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Sunday, December 14, 2014

Sunday Update

I had another good sewing day. Yesterday was commencement, so all of my semester work is done. Yeah.

Star Surround is still on the long arm. I apparently lost concentration. I had tear out some circles when I went down the wrong path. Oops.

It is coming along, but I have almost run out of my magnetic bobbins. I need to get more in order to get this project finished.

Thanks for stopping by.


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Long Arming the Star Surround

Students love to procrastinate. Today is the last day for them to submit work for the semester. I was all caught up as of 10 am, so anything that is submitted now can freaking wait. Procrastination on their part does not make an emergency on my part.

I spent most of the day at the long arm working on Star Surround.
I am working my way across the whole quilt so I remain consistent. These blocks are huge. I have to roll the quilt back and forth in order to quilt SID around the edge of the block.
I spend a lot of time thinking and thinking. I don't want to quilt something that I will just end up ripping out. I am second guessing my choice of thread, but I am NOT ripping it out.

Linking up today at Anything Goes Mondays (button on right).

Thanks for stopping by.


Saturday, December 6, 2014

2014 Designer Mystery BOM

I had some blissful time to sew today. This happens all too seldom lately. I finished block #6 of the 2014 Designer Mystery BOM. Just in time...I have received the email announcing that #7 is on its way.
Here are all six blocks arranged on my design wall.
I know I say this every time, but I really love this fabric.

Linking up with BOM's Away Monday (button on right).

Thanks for stopping by.


Monday, December 1, 2014

Rabbit, Rabbit!

December 1st. I can't believe all of the Cyber Monday emails I am getting. Thanksgiving was great. Little Missy loved her apron and had a great time making the gingerbread house. She also loved the Lori Holt Row Along quilt that was on her bed. I gifted it to her and added that to the label on the back. She took it home with her, all folded up inside the matching pillowcase. They drove back to Michigan yesterday.

Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Weekend Sewing Accomplishment

I confess. I used sewing as a means of avoidance. I just couldn't face grading student work, so I avoided it and spent some time sewing. Little Missy is coming from Michigan to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. I wanted to get a couple things ready before she comes.

First, I made a pillowcase to go with my Lori Holt Row Along Quilt.
I bought some white flannel and used leftovers from this scrappy quilt. I used the tutorial found here. Little Missy is coming for Thanksgiving Weekend, so I wanted to have something special waiting for her.

One special event we have planned for Thanksgiving Weekend is to make a gingerbread house. Little Missy is really looking forward to it. We did this last year and she is really looking forward to doing this again. I made a reversible apron for her to wear when we make our gingerbread house.

I don't have a pattern for it. I just made it up. I found two dishtowels at my local craft store and made them into a reversible apron.
I made this into a very adjustable apron.
The ties can be adjusted as desired and then tied. This apron will grow with her.
Here is the back side. I wanted to find a less holidayish fabric, but at this time of year, this is the best I could do. I guess I'll just have to make a different one for Little Missy to use at other times of the year.

Thanks for stopping by.





Saturday, November 8, 2014

Quilting Star Surround

I had another great sewing day. I spent nine hours at the quilting machine. Last week, I loaded the backing and top of Star Surround. Today I put the batting on and started quilting.


I didn't begin with the stars; rather, I started with the background squares. I want to emphasize the negative background.

I decided to use gray thread. I know, I know. It is very unforgiving to use a contrasting thread, but I decided that I didn't want to change colors. When I laid the thread out across the top, this is the one I liked best against the Kona charcoal. I didn't want to use a yellow or a white on the charcoal.

I hope to have a lot of sewing time again tomorrow. I am linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday found here.

Thanks for stopping by.


Monday, November 3, 2014

Tooth Fairy Pillow

I completed the Tooth Fairy Pillow kit that I got from Fat Quarter Shop. Grandson has lost two teeth, so I had better get this in the mail.
I am thinking about doing a girly version for Little Missy. I wonder if I will be able to find some of that mermaid fabric that was so popular a couple years ago. I don't know the name of it. Can anyone help me with the name of that fabric line so I can search for it?

