The Splendid Sampler 2 - My Grandfather Clock

Happy New Year! I am so excited for all the fun we are going to have this year, who's with me? To get this party started we have this "Grandfather Block" I was asked to design for Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson for their Splendid Sampler 2 book. It was so much fun to design this foundation paper piecing block in Electric Quilt using the EQ8 program, and then add some embroidery and needle turn applique. So if you have ever wanted to try a little bit of everything in one block, I'm sharing some of my tips below...so here you go! 

These are the fabrics (all fat quarters) I was sent from Moda Fabrics along with some Aurifil threads. I wanted to share with you my process for selecting the fabrics so as you are considering fabrics for your Grandfather Clock, you'll have the best outcome.

As tradition calls for it, I used a pure white for the face of the clock and built it out from there. I selected the two tones of beige for my "wood" coloring. One as a lighter color as if it has light shining on it and one darker for shadows. I did the same for the blue. The darker blue allows the clock to have the "inside" feeling while the lighter blue helps the pendulum to sit forward. The red helps the face to pop but I added the tiny touch of blue in the center with the fussy cut tulip to balance out the blue in the lower half. So as you select your colors, know that using two tones for wood and two tones for the blue areas would work best.

To transfer the face of your clock onto a large piece of white fabric, use a strong light source (like the Daylight Company Wafer 2 lightbox) and a water soluble marking pen (mine is from Prym/Dritz).

Place your white fabric into a hoop to embroider the face. I used the 8782 Blue Wool 12 thread from Aurifil so it would be thicker and only require a single stitch per line. Because I used Roman Numerals, it made stitching it so quick (because no curves!), but feel free to change yours to numbers if you prefer.
Be creative with the "time" that you stitch on your clock. This can be a personal number or memory with a date or time reference. There are 4 members of my family (hubby and 2 daughters) and I have 8 siblings so I have my 'arrows' (hands) pointing at the 4 and 8, which would be 4:40.

When putting your clock face together and attaching it to your foundation paper pieced block, be sure to use a pin in the center of each pattern piece to align them properly. These center points are marked on the pattern pieces specifically to help align them. Transfer those center points onto your fabric and use the pin technique shown above.

When your Grandfather Clock is all put together, you can then flip over your block and carefully cut out the excess fabric to reduce the bulk if you choose to do so.

My Paternal Grandfather had 6 Grandfather Clocks in his house. I think my uncle now has them all in Connecticut, but I will always remember them scattered about and chiming throughout the home he built in Maryland for his family. The block we designed was supposed to represent "I'm living my best quilting life when....", and for me that is when I am spending time with my family and living a balanced life. Time passes so quickly and it's so important to not miss what is in front of you at any given time. So I designed a clock. But not just any clock, a Grandfather Clock, to add in that important element of family and history and making memories. Do you have a Grandfather Clock memory or story? I'd love to hear it. Please feel free to share it below or find me (Kid Giddy) on Instagram and Facebook to share your story there.

You can get a copy of the Splendid Sampler 2 book by clicking through to the Splendid Sampler website. Thanks so much for visiting!

Disclosure: I received the fabric and thread to help create my block and also received a copy of the book for having made my block, but the opinions and comments provided are always my own. There are no affiliate links. Thank you.

Travel Lighting

Remember that car game where you're going on a picnic and you have to bring something that starts with every letter in the alphabet. I kept think about that game as I was traveling this spring and summer as I was packing. I'm going on a trip and I'm bring my Aurifil thread, Bags, (thread)Cutterz, Daylight Company lighting, EPP papers and so on.

My first trip this spring was to Disneyland (I only went once when I was 16 and only for a day so this felt like my first trip ever - which was so exciting). On the flight down I got some hand sewing done on the airplane using the compact Daylight Yo-Yo Lamp. It was later in the afternoon but everyone wanted to nap and I felt bad having my overhead light on. So the Yo-Yo Lamp gave me enough light to work on my #QuiltsForMyDaughters hexies.

After we arrived and upacked at the hotel, I needed to finish sewing the little cross body bags to use at the parks, that I made the day before. It was super late and everyone else was going to sleep so I set up the Smart Clip-On lamp.

The bed frames at Disney are surprisingly enormous so I grabbed the next best thing...my luggage. The side table was on my husband's side of the bed, so all I had was the luggage rack and my luggage.  I was pretty proud of my set up! lol.

The Smart Clip-On lamp is cordless and rechargable, so I didn't have to worry about finding an outlet to plug it into. It works great for reading books too. Which I've been trying to sneak in at night lately and was doing as much of as I could this summer with our less hectic evenings. I clip it onto the corner of my book, which also helps to keep the pages open for me.

During the summer I also traveled to New Hampshire for Girls Camp through church. A couple of nights while in my bunk, I had a little time to set up some hand stitching and the Yo-Yo was all the light I needed to get it done.

Both of these lamps are so great to travel with. The Yo-Yo folds up and is the most compact and the Smart Clip-On lamp wraps around itself nicely (with the recharging cord clipped into the clamp). Both of these lights fit in my little sewing pouch with all of my other needs for sewing on the go.

Do you need more lighting in your travels? Be sure to use the "kidgiddy2018" code on the Daylight Company website so you can save 20%. Please be sure to tag me on social media and show me which lamp caught your eye and you couldn't be without! Thanks as always for stopping by!

Disclosure: As a brand ambassador for Daylight Company, I have received these products for free, but the opinions and comments provided are always my own. I will receive a small portion of the sale if you use the coupon code provided above on the Daylight website. Thank you.

Daylight Table and Floor Lamps

Hi everyone. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to work with amazing companies and their products. I'm back again with more Daylight Company lighting options for your studio or work space, or even your home in general. This time I'm showing you two lamps that are versatile and can really make a difference in your space.

There are a few areas in my home that lack lighting where I do all of my sewing. Most of the lighting in my home is recessed lighting, which I can tell you, doesn't do anything for me at night or in the winter to sew or needle craft. It drives me crazy! Because of this lack of light, I often need extra lighting to help me sew a little longer. The Smart Lamp D40 and the MAGnificent Floor and Table Lamp move around with me everywhere.

The Smart Lamp D40 is small but mighty - and by mighty....I mean mighty powerful but not heavy. It's really an all around perfect option. Most lamps are so larger and cumbersome that you leave them in one place. This one is so lightweight, that I can use it in my studio, take it down to my living room, or bring it into any room where I need more personal lighting in. You can keep it straight upright, lean it forward (slightly forward shown in photo), and move the light up or down and twist for better lighting accuracy.

It packs flat - I mean seriously flat (you can see the folding this in the video) and in the pic above...it can fit flat inside my bernina sewing machine case pocket during travels (my Bernina is the 530 and the bag is 16" wide - it sits slightly diagonal as it folds to 17" in length). I can even stash it flat in a drawer if I need extra space on my desk for a photoshoot. As you can see in the video, the D40 also has dimming options. I personally love the little images of the moon phases to show the brightness settings, because it's just a nice touch.
The D40 comes as white with silver, but because of the versatility of this lamp, I'd love to see it come in multiple color options as well. My girls would absolutely love one in their room...white, aqua, pink, green, you name it - it would look awesome. 

The MAGnificent Floor and Table Lamp is amazing. My eyes have changed drastically over the past 5 years, and although I have always had perfect vision, every once in a while things got blurry as I was sewing. People reminded me I was getting older...(thanks people)...and my daughter's eye Dr. agreed I was getting older which we all know happens over time...(thank you Dr!)...but he said I was also straining my eyes at night which was never a good thing. I needed more lighting or it would get worse, quickly! Now 5 years later - I wear glasses to see up close, or things are blurry. I still have to have things a certain distance from my eyes though, which is a catch 22! I have to hold things further away from my face, but then things are too small and I still can't see. The MAGnificent Lamp has been so super helpful for me in this regard. It's providing all of the light I could ever want while sewing binding or hexies, but it's also making everything bigger. 

The magnifying lens as you see in the pic above is huge. The front edge of it is clear to keep your field of vision clear and unobstructed. It may sound strange, but one of the things I love most about this lamp, is that the base can sit under my couch. The pole (which is adjustable to table height or floor height) sits in the center back of the base, not in the true center. So I slip the base under my couch so it can be closer to me and more easily adjustable. It's also super slim, and all white, making it almost disappear into the background (as all of our walls are white).

I hope these reviews are helpful. I love being able to hear various view points and maybe even alternative ways to use the same product. (Although I mostly sew, I've been dabbling in metalsmithing and feel like I could use a MAG lamp at class, so I could more easily see where I got solder and where I didn't.) If you need more lighting in your space, be sure to use the "kidgiddy2018" code on Daylight Company's website so you can save 20%. Please be sure to tag me on social media and show me which lamp caught your eye and you couldn't be without! Thanks as always for stopping by!

Disclosure: As a brand ambassador for Daylight Company, I have received these products for free, but the opinions and comments provided are always my own. I will receive a small portion of the sale if you use the coupon code provided above on the Daylight website. Thank you.

New Daylight Lighting in the Studio

I'm back in the saddle...the sewing/blogging saddle that is, and I have some new additions to my studio that I have to share with you from Daylight Company. I told you last year about their Wafer light box...and now as a continued Brand Ambassador, I have some amazing lighting to share with you as well. I've been using these lights so much, that I took down my old photo light set up because these work so much better for photographs and everything else. If you need more lighting in your space - Here are 3 different lights and a little bit about each one.

First up - the Slimline LED Table Lamp. I love this lamp. True to it's name - it's totally slim. If you don't have a lot of space for lighting over head or on your desk, this is the lamp for you. You can completely straighten it upright or bend it in two locations, the middle and near the base (which gives it a little more length if using it over your desk). The base of the lamp clamps onto the edge of your table or desk...but if you don't have the right type of edge - there is a Slimline table base available on their website. For such a slim light - this one really packs a punch. Since this pic, I've moved this lamp over to my daughter's table. They really needed some light, had absolutely no space for a base, and their little desk isn't big enough for something larger. The Slimline sits just overhead and right in between both seats (and neither will bump their heads - being that it's so thin).

Next up - the baby Lumi Lamp (baby to the Luminos). This Lumi lamp is now sitting on the corner of my project/serger table (where the slimline was previously).

It has an overall white appearance which effortlessly blends right into this corner space. I've only ever had one lamp to use on my desk from many years ago, but it took up way too much surface area (about the size of a piece of paper). The old light was bulky and only provided light just underneath the lamp and was not adjustable. This Lumi Lamp clamps onto the edge of my desk, with a round base of just 2.5".
If I need to move my lighting, the spring loaded armature reaches far across the desk and can be lifted up or pulled down. The head swivels and tilts offering a huge range of motion which means I can use it for more detailed work or pull it back for general lighting. I can direct the light onto my desk surface, or I can even direct it onto the wall. This Lumi lamp is great for a small or large desk, or even a sturdy side table.

Lastly, here's the Luminos LED Lamp, I call it the mommy version of the Lumi, and it's is now my favorite desk lamp.

I have a bit of a strange set up. I have a corner style sewing desk with my sewing machine, and my computer desk butts up right beside it (check out my Luminos Lamp video see my set up). Lucky for me, the corner desk has the perfect opening in the corner for the Luminos Lamp to clamp to. This lamp also has a spring armature, and that means the Luminos with it's 44" reach, extends all the way to each end of my sewing desk, and also extends over my computer desk. It also acts like the Lumi, in that it swivels and tilts any which way you want. It brightens up the entire space if I raise it up super high, but I can also dim the lights if I don't need it so bright. If you don't have the right desk edge for the clamp, the Luminos lamp also has a wall mount.
I think what I love most about this Luminos Lamp is that it has actually helped with my aging eyes and the really bad winter blues. This lamp truly provides a bright white light and when it's sitting above me on a very gray wintery or rainy day, it helps brighten my mood. This isn't what it's for, and the company doesn't claim that it helps with seasonal effective disorders, but it def has helped me to imagine brighter and warmer days ahead. Let me know which lamp is your favorite in the comments below - or on Instagram - where you can find more photos in my feed of these lamps and others.

I hope you'll check out all of the other lamps and lights also available on the Daylight Company website - if you use the code "kidgiddy2018" you can receive 20% off your entire purchase. Please be sure to sign up for my emails to get info about new patterns, new Sizzix dies (coming soon), future sales or coupons and other fun stuff.

Disclosure: As a brand ambassador for Daylight Company, I have received these products for free, but the opinions and comments provided are always my own. I will receive a small portion of the sale if you use the coupon code provided above on the Daylight website. Thank you.