Sewing - finally

Sometimes you just need to take a break from "real" work and sit down at your sewing machine. That's what I did for 45 minutes and and it felt so good! It's been a hot minute since I've been able to just sit and sew here at home. I did sew while I was in VA, and I'll share pictures sometime, but it's been a long time since I've done any sewing here at home.  

Imagine that...I'm sewing red, white, and blue fabrics.  LOL

I always have patriotic fabrics out for QOV projects and these were just sitting on the table so I decided to use them. I'm simply sewing some strips today and making my sub-cuts, but soon (a very relative term!) I will be putting pieces on the wall and sewing blocks and rows. 

I've got to get back to computer work, but I hope to share pictures before I leave for four days away from home. Please though...don't hold your breath. You may just pass out before I post again.  LOL

A Few Projects

It's been a while since I've posted, but that does not mean I haven't been busy and sewing. Right now, I'm working on my Cozy Cabin quilt from Modernly Morgan. She is having a Quilt Along and I'm happy with my process.

I am using the leftover fabric from my Homespun quilt, another Modernly Morgan pattern. I hosted a Sew Along for that pattern and made three different variations. All three of these quilts were made using the same initial blocks. It is in the layout of those blocks that you create completely different looks.

One of the original Homespun quilts has already been gifted. Bailey likes her quilt and the crazy ice cream she chose as her birthday treat.

I finished four quilt tops for Myra Barnes of Busy Hands Quilts, but I have to get those pictures together and will share those in another post.  I'm also working on a couple other "secret sewing" projects and can't share those yet, but I am staying busy.

What are you working on today?

Design Wall Monday

I decided to toss some of the leader/ender blocks that I've been making onto the design wall this morning. I just wanted to play a little, rather than sew. 

I joined the Border Creek Station 2020 Stash Buster Challenge at the beginning of the year and I've been enjoying the process. I'm using my scraps/smallish pieces of red, white, and cream fabrics to make 8" blocks (there are instructions to make three sizes). My hope is to make enough blocks to create three Quilts of Valor. I typically don't use the same pattern to make the QOVs that I award in any given year, but since the layout options are very plentiful for this block, I decided to go ahead and do it.

This is not necessarily the layout that I will use. I am just playing today. I'll update with pictures when I'm putting tops together.

Yesterday, I share a picture of my version of the Christmas Cactus Table Topper.  

I also mentioned that I made four additional blocks and was finishing up with my borders to create an 86" square quilt. I did finish that and attempted to get some pictures. Of course the wind did not want to cooperate...

 

I'm choosing to believe that the wind wanted me to visualize what the quilt will look like on our bed.  :-) 

I'm very pleased with the quilt. Now to get it quilted and bound before next Christmas.

I am continuing to make masks, work on some UFOs, sketch some new designs, and quilt the many tops that I have in my "tub of shame."

What is on your design wall today?

To help inspire you or just check out some 

Quilter's Eye Candy, go to 

Beth's Monday Making

and 

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 

From Leader/Ender to Main Project

I love it when a leader/ender projects moves from that to the main project. It feels like progress to me.  :-)

On New Year's Eve, Pat Sloan started her Traffic Jam Quilt Along. I already had a bunch of correct-size pieces left from various projects, so I decided to jump in and sew along with the group - sort of...

I've got lots of projects on which I'm working, but I always need something simple to use as a leader/ender project; and making simple, scrappy, blue four patch units was perfect. 

 
I really didn't think about how I was placing the squares. The only "rules" were that they had to contrast at least a little and no two same fabric squares would be used in the four patch. I didn't care if there was only one "light" and the rest were dark or medium. I just want a bit of contrast between the value and or design. 

Here's a few of the 100 four patch units I needed to make. I've adjusted the pattern layout from Pat's version so that I can use the quilt as a Quilt of Valor.

I am working on a pattern test for Rachel Rossi and these four patch units were perfect as leader/enders. Yippee! 

All 100 four patch units are made and since I'm at a stand still for the pattern test (an adjustment is being made and I have to wait for more info), I've started to make the Traffic Jam blocks. (It's not like I have nothing else on which to work, but I decided using up these scraps were like finishing a UFO. That's logical, right?)

I already had most of the light corner pieces cut, but I needed a few more so I trimmed down some charm pack leftovers that had made their way to the scrap drawer.  

You can see that I printed Pat's Traffic Jam pattern and made my version change notes right on it. It looks like scribble, but I understand it.  :-)  

With this progress, it's time to start another leader/ender project so I'm adding triangles to charm squares. I'll be making 42 square in a square blocks that will have two alternating triangle fabrics. 

