May 2012 FMQ Challenge

Got Leah's May tutorial for SewCalGal done. She is such a good teacher!

Thank you, SewCalGal, for this 2012 FMQ challenge.  It has made me less afraid to try to quilt.  You can find more quilters who took the challenge here and see Leah's video here.

Applique Thursday and more

I was working on a treasurer's report for a meeting today, so didn't get to post this last night, but here it is, my Applique Thursday report for this week.  I've basted the underpiece to the basket that holds the flowers.

And before I forget, last week's charm winner was Laurie.  Congrats, Laurie - I've sent you an email, so hope to hear from you to send out your charm.

You can win a 5" batik charm also.  I'm doing it for this Applique Thursday. Just link or comment for one chance or link and comment for two chances.  Good luck!


WIP Wednesday

Finally, have the quilt top done!  Now I only have to sandwich this 37" square wall hanging, and I'll be all ready to follow along on Judy Laquidara's Feather Quilting lessons. She is doing it on a long arm, but it will be usable by domestic sewing machine quilters, I think.  They start June 1st.  You can read about them here

I'm linking to Lee's Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesays - go on over and see all the goodies.

Fabric Tuesday/WOW

I helped with our local food pantry's yard sale - and amongst the things there was this:
Yes,  it is a mess - and this is after I washed it once.  But on the other side
 there is a lot of it that is not so bad at all!  It has a lot of interesting fabric. And it has a very interesting border I have not seen before on a Grandmother's Flower Garden.
Now I have to decide if I try to save a quarter of it or just some of the flowers, or if I should save any of it at all.  Some of the flowers seem to have just decinegrate, and the white is thin but holding up somewhat.  I am wondering also if I should salvage this by adding thin fusible interfacing or another layer of muslin.  What would you do.  As for the hexies, I plan to resew some by either ironing a piece of freezer paper to them and then  piecing, or using some of Beth Ferrier's disolvable template material.  What would you do?

Design Wall Monday 5/28/12

Going off my design wall - I made this yesterday - is block 4 of our Guild's BOM for 2012.  Our BOM queen is doing a fabulous job of picking subjects and designing blocks for us to make. This one is of the Mission Inn, a National Historic Landmark.   I have to do a little stitch work on it and it will come off my design wall.  They use to have, for many years, two parrots - thus the fellow to the right.

What's on your design wall?  Leave me a comment below, and go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times design wall and see what others are doing.

Last, but not least visit Quilt Inspiration for the most wonderful flag quilt, perfect for Memorial Day.
   "Remember the Fallen in the Defense of Freedom"

Stash Report 5/27/12

I may have posted 5 times last week, but I only used scraps for new quilting and worked on things I've already reported as out of my stash.  Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week: 0.13 yards
Used/Donated YTD: 61.47 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.00 yards
Added/Bought YTD: 21.5 yards
------------------------------
Net Decrease YTD: 39.97 yards

How are you doing?  Hope better than I.  Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times  and see how others are doing.

Favorite Things Friday

Friday, already?  Time sure flies when we're busy.  But I'm glad to be here with a relatively calm clear day ahead.  I may get to do quite a bit of quilting, and then maybe not.  I'm still decluttering and I may have a load to take to our church for the June Festival - they have a boutique booth for which they do need donations. I couldn't believe the weather yesterday - it was so mild, we had the windows open all day. Usually we have to close them by 10 if it is going to be hot or 9 if it is going to be super hot.  Our high was a mere 78 and I was loving it.  Here's what I saw on my gardening hour outside:
 Here's an opuntia planting above the well behind the house.  It's blooming away right now.
This Opuntia has small round flowers that don't form a seed pod (tuna) of any dimension really.  They are just so colorful and when they are backlighted they look like Christmas tree lights blinking in the sun.
 Here's a close up of them - those yellow ones in the picture will eventually turn orange-red also.
And further down the well is where I planted some gazanias the other day.  I'll be able to see these from the hall window.

 Their blooming their heads off already!  Aren't they a beautiful color?
And here is one of my very favorites - I call it forever flowering bouquet.  Those really aren't flowers  - their inner leaves of the cluster.  This is a succulent and actually a bit tender - once it gets really hot in the summer, I'll be covering it with shade cloth as the edges of the leaves will turn brown from too much sun. 

