Quilt - A- Long with Moda and Rocking Chair Quilts #modabemyneighbor is underway . Visit the blog @ Rocking Chair Quilts each Monday to get your free pattern and sew along with us.
Read more#moda #aurifil Primitive Gatherings Wool & Needle IV Flannel GIVEAWAY!
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Congratulations to our Winner Sandie S.
thanks so much to everyone for participating
BEHOLD THE MIGHTY TOWER OF FLANNEL
We've had a wonderful summer here at Rocking Chair Quilts. I always enjoy the change of seasons we have here in Illinois. To celebrate the arrival of Fall, we are hosting this giveaway for your pleasure.
Soon we'll be enjoying fall colors and cooler temperatures, so what could be better than loading up our prize bundle with cozy Moda flannel?
Leave a comment on this blog post to enter for a chance to win this prize (ends Sept 2nd, 2016 11:59 p.m. CST).
We are giving away this fabulous fat quarter bundle of the brand new Primitive Gatherings Wool & Needle IV - The Farmer's Son flannels to one lucky winner!
The Farmer's Son Fat Quarter bundle. How fat is it?
32 soft and cozy 100% cotton flannel fat quarters. Yes ma'am that's a hefty bundle indeed.
..........and it wouldn't be a Rocking Chair Quilts giveaway without an appropriate trio of matching Aurifil threads. (3 BIG Spools of AURIFIL 50 Wt. MAKO cotton thread)
Designer Lisa Bongean has filled her latest collection of flannels with some great colors: Bandana Blue, Milk House Cream, Barn Board and Tractor Oil Grey. So we've selected Aurifil's bidg spools in 3 complimentary shades to complete your prize bundle.
1158 Medium Grey 2310 Lt. Beige 2784 Dark Navy
This Prize Bundle includes a 32 count Fat Quarter bundle of Primitive Gatherings Wool & Needle IV Flannels, and to make it even SWEETER- 3 spools of Aurifll Thread to match.( TOTAL MSR Value $171.49) Woot! All entries must be received by Friday, September 2nd at 11.59 p.m. CST We will announce the winner Saturday, September 3rd by about 3:00 pm CST. Good luck to everyone .
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Congratulations to our Winner Sandie S.
thanks so much to everyone for participating
To read All the usual rules that apply to our regular giveaways and yada yada CLICK HERE
Thank you so much for reading this and being a part of our giveaway- Enjoy the Sew!®- Carol
#modafabrics #aurifil Hello Darling! Fabric Bundle Giveaway at RockingChairQuilts.com
this giveaway has ended
congratulations to RINA M
Enter below to win this fun fabric bundle
Hello Darling-This fabric collection has the perfect name to be included in our Valentine's giveaway prize, don't you think so? We have loaded this prize bundle with Bonnie and Camille's Hello Darling fabric collection from Moda Fabrics. Five (5) yards of fabric, a Jelly Roll, a Layer Cake and yummy Aurifil threads to match. Yowza, that's a nice bundle!
Be sure to LIKE US on Facebook so you'll know when each giveaway begins.
Contest ends FEBRUARY 17th at Midnight CST . Retail Prize VALUE $150.00 USD. For complete rules click HERE.
What's in the bundle this week?
This prize has a MSR value of $150.00 USD and contains
- Hello Darling Layer Cake by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics
- Hello Darling Jelly Roll by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics
- Five (5) one yard cuts of Hello Darling fabric by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics
- TWO delicious AURIFIL BIG SPOOLS of 50 wt. MAKO cotton thread
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
CONGRATULATIONS TO RINA M
Here's everything in the prize bundle for this giveaway.
Tah dah!
#modasamplershuffle week nine
WHAT'S THAT? YOU JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SHUFFLE AND YOU NEED PATTERNS ONE THROUGH twenty-four?
A CLICK ON the sewing machine logo at the top of this post will TAKE YOU THERE.