Thanks for stopping by.



Sunday, November 2, 2014

2014 Designer Mystery BOM

I have finished the fifth block in the 2014 Designer Mystery BOM from Fat Quarter Shop.

This one was designed by Minick and Simpson. Cute block. Here are all five blocks that have been sent so far.
I love this fabric.

Thanks for stopping by.


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Another Flimsy for 2014

Rabbit, Rabbit. It is the first of November. Another month has gone by.

I had a great sewing day today. I got the Vice Versa quilt top assembled.

This has now been added to my pile of finished tops waiting to be quilted. Tomorrow is another day.

I am linking up with Modern Tradition Quilts, found here and Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday, found here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Back to the Sewing Room

It has been soooo long since I have been able to sew. It really felt good to get back into my sewing room again. I am once again way behind on my BOM projects. I have the backing and batting for a couple completed tops, so those are waiting to be quilted. Oy. Time is just too scarce.

Today I worked on finishing up the Vice Versa BOM blocks. I now have them hung on the design wall. I need to look at them a bit before I actually start sewing them together.
So far, I think the colors are pretty well distributed. Can't wait to get back to it next weekend.
I am linking up with BOM's Away Mondays and Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday (links at right).

Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Another Flimsy

I haven't had much sewing time lately. Today, I finished assembling the Park Bench BOM into a flimsy.
The colors certainly don't show up well in this photo. Sorry, but my only camera is my iPhone.

Now I need to buy some backing fabric. I have been on a fabric diet for quite a while. I am only allowing myself to buy fabric if it is for a backing or a binding to finish off a quilt top. I have quite a few in my pile. Yeah. I get to fabric shop.

I am linking up with BOMs Away Monday (link on right).

Thanks for stopping by.


Monday, September 1, 2014

Park Bench Finishing Steps

Rabbit, Rabbit. It is the first day of another month. Yeah! We have all made it to another month. I will no longer lament about how time flies. It is something to be celebrated.

I have caught up with the Park Bench blocks. I finished both installment 7 blocks.

Here is the last installment of the Park Bench project. Block 8; just one block, not two.
Here are all 15 blocks on the design wall, ready to be put together.
Here is an interesting twist. It was fortunate that I was not all caught up with this project. I received an email from FQS that there were two corrections to the finishing instructions. How did that happen? Usually, I am on the wrong side of such occurrences. This time, it was a good thing that I didn't move ahead as soon as I got the fabrics. There were two corrections that needed to be noted in the instruction book. I have now cut all of the pieces to finish the quilt.
I hope to get to this soon. I have complained about having a 9-month contract, and work that never seemed to stop. I now have an 11-month contract and a REALLY steep learning curve. My real work is really interfering with my hobby. Such is life. Stop by again soon.

I am linking up with Anything Goes Mondays, Fresh Sewing Day, and BOM's Away Monday (Links on right).

Karen



Monday, August 18, 2014

BOM Block

I whined a couple posts ago that I am seriously behind in my BOM projects. I am working on four BOM projects currently and have gotten behind this month. On Sunday afternoon I was able to get this block finished.
This is block #3 in the 2014 Designer Mystery BOM from Fat Quarter Shop. This is the third Designer Mystery quilt series I have worked on from them. I really love this series. FQS always sends generous cuts of fabrics. I can always make something with the leftovers. Such fun.

Now I am only behind by four blocks in the other BOM's.

I am linking up with BOM's Away (button on right).

Thanks for stopping by.


Sunday, August 17, 2014

Row Along Quilt Finish

Another finish for 2014. I completed the Lori Holt Row Along quilt today. (Book with these patterns and more can be purchased here.) I sewed the quilt in 2013, but didn't get it finished until today.

