Applique Thursdays 10/13/11

Sorry for the delay, but I just got home from two days of round the clock meetings, events, babysitting and helping mom with legal matter. I feel as if I've been run over by a cement truck. I wanted to do it Tuesday night but never had a chance with getting ready for Wednesday.  So here is my completed owl and the linky button.  I was going to use invisible thread, but never had a chance to go to JoAnn's and buy some. My mom said - it is so colorful, go ahead and use several threads, and so I did.  I almost got into trouble as I squared up the block to 8 1/2" before I appliqued it.  Fortunately, the stitching didn't make it smaller this time.  Pheww!

I hope you all still feel like sharing.  Would love to see your present, past or future ideas for applique.

Design Wall Monday 10/25

Well, like others, I didn't get as much done as I wanted, but some progress was made.  In fact, to challenge myself (as if the Design Wall Monday wasn't enough), I put a button on my side bar to remind me that I had to show some progress by Thursdays.  So if you ever want to see what progress - if any- I've made in the week, just click on it and it will take you to the Thursday post.  Moving on to my wall - I almost got the second row of blocks finished - just need to quilt the third block and do the sashing and I can attach it to the finished first row.  Here I've placed them on my design wall - also known as cutting table - sort of how they'll look when attached by the sashing.

Have 2 more rows to go for the center and then will begin adding borders.

And here is a shot of my latest shop hop blocks - one is done and one isn't even started! LOL.

And to see other design wall, click on the Patchwork Times button on the right to see all the other design wall postings at Judy's blog.  Enjoy!!



Design Wall 10/18

Here's my Design Wall this monday.  The three block strip with sashing in between is an ufo, but not my ufo. It's my daughter's. So when I finish it does it go on my ufo done list??? - LOL.  She is cleaning out her craft room to make it into a nursery for the little guy coming and found this bag, and she asked me to finish it.  What could I say to my 7 1/2 month preggie gal but yes.  It will be interesting to see how it shapes up.  This three block section is now ready to be quilted.  Yes, I am going to make it as a QAYG.  Below it is a couple of additional blocks for the shop hop quilt plus the reconstructed block to make it look less of a tree in the water - now maybe it looks like a tree with either the wind or a lake behind it.  Comments?  Here is a close-up:

You can see other design wall's at Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times.  Look for the cute button on my side bar.

Another Hop Block

Gosh, it's September and sprinkling outside??!  Despite the crazy weather, here is my latest block from the Hop.  I picked the background thinking it would look like wind in the sky.  My mom thought it was water.

What do you think?

Design Wall Monday 8/30

Whew, tomorrow will be a non-stop day so I am posting early.  Here are 12 blocks that I received from my daughter's mother-in-law, Gail.  I posted about one of the blocks I messed up earlier.  You can see it in the photo:

They'll have sashing between them. The one that took the longest was the pineapple block in the second row. And here are my two favorites so far:

My mom has done all the embroidery for me and I love it!

  I could make two quilts  - one out of each of these blocks.  They're 8 1/2" blocks.  I would make the vase and flowers that size, but I can see the other one in a larger size.  Can't you?

When Needs Must....

I'm slowly assembling a set of Shop Hop blocks that my daughter's mother-in-law (thanks, Gail) brought me this summer.  The one I was working on was a spider web pattern and you needed to cut the segments into  60 degrees triangles.  Somehow I used the wrong ruler and came up with an octogon -LOL, and since I didn't  catch it until I was trying to assemble the block --Yikes!.  Got to remember that saying:  Measure twice, cut once.  With no extra material, I had to fix it or go missing a block.  So I assembled 4 segments and cut a straight diameter, did the same with the 4 others, and sewed the two sections together.  Then I got a piece of paper and placed the octogon on top of it and drew the shape of it.  I then cut out each piece around the shape in the background and got this.  It was only after I ironed it that I noticed one piece was wrong side out.  Well it stays that way now!  Putting the ruler over it to cut out a 8 1/2" square I saw I had to add a few more pieces to have enough background to do so.  Good thing I've made a ton of crumb blocks - that experience came in handy for this one.  So I finally cut it and came up with the block.  It ain't perfect, and isn't exactly centered (something I forgot to do when I was

drawing the paper pattern), but now I feel I just may

be able to attempt a Ruth McDowell block. I look forward to that!

PS:  you'll see this and others on my Design wall next monday.