Hip to be a Square - Episode 11

*Edit: Argh. Where did my podcast go? Where? Hope this fixed it*

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Quilty gifts:

• Jim Shore
• Dare to be Square book
• Sewing 2011 calendar

Geeky gifts:

• Star Ware cookie cutters 
• My new phrase to describe awesomeness: Double Millennium Falcon!!

(with double secret Harry Potter picture from my dad in the background. It's true! I do solemnly swear I am up to no good!)

With this mischief managed, I am heading off to finish my alien poop trifle. I'll explain what that is in next week's episode.

Layer Cake Quilt Along - Block 5

Block 5
Originally uploaded by Pantsfreesia

Here is my fifth block for the Layer Cake quilt-along. It was nice to get back into a sewing groove today after so long away from my machine (I also finished a Christmas lap quilt), and I like how this block turned out.

I did switch up the orientation of 2 of the striped blocks so there was a bit more diagonal symmetry to the block, and have noticed others taking liberties with their compositions as well. Guess I'm not alone!

News

Hi all,

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season. Ours was dampened a bit by the news of my grandmother's passing yesterday. She lived to be 101, and died at home in the same apartment she had lived in for over 30 years. She is loved, and will be missed.

As a result, I am traveling with my parents to Ohio today, while my husband and children have headed home a day early. I'll likely be traveling or at the service on Friday, so no podcast from me this week.

Best wishes,
Pam

Hip to be a Square Podcast - Episode 10

**Edited: There was problem with the embedded file - it was playing Episode 9, and I think it's fixed now.**

Click to Play

It's a sad trombone kind of podcast with a ton of rambling tangents! I draw the winners for the Sew Mama Sew giveaway LIIIIIIVE! I also give Nonnie an answer to a very important question.

Here's the link to the HtbaS subgroup and forum on Big Tent!

Here is quilt I made for my FIL (who also did us a wonderful favor and took our to car to have the wheels aligned before our road trip tomorrow):

In case you didn't know, I have TWO helper cats. Aren't you jealous? BTW, Zoom is not stoned. She always looks like than in pictures.

Finally, congrats to Morgan and Kayla, who won the giveaways! I've emailed them to let them know.

Layer Cake Quilt Along - Block 4

**Looking for my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway entry? Here it is!**

Block 4 for the Layer Cake Quilt Along is done!

 

I must be a star kind of girl, because this one and block 1 are my favorites, although the snowball corners gave me fits. I did try to save some fabric waste and cut triangles instead of squares to make the corners. Lesson learned! I won't be doing that again.

The original pattern called for 2 HSTs instead of a flying geese for each side points section, which I wasn't too fond of. I used the no-waste flying geese method to make 4 flying geese to finish 3x6" instead (white square cut to 7-1/4" square and 4 green squares cut to 3-7/8").

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!

** Comments are now closed! I'm drawing the winner shortly. **

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! Welcome to the Hip to be a Square Podcast and bloggy-type thing! I'm pleased to be giving away several items for this Giveaway Day.

The first is a matching notepad cover and travel tissue holder. The notepad is a standard 5x8" size, and the notepad and tissues are included. The print is sort of a funky jungle print with some olive green and purple. The notepad tutorial is modeled on Erin Compton's design, and the tissue holder design is my own.

The second item is a combo of sorts - a mini cutting mat with 4 1/2" square ruler and 2 FQs from my stash- a brown/white swirly print and a cowboy print.

 

The giveaway will be open until noon Eastern December 17th (Friday!). All you have to do is leave a comment with which item you'd like, either notepad or FQs or both (as some people don't make stuff but like to get handmade stuff). I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner for each item, and email the winners Friday night.

I hope you'll take a listen to a podcast, or maybe check out some of the things I've worked on. You don't need an iPod or MP3 player to listen - you can do it right from your computer! Just click the "Click to Play" link in any of the episode posts.

Thanks!

Hip to be a Square Podcast - Episode 9

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Apologies for the late posting - two words: cat drama! I talk about my finishing my Christmas quilt and some notepad covers I worked on this week. I also share some of the handmade Christmas decorations my grandfather and aunt made me, as well as the cross-stitch I finished during the 1996 Olympics here in Atlanta.

Here is the mug rug I received in the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild exchange.

Here are pictures of the hand-made Christmas decorations I talk about:

Made by my grandfather:

Made by Mr. Robinson, my high school drafting teacher:

Made by me!

Delayed

I have grand plans and notes written up for the podcast today, but I am not feeling like I can be terribly positive right now. I'm on day 4 of a migraine and Zapper has done unspeakable things to my new duvet cover (and pillow). While she is a high strung, anxious bundle of annoyance at times, I love her to death and I'm afraid she's in kidney failure or some other calamity beyond her typical soy allergy and interstitial cystitis (ugh - yes, I'm *that* pet owner). I'm also afraid this is her way of calling dibs on me, as my other cat Zoom usually sleeps on the pillow next to me, and there's not a lot I can do about that part of it. I'm taking Zapper to the vet tomorrow, and will hopefully get some time to podcast this weekend.

Finished! Just in time for Santa...

I finally finished my Christmas quilt! And it was even before Christmas! Truly, a miracle for the season.  This quilt comes from the 12 Days of Christmas by Nancy Halvorsen. I changed the orientation a bit to account for where I wanted to hang it, but it is gloriously done and hanging up! Huzzah.

(clicky to go to the big view at Flickr, and follow the photostream for some close-ups)

Mug Rug!

The Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild did a mug rug swap for our December meeting, and I was lucky enough to get the one from Melinda in our guild. Melinda is a wonderfully talented long-arm quilter and all-around knowledgeable quilter. We are so lucky to have her in our guild! She also thinks lime green is a neutral, which is something I can get behind.

This the mug rug she made, that I now have in my sweaty little paws (okay, not sweaty so much as chilly, because it's 22F overnight here in Georgia):

(Pictures courtesy of Melinda, too - told you she was awesome)

Here are all the mug rugs from the group:

(The one I made is the brown and blue on at the bottom, 2nd from the left. I like to call it the Charlie Brown Mug Rug because it seems a bit paltry compared to the other wonderful ones that were done).

Sew Mama Sew! Giveaway Day!!

The sign-up post for the Sew Mama Sew! Giveaway Day on December 13 has been posted! If you're interested in participating (ie - giving things away), you can follow the sign-up directions on the SMS blog.

If you're interested in winning free stuff... well, come back here on December 13 for the big event! (and on the 10th for my next episode!).

Hip to be a Square Podcast - Episode 8

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I talk about the whole bunch of small projects I finished, give some tips on Precision Piecing, my quilty resolutions for 2011, and some tips for turning those kids' crafts you get around this time of year into something you actually wouldn't mind hanging in your house.

First off, here's my feathered star block from the Precision Piecing class!

Mastering Precision Piecing is the book recommended by the class teacher for many of the techniques I mention in the podcast. Triangulations is the software that will allow you to print foundation papers for HSTs.

Here is the hand and footprint angel my daughter made, which I added borders to and quilted:

 

And here is the handprint tree, again with borders and quilting done by me: