Thursday, October 16, 2014

Last BOM block complete!

I have completed the final row in the winter-themed Block of the Month hosted by Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodles.  I have to say, this row of lights might be my favorite month of them all.  


Here are my blocks from all ten months.  My goal will be to try to get this together by Christmas time.  Cindy is considering having a blog hop in January for everyone to show their finished quilts.  


Merrilee

Saturday, September 27, 2014

September Block of the Month Finish

I have completed my September block for the winter-themed block of the month hosted at Quilt Doodle Doodles.  This block is entitled "September Evergreen Tree."  


October is the final month for this block of the month.  Can't wait to put them all together.  All the patterns are available from Quilt Doodle Designs on Etsy and Craftsy.  

Merrilee

Monday, September 15, 2014

Customer Spotlight - Kristen

Today I would like to spotlight a beautiful quilt made by one of our customers, Kristen.  Kristen used the pattern "Metro Lattice" by Sew Kind of Wonderful.  This pattern uses the Quick Curve Ruler.  Kristen used the aquas, purples, and blues from our Hubba Hubba collection by Moda.  Check out Kristen's blog, Meadowbrook, where she documents her experiences making this quilt starting here and continuing up until she revealed her final quilt here.  


Quilt Summary

Fabrics used from Stitchin' It Up Quilt Shop:  Hubba Hubba Collection by Moda
Blue Daisy
Blue Starburst
Green Triangles
Purple Daisy
Turquoise Square in Square
Bella Solid Amelia Blue
Bella Solid Bermuda
Bella Solid White

        
Pattern used:  Metro Lattice by Sew Kind of Wonderful

Kristen's Blog:  Meadowbrook



We would love to spotlight what YOU have made from our fabrics at Stitchin' It Up Quilt Shop.  

E-mail us a picture and some info of your completed quilt that uses fabrics purchased from Stitchin' It Up Quilt Shop and allow us to show it on our blog and Facebook page, and we will send you a certificate for a percentage off your next order.  You can use any pattern you would like.  If at least 50% of your quilt is our fabrics, you get 10% off your next order, if the entire quilt top is our fabrics, you get 15% off your next order, and if the entire quilt top and backing is using our fabrics, you get 20% off your next order.  

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Block of the Month Catch Up Time

I got behind a month in the Block of the Month going on at Quilt Doodle Doodles, but now I am caught up.  I have finished the July block called "Toasty Mugs" and the August block called "Sweet Tooth."  Only two months left!


Not much sewing is going on at my house this summer, but I am looking forward to getting back into a routine when the school year starts again.  

Merrilee

Monday, June 23, 2014

June Block of the Month - Skates

It is time to show my June Block of the Month for the winter-themed quilt designed by Cindy at Quilt Doodle Designs.  This month her block is called "Northern Hockey Skates."  Even though I am from Minnesota, I am not a real big hockey fan, so I "softened" my hockey skates and changed them to white.  


It is fun sewing winter-themed quilt blocks in the middle of summer.  Looking forward to the July block.  

Merrilee

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Touchdown Quilt

I sent my newest quilt kit available in my online quilt shop to my friend Kristen at Meadowbrook last month.  She has a teenage son who is a BIG sports fan, and I knew he would love this quilt.  She sewed this quilt up in just a few days.  The quilt uses the pattern "Touchdown" by Cluck Cluck Sew.  Kristen reports "the instructions were very clear, and making the football strings was easy and fun."  Kristen quilted it on her home sewing machine.

Photo by Kristen

Merrilee

Friday, May 23, 2014

Fir Tree Block of the Month and Voting Time

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know I am participating in a block of the month sponsored by Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodles.  The May block is called "Fir Tree."  It is a little bit smaller version of the tree that we did a couple months ago.  

 

I also had to do a little preview of what the blocks are looking like put together.  I do believe they are looking good so far!



Voting time is here!

                                                          Spring '14 Blogger's Quilt Festival - AmysCreativeSide.com

Voting time has arrived for the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  If you are looking for some quilting inspiration, stop over and look at the approximately 650 quilts that were linked up in 11 different categories.  You are able to vote for your favorite in each category.  To vote, go to the link below, find the quilt that you like the best, and click on the gray heart in the upper right hand corner of the picture of that quilt.  The heart will turn red.
     

Entry #1
 To view the quilts in the applique category, please go here.  I would love if you would vote for my quilt entered in this category pictured above.  


Entry #2
To view the quilts entered in the large quilt category, please go here.  I would love your vote for my quilt pictured above in this category also!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Merrilee



Friday, May 16, 2014

Spring 2014 Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry #2

AmysCreativeSide.com

I am excited to participate in the Spring 2014 Blogger's Quilt Festival. 

