x and + quilt top.

as promised yesterday, i am so super excited to share this x and + quilt top with you all! this, my bloggy friends, is my most favorite quilt i've EVER made. you wanna know why? well let's see...


>> it features one of my most favorite fabric lines, Innocent Crush, by one of my most favorite fabric designers, Anna Maria Horner. 
>> it's my first online quilt bee finish. i am so honored to have stitched along with the fabulous ladies of our {sew} beautiful bee and it's so exciting knowing bloggy friends, from all across the United States, each played a part in making this quilt. 
>> it's been a WiP for months and we all know how fabulous it feels to finish up an "old" project, right?

the quilt blocks were made using amy of badskirt's x and + quilt tutorial. however, rather than following the directions exactly and end up with an 8 inch finished block, i opted for a little bit bigger of a block. mine finish up at 12 inches. i really like how the bigger blocks look in a quilt this size (60" x 60"). you can read more about this quilt top here. 


now the only thing left to do is quilt this AMH beauty! any suggestions on how to quilt it?


ETA: come check out what i'm doing with my leftover half square triangles from this quilt! 


xo, megan.

<<linking up to Fabric Tuesday!>>

{sew} modern monday.

it's MONDAY! 

which means it's time for 

another weekly installment of 

{sew} modern monday!

ah, monday. did you all have a good weekend? mine went way too fast, which i guess is par for the course. my little sister was home on break for a few days before she goes back to college on wednesday. so of course the weekend was jammed packed with all sorts of fun family things. but you know me, i did manage to squeeze in some quality sewing time.

on friday i decided to jump into a WiP that had been sitting in my sewing area for a while. a very long while. you've all been there, right? and somewhere along the way i fell back in love with this AMH quilt. big time. i'm seriously crushing on this quilt top. so much so that in a matter of half a day, i managed to sew up 13 blocks to round off the 12 already sewn by my {sew} beautiful bee-mates. 

all finished up, the quilt top measure 60" x 60". just the perfect size for cozy lap quilt! 

so, are you ready to see some pictures? well *ahem* there's a little issue this beautiful monday morning. the conveniently small and easy to misplace black cord that connects my DSLR to my laptop. you know, the important one. yeah, well it seems to have gone MIA. blurg! so this lovely instagram picture is going to have to hold you all over for the time being. and i promise if you come back tomorrow and check out the finished quilt top in it's entirety, you won't be disappointed. this beauty is quicky becoming one of my favorite finishes to date. :) 

<<updated: you can see more of my x and + quilt top here!>>

now it's your turn! what have you been stitchin' on lately? just link up to a blog post (or flickr picture!) and have fun enjoying all the modern sewing inspiration!  but please, link back to Canoe Ridge Creations somewhere in the post so your readers can find the party too! thanks!

it's friday!

it's friday, it's friday, it's friday!

and i'll be spending my weekend with a little AMH. 

love! <3

what are you up to this weekend?

xo, megan. 

sparkle quilt along: half-square triangles.

are you sparkle-ing along with us?

jeni has the next step (HSTs!) posted over at In Color Order. 

check it out!

for more information, see here. 

xo, megan

dilemma. swoon style.

sometimes i just can't resist temptation. especially when it comes to quilt alongs. there's just something so enticing about sewing along with lots of other fabric addicts like myself. am i wrong? well this time it's the Swoon-Along hosted by Katy of I'm a Ginger Monkey. but being that i had already picked up the Swoon pattern by Camille Roskelley when i was in Salt Lake City for Sewing Summit last fall and the fact i just happened to have a FQ bundle of Outfoxed by Lizzy House just laying around from Pink Castle Fabrics, it was practically meant to be. right? right. 

last weekend i set out to make one block -- just to test the waters. after seeing erin's KJR block i knew i wanted to take the scrappy road with this quilt. so i jumped in, head first, and when i was done i had one terrible quilt block. so terrible, i didn't even want to take pictures...sorry about that. take my word for it, it was like a terrible episode of "scrappy gone wild" was sitting right in front of me and i didn't know what to do. even the boyfriend so kindly advised that "there's just too much going on." so i ripped it apart and let it sit for a few days.


then i had the idea to separate my Outfoxed into "warm" and "cool" colors. that way i could keep the scrappy look, but still maintain the look of the original Swoon block. make sense? 

now here's where you come in. tell me, do you like it? keep going? send those hedgehogs and fox to the curb? honestly, i'm looking for some good healthy suggestions. i personally like it. sort of. blurg. i really don't know. sometimes i look at it and think "yeah! keep going!" and then a few minutes later i change my mind. help! 


oh, and while i've been stuck in limbo all week about this block i made a little mini quilt (finished size 8"x 8") using the left over HSTs. i'm sending it off to my little sister at college. hopefully it will bring some quilty cheer to her dorm room!

there you have it. my swoon dilemma. i'll just be sitting here, anxiously awaiting your advice+suggestions. thanks in advance! :)


xo, megan.

you sir are my favorite.

Source: sew-much-ado.com via Megan on Pinterest

brandon.
you are my favorite
you are my best friend.
you make me smile, happy, giddy.
every.single.day.


it still amazes me that we went to high school together (a year apart!). 
our small, Iowa high school. 
and we never met. 
probably because you were the all-start athlete,
and i was the girl who didn't care.


i'm happy you started that facebook chat over 3 years ago.
even though i found it a little strange at the time. 
and maybe still do. :) 
you will always be "the facebook creeper" in my sister's eyes.
and brandon-a-witz, you will always be brandon-a-witz.


i love how well you fit into our family. 
it's like you've always been here. 
and i know dad loves finally having a son. 
just like you finally have a dad to do things with. 
it makes me smile. 


i'm thankful we have Jeter.
our four legged, 
slightly over-weight, 
possibly ADD puppy. 
he likes you too. 


you can fix things. 
squish spiders. 
protect me during scary movies. 
tell me when i'm being over-dramatic. 
you truly make me a better person. 


you are my best friend.
you are my favorite.
and i can't wait to see what our future holds. 
<3


xo, your 1/2.

how to: valentine's day mini quilt.

valentine's day is fast approaching and if you are like me you don't have a ton of any festive decorations. this mini quilt is a perfect way to bring some v-day spirit to any space! or change the color palate to fit your style! let's get started. 

valentine's day mini quilt.

size: 15" x 15"  

materials needed.
3 fat quarters -- red, pink, white
18" x 18" piece of batting
20" x 20" piece of backing fabric
1/8 yard for binding


cutting instructions. 

fabric 1: white -- cut twelve 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares

fabric 2: red -- cut twelve 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares

fabric 3: pink -- cut twelve 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares

HST instructions. 

step one. pair one red + one white 3 1/2" square together to make one HST unit.

step two. using a pencil+ruler, draw a line from corner to opposite corner of your HST unit.

step three. sew 1/4 inch on either side of the pencil line.

step four. cut along the pencil line. 

step five. press seams to the darker fabric. you will now have two HSTs. 

step six. trim your HSTs to 3" x 3". 

repeat step one - step six to make the following:

     white+red units --- six 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" pairs to make 12 HSTs

     red+pink units --- six 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" pairs to make 12 HSTs

     pink+white units --- six 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" pairs to make 12 HSTs

assembling the mini quilt top.

step seven. layout your HSTs, forming a 6x6 chevron/zig-zag pattern.

step eight. pin, sew, and press (i pressed open) your top together. first into rows, left to right. then into one unit, top to bottom. 

finishing your mini quilt. 

step nine. baste, quilt, and bind your v-day mini quilt! :) 

and done! your mini quilt should measure 15" x 15". 

if you make a valentines day mini quilt using this tutorial or if you've been inspired by one of my creations, please share it in the Canoe Ridge Creations flickr group! i would love to see YOUR creations! :) 

xo, megan.

{sew} modern monday.

phew, i almost forgot what day it was! it's {sew} modern monday of course. time to show off YOUR modern sewing. it could be bee blocks, bags, pillows, quilts, you name it! as long as it's sewn, it's game. and be sure to follow Canoe Ridge Creations on facebook and twitter because i will be featuring some your link-ups throughout the week! so without further delay, it's time to link up!


xo, megan. 

snow day.

winter has finally arrived.
in the form of lots and LOTS of snow.
schools are closed, stores are closed.
and i'm snuggled up at home with the puppies. 
i've got fireplace on, the music cranked, and i'm sewing. 
all. day. long. 
<3

what do you have planned this weekend? 


xo, megan.

sparkle quilt along: cutting instructions

This post is part of the Sparkle Quilt Along. For more information see here. 

week one: choosing fabrics

Welcome to week two of the Sparkle Quilt Along! Last week Jeni shared some great information+tips about choosing your fabric. It's been so much fun seeing all of your fabric choices pop up in the flickr group! This week it's all about cutting, let's get started!

Cutting Instructions

Remember, the number of sparkle blocks needed depends on your desired finished quilt size: 

Mini -- 29" x 29" | 4 sparkles

Baby -- 42"  42" | 9 sparkles

Lap -- 56" x 56" | 16 sparkles

Cutting Sparkle Blocks

FOCUS FABRIC -- cut (eight) 3" x 3" squares and (one) 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" square

BACKGROUND FABRIC -- cut (eight) 3" x 3" squares and (four) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares


Cutting Borders & Sashing
**please note: for strips longer than width of fabric (wof) you will need to sew two strips together and then sub-cut to desired length.


BACKGROUND FABRIC -- 
mini quilt.
- (two) 2" x 12 1/2" strips
- (three) 2" x 26 /2" strip
- (two) 2" x 29" strips


baby quilt. 
- (six) 2" x 12 1/2" strips
- (four) 2" x 39" strips
- (two) 2 " x 42" strips


lap quilt. 
- (twelve) 2" x 12 1/2" strips
- (five) 2" x 51 1/2" strips
- (two) 2 x 55 1/2" strips


Check back next week to start SEWING with Jeni! And be sure to share your progress pictures in the Sparkle Quilt Along flickr group. Feel free to ask questions below or email me at megan (at) canoeridgecreations (dot) com. 

gettin' my dessert on.

have you heard of the zero calorie dessert sensation that is circling the inter-webs? guilt free, strictly fun. i'm talking about the dessert of the month club from the frosted pumpkin stitchery! once a month for an entire year, amanda and ashleigh will be releasing an adorable little dessert x-stitch pattern. i just couldn't resist temptation, can you blame me?

i'm stitchin' my desserts on 28 count linen, which i love! this month i added a few seed beads to the top of my truffle (it's hard to see in these photos!) to give it a bit of extra sparkle. :) and of course i had to buy a new pair of little scissors for my x stitch adventures. i picked up these little gems while shopping last week with my midwest pals, vanessa, deedee, and jeni!

if you are new to x-stitchin', been at it for years, or you are looking to get started, i highly recommend joining the dessert of the month club! it's beginner friendly, plus you will be x-stitchin' along with lots of other fabulous people! 

do you x-stitch? are you getting your dessert on each month with the frosted pumpkin stitchery?

xo, megan. 

a little more {sew} modern monday fun.

i just want to say THANK YOU to all of the wonderful readers

who link up to {sew} modern monday each and every week! 

and to keep the fun rolling all week, 
i've decided to start featuring your link-ups on the 

canoe ridge creations 

facebook page and on twitter.

be sure to check it out!

xo, megan

{sew} modern monday.

hey there friends! 

it's time for another weekly dose of modern sewing! 

:) 

first off, i just want to say THANK YOU for all of the kind words+comments+emails regarding my first PDF quilt pattern. words can't express how much this truly means to me. and i apologize if i haven't responded back to each one of you personally, but i promise i will! this past week+weekend completely flew by and i feel a bit bogged down by emails, but i am slowing climbing out! :) 


now onto the good stuff, the sewing! lately i have been a bit obsessed with the linen+cotton blend fabric that's out there (i use essex!). it is wonderful to work with and i love its organic look. it really is a fun change of pace from the normal designer cotton fabric i usually use in my projects. 

this time i decided to pair the linen+cotton blend fabric with a light weight denim to make a chic little pouch. the bold and modern design of this pouch makes me swoon! not to mention that lime green zipper. can you tell i'm sort of in love with this pouch?

what have you been working on lately? do you have a modern sewing finish? bags, quilts, home decor, garments, you name it. if it's been sewn by you it's game! just please be sure to link back to canoe ridge creations somewhere in your post. thanks much!

pinterest love.

do you pinterest? if not, you should! it's a great way to find//organize yummy treats + tutorials + all sorts of inspiration. i just love pinterest -- follow me here! each week (on saturday!) i will be sharing 5 of my favorite pins. tutorials, things on my wish list, sewing, diy, everything's game. enjoy, friends!


one.

Source: purlbee.com via Megan on Pinterest

two.

Source: spunkyjunky.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

three.

Source: pinterest.com via Megan on Pinterest

four.

Source: etsy.com via Megan on Pinterest

five. 

Source: intimateweddings.com via Megan on Pinterest

sparkle quilt along | choosing fabrics.

welcome to the first day of the Sparkle Quilt Along! over the next few weeks, Jeni from In Color Order and myself will be bringing you step by step instructions so you can make a Sparkle Quilt of your own! 
head on over to In Color Order for

 Week 1: Choosing Fabrics.

be sure to join the Sparkle Quilt Along flickr group too! See you back here next week for cutting instructions!


xo, megan.

modern day quilts.

my Modern Stix quilt is being featured over on 

Modern Day Quilts today.

check it out! 

:)

xo, megan.

modern stix pattern (& {sew} modern monday!)

hello, everyone! it's time to kick off the first {sew} modern monday of 2012! do you have a recent modern sewing finish? then be sure to link up below!

i can't think of a better way to kick of 2012 than with my first quilt finish and pattern! as i have mentioned before, writing + designing + publishing my own quilt patterns has been a dream of mine for many years. and it's time to make that dream a reality! i am so SUPER excited to share with you  modern stix.

are you new to quilting and looking for a beginner friendly pattern? need to make a quick quilt and don't have a lot of time? are you looking to make a fun and fresh quilt? if you answered yes to any of these questions, this quilt pattern is for you!

i chose to use a vibrant array of Kona Cotton solids for my quilt and you can too! or it would look great in designer prints--plus, it's jelly roll friendly! and measuring 60" x 60", it's the perfect size to curl up under or it makes a great play mat for your child. 


the modern stix pdf pattern comes with 6 pages of colorful diagrams and easy to read instructions. all delivered right to your inbox. you can purchase your own copy here!

quilt stats

name: modern stix.

finished size: 60" x 60"

designed: by me, pattern available here!

quilted: by me, using organic wavy quilting

now it's your turn! link up a recent sewing finish (bags, quilts, garments, & home decor are all welcome!). just please remember to link back to Canoe Ridge Creations. :) 

pinterest love.

do you pinterest? if not, you should! it's a great way to find//organize yummy treats + tutorials + all sorts of inspiration. i just love pinterest -- follow me here! each week (on saturday!) i will be sharing 5 of my favorite pins. tutorials, things on my wish list, sewing, diy, everything's game. enjoy, friends!


one.

Source: hannahandbryan.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

two.

Source: shop.theworkroom.ca via Megan on Pinterest

three.

Source: etsy.com via Megan on Pinterest

four.

Source: materialtherapy.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

five.

Source: burdastyle.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest