Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday!  I don't have too much to share on the crafting front, as I've been spending most of my spare time on my giant organization project.  I am hoping to sneak out to the fabric store a little later today to pick up some backing so that I can start finishing some long over-due projects.

This morning, I do have a new pattern to share on Craftsy, though!  It's one of my favorites, and it's perfect for cozying up this time of year

Source: Granny's Quilt (#1005) via Poplun Designs on Craftsy

Thanks for stopping by!

Autumn Ohio Star Wallhanging or Table Topper

Autumn is definitely my favorite season!  Davis Ranch has tons of great fall veggies, fresh corn, and they should be getting ready to harvest pumpkins any day now.  Apple Hill is gearing up for another season of yummy apples, baked goodies, and fun crafts.  And, of course, it's almost Big Crush season in Amador County wine country!  All the leaves are changing colors and all our favorite wineries are gearing up to release their latest wines.  Hooray!

Around our house, we're finally catching our breaths from the frenetic summer season,  Last week, Aiden and I braved their airport, all on our own for the very first time, to visit my ailing grandfather in southern California.  It was an unexpected trip and I came home in a bit of a tired, melancholy fog.  After a few days of lounging in our PJs, I sought comfort in my little sewing room and {after a quick trip to JoAnn's} settled in for some fall sewing!

With as scattered as I feel I've been the last few weeks, I've happily been able to focus long enough to finish several projects.  I should have pictures to share soon!

In the meantime, I'd like to introduce ....

This pattern is fat quarter and scrap-drawer friendly, and features a traditional Ohio Star quilt block along with fall leaf appliques and pinwheel blocks.  It's a perfect foray for new quilters and a quick, festive project for experienced quilters!

The pattern is available on Craftsy and Etsy.

Another Kit!

So, I'm slowly but surely working my way through some boxes in my sewing room, and I came across this kit!!

I can't believe that I haven't posted it sooner!  The kit includes all of the PRE-CUT fabric needed to make my Pretty in Pink quilt, which finishes at 48" x 48".  That's almost 4 yards of fabric!  It's currently available in the etsy shop and I only have one kit available.

The pattern is finally available in my Craftsy shop, as well.

A New Kit and A New Coupon Code!

Just popping in for a second to share a couple of new kits from my store.

I have just one more 24 piece Regatta Gala table runner kit available for $3.50.  Get it while it lasts!

I also just put together a new kit with the same fabric line for a nice and scrappy table runner.

available here

The kit includes all of the pre-cut fabric (top and binding) to make a Scrappy Stars Table Runner.  The kit includes a full-color .pdf pattern as well.

Use the coupon code "POPLUN101" to receive 10% off your order through 9/1/12.

Now, I'm off to sleep, as a nasty little stomach bug is kicking my butt - blerg!  Sweet dreams!

Too much heat!

I don't know about you other Californians, but I've HAD IT with all the heat.  I miss my morning walks and enjoying the delta breeze through open windows in the evening.  I know we're supposed to be enjoying summer and all, but I'm longing for fall ... now.

To try and put me in a cooler frame of mind,  I'm releasing this fun Halloween Wallhanging pattern ...

The pattern is both Charm Square and Fat Quarter friendly.  It goes together much quicker than you'd think and would look great with any type of prints ... even summery ones, I guess.

The pattern is available on Craftsy and Etsy.

Introducing: Harvest Hearth Table Runner!

The weather here has been so weird lately!  Last week it was in the lows 60's when little man and I went out for our morning walk - we actually had to go back into the house for a blanket!  This week it's been hot, hot, hot, and two nights ago we had a crazy summer storm with amazing thunder and lightening.

Photo courtesy of  US National Weather Service Sacramento California.

For days, I've been feeling like we're in this weird place between summer and fall ... so I almost laughed when I came across this project while cleaning out my craft closet!

It was a wall-hanging that was almost complete - it just needed the binding stitched to the back! Perfect for my mood: warm fall colors and plaid {which always reminds me of a Scottish Harvest Festival ... too much Diana Gabaldon, I guess} with just enough sunny sunflower prints to keep a hint of summer around!  In the space of an afternoon nap, the binding was finished and it's now living happily on our kitchen table!

So, I'd like to introduce ...

... now available in the craftsy shop!

The pattern uses 5 Fat Quarters and some yardage, which gives you more than enough fabric for both the wall-hanging and a bonus table topper.

Well - I'm off to decide whether to brave the heat from the iron and the afternoon sun in my sewing room ... or to curl up on the couch under the fan with a good book.  I have a feeling the book might win ... happy sewing!

Still MIA ... sorta ...

