June Finish

This is a tote just as it seems :) I can't tell you more about it as its a secret gift. As soon as its received I'll tell you all about it.

There's also a Traveling Stash Box up for grabs on my previous post.

Traveling Stash Box, yay!

Fabric Stash Box Giveaway Closed!

I have wanted to join in on the Traveling Stash box fun ever since I first heard of them. There are a number of boxes literally traveling around the U.S. full of fabric and goods. I won the box from Deb at A Simple Life Quilts. So exciting! Here's a picture of the most of the fabric, notions and patterns that arrived including: Salt Air charm pack, partial charm pack, elastic chord, fat quarters, yardage, sparkle beaded decoration, ruler, twin needle, seam ripper, sewing kit, thread conditioner, needle threaders, a big zip lock full of tons of quilting patterns, a great embroidery booklet, buttons and Aurifil. There may be a few other things I've forgotten but there's a bunch of stuff. 

With things like traveling stash boxes you never know what you're going to get, really. There are many different tastes and choices for fabrics and notions. That's how the fabric business is worth probably billions of dollars. All that being said, many of the fabrics in this box were not my style. On the other hand, there was some great stuff that my LQS's don't carry and it was great to be able so have some. I did find things that worked for me and almost kept the Salt Air but decided to let someone else keep it. 

Here's what I'm keeping and what I'm giving. Top row is what I'm taking, bottom row is what I'm giving. Middle row I'm taking the Indigo Crossing charm pack and giving the Wishes by Moda, taking the pink washi and giving the neutral washi.



Here's the other thing about traveling stash boxes, they go to peoples houses. Some of those houses have fur babies. I am allergic to those and had a really hard time. Usually this box has a week turn around. You get it, take what you want and send it on. I had to air out the box many times before I could do a final switch out. So from friendly advice would be, if you have allergies be aware that this can be an issue and if you have pets please try and keep the goods away from your fur babies. 

There was a final third yard that I couldn't decide what to switch out. So I'll leave it up to you! Would you like the modern graphic Collage from Carrie Bloomston, the Riley Blake Pretty pinwheels from Country Girls, or the classic blue and white Swirly Girls design from Michael Miller in homage to our Independence Day July 4th. 



The rules to receive this box are fairly simple. You must be an active blogger to receive this box.

• The definition of a Stash is a secret store of valuables. For quilters it is a collection of usable quality products. The stash contains fabric, patterns and notions. ALL FABRIC IN THE BOX IS AND MUST CONTINUE ON AS QUILT SHOP QUALITY. THE FABRIC SHOULD BE NEW AND UNWASHED. 
• PATTERNS/BOOKS should be new or in a gently used condition. (No free patterns from the Internet) Books take up a lot of space and the box is limited, so please include fabric instead of a big book.
• Other items such as tools or notions should be packaged and in new or gently used condition. Nothing should be old or tattered.
• WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOX, feel free to take whatever you like and replace it with the same quantity and QUILT SHOP QUALITY THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE PAYING IT FORWARD TO THE NEXT QUILTER TO RECEIVE THE BOX. 

The Giveaway for this box will remain open for one week. YOU MUST BE AN ACTIVE BLOGGER to receive The Two Sisters Travelling Stash. This box is limited to travel within the United States only. Please leave a comment and the giveaway will be closed on July 9, 2014. *Edited* And the winner will be announced July 10, 2015. Thanks for stopping by!

Ballet Shoes Paper Pieced Quilt Block Style

I Love love these ballet shoes! I got to pattern test for Tartankiwi again and the pattern was perfect. There are a few pieces to this one so it took me a few hours. I like to precut my fabric the rough size of the piece I'll be using. It seems to take longer to cut but then piecing goes so quickly. The colors are two shades of Kona Cotton pink and an aqua colored Sketch.



The pale pink is supposed to look like the pink tights little ballerina's use. I can just see this as the front of a tote bag for my niece. To put her ballet things in for class of course! Perfect :)

Tartankiwi has the best paper pieces patterns. Although this has a few pieces, sewing it together is straightforward and simple. All the sections meet up perfectly. There are also a couple of pages you can print off that help with fabric and piece placement.

