A Day for Me!

I had an opportunity today to sew! Uninterrupted quality time in my sewing room has become a rare treat indeed!

 

 

I have had this little project cut out for quite some time, sitting right beside my sewing machine just waiting for a few hours of my time.

 

And what fun! First I pieced a basic quilt to cut up again!

 

 

Next I began cutting tilted squares from the quilt top.

 

 

 

This is my first time I have cut into a top!

 

 

 

And look how cute this is!!! It is just 11" x 12!

 

 

I'll get it quilted another day...after Christmas!

 

 

And in my spare time I have been slowly ironing and cutting scraps. They are not all scraps....some are just smaller pieces that I took out of my stash and some are fabrics that I have used enough and some are just fabrics where I wondered what in the world I was thinking when I bought them!

 

 

 

 

I have a little system set up so I can get the most bang out of them. The first cut is a large hexagon if the scrap is large enough. If not, I am cutting pairs of 8" long scraps for a French braid quilt. Everything that is left is cut into 2-1/2" squares.

 

And here is my favorite thing this week... a rotating cutting mat.

 

 

Perfect for cutting those hexagons. I don't know how I ever lived without it!

 

Happy Stitching and Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

A Little Christmas Spirit

It all started last January...

 

My cousins Amy and Mike contacted to me to ask if I would make their girls Christmas stockings. Little did they know that the last few Christmases I haven't had much Christmas spirit. Since my Mom passed away Christmas has been difficult for me. Of course I agreed right away, but then I spent 9 months both looking for the 'right' fabrics for my vision and also procrastinating a bit.

 

I never did find the right fabrics so I went onto plan B. 

 

Plan B turned out pretty fabulous I think!

 

 

I am so pleased with them. The snowflake stocking was a paper pieced snowflake I had saved many years ago on my computer. I have no idea where it originally came from. I added a bit of decorative stitching, some white rick rack and a big white button!

 

 

The stitched Santa block came from Red Brolly (Thanks!!!)

 

And finally a view of how I create...

 

 

My whole cutting table looked like this!

 

So back to my story... I want to thank my cousins for this little gift of Christmas spirit that they brought back into my life (even without realizing it). I feel a little like the Grinch except so less green...making these Christmas stockings has put a little Christmas spirit back into my life...and I am sure my heart grew three sizes when I finished them!

 

Back to Christmas gift making...

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Obvious Choice

I started to big stitch my wagon wheel quilt, but I am just kind of winging it! I started quilting the spokes in the ditch, but after just a 1/4 of a block done I realized that was not going to make me happy.

 

 

Next I stitched down the center of each spoke. Much better!

 

Now I have to pull out all the "in the ditch" stitches.

 

In the meantime, Christmas gift making has begun...lots of secrets to keep this next 2 months!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

Why Make Two When Three is Better!

Not only have I got started on some gifts, I made one for myself as well!

 

These two bags are the gifts....

 

 

This one is for me to enjoy!

 

 

They were quick and easy and the instructions were fabulous! I love a well written pattern! And as a bonus I used all scraps for the two bags that are gifts. Mine is made from a charm pack I had in my stash.

 

And I am all set up for quilting. Now I just need some time...

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

Basting

One quilt is basted...this one will be machine quilted and donated (but I have not yet decided to what organization!).

 

 

This quilt is about half basted but I'll be away for Thanksgiving so it won't get finished until next week! I can't wait to get started quilting it. I'll be big stitching this with blue pearle cotton.

 

 

And this is what I am using for basting...I found a 'nest' of old bobbins that don't fit my current machine so basting thread is the perfect use...if I can untangle some of it!!!

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

A Finish and LOTS of Plans!

Yes, I actually have been home long enough to finish something! My little Orange Peel quilt is done and I am so pleased with it. It is just the right size for the dining room table.

 

 

Here is a little close up...

 

I used a silk batting and I WILL have to find more. It was wonderful to hand quilt!

 

 

I have also finished the mystery quilt I have been working on. I had some left over pieces so I am putting them together to make a backing for the quilt.

 

 

I'll be basting several quilts (including this one) in the next 2 weeks so I will take pictures when it is laid out.

 

We are quickly approaching the season of secrets! I have a few projects I am working on that I can't share (yet!) but one thing I can share is that I am making two Christmas stockings for my cousins girls. This is a tough project. For 9 months I have been searching for the perfect fabric. I had a vision but I have no idea what that was. All I knew is that when I saw "that" fabric I would know it.

 

But I never found it so on to plan b...and I don't even know what that will be yet either. I did buy this little bunch of Christmas fabrics though. They are all from the same fabric line but I should be able to get two very different stockings from it all.

 

 

Back to the sewing room...

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

3 Glorious Hours!!!!

Yes I had three glorious hours in my sewing room yesterday. Between the summer days when my attic room is just too hot to sew in and a long distance love life it is tough to find sewing time but it was cooler...finally...and I was home to enjoy it!

 

It took me a while to find my groove after a summer of hardly using my machine. Three hours later I had 14 blue blocks together....

 

 

...and 14 pink blocks! 

 

 

Now I just have the green blocks left.

 

In the evenings I have been hand quilting this little beauty.

 

 

The inside quilting is finished...

 

 

Now I am ready to start the borders. I was flipping through a few stencils and found this one. I think it will be perfect!

 

 

Happy stitching!

 

My mystery quilt!

I still have not figured out what my plan had been for these fabrics but so far I am liking what I have!

 

Here is the pile all mixed up!

 

 

I took a bit of time and sorted them into colors.

 

 

I didn't have many reds so I got those sorted into blocks right away.

Here they are all sewn together (along with one green block)!

