A Finish of Sorts = FMQ!

It came to me yesterday what a lot of prep there is to getting a  top ready for quilting.  You ready the top and back making sure they are squared up (sort of), then you get the batting, find your pins and see if your basting space is clear to use.  I usually use the carpet in my guest bedroom, but I'm getting less agile at getting down on the floor to do this.  My dining table's edge is not conducive to  using for sandwiching using clips, and I didn't want to use tape. So after tea and a cookie or two, I had a eureka moment:

Out from long storage from my sewing clothes day, I pulled out my cardboard cutting board!

Partially opened it on my kitchen table and it was more than enough for this quilt top.

I laid out the three layers and started to pin the back to the board.  This cutting board is constructed of two pieces with an air space in between.  If I push the pins into the space, I anchor the quilt and don't scratch my table.  I pin a top edge and a side edge.  Then I start pinning the opposites by pulling the backing lightly taut as I pin. each of the remaining sides.  Then I pin baste the top to the two other layers.  Once that's done, and I check the back for no wrinkles, I make a small sandwich and check my machine settings and which thread to use for the quilting.

Phew! Ready at last. I'm off to quilt as soon as I finish the post.  I'm linking to Leah's FMQ Project and Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday because this quilt will be finished by the end of the day.

Hexie Friday

I found my template pack!  I made my 7 hexie min for the week!  I'm on a roll!

How did you do?  Any and all hexie projects welcome - hey, even if it's not hexie - we love to see eye candy.  Linky below:

Giveaway News

Hi, first I'd like to thank you all who participated and hopped during Michele's Giving Thanks Blog Hop. It was so much fun. I met a lot of wonderful new bloggers, now follow more blogs, won a giveaway! - just had a wonderful time. I hope you had a great time likewise. I was thrilled I had 146 comments to my post, 20 new followers and many new followers via email and Bloglovin'. Welcome!  Now for my giveaway. I use Random.org to pick the winners.



The winner of the Karen McTavish book is Valerie in OR: Valerie wrote: "Hi I'm from Oregon. Would love the quilting book...thanks for the chance to win it!"

Cathy in Canada won the pattern pack. Cathy said: "I'm A Canadian, living in Southern Ontario. I love Karen K. Buckley's work, so her book would be my choice. Also, I love applique, even if I don't seem to have the time for it, at the moment."

Congratulations to you both!  Emails have been sent...

And I won, too! Benita at Victoriana Quilters offered a lovely pattern for a hearts quilt and my name was picked.  Go here to see it.

Again, thanks so much, Michele at the Quilting Gallery for putting on this Blog Hop.

Applique Tuesday

I have done a bit of work on my LE - mainly working on the stems to Part 4.  That vase you see is one of 6 I am considering. I scanned the fabrics I'm thinking of using and then cut out paper vases to see how they would work.  To not use a ton of ink for these, I drew the shape on a white piece of paper, then cut it out.  Then I laid the paper on the copier and placed the fabric on top, so the printer only laid down color where the vase shape was.  Some of the stems will be embroidered. Oh, and all the elements you see aren't fused down yet.

How are you doing on your project?  Would love to see how it's going.  Linky below.
I'm linking to Esther's WOW and Connie's Linky Tuesday.  See you there.

Design Wall Monday 11/25/13

I'm designing a quilt for a guild challenge and trying to figure out how to make a certain part of it.
So here's what I have on my design wall as I try to get the right sized blocks assembled:

This one turned out a whole inch smaller than I need.  What do you call that unit to the left of the blue triangle - the one with the square and two triangles?  Is there a name to it? Already have an orphan block for my first attempt - lol.

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Lyn's BOMs Away. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all later this week!

Look What I Got

Here's what I won at the Guild's Holiday Exchange:

It's machine embroidered and I love it!  Thank you so much, Deanna!  If you missed it, the one I made to exchange is back on last Friday's post.

This past week, I was finishing things, but not using any stash.  All I used was a few bits for my hexies, a few bits for my LE and an 1/8 for binding my quiltlet.  Here are my numbers:
 

in 0.0 yds.; out .25 yds.

Stash in YTD: in 9.0 yds., out YTD 108.58 yds.

Donated YTD: 51.26 yds

Net for 2013: out 99.58 yds

Tiny bit of progress. I'll have to dig into my stash and make something for Christmas to get me to/over my goal!

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times. It's kind of scary when you see there are only 5 weeks left of 2013. Oh and the Giving Thanks Blog Hop is still going on. Head on over and enter the over 160 giveaways!  Button at top of right sidebar.

Finish it Up Friday Finish FMQued

I did finish my Christmas Candle quiltlet.  Measured 12" square.

 

Got stolen twice so I guess they liked it.  Wish I had quilted it a bit more nearer to the candle.

 

Here's what the back looks like.  I'll show you what I got next week.

I'm linking to Crazy Mom's Finish it Up Friday and Leah's FMQ Project.  See you there.

Hexie Friday!

If you're looking for the ongoing Blog Hop with Giveaways, click on the button below, or go to my 11/21 post.  Ends Nov 26.

Lots of great giveaways!

 Whatever is wrong with me won't let go - doing a lot of laying down.  But have no commitments tomorrow, so hope to get something done if I feel well in the morning.  My hexie progress is not much, but I did progress - sigh. 

Actually, my main problem is I have run out of the paper templates.  I have another package somewhere, but have not been able to find it. 
A good sign I have to stop everything and sort out the sewing room again - LOL.  I could make some, however I've found that for best results it's best to continue how I started a project - whether it's a ruler, a template, or a machine even. 

What are you up to? Would love to see your eye candy whether hexies or not.  Linky below.  It closes Monday night at midnight.  And we'd (that's Billie and me) love to see ones already finished or a while ago - they'll be new to us!

Giving Thanks - a Blog Hop and a Giveaway!

Welcome to everyone visiting for the Giving Thanks Blog Hop Party. A big hug to Michele of the The Quilting Gallery for organizing this event.  It's so nice to meet new friends from all over the world via blog land.  That's why I am thrilled to participate in this Hop to meet new readers, see what you're up to and offer a give-away as a Thank You.

If you're new here, let me introduce myself.  I'm Angie in SoCal, USA.  I love to quilt, sew, garden, and keep up with family and friends.  I'm very grateful for each day God blesses us with and pray for all of you daily.  He is the center of my life. 

I've found posting helps to keep me on task and moving forward with my quilting - that way I have something to post, LOL.  I have learned so much from other quilters on the NET.  It's like an open class available all the time.  To keep me focused, I host two linky parties each week.  One is called Applique Tuesday - I love applique, but I am such a newbie - I hesitate, so I have to do something to report on Tuesday.  LOL - same with hexies - on Hexie Fridays, I report what I have done on that project too.  Otherwise, I'd spend all my time making baby charity quilts for our church.  It's so much fun to see the eye candy other quilters share.

For my Giving Thanks give-away, I have two items - so you'll have a choice of which one you'd like to see in your mailbox.  First is a pattern pack of a gorgeous quilt by Karen Kay Buckley:

This makes a gorgeous, sophisticated quilt with circle blocks.  It has full sized patterns. Karen includes lots of great tips for both hand and machine applique and how to make perfect circles and stems.  What I like best is you can use elements of her design to create your own, so you don't have to do circles if you don't want to. 

Or maybe you'd like a quilting book:

I think the cover says it all!  To enter this giveaway all you need to do is leave a comment telling me where you are from and which book you'd like to win and why.  If you'd like to win either book, leave two comments - one for each book.  Then if you'd like another chance to win become a follower and let me know that also with another comment.   I'll throw in a pattern, too, for the lucky winner.  Please be sure you are not a no-reply blogger because I need your email to let you know if you won. Closes Midnight November 26th.  And yes, since I have readers all over, I will ship internationally.  Good Luck!  And don't forget to go to Michele's blog to see all the other bloggers participating and their giveaways! The list of bloggers participating in the Blog Hop Party will be made available Thursday late afternoon on November 21st, 2013 (Eastern time).

Look forward to meeting you! 

Applique Tuesday

I'm quilting my quiltlet.  I'm entering it in the Steal Game at Guild tomorrow, so I have to finish it tonight.  It's from a wall hanging in Quiltmaker, Nov/Dec 13 issue.  I just resized it and made it fit the around 12"  needed for the piece. It has applique and piecing - my favorite combo.

I'll post a finished photo Friday.  What are you up to?  Would love to see your eye candy. Linky  below.

I'm linking to Esther's WOW and Connie's Linky Tuesday. See you there.

Design Wall Monday 11/18/13

No stash report this week.  Everything was already accounted for and it wasn't that much anyway as I had my son and grandson here from CO.  It was so much fun to have them here and have some quality time with them.  They leave tomorrow in the afternoon back home.  We will miss them.

CO Guys on left.

On my design wall is the latest VA quilt that I will be binding.  This was the July challenge at our guild.  I resized the blocks to make the quilt 36" by 45" .  It was an Ivory Spring pattern that was adapted for the challenge.  You can see the pattern here. And by the way those squares set on point are appliqued - my way of combining applique and piecing.

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Lyn's BOMs Away.  See you there.

A FMQ Finish

Busy entertaining, but here's the latest charity quilt I finished earlier in the week.  It's all done  - free motion quilted and bound.

 

I FMQed around the circles and the inner squares in the sashing rows.  This pattern went together quickly.  I was trying to use up some of the many strips of solids that were given to St. Anne's.  I traced the butterfly design on freezer paper, cut it out and ironed it to the center of the circles and then sewed around the design - that way no paper to tear off.  I also made each butterfly with a different color of thread.

