Got Done in June and For July:

I can't believe it!  I got all my goals done for June even though it was a super busy month for all.  You can browse back over the months projects and see all four - just finished the fourth today - a frayed edge quilt I posted about earlier today.

For July I'm going to try to
1. Finish part 1 of Esther's new BOM
2. Make my Block Lotto block (my A Lovely year of Finishes for July)

3. Start another Whimsical Garden Block. Notice I said start - grin.
4. Finish the 2012 Ducky UFO (my NBU entry)

What are you going to work on?  Go to Judy's  and Carrie's to get motivated.  And for some eye candy, here's a live bouquet my DH brought up for me to sigh over:
 
Isn't this incredible! The pot is a cluster of Escobaria plants.

NewFO on my Design Wall

Started in the last week and will be my NewFO challenge piece is a Preemie quilt.  I went to our guild's sew day and picked up some scraps from these huge bags they had of donated fabric. I just stuck in my hand and grabbed--- semi- ovals?  Took them home and this is the block I came up with.  I'm going to call it Mod Flower Basket.  What do you think?
It came out just right for a 10 1/2" square of background, so hope to do eight more and sew the top together.  This one I'll finish.
 
I'm linking to Judy's Design Wall at Patchwork Times, Lyn's BOMs Away and Barbara's NewFO Challenge.
 
 

Stash Report 6/30/13

I commited to making Esther' Love Entwined coverlet, so have been going through my stash.  I did need to buy 8 yards of background.  If I'd owned a lot of neutrals I'd have pieced it, but I don't.  Since I will begin immediately to use it, I'm not going to count it as new in my stash.  That's one of the ways I handle purchases.  If it's just impulse purchase or enhancement with no project in sight, then I count it.  So in digging through my stash I realized I need a shelf of just my batiks so I can see what I have.  The rest of the quilt will be from that pile.  Right now I have them all in a drawer and they're such a jumble, I don't know what I have.  It made me clear a bookcase shelf and start my organizing. What with making a block, giving a yard as donation and pulling for the new quilt, I've managed to reduce my stash by 4.5 yards. Oh and here is the quilt top I made for St Anne's  - I finished all my goals for June - what a surprise!  It's a frayed edge top and I just have to put it together.  Another member will clip it and wash it before we give it to some first time mother.
Here are my numbers:
in 0.0 yds.; out 4.5 yds.
Stash YTD: in 8.5 yds., out 81.91 yds.
Donated YTD: 38.96 yds
Net for 2013: out 73.41 yds
I'm linking to Judy's at Patchwork Times. Go see how others are doing.

It's Hexie Friday! 6/28/13

It's too darn hot.  Yesterday, it was 106; today 104.  I don't do well after 98 because of the heat exhaustion I suffered in 2002.  And only our living room and kitchen have AC, not a whole lot of quilting going on unless it's in the AM.  I took my hexies to Duarte when I was babysitting the DKs there for three days.  Did manage to finish the one I had in progress - even took along fabric for two more, but there's not much time when you're watching a 3 year old - LOL.  I hope to start the next one this evening.

So what have you been up to hexie or otherwise?  Would love to see it and hear from you.  Linky below:

A Lovely Finish and WOW

I have a lovely finish of sorts. I made it my goal this month to finish all the blocks for my DGD's quilt, and I did! I even got it into the flimsy stage. I had my DH hold it so I could show it to you off my design "floor" - LOL.

So my new goal for the next month is to get it sandwiched, quilted and bound so I can give it to her. I spent three days at her house.  It was so fun, but exhausting.    Here's my three year old cherub:

I'm linking to a Lovey Year of Finishes - a motivating challenge. Join us. And I'm linking the Esther's WOW - too.  She's about to launch her new Applique Beauty!

Applique Tuesday Not

Hi, first thanks to all who commented or linked for last Applique Thursday which is now Applique Tuesday.  I am out of town and haven't/can't post about applique this week as I'm off babysitting DGKs and soon to see one here from Colorado.  Here's a photo I'd like to make into an applique wall hanging someday. 
Have you ever thought of making a wall hanging from a photo?  Would love to see the one you would like to transform.  Linky party below:

Bye for now!

Stash Report 6/23/13

Couldn't resist!  Took my cousins to a quilt store last Monday and saw this fabric. So I bought 2 yards. Maybe make a beach quilt. No definite plans for it, so I have to report it as incoming for stash.  I used 1/2 yard binding the secret quilt and a few scraps finishing my applique block (not enough to count) last week.  So 2 in and .5 out means my stash total for the year grew 1.5 yards. Oh well.  I'd post the numbers but I'm off to see DS1 and family for three days - the last with DGS3 here from Colorado. Can't wait!

