Some of This; Some of That

I was busy today.  Did my part 5 of En Provence.  Since I'm doing a smaller version, didn't take me long to do these.  This is my treadle sewing project. Going well so far. I'm linking to Bonnie  at her Part 5 post.

Completed four more curved hexies.  Here's a photo of the first three.




As I had three bags of scrap bits of fabric and batting, I made myself a pillow for Ms Juki.  The chair I have sits me too low.  I used 1/2 yard of fabric  for this.

Now I"m sitting much more comfortable. Just have to sandwich another quilt to put it to use.

I dumped the rest of that St. Anne scrap bag onto my cutting table - now this is going to be a real challenge to put together another baby quilt top. It will be my third baby quilt top from that one bag! I'm naming it In the City to inspire some way to put it together.

That's all for now.  Found another quilt I made this year. That brings my total of quilts and tops to 35.  How did I miss that one?

WIPs Be Gone Week 31

Some progress on a couple of WIPs - specifically #7 and #11.

Don't have a photo of #7 - but it's the Bird of Paradise and I finally figured out what I'm going to do with it and found fabrics for two borders.  I was going to make it a pillow, but as it is raw edge applique, I've decided it's too delicate for that. So I'm making a wall hanging.  I hope to have a photo for next Friday.

WIP #11 is another long term project - it has 49 blocks, I think.  I got two more blocks done:
 They were so easy I don't know why I hadn't done them before. Guess I couldn't find my round-to-it. Working on a third one - it has applique.




Oh, and I finished another B3 quilt top - this is for the August offering at the Guild. Now to send off the pattern to my three testers.  Measures 30" square for the NICU at local hospital. A great one for large prints.

What are you up to? Would love to see it, whether finished or WIP progress or an old post. Share your goodness. Linky below ends Monday, midnight.

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm linking to Amanda's Finish it Friday, Richards Link A Finish Friday, Sarah's Can I get a Whoop, Whoop? because I did finish something, and on Monday with Lyn for BOMs Away because I worked and made blocks.  Bye for now.

Some of This and That on Monday

Gosh, it's been since May that I've done a de-stashing report.  I was at a YTD total of 46.39 yards.  Now let's see what I've used since then. Let me calculate:
Made a quilt for my DGS's preschool teacher - 2yards; various hexie flowers - .10 yard; a mug rug - .25 yard; a new charity quilt top - .75 yard; a backing for my elephant quilt - 1 yard; eight blocks for my VA quilt - .33 yard; and a back for my VA quilt - 1 yard for a grand total of 5.43 yards - not very good for 2 months!  But I'm happy to say I went through my stash and pulled approximately 20 yards of pieces of fabric to sell at my guild's annual yard sale at the  August meeting.   So that is much better and I can report  YTD total of 71.82 yards de-stashed.

On my design wall is another charity top I'm working on:

This is using some of those blocks children colored for us at the festival.  This is a free pattern offered by Luana at Equilter. You can see it here. Easy peasy.

What are you up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come by to see your latest.  Blessings, all!

Some of This, Some of That

I made another B³quilt and used 2.5 yards. Donated another 3yds to guild so my numbers have grown a tad. YTD is now 26.79 yds out.  Slowly de-stashing.  Here's the quilt:

Nothing on my design wall as I was busy adapting  a Dewey's Dream block to a 30" preemie quilt for our local NICU.  You can get the pattern off my right sidebar after tomorrow.

A community member brought two quilts to give to the guild as she was downsizing. The first one was a blue and white churn dash made by a pioneer of a nearby town way back in the 1880s(?).  I suggested she  contact the museum in that town.  She did and they are thrilled that she is giving it to them.

The second quilt was a fundraiser for the Calvary Church in Rochester, NY in 1903.  Here's a block from it:

I asked Barbara Brackman, the quilt historian, for the name of this block, and she'd never seen one like it.  Thinks it might be a variation of the Maltese Cross.  I did some Google image searches and the closest I came to it was a Firefighter's emblem back east, so maybe the lady who designed the quilt had a fireman in her household. ??  I'm going to contact the historical society in Rochester and see if they want it.

