Design Wall Monday 5-14-2012

Oh my goodness another week has sailed by with only Monday's post.  Honest, I thought about another post for about 10 minutes right before I fell asleep late Friday nite.  
Absolutely NOTHING new is on my design wall... really.  So here are the 2 blocks I chose for the 1800's  block of the month for the guild.  I am hanging my head as I didn't get the instructions posted over the weekend.  If you are looking for the instructions I'll post them Tuesday, 5/15.  Honest, I promise.  


I have been unable to find a name for this block.  (You can read where I found the block in tomorrow's post with the directions...)  Have you ever seen this block?  Do you know it's name?  

How awful am I getting?  This block isn't even sewn together in this picture.  It is actually sewn together in real life but I didn't get a picture of it and I didn't want to go upstairs and take another picture.... lazy, lazy me.  

This past week Ruthie was smokin'.  I finished 3 charity quilts and one customer quilt.  Wow!  I can put  my nose to the grindstone and work.  Unfortunately I only have 2 pictures of one of the quilts. 

I decided to try some ruler work on the squares -- lovely little seed shapes with my curved ruler.  As long as I used the ruler the seed shapes were wonderful.  I decided to try my hand at free motion seeds... not so wonderful.  Sigh. I went back to the ruler.  I did free motion hearts and cirlces in the borders.  Quick, attractive and done. 

Let's look at how I did with my goals. . . 

Week of May 7, 2012

Quilt 2 more charity quilts√

Make binding for SS#2√

Put binding on SS#2√ about 18" and then the finishing seam still needs to be done.  But I've started hand stitching it down.

Make next block for BOM and write up directions√

Quilt one more quilt on Ruthie√

Trim Winnie the Pooh blocks and sew together √ They are in rows.

Clean up studio – it looks like a bomb exploded amid the fabrics blah... it looks  even more like a bomb exploded because when I trimmed Scrap Squad #2 I left everything fall on the floor so I could actually get to the binding part. 

Week of May 13, 2012

Finish stitching binding on SS #2

Photograph and write blog entry for both Quilty Pleasures and my blog

Sew Winnie the Pooh rows together

Start quilting twin charity quilt for FCQ

Back up EQ projects from the restored netbook.  Phew! Computer guru came through like a champ. 

Start Scrap Squad #3... I'm so excited about this one!!!  I can't wait to get going on it... 

Figure out backing for my flamingo quilt

Clean up the cutting table...well, it'll be a start at least

That's a start -- I'm going to spend more time piecing and finishing quilts this week than working with Ruthie.  

Do you want to see what is on design walls across the internet?  Check out Patchwork Times.


Happy Quilting All! 

  

Design Wall Monday 5-7-2012

I am spending more time quilting on Ruthie right now than piecing new quilts.  Here's a set of blocks I made in October but I found a different stripe in my collection to try. (You can see the original stripe by clicking on "set of blocks" above. I have made one or two more blocks with different colors than just the red and yellow I started with.  When I get some free sewing time I'll play with these blocks... plus I need to finish two more blocks that I started for them. 



Yep, that red fabric matches the red fabric I showed last week. Thanks to many of my readers who suggested Synthrapol.  I used it and hopefully all will be well.  I used the Baptist Fan grooved boards on SS#2. Enlarge the picture to see some of the details. Now to do the binding. 
I did really well on my goals this week.  I worked on or finished almost every single one. 

Week of April 29, 2012

Get the last border on the SS#2√

Make 4 heart blocks √

Cut charm squares for swap √

Get blocks and charm squares in the mail √

Find and prep backing for SS#2√

Pull out and work on FCQEquilters quilt… it’s time to get it finished

Figure out if my net book can be resurrected… it’s lost its memory!

Quilt another charity quilt√

Dust, vacuum, clean bathrooms… √ ugh but I didn’t vacuum the carpet ….

My computer guru is out of town so I located the disks for the resurrection of the net book but I'm waiting until I can talk to him about it because I am hoping to save all of my EQ files.   
Here's what's up for this week. I hope to get some piecing done although I've only listed working on the Pooh blocks. 

Week of May 7, 2012

Quilt 2 more charity quilts

Make binding for SS#2

Put binding on SS#2

Make next block for BOM and write up directions

Quilt one more quilt on Ruthie

Trim Winnie the Pooh blocks and sew together

Clean up studio – it looks like a bomb exploded amid the fabrics

What's on your design wall this week?  Visit Design Walls around the internet by first going to Patchwork Times.

