My first attempt at using foundation paper

 Well hello!

Hope you are staying cool wherever you are!

I was able to get into my craft room and turn my sewing machine on! It's been so very busy here with our new best good gal Thelma Lou - lots of training, walks, and pool time! She's an absolute dream! But - sometimes you need to just yell "Tag! You're on puppy duty!" and run to your craft room!!

I wanted something easy - yet challenging, and since I am such a beginner in all things sewing and quilting, I figured a very easy foundation paper block would be quick (under an hour) for me, give me a bit of a challenge, but also wouldn't be too frustrating for me.

I decided to try my hand at the 6'' Economy block paper I recently purchased from Fat Quarter Shop. I went through my practice fabric stash and picked a sewing print, a polka dot, and a gingham print. EASY FABRIC MATCH! I was off to an excellent start.

This was so easy! And oh so very satisfying!

After some quick fabric cuts I was ready to start. Nothing about this seemed very intimidating, as I have watched Kimberly Jolly's videos using these papers about a dozen times! I really am pleased with how quickly this block went together, and how confident I was while using the foundation paper.

Here was my piece after I trimmed it down. This probably took me about 30-40 minutes. 

Here is the back of my piece - I feel like it looks pretty good, but definitely welcome y'all to point out any errors! My newbie eyes may not catch mistakes!

Here is my piece after I removed all the paper from the back and pressed it again. Next time I will "fussy cut" my middle piece a little better. Stay tuned for more practice with my Economy block pad - I'm not sure I'm ready to try the other pads I purchased just yet!

As always, thanks for reading, and your tips and suggestions are always welcome!

A Fat Quarter Shop Haul

I had a browser window open on Fat Quarter Shop for a few weeks, with quite a few items sitting in my buggy. I was having such a hard time deciding, plus a few things I had my eye on were being released soon. I decided not to wait, and will place another order next month! Here’s what I purchased, with links:

Shown: Autumn Quilt Seeds Pumpkin 8 Block KIT by Lori Holt $25.98

Bluegrass Charm 5" Stacker - Melissa Mortenson for Riley Blake Designs $11.98

Grand Haven Charm Pack - Minick & Simpson for Moda Fabrics $11.98

Sunnyside MINI Charm Pack Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics $4.98  - Sold Out?

 

6' Woven Star Quilt Block Foundation Paper | It's Sew Emma $10.98

6" Economy Quilt Block Foundation Paper | Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet for It's Sew Emma $10.98

6" Log Cabin Quilt Block Foundation Paper | It's Sew Emma $10.98

Sewline Blue Fabric Water Soluble Glue Pen $7.48

Kimberly's Color Alphabitties Specialty Marking Tools $7.48

Schmetz 5 Count Universal Size 90/14 Machine Needles $3.98

Black Frixion Ball Erasable Gel Pen $2.98

Add a Quarter 6" Plus Ruler | CM Designs $9.48

I have a reservation in for:

Blueprint Charm Pack | Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics

Nantucket Summer Charm Pack | Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics

Wishlist:

Morning Mist Quilt Kit | Featuring Nantucket Summer by Camille Roskelley

Backing Set for Morning Mist Quilt Kit

I love all the blues and greens of Camille Roskelley's fabrics. I have a lot of blue and white china displayed in my dining room, and recently was gifted some Borallo Pinheiro cabbage ware from my Mama that I will be decorating with as well. If weather permits towards the end of the summer, I will be hauling my Grandma's hutch down to my house to give it a makeover and a new life! It's not 100%, but I'm thinking it will be painted 'Kudzu' by Dixie Belle Paints. Here's to big plans, and praying they happen!

Thanks for reading!

-Bunny

When it rains, it POURS

 

Well here I am, back on my blog. It's been a wild end of January and February for us. What started out as some beautiful and welcome snow in January turned into more than we expected snow and ice. We finally thawed from that, and had a GORGEOUS day of 70 degrees!

Then, round two of snow came. My mind truly is drawing a blank on how much we got, because not long after that days of rain followed, we got a small break, and then IT HAPPENED.

SO MUCH RAIN, WAY TOO FAST.

Everything was fine, all through the day, and into the evening. I'm sure you know where I am going with this. The last I checked our downstairs, everything was dry as a bone at 1am. I woke around 7am, and wouldn't you know it, there was 7 inches of water in our finished basement. I'd also like to point out that when I woke up to a flooded basement, I was also surprised with the fact that we had two inches of fresh snow on the ground!

Fast forward a week later, and here I am. The basement drained (VERY quickly), our utilities were checked by professionals (sump, furnace, hot water heater, electrics, etc) and all carpeting, drywall, doors, and baseboards have been removed from the house. We have completely dried out and our humidity down there is around 36%. It was a busy week, but now that all of the urgent things have been taken care of, we can take a break and a breather. Absolutely nothing down there is pressing at the moment. We can take our time remodeling. The sun is finally shining, and will be all week, so we have spent some time on the porch in our rocking chairs, and today I have spent a little time at my sewing machine, in front of an open window, and watching sewing and quilting reels on Pinterest. 