Off to work on another charity quilt and a WIP - I'm going to have to make a list.  I'm getting confused as which WIP is what #.

LOL - blessings to you all and happy quilting.

Hexie Weekend

Okay - My hand stitched hexies are on hold as I quilt that Hexie flower garden I've shown you before. Actually started on it. I'm being daring and quilting the flowers with pink 50 wt thread on top and silver on the bottom as I practiced on a piece and got the tension just right.  I read and reread Karen H's posts on how she quilts her hexagons and am using her experience to guide me.

And I'm happy with the response so far for my ongoing Giveaway.  Did you read the previous post.  I'm giving away a quilt. So if you didn't read it, go back and enter to see if you win this lap quilt.  There are six ways to enter!

On Wednesday I was at the California Science Center in LA for their Pompeii Exhibit.  It was great - a little noisy with all that volcanic action, but it was very interesting to see all they had from Italy from Pompeii that has not been seen in US before.  They have a great simulation of the eruption, a thorough explanation of the city and how people lived there.  Loved the atriums.

And - I do have a finish!  Here's my completed hexagon charity quilt I made with my new Hex N More ruler.

Here's #2 holding it.  It's almost as big as he is!  I made a comment to myself about how Grandpa wasn't available to hold it so I could take a picture. He immediately said, "I can hold it for you, Grandma." He's such a helper.

I decided to quilt a strip of loops around the edge for the border.  This measures 34 by 36.
I spent quite a bit of time making all those skating rabbits going one way where I could.  It was only when I had quilted half the motifs did I notice I had quilted them upside down to the bunnies. From now on, it's check twice, quilt once -LOL.  I hope baby won't mind.

Here you can see some of the motifs in the squares. I found a cat, dog, bear, cherries, apple, tree, whale, sandman, seashell and airplane to quilt - all Mary Covey motifs.  I used freezer paper to mark them in the full hexagons.

It was very hard to see the quilting on the backing - thus the contrasty photo.  I used silver 50 wt Aurifil thread and silver Superior Bottom line for the back with a 90/14 titanium needle.

So what have you been up to?  Would love to see your eye candy! Linky below; ends Monday, midnight.  Because I love eye candy, I'm linking to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday and Richard's Link a Finish Friday .

Do enter the giveaway!  I'd love to send you my quilt to celebrate my 1001 posts.

An InLinkz Link-up

Design Wall Monday 10/1/12

Up on my design wall is the start of another charity quilt.  This one is a flannel neonatal quilt for our local NIC-U.  Nine blocks to finish at 30"x 30".  That's the size they want.

What's up on your design wall?  I'm linking over to Judy's Patchwork Times, Lyn's BOMs Away, and  Quilt are for Giving blog.

Also my book giveaway is still going on.  Go to my last Applique Thursday post and comment or link to win!

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.

 

Design Wall Monday 4/2/12

Nothing on my design wall this monday. I'm working on binding the charity quilt that was on it though. For these I do the binding by machine. Goes much faster. I first sew the binding to the back of the quilt. Then I bring it to the front and sew it down. The seam then is usually right along the binding and hardly shows.

Had a strange thing happen. Bought a package of Mountain Mist polyester batting - a nice thin batting. Unfolded it and stuck it in the dryer on warm to take out the wrinkles. When I took it out of the dryer, not only was it smaller, but also twice as thick as before. ???? You can see the poofiness in the photo. Has this ever happened to you? Guess I'll save the other 4 rectangles of batting for quilts we tie.

What's on your design wall? Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times on my sidebar and see what others have on their's.

FMQ Challenge 1/6/12

I'm taking part in the FMQ Challenge for 2012. And I've decided instead of making sandwiches or sample quilts, I'm going to do my FMQ quilting practice on whatever I am working on at the time each segment is posted once a month. This month I was working on a charity quilt, so that is what I tried the continuous leaf pattern provided by Frances Moore. It is a rag quilt and perfect to try on small squares. At right are my first 4 squares (if you click on the photo you can see the enlargement and see the quilting better). Going clockwise from upper left, you see the pattern going from bad to better.  I used an 80/12 needle with blue thread in bobbin and pink thread on top.  You are looking at the back.  I had to adjust the tension to be a little looser so that the pink thread would not show on the back.  So here are the blocks incorporated into the rag quilt.

I'm liking this pattern.  I can see using it on sashing or a border.  It's my favorite thing this friday as I cough and shiver through my day.  On my sidebar, you'll find the button for both the 2012 FMQ Challenge and Shay's Favorite Thing Friday.  Go see what others are liking.

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 7/17/11

Made a charity quilt top and backing, but none of that was from my stash, so can't count it.  It's from the St. Ann's stash of donated fabric we use to make these.  We already have 8 completed quilts stored.  I'm done - it now goes to the members who sandwich and tie.  Then back to me to bind.

Did make a crumb block from a possible new pattern, but Í'll post about that tomorrow.  However I'm counting the fat 8th of scraps today.  Cut up some material for donation, but that was given to me, so can't count that either - it didn't come from my stash.  Did use from the stash for the cardinal, so I'll add a quarter yard for that. So I have a grand total of .38 yards to add to my numbers.

Used this week: .38 yards

Used/Donated Yr to date: 43.71 yards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -4.0 yards
-------------------------------------------
Total Yr to date Use: 39.71 yards

So didn't break the 40 yards this time.  Maybe next week.

The Fourth is Finished!

My fourth charity quilt is finished.  Yeah.  Even showed it to the Sewdality members. I got to practice as I quilted this one.  This follow the design as you quilt it is good practice for making even stitches as one moves over the top, especially as one goes around curves.  I tried to have the least stops possible, too.  I used  a stencil and chalk for the border.  All of the fabric for this one, except the binding was donated to St. Ann's for charity quilts.

Now the back had some scraps from my stash so I got to report those in my stash report this week.  I wasn't that happy with the back - I added three pieces I dug around in my basket of scraps and found that matched the Japanese fabric, but what I didn't like afterwards were the pink strips - felt they should have extended all the way to the edges by adding the dark blue first and then adding the pink.  Oh well, it is a practice piece.

Be sure to go over to my left sidebar and click on Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday to see what others are working on. Enjoy!

This WIP is done!

A while back I had a little guessing contest in which you were to guess what I was going to do with the fabric shown in the post.  Well, Billie won 2 fat quarters guessing that I was working on a rag quilt.  I did finish the top and took it to St. Ann's for someone there to snip it (that's the part I hate).  Dare did the job for us and washed it and I think it came out fine.  Our first rag quilt as a wheelchair lap quilt:

Turned out 34" by 46"  but not as a lap quilt after all.  The church was having a festival and asked each ministry for a donation to help in the raffle.  So we chose to donate the quilt and three of the ladies made up this basket:It consisted of the quilt, some Irish Creme, books, cookies, some chips, popcorn - a perfect, manly gift for a night of armchair viewing.

Design Wall Monday 5/30/11

Yesterday, I finished the fourth charity quilt, but I'll talk about that tomorrow for Fabric Tuesday.  I was going to pull out my ufo I'm suppose to finish, then decided I really had to clean up my cutting/design wall area before it toppled over.  Well, got that done and wound up with a pile of scraps I found at the left side of the table. I should have taken a picture of it - it was so bad - but here it is CLEAN.  I may print out this photo to remind myself this can happen - LOL.  So once I'd folded and put away the fabric pieces - darn, the stash doesn't look so lean any more - I found myself with this pile of scraps.  Got out my ruler and before I knew it, I had piles of 2" , 2 1/2", 3", 3 1/2" 4 and 5" pieces.  Put those away and all I had left were the odd ones out.  I then decided to make them into crumb blocks instead of stuffing them in the scrap box. Came out with 16 crumb blocks ala Bonnie Hunter.                                                            

I'm happy to report this is all I have left - not enough to make a block - yeah!  I don't mind adding these to the scrap heap.

