Flickr Friday Inspiration- Ringo Pie Bee

My block ~ Ringo Pie Bee, a photo by ayumills on Flickr.

The Ringo Pie Bee is AMAZING! Every month when I see a new block, I am always stunned. (As in HOW DID THEY DO THAT?!)

This month is no exception. Ayumi's Mail Box block is absolutely charming and so inspiring.

Don't you love the details? The roosters, the apple on a spoon and the boy and girl are my favorites. I am amazed at her mailbox- curves and all. The script fabric is exactly the right touch and don't you love the embroidery?

I have yet to try paper piecing but Ayumi's block absolutely inspires me. I want to be able to create something as rock star as this!

If you haven't seen any of the Ringo Pie blocks, check them out on Flickr. Seriously- you'll be amazed.

Hope this inspires you too.
Y'all have a great Friday!

I ♥ Tuscaloosa

My heart goes out to everyone in Tuscaloosa. I went to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and had some of the best years of my life there.
It's a special place.

The pictures of the tornado damage are devastating. My heart breaks for the town, for everyone that lives there and for everyone that has been effected by the tornado. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Starflower Block Tutorial

This is the block I chose for my quilting bee month. 

I love the color wheel effect.  

I was inspired by Muriel's block I saw on Flickr. 

This is my finished quilt. 

It is a fairly easy block to make if you take your time plus, you get two blocks for the price of one! Gotta love efficiency!

To make 2 (12.5" finished) blocks you will need the following supplies: 

8 white squares measuring 3.5" x 3.5" 

8 white squares measuring 4" x 4" 

16 colored squares (8 colors, 2 of each color) 4" x 4"

rotary cutter & mat

ruler

pencil

iron

3.5" square up ruler (very helpful)

optional: quarter inch foot

Special Notes:

• Non-directional prints work best
• Half square triangles are sewn together using a quarter inch seam. When you sew the blocks together, you will use a scant quarter inch seam. 

1. Lay out your fabric in sets grouped by size and color.

2.  Place your colored squares in a circle to see where you want them to go in your finished block. I chose a color wheel type of layout.

3.  Make note of their placements as you will need to know this later on. My colors go in the following order, clockwise: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple.

4. Divide the 4" x 4" colored fabric squares into two groups- put one of each color in each group. Set aside four 3.5"x3.5" white squares. You will use all of these squares for the second block.

5. Now is the time to make half square triangles (HST) for your blocks. 

You can do it. It's easy!

6.  Keeping in mind your color order, place your 8 colored squares together, right side, to right side.  Place the following colors together: red/pink, orange/yellow, green/aqua, blue/purple.  You will now have 4 pairs of colored squares.

7.  Using your ruler and a pencil, make a diagonal line across the back of the fabric square pair.

8. Now, line up your presser foot with the pencil line so that you sew a quarter inch from the line. You do not need to backstitch!

9. After sewing on one side of the line, turn your square around and line up your presser foot again, sewing a quarter inch from the pencil line on the opposite side.

10. Now you should have stitches a quarter inch from the pencil line on both sides.

11. Line up your ruler with your pencil line and use your rotary cutter to cut along the line. This will produce two triangles that when open, are a square.

12. Press your seams open. 

13.  Use your 3.5" square ruler to trim your block. Be sure to line up the diagonal line of your ruler with the diagonal seam on your block.  Trim your block to 3.5" x 3.5."

14.  Repeat steps 7-13 with the remaining colored squares pairs (orange/yellow, green/aqua, blue/purple.)

15. Take the additional 8 colored squares and place them right sides together with the 8 white 4" x 4" squares.

16. Follow steps 7-13 to create half square triangles.

17. Great job! The hardest part is finished! You should now have a lot of half square triangle blocks.

18. Organize your blocks.

19.  Set aside one row of colored blocks and one row of colored and white blocks. These will be for your second starflower.

20.  Now, place your blocks in the appropriate layout.  

21. Take the middle two blocks on the top row, place them right sides together and sew them together using a SCANT quarter inch seam.  From this point on, you will use a scant quarter inch seam.  (A scant quarter inch seam is slightly less than a quarter inch.)  Be sure to line up your blocks carefully. 

22. Next, sew the middle two blocks together from each row.

23. Now, sew the outer blocks to the inner blocks on each row. 

Please note that while your seams will line up, it may look like your colored fabric doesn't line up. That is normal! 

You should now have 4 rows of 4 blocks sewn together. 

Press your seams open.  

24. Take the first and second rows and place them right sides together. It is very important to line up the seams carefully! Having pressed the seams open will help you line up your blocks more easily. 

Use several pins to make sure the blocks don't move. 

25.  Sew your two rows together using a scant quarter inch seam. 

Open your rows and examine your seams. Do they line up? If not take out the seam ripper and undo your stitches, then try again. (I've had to do this several times before!) 

26. Repeat steps 24 & 25 with the remaining two rows. 

27. Press your seams open. 

Remember the blue and green fabric that didn't seem to line up in step 23? 

All fixed! 

28. You now have a top and bottom set. Place the top set onto the bottom set making sure the seams line up exactly. Pin liberally then sew together using a scant quarter inch seam. 

29. Open your finished block and check your seams. 

Do they line up to your satisfaction? 

If so, press your block and admire you work! 

Congratulations- you've completed your starflower block! 

If you aren't satisfied with the finished product, get out your handy seam ripper and have a do-over. 

When I made these blocks, the first one didn't line up exactly even though I took the final row of stitches out three times.  And after three do overs, the red and pink are still slightly off point. 

On the second one, I paid extra close attention to the placement of my seams and it turned out perfectly. 

Either way, the blocks look fabulous and will be beautiful in a quilt! 

They would also make great pillows! 

No matter what you do with these blocks, don't let small imperfections discourage you. The more blocks you make, the more precise you will get! 

Happy Sewing! 

If you make one of these blocks, I would love to see it. 

Please add yours to the Ellison Lane Quilts Flickr Group. 

This tutorial was included in

and

and

Big 5 Blog Party and a Giveaway!

It's a Party and You're Invited! 

The Big 5 Blog Party starts Monday, May 2!

5 Fantastic Bloggers will be here next week sharing their insights and creativity. I can't wait for you to meet them!

Here's the lineup:

Lindsey from LR Stitched

Mary from Molly Flanders

Jolene from Blue Elephant Stitches

Angela from Cut to Pieces

Michelle from I Like Orange Too!

Plus, there's a fabulous giveaway! One lucky reader will have a chance to win this beautiful bundle of Moda Crossweaves (2 yards total) from

  Sew Fresh Fabrics. 

Also Suzanne from The Bead Bouquet is giving away this cute quilting necklace.

So put on your party dress and come join me on Monday, May 2. 

We're going to have a great time! 

A Quilt for my Dad

It was my dad's 63rd birthday this past weekend, and I surprised him with a quilt.

My daddy has a big personality so the quilt had to match. He's loud and funny, and his favorite saying is "I don't know when I've been this good!"  He knows how to laugh and laughs easily and is always up for a good time.  

He is butter in the hands of my children and is a wonderful grandfather- just as he is a wonderful dad.  

My dad holding my daughter

She's playing hide and seek with my dad

He and I have gone on Daddy/Daughter date nights since I was in Jr. High. It has been a special tradition that I've loved- something that we do, just for us. Our next one is coming up in a few weeks. 

It was great fun picking out the fabric for his quilt. It was also my first time mixing fabric lines which I found liberating. I used fabric from Central Park, Kumari Garden and Tea Garden.

I was inspired by my friend Kari's quilt and enjoyed Elizabeth's (Oh Fransson!) Mixtape Quilt Pattern.  

There are a few imperfections but I don't think he'll notice them. I like to say I make things with love, not necessarily things that are perfect. 

The quilt seems sunny and happy to me and my dad loved it which is all that matters. 

Those are my parents and my brother and his sweet wife.
My husband was the photographer and the baby was asleep.

I'd love to hear about what you've made for someone that you loved.