Favorite Things Friday 9/30/11

One of my favorite things for fabric I find in the laundry aisle at my grocery store.  It is a box of Shout Color Catcher.  These sheets help me control the possible bleeding of color into surrounding fabrics in quilts. Especially reds and batiks!  When I buy new fabric, I take it down to the laundry room and fill a pail with very hot water - just enough to cover the fabric I have to treat.  I then add a tsp/yd of Retayne.  This sets the color so it will stay the color you buy.  I soak the fabric about 20 minutes and then pour the bucket into my washer and wash on the delicate cycle for 4 minutes with mild soap and one of these sheets of Shout.  Then I dry the fabric, iron it and put it into my stash.  I've done this since my third quilting project (many projects ago) to keep colors from migrating into each other and staining my quilt.  And after I finish the quilt, I will wash it one more time with a Shout sheet in the washer.

Now if you have never used these, I'm going to give away a sheet to two lucky commentators who leave a comment  to this blog post, and so they can try this niffty product.
Giveaway closes next thursday and I'll draw 2 winners on next friday.  Good luck! 

ps:  I'm in no way affiliated with Shout - hehe.

Go on over to my left sidebar and click on the Shay's Favorite Things Friday button and see what others are showcasing.

Applique Thursday 9/29/11

What with still going to Duarte 2 days a week, stomach flu and a achy hip, and various other time takers, haven't gotten too far on my owl, but here he is to demonstrate how I lay the pieces in the guide outline to get the placement right.


I find I have to plan the order these are cut out and placed down because I have to add a little fabric where one will lay on top of another.  For instance the right most wing needs some background for the body to be sewn onto, so I cut it out larger than its dimension on the left side.  The left wing is on the top of the owl body, so I will have to cut the body larger on the left side so that there will be some background on which to sew the wing.  Does that make sense?

My soul needs applique to calm it down during this hectic week.  Please share a link to your lovelies past, present or future.



WIP Wednesday 9/28/11

A new wip - actually this is the prototype block - may change a thing or two, but hope to make nine for a flimsey - this is 15" when sewn together.

What are you working on?  Click on Wip Wednesday's by freshly pieces and see what others are up to - ove on my left sidebar.

Crumb-Along #4

Now those were easy and I even had some 4 patches hanging around and was able to make those crumbs quick.


In there is a heart I made and a couple of crumby crumbs.  Oops my 9 patch looks too light - I'm going to have to make extra crumbs to have some leeway in the layout.  They can always go on the back.  Click here to see Jo's instructions for this week and her linky participants.  Not too late to join!

Fabric Tuesday 9/27/11

Here is my revised Fallen Dishes.  If you haven't seen it before, it was the topic of my previous post.  I really like it better with a smaller outside border.  You were right, Bertie - not so overwhelmed now.  Thank you!  And Billie - now we have the better of both worlds - a brown border and an applique that pops.

What is your fabric story for this Tuesday.  Go on over to my left sidebar and click on Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story and see what others are up to.

Design Wall Monday 9/26/11

I'm posting this early as I'm off to Duarte again to babysit Lily.  Thank you for your prayers for Barbara. They moved her from Intensive Care to Critical Care, so that's good. 

Besides my coverlet, I now have my Fallen Dishes on my design wall.  The workshop was saturday, but I couldn't go with all the catch-up I had to do last week.  I did go pick up the kit and saw a lot of lovely table toppers being assembled.  I've finished the flimsey.  Now I'll have to take some time and think of what to do to it next.  The flower is raw edge applique; ditto the leaf.  The stem is sewn then flipped.  What do you think?  Not sure I'm happy with the border - thought the print might do as there is so much tan/brown in the squares.  Maybe it will grow on me. 

Go on over to my left sidebar and click on Judy's Patchwork Times button.  You'll find a lot of inspiration on those quilters' design walls.

