Laundry list of excuses......

I could go through a lot of reasons why it took me so long to finish this quilt....

* Pregnant - and it's hard to quilt while you are sleeping

* Millions of drs appointments - See Pregnant Above

*Broke Machine - Now twice, and I have put it in the corner to think about what it's done

*Vacation - Went to Boston and New England - I was busy eating chowda

Home Renovation - My kitchen is a hole where a kitchen used to be

Now that you have pictured your favorite excuse here is the quilt

This is the March quilt for the Nurture Circle of Do.Good.Stitches

It should have been done by the middle of May

Little late, but it's done!!!!!

And once I finished quilting it I had to beat off a horde of mosquitos to get the picture.

The rain has been something else and now our backyard is a breeding ground for pests and mud.

And just to top off the list of things to do right before you have a baby I am thinking about getting an English Springer Spaniel puppy to go with the one I have. They will be a matched set!

Linking up to Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

March Do.Good.Stitches Nuture Circle Quilt

It is my second turn as quilter for the Nuture circle of Do.Good.Stitches. My first go round was last August and we created this fun quilt. If you are so motivated to make this block you can find instructions here.

I have been on a kick working on my Triple Irish Chain quilt in recent weeks.

I figured since it is March I would continue with the Irish theme and my obsession with this classic pattern. I have a shameful amount of blue fabric in my stash and scrap bin so I decided to go with blue as the color pallet for this quilt.

To begin we are going to cut our fabric for the two blocks we will be making for the triple Irish chain quilt. I have decided on a scrappy theme for this quilt to make it more stash friendly. You will need to raid your stash or scrap bin for white or low volume fabric, light-medium blue fabrics (blue and white only) and dark blue fabrics (blue and white only). 

White/Low volume

1  -  10.5" x 10.5"

4  -  6.5" x 2.5"

17  -  2.5" x 2.5"

Light Blue - Medium Blue

24  - 2.5" x 2.5"

**Additional Note** Some of my fabrics did not read with as much contrast from the white fabric in the final block. Make sure to select blues that have good contrast from the background. 

Dark Blue

20  - 2.5" x 2.5"

Then we will begin assembling the blocks according to the following diagram. 

Block A

Lay out your 2.5" squares and sew together the 7 squares in each row. Once each row is completed press the seams. Rows 1/3/5/7 will go in one direction and rows 2/4/6 will go in the opposite direction. Once you have pressed your seams sew each row together with the seams nesting,

Your finished block A should look like this. (14.5" x 14.5")

Block B will be assembled using the following diagram

To begin assembly of this block take each 6.5" x 2.5" rectangle of white fabric and sew a dark blue 2.5" square to each end. Press the seams toward the dark blue fabric. I will refer to these as a side unit.

Take two of these side units and attach a 2.5" light blue square to each end. Once you have sewed the light blue fabric on press the seams toward the dark blue fabric, These are now top units. 

Take your 10.5" square of white and sew on a side unit to opposing sides. Once you have completed press your seams toward the side units. 

The final step is to sew the top units to the two remaining sides of the 10.5" white square. The seams should nest. Once you have completed sewing press your seams toward the top units.

Your completed Block B should look like this. 

In the end you will end up with two blocks that look like this. They should finish about 14.5" square. Please do not sew together.

Once completed please send to

Dhia Peach
519 Smith Road
Fremont, Oh 43420

Linking it up to Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Showing my stash who's boss.....

          When we moved back to Ohio and bought our new house I was able to snag one of the bedrooms for a craft room. Over the past year I have painted, decorated and selected furniture. I am now kicking my fabric organization into high gear. My husband said he is putting down his foot and I can't buy any more fabric until I get all my fabric unpacked and put away. The nerve!!!!

           In malicious compliance I spent most of the weekend folding fabric, adding to my scrap pile and putting it all away. My fabric addiction will not be stopped. I still have a long way to go but at least I am making progress. During my fabric folding fiesta I was taking breaks and cutting my scraps into a few specific size pieces. I've decided to fold fabric to 6.5" x 11" pieces. The only exception is large multi yard pieces that are too large to cooperate. Anything smaller than 6.5" x 11" goes to the scrap bin.

