A Snowy Design Wall Monday-Monday, March 13

We have received a significant amount of snow in the last 18 hours.  The start of 2017 has been dry and February was down right warm.  We ended up with about 5" of snow since last night.  It doesn't look like it will last too long.

The lake is looking cold and frigid.  Momma goose has been working on her nest, but she isn't sitting yet, good thing.

The geese are just a little out of their element.  They were hanging out by the road and look funny walking through the snow.  One of them has ice hanging from the beak.

We will see what this weather does for DH's trip to DC.  He was scheduled to leave this morning....his flight was canceled.  He has another flight tomorrow morning.  I think he will drive to Chicago today and drive home tomorrow.  No one will cancel anything yet.

Here is the design wall this morning. The center applique needs to be trimmed down yet.  I think some peachy leaf "things"might still be added to the center area.  The rest is together.  The body of the quilt has an inner border of white and you can see the dark burgundy going for the outer border.  The outer green is actually the quilt hanging in the sewing room acting as a design wall at the moment.  That is not part of the quilt.  The fabric below is the outer border.  All of the fabric above was found in the sew room....the print below was a visit to the LQS on Saturday.  It has been washed and cut.  The binding is done......hopefully it will make it to the machine Tuesday or Wednesday.

MJJR has an indoor track meet about 1hour away.  Lola and I are heading off to watch.  This is the first year MJJR has gone out for track.  She caught her spikes on her first race....tore all the skin off her hip and forearm.  Needed to spot treat the jersey.  Hopefully tonight will be less eventful.  She didn't wear her spikes after her spill last week and she has yet to practice in them due to weather conditions.  Maybe she can work on it before her races today.

Linking up the Judy L. and Oh Scrap!

Happy Quilting,

Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday November 14th

Yesterday the finishes to the top was put on the Quilt of Valor quilt I have been working on.  It will go on the long arm tomorrow.  I will show a picture soon.  It is for my step-dad.  Currently it is a surprise.  He is no way will read this.  If mom has it up on her computer, I don't want him to see a picture....he might ask whose quilt.

So, today...picked up the parts and pieces left behind from the Quilt of Valor and started a baby quilt for a neighbor.   The leftovers fit together well.  Her husband is a veteran. They are having a boy.  She has been on bed rest for the last couple months. It might be a quick pattern, but I hope it is just what they need.

YouTube videos have become much of my daily entertainment.  Most of us know of the Missouri Star Quilt Company.  The videos have great instruction and loads of ideas for pre-cuts.  (My  pre-cuts often come from just cutting up scraps.)  Lessons on machine quilting, knitting, applique, and even how to clean the carburetor on your tractor.  DH husband loves to watch all the different things too. 

My newest find is the Strip (2 1/2" inch fabric) Club from Cozy Quilt Designs outside of San Diego.  Many of these patterns can be found in your LQS.  Daniela Stout and her mother work together to bring a new pattern each month based on a jelly roll.  Daniela is a hoot to watch.  Just Love Her Humor.   There is usually 2 quilts in different colors to compare.  Sometimes the audience brings in the quilts that were made from last months pattern.  These patterns make it look hard but not be hard.  Right up my alley. 

This is the start of the Cozy Quilt Designs pattern Blurred Lines.  I estimated on the sizes of the yellow strips.  These sizes aren't given on the videos, however, most of the smaller yellow strips were left from the QOV.  That is how the smaller size was chosen--mine was 1 1/8"--yep really.  The larger yellow strip was cut at 1 3/4".  The sashing and inner border will be white.  The outer border.....Blue or Red.  Will have to see what jumps out of the stash.   Which would you go with? 

Check out other Design Walls at Patchwork Times and Making Monday and Cooking Up Quilts

Just Another Quilter

Monday's Design Wall Scraps

Next Month I am the featured speaker at a local guild.  I have done some speaking and teaching over the years....but it still makes me a little nervous.  The topic is "Using Your Scraps and Stash".  I love to take the leftovers and make something beautiful.  Inspiration usually comes from on-line photos. 

Scrap quilts usually begin with choosing a unit and a size.  This scrap design began by having leftovers from 2" nine patches.  Many of the strips had a useable chunk of fabric left at the end.  By connecting the chunks together and picking a size.....1 1/4" x 2" the light and dark sides developed into these units.  You can see the brown was added to have them flip flop back and forth.

