Design Wall Monday 3-24-2014

Monday has rolled around after a semi-busy week.  At first I thought I had gotten little done during the week.  Then I went to the studio to take some pictures.  Surprise! Surprise!  I did do a bit that I will show you.

First off I got one of the big sailboats made  Here's what it looks with a few of the little ones around.  Too cute.  I've got the second one half done.  I cut one of the triangles the wrong size.  (Small rant:  I hate it when magazines or patterns don't tell you the size of a sub-unit.  If I had known the triangle for the big boat's sail was to be cut 5 3/4" right off I wouldn't have miscut and then have to figure out what the correct size was.  I prefer to cut my triangles slightly larger and then cut to the exact right size. End of rant.) I'm looking forward to getting the top together and then figuring out the borders.  It's a charity quilt for Project Linus in Columbia, Maryland.  Hopefully it will be done in time to be in the Faithful Circle Quilter's show May 1, 2, and 3.  If you are in the area please plan on attending. In the past we have hung about 300 quilts of every style.  I'll have 5 quilts hung but I've only decided on 2 for sure.  I still need to go through my quilts to see what to include.  Registration deadline is at the end of this month.  

Next up are the napkins I made at an embroidery class I am taking at the local Bernina dealer.  Free class but buying the designs is adding up.  That said I would never have thought to buy a design to embroider the edges of napkins.  But look how cute they are.  I'm hoping I'll have time to make four placemats to go with them and then donate all of it to the local Lions Club's auction at their bull roast in April.  

These new fabrics came in Saturday.  I was surprised to see green again but when I checked their website I saw that this month's were a darker green.  Hum, Not really as dark as I would have thought.  The far left fab is very much the color received in the fall.  I love getting these fabrics each month even if it does shoot the heck out of my fabric usage.  I have 2 more months until I've been with them for a year.  I'll probably cancel in 3 months as I really liked the grays sent the first month I was a member and you can always use a nice gray.  I still have reds and yellows to come.  If you want to join go to http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com and click on Monthly Clubs. 

We've had another small snowstorm since last I wrote.  The one predicted for Tuesday has been downgraded to a rainstorm.  And look what I found this week when the weather hit the 70's!  The forsythia has started blooming but isn't going wild yet.  We moved three bushes this winter so they would have room to spread out and fill in.  I doubt they'll bloom as nicely as they will in years to come.  They might still be a bit shocked that we moved them.  

Take time this week to peruse the design walls across the internet.  Go visit Patchwork Times to find the links. 

Here's a quick look at my goals last week. 

Week of March 17, 2014

Quilt a baby quilt√

Make turquoise Color Challenge block√

Play on EQ 7 to continue learning the program√

Sew Mystery Quilt Blocks together√ in rows

Make sailboat blocks√ Need to finish one

Sew center of sailboat quilt together oops

And here is what I've got planned for this week.  

Week of March 24, 2014

Quilt Jane’s baby quilts (2)

Make a bunny 

Bind my baby quilt

Make sample lotto block for CP

Sew Sailboat Quilt together

Decide and make borders for Sailboat Quilt

Load QOV quilt

We'll see how I do.  I do try hard to focus on what I've put on the list but sometimes I just wander.  Or more likely, I start reading a book and don't spend as much time in the studio.  Not a bad way to spend some time but it doesn't get me through the items I want to get done.  

Happy Quilting All! 

Quick St. Patrick's Day Decoration

Here's a cute decoration I made for St. Patrick's Day.  I used it last week on the food table at the quilt guild.

I bought everything at JoAnns a week or so ago.  I'm sorry I didn't take pictures so I could do a tutorial... but here's what I did.

The shamrocks were cut from one piece of scrapbook paper and one of card stock.  I got a design of a shamrock off the internet and enlarged it.  I put the front and back pieces together (wrong sides together) and cut out the pattern.  Oops... did I tell you I copied three different sizes???

Then I heated up my trusty glue gun. This was the low heat glue just to save my fingers a bit.  I used bamboo skewers to hold the shamrocks.  I glued the stick to the wrong side of the card stock first -- the stick was covered about 1/2 way with paper.  Before I put the second paper over I put double sided tape on the rounded part of the leaves... just to hold the two pages together a bit better.  Then some more hot glue on the stick. I lined up the shamrocks and stuck them together.  Remember to press where the tape is also.

To prepare the watering can I trimmed a piece of styrofoam to fit into the can. Then I put a little hot glue on the bottom of the styrofoam and positioned it on the bottom of the can. Heck, who am I kidding. I just let it drop in as I couldn't get my fingers in there too!

After the shamrocks had thoroughly dried I stuck them into the styrofoam in an artistic manner.  Decided to turn one around to give some variety.  I then tied a bow around the watering can.  I found some old Easter grass in the attic and threw that on top to cover the styrofoam.

Voila! One finished St. Patty's day decoration. I think I could also use the same idea for hearts at Valentine's Day, eggs or bunnies at Easter, stars at the Fourth of July... You get the idea.  Now you can run right out and make your own decoration.  I used one sheet of 12 by 12" shiny green card stock and one piece of scrapbook paper.

