Doodlling Fairies

While I like to draw, since I'm a quilter, I mostly design in my head, from a photo, with EQ software and sometimes paper and pencil, I haven't yet caught on to the habit of doodling  or coloring, except when I have a new quilt motif I want to set in my brain.  However, I do know that youngsters (and adults, too) love doing this these days, so I took Doodletopia Fairies (Draw, Design, and color Your Own Super-Magical and Beautiful Fairies by Christopher Hart to my volunteer position at our Parish school library.

As you can see the girls (3rd - 5th grades) who came in at lunch were enthusiastic about it:

I love the difference in each of these. The eyes and lips are so expressive as well as the ears.  This would be a fun interactive book to give as a gift for those who like to doodle (ages 8 and up).  This well known author includes illustration tips with drawing, designing, coloring, and crafting activities. 

Received this book (published by Watson-Guptill Publications)  from Blogging for Books for this review. A great book to have on hand when the granddaughter comes over.  

Third WIPs Be Gone Post

Hey, I finally found my sampan!  It was tiny - only 3/4" square.  I use the Crafty Applique method to treat it and make it fray proof.  Then I cut it with very sharp scissors.  People and DH had suggested that I paint it on, but I was too afraid that if I messed up,  there went the quilt top.  Once cut I ironed it in place and then hand stitched it using a straight stitch.

When I gave it to my friend on Tuesday, she was amazed.  She'd forgotten all about it (was about 10 years ago she gave the center to me), but the minute she saw it, she remembered the class she took to make it.
  We're calling it: On the Yangtze River.

Measures @ 12 x 16

I quilted it with Superior Invisible thread, a 70/10 sharp needle using a straight stitch. I stitched right next to the folds - it made it look a bit like trapunto.  I also used a navy blue art pencil to color over some of the whip stitches that showed.  A second WIP gone in 2017.

I'm working on my third Anna's Garden block - my WIP for the month.  Here's how far I've gotten:

What are you up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come by.  Blessings,

Some of this, Some of that

First my destashing report:  Used a few scraps for some string blocks - about .10 yd.  Used a few pieces to make more hexagons - another .05 yd.  Made a few more units for En Provence and a few pieces for the Anna's Garden block - .05 yd.  Pulled and sorted out of the stash 6 yards to give to the Pay and Take Corner at the guild meeting tomorrow.  My YTD use/donation now stands at 6.8 yds destashed! 

Design wall #1 hasn't changed. Design wall #2 now has my first 2017 RSC block which is also my first Winter Solstice block.

I'm also participating in Shelley's "The 350 Blocks Project" in which you make blocks all year to see how many you construct.  If you get to 350 blocks, you're eligible for prizes at the end of the year.  Last year participants made over 35,000 blocks!  What's fun is you decide what blocks you're making; they don't go anywhere. It's all fun.  And the two 2017 projects above will help me keep making blocks.  Here's her badge, and Angela's, too.

Link in paragraph above.

What are you up to?  I'm working on my sampan, my Anna's Garden block, and thinking what top to make next as a baby quilt.  Leave me a comment and I'll come check your blog.  Blessings!

Third Time

the charm - or mark the seam and save yourself stress!
I've hand stitched this hexie to my ring three times because I didn't mark it.

See the hexagon at the end (at lower right)?  First I sewed it to the blue pink line. Wrong, Then I sewed it to the all blue line except it was with an all green line. Wrong again.  Note to self - mark which lines go together to save the seam ripper -lol.  I'm now working on another six piece hexie.  But the St. Anne Workshop is over, so I'll have time for other stuff now. Yeah, I've survived my very busy second week of the month. Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and some other linky parties - see my tab above.

Oh, and I finished prepping that block:

Blessings!

2ND WIPs Be Gone

One more leaf and another block of Anna's Garden is done!

  The color is a bit off because I had to take this photo at night.  These are going so much faster than before.  I've already copied the next pattern, numbered the pieces and cut them out.  On a roll.

En Provence

The first project I worked on during last weekend's Quiltathon was En Provence.  I finished a few units I needed to fill in spaces and it was ready to lay out and label for assembly.

I'll make the border units another day.  Yes, mine is going to be a one block table topper measuring about 33" when I add the border.  I really like it and am so glad I played along on Bonnie's Mystery.  Go here to see more versions at Bonnie's post today.  Thanks so much, Bonnie.

Some of This, Some of That

First off, stash report.  I actually bought something which is stash enhancing (lol -meaning I have no plans for it, however it does have purpose).  The 1 yard large print is to start a special collection for my first Susan Carlson inspired wall hanging.  I so admire her work.  She's planning on having an online class and I so look forward to it. I think it is the only way I'll ever get to take one of her classes.  The second piece (2.66 yards) is to start replenishing my neutrals.  I've seemed to have used up most of them in the past year.  This situation gave me the go ahead to buy something for a change - bliss!

I've pulled 4.26 yards from my stash for the back of a commission quilt.  Yeah!  It will be a long time quilting project, but that's okay.  I'll use it to practice FMQ for at least 15 minutes a day.  It is a t-shirt quilt.  So, my first stash report is 0.6 destashed.  

Today was the fourth and last day of the Quiltathon (see sidebar) and I got zero sewing done because it was Three Kings Day here at our household.  We had 11 family members gather for this holiday event which closes the Christmas season for us.  Presents were exchange and we played the steal game.  Fun was had by all. And yes, that's a hexi flower you see in the photo.  My daughter had me over for a day last week and asked me how to make hexies.  She took to it effortlessly. And that's her first flower - fussy cut even. Did I mention that she can make clothes without patterns?  Just like her Grandmother.  So while we were having dessert she was prepping hexagons. She's making a swap piece due soon.  I know she'll get it done.

Yesterday was spent getting ready for today.  It was busier than I thought, but I did make a small start on my next applique block.  Here it is as the final photo from my first Quiltathon weekend.  

While this is not actually hand stitching - it is prepping to start hand stitching in 2017.  I hope you had a good day. Blessings,

A recipe

When I already have frozen bananas for Banana Nut bread, not interested in making banana walnut pancakes, or the banana is just too soft/old for eating out of hand, I bake it like my Puerto Rican Abuela taught me.

1.  I line a tray with foil and place my banana on it.

2. I bake it in my toaster oven set at bake, 350 degrees and place on "stay on" setting. 

3. Bake for about 5-8 minutes until it is brown all over.

 4.  Place on a plate and slit the top side of the banana.

5.  Spoon out the warm, custard like banana and enjoy.  Tastes like Banana Creme Brulee.  And for decadence, put dark chocolate syrup on it.  Yum.

Quiltathon still on - go to sidebar for day 3.

2017's First WIPs Be Gone

See this bag:

 It was stuffed with fabric scraps from St. Anne's.  I brought it home and challenged myself to make quilt tops from it for our workshop.  I made three:

 The green monochromatic that I sewed on my treadle machine.

 The word quilt using letter squares from the June Parish Festival (colored by children).

And the really way out one with blocks that had been donated to us (the ones with the buildings).  It includes a Chinese garden, high rise apartments, urban forest, a Chinese restaurant inspired by the gardens, suburbs and aviation sightings in the sky. I started this last one Dec 27th, but just finished it  earlier in the week.  Below is what is left in the bag - not enough to make another top. But then maybe I can make a center and then add borders from some other bag - hmmm.

Three WIPs ready to be sandwiched, tied and donated.  What have you been up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come by to see.  

January's Quiltathon

Day 4 of Quiltathon

Yesterday was spent getting ready for today.  It was busier than I thought, but I did make a small start on my next applique block.  Here it is as the final photo from my first Quiltathon weekend.  

Day 3 of Quiltathon
Started 8th block of Anna's Garden - 6 done years ago.  There are quite a few steps to getting to prepped stage.  The first is making a copy of the pattern.

Then I cut out all the pieces very carefully from the copy leaving a placement page (Zena Thorpe technique).

Then I prepare the freezer paper for making my templates (Pearl Pereira technique)
Take out your TEFLON ironing sheet.  Place paper shiny side down on the TEFLON sheet and iron with a hot iron for about 15 seconds - the paper will shrink a bit.

 Do this to a second piece.  Now place the second paper on top of the first with shiny side of second to the dull side of first.  Iron to fuse together. This should not take more than 15 seconds as you don't want to use up all the stickiness of the piece on bottom, but you want the two pieces to bond.

Let cool and peel off TEFLON sheet. Ready to use for templates.

I then start to pick fabric for the various pieces.  I let the original quilt be a guide to what I choose. After all, it was the photo of the original quilt that enchanted me to want to make mine.

Hopefully, more later - have to go dust and vacuum for tomorrow.
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Day 2 of Quiltathon

6:53 PM
Finished prepping a block of Anna's Garden (my #3 project in January's UFO challenge).  Tomorrow I'll start on another.

