Charlene's Patriots and Petticoats

Charlene came to take her quilt home today, so I can write about it, and show pictures of it now. She brought me this quilt to do back in February, and said that she wasn't in any hurry for it, as long as she had it in time for the quilt show in October. It sat until April, while I looked at it and pondered and waited for it to tell me what it wanted, and for me to get up the nerve to start it. .

This quilt is HUGE. It measures something like 98 x 98 inches. The only way I could get a picture of the whole thing was to take it into the back yard, and stand on a chair. And even then, I didn't get the whole thing.

I love the center block of this quilt. The colours are wonderful. I did continuous curves in all of the pieced sections. They are all different, but the use of continuous curves in each gives it continuity.

Here are 3 of the smaller sampler blocks, as well as a view of the borders. There are feathers in the log cabin blocks, and feathers in the background and setting squares.

And a couple of views of the back, which actually show the quilting quite well. I have to say that this is the most challenging quilt I have done so far. I learned a lot doing it, and had a lot of fun with it, as well.

Rose Log Cabin is finished....... Woohoo!!!

 I finally have a finish, and it feels soooooooo good. Rose Log Cabin, designed by Deloa Jones, started, according to this blog in July of 2011. It is now on my bed, because this one is staying right here.

Here's a close up of the center section. I quilted leaf shapes into the dark green areas, and petal shapes into the reds. The beige backgrounds are filled with fern type leaves, and the dark green geese shapes and squares have continuous curves.

I decided to keep the design simple, and put the fern type leaves and curls into the light green background areas as well.

And I also managed to get the matching pillow cases done. I used the fabric from the backing for the main body of the pillow case, the green as the contrast colour, and red as the cuff.

And here's the binding, done with the mock piping technique, again using the red, with the same fabric as the backing and the pillow case for the piping. So, that is 3 out of 5 goals that I set for this week done. Once more...... Woohoo!!!

I'm linking this post up to Amylouwho's Sew and Tell and to Sarah's Can I get a Whoop Whoop?, because I am definitely whoop whooping. I'm also linking to a new Friday linky that I found, hosted by Elizabeth at Pieceful life called Show off Friday

Design Wall Monday, June 25, 2012

I have 3 little New York Beauties on my wall today, using June's colour palette challenge. The top left and bottom right are the last of the NYB sew along blocks. The bottom left is an EQ7 block. And my Heartland Star is still up there on the wall, as well. But since it hasn't changed a bit since June 11th, I didn't bother taking another picture of it.
I'm working again today, then have Tuesday and Wednesday off, and then go back for 4 more. After that, a week's peace and quiet in Algonquin Park's Canisbay Lake campground. We have a campsite reserved right on the lake. I am so very looking forward to it. It's a hydro site, so I could take a sewing machine, if I wanted to.  But, unless the weather forecast is really awful, showing lots of rain for the week, I probably won't. I'll take my ereader, loaded with books, and the Christmas stockings that I'm working on. And the computer, of course. It might be hit and miss for satellite coverage, though. There is a big hole in the coverage map for satellite signals right where Algonquin Park is. If I go into withdrawal, we might have to take a drive to where there are signals to be found. LOL!! We'll probably take at least one day and go exploring the other parks in the area, so I might be able to get something out then.
Anyway, time for something to eat, and maybe an hour or so in front of the quilting machine. Hop on over to Patchwork Times for lots of other design walls to see.

Stash report Week 26, 2012

I has some fabric usage this week!! Yay!! I did 3 full New york Beauty blocks. Figuring 4.5 inches for each of them that adds up to a small amount of .4 yards. It's just a small amount, but it's better than none at all, and it's going in the right direction.

Used this week:                                 .4 yards
Used this year:                                 48.4 yards
Purchased this week:                          0 yards
Purchased this year:                     109.25  yards
Balance:                                           60.85 yards

I am hoping to get a quilt off the machine this coming week, and to get it bound. I also like the idea of making matching pillow cases for quilts, so maybe I'll get that done this week, as well. If I do, my usage numbers will go up. I'm 20 yards behind in usage where I was at this time last year, and I feel like I'm stagnating, and just running in place without getting stuff done. Maybe I need to start writing down goals again, so that I know what I'm working towards, and can see some progress.

Goals for this week:
1.   Finish quilting Rose Log Cabin
2. Bind Rose Log Cabin
3. Make matching pillow cases
4. Do 2 more New York Beauties
5. Do Gail's Swoon table topper

I'm working lots in the next week, so maybe I'll leave it at that. Then, come the end of the week, if I get all, or even part of it done, I'll feel better, like I've accomplished something.

I'm linking up to Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times stash report linky. Then, I'm going to have something to eat, and maybe get something done on the quilt on the machine.

UFO progress and a customer quilt.

Actually, that should read lack of progress. The UFO for May didn't even get out of its box, and I don't think the one for June is going to get touched, either. (sigh) The good news is that I got April's loaded back onto the machine, and it is now 3/4 finished. It is being quite densely quilted, so it is taking a while to get it done.
Right now I'm kind of in the middle of a bunch of projects, and not close to getting anything done. I always end up feeling so frustrated when that happens, with there being not enough hours in the day to get finished what I want to finish. I want to get this quilt finished. I want to finish the Heartland Star. I want to work on more New York Beauties. I'm really wanting to start a new quilt, a scrappy type one. And I'm really bad at sticking to just one thing at a time until it is finished, since most of my projects are big, and take lots of time. Sometimes I get to the point where there is so much that I want to do that I end up frozen, and not able to do anything, because there are too many choices. I am there now. So, I have decided that I am going to keep working on this Rose Log Cabin quilt until it is finished, binding included. Then I will finish the Heartland Star, or at least get it to flimsy stage, before I start anything new. And there have been 3 customer quilts finished in the last 2 weeks, as well, 2 of them I can't show yet, because they haven't gone home yet.

I can show you one that I did for Gail. She did up a Swoon block as table topper as a gift, that I quilted for her.
I love the colours that she used in this. They are so bright and happy and summery. It has continuous curves in the pieced areas, and feathers in the borders.There is another one of these here waiting to be done, but in earth tones that will go on the machine once I've finished with mine. It will get quilted the same way. And now, if I have any hope at all of getting something done today, I really should get off the computer and get something quilty done.

Design Wall Monday, June 18, 2012

My design wall this week looks exactly the same as it did last week. Not a bit of sewing done until yesterday afternoon before going in to work. I pulled out some fabrics for this month's colour challenge palette, and began paper piecing the arcs for a couple more New York Beauties.

 These are the last of the blocks from the sew along that started in March and ended way back at the beginning of May. I really fell behind in my goal to do 2 NYB blocks a week, in the colour challenge of the month. Oh well, life happens that way sometimes. These are the first pinks that have come up in the palettes, so it should be interesting to see how well they play with all the other blocks I have. I love the feel of depth these 2 arcs have. It is now time to start on doing some from EQ7, so maybe I'll get a few more done this week.
As usual, I'm linking up to Patchwork Times and Judy's Design wall monday linky. I've already been over there checking things out. There's lots of fun stuff to see.

Stash Report, week 25, 2012

Well, here we are, another Stash report, and nothing has changed. My sewing get up and go ran away from home. And, so far, no one has found it and sent it back home. So, here I sit, doing not much else but sitting and reading. But, it will eventually find its way back home. It always does.

Fabric used this week:                     0 yards
Fabric used this year:                       48 yards
Fabric in this week:                          0 yards
Fabric in this year:                         109.25 yards
Balance:                                        61.25 yards more in than out.

We had a great time yesterday, though. Matt and Becca, and Matt's cousin Seth came over for the day. The fence at the entrance to our yard has been falling over for years, and every summer we say that we really should get it fixed. Well, yesterday was the day. Seth works for a renovation company, so he knows how to do these things, and has all the tools needed. They worked hard all day. The hardest part was digging the 4 foot deep holes that our local building codes require for setting the 4 x 4 posts. Our soil here is solid, rock hard clay. But, they stuck at it, and by the end of the day, we had this.
 Now Shelby, our grandpuppy, can come and visit, and have a safe place to run.
While the guys were working on this, Becca gave me a hand going through our large china cabinet and hutch, and sorting through the HUGE amount of stuff in it that hasn't been used for years. For that matter, some of it hadn't seen the light of day in years. There were a large number of boxes of nice stuff, but stuff that I never use, donated to one of the charity stores here in town. That's another thing we've been saying for years that we should do, that finally got done.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll get a New York Beauty or 2 started today before going in to work this afternoon. That's the goal, at least. You'll find out tomorrow if I meet it.
As usual, I'm linking up to Judy's Stash Report linky at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday, June 11, 2012

Ah yes, it is Monday again. I love Mondays, especially when they are gorgeous summer days, with the waterfall in the pond splashing, and soft warm breezes blowing, as I have my morning coffee and morning devotional and prayer time. And then I check my facebook page to see if there is anything new I should know about in anyone's life that I know. And then I read the blogs that I follow. Monday always has lots to read because of the Design Wall Mondays that so many people write about. I love seeing all the new stuff and the progress on the older stuff that people write about. It's so much fun to share the joy of a finish with someone, or to anticipate the stages of a quilt newly started. And if it is also a Monday that is a day off from the hospital, that is even better.

I have Heartland Star still up on my wall. It's a pattern designed by Judy Martin, from her new book Patchwork Among Friends. I don't think there is a quilt in this book that I wouldn't love to do, but this is the one that jumped into first place. It is almost done. All of the stars are pieced. It just needs the larger background pieces sewn in, and then the borders added. It looks like a difficult, complex pattern, but it really isn't. There are NO "Y" seams in this quilt, not a single one.