And, now on another topic.  Can you believe these paws???

Hum, they really don't look all that bad here... but they are full of Virginia red clay. Ugh.  I've got two dogs worth of messy paws...

I'll leave you with these trees in full bloom.  Wish they were in my yard.  Spring is busting out all over my part of central Virginia.  Next week the red bud will be fully blooming.  

Time to go up to the studio... I've got one more quilt to get done before I visit Jenny next week. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Just a Tease

Here's the Spring! quilt being quilted.  I am using #8 pearl cotton and the arm is sore from yesterday's quilting. It is hard to pull the needle through the fabric with the pearl cotton.  (aspirin does a wonderful job on it!)  

I'm off to the dentist this morning but hope to get back to quilting it this afternoon ... I'd like to have the quilting done before Friday when I leave for Lancaster.  

Other want-to-finish projects: 

• binding on a baby quilt which may go to Project Linus or I might keep it as my first long arm experience

• lay out the bow tie blocks to see if I have enough for a quilt

•borders on the string x blocks

Shoot, I know I have lots of things to finish but none of them are coming to mind right now. 

Need to get the show on the road.  

Happy Quilting All.  Bonnie 

Hand Applique Is S L O W

Last night I finished all the hand buttonhole stitching on the Spring! wall hanging.  3/4th of the way through it I looked up  buttonhole stitch on the internet.  I can never remember where to start it.  Ah, next to the fab I'm trying to cover, than take a "bite" into the motif.  I started a new thread using the info from the internet.  A couple more letters I realized I could do a more efficient job if I went the right direction... ie, I wouldn't have to purposely put the needle under the thread.  Light Bulb moment!  The rest went pretty fast. 

If you'd like to see what got me moving along more quickly check Mary Corbet's Needle 'N Thread. 

Next Up:  I'm going to hand quilt the Spring! wallhanging using pearl cotton.  I have a label to sew on a quilt.  I've got a new project ready and waiting for me to start -- I've got some batiks waiting to go on that project.  

Anyone going to Quilter's Heritage Show?  Pat and I are going over on Friday.  We'll be meeting up with Marge and Candy  from Fabricholics Annonymous for lunch.  Our goal is to try all the long and mid arm quilting machines available while we are there.  I'm hoping to buy either a new or used one over the next few months.  Pat's job is check out the maintenance issues.  

Our squirrels, birds, chipmunks, turkeys and deer have been pretty quiet recently.  

I'll have a picture or two tomorrow.  Actually, good point, I'll go take a couple before the sun is gone!  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Give the Gal a Gold Star

Yesterday's Progress: 

String X blocks sewn together

Spring letters, leaves cut out, ironed on and some hand buttonhole stitch done

Several more bow tie blocks made 

Today's Plan

Finish the hand button hole stitching on the Spring! quilt  

Add the bunny and stitch down

Go out to dinner (hey, I'm not turning down that offer!)

 

So, before the day is completely gone, I'm signing off.  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie

Making Progress

Here's what got done yesterday: 

Spring! top is together.  Finally.  Now to get to the applique. 

String X blocks are ready to be sewn into rows.

A couple of bow tie blocks were done. 

Here's the plan for today -- it's Wednesday which means I will go to the clubhouse to sew . . . 

Put the String X's together

Cut out the letters for Spring (hum, do I hand buttonhole stitch the letters and rabbit on??) 

Cut the next step for the million blocks quilt... that's what I call it cause it seems like that!

Who knows whether I will even take these to work on cause that means I need to take the sewing machine too.  But, I have that super light Janome Gem so why not?  

Sorry, no pictures to share today... maybe some tomorrow... 

Happy Sewing All  Bonnie

Fidos for Freedom Quilt

Fidos for Freedom is a group in Laurel, Maryland that helps people through hearing dogs, service dogs and therapy dogs.  Jen's dog, Kona is a therapy dog.  When she was up last week she asked if I had anything I could donate to their upcoming silent auction. Well, shoot howdy, I could get a quilt top out of the house.  

I made this 4 patch posie from mostly stash fabric.  (I think the floral print came from when I made some shorts for the kids when they were young -- think 6 yrs. old or so.  And, maybe only for Jenny, I just can't see Kevin wearing that fabric at any age!)

This is really an interesting technique.  The designs on the fabric certainly look different when done this way.  There are lots of different flowers and a parrot on the fabric.  I didn't think to take a photo of the fabric before I cut it apart. Check out the parrot in this close up.  

Jenny is doing the quilting and finishing and then will donate it to Fidos.  I'll try to remember to post a link when it hits the silent auction page for Fidos.   

Spring! is coming along but I am not making fast progress on it.  I still have to get the piece together as a top.  Last night I traced the pieces that will be appliqued on. I am thinking of using a machine blanket stitch on those pieces.  If I would get off the computer and actually do something....  And, I always sew with an ender so that does take a bit of time to keep organized.  Right now I am sewing x blocks together as my ender.  I'm going to have that top together before the Spring one if I am not careful! 

On to the studio! 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie