WIP Wednesday 6/18/14

Yesterday I shared some peeks at the SewCanShe sew-along blocks I was working on.  Today - - - I have an (almost complete) quilt top to share!

Isn't it cool how those two blocks work together to create a completely different look?!

I'm loving it so far.... but thinking I want to add a border or two before the top is officially complete.

What do you think???

Right now it would be approximately 36" x 45" if I finished it without any borders

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - can't wait to see what everyone else is working on!

A quick "hello!" {yes, I'm still here.... kinda}

Wow.  9 days since my last post?  Yikesa!

In all honesty.... I've been in a creative funk.  I think of projects I'd like to work on - and then when I happen to have a few free seconds {because that's about all I'm getting these days} the inspiration just isn't there!

Busy life, good healthy changes going on, active and growing kiddos, bits of sunny weather - - - so much to do, so little time!

I told my husband the other night I need to either take a BREAK (like for real.... intentional.... where I don't still feel like I should be doing some sewing / creating) - - - - or I need to chain myself to my sewing machine and "sew through it"!

Neither of those options are very practical..... so I think I'll go with option 3: attempt to get a bit more sleep (lately we have been averaging about 5.5 hours a night!), work through paid custom orders (not many... but a few are still hanging out there!), and then grab some FUN fabric and just SEW.

How do you get yourself through a slump / funk?  Whether it's in your creative life, work, fitness goals, personal goals.... I know we all go through them - and there's no miracle cure for them..... but help a mama out! :)

One thing I AM doing {that I think will help} - I'm running my first 5k in just over a week!  I have always HATED running.  No joke.  But tomorrow (or Saturday) I will complete the last run of my couch-to-5k training program - having run for 9 straight weeks at least three times a week.... and the following weekend I have friends and family ready to run a fun color run to celebrate!  I know it will be an awesome accomplishment - and the fact that I'm *this close* to completing this goal (and then making more!) is very energizing!

I haven't done TONS of sewing lately - though I somehow seem to be accumulating more fabric (oops!?) - but I have worked on a few projects....

Sneak peek of an item I made for a pattern tester {pattern releases in June - I'll share more then!}  Yes... I was brave and cut into some Art Gallery for this one!!!

This cutie pie was "helping" me with my photo shoot

*Just about* finished with some fun baseball jerseys for my friend's twins.  I made them onesies about 3 years ago - - - crazy how much our kiddos have grown!

WIP Wednesday 5/7

My customers have been picking out some FUN fabrics / themes lately {check out this Alice quilt I finished up over the weekend for a customer}!  

This week I'm working on a gift set that includes a mini quilt, some burp cloths, bibs, and a onesie.  It has a superhero theme and I just love the bright & fun fabrics I'm getting to work with.

Here's a peek at the mini quilt - a simple, double-sided quilt made from this comic book print on one side.....

..... and these fun superhero words on the other!

I've got it quilted (some straight-line quilting outlining many of the comics) - and I just need to bind it.  Then on to the rest of the gift set!

What a great gift - and I'm having fun working with such awesome prints.

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - excited to see what everyone else is working on!

Something to cheer about!

I am so excited to share my take on the Perfect Party Dress by Tie Dye Diva with you today!

A quick reminder that I was given the baby version of this pattern (I already owned the girls version) as part of my participation in this blog hop - and this post contains affiliate links for which I will be compensated if you click through and purchase from Tie Dye Diva (thanks to Jen for the pattern, and for allowing affiliates the potential to earn a little money when we gush about her awesome patterns!).  The opinions shared here and my LOVE for Tie Dye Diva Patterns are honest and not influenced by this compensation! :)

When I saw Kathy's post about this blog hop a picture popped into my mind.  When I looked at the Perfect Party Dress (available in sizes 0-24mo (Baby's Party Dress) and 2T - 8) I saw a perfect canvas for a cheerleader-inspired dress!

We live in WA state - and are big Seahawks fans - so this was a perfect excuse to make some "12th man" (or "12th girl!?") gear!

The Baby's Party Dress and Perfect Party Dress are great as-written - - but they are also a perfect canvas for some "play"!

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To achieve a "cheerleader" look I made the following changes to the pattern (I sewed the 6-12 month size from the Baby's Party Dress):

- Change neckline to a v-neck
- Add a contrasting v-accent to the bodice
- Omitted the sash on the front
- Added ties (for a bow in the back) - for more fit customization
- Shortened the skirt by 1"
- created a "peek-a-boo" style skirt

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While this won't be a FULL tutorial for all of these changes, I did take some pictures along the way and have tips and tricks to share with you!