What I find quite exciting about this new leader/ender project is that these fabrics have been packed away for quite some time and I know exactly when and where I bought them. I am using the three fabrics on the right side of this very bad picture. The two on the left were used a long time ago.  :-)

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that these were purchased during one of our annual sisters' weekend back in 2012. I had an idea for how I was going to use them when I bought them; but I decided against that plan and just set the fabrics aside - until now.

Just like the four patches, it's a simple sewing step, so this project will be ready to become the main feature pretty quickly too.  

Broken Panes QAL

I'm thrilled to be joining Jen over at Patterns by Jen for the Broken Panes Quilt Along.

When I first saw a picture of this quilt, I knew that I wanted to make it. There's something just really fun about this quilt!

I was really happy when Jen put out a request for a few bloggers to participate in the QAL and she picked me to be one of them. Yay!!

Here's the schedule Jen has put together for us:

Schedule

May 14th - Fabric Prep
May 21st - Needles and Rotary Cutters
May 28th - Bobbins and Thread June 4th - Cutting
June 11 - Sewing strips and sub - cutting
June 18 - Sewing week
June 25 - Sewing blocks together
July 2nd - Piecing top
July 9 - Quilting prep
July 16 - Sewing/basting week
July 23 - Quilting
July 30 - Finishing touches

August 13 - Some sort of quilt link up or something to show the finished tops (either fully pieced or fully quilted)

*********************************

I'll be making the 57" x 82" version, and here are the fabrics I've chosen.

Yep! I'm making a patriotic version. I plan to use this as a Quilt of Valor project and am sure that it'll look great. My fabrics are shown from left to right in the order that they appear in the fabric requirements on the pattern. I've swapped the blue star fabric for the red, the gold stars for the orange, the white swirl for the green, dark blue for the blue, and the red for the teal. 

There's still time to join the fun.

Go to Jen's blog to find out where to get the pattern and check out the information she has provided on choosing and prepping your fabric. 

Design Wall Monday

It appears that I am in the "one post a week" mode lately. I guess that's ok, since my sewing time has really been limited recently. 

I finished this quilt from last week...

I added two more rows, so it measures approximately 56" x 69" now and I'm happy with that. 

Where's the picture, you ask? It has not been taken, of course. I took it off the design wall and had intentions of taking it outside for pictures but it was sprinkling a little so I set it aside. Life happened, and no picture was taken. That will be done later this week (I hope!).

Why didn't I just put it back on the wall to take a picture?  

While I was sewing this quilt and the one before it, I was making Quilt of Valor Log Cabin blocks as a leader/ender project. As I completed the blocks, I was putting them up on the wall to play around with the layout. 

Here's what I decided...

I have the final five blocks complete now, but they need pressed before I can put them up on the wall. We have a few appointments today and then I've got to finish prepping for some upcoming classes and trips, so I'm not sure when I'll get back to this. It's so close and shouldn't take long to finish when I get a chance to sew.

I'm happy to have this quilt top almost done. I'm behind on the number of QOV's that I make each year, and it feels good to be catching up with them. I've got another one cut and ready to use as a leader/ender project, so that should help be get back on track. I need to take a look to see what I have so I can get backing fabrics ready. Once that's done, I just need to quilt them. Easy, peasy, right? :-)   

What are you working on today?

Check out the Quilter's Eye Candy at

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and

Beth's Monday Making  

Design Wall Monday

Last week was quite busy, but I did finish the top I showed last Monday. I added eight blocks to make this finish approximately 64" x 82" - a good Quilts of Valor size.  

I decided to add the extra blocks rather than border this to make it fit the QOV size requirements mostly because I had enough background fabric to do it, and because I didn't really know what I would use for a border. 

I'm going to try to get this quilted and ready for binding today or tomorrow so because I always like to be working on a QOV on July 4th. (I try to do the same thing on Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day too.) I'm thinking about binding this in gold, but we'll see after it's quilted.

I also took some time to put together these Six Hexie Placemats. I still need to quilt and bind these, but that will be easy.

I used the Cut Loose Press Set of 6 Hexie Placemats pattern by Gudrun Erla (GE Designs). It's an easy project to make and since I'll be teaching this project in the Fall, I decided to make mine out of Christmas fabric - Red Dot...Green Dash by Me & My Sister Designs. 

I'm hoping to spend a little more time sewing this week, but we'll see. I feel like I need to  mix things up a bit and step away from the computer work and spend some time fondling fabric. I think I'll go start now!

What are you working on today?