Well ... this is a rare sight in our house these days!  Last month, our little monkey-boy graduated from scooting along the floor like a caterpillar to crawling to cruising in like a 10 day time span.  Coupled with two teeth that just refuse to break through the surface and that fabulous little phase called the "8 month sleep regression" ... well, let's just say that I'm feeling a little rumpled, and my sewing machine is feeling rather dusty and neglected!

So since I seem to only opportunities for creative snippets here and there, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pull out some old, almost finished projects from the closet and finally put the finishing touches on some patterns that have been on the cusp for months!

I have five or six new patterns that should be publishing weekly over the next two months - hooray!! - and I'm doing a bit of housecleaning, so all sorts of quilts, blankets, table runners, and maybe even some fabric kits will be making their way over to my etsy shop and ridiculously low prices!!  I'll hopefully be sharing some pictures over the week or so.

This week's new pattern is Sweet Lily, inspired by my sweet little four-legged lady!

It's a gem of a little quilt that goes together super quickly with some charm squares and yardage!  I love this pattern because it provides a great opportunity to showcase fabric lines that use both larger and smaller scale prints!  It's currently available in my craftsy shop only.

I've been doing a bit of crocheting on the side (I know, I know - neglecting and cheating on my sewing machine ...) and hope to have some pictures to share soon - if the weather would cooperate and stay below 150 degrees for a couple of minutes so I could dash outside to take some quick pictures!!

Thanks for stopping by and happy sewing!

Happy Monday!

I can't believe it, but I have two finished projects to share today - I managed to log 6.5 yards as busted!

I just barely finished the quilting and binding on my AYOS project for April.  This month's pattern was Summer Day.  My version is a slightly smaller than the original pattern, but I was using scraps leftover from my 2011 Lemon Taffy quilt, and I had just enough fabric left to manage a 6x6 grid.

All of the fabric, including the binding, came from a huge Black Friday purchase from Connecting Threads.  It's difficult to tell in this lighting, but the Flying Geese borders are a pretty yellow rose sprig print that ties everything together nicely.

I opted for simple zig-zag quilting over the borders, partially because I wanted a minimalist, almost hand-quilted look ... and partially because I plain 'ole ran out of time to do anything more elaborate.

Be sure to stop by Pink Pincushion and a Quilting Life on Tuesday to see the full parade of finishes.  With all of this month's fabric purchases, I can't wait to find out what May's project will be!!

My other finish of the week was my Southern Belle Wallhanging:

Now, I know that I bragged a couple of weeks ago that she was all finished, but technically I still had all the threads to bury on the back ... which is now done.  And, I'm very, very happy to introduce:

Southern Belle - a wallhanging pattern by Poplun Designs, now available for purchase in my etsy shop.  

Here's all the stats:

Skill Level:                   Intermediate

Wallhanging Finished Size:                             40” x 40”

Wallhanging Fabric Requirements:

– Red & Brown print (A):           1 Fat Quarter

– Brown Swirl print (B): 1 Fat Quarter

– Brown Diamond print (C): 1 Fat Quarter

– Tan Swirl print (D): 1 Fat Quarter

– Tan Floral print (E): 1 Fat Quarter

– Red Solid fabric (F): ½ yard

– Cream background print: 1 ¼ yard

– Batting & Backing: 45” x 45” each

Supplies:

– Rotary Cutter, Square Rotary Ruler (with diagonals marked), and Cutting Mat

– Fabric pencil or water-soluble fabric marker

– Iron, Ironing Board, and Starch (if desired)

I was really inspired by all of the Carpenter Stars I had been seeing in blogland lately, but I really liked the idea of incorporating them into a larger, overall pattern, rather than just showcasing them as separate blocks.  When the quilt top came together, it really reminded me of Southern Belles, swishing around in their giant hoop skirts.  I'm so happy that she's finally finished and that I can share her with you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Friday!

I'm hoping that you all are having just as beautiful a day as I am today!  It's a beautiful 68 degrees outside with lots of gorgeous sunshine and blue sky!

My little guy, who is still desperately trying to cut his first tooth, made it through both Target and Safeway this morning ... without a peep ... in the cart.  That's a huge step for us!

... he was just smiling before I could catch him on the camera, believe it or not ...

Now, we're just hanging at home, enjoying the breeze through open windows.  Little man is singing himself to sleep in his swing - is that just the SWEETEST sound, or what! - while I'm sipping a giant, icy-cold Diet Coke, listening to my new favorite album (loving Gotye, by the way), and updating my etsy shop.  And, to top it all off, I have a new pattern to debuting today!

Introducing ...

... Spring Has Sprung - a baby quilt pattern by Poplun Designs.

