Project update - it's not quilting but .....

Lucy wants to show you something that's going on at our house. It's one of the reasons I have not done any sewing this week. (The other was preparing to teach a genealogy class at out local YMCA, which happened today.)

See that step stool? We are stripping wallpaper in our back hallway. The top vinyl stripey part is all gone and we are now tackling the paper backing. Our darling son is having his birthday party a week from tomorrow and so we are aiming to have everything stripped and painted before then. I confess I miss the tone-on-tone stripes that were there but life moves on.

And this is the other room that is going to get painted. We've moved a lot of the furniture around and the ratty old couch will be leaving fairly soon. Since both areas run off the central kitchen everything is getting painted cream for the time being. (Sounds kind of boring but given some of the strong color combinations we have in the house it'll be nice to have some calm, restful areas for a while.)

I'm going to be participating in a new project soon. Click on the link on my sidebar and find out what that is all about :) I hope some of you can join it too.

Project update - Christmas wall hanging

I'm playing with some applique letters and doves (my main festive theme for this year). The middle section is not stitched down yet because I want to think about the positioning for a few days. Baby dove is sitting on top of a package and I kind of  like how the ribbon creates another fun feature at the top of her head. I might take that further. I have some other letters cut out that will either go on the back or be made into another project.

My "maybe" quilt now has a name - "Columbines" - the embroidery is moving along and you can see updates about that at http://stitchacrosstheborder.blogspot.com/
My sewing machine is having issues..... again... Started making clunking noises when I was putting the baby doves together. I spent a while taking it apart and cleaning it but it looks like there is some thread stuck down in a section that I cannot reach or take apart. I guess it's time to find someone who can repair my type of machine. Himself is contemplating a new machine for my birthday.
DD #3 has been looking through all my sewing patterns (yes I do have some) for something to make for prom (me making with a little assistance from her). She wants sparkly fabric and is currently contemplating a 3/4 length dress and jacket. We had a good time at Jo-Anne Fabrics recently playing with fabric and she is looking forward to me taking her to a prom dress shop so we can look at neck-lines on her.

Project update - the "maybe" quilt

Some of you already know about the pattern booklet that has been sitting beside my sewing machine begging me to be used :) Well I was having difficulty with the center appliqué block for my "maybe quilt". Nothing I tried was looking the way I envisioned ...... then I had an AHA moment :)

I sent this photograph to Susan Brubaker Knapp and asked her if I could adapt her patterns from "Applique Petal Party" to embroidery. She very graciously agreed (personal use only). She is such a sweetheart :) You can visit her at http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/

I'm about half way done with the running back stitch. Next on the list of stitches ....... French Knots.

Project Update - Aaaaargh

Aaaaaaargh #1 - I thought I had finished my Gracie Jane quilt but was looking at it and thinking "something did not look right." I was reading an e-mail from Micki with some questions about the border and binding and realized ........... I forgot to attach the border !!!!!!!! How dumb do I feel. So the top for version #2 is now done. Much better. I added in another color/pattern and will have to do a different back. The other quilt will get used for something else.

Aaaaaaargh #2 - I was putting together a tutorial based on the 10" blocks experiment and even in the sunroom the shots did not work. The day was too damp and cloudy and I was not about to go outside and take photographs of every step. So I'll keep the photos to remind me how I put my different blocks together and do another set on a nicer day.

Project update - Experimenting with triangles

I'm alternating between cutting out bits of fabric for applique and some triangle experiments.

Have any on you seen the "cut out 10" squares, put two face sides together, seam 1/4" round the outside edge then cross cut to make triangles" tutorial that's slowly going round blog land?
I've been wanting to do large pinwheels so thought I would give it a try and as usual got to playing.

Two cross strips of fabric makes 8 10" squares.

If you cut the 10" blocks into 5" blocks you can make this .....

Yep, I only made one pinwheel but had a whooole lot of fun re-arranging triangle squares. I might do some more to see what happens :)

It's a lovely day out.

Our weather is lovely, cooler and less humid so I have been out taking some photographs. Hubbie is in England for most of September and today the rest of us decided to have a sloooow day :) My son has just gotten back from the park and DD #3 is watching high school football. (We won last night).

This was going to be the back of my new Christmas wall hanging but once I put the border on I decided to have it be the front. I have some applique to do and I am enjoying the blue as a different color. It will also go on the back. It currently measures 26"x221/2" but may get a bit bigger depending on how I decide to finish it.
Since our yard it pretty much past it's best I'm thinking about taking some of my other quilt tops over to the park and photographing them there :)

Project update - "Oh Mumsie" - part 2

Darling daughter has handed over the quilt we designed and made on Saturday evening /Sunday afternoon. I helped her with the design and cut the fabric. She sewed.

She opted to tie it since we did not have time to hand or machine quilt it. I might try a variation of it soon.
The pattern we came up with takes 2 yards each of three different colors plus a strip of fabric she had left over from her own quilt.
I am currently working on my "maybe" wall hanging. As usual it has morphed and taken on a life of it's own. The flimsie top just has to have the corners mitered and next week I plan on doing the applique.

Project update - something old finally finished :)

On Saturday I heard "Oh mumsie can you ........" come forth from DD#2. She wanted to finish her quilt and make a gift for a friend. (I'll show you that one later this week.) We designed and started her quilt in middle school when her bedroom was still blue. It met with a couple of accidents along the way and sat in a bag for a few years. She now has a year left at university!!!!!
After much ripping apart and downsizing, her quilt is now about single bed size. I may surprise her with something made from the remaining blocks. She opted to tie it and had a lovely nights sleep under it on Saturday. It is currently winging it's way back to Provo with her.

Project update - eyesore fabric #1

I'm currently playing with circles on squares. I have a thumbnail drawing of the whole project done and was somewhat surprised that this part of it used exactly two repeats of the circles. Doesn't look like much at the moment but in a few weeks it should be ready for proper viewing.
My ALQS4 quilt has arrived safely in ......... Singapore :) You have to head on over to Vreni's blog http://oops-lah.blogspot.com and see the view from Singapore's newest hotel. Very interesting looking structure in it's own right.
I've been having a lot of bad headaches over the past few months. New "office" glasses for middle to short distance should fix that and help me see to sew better :)
So family vacation time is coming up and start of school for the kidlets. Our oldest girls are coming into town on Saturday which means my sewing room will be reverting to guest bedroom. We are hoping that the heat and humidity will decrease somewhat so that we can get in some decent "happy family" sightseeing.

Project update - "maybe" quilt

I'm making progress on my "maybe" quilt. All the basic blocks are finished and now I'm sewing everything together. The main changes will be the background fabric for the center block applique and I opted for a lighter pink for the blocks.

My mother-in-law has given me a loan of her quilting book "Applique Designs My Mother Taught Me To Sew" by Faye Anderson for my center flower wreath. No point in reinventing the wheel if you don't have too :) This book has lovely flowers in it.

Project updates - Something old, something new, something maybe

One of my old projects. I'm currently sewing on a wide white border and want to do mitered corners. The hearts have to be appliqued.

Two brand new tops put together over the past week. I might add more to the blue one. The applique is still in the works.

Part of the back of a Christmas wall hanging that I started at the beginning of May.

This is a "maybe" quilt that I designed and started at the week-end. I'm playing with the colors at the moment.
I will be off in the "wild blue yonder" for a while so no interneting for a while :)

Project updates - somewhat

It's a bit of a variety and a few I cannot show yet :0 If you are visiting for the giveaway scroll past this post.

Back in May I featured Jill Buckley from The Quilt Rat and she challenged me to do doodles so here is #1 :) It's a Kiwi bird....why? ...... I'm one of the cabin mom's at our upcoming church Young Womens camp and our cabin theme is New Zealand. I'm going to try some other doodles with the same bird.

Here's the latest "I love it and want to make it quilt" that's going on my ever expanding list - "Room to Bloom" in the current issue of Quilt Sampler. I love the muted tones, and the contrast between the swirl of the flower stems and the zig -zag effect of the middle border. What can I say, I'm a sucker for almost anything that incorporates applique.

I received my swap package from Dianne K. in the mail this week. Lots of silky goodness. I love the background fabric and have some ideas for it. I'm looking forward to making a quiltie and a few other pieces from all the items. This is a straight swap so she is the recipient of my "beautiful blues" baggie.

Look what Mary from Postcard Pizzazz made :) I  am the lucky recipient of her Texas Bluebonnet mini quilt and her "safety from the flood" prayers.

