New Project Started

Last summer after moving to TX I visited a few of the stores between Dallas and Austin that were doing the row-by-row because I liked their patterns and wanted to get them.  One of them had a scrap bin with bags scraps that were priced inexpensively.  And if there's one thing that I find hard to resist, it's going through a scrap bin, especially if the pieces are good sized.  

In this case, these were the pieces that I found - 12 pieces of the pink paisley stripe that were either 20" long or 32" long, and then the 5 greens at the bottom of this first fabric.  I found a few more greens from my stash to add to the selection of greens in order to get blocks for a quilt top out of them.  Will need to add something else to them in all likelihood, but ultimately that will depend on what I do for the final design.












This pic below shows the initial idea I have for a layout for the quilt.   Haven't got a clue thought what I'd want to do in the middle 4 blocks if I were to do this layout.   I do have eight 5" long pieces of the border print left so I potentially could do 8 more blocks with them, and that would allow me to do a 4 by 5 setting.     Need to play with things before making all of the blocks.    

For the blocks with the paisley stripe I am using a new paper-piecing paper from Missouri Star Quilts.  You can read more about it here. (And no I don't get anything for a referral.)  The texture and weight remind me of onion skin paper from years gone by.  They come 10" square (there also 2 sizes of triangle papers available), so unfortunately won't go through a printer.

I think this will be easy to work with, but will post further comments on it once I've made some blocks with it.

And yes, I'm picky enough to be lining the middle of the paisley stripe up corner-to-corner on the paper.  =)

Gratitudes:

1. That I'm understanding the new-to-me process I'm learning at work these days.

2. For my needs always being supplied when and how I need, even when I don't see how things will work out.

New Bear - Johnnie, the Picnic Bear

This is Johnnie and she is on a picnic.  She is pouring a cup of tea and getting ready to have a piece of cake.   She is sitting on a quilt that she made from leftover clothing fabrics and loves the color pink.

This block is named in honor of my maternal grandmother who made quilts from her leftover clothing fabrics and loved the color pink.

A pattern will be coming soon for this block.

Gratitudes:

1. For all of the members of my family, those that are now gone and those that are still here.

2. For the opportunities that I have to honor them with the quilting that I do.

Holiday Weekend Progress

Three day weekend this week and that meant 3 days to sew and make progress on projects that have been in various stages of progress.

The first project I worked on was finishing up the origami swan blocks that were in progress.   That gave me a total of 65 blocks of which I need 42 for the commissioned quilt.

Almost final layout for the commissioned quilt to the right.....still need to add one more column of blocks to it in order to get the right size, but have to do the final layout on my bed because I don't have room at the present where I do my sewing.  

Guess I need to clean this place up...lol.

Gratitudes:
1. For all of the service men & women that gave the ultimate sacrifice

2. For the families of those who never returned home.

Sew fun, Sew 30 - Making Progress

Been working on the final 31 origami swan blocks that I've got prepped since this past weekend.  Have these 14 finished up and two more in progress here at the machine.

Have been able to sew for 1-2 hrs each day this week and that has helped me make progress.

Once those are done I'll only have 17 more to stitch up and then I can layout the blocks and decide which ones make it into the commissioned quilt.   My plan is to be able to get the layout decided on this coming weekend and start assembly of the top.

Still need to decide tho if I'm going to try quilting it in sections or not tho before I get to that point.

Gratitudes:

1. Friends who will pray for me when I need it.

2. Family and friends here and in heaven.

Naming Blocks and Quilts

I don't know about you, but I always struggle to figure out what to name the blocks that I design and the quilts that I make.  I've been strongly reminded of that as I've been designing the Teddy Bear blocks for for the BOM, and the extra ones that I'll be posting for sale.   Another series of blocks I've struggled to name are the ones that I've submitted to QuiltMaker for their "100 Blocks from Top Designers" magazine.  Most of my quilts I end up not naming because of how I struggle with coming up with names for them.

Some of the Teddy Bear blocks I've done have been easy to name, others not so much.  Lately though I've found some inspiration in sources that are close to home......namely my family.

This lovely bride bear is named in honor of my paternal Grandmother whose first name was Lucy.  Her groom is named in honor of my paternal Grandfather, whose first name was Benjamin. (And yes, these two blocks actually use the same fabric for the background fabric....the camera did something funky with the color to the groom pic.)

Both of these two are in the bonus block series that I'll be posting for sale.

The third bear shown here is one that I had drawn up and made a couple of months ago (will be the bear for October) and had a hard time deciding on a name for, is now named in honor of my only brother and sibling, Brian whose birthday was in October.


The next two teddy bear patterns that I have designed and am ready to make the samples for will be named in honor of my maternal grandparents.

Now if only I could decide what to do with all of my block samples I'd be doing good.

How do you name any blocks you design or quilts that you make?

Gratitudes:

1. Friends who put up with my designing

2. It hasn't gotten too hot here in N. TX yet.

Late Baby Quilt finished

I finished the surprise baby quilt that I was running late in getting finished, but at least the munchkin is only 3 months old....lol.

Quilt was inspored by a picture that I saw on the internet, but I forgot to note where I saw it.  It is an easy one to customize to the amount of focus fabric that you have.   In this case I had just enough to cut 9" finished blocks after cutting the borders so that the print ran in the same direction.  The red and blue were cut slightly larger than 4.5" by 8.5", and the brown sashing was cut at 1.5" wide.  Final alternate blocks were cut to 9.5" unfinished.  Final size was approx. 40" by 50" in size.

Gratitudes:

1. Three day weekend is coming up.

2. Good time spent with friends last night over good food.

Hands 2 Help Quilt

My quilt is off to Em's Scrapbag for a cancer patient.

The quilt is 73" square, with a focus fabric featuring Iris which is my favorite flows.  Dark green and purple were used to border the iris squares.

It was a quilt done quite a few yrs ago....ok, I honestly am not sure how many yrs.   But I do know that after washing it after the quilting was finished and the binding on, I just stuck it in a tote and never used it.  Am glad to have it out of tote and on it's way to someone that will use it as it was meant to be used.


Gratitudes:

1. For the opportunity to be able to share a 'warm hug' with a person who I'll never know.

2. For the healing (bone growing to fill in around the implant) that is happening in my jaw....even tho the pain is still there.

Sew 30 Sew Fun, Week 2 - Catching up

I've been sewing this week, just haven't managed to post.

Got the quilting done on this quilt and the binding sewn on.   Have it half sewn down and hope to finish in a day or two.

Also finished up this sample block for the third bonus block in my teddy bear series.   Named in memory of my brother Brian, this is Brianna who is celebrating her birthday with a yummy chocolate cake.

Gratitudes:
'1. That I've got sweet memories of my brother.

2. wonderful weather this weekend!

ScrapHappy May

Lots of playing with scraps in the last couple of weeks.

Finished up two sample blocks for the latest two block for my teddy bear series.  Benjamin Bear the groom is waiting at the altar for his bride Lucy.   Both of the bears are from scraps.  Background fabric is by Moda.   Patterns will eventually be available for both.


 Next up was pulling fabrics from my scrap bins to make a sample of the pattern I've drawn up for the online row-by-row blog hop that I'm taking part in.   All of the fabrics for the sample have come from the scrap totes, but I haven't decided which of the two sets of brown fabrics work best.   Any opinions on the pics below?




































And the final round of scraps were these - 25 pairs of coordinating fabrics that will be come origami swan blocks.  I managed to get the fusible web ironed onto all of the fabrics this weekend.   Next up is tracing the pieces and then fusing them to the block backgrounds.

Gratitudes:
1. Jaw/tooth pain seems to be decreasing.....just in time for work to start on a crown while the area with the implant continues to heal.

2. Making progress on the overdue baby gift this weekend!

Tuesday Progress........

Finished up another sample block for a bonus teddy bear pattern, well almost finished.    It has been decided that I need to add a candle on that birthday cake.  =)   I was going to call the bear "Brian" in memory of my brother, however I decided I'd better name her "Brianna" since the icing and hat were pink and he wouldn't have appreciated the pink....lol.  

I'll be embroidering the candle and flame with a combination of machine and hand embroider.

Pattern is yet to come for this block and for the bride bear as well.

I also almost finished quilting a late baby gift on Saturday, but the machine decided it didn't like me.  Will finish this week and post pics at that point of the finished quilt.

I've also got a pattern under way for a row-by-row that I'll be taking part in Sept. of this year.  It's been fun coming up with a pattern in a different size than normal for me.

Gratitudes:

1. Pain meds that keep most of the pain from the dental work under control.

2. A possiblility for getting more commissioned work.

Bonus Bears

I've several patterns drawn up for bonus bears that won't fit into the 12 months of the Teddy Bear BOM this year.     Yesterday I worked on making up the sample block for the first of these blocks.

This is Lucy the Bride.  She's getting ready to walk down the aisle to her groom.

Gratitudes:
1. Beautiful weather today with no storms due in

2. Seeing friends at church today

Sew 30 Sew Fun – Days 3-5

I had to have some major dental work started this week and that ended up causing my 30 minutes a day sewing to slide by a couple of days.   However, I caught up yesterday while working on the quilting of an overdue baby quilt.  I even used my new machine for the quilting!

I just need to finish quilting the 6 focus fabric blocks and this critter will be all quilted.  =)    Binding will be next.  Hoping to finish the quilting at least today, but also need to get the sketch made for a pattern I need to get made up.

Gratitudes:
1. Dental work is just a dull ache and easily controllable with advil.

2. For finding a dental practice that is willing to work with what I can do financially.

Sew 30, Sew Fun - Days 1 & 2

The challenge posted here on Annie's Ruby Slippers is to sew at least 30 minutes a day for 6 days a week during May.   And as time gets tighter for me, that is a structure that I need in my life right now to make progress on the many projects that I have going on.

Between yesterday and today I got the binding and the label onto this wallhanging (altho still no hanging sleeve) and I'm calling it done!  took me an hr or just over between the two days.

So a full shot of the finished little quilt and a couple of close-ups.   Final name was "Strand of Three".

Next up to be worked on for this challenge is to start the quilting of the quilt that I will be donating for teh Hands 2 Help challenge.

Gratitudes:
1.  My foot is less painful tonite (altho that means the storm is almost here)

2.  Getting together with a great group of women tomorrow might.

Weekend Work...........

I finished the stitching on 7 more of the origami swan blocks over the weekend.  That brings my total completed up to 30.  

Next up on that quilt is to iron the fusible web onto the remaining 30 pairs of fabric prints and then cut the pieces out.

The final blocks that I was able to finish were three heart blocks for a hugs quilt.    These are 12" finished in size.  Fabrics for these came from my scraps.

Gratitudes:

1. As the finances get tighter to pay for the dental work, I'm glad to have my stash to quilt from.

2. For issues that can be treated.

Sometimes You Gotta......

........ignore what's been on the to-do list and do what's been simmering in the brain.  And that is the case with this little wall-hanging.

I'll be sharing my testimony in the Bible study group at some point that I attend in the next few weeks and the idea for this little wall-hanging just wouldn't let go of my mind.   So I gave into the idea.  =)  Yes, this relates to what I'll be talking about, but that's not something that I'll write about here.

The binding still needs to be sewn on, but I haven't put a hanging sleeve on it yet because I don't know which way I'm going to hang it - vertically like this or horizontally.  The ends of the rick rack (currently on the bottom of the pic) will be left loose no matter which way I end up hanging it.

Specs -

-- Finished size is about 10" by 20" or so.
-- Whole cloth made with a hand-dyed FQ that I found when going thru some fabric yesterday
-- Binding and backing are from a 1/3 yd piece of Riley Blake fabric that I have no remembrance of buying or what it was originally meant for.
-- Three different colors of rick-rack were used - dk. purple, metallic royal blue, and a pink/white metallic
-- Free-form quilted

Gratitudes:

1. I'm a candidate for the needed dental implant

2. God will provide all of the money that I'm going to need for the needed dental work, even if that means I work a second job.

Buster - 2017 Teddy Bear BOM - Block 4

Block 4 has been released -

Buster has been out picking flowers for his mom after all of the rain in April.

You can find the pattern here at Craftsy.

Have fun with the block!




Gratitudes:
1. Beautiful weather here after all the storms that went through the DFW area over the weekend.

2. It's Monday and I have a job that pays the bills.