Picnic quilt for the blog hop

I have started on the picnic quilt for a blog hop. I am using a variety of vintage sheets for this little quilt. I started cutting a couple of weeks ago but since the date of the hop moved to early June, I quit working on the quilt. May is slipping away so I picked up my squares and started working again.

I am making 11" pinwheel blocks using 9" squares of fabric. I am using the HST sewing and cutting technique made famous by Jenny from Missouri Star Quilt Company. Have you tried it? You do end up with bias edges (which I heavily spray starch) but it is so much faster and I am all about fast!

Here are two stacked 9" blocks with the 1/4" sewn around the edges.

Now I just cut across diagonally from corner to corner twice.

Gently roll back the top fabric and press...and hit it with spray starch!

Here is a completed block.

Only 19 more to go!

French General, anyone?

I have so much fabric in my studio that I know I will not use in this lifetime. I am going to part with a lot of fabric and before I start listing on my Etsy site, I thought I would run it through the blogs first.

The info is on Hazelnut Deux. If you are interested, pop on over!

Scraps Giveaway on Hazelnut Deux!

I am having a scrap giveaway on my Hazelnut Deux site. Pop over and leave a comment if you would like a large box of scrap fabric!

Starting "the move"...

I have begun posting only on Hazelnut deux. Hazelnut duex will become my home base and the new header (coming soon) will reflect the changes. Eventually this blog will redirect you there but if you want to pop over and start following there, I would be thrilled!

I feel like this is a guest appearance!

About a year ago, someone suggested that I get serious about blogging and only blog at one spot. I didn't want to give up "Reluctant Quilter" so I balked at the idea. Reviewing the idea several months later, I realize that I have done a miserable job keeping up with any of my 3 blogs. Keeping "Reluctant Quilter" has become less of an issue as most of the sewing I do at this point is for Hazelnut Deux. Occasionally I manage to make something for myself but that has become a rarity.

I have contacted the very talented Brandy Fishback to see what I need to do to consolidate and any suggestions she might have. What this all boils down to is that there will be some changes to my blog in 2014. It is time and I am ready!

Merry Christmas!

This is my favorite Christmas song. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

I made something!

I have actually made a lot of things in the past few months but those were to sell in my Etsy shop and at craft fairs and holiday boutiques. I made this for me!

It is pretty simple sewing and it didn't take me long but it is quilted and it is all mine. I love my "new to me" coffee mug that I picked up for 49 cents at the Goodwill. I like to pick up pretty mugs from thrift stores and then when I get tired of them I just give them back to the thrift store and get something new. I enjoy the fact that I am easily amused spending less than a dollar!