Changing the neckline and adding a contrast V to the bodice
To achieve a v-neckline I took my front bodice pattern piece and drew a diagonal line from the shoulder seam to just below the original neckline for two sizes smaller.  This was just what "looked right" - and after sewing it up, it is a great angle and gives the dress a v-neck without it being inappropriate for a kiddo!

I then used that line / angle to create the bodice contrast "v".  Again, I eyeballed where to draw the lines.  I drew the bottom line (closest to the bottom of the bodice) first - as I knew it needed to land high enough to not get caught in the seam allowance.  Then I drew another line between the v-neck of the bodice and the bottom accent line - and wah-lah!  I took a look at the pattern piece and could get a decent feel for how it would look / if I liked the width of the accent.

When I cut out the bodice pieces, I cut the main front (navy blue) and liner (lime green floral) first - cutting around the pattern piece set on the fold.

Next, I folded the bodice pattern on the top line of the accent v.  I then used my ruler to cut 3/8" away from the folded edge of my pattern - so that I had enough "extra" to fold over and iron for a finished edge.  Then I did the same with the bottom line - again don't forget to cut 3/8" away from the bottom edge of the v you drew!

I clipped the inside and outside of the tip of the V and ironed the 3/8" allowance toward the wrong side of the fabric - which resulted in folded / finished edges for the top and bottom of the accent.  Then I just placed it on the front bodice piece and stitched two lines - 1/8" and 1/4" from the top of the accent V; and one line about 1/8" from the bottom of the accent V.

A note about the sleeveless bodice
The baby's party dress pattern includes sleeves.  I wanted to make mine sleeveless to more closely resemble a little cheerleader outfit, so I left the sleeves off.  I followed the directions in the girls pattern for the bodice construction.
Here is a short summary of that process:
- sew the shoulder seams of both the main bodice and the lining
- put the bodice and lining right sides together and sew around each arm hole
- sew the back bodice opening, around the neckline, and back down the other side of the back bodice opening
Leave the sides open and don't sew along the bottom of either the front or the back
- Clip your curves and turn right-side out
Now you can add in your ties (optional) and sew the side seams (making sure to finish the raw edges) by putting the front and back bodice right sides together.  Topstitch around the arm holes and neck / back bodice opening.

Adding ties
I added ties to the dress to allow for a more custom fit (as my model was somewhere between 6mo and 9mo clothes) - and because who doesn't love a bow on a dress!? :)  I don't remember my exact measurements.  I want to say I cut a piece of fabric 4" x WOF, folded it over, stitched it closed with angled ends at both outside edges (near the selvage), then cut it right in the middle so that each tie would be half the width of fabric long and about 1.5" wide (1/2" seam allowance) - but I'd leave you with this tip - measure the space at the side of the bodice (where the front and back connect), subtract your seam allowance for both the arm hole and the bodice / skirt joining, and make sure your ties are skinnier than that measurement!  Mine were a little bit big, so I just added a small pleat / fold in them where they attached to the bodice so that I could make them work!

The peek-a-boo panel skirt
As I noted above, I removed 1" from the length of the skirt.  I did this because I wanted a shorter skirt (because cheerleader skirts are NOT meant to hit below the knee!) - and it worked out well because the dress was a *little bit* big on my model (my adorable Niece!!!).  I'd suggest looking at the finished lengths from the pattern and measuring your kiddo - I could likely have taken off 2" and it would have been even better!

To create the peek-a-boo panel you need a bunch of strips of fabric - I used 8 each of the main (navy) and peek (lime) fabrics.  A little tip because my math / estimation didn't end up perfect..... Make your bodice first.  Get it fully constructed and then measure it!  You want your skirt to be the same width.  So let's pretend your bodice is 24" wide when it's all finished (just throwing out a nice, round number that will make the math for this example simple-de-dimple!).

I want 8 panels to span my 24" skirt.  24/8 = 3" width for each panel.  Now add in your seam allowance (1/2" is a nice round number and allows room to serge all of those seams!).  3" + (1/2" x 2) = 4".  So for this example I would want to cut 8 pieces of each fabric (main and peek) that measure 4" wide by the length of the skirt (from the pattern.... adjusted if you want to).

