Scraps and scraps...

I had a couple of cooler days that actually let me play in my sewing room all day long! It has been a very long time..and it was a mess up there!

Do you know what happens when you have not spent much time is a sewing room? It finds UFO's...mine collected so many projects I had forgotten about...some half started, some almost finished and even some I have dreamed about getting started on.

Remember those boxes of scraps? Well I sorted and ironed and cut all the mediums and darks into 1-1/2" strips. That took some time!

After I sorted them into lengths I sewed some samples.

Using my handy 60 degree triangle ruler I cut out a triangle. After many triangles are cut out I'll start putting them together with light background triangles to make a 6 pointed star quilt.

This is going to be a really fun scrappy quilt but one thing I learned from doing the sample is that I am going to have to press my seams with thought! In the centres of the stars I will have a lot of seams to match and it will be good to have them pressed in opposite directions before I start putting it all together.

The heat is back today so I am going to work on some hand work for a while...

Happy Stitching!

Something Old, Something New!

Let's begin with the old... just a couple of years in the making so far!

I finally starting to work on my hexagon quilt again after quite a long time away from it.

I had been searching for the background fabric and until I found it it had just stalled my enthusiasm! But I think this fabric will work wonderfully for the diamonds and triangles that go between the hexagons. I'll start cutting my freezer paper templates soon. For now I still have some hexagons to sew together.

And now for something with a bit of old and a bit of new....

I noticed a while ago that my 'old' scrap pile is growing and growing and growing. I really don't like it when it gets too big. It becomes overwhelming and too much work to go through it if I'm just looking for a little scrap of something.

 I found a great project to start! So I have started pressing the scraps.

 The plan is to cut the darks and mediums into 1-1/2" strips. I'll post more as it comes together!

And finally something new... but just in the planning stages.

I photocopied my 10 degree ruler to see how I could create a design in each wedge.

So far this is what I have...flying geese! I was playing with the proportions and now that it looks pleasing I'll draft it in EQ7 so I can play with color. The largest goose is 2" tall and the smallest just 1/4" tall. I can hardly wait to see the possibilities!

When the 36 wedges are together it will make a 50 inch circle. My plan is to have an applique border all around it but that is a long way from this stage!

I hope you enjoyed a peek of what is to come!

Happy Stitching!

Hexagon quilt
scraps
planning ruler

I'm in Love!

It has been a long time since I felt the stirrings of love....no it's not a person who has captured my heart but a quilt...a beautiful, beautiful quilt that I can't seem to stop touching. My Wagon Wheel quilt top is finished!

I spent my days off this week working away at it and as usual it always takes longer when you are excited to see it finished! And now I have a long wait until the hand quilting starts. It will be October before I get to basting it and in the meantime I will be looking for a quilting design worthy of such love. I am thinking feathers....

And love has struck twice this week ( busy week!). I finished my socks I've been knitting and when I tried them on they felt amazing.

 I can't wait until winter sets in so I can start wearing them. It is a little warm right now for wool socks! This pattern is Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt from the book 'Favorite Socks'.

I think I'll put away my knitting for a bit ( it's my in front of the TV thing to do) and pick up my hexagon quilt that I am hand stitching. More on that later...

Happy Stitching!

Long Weekend Marathon!

No...not a running marathon...a sewing marathon!

My attic sewing room gets a little hot in the summer (that could be why I haven't posted anything for a month!) but I had only 9 Wagon Wheel blocks left to do so this weekend I was determined to get them done. I LOVE these blocks! I can hardly wait to start quilting this, but I still have a bit to do before I get to that stage.

Now I have some borders to cut and sew. The inner border is a piano key border made from whatever scraps I have left. I am hoping there are enough scraps left without dipping into my stash and introducing new fabric to the mix.

Next coming weekend I will get started on the borders and maybe start arranging the 25 blocks. I love it when a quilt gets to this stage...I can feel the anticipation!

I did get my triangle exchange quilt back from the long arm quilter. I am pleased with it ( but not pleased with this picture- I missed most of the border so I cropped it a bit).

I find though that when I have one of my quilts machine quilted by someone, I just am not all that attached to the quilt. I think for me it means much more if I do the work from beginning to end.

You can't really tell from this picture but the quilting design is an all over feather pattern. It is quite nice and suits the quilt. I'll try to take a couple better pictures soon, including a close up.

Next up... I'll have borders to show!

Happy Stitching!