Block-a-Day Week 4

The 3 in the bottom row are in "christmas fabric/colors" -trying to make the next 12 blocks that are 12 inches in the Christmas fabrics for a bed quilt for me.  

I'm finding that piecing 12 inch blocks uses up FQ quickly-quicker than I would have thought. 

This bunch went together surprisingly quick-taking into account my own errors of not paying attention and sewing something backwards...  

I'm getting into a routine with these. I cut all the pieces for a weeks worth and then try to sew them in 2-3 sittings. 

 It's working for now.

Zen, a quilt and a few more quilts

This was a wedding gift for one of my friends' daughter. 

 I used and all-over 'water ripples' to quilt it.

 The pattern is called Zen the designer Amy Walsh. It was in Amer Patchwork and Quilting Magazine Feb 2009 issue.
This quilt measures 63x75. 

I don't think I've posted this quilt before either.  The pattern I used called it Crazy 9-Patch. (64x90)The pattern was given in our Western PA Shop Hop 'passport' from '09.  

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This is my Harmonic Convergence quilt (57 x 78), this picture is before quilting-

A New "Winter" purse

I pieced the fabric for the outside a few days ago and quilted it last night.  I used black thread and an all-over "C" hook filler. I like it.

And here is a peek at the inside. I've already put all my "stuff" in the inside pockets.  I love the polka-dot fabric on the inside-it makes me smile.

Block-a-Day Quilt Week 3

Here are week #3's blocks.

I also finished my Color wheel Strings quilt, (68 x 86) in fact just about 15 minutes ago!  (no binding yet)I did a free hand Baptist Fans and Blue variegated Superior thread on top and So Fine, ecru in bobbin.

Here's a picture of the quilting. 

One of the things on my goal list for 2010 was to use my leftover blocks for the backing on a quilt.  These leftovers are very random and I just wanted to get them used. 

This week when I've had a chance I've been working on sewing my small crazy curve blocks together. I'm using the Morris Workshop fabric line for this quilt and it should finish queen size. 

And here is Libby's quilt made with the same fabric line and using same pattern.  She didn't want a queen size quilt so she pieced the front and used the rest for the back to make it reversible.

Design Wall Monday Week 3

The design wall is in the background; it's empty.  This is the next Block-a-day block. As you can see from my calendar, I'm on the 19th! One day ahead-Woohoo for me, I'm sure I'll fall behind at some point!  This week I will work on the Bl-a-days and I have 2 quilts I'm going to try to get done. 

Baby Quilt Finish

Baby Quilt 48 x 60 inches, quilted all-over large 

stipple used blue/pink variegated King Tut on top and ecru So Fine thread in bobbin.  I loaded it this morning, quilted it, and finished hand sewing the binding on tonight.  

I am going to make a label using the baby shower invitation which I've already printed on a fabric sheet, just need to write in the personal stuff.

Block-a-Day Week 2

Here are blocks 8-14!  I just used the same fabrics for the week.

 

Last night I finished fusing the last of the t-shirts. Wait! Doing a little happy dance here!!   And just for the record, I used 1 bolt (yes Bolt- that's 25 yards of fusible interfacing.)  I know this because I bought a brand spanking new bolt (still in shrink wrap)and it's gone--save for a few scrappy pieces.

Anyway, I knew in my head how I wanted to piece them-no sashing like a collage. It's also possibly the only way to get them all on the front of a quilt and "collage" was the word used by my sister-in-law. However, I'd never seen a t-shirt quilt like that; all the books and patterns I have  show quilts with sashing or theme fabric related to the t-shirts. And none showed a quilt top with 40-50 T-shirts used! So I Googled 't-shirt quilts'-  I found a website Too Cool T-shirts --I think that was the name.  And there were picture after picture of quilts that look just like what I was planning in my head.  (Whew! It will work and look good.)

  *oh thank you "lord of the internet" or whoever you are that gives us Google....the search engine of extreme time wasting...except when you find just what you need!*   

January BOM

  I had a hard time picking the 4 colors for this block.

Design Wall Monday Week 2

The block is January 11th's Block-a-Day . I cut it out last night so it's already to go.  I'm going to try to use fabrics that 'go together' for each weeks blocks.   It will help when I go to make a quilt from all these blocks.


And here is the 'cut and ready for fusing' t-shirt pile for the 2nd quilt!  I'm real happy with the progress made on them.

And here is my strings quilt that was last weeks DWM post. I put the border on yesterday; just squeaked by with the 1 1/2 yards of this fabric that I had in the stash.

T-shirt start!

The pile on the left are cut "oversized" and need interfacing fused to the back, the smaller pile on the right are cut and fused. That's 2 hours + of work time, whew! (doesn't seem like a lot to show for 2 hours)
I started cutting and fusing but the process was so slow that I stopped fusing and just cut.   Yep 2-twin nieces=2 quilts.

