Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Sew Sampler Box - April


Hello! I'm sew excited to share the April Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop! I have been a Sew Sampler Member since the very beginning and can't believe Sew Sampler is celebrating their THIRD Birthday!!!  I have been loving the latest Sew Sampler Boxes and April is no exception! April's them is BIRTHDAY - sprinkles and confetti...so fun!

Let's start chatting about the Sew Sampler April Box  
click on links to below to purchase products at Fat Quarter Shop

The Sew Sampler Box Membership is full, but don't worry - you can sign up for the waitlist AND most of the items in this month's box are available at Fat Quarter Shop (links above). 



I've sewn Block #1 for the Goodness Grows Quilt Along and I love it!  I used some of my favorite Bonnie & Camille fabrics to sew my block! I love the hidden star that appears when you finish your block! I can't wait to sew Block #2 next month!!!


Don't forget to sign up for the Sew Sampler Box wait list - each box is wonderful plus an awesome value! I can't wait to start sewing my Confetti Star Quilt!!! It's just stunning!


My Instagram Stories - Box Reveal



Have a great day and happy sewing! 

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @ABitofScrapStuff  and here on my A Bit of Scrap Stuff Blog for more fabric fun!

Melanie
Fat Quarter Shop Quilting Fabrics and Supplies

This post contains affiliate links to Fat Quarter Shop. Thank you for supporting A Bit of Scrap Stuff. I appreciate it!

Monday, April 15, 2019

Threadology Quilt Along - Block 6



Happy April 15th! It's time for Block Six - Fair & Square for the Threadology Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop and Moda Fabrics! Over $17,000 in donations have already been raised for Make-A-Wish Central/South Texas....quilters are so generous!!!! I love this!!!! Have you seen the cute bonus projects Fat Quarter Shop released - Table Runner, Wall Hanging, and a Table Topper - here.

 I'm loving all of the Threadology Blocks and especially the adorable fabric:  Little Snippets by Bonnie & Camille - which is available here!



Let's get sewing Block 6: Fair & Square Block

This week we are making (1) 12.5" x 12.5" block and (4) 6.5" x 6.5" blocks - they are quick and fun! 

Did you notice the center of my blocks are a bit different than the pattern? I made my center blocks "square in a square block" instead of half- square triangles so my blocks have less seams...yay!



Square in a Square Block center (Fabric A/D)

Large Block Cutting:
Cut (1) 6.5" x 6.5" square from print fabric and label D.
Cut (4) 3.5" x 3.5" squares from background fabric and label A. Draw a diagonal line on the back side of each A square.

Small Block Cutting:
Cut (1) 3.5" x 3.5" square from each print fabric and label D. Total of (4)
Cut (16) 2" x 2" square background fabric and label A. Draw a diagonal line on the back side of each A square.

Place (1) Fabric A (right side together) in one corner of Fabric D square. Sew along drawn diagonal line. Trim 1/4" away from drawn line. Press Fabric A towards the outside of block. Repeat on each corner.  Square in a Square Block will measure 6.5" unfinished for large block or 3.5" unfinished for small block.  Finish sewing block as instructed in Threadology Quilt Pattern.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Twiggy Tumblers - Maxie Mail Subscription Sewing Box


Happy Friday! Today is the perfect day to share my Twiggy Tumblers Pillow from my March Maxie Mail Subscription Sewing Box! I can't believe this was my first time sewing tumblers?!?!? I LOVE it! I'm so glad Maxie included the acrylic Twiggy Tumbler in our box as I will definitely be making more tumbler projects!

Guess What - with very careful cutting, I was able to make TWO Twiggy Tumblers Pillows! After I sewed one project, I knew a pair was a must. I'll share in a bit - how I made the bonus Twiggy Tumblers Pillow from my scraps!