My second entry is a sampler quilt using 30's reproduction fabrics.  The blocks are traditional patterns that were originally published in The Kansas City Star newspaper in the 1930's.  The blocks for this quilt were made during a Block of the Month club at my local quilt shop in 2012. . . .and then the completed blocks sat there for over a year.   

My local quilt guild offered a challenge last fall for its members to complete a UFO project and bring the completed quilt back to our meeting in May.  I have finished my UFO and am looking forward to bringing it to our club meeting on Monday night.



I designed my own layout of the blocks.  This is my first quilt using 30's reproduction fabrics and the first time I used a "scrappy" binding.  


  
If you are new to my blog, I hope you will take some time to look around.  I would love for you to become a follower!

To view all the wonderful quilts being displayed for this event, visit Amy's Creative Side blog.  You will have an opportunity to vote for your favorites May 24-29.

Merrilee

Spring 2014 Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry #1

AmysCreativeSide.com

I am excited to participate in the Spring 2014 Blogger's Quilt Festival. 

My first entry is an applique and pieced quilt I made using the pattern "Midnight Garden" from the book "Divide & Conquer: Quilt it Your Way" by Nancy Smith & Lynda Milligan.  


I used a combination of fabrics that I dyed myself and batiks.  The applique work is set on a black batik background.  I love how the black makes the colors pop.  It is machine appliqued with a satin stitch.



If you are new to my blog, I hope you will take some time to look around and would love for you to become a follower!


To view all the wonderful quilts being displayed for this event, visit Amy's Creative Side blog.  You will have an opportunity to vote for your favorites May 24-29.  Looking forward to seeing what others will display

Merrilee

Monday, May 12, 2014

Giveaway Day!

 






Welcome Giveaway Day participants! My name is Merrilee.  I am primarily a quilter, but recently I took a break from quilting and sewed this cute apron.  The pattern is by Atkinson Designs and is called "Mom and Me Apron." 





The apron is available in three different sizes (toddler, child, and adult).  Kits for this apron are available in all three sizes at my quilt shop, Stitchin' It Up Quilt Shop.  Hope you will take some time to stop over at my online quilt shop and look at the fabrics, patterns, and other quilt kits I have available.


My giveaway is a $25 gift certificate to Stitchin' It Up Quilt Shop which you can use to purchase an apron kit or anything else available in the shop.  This giveaway is open internationally.  Winner will be picked at random from the comments left and notified by e-mail.  Please be sure to leave me a way in your comments to contact you if you are a no-reply blogger.  Giveaway will be open until Friday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m. CST.  

For a chance to win:
1.  Please leave a comment letting me know your favorite craft (i.e. quilting, sewing, scrapbooking, knitting, embroidery, etc.)
2.  For a second chance at the giveaway, follow my blog (if you aren't already a follower) and leave me a comment telling me how you are following (i.e. Bloglovin', e-mail, Google Friend Connect, etc.).  There are places along the left side of my blog to enter your information to become a follower.
3.  For a third chance, visit my quilt shop website and sign up for my newsletter (signup available on bottom right of home page).  Leave me a comment letting me know you have done this.  

This Giveaway Day is sponsored by Sew Mama Sew.  Many other craft-related bloggers are posting handmade gifts or craft supply giveaways for you to win.  Click here to go to the list of participating blogs.



Merrilee

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED:  

Winner picked by Random Number Generator:  Comment 147 - Shelby Jean.  I have contacted her by e-mail to let her know she is the winner.  Thank you to everyone for their comments.  

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Sparkling Stars Block of the Month

I did get my April Block of the Month "Sparkling Stars" sewn in the April, but I didn't quite get a picture of it up for you on my blog in the month of April.  Here is my version of "Sparkling Stars" for the Block of the Month sponsored by Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodles.  


Now Cindy has the new May block posted, so I better get busy.

Merrilee

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Purrr-fect Finish

Henry Glass & Co. recently came out with a fabric line called "Kitty Kat Kapers."  It is a darling line with cute kittens, paw prints, dots, small herring bone prints, and plaids.  

I decided the fat-quarter-friendly pattern called "Fiddlesticks" by The Teacher's Pet was the perfect pattern for this line of fabric.  I set out to cut a bunch of 2-1/2 inch strips needed to complete this pattern.  


In no time at all I had a finished quilt top.  It was a fun and easy quilt to put together.  


I used the fabric with all the kitty-related words for the backing and bound it with a blue plaid fabric.


I have kits available in my online quilt shop for a baby-sized quilt (42" x 60") or a twin-sized quilt (60" x 72").   I also have fat quarter bundles, half-yard bundles, one-yard bundles, and yardage of many of the prints from this line.  

