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July 25, 2023
Crocheted Rug :: Update and Finished from Alamosa Quilter

 My crocheted rug experiment was successful!

completed crocheted rug

This is the entire 8 1/3 yards of fabric I cut up and processed to crochet. It finished at 24" by 30". It's surprisingly cushiony and soft. 

I wanted to see how it would wash up so I washed it and dried it in my machines. It's now even softer, still cushiony and measures 22" by 31". I find it interesting that it shrank in one direction but grew in the other!

I'm already planning my next one, but first I need to order myself a nicer crochet hook. The ...

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July 18, 2023
Crocheted Rug from Alamosa Quilter

 I bought a large crochet hook years ago with the idea that I would use it and fabric strips to crochet a rug. You can see it in the photo below at the top right of the photo. Fast forward about 10 years, I found the unopened crochet hook! I decided it was time to give this a try. Instead of using scraps I decided to use a fun batik fabric from my shop. I got two yards, ripped it into 1" strips, made the fabric yarn and started crocheting. Well, two yards doesn't go very far!

start of my crochet rug

Sorry for ...

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July 11, 2023
San Luis Valley Quilt Guild Challenges from Alamosa Quilter

 It's challenge time again for the San Luis Valley Quilt Guild. Every year the guild presents a challenge to it's members in January.

Below are the rules for this year.

San Luis Valley Quilt Guild Challenge Rules 2023

Challenge quilt entries are due at the April meeting. In July I get to hang the challenge quilts at the shop for you to enjoy and vote for your favorites. So if you get a chance, stop by the shop this month to view them in person and vote. These will be hanging at the shop for the next few weeks. After that they will be in Del ...

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July 6, 2023
Taking an idea to the next level from Alamosa Quilter

 I've been playing with this idea of scraps and hand stitching for a while. So far I've only made small projects, pin cushions to be precise. Now I'm going to try making a larger project, a pillow for my chair. It will finish at 16" by 16".

start of my hand stitched scrap pillow

Above you can see the layout I have chosen using scraps from my scrap basket. I have everything cut to fit and pinned in place. There is batting underneath the fabrics. When I made the pin cushions I just laid the fabrics loosely where I wanted them, took a picture ...

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June 20, 2023
New Table Runner Shop Sample from Alamosa Quilter

 I just love the Easy Striped Table Runner pattern! It's fast, fun and all four of the layout options sew up so nicely. Here is our latest version using the new Nature's Winter collection from In the Beginning Fabrics.

Easy Striped Table Runner using Nature's Winter fabrics

And here is the back.

back of the table runner

These are the fabrics in the collection :: Nature's Winter Fabrics

Nature's Winter fabrics photo 1

Nature's Winter fabrics photo 2

Nature's Winter fabrics border print

The beauty of the Easy Striped Table Runner pattern is that it really only uses one fabric, a border print. You do need backing and binding fabric too plus a 60 degree ruler to cut your pieces. And it gives you four layout ...

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June 13, 2023
Animal Cracker Quilt :: A Finish from Alamosa Quilter

 I have another finish!

Animal Crackers Quilt Kit Sample Quilt finished

I used the blue version of the monkeys print for the back.

Animal Crackers quilt showing the backing

I made up several kits for this quilt if you want to make one too. The Animal Crackers Quilt Kit is $59.99 plus applicable tax and shipping. The kits include all of the fabrics for the top plus the binding fabric and the pattern, with my corrections to it as it includes an error as printed. But my kits included the corrected pattern!

If you click the link to view the kit there are other links in the product description to the exact ...

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June 9, 2023
Want to join me for a virtual class? from Alamosa Quilter

 I will be offering my first virtual class through my shop later this month. Since the class is virtual (gonna use Zoom), you can participate from anywhere. Here is what we will be making:

Canvas Tote Class Sample

This is a Canvas Tote Bag. The class fee is $20 and includes a copy of the pattern plus enough canvas fabric to make one bag.

Here is what the pattern looks like, Canvas Tote.

Canvas Tote Pattern Front

I've got a few kits cut already but I have more canvas to be able to cut quite a few more kits, if necessary.

a sample of the canvas kits I've cut for the class

When you sign up for the ...

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May 30, 2023
Fun Baby Quilt Pattern from Alamosa Quilter

 I found a free pattern online from one of the fabric companies and decided it would make a great baby quilt kit. Whenever I use a free pattern for a kit, I always make one first. I'm sure glad I have that rule because this pattern had a pretty major cutting error in it!

new baby quilt shop sample

It turned out pretty cute though once I figured out why things weren't fitting together as they should! Because of the error, I don't have this ready for sale yet. I have to fix the pattern first and make sure that the fabric ...

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May 26, 2023
More Tourist Totes from Alamosa Quilter

 I'm having a great time with this new pattern! It's called Tourist Tote. For these next ones I shopped from my stash.

tourist tote one fabrics

tourist tote two fabrics

Here they are both completed and ready to use!

both completed tourist totes

And check out how green the grass in my backyard is already! We've had a lot of rain here recently.

My plan for these bags was one for me and one for my son. He turns 21 on Saturday! How did that happen?! He needed a new bag to carry his dinner and snacks with him to his new job. Right now he is working nights ...

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May 23, 2023
Tourist Tote from Alamosa Quilter

 A customer told me about her favorite tote bag pattern recently. It's called the Tourist Tote. It looked like a good pattern and I had a good recommendation for the pattern, so I ordered several copies of it.

Tourist Tote front cover image

Then I had to make one!

Tourist Tote Shop sample using Serene Nature fabric collection

I used four prints from the new Serene Nature fabric collection that arrived recently. This is a very nice bag and a nice pattern. It's not a very complicated bag pattern but you could easily add some pockets (inside or outside between the handles). You could also add a magnetic snap or zipper to ...

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May 16, 2023
Rabbit Hole Covers from Alamosa Quilter

 The name of this post is a joke. A group of us here has been making these and we joke that "we've gone down a rabbit hole." Hence the name, rabbit hole covers. Actually these will eventually be turned into pin cushions once I can stop hand sewing them and find time to turn them into pin cushions.

This first set are woven patterns. You do some stitching then you weave through the stitching to create the design.

Woven patterns

This one is a rice pattern.

rice pattern

This one is just a spiral ending with an X in the middle.

spiral pattern

We started ...

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May 10, 2023
Quilting Boxed Up Sample from Alamosa Quilter

 I shared with you recently about the new Cluck, Cluck Sew patterns I just got for my shop and that I made the Boxed Up pattern using the new Swatch collection. Well, here is the completed top.

Boxed Up Quilt top completed

I quilted in the ditch to stabilize everything and now I am quilting the blocks. Here is what I am doing in the big squares.

block quilting detail shot 1

block quilting detail shot 2

I am using the Westalee 2" circle template for the circle design and the Westalee 12" Straight-Arc template for the straight lines and for the stitching in the ditch. I haven't decided what I will do for ...

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May 4, 2023
Secret Garden from Alamosa Quilter

 These new fabrics arrived in my shop recently from Lewis & Irene.

Secret Garden Fabrics

The name of the collection is Secret Garden.

I think these are just so lovely! I couldn't resist making something up with these. I chose the Honor pattern from Villa Rosa Designs.

Honor pattern made using Secret Garden fabrics

The main print is the one I used in the center of the quilt. Here is a close-up photo of it.

Secret Garden Main fabric close-up

If you'd like to make one of these quilts too you need just one 1 yard of each print in the collection. If you are ordering the fabrics from my shop, you'd need ...

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April 25, 2023
MyPad Needle Keeper Set from Alamosa Quilter

 I have a new product in my shop that I think is very useful for both quilters and general sewists. It's called the MyPad Needle Keeper Set.

I made a short video explaining what it is, how it works and why you might want one.


If the video above doesn't play for you right here then click this link to watch it in Youtube: MyPad Needle Keeper Set Video

If you don't feel like watching the video I'll tell you about it. The MyPad Needle Keeper Set helps you to stay organized. Our version comes with ...

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April 21, 2023
Boxed Up Quilt from Alamosa Quilter

 I got some new patterns in my shop recently. 

Cluck Cluck Sew Patterns

Tick Tock, Tango, Simplify, and Boxed Up

I love all of the Cluck Cluck Sew patterns because they are all well-written and include fabric requirements and directions for several different sizes of quilt.

Also new in my shop is a fabric collection called Swatch.

Swatch fabric collection image

I decided to use some of these fabrics and make the Boxed Up pattern.

Boxed Up quilt with Swatch fabrics in progress

I don't have it all sewn together yet but you get the idea. This is the crib size version.

signature


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April 18, 2023
Splendid Split Stars :: A Finish from Alamosa Quilter

 I finally completed the Splendid Split Stars quilt.

Splendid Split Stars quilt finished

This took me much longer than it should have because I lost steam on the project. I'm sure you know how that can be! My main issue with finishing was that I sold all of the kits before I finished the shop sample. Then I thought, "why am I bothering to finish this when all the kits are sold?" Well, I finished because I didn't want another unfinished project AND because I might be able to make a few more kits with a couple substitutions for the fabrics I no ...

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April 11, 2023
Crimson Tweed Update from Alamosa Quilter

 It's been a while since I've shared my progress on my version of Crimson Tweed. This is what it looked like when I finished with my hand sewing group last Thursday.

Crimson Tweed Progress, full quilt

Right now I am working on the pomegranate block (left side in the upper middle). If you look closely you can see my needle and thread where I parked it in the block.

Here are a couple of close-up shots.

crimson tweed close-up 1

crimson tweed close-up 2

I still have quite a bit left to do, but I am making noticeable progress every week!



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April 6, 2023
London City Bag from Alamosa Quilter

 I've had the London City Bag pattern in my shop for a while, but just got around to making up one. I shouldn't have waited so long!

London City Bag Sample

It's a Pink Sand Beach Designs pattern which means it's a good bag pattern. I opted to do the B version of the bag so the outside pocket is a single fabric instead of strips like is shown on the pattern.

On one side inside it has three pockets.

three pockets inside the bag on one side

On the other side inside it has a zipper pocket.

interior zipper pocket on the other side of the bag

The fabrics I used are from a new collection called ...

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March 31, 2023
Zig Zag Quilt :: A Finish from Alamosa Quilter

 My second finish for this week!

My zig zag quilt finished

This was the project from my most recent Sew Along from earlier this month. Such a fun and easy block to make!

Cindy C. also participated and sent me a photo of her completed top.

Cindy C's zig zag quilt top

Cindy used a variety of light colored solids for the light fabric in her blocks. I love it!

Both of our quilts finish at 40" by 48" which is a great baby quilt size and charity quilt size.

If you want to make one too, the instructions for this block can be found by following the link above the ...

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March 29, 2023
A Finish :: My Potato Chip Block Quilt from Alamosa Quilter

 I've been working to finish things recently.

My potato chip block quilt finished

Some folks have told me that it looks like a jumbled mess. Yes, it's hard to see the actual block and it's really scrappy. There was no plan for this. I just started sewing pieces together and didn't worry too much about it. But I like scrappy quilts. And I like this one. If you don't, then fine - it's not your quilt.

Barb H. participated in the Sew Along too and recently sent me a photo of her finished quilt. She took color into account when making ...

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