Before we flooded, I had quilted the block I sewed in January. I was so pleased with how it turned out, considering I have never done this, and I was ready for binding. Being a beginner, I decided to order a bias tape maker, and I am glad I did. I had watched some videos about cutting your fabric for binding, but with the events of the last week, I realized I needed to watch them again. That's what I've done today, and I practiced a little on some plain white fabric. I'm not ready to cut into the fabric I have picked for my binding yet, I think I am going to practice a few more times!

I have to say, this small little quilt block sure is taking ages to finish, but I guess that is how it goes with any hobby sometimes. Life truly gets in the way, and that's ok! We have these hobbies as a way to relax. It will mean so much more to me when it's finished, and I can't wait to hang it somewhere to remind me of where I started.

Here is the fabric I picked for the binding. I am hoping to finish it all this week. It's coming off darker in the photo, but I think it will look really good.

Hope to have a good quilting update for you soon, and I hope you are DRY and enjoying some nice sunny weather, wherever you are! Three weeks until Spring! 

-Bunny

Another Quilting Update

 Hello!

Is the weather warming up in your neck of the woods? The sun has been out for days, and thankfully, we are moving into 40 degree weather for the next week. I am so looking forward to sunshine and warmer weather. A few days we could even be 50 degrees!

Quilting. This is addicting! I am still learning the ins and outs of my machine, every time I sit down I learn something new. I'm thankful for that. I sat down yesterday and just started grabbing fabric and sewing, with really no rhyme or reason. I am still having problems lining up my seams, but I am slightly improving with that. Any suggestions and tips would be helpful.

Here is one square I pieced together.

I then grabbed some larger precuts and pieced together this. I watched a reel on Pinterest for this same pattern and just went with it. Again, that top row has seams that are way off, but I am quite pleased with the rest of the seams, so I will actually quilt it and hang it on my craft room wall. After I trimmed, this block is 8x8. I can't wait to see it hanging on my wall above my bulletin board! I typically hang a 1x1 barn quilt above my board, since I have so many painted. I change them out seasonally/for different holidays. An actual quilt block will be a nice change! 

I made a quite a few mistakes on some other things I pieced together, which allowed me to break out the seam ripper and try some do-overs. This is all such a learning curve! I have realized I am not proficient enough to sew and chat over text with my friends at the same time! I sewed so much yesterday that I actually finished up all the thread on my bobbin!

Last night my husband went back out to the garage and cut and shaped a wooden "clapper" for me to use after ironing. I've seen them being used a lot in the YouTube videos I've been watching. It definitely seems 

like these will be helpful, and he offered to make me a few in different sizes. Right now its just a wooden block but I'm wondering if I should add some wax to it? I have some Dixie Belle clear wax and wonder if that would be good?

We ran into town to grab a a few things, and we stopped at Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's. I grabbed a few fat quarters to add to my stash. I am hoping that this year I can make a set of coasters, place mat, or a candle mat. I'm not sure which of those I will pick just yet, but I would love to complete a small project with some dreamy fabric and minimal mistakes!

I have decided that I am ready to purchase an Oliso iron. If you can recommend one, or another brand, please leave a comment or e-mail me. I'd prefer to not spend over $100. I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!

-Bunny

I kinda did it!

 As promised, here is my first ever update: Overall, I'd have to say I am pleased with my first attempt at a nine patch quilt block! 

I am very thankful for the suggestion of purchasing a 1/4 inch foot for my sewing machine. I did order one, and it arrived before I even started sewing! Being so new to this, I did order a Brother branded foot, because I'm just not sure that the generic stuff is compatible. These are all things that will be learned in time. Of course, I am quite wobbly with my machine still, and I will need a lot of practice keeping my fabric straight as I run it through. And I definitely need a ton of practice lining up my seams! I pinned a lot, or what I thought was a lot, but again, this will take practice.

Even with just this tiny taste, I can FOR SURE see how quilting can be addicting, and my Mama said, "It sounds like a good addiction to have!" I agree!!

In other news, all of our snow melted over the past few days from the big snowstorm of what, two weeks ago? It was lovely to see the grass again, even if it was all just a big muddy mess. Fast forward to today, and we woke up with an another inch or so of snow! And once again, everything is pretty again! I just looked out the window as I am typing this, (its just after noon EST) and it's STILL snowing.

I hope to practice with my sewing machine some this week when time allows. We have two very large furniture deliveries heading our way, one large delivery for my husband's home office furniture, and another for a couch and loveseat for our family room. The family room furniture is surprisingly due this coming week, so my time will be busy preparing for that. Funny, I just ordered the furniture this morning! To see a delivery date this week caught me by surprise, so my plans for today's snow day have altered. You know how some parts of your home just become a catch all? Well, the top of our stairs leading to our downstairs has become just that. It has a large landing, and we tend to just sit everything that needs to go downstairs at the top of the steps. You know, 5 gallon buckets of sugar for canning, our large crockpot and roaster, flats of empty mason jars, etc. We have a storage room with shelves downstairs where we store these things, but isn't it just easier to sit it on the landing? LOL! We have a lot of putting stuff away and staging we will need to do, and I'd like to list a few items on Facebook Marketplace as well.

