Project photos

I see it has been nearly a month since I last posted.  When I went back to work, I didn't realize it would cut so much into my quilting time.  Learning a new job can be quite time consuming.  I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and hope to have more quilting time in the near future.  In the meantime, I have done a few small projects and here are the photos.

 

First, I made a couple of hot pads for Tom to take with him to France as gifts.

I also made him a Kindle cover for his new toy.  I made it out of one of his old shirts.  Very cool.

I added my part to the Improvirobin for this month.  This one will end up with Willa, so I hope she likes what I added.  I had to borrow fabric from her African fabric stash.  I also added some of my own fabric, including a piece from a shirt from Africa that I wore before I lost all my weight. 

I made my May AAQI quilt top.  I just have to quilt and bind it before I register it.  I will do that tomorrow.

I also finished the second top for my H2H challenge for this year.  It is much brighter than I usually work.  It is a D9P.  That dark blue square in the top center sure does stand out.  Hmmmm.

Bella has been working on her own projects while I work with fabric.  We are enjoying our Wednesdays together in the studio.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

 

 

 

 

 



Two more finishes

About a year and a half ago, I started this piece as a project for Modern 8 Create.  I decided to hand quilt it.  It had very irregular edges, and I wanted to keep them but wasn't sure how. I took the quilted piece to a Rebels meeting and facing was suggested.  That is what I ended up doing.  I finished it yesterday while trying to keep my cold germs away from Bella.  When I got home, I hung it in the hall next to the door to my studio.  I am very pleased with how it looks there.  Tom thinks I hung it too low, but he is much taller than I am, so it looks that way to him. Always something to consider when hanging wall quilts.

The other finish this week is this small AAQI quilt.  I have been a member of the quilt-a-month group since it started.  Each month, they send out an optional theme for color, design, and fabric.  I don't usually follow them, mostly because I am obstinate, but this month I decided I liked two of the themes: rainbow trout and plaid fabric.  I also decided to embellish this one with ribbon and beads.

You can see the beads better in this detail shot.  I really love piecing plaid scraps together, so this was great fun.  I am going to register it this morning.  Most of my mini-art quilts have sold, but there are a few still on sale. (numbers at the bottom of this post)  AAQI will close its site at the end of this year, having reached its goal of raising a million dollars toward Alzheimer's research.  There are still some great pieces for sale at the site, and it is for such a worthwhile cause.  To take a look - AAQI Quilts for Sale.

I am going to work on getting well this weekend, and I hope that includes some quilting time.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

 

 

Numbers of my AAQI quilts still for sale:  8832, 10897, 11132, 12030, 12326, 13101

 

 

 

Some Progress

 

This is the finished top I made for Bella.  It is on the frame now waiting to be quilted.  It will be her big sister gift when the new baby comes in a few weeks.

 

 

February's AAQI mini was great fun to make.  I had great fun pulling spring solids from my very small stash of solids.  I need to get more since I have decided I like working with them.

 

 

I belong to the Business and Professional Women's Organization and we are having our scholarship fund raising gala next month.  Instead of a silent auction, we have been asked to donate a wrapped gift or two for each table that people may bid on.  I decided to make a set of six place mats.  Once again, I pulled from my small solids stash and some scraps from another recent quilt top.  I hope whoever wins the bid enjoys them.

 

Each one is a little unique, which makes it a fun set.

I have a couple of finished quilts I will post photos of tomorrow.  I am sorry to have been away so much, but I picked up a bug that laid me low for a while.  I am feeling better now, but Tom has been struck now. Hopefully, full health will return to our house soon.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

 

 

 

Red and orange make a difference

I spent time yesterday cutting out all the squares I needed for this quilt.  About 20% of them are from the red and orange plaid shirts in the collection.  This morning, I made up ten of those blocks and added them to the mix.  They won't be this predominant in the finished quilt, but I think I like the overall idea.  Thanks to those of you who supported Tom in this idea.  Even with all my cutting yesterday, I still have a shelf full of blue shirt parts.  I cut all the small bits into 2 1/2" squares, so now I have quite a few of those as well.  They may make an appearance in this quilt in some fashion before all is said and done.  I really enjoy making quilts with no real end plan.  Just enjoying the process.

This is my July AAQI quilt.  It is 6 1/2" x 10" and is hand quilted.  If you look closely, you can see some of my hand stitching.  I love these rich warm colors together.  The little inserts of turquoise came from the same color in the small piece of Sandy Gervais designed Tranquility I have used. To see this line, check out this site.) It is the olive green with the orange, brown, blue and cream squares. I used to have quite a bit of this fabric, but I think this may be just about the last of it.  This was the first line of fabric I used to make a quilt when I got back into quilting a couple of years ago.  My chosen style and fabric selections have changed quite a bit since then, but I still love all the fabrics in this line. 

In these two projects, I have combined all kinds of patterns from very traditional shirting plaids to bark cloth to my favorite Jinny Beyer design.  I have thrown caution to the wind in the shirting quilt mixing solids, batiks, plaids, paisleys, and whatever else comes out of my scrap bags.  This goes against the voice in my head that tries to remind me that there is an order to the universe and I should be paying attention to it.  Sometimes I do, but not for these two.  Maybe next time.

The chickens are loving the warm weather as much as I am.  They had their wings clipped yesterday after Janis Joplin decided to see how high she could fly.  Doesn't that sound just like her namesake?  They are now content to munch on the fresh greens Tom gives them every morning when he lets them out of their coop.  I am enjoying watching them grow but wondering how long it will be before they start paying rent with delicious blue shelled eggs.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

 

February AAQI quilt

Hope Rises

8" x 10.5"

I realized the other day that I hadn't made my AAQI mini for this month.  I belong to the quilt-a-month club at AAQI, and I haven't missed a month in a year.  I didn't want to start now.  I had drawn out a sketch for this one a while ago while I was waiting for Bella at dance class.  I wanted a Phoenix-like bird rising from the dark into the light.  This morning, I pulled my blacks and whites and created the background strata.  I then pulled what I thought were going to be really bright colors for the bird.  They are not nearly as bright as I thought they were going to be.  They are very spring like.  Hey - that symbolism works okay for what I wanted.  Spring is rebirth and hope.  Once I got everything cut out and appliqued on, I started building pebbles at the bottom where it was solid black.  I used a variegated King Tut by Superior in a really light mix so they would stand out.  Then, I put some FMQ feathers on the bird and some wavy lines going up from the pebbles.  The binding is another batik that is very spring like in this piece.

It was very interesting creating a piece like this.  I haven't done that much FMQ except overall stippling, so I really had to concentrate on what I wanted it to look like.  I didn't want to pebbles to look uniform or perfect, and that was no problem.  Ha ha.  I think I could have put more feathers on the bird, but I wasn't sure where to go with that, so I stopped while I was ahead.

I am not sure how much studio time I will have this weekend, so I may not be back until Monday.  Until then, joyful quilting everyone.

A tree for Sunni, and other things

I decided to join in a couple of interesting online bees this year.  This one is over at Stash Bee, and is hosted by Sunni of Love Affair With my Brother fame.  I was originally in Hive 2, but someone dropped out of Hive 1, so I joined that one.  There are 18 quilters in this hive, and my turn for blocks won't come around until June 2013.  I sure hope all the quilters in that group hang in there for that long.  If they don't, I will learn a lot and have fun making blocks for them as their turns come up.  This is my first online bee of this type.  I have done the other kind where you make a bunch of blocks, send them in, and get the same number back from other people.  In fact, the wonky houses are for that kind of bee.  I like Sunni's block because she just asked for a single tree on a 12.5" square of Kona white.  It was great fun to design a tree to machine applique for this block.

I have also started making little houses.

These little guys are 4" squares finished.  About a year ago, I found myself caving in to the cuteness of a Moda candy bar box of traditional fabric cut in 2.5" x 5" pieces.  There are four collections represented in the candy bar box, with 42 "pieces of candy" in each collection.  I haven't used them until now.  At the same time, I also got some  mini (2.5" x 2.5") charm packs from three different Moda collections.  Also not used.  I guess I was saving them for this little house project.  They are just perfect. There is not enough to build all 120 houses, but I have some Kansas Trouble jelly roll strips left from another project, and I think there is enough there for several houses.  These are paper pieced. and now that I have the fabric sorted out, I think this is going to be great fun.

I said I would show you the latest AAQI quilt once it was finished.

This one is 9.5" x 5.5".  I call it Kasbah Nights because the colors reminded me of exotic places.  I hand quilted it with #8 perle cotton in the same burgundy color as the HSTs.  The binding is a very dark blue.  I will send it off as soon as I get the registration number.

It has not started snowing yet, but I am still hoping it will come our way.  I am ready.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

AAQI and emergency bear surgery.

First, the bear.

Isn't he sweet?  For Christmas, Bella received two Build-A-Bear kits.  Her mother put one together and I put the other one together.  I wanted to bring it home to sew on my machine, but Bella wanted me to do it right then so she could take it in for her nap.  I agreed with the understanding that when it began to fall apart, because of the really crazy way they had for assembling it, I would have to take it to my house to sew on the machine.  Today, Bella came over, bear in hand, and said, "I wish I had listened to you in the first place, Nanny."  Music to a Nanny's ears.  So, I took the bear apart, took out the stuffing, and sewed it together like it should have been in the first place.  The operation was a success.

