English Paper Piecing + A Little Giveaway

One of my favorite, if not thee favorite, projects I have ever worked on is my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

Just this weekend, I hit a milestone... 

I've spent 2 years (so far) working on it. 

I've clocked hundreds and hundreds of hours, thousands of stitches, and so far it is 31 flowers strong.

It's the perfect take along project! I've lost count of the states and countries this little quilt has traveled to.  I'm only halfway finished, but I have enjoyed every moment of it.  For me, there is just something about doing every single inch of a quilt by hand! I love it! 

I shared a little bit last year about my hexie-ing process in this post in case you are interested in seeing my method for English Paper Piecing.

 I am using 1 1/2 inch hexagons and I use pre-cut papers for my piecing. I get my pieces at PaperPieces.com. I also use their acrylic cutting template that allows me to fussy cut fabrics, and adds the seam allowance as well- so every hexagon I cut is exactly the right size. AMAZING! 

I would never attempt to cut my own shapes because:

1- I would be worried that the papers I cut would not be completely uniform.

and

2- I am making such a large quilt that I would have to cut over a thousand hexagons! AHH!

In case you are wondering, I reuse my pieces a few times before I have to toss them. I ordered the large pack of hexagons when I started this quilt and have added a small pack here or there to replace bent papers- but worth every penny! These papers are a lifesaver, and for me- a must! 

So far I have only done hexagons, but I have some clamshell and diamond papers that are just begging to be made into some mini quilts for my studio wall! Plus- I am dying to jump on the bandwagon and make a La Passacaglia quilt. Ahh!! So many things on my to-do list!!

Now for the fun part... A little giveaway!

Paper Pieces is going to give one lucky reader a $15 gift certificate to their shop!

So whether you are a seasoned English Paper Piecer, or looking to dip your feet into it (and become addicted like I am)- this is the perfect time to see what they offer!  And as an added bonus- they have generously offered 20% off to all MommyByDayCrafterByNight readers! Score!!
Just add the Voucher Code: DayNight20
at checkout (don't forget to hit the 'OK") for 20% off your entire cart!  Expires October 31st, 2014

To enter the giveaway, just stop by PaperPieces.com, take a look around, and then come back here and leave a comment with what you would choose if you won the giveaway!  (your choice will in no way effect the outcome of the giveaway)

Easy right?! Just be sure to include your email address so that I can notify you if you are the lucky winner! 

One person will be selected at random and announced on my blog next Friday.

And as an added bonus- they have generously offered 20% off to all Mommy By Day Crafter By Night readers for any orders! Score!!

Just add the Voucher Code: DayNight20

at checkout (don't forget to hit the 'OK') for 20% off your entire cart!  Expires October 31st, 2014

P.S. Be sure to stay in up to date with all of the PaperPieces.com sales, discounts, and free patterns offered throughout the year by signing up for their newlsetter- or you can follow them on Facebook too!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED

WIP Wednesday: Handmade Halloween Costumes

It's finally looking like fall has come to visit in my neck of the woods... Temps dropped from in the 90s to the 60s in a matter of 2 days. A little drastic if you ask me, but I love this time of year so I guess I shouldn't complain! I have pumpkin spice candles filling my home with a yummy, cozy aroma and I've started working on Halloween costumes for my two little girls. 

It's totally crazy to me that it's already time for Halloween costume preparations, but with going the handmade route, it is a lot of work and I don't want to be burning the midnight oil on October 30th to finish them up. Thus, I am being proactive and feeling on top of things (for once in my life!;).

I said I would never do handmade costumes. EVER.

For a couple reasons.... 

1- On a whole, I think they cost A LOT more than buying a costume at the store. 

and 

2- They are so much extra work and time... 

But never say never I guess... I waffled this year and the handmade costumes are in full swing at our house! 