I find the design elegant. Here's me deciding on skin color or tights color. Have you paper pieced any blocks lately?

A Block for Aneela Hoey and A Lotta Glimma with Collage

I bought a quarter yard of fabric that was not on sale. Why? I'm preparing to make a block for Aneela Hoey. There was some sad news Aneela released on IG that she was diagnosed with cancer. Pins and Bobbins is asking us to make a block or two and will make them into a quilt for Aneela. Here's the link for info and block specifications.


Why would this feel important to me? I, like many of you I'm sure, know someone close to me that has been diagnosed. There is nothing like that initial shock, immediate worry and sense of feeling lost and helpless. There's nothing you can really do in that moment. But after that, you can be there, be loving, be supportive, be strong, cry with them, wait with them and possibly wrap them up in a quilt hug. A tangible reminder that you are thinking of them that they're important and Loved.

If you are so inclined and have some Aneela Hoey fabrics you'd be welcome to make a block or two. Do you have a favorite fabric or line from her?

Sherbet Pips was one of the first lines I remember to cause a virtual furor of love and "gotta have it"-ness. I remember wanting to see some in real life to see what all the fuss was about. It really was charming and the square dots are still one of my favorite blenders. A charm pack of Sherbet Pips also made up my first twin sized quilt top after coming back to quilting in years. I'm grateful to her and all the other designers that make beautiful fabrics that impact my life and make it more enjoyable.

That little fold of fabric isn't the only thing I came home with. The more joy the better. I knew the store was having a clearance sale and it was worth going.



Lotta Jansdotter Glimma fabric for $2.99 a yard. Yep, you read that correctly, fabulous quilt shop fabric at $2.99 a yard. What else was on sale? Thanks for asking



Collage fabric by Carrie Bloomston. It's a bright mustardy yellow green in a large scale that I think would be great for bags or backing. I got three yards of each of the above. I mean, three yards was nine dollars. Nine! Sorry, I'm still excited about it.



A yard and a half of this Dear Stella got paid for as well. I find 1.5 the perfect length for a nice gathered skirt. I've already washed, cut and started to hem it.



This is how it looks. It's a hand sewn blind hem, or pick stitch hem. I pulled the fabric up so you could see the stitches and how far apart they are. Normally it lays nice and flat while you stitch. You pick up one or two threads on the skirt side so it's nearly invisible from the "right side" of the garment.



Do you do your hems like this or by machine?

Linking up to Sunday Stash at Molli Sparkles

Cherry Christmas in the Backyard Baby Sunday Monday Stash

There were two simultaneous shop hops happening locally, which means jack pot! I happened to be traveling a little further north and south than I normally would and decided to drop in. Boy I'm glad I did. These fabrics were on average $5.25 a yard. Most of them are from the line Cherry Christmas by Aneela Hoey.



The third from the left above and directly below is Birch Forest from the Backyard Baby line by Patty Sloniger. It was originally part of a loosely boy geared novelty line. I find that this print transcends boy novelty. It is so precisely, sparsely but beautifully designed. The minimal lines on the trees suggesting birch bark. The bird is a drawing yet manages to not be cartoonish. I think the color and linear quality are so cool and chic. I would love to do an entire backing from this. I also have a quilt design with grey Kona creating lots of negative space that's been floating around my head since the line came out a couple years ago. Look at this little guy! Such a pretty color of orange red on his cap.




These next three are the Cherry Christmas presents print "All Wrapped Up." I think this may be one of my favorite blender designs of all time. What better fabric to include in bee blocks, tote swaps, birthday swaps, birthday presents, labor day presents, etc. Presents!



These are the red prints I picked up. Washing Line in red and the All Wrapped Up in red. I think this is one of the most charming Christmas lines to ever come out. Top 10 or top 5? Do you have a Christmas line that you love? Or a novelty fabric that you use as regular old fabric?

Linking up to Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash being held by Quilts From the Attic.