Hope you agree this is a purrr-fect quilt.

I am linking up with Link A Finish FridayWhoop Whoop FridayThank Goodness Its Finished FridayFinish It Up FridayI Quilt at Pretty BobbinsNeedle and Thread Thursdays, and Anything Goes Mondays.

Merrilee

Monday, March 10, 2014

Big Tree Block of the Month

Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodles has posted the instructions for her March block for the Block of the Month quilt she is hosting in 2014. The March block she calls "Big Tree." 

Here is my version of "Big Tree."  


Check out the blocks other quilters have made on this Flickr page.

Merrilee

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Another Jelly Roll Quilt Completion

I am excited to share with you another jelly roll quilt I completed this week.  This was made using the "Shortcake" pattern by Cluck, Cluck, Sew and the new Moda Hubba Hubba jelly roll.  It was a super fun and easy quilt.  



I used a turquoise and purple print from the Moda Hubba Hubba collection on the back and bound it with the purple daisy print.


I quilted this using a pantograph called "Whole Lotta Love" which finished off the quilt perfectly.


Kits available

I have kits for this quilt available in my online quilt shop.  Kits are available in Throw size, Twin Size, and Queen size.  I also have Hubba Hubba jelly rolls and yardage available.  I hope you will stop over at the online shop and check them out.




Winner

Thank you everyone for all your wonderful comments last week.  The winner for the gift certificate this week is:  Comment 49 - Kathy S.  


I am linking up with the following:  Link A Finish FridayWhoop Whoop FridayThank Goodness Its Finished Friday, Fabric Frenzy Friday!Finish It Up FridayI Quilt at Pretty BobbinsNeedle and Thread Thursdays, and Anything Goes Mondays.

Merrilee

Friday, February 21, 2014

Jelly Roll Quilt and Giveaway Week #4

I love jelly rolls.  It is fun to able to have a little piece of every fabric in a collection and create a beautiful quilt.  Here is a quilt I made using a jelly roll from the Vintage Modern fabric line.  



Amazingly, this entire quilt is made from two jelly rolls (one of those jelly rolls being prints and the other a solid) and an additional 1/2 yard.  The pattern for this quilt is a free Moda Bake Shop pattern called "Sweet Menagerie" and can be found here.  The finished size of the quilt as written is approximately 66 x 90.  I was able to stretch my jelly rolls even further and squeak out several more blocks to make a quilt that measures approximately 80 x 90. 


Work in Progress

Here is sneak preview of some blocks I am making using another jelly roll and a different pattern.  This is a NEW jelly roll from Moda's Hubba Hubba line by Me and My Sister Designs available in my online quilt shop here.  I am ready to start assembling the blocks.  I will reveal the finished quilt soon.  





Giveaway

During the month of February am giving away one $25 gift certificate to my quilt shop each Friday.  To enter:

1.  Leave me a comment telling me a favorite jelly roll pattern you have tried or would like to try.  

2.  For a second chance at the giveaway, follow my blog (if you aren't already a follower) and leave me a comment telling me how you are following (i.e. Bloglovin', e-mail, Google Friend Connect, etc.).  There are places along the left side of my blog to enter your information to become a follower.   

Please be sure to leave me a way in your comments to contact you if you are a no-reply blogger.  I will contact the final week's winner on Saturday, March 1.  



Winner

The winner of the $25 gift certificate for week three is:  Comment 31 by Judith.  


Check out what others are doing this week

I am linking up with Link A Finish FridayWhoop Whoop FridayThank Goodness Its Finished FridayFinish It Up FridayI Quilt at Pretty BobbinsNeedle and Thread Thursdays, and Anything Goes Mondays.

Merrilee

Friday, February 14, 2014

My Bucket List Quilt and Giveaway Week #3

Do you have a "bucket list" of quilts you would like to some day make?  Today I am showing a quilt I recently finished that was on my "bucket list."  I first saw this quilt displayed at a quilt show probably ten years ago.  It is a pattern called "Eureka!" by Jackie Robinson.  



I loved this quilt at first sight at that quilt show and put it on my list of quilts I was going to make some day.  Several years ago I purchased the pattern and starting collecting pictures of finished Eureka! quilts from the internet showing other quilters' color combinations.  I finally decided mine was going to be greens and purples and purchased my fabrics.  It was then a work in progress for more than a year, but I finished the top last March.  It then sat in the "to be quilted" pile for nearly a year.  I pulled it out of that pile this month and finally got it quilted and the binding finished.  I am really pleased with how it turned out.  If I counted correctly, the queen-sized quilt has 3,112 pieces.  The finished size of the quilt is 87 x 105 inches.  





