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….

Design Wall Monday - 1/2/1011

Welcome to 2011!!

There are a few older projects on my design wall this week. They are soooo last year (sorry but I couldn't resist). I finally finished the binding on this windmill runner. It was a Christmas gift for mom so it's about time. It just needs a good wash to get to the crinkly stage and then she can use it on her new dining room table. Like my freehand fans? They are catholic fans - we don't do baptist in our house ;^)

This little table topper is for a class I am teaching at my LQS. I bit the bullet and actually stitched feathers in the borders. I learned from Patsy's DVD series but this is the first time I have actually quilted them. I was very impressed with myself, especially since the border was so narrow and confining. Can't wait to let loose on a larger quilt with the feathers.

This is the other topper I made to time how long it would take for the class. If you remember from previous posts, the middle was very "smooshy" color-wise but I think the red flange and the blue border does actually bring the green fabric out. I need to quilt this and then I can use the new curved corner template my friend Liana sent me for Christmas. I can see it needs a good ironing before I quilt it...it's been folded for too long.

Finally, I did pull out the UFO I will be working on this month. Judy drew #6 and that is my t-shirt quilt. From a brief glance it doesn't look like it will take much to get the top together. I hope that really holds true. I am thinking that I will try to post weekly updates on Thursdays...

Oh BTW - our 5 minutes is up. Yesterday was 25 degrees and snowing and OHHHHH did it feel bitter after 2 days in the low 50s. This morning was 18 and I was outside in my pjs to start the car and get these photos. Not so bitter today.

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  ;)

Ketchup

Didja think I got lost? Nah…it’s just been a whirlwind of activities. Shall we go in reverse order? Thought so!

Last night I made Caribbean Peach Chutney. Not such a feat in and of itself but there’s this little heat wave going on so while I questioned my timing and mopped my brow, the peaches had to be used or tossed. It smells divine but didn’t make very much, hence too much headspace in the jars that I did get. You can also see the rest of my garden in the background – my 5 (!) tomatoes just ripened while the cherry tomatoes continue to produce. Any ideas on what I can do with them? The eggplants are tomato size and the next wave of purple peppers is starting to arrive. The sunflowers opened last week – I bet the tallest is close to 9 or 10 feet tall! The Glads are spent and I am determined to plant more of them next year.

Not much sewing has happened in the last two weeks. Working half days at my day job and then working the rest of the day at the fair left little time for anything else. It was easier to bring my tatting with me. Then I spent all of my “free time” last week pulling escrows (I’m the school tax collector) and we had internet viruses so I couldn’t have posted if I wanted to.

I did buy a FQ bundle of ‘Sew Chick’ by Bernatex from the Quilter’s Daughter booth at the Fair. We’ve all been greatly anticipating this store as it’s a couple miles from my office and supposed to open September 25th! Claudia says I’ll be working for fabric on opening day which is ok because I need border fabric. This is a disappearing 9-patch variation that will end up about 4 x 5 blocks plus the borders. That makes 2 blocks of each of the colors shown. I’ll still have some “parts” from the FQs for table runners and such…

And last but not least – the pictures that I did take during the fair document this:

I chopped 13 inches off and will send the pony tail to Locks of Love or Wigs for Kids. The stylist showed me how to style it straight but I admit it’s much easier to let it go curly!