#101 I Took the Kona Club Challenge!!!

I am so excited to share....

I was asked to be a part of the Kona Club Challenge at Sew Sisters

and my project is being featured on their blog today!!  

Every month the Kona Club members receive 4 FQs or 4 half yards of Kona Cotton. The monthly colour selection is inspired by a photograph that inspires Sew Sisters.

My challenge was to come up with an original project, using one of the monthly collections.

(sneak peak, my practise sample, made for Canada Day!!)

Sew Sister's is Giving away a FQ bundle of the Kona Cottons I used in the actual project....

So click on the Kona Club graphic or this to link over to Sew Sisters blog for the post and tutorial, 

but please come back and finish reading, my long overdue 

What I've Been Up To post, lol!! 

What I've Been Up To:

I made some blocks to donate to some amazing projects to help people hit by tragedies....I love it when I can give back, and bless others in what seems like such a small way. Many hands make light work, as the saying goes, and it is so true when quilters rally together to make quilts for others.

#Peace Quilts: I heard about this on Instagram, organized by @forestbuckets for the victims of Charleston. The quilt(s) being made with these 1/2 sq triangle blocks is amazing.

#Flood Texas with Love: Another on I found on Instagram organized by @supersara20 There were 37 completed quilts donated (with the possibility of 39 if the left overs were put together, how amazing is that)

For Keeps Pledge: People Comforters of Evergreen, Colorado This quilting group has for decades has been making heartfelt quilts for local victims of crimes & trauma. Amy Gibson has donated one of her patterns from her newly released book, For Keeps, for you to make and donate blocks for this Charity Block Drive. You can find out more over on Amy Gibson's site

I loved the Missing U block, from Sunday Morning Quilts, so much that I just kept making more. It is a great way to use up scraps from previous projects (although my bins still look too full, how is that possible??)!! I have almost made enough to start putting them together....this one is going to be a big quilt, as the blocks finish at 15".

Last share for today, 

I was so thrilled to be chosen as one of the International Fabric Ambassador for

 Calico Cat, 

and my first fabric challenge was this lovely package of Tonga Treats. The colours are so saturated and rich.

It was fun to get to work and come up with an original project to showcase this fabric and give you an idea of ways to use 10" precuts.

So here is a sneak peak for an upcoming tutorial.

I am having so much fun designing one block quilts that I may make it a monthly feature post starting in October. (I need to hear from you on that front. If there is enough interest, I will put in the time to make a full year of blocks, 12 "one block wonders" as I like to call them. So leave a comment....and add a yes or no on that question, or elaborate if you want!!)
*UPDATE: It's not official yet, but I think the BOM is a go, I have set up a FaceBook Group so if you are interested follow this link and sign up!!

If there is enough interest, I will post this tutorial in September, as an introduction to the series of blocks, making the series a "bakers dozen"!! :)

#97 Week 3 Wiggle Me Colourful

Wiggle Me Colourful

Let the fun begin!! Time to start putting all of your hard prep work into making a pretty wiggle!!

First thing on the agenda today is to grab the colouring sheet that came with your pattern . It is going to be your construction chart, like the ones you get in some knitting patterns. This will be your row builder and row joiner chart of order.

...and now I am giving you permission to colour!! 

Yup, colour!! Grab you pencil crayons or go get your kids, this will be so much easier in colour...and not just any colour, but your fabric colours, or a simple version of them anyway.

I used the basic colour for each of my rows, and I left the background blank. You don't want to colour that in because it is a great place for further numbers and notes. I thought about adding some for you but decided that it was better for you each to add what you wanted to see on your own sheets.
So here we go. 

Once you are done colouring your sheet, lay out the background fabric strips next to your sewing machine in this sewing order:

Now following your chart you are going to sew your different strip sets and background strips together to form rows.  

Also when you are pressing your row seams you may want to add in your colouring sheets left border area a note as to which way your seams are being pressed. I also used different checks and highlighting as I constructed the top to keep things in order. Use the system that works the best for you. 

• place your background strip and your first strip set together and sew your 1/4" seam. Now take the unsewn  end of the strip set and flip it is right side facing up and sew your next background strip to the end, and repeat with the background strip adding the next strip set and repeat with the strip set adding the last background piece and your first row is all together. 

Once all your rows are all together and your seams are all pressed you can again join your rows together following your chart. I love that each time the amount of seams to sew goes down by half...sets of 2, sets of 4.....

