Design Wall Monday 11/28/11

Besides the coverlet, the quilt for DD, and the two color challenge, I've added this Jubilee Album block to my design wall.  I'm liking the process, however it may be only for wall hangings and not applique quilts that will get any wear.  Do you have an aged applique quilt that has been used and washed a few times that was constructed by raw edge applique?
Sure would like to hear from you as to how it's holding up.

What's on your design wall?  Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times (button on sidebar) and see what others are doing.  Always an eye candy treat! And for eye candy progress there's the BOMs Away button to visit also.
Enjoy!

Stash Report 11/27/11

Have cut the fabric for another charity quilt, so there is a 1.10 yards used.   And I'm trying to keep working on my Jubilee Album block so there is a few bits more for a grand total of 1.13 yards, LOL.  All the leaves are now back basted.  If you'd like to know how I'm doing it, see the previous post to this one.

Hope to do better the rest of the week.  Here are the numbers for this past week:
Used/Donated this week: 1.13 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 102.25yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 90.25 yards

So I passed the 90 yards mark!  Woohoo!

The Saturday After

Here it is the saturday after Thanksgiving, and I've finally had a bit more than a couple minutes to post my applique progress for this week.  It was a busy week, a family time, a grandparent time - So fun, but am still getting back to normal.  So Applique Thursday is on a saturday this week - the last day of the week at that.
Here's how far I've gotten with my second Jubilee Album block:
What I'm doing this time is back basting the pieces to the block (here you see the front and some of the back basting ).  I'm using water soluble thread (Vanish Lite by Superior Threads) to back baste with - that way I won't have to worry about taking the basting out or struggling to remove it after I have raw edge appliqued over it.  I decided as I had the luxury of a largish piece of solid blue green to pin the solid to cover all the stems and leaves and back baste and cutting out the stems and leaves after I've basted them in place.  I back basted to the left of the lines of the elements. Then I used embroidery scissors to cut exactly to the right of the basted stitches.  This brings the cut line to be exactly on the pencil drawn line. 

What are you working on?  Would love to see your applique - past, in process, just finished or just in the planning stage.  Click on the blue button below and share your link to your blog post/or photo link.

WIP Wednesday 11/23/11 and another possible winner

Hello!  Didn't hear from astitch about the giveaway, so after 5 days I've picked another winner:  Marilyn in Queensland, AU.  Send me your snail mail addy and I'll send off your book.

I'm posting my WIP Wednesday a little early as I have to leave bright and early tomorrow morning to pick up Frank in Duarte.  He's spending a couple of days with us and then going home with the parents on Friday when we all meet at my DD's house for Thanksgiving Dinner - we're celebrating on Friday as that was the first day we could all manage to get together.  No matter - we just spread out the thanksgiving!

Here is my shop hop block I've finally got back to.  You can't see it, but I have machine appliqued around the bird silhouette with a straight stitch.  I'm not happy with the feet.  They got a little fatter as the fabric frayed a bit.  What is the secret to doing raw edge machine applique and not getting those frays?  Would really like to know.  I haven't done the yellow part yet as I don't have any thread that comes close to being a good match for it.  Will have to make a trip to the LQS or Jo-Ann's and see what I can buy to get this block in the done pile.

What are you working on?  Go on over to my sidebar and click on Esther's WIP button to see what some are doing and try too the Fabric Tuesday button by Quilt Story.  It's always fun to see what others are doing.

Design Wall Monday 11/21/11

I'm late in the day with this, but have been holiday shopping and running other errands.  The two color quilt is still on my design wall. This is the back you're seeing.   I need to add the borders and then can finish the quilting and bind it.  I hope to have it done for our December Guild meeting. Wish me luck!

Go on over to my sidebar and click on Judy's Patchwork Times.  You'll see a lot of beautiful quilts in the making.  Or you can click on BOMs away - there are eye candy there, too!

Stash Report 11/20/11

I bound two charity quilts, so there is 1/2 yard.  I then pulled from the stash to make a "We got you Covered" quilt - a new community service project our guild is taking on - lap quilts (36 by 42-44) for patients at our local Veteran's Hospital.  I used four 1/4 yd cut WOF, a 1/2 yard for border, less than an hour of putting it together and got the top shown.

I used Bonnie Hunter's  Streak of Sunshine method, but I used 8 1/2" squares and only the fabrics I mentioned above.  That used up another 1 1/2 yards. 

Then I pulled 4 yards for donations - mostly blues for 34-36" quilts for St.  Anne's.  And here are my numbers:


Used/Donated this week: 6.0 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 101.12yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 89.12 yards

How are you doing on your destashing?  Go on over to my sidebar and click on Judy's Patchwork Times and see how others are doing. 

A Possible Winner

Hello!  Thank you to all who submitted eye candy last week during my giveaway.  Saw lot of wonderful applique!  There were the cutest snowman, doll, bugs, train, turkey, house, pillow, owl and chickens too.  If you missed any, go back and see them in the previous thursday post.

And thank you to all who wanted to play.  I wish I could send each of you a book!  I enjoyed learning about your applique adventures.

Now you're probably wondering why I said possible winner.  Well, that's because the name drawn does not have an email on blogger and I'm not sure I can contact her.  She did say she signed up to get emails of when I post.  Hopefully, she has verified her request to receive those emails (I have ten ladies who are not verified - that means they didn't respond to the feedburner email to complete their subscription).  If you are not receiving emails notifying you of my latest post - like this one, and you're reading it because you came back to see the winner - check your spam folder.  And yes, I did check her blogger profile.

Without further ado - the possible winner is Astitch!  Congratulations!  You have a few days to get back to me with your snail mail address and I'll send you your book.  If I don't hear from her - you all still have a chance to win this book.

Applique Thursday 11/17/11

Had a few minutes for my Jubilee Album block.  So here it is with the background cut and the pattern traced on the back of it:
My window is my light table.  I tape the design paper on the window and then center the background block over it and trace it in pencil on the back.  Here's a closeup - don't know why it came out gray - this is muslim:
 Now begins the back stitching - my hand project for the week.
What are you working on?  Would love to see you applique/piecing eye candy! Please submit a link to your blog post/or photo link by clicking on the blue botton below. I'd love to see your applique past, in process, future or just on your wish list.

WOW Wednesday! I Won!!

I participated in last week's blog tour celebrating the publication of Quiltmaker's V.4 of 100 Blocks.  It was a lot of fun.  Then I got an email I had won - woohoo!

OH MY Goodness!! I thought I was going to get a few fat quarters and lo and behold: I got:



1. the v. 4 magazine AND a cup


2. two great patterns for fast quilts and one marvelous pattern package from Piece of Cake - which I love

and then I almost swooned:


4. all seven of the motif CDs that I've been wanting since the first one came out and had them on my wish list forever! since I'm a domestic machine quilter!  How neat is that?!  Over $250 worth of goodies.  I'm in heaven. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Quiltmaker! I had so much fun on the blog tour, learned a lot, and bookmarked quite a few blogs.  So I have a new button for my sidebar.



There'll probably be another tour in the Spring, so be on the lookout for it.

Fabric Story 11/15/11


Here's the back of the quilt from the previous post.  If you enlarge it you can see that I've quilted it. Off to bind it and I'll be able to take it to the guild meeting tonight.  What I liked best about these last two charity quilts is I was able to use up a bag of batting strips.  Using fusible interfacing I pieced two 32" squares of batting for part of the sandwich for each of them.  Something else out of my quilting room!

Go on over to Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story [button on left sidebar] and see what others are doing.

Design Wall Monday 11/14/11

Well the two charity quilts I had on the wall are much closer to being complete.  The St. Anne ladies sandwiched and tied one and took the other home to sandwich.  I'll be binding one soon.  In the meantime, I put together another one that needs to be sandwiched and quilted.  I'll be doing this one as there was a left over block and I want to use it in the back.  Here it is:
Sometimes I like to make one that is really more for mom.  A sister guild member gave me these blocks and I've put them together for a neonatal quilt. Have to piece the batting and then sandwich.  It's sitting on the back piece.
Go over to my left sidebar and click on Judy's Patchwork Times button - there are sure to be a lot of design walls.  Enjoy.

Stash Report 11/13/11

Working on charity quilts in the few minutes I had last week.  Tried to put in some time each day - some days no more than 15, but next week should be better.  No major events other than volunteer work, another dental appointment, a board meeting and watching Alan for a couple of hours - never a chore!  So used scraps, fabric for backings and blocks and a border.  Here is one of the CQs I'm working on - kind of weird, but I don't think baby will mind.  Four blocks I was experimenting with.  I call it around with cobblestones.  Need to sandwich and quilt.

And here are my numbers: 
Used/Donated this week:    2.99 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 95.12yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used:      83.12 yards

Somehow I have to use/donate 17 yards before 12/31.  Will I make it?  Go over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see how others are working on their stashes.  Enjoy.





Applique Thursday 11/10/11 and a Giveaway!

Hello, this is late.  I try to post early in the morning, but today I got ready for our St. Anne's group meeting and didn't even turn on the computer until 3pm PDT.  And have I had time to applique?  Nope!
But here is the next block I will be working on - another of the Jubilee Album Series quilt.  This one is called Tall Tulips.  I hope to start working on it soon! Like tomorrow - even if it's just cutting out the 15" muslim block I need to trace the pattern on the back.

Now for the giveaway! To one lucky person, I'm giving a copy of Terrific Table Toppers with Patrick Lose.  Lots of applique here!


Okay, here’s how it works:
For one chance to win you can comment on this post and tell me something about your applique adventures. For a second chance to win, become a follower and leave another comment here saying so. If you’re already a follower, just leave a comment telling me that. A third chance to win is to sign up to receive an email when I add a post to the blog – that’s on my left sidebar. And a fourth chance to win is to add a link of a post on your blog or photo group of a project that has applique – this can be a past, present or future project –even a book you like that has applique. I like to look at applique so much you get two chances to win for this one. I’ll just add one for you after I visit your post.  Every comment is an entry, so you have a total of five chances to win!  I will draw a winner, using a random number generator on Wednesday and announce next thursday.
Good Luck!

New Definition for One

is Done.  I finally finished my first Jubilee Album block called Cherry Tree.  This is a Fons & Porter series quilt block from 2003.  They featured the quilt in the issues of that year.  This is the latest long term WIP I have started and hope to feature it in my WIP Wednesday posts just to keep me on track (in other words: keep working on it).  This block is hand appliqued using the back basting method I learned following Kay MacKensie's tutorial.  I'm going to try several methods in this quilt to learn more about applique.  The next one will be machine appliqued with back basting.

What are you working on?  To see more WIPs, go over to my left sidebar and click on Esther's WIPs on Wednesday button.  Enjoy!

Design Wall Monday 11/7/11

Have two charity quilt tops on my design wall.  They are for St. Ann's which meets this coming thursday.  I make the tops and a couple of ladies at the meeting will sandwich and tie.  Then they'll pass it on to someone else to bind or give it back to me to do the binding.  For these two (which measure around 36-38 inches square), I'll be doing the binding as well as quilting the blue one. We delivered 19 quilts to a low income Mommy & Me clinic last month for new mothers and hope to have another dozen or so to give them in December.

Go to my left sidebar and click on Judy's Patchwork Times to see what others are doing.  And if you want to see some quilts from Houston - see the previous post.

IQF 2011: Otherwise known as Great Eye Candy

Back from Houston - had a great time. The show was fabulous as always. I was good. I bought no fabric, only a couple of patterns, a festival pin for my chatelaine, and two presents. There was a LOT to buy. Went to three Meet the Teachers presentations and saw a lot of quilts! If you'd like to see a few go on over to the upper left corner of the home page of the blog. Click twice on the quilt and the slideshow will open for you. On the new window in the upper left click on full screen and you'll have a better view. 
And here's another from the show.  That is my cousin Carmen on the left and mom on the right.  I loved this quilt!

Enjoy!

Stash Report 11/6/11

Back from Houston - had a great time! Next on the agenda is to get ready for a St. Ann's Sewdality meeting on thursday and Alan's 1st Birthday party saturday. His actual birthday is the 11th. I love the invitation my daughter came up with.  Alan loves this little owl he was given, so Em duplicated it.  When the party is over, I'll place this on my refrigerator.

Since I was galivanting on vacation, no progress made on destashing.  I did buy a remnant at JoAnn's but that's not for me so I'm not counting it.  Here are my unchanged numbers:
Used/Donated this week: .0 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 92.13yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 80.13 yards

How are you doing?  Go click on Judy's Patchwork Times on my leftsidebar and see how our sister quilters are doing.

Applique Thursday 11/3/11

Hello, I'm in Houston.  I did finally finish my cherry tree block while here, but will have to post when I get to California.  Here is a quilt by Teri Christopherson that I would like to make some day.  It is in her book:  Days to Remember . This is a photo from her book.  While this is out of print, you can find it on Amazon and on eBay right now.  It has some lovely projects.  I love her use of applique and patchwork in most of her quilts.  This one is called Pointsettia Wreaths.  I've thought of using the pattern layout as a quilting motif - would fit a 15"  block easily. I also love her book:  Best of Black Mountain Quilts!

Would love to see your applique and piecing projects, present, past or future or even a photo of one you admire. Please link below so we can see your eye candy.

Now off to Preview Night at the International Quilt Festival!

SAHRR Round 5 and 6

  Ready to show rounds 5 and 6. Actually, the prompt for 5 was make 4 of something. So I chose four patch, and actually since that made my q...