Design Wall Monday 1/31/11

Another week with Evening Shadows on the wall. 

but I did get the stop borders sewn on and that was what was on the 'to do list' for it. (yea me!)

I did take it down for a few days to arrange and piece 2 donation quilts.
Here's one, I guess I didn't take a picture of the other one, it has mostly red, yellow and orange squares.

 I'll quilt them after I finish Libby's quilt that's loaded now and I'm doing the Wh-Twirly Feathers on.  SO much room for improvement but I'm still real happy with these first results.

 Center of quilt

area between where one of the big star points come together.

Too see what others are working on check out Patchwork Times.

I'll be visiting too, but my computer is being a pain and commenting seems to be an issue.  :(

We are teetering on the edge of a new computer but dang it I just don't want to have the added expense right now.  So we're going to try and deal.....

for a while anyway. Sometimes it just feels like a Rosanna Danna week....it's always sumthin, if it's not one thing it's another...

*****

Whirly Twirly Feathers

*smile*

LCQA Block 7

I didn't quilt today (CHICKEN!!!)
Edit: in the evening after posting this I did go down and start quilting Whirly-Twirly Feathers! I actually had to stop and jump up and down I was so excited.  Pictures soon. 
but I sewed another Quilts for Kids top together. Well, the rows are together.

And I found some leftover triangles so I'm making flying geese HST style with them as L/Enders.



Whirly Twirly Feather Practice

One of my non-written goals for this year is to really improve my quilting skills. 

I would like to quilt  every day....that hasn't happened so far but that's ok.  Drawing quilt designs count too.

I've re-watched Kim Brunner's DVD and I'm drawing and drawing. I was hoping to start quilting tomorrow....but I think I need more practice on paper first....ripping these out would be Horrible.

I'm excited how they're turning out on paper and it's starting to come easier, which is amazing! Yes, I will definately draw some more before doing this for real.

I messed up the center part but that's ok.  It's just paper--no frog stitching involved!

As I'm looking at this now, I'm seeing areas where I need much improvement.  But I'm pretty happy with these. 

Design Wall Monday (1/24/2011)

My design wall was the same as last week...

Evening Shadows

Finally, decided on a name for this one so no more calling it a bl-a-day top,

but I didn't feel like sewing on borders.....so I took it down and put up these squares to made another Quilts for Kids quilt.  I'm thinking because of all the block construction I did last year I'm just rebelling and enjoying mindless sewing and quick completions. 

This morning after spending over an hour cleaning out the refrigerator. (what? you don't normally clean out your fridge at 6:45am?) 

Oh me either, but when I reached in to get the Coffee mate Peppermint Mocha creamer for my coffee I somehow knocked over a covered pitcher with about 2 cups of iced tea in it.  Of course it tipped over easily since it was almost empty and the lid came off all the sticky iced tea goodness went  towards the back of the fridge and ran down to under the produce drawers.....I could not react fast enough to stop it!

Only on a Monday.

*smile* 

I also finished the binding on my Crumbs Quilt.

I have a label ready in EQ6 but my stupid old computer troubles have started again and now my printer isn't being recognized....uninstall, reinstall, trip to Best Buy new connector thingy, do it again.....hot steam coming out of my ears (that would be the bad words I'm trying not to say).  

I give up. It's not the printer-- it's the ole computer...Perhaps tomorrow I will venture out and be overwhelmed by all the new computer options and how smart these 12 year old Geek squad people are, and how uneducated I am about such techno stuff.  I see how they try really hard not to crack a smile when I ask my questions.  (I can almost hear them thinking "oh man, she's just like my mom!") At least I hope that's what their thinking!!!

... or maybe if I just shut this down everything will be better when I boot it back up later..or tomorrow, it probably just needs a  good rest.  I know wishful thinking and actually, I already tried it.

If only it were that easy.

 And dang it!

I think it should be.

some Friday Finishes

Lots going on here, probably too much....felt like I was running in place getting nothing done and then all of a sudden progress and finishing. 

