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.


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...