Off & Running . . .

Well, it's week 2 and I can show you that at the end of week 1, my project bag looked like this:

I have here large envelopes with all of my projects cut out and ready to go . . . HST for 2 baby quilts, strips of red, white, and blue for a QOV log cabin quilt, Bonnie's Blues, 4 blocks for my version Rose of the Sharon Quilt, 3 blocks for Farmer's Wife Sampler, black/white and orange for the Dare to Dresden Challenge.

So I was ready to hit the ground running today, and I felt like I had a very productive day.  I had 64 squares (50 were from a charm pack) which I stitched into 128 HST, enough for 2 baby quilts.

I did not originally have the baby quilts in mind to do - but I found out Thursday that I would be going to a baby shower at the end of next week, so I thought I'd better slip it in.  By doing the HST, I was able to utilize some charm fabric I had sitting around for quite a bit, adding some extra pieces here and there from my stash - and after cut, it left me with double.  I'll stitch up the second quilt and take to guild meeting.  Our outreach program has several venues we currently donate to.  Our local hospital requests quilts for the babies in the NICU - they cover the incubators with the quilts to shield the babies from the lights.  The quilts then go home with the little ones when they are finally able to leave with their family. :)  I have all the rows stitched, wanted to layout them one more time to make sure everything is turned the way I intended - LOL.  Will stitch the rows together tomorrow and hopefully get them basted.

Like a kid in a candy store . . .

That's the kind of week I've had! :)  I've been cutting away - BUT - I've also been taking a class.  Color Play for Quilters with Joen Wolfrom - on the Craftsy website.

I also purchased her book Color Play. I love the convenience of taking a class online - being able to stop it, replay, still having the ability to ask the instructor questions.  I have taken three classes with them so far, and have been very pleased with all of them.  I have to say I have enjoyed this one the most.  I have previously dyed my own fabric for a couple of years.  I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed getting right to the sewing more, and eventually started purchasing dyed fabric - but Joen's process on explaining and understanding color theory and the exercises done in the class are the most clear - at least they have been for me, and things clicked for me in this class that I didn't get before.  No, I don't think I'm jumping in to dyeing again any time soon - but it has made me excited about color, and I will not make a quilt again without employing this newly acquired understanding.  I still have to practice and become more comfortable with making my color selections.  I had been contemplating over the last month whether or not I would/should make journal quilts of some type during this new year.  Not for a group, or just to do it.  I've always felt that it would have to be for learning, practicing, and development of something - but what I couldn't decide.  Now I see it will be to help me to enhance my skills with my fabric selection - primarily working on value, and dimension/depth.   "Experimenting with Value and Dimension" -  So add that to my list!

What are looking forward to working on in the New Year?  Whats inspiring you to get creating?

Cutting Week

Well, it's my cutting week, and I've been getting a good start on getting things going for January.  In addition to the red and white log cabin, and four Rose of Sharon blocks,  I've cut out Bonnie's Blues.  Its a 2 block quilt I'm making for my BFF (Bonnie)'s birthday coming up in March.  I arranged the blocks in two layouts.  After seeing it, I wanted a little more negative space than what I had come up with in the first layout, so I made the blocks smaller, and widened the sashing.

Well that's cut - the only definite plans I had for January were the log cabin, and Bonnie's Blues.  But this is "cut week" so on with the show.  Between work, family, and life in general - if I miraculously somehow manage to have more sewing time before the end of the month comes, I need to have something to work on, and there's no need to waste this time that I have my "cut area" set up.   I've also had on my side burner the Farmer's Wife Sampler - which I also happened to get with my EQ7, so I printed out the first 3 blocks - just figure that will be some filler.

 Here we have the Wrench, The Garden Patch, and the Practical Orchard.  Not set on the coloring yet - gotta dig through my fabrics and get settled on something - need to cut these out this week! :)

To BOM or To Not BOM??

I loved the BOM done last year for The Quilt Show.  The Sedona Star by Sarah Vedeler.  I downloaded the pattern, and would also love to dive in to this one.  This is the color it was done in - but I think I would like black and white . . .

then there's the BOM they're doing for 2013 . . .  Two of Us by Sue Nickels and Pat Holly.

I love these colors!!

Welcome 2013!

A very happy and blessed New Year to you! :)

As a school bus driver I have had the last week off - splendid holiday, and some much needed down time.  When I wasn't here and there visiting with family - my FAVORITE activity has been playing with my Christmas present!  Hubby got me the EQ7 - and I just LOVE it!

In an attempt to better manage my time and limited space, I will be trying something new.  Since I am cutting and sewing all on the same small table area - it takes a great deal of put/picking up and getting out/setting up to plan, cut, or sew.  It's very frustrating and time consuming going between tasks.  So I thought if I could plan out what projects I'm interested in working on, say this month, then cut, cut, cut for the first week of the month, as many projects as I can - then I could put up my cutting mat, clear the area, and set up for sewing for the remaining 3 weeks.  I don't actually know if I can cut enough for 3 weeks - but then I guess there's always playing on my EQ7 if I run out of things to do until my next "cutting" session!

So, with this being week 1, I'm going to see what I can get cut and prepped for sewing this month.  First up is a red and white log cabin.  I saw this quilt a year ago on one of my favorite blogs Alycia Quilts.

I've been dying to make one ever since.  One of my first projects I toyed with on my EQ7 was this log cabin.  After getting the hang of the software I played with another version of the layout also.