Oops.  I almost forgot the picture I got in my email this morning!  

Some of you may remember the little lady bug play outfit I made Miss Sophia. When I first tried it on her she started screaming and slipped out of it as fast as I could get her hands in the armholes.  Jenny told me she chose to wear it today.  Of course, it's not quite warm enough for shorts today so she actually is wearing it with black pants.  Hum, she can wear this all summer as it looks a bit big on her.  

Happy Quilting All!

April Stash Busting 2012

Remember last month when I won a big box of fabrics? Well it's coming back to haunt my using more fabric than bringing in.  Sigh.  But I love having them and they are great so I can't complain too much. 

	Month	Year to Date
In	37.25  yards	37.25 yards
Out	14.5  yards	24.50 yards
Total	12.75 yards	2.75 yards

Ok, so it wasn't the greatest month but thank heavens I was able to sell some fabric at the FCQ Quilt Show Peddler's table.  Heck, I sold 11 yards so that isn't bad.  All of them were fabrics I bought at the Country Piecemaker's auction last November.  And, I used a hunk of another fabric from then on the back of a FCQ charity quilt.  It could have been so much worse. I should have a couple of finishes in May as the Scrap Squad quilt is almost ready to quilt. 


But, I am still purchasing fabrics.... yesterday I was able to get a wide back for SS #2. And, the best thing, I was able to buy it at the local quilt store.  It's red -- much of the quilt is white.  I am nervous about the red bleeding.  Here's why. 

See all those wrinkled things on top?  Those are the Color Catchers I threw in with the backing.  They turned all sorts of reds, pinks and purples. (Purples mainly because some of them had been used before.)  So as soon as the dishwasher is finished I will wash it again with 2 brand new Color Catchers.  And, yep, some of the Color Catchers were new -- I just don't know which ones.  No matter what it is obvious there is a lot of loose red dye swirling around in the washing machine.  


Now on to the last two seams of SS #2.  I have already bought and pulled fabric from my stash for #3.  I'm really excited about it.  Can't wait to finish #2 so I can start #3.  


Happy Quilting All!  

Design Wall Monday 4-30-12

My design wall is lonely.  I was gone most of last week and nothing was on the wall. I just ran upstairs and threw these two little blocks on the wall so I could have something to share.  Pitiful isn't it? You can see more design walls by going to Patchwork Times.


Now, honestly, it isn't that I didn't do some piecing and quilting last week.  I got the rest of border two on my Scrap Squad #2.  I also cut border #3.  I'm hoping to get it on today or early tomorrow.  Then I'll be on a quest to find backing fabric.  


It has slowly dawned on me that it is really expensive to make a backing for a quilt from 42 to 45" wide fabric.  I figure I will need 2 1/2 yards of wide backing fabric @ $20/yard.  Hum, $50.  But I need 7 1/2 yards if I piece my backing -- so $10/yard.  $75.  That's assuming I can find fabric at $10 a yard. I know $20 is high for the wide backs but it's a nice round number and easy to figure.  So, before I piece this twin size backing I'm going to either call or go over to the two closest quilt stores to see whether they have any wide backs.  And, I'll look at JoAnns again as I know they do have some.  If I can't find anything I'll check to see if I can piece a back from various fabrics used in the quilt.  But, honestly, I don't have all that much left.  I might need to order this on line but I really would like to support my local stores first. 

These are two blocks that I'll be sending out shortly to various locations.  I have several more hearts to make before I can drop them off at the post office.  I also have joined a 6" charm swap on Small Quilt Talk yahoo chat group.  It's for light colored reproduction fabrics.  I bought mine a while ago but just didn't get to the cutting part.  Hopefully I'll get it in the mail today.

Week of April 23, 2012

Finish FCQ Charity Quilt on Ruthie√

Finish borders on Scrap Squad 2 and measure quilt top. well only the last border to go not as far along as I wanted to be

Make heart blocks, siggie block√ and FCQ BOM√

Dinner with Jen, Brian and Sophia√

Work the FCQ Quilt Show Thur – Sat.  √

SHOP at vendors! √

Drive up and back safely! √

Wow!  I got most of what I wanted to do done.  Of course, they were things I definitely was going to do.  Here's what's up this week. 

Week of April 29, 2012

Get the last border on the SS#2

Make 4 heart blocks

Cut charm squares for swap

Get blocks and charm squares in the mail

Find and prep backing for SS#2

Pull out and work on FCQEquilters quilt… it’s time to get it finished

Figure out if my net book can be resurrected… it’s lost its memory!

Quilt another charity quilt

Dust, vacuum, clean bathrooms…

Ladies and Gents -- go back up your hard drives NOW!  My little net book is used primarily for listening to audio books while I'm in my studio.  However, it is also the computer that Electric Quilt is loaded on.  Honestly, I'm not as good at it as I should be but all the designs for my 1800's block of the month are (were?) on that computer and no, I did not back that up.  Do you hear that crying and wailing?  That's me thinking about having to reproduce all those designs.  I'm hoping I can get this thing back up and running and that maybe the designs will still be there.  (Am I a dreamer or what?) I regularly back up my Mac.  Ok, enough wailing.  Time to get going. 

Happy Quilting 

  

Visiting Maryland

When I drove up to Maryland on Wednesday I got to visit Kevin, Sophie, Brian and Jenny.

Casey and Homer were happy to see me.

I interrupted Kevin from work to have lunch together.  Yikes, 3 different monitors and 2 computers. 

After lunch I spent a few hours with Jenny, Brian and Sophie. 

Sophie has a lot of things to tell us.  Here she is clapping away.  I got to give her a bath and help get her to bed before I headed to Columbia to enjoy the Faithful Circle Quilt Show.  

I'll post a few of the quilts from the show over the next few days.  

Happy quilting all!  

Design Boards Are Groovy

I have been looking for a method to get really smooth circles when quilting with Ruthie.  And, I'm thrilled to say I've found it!  Design Boards are the answer.  I think they are groovy man!  I've been getting my boards from Urban Elementz.

Here's what the board looks like sitting on the back side of Ruthie's table.  See the black circle?  That is a band that holds two boards together.  This Baptist fan is the one I just tried now that I have two boards.  (Working with one board was -- ugh... not great.)

I agreed to do several twin size charity quilts for Faithful Circle so I am trying to get one done each of the times I'm scheduled to come to Maryland. (I've succeeded too!)  This design gives a really nice feel to this quilt.  I've got plans for using it several more times on quilts I'm finishing.

The close up. 

Today I'll be at FCQ's quilt show working various locations.  It should be lots of fun and, oh my, there are vendors to visit and I have a list!  I hope to be able to post some great quilt pictures some time this week.  

Off to get ready!  Happy Quilting All. 

Design Wall Monday 4-23-12

Yikes, don't post for a week and everything looks different on Blogger!  Or so it seems to me.  Now that I look at it everything I normally use is there and it looks like this new compose screen will be easier to work with.


Not on a design wall but here's what I did yesterday.  How fun is this!  I took my embroidery module lesson yesterday at Cottonwood Quilt Shop in Charlottesville.  It is a bit of a drive for me but I really like the folks there and they have a great variety of fabrics. This was my first attempt and I basically just used thread I had on hand.  Now, I really wonder about that purple tear drop looking thing under the first n.  What's with that? 

Last week I showed you one string block I completed.  Here are 6 that I finished and I threw in a yellow sashing just for fun.  I'll be delivering these to Jenny this week.


Drop by Patchwork Times to see what else folks have on their design walls. 

We've had a lot of rain recently which means I have a lot of dirty dogs!  Here's a paw that belongs to Raggs.  YUCK! And look at the towel -- argh... and this has been going on for days!  What brilliant person bought a cream colored rug for in front of the door? Ragg's really looks slightly pink where the red mud has been on his fur.  Double yuck! 








How did I do on that long to do list?  Not so good.
Week of April  16, 2012

Get 3 borders on Scrap Squad 2√ 1 and a half done

Prep backing SS2

Load and quilt FCQ Charity Quilt√ in progress

Finish 9.5” blocks for FCQ Equilters Charity Quilt

Tea with the neighbors√

Backing for flamingo quilt

Make misc. blocks: Jenny’s strings√, heart blocks, opportunity block FCQ

Mail quilt for Alycia @ Quilts of Valor√

And for the coming week: 

Week of April 23, 2012

Finish FCQ Charity Quilt on Ruthie

Finish borders on Scrap Squad #2 and measure quilt top

Make heart blocks, siggie block and FCQ BOM

Dinner with Jen, Brian and Sophia

Work the Faithful Circle Quilt Show Thur - Sat

Shop at vendors! 

Drive up and back to Maryland, safely

So not too much quilting on my to do list this week that I can show next week.  But I'll have plenty of photos to share of the quilt show and some of Sophie by then.  Happy Quilting all!