I am going the homemade route mainly because my youngest wanted to be something that I knew I was not going to be able to buy somewhere. She wants to be Sheriff Callie. (If you don't have a toddler in your house, you probably have no idea who that is, but trust me- She's a big deal)

I'm really excited with how the costume is coming along so far... I can't wait to finish all of the other details and  try it all on my daughter. She is loving watching the progress and very excited about the thought of being "Sheriff Callie"- which is making all this extra work totally worth it! :)  

My oldest daughter was kinda wishy washy on what she wanted to be, but leaning toward Elsa- which we already have a costume for, but since I was doing handmade for one I figured I better go all the way crazy and do handmade for the other- right? 

So after brain storming together, we came up with Little Red Riding Hood. 

Luckily, I have the darling book Little Things to Sew, which has a pattern for the cutest Little Red Cape. 

So with my favorite show starting again tonight (NASHVILLE- can I get a Hallelujah?! I dying to see what Rayna is going to say about Deacon's proposal!!) and lots of pattern pieces to cut out, you know where you can find me for the next little bit!

Hope you have a wonderful week!!

xoxo, Ashley

P.S.

I haven't done a work in progress post in a while...  do y'all like WIP posts?? I post plenty of behind the scenes pictures on Instagram, but I know not everyone is on there, so I thought I would pop over and go the "old fashioned" route with the old bloggety blog... So let me know one way or the other by leaving a comment on whether you like seeing it here, or would rather just see it all on insta and see finished projects on the blog...

Thanks in advance for your input! 

Pro Guide to Quilting

So I am a little late to the party with sharing this now, but with our big move, I forgot to share it with you all earlier. 

This summer, I had the opportunity to be published in a bookazine called Pro Guide to Quilting. (It's kinda a cross between a book and a magazine- so it is aptly named a Bookazine ;) It's full of lots of quilty projects, tips, and ideas. Perfect for anyone who loves, or is interested in beginning quilting. 

They featured the pattern to my Isosceles Triangle Quilt. (remember the quilt along that I did a couple year ago??) It was cool to see the diagram and pattern template that they designed since they weren't able to show each of my step by step pictures featured in the tutorial on my blog! It looks so official! Love it!

 I feel so honored to be featured in the book along side two of my sewing/quilty idols: Amy of nanaCompany and Amy of Diary of a Quilter, along with a whole other slew of talented quilters! And the title- Pro Guide to Quilting- makes me smile and laugh inside, because as someone who just started quilting, let alone sewing, a few years ago- "pro" is not a word I would associate myself with... but when opportunity comes knocking at your door- you answer it, right?! ;)

The book is a publication based out of the UK and is available for purchase here. Or you may still find a copy at Joann- I saw it there over the summer but haven't checked recently.

Hope you are all having a great start to your week! Be sure to pop by my instagram to see what sewing projects I've been up to lately! 

xoxo, Ashley

DIY Carseat Cover

I love giving handmade gifts at baby showers. Back in the spring, we had a baby shower for one of my besties and I made her this car seat cover. It is thee easiest project ever! It only takes about an hour to make. Here is a link to my tutorial:

Tied with a Bow Carseat Canopy

This carseat cover was made for a little girl, but I wanted to use different colors than the standard "baby pinks". Since my friends carseat is red, I knew the perfect fabric line to use: Moda Baby Jane. I love the yellow, red, and aqua in this print. 

If you were making this cover for a little boy, you could totally just leave the bows off, or replace the bows with some chunky buttons. 

Hope y'all are having a great week!

Happy sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

Patchwork Messenger Bag

When I find a sewing pattern that I really love, I tend to make it over and over. That is totally the case with the Oliver + S Messenger Bag pattern.

You can find the pattern in the darling book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew. I initially bought the book solely for this pattern, but after looking through the book I have plans to make a few things from it. It's a great book. When it comes to sewing patterns, I am only interested in patterns that are well thought out, easy to follow, and have a clean finish. I have never been disappointed with anything Oliver+S! Love it all. 

Call me crazy, but I have made this pattern 9 times. Yes... I just said NINE. 

Last summer I was on a quest to make all of my nieces and nephews "handmade birthday gifts" and this pattern was something I new would work across the board for everyone. 

I haven't posted all 9 bags yet, but you can find the ones I have posted here:

Thumbelina Bag 

Star Wars Bags

Heather Bailey Bags

I thought I would mix things up a little with this version of the bag and used a Posy mini charm pack I had on hand to make a patchwork flap for the bag. It turned out really great and was fun to do something a little different as far as the pattern is concerned. 

There are 3 more versions of the messenger bag that I have made and still need to blog about. It's fun to see how using diverse types and patterns of fabric can make the bag look completely different.  Stay tuned!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

Little House Hexie Pouch

Whew!!! This summer has been a whirlwind! After traveling cross country and visiting 8 states over the summer we are FINALLY moved into our new home, the hubby started work today, and the oldest started kindergarten today. Lots of changes going on around our house! 

We are all unpacked but I am still in the organizing period of moving- but I thought I would take a minute from the craziness and come say hi! 

So "HI!" :)

I am super excited to start sewing again and share some fun projects I have in the works! The biggest project I am working on right now is organizing my sewing loft. I still can't believe that after sewing at my kitchen table for the past 4 years, I finally have a space to call "my studio"! Stay tuned for the progress! :) 

Alright... Before I went on our 85 day summer road trip adventure, I was trying to think of a project that I could work on while I was away from my sewing machine and on the road. Of course, I decided to continue to work on my ongoing WIP "Grandmother's Garden/ hexie quilt". I made a lot of progress on the quilt during the trip! I can not wait to finish it and put it on my daughters bed!

While working on the quilt this summer, I realized that I never got around to sharing a sweet little hexie pouch that I made a while back...

It was inspired by my Little House Needlebook and Little House Zipper Pouch. I just love a cute little patchwork house project. 

I used scraps I had laying around the scrap bin and created a pouch with pockets for hexies, a built-in needlebook, and a spot to keep a pair of scissors. 

Although it is a darling little pouch, it's not super practical... There are some things I would change if I made another. Since the pouch folds in half with no zipper around the edge, my stuff seems to fall out easily. I need to attach a ribbon to the scissor cover to tie the handle in place so those don't fall out as well. It also needs a string or ribbon to thread the spools onto to keep them in place. 

Ehh... gotta love it when a project doesn't quite work like you had imagined... But it couldn't be any cuter- so it just may find a home on display in my new sewing loft! ;)

Well the organizing is calling my name.. I had better get back to it, but now that I am home I will be getting back into my regular blogging routine! Hope to see y'all around! 

Happy sewing!!

xoxo, Ashley

Fort Firefly Baby Quilt

Leaving our home in Ohio was hard on many levels... But one of the hardest parts was leaving my friends. Especially since two of my very best friends were pregnant with babies due just weeks after we pulled out of town! It was so heartbreaking to know that I wasn't going to be there to meet their babies or help them afterwards! 

So during the month before I left, I was frantically sewing some gifts for the babes amidst trying to get our house together and ready for the move. Crazy times, but it was so nice to have a project that I could work on and take a break from the craziness.

The first gift that I made was a quilt for my friend Rachel and her darling baby boy. I used some of my leftover scraps from the Fort Firefly Quilt I made for my daughter. I used most of the fabrics from the line, minus the prints with the little girls on them and added a few other prints I had lying around in my stash. I really love the colors of the quilt. It different than just the average baby boy quilt- which I love.

 I am so thankful for technology when it comes to living far away from family and friends! Thanks to Instagram, I was able to see pictures of Rachel's darling little boy hours after she had him. It was ALMOST like I was there... Ok... Not quite, but the next best thing! He's a cutie!

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer! I'm only days away from leaving Utah on a new adventure- trekking across the US again to our new home... This time to states I've never been to before! I can't wait! Wish me luck! 

xoxo, Ashley