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times . Go see how others are doing in the de-stashing ranks. See you probably Wednesday.

It's Hexie Friday Again

I'm taking time from stuff to post this. Will be short.  Just a few more hexies sewn to my fourth flower:
Some have asked where I got the pattern for the basket.  I found it on this old QNM, March 1994.  To see some other luscious hexagon projects go to Sue Garman's Blog

That's it for this week.  Would love to see your Hexi project or whatever you're working on. Love, love eye candy.  It can be so inspiring!

Last Applique Thursday

No, I'm not giving up applique - LOL.  I'm moving this weekly post to Tuesday to better fit my schedule for family, commitments (quilty and otherwise) and available time.  The linky will be open til each Thursday, Midnight. I hope you'll still join me and share your eye candy then. I love to see what you're up to and it doesn't have to be applique!

At right is my finally finished Forget Me Not block - Crown of Thorns.  I still need to do a little more thread painting on it, but I'll do that when I quilt the wall hanging.  Esther will soon be starting the free BOM for 2013.  It is her version of a beautiful 1790 Marriage Coverlet.  I'm patiently waiting for it to start by continuing on with the 2012 BOM.  I have six blocks done now - six to go.  If you are considering her coverlet project, why not make a block of this Gorgeous Floral Quilt while you wait (and learn some of her techniques).  Each block - I think- would make a wonderful wall hanging and you have 24 blocks to choose from.  Join the yahoo group and you can see the blocks others made and the finished quilt. Then go to her shop to buy a block.

Now for the linky button:
I'm linking to Pat's Show and Tell and Amanda's Finish it Up Friday. Go see all the great eye candy!

Design Wall Monday 6/17/13

Have company tomorrow, so posting early.  One of my challenges for the month is done.  I made my block lotto blocks. They were fun and I learned a new way to make 8 HSTs in one batch. A good trick to remember for other times.  The pattern is called tall ship. They're for the Block Lotto.  If you like to make quilt blocks and share  or learn the technique- visit here.  And it's my Nothing But UFO challenge for the month!  I have found how to make progress here at my house - cut my projects into small bits, and then they aren't so daunting. Visit Carrie to see how others have done.



And I finished all the blocks of DGDs quilt!

So glad to be quilting again, no matter how much fun I had last week.

I'm linking to Judy's DWM at Patchwork Times. See you there.

Stash Report 6/16/13


Well I did some weeding in my stash for another church who makes quilts for Africa to the sum of 12.38 yards and I made a simple apron - can't show it to you yet til I take it to Guild next week for another 1.13 yards!  And coming off my design wall is my Whimsical Block!  It goes fast when I remember to reverse the templates, double the fabric, etc. - hehe. I think the petals will look better once I quilt the block when it's part of the quilt - give them more definition.

Here are my numbers:
in 0.0 yds.; out 13.51 yds.
Stash YTD: in 6.5 yds., out 76.91 yds.
Donated YTD: 38.96 yds
Net for 2013: out 70.41 yds

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times when she posts this week's. She's making some neat quilts called Road to Llano. You should give a look; provides the pattern, too.

Barely Hexie Friday

Here's the last bit of sewing I've did on Sunday - started my fourth Hexie flower. Since then no time for this kind of fun.  With DGS#1, picked up DGS#2 and off we went to fast paced day.  First was the Discovery Center in Santa Ana to see a special Lego exhibit.  An interesting place.  While they built Lego castles I toured an excellent Da' Vinci exhibit and Rocket Lab - yes this place is very varied - and the gift shop - the quietest place there!  After two and a half hours there we went to lunch and then headed for Newport Beach.  Great afternoon - hit the beach just right around 3PM when the sun wasn't so hot.

What are you up to sewing wise or not?  Leave us a link or comment.  Billie and I would love to see your work as we dream about getting back to quilting and fun once the summer goodness of family has settled to a more leisurely pace. Link below:

No Quilting Going on

No quilting going on in the house.  Cousins are visiting from Texas, grands to babysit, Sewdality to organize and more! It's been go, go, go for the last 13 days.
Monday's outing saw us at the Cabrillo National Monument to get a great view of all of San Diego:
 


  Then off to Old Town.



 
The park has really changed since I was last there.  Before it was a lot of neat shops.  Now the shops are on the periphery and the park compound is really historic - lots to see and do.


Beautiful succulent plantings every where and so many choices for good eating.  We were going to leave after lunch but came out leaving at 4PM.  We did see quilts in the residences and a park volunteer quilting:
 
No applique this week, but do visit Esther's blog .  She's about to begin an 18 month BOM of a beautiful 1790 Marriage Coverlet - all beautiful applique with a medallion.