Phew.... I promise that's all the math (though I have to admit, I love math - it was one of my minors in college!) :)

Now for the construction of the skirt.  Sew together the strips on the long end (the length) - main-peek-main-peek- etc. until you have them all sewn together in a big loop (is it starting to look like a big skirt?!).  I suggest serging or zig-zag stitching each seam allowance so that you don't have fraying when you wash / wear it!  I then pressed all the seam allowances toward the MAIN fabric (navy for me).

Next, hem your skirt.  I followed the directions in the pattern.

Now you need to create the "pleats" / peek-a-boo's.  mark the center of each "peek" panel up at the top (where the skirt will join with the bodice).  Bring both of the adjacent main fabric panels in to meet at the mark you drew on the "peek" fabric.  Pin (or clip) in place and iron the full length of the skirt.  The accent fabric will be hidden under the main fabric - so when you get every panel done, you will just see the main fabric.  Take this skirt over to your machine and run a basting stitch along the top (unfinished) edge to secure your pleats / peeks in place.

Now you just follow the instructions in the pattern to attach the skirt to to bodice.  Keep in mind you *shouldn't* have to gather the skirt at all (though if your math was a little off like mine was when I made my dress, I recommend adding little gathers / mini pleats in the back of the skirt if it's just a little too wide!)  I centered one of the main panels in the front of the dress then worked my way around the bodice when clipping / pinning the two pieces together.

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Clear as mud, right?!  I'm hoping to make more of these dresses in the near future - and I promise if/when I do I will take more photos of the process!  In the meantime, please don't hesitate to comment with questions if you have them!

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What do you think?  I may be biased (because she's my Niece) - but I think my little model makes the cutest cheerleader I've seen!

Want a little more incentive to pick up this pattern and PLAY!?  Jen has put both of the patterns on sale for just $6 to celebrate with us!  (regularly $7.95)  Yippee!!!  I have many of the Tie Dye Diva patterns (okay.... most of them) and love them all!

If you missed any stops along the way - here are the blogs that participated in this week's hop!
Mon. 4/28 - Kathy, Amy, Michelle
Tue. 4/29 - Tasha, Ren, Alyssa
Wed. 4/30 - Sara Beth, Shawnta, Shelly
Thu. 5/1 - Jenny, Meriel, Victoria, Nichole
Fri. 5/2 - Deanna, Zura, Kim (that's me!)

A HUGE thank-you to Kathy from Handmade Dress Haven for organizing this blog hop and inviting me to participate - and to Jen from Tie Dye Diva for being our cheerleader and an awesome pattern designer!!!

Wednesday already!?

For whatever reason - maybe it's the wonderful sun we are getting here in Washington? - this week is flying by.  I shouldn't be surprised.... as the month of April was the quickest month yet this year!  But here we are - welcome to Wednesday or as my 3.5 year old says "hummmmp daaaaaaaaaay!" (and the 1.5 year old mimics this pretty well!)

Even with a fairly quiet blog and Facebook page I have been working a ton the last week.  Some of the sewing was for gifts / upcoming blog hops - so posting pictures is delayed - but I've been checking things off the to-do list and sneaking in fun time in the sun - playing outside, a family run after the hubby got home from work yesterday, and dinner on our back deck!

This week I FINALLY cut into a beautiful large-scale floral print from the Ashbury Heights line for Riley Blake.  I have a jelly roll of this line stashed away for a "someday" project - and will save enough of the floral for backing - but a friend of mine fell in love with it for a dress for her daughter - and I LOVE how it is coming along!

I shared this "peek" yesterday on Instagram

Finishing it up today so it can get in the mail - - then on to some sewing for ME (gasp!) - and my April quilt blocks for the various BOM's / QAL's I'm participating in.  Hubby suggested I work on the May blocks this weekend, too.  Hmmmm.... smart man?!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - excited to see what everyone else is working on this week!

Upcoming blog hop! Tie Dye Diva Perfect Party Dress

I'm so excited to be participating in an upcoming Blog Hop hosted by Handmade Dress Haven featuring 16 blogger's interpretations of the Tie Dye Diva Perfect Party Dress.