 

 

I'm linking to Leah's FMQ Project.  See you there.



Family Friday

My son and grandson are visiting from CO!  I'm so excited!!  Hexie's next Friday, I very much hope so.  Go to Billie's Blog to see hers and the Linky Party. Enjoy!

Wow! It's Applique Tuesday

I'm so befuddled.  It wasn't until seeing Esther's WOW that I realized it was Tuesday again, and time to post about some applique in my life.  I actually finished LE Part 3:

If this doesn't look different to you - I added the heart circles and the oak leaf units on the sides. Now I'm adding a vase of flowers in the left bottom corner and for the live of me, can't decide what to use for the vase.  Here are 6 I am considering:

  The two bright ones look both orangy but the upper right one is really red.  Now which of these would you pick for a vase of flowers given the colors you see in the center I am working on?  I really want to know.  And if you have eye candy to share - that would be so great!  Linky below.

It's Design Wall Monday Again

 

These blocks are still on my design wall.  Not sure I'm going to sew them together this way, but I do need to have the top done by the 19th.  And yes, I'd like to get that ducky quilt quilted, too,  this week.  However DGS#3 and DS#2 are coming Thursday for a quick visit from CO, so I may not get either of  these two items done.  Family comes first!

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Lyn's BOMs Away! See you there.

Stash N Video 11/10/13

Had to share a video with you:  "Catalina's Paradise" Applique Quilt "

by Jane Newble .  Jane says: For this quilt I used a mixture of the Civil War Bride patterns by Corliss Searcey, a picture of the original 1864 "Bird of Paradise" quilt, and my own drawings, some from pictures of other old Baltimore quilts, and some from photos. It is hand made with needle turn applique, and echo quilting.  Altogether it took just over a year to make.

 

As to the stash report - used a few bits for my LE BOM, and also a yard for the back of the pieced flannel charity quilt I shared yesterday.  So about 1.25 yards for last week. I'm shocked I have anything since I was sick all last week.  So my numbers are:

in 0.0 yds.; out 1.25 yds.

Stash in YTD: in 9.0 yds., out YTD 108.33 yds.

Donated YTD: 51.26 yds

Net for 2013: out 99.33 yds

 

And since I like to share a photo with you, here's the two DGSs when they came trick-or-treating:

 

 

Gone are the days of grocery bag costumes.  I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times - see you there.



Finish it up FMQ Friday

Having been sick all week don't have enough hexies to show for a Hexie Friday, so here's a finish I hadn't reported yet.  It's another charity quilt.  This one I took all these bits of flannel that were left over from rag quilts and made a flimsy, then sandwiched and backed it with a cotton to get the reverse of what we usually make for St. Anne's.  That is flannel backed baby quilt.  Here's a cotton backed flannel baby quilt.

Those aren't black flannel pieces around it - midnight blue ones.  Measures about 34" square.  I used 4 different FMQ designs on it.  Here's the back

:
I'm linking to Leah's Free Motion Project and Crazy Mom's Finish it Up Friday.  See you there.  Thank you to all who sent prayers and good wishes while I was sick.  Docs didn't have a clue what was wrong. However, a friend has a friend who came down from Sacramento and had the EXACT same thing for the same length of time at the same time as I did!  I don't believe in coincidences.  Must have been some kind of bug - never felt flu-like or stomach virus like - oh well - it's over now - all all those tests they did - normal - which is reassuring.  Again, thanks for getting me through it!

Design Wall Monday 11/4/13

Let's forget Sunday. Spent it flat on my back between bouts of v and fainting.  Finally went to urgent care late PM and they gave me a bag of saline solution via IV and I was fine. Went home and slept through the night and now back to normal.

On my design wall are my blocks for my next VA quilt. Yes, those are wonky stars - forgot to add seam allowances to the paper templates.  But I think some Vet will sympathize as I'm sure some feel wonky, too. 

I'm also still playing with the circle of hearts for my LE.  While I liked the one with just two fabrics, I'm liking this one with 3 fabrics currently.  Feel it ties in more with the compass as it has one of the fabrics from it.

What's on your design wall?  I'm heading over to Judy's Patchwork Times , Lyn's BOMs Away , and Esther's WOW  to see eye candy.

Another Finish on Friday

My first landscape.  My friend, Bette, invited me to work along with her as she worked through a landscape quilt book.  She's such a good teacher!  Here is my landscape.  I love it!  It measures about 14 by 20" I need to add a hanging sleeve and then I'll hang it somewhere in the house where I can see it every day.

Will have to do another one - maybe Tuscany - will help me dream of one of the places I'd like to visit.

I'm linking over at Crazy Mom's Finish it Up Friday.  Lots of eye candy there.