Wednesday update

I'll spare you the details but things are all out of whack at one of my other paid jobs which means the sewing I had planned to do this weekend has been shuffled to evenings this week.

I've been working on my Jared Takes an Asian Wife. I am still stalling on choosing the center fabric (altho yellow seemed the winner, there was also interest in the green or a two color option as in my photo) until I get more parts done to lay it out on the floor for a real live look see :-)

I have the parts for the 4 all-red corner blocks done except for assembly with the center fabric.

I also have all the sections with black points done and I'm working on the rest of the red bits. Can you see that the red is directional? I cut enough red to do all the points, not yet knowing that I was going to use the black. I'm trying to work methodically enough to not do more red than necessary since time is of the essence: 23 days 20 hours 34 minutes and 51 seconds!

I also need to make a table runner for an upcoming class...I tried and tried to get more purples to play nice together for a scrappy look but finally went with just the one fabric. The paisley-ish fabric will either be down the center and on both sides:

Or I could put the wandering geese side by side and use the paisley-ish fabric just on the out-sides.

The 2 purples on the front are from the same line as the backing :)

HST with the Easy Angle

This is a table runner I made to teach half square triangles with the Easy Angle. I explained the math method (add 7/8") first and and then removing the papers from Thangles and then they were more than ready to learn how to use the ruler. LOL.

I didn't finish the runner, planning to also teach the pillowcase method of finishing a project but they already knew the method. Go figure. I'll just finish it up soon and take it back to the LQS so the next set of 101 students will sign up for 102. Now I need to come up with a 103 class. Any suggestions?

If you haven't picked up an Easy Angle, or the Companion Angle, I highly recommend them both. I probably use my Easy Angle at least once a week.




All y'all have random boxes on your floors for the cats, right?
This Swanson box is perfect for little Midgie to sit in.
=^..^=

another table runner

Seems like I've mostly been doing hexies lately to get ready for some classes and other projects. I wanted to save them for the Hexie Linky Party tomorrow (!) so I'll share another table runner I made recently.

These are sew quick to make and get quilted that I really could whip up a few more of these. They are made from 3 FQs and heaven knows I have lots of those around here somewhere     :^)

A day off!

I had yesterday off. I was supposed to go to a ceremony at Cordelia A. Green Library (I'm a trustee/secretary) where we were supposed to be presented a hefty check from our local Senator - but he cancelled his trip :^(

Instead I spent the day sewing and quilting!!!! Here's just a smidge of what I accomplished...

You will remember from Monday that I quickly pieced this runner over the weekend...I also decided to keep the quilting simple as it's for the Christmas Bazaar and less quilting means it's cheaper and therefore more likely to sell. I've had this FQ bundle for quite some time. It's pretty but turns out it's not good quality and I'm happy to have finally found a use for it.

I had a few pieces left over so I put together a quick Twister mug rug. The blue is the backside of the runner.

I also quilted another runner, again very simply.

It was good to have a day at home and I feel that I got a lot accomplished, even if I didn't show it all here.

Did you know that it's almost Missy's Birthday??!! Hop on over to her blog where she is having a Giveaway at the end of this week - don't miss out!

Design Wall Monday - 9/24/12

I whipped up this little table runner over the weekend based on a pattern handed out during our last Guild meeting. I am not sure of the original source as the pattern was typed on a computer but had hand drawn diagrams.

The front is made from just 3 fat quarters.

Sew 5.5", 2.5" and 7.5" strips together. Make 2 sets.

Subcut the strip sets into 4.5" units for a total of 8 units.

Rotate 4 of them 180 degrees and sew them together. Trim the ends to a point.

That was easy!

Arrowhead Tablerunner

The picture is a little dark because it was so sunny out this morning ... a good problem to have!

A quick little table runner I've put together.

It's made with 3 full and 1 disassembled Anita's Arrowhead blocks. I'll do the ends different next time so I don't have to frog stitch so much.

I have the same floral fabric for the backing and I have a green for binding. This and maybe another will be finished for Christmas Bazaars.





Everyone has Matchbox cars on their windowsills, right?!

Night & Day table runner

Mom and Dad are going on a trip and Mom purchased two of my table runners - one as a wedding gift and the other as a hostess gift. I have no idea which is which but, of course, one wasn't quilted when she decided she wanted it, in fact it had been sitting for quite some time while I ruminated about how to quilt it. I had already quilted random straight lines in the border and needed something to match so when I reviewed the pattern book (Night & Day by Eleanor Burns) I found just what I needed: double swirls and more straight lines in the stars.

I know these are pretty washed out but they show the texture pretty well. There isn't a lot of value difference in the green and purple batiks so I would choose different fabrics next time but I still like this runner.

You can see on the "front" pic to the left that I am still working on the binding. I went back to my fav method with 2" strips and sewing it down by hand with an applique type stitch.

And so, let it be Christmas gift making time...

You guys are never, and I mean never, gonna guess what I am making for Mom's christmas gift. Ok, so you guessed it was a runner cuz she seems to get one every year and I used to be the Runner Queen but you'll never guess the pattern. Come on give it a good try. Can't guess, can ya?! I thought so!

Remember those graduated FQ packs from Cherrywood that I got in Houston?

Well, I finally cut into the Madagascar set last night (yeh, I know, only 23 days 11 hours 54 minutes and 5 seconds until Christmas but I am also the Queen of Last Minute) and, wait for it, wait, have you figured it out?, started working on 2" hexies!! LOL - you knew that right?! I hope so.

 

Yeh, I was sew excited to #1 cut into them and #2 make hexies that the pic is out of focus


 The original idea came from this runner I found online which only uses one hexie of each fabric pattern.

I had planned to lay out the fabrics like the following picture but in reviewing the original runner, it appears that the color actually comes out of the corner. ie one block in the corner is purple, the next row is 2 purples, the next is 3 purples and then you move on to color blue. I do think that will look better than my original plan but I plan to make all the hexies and then lay them out before picking a design.

I was able to get the first 2 colors made into hexies last night while watching DVDs so I don't think this will take too long to accomplish...yeh right, you don't want to hear the list of to do's but it might get done on time :)

Design Wall Monday - 9/12/11

Not sew much to share today...finished a table runner top. I'm thinking green for the back because it's my fav color and really the most prevalent color in the border fabric, but also because that red on the front is so in your face... I am thinking the border fabric will also be the binding fabric.

I attached another diamond to the hexie quilt. I'll be camping at the end of the month so I hope to relax and get a lot of hexies sewn then.

Fat Cats and veggies, oh my

On Saturday I worked at the LQS. Being a holiday weekend there were a few slumps which gave me time to look around the store and find stuff to try not to buy. I actually resisted buying anything other than what I needed for a pillowcase until about 4:30. That last half hour was a killer because I ran across this fabric and just couldn't pass it up again.

I also caved on a new pattern I had been eyeing that used the "new" Fat Cat ruler. But look how much I've already got done...

I just need to finish the gold sashing, add a gold inner border and then the veggie fabric becomes the outer border. There are actually 2 red fabrics versus 3 greens but it just screams red to me...

Yes Denise - I bought another ruler but no, I haven't made the list yet :(

Secret Sister Gift

Tonight is the big reveal for our quilt guild's secret sister program. The reveal will be made at our annual picnic & I'm just hoping it's not quite so hot by 6pm.

Since April we have been sneaking small gifts to our guild meetings to be distributed to our SS. This is our final month and each participating person was supposed to make potholders, placemats or a table runner as our final gift.

I was told that my SS likes green - I hope she likes this shade of green because I used my charm pack tumbler ruler to cut out greens and neutrals - a wonderful ruler that works with charms or strips. I backed it with a red and green butterfly print.

I used the envelope method instead of binding (saved binding all those crazy angles) and quilted 1/4" on both sides of every seam. A very easy finish to what I think is a great little runner.

One Word Wednesday

Tumblers!!!!

Design Wall Monday

Chaos - that's the only word I can think of to describe this mess...it is organized tho!

