WIP Wednesday

My new piecing tool came in the mail and I had to stop and try it.  It's the Log Cabin Trim Tool by Jean Ann Wright and Creative Grids.  It make making a log cabin block in about 1/4 the time it use to take me.  I love it, especially as I can use strips from my scraps and not have to cut all those strips.  Here's my first block:

This was made just grabbing some strips and sewing them on.  I'm sure I'll be using this to whiddle down my strip pile in just making scrap log cabins.  Here's a video you can watch about it.  I've now got my project NewFO - LOL.

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. 

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.

Fabric Tuesday/Wip Wednesday

Yesterday was a fun day.  I got to spend 4 1/2 hours with my friend, Bette, doing a workshop at her house! We were working on a Karen Eckmeier's Accidental Landscapes project.  Bette is ahead of me by two projects and is working on her third, so she was able to guide me as to what I was doing.  She's a great teacher. Here's what my book looks like.  

So I started on the practice piece Karen recommends one do before starting on a project.  Here's what fabrics I picked to start with:

 This took a loooooooooooong time to decide what to include. Phew - it took us all the way to lunch time.  Then one has to decide what silhouette your going to use for each piece.  Since this was my first attempt - that took a long time, too, So I decided to generally follow what Karen had done in her practice piece.  I found that amazingly the landscape shapes will be pretty much determined by that first cut. 

Who would have known?

So after much dithering and checking values with a red disk, here's what we came up with:

Mind you this is just laid down right now on a design board.  And I'm thinking the lake has to be smaller so that the mountains don't seem to be floating. Aye de mi!  Off to dither some more.

Since I was tied up most of the day yesterday, I'm posting this as a fabric Tuesday, Linky Tuesday, and a new WIP post today. Go on over to my sidebar and visit those blogs to see what others are up to.

WIP Wednesday 4/18/12

I'm putting together a carpenter's star to have ready when Judy at Patchwork Times (see sidebar) has her feather quilting demo.  Another opportunity to learn more/practice free motion quilting.  I've minimized it as I didn't want a huge project - this will be about 32" square - her's more like 48 x60.

I'm linking this to Esther's WIP Wednesday.  you can see the button on my sidebar.  What are you working on today?

Working on this Wednesday 4/4/12

Have you seen Esther Aliu's quilts?  They're fabulous and I've signed up to do her latest mystery. And I have to get the first block done by the 15th, so I'd better hurry along.  Here's how far I've gotten:

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday. Go to the sidebar to go there and see what others are working on or go to Esther's Forget Me Not mystery page to check it out.

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!

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.

WIP Wednesday barely

Here is the bare bones beginning of a couple of caring blocks I will make today as my work in progress.  At least the fabric is cut.  Now to find a white to go with it:

And last night at the lqg, I had a lovely surprise.  My friend, Deanna, gave me a darling Valentine heart.  I love it, Deanna.  Thank you!

I'm linking to Esther's WIP Wednesday.  You'll find the button on my sidebar.  Enjoy!

WIP Wednesday 2/15/12

I'm helping my mom finish a T- Shirt quilt for my DDIL.  And I realized that it is perfect to practice my FMQ.  So, here is where I'll practice those lessons that my two yearly projects require of me.  It measures 71 by 84 and is 20 large squares made from T-Shirts she's worn at her employers.  This is the largest quilt I have tried to make with my DSM and not be a QAYG. I'm working on the central blocks right now so that then I can do the outside edge blocks.  3 done - 17 to go!

I'm linking over at Esther's WIPs on Wednesdays (on my sidebar).  Go on over for a look-see!

WIP Wednesday 2/8/12

I almost forgot!  My guild is having a ongoing BOM this year also.  That makes four for me this year!  What was I thinking?  I have to do this one.  The theme of the BOM is things Riverside, our hometown.  As you can see our first block is an orange. Mine is a little different than the instructions cuz I'm phobic about matching seams - LOL, but it's a great pattern.   Some of you other Southern Californian or Floridian quilters might like to make this one.  You can find the directions on our blog  under the tab BOM, etc.  Go ahead and sign up as a follower to get the rest of them throughout the year.  They will come out around the end of the month after our meeting which is the third tuesday of the month.  Enjoy!

I'm linking to Esther's WIP Wednesday (see the button on my sidebar).  Lots of good things are posted each week.

WIP Wednesday - Craftsy block

Don't ask - this is what happens when you pick fabrics in the semi dark - LOL.  It's a little whackier choices than usual for me.  Not sure I would have picked such a bright green in the light of day. But it was half way done before I knew it, so it stays.I may call this my Wild Boxed Garden. Craftsy block three done - 17 to go.

I may have taken on more than I can do this year. Don't know what I was thinking!  I may wind up joining NewFO challenge before I know it as I'm 2 blocks behind already in the Just Takes 2 BOM and the new blocks are due today or soon.  I'm thinking I may make these craftsy blocks as a QAIG in order to have something to work on as I do the free motion project/challenge I've taken on also.  I've even found a back that might work for it.  We'll see.

Go on over to Esther's WIP Wednesday and see what others are doing.  You'll find a button for it on my sidebar.

WIP Wednesday 1/25/12

Slowly getting back to quilting.  My cough is still around but the sneezing is gone.  Just found out my DGS, Frank, has pneumonia.  Has gone from viral pneumonia to bacterial - I'm going over to watch him tomorrow so Mom can work and he can rest one more day.  She's off Thursday, so he doesn't have to go to school until Friday.  Hopefully with the antibiotics he'll be better.  He just sounds awful.

Now to the quilting - I finished block 9 of the Just Takes 2 BOM  second part for January.  I"m having trouble with the dimensions given.  Brenda gives generous sizes with which to paper piece, but I'm doing conventional piecing trying to conserve my background fabric. Here is #9:

What WIP are you working on?  I'm linking to WIP Wednesday at Esther Aliu's blog.  You can see the button on my sidebar.

WIP Wednesday 1/18/12

Arrghhhh!  I made it so many times - sometimes seams 3 times - I just can't foundation piece/paper piece, so that's why I went to regular piecing with this Just Take 2 #8 block. 

I'll have to take a class or something.  I don't seem to have problems when the pieces are odd, but this trying to construct a traditional block just stops me cold.  Ah me - any one have a tutorial for this kind of block?

Go see the great works in progress at Esther's blog (button on sidebar) or at freshly pieced.  I know I'll feel better after I do that.

WIP - Craftsy BOM

I guess this is the year to make samplers for me. I've committed to two so far!  Also an embroidered block BOM, and two FMQ challenges.  Looks like I'll have plenty of blocks to quilt as I go.  One of my Yahoo Online groups is making the Craftsy BOM blocks as an activity for all of us.  I think we are doing 2 blocks each month and they will be blocks that we learn new tricks from.  Here are my two for this month:

I have a lot of flower material and chose to make this one with that from my stash.  Another way to destash.

What are your plans for 2012?  Go to my sidebar and click on Esther's WIPs on Wednesday to see what others are doing in 2012.

More Blocks 1/10/11

Two more of the pieced Just Takes 2 blocks done.  I'm showing them here with the one I did Sunday.  I could make a whole quilt out of the yellow block - it's so pretty!  One more and I'll be done before the 15th when we get the next installment.

Don't know why the color came out so dark in the square in a square.  Here's what it really looks like:

Linking to Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story and WOW Wednesday at Esther Aliu's blog - buttons both on my sidebar.  What are you working on?

WIP Wednesday 12/28/11

My latest WIP.  This will be a table runner flimsie.  You can see it has my preferred touch of applique in it.

Another scrappy pattern.

3RD UFO done!

I'm so thrilled that I actually got another ufo done.  This is my completed coverlet.  It is made all from scraps(the pieces around the main block and the applique), orphan blocks (the dresden plate block), swap blocks( the two rows of nine patches and four churn dash) and yard sale fabric (the back is an old curtain I picked up at a garage sale).  It's going on my bed in the summers for a light covering.

A coverlet has no batting, so I opted to construct this by the stitch and flip method.  I centered the main block in the middle of the curtain and built the quilt from there. So it was quilted as it was assembled - a different kind of QAYG.  I should have appliqued the strips before I sewed them in place.  You can hear paper crinkle inside the flowers as I couldn't cut it out because the back was the finished product.  Oh well - not that much applique that it is a bother.  I brought the back forward for the binding - my first medallion quilt.

WOW -Fabric Tuesday 12/13/11

The Two Color Challenge is done!

I was beginning to think I'd never get it done.  So glad I was wrong.  Am very happy with it.  Thank you Deanna for working on this with me.  I found this block which I fell in love with in a Fons & Porter quilt project (well, it was in their mag) and came up with the setting.  She made the machine embroidered bouquets, provided just the right red material when I was cutting all the pieces, pieced the squares so I could sandwich and quilt them, and helped with the hand work.

 If you click on the photo you can see an up close view of them and the quilting motifs.   Measures 51" square and was made using a QAYG method.  Here is the back:

We won 2nd place in our Guild's Two Color Challenge.  We still have to go the quilt store for our winnings, Deanna - LOL. 

This quilt is why I've been thinking of other colors for Esther's Red December present.  You should hop over to her WIPs on Wednesday (WOW) and see what others are doing with her wonderful patterns!  And don't forget to go to Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesdays to see what other eye candy is linked there.  Both are in my right sidebar. Enjoy!



Fabric Tuesday 12/6/11

You're probably tired of seeing this one, but I have to post something, and my other WIPs are too big for me to photograph without DH, and he hasn't been around at good time to shoot outside. So this is still on my design wall; it's my fabric story for this week and one of my WIPs in progress. Maybe tomorrow I can get him to hold that big one I want to finish soon!  I've gotten a little bit further on my Jubilee Album block.  Just a few more pieces to baste and I can machine applique it.

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times, Fabric Tuesdays by Quilt Story, and Esther's WIPs on Wednesday to have your own show and share for now.  All those button are on my sidebar.  Enjoy!