Another finish

I haven't officially made a 2010 'to do list' but this pillow is was on the unofficial list.  Old Man Winter pillow is now done and my new header-seems appropriate with all the snow and frigid air that's covering the country.

I also finished my January block for the Many Thanks BOM  I'm doing this year.

Today besides sewing, I organized.  I put everything for this BOM in one of those plastic project cases.  I'm also keeping the blocks for Shannon's BOM in there too.  Today she posted the layout for the quilt...very cool, you should check it out-not too late to join the fun!

I put all the finished Block-a-Day blocks (and templates so far) in another case. 
I'm now going to work on an "official list".  And then (drum roll, please) I am GOING TO GET THE T-SHIRTS OUT.  I am not going to bed tonight until I have them all ready to go--tomorrow I fuse and probably the next day, and the next..... :)  I'm so excited to finally have stopped the procrastination train. 
PS: It's still snowing here!

The view from my deck door

It's a lot of snow when you have to start shoveling the deck!  Mr. Otis stopped when I opened the door for him and gave me a look as if to say "it's deeper than me; I think I can hold it".  So I got the shovel and made him a path to the steps and a path to the birdfeeder...
the path to the feeder is for me not Otis! :)

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I get to look at this view when I'm at the computer.  Sometimes when I do I get a thick feeling in my chest; I am a very lucky person.  My life isn't perfect but it's damn good. 

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Block-a Day: Week One

Top Row: block #1 I really don't like, block #2 (top row middle) is turned sideways.  Block #3; after I fused and cut out the petal pieces I realized they were almost as light as the background, sigh, so I used a vibrant variegated thread to blanket-stitch around them-I like it.
Second row: block #4 is 12 1/2 ", then block #5 is only 6" (I think).  I really like the blue and orange. Block #6-blah and Block #7-was a piecing challenge but I like it. 
Right now I feel like I can do this-make one block every day.  I'm using scraps and fat quarters.  I think FQ are going to work better, I wasted time thinking I had enough of a fabric and then would be a teeny bit short.  I think I'm going to post every Friday with the pictures of the last weeks blocks.

This evening I finished sewing together the Boxed Squares baby quilt I started on Tuesday.

  This is a gift needs done by Feb.

I also worked on my Many Thanks BOM tonight (Jan) and cut out the pieces for the Old Man winter pillow kit.

Chubby Charmer Tote

I finally finished this tote last night.  It's for me! I repeat, it is for me!  The last 3 I made ended up not for me. I'm going to use it to lug my stuff to quilt classes.

My friend Libby and I went shopping yesterday to The Quilt Co., then lunch and finally Jo Ann Fabrics. It was a good day.  We were suppose to get together and have a sew/gabfest at my house, but she needed wide backing and a few things and we decided it was too cold and snowy to drag all her stuff to my house, so we shopped instead.
 
A few months ago I bought the One Block Wonder Book, but I was scared to make it all by myself.  The Quilt Co. has offered a class on it a few times last year and lo and behold they're doing it again. So we talked to Marsha, who will be teaching the class and we both signed up.  The class is 2 part and doesn't start until March, so I have time to get some other things done; like my 2 t-shirt quilts.    Actually, I bought a jelly roll of the Aviary line from 3 Sisters, I cut it up last night to make a baby quilt gift, no pictures yet, but I'm using the directions from Mary. I think it's going to be a lovely quilt for a baby girl.
Oh and my calendar finally came so I started my Block-a-Day.
It has been so long since I've cut out "patches" and put a quilt block together like this; I really had to think for a bit.  I'm just so used to following a pattern where I cut strips or use HST.  I haven't cut out a template for a triangle in for-e-v-e-r.  I have a feeling that will be changing this year, if I can stick to this BL-a-day thing.

Design Wall Monday

  I got the string blocks sewn together yesterday and it's to heavy to pin back up on the wall.  I need to add a border, right now this measures 54 x 72. I arranged the blocks for  a  color wheel effect going around the black and brown blocks in the center--that's about as artsy as I'm getting!  

I used up almost all of my light strips.  I have a ton of the different colored ones though.  I was thinking of another one but all  random darks with a light center strip...still letting that one simmer.

This evening

I made this little cutie.

It's called Mmm....Hot Cocoa.  It's the first of a BOM series from Patch Abilities. Libby (no blog) gave me the pattern and the matching hanger the week before Christmas, our LQS will be carrying all the patterns.  I used my scraps, even scrap batting, sometimes just a quick little project is just what I need to do.  I will hang it somewhere in my kitchen tomorrow.

We're doing this mini series, and Many Thanks BOM, which we plan on getting together once a month to work on the block and anything else we have going on and have a gabfest, we are still planning on doing the block-a-day with this calendar; I already received the companion CD but the calendar has yet to arrive.