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times - her button is on the left sidebar and see what others are doing.

Working on the Fourth of Four

Hoped to be farther along on this fourth charity quilt, but had to stop and find a back.  When that didn't happen, knew I'd have to create a back.  Found the rectangle of Asian fabric and a 1/2 yard that seemed to go with it and created the back.  Had to keep adding to make it big enough.  Now that I look at it in the photo (and photos are great for checking how things will look) I've decided the pink is too bright, but I'm not taking it out.  Good news is that this was all from my stash.

Third of the Four

I was going to take this to St. Ann's so another member could finish it by adding the binding. Then I thought "what the heck" after finishing quilting it, and added the binding. I've decided to call this Aegean Travels because the string blocks remind me of the mosaics, tiles and colors of Greece. And when you go there you see there are a lot of sail boats everywhere. I don't know what's up with this photo. It's much richer looking in person. Go here to see a better picture. It was going to be a baby quilt, however, St. Ann's is going to give some smaller lap quilts to seniors in a convalescent facility and they need wheelchair quilts. Thus I made the back more masculine than I first planned. Here it is below.

Two of Four or Part 2 of W.I.P Wednesday

My second charity quilt top is finished.  This is all I am going to do on this one at this time.  It's going to my St. Ann's Sewdality group to be assembled by the other ladies.  That way it will be a group effort.  I'll get it back to do the red binding.  I'm liking it.

Head on over to WIP Wednesday and see what others are creating.

One of Four:

This is one of four charity quilts I'm working on to turn in next month. This one is a group effort. I had the green and multi-vege print 7" square and made these hour glass blocks from them (that's not the name, but I can't think of it - can you?). So then I kept going through my stash and found the other squares and went ahead and put it together. Two ladies at St. Ann's Sewdality - that's our church group of needleworkers - sandwiched it and tied it. Then it came back to me and I put on the binding. It's 34" square. Do you think that is big enough for someone in a wheelchair? The back is one piece of fabric - a little babyish, but I think it will work - hey this may go to a child in a wheelchair. We haven't decided yet.


One done - three to go, but it shouldn't take long as they are at various stages of construction. Oh, it feels so good to be painfree from that kidney stone! Go on over to Fabric Tuesday on my sidebar and see what others are up to.

Flimsie Done

I got up this morning and instead of computer time right away, I went into my sewing room after breakfast and completed this:

I went through a box my friend, Torre, gave to the Sewdality, and I found that panel.  Further searching in the box resulted in the two border fabrics.  That light area on top left of the inner border is not fading but the skylight showing through.  The outermost border is from my stash so half yard used - woohoo!  I need to take a photography class.  This is done outside, but the colors aren't very true.  The blue border has a little yellow and pink flower in it.  Ah, well.  The manual is online and I have trouble reading it online. No Kindle for me.   This was going to be finished as a lap quilt for a surgery rehap patient St. Ann's is going to gift, however after hearing the news of the earthquake in Japan, we most likely will send to Sendai (our sister city) in Japan that was close to epicenter of that 8.9 disaster.  Prayers for all.

My Fabric Tuesday Quilt Story

A friend of mine gave me a bag stuffed with strips of Robert Kaufmann fabric.  It is gorgeous fabric, but what can I do with it because there is a lot.  The first thing I did was make a Project Linus sail boat square with some of the strips to make a bright sail.  This year's it's a paper piecing block.  It was easy to make, but I sure didn't want to make enough to make a whole quilt - it wasn't THAT easy - LOL.

I bordered it with a beige print and set it on my design wall to get inspired.  In the mean time, I would pull out some strips ever so often and iron them.  When I saw several lined up together I decided that as a strip block they would remind me of all the mosaics I'd seen in Greece and are probably found in many mediteranean country.  I made the blocks 6 1/2" unfinished and here is the quilt so far with the blocks around it medallion block.  I've added another beige border around the strip blocks and will add some piano key border last.  With the price of fabric going up these days, I was happy to find a use for these beautiful strips.

You can read more stories at Quilt Story . Every tuesday they feature them.  Enjoy!