Let's chat more about the March Maxie Mail Box-


What's included:
  • Art Gallery Fabrics for (1) pillow top and pillow back 
  • Muslin for pillow backing -the muslin will not be seen unless you are peeking inside the pillow cover, but makes the finished pillow so nice!
  • Warm & Plush Batting
  • Twiggy Tumbler Acrylic Template
  • True Grips Non-Slip Adhesive Rings - USE them on your Twiggy Tumbler Template and ANY ruler that doesn't have a grippy back - I love them!
  • Gutermann Cotton Thread
  • Pattern and Video Tutorial
  • Tea
Let's start sewing our Twiggy Tumblers Pillow -


Start off by watching BOTH of Maxie's videos. The first video explains the Maxie Mail Sewing Box contents and the second video is a full "how to" sewing tutorial for your project! Her videos are so helpful and full of tips so your project will be successful! 

Maxie gives you 4 layout ideas for your Twiggy Tumblers Pillow- Lava Lamps, Forest Tumblers, Stacked Tumblers, and Tumbler Vases.

Image from MaxieMakes.com

 I chose to make my Twiggy Tumblers completely random - which I love! Plus by making mine random AND with careful cutting AND a zippered pillow back, I had just enough fabric scraps to make an extra Twiggy Tumblers Pillow top to match!


Here's a peek of the zippered backing with a bright yellow zipper! I love that pop of color! I buy my YKK Zippers at Amazon and Hobbs 18" Pillow Inserts.


For the quilting, I chose free motion stippling. This is one of my favorite ways to quilt projects as it's so relaxing. BUT if you are a free motion quilting ruler pro - be sure to check out Maxie's quilting on her Twiggy Tumblers Lava Lamps as it's awesome! I must practice with my rulers!


Don't worry - you can still order the March Box and sew yourself a Twiggy Tumblers Pillow (or mini quilt). You will LOVE it! 

Unboxing video- 



I enjoy receiving my Maxie Mail Subscription Sewing Box each month! I love how Maxie always teaches us a new technique and includes the supplies to make the project! It is truly a "class in a box". The Maxie Mail Subscription Sewing Box is great for anyone who loves sewing and quilting! I love how I can take a class right in my home! Plus the projects are always useful and beautiful!










Thursday, April 4, 2019

Modern Triangles Quilt - Juniper Fabric


Hello friends! I know - this has been a crazy blog week :) - but you will want to keep reading and see all the photos of my Modern Triangles Quilt with the stunning Juniper fabric by Jen Allyson for Riley Blake Designs! Just look at the gorgeous black, white, and gray fabrics with METALLIC! It is awesome!



With gorgeous prints and metallic fabric- I knew I wanted a modern quilt pattern that kept the fabric pieces large. The Juniper fabrics are just meant to shine! So Modern Triangles Quilt was the winner!


Modern Triangles Quilt is a great beginner triangle pattern as you only sew 4 rows of triangles with lots of negative space (solid fabric) for your eyes to rest. But don't worry - you can always add or remove triangles rows until you are happy! I love this simple Modern Quilt! Plus Modern Triangles Quilt Pattern is on sale for $5 for the next week (along with my other patterns - yay!)



*Consider additional 1/4 yard cuts for more variety.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Review of the AccuQuilt Ready. Set. GO! Ultimate Fabric Cutting System


Hi Fabric Friends! Today I'm so excited to share my review of the AccuQuilt Ready. Set. GO! Ultimate Fabric Cutting System ... hint ... I LOVE it!

I received my AccuQuilt Ready. Set. Go! Ultimate Fabric Cutting System less than 2 weeks ago and I can't stop using it! I love how I use it EVERYDAY and with patterns I already own (or designed ;) ).  