Stash Report 6/9/13

A last Yellow Iris and some Mexican Primrose before the Heat!
Design wall still the same.  I'm down to sewing the rows together, but, hey, some yardage out!  Three and 1/4 yards for the back of the pinwheel quilt; a fat eighth for the applique blocks; a half yard for the hexie basket backgrounds, and a 1/4 yard for binding a VA quilt!
Here are my numbers!
in 0.0 yds.; out  4.13 yds.
Stash YTD: in 6.5 yds., out 63.4 yds.
Donated YTD: 26.58 yds
Net for 2013: out 56.9 yds
 
Moving along!  I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times.  How about you? 

It's Hexie Friday! 6/7/13

I've been working on my first block for my hexie quilt. I've been auditioning backgrounds, vases, handles, leaf colors and such. Then I had to make the layout template to use for positioning. That requires I make a copy of the block placement in the magazine. This quilt is from an old issue of Quilter's Newsletter. Here's what I've settled on:
 
The photo was taken at night so the color isn't as true as it could be, but tomorrow starts June craziness, so it's post now or not til next Monday - LOL.  The flowers are placed exactly as the pattern set them, but I'm thinking the yellow one should be to the left a little bit to balance. Any comments?  I would love to see your Hexie project or otherwise.  It will be my treat to see and visit your loveliness as a respite from running around. Here's the linky:


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Applique Thursday

First last week's winner is Val S of Brisbane, Australia. Congratulations Val!  Send me your mailing address and I'll send your book.  Note: Val is a no-reply blogger.  I'll give her a few days to get back to me before I have random.org generate a new number winner.

Sadly, I've come to the end of my pile of giveaway books.  It's been so much fun meeting new people and sharing the quilting magic in books.  I may start again once I've gone through my sewing room this summer with patterns, notions or ??  I'll see what goodies I find as I continue to bring order and grace to my creative space.  I have a long way to go.  I'll still be sharing applique - this is one of the best ways I've found to keep me going forward on it by sharing it with you. Here's hoping you'll still come by and share your eye candy each week - doesn't have to be a finish or applique - you know I love flowers and books too!

Now for this week's applique - a little more done on my Whimsical block:
This flower was a long time getting together as I kept forgetting to reverse petals, double the fabric so the dots wouldn't show, etc, but finally this one is done.  One more flower to go.
Would love to see what you're up to!
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Method out of Madness WOW

After umpteen seam rippings on the secret quilt layout, I knew I needed a method to get a handle on getting the squares sewn together in a chain without ruining the layout.  I use to meticulously put labels on each piece and that helped, but added time to the process. I didn't want to label 144 squares, so after some sit down and look at the quilt time - I found an easier way (I'm sure others have probably figured this out, so probably not a new thing - what is?). It worked with the secret quilt and I'm now using it to put together my pink plaid/gingham quilt.  So first I laid out the units and decided which went where.
Then I labeled the each first unit in leftmost column with a letter - in this case it turned out A-J.  I just labeled that one column.  Then I flipped the unit to the right of it on top of the labeled one and got my pairs. I carried the pile to my machine and chain pieced them keeping the labeled unit on the left to let me know to sew the right edge of the units. Worked like a charm, all the correct seams were sewn.
 
 
Then I took my sewn pairs and laid them back in my layout. 
 
Now I moved the labels to the third unit from the left of each row. You can see two moved in this photo.  Flipped the fourth unit to the left on top of third and did the next column - and on across the 8 columns that make up this top - a method out of the madness of mixed up seams to sew!
 
I'm linking to Esther's WOW. She's getting ready to release her free BOM for 2013.  Do visit and see what lovely she has in store for us.



Hopefully June's Lovely Year of Finishes project:


Yeah!  I finished all the nine-patches for my DGD's quilt. It took me a month and a day to get the last 10 done.  So now I have to do the D9P trick to them and then start laying them out and decided if I want sashing or not.  This will be my Lovely Finish for June - getting it to the flimsy stage.

As to my stash report - I used scraps to work on my applique block and pulled a yard worth of fabric for the two giveaways, so that makes 1.13 yards out of stash.  See button in side bar for Lovely Year of Finishes.

Here are my numbers:
in 0.0 yds.; out  1.13 yds.
Stash YTD: in 6.5 yds., out 59.27 yds.
Donated YTD: 26.58 yds
Net for 2013: out 52.77 yds
Snail's pace forward, but still forward.  I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times stash report.  See you there. 

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...