It's growing.....

Sigh....... this quilt just won't stop talking to me.   Yesterday when I added the fans it was happier, but also let me know it wanted to be a larger size.   After checking to make sure I had enough of the focus fabric for both more blocks and a final border,  I'm going to add 5 more pieced blocks and two more of the triangle setting blocks. 

Will add red to a couple of the blocks, and a little more gold as well to even things out.   Once these are done I'll start putting it together.

Gratitudes:
1. Extended days in school mean more time for my students to get work done in class.   And that's a good thing even if the kids don't think so!
2. The snow yesterday didn't stick.  =)

Blues it is.....

After four tries with different length fan blades and 4 different color combinations (including 1 test block) - Success!   I finally have the block that the quilt has been demanding for the setting triangles. 

The littlest fan blades is what I started with.   I made the fan on the right with pieced of COC fabric with a pattern that I found on the net.   These gave me the look I wanted, but were too short.  So it was back to the drawing board in order to lengthen them to a 7" finished size.    Next permutation was trying the new length in the color combo that I thought I wanted (alternating red and blue).

Didn't like the color combo when laid out with the blocks.   Final choice was to do all of the blades in dark blues.   I pulled 4 different blues that I'll be using for them.  First of the finished setting triangles is shown in the picture.  Well I should say, finished except for the center of the dresdan plate.   For that I'm debating between red or a gold.

I'm still debating about cornerstones when I put the top together - do I or don't I?   And if I do, what color do i use?    I am planning on making the final border out of the focus fabric, and might have a initial border out of the COC I'm going to use for the sashing - at least at this point.............lol.

Lazy Snow Day

Had a snow day from school yesterday as things got back to normal after the rotten conditions with the storm that blew through Monday night.   Seemed like I stayed busy, but didn't do much of anything.   Did get my blue scraps sorted looking for dark blues for the setting triangles of the sampler currently residing on my "design floor" in the living room.  

Made a test set from the Dresden plate template that I had bought for this quilt, and decided that this template is too small, but it is what I want for the setting blocks.   So it's going to be returned and I'll get the one I'd started to in the first place.   Or else I'll figure out how to draft the fan blades myself and make my own.

I did get the final Eye Spy quilt finished up.   This used up the remaining extra charms from the sets I'd made years ago.  The charms and black squares were all out of my scrap bins.  Border was a piece from the stash that I'd had for a lot of years.   Not sure I like the three charms together or not, but it's done and will be donated to Sunshine.

Gratitudes:
1. A job that pays the bills
2. No snow predicted for today and warmer temps.  =)

Weekend Sewing - to Border Or Not To Border

Got a couple of quilt tops put together over the weekend.   Both of these where fairly mindless sewing which was a good thing as I dealt with the fallout of attempted fraud on my checking account and then running the antivirus on the computer.

 The first quilt top finished off the last pillow panel featuring cats and quilt blocks.   I think this one is finished as is.

The second quilt top used up the last of a bunch of extra eye spy fabrics that I had cut when putting together packages of alphabet fabrics.   These blocks were 6" cut.  I alternated them with black blocks and then added a black border that is 2 1/2".   Still debating about whether I want a final border on this quilt or leave it as is.  Was thinking of putting a border made from red with white polka dots on it.....but not sure.   Need to go digging through my stash and see what I have

Both of these quilts are currently about 38" by 42" or so in size.   Not big but good for the smaller kiddos undergoing  surgery by the rotoplast teams.   They will be going to Sunshine.

Next up is at least one more quilt made with extra 5" eye spy charms.   Will also be setting them with black 5" squares.   Both are from bags of fabric in my scraps. 

Gratitudes:
1. For God's perfect timing in stopping the account fraud with 10 minutes to spare this past weekend.
2. For friends who test my patterns - both pp'd and normal.

BOM Question

For all of those that are following my BOM I have a question for you -

I'm getting ready to write the first of the patterns for the setting blocks and the border.   However, for the border I have two choices - it can be done with border blocks and sashing, or it can be done just with blocks.  

the first alternative might be easier to follow, but i'm not sure.  

Do any of you have a preference or comments as to which way I write the instructions?

Gratitudes:
1.   For the Lord's perfect timing in preventing the account fraud to my checking account this morning.

2.   For the Lord's provisions in all things.

Favorite Fabric blocks

Last year I participated in a Favorite Fabric Block swap with 8 other people from one of the online quilt lists that I've been a part of since 1997.   (Hard to believe it's been that many years!)

My plan for the finished quilt was that it would go to American Hero Quilts when finished.   The fav fabric that I sent out is the red floral print that is in each block.  I asked that everyone use a COC or cream for the background and then add a coordinate to it.  

In order to make it big enough I'm setting the blocks on point, and am making a total of 4 extra blocks.   I plan on sashing the blocks and making cornerstones from the scraps of the red print that was sent back with completed blocks.  I'll dig out a COC from my stash for the setting triangles.   I may "fancy" up the setting triangles by putting in a red square in the inside corner of them.   Final border will be more of the red print, with possibly a navy inner border.

Am still debating on what color to make the sashing.   Had thought of using a COC there so that the blocks would 'float' in the quilt.   But if I do that then would I want the red cornerstones?    Or do I use something like a gold or a lighter shade of blue for the sashing?  So I still have decisions to make on it.   But I'm getting closer to getting this one together and being ready to send off.

Gratitudes:
1. Warmer weather is coming this week or next!
2. School is going to longer days to make up part of the days that we've missed due to weather so that we don't have to teach into June.

weekend sewing

Got a lot accomplished this weekend, just not all of it on the sewing machine.  First thing finished over the weekend was another commissioned garment. That brings the total ready to ship to 6.   Still room in the box for a couple more.  So I'll keep sewing on them over the next week.  Then because my stacks of cut out commisisoned work was starting to get low I worked to iron the next 7 pieces of fabric for this customer.   These were all for scrub tops and I found that she'd bought enough fabric of 6 of them for 2 tops to be cut from them.    Did have to buy the black solid for the side inserts that she wants.   Still need to prewash that.

Next up was finishing a 'Pay It Forward' gift (a tote bag) from last year that I still owe.  Now I just need to find my cousin's mailing address so I can get it to her.  

The last thing that I managed to finish was to put together another quilt top from the Sunshine challenge blocks.   These blocks were from my friend Claire and went together in a really cute top.   Unfortunately the picture doesn't show the vibrancy of the golden yellow fabric that she used in them.  The challenge fabric that she had was the blue background with pumpkins.

I still have more sets of challenge blocks to put together that I'm looking forward to working with.    And am thinking of doing another challenge with fabric that I have on Sunshine as well. 


Did get out my block robin that I was in several years ago and worked with it for a bit.   But ended up putting it back up because I'm just not sure how I want to put it together.   I really like everything that was made for it, but some of it just isn't playing nicely - in particular the pink/blue half sq triangle blocks that are bordering the block in the bottom right of the picture.   And I'm not sure about the star at the top left made from the same fabrics.    These fabrics seem just too bright for the rest of what was made and for the cross-stitch panel that this started from.   

Current thought is to take the triangle blocks off and use just the center of that block, remove the star and then make enough filler blocks to finish it.   I plan on only making a wallhanging so there won't be that much i need to fill in with.   Any opinions on that very rough plan?

 Gratitudes:
1. We're back in school after 3 more missed days.
2. No snow predicted for today!

Sewing on a snowy day

Yesterday was day two of the latest round of snow days for school.   14" of the fluffy white stuff fell here at my house and it is definitely piled up after the latest round of shoveling.   

When not shoveling the snow, I was sewing away here in the house.   Finished off another commissioned garment, making for 6 that are finished and waiting to be shipped out.   Still have room in the box so I'll be making another couple before I ship it off. 

Once I finished off the garment, I pulled out a set of 'UFO fabrics' that i'd pulled several yrs ago to work up.   The main fabric is a print with astronauts, planets, and other space objects in it.   Pulled 3 coordinates for it from my stash and went to work on it.   After figuring out and cutting the biggest size pieces that I could get from the print (7.5" by 9.5"), I then made two coordinating blocks to go with them.   After setting them 4 by 5, and putting on a border I ended up with a quilt top that is 38" wide by 54" long.    It will be donated to Sunshine Quilts because the print fabric was part of what I was given when the founder and long-time founder of Sunshine passed away several years ago.

Gratitudes:
1. No snow predicted for today, altho the weather is supposed to be really cold.
2. District has offered and is paying for the bulk of the expenses for the conference in March and approved me attending it.

Snow Day Critters

Quilted critters that is......I started putting together a baby quilt yesterday using a leftover piece of flannel that a friend had given to me back in October.    The fabric has a white background with cute little ducks all over it.  

By cutting carefully I was able to get 3 12", 9 - 7"squares, and three smaller pieces of it.   Next up was a trip to the stash to pull fabrics to go with it.   Found a multi-shade gold/yellow print that picked up the colors in the ducks, a light yellow, and a dark brown.   After adding to the smaller blocks of flannel with the fabrics that I'd pulled I found I had 14 blocks.   I tried just adding 2 blocks of solid white flannel to the quilt, but the fool quilt just didn't want to cooperate with them and just didn't look good.   Thought for a while and decided to make two applique blocks with ducks on them to make the remaining two blocks that I needed for the quilt.   Found a free coloring page online for the duck pattern and rummaged in the scraps for the body fabric.    Once the two blocks were complete the quilt was cooperative about going together.  

The quilt finished at 46" square, and will be donated somewhere.

Gratitudes:
1. Snow day for school so I didn't have to drive anywhere.
2. For the exercise that I'm getting shoveling snow even if those piles of snow are getting almost too high to get the new snow over.

Tea Towel Challenge time

 It's time to start working on putting together my quilt for the Tea Towel Challenge.    The towel that I'm going to be using for this round is one that shows several London landmarks.   I was fortunate to be able to travel there back in 1997 and the landmarks are all ones that I saw while there.  

The fabrics that I will be using when making the quilt are ones that I bought in London while there.  I plan to add a TOT or a solid with these fabrics to help them stretch and play nicely together.  I'm still in the process of thinking about what I want to add to it.   But am leaning towards adding things that remind me of England and London.    Three of the blocks that I've thought about adding include the following from Quilter's Cache:

http://quilterscache.com/L/LondonRoadsBlock.html

http://quilterscache.com/L/LondonSquareBlock.html

http://quilterscache.com/C/CrowningGloryBlock.html

In other projects, thanks to having a 2-hr delay this morning I had some extra time to play so I pulled some flannel scraps that a friend had given me back in October and cut them down to squares that will go together in a free form setting.    Then pulled some coordinates to go with them.   Will continue working on them tonight when I get home from school.   Will post pics of that as I make progress on it.

Gratitudes:
1. I didn't slip and fall last night on the icy driveway when I had to shovel the ice & snow the snowplow left in order to park after work.
2. For the district approving the conference travel for me.

Finishes for this week

No work was accomplished on the wedding quilt this week because I needed a break from it.   I did work with the leftover green strip sets from the wedding quilt though this week.   And finished two new quilt tops from them.   The quilts finished at 56" square and 72" square.   Both quilts may end up being donated somewhere.   

The third quilt top I finished up today started with 5 Sunshine Challenge quilt blocks that I've had since the middle of last year.  I pulled the daisy fabric to go with it and then made 4 more blocks to go with them.   The quilt finished at 42" squared.

Gratitudes:

1. Warmer weather!

2. A sewing machine that works without causing me any problems.

BOM Block 3 posted

Block 3 - Hard Candy for the BOM has been posted on my website.   Click on the link to go to the page and download the pattern  - http://thequiltedsnail.com/bom2013-14.html .

Enjoy making it!

Gratitudes:

1. A fabric stash that is fun to work with.
2. The ability to design and quilt and create with fabric.