NewFO Challenge

LOL - thought I had posted for February, but guess not!  Here's what I've started in March - two charity quilts, a BOM, and this body pillow I'm making for my newest DGS who is 16 months.
When we get together, Alan and I like to cuddle so this 18 inch pillow will be for him to hug when he feels like it when I'm not around.  He has a favorite owl stuffed doll, so when I saw this fleece at JoAnn's I knew I had to buy some for the pillow.  The two charity quilts are almost done - in fact you can see one under the pillow in the photo below.  The BOM I hope to keep working on tomorrow, or I"ll get way behind soon.  What did you start new?  I'm linking over to Barbara's NewFO challenge (on my sidebar) - it's fun to see what people start.

Favorite Things Friday

It's Spring Break!  And Will was over for a couple of days.  The weather was so nice we went for a walk - turned into a hike of 1.25 hours - about a 2 mile walk stopping to see the sites.

We slathered on sunscreen got a hat (I bought Will's hat a yardsale for $1) and off we went to walk around our mountain - you know the one I made a block of. 












When I wasn't looking Will put together a gun to take along - boys will be boys!




First interesting plant we spotted was our neighbors euphorbia on their hillside in glorious(though tiny)bloom.
We were on the lookout for bougenvilla(sp?) planting as Will's family just bought one and want to know how people use them.  Here's two we found:

Mom and Dad will find those interesting.  Then on the way home I spotted this Northfolk Island Pine. 

This was our first Christmas tree 43 years ago. After Christmas my husband sold it to a neighbor who planted it in her side yard. It has grown a bit from the 4 foot tree it was.  Lastly, as we came back to where we started, Will asked about the plant below.  I told him Grandpa had put the last two year's pointsettias in a pot a month ago.  They seem to like the spot.  Go on over to Shay's Favorite Things Friday and see what others are sharing.

Applique Thursday and more 3/29/12

Between dealing with gallstones and consequent pain, spring break, having fun with DGS and the vicissitudes of weather, haven't got much done on my new applique adventure other than numbering pieces and drawing shapes on fusible.  And they aren't worth photographing - so here's a book I'd love to make something from.  There are 15 great projects and 12 of them combine applique and pieces like the darling quilt on the cover.  Wish I had 48 hours in a day to do all these lovelies. 

Do you have a favorite book, project or work in progress you'd like to share?  How about an older quilt you're willing to show us?
Just click on the link below to share your eye candy.

Fabric Story - FMQ Challenge

I'm participating in Leah Day's FMQ Project.  This week I was to quilt a whole cloth to practice traveling.  I wasn't at first quite sure how this was FMQ, but Leah explained why traveling is one of the skills a free motion quilter needs to know.  So here's what I did.  Leah wanted us to practice on a whole cloth block, but I didn't want to start a new project.  Instead I pulled out my DDIL's quilt that I am slowly quilting for her and made the quilting pattern Leah provided as the pattern for one of the blocks.  This is a big quilt - there are 20 blocks and they measure 15" square.  I had to modify the pattern to fit.  I did this by taking off the outer side of the feathers.  My other problem was how to mark the pattern.  I couldn't put it up to a window and trace it as this quilt is sandwiched.  I decided to use freezer paper as I did for my UFO - see last tuesday's post.  Here's how it went.  I assembled the pattern from Leah's pdf.  I then traced it onto a piece of freezer paper where I would have a nice edge around the pattern.  Then I found the center of the block and marked the center of the fabric.  Before I ironed it to the square, I cut out the center and the inner hearts.  I then ironed the pattern onto the top of the block and followed Lean's suggestions for quilting the center.  I chose to break the threads between the small hearts.  Here is the center done.  I then loosened the pattern around the hearts and cut out the dead space between the intersecting square.  Picture 1


Following Leah's suggestions for how to travel around these, I then moved onto the feathers - again cutting out the dead space and cutting around the feathers down to the spine but not along the spine. In the photo you can see what it looked like - all frilly. I then reironed it flat and proceeded to do the feathers.
Once the feathers were done, I cut off all of those pieces and got ready to do the first outer line.  It wasn't as easy as Leah showed us because I could not turn that huge quilt as easily in all directions, but slowly it got done.  Then did the same for the outmost line of the spine.   

I then cut out the inner hearts from the larger hearts in the corner and reironed them back onto the quilt - I had labeled them to get them back to where they were.


 
And here is my finished quilting using Leah's pattern.  I'm glad I thought of cutting the pattern up as I went (of course leaving a little bit attached so the integrity of the pattern would remain), and the margin of the freezer paper helped to keep the pattern in place.  The paper was a cinch to remove. 

I'm linking to Leah's FMQ Project, Connie's Linky Tuesday Party, Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story and Esther's WIP Wednesday.  You'll find the buttons on the sidebar.  Do visit them to see how others are doing and their wonderful eye candy.



