Finishes for Friday

I busted it out this week and finished one quilt, one pin cushion, and one quilt top.

The baby quilt was blogged about here.  I added a picture to share in case you don't want to jump over to that page.

My pin cushion was made from a scrap piece of muslin and an orphan block made from scraps of the WIP Teal Flying Geese Chevron.

I decided to make this pin cushion because I didn't like having to get up from across the room to grab the magnetic one once I decided to sew whatever I pinned.

I put a scrap piece of batting on the back of the block.  I practiced my FMQ skills and stiched the back to the top, trimmed my corners and turned it right side out.  I read somewhere that it was a good idea to add rice or walnut shells to add weight to pin cushions.  Being dedicated to using what I had on hand, I used rice.  I stuffed the rest with some polyester stuffing I had left over from another project.  

Pay no attention to the rouge hand sewing!

I also sewed the blocks together for Naughts and Crosses.  I love the play of the bright yellow contrasting with the deep navy.  I first found the yellow and navy floral prints all bunched together on the bolts.  My heart squee'ed (is this a word??) for joy.  I then collected some more yellow and navy fabrics from my stash.  I even picked up a vintage yellow and light blue floral print and incorporated it into a couple of the blocks.

Another quilt I cannot fit in the picture UGH!

 I tried my best to match and nest seams, but as with all of my projects - I had to fudge a little.  I had a hard time getting the O or the Naught blocks through the needle.  There was quite an intersection of seams and layers there.  I mitigated that by encouraging the blocks through the sewing machine - I tugged on the blocks as they were coming through the back side of the needle.  I am pleased with the way this top turned out.  I need to add a border, but I am stuck with what color and how thick the border should be.  This quilt will be for my Husband so he has something nice to snuggle with on drafty winter mornings.

 

 I think I will use an all over meandering FMQ for this quilt.  I am thinking about using navy Aurifil for the quilting.

I haven't decided for certain.  What do you think?  Would you use a dark thread or a light thread to quilt?  Would you add a border?  What color border would you add?

Please leave your feedback in my comments section.  Thanks!

Shameless Promotion for Amy

Being a quilter kind of gets you into a "club" of sorts where other quilters, no matter your skill level, always remember you when there is a sewing evening afoot.  

This is Amy.  I stole this pic from her blog.

I Met Amy about three years ago through church.  She learned that I quilt and periodically, when her husband is out of town or camping with the boy scouts, she hosts a sewing night.  These events are always full of ladies, sewing projects and yummy snacks.  We settle in with our various projects and give each other feedback.  I have met so many wonderful ladies through these evenings.  Amy always passes on her well used magazines or random scraps that she is getting rid of "gives away prizes" at the end of the night.  Generally there is a charity quilt for people to learn on.

About 4 months ago Amy emailed me and asked me to help edit a book wrote.  I felt honored that she would ask me for help.  At first, I thought she asked me to edit grammar and text.  But NOO!  Amy wanted my feedback on the explanations and clarity of her instructions.  I guess she needed a quilter who is a bit "dangerous". I can get myself in a quilting pickle, but am not always the best at getting out of said pickle.

Amy's Book Frazzled Fancies

 Amy truly has the mind of a quilter.  She took the pages for each topic and taped them together in a long column.  Her tutorial for her Frazzled Fancies blocks were deliberate and easy to understand.  She didn't waste an inch of space on the page and references many pictures to help readers and quilters understand how to make the block.  The best thing about Amy's method is her creative use of materials, and her attitude about quilting.  She believes that mistakes are going to happen, and precision quilting isn't the only way to quilt.

Check out her blog and etsy store! 

 

An "Instant Gratification" project

Hello Quilty and Non-Quilty Friends!

I hope you had a grand holiday season.  Although I spent a lot of time loafing around the house, I felt well rested and dare I say a wee bit excited to return to work. (!)

I made a list of projects I wanted to complete in my trusty grid composition note book.  I may or may not post them.  I haven't decided if I want the world wide web to keep me accountable or not.  Nevertheless, I started a project around 9 pm last night.  I think I finished around midnight.  I know It took at least 4 Greys Anatomy episodes to finish - including mistakes and remeasuring, recutting, picking stitches and pinning in the right places.

I used an old jelly roll I picked up at a Tuesday Morning store (discount, factory seconds, unsold stock)  I purchased it to add more green to my stash.  I really liked the combination of bold floral, stripes and geometric patterns.  This particular jelly roll only had two 2.5xWOF strips of 6 prints.  I wrote down some instructions, and stitched all of the jelly roll strips together.  I measured and trimmed my strips to what I thought was the correct width and length - according to my chicken scratch.

So I finally swallowed my pride and went to THIS tutorial by V and Co.  I trimmed my sewn strips to short, so it was not wide enough.  I added a strip of the pocket (inside of cover fabric) to the sewn strips and then turned and top stitched the cover.  The moment of truth - and the cover did not fit.  

By this time it was late and I was super determined to finish something, so I tucked my puppies in to the kennel and grabbed my trusty and overused seam ripper and picked out the stitches that secured the inside flaps.

I reassessed how far I needed to fold them and then gave myself a bit more wiggle room for seam allowance for the top stiching along the front of the cover.  I pinned and sewed, grabbed my composition book and slid on the cover.  It was a wee bit big, but I figured since it was well past midnight, I would leave it as is and call it good enough.

I do like the colors and the bands of black that outline the strips.

Completed project with trusty tools

Inside front cover

Inside back cover

Back Cover

What I would do different so I didn't have any problems

• Slow down and not charge through a project until completion when it's late. Maybe I shouldn't start a project after 9 pm
• NOT use my 1/4 in. foot, use my all-purpose foot or my walking foot.  The corners get pretty thick.
• NOT use contrasting thread
• Sew it upside down with the bobbin thread on the inside and the "pretty" top stitching on the outside.
• MEASURE my composition book.  It has been my experience that each one has a slight variation.  This can be due to use or glue ins OR just natural variation that comes from the machining process.
• Perhaps starch my fabric?

I NOW KNOW WHAT NOT TO DO.  I think I will try this again to make gifts for friends.  I also had originally intended to practice my FMQ skills, but I got too focused on getting a completion.  I think I will FMQ and use an orphan block on the front and back and then add strips to build out for the correct width and height.

Do you ever get so focused on the get it done that quality work is sometimes sacrificed?

Please leave a comment!  I love to hear from you

A Friday Finish of Sorts

Although I have been like a little Elf in Santa's workshop, I don't have much to share in the way of my makings, until after the holidays (of course).

I would like to share what I have done with my Low Volume Charm Swap fabrics I participated in with Chelsea at Patch the Giraffe and Melissa at From Bolt to Beauty.  As I opened my squishy package, I loved each print, but thought that if I made a quilt out of exclusive low volume prints, then I knew the quilt would get stained, or have dark jeans bleed over it in the wash.

I decided since all the "heavy lifting" was completed by the ladies and their great job choosing and cutting their charms, I would do a four patch.  I added some fabric from my stash that I had cut in to charms previously.  (I really like bright colors!)

I dug around on pinterest to see what might inspire me.  I decided to do a disappearing four patch to add visual interest AND offer a bit of a challenge.  

I used THIS YouTube tutorial from Missouri Quilt Company.

I found this block to be fairly easy, but once you sew and press you then have to cut, sew and press again.  My sewing set up makes this a wee bit challenging, but perhaps I can scare up a longer table at some point so I can have my machine at one end, my cutting mat at the other and I don't have to set or shove my machine over to make room for the mat to cut and trim.

I am quite pleased with the results. 

Left over blocks from the layout

I decided to set the blocks on point and use some fun chevron fabric as setting squares.  I trimmed my blocks down to about 8 inches and cut 8 inch blocks from the chevron fabric.  

A fun Layout - I think

closest chevron "block" is just the rest of the fabric folded for the picture (HA)

This one is a bit fuzzy

I hope I have enough chevron fabric left to make the setting triangles.  I have never set a quilt on point before and look forward to the challenge.  Good think I have my Robert Kaufman quilting app on my phone!

Have you ever attempted a quilt challenge that made you nervous?

Linked up with TGIFF and Finish it up Friday

My First Post

After the loss of my job in Fall of 2013, I fumbled around for a purpose.  I decided to re-commit myself to quilting and efforts to expand our family.  I am excited to share with you my thoughts, lessons learned and craftiness I attempt.  Sometimes in life, as with sewing, you make a mistake and have to stop, slow yourself and change your frame of mind. 

My husband and I decided it was time, after being married for six years, (and hyper-emotional fertility) to educate ourselves about the adoption process.  We learned about costs, qualifications, and wait time.  We turned in an application for a local adoption agency and are currently waiting to be assigned a social worker.

It sounds counter-intuitive to start an expensive process when laid-off, but the hubs decided to research how we could fund the costs of adoption.  We started an online fundraiser and have been very pleased with the amount of donations made.  

If you are interested in donating, please see our fundly website here