The other thing I did today was to start my January AAQI mini quilt.  When I joined in the 2012 Color Palette Challenge over at Patchwork Times, I decided to use the monthly palette to create my monthly AAQI mini.  This is the color palette for January.

I think I did okay with the colors. 

The other thing I wanted to include were prairie points.  Why prairie points?  I was watching Susan Cleveland on the Quilt Show the other day, and she made some of the cutest prairie points I have ever seen.  I thought they would make a great addition to my intuitive quilts.  This AAQI quilt is completely intuitive, even though it has some traditional elements.  Sometimes, my intuition tells me I need something traditional.  I am going to hand quilt it with #8 perle cotton in the deep purple.  If you notice, you will see my safety pin basting.  I will post it again when it is finished.

That is what I have been up to so far today.

Joyful quilting, everyone.



Merry Christmas to all

I think I can safely post the things I have finished that will be delivered tomorrow.  Here is what I have been doing.

AAQI for December.  I hand quilted this one using cotton floss.

Mug rug for my son in law made from his old shirts. I used the stippling to add a little fun to the business like tone of this one.  I made another one like it for my BIL using his old shirts.

I made two of these mug rugs for the hunters in the family. I quilted it in a sort of plaid pattern.

Another mug rug for an in-law.  The quilting is very simple straight (or as straight as I get them) lines.  I used my new walking foot for much of the quilting I did on these small projects.  It is a wonderful thing.

The red and white mini for Bella's other quilting grandmom. It is 15" x 15".

I made six of these all together.  They are 7" x 10" and fully lined.

And then there is the doll.  I painted the bed white to match Bella's.  I made a little pillow and a Kaffe pillowcase to go with the quilt.

Everything is now wrapped and ready to go in the morning.

Wishing you all a very joyous holiday from my home to yours.

More bags and an AAQI mini

I am having so much fun making these little bags.  They are 10" x 7".  Each one is getting easier.  Today, I did a little production line work.  The most fun, of course, is creating the strata for the inset.  For this series, I have created strata.  I think I will do several other kinds of insets as I continue with this bag making adventure.  I need to find a good source for zippers before much longer.  What am I going to do with all these bags?  Think Etsy.

Each of these bags is fully lined.  Don't you love the fun lining in this one?

The other thing I did today was work on my December AAQI mini.  This one is about 7" x 9".  I have a small scrap of fabric that has red and turquoise flowers on a white background.  Every time I look at it, I like the color combination more.  I have quite a bit of red and turquoise in my stash.  Most of it is in pieces smaller than a fat quarter but that is okay if I am going to build fabric like this.  I really like the way the Kaffe in the middle pulls it all together.  I think I am going to hand quilt this one with turquoise floss and big stitches.  That should be fun.  This will be my 14th AAQI mini. 

Tomorrow, I have another full studio day.  Who knows what I will get done then.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

More progress



Here is today's JL block.  I noticed yesterday, when all the blocks were on the wall, that I needed another pair of really dark ones.  I found this fabric in my stash, but don't know what it is because the selvage was missing.  I think it is going to work very well.  14 down, and 34 to go.

I wanted to tell you about my adventure with Tom at the local chain fabric store.  We went in to get ten yards of my favorite batting, Warm and Natural.  We went to the back, where it is usually hanging, and there was none there. There was Warm and White, and Tom suggested I get it instead.  I don't like the white, and there were not ten yards on the roll, but after looking at the other batting they had to offer, I decided to try it.  I was armed with my 50% off coupon, but of course the batting was already on sale at 30% off so the coupon was no good.  That always seems to be the way.  Tom was amused by this when I explained it to him.  Before we got the white batting cut, I asked the clerk if they had the natural in the back somewhere.  She informed me they don't carry it.  I was flabbergasted since they have always carried it before.  Another clerk, who overheard the conversation, said there was probably a bolt in a box in the back.  We went back and found it.  Hurray!  The first clerk set about measuring the batting and lost count about half way through.  Tom began to chuckle.  Check-out was just as much fun.  Only one register had enough cash to take cash customers.  Of course, we didn't know that until we got our turn at a non-cash register and had to go back to the end of the line for the cash register. It seems as if everyone used cash yesterday.  By the time we got out to the car, Tom was laughing out loud.  It was contagious.  From now on, I will be able to find the humor in my visits to this store.

When I was cleaning out a basket from an old project, I found these fun HSTs and built another quilt for AAQI.  This one is 11" x 7.5".  I love pinwheels, but usually don't make them because I have trouble with the centers.  This piece went together pretty easily.

I made this BOM block using some of the fabric I made yesterday.  Of all the BOMs, this one should be the easiest.  I managed to mess it up a few times before I got it put together.  Hmmmm.