Design Wall Monday 3/26/12

Another charity quilt - here's where I used those 2 yards of flannel fabric.  Also for my St. Anne ladies.  It's good to take photos.  You spot things you have otherwise missed like that green square in the top left that is going the wrong way.  Oh, and the back?  Animal prints.

What's on your design wall?  Go on over to see what has been posted on Judy's Patchwork Times (sidebar).  Enjoy!

Stash Report 3/25/12

Three months almost into 2012 and I should be at about 25 yards. Well, this past week, I only used two to make another charity quilt - but that's for tomorrow's post. The rest of the week I worked on free motion quilting my 2nd UFO. I hope to finish it today. And working on three BOMs, just don't have much to show on them. I did finish that charity quilt I had on my design wall:
It will look nicer once it is clipped and washed three times to make the ruffly seams.  I make these for my non-machine owners of St. Anne's Sodality to finish at home.  They don't have batting so they won't be too heavy for the babies.  The mothers love them.

Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week: 2.0yards
Used/Donated YTD: 41.15 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.0 yards
Added/Bought YTD: 21.5 yards
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Net Used YTD: 19.15 yards  Only 6 yards behind.  Either I have to make a big quilt or donate to the guild some of my fabric.  Which do you think I'll choose?

How are you doing with your destashing?  Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times (sidebar) and see how others did.

Applique Thursday and More 3/22/12

This is late as we left the house at 7:50 AM to go out of town to see our grandson in his first play.  And I didn't get it posted last night as I was in a funk after a call from my Doctor at 5:00 pm that the ultrasound did show I have gall stones (yes, plural) and she wants me to see a surgeon.  So I have gall stones and kidney stones - where did all these rocks come from and WHY?

Oh well, onto better things - something applique-ish.  I am ready to start assembling my first flower for Esther's BOM, but have been waiting for a background to come in.  It did yesterday, but now I'm in a quandry - Don't know which combo to pick!  Can you help me out and tell me which you think would work.  I put a colored copy of the first flower on the background to help you.  Picture the flowers much more yellow when you look at them.  My yellow crayon just doesn't show up good.  Okay, what do you think?

Version1

Version 2

Version 3
Please leave a comment with your opinion - I'm open to all suggestions  - even mixing them.  And if you can, leave a link to some eye candy for me - I need prepping up for the coming weeks.  Thanks!  You are so helpful and comforting.


WIP Wednesday 3/21/12

It's a work in progress because it's the second of 12 blocks I am making with our guild's BOM for 2012.  Actually, I just wanted to show you my completed block since it was on my last WIP post.  Forty-three of us made them - that's about half the members who come to our meetings - a fabulous turn out for this project.
I'm linking to Esther's WIPs on Wednesday.  See my sidebar.  And do visit her blog - she has the most beautiful mystery BOM started - also on my sidebar as Forget Me Not.  Enjoy!

Fabric Tuesday 3/20/12 and a Demo

Okay, I'm ready to quilt February's UFO, but I needed to figure out how to quilt it.  I decided on a feather circle that to me looks a little like a flower. I want to practice FMQ, but I'm not so hot at it yet.  So I'm going to tinker with using freezer paper and FMQ.  I like using freezer paper to guide me around the motif, but hate removing it, especially in places where I've traveled over the line twice (or more!).  So here goes:


First I chose a motif from Forest Quilting  where you can find 5 pages of free motifs!  Thank you! You can see the motif I cut out under the ruler (so you could see it flat).

I then made a sandwich with an orphan 6 1/2" block.

I ironed on the freezer paper motif to the center of my block. Be sure to pin your sandwich in the corners.

 I then marked with a yellow water soluble pencil where the lines of the petals meet the circle.
Then at one of the v's of the petals I brought up the bobbin thread.  My stitch will go up and toward the right around the top of the leaves only all around the motif and come back to my starting point.

Just before I got to the starting point, I cut along the last line from v to circle.  Here is where I start to FMQ.  I stitched from the v to the circle and then removed the paper.  I used the one curve I had just done as my sample for what the other vertical lines will look like.  Now the needle is at the circle.  So I went along to the next yellow dot in the circle and then went up to the next v, repeating this around the circle til it was all done.

Here is the front of my quilted circle flower,

and here is the back.  Okay my combining the freezer paper method and FMQ worked!  No paper to pull out of double stitches and I can use the motif on another square.  Because I don't want to throw this practice piece away, I am going to trim the sandwich and bind it.



and here it is all done and ready for gifting.                                                                                                     I think I'll give it to a friend who had us over for dinner as a thank you.

I'm linking to Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story and Connies Linky Tuesday Party.  You'll find both buttons on my sidebar.  Off to see what eye candy you post there!  Hope you enjoyed my practice demo.

Design Wall Monday 3/19/12

Making another charity quilt.  Here's the front: 
Colorful little monsters!

And on the back:
Cute little turtles.

What's on your design wall?  Would love to see it!  Head on over to Judy's Patchwork Times (on my sidebar) and let us see what's what.