Want to see all the projects I already made in 2 weeks using everything included in the AccuQuilt Ready. Set. Go! Once I started cutting fabric -  I couldn't stop!  The AccuQuilt GO!  has made my quilting even faster, better, and more fun! Cutting is actually FUN! Plus --- my favorite is NO more cutting/trimming half-square triangles - this is huge for me. We will chat more about this later ;)

Juniper Half Square Triangles Mini Quilts/Pillows-


I love to use my fabric scraps from quilts - no fabric waste here! After I finished my latest Modern Triangles Quilt, I had some Juniper fabric scraps that I just couldn't toss so I needed to make a bonus project. I love perfect half-square triangles so trimming is always involved and it takes FOREVER, but my AccuQuilt GO! came to the rescue!


I simply matched up my Juniper fabric (right sides together) and placed them directly on the #3 die (4" finished half-square triangles). You can stack up to 6 layers of fabrics - so it goes really quick! I didn't even need to trim my fabric scraps because the GO! dies are two-toned so you know exactly where to place your fabric - timesaver!


I love that there is very little fabric waste and no pre-trimming required for scraps. I just kept placing the fabric on the die to cut more half-square triangles.


Seriously in just a few minutes (it took me longer to take the photos) I cut 64 half-square triangles (32 pairs). TIP - by placing your fabric pairs right sides together - they are ready to sew right away!


Check out the clever blunt edges - they are exactly 1/4" so perfect seams and no more trimming fabric dog ears!
After a few minutes of sewing and pressing time - I had (32) perfect half-square triangles without having to trim... yay! 


I was happily surprised just how quickly I was able to make both projects without needing to first cut my scraps to size and then trim the final half-square triangles. Luckily Mother's Day is coming up as I'm going to need all the half-square triangle GO! dies ;).


Let's Chat about the AccuQuilt Ready. Set. GO! 
(and why I love it).

In the AccuQuilt Ready. Set. GO! Ultimate Fabric Cutting System - you receive EVERYTHING you need to start creating! The AccuQuilt GO! machine is sturdy, easy to use,  and stands up for compact storage (don't worry it has a magnetic closure so it opens/closes very easily).  


I was so impressed with the GO! Qube packaging....it is so well designed and useful! I love how each die has it's own pocket, is labeled, and securely stored neatly! Plus the GO! Qube looks perfect on my bookshelf and I easily know which die I need! Along with a quick user guide - there is a DVD included too! AccuQuilt has made it easy to use their machine/dies and to stay organized! 


Don't worry if you are stumped for project ideas - just use one of the included (72) block designs you can make with you GO! Qube OR the included Quilt in a Day Pattern Book or the free patterns on the AccuQuilt website.


More Projects -

Let's get back to sharing the projects I made with my AccuQuilt GO! What I love about these projects is that I used a "regular" pattern and my Accuquilt GO! dies to cut the fabric, which saved me time and gave me perfect blocks. I thought I was pretty good at rotary cutting, but guess what - AccuQuilt is more precise!

Monday, April 1, 2019

Threadology Quilt Along - Block 5



Happy April 1st! It's time for Block Five - Churn Dash for the Threadology Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop and Moda Fabrics! Over $13,000 in donations have already been raised for Make-A-Wish Central/South Texas....quilters are so generous!!!! I love this!!!! Have you seen the cute bonus projects Fat Quarter Shop released - Table Runner, Wall Hanging, and a Table Topper - here.

I'm so excited about this month's block - Royal Star. The Churn Dash block is one of my all time favorite quilt blocks! I just love it!  I'm loving all of the Threadology Blocks and especially the adorable fabric:  Little Snippets by Bonnie & Camille - which is available here!

Let's get sewing Block 5: Royal Star

This week we are making (1) 12.5" x 12.5" block and (4) 6.5" x 6.5" blocks - they are gorgeous!


Tip 1: I cut Fabrics C and E at 4" (large block) 2.5" (small block) and trimmed my half-square triangles with my 6.5" Bloc-loc ruler for perfect half- triangles. I love my Bloc-loc ruler and use it all the time!

Tip 2: Take time to fussy cut Fabric: 55187-12 for the corner squares (F)

Tip 3: Don't forget to trim the Star Point Units - they are just too cute and tiny.


A Bit About the 2019 Threadology Patterns -