Another Finish

The teacher's aide in Ayden's class loves the red/black combo so I whipped out this 20" square number. I used my favorite "kite" shape as a template which makes the wonderful fractured diamond design. From start to finish, this quilt took around 8 to 10 hours. If I hadn't had to stop for nourishment it might have taken a short period of time.....LOL

Two Christmas presents are now crossed off my list!!

Don't Forget, I'm..........

I feel that I must explain again to all my friends in Blogger Land about my time. I live blessedly alone......no kids within 20 miles and the little princesses visit once a month or so. So, you see, I have plenty of time on my hands to get into trouble with fabric, new projects, UFOs, fabric, quilting magazines, gadgets. Did I mention fabric???

With that said here's what I've been working on lately besides the "bug" embroidery project and that great Teapot BOM starting the second of August. I'm really excited about that so mark your calendars and grab the Teapot button off my sidebar.

I found some muslin hidden under something that I had forgotten I'd bought and it just called to me. "Do something with me before I rot!" Or something along those lines......hehehehe

 So I made a weird elongated triangle, traced off its shape in one corner of the muslin, found some cowboy fabrics and got to work.

 I liked the way the shapes came together making a funny star...BTW, these blocks were not sewn together yet.

This is what I've gotten so far. It measures 32 by 45. I know I'll add a couple of borders. Don't any of you mention piano keys in your comments.......LOL

Next, I found one of my favorite applique books and began to scan through it. Oh, I love this book. I believe I'll try to make a block every day or so...... oh yea, that's doable..... right??

 Here's my first block. The fun is picking the colors for each block. This block is lemons.  Love it!1

BTW, today is the last day to get in on my little GIVE AWAY pattern.  Just click on THIS link to view it and leave a comment on that post to be eligible.

In The Meantime.....

So, I'm into Plan H with the project I've been posting about.........LOL
And I've just recently mailed off my Quilt of Valor top.......Yea!

So while that project is brewing in my head for a solution, I made a wall hanging from ....... you guessed it, scraps.

Part 1 ... sew some scrap strips together

Part 2... choose a background fabric to add interest

Part 3... find a nice focus fabric

Part 4..... oh, flower petals sound good

TaDa.... wall hanging 17 1/2" by 21"

Love it!!

Design Wall Monday

 Sorry about the quality of the photo.... I think I need a new design board. Anyway, this quilt came from More Nickel Quilts. Of course I got to use up more scraps but didn't seem to put a dent in that large bag.

I bought these books years ago and have enjoyed them greatly. So I'm recommending them to everyone from beginners to advance. There are several projects for all quilt lovers!
Next, I worked through the weekend to get this far on my Texas medallion type quilt. Yes, that's hand freezer paper applique.  I know, what got into me??? Well, I just wanted to do several sewing techniques in this particular quilt.  Did you all buy that one.... hehehehe
I wanted to continue the circular impression of the quilt by adding the bough shapes which is my own design. I drew out the shape on drawing paper, did a load of reshaping, added the scalloped edges to the underside of the design and transferred that to freezer paper.
My next plan is to add some 3 dimensional thread work to the leaves of the flowers by threading several different gold-tone thread through the eye of one needle of the machine and sewing very slowly. It works and it's amazingly realistic of the veins on a leaf.

So far it measures 40 1/2 inches square..... Love it!!!

Make sure you pop over to Judy's blog to see what other quilters are up to.

Stash Bustin' Time

 A couple of years ago, my "wacky" friends came up with an idea of trading 2 1/2" squares. So we began cutting and cutting and cutting..... 1200 squares later, I still have squares left..... what to do? Hummmmmm

 I scanned through some of my quilting magazines. This one is from 2008 but has some great designs. I chose a nine patch mixer which I will reveal later.

36 nine patches are done but not trimmed up yet. That's will have to wait until tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Spring Into Action

Well, I finally finished this little mini-quilt that will be placed in the center of my dining table.
If you'd like to make one, I've linked to my PDF   with the designs.  Now I'm off to tend to my wonderful little garden...but I won't take my shotgun with me today.....LOL


Correction!!!
I've corrected the PDF error.... sorry about the inconvenience.

Quick & Scrappy

This quilt was accomplished in half a day from six inch squares and other scraps.  Not often do I cut squares from another project and store them for whenever......but that's exactly what happened this time.  Most of the squares were already cut and I had no idea what I'd do with them.  It was only after I was rummaging though my cowboy fabrics did it occur to me to do a type of off-set quilt.  I love the cow hide fabric and wanted what little I had left of it to appear in the quilt which measures roughly 45 X 60 inches.

Band Quilt Blocks Done

These are the last blocks for the band quilt.....next I'll be going to the school so that the kids can decide what goes where!  One of the "band boosters" has asked that the students be able to sign the quilt somewhere.......do not panic.....I'm thinking.........lol........I mind seized on an idea.........on the backing............don't laugh.....this is a great idea.........I will provide a 4" by 80" stirp of muslin (which will run the length of the quilt) for the kids to sign in Pigma Pen!