So this is what I've cut out this morning, and I've got the foundation blocks cut for an applique project.  I saw the Rose of Sharon Block Challenge in an old issue of Quilter's Newsletter, and I remembered those blocks - and ALL additional blocks from the various quilters who participated in this challenge - were available for free download from the ElectricQuilt website.  

So my background blocks are ready, and I think I may applique 1 or 2 blocks each month making this a long-term project.  I don't know how many blocks were downloaded with the file - its all the blocks everyone involved in the challenge created - not just the blocks from the book.  I got dizzy after I got through looking at about half!  Really! Several hundred - just beautiful!  Just trying to just pick out a few to make a quilt!

Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut!

One thing I LOVE about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - Twilight Zone!  I've got my little TV, and all those wonderful black and white episodes to keep me company! :)

Been Busy . . .

Been busy cutting, and cutting, and cutting, and well . . . cutting.  I found this Super Mario Quilt Along

over on Cut to Pieces - and being the Mario junkie that I am, I couldn't resist!  Actually, this quilt will be for a Christmas present for my grandson - he's just as big a Mario Brothers freak as I am - I LOVE it! 

So basically, all the characters are made on a grid and pixelated like the video game.  The initial instructions called for Pellon's Stick n Wash - which is super easy to use since your fabric sticks on it, and then after you sew you can just wash it off - but for 12 yards - it also super expensive.  Instead I opted for a cheaper Pellon product - I think it was P44 - at 0.99/yd, and used my 40% off coupon at Joann's.  Of course, there was always the option of just piecing everything without the foundation - but I'm not even thinking of trying to sew all those individual blocks, and fighting with all those points/corners!  I'm quite comforted to think I can iron, fold, and sew, and everything will be exactly where it needs to be!

I marked my grid on for 1 1/2" blocks.  My quilt blocks are 16 grid blocks x 16 grid blocks - making each block 24" and finishing at 16" after sewing.  All pieces/blocks for the characters are 1 1/2" squares.  So as I mentioned - I was cutting . . .  I mean the kind of cutting that requires new rotary blades, and a full list of programming on your DVR . . .

 Nope - not even close to everything I need to cut!  But dag gon' it!  I'm gettin' bored with cutting!  I needed to make a block!  So today I was able to sit down and get my first block done :)  I opted to use a washable glue stick (not purple!) just to gently swipe the fabric squares.  There was hardly any glue on them at all - I just needed a touch to keep the blocks from slipping out of place or twisting before I had a chance to iron them down.

My fusible was only 19.5" wide so I had to add 3 more rows for the top . . .

Once Mario was all together my first seam was to join the two pieces, then I folded and sewed the remaining seams horizontally.  I clipped the seams along the fold lines and pressed the seams open.  This was a little tedious but I thought if I pressed them to once side, and then folded the fabric again to sew the vertical seams there would just be way too much fabric and each intersection.

Started out super big!  After stitching the horizontal seams he looked squashed.  Then sewing the vertical seams made him just right!

There's lots of great blocks that all the participants are making.  This is just my first, and I need to get cracking so I can get finished in time!  You can check out the other blocks on the flickr group! :)

A Fun Night Out

Las night fun was had by all at the Berry Basket Quilters.  Some of the highlights were the donations for our community outreach.  Quilters are such generous people.  There's always beautiful quilts every month whether for QOV, our local hospital pediatric ward, and or community efforts for families in need.





Then there were those who finished this month's BOM - the Boston Star - did not get the entire line of people - a lot of blocks!


And the lovely young lady in the top row with the birthday hat on is Betty - we all wore hats for the evening (and ate delicious cake) to help her celebrate her 90th birthday!!  This lady is absolutely AMAZING!  You just can't keep up with her - you CAN'T!  I told her I wish I was as young as she is.  And then our over achievers :)  These two are ahead on their star blocks for our 2012, and have assembled these gorgeous tops!



Last night was also the end of our guild's "Name Your Space" challenge.  It was great to see all the different ideas everyone had.  The "Fabricologist" piece won :)


My camera batteries were dead by the time we got to show and tell, and the birthday party. . . but I was having too much fun to worry about pictures anyway! :)

Long Time No Sew!!

I have not touched my sewing machine since my last post!!  Ugh!  The entire summer has gone by without anything to show for it.  Life Happens!  I had to take on a second job at the end of March which cut my available time down considerably, and recently due to the foundation of our house sinking, and other timely incidentals, we have now relocated to my mother's home, with the majority of our belongings stowed away in storage.  Regardless of the fact that there is ABSOLUTELY no room for fabric, tools, and sewing machine, I ignored my husband's protesting and brought them.  Well, as much of them as I could without looking insane.  A great deal of fabric is storage - this pains me - but I managed to smuggle two totes worth of scraps and fat quarters covering the spectrum of all colors one could possibly think they might need to have a smidgen of on hand! :)  So, I've been driving around with the said smuggled items in the back of my car for 4 weeks now - did I mention I was trying to not look insane?  With the only space available to work in/on being the kitchen table - I can see this going to be difficult, but I intend to perservere.  So I took my fabrics & tools out yesterday -- knowing I had an hour on hand that no one would be around, and I wouldn't be in their way or visa-versa -- and I cut out fabric needed for my September BOM for guild (meeting tonight).



Then today, same time, I was able to sew my block together!


At least I have a little relief.  Sewing for me is like therapy and I've been missing it sooooo much!  And having the night off so I can attend a guild meeting??  That like a 2 for 1 kind'a day! :)