Last, but not least, I did some more building on this piece.  I love these colors together, but I realize they are not every bodies taste.  I also realized I needed more lights.  I dug through the stash and found some pale purple batik.  I will add some in tomorrow.  I also need another dark, but don't have what I need.  Since my palette is limited, I think it needs to be purple.  Today, I added in some red/orange stripe fabric from another thrift store skirt.  I really love this fabric, so I am glad it works with this.

I guess that is all for today.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.  

Joyful quilting, everyone. 

Studio time

I added two more blocks to the JL QAL.  this time, I used a really nice pink floral.  There are several shades of pink in it.  These will probably not end up near each other in the final quilt.  I just put them together on the design wall so I could see the pattern.  I liked it so much, I decided to make a small one for this months AAQI quilt.

This will finish out as a 9" square with the binding.  I am going to quilt it with red thread with diagonal lines.  I have wanted to make a red and white quilt all year, so here it is.

I also made two more blocks for the BOM sampler.  I am amazed at how different the jade fabric looks in both photos.  It is really about half way between both.

 The other big thing I did today was to load a quilt for BASICs on the frame.  This top and back were pieced by Irene Armok.  You can see her work at her blog.  She does many wonderful things.

This one is going to get an all over stipple.  I really like this quilt.  Someone is going to be very lucky to get it.

Tomorrow, I will be with Bella, so not much studio time I think.  I think I will do a bit of quilting on the BASICs quilt before I pick her up at pre-school.

Have a joy filled day.

Friendship stars and card tricks

As part of the October challenge over at Modern 8 Create, I had to create a card trick block.  This is the first time I have been really successful with this block.  I actually made two of them, cut apart the second one and created this.

If you want to see more interesting things people are doing with this block, head on over to Modern 8 Create.
I also spent some time working on Hokule'a.  I built a stack of friendship stars out of old shirts, a muumuu, and some bright gold batik. This is where she is now,

I have decided to keep the star in the lower right corner as I build the quilt.  I am actually listening to what the quilt wants on this one.  I have quite a bit of Hawaiian fabric left to use from yardage I bought when I lived there as from clothes we no longer wear.  I have another quilt in progress using some of this fabric.  I will show it later when I get more done.
The last thing I did today was make my September quilt for AAQI.  I am calling it Calm.  Be sure and check out the other mini art quilts for sale over at the AAQI site.

We are having company for the next three days, then I am back with Bella on Tuesday, so I may not be posting much for the next week or so.  I will do what I can.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

Another AAQI quilt finished and fabric if you want it

This is my July AAQI mini.  It is 8" x 10".  I used the mariner's compass pattern I had from Hokule'a.  I liked the idea of the compass helping to point the way, unless you are lost inside the sea of your own brain with Alzheimer's.  The center is made fabric quilted with small stippling to represent the maze of that brain.  I also used small stippling on the background to show how confusing the world can become to someone with dementia.  This is foundation pieced and uses all batik fabrics.

One of my husband's friends came by with a very large box of fabric that had been collecting in their storage space.  There was a wonderful assortment of interesting fabrics.  One of the coolest thing was this selection of solids.  Each is a half yard to a yard.  This is a fantastic addition to my solids collection.  A month ago, I could only find a few small pieces in my stash.  Now, I am ready to work on my Matisse.
One of the pieces of fabric is this piece of  C. S. Shamash and Sons Inc #5574.  It is 4 yards of fabric depicting Plains Indians chasing buffalo. 

If anyone is looking for this fabric, I would love to send it to you.  I tried to find it online, but had no luck.  I know someone out there has been looking for just this piece of fabric.  If you know anyone who is looking for it, I will be happy to trade.    Just let me know.
I am leaving for San Francisco tomorrow morning.  I don't know how much blogging time I will have, but I will try to post updates.  Until next week, joyful blogging.

Fabric Play

I started the day making a mug rug with scraps from other projects.  I needed something ready to show my sis how I do binding.  Very autumn-like, I think.

Next, I decided to make a mini for AAQI.  This one will finish at 9" x 10" with the binding.  I couldn't resist jumping into this Jacobs fabric.  It is one of the seashell fabrics.  I cut 1.5 inch squares and rearranged them to give a mosaic look.  I then did 1/4" sashing.   I added one larger solid block that picked up the orange in the main fabric.  I have to figure out how to quilt it now.  It reminds me of one of those domed aquariums where you stand in the middle and the fish swim all around you.

I ended my studio time with a little more work on my Kandinsky interpretation.  It is getting there.  There are still spaces to fill in.  I have been enjoying the process for this one.  No pattern or drawing.  Just cutting fabric that is the color I want and adding it to the mix.  I also have to figure out how to quilt this one when it is finished.

Tomorrow is another day to play with fabric.  Joyful quilting, everyone.