At this point I press my seams open when joining my rows, but again its your quilt and you have your  preferences, go with them!!
Once all your rows are joined together and all seams are pressed...admire your gorgeous wiggles!!! :)

But there is one more step: Adding your border

• measure from top to bottom in 3 sections of your quilt. I usually go in about 3 inches from each side and the centre. Hopefully you find a consistent number,  that is what you will use to make the side border cuts with.
• Whatever your length is make 2 and sew one to each side of your quilt
• Now measure your quilt again from side to side, in the same way as before, for your top and bottom cuts. Use this number to make your remaining top and bottom borders with and sew them in place.

Your Wiggle Me Colourful Quilt top is now complete!!

I have to confess, eek, I have now made 2 tops and not finished either. (I am shopping for long arm quilting machine, but haven't decided or saved enough money at this point) so my stack of quilt tops keeps growing. So I can't say with certainty how accurate these measurements are,I used the Robert Kaufman quilter's app. I know the EQ7 fabric amounts were over generous and I tweaked them. 

So if you have your own system use that.


I hope you have enjoyed the sew along and that you are all in love with the quilt tops you have created!!
Next week will be having a show off your "wiggle" party on our FB page, that will run all week so you really have 2 weeks to get your "wiggles" together (and yes I chuckle every time I use wiggle this way, lol)

 You'll get all the info on that next week with the last blog post for the Wiggle Me Colourful Sew Along!! Thanks so much everyone for making this such a fun first experience with a sew along, though you have all !!

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!! don't forget to use #wigglemecolourful

Have a great week and happy sewing!!


Just for fun I made a very mini version of my pattern.....

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<a href="http://upstairshobbyroom.blogspot.ca" rel="nofollow" title="UpStairsHobbyRoom" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJIp3FPHJmeJzVYSGoVxdzVdpBFld0Ws_4rht6ZVt69v5pFIjtEXHWkk5psaDJJ5AgmLGiSqG503gRKZ2WqdVBNZSlojuJQkNbOs_4owUa7zM_bt7Fs9vPV4lqa-2Aq9K70agWg7HHQnC/s1600/Wiggle+Me+Colourful+Sew+Along+Button.jpg" alt="UpStairsHobbyRoom" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

#93 Announcing the "Wiggle Me Colourful Sew Along"

(Made with a variety of Kona jelly roll strips and Kona Black for the background)

I've been hard at work creating the tutorial to go along with the pattern I designed, and I'm so excited to make the official announcement of the...

Wiggle Me Colourful Sew Along 
start date

 June 29th. 

Not an ideal start date, I know,  with Canada Day and the 4th of July just days away, so I'm going to make the first part of the tutorial a 2 week period, I hope this will give everyone time to enjoy the holidays and order materials, as well as get organized to sew!!

I also made the tutorial in a different fabric choice to show you another option... I'm all about the visual...and seeing is believing....I think it turned out fantastic. (made with Hoffman Fabrics- Splash Bali Pop, and Kona Natural for the background)

and I can't believe it,  I managed to create a sew along button if you would like to grab it...

(hope it works....and thanks  to Erin at Sew at Home Mummy she has great helps and tips and a whole series on Beautify your blog)

<div align="center">
<a href="http://upstairshobbyroom.blogspot.ca" rel="nofollow" title="UpStairsHobbyRoom" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJIp3FPHJmeJzVYSGoVxdzVdpBFld0Ws_4rht6ZVt69v5pFIjtEXHWkk5psaDJJ5AgmLGiSqG503gRKZ2WqdVBNZSlojuJQkNbOs_4owUa7zM_bt7Fs9vPV4lqa-2Aq9K70agWg7HHQnC/s1600/Wiggle+Me+Colourful+Sew+Along+Button.jpg" alt="UpStairsHobbyRoom" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

and I have (I think) made a FaceBook Group page called Wiggle Me Colourful Sew Along. I know I said you wouldn't have to sign up(and this is not mandatory), but I got to thinking if there is any issues with the tutorial or you just have a question, it would be easier to to that in one place. That way everyone will see all the questions and answers, and we can all help each other. Also, you can post your work in progress pictures for all of us to enjoy and drool over. I may even learn how to navigate FaceBook itself, lol! (I am so bad at it)

Speaking of pictures if you are posting on social media use the #wigglemecolourful so we can see those too!!

