer. :)

originally i was just going to make the large twin size but you know me and baby sized quilts...i kind of freaking love them...so i made a baby version as well.
the large version is 68" x 80"
ideally this is a great boy quilt but if you add pink in place of any of those colors it would make an awesome modern looking girl quilt as well.

baby quilt is 34" x 40" finished

trust me there's a whole slew of patterns coming your way using my ombre fabric. i really can't do them fast enough! but i'll pace myself starting with this one first. :)

the sizes:
baby quilt size 34" x 40"
large quilt size 68" x 80"
bubbles is available in PDF and in PAPER
up next we have kaleidoscope:

 this quilt was created to show off the whole line. it uses every fabric in the line and the binding is scraps of the left over fabric from the blocks.

this is a great pattern to use a whole line with, it doesn't get overwhelming because of all the background separating all the different colors. that's kind of how i roll, i like to see each fabric so i separate them with background fabric.

it's a large quilt it is 86" x 90" finished and super lovely to snuggle under on a couch or when the weather gets better, to take on a picnic... this quilt has a great airy feel to it that will make you so happy especially with all the color you get to look at!

size:
quilt size 86" x 90" finished
quilted by felicia graves
kaleidoscope is available in PDF and PAPER

now next on the list is something every sewer needs.
my color block zipper pouches:

who doesn't love little zippered pouches? when i was looking for fabric to go with this pattern i immediately thought the large flowers in my line would go perfectly of course you could always use any of the other fabrics, but the matching of the flowers i think is perfect. i also would love to make a few beach hats out of these fabrics! i think i will.

i give instructions for the three sizes. the smallest one can carry all your simply color aurifil thread and cute embroidery scissors, and the best part about it is that if fits perfectly into you largest pouch. that middle one can be used to house all your appliqué stuff or your finished hexies. that large one? well just stuff it with all the other crap that goes with sewing on the go.

i love my color block pouches. line it up with some plastic coated fabric...and you have yourself an adorable set of makeup pouches.
(by the way side note: i have to give a shout out to my photographer...my 11 year old. he takes great pictures when i tell him i need him to take silly pictures of me holding my projects. he's been taking pictures of me "holding all sorts of bags" for about 4 years now. yup. he started when he was 7.)

sizes:
large pouch: 9 1/2" x 7"finished
medium pouch: 8 1/2" x 5" finished
small pouch: 7 1/2" x 3" finished
color pouch is available in PDF and in PAPER.

next on the list...
introducing the hampton weekend bag:
now next on the list is a bag. i always seem to have a soft spot for bags. i like really like them. :)

this little lady was in my head the minute i knew my ombre chevrons were going to be part of this collection.

this slouchy bag is perfect for your weekend getaway when all you need is a bathing suit and sunscreen. fancy enough for the night out, casual enough to take it anywhere. this bag is by far my favorite bag ive made.

the bag is 16" x 18" finished

she has snaps, O rings on the handles and two big pockets inside. one zipper pocket and one open pocket for easy grabbing access.
this is a must have basic bag.
of course it would be a cute bag in any fabric...

but seriously. this fabric was made for this bag. what color would you pick? all of them? yeah, me too.

(this fabric was also made with skirts in mind...oooooh yeeeeah baby!)

stats:
bag is 16" x 18" finished
has snaps, "O" rings, a zipper pocket and deep pockets.
lining is on the lightweight side so it slouches just right.

hampton weekend bag is available in PDF  and PAPER.

and last but not least.
my favorite picture this time around because of the baby and the hexagons and well everything about it i guess.

let me introduce the confetti quilt and banner:

moda has a new pre cut called honey comb. it's 6" across pre cut hexagons. and well it's pretty much the boss.
i loved working with the precut hexis and am super excited to think of new patterns for them.
this time around i made this lovely quilt by piecing and appliquéing the hexes onto my quilt background.

the honey comb precuts include all the fabrics in the line including the ombre's and chevrons.
it's a quick and lovely quilt that is sure to dazzle your little person...or big person too.
this quilt comes in two sizes
the baby one pictured here is 48" x 48" finished
the large throw (not pictured) is 72" x 96"

and well i guess i should mention that no, the adorable cute baby is not included

and there is no explanation on how to make said cute baby in the pattern.
btw her name is charlotte.

and her rolls are to die for. almost as much as her HUGE smile. :)

stats:
baby quilt 48" x 48"finished
banner 20 hexes across double sided
large throw quilt 72" x 96" finished
confetti quilt patterns are available in pdf and in pre-order in  paper (expect a 2 week wait)

okay there you have it.
what do you think?
which one is your favorite??

for this weekend only get 20 percent off any pdf pattern just type in 20PDF at check out.

have a fantabulous weekend.
hopefully you'll get some sewing time in!
we'll talk soon :)

V and Co: how to: make a dresden plate

 okay so some of you know how to make dresden plates, others of you have thought you'd like to try it but you don't know where to begin, and other of you are like "ew dresden plates is an old fashion block."
well then i'm talking to you if you fall in any of these categories.
the name dresden came from Dresden, Germany, apparently some dudes and dudettes had really ornate china there or something so because this block kind of looks like a plate...they named it the dresden plate. whatever you didn't come here for a history lesson you came here to learn how to make one.
one statistic you kind of need to know is that most dresden plates patterns call for 20 petals. and if your seam allowance is correct 20 petals should work out just grand to have your plate lay flat on the traditional dresden plates. if your seam allowance is not a true 1/4" you will find yourself needing to add a petal or two.
no biggie...but the better you are at the seam allowance the more likely you will be fine with 20 petals.

