a very little progress

I don't have much progress to show for myself this week.  I'm usually pretty strict with myself about appliqueing one evening and hand quilting the next but lately I've been pulling out the handquilting more often and my poor vine panel #10 isn't growing very fast. In a month I have only done one branch.  

 I can't lose my momentum on this project now!  I hope I get back to loving it again soon!!

I made 2 more 6" blocks as well.  I have plans for lots more...scribbled on bits of paper floating around on my sewing table -  I think I'll be making a few more than 16 blocks  :0)

Happy Stitching!!

my daughter made a bag

My daughter has been doing some sewing :0)  DD#2 was offered a bag full of scraps at the LQS.  In the shop they were cutting tumblers with a Go cutter and were going to discard the scraps but gave them to my daughter instead. 

With some help with trimming and cutting she had a pile of 2 inch squares, some triangles and a pile of small strings.   Now if it were me - I'd use the squares to make something but she went for the strings first and made a usable piece of fabric from them.  Last week she made a zippered bag from these seemingly unusable scraps. 

 It's the perfect size to hold a book :0)

 Here is the before picture of the scraps.  Wild colors and prints you don't find in my stash - lol!

 As for me, I made some more 6 inch blocks.

And finally got started on my Bird of Paradise embroidery.  Last night I even tried a bird crest.  Wish me luck on the people faces... they're next!  :0)

Happy Quilting!

retreat sewing

I enjoyed my retreat last weekend - thanks for all the well wishes :0)  I waffled for weeks over what I would take to work on.  I wanted to start something new.



 I decided on a Kim Diehl pattern in the latest Fons and Porter Love of Quilting magazine.  It was a beautiful match of applique and piecing.  Such a pretty pattern - perfect for retreat I thought.  I had a glorious time choosing fabrics entirely from my stash to make it.

I decided to try Kim Diehl's method for machine applique using invisible thread.  The applique pieces are prepped with freezer paper - ironing the seam allowance under to stick to freezer paper so there are no raw edges.  I had been wanting to try this method for a long time.

 Now after making only 2 blocks I am quite sure I do NOT like this applique method.  I can't stand the prep.  Ironing that 1/4 inch seam allowance onto the shiny side of freezer paper is not something I have patience for.  Also, I found sewing with invisible thread is hard on the eyes.  While it is faster than hand applique - I do not enjoy it.  I think I gave it a fair try making 2 blocks.

 I don't know what I'm going to do now.  I could switch to hand applique to make the remaining 7 blocks but then my other applique projects would suffer neglect and I'm pretty sure these 2 machine appliqued blocks would always bug me.  I could also just make these 2 blocks into little table toppers or wallhangings as gifts and forget about making the quilt.  I'll have to think about it for awhile.  Anyway I thought the sentence under the title in the magazine was a bit ironic.  Personally I don't find hand applique tedious at all but ironing those little edges onto freezer paper - very tedious!

 

I also brought this Whig Rose block that I made a couple of years ago to add something to. The applique block is part of one pattern and the border part of another from this Lori Smith book.  I will add another plain border and make it into a little wallhanging.

As a guild we also put together a Zoo quilt.  One of the members took it home to quilt. It turned out really cute.  It was a lovely weekend of relaxing and sewing with friends :0)

 

Happy Quilting!!



some handquilting, some circles

I thought I would post some progress of my Crowfoot quilt.  I have made good progress.  Last night I started quilting block #15 of 25.  There are wide borders on this project so I'm probably not even half way yet which is fine with me - many more happy hours ahead quilting on this one :0)

 The fabrics are busy and the quilting doesn't show very well in pictures.  I tried taking pictures in a few different lighting situations.

 What I really love is how the texture of this quilt feels and of course I can't take a picture of that :0)

 I think it will be lovely to sleep under - maybe next winter.

I laid out the first 9 blocks of my Circle Game quilt.  I bought this medium blue for one of the 2 setting fabrics.  Next my friend and I plan to piece these circles into their square setting pieces so we don't have to do them all at the end.  There are 16 blocks in the pattern.

Here is the block we worked on this week.  I think it's one of my favorites. 

 

I get to go on a quilting retreat this weekend.  I'm starting a new project and trying a new technique.  I can't wait!

Happy Quilting!!