a gift given

I was pleased to finish this quilt recently and give it to my mom.  It's a Kim Diehl pattern from the April 2014 Fons and Porter magazine.  I machine quilted it on my Juki machine  

 I wasn't sure how to quilt the appliqued center blocks.  In the end I learned that's it's not too difficult to free motion quilt outlining around the appliqué shapes just like I would do if I was handquilting.

 After that the borders were easy and fun.

 These pictures are all square...  I recently changed Iphones and lost a month's worth of pictures in the process.  Thankfully I had posted these pictures on Instagram so I was able to get them back from there.

 I gave it to my Mom last week when she was visiting.  I think she liked it :0)

The last 2 blocks of Hospital Sketches were quick to stitch up.  I'm a bit sad that the BOM is finished now.  It was fun to look forward to each new block release.

 I really like the triple tulip block.

 I changed around the final block a bit.  There was a picture of all 9 blocks together but I lost it too.  I will have to lay the blocks out again for a complete picture again soon.

This delightful little doll quilt arrived in the mail from Deb Anger from across Canada in the doll quilt swap I participated in.  The pieces are tiny!  I love these little trees.

 It was beautifully handquilted as well and has wonderful texture.

Happy Quilting!!

background fill

I haven't posted in awhile and I was surprised when I loaded my pictures how much I had to share.

I'll start with my Bird of Paradise quilt.  I completed the outline quilting for all of the blocks and last week I started with the background fill quilting.   



 I wanted to do parallel lines on the diagonal instead of a crosshatch. I decided on a 30 degree angle to try something new.  The lines are 1/2 inch apart.  There is a fair amount of starting and stopping so it's going to take awhile.  I was very happy to finally be successful in using a hera marker to mark the lines.

 Once the background fill is done I can easily see where I need to add more quilting to the block elements - like this tablecloth and the birds' bodies.

I also finished this Kim Diehl quilt top.  I'm really pleased with it but now I need to work up the determination to pin baste it for machine quilting. Basting is not my favorite...

 A close-up of one corner to show this red floral fabric I used for the borders.  It's a French General fabric and I love it!

 I also made a little table topper with some French General fabric. It's a Carrie Nelson pattern called Little Bites that my guild decided to do as an easy project together.

I was able to use up a couple of mini charm packs I had had in my stash for awhile.

And a couple of weeks ago my DD#2 had a day off from school and she wanted to do some sewing with me.  (I LOVE it when my kids want to sew with me)  She wanted to try making a pencil roll for her coloring pencils. 

We found a tutorial online and made some adjustments for the number of pencils she wanted to put in it.  It was a fun little project and I think she is pleased with the results.  Did I mention LOVE it when my kids want to sew with me?  :0)

Happy Quilting!!

Radical Rose and Reel block #2



I'm excited to have finished the second block of my Radical Rose and Reel quilt.  I added a couple new greens to the ones used in the first block. Keeping this a scrappy project makes it more fun for me to sew  :0)  

 Here are the first 2 blocks together. I'm looking forward to having 4 blocks completed so I can see how the shapes interact at the corners. 

 I've already started block #3   The pattern is Radical Rose and Reel from Collector with a Needle. 

Design floor space has been made available so I've been able to get some more work done on this Kim Diehl quilt.  These are the first 2 borders.  2 more rounds to go.  I just love that French General red :0)  Glad this will soon be a finished top.

Happy Quilting!!

slow progress

Well the kids are back to school and things are returning to "normal".  I have made good progress with handquilting my Bird of Paradise quilt. I have finished the outline quilting on most of the blocks - 4 more to go and I will get to the background fill quilting.  I finished outline quilting the Bride block today :0)

 

 

 I also finished making the uneven 9 patches needed for this next project.  I pieced the applique blocks together and started adding 9 patches.  I did use the 2 blocks I appliqued with Kim Diehl's machine applique method and so had to be very careful not to iron over the invisible thread when I sewed them together to the hand appliqued blocks.  I wasn't sure I would use them together but in the end decided to not waste them.  I am really hoping this becomes a completed top soon!

 

It's shown folded in this picture as toys have currently taken over my design floor space...

 

Slowly more Star-a-day blocks are getting made.  Here I wildly threw a few on a new piece of purple I bought recently.  Anyone who knows me well will smile at this - I don't like purple and I have almost none in my stash. Every now and then you need a little purple but there is no way I would ever set these stars with purple - lol!

Happy Quilting!!

long arm basting

I did it!  With the help of a very patient friend/instructor I basted my Bird of Paradise quilt with a long arm machine.  It was fast, it only took an hour. It was fun!  The cost was very reasonable - $30.  I will definitely do this again.  It was so much better than my usual, horrible 3-4 evening ordeal down on my knees on the dining room floor.

The long arm machine was so fun to use. 

 

I will confess it seemed bizarre to see this top loaded up on the machine - I almost forgot to take pictures.

 

We set the stitch length to 1 inch and all I had to do was guide it across in a straight line.  The lines of stitching are between 2 - 3 inches apart going in horizontal rows.  I debated reloading and also basting vertical rows as that is how I baste by hand but the instructor thought this would be secure enough. 

It was a wet, rainy day so this afternoon I sat down to start quilting so I could see if the basting was going to work out. It's good so far. Lots and lots of outline quilting will come first and then some kind of background fill.  So far so good!! 

I love the backing fabric.  I found it on sale 4 years ago and I love that its the perfect color, a beautiful print and it has birds on it as well.  Happily I bought enough :0)

 

I finished all of the applique for this other project.  I guess I've been calling it 9 patch flower.  It was fun and relaxingly easy applique to do.  Next it needs 105 uneven nine patches to make a couple of pieced borders. I'm making them as leaders/enders so it could take awhile.  There's no rush to get this together. 

 

In the meantime I have selected a new applique project to start working on.  I'm very excitied about it!! I ordered fabric and it hasn't come yet but I am looking forward to sharing more soon.

 

Happy Quilting!!



intersection of time and inclination

I should be working on my Bird of Paradise border.  I'm so close to finishing it- over 5 years I've been working on it but instead I have been working on is this.  Audrey posted on her blog Quilty Folk about the magic intersection of time and inclination for working on things.  Clearly there has been time what is lacking is the inclination.

 I am loving appliqueing these blocks though! My teenaged daughters recently discovered Downton Abbey for themselves and are watching their way through all of the seasons. How can I resist sitting down with them to watch and do some handwork?  Somehow I doubt this will be a 5 year project...

I got back to working on my Circle Game quilt.  I decided to make 4 more blocks and make a rectangular quilt that someone in the family can use on a bed.  I drew this fairly simple block on freezer paper, made templates and sewed it last week.  Now I only have 3 more to come up with.

 And I thought I would never need to use a geometry set again once I finished high school  :0)

After watching others make the Halloween Thimblecreek mystery quilt last year I could not resist joining in on the mystery for this year.  These are the first 4 blocks.  What is it about 6 inch blocks - so irresistible :0) 

Happy Quilting!!

a new old project

We've been away - without internet even for a whole 7 days and we survived!  So, there was time to sew :0)

 

I wanted an easy prep applique project to bring along and remembered my intension to get back to this project.  I started it at retreat in March of 2014.  It is a Kim Diehl pattern from the 2014 April issue of Fons and Porter magazine.  I posted about it here.  Anyway I started the project in Kim's machine applique method but now have switched to hand applique which I love.  This is my newly appliqued block. 

 I lay it next to the machine appliqued blocks from a couple years ago and they look okay together.  I will make some more blocks before I decide if I want to put both styles of applique into the same quilt. 

 What do you think?  Would you put hand appliqued blocks next to machine appliqued blocks (appliqued with invisible plastic thread) in the same quilt?  I really disliked doing the machine applique and I won't go back to it but it sure is a lot faster!

While we were away I also managed to make a Star-a-day block everyday :0)  I'm up to these 15 blocks now and I am considering aiming for 365.

They are amazingly portable to bring places which I really like but I don't think I'm getting any better at hand piecing yet.  Oh well, maybe in a 100 or so more stars...

Happy Quilting!!