Get Up, Dress Up - Lori Holt Millie's Dresses Wall Hanging

 Look your best and you will think and act your best. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've been patiently waiting for just the right quilt block to exemplify my life's mantra and I found the perfect one in this beautiful vintage dress block called  Millie's Dresses by Lori Holt.  The minute I saw it I knew I was going to make a wall hanging for Nannyland with a sign above it symbolizing the daily motto I have followed since I was a teenager.

I'm going to confess to what may be a controversial practice in today's "free to be me" climate.  I have been engaging in an obsessive ritual that some might consider compulsive at worst and quirky at best.  I've been getting up every morning, since I was a teenager, dressing in an outfit appropriate to be seen in public, and  completing a full hair and makeup routine.  My daily mantra is always "Get Up, Dress Up."  There, I've said it.  My girls can back me up on this.  No matter what my daily challenge is, be it toothache, earthquake, surgery, cancer treatment, family crisis, girls camp...you name it, I'm going to be looking as spiffy as possible to greet the opportunities and challenges of the new day.  

Now, some of you might be thinking, "Could she be more vain?," but I have found the affect is just the opposite.  Once I've taken care of my own grooming, I don't think about it the rest of the day and I can go about my activities with confidence.  I can smile at strangers and engage with the people I meet, look for ways to do service, welcome visitors to my home without peering through a crack in the door, do errands any time for myself and others, hang with the people I love and just generally be present in the world.

I get this is not for everyone. The majority of my friends and family look and feel fabulous everyday, as they should, without focusing on eye shadow color or hair gel.  And don't get me started on those people with the thick mermaid hair, long dark lashes and glowing skin that don't ever need to look in a mirror!  This is just a ME thing that has helped me get through some difficult times, feeling like I can take on the day with faith and composure.  

I ended up in emergency a couple of weeks ago with some pesky blood clots and was happy that I had on full make up to offset the very unattractive, ill-fitting gown. I'm very happy that not one of my doctors or attendants seemed impressed with my lipstick color, but I, myself, didn't feel like a poor sick old lady who just dragged out of bed, and that meant something to me. The doctor commented on how healthy I was and said he didn't think blood thinners would be a problem for me since I didn't look like a person who falls a lot.  Because I obviously had the wits to apply make up, people! So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Get Up, Dress Up. It's worth the effort, I swear. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt - English Paper Piecing

 Why did she make things? Well, she enjoyed it, of course,
but it also somehow helped her remember who she was
 and where she came from. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

Yayyy! I finally finished my Grandma's Flower Garden quilt and I really love the way it turned out, imperfections and all.  I've been sewing the English Paper Pieced hexagons together to create my flowers since the dawn of time and I was excited when I realized I had finally accumulated enough for a quilt.  I used THIS Flowers For Emma pattern by Sherri McConnell for my inspiration because I loved the way she pieced four low volume fabrics to create the backgrounds for her flower blocks.  

My EPP flowers are truly scrappy because I used small, very old scraps from my stash that I had collected over many years and none of my flowers are the same.  I used yellow dotted fabric for the centers to create a unifying element.  

I chose a cute flower pantograph for my quilting to mimic my flowers.   I added white sashing to add some contrast to my blocks and a green Lori Holt "sew cherry" border because many of my fabrics had cherry or fruit motifs.  What's not to like about cherries!   As usual, I added striped binding to finish my quilt. 

Although this quilt certainly has a handsewn vibe with lots of imperfections, it will always be one of my favorites because so much time and affection went into it.  This one won't end up on some careless person's lap in front of the TV in danger of getting snacks spilled on it.  I'll just carefully lay it on my lap when I want to reminisce about all the wonderful years I've spent blissfully playing with beautiful fabric and quilting. And all the fun hours I spent watching Hallmark movies while sewing my hexagons together.  I'm already starting a new batch and can't wait to see where they land. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Preview of Millie's Dresses Wall Hanging Quilt

Fashion is the art and you are the canvas. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've had my eye out for a really cute dress quilt block and I've definitely found it with this darling Millie's Dresses pattern by Lori Holt.  I've been planning a special wall hanging for years, patiently waiting for the right design to complete my vision. 

This adorable Lori Holt fabric collection is called Mercantile and it perfectly suits these nostalgic vintage-style dresses.  I almost hated to cut into my fat quarters, but it was super fun coordinating the collars and belts with the main dresses. 

Lori's original quilt design calls for 16 dresses, but I only needed six for my wall hanging.  I had such a delightful time piecing them, I may decide to make the whole quilt at some point.  The borders Lori has created for her setting are amazing.  I  have a specific spot I want to hang my smaller quilt, and it's a little bit of a squeeze, so I'll save the fancy borders for a bigger quilt.  

I've grown accustomed to cutting my pieces on my Accuquilt Go, so rotary cutting several small pieces was a little bit of a stretch for me.  I had to rely on my questionable math skills for accuracy instead of depending on the precision of die cuts.  I don't mind doing this, though, because there are so many beautiful quilts out there that don't quite fit  my Accuilt dies.  I was able to cut my 1 1/2 inch sashing and borders with my Go stip dies, thank goodness.  

With my hand cut pieces,  I really felt I had hold my tongue in the right place while sewing the blocks so that I preserved all my corners and the pieces lined up where they should.  I failed in this attempt a few times, as always,  but I still think the dresses look adorable. 

I have a really fun idea for the hanging of my quilt that will make me happy every time I look at it.  Stay tuned for the unveiling in a couple of months when everything comes together. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Chimney Sweep Scrappy Quilt - Lori Holt Fabric and Accuquilt Go BOB

 
One who sleeps under a quilt is comforted by love. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

The most delightful thing about quilt making for me is sewing up heaps of scrappy goodness,  but my least enjoyable task is tediously (and painfully) cutting tiny shapes with a rotary cutter.  I couldn't live without  my Accuquilt Go Big fabric cutter and dies.  I don't have any affiliation with the company, although I wish I had some stock, because I have umpteen fabulous dies in my hoard.  Card making and quilting dies are my thing!  I used this Block on Board die called Chimney Sweep and Lori Holt fabrics for my quilt blocks here.  Her vintage inspired designs and bright colors are just my style. 

Measuring 54" x 66," a medium lap size, this quilt is not large enough for a bedspread on my Queen guest room bed, but it adds a punch of color folded at the foot of the bed and some extra warmth for my guests if they need it.  I generally use handmade striped binding for my quilts and have them  professionally quilted. I haven't mastered the home quilting thing yet and, so far, it doesn't look too promising. Meh. 

I love gifting my quilts to family and friends because I know they'll enjoy using them  for napping or watching TV...all things cuddly.  It's like giving them a big warm hug that keeps on giving.  I'm sure I'll find the perfect snuggly person for this one. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply

Accuquilt Chimney Sweep BOB Quilt

If you see me with a seam ripper, now is not the time.

 

Hey there,

Quilting is one of my favorite chill activities and, sadly, the one I seem to make the least time for among all my crafty pursuits.  I guess it's because it takes time and effort to set up my sewing space to my exacting ergonomic specifications  and it creates a bit of disarray in my craft room for a few days.  But I'm in heaven the whole time I'm sewing, so it's worth a little bit of temporary chaos.  And I LOVE creating unique treasures for my special tribe.  It's delightful to join a tapestry of  bright happy fabric in colors that only have one job...to play well together.  When I proudly present my masterpiece to my beloved recipient,  I think of it as an enduring, adoring hug. Yes, I know a baby or a dog might leave his mark on it, but a few cycles through the washing machine (or not) will give it cozy character. 

I die cut this fun classic block with the Accuquilt Chimney Sweep Block on Board in just a couple of hours!  What's not to love about accurate piece cutting in so little time.  The pieces are much easier for me to sew together with  their uniform size.  I usually make lap or baby quilts because they go pretty fast and are within my price range to have professionally quilted. Longarm quilting is worth the cost to me because the results are so beautiful and durable...and it saves my aching back. 

My daughter is arriving from Denmark tomorrow to get her covid vaccination a few months earlier than she would in Copenhagen.  I haven't seen her for a year and a half, so I'm beyond excited.  She's an on-line therapist and will be working from here as she quarantines for a while, so I'll have some quiet time to sew.  It will be so nice to quietly work in my craft room knowing that my sweet baby, (37 years old) will be occupied quietly close buy.  I miss those days!!!

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and dig out a UFO (unfinished object) that you've been longing to finish.

Nancy

Scrappy Churn Dash Quilt - Lori Holt Fabrics and Accuquilt Go

👉  My soul is fed with needle and thread.

Hi everyone,

They say life is just of bowl of cherries...and that's especially true with  these sweet Lori Holt Sew Cherry fabrics that I stitched up into a happy, scrappy, traditional quilt.  Riley Blake fabrics are always my first pick for bright, colorful vintage style quilts.  The colors make me so happy and the prints remind me of my grandma's house dresses.  (Remember those?)

I call myself a "quilter wannabe" because I still have so much to learn about the finer techniques of quilting. I am self taught, and happily I find piecing fabrics  pretty forgiving if the block isn't too complicated   And I'd be hard pressed to find a friend or family member who doesn't love cuddling under a  warm, comfy handmade quilt, even if some of the stitches are a little random.

I made plenty of mistakes on this quilt and at first I was a little bit sad that I used my favorite fabrics with such an imperfect result. But then I realized that I have learned so much about what not to do and what I really should always do,  that I think this quilt will forever be one of my favorites.

Here are some of the things I learned:

1. The final machine quilting process is HARD with a larger size quilt.  I see why people quilt with their credit cards.  More time for the actual fun part. Maybe next time.
2. The fun part is piecing!  
3. The Binding Tool is easy once you get the hang of it.  
4. Lots of white in a quilt makes the colors pop.
5. Scrappy is my fave.
6. Striped binding is my other fave.
7. The Accuquilt Go Churn Dash BOB die makes cutting so much faster and piecing infinitely easier. (Scroll down and check out the video on this link.) 
8. Learning by doing is the best way to learn.  Just wade in and get wet. 

Can't wait to use what I've learned on my next quilt...and make some more useful mistakes.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy