Happy Independence Day!

Yeah!  I finally finished the piecing on my log cabin top :)











Now I'll be playing around with the back.  If you happen to have the day off (I don't) enjoy it!  A happy and safe holiday to all!

Slow Going

Putting the final rows together of my red and white log cabin has been going slower than I anticipated.  But it's summer and I am enjoying it! :)  You may have seen when I started these log cabin blocks way back in January, and again here.  And due to our being in transition between houses - space was just not available and it became very difficult to sew.  Fortunately we've moved into our new home, I've got my machines up and running, and you could see I was making progress again.

I finally got the rows pieced together - and numbered them with my Frixion Pilot pens so I don't get them out of order.  I love them!  A touch with the iron, and poof! the lines vanish.  [I have to be careful - I actually marked on something one time and left it lying on a spot of my work table that was touched by direct sunlight - I came back and the lines had disappeared on that section of my fabric!] 

Not a lot of time today, I have to get to work in a few, so I HOPE to finish up my sashing tomorrow.

In the meantime, I had a some time (and quiet) early this morning, so I sat on the porch with my iced coffee before the heat set in, and got on my laptop.  I have really been enjoying EQ7's Summery Drawing Series.  This morning was block 3.  It's been really useful in helping me get acquainted with all the bells and whistles of this wonderful software.  I worked with the "PatchDraw Block" this morning.

The possibilities are endless!

Also sharing a couple purchases :) 

  

These lovely hand dyed fabrics from Ruby Mountain Dye Works 













and these yummy fat quarters from Me and My Sister Designs - part of Ticklish Collection

Last but not least, I will be participating in Sew We Quilt's  Ho, Ho, Ho Blog Hop - part of a Christmas in July celebration.  So I've started pulling out fabrics to begin getting the idea bank churning to see what I can come up with.

I enjoy participating in the hops.  It gives me a chance to try some new things out, and it also pushes me to do a little more.  The hop will be July 31st thru August 9th.  My blog will be on the hop August 8th.  Hope you can stop by! 

Making Progress . . .

So I've finished the red sashing, and I have my parts lined up and ready to go!

Because I tend to get a little wonky putting things together, I laid all my blocks and sashing out to make sure everything was turned the right way.  Then I take a picture of it, so I can refer to it when I'm putting everything together.  If I take it off the floor and just stitch it right from there - no problem.  But it never fails, something always comes up and I've gotta stop, and I've either put things away - or it gets moved - and I come back scratchin' my head trying to figure out where I left off at. LOL!

And here you can see, I've started piecing my rows together. 

Pretty busy, with Father's Day weekend and all, so I've only got my 5 rows together.  Hopefully I can piece the sashing together Tuesday and get the top finished by next weekend.  Then on to the quilting next week (in between painting the house - hmmmm).

Finally Moved!

We've finally moved!  And now we are in the process of finding a place for EVERYTHING that we've accumulated!  Good grief!  How much stuff we acquire over time!  I have gotten rid of a lot of just ridiculous, unnecessary stuff - now we're down to the nitty gritty.  Some things will remain boxed up until we can get the paint and shelves up - etc.  You know, make it ours.  BUT I have unearthed enough of my precious sewing tools that for today, I decided it was time for a sewing break.  Well, a day.  A sewing day!

This is a breakfast nook.  Well, these jokers are gonna have to "breakfast" elsewhere - cause I have claimed this spot!  I have had my life in a box for 10 months!  Feels good to "feel" my toys again :)  Been pulling my threads and fabrics, and notions out all weekend.  I have to get my pegboards and shelves up - to hold this collection - but for now, I've found enough that I can actually remember where I left off at.

The last thing I worked on was the Dare 2 Dresden challenge.  I found my red and white log cabins, patiently waiting for their sashing to be done, so I dove right in!

I worked on the white sashing strips first, attaching the blue squares to make my star points.  Done one side, and on to the next!

Clip the corners, open and press . . .

Then on to the reds  :)

My daughter moved to Texas a couple of weeks ago, and decided she didn't want to take her Kenmore (and cabinet & accessories) with her.  So she gave them to me (grinning from ear-2-ear).  I wasn't able to try it out, so I thought today was the perfect time.

This baby is a real workhorse and sews BEAUTIFULLY!  It came with the cabinet (in excellent condition), and the original manual and accessories - I think she got it at an estate sale for $15.  When it came to the house, my husband says, "why would you take another sewing machine?!  good grief - how many do you need?"  Need?  Who said anything about Need???  Define "Need".

I mean really.  Sean Bean would know!

I don't know how much sewing I'll get done this week - but I definitely enjoyed myself today!  I'll be good and unpack some more.  Hopefully get to paint in another week.  Now. . .  we just have to agree on a color! LOL!

Nope . . .

I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth! Soooo miserable as there has been NO SEWING for what seems like ages! We're half packed, half in storage, and half in bags and boxes at my mothers - in the process of final stages of purchasing a home. #1, yes I know that equals 1 & 1/2, and #2, that's exactly what I feel like at the moment - completely overwhelmed! If I wanted to relax, or think, or have fun - I would normally sew. Well . . . can't do that right now. Boooo! The only thing to bring me comfort is my new favorite addiction - The Great British Sewing Bee!  Love, love, love this show!  I sew both quilts and clothes, and I have enjoyed this little distraction.  I've had to follow it via youtube since it's not on our American channels yet - so be thanks to Jack Walsh and Ladie Scuddleshore for posting the videos and keep us up-to-date! :)  If you haven't seen them - episodes 1 & 2 are available.  This is episode 3.

 Hope to be moved and settled within the next 3-4 weeks. Then we can get back to our regular programming. Lord give me strength!

I haven't been online in quite a while. . . but today when I went to play catch up with the blogs I follow, I saw that google reader will be done soon - so I'm trying to move everything over to bloglovin.  ??? I guess we'll see if it works.  I don't see any real way of setting it up.  In my google reader I was able to have divisions between the types of blogs I followed - some were quilting, sewing & fashion, organization, etc.  Hopefully it will be customizable in some way.Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Dare to Dresden! {D2D}

I'm on the blog hop today, for the Dare to Dresden Challenge on Sew We Quilt hosted by Christine of Quilt Monster in my Closet.  I have not made a dresden plate before, so this was my first attempt at it.  After playing around a bit I printed out a template for a 9" block from EQ during my "cut week", and I pulled out some white/black, black, and orange from my stash.

I took the blade pattern and just cut them straight rather than pointed at the top.  Folded the blades in half and, using my 1/4" foot, stitched them straight across the tops.  After that I clipped the corners/points and turned right side out, making sure to get the blade points out, nice and neat.  Press!

When I'm sewing curves or angles I like to use starch  - any help I can get to keep things from slanting or getting wobbly :)

These go under the presser foot - two by two!  Pressing seams open as I go - than eventually all together.

As, I said earlier - haven't made any of these before so . . . I'm sure there's a better - proper way of doing this.  After I finished with the center, I did a tiny zigzag to stitch fan and back together.

I made 16 blocks,

placing them in four-by-four layout.  I wanted the Orange petal for a little punch on each block.  Almost makes me think of a caterpillar.

I did struggle a little, and I have to admit I did quite a bit of tugging and pulling to get things square.  Hopefully my next dresden won't be a struggle.  I still have to quilt this, and I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do . . . black thread? in the ditch? a design?  I have no idea!  But looking at it - I really do love the black/white and orange. :)

Here are the other participants for today's hop.  Stop by and check out their dresdens & show some love!

That Other Blog

Clothes and Crafts

It Seems to be Sew

Merry Gay in Stitches

Water Penny

Granny Good Stuff

More Stars in Comanche

Sew Me Something Good

The Day Before This Day

Farm Road Ramblings

Living Blue Quilter

I Piece 2 Mary

Kwilty Pleasures

Espritpatch

Nutz4Redwork