I used an extra mitten block as the label. When I sewed the row, I decided that I had too much red in that row.  Instead of making a pillow (my first thought), I used it for the label.
I made a scrappy binding as Lori did in her quilt.

Quilt specs:
Hobbs 80/20 batting
Glide thread on top and bottom

I am linking this post with Fresh Fabric, Freemotion by the River and Freshly Pieced (links on right).


Row Along Finish

I finished the Row Along quilt today. (Pattern by Lori Holt can be purchased here.) I thought I would share a bit about the binding process. I ALWAYS look at my favorite binding tutorial from Deonn at Quiltscape, found here. Pay close attention to the direction of the binding when joining the two ends so you don't get it twisted. Ask me how I know. That is why I look at the tutorial each time I bind a quilt. I don't bind often enough to remember without looking.

I had an additional issue this time. I made a scrappy border because that is what Lori did. That means that there are lots of small lengths joined with diagonal seams. See what happened at this corner.

This seam allowance came right at the corner. I have a hard enough time making nice corners with binding. I certainly don't need extra bulk. What to do? I trimmed off 2" at the diagonal seam and resewed the diagonal seam.
That shortened the section before the corner and brought the diagonal seam well before the corner.
Ta dah! Actually this happened twice when I bound this quilt. The first time it didn't occur to me to take pictures. I hope this is helpful to someone.

Thanks for stopping by.



Saturday, August 16, 2014

Another Ready for Binding

I haven't been able to touch Lucey for two weeks. Today I finished quilting the Lori Holt Row Along quilt. It is now off the frame and waiting for binding.

 I took the quilt off the frame and turned it so I could have a full width sweep to fill the separator strips with double bubble. I used painter's tape to mark the spacing for the bubbles. I wasn't anal about it; I just didn't want to have a bunch of small or large spaces. After quilting each row, I moved the tape and marked the next with the air erasable marker.




 I really like the e's and l's that I used in the apple core blocks. It really looks like teeth marks in the core. Is that too gross?
 For the borders, I decided to use piano keys. I really like the straight lines as a contrast to all of the detailed quilting in the blocks.
 Here is a picture of the corner. I am really happy with how this turned out. I hardly had to fudge at all.
I have really gotten behind in my planned sewing times in August. I am working on 4 BOM's this year. I have five blocks that I have yet to complete as of this month. I was really doing well at keeping up until this month. First day of classes on Monday. Then I will get really busy. Oy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

On the Frame

The Lori Holt Row Along Quilt is on the frame.
I have once again put the quilt oriented with the top of the quilt on my right, and the bottom of the quilt on my left. I had to piece the backing, so I didn't want the seam to roll on itself on the backing bar. That is why I turned it.
Here is an example of how poor my color memory is. Do you see the backing on the far bar? That is the fabric I bought at the Quilt Box in June. I wrote about it here. I thought this would be the perfect match for the turquoise fabrics I used on the front. Take a look. Far from it. The backing has a creamy background and is a soft turquoise. The turquoise on the quilt front is very bright and the background is quite white. I should never buy fabric unless I have samples in hand. Oh well. It is just the back. I can live with it.

Thanks for stopping by,


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

I'm a Winner!

I actually won this before I went on vacation in May. I just haven't blogged about it until now. I won a $25 gift certificate courtesy of Canton Village Quilt Works from Sharon McConnell's blog at Color Girl Quilts.

So how did I spend my money? I bought the Polka Dot Bikini kit from CVQW. Here it is. All ready to be cut up and sewn.


You say you haven't heard of the Polka Dot Bikini quilt? How could that be? Take a look at this and this to see what I am talking about. The pattern was designed by Sharon McConnell and it was quilted by Jenny Pedigo from Sew Kind of Wonderful.

I fell in love with this quilt when I saw this. In my dreams, I will quilt it like that.

So many things to sew...so little time.

Thanks for stopping by.