{{I previously owned the girls Perfect Party Dress but was given the baby version for free to participate in this blog hop (how I didn't already have it I'm really not sure!?)  This post also contains affiliate links.  If you purchase from Tie Dye Diva after following my links I receive a small portion of the sale - thanks for supporting my lil' business.... and my fabric addiction!}}

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First off, I LOVE Tie Dye Diva patterns.  Well written, great fit, professional finish, and Jen (THE Tie Dye Diva!) is an awesome gal and always willing to answer questions or give tips.

The Perfect Party Dress is a pretty little dress that has some great options included in the pattern.  There are two sizes - for baby (newborn through 24mo) and for girls (size 2-10) - - - and they are both just too sweet!

The REALLY fun part about this blog hop is that we are all going to "play" with the pattern - changes may be subtle or bold - but they're all made using the Perfect Party Dress as a base.  Then we'll share about how our creative process!  I love what Kathy says about this fun twist:

I want to help people learn to use patterns in creative ways, not just the one or two ways the designer shows you.  We all can't be pattern designers, but we can all think outside the box now and then and get creative!

Yes!

I shared a sneak peek of my creation on Instagram (I'm new there.... so you can giggle while I figure it out!) - - and can't wait to take pictures of it on my adorable niece this weekend!





The blog hop takes place next week - at these fabulous blogs:
Mon. 4/28 - Kathy, Amy, Michelle
Tue. 4/29 - Tasha, Ren, Alyssa
Wed. 4/30 - Sara Beth, Shawnta, Shelly
Thu. 5/1 - Jenny, Meriel, Victoria, Nichole
Fri. 5/2 - Deanna, Zura, Kim (that's me!)

I hope you'll join us - I know I can't WAIT to see what everyone has sewn up - and learn a ton from all their tips!

WIP Wednesday - Avatrix Medallion fabrics

Phew - Wednesday again?!

It's been a LONG week and a half around here - with my main sewing machine needing an unscheduled trip to the repair shop (boo!) and long days / nights of working for the hubby (double boo!).... it's been crazy!  Add to that a to-do list with lots of firm deadlines.... and well, it's been quiet on the blog!

But..... The beginning of this week has brought progress! {thanks to 4:30am starts to my days and sneaking in exercise that helps re-energize me!}

I am feeling a *bit* out of my comfort zone and will definitely be pushing my limits by attempting the Avatrix Medallion Quilt - but I'm excited for the tips & tricks shared by Oh Fransson! during the upcoming quilt-a-long.

I have been wresting with the color scheme / fabric choices.  As in spending HOURS upon hours on a bazillion {yep, that many!} fabric shop websites / blogs / pinterest.  Yikes.

I never work with solids.  Like never ever.  But I'm here to challenge myself.

So my fabric choices are {mainly} solids.  I just *had* to throw a few prints in there (one per color group).

I will be using the white-based "Confetti" in turquoise (part of the Minimalista line for AGF) for my white (because solid white still gives me the heebie jeebies!)

Then I have 5 fabrics in each color group: gray (the one in the middle will also be used for borders), turquoise, green, yellow / light orange, and dark orange / red.  The majority of the solids are Michael Miller Cotton Couture.  There are also a few Pure Elements solids - as well as Laura Gunn's Painter's Canvas (gray textured fabric), Violet Craft's Domino Dots (turquoise), Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet (lime), AGF Chromatics - Pointelle (yellow), and Denyse Schmidt's Dotted Leaf (red).

Want every.last.detail. about each of these fabrics?  Check out my Pinterest Board for this project HERE!

It took me FOREVER to make this decision.  A huge thanks to the friends & family that helped put up with my constant "this turquoise or THIS turquoise?!" questions!

I'm excited that one of my friends is going to split the fabric with me and we will be making matching quilts!  Yippee!  We. Can. Do. This.

My fabric should be here later this week thanks to the super fast shipping over at Hawthorne Threads.  I plan on giving them a look-over once they get here because it's SO tough to gauge colors online - and editing if needed at that point.

If I thought this step was hard I'm REALLY in for it when we actually start MAKING this quilt, huh?!

Care to join in?  You can read more about the sew-a-long HERE.

I am linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.  Can't wait to see what everyone else is working on!

Pattern Review: Love Me Knot Shorts by GYCT

There's an adorable new pattern on the market - the Love Me Knot Shorts by Chelsea of Get Your Crap Together (GYCT).

My first "Love Me Knots" - fabric is a premium quilting cotton from Joann's - "Colorbok Fabric Mono Tiny Blossom Gray & White" - it has a little bit of light blue in the background - LOVE!

