Another "almost finished" top

And a top that is actually put together correctly LOL!

All that's left to do is applique the bird by the Christmas tree, the five stars on the top border, and six tiny ultra suede bird legs.  This one will also go with me to the retreat this weekend.

I finished 12 Cracker Box blocks for still another 30's group swap.  They went into the mail today.  I feel very good about that - the deadline isn't until December 2nd!  That's it for swap blocks until the new year.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before I mailed them.

I've even straightened up the mess in the sewing room.  Tomorrow I'm going to baste a bunch of quilt tops.  At least that's the plan!

Coming up - some new giveaways!

Oops! This time I'm going to live with it just the way it is.

This entire quilt top is together now.  I finished the machine sewing this afternoon.  All that is left is to applique the large sunflower to the right of the scarecrow and embroider all the finishing  touches.

When I took the picture for the blog I realized my mistake.  Take a close look at the quilt top.

Now look at the picture on the front of the pattern.

I would prefer the red-orange star points, but I'm NOT going to rip it apart to change things.  Too many seams sewn with too small stitches.  It isn't awful the way I did it, but I think the colors would balance better if I had done it the way it was designed.  I'll always look at the quilt and think about how it is supposed to be, but I'm going to live with it the way it it.

Two days left in the month and I have many goals I didn't accomplish.  Of course, I didn't plan to be sick.  I also didn't plan to become addicted to the "Candy Crush" game on Facebook.  Anybody else play that?  I started playing about when I got sick, and have spent way too much time doing that.  I'm blaming my lack of posts on the game addiction.  I have it under control now, I think - I hope - time will tell.

I'm not going to do the hand stitching on this right now.  I'm heading out Friday afternoon for a knitting retreat that lasts until Sunday afternoon, and I'm going to take quilting handwork as well as knitting - including this project.  It won't be done by this fall, but certainly by 2014.

I couldn't resist buying this pattern!

I think I might have to make this just so I can hang it up as a warning to Fred when it is one of those days.  This will be easily made from scraps.  I'm resisting starting it - I must stay focused as the weekend is coming!

Another top done

I have finished watching the five X-Men movies I borrowed from my son-in-law.  I thoroughly enjoyed each  one, and wish I could have seen them before I saw Wolverine.  I discovered quickly that I had to watch the screen too much to allow for rotary cutting.  Safe rotary cutting.  So I started - and finished - the embroidered words on this eagle quilt top.

The designer stitched the name "Ann Hutton" on the left corner under the word "there".  I had never heard of Ann Hutton, but American history was never my best subject.   I tried to find out who she was, using "1797" as part of my Internet search string, but couldn't find anything about her at all.  So I researched the quote, and found many, many references to it.  Every one of them attributed the quote to Benjamin Franklin.  So used his name, shortening it to "Ben" Franklin as there wasn't enough room in the corner for anything longer.  I really like how this turned out.  It will definitely be finished in time to join my other patriotic decorations next Summer.

Cutting, cutting . . . and more cutting

It seems like this pile of scraps is never-ending!  If it weren't for audio books I think I would have gone nuts!  I hope to finish today - at least that is my goal.  I was planning to sew blocks in between cutting sessions, but decided I needed more dark pieces to choose from.  I've filled the cutting table as much as possible without covering my cutting space, so I've moved on to pizza boxes.  Hopefully I'll run out of scraps before I run out of pizza boxes LOL!

Cutting table

Box 1

Box 2

Remaining scraps

When I folded back the scrap pile to get an idea of how many are left I realized there really aren't that many.  Thus my goal to finish today.

I've run out of books in the series I was listening to, but have another plan today.  Last Wednesday the four Tangled Threads that aren't out of town for the summer went to see "The Wolverine".  Two of the four had seen the other movies. The third and I had never seen any of them.  We thoroughly enjoyed the movie - so much that the next day I went over to my kids' house and borrowed the first 5 movies from my SIL.  I can watch at least two and maybe three while I cut scraps today, which should keep me sane and entertained.