Odd Fabric Solution

Sometimes a fabric just speaks to you......not because it's one of your favorite lines or designers but because there's just something about it.  When I saw the Kokopilli fabric some years ago, I had to have it (click on picture to see fabric better).  You know how this goes....I only bought one yard of it........nuts!

One night......during a dream......you know, that reocrruring dream of being locked in a quilt store with a million dollars to spend and 30 minutes to do away with that amount........and just as you walk up to the checkout counter.....you wake up?????........I woke with no fabric but I had an idea.....yea!

I fussy cut the little Kokopilli guys, did  wacky churn dashs around each and for the center.....I make a boy and girl Kokopilli with flutes(made from faux suede).  I really loved this quilt......it was my first non-traditional quilt.......and while at a quilt shop someone offered to buy it for her  therapeutic swimmning and rehab center.......she said that when she saw it from across the room, it touched and inspired her deeply and that she had to have it (where have I heard those words)...............how cool is that.

So when you buy an odd fabric and don't know what you're going to do with it.......try thinking outside your box or go to bed and sleep on it.

Will I Finish It.......

Will I finish this before Christmas?  My inquiring mind sure wants to know......this small quilt top has been sitting in a pile of UFOs for almost a year......all I need to do is sew on one more side of Tone On Tone   fabircs measuring 3 1/2 inches each...........I think I've peeped myself up enough to GetHerDone.

This was a quick quilt that wound up taking forever!

Striking Fractured Diamond

Using "Cambridge Common" by Design Concepts for Gee Spirit (I think I have that right) as my backdrop, I then pulled several black & white fabric combos along with 2 red type fabric to make this quick quilt. It measures 8 1/2" for each block; 2" on the red border; 3" on the piano-key border. So roughly at this point it's 40" square. This is the second quilt I've made using this method.  This LINK shows the same quilt but in a totally different color scheme.  What a difference!!!

One Year

This is the backing and the pocket rod fabric for Ayden's quilt. It's "Orchard Prints" by Thimbleberries for R.J.R. Fashion Fabrics. I traced the edge slightly curving ruler then stitched over the chalk lines to achieve this simple yet quick machine quilting technique.

Just about finished here. Next the binding.

This is the mini-quilt that I've made in honor of Ayden's first birthday which is coming up very soon. It is amazing when I look at these pictures and realize the changes and growth that she has made. I am always awestruck at the process and steps each infant to toddler that babies go through.........from their first smile, teething, holding their bottle, rolling over, crawling, walking and even their first words. Babies are amazing little people who are learning every waking moment. They watch and listen to everything we say and do. So let's all be aware and positive and cherish our little ones.

All that's left is the wrapping! I'll have plenty of pics soon.

Quick Quilt

Here are just a few sample blocks of a great quilt block that my friend, Molly introduced me to years ago. It's the "Double Pinwheel" and by using various contrasting fabrics, you can get two, yes I said two quilts from this one process. I call it the negative - positive effect. Anyway, this quilt can be made in a matter of a couple of days and striking results. Everyone will think that you have spent hours and weeks making the two.

I don't remember which quilt magazine or book this came from......does anyone recognize it?

What Do You Think?

HELP! I've put together the "Odd Star" quilt and stopped it with a 2 inch black border. Now I'm stuck. Should I put another border using some floral print or am I finished? Please leave your wonderful kind words and help me out. Thanks in advance.

Odd Star

Take a package or so of your favorite Nickel Squares, add double 2 1/2 inch corner squares of black or a comparable tone-on-tone.

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Sew the smaller squares to opposite corners of the larger squares.

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If you stitch an eighth inch away from your original stitch line, you will get bonus half square triangles.

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Cut, press and trim.

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When you arrange the larger squares, you will get this effect. Granted it isn't finished yet but I'm getting there.

Jacob's Ladder Part 1

Maree.....here's a pic of your package just waiting to be mailed on Thursday. I'm very excited to get started with the swap.

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I decided to see how long it would take me to make this quilt from chosing the fabrics, cutting time, sewing the half square triangles, playing with the design I wanted on the design wall, etc. I'm now up to sewing then rows together. So far it's been two days. Tomorrow, I hope to finish the quilt, borders and all. Then it's on to the next project. I like Jacob's Ladder because there are so many color combination that dramaticly the look of the quilt. The two color JL is really striking. But I love the scrappy look. (Notice the header pic of my blog) Maybe I'll do another one very soon. I'm on a sewing mission this summer. Wish me luck!

Flyin' Eagle

I love the "eagle" fabric......have had it for years and finally found a use for it.

We have had a blast here at The Compass Center in Mount Calm, Texas with Melissa Picha, the owner and chief cook.