Sometimes my brain is just downright weird. I was crocheting away and this little object appeared. It's actually a mushroom (shaped) purse but John thought it would look good as a doll hat so here is my wee teddy showing it off :) I am almost finished my first granny square. Two weeks of starting and ripping out etc. etc. but yesterday it was looking like it's finally coming together.

Meet Pumpkin. She and her family have survived the flood but their house needs a lot of work done to it. She is visiting tell the end of next week while her beloveds are out of town on a much needed vacation.

I'm participating in a BofM challenge with Lady of Steeles Hand Embroidery Crafts. I finished up my drawings this week and have sewn up a test square. I cann't show it to you because I am sending the drawings to our hostess and it's not my month yet :)
Some of the fabrics have arrived for my new quilt designs. The rest should be here in a few days. I'm using a combination of fabrics ordered from Sew Mama Sew and Jo-Anns on-line. I'm looking forward to getting the tops started and finishing up some others.

Project update - packages

My little stack of packages waiting, on my reading chair, to go to a post office. PIF gifts, Postcard Pizzazz mini-wall hanging, hostess gifts and birthday cards. The little quilt on the back of the chair was made by my friend Cynthia and I won it a few years ago in a "silent auction". She was making a lot of baby quilts at the time and since I am well past that stage I "threatened" everyone with grievous bodily harm if I was outbid :)

I've also been participating in a Postcard Pizzazz mystery make and send card. Those of us who signed up were sent items to make a card and have to return it soon. All I will say about mine is "there's a lot of laundry going on" :) Cannot do the reveal yet because the group has to do a vote. For those of you who like seeing my postcards I apologize for the dearth of new ones this year.

I also decided to participate in a "super fast collect and package" swap with one of the yahoo groups. We had to fill a baggie with items we already had then post a picture to the group. My package is called "beautiful blues".

Thanks to those of you here, and elsewhere, who gave me great suggestions for how to sign my double sided quilt.

Sketches for two new wall hangings I am working on. I have not decided yet if they will be two sides to the same quilt or if they will be separate. I've ordered fabric which I hope will show up some time next week.

I'm going to do a full size dummy run using paper before I cut into the fabric. It's very rare for me to name a quilt before I make it but these ones came to mind as I was doing the drawings.

Enjoy your week-end. We have scouting stuff going on as in Nik has badges to complete, I am sewing badges on his uniform and some of us are assisting with a friends' Eagle scout project.

Project update - mini Irish chain challenge

"Flowers in the Garden." 

The "finished" wall-hanging measures 19"x19" and has been a whoooole lot of fun to put together, except for stabbing myself in the finger and thumb a number of times :) The front is what I would consider a traditional layout and is all hand quilted. The back has a somewhat more "retro" look to it and is machine appliqued. Picture 2 is a "sneak peek" of part of it. I have to finish embroidering the flowers.

Most of my small quilts are double sided and I can usually come up with a way of either adding a label or signing it somewhere. This one I'm stumped so any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have a new quilt design in the works that I am really excited about. It's been twirling around in my brain for a while now and this morning it gelled so I sketched it up quickly and now just have to "formalize" the design. I'm not going to be able to use my fat quarter collection for some of it which means ............ fabric buying....... or begging ...... or swapping !!!!!

Project update - mini Irish chain challenge

I like making small quilts and wall hangings but decided a few months ago that I needed to join a group that specializes in that. I found Small Quilt Talk at yahoo and I am learning a goodly amount. The group is moderated by Kathy Tracy author of "American Doll Quilts", "Prairie Children and Their Quilts" and "Remembering Adelia".
Learning challenge #9 is mini-Irish chain and is my first project with the group. I like using bright colors but decided to go with a more muted palette of browns and cream for this one. The basic top is done and I am now doing things to it :) The finished quilt will be two sided.

Project update - crochet

I have overcome my irrational attitude toward crochet:) I made a doily. My very first. I am thrilled and have bought more yarn.

Michaels is open again so I went in yesterday and found a really nice book "I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting! updated edition" (which about sums up how I am feeling) that shows how to do both right and left hand crocheting.

Project update - a gift

Since I have some projects "in progress" that I cannot show you yet I'm giving you all a gift instead. I've been doing some photography for a fabric experiment and the Iris is currently in bloom. Hope you all have a great week-end.