"STITCHING MENDS MY SOUL"

Saturday, June 29, 2013

QUILTING WITH A FRIEND


My friend, Carol, came to visit for a few days.  While she was here we decided to work on our Piecemakers' quilts.  Every year Piecemakers comes out with a calendar and quilt pattern for it.  They are rather daunting art quilts, way out of my norm. 
 
When the ocean quilt "Exploring Other Worlds" came out last year as the 2013 quilt, I knew I wanted to make it.  I started collecting fabrics, trims, etc.  So when Carol was here, it was time to get started on this ginormous project.
 

Here you can see my start, and Carol tracing patterns for the applique in the background.


And here's Carol, holding up her progress so far.  We are working in my very messy creative studio.  It's small but works well for me.

Stitching with a friend is always more fun!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

ALL DOLLED UP!

 

Just home from the groomer, looking good, smelling good, ready for company!  Way to go Murphy and Maxwell!
Spa day is exhausting!!!
 

Monday, June 17, 2013

TWO MORE

Two more lotto blocks have arrived today, all the way from London, England, and hand-pieced to boot.  Here's the current eleven.

 
Love, love, love these blocks.  They so remind me of the quilts I slept under in the 50's.  I'm a happy camper today.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

LOTTO WINNINGS


One of my on-line groups has started a block lotto, where the winner is drawn and then she selects the blocks (size, fabric type, pattern) she'd like to receive.  Everyone gets one chance for the next month's drawing for every block they make (up to 4)  for the current winner.

Well, lucky me!  I was our first winner, and I selected the 12" Merry Go-Round block in 30's prints with white or white-on-white.  While this block looks a little tricky at first glance, it is actually easy.  The pattern is written by Eleanor Burns of Quilt In A Day, so you know she makes it easy!  You can find a link to it here, scroll down.  While you are there look at all the many free block patterns, and other things offered on the Quilt In A Day web page.  No affiliation.

Monday, June 10, 2013

SYLVIA'S BRIDAL SAMPLER

This morning I made the new BOW, N-6, Kaleidoscope.  It might be one for the galloping horse rule!  These blocks finish 6".  There are 140 total in the quilt.  So far I have 47 finished, by quick count:)

There is a BOW - block a week - for this quilt on the yahoo group, here.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

SYLVIA'S BRIDAL SAMPLER

I finished 2 more SBS blocks tonight.  Gradually making my way through them.  I should do a count.  I think I'm near 50 done.  Lots more to go.
I-9, Yankee Puzzle

K-1, Road to Oklahoma

Saturday, June 8, 2013

AIMING FOR ACCURACY

Have you noticed the new button on my blog, for the Aiming for Accuracy quilt-along?  I can always use help with accuracy -- always learning and looking for tips -- so it caught my eye.  Then I saw Mishka's layout, and loved the quilt!  So..................here are the fabrics I pulled.


Most are from the Annie's Farm Stand line.  I love how they fit Edyta Sitar's Rule of 5 -- a large print, a medium print, a small print, a stripe, a dot (you can read more about that in her book, Hop To It).

Now I need to select a coordinate for sashing, border, etc.  Obvious choices are white or black.  But then I thought what about yellow or green?  And then I thought, what about a black/white print?  Choices, Choices. 

Please leave any suggestions in comments.  I love to hear from you.




Friday, June 7, 2013

ANOTHER ROUND ROBIN


This week I worked on another round robin quilt.  Above is how it looked when I sent it off to AZ. 
 
Below is how the quilt looked when it arrived to me.  The first border quilter turned the center on point and added some applique too.  I added the CW print beige strip to set off that part, and to bring it up to a size that would fit my design.  I needed space for an odd number of flying geese to fit each side.
 
Generally the selecting fabric part is one of my favorites.  But this time I selected, cut, and started the stitching several times, before finally being happy with my third choice.

I'm ahead of the game on this swap now.  The next one is due to me late in July.  I hope it comes early, but it's all good.

I also worked on a row for a row swap this week, but that one is top secret until the owner gets it back.    The theme was Harry Potter, so you'll just have to guess what I did -- jelly beans, wizard hats, brooms for quiditch, round eye glasses, ...............?

Now to get back to 'my' stuff.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

ROUND ROBIN

I had the opportunity to add the first border, courthouse steps, to Lynda's quilt center.

 
This is how her center looked when I received it.  It's so fun to select fabrics to use, and to come up with a plan!


There are 5 gals in our group, so she'll be getting 3 more borders.  All of the quilts look wonderful so far.  Mine is now safely in Australia, getting it's second border.  Up next here is Lenny's.  More about that one later.