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday , Tootsie Time's Flaunt your Flowers and Amanda's Serenity Now Weekend's Bloggy Reading.  Won't you share your favorite thing with us?  Have a great weekend!

Applique Thursday 5/24/12

I'm a little late in posting this - at least it is still the right day.  Life has been busy!
Here's  a little more done on my fourth Jubilee Album block. 


Good thing I have this to post to or I wouldn't have gotten any done.  I'm determined to declutter and it's taking a lot of time, as each item must be analyzed and determined if stay or go.  It's like that story I read on the internet - the lady was going to the store but stopped to water her flowers but had to get her boots and then on the way she found a book that needed to go to the library....you get the picture.  Sighh.

Need eye candy!  Please share what you're up to applique or not, and you might win a 5" batik charm (comment or link work for me).  And speaking of charms - the winner for last Applique Thursday was Kathy from Florida!  Your charm goes out to you today, Kathy.  Congrats!! 

Fabric Tuesday - My May Craftsy Blocks

With my Mystery BOM block out of the way, I decided to finish my craftsy BOM blocks for this month.  Have ten done (Amy gives us 2 a month) and am beginning to wonder what the setting for these might be.  All I know is I can't see them as on point.  Are you making these?  What are your thoughts on them?

I'm linking with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story, Linky Party Tuesday, and Esther's WIP (she's in Australia, so they're a day ahead of us - you'll find all of these on my sidebar. 

Design Wall Monday 5/21/12

On my design wall is my carpenter star quilt top for Judy's upcoming (June 1st) feather quilting lesson.  I was able to add 2 more rows.  That is not really black in the center star - it's a deep purple.  Two more rows to go and 2 borders and I'll be ready. Judy's is bed size - mine is a wall hanging.

What's on your design wall?  Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times (on my sidebar) and link so that others can see your eye candy.

Stash Report 5/20/12

I did get to work on my blocks this past week and I finished two, made progress on another and started a new project - they just used tiny bits of material.  Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week: 0.03 yards
Used/Donated YTD: 61.34 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.00 yards
Added/Bought YTD: 21.5 yards
------------------------------
Net Decrease YTD: 39.84 yards
And here is my finished cosmos block:

How did you do?  Go on over the Judy's Patchwork Times and check how others did.  Button on sidebar.

Favorite Things Friday 5/18/12


I'm happy to report still some flowers in the garden. This one was a surprise - a late bloomer. It is the palest purple iris I have ever seen.  I bought the tuber at a Iris Society sale of unknowns. This is the first year it has bloomed.  Lovely as it is I can see why it may not be cultivated and given a name.  The flowers only last a couple of days.  Here's another shot: 

 

This rose is one my mother rooted for me from her beautiful roses.  Last year this plant was only a stick with a few leaves and I thought I was going to lose it.  Hasn't it come back beautifully?  I'm looking for a place where I can plant it in the yard.
Last, but not least is the tomato plant that refuses to give up.  My husband has a replacement plant for the one in our grower.  I told him as soon as this one stops producing - out it goes.  But for a one scraggly stemmed plant that has a lot of dead leaves it keeps producing, producing producing - won't give up as it approaches its year anniversary.

That's it from my garden.  What's your favorite thing this friday? Go on over to Shay's Favorite Thing Friday button on my sidebar and check out what others are posting.
Oh! and if you didn't see my previous post, go back and see the already over 200 quilts that are on show.  Enjoy!

It's Here! - BQF

One of my favorite things, and it falls on a friday (Yeah!) is the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.  Talk about eye candy!!  I have found some of my favorite blogs while viewing all who post on it. And she has wonderful giveaways!  It's like attending a virtual quilt show.  My coverlet is my entry for this year.  This quilt started as a cotton curtain I bought at a yard sale - and it's the back of the quilt.  I loved the design I didn't want to cut it up. So decided to make a medallion quilt for the front.  And it just built from their.  I have that one 18" dresden plate for the center and as I went along I decided what each row would be next.  This turned out to be a quilt as you go with the curtain as the solid back and I added things to it by the sew and flip method.  It's a summer cover for my bed so it has no batting.  The nine patches were from a guild swap we did for a whole year.  It makes a colorful spot in my bedroom.

