Week 16: Fabric Pennant Banner

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

Well, maybe not stormy, but certainly windy.  Here we are, four days into May, and we're having strong winds in the Bay Area that are more typical of an impending winter storm.  Trees are being thrashed about, debris is flying all around, and there is the possibility that the near-30 mph winds may cause power outages.

Just a few hours earlier it was hot, sunny and breezy.  We were escaping the 90-degree heat and enjoying hot dogs and strawberries in the air-conditioned home of one of our friends, but now I'm having to pull out my heavy comforters and sweats.

I, for one, will ignore this blustery weather and look forward to the coming summer, full of sun, family, and celebration.  And what would a celebration be without decorations, decorations like this week's project, the Fabric Pennant Banner from Leigh Anne of yourhomebasedmom.com?

Fabric Pennant Banner from Your Home Based Mom
Image and design © Your Home Based Mom

Biscuit Quilt, Day 6

I like the word "biscuit."  It makes me laugh.  I don't know how that started, maybe with Yosemite Sam's exclamation "My biscuits are burning!" and then there was that SNL skit with Beyonce where Justin Timberlake, et. al, claimed to be the "dance biscuits."  In any case, I giggle just a little whenever I see the word.

Biscuit Quilt, Day 3

Remember how just a few weeks ago I was raving about the warm weather we were having in the Bay Area?  Well, this last week has brought all sorts of inclement weather, including rain, winds, and quarter-sized hail, so I don't feel so weird working on another quilt.

Week 11: Biscuit Quilt

Biscuit Quilt from Buzzing and Bumbling
Photo courtesy of Linda at Buzzing and Bumbling

I'm more of a cat person than a dog person, so in the mid-90's, when my dad brought home a Bichon Frise-poodle mix, I was not enthused.  I didn't want to deal with the dog smell, the barking, and all other sorts of dog-related stuff.

Week 9: The Crinkle Quilt

Even though I've not quite finished the Pretty Patches Placemats, I'm going to begin the next project.  I'm still in stash-busting mode, and I want to also use some of the batting that's been taking up some room, but I also want to work on a quick project.  I think I've found a project that'll cover all those things.  For Week 9 I will be making The Crinkle Quilt designed by Palak of Make It Handmade.  This pattern is on the Make It Handmade website and also posted at Moda Bake Shop.

The Crinkle Quilt from Palak of Make It Handmade
Image and design © Make It Handmade

Simple Circles Table Runner Sew and Tell

The Simple Circles Table Runner is one of those projects that is more difficult than it looks, but once you finish it you feel proud of yourself.  For me, the most difficult part was sewing the circles, both the individual circles and also the stitching up of the final pattern.  I did get better with practice, though, and now that I've sewn circles, I feel more confident about sewing curves in any future projects.  I just need to remember what is key to sewing circles:  Pivot!  Pivot!!  PIVOT!!!

Simple Circles Table Runner, Day 3

A layer cake is a set of fabric, normally of a fabric collection, with each fabric "layer" pre-cut to 10"x10".  Layer cakes from Moda usually have 42 swatches, although other fabric manufacturers' 10" pre-cuts may have a different quantity.  A fat eighth is a one-eighth yard of fabric that is cut to measure about 9"x22", instead of 4.5"x42".