I also need to finish up painting the trim in my husband's office and clean up any painting mistakes, in preparation for his furniture delivery, which should be coming in the next few weeks. (Fingers crossed!) I am so excited for him that he is finally getting such lovely furniture! If I haven't mentioned it before, my husband works from home.

Up next will be a MASSIVE painting project in our family room. The walls are primed, a color is picked, we just need to get started. It's a huge project, with our large family room, a landing, hallway, and the staircase that all needs painting. I will be so happy when its all done, and we can just relax and enjoy our family room. I think knowing the furniture is coming will help me get moving!

I hope you all have had a lovely weekend, wherever you are. 

Thank you so much for reading!

Stay warm out there!

-Bunny

Quilting is a scrap of happiness

 Quilting. 

Oh, how I’ve dreamed of quilting over the years. I’ve spent a decade plus painting quilts, too afraid to break out that sewing machine. Believe me, I’ve so enjoyed painting barn quilts, but over the past two years, the fabric and the thread and my untouched machine sitting in its box started calling to me. Once I stumbled upon Lori Holt, Kimberly Jolly and her shop Fat Quarter Shop, it was game over, and I was done dreaming and not doing. 

I’m finally answering that call. 

In December, I got on Etsy and purchased a beginner’s quilt block pattern and instructions from a shop called StaceyLeeCreative. It was for a Nine Patch Quilt Block, came with written instructions and a YouTube video. Plus, it only cost $3.50. I have nothing to lose. 

I found some quilting fabric in my craft stash, so this has to be meant to be, right? Actually, I had been slowly buying a few things over the past few years in preparation for this quilting journey. I remember purchasing this fabric bundle from Shabby Fabrics back in 2017. Then, a few years ago I bought a rotary cutter and a ruler, but last month, I caught a sale at Joann’s, and bought some more rulers and a cutting mat at 50% off. I also purchased a Lori Holt binder, and my husband sweetly gifted me some Lori Holt notions for Christmas. As I type this out, and see the year 2017, I can’t help but think “Wow, I really plan in advance, don’t I?!” It’s so silly. Look how much time I’ve wasted simply thinking about quilting. 

I was watching a YouTube video last week from Kimberly Jolly (love her!) at Fat Quarter Shop, and she showed an item they carry - it’s simply a wooden block with grooves in it to hold your rulers. I’m not sure how recent the video was, and I’m sure I couldn’t find it again if I tried. I showed it to my husband and he went right out to the garage and made me one from some scrap wood. He’s a sweetie! Once the weather warms up I’m gonna smooth the edges on it and spray paint it a pretty color!

Don’t you love my HUGE binder with only two patterns in it? 😂

I got my sewing machine unpacked while we were snowed in, and will find a YouTube video for my exact machine to make sure I’m setting everything up correctly before I start. I have a Brother CE1100PRW. Can I even (mini) quilt on this thing? Who knows. Either way, it’s happening. The thread I ordered will be here Wednesday. I can’t wait to get started! 

Here’s the pretty fabric I found in my stash. I already had the wool ironing pad, but am waiting to see if I enjoy quilting before I buy a smaller iron. I brought our big iron upstairs to use, and it’s really heavy. If I really get into this, I’ll probably be purchasing an Oliso iron. Check out the adorable Lori Holt bonnet needle minder my husband bought me! 🥰 

I hope you’ll stick around, because I plan on documenting my progress - my HONEST progress, warts and all. And if you have any tips and advice- please please leave them in the comments! 

Wish me luck! 

I hope to have an update by 1/19/25. 

-Bunny

Here are the links to the two beginners patterns I purchased:

Nine Patch Quilt Block PDF Pattern with YouTube Video

Hourglass Quilt Block PDF Pattern with YouTube Video

A Quick Hello

Does anyone blog anymore? Do people still follow blogs? I do, but admittedly I am lurker. I've decided to put a stop to that, start a blog, regardless of how outdated that sounds, and also to start commenting on blogs. I am someone who left Facebook as far back as 2012, and I left Instagram in 2020. That doesn't leave a lot of room for connecting with people who share your interests. So here I am.

Who am I, and what are my interests? Well, I am a 40-something woman living in Kentucky with my husband. We spent the first 12 years of our marriage moving around the country with the military, and finally settled back in our home state. We both were born and raised in Kentucky, however over the last five years we have both just absolutely fallen head over heels in love with this place. So I guess that's where this blog begins - our home - in more ways than one. 

My husband and I luckily both share similar interests. We are both homebodies, but we do get that itch to get "out there". We love small towns (the smaller the better), charming historic districts, eating at country restaurants, long drives down back roads searching for barn quilts, and antiquing. For us, this makes for a happy life! During our back road treks, I discovered my new love: the Kentucky hot brown. How did I not know this dish existed? How have I made it this far in life without it? Oh, I have so much lost time to make up for! 

For me, this blog will mainly be a place to share a little glimpse of our life. I have many ideas rattling around in my brain, like our garden plans for next year, our small day trips, my foray into quilting, my total inability to make home decor decisions, and so on. 

That "so on" also being the Kentucky hot browns this blog is named for. I hope you'll stick around!

-Bunny🐇