 

 

 

Now I have to sort the pinks, greens and blues into blocks before I can get back to sewing.

I can't wait to see this coming together.

 

In the meantime, I did finish a pair of socks this week!

 

 

 

I have made these before. They are an easy knit so they are good to knit while watching TV. It doesn't take long to memorize the pattern.

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

Inspired by Ricky Tims!

I just got back from Calgary where I spent a day enjoying Ricky Tims!

 

I feel completely inspired. We got to touch, look, take pictures and of course learn. He is such an inspiring speaker and teacher. Yes I had my camera, but I was so enjoying the seminar, I didn't even think to take it out of the bag until I was coming home.

 

And what would a such a day be without picking up a few hand dyes?

 

 

They are WAY more beautiful than this picture shows. The two top fabrics are very "Ricky-like" fabrics...full of color variation and the two at the bottom read mostly solid.

 

And what might I use them for? Not a clue...yet but I think a little hand applique might be in their future!

 

And of course I picked up his machine quilting DVD.

 

And here is a look in the goodie bag!

 

 

Now I want to stay home and QUILT!!!!

 

Actually, I have always wanted to make a Rhapsody quilt and I am even more inspired to do so now. In fact, the book just landed at the top of my book pile.

 

So the theme for the day was "inspired"!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my queue!

It is wonderful to have my sewing room back!

 I already have lots on the go...all UFO's!

 

 

I started sewing my 1/2 square triangle blocks.

These were I started so long ago that I had forgotten what they were for.

I have about half of them left to sew.

 

 

I played a bit with them on the small design board behind my sewing machine and eventually decided on this layout. I'm matching the dark halves with another dark in the same color.

 So far I am liking it a lot!

 

 

And I have begun the next phase of mastering needle turn applique. I am trying it the Piece o' Cake way now! I am using 9 of the blocks from the Fresh Picked Posies pattern. I have all my pieces cut out and ready for sticking to laminate sheets. I was reading that they had also used clear contact paper so I may get that instead. I can't wait to get started!

 

 

I also have started pressing my scraps. I have 4 bins full plus a bag or two. I decided to cut them into 2-1/2" strips (if they are wide enough) and then with anything under 2-1/2" I am cutting into 1-1/2" strips.

The 1-1/2"strips will be a scrappy log cabin. I am undecided about what to do with the 2-1/2" strips. 

 

 

This is one of those moments I wish I had a BIG design wall to show off a quilt! I finished hand quilting the center medallion of this beautiful quilt for a friend. She had it machine quilted except for the center Dresden plate block. She did a wonderful job and it was a pleasure to quilt! For any local people, it will be hanging in the Lafleche Library. 

 

 

And I am getting excited....I am heading to Calgary, AB on Saturday so I can go to a Ricky Tim's seminar!!!!!! I can't wait...I have been a fan for a long time!

 

Whew! That was lots!

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

Happy! Happy! Happy!

It is so wonderful to have my sewing room back to normal! This weekend I managed to find border fabric for the little orange peel quilt!

 

 And...ta-da! Borders are on. This little quilt measures just 26" square! It is so sweet...and it will be a quick little hand quilting project!

 

 

And I took a little quilting homework with me while I was in the city and managed to mark a pile of charm squares that I will be sewing into half square triangle blocks.

 

 

I am so ready to get sewing! But first I have a hand quilting project to finish for my friend. Next time I will show off her beautiful quilt a bit!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Do you hear the sigh?

It is a sigh of great happiness! I am sure the whole world must have heard...I finished painting my floor in my sewing room!

 

 

And better yet, I have my sewing room all organized and look what I found!!!

My sewing machine!

 

 

But that wasn't all...I also found my ironing board and iron again. Oh, how I missed them!

 

 

So, tonight I snuck in a little sewing time. I couldn't help myself.

 

I also made a new rule for myself tonight. No more charm packs (no matter how charming they are!)unless I have a project in mind and I also buy all the borders and binding and sashing...whatever I need to finish the quilt. 

 

 

This sweet little thing is my needle turn applique practice quilt and I made it from two charm packs. I do not have a single red or blue fabric in my stash that goes with this that I can use for borders. It is a complete mystery to me how that can happen! I'm in the city this weekend, so I guess this means a trip to the quilt shop. Always a fun thing to do but I am trying to use what I have until I have a little less.

 

Next week hopefully I will have borders on this little quilt!

 

Happy Stitching!

A little sewing room mess

I haven't been in my sewing room lately...at least not to sew!  I have been working on a sewing room improvement though. My sewing room floor is an old plank floor that had been painted with that horrible grey floor paint. I finally had enough. It was not a color that encouraged creativity! I spent some time filling the cracks and then chose an off white floor paint.

 

 

I also painted the grey stair railings. In all, there are three sections of floor that need painting. I am working on the last section right now. By the weekend I should be able to see my sewing machine again! I love it! It is so much brighter now!

 

 

 

 

 

During the evenings I did manage to finish a little needle turn applique. The last 15 blocks of the orange peel quilt are finished. Now I just have to wait until the sewing machine surfaces so I can put it together!

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Celebrating!

My little town celebrated it's 100th birthday this past weekend! And along with all the fun, a friend of mine organized an amazing quilt show in our beautiful church!

 

 

I am very fortunate to live in a town with a thriving quilting community and they really showed off their talents this weekend! The church was a lovely sight with the quilts hanging over the pews.

 

 

 

We had over 160 quilts that filled the church. Many residents and visitors to town enjoyed the quilt show this past weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful sight! Congratulations to all the talented quilters in and around Lafleche!

 

Next time...I'll show you what I have been doing...a hint...my sewing room had been in chaos...

 

Happy Stitching!