I wanted to take a moment and  introduce you to the wonderful Canadian sponsors for our sew along:

Meet,  Rita from Fabric Please a new online Canadian Quilt Shop who generously donated 2 Bali Pops, one for the tutorial and one that was used in a give away I had here on the blog a few weeks ago!!

I had a chance to meet Rita at the  Creativfestival in Toronto this past spring, and I can tell she is passionate about what she is doing! Rita is a wife and mom that needed a career change and turned her passion for fabric and sewing into a ...."love what you do and you will never work a day in your life", experience!! I love how she describes herself and how she quilts, you can read for yourself here at Fabric Please!! 

Rita is also offering a 15% off code
 "WIGGLEME" 
 on any 2.5" pre-cut strips in store until July 13th.....
But wait
there will be a  Canada Day sale Wednesday July 1-4th
and you can save 20% off any item (excluding sale items) just use code "CANADA20"

and Fabric Please has flat rate shipping rates to everywhere!!

Meet Pam of Mad About Patchwork, an online quilt shop that just recently added a store front at

2477 Huntley Road in Stittsville, Ontario

She ships everywhere, because "creativity has no borders" 

carries lovely quilt quality fabrics, has great customer service

and monthly sales on fabric 

and a monthly stash builder sale (Kona solids) for June it's the Flame Spectrum

*Pam is also offering 15% off all jelly rolls till July 7th with discount code
"WIGGLE15"

(Pam and I were hoping to have kits available with the Kona jelly roll and background fabric, but last I heard the jelly rolls were still on backorder. So I will update you when I have more info.)

Is another online quilt shop with a store front in Toronto at

3961 Chesswood Drive

Meet Judy of Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, a Canadian Quilt Store dedicated to all things quilting.  

Whether shopping online or in person at our store in Toronto, our goal is to provide you with great service and offer top quality products at the lowest possible price.  

We have a large selection of quilting fabric, patterns, books and notions - everything you need to complete your unique quilts!  

Be sure to check out our very large Sale Section with over 400 bolts of fabric for only $7.99/metre!

At Sew Sisters, we believe you should buy fabric, not postage – so we offer great rates on shipping.

Orders over $100 ship for free within Canada!

We're having a charm pack sale going on at the moment - for canada day

And lastly a new 

  American friend Tanya of 

Tanya is offering a 20% off coupon code "SEWALONG20"

Calico Cat Fabrics is a cottage industry quilting supplies shop dedicated to quilters who seek only the best for their projects!! Let us do all the work seeking out your favorite prints and you get all the fun of creating your one of a kind pieces!!

We offer so many pre cut options..jelly roll fabric strips, charm packs, layer cakes, fat quarters and more!! We add new fabric collections all the time so be sure to stop by often and find the inspiration for your next project!! 

Well I think that's all for now, see you all back here on 

June 29th 

#67 Summer Winding Down (Part 2)

So last time I was catching up on all my summertime sewing activities that I just did't get around to blogging about, so today is part 2, but read or skim ;) right to the end because I have new news too!!

What I've Been Up To:

I made a Noodlehead Divided Basket pattern!! Loved it! You can find it here . I have also made her Pool Side Tote and loved it as well. See post here

 If you follow me at all you will know that I love to make things smaller or larger than original patterns, just for fun!! because I can!!!! This time is no different, I used my printer and printed the pattern at 75% and another one at 150%  The following pictures show the results of that!! (insert big smiley face here!!!)

 The middle basket is the original size pattern

I also made a couple of cute pouches with the leftover fabric from my RJR Batiks project. Love how this turned out!! I am trying to get a tutorial ready for my Oct 10 post for the RJR Fabrics What's your Shade Blog Hop. So don't forget to come back, or better yet sign up to follow my posts so you never miss anything!! :)

Click on IkaPrint picture in sidebar if your are interested in your own labels!! Don't forget to use "upstairshobbyroom" in the coupon code area before you finish your order to save 5%. (I love my labels!)

 And lastly I've been tweaking a great pattern I found online here to make it just the way I want. Will be posting my tweaks and measurements soon!!

 And here is the new News!!!!

My friend Jacquelynne Steves, from the Art of Home, is hosting a Free Block of the Month (BOM)/Blog Hop  starting October 1st!! I am so excited to be a part of this! I will be making my blocks and posting at the beginning of the month along with some other bloggers to help show different fabric options and finished project ideas and hopefully to just to inspire, along with surprises and prizes!!! If you are interested follow this link to all the information!! Hope you join the fun!!