From the left on the wall:

• a kitty panel on the bottom - waiting for inspiration
• Tumbler table runner - waiting for time to piece it
• Tumbler flag - top is put together and I have purchased backing. I know how I want to quilt it and I know that I want to keep the angled edges which means it has a "tucked in" edge that is edge stitched and no binding. Any recommendations on the best way to do this? I am guessing sew the three layers around edges and then turn right side out but do you quilt before or after that?
• 2 more civil war blocks completed yesterday
• 3 dresden plate mug rugs that need quilting and binding
• Several hexie diamonds that I have started stitching together with the black sashing
• The angel panel has been there a year and a half - I like to look at her but have no plans to do anything with her yet. Anyone have ideas?
• Top right is a border design that has also been there ages. I don't like it very much and that's why it's still there and I'm sticking to it...

On the table:

• The white baskets have a pieced border I am working on.
• One green basket is leftovers from a "camping" tablerunner I made for Mom and Dad's new camper - they need to be trimmed and put away. Actually I have enough to make a second runner.
• The next two green baskets are bits that need to be trimmed and selvages that need to be put in their box
• The stack of blue fat quarters on the cutting mat are for another Civil War block
• The bag of Snickers is what keeps me sane. Not really. Ok, maybe.

UFO Thursday

For this month's UFO Project, Judy chose #1. For me, this means I need to finish quilting and bind Michele's table runner. I really like this runner and it was super easy to make - I'd even like to make another. But when Michele said she wanted to buy it when I only had part of the quilting done, I kinda froze. What if I chose a free motion design and then she didn't like it any more? There are lots of designs I would like to do but I was having trouble narrowing down the options. (Please don't ask me to make descisions, EVER, on anything.) Then I found Leah's 365 days of free motion designs. Loved it but PURE overload.



You can see that I did tiny pebbles in the pink border. That outside border really is more green - I wanted to quilt that and the center, leaving the neutral blocks without any quilting.  I think I even already made the binding for this. Just need to decide on the quilting pattern. That is 9/10ths of the problem, actually quilting and binding will be a breeze.

I've got a busy weekend ahead so I don't know when I'll get to this. Will let you know ASAP...

Forgetfulness

While showering this morning I had an idea for something to post...and promptly forgot as soon as the water was turned off. I wandered the quilt room but just couldn't remind myself what it was.

Desperate for something, I thought I might add this runner picture. I mean, it's oh sew different from the last time I posted about this runner and yet, not at all where I need to be with it. I've got the blanket stitching done - now it's time for free motion. My fav part!

I could really use some uninterrupted time in the quilt room. I've got a good book to listen to; I just need the time. 2 late night rescue calls in the last 3 days, 2 meetings, a dinner date, a run to the not-so-LQS, and 2 trips to Mom and Dad's to perform CPR on their computer don't make for a productive week.

Then I came across this little bugger. The pot is a leftover from fall pansies and I had dumped the birdseed on top when I cleaned out and filled all the feeders last weekend. I was really hoping the Cardinals or ground feeders would find it.

I have about 4 squirrels in the yard - this one is normal, one is missing an eye, another has only about 1 inch of his tail left and the other, that I saw for the first time this morning in my big feeder, was a little red squirrel. I used to shoosh them out of the feeders but it takes too much energy. That and it's more fun to watch Cali run from window to window to see what the bugger is doing and where he went when she scared him off.

When I was about to put my coat on and run out the door, I remembered my original idea. Too late for meaningful pictures, I did pull it out so that I'll remember it next time. OK, twist my arm for a hint - it should help me with that runner pictured above. Taking that picture should have reminded me but it didn't. hmm....

Design Wall Monday - 2/28/11

First, those of us at the ATEP** are happy to report that we are making considerable progress at CasaGrande.

Second, there is a house rule that there will be no white rooms (I've lived in too many white rentals), so this is just primer and within a week, the walls will be 'Colorado Springs' blue with an accent wall of a darker blue. The baseboards and window trim will remain white. The wall to the left of this picture while host a 4x6' USA map with map pins for all the places I visit(ed). Can't wait to get the map up there and remember all those trips.

On the quilting front, I am working up this little table runner and wall hanging using zigZapps. I'm still working out the design for the wall hanging (on the left side pf the photo) but both pieces will look great in my dining room. You can see with the partial runner on the right that I am working on trapunto for the leaves and flowers. I need to do some more trimming and free motion quilting on those pieces tonight and then hopefully get it sandwiched and quilted by week's end.

**Alliance To Eradicate Pink

Design Wall Monday - 1/17/2011

Bronchitis knocks the wind out of you…really, it feels like you can’t breath and the hacking to get the crap out of your lungs is no fun either so once I got home Friday night and got into my comfy pjs – that’s how I stayed until dinner time on Sunday. I can’t remember the last 2-full-day-weekend that I just did what I want when I wanted: sewing and reading and sleeping in and staying up late. Be sure to check out my other post today to see why I really wanted to do “nothing” all weekend!

Friday night I hit the LQS after work and came home to dinner and time in front of the boob tube. Saturday morning the sewing marathon began. I won’t show pictures of everything so I have some fodder to talk about later this week but this is what I accomplished over the weekend:

1. Remember the pink alert? I finished 6 little treat bags for my tea party that got postponed until next weekend.

2. The center of my t-shirt quilt (UFO #6) is finished but I didn’t have enough border fabric so I’ll have to go back to the LQS. Will post more on Thursday…

3. Remember DWM last week with the experimental windmill runner? I finished the top but I think it leans towards failure. I just don’t care for it although I am sure someone else will. It was a good study to see how a row of all of the same fabric charms works - maybe that is the problem: one row might have worked but not the black and cream rows. It will be a good sample for class but I won’t do another with rows. I like 2 fabrics, but not rows. I am not sure if I will bind it in the brown or the cream color...leaning towards the cream to pull it in more (it does match the wheat fabric).

4. I finished the last 2 green and cream Turning 4-T blocks. This was supposed to be for my b-day so I’ll work on it some more tonight. I am designing this quilt myself and it’s turning into a design as you go kinda thing so I have to decide how I want to proceed. I’ve only changed it 3 or 4 times so far.

5. I also worked on 2 sections of my Roll Roll Cotton Boll blocks…will post more another day….

For Murph

Hi Murph - these are the table runners that I have available...runners are grouped by (increasing) price and I have a few closeups if you want me add any. For reference, the table is 42 x 71" and the first section of table is 30" if you can see the line across the table.

Design Wall Monday - 11/8/2010

Woohoo! School tax collection is pretty much over – just piddly little changes and boxing everything up when we are sure it’s done. This means that I can get back to sewing more and posting more!

The best news is that we now have a truly LQS - The Quilter's Daughter - it’s just a couple miles from my office and while that can be trouble, it also means that I can teach quilting classes to offset most of my purchases!! They are working on their website but I will post it as soon as it’s online.

My first class will be in a couple weeks on making the windmill table runners that I am addicted to. In January I’ll be making a table topper. Did you notice the same trend I did??!! Someone called me the tablerunner queen and it seems to continue...

I started by making these 4 blue and purple blocks from a pattern in the latest Quiltmaker magazine just to see how easy the pattern was. They are sewwww easy and just 2 FQs! Claudia saw them and wanted me to teach a class so I’ll be adding a flange with the dark purple pictured and a scalloped border of the dark blue. It will finish around 25” square. To make sure that we could complete all or most of the topper in a 3 hour class, I have started a second one and I’m timing myself. The colors seem to have more contrast at home so I hope that contrast eventually transfers to the final product, if not in the pictures.

Then, at a recent quilt show I found this fireman fabric. Really, who could resist and I only bought a yard. I’m making these red white and blue blocks and will somehow fashion those blocks around the fireman. I had originally thought of putting them on the back but that’s no fun. And no, I’m not cutting them up – they will serve as a “panel.” This baby is for my bed  ;)

Again?!

Yup - another windmill table runner.

These things are addictive because it's so easy to slap together a charm pack with a 3" border and then use the spiffy template to cut apart the units and sew them back together. I cut and apart and resewed this one the last 2 mornings before work.

For this holiday charm pack, I pieced all the darks into the center with a light border. I already have the lights pieced with a dark border - just need to cut them apart and sew back together. Golly, that does need a better name.

What I can't decide (and yeh I have 3 or 4 tops done and another in the works) is how to quilt them and I am open to suggestions. This one screams spirals thanks to the ornament design in the border. I've thought of straight lines for the others but the seams don't really line up for something like that.