not my Christmas sewing

It's the season of Christmas making and Christmas sewing.  I can't post about that stuff so looking back I see I haven't posted a couple of things.

 

I have enjoyed seeing online the Star a Day quilts using Karen Styles' pattern and templates.  I thought it would be the best portable handwork project ever. They're small stars -3 inches finished and I could make hundreds of them. 

They are handpieced.  I really believe that I should love handpiecing.  I love handsewing and I am usually okay with fiddly, small pieces.  However, I just don't love it. And I'm not very good at it.

This first star is not exactly square and the centre - ugg!  I'm about 1/2 way with the next star and I did cut a third one out but I'm not sure this is the handwork project for me.  The cutting out of these blocks is sloooow as well.  They are darling little stars though - so we'll see.  Maybe after a few more I will be hooked??

And I was surprised I never posted a picture of my 9 completed pots of flowers blocks.  This project has hit the back burner now because it's got to the machine stitching part - sashing and borders etc...  In the new year I will get back to this.  And in the meantime I am anxious to find a new easy prep applique project  :0)

Happy Quilting!!

16 circle blocks

This is the not-from-the-pattern block that my friend and I made to go in our Circle Game quilt.  I love how it turned out.  

 So here are all 16 blocks together. I will likely play with this arrangement before I trim and sew them together.  Also, I might decide to make 4 more blocks to make this quilt a more useable size for our family. 

 I have decided to not do the border as per the pattern. (Circle Game by Jen Kingwell)  I think this quilt is busy enough and I would like to find a dark navy print to use for a border.  I'll have to see what I can find.

 So the comments from my last post were interesting :0)  Thanks!  Here is my son's costume.  He wanted to dress up as Ethane - a hydrocarbon.  I've never sewn a costume like that before. I'm not sure how successful it was but he had fun Trick or Treating in it.  A few of our neighbors "got it" ( there are people who work in the Oil and Gas industry in our neighborhood)  My son's latest interest has been chemistry.  I never cease to be surprised by the things that interest an 11 year old boy :0)
Katy's guess was pretty good - an organic chemical compound.  Send me your address Katy and I will put together a package of some quilty things.

I thought I would also include a picture of our guild's charity quilt made using Elizabeth Hartman's Fancy Fox pattern.  It turned out really well I think. 

Happy Quilting!!

wheels of fortune

I am disappointed that I only managed to post once in October.  My goal is to post once a week.  I hope I will do better in November!

I have been slowly building my pile of Wheel of Fortune blocks and today I decided it was time to lay them out and see how many more to make.   

 I have a lot of the blue background fabric.  I think I want to try a zigzag setting.  I am feeling a bit clueless as to how to measure this.  I decided I will make another dozen blocks and then figure it out measurements etc...

I have at least 12 more fabrics picked out anyway and I really enjoy making these bright, happy blocks :0) 

I'm getting close to having all 16 blocks made for my Circle Game quilt. There was one block in the pattern that my friend and I didn't like so for the last block we are making one that she drafted. This is the second last block - a pretty one I think.

I have decisions to make about this quilt too.  The pattern makes a 73 inch square quilt... not a very usable size (wide for a throw but too short to tuck in on a bed) so I am thinking about 4 more blocks to make the quilt rectangular. I'll have a picture of all my blocks laid out together later this week.

As for other sewing.  I made a Halloween costume for my 11 year old son last week.  Here are all the components.  Any guesses as to what he dressed up as??  There will be some sort of quilty prize for the closest guess  :0)

This week I am happy to be back to my regular sewing projects. 
Happy Quilting!!