A Quilting Reader's Garden: 2011

Applique Thursday & More 12/29/11

I finished my table runner flimsie. And since it has applique, here it is for Applique Thursday:

I used 34 scrap squares and two wof strips of white. For the flowers I used Heat and Bond Ultra Hold so no stitching is required on the applique pieces - and yes they do hold wonderfully.

If you are new to applique, thinking about trying it, afraid to try it, this is the easiest applique around as I said above no sewing involved - just place and fuse. If you'd like to try the Heat N Bond - send me a self address stamped envelope (US - a 44 cent stamp; International - 1oz equivalent for first class international) and I'll send you a strip so you can try a flower block. Just leave a comment you are sending and I'll email you my snail mail address). Probably have enough for 30 quilters. Oh, and I'll post the pattern for the flower block.

So what are you working on? I'd love to see your eye candy in whatever stage it's in, especially if it has applique, but love it all. Click on the blue button below to share your link (photo or blog post).

WIP Wednesday 12/28/11

My latest WIP. This will be a table runner flimsie. You can see it has my preferred touch of applique in it.

Another scrappy pattern.

3RD UFO done!

I'm so thrilled that I actually got another ufo done. This is my completed coverlet. It is made all from scraps(the pieces around the main block and the applique), orphan blocks (the dresden plate block), swap blocks( the two rows of nine patches and four churn dash) and yard sale fabric (the back is an old curtain I picked up at a garage sale). It's going on my bed in the summers for a light covering.

A coverlet has no batting, so I opted to construct this by the stitch and flip method. I centered the main block in the middle of the curtain and built the quilt from there. So it was quilted as it was assembled - a different kind of QAYG. I should have appliqued the strips before I sewed them in place. You can hear paper crinkle inside the flowers as I couldn't cut it out because the back was the finished product. Oh well - not that much applique that it is a bother. I brought the back forward for the binding - my first medallion quilt.

Design Wall Monday 12/26/11

My star became this:

from this:

It's still on my design wall as I am still whip stitching it together. To tell you the truth, it turns out I am spatial thinking challenged. I tried for a whole day to assemble it and could not do it. My daughter came over and figured it out. Thank you so much Em. She could figure out how to do it from the given directions and photos. Well, I'll save it for next Christmas. Some have asked for the pattern - you can find it at http://www.phillipsfiberart.com/ and she has a special right now - three stencils and the booklet for $4. This was the middle size stencil.

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see the last design wall monday for the year. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and Stash Report 12/25/11

Merry Christmas one and all. God's blessings in the coming New Year. Last week I attended the last guild board meeting for the year and took fat quarters to give away (another way of continuing to destash - hehe). Gave away 17 fat quarters for a total of 4.25 yards. I also made 3 blocks during the week for another fat quarter, so I have a grand total of 4.5 yards for this last week of reporting! Here are my numbers:
Used/Gifted/Donated 4.5 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 112.46 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 100.46 yards

Woohoo! I made my goal! I am so pleased. There is still a lot left, but if I can do it again in 2012 - I may be able to buy fabric in 2013. Pathetic - but one must keep positive.

How did you do? Any stash busting is good! Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times on my sidebar and see how others did.
Happy Holidays!

Design Wall 12/19/11

Coverlet is now off the wall, and I'll post it soon. Quite happy with it. On my wall right now, and not for long as I have to gift it tomorrow evening, is this:

A fat quarter to whomever can guess how many sides it's going to have. I made one 50 years ago.
Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see what others have on their wall. Button on my sidebar.
Blessings as we prepare for Christmas.

Stash Report 12/19/11

Very busy week and this upcoming one will be busy also. The quilts I have been working on didn't require new material from the stash. Did make 2 hearts so that used up an eighth yard and then I came up with a bright idea of wrapping some presents with fabric for the seamstresses in my life. I've used 1.25 yards doing that and here's the first one I came up with (also got a button out the door too, LOL). The others have gone to their recepients already so can't show you those. Oh, I hope I can find a large box to wrap! Here are my numbers:

Used/Donated 1.25 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 107.96 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 95.96 yards

You can see how others are doing on their stashes at Judy's Patchwork Place. You'll find a button to her blog in my sidebar. How did you do?

Favorite Things Friday - 12/16/11

Thursday was my birthday. And Wednesday I found this wonderful deal at the grocery store: A pound of Blackberries for 4 dollars!! So I had to make a birthday pie. Oh, DH did treat me to some yummy cookies when we went out to eat, but this was my very special treat to me as I love pie. LOL - had so much to eat on my birthday, I had to wait until Friday lunch to have a piece. It is yummy!!

So I broke down and had a nice cup of tea with it.

What is your favorite friday thing? Go to my sidebar and click on Shay's Favorite Things Friday and see what others say.

Applique Thursday & More 12/15/11

Alas, no new applique here. I've been swamped with things that needed doing like dentist, presentation at class, car servicing, Christmas shopping and finishing our two color quilt. And I must quilt a sandwich for my DDIL, so haven't been able to trace another Jubilee Album block, but wait - had forgotten that I'd finished basting the second one!

And since it is my birthday today, I treated myself to an applique pattern I stumbled upon on the internet.

Here is Prickly Pear in Bloom by O Carol Designs. It's an older pattern that I found at Alice in Stitches . I know I"m going to be visiting Alice again. She has such neat applique items.

Isn't it beautiful. I'm making it for my cactus loving husband.
Would love to see a photo of what you'd like to do next. It doesn't have to be applique. And it could be of what you are working on now or finished and I havent'seen. I love eye candy. It's very inspiring. You can link below.

WOW -Fabric Tuesday 12/13/11

The Two Color Challenge is done!

I was beginning to think I'd never get it done. So glad I was wrong. Am very happy with it. Thank you Deanna for working on this with me. I found this block which I fell in love with in a Fons & Porter quilt project (well, it was in their mag) and came up with the setting. She made the machine embroidered bouquets, provided just the right red material when I was cutting all the pieces, pieced the squares so I could sandwich and quilt them, and helped with the hand work.

If you click on the photo you can see an up close view of them and the quilting motifs. Measures 51" square and was made using a QAYG method. Here is the back:

We won 2nd place in our Guild's Two Color Challenge. We still have to go the quilt store for our winnings, Deanna - LOL.

This quilt is why I've been thinking of other colors for Esther's Red December present. You should hop over to her WIPs on Wednesday (WOW) and see what others are doing with her wonderful patterns! And don't forget to go to Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesdays to see what other eye candy is linked there. Both are in my right sidebar. Enjoy!

Design Wall Monday 12/12/11

The coverlet is back at the top of the pile of projects to be worked on. Just a row on the right and left and the top is done. It will be all ready for next summer - LOL. Was suppose to be this summer, but it won't go on my ufo list for 2012.

Go to Judy's Patchwork Times (on sidebar) to see what others have on their design walls. Always great eye candy.

Stash Report 12/11/11

Cut out a new charity quilt, so there was one yard. Cut binding for my ufo, there's a 1/3 of a yard, so here are my numbers:
Used/Donated 1.33 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 106.71 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 94.71 yards

Inching close to 100 - must make a big push in the next two and a half weeks!

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see how others are doing on their destashing! You'll find her on my sidebar.

Applique Thursday 12/8/11

So busy - it seems the more I try to do the more I have to do! Not much done in the sewing room right now, but I did manage to unearth a yellow thread I felt was good enough to finish my black bird. Here is a close-up of the way I machine appliqued it.

The flash accented the thread color. It doesn't stand out that much in real life. Yes, I did straight stich - just like our foremothers did long ago.

So this block is now done.

I'm still trying in the few minutes I can sneak into my room to desperately to finish my ufo. I've gotten the four borders on and now am quilting them.

Will then just have the binding to do, phew!

Sure could use some eye candy about now to have a moment to slow down, sit back and admire your work - can be from a while back, in process, or wish list item. Please share a link to your applique or any quilty work you are doing now at the blue link below. Look foward to it!

Fabric Tuesday 12/6/11

You're probably tired of seeing this one, but I have to post something, and my other WIPs are too big for me to photograph without DH, and he hasn't been around at good time to shoot outside. So this is still on my design wall; it's my fabric story for this week and one of my WIPs in progress. Maybe tomorrow I can get him to hold that big one I want to finish soon! I've gotten a little bit further on my Jubilee Album block. Just a few more pieces to baste and I can machine applique it.

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times, Fabric Tuesdays by Quilt Story, and Esther's WIPs on Wednesday to have your own show and share for now. All those button are on my sidebar. Enjoy!

Stash Report 12/4/11

Made another crumb block and that used about 1/8th yards of scraps. Found three eye-spy panels I'm giving to St. Anne's so that's three yards! Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated 3.13 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 105.38 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: - 12 yards
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Total Yr to date Used: 93.38 yards

So much closer to 100 - need only find a little over six yards and I'm there! Go on over to my sidebar and click on Judy's Patchwork Times to see how others are destashing.

Applique Thursday 12/1/11

The basket is basted on this 2nd Jubilee block. I'm still liking this process of doing the handwork first and then machine stitching it (LOL - not that I've started that part yet). If I could afford a big batch of time to devote to the handwork, I think this method would move a lot faster than what I did with block one. Back to my WIPs.

Would love to see your applique: in process, done, in thinking stage. Please share by leaving a link to your blog post/photo link. Doesn't have to be recent or new one, just new to Applique Thursday.

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!

Design Wall Monday 10/31/11

Happy Halloween! Here is the back of my two color quilt squares. Have to figure out how to do the borders.

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times on my left sidebar and see all the beautiful quilts in process.

Blog Fall Festival Oct 29, 2011

Isn't it wonderful that it's time for another Blogger Festival? Thank you, Amy, for bringing so much eye candy our way and the goodies!! Oh,my! This is a Blue Star Service banner wall hanging I made for one of our friends. At one time she had 3 sons in the Army, and one in the Navy (she has six sons). Now there is one - he's a Colonel and a Doctor still in service to his country. Go over to Amy's Festival and feast your eyes on all the beautiful quilts on display. The button is on my right sidebar and here below.