I'll be continuing my quest to get all the customer quilts I have here finished in the next week, or 2. In between, when I need to take a sit down and rest my feet and legs break, I'll continue to work on this. I'm linking up to Judy Laquidara's Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

Stash Report, week 24, 2012

The short tale, nothing in and nothing out, that I can count yet. The long tale, I've been working on one of Charlene's quilts, a very large, custom quilted sampler. So, there hasn't been a lot of sewing time available, although I've been taking full advantage of the time I've had, usually after about 8 pm. I have gotten a fair amount done on my Heartland Star, but I forgot to count it as I was cutting it, as I usually do. I was in too much of a hurry to get it started and completely forgot about keeping track. So, I won't be able to count it until it is done, and I'll use the fabric requirements in the pattern for the amount used. I'll post a picture of it tomorrow. The good news is, that my fabric "diet" is continuing, and I've resisted buying anything new.

Out this week:                             0 yards
Out this year:                             48 yards
In this week:                                0 yards
In this year:                              109.25 yards
Balance:                                     61.25 more yards in than out.

I'm hoping to get the Heartland Star all sewn together this week, and get caught up on some New York Beauties, which I haven't touched in probably a month, at least. And I'm thinking that the next quilt I start will be a scrappy one, and maybe use up some of the overflowing 2 1/2 inch strips I have hanging out, literally, of their storage drawer. So, I'll have to go through my inspiration pics in my binders and on my pinterest boards, and decide on a pattern. I'm linking up to Judy Laquidara's Stash report link up at Patchwork Times.

Sneak Peak

I've been working on a quilt of Charlene's for the past couple of days. It's a gorgeous sampler quilt called Patriots in Petticoats, which she did as a block of the month through one of the local quilt shops here. It is getting custom quilting, since an all over design would not do the quilt justice.

The small sampler squares are getting continuous curves. That way, each block will be different, but the style in each will be consistent. The log cabins are getting feathers. Right now, I would guess that it is about 1/3rd finished, and that was after working on it fairly steadily yesterday. This was just a short break, to sit down and rest my legs. And now, back at it.

Design Wall monday, June 4, 2012

Well, it is a slow moving day today. My poor engines simply do not want to turn over. But, after working 7 out of the past 11 days, with only one day off at a time, I guess I don't blame them. I think today is going to be a catch up day. I have the next 5 off, and hope to get lots of quilty stuff done. I have Heartland Star, a pattern by Judy Martin, in her new book Patchwork Among Friends up on the wall today.
The center part, shown here, is all done. The next part is sewing the small stars that circle this big center star. Most of the pieces are cut, and I can soon start sewing them together. I have customer quilts to do, though, that have priority this week. And I hope to have a few done, that I can show by the end of the week. I'd also like to get back to doing the New York Beauties, as well, but I'll have to see how the days go. As usual, I'm linking up to Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times. I've spent a large part of this day so far, catching up on my emails, my blog reading, and looking at lots and lots of design walls, with lots of inspiration. I found one that even inspired me to open up EQ7 and do up a design for the little boy layer cake fabric collections I have here. So much fun.
But, I guess now I really should get dressed, considering it is 2:30 in the afternoon, and do some fun continuous curves and feathers on the quilt that is currently loaded on my machine. There just might be a sneak peak in the next day or so. Stay tuned..... LOL

Stash Report, week 23, 2012

It's June...... How can it be June already? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I love the summer, warm weather, even hot weather, sunshine, summer breezes........ None of which is happening here. It's cold, and damp and wet. I came downstairs from my sewing room yesterday, and as I came down the stairs, the temperature seemed to get hotter and hotter. I couldn't figure out what was going on, until I looked at the thermostat, which read 77 degrees, and then it hit me.... my husband had turned on the furnace..... in June, as he sat in the living room in a short sleeved t-shirt and shorts.  He is really rather funny when it comes to that thermostat. He has it set to higher temperatures in the winter than he does in the summer. We have a running conversation that goes something like this: he says "It's cold in here. Don't you find it cold in here?" At which point I say, "No, I don't find it cold in here. Maybe you should go and put on a sweater."  We compromised on setting the thermostat to 73, but I don't think he ever went and put on that sweater. Ah, the fun differences between a man and a menopausal woman. I wonder if my internal thermostat will ever regulate itself again?
Anyway, I sort of got off topic here. This is supposed to be a stash report.

Used this week:                                1.5 yards
Used this year:                                   48 yards
Purchased this week:                          0 yards
Purchased this year:                        109.25 yards.
Balance:                                           61.25 more yards in than out.
I think I'm putting myself on a fabric diet. No more purchases until the balance numbers come down to at least 25 yards, and I get some of those wish list projects done, and some of the mountains of 2 1/2 inch strips used. I wonder if I'll have the will power to stick to it?
And, as usual, it seems lately, I'm working this afternoon, so I want to see if I can get some playtime sewing in before I have to go in. Also, as usual, I'm linking up to Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times, where there are others also keeping track of their stashes.