Watch Out for Turbulence!

Well, I canceled my trip to Indianapolis, I was to fly through Washington, DC (coming home on Tuesday). The thought of sitting in an airport for days, with no power, nope, just couldn't do it! I'm a wuss! So I took this time and did a little FMQ on my Expanding Possibilities.

Maybe the thought of turbulence was on my mind when I stitched this out, but I'm quite pleased with the effect.

Back of the quilt

back of one of the birds

In life we all meet a little turbulence, we just need to learn to rise above or go around, but continue to expand our possibilities. I still have quite a bit more to quilt on this quilt, but I'm making progress.

I hope that everyone is prepared and staying safe if you are in the path of hurricane Sandy! Keep Calm and Quilt on!

Today, I'm linking up with Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday and Plum and June for Let's Get Acquainted.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Choo Choo Chugging Along

I love it when I finish a project that has been hanging around just a little too long. My fabulous grandson T has a birthday coming up this month and I love to being able to give him a little something I made.

The front was a Sew Cal Gal FMQ Challenge for May

The back

I love the buttons - all three are different!

I'm hoping that this will appeal to a very hip, cool, four year old. No baby stuff for this boy!

How can you not love that face?!?!?!

I'm linking up with Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday, Plum and June for Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop, A Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday and Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Backed Up, Ready to Baste!

.....Well almost, I need some batting. But I did get the back to my Wonky/Improv quilt done. I may like it better than the top.

I continued with a little wonkiness on the back. I really like just the one row that breaks up the two different batiks. Speaking of the two different batiks, I needed a little bit more batik fabric and of course couldn't find more of the same batik fabric I used on the top part of the back. I had an opportunity to stop in a Quilt Shop and found the bottom fabric, with nothing to go on but my memory . I think I did pretty good.

Anyway, I think this will make a great back for this quilt.

Ugh, I have to go back to work today. I really love my job, but my mini staycation was pretty wonderful.

I'll be linking up with Manic Monday at Sew Happy Geek and Plum and June for Get Acquainted Mondays

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

P.S. My Blogiversary Giveaway is still open until 9:00 p.m. (EDT) tonight, if you would like to enter for a chance to win 2 charm packs of Piccadilly.

Good to Go!

I want to thank everyone who told me they were having problems getting onto my site. I had a blog on my blog list that appears to be having malware problems. I removed them from my blog list, which appears to have done the trick. My site was never infected and is safe (checked Google Safe Browsing). Thanks Janine (Rainbow Hare Quilts) and Gramma Quilter (All The Pretty Pieces)!!!!!

Now on to Quilty stuff! I started quilting my Urban Nine Patch quilt. FUN!

Done quilting the center, now working on the edges.

Trying to keep the quilting kind of linear! Okay with a few circles thrown in for good measure.

Detail in the center of the block

Detail of the edges of the block

More quilting detail.

The quilting is going pretty quickly. I think it's going to look really cool after it is washed.

I'm linking up with Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday, Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday and Plum and June for the Blog Hop (check out the awesome giveaway)

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Parts into Blocks

Summer has started at the lake, which makes it difficult to do a lot sewing. But I did get a little bit done this weekend, I worked on my Urban Nine Patch. I got all of the parts trimmed to size and started sewing the parts into blocks and the blocks into rows.

Urban Nine Patch - Parts on the left, blocks sewn together on the right

3 blocks, plus an additional outer row of curved pieces - I think it completes the block

Really pleased with how well everything is lining up.

I would love to think I could finish this top tonight, but I'm leaving for four days for a conference, so I'm not sure I will.

I will be away for a few days, I'm not sure how much blogging I will be able to do. I am planning on stopping at a few quilt shops on the way, love that part of the trip!

 I'm linking up with A Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Storybook Borders

I so want to finish my Storybook quilt in time for the Spring 2012 Bloggers Quilt Festival. It's "story" is wanting to be told. So this weekend, I got one more step on the path to completion. I FMQ the borders and I'm quite pleased with the outcome.

I started by drawing out some ideas in my sketch book.

I decided they needed a little dimension

For the corners, I just enlarged the figure.

I was surprised how even I was able to keep them without marking the quilt.

I thought this design for the border went well with the spirals on the rest of the quilt.

So now I just have to trim and bind. I think I'm going to hand stitch the binding down, so I best get to it.

Linking up today with Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday.




Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Playing Catch Up!

How did I get so far behind? Haven't I been stitching right along??? I am two rows behind on my Quokka Quilts QAYGFMQQAL - 10 blocks! So my goal this week is to catch up!

All of the blocks are now basted

Front

Back

 I got all of the blocks basted yesterday, but only one quilted. Well, I did spread 3 yds (big trailer full) of mulch, planted 2 new shrubs and moved 2 perennials! AHHH, gotta love spring!

I'm linking up with Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday.




Color Me Quilty!

Pat

All Things are Possible!

Even snow in April! A week ago it was 90 degrees (F), Friday it was 80 degrees (F)! This morning SNOW!

But it just goes to show all things are possible. Saturday I posted about my friend Tereska's "Vintage" wonky quilt blocks that she made when she was a kid. I wasn't sure we could make them into a quilt, but press them, trim them, and sew them we did!

Block trimmings. We did add a funky little border to those blocks that trimmed up to be a little small

Tereska decided to go with a fresh green sashing.

I kind of like the wonky little blocks with additional trim

We were able to get all the block pressed, trimmed, small blocks bordered and the first two rows together. What teamwork from Tereska, Kate and myself! Hopefully, Tereska now has the momentum to continue on. I think this "vintage" quilt was modern before modern was in!

So today I'm linking up with Manic Monday at Sew Happy Geek and Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge!

 

 

Color Me (and my friends) Quilty!

 

Pat

A Little Creativity in Blocking My Wholecloth Mini Quilt!

Phew, finally finished microstippling my wholecloth mini!

Microstippling almost became hypnotic after a while.

After I finished quilting my little wholecloth quilt, I needed to soak and block it. Leah Day makes it look so easy, which it probably is if you have the simple tools/equipment/facilities she had to do it. The first thing I didn't have was a bathtub. I know that sounds odd, but this was my husbands house before he met me and we have three nice showers, but no tubs. So I soaked it in the kitchen sink, it worked! Second thing, I didn't have, elastic. And since I live in the middle of nowhere, I just didn't feel like driving to get some. So my DH came up with a board and clamps, not pretty, but I think it's working.

So tonight, on to trimming and binding! I think that should be pretty straight forward.

I'm linking up today with Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday!




Color Me Quilty!

Pat

QAYGFMQQAL Row 4

Well my Quilt As You Go Free Motion Quilting Quilt A Long (QAYGFMQQAL) is coming right along. Row 4 is now complete! Although I'm still a little short because my rows are an extra block long, I have all of the blocks Laura from Quokka Quilts has set out for us to complete.

A little McTavishing

Waves

Rose and leaves

Tree

Cone Flower

18 Blocks out of 30 are now quilted!

I'm really quite pleased with how this quilt is coming together! Can't wait to see what Laura has in store for us next!

Today I'm linking up with Quokka Quilts for QAYGFMQQAL Row 4, Canoe Ridge for Sew Modern Monday and Sew Happy Geek for Manic Monday!

Color Me Quilty!

Pat