A Little of This, A Little of That...WIP Wednesday

August is sometimes a hard month for me to focus on my quilting. Summer is so short here. But, I did accomplish a few things this week.

I was recently talking to a cousin about making potholders to practice free motion quilting. I realized that I hadn't made any in quite a while and I would love something to play with a little FMQ. Here's one I whipped up last night. I even found some left over binding to use.  I used Insul-Bright and Warm & Natural batting. I trimmed it to 9" x 9".

Front

Back

This is similar to some I made a few years back (click here).

I also started and finished a new purse for myself. I designed it around some cool buttons I got from Joyful Adornments. Click here to see my post on this purse.

I still have a list a mile long, but fall is coming! 

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!

 

Here are this week's stats:
In-process: (6)
Express Your Love
Humphrey's New Bed
Mod Ovals Quilt
Pantone Quilt 2014
IMQG Block Swap
VFW Scrap Fabric Quilt
 
New projects: (1) 
FMQ Potholders

Finished (1)
Quilty Purse

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

All Buttoned and Zipped Up!

My old purse is looking a little shabby. Not surprising really, I made it a year and a half ago. So I decided it was time to make a new one. I have a pattern by Lazy Girl Designs called the City Bag. I have made it a few time (here, here and here), I really like this pattern.

One of the best parts of this bag are the buttons and zipper pull, aren't they WONDERFUL! They are handmade out of glass. My friend Bonnie Scott of Joyful Adornments makes them. You really should check out her website, she has so much more than just buttons.

A Spool Pull, how great is that!

 The inside of the bag has lots of pockets and there is a covered base (a piece of balsa wood cut to size) and sewn in to the bottom.

I chose this bag because it is quite large, perfect to take to a conference I have coming up in September.

I'm linking up with TGIFF, Link-A-Finish Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop and Finish It Up Friday


Color Me Quilty!

Pat 

Fresh Sewing Day July!

Happy Summer! I love summer, but it really pulls me away from my machine. So many family picnics and time at the beach. I've even learned to make homemade ice cream, yum! But that's not why you visit my blog, you want to know if I've done any sewing this month.

Only four projects this month, dominated by working on my Urban Nine Patch quilt.

(Blocks are numbered in rows, Row 1 - blocks 1-5, Row 2 - blocks 6-9, Row 3 - blocks 10-12)

Blocks 1, 4, 11 are from my Sew Cal Gal's FMQ Challenge for June
Blocks 2, 6, 9, 10 are my Urban Nine Patch
Block 3 is my new quilty purse
Blocks 5, 7, 12 are from a tutorial on quilt painting for Quilty Embellishment Day (QED).

Of course I'm linking up with the lovely Lynne at Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day July!

Color Me Quilty!


Pat

WIPed Out

I've been quilting my guts out, trying to finish FMQ my Urban Nine Patch baby quilt. I have three quarters of it done.

But alas, foiled by running out of thread!

Now my question for Leah this week, is not about our homework, but about FMQ straight lines and distances. Longarm quilters can quilt long sweeping lines and have them smooth and flowing, but I find even an 8" line for me is a bit wobbly (the outside curved stitch lines, in the picture, are about 8").

I find I have to stop in the middle and readjust, which leaves them wobbly. So my question is: Are there FMQ designs that are better left to longarm quilters and others that are better suited to domestic machine FMQ quilters? Is there an optimal size to the design? I've noticed that a lot of your designs are smaller fillers, but I've also seen some of your work with feathers that are quite large scale. While I realize that practice will help smooth out some of my line work, are there tricks to getting really smooth lines or am I better off going for an "organic (read wobbly)" look and staying with smaller designs? As always Leah, thank you for all of your help and support - You ROCK!

On to my homework, which I started, but didn't quite finish it.

Shot cottons and tan quilters linen

Wonky squares of the shot cotton on my design wall.

It's going to be a fun quilt to make and FMQ! Hopefully I will have a little bit of time next week to get it together.

The only other project on work on this week, was the purse that I started last week. And it's done! Woohoo a finish!

The stats this week:
In-process: (8)
Urban Nine Patch - FLMQG solids challenge crib quilt (3/4quilted)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs borders, backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (basted, now to be quilted)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
Quokka Quilts QAYGFMQQAL quilt (All 30 blocks are quilted, need to join and bind)
Geneva Public Library quilt - join and quilt (maybe make a block or two to even it out)
Sew Cal Gal's March FMQ Challenge - Need to bind.
Sew Cal Gal's April FMQ Challenge - Need to make into a pillow.
Sew Cal Gal's May FMQ Challenge - Need to make into a pillow

New projects: (1)
Wonky squares

Finished (1)
Quilty Purse

I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday!

How cool is it to report on a new WIP on Wednesday and finish it up on Friday! Woohoo, I finished my new quilty purse.

Width is 10" at the top and 12" at the bottom. It's about 11" tall with 15" handles.

This is my own pattern, which I have made before, but this time I put in a zipper. I have to say, I really struggled with that. There must be an easier method to install a zipper than I used.

the purse is lined in a fun bright orange with coordinating pockets

The purse is about 2" deep at the bottom

The purse went together pretty quickly (except for the struggle with the zipper). I think I will have to make this a few more times to work out the kinks!

I'm linking up with TGIFF today at Pretty Bobbins! Do hop over and check out what everyone has finished up this week!




Color Me Quilty!

Pat

WIPping It Up!

Phew, it's going to be a hot one today. Already nice and humid. Luckily I can put the A/C on in my sewing room.

Our homework from Leah this week was one of my favorite to stitch. But I didn't have a quilt to stitch in on, so I decided to whip up a quilty purse. (Everyone needs a summer purse) The loopy line is the perfect design for the body of the purse.

I used a plum colored Isacord thread that blends nicely with the body of the purse. 

I 

Back of the purse body. There is no backing material. I will be lining the purse.

I didn't have a backing on the purse body, I will use a lining to cover up the batting/interfacing. I like that the Surpreme Slider makes it easy to FMQ without a backing. It just slides along. I am amazed at how fast I stitched this design. I had my machine "wide open" and "petal to the metal" while stitching it. It was FUN!!!!

My question for Leah today is:  Although it probably isn't common to FMQ without a backing, how do you hide your thread tails. Do you just pull them to the back?

The only other thing I have to report on this week is my Urban Nine Patch, woohoo, I got it basted.

I can't wait to start quilting this baby! I plan on quilting it like Jenny did on her Urban Nine Patch.

The stats this week:
In-process: (8)
Urban Nine Patch - FLMQG solids challenge crib quilt (basted)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs borders, backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (basted, now to be quilted)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
Quokka Quilts QAYGFMQQAL quilt (All 30 blocks are quilted, need to join and bind)
Geneva Public Library quilt - join and quilt (maybe make a block or two to even it out)
Sew Cal Gal's March FMQ Challenge - Need to bind.
Sew Cal Gal's April FMQ Challenge - Need to make into a pillow.
Sew Cal Gal's May FMQ Challenge - Need to make into a pillow

New projects: (1)
Quilty Purse

Finished (0)
 
I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Time for a New Quilty Purse

Last year I made several quilty purses and got kind of burned out on them, but I think it's time to make myself a new one.

I thought this fabric combo was nice and summery!

I like the size of this purse for summer.

This is a pattern I developed last December for this purse. Although, this time I'm trying out a new batting (actually it's an interface).

It's thick for interfacing (thin for batting) and is quite firm/stiff.

I think this will help the purse to hold its shape without being to thick and bulky.

I'm linking up with A Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday.




Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Try New Things (TNT) Thursday: Thick Foamy Batting (Vera Bradley Style)

I missed last week's TNT Thursday, which made me very sad. I LOVE experimenting with new things. Sew, I had to try something new this week, a new thick foamy batting to make bags, purses, iPad covers, etc.

I purchased this batting at Sew Creative in Fairport, NY. This store may look small on the outside, but it's mighty on the inside!

 

This is the purse in my giveaway (click here if you want to enter to win it. Open to entries until 12/16/11 at 8:00 p.m.) I used this batting in this purse.

The batting is just shy of a 1/4" thick and has a foamy middle covered with fabric on both sides.

I will be adding a lining, but I just quilted it with the top layer of fabric.

iPad cover (W.I.P.)

The batting adds a tremendous amount of body to the project.

The batting isn't hard to work with, a bit thick, but it gives you great results. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the batting. If I find out, I will update this post.    UPDATE: The batting is called "Soft and Stable" and Sew Creative appears to be the only local store carrying it!


I'm linking up with the wonderful Melissa at Happy Quilting for Try New Things (TNT) Thursday.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat