about time for a post

Tomorrow the next block of Barbara Brackman's applique block of the month comes out.  I can't wait!  Since my last post I have completed 2 blocks.  Here is block #3 - it was a quick and easy block.

 And block #4 - a fun one with lots of berries.  I used dimes for starch prepping the berries which worked really well.

 Here are the first 4 blocks together.  They haven't been trimmed down yet so there's extra background in this picture.  With 5 more blocks to be released I want to wait a bit before deciding on what to do for borders.   

 I've made several more tree blocks.  Just 3 more to stitch and I've decided to set them with this wonderful green fabric.

 I actually ordered the green to use to set these 'star a day' stars but I think its perfect for the trees and I still have dozens more stars to make so another fabric will come along and be just right for the stars.  My star production is more like a star a week so there's lots of time...

 I received my Bird of Paradise quilt back from it's travels to Houston and Chicago.  The box and acid free tissue were just perfect for boxing up my Lily quilt which is making its way to Houston for the show this fall.  I was pretty pleased to have another quilt accepted.

 And the big news around here is that my DD#2 graduated from High school.  I am so proud of my beautiful and gracious daughter.  She plans to attend university next year here in Calgary and I'm so glad she's not moving away just yet. 

 

Happy Quilting!!

sticking at current projects

I haven't had much time to post but I have been sewing.  Nearly everyday progress is made on one or more projects. 

 These are all of my stars for my Star a Day quilt.  Kyle recently posted her finished star a day quilt on her blog Timeless Reflections  and I just love it.  I have to keep going on this if I want to make a quilt of any size.  So far I have 72 stars.

These 2 got stitched up last weekend.  

 

I finished block #7 for my Radical rose and Reel quilt. 

 

I made a few more tree blocks.  I will make 3 more and then figure out a setting for them. 

Yesterday I finished free motion quilting the blocks in this large quilt.  The straight lines in the sashing will go quickly I hope.  I have not figured out the quilting for the border yet.

More handquilted feathers happened too.  I'm almost all the way around.  I will be thrilled to get this quilt finished but the border background fill has to happen yet too. 
Progress is slow but finishes are on their way... eventually...  :0)

Happy Quilting!!

border begun

Finally I got started with the applique border for my signature quilt.  Designing my own applique seems to take forever. Happily there is no rush :0)  It's only been 7+ years since the signatures were signed...

 I've also made a few more stars recently for my star-a-day project.   The tin still isn't very full yet but I think this is a good summer project and summer is coming!  I saw my first robin yesterday :0)

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!!

little stars

The summer continues to fly by. I have sewn a few little stars here and there and tucked them away in this tin.  Right now it is sharing space with my leader/ender project of unbalanced 9 patches.  I'm over halfway with the 9 patches but not even 1/10th the way with these handpieced stars...  365 stars is A LOT!

 One day this tin will be full with just stars - right?  Today there are 31.
It seemed like a fun idea to play with setting fabric colors.  The Star a Day pattern has you put the stars together with a neutral for the alternate squares.  I think I want more color. 

Here's pink.

 And green.

 I kinda like this green :0)

 I will keep making stars for awhile before I decide.  I will try lots more options I'm sure.

Last week I biked from Canmore to Banff in the mountains with my oldest (taking the picture) and youngest daughters.  It was such a gorgeous day!  

I thought I'd sew some stars when we took breaks from cycling but I was too busy enjoying the view.

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!!

Happy 2016

It's been a busy year so far.  I haven't had time to show you the little toy that was under the tree for me this year.  I think it's adorable :0)  Its a Singer Model 20 toy sewing machine.  It is small and very lightweight in spite of being all metal.  It is a chainstitching machine so there is only thread on the top - no bobbin.  It is also a handcrank so I can now bring it with me and sew anytime and anywhere :0)  

 

I took it with me to my inlaw's over Christmas and worked on the little pieced border for this bird applique.  I didn't quite get it finished though.  After I came home I got busy with other things.  I need to get back to it.

 I've been working away on these Wheel of Fortune blocks.  I need one more I think for the layout I want to do.  I have not decided yet if I will make half blocks for the top and bottom.

 45 blocks makes a pretty good pile.

I'm really ready for a scrappier machine piecing project though! 

 

I think I'm getting a little better at making these Star-a-Day blocks.  While I don't love it yet I think I dislike it less :0)

They sure are cute.  I have a bunch more cut out now - they are a very good, portable project.  They could become a doll quilt - no one said I had to make 365 of them.   I certainly do not get one made per day - lol!

 

Happy Quilting!!

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!!