Stash Report 9/25/11

I've been at it again, rummaging through my stash, finding pieces that no longer call to me or I know I"ll never use.  I've also found a few that I've put together as pieces I'll use to make a quilt - I don't know what yet, but I like them together.  Here's what they look like - a mostly green palette - maybe I'll make a green quilt.

So that is a plus.  I also found some bits and pieces I've added to my crumb block scrap pile.  Ahem, just what I needed - LOL. 

And speaking of crumbs - I probably used a fat quarter to make 8 more blocks.  Then I bought a fat quarter at our guild mtg.  But I promptly used it to add a border to our Fallen Dishes Mini Quilt.  And from the stash, I found six yards to donate away at the next meeting.  Here are my numbers for the week:



Used/Donated this week: 6.5 yards

Used/Donated Yr to date: 81.25 yards
Added this wk: 0.25 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 69.25 yards

How's your destashing coming along?  You can see how others are doing at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Crumb Along #3

Finally made some star crumbs, or is that crumby stars? Surprisingly they were harder to make than I thought. And then I read Jo's post again and went to see Bonnie's Maverick stars and then the next star went together much easier. Must say it is hard to turn off the "must get it to match gene" than I thought. Here they are:
Now I need to make two heart blocks.

How are you doing with your crumbs?  Visit Jo at Jo's Country Junction to see others' stars.

Applique Thursday 9/22/11

Working on another shop hop block.  I thought I'd show you how I learned to put together an applique as taught to us by Zena Thorpe at a workshop.  Here is the photo of the block I'll be doing. 

The first thing I do is make 2 copies of the pattern.  The first one, I cut out the main pieces carefully and leave an outline of my owl intact on the page.  That's the sheet on the left.  On the right I took the main motif I cut out and cut it into the individual pieces.  It looks assembled but they are all in pieces.  From the second copy I cut out the pieces that are on top of others.  The second head is necessary so that I can align the eyes.  I also cut out the leaves from the second block as well as the tree trunk.  There's a slit on the sheet you can't see where I cut with scissors to get to the owl.  I'll scotch tape it so that I can use the sheet on my block to center the owl and position the pieces.
Next will come tracing the pieces onto the paper side of the steam a seam to make the raw edge applique.  Oh, yes, I'll have to turn the pieces to the wrong side so that they come out oriented correctly.  Once the pieces are done, I'll show you a picture of the pieces inside the outline.  This will be machine appliqued.

Working on an applique?  Finished one?  Sure would love to see it.  I enjoy the eye candy you post!


WIP Wednesday 9/21/11

Off to Duarte again, so not much time to post or quilt.  Thank you for your prayers for Barbara - they're cautiously positive for now.  She is still in ICU.

Here is my 15 minutes I had to work on a DJ project.  This is a WIP that has been around for a long, long time.  I'm prepping for and started Abbey's Eye.  I'll be paper piecing the major parts and hand appliqueing the center.

What's are you working on? 

Design Wall Monday 9/19/11

My coverlet is back on my design wall.  Tomorrow is the end of summer and the last day I can say I finished this for this summer.  But if it doesn't happen - I"ll at least have it done for Indian Summer as the Autumnal Equinox is wednesday and I want to work on it all week.  And we always seem to have some warm days for that.  We were suppose to use it as a light cover for summer when you don't want something heavy and warm on your bed.  Looks like it will be a bed topper to ward off the chill after the Indian Summer days.  Have added a new bottom row.  It took a while as I had to take apart one of my swap blocks to make it fit - too big (lol - that's better than too small).

What's on your design wall?  I'll be at my DS's house, and will check from there when Lily gives me a chance.  To see others or perhaps post your own, go see Judy's at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 9/18/11

Only used some scraps to make flying geese for the Crumb-Along - about a fat eighth.  And I did add a half yard of Kaffe Fassett from a local quilt shop where I went to buy a new Creative Grids ruler (6 1/2 x 24). So it's back to weeding my stash and giving some fabric away.  Here are my numbers:

Used/Donated this week: 9.13 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 74.75 yards
Added this wk: 0.5 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -11.5 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 63.25 yards

Again, not the way I want to destash, but need to make some progress.  I'll take the nine yards to my LQG meeting tuesday.  Sadly, my DS's MIL is in the ICU unit at the hospital and it does not look good, so I probably won't get much quilting in.  I'm going to go and help with the DGKs so that my DIL can stay with her mother as much as possible.  Please pray for Barbara and the family.

To see more stash reports, visit Judy's Patchwork Times

Applique Thursday 9/15/11

Another busy day - 5 errands to run and a road trip to take Mom home to Temecula. I'm posting today another early quilt (way back in the 90's) of an piecing and applique quilt I made from blocks won in a BOM. The birds are borderie perse. I called it Our House is Always Open. Would love to see your eye candy that has applique and piecing. Leave a link below.





WIP Wednesday 9/14/11

Posting early cuz tomorrow is a busy day.  My mom is having her second cataract surgery, so won't be home much.

I'm taking part in a crumb-along at Jo's Country Junction.  I have so many scraps I need to do this.  It's a little bit more ordered than the ones I've made before, but so far I like it!  The first blocks we made are flying geese.  Here's how far I got tonight. I was suppose to make 2.  I'll work on it during the week and finish the second one and make some more flying geese units for later star blocks

Go on over to WIP Wednesday at freshly pieces (the button is on my left sidebar) and see what others are working on.  Lee usually has a ton of people showing their latest.    And Jo has a linky too - Lots of eye candy!

Mom's here - bye for now.

Fabric Tuesday 9/13/11

Here is my funky owl.  Really - I know he looks like an alien who ran into an owl and tried to imitate it to blend in, then got caught in a flashing light one night and looks dazed - but hey, I followed the pattern of this shop hop block - LOL.  Those ears were the hardest - you had to take a one inch square of fabric and fold it three times on the diagonal -phew!  The directions were clear but I sure could have used a center point or a full size block pattern to place the owl where it belonged.  Took me two 15-minute sessions to raw edge applique it.  At least it was piecing and applique!

Go on over to my left sidebar and click on Fabric Tuesdays at Quilt Story and see what more fabric stories..  Or if you want to see what others can do in just 15 minutes, visit Life in Pieces.

Design Wall Monday 9/12/11

My back basting applique block is still on my design wall - I am making some progress with it.  Have 16 leaves and 2 cherries to needle turn still.  On the cherries, I am going around the cherry with a running stitch just outside of the back basting stitch and gathering it a tad.  This makes it easier to turn the circle 3/16th inch seam under and get it more circular.  Little by little--

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times on my left sidebar and see what others have on their design wall.  There is always something marvelous there.

Stash Report 9/11/11

I used 1/2 yd for the binding of the Soldiers' Angel quilt and the applique block I'm working on.  And somehow I've misplaced my rotary cutter - I only have one!! - so have not been able to cut up more fabric and continue with my projects.  So I went through a drawer in the guest room and found 6 and 1/2 yards to give away to the guild for their thrifty corner.  Here are my  numbers for this month:
Used/Donated this week: 7.00 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 65.62 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -11.0 yards
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Total Yr to date Use: 54.62 yards

Not the way I want to destash but I did jump ahead.  In the coming weeks, I may have to be as realistic as today and get that stash down some more!

Go to my left sidebar and check out how others are destashing at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Favorite Things Friday 9/9/11

It 's friday, again.  I went to our church's sewing group yesterday.  A favorite thing for me.  And there were 8 quilters/seamstresses present for our meeting.  They are so much fun.  We make quilts for our parishioners in need and for low income mothers in our community.  We're getting ready to make a delivery and here we are holding some that are ready to go.  I'm the one holding the blue one.

Go on over to my left sidebar and click on the favorite things friday button to see what Shay and others are reporting as a favorite this friday.

Applique Thursday 9/8/11

It's been so hot here lately, I haven't gotten much done other than sit in the living room and wait it out (yesterday's high was 107.8). Made a little more progress on my cherry tree block and in the morning I did manage to make a new mug rug while trying the back basting technique combined with machine applique. This motif builds on top of itself. I usually clip the layers as I go but didn't this time. How do you handle that?  Do you leave the multiple layers intact? Just wondering.

You're invited to leave a link below to your favorite applique project - a photo, a blog post, a pattern.  Love to look at your eye candy!



WIP Wednesday 9/7/11 - A Little Farther Along

Working on my applique block to learn back basting.  Really liking this method.  The circles still have me nervous, but I have 5 more to practice on.  Have appliqued the stems and added some of the leaves - have a few more leaves to add and then the vase.

Go on over to my left sidebar and click on WIP Wednesdays by freshly pieced  to see what others are working on.

Hey! There's a Crumb-Along!

Every time I browse my blog list, I get into trouble.  This time I went over to Angela's So Scrappy post and learned about a Crumb-Along at Jo's Country Junction.  And since I have a ton of crumbs I decided to join in!
Today's the first day, so plenty of time for you to join to if you'd like to do these addictive little blocks that result in great quilts.  Here's what the button looks like: 
Crumb Along!

Go on over and see what it's all about if you'd like to get rid of some of your crumbs.

Fabric Tuesday 9/6/11

The Soldiers' Angels quilt is back from the quilter. She did a fine job - sort of a ripple effect and some stars.  As soon as I finish sewing on this label, it will be ready to go as I have already bound it in the same fabric as the outside border.  No, those dashed lines you see in the red is not the binding seam, just lines in the fabric.  Deanna has been a professional embroiderer for many years and out of the goodness of her heart makes all these labels for the quilts.  She's made over 200 in the last three years, I believe.  Thank you so much, Deanna!


















And here is the finished quilt:
Bound for soldier overseas so he won't be forgotten - if you'd like to know more go see http://www.soldiersangels.org/
Go over to my left sidebar and click on Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story and see what others are sharing.

Design Wall 9/5/11

Happy Labor Day!
     Up on my design wall is my practice block for back basting.  It's a little farther along than thursday and I'm feeling better about doing it by hand.  But those circles are still the biggest challenge on it. Must keep trying!
I hope to work some more on my ufos this week and keep playing with a block our guild's prez would like to be used in out BOM program.  We'll see.

What's on your design wall?  I'd love to see. Go over the Judy's Patchwork times (you'll find her button on my left sidebar) and share a link to yours and we'll all admire the eye candy(not that mine's eye candy - LOL). Thanks!

Stash Report 9/4/11

Four months left of stash busting.  Good thing I didn't set a goal  like a 100 yards for the year.  Judy has another challenge for us to work harder at this busting stash.  However, I think I'll be happy if each week I show I used something!  This week I made a charity quilt out of that 15" scrap square I made, picked a back for it and made another mug rug from a trial applique block, so there went 1.67 yards out of my stash - woohoo!
Used this week: 1.67 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 58.62 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -11.0 yards
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Total Yr to date Use: 47.62 yards

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times on my left sidebar and see how others are doing on their stashes. 



Applique Thursday 9/1/11

New block for me!  I've decided to learn the back basting method as per Kay Mackenzie's tutorial.  She does such beautiful work!  Go here if you'd like to see her post on this method of applique.  I really, really like how it ensures the pieces are right where they're suppose to be in the applique design.  And here is my piece I have started on. 

The larger leaves are basted. Only the small leaf, the stems and the cherries are actually appliqued.  Boy, it is slow going.  I 'm so glad I have those gold eye needles from John James right now!  I'll keep plugging away at it.  If you enlarge the photo by clicking on it, you can see the basting on the leaves.  Here's what the back looks like:
I'm going to finish this whole 14" square using this method, but I'm already itching to change things so I can possibly machine stitch it.  We'll see.

For great tips and beautiful photos of applique, do visit Kay's website at http://www.allaboutapplique.net/

Please share a link to your applique - it can be one you want to make, have already made, one you admire.  I loved last week's eye candy - thank you!  Hope to see more.





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...