HOW IS IT GOING FOR YOU THIS WEEK?
we'd love to see your sampler blocks! IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE YOUR BLOCK PHOTOS:
YOU CAN POST YOUR BLOCK PICTURES AND COMMENTS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE OR I'LL POST THEM FOR YOU JUST SEND THEM IN AN EMAIL TO ME : CAROL@ROCKINGCHAIRQUILTS.COM
HERE ARE THE BLOCKS THAT VIOLA SHARED WITH US LAST WEEK- HER FABRICS ARE PERFECT FOR A CHRISTMAS DAY SHUFFLE POST. THANKS VIOLA!
DID YOU JUST FIND OUT ABOUT MODA'S SAMPLER SHUFFLE ?
CLICK HERE to read more details about the Sampler Shuffle and Rocking Chair Quilt's SAMPLER SCRAMBLE contest
WEEK NINE - WHAT CAROL DID:
We had a very memorable Christmas with our family-so before I talk about my shuffle doings this week, I just want to express how thankful and grateful I am for the wonderful people in my life.
Now on to the shuffle and what I did.:
- Worked on blocks 25, 26 and 27.
- I had a a little fun with BLOCK 26 and made a Christmas MINI quilt. (SEE PHOTO AT END OF THIS POST)
- I SHARED SOME BASIC TIPS BECAUSE THEY HELP MY FINISHED WORK TURN OUT BETTER
SOME LITTLE THINGS WE SHOULD REMEMBER TO DO TO GET GOOD RESULTS WHEN PIECING SMALL BLOCKS
SCROLL DOWN TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WEEKS TIPS:
TIP ONE
SEW WITH A SHARP NEEDLE
CHANGE YOUR SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE REGULARLY. A SHARP NEEDLE MAKES EVERYTHING GO SEW WELL. KEEP AN ASSORTMENT OF NEEDLE TYPES AND SIZES ON HAND FOR THE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU SEW.
WHEN WORKING ON SMALL PIECING (LIKE OUR SHUFFLE BLOCKS) WHILE A STANDARD DUTY NEEDLE WILL DO , CONSIDER USING A A FINER GAUGE NEEDLE TO HELP YOUR 1/4" SEAM BE EVEN MORE ACCURATE. -consult your sewing machine manual for the brands and sizes of needles that work on your particular sewing machine.
TIP two
USE GOOD THREAD
WHILE GREAT GRANDMA APPRECIATES THAT YOU ARE DETERMINED TO USE UP ALL THE THREAD IN THAT DECORATIVE TIN THAT SHE BEQUEATHED YOU, IT'S BETTER NOT TO USE IT FOR PIECING A QUILT- I KNOW IT'S ON THOSE COOL WOODEN SPOOLS TOO- BUT UNLESS IT'S AN ALL COTTON 40 OR 50 WEIGHT QUALITY THREAD IT'S BETTER TO KEEP IT IN THAT TIN AS A SENTIMENTAL MEMORY OF YOUR BELOVED QUILTING ANCESTOR.
GET YOURSELF SOME GOOD QUALITY PIECING THREAD AND WATCH HOW MUCH BETTER YOUR PIECING LOOKS WHEN YOU USE IT. I LIKE AURIFIL THREAD. OH OKAY - I LOVE AURIFIL THREAD!
TIP THREE
GOT TOOLS? USE THEM!
USE WHAT YOU LOVE: This is my CLEARLY PERFECT ANGLES A 'window' cling style guide that clings to the bed of my machine and helps sew perfect diagonal lines and 1/4" seams. I don't ever have to draw lines on my squares. YAY! I love this tool.
MOST USEFUL TOOL IN MY TOOL BOX : The lowly seam ripper, or as my quilting buddy Mary calls it. "my UN-sewer". On it's own a useful & necessary tool but it's real impact is based on your willingness to use it. If you have to ask yourself, "should I redo this seam?" you probably need to redo that seam. Get out your UN-sewer and have at it.
TRIANGLE PAPERS: I don't always reach for triangle paper , but when I do I am SO happy with how perfect the triangle pieces turn out. These are PRIMITIVE GATHERINGS TRIANGLE PAPERS that we have in the shop. They come packaged as a nice big bunch for a reasonable price and I love the results I get with them .. I used them to piece the Christmas MINI quilt pictured below:
BLOCK 26 X 4 = CHRISTMAS MINI
THERE IS A COMMENT AREA BELOW- IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR PROGRESS OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MODA SAMPLER SHUFFLE -
SEND ME YOUR BLOCK PHOTOS AND I WILL PASTE THEM RIGHT HERE!
THANKS SO MUCH.
CAROL@ROCKINGCHAIRQUILTS.COM
#MODASAMPLERSHUFFLE WEEK THREE
We posted the the Triangle , Border and Setting Patterns here again for you so they're handy whenever you need to peek at them:
If you didn't get a chance to download blocks 1 through 6 you can find them HERE
will you design your own setting for your Sampler Shuffle BlockS?
you could win a quilty prize from Rocking Chair Quilts! Read about our Sampler Scramble contest by clicking HERE.
WEEK THREE - WHAT CAROL DID
- Worked on blocks seven, eight and nine.
- Became mighty intimidated be the itsy bitsy flying geese in block seven and got out the Lazy Girl No Math Flying Geese Ruler
- Had good results with that ruler. I will keep it nearby for the next blocks we get.
- Put some triangle papers in to action to make the 2 1/2" Half Square Triangles in BLOCK NINE. I liked the way the pinwheels turned out using the triangle papers!
- I hung up all the blocks in a row out in the quilt shop and decided that .....hmmmm - I like them. Up until then, I wasn't too sure about my fabric combinations. I love quilting!
Moda sampler shuffle gets 'clotheslined' at RockingChairQuilts.com
I would love to see what fabrics you are using , and sInce this seems to be 'tool' week for me here at the shop- how about letting us all know what tools or sewing helpers you may have reached for to help you get your 6 inch blocks looking good?
COMMENT BELOW or share on our facebook page
If you'd like to share your block photos:
YOU can post your BLOCK pictures on our FACEBOOK PAGE or send them in an email to me : Carol@RockingChairQuilts.com
BLOCK SEVEN, EIGHT AND NINE MADE IN SOMERSET FABRICS
BLOCKS SEVEN, EIGHT AND NINE MADE WIH A BELLA PRECUT SOLID JELLY ROLL AND MODA MUSLIN MATES WHITE ON WHITE BABY PINS PRINT
YOU can post your BLOCK pictures on our FACEBOOK PAGE or send them in an email to me : Carol@RockingChairQuilts.com
thank you for reading this post today .
Are you enjoying the shuffle blocks?- do tell us about it
there is a comment are below if you would like to share your progress or if you have any questions about the moda sampler shuffle -Carol
#MODASAMPLERSHUFFLE WEEK TWO
We posted the the Triangle , Border and Setting Patterns again this week so they're handy whenever you need to peek at them:
WEEK TWO - HOW DO YOU DO?
We'd love to see what fabrics you are using and any tips or ideas that you are discovering while working on 6" blocks. If you'd like you can share your block photos.
YOU can post your BLOCK pictures on our FACEBOOK PAGE or send them in an email to me : Carol@RockingChairQuilts.com
CLICK HERE to read more details about the Sampler Shuffle and Rocking Chair Quilt's SAMPLER SCRAMBLE contest
WEEK TWO - WHAT CAROL Did
Worked on blocks four, five and six. Made a low quality video about using a fussy cut in your block.
I felt a little more comfortable making blocks 4, 5 and 6 for week two. Last week working in the 6" block size felt like a challenge to me, but seemed just plain fun this week. Six inch blocks aren't as tiny as patchwork gets , but I think it has been a long while since I was piecing on a smaller scale. What do you all think? How is it going for you this week?
BLOCK FOUR
You can fussy cut a motif from your fabric to use as your center square in block five.
<You may want to hang onto something when you watch the video.-LOL- It sways about so, it made me feel a bit swimmy. :)
BLOCK FIVE
BLOCK SIX
WEEK 2 BLOCKS- FOUR, FIVE and SIX
Somerset Shuffle and Baby Shuffle Blocks
Thank you for reading this today. There is a comment area below if you would like to comment or have a question about the MODA SAMPLER SHUFFLE
Diana's Blocks 4, 5 & ^
Richy's Blocks 4 , 5 and 6
WIN A FRIVOL! #MODAFABRICS #AURIFIL #CREATIVEGRIDS
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
We have a winner congratulations to Teresa S! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. Our next giveaway will begin soon.
and away we go! Here is the launch of our 2nd in our new series of giveaway bundles!
Be sure to LIKE US on Facebook so you'll know when each giveaway begins.
What's in the bundle this week?
- Frivol #2 Faiithful by Minick and Simpson for Moda Fabrics
- Minick and Simpson thread collection- a set of ten 50 weight spools of cotton Aurifil Threads chosen by Minick and Simpson
- a Creative Grids Ruler of course!
- Finishing kit for your Frivol quilt; backing and binding fabrics from Polka Dots and Paisleys fabric collection by Minick and Simpson for MODA fabrics
FRIVOL? What is a Frivol?
friv·ol:\-vəl-iŋ, -və-liŋ\intransitive verb; to act frivolously : trifle. That's the dictionary's answer. Here is a defintion a quilter can enjoy:
Frivol brand new quilt kits from Moda Fabrics. A 12 month series of lovely little quilt kits cleverly packaged in a collectible tin that matches the fabric inside. The fabric is a bundle of 7" precut squares. Inside the Frivol tin you'll also find your quilt pattern printed on a card and a bonus maker block pattern that you can make into a sampler quilt as you collect the Frivols all through the coming months.
Enter up to 3 times using the Rafflecopter widget (the WHITE BOX below) at the end of this blog post.
Contest ends October 5th at Midnight CST . Prize VALUE $120.00 USD. For complete rules click HERE.
Here is what Frivol #2 , Faithful looks like when it's all done. So sweet!
The lucky winner of this prize will need backing and binding fabric , so we've included that too!
Here is a block for the Faithful frivol quilt , trimmed up to a perfect 5 /12" and ready to sew into a row.
Inside your Frivol tin you find this tidy bundle of pre cut 7" squares and some other surprises too!
oooo! A set of 10 spools of Aurifil threads to match!
A quilter needs good tools and we are here to deliver! Your prize bundle includes this nifty 5 1/2" square from Creative Grids - the perfect tool for this Frivol, whose unfinished blocks are 5 1/2" ! How fitting.
Here's everything in the prize bundle for this giveaway:
We have a winner- congratulations to Teresa S! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. Our next giveaway will begin soon.
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
If you didn't get the chance to read last week's blog post , you might be thinkin' "Hey Carol, why are you giving away all these bundles?" Well firstly , it's SEW MUCH FUN! and then there's the fact we got so excited when we received our prize* we wanted to share it with all of you. Read all about it below:
*Our shop's prize for being chosen as winner in Creative Grids Rock Your Row 2015 Quilt Project contest was a pile of wonderful CG Rulers. After receiving the news we felt the best thing to do was to.......Party in the Quilt Shop!! So.......we will share this prize with ALL of you by hosting giveaways on our blog and social media. Be sure and LIKE us on Facebook to stay updated on when you can sign up for chances to win prize bundles. Each will include one wonderful Creative Grids Ruler. We will keep tucking things into bundles with the rulers and hosting giveaways until they are all gone! That may take us all the way until Christmas- woohoo! Thanks for reading and keep in touch so you can enter to win some fun bundles! - Carol
P.S. What's in our next giveaway? Stay connected to find out. Hint: I never meet a ruler I didn't like
OPENING CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY*
*Giveaway ended on April 11, 2015
Party in the quilt shop!
Here is a glimpse of our shop entrance & some of the prizes in this weekends shop opening celebration. We wanted to include all of our online customers in the fun . We could not have come this far without your support. Our vendors have been very generous donating prizes for all of you & we have sweetened the deal by adding some fun prize items from our shop too!
Enter online- Click on the white Rafflecopter box below and complete your entry.
Enter at the shop - If you are near us- come by on Friday and Saturday, April 10th & 11th to enter.
Contest ends Saturday April 11th, 2015 at midnight CST.
This giveaway is open to all our international friends too!
Click inside the WHITE box below to make your entry.
XOXO Quilt #Moda #Aurifil @abihallcreate
Well I could scarcely help myself the other day, after measuring out some Kiss Kiss fabric for a customer...in a weak moment I busted open a Kiss Kiss layer cake and got busy stitching up this XOXO quilt. The pattern from Me and My Sister is a free download from the designer's website. You can download yours HERE. Please adhere to their allowable uses for the pattern. This is so quick to put together when you start with a Layer Cake
I used DOTS TONAL LIPSTICK 35255 23 to bind it .
This sweet quilt only took a few hours to put together, a Kiss Kiss layer cake and one yard of fabric ( I used Dots Cloud 35255-11) are all you need to make the quilt top. Kits Available
Following instructions in the pattern download, place a square on the corner of your layer cake square and stitch diagonally across the smaller square. I use the Clearly Perfect Angles cling and I don't ever have to draw the diagonal lines on the smaller square to stitch on.
A handy helper when you're sewing diagonal lines.
BONUS FUN TIME! Before you cut away the corner of the square run a second row of stitches 1/4" away from the first diagonal.
I used red thread so it would show in the photo.
Then, cut between the 2 rows of stitching to trim away that unused corner.
Quilted with Aurifil #2410. Pale Pink The Quilting design is 'Whole Lotta Love' by Patricia Ritter at Urban Elementz
This will create a Half Square Triangle (HST) that you can use in another project. I confess that I am often too lazy to do this extra stitching, but this fabric is SO cute I didn't want to throw away those corners
The XOXO Quilt needs 36 blocks, so you will create 72 bonus Half Square Triangles!
I especially like the Churn Dash block so using some additional fabrics from the Kiss Kiss fabric collection by Abi hall, I fussy cut some lovebirds for my center squares, then used Lipstick Dots and Cloud dots to create the needed units for my churn dash blocks.
I like to swap out the squares until I get a block I like.
Stitched together: the 72 leftover corners from your XOXO quilt are enough HST to make 18 Churn dash blocks! (You'll need to use additional fabric for your center squares and side units.) What are some blocks that you like to make with HSTs? (comment below if you'd like to share your ideas) Thanks for reading! - Carol
30's Playtime Favorite's
The name "30's Playtime" brings to mind the carefree hours of youth from a long ago era, as imaged by this charming 'gang' . All of them ready to load into the jalopy and head off to the rural youth dance down a dirt road yonder. That's my grandmother holding the bouquet. She, a farmer's daughter, likely had few leisure hours to herself. This would've been a special day for her to enjoy. She sewed most of her own clothes , probably this lovely dance dress too. It was she and my mother that first taught me to sew, which I loved from the the very first stitch! Now I'm happy to be able have this vintage inspired collection of 1930' prints in our quilt shop. I can hardly wait to pick out a quilt pattern and get stitching!
Chloe's Closet has designed the colors and presence of a vintage Springtime into this classicly inspired collection: 30's Playtime Favorite's from Moda Fabrics. Forty prints, Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes for your next project. Pair the prints with some of our Bella Solids, or...... to get to right to the sewing machine we also have Bella Precut selections in an array of 30's inspired colors!