Ever so often I had to sit down for awhile to give my back a rest.  That's when I finished the "Frosty and Friends" top - all but the snowman's face.  I'm not going to applique 1/4" ovals - even made out of ultra suede, so I've been thinking about how I want to do his face.  French knots would be too small.  I could do satin stitch, but don't want to spend the time that would take.  Last night while cutting I remembered that I probably have a bunch of tiny black buttons in the button drawer.  That will do the trick - buttons make good eyes and mouths, even on real snowmen!

Murphy's Law

Yesterday I decided to finish "Jack at the Gate".  I'd given up on the missing border fabric ever arriving, so I searched my stash for something that would work.  I figured there must be something on those shelves full of plaids.  I found several yards of the orange and off-white fabric you see in the picture, which looked very similar to the picture of the original.  Even though the color was more

 orange than the red-orange pumpkins on the quilt I decided it would tie in beautifully with the rest of the fabrics in the quilt.  I cut strips, sewed half square triangles, and had the top almost finished before I went to bed.  All that was needed was to applique the five stars across the top, which I finished today. 

And what do you suppose showed up in today's mail?

I should have been patient a little bit longer.  Notice the original red plaid is very similar to what I used except for the color.  The red piece will go on my plaid shelves to be used eventually in a different quilt.  I'm certainly not going to change borders now, especially as the stars overlap the top border.

I will chance something though - something I didn't see until I looked at the picture after inserting it in this post.  Two triangles on the bottom right are turned incorrectly!  That I can't tolerate!  So I guess the top isn't quite finished after all!

Another finished quilt top

"Summer in a Basket", designed by Jan Patek, 26" square

Applique . . . . and a new "family member"

Most of my quilting the past couple weeks has been applique.  Here are the projects at the "show" stage.

"Where Liberty Dwells" - still needs embroidered words and borders

"Jack at the Gate" - still needs borders and stars appliqued

"Summer in a Basket" center block

 

"Summer in a Basket" four corners blocks

I've also started hand quilting another top, but it isn't close to being ready for "show".

And last but not least, I'd like to introduce the newest member of my quilting family -

my Pfaff Passport 2.0.  As soon as I heard about this new machine I decided I needed one, so started saving right away.  I brought her home last week.  She sews like a dream!  I will still piece on Miss Feather (my featherweight) but now I have a machine that will do a beautiful blanket stitch for machine applique.  My workhorse Pfaff is over 20 years old, and its blanket stitch isn't very pretty.  It also lives upstairs where it is currently very hot, which is why I have six quilts waiting for binding.  This beauty is currently sitting on our dining room table where it is much cooler.  With a walking foot downstairs the quilts should get bound this coming week.  It is very lightweight - much lighter than my other Pfaff - so will be much easier to carry to classes.  All the feet and accessories for the other machine fit on this one too, so I don't need to purchase any duplicates. 

If you haven't tried this machine, and are in the market for a new one,  I highly recommend you try this.  You will be glad you did.  (Oh boy - that really sounds like a commercial LOL!  Not affiliated in any way, just a happy, loyal Pfaff customer.)

No quilting time today

I've been procrastinating too long.  I MUST devote today to non-quilty things.  Currently I'm finishing the alterations on the camper sheets.

I can show you what I got  done yesterday while watching the tour.  Not a lot, but still progress.  Here are the applique blocks and quilts that are now prepped.  Except for the last one, which is pinned but not thread basted.  (I've tried using basting glue for this, but find I prefer thread.  I don't care for the stiff glue feeling - even when it is just little dots.  And it is easier to make slight adjustments while stitching by snipping threads instead of pulling away glue.)  The blocks were done earlier in the week but never photographed until now.

These are the first four applique blocks from "Afternoon Delight" by Sue Garmin, one of the three BOM programs that I've started in the last couple months.  I learned a good lesson with these.  When doing complicated shapes that have been created by folding and cutting (like making snowflakes) I need to stick to needle turn rather than my newer prep method.  It was a huge nuisance pressing under all the edges on the top block, and the bottom block was pure H***.  So the gold block, and all future such blocks, are prepped for basic needle turn applique.

The applique on "Where Liberty Dwells", designed by Jan Patek, will go very quickly.  The blank space at top and bottom are filled an embroidered quote:  "Where Liberty dwells there is my country".  Hand dyed floss for the stitching and a tiny wooden star for the eagle's eye are included in the kit.

"Jack at the Gate" was also designed by Jan Patek.  It looks a bit unfinished at the moment as I've not yet cut the pieces for the two Jack o'Lantern faces from black Ultrasuede.  It is also missing two borders so it looks like the stars are floating off the piece when they actually spill over onto the borders.  These pieces are just pinned into place.

The Tour de France is a time trial today, which I find much less interesting to watch.  I can postpone seeing it until tonight after the picnic.

Ready to go

I like to take applique with me when we go camping.  Hand quilting works too, though sometimes it is hard to keep the project being quilted from touching the ground.  When focused on one spot of the quilt a corner can slip down without my noticing it - not a good thing.  So I want to take lots of prepped applique projects with me when we head into the "wilderness".

In case anyone is interested, I took a picture of my worktable.  I did needleturn applique for years and was happy with the process.  Then shortly before my quilting hiatus I was introduced to a different method, which I've been using ever since.  The prep takes a bit longer, but the stitching goes twice as fast, and is easier to do in poor light than needleturn.  I know many of you use this method with starch, but I prefer using water.  It works just as well, is less expensive and less messy, and I don't have to worry about bugs being attracted to the starch in my fabrics.  This set up works well, except for the few times I've been so focused on the television or an audio book that I dip the paintbrush into my coffee instead of the water cup!

Here are pictures of the three quilt preparations I've finished so far.

"Donder and Blitzen" designed by Jan Patek

The antlers on the reindeer are VERY skinny pieces, so I didn't try to press them under while prepping.  I will do regular needleturn when I do them.  Currently they have fairly wide seam allowances so I have something to hang onto when stitching.  The pattern shows each part of each antler as a separate piece - I cut each as one piece to make the stitching much easier.

"Frosty and Friends" designed by Jan Patek

"Summer in a Basket" designed by Jan Patek

This last one still needs to have the pieces basted to the background as well as the applique flower and berry pieces on the other three corners.  I really love the applique center on this quilt!

The four corner designs are perfect accents in that then enhance the look of the quilt but are simple enough not to distract from the center applique.

I will finish the basting on this quilt this morning while watching the Tour.  Then that will be it for quilt for a few days.  I'll spend the rest of today altering the camper sheets, and will spend tomorrow deep cleaning the kitchen, making a shopping list and restocking the larder.  The Tour de France riders have a rest day tomorrow, so I don't need to focus on "fibre" that day.  When the race resumes on Tuesday I'll focus on getting the three sundresses made.

Tour de Fibre - Day 5 - Correcting a possible misconception

If I sounded cranky and tired in my post yesterday it was caused by the heat - not by the idea of setting quilting goals.  Today was quite a bit cooler, with a high of 84.  Tomorrow we are supposed to be back to the high 70's, with no rain in sight.  Perfect weather in my humble opinion.  Those of us who live west of the mountains in the great Pacific Northwest are just not used to high temperatures, especially as they almost always come with high humidity.

I have never had any trouble setting quilting goals.  I usually always know what I want to work on for the month.  If I change my mind mid-month, that's OK.  I never allow myself to be a slave to the goals I've set.  However, the beginning of this month was different.  I looked at what I've been doing in previous months, what is out in my sewing room currently being worked on, and the many things I could start.  I loved every single thing I was looking at, and just didn't feel like making any decisions.  (I can never made decisions when I'm too hot.)

I didn't know what my goal was going to be when I started my post, I just typed "on faith", figuring I'd come up with something.  And I did - a perfect goal for this lazy summer month that is likely to be hotter than normal.  The goal appeared as I typed, and I love it.  So we will all be in suspense over what quilty things I'll be doing - me included!

(And now you know the rest of the story . . . .)

Today I prepped two more small applique quilts and have just started a third.  I've decided I need to prepare a great deal of applique to hold in reserve for days when it is too hot to turn on the iron.  I can alternate between hand quilting and hand applique, as I use different muscles for each process.  This will be much better for my hands.  These two are also small quilts from the time I subscribed to Jan Patek's small quilt club.  Once prepped this simple applique goes very quickly, and big stitch quilting is very appropriate for finishing them.  Some of them need to have the quilt top sewn together before doing any applique, so I'll spend Friday this week doing that.

My goal at the moment is to have many "applique kits" ready for me to start at a moment's notice.  A perfect result that fits right into my July goal LOL!

Tour de Fibre - Day 3

Another hot, muggy day.  I finished quilting the center and one short border of the Jo Morton four-patch.  By then my hands were hurting, telling me it was time to stop quilting and give them a rest.  I marked the other short border, then set it aside for later, not wanting to do the math required to fit the stencil to the long sides.

I spent some time catching up on blog reading the rest of the morning, but I still have a LONG way to go to get caught up.

I  brought the plastic bag containing many small Jan Patek quilt kits down from upstairs, and started tracing applique pieces.  When I finished each packet I cut out the freezer paper templates then turned on the iron just long enough to press the templates to their respective fabrics.  When finished I turned off the iron and cut out each piece.  The pieces were carefully folded inside the pattern pages, the fabric scraps behind, and everything tucked back into the kit envelope.  I completed two, and have the paper templates for a third kit ready to iron onto the fabrics tomorrow.

Here are pictures of the two that are ready to go, and the third that is almost ready.  The first picture doesn't show the entire quilt, just the center.

I realize it is now July, and I've not yet done a "goals" post.  I'll do that tomorrow.

Here comes Peter Cottontail . . .

hopping down the finished trail.  I love being able to cross another top off the flimsies list and add it to the finished list.  I love how quickly big stitch  quilting  can be finished.  Five more of my basted tops are to be finished this way I'm happy to say.  There is lots more room for cold weather clothing in the upstairs closet with this many quilt tops taken out.  Hooray!

Today the mail carrier brought the package I've been waiting for.  I used the money all the kids gave me for my birthday to pay the first installment of my new BOM.  Ever since buying this book I've been enthralled with quilts by Edyta Sitar.  I purged the batiks from my stash over 10 years ago and thought I'd never buy another.  Now I'm thinking in an entirely new direction.  I wanted to get one of her BOM's so I could see how she combines the batiks with reproductions.  As soon as I finish the 30's swap blocks for mailing I will make the first block of this quilt.  I can hardly wait!

Still another little quilt finished

Bunny Hop, designed by Jan Patek, is finished and ready to be hung during Easter season next spring.

This is the little quilt that I basted together with the "wrong" side of the backing on the "right" side.  When I made the sleeve I decided to use the fabric "right" side out.

My friend Kim asked me why I didn't use the "wrong" side for that too.  I decided it would be more fun for quilt historians to puzzle about the difference, presuming this quilt lasts that long.  If you enlarge the picture you can see the difference between the two is very slight.

Done!

It feels so good to have this done.  That makes two UFO's and two HSY's I've turned into finished tops since I started quilting again.  I'm determined to whittle down those sidebar lists!  Especially since I've been looking at the UFO's list and discovered there are at least two I remember - but haven't found yet - that aren't listed.  I sure hope there aren't any more!

I'm fairly confident this top lies flat - I just don't have a big enough space to stretch it out in.  It is a big quilt - 76" square.  I will finish it with "big stitch" utility quilting using DMD "Cebelia" #437 in a Baptist Fan pattern.

I have four wonderful handmade star "buttons" that came with the kit - one for the crow's eye and three for buttons on the snowman.  They are fragile and not heat resistant, so I will sew them on once the top is quilted and bound.

I think it is time to start some reorganization before I resume work on the Civil War Diaries quilt.  I'm heading upstairs with some sacks to start going through books.  My spinning group meets at the library on Wednesday mornings, so I can take them to donate right away.

All but the outer borders

It took most of the day, but the entire inside of the quilt is together.  I'm very happy with how it looks.  Tomorrow I'll attach the outside borders and cornerstones.  Some piecing of the borders is needed, but it should go fairly quickly nevertheless.

The top is coming together - slowly!

I found the missing fabrics - thank goodness! - so this morning I proceeded with sewing "Cabin in the Pines" together.

There was an important measurement missing in the final instructions for this quilt - the size of the quarter-square triangles forming the stars.  Nor were there any instructions as to how large to cut the squares before cutting them corner to corner to make the triangles.  The finished size of the four on-point blocks was also missing, and there were a couple mistakes as to the cut size of the backgrounds for those blocks.  I did some math, and than added extra to the squares in case I'd made a mistake in my math.  I always cut quarter-squares extra big when used in a setting such as this, as I've found the triangles can be a little too small after attaching if they are cut to exact size.  I really believe in adding extra just in case, and then cutting to size after sewing.

This has made for slow going.  I've gotten this far after 5 hours of work.  I have accurate measurements now, so the rest should go much more quickly.  I don't think I can finish tonight, but I should have no trouble finishing tomorrow.  There are set-in corners on all the rectangular blocks, which take more time, but after all these years I feel comfortable doing those.

I see I got my foot in the picture - that made me smile.

All the blocks are done!

I have finished all the blocks for Cabin in the Pines.  The only applique left is that on the four cornerstones.  Then I'll finish sewing the top together and add it to the collection of finished tops hanging in the longarm room closet.  I'm looking forward to that.  Much as I enjoy her designes, I'm ready to move on to something different from Jan Patek.

So what will I work on next?  I think I'm ready for some machine stitching.  I think I'll break out the CD for the Civil War Diaries quilt and resume piecing.  I have 43 of the 121 blocks already pieced.  I love doing these little blocks! 

Three more blocks done

The December block for Jan Patek's 2009 mystery quilt revealed the quilt is named "Cabin in the Pines".  The final installment also included a picture of the entire quilt.  I really like this one!

Yesterday and this morning I finished three more blocks.

 
That leaves the final three blocks - the snowman, the pineapples, and the potted plant on the right -  plus the four star-in-a-circle cornerstones to applique.  You can see the first part of my quilt sewn together in this post.

Once they are finished it should be easy to sew together a finished top.  It would be if I'd put all the materials together in one place.  That's what I thought I'd done.  I have the striped border fabric.  I have the star point fabric, but I don't think the piece is big enough.  I don't have the yellow plaid homespun that forms the background of the four corner starpoints.  So somewhere in the Black Hole of Calcutta that is the closet, in the huge bins of plaids, must be that fabric.  Or another fabric that will serve.

Once I start feeling normal again I'm going to have to attack that closet.  I need to put the fabrics back on the shelves and the yarn into the tubs.  It's all yarn for sweaters, and right now I'm obsessed with knitting socks.  So it will be fine in the closet until I need it.  Right now I need my fabric!

In an ideal world, one would have a beautiful studio for each of one's hobbies.  But in real life that hardly ever happens, and I'm so very thankful I have plenty of space to manage.  The sewing room hasn't been reorganized for at least two years - must be time to do that again.

I've been fighting this nasty cold for 10 days now, and I didn't think I felt up to getting out the light box to mark this for the stitchery.  However, after I posted I decided it would be really silly to put away the top without really finishing it.  I'm glad I did!  It went fairly quickly and now is a truly complete top.

The floss is from Weeks Dyeworks.  "Bark" is variegated from dark, cool, brown to dark, cool green.  The change in color doesn't really show up on the quilt however, which is too bad because the shading is beautiful.

Edited to add:  I realized after I went to bed last night that I'd forgotton to give Peter an eye.  I'll take care of that in the next couple days.