Here in Sacramento, most years we hardly have very much of a spring.  It seems like it’s rainy and blustery one day, and then spring buds seem to start busting open almost over night.  Then, the next thing you know it’s super hot and everything seems to dry up almost over night {again}!  This quilt celebrates those few gorgeous days - just like today - of newly sprung spring!

Here's all the stats:

Skill Level: Beginner

Quilt Finished Size:  39” x 39”

Quilt Fabric Requirements:

– Pink Floral print: 1 Fat Quarter

– Pink Stripe print: 1 Fat Quarter

– Green Polka Dot print: 1 Fat Quarter

– Yellow Basket-weave print: ½ yard

– Cream Background: 1 yard

– Yellow Ric Rac (½” wide): 4 yards (if desired)

– Backing & Batting: 45” x 45” piece of each

Supplies:

– Rotary Cutter, Square Rotary Ruler (with diagonals marked), and Cutting Mat

– Fabric pencil or water-soluble fabric marker

– Iron, Ironing Board, and Starch (if desired)

This pattern is currently available in .pdf form at my etsy shop.  Now I need to go and make some serious progress on my AYOS project for April!!  Happy sewing and have a beautiful weekend!

She's {finally} finished!

Thank you so much for all of the Southern Belle love over the last few weeks!  I'm happy to say that she's FINALLY finished - just have to finish up the binding tonight after bedtime!  Have you ever had one of those projects that you feel like you're constantly working on ... but not getting anywhere?  That is totally how this quilt has been!  I love it to pieces, though, and am so very happy with the finished project!!!

The thing that I think I love most about this quilt is how organically the pattern evolved ... but more on that in another post ...

I'm in the process of checking over my pattern and my construction notes, but I'm hoping to have the pattern in my etsy shop any day now ... provided that the weather cooperates a little more so that I can take some outdoor pictures.  We've had way too many stormy days in a row now!!  As a special thank you for all the cheerleading, if you're interested in purchasing the pattern, please email me at poplun{at}gmail{dot}com, and I'll send you a code for a 50% off discount for the pattern!

This week, I'm linking up with the following sites.  Please be sure to swing by to see all the creative peeps out there!

• Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times
• Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story
• WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Jewel Stars

I'm fairly new to Flickr.  I've been aware of it for awhile, but it wasn't until recently {thanks to lots of browsing while sitting on the couch, nursing} that I've really spent much time perusing!  When I first decided to start working on an actual paper piecing project, I spent a lot of time looking at projects on Flickr and  I was really drawn to this specific formation:

Source

I think part of my attraction to the piece was that the pattern is so retro and fun, but could really be stunning if the blocks were made with some soft, modern fabrics.  The blocks aren't as complicated and time consuming as my Rose Star Blocks ...

... but not quite as mindless as the hexies ...

... and they look like they'll go together faster, since they don't have quite as many connecting pieces.

These blocks appear to go by a variety names (Texas Star, Star Flower, Irregular Pentagon, Jewel Flower, Jewel Star), but I couldn't find a template for any of them anywhere, which only left me a few construction choices:

1. I could purchase the pre-made templates from PaperPieces.com ... but I'd have to wait for them to be shipped, and even though they're fairly reasonable, I'd need a ton and have already blown my crafting budget {for the next few months} on new fabric.
2. I could purchase the e-files for the templates from InstantPiecing.com ... but the files include a 1/4" seam allowance.  Again, since I need so many blocks, this potentially wastes
3. I could figure out how to make my own template.

I knew that I wanted to use a 1 inch hexagon as my flower center since this works well with a 2.5" scrap of fabric - perfect for my use with my charm packs - so I went to http://incompetech.com and made my own hexagonal graph paper.  From there, using one of my quilting rulers, it was really easy to create my own template!  Here's the result ....

... and here's the resulting block!

If you're interested in making your own jewel star, please join my brand new Flickr group: Jewel Stars - English Paper Piecing and share your finished blocks with us!

Just to make life easier, here is a full-scale copy of the template:

English Paper Piecing - Jewel Star Pattern

Just print this baby out on card stock -- making sure that the printing size option in Adobe Reader is "ACTUAL SIZE." -- carefully cut it apart, and then go to town!  I'm hoping to have a tutorial posted some time in the next week, and have some other .pdf documents to share soon for mass production of the shapes.  Can't wait to see some more finished blocks!

Oh! Almost forgot - I'm linking up over at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.  So many great projects out there!

Finishing up!

To be honest, I haven't touched my sewing machine since last Thursday!  We spent the whole weekend enjoying family visiting from out of town ... and then the little guy and I spent all day yesterday recuperating!

I did manage to sneak out Thursday afternoon and get some shots of Pretty in Pink since we had a beautifully sunny afternoon.