I had the opportunity to be a tester for this pattern and after a couple rounds of testing and neglecting my custom orders (whoopsie!) I think the final pattern could be a great addition to any spring / summer wardrobe.

The nitty gritty:
Sizes: 6 months through girls 12
Options: pockets or none - place them wherever you want!
Fun details: adorable keyhole at the hem of the shorts, darts at the top of the shorts back (makes for a better, more bubbly fit!)
Style: flat front, elastic back, bubbly / gathered hem

I tested the 18 month size and really had a great time.  These shorts sew up pretty quick (the most time consuming parts for me were the pockets and the trim - but the pockets construction has improved from our first take at them.... and I definitely got MUCH better at the bias trim after completing one pair - the second pair went together MUCH more quickly!)

I love the little keyhole - it's such a sweet design element and sets it apart from other shorts patterns I have (and I have a BUNCH!)

I did my bias trim two different ways for the two pairs I sewed up - the first pair (the gray ones) I attached the bias trim as the pattern was written - hem first, keyhole second.

The second pair, I wanted to try out a "hmmm - I wonder" idea a few of us testers had - and did the keyhole first, then the hem (I used the cutting instructions in the pattern, and then just added a bit to the length to allow for the ties).

The verdict?!  Both are cute! :)

With the flat front and elastic back I think these look adorable over a onesie or with a tucked-in shirt.  If you're worried about that front waistband wrinkling, Alyssa from Keep Calm and Carrion had a brilliant suggestion - add a little bit of iron-on interfacing to that front piece of the waistband.  Should help it keep the shape through wash after wash!

Because of the detail at the hem and the keyhole, these will also be cute with a more flowy / looser fitting shirt.  Perfect!

Oh - and the pockets!  Honestly my first pair I mistakenly thought they went on the back (hehehehe.... oops!) - Chelsea has since clarified that they are designed to go on the front - but guess what?!  They work great on the back, too!  And one of the other testers did them centered on the side seams - making a "cargo" pocket look.  So many options! :)

Thanks again to Chelsea for inviting me to be a tester.  I learned a bunch - and it's fun to be a part of the creative process / "behind the scenes".

Want to buy the Love Me Knots pattern?  It is available from the GYCT Etsy shop here - or on Craftsy  - if you purchase through the Etsy shop you can get 30% off using the code "LOVEME" (I think this code is good through Saturday, April 12th!)

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Linking up with We Did It!  Wednesday

I've lost it

.... my motivation, that is.

I'm 99% sure I'm not the only one that feels like their creativity / productivity / motivation goes in waves.

It's crazy - one week I'll be knocking out custom orders left and right, dreaming up new ideas and fabric combinations, blogging like crazy, making great meals for my family, checking off every single workout we had planned.

And other weeks / days...... I look back at the end of the day and say "what in the world did I DO today?!"

Yesterday I wrote some things on our family calendar in a variety pretty / fun colors of Sharpie pens.  I know I did that because I have proof.

I know I did not clean - because I have proof (my house is a disaster).

I know I did not sew - because the same projects are sitting on my cutting table / ironing board.

I did, however, spend a little time playing with my boys and a bit of time (okay.... obviously more than "a bit") recharging / "vegging out".

I always hope these dips in productivity / motivation will be short-lived.... but the truth is, they have to run their course.  And most of the time I find they are not accidental / completely random.

We do a ton.  All of us.  And sometimes we need to allow ourselves the minutes / hours / days / weeks?!  (I hope not?!) to re-charge.  To ignore many of our responsibilities.  To just be.

So.... that's where I find myself right now.  But at least today I got some laundry put away (before 9am!) :)

I also put on this shirt... a cheesy freebie shirt we got in the mail for participating in a wellness program through our insurance.  But I like what it says.

WIP Wednesday 3/26

Before I get to what sewing I'm up to this week.... I definitely have to take a moment to wish my awesome Hubby and biggest supporter a very Happy Birthday!  The kiddos have a BIG list of "must-haves" for around the house / the "celebration" tonight when he gets home from work - so I think I'll be spending most of today baking, decorating, cleaning, and putting together some handmade gifts!

But.....

What am I sewing up this week?!

LOTS!

Custom orders, Etsy shop stock, apparently a "rectangle shaped pillow" for Colby....

But yesterday I stole some time to work on some of the BOM blocks for this month.  This is the latest in the month I have sewn for these quilt-a-longs since the beginning of the year - where did March go?!

Aurifil Designer of the Month {Emily Herrick} March Block

I will be combining the blocks from this quilt-a-long with the Wishes QAL and some football blocks from the "Touchdown" pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew

ViceVersa BOM - traditional block

ViceVersa BOM - inverse block

ViceVersa BOM - March blocks - traditional and inverse

ViceVersa BOM - January through March blocks.  Loving how these are looking together!

And my true WIP - I didn't quite get to my Wishes Quilt Along block for this month (but definitely will before the end of the month!) - it's all cut out and read to sew!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced - I'm link #102 this week - can't wait to see what others are sewing up!

Staggered clips: a row piecing organization techniqe

It's been a while since I have posted a "Sew with me Sunday" tutorial / tip..... but this week as I was sewing up my Project Quilting piece, I developed an organizational strategy that I thought was worth sharing!

This week's quilt design wasn't quite as straightforward as some of my designs in the past - much harder to tell as I was chain piecing squares if I had accidentally rotated one of the squares and was sewing the "top" of the pair - rather than the right side, etc.

So I needed some sort of strategy to keep track of the correct side to sew - and where each row started / stopped.

Confession:  I severely dislike pins.  Straight pins, safety pins, push pins..... you name 'em, I don't like them.

So when I discovered Wonder Clips - I KNEW I needed them ASAP.  While they don't work for EVERY situation you would use pins - they're a pretty great substitute most of the time!

I had all my half square triangles laid out in my final quilt design.
{excuse the cell phone picture - I didn't think to take a picture with my REAL camera}

I started at the left side of the quilt and laid the square from column 2 onto the one from column 1 (right sides together), column 4 on 3, column 6 on 5, and so forth.  Because this quilt has 11 columns, I had one square that wasn't part of a sandwich (yet) - column 11's square - for each row.

Then I got out my Wonder Clips.  I wasn't clipping them together to line up the sides perfectly ready for sewing - I was clipping with the purpose of keeping track of which side of the square to sew, and which pairing (2&1, 4&3, etc.) this was.

Here you can see rows 9 through 12 of my quilt - with the clips staggered for each row.  And a dump truck.

I used sticky notes to write labels for each row - and just clipped them onto the column 1 & 2 pairing.

Here are a few more close-up shots of the pairs...

You can see that column 11 is not paired up - I left it positioned just as it would be for the quilt.

Then I stacked each row - with column 11's square on the bottom (keeping the "right" edge in line with the clips)

A close-up shot of row 12 - see how the clips are staggered?  Another bonus - - - this makes it so that your clips don't stack directly on top of one another!

Then I stacked the piles for each row on top of one another - in numerical order.  This stack is rows 9 through 12.  I found a stack of 4 rows was perfect - I wasn't afraid it was going to topple over.

As I sewed up each pairing, I continued to clip the number to the first bit of each row.  I sewed 4 rows at a time - so this helped me not lose track of where each row started and stopped.

This picture shows rows 5 through 8.  At this point I had sewn together the pairs - columns 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8, and 9&10.  Then I clipped the column 11 square to the 9&10 pair - ready to sew up during the next round.

After that, I would sew together the 1&2 pairing with 3&4; 5&6 with 7&8, and as mentioned above 9&10 with 11.

I kept clipping that number marker to the first block after every step.

When I got done with each row, I'd have the row label clipped to the column 1 square for each row.  I left these on until I sewed all the rows together - even when I was pressing seams, etc. - so that I didn't lose track of the row number or which side was the "left" side of the row and which was the "right".

(another cell phone picture..... with a few scraps of paper, foam block, and plastic "nail" - can you tell I have little "helpers"?!)

No.... I do not know why I wrote out the numbers "one" and "two" - when I went to write "three" I thought "um..... the number would be sufficient!"

I hope you like this little tutorial.  I'm sure this isn't a novel idea - but it was something I hadn't come across before (though I can't say I've looked) and that worked GREAT for me / this project.  When I shared that final picture in the Challenge Quilts group on Facebook there were at least a few people interested in my labeling technique...... so here it is!

This post Staggered clips: a row quilting piecing technique first appeared on Sew & Tell with Mama Eggo and includes my honest, unsolicited opinion of a product, Wonder Clips for which I was not compensated.