TheUpsandDownsofQuilting.blogspot.com

These rows will be added to a brown stash fabric.  Applique will be added to the brown sections.  The blue is the bias.  Some flowers and leaves will be added.

TheUpsandDownsofQuilting.blogspot.com

 Always the challenge....is there enough brown.  A border fabric to surround the whole thing to round out the quilt.  Check and see how long this takes.  Deadline...30 days.

I am linking up with Judy L's Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times
and with Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Heading to the Machine Now!!
Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday

I am hoping to turn over a new leaf for 2016.  This blog has taken a back seat to life.  This isn't always a bad thing, but I am hoping to spur on some quilt finishes this year.

The design wall is full of possibilities.  Goal for this quilt:  to be finished by the first Tuesday of February.  That is our quilt guild meeting.  Most of it is done.  It won't take long to finish up.  I am hoping to get it on the long arm soon.

It is based on an idea from the web.  Possibly Angel Pingel's Cut to Pieces.  I love her book "A Quilter's Mixology".  It "seams" like I came across a cool quilt from somewhere on her site, maybe pictures from a class.  That was my inspiration for this quilt.  Our guild swapped 5" square pastel/light batiks in 2015.  This quilt just goes together great using these 5" squares as the main area of the quilt.  The leafs let me use the Accuquilt Drunkards Path Dye.  The design wall is a little small for the current size.  Stop back and let's see if I can hit that deadline. I am imagining a small dark border surrounded by another round of light squares.  Opinions please.

I am linking up with Judy L. "The Patchwork Times"-Design Wall Monday.  Go see what others are up too.

Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday-November 10th

The latest endeavor into the 5" squares....
  We exchanged 5" black/dark grey squares back in July.  Often I need a little time to make some decisions.  This time the inspiration came from a quick quilt another guild member made and an idea that keeps popping into the creative ways.



My original plan was to end at the black border.  The quilt would measure about 50" x 50".  It would be an appropriate size for a donation quilt to Margaret's Hope Chest.  I have donated to this group before.  There are other quilts in the pipeline and I would like to make the donation to Margaret's Hope Chest in February.  Sooo there is time.
NOW......this quilt could be sent along with another quilt to 2 beautiful great nieces for Christmas.  If a border print is added the quilts will be the same size.  Check out the other quilt, a torquoise beauty here.

Which fabric do you like?  I am leaning toward the dots on the left side...which are different from the bottom.  Or shall I call it good and save it for February?

Both nieces are not yet school age....and DH did some early Christmas shopping so the Long Arm (yes, he wore me down and I finally agreed) arrives tomorrow.  !!!   EEK!  That means it shouldn't be too bad to get another top together.  The 5" exchange this month was pastel.  These would make a great uplifting quilt for Margaret's Hope Chest.

Linking up to Judy L.'s Patchwork Times.  Check out more Design Walls.

Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday—April 7, 2014

The quilting is done on the Spring Flower Quilt that was made in honor of our sewing friend Elaine.  Today the edges will be trimmed and the binding attached.  We meet on Thursday.

We had our 5" fabric exchange last week.  Look at all the variety.  The category-Neutrals- will work great in a quilt.  This is half of the stack.  These have a plan.  Let's see how long it takes.

The portable design wall is looking new.  This started as a 2 Cake Layer, Tonga Batiks, that DH brought home from a trip.  These were the leftovers after making the "Batik Brown Quilt" for my  nephew.  These were brighter and more flowery in appearance.  This pattern is adapted from Anasazi Medallion Quilt from the Moda Bake Shop.

The more permanent design wall located in the sew room….nothing has changed.

Check out more Design Walls  at Judy L. 's Patchwork Times. 

Happy Sewing,

Just Another Quilter

A Little Quilting going on!

Our Sit-n-Sew group has been working on a project for the one of our founding members.  The quilt will be donated to the local hospice where our quilting friend passed away.  I have scoured the internet and my bible looking for the scripture verse hospice refers to in their practice giving comfort in the form of a quilt during passing.  I found many great verses about covering the body, but am unfamiliar with which verse precisely it is.  Do any of you know?  I didn't want to call hospice.  Help please.

Our whole group has been working on this quilt.  We are now at the quilting stage.  I volunteered to do the quilting.

All of the blocks are done now.  

Each block has the same quilting.  The pattern allows you to move from block to block by stitching in the ditch to the next block.  You can just see on the left how the peach and blue triangles interact.  See the butterfly type design. 

The 2 sides of the applique border are done.  Not much left.  Hopefully it will be finished by Wednesday. 

The 1st week of the month is always busy around here.  Guild meeting is tomorrow.  The 5" Inch square exchange is tomorrow.  Just a little nervous about it all going smoothly.

Next little bit of nervous energy….my first piano lesson is in 2 hours.  "Love" you are my inspiration.  My girls have taken lessons over the years, and I have played around with what they learned.  My typing is better that my playing.  I am hoping that I can get these hands to hit more than one key at a time.

Stop over to Design Wall Monday to see what others are working on.  Judy always hosts a great Linky Party.  Ooops, no Linky party yet.  I will add the link when if it pops up.

Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday 1/20/14

On the wall today, the same blocks as last time.

This project has another block ready to sew together.

These blocks from 5" squares are all together now (old picture)….just waiting for some black to be cut for the spacing.


The Juki TL98E needs a tune up.  Just waiting 10 more minutes until the store opens.  I love this machine.  It has an phenomenal stitch.  Both piecing and free motion quilting is a dream.
The Brother Embroidery machine is dusted off and ready to work.  Did some test samples last night.  If the Juki is slow to return…something will still get done.

Here is what will get done. My goal this month was to finish something.  The half square triangles in this project were a leader and ender project 2 years ago.  The body of the quilt was put together just before a class for a similar quilt.  Borders were added and it was layered in December.

 

I thought that the brown thread would highlight the stars well, then changed my mind--what is your opinion?  I have to rip no matter what.  How does this flowery star come about you ask?  A few years back a quilting buddy wouldn't let me borrow her template.  Now I know why, she wasn't willing to part with it at all.  It is hard to find on line.  Here, the arc center was positioned and traced to the edge, then a nice wiggly line returns the quilt line back to the center.  Repeat.  My motto—look hard not be hard!DH found me my own on the internet.  This template is versatile by allowing you to pick the appropriate curve and make mirror image curves just to name a few.  This is the template used to achieve the Dahlia quilting found here.

Now stop over to Patchwork Times and check out more design boards.

Design Wall Monday 1/6/14

I can’t believe that it is 2014!  After finishing Quilter’s Scrapbook, a previously put away project came back out. 

This has been a leader and ender project during 2013.  I enjoy pulling out fabric, making a mess of the stash and sewing these blocks up.  They go together so fast.  This will stay on the sewing wall for awhile.

About 1 week after finishing Quilter’s Scrapbook my guild called.  They were in need of a chair for our 5” square exchange.  Newly retired, I said yes.  If you are in charge, you get to pick the swap details, right.  It was suggested to help with interest to show uses for the 5” squares.  Here is my first try.  The blacks have been in my stash for awhile & the batiks DH found on a business trip.  Gotta love a hubby that has great taste in fabric. 

There is enough fabric to finish the current row & end with a row of 2 of the top blocks.  A tutorial will be coming, I snapped pics yesterday.  The design layouts with this block are great.  It has at least all the flexibility of the log cabin block. 

Hope you are warm…we are in the deep freeze.  Lola went back to school a day early to avoid driving through the 12”, yes 1 foot, of snow expected at college.  We ended up with at least 6”.  MJJR now has her driving permit.  DH & her went out yesterday to practice in the snow. 

Stop over to Judy L.'s to look at more design walls.

Just Another Quilter

December 9th-Design Wall Monday

The Quilter’s Scrapbook is coming along nicely.  The blocks are done and the white is cut.  Sashing is getting pinned on.  The blue is picked out.  The accent fabric has narrowed to 2 fabrics. 
The green in the top of the photo or the peach down in the bottom.  Either piece will look nice.  I have votes for both.  The color is pretty close in the photo…the blue is just slightly darker.


The green has a little more warmth than the picture and the blue is darker below.

Please vote for which one you like.  Tomorrow is probably the day for cutting the accent color.

Please stop over and see other Design Wall’s at Judy L.’s Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

Canuck Quilter was looking for someone to test her new pattern “The Quilter’s Scrapbook” before it goes on sale.  This design is awesome with great sashing around simple postage stamp blocks.   I volunteered to take the pattern for a test run. 
My design wall is on my thread holder right now.  There are 1200 small 1 1/2” squares to make up all those postage stamp blocks.  This has been great to get some of the smaller scraps out of the stash.  My scrap project in the past was working with 1 1/4” x 2” scraps.  So as I am cutting up and sewing for “The Quilter’s Scrapbook”, I have also been cutting the leftovers for my other project.  If the scraps can’t fit into one of these projects then it IS garbage.

Each of these piles is a block for “The Quilter’s Scrapbook”.   My piles currently count at 9, only 3 more blocks…300 more 1 1/2” squares.  Each stack of fabrics tend to have similar fabrics in them, so I want to make sure that all the stacks are done before sewing the strips together.  If those loud fabrics aren’t evenly distributed it might be noticeable.  Some of the later squares have been leftovers from Lola’s college quilt, these additions are LOUD.
In other news, the benefit for my former co-worker went great last night.  The profit was over $7000 and the quilt went to another co-worker.  She really wanted the quilt and bid $300 right off the bat.  She won and is planning on redecorating her room to go with the quilt.  It is so nice for the quilt to go to a home where it will be loved. 
Today I pick up the Christmas Traditions quilt.  It needs a label before Saturday.
Stop over and see other design walls at Judy L.’s Patchwork Times.
Just Another Quilter

A Little Charity Work

One of the things that I want to achieve with the new schedule of no work…more charitable activities.

Here is this years Christmas Traditions Quilt.  Traditions is 3 weeks away and this is the earliest we have ever finished the quilt.








Our guild supplies 1000 doll quilts each years to the different local organizations.  Here are a few that just needed quilting.  It is a great chance for me to work on my free motion quilting and some more to be finished before the end of the year.





Here is my work for the day.....The picture does not do justice to these beautiful intense batiks.  These are great plums, lavenders and eggplants.     
This gorgeous 1600 quilt a friend/coworker made and is going to a benefit for another coworker.  She has had several strokes and is young with a family.  The benefit includes trivia night and auction items and is scheduled for November 30th, so I better get to it.
Stop over to Judy L's. That Patchwork Times and check out the other design walls. 
Have a Good One….
Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday

I really enjoy looking at Design Wall around the world. A few weeks ago mine looked very similar to one in Louisiana. Though I still have borders to put on the quilt, I have set it aside. The borders will be cut probably today. The pinning and sewing will occur at retreat in 10 days!!

Judy at The Patchwork Times can show you all the links for today.

After talking to the LQS, I get to teach a class. I have taught before, but never at a LQS for paying customers. With the support from all of you, I'm going to try. Here is my first attempt at a block that I wanted to teach. It is 3-D, not paper pieced and not so bad with all the little bias edges. After reading the directions again (oops-probably should have read them good the first time) I decided that I wanted to add the outside of the circle before sewing the whole thing together. Since I need more practice before I cut into the real fabric (LQS set it aside), I am trying again. Here is what I did yesterday.

I now need to square up the quadrants and insert the dark brown w/ polka dots. Give me luck. Today the girls went to school (it was questionable) even with a big snow last night. The driveway is done but I am not sure with the packed down spots I can make it up the drive if I go out. That is too bad. Must I stay home and sew. ;)

Design Wall Monday!

After AllPeopleQuilt.com changed their blogs I moved my blog over here. I have recently found the Design Wall Mondays at http://www.patchworktimes.com/ by Judy L.

After lurking for a couple weeks, I thought it was time to make a contribution.

My developing "leaders and enders" project is at a standstill. I am hoping to hit the LQS this morning to see if I can find more of the dark brown. That is all I have. I am going to replace the turquoise with the dark brown. Because of the smooth fabric, everything keeps falling off! UGH! So that part is alittle disheveled. I am hoping for the old farm look, but if you don't have the turquoise 1/2 squares in there, you can't see the pattern.



The other project that I am working on is the "Wedge Works II" pattern by Cherly Phillips. It is time to step outside my comfort zone and teach a class at a LQS. This is an older book and is a 3 dimensional block with not much more than stitching the wedges together. Here is my sample before I cut into the real fabric. And below is the real fabric.















Can't wait to get started on the real thing. Still can't figure out what I am going to do with the sample. I can tell you that the brown stripe for the center points is nothing but skinny little strips. I could not even get the last triangle out of it, one of those points has a seam running almost through the middle.

Hope to see you next week.

Just Another Quilter