Stash Report 3/18/12

Started Esther's BOM (see button on sidebar for Forget me Not), so that pulled 4.5 yards out of my stash.  Found a back for a ufo, so there's 1.5 yards more.  Then made a small project, two more blocks and a DJ block for another .8 yards.  Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week: 6.8yards
Used/Donated YTD: 39.15 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.0 yards
Added/Bought YTD: 21.5 yards
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Net Used YTD: 16.65 yards

Considering how other things pulled me away from quilting, I'm happy with my numbers for this week although I should be at 22 for my projected goal to come true - oh well, will keep plugging away at it.

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

Amongst the Thorns

It is overcast and chilly today, but yesterday, I took these photos to show you another of my favorite things friday when the sun was bright and warm upon us.  I save pics like these to brighten my day  as called for.  But, really, I'm not complaining - it's suppose to start raining late tonight and we so need it.  In fact, my husband said Monday before he started the rainbird:  "It's so dry even the weeds didn't come up this year"! Here is what I found amongst the thorns:




This one on the right is only an inch across.
These last little lovelies are only a 1/4" across!

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday - on my sidebar.  What is your favorite thing today?

Applique Thursday and More 3/15/12

Last year, Connie of Quilting by the River posted a great tutorial for a dish rug.  What is a dish rug? you ask.  Well it's for those bits and pieces that won't go in the dish washer, but not enough to warrant taking out the dish rack.  She made hers 18 x 20 - great way to destash.  Mine is 10 x 14 as the receipient has just that much space right of her sink.  And of course, I was able to add a bit of applique to this simply pieced item.  It is raw edge applique. The flower was adapted from a design by Esther Aliu.  She has a new BOM starting today.

What are you working on?  I love to see your eye candy in whatever stage it's in, and even if it's not applique.  TIA!



WIP Wednesday 3/14/12

This is a true work in progress.  I started it yesterday, have still to find all my blues, it's on my sewing machine to start assembling, it's new.  This is block 2 of our Guild's BOM - all about Riverside (our hometown).  It is a representation of Mt. Robidoux - a city park right in the middle of Downtown.  And it will have  a tiny bit of applique.

Do you have a WIP to share?  I'm linking over at Esther's blog (see my sidebar).  Would love to see yours.

It's a finish - block finish that is for 3/13/12

Finally!  Made another DJ block.  It has been so long, LOL.  Here is I-3.  Almost had to redo - the unfinished size is 5" as the ones in the book are 4 1/2".  I have to make a bookmark with that tidbit in red for the book!
I'm linking to Connie's Linky Party and Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story.  Go on over to my sidebar and visit all the goodies posted there.

Design Wall Monday 3/12/12

Made anothe VA block - they're addictive, and they're up on my wall.  And they won't stay in that order.  I'm sure as I make more they will be continually being rearranged. Have 16 to go.  Lots more could be on my wall also - my embroidery blocks, the t-shirt quilt(too heavy to hang), the March ufo challenge, the new applique quilt, and my last Jubilee block - pheww! - Plenty to chose from.  Shouldn't get bored with any of them.  What shall I concentrate on?

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times to see what others have on their design wall and don't forget to go to BOMs Away, too - both on my sidebar.

Happy Quilting!

Stash Report 3/11/12

Made another VA block. 17 to go, but they are not due til May. It's fun to pull these out of my scrap pile. This week I started a new applique project, so that pulls out 8 yards from my stash. I made some BOM blocks and a dish rug. That used up another 3/4ths yard. I also bought 2 yards of Minky and used one of them. So here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week:   9.75 yards
Used/Donated YTD:       32.35 yards
Added/Bought this week:    2.0 yards
Added/Bought YTD:         21.5 yards
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Net Used YTD:              10.85 yards

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see how others are doing destashing.


I Won!

Woohoo!  I won a copy of Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks  just released and on sale now.  At Quiltmaker's blog, Quilty Pleasures, they had a giveaway of 20 copies and I got lucky.  I won one of the ones picked from Twitter.  Here's what they say about getting a copy:

"Quilts from Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks will sell out quickly so when you see it locally, grab a copy while you can. We recommend buying it from your area quilt shop. Other places to try are Barnes & Noble, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby and many grocery stores. If you can’t find it locally, you might ask the manager to get it (this issue will remain available to retailers long after the grocery stores have sold out). If you can’t find it locally, you can order it from QuiltandSewShop.com."  If you want to see all of the projects, just go on over to their blog (they're on my blog list) and scroll down to the main post about this issue.  There are some gorgeous quilts in there.

Favorite Things Friday

The calendar says Winter, but really Spring has snuck in around here. And it's showing:
Freesias all abloom.

Here come the geraniums!

A volunteer sweet pea plus a kalenchoe.

Do you get a picture of the colors I like?
This bougenvillea is spectacular in its response to lack of rain!  Found these when I went out for a walk to stop feeling sorry for myself and ignore my malaise.  Weatherman says it will be cold next week.  We have to enjoy while we can.

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday party - always nice things to look at there.  Go on by - button on sidebar.

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...