Coming Soon -- Scrap Squad Quilt

Yes, the newest issue of Quiltmaker is now available on new stands and at your favorite quilting stores.  That means that sometime over the next few weeks I'll be showing off my version of Chain Reaction.   You can read more about the Scrap Squad on Quiltmaker's blog, Quilty Pleasures.  As Jean F. said in a comment 


  "Yay to the Scrap Squad members!! Go forth and be scrapalicious!!!!!!!"


Don't you love that word?  Scrapalicious  and doesn't it look fabulous in red! 
Stay tuned for my first Scrap Squad quilt.  I'm not sure when I will reveal it but it's coming soon to this very blog!


Chain Reaction was designed by Lee Heinrich. You can read her blog Fresh Lemons.  She's got some wonderful tutorials you might want to check out. 


I'm off to the Y, a little shopping, a little vacuuming (bleh!) and then some quilting.  


Happy quilting all! 

Design Wall Monday 2-6-12

First up -- 9 blocks done fom Carolina Christmas....

 But wait, there's more ... I actually have 11 blocks done.  I think I'll make at least one more block for this quilt. 

I

And, I have a few left over pieces for more blocks.  I know I'll make one more block but whether I make any more than that.... who knows.  I would like to finish this quilt but I would also like to be able to use it on a bed over Christmas. I think I'll make the gold/red block and then decide if I want to add more.  I guess the issue would be whether I want to make 7 more blocks as that is probably what I'd need to do to have a big enough quilt.  I still need to check out border designs.  I don't  have any directions for borders for this quilt. Anyone know if there were there directions for a border? 

Last weeks goals with almost everything checked off.
Week of Jan 30, 2012

Make binding and bind the Scrap Squad quilt √

Quilt and bind the NY Day Mystery quilt√ started quilting

Make 3 more of the Mourning Quilt blocks, √ put it together√, quilt it

Quilt Twister quilt √ and bound

Finish clue 5 of Carolina Christmas√

Back to working on the FCQ Equilter’s donation quilt 5 blocks needed

Clean 2 more shelves of the refrigerator√

Clean the stovetop really well√

This weeks goals... not as much sewing as I've got to clean the house. 

Week of February 6, 2012

Pick next 1800s bom and write directions

Finish quilting and bind NY Day Mystery Quilt

Vacuum the house

Back to working on the FCQ Equilter’s donation quilt 5 blocks needed

Make snowman blocks and FCQ’s bom

Think about making blue and yellow pillow shams or cases

Decide on Carolina Christmas – make more blocks or leave as is?

Pick fabric for next Scrap Squad Quilt

Have a great time with Sharon visiting

This week will be busy -- laundry, cleaning, working out and my quilting buddy from Maryland, Sharon, coming for a visit.  We'll be trying to have 2 sewing machines set up in my studio... or I'll finish the quilt on Ruthie, get the binding sewn on and then hand sew the other side down. 

Do you want to see what else people are working on?  Go check out Patchwork Times.

The first day of next month I hope to put up a Mr. Linky for those of you who would like to keep track of your fabric usage every month.  Join me as we try to USE more fabric than we acquire.  Also, stop by next Sunday afternoon to see the latest block of the month for the 1800's quilt.  

Happy quilting all. 

1st Month Stash Busting Statistics

I am so happy to shed the statistics showing how much fabric I bought last year.  To refresh your memory -- I ended with 114 yards MORE fabric than I used.  Some of it will be going to a peddler table at Faithful Circle's show in April.  Some has actually been used.  January was a good start for USING fabric rather than buying fabric... although I did have to get some fabric for specific tasks. 


MONTH OF JANUARY

Fabric In	3 -  7/8 yards
Fabric Out	6  - ¾ yards
Net Fabric Out	2  - 7/8 yards

Way to Go!  Start the year off with fabric USED rather than fabric IN! 


With that information firmly in my head I think I'll go upstairs and prep the NY Day Mystery for loading on the long arm....  that way I'll start February with a finished.


Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 1-30-12

 A very productive week.  Here's what I was working on yesterday  -- 

The borders are on the Planet Patchwork New Year's Day Mystery.  Yikes that pink looks, well, really pink.  
Unfortunately this was a narrow fabric so I actually had to piece all four borders.  But doing it on the diagonal helps hide the seam and I can't tell where the seams are from this photo.  
I hope to get this on Ruthie today so that maybe I can have another finished quilt for January.  I've been buying a little fabric so I need some bigger finishes if I don't want to start the year out by buying more than I use! 