It's how I roll so you'd think I'd be used to it by now. 

My 2 NICU donation quilts.  All my leftover 9-patch and snowball blocks are gone--that feels good.

 both are 36 x 36



My niece (2nd grade) called my last night.  She lives in New Mexico. She has an American Girl doll that my sister says she just loves.  So her call was to ask me a question....."could you make her a blanket?" I said I'd love to, what is her favorite color?  She said "oh any color she likes them all, ...well except for grey!"  We talked for a few minutes about her school and her brother and the fact that she has no snow at her house.  And I'm lucky to have so much....really she's only in 2nd grade, smart as a whip!!  I could hear my brother-in-law in the background saying, "make sure you're not holding Aunt Diane back from something, Morgan!"   Haha she has the gift of gab like her aunt Diane!!!

This morning I was up too early...too many things on my mind, you know how that goes. So I went downstairs and pulled out my box of charm packs.  And picked one of the Snow Days packs that I won on Sew Cindy's blog in August. (thank you again Cindy!)
 They've been waiting patiently for inspiration to hit.

A doll quilt and pillow.

 

  sorry about the glare on the table top didn't notice it before.

I just used a few decorative stitches to 'quilt' it on my DSM. 

 Oh dang, I forgot to take a picture of the back.  I used the last 5 charms down the center of it.  And my dad just left here (he stops once or twice a week for a cuppa coffee, isn't that nice?  He doesn't stay real long just pops in and out)

ANYway, he took it with him because he and my mom are going to be mailing Morgan this little doll table and chair set he made for her, so they can put the quilt in the package with it.

Meghan and I want our own table and chairs too. (j/k)



Pooh and Tigger trying out the table and chairs!



I also finished quilting my crumb quilt and just need to hand sew the binding to the back.  (Bleck--you know my most loathe some job).  But I'm excited to get that one done.

A finished picture next week.

Design Wall Monday 1/17/11

My wall....

the top is together (yea!) I have the 1.5" stop borders cut, the side ones need pieced.  I still haven't decided on outer borders.  I do want to add some kind of borders to use up the rest (or most of) what I have left.

Check out JudyL's to see what others are working on.

Quilts for Kids

I woke up very early today.  Snow, snow, snow~  I went down to my sewing room with every intention of finishing putting together the Bl-a-days on the wall. 

I happened to look over at the bulletin board and read the note on the sizes for Quilts for Kids. The NICU size is 36 x 36.

AND Whammo!  I thought "what size are my leftover 9-patch blocks?"     

Yep, 6" finished. 

So I laid out 4 rows of 6  on the cutting table and 2 rows on my ironing board and I am not kidding I had this done in less than an hour.  (it was more like 1/2 an hour but that's just not believable).

How cute is that? 

So then I did sew a couple of the rows together on BAD (which I have to name). I'm working on it. But then I sorta lost interest.  Does anyone else get tired of sewing l-o-n-g rows of blocks together? Zzzzzzzzzz.

Well, boogers it's sideways and it's not in my file.  I checked and re-did 3 times and that's enough of that.  Sideways it is.

Anywhoo, I went and quilted a runner I had loaded last night.  One more of those little darlings to go!!

No pictures yet, cuz I keep forgetting to take 'em when the camera is down stairs with me so I'll take pictures all at once before the ladies they belong to come to claim them!

 Anywhoo, (again) I pulled a piece of fabric-pink batik Tye-die (yowzers!) that my SIL gave me. She doesn't really sew and I don't know why she had it, she didn't either; but I got it.  So I cut that and a piece of  batting for the NICU top, loaded it and started quilting a nice all -over stipple! 

 Now I know  it's only 36 x 36. 

But I don't think I remember ever starting and finishing a quilt in one day. 

    I'm kinda happy 'bout it.