Dinner was easy as I took Judy's advice and cooked ahead.  Made meat loaf and pork stew (aka Goulash) in the days before the quiltathon.  Tonight I'll work on hexagons again.  See you in the AM of Day 3. 

9:27 AM  DH threw a diversion last night so no buds were prepped for the applique block.  He wanted to watch Dark Matter on Netflix, so of course I had to watch with him.  So I hand stitched a hexagon instead.  Doesn't sound like much does it?  It had six pieces and 8 seams so it took a while.

I also finished a green and print one - just not sewn on yet.  Can't do too much sewing right now, have to go to the grocery store for the Sunday event.  When I get back hope it will be warmer in the sewing room. Then I can get to that applique. 

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I signed up for Judy's UFO Challenge for this year.  Today is our first monthly Quiltathon where we sew like mad for a few days to give us a boost in whichever UFO we have to work on.  This is my post for the next few days of my progress - latest report on top.  You can read about this event here.

Day 1
5:09 PM

 Ah, after two batches of cookies and the delivery of a gift to a neighbor, I'm back in the sewing room - clean cutting table!  Got the flowers on my block (it's not so pink - see first photo at 1:13 PM.  After dinner I hope to do the buds, and it will be all prepped. Since I have 18 to go I think I'll prep as many as I can this month and save them for hand appliqueing while watching TV.

1:13 PM

I walked into the sewing room after lunch and realized what my next task was and that was to clear the cutting table after all my En Provence dithering and sewing.  The applique on the right is what I'll be working on next once I've straightened.

11:19 AM

Missing units made.  As soon as I'm off the computer, I'll pack it up.  I'll make the border units another day.  Now going to have lunch and work on the kitchen.  Need to make my grocery list for the luncheon Sunday.

8:18 AM

This is my En Provence units I laid out this morning.  I need to finish some units so I can take it off  my design floor.  I'm hosting this year's Three Kings Day family celebration, so the parts need to go in a box andout of the way.  I chose to make only a fourth of the blocks at each step.  Here they are laid out.  I'll make the missing units and stack them in a container for another day.  Mine is going to be a table topper about 33" square.

DSM

Still looking for that sampan to put on this landscape - all that's on my design wall for now - too hard to put up the applique block I am working on right now - too many bits to keep track of.  And I haven't started on part 6 of En Provence - it's been a busy two days.

What's on your design wall?

Some of This, Some of That

De-stashed about a 1/4 yard with leaders and enders and hexagons.  Then another 1/2 yard used for the baby quilt in process. So my last stash report for 2016 is 56.38 yards used - more than half of my 100 yard goal for the year.  Let's see what I do in 2017.  I want to do better.

It's Jan 1st and Judy has pulled the first number in our UFO challenge.  It's #3.  
  Make more blocks of Anna's Garden by Lori Smith

Here are the six I have done.  I'm using the freezer paper and starch method and hand appliqueing them. In total, Anna's Garden has 25 appliqued blocks and 4 pieced ones.  With how busy my months are, I'll be happy to  add one to these. We'll see.  I'll post my progress below at the end of the month.  You can see the first list here.  The other five will be added soon for a total of 17 (for the 17 for 2017 - see sidebar).

For this Slow Sunday Stitching, I'm continuing with my curved hexagons.  Have the last 5 for this round prepped.  Just need to sit down and start stitching.  Hope you have some time to stitch today. Happy New Year.

Last 2016 WIPs Be Gone

Here is my last WIP Be Gone for 2016:

And it isn't even mine -  a dear friends UFO that I took over when she was clearing out fabric bins to make room at her summer home years ago.  I just couldn't let it get tossed.  I've added the white fabric matting and the outside border.  I'd like to find a teeny sampan to place on the river, then sandwich and do some quilting.  Setting a goal of Jan 15th - we get together on the 17th.  Wish me time.

Over 50% done with the next round of part 1 of Bliss.  Five more to go.  It's the slow process of EPP.

Signed up to take part in Judy's http://patchworktimes.com Quiltathon and her UFO challenge.  She plans one weekend a month to sew all out.  And her UFO challenge has us pick 12 UFOs to work on - one a month.  And if that wasn't enough, I signed on with Persimmons and Chintz for her 17 in 2017 which gets us trying to make significant progress on 17 UFOs (12 will be the ones I picked for Judy's challenge.  Insert WIPs in place of all those UFOs and that's what I'll be reporting on in the coming new year on my weekend WIPs Be Gone post. I'll hope your join me for the linky party then (no party this week, still sort of on vacation) to share what's moving forward in your sewing studios.  Who knows we even may have a giveaway or two.

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?