Check out the Quilters' Eye Candy at 

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and 

Beth's Monday Making

Design Wall Monday

Annie and I are off to teach an umbrella workshop today, so this post will be short and sweet.

In an attempt to get caught up on work, I've been dong a little sewing on a lot of different projects. While doing that, I use the leader/ender method a lot and love that I can actually be working on two projects at the same time.  

Here's the latest leader/ender blocks that I'm making and so far, I like what I'm seeing. 

I like the big blocks here and the boldness of them. I'm using all the same background, but each print is different. I'm not sure yet if I'll make more blocks or it I'll add sashing. I have the three blocks on the bottom to finish before I have to make that decision.

Of course, this will be a Quilts of Valor, so I'll have to play with sizes to determine what will work and look the best. 

What are you working on today?

Check out the eye candy at

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and

Beth's Monday Making

Design Wall Monday

I've been away from home so my quilting time has been greatly limited. I do however, have a few quilts on which I'm working. I've got to finish a couple more Quilts of Valor before the presentation November 10, so that's what I've been trying to get done.

Here's a modified Trip Around the World. I'm auditioning borders that will be added to the top and bottom only so I can have it the correct size.

I generally do not make two of the same quilts that will be presented on the same day. I really want to be sure that each recipient gets something unique. With that being said, we will be presenting 12 quilt this year and I knew that my schedule would make it challenging for me to get all the quilts made. So, I decided to make two disappearing nine patches because I know from experience how different they can look based on fabric choices and turning of the blocks. 

Here's one that is ready the have the blocks sewn together. I used a variety of blues in this quilt, including some left overs that I had from the American Honor challenge. 

This one is ready for quilting. The layout is identical to the quilt above. I simply swapped the light and blue fabrics. What do you think? Do you agree with me that they look different enough to present on the same day?  

What are you working on today?

Check out the quilting eye candy at

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 

and 

Beth's Monday Making

New Year!

My blogging hiatus is over and the New Year is starting out beautifully.

I am not a resolution-making kind of gal, but I do like to make goals, especially quilting goals. I may (and frequently do) change those goals, but I still tend to make them. I have ten people for whom I want to make a Quilt of Valor in 2017. I do not have to have these done until November, but I would like to get a head start on them because I know others will be needed as well. With that in mind, I have two of those quilts in the binding stage and one that is ready for quilting.

 

I also have two quilts in the piecing stage - not QOVs. I'm using the leader/ender method of piecing them, and I know that I'm going to love both of these quilts. There might actually be three quilts here. I have enough of the one set of blocks to create one large quilt or two smaller ones. I'm leaning more toward the two smaller ones because all of these quilts are intended for donation.

The scrappy nine patch blocks that I'm piecing are going to be used in a variation of Pat Sloan's Stitched pattern. It's these blocks that I've made extra.  

In the first picture you can see the two 5" charm squares being sewn together. Those are part of a Disappearing Nine Patch quilt that features the Monkey Tales fabric line. It's going to be pretty darn cute!

What are you working on today?

Check out Judy L's Patchwork Times

and

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday

I have been busy!

While finishing the QOV projects for Friday's presentation, I packed up a bunch of kits so I'd have them ready at the spur of the moment.

I started working on one of those kits and because it was so easy, I finished the top last night.

I've got backing fabric ready for this as well as the binding. WooHoo! I think I'll go ahead and get it quilted and bound right away so I have QOVs ready as soon as they are needed.

I worked on this in between grading essays today. Trust me, I needed the break.  :-)

I've got to get busy thinking about upcoming classes. Any ideas? What new and exciting patterns have you seen lately that would make a great class?

Check out what other quilters have on their design walls today.

Go to Judy L's Patchwork Times

and

Monday Making

A Quickie

I sure hope you didn't expect anything vulgar from that post title.  hehehehe

After Friday's QOV presentation, one of the recipients told me that he was going to give his quilt to his dad, who is a WWII veteran. While we talked, he told me that his did is wheelchair bound and
loves to sit and just enjoy the people around him and life in general. I decided that I could not let the recipient give up his quilt, so I told him that I would make a quick lap quilt in the appropriate size for his dad. He said that I didn't have to do that, but I insisted. I used a one-yard cut of Star & Stripes by Deborah Edwards for Stonehenge and did some quick straight line quilting. It's bound and ready to go. I'll make a proper QOV soon for the dad, but this will work in the mean time.

Friday's presentation depleted my patriotic/QOV stockpile so I started a couple of new ones. I'd already had them kitted up so it was easy to just pick up and sew. It has been a good break from grading papers this weekend.

I'll post pictures tomorrow of what I've completed.