Giveaway

During the month of February I have been giving away one $25 gift certificate to my quilt shop each Friday.  To enter:

1.  Leave me a comment telling me about a quilt you have completed or would like to complete from your "bucket list."  

2.  For a second chance at the giveaway, follow my blog (if you aren't already a follower) and leave me a comment telling me how you are following (i.e. Bloglovin', e-mail, Google Friend Connect, etc.).  There are places along the left side of my blog to enter your information to become a follower.   

Please be sure to leave me a way in your comments to contact you if you are a no-reply blogger.  I will contact this week's winner on Friday, February 21.  


Winner

The winner of the $25 gift certificate for week two is:  Comment #17 by Shauna.    

Check out what others are doing this week

I am linking up with Link A Finish Friday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Thank Goodness Its Finished FridayFinish It Up Friday, I Quilt at Pretty Bobbins, Needle and Thread Thursdays, Anything Goes Mondaysand Let's Bee Social.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Merrilee

Friday, February 7, 2014

Cozy Cabin Block of the Month and Giveaway Week #2

Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodles posted the instructions for her February block for the Block of the Month quilt she is hosting in 2014. The February block she calls "Cozy Cabin." Here is my version of "Cozy Cabin."

Since I live in Minnesota and we have lots of snow here this time of the year, I added an extra layer of snow to my roof to make to make it more "Minnesota-like."  Cindy is planning to add white yo-yos in the sky to her quilt for snowflakes.  I am hoping to locate some snowflake buttons to add to the sky in my block.  Looking forward to what she has in store for us in March!

Giveaway Week #2

During the month of February am giving away one $25 gift certificate to my quilt shop each Friday.  To enter week #2 giveaway:

1.  Leave me a comment below telling me about a favorite Block of the Month or other sew along you have participate in or would like to participate in (could be via a blog or a quilt shop).

2.  For a second chance at the giveaway, follow my blog (if you aren't already a follower) and leave me a comment telling me how you are following (i.e. Bloglovin', e-mail, Google Friend Connect, etc.).  There are places along the left side of my blog to enter your information to become a follower.   

Please be sure to leave me a way in your comments to contact you if you are a no-reply blogger.  I will contact the second week's winner on Friday, February 14.  You are welcome to come back to the blog each week of this month and comment again for the next week's gift certificate!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW COMPLETE AND THE WINNER NOTIFIED***

Winner from last week

I enjoyed reading everyone's comments from last week and finding out who they have taught to quilt.  The winner of the $25 gift certificate for week one is Comment #16 from Canuckquilter.  


Merrilee


Friday, January 31, 2014

Quilting With the Next Generation and a Giveaway

Over the Christmas school break my almost 14-year-old daughter had some free time and requested to make a quilt with me.  I let her look through my patterns, and she chose "Yellow Brick Road" by Atkinson Designs.  She also looked through my fabrics and choose a fat quarter bundle of "Sweet Things." 



The two of us set to work cutting and sewing and pressing.  It was the perfect quilt to work on with a partner.  I did the cutting and pressing, and she did all the sewing.  Within a couple of evenings we had the blocks all assembled.  She then helped me arrange the blocks.

This week I was able to sew the blocks together, add the borders, quilt, and bind it.  



Do you have a daughter/son, granddaughter/son, niece/nephew, or neighbor girl/boy that would like to learn to quilt?  "Yellow Brick Road" is the perfect quilt pattern to do with a beginning quilter.  It doesn't require any matching of seams while making the blocks, and they are able to see progress quickly.  A smaller child who may not be able to use the sewing machine would enjoy helping you arrange the blocks.




I have put together kits for this quilt in a baby size, lap size, and full size.  If the "Sweet Things" fabric collection isn't your favorite but you have your eye on a different fabric collection I carry, contact me, and I will create a custom kit just for you. 







Giveaway

During the month of February I will be giving away one $25 gift certificate to my quilt shop each Friday.  To enter:

1.  Leave me a comment telling me if you have ever helped someone learn to quilt or if there is someone you would like to teach to quilt.  

2.  For a second chance at the giveaway, follow my blog (if you aren't already a follower) and leave me a comment telling me how you are following (i.e. Bloglovin', e-mail, Google Friend Connect, etc.).  There are places along the left side of my blog to enter your information to become a follower.   

Please be sure to leave me a way in your comments to contact you if you are a no-reply blogger.  I will contact the first week's winner on Friday, February 7.  You are welcome to come back to the blog each week of this month and comment again for the next week's gift certificate!

I hope you will plan a sewing day with a special little person in your life and pass along the quilting bug to the next generation!  -- Merrilee

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW COMPLETE AND THE WINNER NOTIFIED***