Design Wall Monday 8-17-2015

Not much different on my design wall this week.  I just realized I haven't shown the stuff on my design wall for several weeks. Here's what it looks like these days. I've gotten more red Turkey Track blocks up.  I've sewn a couple of the row by rows together. Still don't know how I'm going to handle the sides.  I didn't want a long, narrow quilt.  So I'm breaking up some of the rows to put on the sides.  We'll see how long it takes me to figure this out.  My guess is that I'll get the 9 turkey track blocks done before the row by row is finally put together. I did buy some navy blue to set the individual blocks so the end may be in sight.

The big event was to finish loading my Trip Around the World (TAW) quilt.  I was laid low by a fast moving bug Thursday and took Friday off to recuperate by lazing around the house.  Saturday I tackled TAW. 

This is called Harrison Edge 2 Edge.  I purchased the pattern from My Creative Stitches where it is currently on sale for $5.00.  Yep, an incredible bargain.  (Note -- this is a digital pattern for long arm machines.  I've never checked to see if they offer paper patterns.) 

Now the downside of this gorgeous design.  It takes forever to stitch each row. I estimate it takes 20 minutes. Well, it really isn't the design's fault.  This quilt is over 90" wide (and 102 or so long... I'm in for the long haul to get this one done.)   

On to my weekly goals. Last week wasn't too bad considering I didn't take as much studio time this week.

Week of August 10, 2015

Finish quilting the handprint quilt√ Finished and returned

Load my Trip Around the World and begin quilting √ 5 rows done (out of 15.)

Take a road trip to visit more quilt shops to pick up Row x Row √

Continue working on Talking Turkey√and 2014 Row x Row√

And this week . . . 

Week of August 17, 2015

Finish quilting Trip Around the World quilt (TAW)

Continue working on Talking Turkey and 2014 Row x Row

Embroidery Day at Dorothy’s

Make label for TAW

Make and apply binding for TAW. 

I'm linking up with Main Crush Monday, Monday Makings and Design Wall Monday.  Take a look at what others are doing this week. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Row by Rowing

Yes, I'm still hitting quilt shops and picking up their row by row patterns.  I have way too many patterns and kits.  

Dorothy and I went on a road trip yesterday up to Fredericksburg, Va to The Crazy Cousin.  It is such a nice shop and I try to go there when I head north on 95 to visit my kids.  Here's their duck row: 

Too cute. But, will I use it?  Who knows.  It has a lot of competition. 

Then we headed over to Quilt and Sewing Center to grab their pattern. (I also got the kit but not sure if I'll use it or maybe use batiks... or not make it...) Yikes, I just looked at the pattern...hum, I may be skipping this one -- pretty intense...but oh the great results. 

In the studio I am in the process of loading a queen quilt back.  I finished my Trip Around the World earlier this year and I want to get it done so we can put it on our bed.  The blue and yellow quilt currently on the bed just doesn't look as good with the new taupe paint.  I'm almost finished getting the back on. Unfortunately, I let the fabric get really wrinkled after I washed it.  So, as I'm loading it I spray the fabric hanging over the back of the frame with water and voilà when it is dry the wrinkles are gone.  Then I roll more on the take up roller and spray again.  It takes more time but is infinitely better than ironing a huge backing. 

When the girls were here this past weekend we celebrated their birthdays.  It was a lot of fun.  I made animal cupcakes. First the picture I used as inspiration: 

And now what I was able to come up with. (Please note, these were the rejects and they've been sitting around for almost a week.) So, self criticism -- I used smaller cupcakes.  My tins are not the humongous tins you can get now, nor are they the mini ones.  Basically I didn't have as big an area to create my animals. I didn't think to look at JoAnn's for the cute eyeballs.  I suspect they are from Wiltons.  My frosting job wasn't terrible but, here, some of it has come off.  I used Jelly Belly's for all the parts except half a mini marshmallow with 2 seeds for the pig nose. (The other nose was taken off... hum, that one might have been a smarty and someone ate it!) I was surprised the girls ate the licorice eyes.  In fact Natalie seemed to love it. 

It's time to get back to the studio and play.  I need to fluff up a batting so when the backing is totally loaded I can load it and the quilt top.  One issue -- I haven't decided on the quilting design.... Decisions, decisions. 

I'm linking up with Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 8-10-15

Do you donate or give away your quilts and forget to take pictures of the finished product?  Yep, that's what I did Saturday.  I put a wider binding on the triangle quilt and meant to take a picture before I handed it over on Saturday at the quilt quild meeting.  Bummer.  I showed pictures of it here while it was being quilted.  But I never got a full on picture of it after it was quilted.  Sigh. 

Do you keep a photo record of your quilts?  I want to.  I even printed all the quilts I finished last year.  I have a book to enter it all in.  But, no, I don't do that.  I do have a record based on my notebook of fabric usage but finishes are only recorded by the month. Some day I'll do that, but not today.

I made these aprons for Sophie and Natalie for their birthdays.  Sophie is a tomboy and LOVED her ninja apron.  Natalie is all about princesses and purple and pink.  I used a length of "Frozen" ribbon on her apron.  I used a commercial pattern for the apron and was not happy about the sizing.  It said one size fit all for kids.  It is huge on Natalie but eventually she'll grow into it.  I liked the fact that it had d-rings that we can tighten or loosen the top section.  Of course, the ties are way too long for either girl. 

Here they are showing off their aprons and being silly. I'm happy they liked their presents.  Jenny lets them help her cook so the aprons will be used.

They were both willing to have their pictures taken which is not always the case.  I think they had cell phones in their faces way too much when they were babies.  I took advantage of it and got some cute ones of each girl. 

Sophia and Raggs. Notice her new Chewbacca t shirt from Univ. of Southern California.  She likes Star Wars in particular Chewbacca. We're always happy to promote USC. 

Natalie with her "Frozen" baseball cap with a sparkly bill.  She'd outgrown her last cap so Mom was happy to get this along with Natalie. 

I don't have other photos to show but did make some progress on various quilting projects. Here's last week's goal list.  Not 100% but not bad either. 

Week of August 3, 2015

Load and quilt handprint quilt√ 3 blocks shy of finished.

Lunch for the tea group at my house√

Finish last 2014 row, start sewing rows together Not sewn together but I think all the rows/blocks are done

Have fun with the Grands this weekend (and their parents.) √√√

Do a little studio spiff up work: clear cutting table!√ Ugh a lot more needs to be done.  

And this week: 

Week of August 10, 2015

Finish quilting the handprint quilt

Load my Trip Around the World and begin quilting

Take a road trip to visit more quilt shops to pick up Row x Row

Continue working on Talking Turkey and 2014 Row x Row

Work on secret hand project.... can I say 8 months late as of now? 

I'm linking up with Monday Making, Main Crush Monday and Design Wall Monday.  Note: Monday Making isn't up yet so I'll check back later and update this.  Done! Hum, as I linked up to Monday Making, I realized I didn't actually put my signature in like I usually do.  What was I thinking?  Most likely I wasn't thinking at all! 

Happy Quilting All!