I also decided to start the Small Quilt of the Month challenge on Kathy Tracy's Small Quilt Talk group on yahoo.  She announces a quilt from one of her books each month and members make that quilt.  If we are diligent we'll have 12 little quilts made.  I wasn't going to make it but decided to give it a try yesterday.  I'm making this Mourning Quilt with just 4 blocks -- Yikes these greens seem really bright to me.  I think they are a bit more subdued.  Last night I cut out 3 more blocks.  I'm using some fabrics that are reproductions from two quilts in the Smithsonian's collection.  One is Little Sister quilt and the other is Rising Sun, if I remember correctly.  I've had what is equivalent of a Layer Cake for many years. (Heck, over 15 years... yikes time flies when you are having fun!)  I've only began using them in the last 2 years or so.  

For my Leader Ender project I'm putting the pieces together of my Carolina Christmas, a former mystery on Quiltville.  I'm working on putting together the sub units that eventually become this unit. I'm getting very close to getting all the sub units done so I can make these blocks.  Then, it's putting it all together. I look forward to getting it done before Christmas! LOL.


Last week's goals -- almost all done and some even more than planned! 

Week of Jan 23, 2012

Quilt Twister quilt

Quilt 12 Days of Christmas quilt √ and bound

Sew secret project together √ and quilted

Spend 15 minutes a day cutting scraps into usable sizes not too many times this week

Clean the oven (ok, set it so it cleans itself but I hate the smell of it…so avoid it frequently!) √ And did the racks too!

Clean top two shelves in the refrigerator (blah!) √

Finish putting the rows together of NY Day mystery√

Post at least one more blog during the week √

Week of Jan 30, 2012

Make binding and bind the still secret Scrap Squad quilt

Quilt and bind the NY Day Mystery quilt

Make 3 more of the Mourning Quilt blocks, put it together, quilt it

Quilt Twister quilt

Finish clue 5 of Carolina Christmas

Back to working on the FCQ Equilter’s donation quilt 5 blocks needed

Clean 2 more shelves of the refrigerator

Clean the stovetop really well

Have you checked out what other folks are working on?  Remember to check out Patchwork Times.  Judy has her QOV quilt along top posted.  Hum, I have some of those stars from a different project.  Maybe I'll make I'll set them this way rather than put them with the other blocks which don't look right together.... just thinking here...  

Happy Quilting All! 

Sigh -- either my iPhoto or blogger is messing me up here.  All of my pictures were cropped to just show the blocks -- not the extra on the side.  But I reloaded them twice and each time I get the original picture which isn't showing in iPhoto.  Sigh.  And, spacing, and... oh well, it is what it is. B.

12 Days of Christmas is DONE!

I put the final stitches in the binding last night.  It took me about 24 or so days to get my 12 Days of Christmas mini quilt done.  But I do love it in the reds and whites.  Sad thing is I don't have enough wall space for all of the Valentine's Day quilts I've made.  And, my dog is notorious for getting things off of tables so I doubt it will be sitting on a table like it was for this photograph.   I hand quilted in each of the blocks except #1 as I didn't have a stencil nearby at the time.  I did not quilt in the little border either.  I made my borders narrower than what the pattern called for.  I thought the borders as given in the directions overpowered the little blocks.

Today I loaded my first Scrap Squad quilt on Ruthie.  She was purring away with no problems.  YEAH! She has been feeling neglected as I haven't had any thing to put on her since late November.  After I finished with the quilting, I began putting the borders on the quilt I showed Monday.  I'm going with the pink borders and should get them on tomorrow. And thanks to all the folks who gave their opinions.  I need to figure out how to use that tan/brown fabric that was choice #3.  I've had it for a good long while!    Maybe I'll be able to put this quilt on Ruthie on Monday.  I have the backing -- can't remember if I need to piece it or not.  Probably.  Bummer.

That's all that's new here.

Happy Quilting Everyone!  

I've Got a Favorite, How About You?

I got quite a bit done in the studio yesterday and now have to make a decision.  Want to help? 


Here are three photos of borders for my New Years Day mystery from Planet Patchwork.

 Choice one as written in the instructions -- using the background fabric as the bigger border. 

 Choice two -- using a pink homespun plaid (very little contrast in the plaid...) 

Choice three -- using a beige/light tan fabric that happens to have little trees on it. 

When I started grabbing strips for this quilt I decided to use up as many of my green strips as I had precut.  Then I started throwing in some floral prints with green in them.  And, eventually I pulled some of the colors from the prints and added bits of those colors.  I added mostly pinks, burgundies and golds if I remember.  

I know which one I like best but which do you like?  My favorite is the pink as I think it makes the top sing.  The two others are fine but ho-hum.  The pink is a loosely woven homespun so I will need to do some serious quilting in the borders. And, I think I'll have to piece the borders but that is fine with me.  

Let me know what you think.  I won't be working on this again until at least Wednesday, maybe later. 

Happy Quilting All!  

Design Wall Monday 1-23-12

Good Morning! 
I'm not showing my design wall today because 1) go to this pic and mentally add 6 more,  and 2) what I am working on I can't show yet. I did get this lonely heart made for a block of the month opportunity. Most months Faithful Circle Quilters (in Columbia, Maryland and where I am still a member) gives us the opportunity to make as many blocks as we want to enter into a drawing.  I try to always do at least one because it is an easy way to USE up fabric with out getting more fabric back.  Well, unless you win the blocks.  They have the option to not have your name in the drawing.  I generally do NOT have my name in the drawing as I have several block sets I've won in the past.  


I finished the borders on my 12 Days of Christmas presented by Temecula Quilt Company. (scroll down to day one, you'll have to click on newer posts to see all 12 days.  When I started to spray baste the quilt to batt it up I decided I show you how I batt my small quilts.  First, I cover my cutting table with lots of paper -- I don't want any adhesive droplets hitting any thing extra. 


I lay out the backing, wrong side up and spray the adhesive over it.  Next I roll my batting up.  With just a little batting loose from the roll I carefully line up one edge and let it down to the batting.  Luckily I can reposition this if I need to.  Then I roll out the batting being careful to not get lumps or air bubbles.


There it is smoothed over the backing fabric.

The top doesn't roll as well so I just folded it over so I was only dealing with a small bit of the fabric first.  For some reason I like working from the bottom up.  I make sure I have enough backing around the edges of the quilt.  Then I unfold the top and smooth it out. 

Here it is all ready for me to hand quilt it.  I am trying Sulky KK2200 Temporary Spray Adhesive.  It comes in a small can but I've been told it lasts as long as the larger cans of other brands.  I always do my spraying in my studio and this one leaves no yucky order.  In fact, you can't smell it. (Or at least I can't.)  The spray comes out in a fine mist which makes it very easy to use.  Hopefully the sprayer part won't clog over time.  The down side is it is temporary.  Evidently it's hold will release within the next few days.  I got 3/4th of this quilted last night so I don't think it will be a problem. 


Last week's goals . . . . YEA! I did pretty well on all of them... 

Week of Jan 16, 2012

Visit Jenny, Brian and Sophia √

Finish all blocks for secret project not quite – last 6 blocks in progress

Bind baby quilt-as-you-go √ all done

Make and mail out BOM for Faithful Circle Quilters √ will go in the mail today

Spend 15 minutes a day cutting scraps into usable sizes √ I didn’t do it every time I was up in the studio but most days I spent 20 minutes plus!

Keep the cutting table cleaned off at the end of the day √


Week of Jan 23, 2012

Quilt Twister quilt

Quilt 12 Days of Christmas quilt

Sew secret project together

Spend 15 minutes a day cutting scraps into usable sizes

Clean the oven (ok, set it so it cleans itself but I hate the smell of it...so avoid it frequently!) 

Clean top two shelves in the refrigerator (blah!)

Finish putting the rows together of NY Day mystery
Post at least one more blog during the week. 


Forgive me for throwing in housekeeping goals but I figure it will get done if I admit I have to do it. I noticed I haven't been posting many blogs between Mondays so I'm adding that to my goals for the week.  


Here's a new picture of Sophia -- she was cuddling with the cat on her changing table... 

Have you looked at other design walls across the internet?  Check out Judy's Patchwork Times. 


Happy Quilting All!