            From the scrap bin I have been cutting down 5" squares if the piece will allow, anything smaller than that I cut into 2.5" squares. So I have two growing piles of squares that will be easier to use for scrap projects. Anything that is smaller than 2.5" and larger than 1" goes into the bin I will be using for small scraps and strings. I figure this way I am more likely to produce projects if the squares are already cut.

     I am not sure what the 5" squares are going to be used for

These are headed toward a leader-ender project, eventually ending in a triple irish chain quilt. Some fabrics I love, some are so ugly I wonder how they ended up in my stash.

 The 2.5" squares get paired up and are used as leader enders

These squares will end up 7 squares by 7 squares. I am trying to use all different fabrics in each block. 

Other than sorting and cutting squares I have been working on the February block for my Do.Good.Stitches circle. This is a wonky block which is turning out pretty good. I am not so comfortable with the wonky process but I am trying to enjoy it more. The request was for solids but my stash is lacking in that area so I tried to pick prints that were tone on tone or at very least read as one color.

In the end the block should look like the picture below. The instructions for the block are here if you wish to make this block at home. 

Another project I accomplished while I sifting through my fabric this weekend was my first completed pillowcase. I am making these to package the quilts I made for my stepdaughters. I learned the technique on my last trip to My Very Own Blanket workshop. I still haven't put a pillow inside. I guess I should before I count this a success,

 Here is a detail shot of the cuff of the pillowcase. I find I have a shameful number of colors of this same fabric pattern. I love this Art Gallery fabric print!

 I am linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

January Do.Good.Stitches Block

Well looking at the last time I posted I am the worst blogger ever!!! I have a list of excuses I can provide if you would like. I have been sewing a lot in an effort to get some projects done. Old man winter was keeping me from photographing them. I was able to get some indoor pictures of some of the projects that am kinda happy with. I am hoping to be able to post more regularly in the coming months. 

Below are the picture of the first block for do.good.stitches this year, I had the chance to go and sew at the blanket workshop in Columbus for My Very Own Blanket. They have moved into a new fantastic location. If you have projects or materials this is a great charity to donate to. 

This month we did a quilt as you go block. It was a pretty large block but a good way to use up some scraps. I have way to many scraps and am always looking for a way to squash my stash. The how to link is here if you want to follow along and make your own.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Do.Good.Stitches Nurture August Final Pics

Here are the final pictures of the August quilt for the do.Good.stitches Nurture circle. It has been washed and bound for a minute but the weather has  been less than cooperative in Ohio.

I shared a tutorial for this star here. This will be headed to My Very Own Blanket in good old Ohio.

Here are pictures of the bug happy print I picked for the backing fabric. 

Linking it up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

Finish It Up Friday - How to make friends and alienate neighbors

       So a couple weeks ago I got the bright idea to be a responsible adult. I made a commitment to get my teefs in order and go get a cleaning. We had been slack since we moved to Wisconsin. So off I went got my teeth cleaned, had some stuff fixed, got a crown, spent all my fabric money on dental work. Last Saturday I got my permanent crown. It felt pretty good when I left but  then again I was all jazzed up on Novocaine. I flew to Evansville, Indiana and spent the next three days not being able to open my mouth wide enough to get a spoon in. Apparently there were some bite issues that kicked me on my butt.They have now been fixed....

       In celebration of being able to eat solid food again and finally not writhing in pain I finished putting together this scrappy star quilt top last night. It is destined to the fine folks at My very own blanket in Columbus. I am now frantically working on 3 Christmas quilts for gifts that I have been putting off all year thinking Christmas is so far away. Holy Moses it is September! Where did the year go????/

      My husband is working night shift this week and has just stumbled awake from his day of sleep when I was on my way out to take pictures of this top. He kindly offered assistance in holding the quilt for the photo but he was not quite dressed for outside activities. I said you will scare the neighbors, he said I was going to put on pants. Sure you were.....

Linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts....