Want to drown in eye candy?  Click on the banner on top left to be transported to quilt heaven.  And if you want to participate, click on Amy's tab at the top of her page for the BQF to see what's involved.  Enjoy!

Applique Thursday 5/17/12

I'm participating in Esther Aliu's block of the month for this year (you'll find the button for this Forget Me Not BOM on my sidebar).  Here's as far as I've gotten with my cosmos block:

Still have three of the flowers to finish before I can start on the May block!  But I wanted to show you I am doing some applique.  And we have another winner!  This week it's Sarah.  She's sent me her snail mail address, so a batik charm square will be on its way to her soon.  I have another batik charm for this week.  Just leave a comment or a link to a post (for a second chance).  It's great to hear from you.

What are you working on?  Would love to see your eye candy.  It's inspiring and humbling to see your lovelies.

Fabric Tuesday/WIP Wednesday 5/16/12

Since it's an hour and a half before Wednesday, am combining posts.  I so admire Anita Grossman Soloman's make it easier theory of quilting - love the blocks she comes up with, that I thought I'd give a hand to my own.  So I pulled five different fabrics and played with designing a wonky house that has six cuts, six seams to make five houses. 
                                            Here's my first house:

Right away, I had some qualms about my fabric choices.  When I picked the white/blue fabric for the house, it looked way bright to me - but with this combo it seems to sort of blend together.  So I stitched around the edge of the house with a dark thread.  I still wasn't sure so I make a b/w copy.

With the black and white I see it could be better, but it will do for this experiment.  But check out how the ribbon in the wreath disappears in the b/w version.  That's what's neat about this method of checking value.  Any comments would be appreciated.  I'm lousy at color.

I'll see how the other four turn out.  Maybe I'll make a table runner out of these or placemats.
I'm linking to Fabric Tuesday, Linky Tuesday Party and WIP Wednesday.  You can find them on my sidebar.
What are you working on?

Design Wall Monday 5/14/12

After delivering some teeth (don't ask -lol), going to PT appointment, volunteering at Library, I finally had a few minutes to start on my Craftsy blocks for May.  Have two more strips to add to this one, but first I have to fold laundry.

What's on your design wall?  Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and check out all the lovelies there.

Stash Report - Happy Mother's Day 5/13/12

It has been some week.  Monday - funeral; Tuesday - babysit Alan; Wednesday - off to Duarte to babysit Frank and Lily; Thursday - St. Anne's; Friday - recover; Saturday - all day class.  Nothing in and nothing out.  Hope to do better this coming week.  Here are my numbers (not that they've changed):
Used/Donated this week: 0.0 yards
Used/Donated YTD: 61.31 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.00 yards
Added/Bought YTD: 21.5 yards
------------------------------
Net Decrease YTD: 39.81 yards

To all the mothers I know and share with - Happy Mother's Day!

Favorite Thing Friday 5/11/12

Some more flowers - these curiosities, at least to me. First, here is a hollyhock with the most unusual flower color I have seen for it.  I got the seeds from a plant that had flower the color close to what you see on the edge of the blooms on left.  Imagine my surprise that they came out this dark, rich burgundy instead of rose!

Next is my apple plant (a succulent) kinda of like an iceplant.  This one has two color blooms on it!  I checked to see if there were two plants growing in the same space - Nope.  This is the first time I see two colors on one plant of these.  This also grew from seed.

Who could have guessed?   I'm linking over at Shay's Favorite Things Friday.  Check my sidebar.  Have a great weekend!



Applique Thursday 5/10/12


Phew, it's been a very busy last few days with family affairs - have not even been able to do my 15 minutes of sanity which is quilting and if possible, applique.  So here is my Applique Thursday post for this week:

New on my wish list and on top of the list is a new book by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins of Piece O' Cake Designs.  It is just what I like
    Applique    -   Fast   -   Cheerful 

Please click HERE and you'll go to their website and you can read more about this wonderful book and technique.  I'm in love with this book.

But I'd still like to see your eye candy - applique or not; past, present \, or on your dream to do list.  Submit a link below.  Look forward to seeing your entry.

And yes, I'm giving away another batik charm.  Leave a link or comment and you'll be entered.  Debbie was our winner last week and her charm is on the way to her now.

Fabric Tuesday 5/8/12

Finished the two charity quilts for the teen girls. Now I can go back to my blocks and added a little more foliage to my applique block, got further around the breadfruit on my potholder, and messed up that 4th charity top. Yes, I'll be spending some time with my seam ripper.  Linking up to Connie's Linky Tuesday Party, Lynn's BOMs Away and Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story.  What have you been up to?

Design Wall Monday 5/7/12

Had some left over tubes from making the two charity quilts for the teenagers from tube quilts, and here's how I utilized them for baby quilts - well at least one so far.  I love the border print - it is so cute!

I'm linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times! Go see what others are working on. Button on sidebar.

 

Stash Report 5/6/12

Lots of babysitting this past week, less time piecing so I didn't use all that much.  A yard for plain blocks in a VA quilt, an 1/8th for applique block.  And 5/8ths yard for a charity quilt where I am testing the pattern - wait! - another 1/3rd for another charity top using the left over tubes from the girls quilts I'm binding.  Here are my numbers:
Used/Donated this week: 2.08 yards

Used/Donated YTD: 61.31 yards
Added/Bought this week: 0.00 yards
Added/Bought YTD: 21.5 yards
------------------------------
Net Decrease YTD: 39.81 yards

I'm linking to Judy's Stash Report on Patchwork Times.  You'll find the button on the sidebar.  How are you doing?

Favorite Things Friday 5/4/12

This was my surprise in my kitchen garden at the start of the week.  It seemed to appear overnight.  Actually, I guess I was just so busy with family happenings I didn't notice.  The amaryllis was a Christmas  gift years ago and every year it gifts me again. Love these kind of gifts!
How could I have missed them.  Maybe because I was looking no further than the pink florabunda.  It keeps giving me these clusters of roses. I think we have been so fortunate with our flowers this year because of the odd weather.  We've had unseasonably cooler weather (around 11-14 degrees cooler) this week.  And even some drizzle and rain one early morning.  The plants are loving it!
Here come some more roses in this batch.

I'm linking this to Shay's Favorite Things Friday.  Go see what others are praising. Button on sidebar.
Have a great weekend.

Applique Thursday 5/3/12

As I've said before, so glad I decided to have Applique Thursdays because:
1.  It challenges me to work on an applique piece - which still intimidates me but calls to me too, and
2.  I get to see some eye candy of the applique kind and other quilting kind to inspire and urge me on.

So here is what I worked on the last two days to have something to show:
Not much but it's a start on my fourth Jubilee Album block.
What are you working on - applique or otherwise?  Would love to see your work - past, present or dream.

WIP Wednesdays

Okay, got to get serious about this top.  It's due on the 15th at our next guild meeting.  It was suppose to be 20 of the blocks you see on this fabric, but when I put the 10 together that I have made,  it seemed too overwhelming and busy.  I think I like it better with the plain squares in-between.  This is to be a lap quilt 36 x 45.  Those are 9" squares.  What do you think?
I could use some input.

I'm linking this to Esther's Wip Wednesday. You'll find the button on my sidebar.

Not Sure Where this is Going, or If?

I'm behind on my UFO challenge now by 3 quilts!  And what do I do - start another charity quilt.  What was I thinking to start a new project??  But these are some fabrics given to me for St. Anne's baby quilts. Seem more suitable for a toddler.  So what kind of border, I'm wondering - it will only measure 27 x 33.  Solid green?  Same green leaf fabric if there's enough? Clueless.

And that's my fabric story for this tuesday.  Go to my sidebar to see what more "planned projects" others have at Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story  and Linky Party Tuesday.  My co-madre (Sean's mother) broke her arm again(!) and this time needs surgery, so I've got Alan all day to help out Sean and Em during this emergency.  Off to get ready.

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...