Sneak Peak 1 and Gifts

One of the things that I've been working on the last couple of weeks is designing a new BOM.   And unlike the most of my quilts, the setting and borders are already designed on paper.   Still need to put them into the computer though.   I'll be posting a peak at the setting after I get that done in the next week or two.   I'll be using some of my pre-cut scrap squares in assorted reds, blues, golds, and creams for the blocks in this quilt.   I've also pulled some smaller chunks of reds and blues for the quilt.
 To the right are the fabrics that I have pulled at this point in their nice neat baggies.   They've filled a sweater sized shoe box!

In my crafting this week I've finished off a couple of small gifties.   A felted wool flower spool pincushion, and a painted wooden ornament.    These will be heading out to a new home this Christmas.    I want to find more ornaments tho  to paint because I had fun doing it.   And there will be more spool pincushions at some point because I have more spools.  =)

Gratitudes:
1. Am feeling better after a couple of rounds with an antibiotic.

2. For the fun that i'm having designing both for QuiltMaker and my new BOM for 2014.

Weekend doings......and BOM news

Managed to get a wee bit of sewing in yesterday.   Made the next block for the Favorite Fabric swap that I'm in currently.   This block is for Lois G. and is already back in the mail and headed back to her.

I then finished designing two new blocks that will be used for the new BOM that I'm working on.  That makes a total of 4 blocks designed for it at this point.   I won't show pics of them because I want them to be a surprise for when I'm posting the block patterns.  I did use my fav fabric to make the block samples, but I haven't decided whether to keep using it or switch to something else.

Gratitudes:
1. Sinus infection has improved, altho not gone yet.
2. Weather is supposed to warm up some this week.

Block of the Month question

I'm seriously considering designing a new Block of the Month since my last one was done back in 2003.   It would be a pieced BOM, where the quilter would have the choice of either piecing the block using standard techniques or paper-piecing the block.

The patterns for the first one are posted on my website, but I'm debating where to put them if I do another one.    At this point I am leaning towards putting them on my website and then putting a post about it up on my blog so that I have a convenient place to store pdf files for each block pattern.    In the blog post I would give a direct link to the pattern so that it would be easy to find.

Would anyone be interested in something like this?

BOM Finished and swaps

I finished off the green and blue BOM that I've been working on this year, well finished off the top at any rate.    Most of the sashing was added over the span of a couple of mornings before work.  Finished that off last night.   That left me with just the borders to add today.  

I didn't want to piece them because of the print that I used would not look good if just butted together.   So I had originally thought that I would need to add a pieced element in order to make everything fit together.   After not being able to figure out what I wanted to add, I decided I would check the piece of the floral fabric to see what length it was.    And unlike what I normally do, I had plenty of fabric to do the side borders on the lengthwise grain of the fabric, with more than enough fabric leftover to do the top and bottom borders widthwise of the fabric.  Woohoo.   The corner blocks are from one of the leftover fabrics from the quilt.

In other quilty work, I've joined a couple of swaps.   The first is a 'Favorite Fabric Swap", where each participant sends a fat-eighth of their 'fav fabric' to each of the other participants.   Each person also chooses block pattern that they are willing to make for everyone else from the fabric that they receive.  What each person ends up with is a set of sampler blocks that are all ready to put together in a wonderful quilt.   I've participated in the swap several times before and am looking forward to seeing the blocks that I'll get back.   The fabric that I sent out is a red/blue/cream floral.  It is a small print but I think it will make a nice quilt for a wounded female soldier and will eventually go to American Heroes.  

I've also received the first fabric from one of my fellow swappers and have finished off my block for her.   Margaret sent the cutest kids fabric with all sorts of sea creatures on it and a lovely gold to go with it.   I added a turquoise moda marble to round out the fabrics needed for my block.   The pattern I used is called "Next Door Neighbor" and can be found on Quilters Cache.   I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the fabrics that will be sent for this swap.

The last swap that I'm in at the moment is the Secret Santa Soiree that is being hosted by Suzanne.  I'm looking forward to the swap and have heard good things about what was received last year by those who swapped.

Gratitudes:
1. A working heater at home with fall temps starting to cool off.
2. Meds for the sinus infection seem to be finally starting to work.

Teddy Bears completed

Finished off the Pastel Teddy Bears quilt top today.    I ended up floating the 3" stars and churn dash blocks in muslin and then trimming them to 5" so that they would twist and turn down the sides of the quilt.   Then added a breaker border of dark brown, and a final border with the pink that was in the piano keys inner border and the four 3" bear paw blocks that I had.    All but two of mini blocks were used in the quilt and the others are going out.

Next up to work on is the blue and green BOM.   A better picture of the blocks  is shown below.  I'm using a blue Kona solid for the sashing and a yellow print for cornerstones.   There will be a pieced inner border - still debating though on what I want to do with it.  Need to figure out the dimensions for it so that i can do some graphing of the possibilities.   The final and outer border will be a solid made from the print fabric used in several of the blocks of the BOM.   You can see it best in the bottom right block.   In looking at the blocks, I'm really wishing that I had used the navy Kona as the background fabric throughout the quilt.    But I didn't and i'm not going to buy anymore fabric for the quilt.   Since I don't plan on keeping this one it really doesn't matter anyway, just me being picky and wishing I'd done something different.

Gratitudes:
1. Beautiful fall weather.
2. Having a second job that helps to make the ends meet when time to pay the bills.

Retreat Update and UFO Update

I had a great time last weekend at the QuiltChicks quilt retreat in Oshkosh WI.   Did not enjoy the drive up there Thursday night in horrendous Thunderstorms, but that's another story.   Had a wonderful time with friends and was able to spend 2 full days working on UFO's and a new project or two.....  =)

I finished up the buttonhole stitching on 4 more pumpkin blocks.   Still need to do the embroidered vines on 3 of the blocks, but am going to wait till I have all of the blocks completed and then will do all of the vines at one time.  Need to get the top panel for the quilt redrawn with the design that I have in mind for it so that I can start to work on it once the last 4 monthly blocks are done.   Feels good to be making progress in getting this UFO done (well at least to the completed top stage).


Also finished up the top that i had started from leftovers from a long ago quilt.   The center panel came from a strip that had been trimmed off of a quilt back from a long ago quilt.   I added 4 borders to finish off the quilt top.   The colors in the picture do not do justice to the bright colors in the actual fabrics.  I floated the center panel in black, then added a bright lime green, red-org batik, and bright turquoise blue.

The final top that I managed to get together was one that I made with a "UFO" kit of fabrics that went together.   The pieces of fabric sticking up in the middle are there to remind me where I need to add some appliques.   More applique will be scattered across the top as well.   I still need to add a final border as well (5" final width), and there will be vanishing flying geese in it.   Need to draw up the patterns for it so I can pp the geese.

The last project that I worked on at the retreat was the BOM (from my patterns) that I had started with the fabrics I bought as remnants.   I like how the blocks have turned out, and have all 12 completed.  I plan to set them together with sashing and cornerstones.   Am still debating about what how I want to make the final border for the quilt.   I'd like to use up the remaining bits and pieces of the fabrics that I've used in the first border.   The final border will be a solid one using the floral print that started the whole thing.

The picture to the left does not do justice to the colors of the fabrics, but at the moment it's the only one I've got of them.   Will post another one when I get the blocks put together.

I'm currently working on adding muslin to the 3" blocks that I'll be using as the next border on the pink teddy bear quilt.    I plan to make the blocks 'wonky' in their layout when I trim up the blocks.   These are wonky to begin with as a result I think it'll be a lot more fun if they twist and turn along the sides of the quilt.  

The blocks shown in the pic to the right are ones that I made from cut pieces that someone gave me a couple of yrs ago.   Lots of sewing went into them because they were all individual squares.   I've got them laid out how I plan to sew them together.   Still to be done - figure out what color to use for the setting triangles on the 16-patch blocks (thinking about muslin or a COC), and figure out what to make the center star of the quilt (the open area at the center of the blocks).   Am thinking maybe rose or a dark green for the center star, but haven't pulled anything yet to see how it looks.

Gratitudes:
1. For safety in driving in the torrential storms last Thursday night.
2. For the jobs that God has provided for me.