now we're getting somewhere!

So, it's taken me a long time, but I'm finally done putting this top together!  I apologize for the poor pictures, but I wanted to get something up here to share.  

I added some trees scattered in around, and lots of stars... I got better at the stars after a few tries, but I put the really weird ones in anyway just to show the progress!  I'm really hoping to play around with the quilting here too... so who knows when I'll finish it - definitely not before January is up!!  I also am not sure what backing material I'm going to use... I had high hopes of putting my words on the back around the edge.  I was going to do "though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide, it's a small small world."  But I'm aware that that's pretty ambitious!! 

 

And yes... I think that's some baby spit up right there!!  

Ta-da!

As they say in French, "finis!" Thanks to Tonya for getting me going by hosting this 'class'!!!

"Aloha" is done!
and heading out for donation to JDRF.
I have plenty more photos on my blog and in my flickr album.

Bloom is Blooming!

My project for the class is complete. Bloom. I struggled with the quilting and have ripped it out twice, but that's ok. First I tried free motion flowers (really took away from the composition of the piece), then I tried echo quilting. Very honestly I got lost in the echoes and couldn't fill the white space in a way that added to the piece. I did this with a setting on my mom's machine. It required a bit of ripping too, but once I got the hang of it, it went pretty well. I love the texture that it provides without distracting from the nifty free piecing.

The sign of a great class and a great teacher is when you actually learn something. I did. Thanks Tonya and thanks classmates! Your support has made all the difference.
I'm pretty happy to go find the perfect wall to display it.

Finally Sewed a Seam!

I let so many other things take precedence over this project - things for other people mostly. I guess it was easier to put off something for ME.

I've had the "plan" almost from the start, but yesterday was the first day I actually played with fabric. (I know! How sad is that??)

I started by counting how many of what letters I needed:


Then I drew out the approximate shape of the letters I wanted/needed so there would be some sort of map (however crude) when I began cutting and sewing. I dug through my stacks of scraps cut into strips. I have a piece of print fabric I'm using as the color palette, so from my scraps I found blacks and greens and a cranberry. There's room for a federal blue and coffee brown, too, but I didn't have those scraps.

So, starting with "a", I began piecing. The first letter took some thought, but I referred to my map and didn't think too much (that's a biggie with me!). I used scissors, not a rotary cutter just so that I could stay away from the temptation to measure everything out to some sort of specifications. I did use the rotary cutter afterward to square up the block.

After the first block, I was able to chain piece the remaining a's. Each block is a little different and definitely an individual learning experience. I'm off to make 6 "e" blocks this afternoon, but I'm sure I'll go even farther than that. These are FUN!

2nd block...

I posted this on my blog but not here. I am busy working on a few other projects - one due the end of this month. I need to use that deadline for this project as well.

I really don't know why when I love making these blocks so much I do not dedicate the time to work on them! Making the letters still, for me, is very labor intensive- both in the time it takes and my learning curve.

I just need to ignore a few other things and keep playing with the words I want for this project!

I'm making it up as I go along!!!!

Well, I set up my french doors (one of the entrances into my sewing room) with a piece of batting hanging down and have started laying out my blocks.

So this block...

and this block...

added to these blocks...
and starting to connect the blocks...

to here ....

Making it up as I go along and seeing where it leads me to (hopefully a finished quilt by next week!!!)

Phew! It's been awhile..

...since I posted but I have been working on my Hawaiian themed free pieced quilt (with bits of machine applique to help). It is freeeeeeezing outside so it is a good diversion to be thinking warm thoughts!




I have been diligently adding photos to my flickr set when I finish a block but I am not sure how many more blocks to add. I am under extreme pressure to have this done in just over a week.

Can I do it???????!!!!!!!!

Procrastination No More

I'm Finally binding the "Get Well Soon" Quilt! Yippeee!

I had put the top together so fast, had it ready to go, hand quilted half of it out, when I thought that I had forgotten to wash the RED corduroy... I then put this project on the shelf, because picking it apart, unpinning etc. was just to much for me to think about.

Then I thought about NOT using the corduroy because this corduroy was much stiffer then what I had used in the past. In past quilts I have used BIG wide soft corduroy, which makes for such a snugly blanket, it's glorious.
This was a tighter weave and the only red I could find, so I went with it.


This was a bit stiff and it hurt my fingers to hand quilt. But I was inspired by my own childhood "sick quilt" made of red corduroy, so it was a must to use on this.

As you can see above. I DID, rip out all the hand stitching, and started over machine quilting it.

I am SO HAPPY I did. It was fun to do, and since it's been washed again, Its so snuggly, my daughter was trying to sleep with it last night and I didn't even have the binding on it yet...


I'm so a Glad I did this project. Thanks Tonya, for this opportunity!
I might not have ever made it...otherwise.

I love it.

bloom

Hi! Jacquie here. My first goal for the new year is to tackle ufo's from 2008. So, I'm back in class and making progress. My project is a vase with log cabin flowers. It started with this vase. I added more to the opening as Tonya suggested to make it easier to piece in the stems.
Then came piecing in the flowers. Here's where I got stuck and and finally after reading Tonya's suggestion and studying her diagram I was able to piece in the flowers and stems. I really wanted three flowers, but after hours of drawing and sewing and ripping I settled for two.
Then I tackled some letters. b l o o m. Can you read it? I didn't get them as "free" as I wanted. They are a bit straight for me. I think I was concentrating so hard on the piecing I forgot about making them wonkier.
So here it is. "bloom". It's 19" x 38". Definitely bigger than I was planning. Well, I didn't REALLY have a plan. I do think it's fun and whimsical and will make a nice wall hanging. My only disappointment is that the background fabric is just cheap, thin, muslin. I started this as an experiment, never thinking it would be a piece I would love. The backing will be Alexander Henry's beach stripe and I haven't chosen a binding yet. Maybe polka dots?

The question I have for you is how would you quilt this? I really don't want to mess it up. Any ideas would be appreciated. It's been fun catching up on all your projects. Lots of very cool stuff! I'll look for your ideas and hopefully be back soon with a finish.

Proceeding at a snail's pace (Updated)

I'm quilting about 3 quilts at the same time, depending on my mood, but I thought I'd let you see what I did on my houses quilt yesterday.






Wooo hooo - I think someone's quilting is getting better!

Is that better? For some reason when I upload via Picasa the photos disappear.

Finished Mini

I knew this would be a crazy busy time of year, so when I went into this with simple in mind. This is my little simple house contribution.

Finished - Amanda at scrandasmusings

At last, my Home is Where the Heart is quilt is finished. It's been my first attempt at free piecing and wonky letters and was great fun to do. I've hand quilted it using big embroidery stitches and perle cotton and although it looks a bit wonky in the photograph I'm convincing myself that it's just because it's been folded up for a while! I've got a few other things to get on with now, but will certainly make another quilt in this style in due course - there's still lots of blank wall space to be filled!