 okay
i'm going to show you how to make a pointed dresden plate today. but there are other kinds of dresden plates like the rounded edge, and the straight edge plate as well. (the link is to amy's peppermint wheel dresden plate that i absolutely love!)

 so lets talk a little about this block. and how to create it.
you can do a paper template which you can download free, from many websites. or you can use a plastic template .
i use a plastic template:

(mine is from the missouri quilt company and theirs have markings on it for layer cakes, and charm packs.)
the size of the template and the angle of the ruler will affect the size and shape of the petals as well as the thickness. this large template is the 18 degree petal.
the tiny little template is used just like the large one on the left. except that i use a 1/8" seam allowance when it comes to sewing with the tiny one. thats just how i do it, so that i don't over lap on my seams at the bottom on the skinny part. but for the other rulers, use a 1/4" seam allowance.
but because i used 1/8" seam allowance when i finished my plate i only ended up needing 18 petals instead of the 20. again not a big deal...but if you are a stickler for rules..stick with 1/4" seam allowance.

okay so lets talk about the length of your petal using the most common dresden plate wedge (18 degree wedge).
on this ruler it goes up to 10" (which is the same width as a layer cake) and you can make any size in between 1" to 10" length petals.

so really chose whatever size you want...have fun and experiment to see what size is your favorite. i find that normally i like to use up my scraps so i tend to gravitate to the smaller petals.

speaking of smaller petals...
how to make dresden plate petals:

okay so lets make this plate:
we will need to make 20 petals. i like it super scrappy but matching...so i used my simply color scraps or this little candy works great too! and picked out a few fabrics that i thought would look cute in one plate.

for this project i decided i wanted a 2" petal to create a plate that would fit nicely on a little zipper pouch, a small pillow, or perhaps a doll quilt. (daughter loves those! so why not?)
and i could get all different sized scraps so that was a perfect fit for me this time around.

-so using my template i cut out with my rotary cutter the wedge shape.
if i were to want to make more of this color i would cut a 2" strip and then alternate the way the wedge would face to keep cutting more wedges.

after you have cut out all 20 wedges...
- take the larger side of the wedge and fold it in half right sides together.

-using a 1/4" seam sew across the top folded edge (i like to back stitch when i start and stop so that there will not be any unraveling later on)

-to make this process go a little more smoothly and quickly "chain sew" your wedge tops.

*chain sew means you do not take the wedge off the sewing machine and you just sew the next one leaving a small amount of thread in between the fabrics.

-cut the thread in between each fabric.

for each petal follow these instructions:
-take the petal and rotate it so the seam is facing up towards you.
-snip the corner at an angle towards the seam on the closed end (make sure you do not snip through the seam!)

-when you "smush"down your point it should line up to your point.
- turn inside out your point.
and gently push out the point with a sharp object. (embroidery scissors work just fine)

-do this for all 20 petals.

-place your petals how you would like them sewn together. normally i try to spread out the colors so that the eye sees the color on the opposite (or close to opposite side) 

-we are going to work with 5 petals at a time and then we will combine the 4 sewn units together in the end.

-start by placing two side by side petals right sides together.

-make sure your points line up and your two side points line up as well.

-sew together your five petals carefully and slowly if need be to make sure you get that 1/4" seam allowance.
-press your seams.
*i like to press my seams open.
-sew the 4 units of 5 petals together, then join the 4 units together.
-finish by pressing the combining seams open

you are now looking at your first part of the dresden plate!

-i included the picture of the second dresden plate using the tiny template and using the 1/8" seam allowance as well. they are close in size, but as you can see the middle opening is much larger on the large template.

sometimes the fabric we chose has great design that we can use to our advantage! like my dot's fabric for simply color. 

i love how the dots make the plate look like a lit up ferris wheel or fireworks! whatever the case it makes me think of the fond memories i have of the santa monica pier. i guess you can take the girl away from her ocean but you can never take the ocean out of the girl! :) 

i wanted to show you how large these dresden plates were compared to the one we just made.
the blue one was made with the petals starting out at 9 1/2"
the green one is 8" petals.

when playing with this fabric, (featured here is the gray dots) i wanted to get the solid edge on the outside. and when i made the blue one with the large petal you could see the dots really becoming more sparse as it got closer to the middle.

-the green one you can still see the dots getting sparse, but because i used a smaller petal the dots were a little "thicker" in the middle.
-play around with "fussy cutting" your fabric to get a different look!

-here if i were to cut this petal, it would have a great polka dot look.

and if i moved just slightly higher it would have these awesome dots in a row.
hmmmm i wonder what that would look like :) maybe i'll have to give it a try.

okay so there you have it.
my little shpeal on the the petal part of the dresden plate.
next week we'll talk about middles. how to appliqué a circle, raw or turn under, or other techniques. but until then... work on making some of these lovely ladies and tell me how it goes!!!