It's hard to tell up against the fence, but I decided to use a chocolately-brown fabric for the binding (and the backing!) to ground the quilt a bit.  I didn't want it to be overwhelmingly pink!  This is my first scrappy(-ish) quilt and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  I tried really hard not to do any planning with my block placement so as to give the quilt a really random look.  I finally opted to do some straight-line quilting to frame the blocks in pink thread.

Just for fun, I'm linking up at Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday, to celebrate the finish!






Be sure to check out all of the other yummy projects, including Heather & Megan's latest Moda Bake Shop table runner tutorial!

If you're interested in making your own version of my Pretty in Pink quilt, the pattern is now available in my etsy shop.  You can still receive 50% off of all patterns by using the coupon code JAN2012 before the end of the day.

Fabric requirements are: 

• White-on-White Floral print: 2 yards
• Various Pink and White Fat Quarters: at least 7 (sample used 12), or scraps totaling 1 + 3/4 yards
• Brown and Pink Print (for Binding): 1/2 yards

The pattern includes step-by-step assembly instructions and color assembly diagrams!

I'm off to try and get some sewing done before my little one wakes up!  Happy Sewing!

Introducing ... the Spring Zing Table Runner pattern by Poplun Designs

Have a serious case of spring fever?  Add some zing to dinner time with our latest table runner pattern!

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The .pdf pattern is now available in the Poplun Etsy shop for almost instant gratification!  And, it's a fat-quarter-friendly pattern.  Use the coupon code JAN2012 through 1/31/12 to get all patterns at 50% off!

Introducing ... Granny's Quilt, by Poplun Designs

I totally forgot when I wrote yesterday's post that I actually have two new quilt patterns that I'm releasing this month!

My first pattern, called "Pretty in Pink," should be releasing in the next couple of days.  I just need to finish quilting and binding the sample.  I'm a little stuck at the quilting part, however.  I've decided to use a pink and brown print for the backing and the binding.  I think it does a nice job of toning down the "pinkness" of the quilt -- which is a good thing, since the sample quilt is actually a gift for my brother's daughter, who was born on 12/31/11,  My brother is already a little overwhelmed by the "pinkness" of the onesies, tutu, and ballerina slippers little Samantha received from her Auntie Shelley.

Could you offer your opinions??  If you were doing the quilting (straight lines 1/4" in from the edges of the squares) what color thread would you use?  I feel like white is too boring.  I'm really leaning towards using a brown thread to match the binding ... but would pink be better?  Please let me know what you think!

The second is called "Granny's Quilt" and has made it's debut in my etsy shop this morning!

Some of you may remember this quilt from my post on my 2009 Christmas Gifts.  The sample was made using Glace by 3 Sisters for Moda as a Christmas gift for my Granny.  One of my favorite things about this quilt is that it lives on my Granny's guest bed, so that anytime we visit her, we get to sleep underneath it.  Believe it or not, this is the only quilt I've ever made that I've gotten to use!

The quilt finishes at 70" square and uses a Layer Cake, plus some yardage.  The pattern is currently for sale at my etsy shop at $7.99 -- but remember that I'm giving my blog readers a 50% discount on all Poplun Patterns.  Just use the coupon code JAN2012 through 1/31/12 when you check out.

Poplun Tutorials

Since I took a little bit of a break from pattern writing for a few months, I found that when I sat down to finish next week's releases, I was a bit foggy on some of my quilt block formulas.  To make life a little easier, I've assembled these cheat sheets for quick reference. Enjoy!

Have any requests?  Just leave me a message and I'll do my best to oblige!!

Flying Geese Tutorial

Half Square Triangle Unit Tutorial

Love is in the Air ...

... and to celebrate, I'm having a little sale over in my Etsy shop!

To celebrate St. Valentine's Day next, several of my patterns are on sale for $1.49!  Regular retail price is $8.00.

Happy Sewing!!

2010 Projects

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been on a huge cleaning kick lately.  I've decided, while I'm at it, to clean up my blog a bit.  As 2010 is drawing to a close, I've decided to change all the individual headings of my major finished projects this year to "2010 Projects."  Here is a list of finishes this year that now "live" under this heading.

Puppy Dog Tails:

Cherish:

Haunted Home:

Modern Haunts:

Autumn Daisies:

Eva Striped Runner:

Falling Leaves Table Runner:



Martinique Twin Quilts:

(only surviving picture ... bummer!!)

Incognito

In the Jungle:

Allspice Quilt:



Northern Solitudes Table Runner:

Grandma's Birthday Quilt:

Valentine Disappearing Nine-Patch:



(Any other finishes for the year will go here)

I have to say, it's been a great year so far!  I think this is my largest number of finishes to date.  Yipee!