******

Today in the mail I got Celebrate! with Little Quilts. I used to own a copy, made a good many of the quilts in it.  But I lost it.  I really don't know how or where or why....I have their other book Little Quilts All Through the House and Living with Little Quilts.  They're the kind of books I can browse through over and over.

So last week while feeling sick and sorry for myself (and because ya gotta spend $25 bucks on Amazon to get free shipping...) I re-bought it. 

Happy New Year to me.

On the wall

The next set of 12" block-a-days.  I have 2 rows of sashing together and the bottom row of blocks.

These blocks were made using Diawabo (E.E. Schenck co.) and Evening Mist (Moda).  I have about a half a jelly roll, half a charm pack and a few FQ of the Evening Mist left and about a yard of the pale green (E.Mist also) from the sashing that I'm thinking I will use for the binding.  I'm thinking about a 1.5" stop border in a dark brown and then a strip pieced border w/the jelly rolls....not sure about that though. I think I remember the last time I auditioned something like that I nixed it. 

This is crazy fun to have all these blocks made and ready to go. 

I'm starting to feel better (thanks for all the well-wishes in recent comments!) I've been limiting computer time since it was really bothering my eyes, but that seems to be going away now too.

I actually quilted today.  HQ thought I abandoned her forever.  I've done nothing since a couple days after Christmas.  

Next to be loaded and hopefully this week is my crumb quilt.

*******

The for casted snow has started here.  I heard earlier this morning that it would begin at 1pm.  At 12:50-I checked outside, nothing!

At 1:00 exactly the flakes started to come down.  WOW! Impressive Mr Weatherman!

The road out my front window looks pretty ominous.  The view out the back into the woods is beautiful.  There's over an inch already maybe two.

I'm going to go get a cuppa tea and sit and watch it. 

Design Wall Monday 1/10/11

The main design wall. 

I have the rows of blocks together & the sashing rows together.

A nasty sinus infection knocked me on my butt. 

I wanted this top to be a flimsy already. oh well.

This is a picture of my 2nd design wall with the CrabApple blocks that I've made so far.

Really liking how they're turning out.

***********

Today, I sat on the sofa and watched football not my normal type of activity I assure you.

And to keep from going totally bonkers I hand quilted this block.

OMgosh, I enjoyed the hand quilting so much!  I forgot how relaxing it is.

I sewed on the binding this evening. I just love this little quilt!

It's one of my Bl-a-day 12 inch blocks and the backing is another one. 

I'm going to use this as a candle mat.

Go to Judy's to see others walls in progress!

DWMonday 1/3/11



9" block-a-days



This is the first set of block-a-days to be put together for the year.  Brights are my least favorite fabrics so I'm getting it out of the way.  I really can't wait to get the CW repro blocks out should be able to get a couple big quilts out of those.  But that is for another day or month perhaps.

The Jonquils and Stars top is off the wall.  I have the first two inner borders sewn on and the others I'll do today. 

For more design walls check out Judy L's!

A slow start to the New Year

wow this is one nasty cold I've caught.  It just really wiped me out.  I think I'm feeling a bit better today.

I have been sewing in spurts as I feel up to it and when I get so BORED that I could scream.  Then I go down and sew until I feel a bit woozy...and repeat process.

I've pieced backings for 5 of my flimsy's.  It was tedious work, but about all I was up to so a good thing to get done.  I didn't take pictures except for this last one as I was trying to fold it nice, this is 1/4 of it.  I used 8 of my 12" block a day blocks in this backing. They were from the beginning of last year-they sorta don't go with anything.

I wanted to have all my leftover batting sewn together this weekend too. But that didn't happen.



I have the Jonquils & Stars top center very close to together; still need to sew on the 4 big triangle units to the center part. 



I have the inner border pieces cut and ready.

*****

I asked my dad a month or so ago if he could make me this cabinet.

I saw it at a  local Pottery Barn store and loved it.  So I sent him the picture. 

On Friday he brought this over.

buffet/cabinet Dad made me

LOVE IT!!