Bad Bad Blogger - Finish It Up Friday

     I have been pretty quiet as of late. I wish I had some awesome excuse. I wasn't traveling in the south of France. I wasn't building homes for the poor of Guatemala. I wasn't off saving the world/living an exotic life of leisure/curing cancer/saving babies. I was cleaning/traveling to Columbus/making green smoothies/and going to the gym. I started healthing up my life at the beginning of the year. A new years resolution that has stuck around for at least half of the year. Thus far I am down 50 plus pounds and I feel great!

     I am in for another long long stretch in Columbus. I feel like this is my summer home! There is a great charity in Columbus called My Very Own Blanket. I had come across them when I was in Columbus last year. The founder loaded me up with a huge bag of scraps and some pre-cut 8 1/2 inch squares. I happily carted my loot back home. I knew it wasn't for me but I still get excited about having new fabric to play with. I would like to mention that Connecting Threads donates alot of scraps of fabric and batting to MVOB. If you aren't familiar with Connecting Threads do yourself a favor by going to their site. They have awesome prices on thread and fabric. I only found out that the distribution center was located in Columbus when my ordered arrived at my house. The scraps I received from MVOB looked like alot of fabrics I was familiar with so I asked the next time I was at MVOB. As it happens all the ends/scraps/unsellables get tossed into bins. They donate these to MVOB  who uses them through volunteers and some inmates to create quilts for kids in foster care.

I have a couple tops that I finished up for MVOB.

Many more quilts to come, I am considering these "finished" as I have already returned them to MVOB.
Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday.

Don't forget about the give away here..... until 5/25.....

Tug on my heart strings

I think I finished up the string blocks for my charity quilt for My very own blanket. I decided to add a heart to the quilt. I have plans of making another quilt with several hearts and a low volume background. I'll add it to my list of things to do.

I also finished the blocks for my fun in the middle blocks for margaret's hope chest. I believe they are looking for more volunteers to make quilts. Check out the post here. Carin was the first poster for the Blogger BOM and created this block and tutorial for us. Now all the blocks created are going to make quilts for orphans in Guatemala. If you have some time consider making one of these quilts for the project. They come together very quick. Here is a terrible picture of mine.....all the blocks are made and sewn into rows of 5. I hope to finish the top before we leave on vacation next week.

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced......

Do good things, good things happen....

Things have been pretty busy at the house of Peach. I checked off a project off my list that has been staring me in the face for quite some time. Sadly we live someplace that has icky water. We have a water softener in the house and the fridge but apparently there is still ick in it. As a result the cover to both of my ironing boards looks like someone wiped their bums on them. I used a duvet cover that I purchased at a goodwill for a couple bucks. I added a few extra layers of padding from some white flannel that I originally used on my design wall. I was very happy with how it turned out. It makes me think that spring is right around the corner. Its a yellow, green and purple plaid on a background of lavender. Its quicker and easier that buying a new cover. I think next time I will add a layer of scotch guard to repel ick.

Last week I was back out on the road in Columbus. I had come across a charity online that makes quilts for kids in foster care in Ohio. The name of the group is My Very Own Blanket. They have a workshop night on Wednesdays where volunteers can prepare quilt kits and sew quilts and pillowcases. By the time I had left I had made quite a few pillow cases and labeled several finished quilts ready for donation. The volunteers cut down donated fabric into various sizes. Anything that is too small gets added to a scrap bin for making string blocks. I had just sent off some string blocks for a swap on swapbot and wasn't sure what to do with the blocks I was going to receive. Here are the blocks I made.

The kind ladies at My very own blanket loaded me up with a mother load of scraps so I could make more string blocks. I have been stitching away on these blocks plus I have received 4 of the 8 blocks from the swap. I also upgraded my design wall by changing the cover from flannel to batting and reinforced the seam. I just need to get something to anchor the bottom to the wall. I don't think these old old walls are very square. I would love to start a satellite branch of My Very Own Blanet here in Wisconsin. I am looking for space to meet so we can get some volunteers together to stitch. 

I am always impressed at how nice string quilts look when the fabrics are put together with no rhyme or reason. If I have enough strings I want to make a pink based string quilt and a no pink string quilt. 

I am linking this up to Freshly Pieced. 

Last but not least we have a winner from the Blogger BOM giveaway, Pamela was the lucky winner of the Chirp fabric. I dropped it in the mail to her today.