Weekend Progress - Nov 6

With the blog hop coming for the release of Volume 16 of QuiltMaker's 100 Blocks coming next week, I decided to make a quick quilt showing just one way that my block can be used.   I was able to get half of the pp'd block sections made over the weekend and pressed.   Still need to trim them to size though.   8 of the remaining pp'd sections have been sewn as of this morning leaving me with only 12 more to sew.  The final 4 sections are pieced 'normally' and I'll make them after piecing the others.   I'm hoping to get all of the remaining sections made tonite after I get home from work.  Final project will be a table topper that will be approximately 36" square.

The other project I made progress on was the second wall hanging of my triptych of the Christmas story.    Angels are now fused down and this one is ready to layer, baste and quilt.   Fabrics used for the angels are a silver Fairy Frost for the biggest one and two different prints with gold metallic in them for the smaller ones.

I'll be doing raw-edge stitching of the applique elements in this and the other hanging that matches this as I quilt them both.




Gratitudes:

1. Safe travels with friends yesterday as we all went 2.5 south for a senior recital of the daughter of good church friends.

2. For the Trim Healthy Mama plan that is helping me to get my diet under control and, Lord willing, continue to lose the weight that I need to.

Triptych in progress......

The second design in the planned triptych is taking shape.  The design is shown here beside a commissioned version of the first one that I've got up on my design wall.

This one will be the shepherds in the fields as they were given the good news by the Angels.  Everything is fused down except for the angels.  I'm thinking at this point I'll use a light grey fairy frost fabric for them.   There will be one big angel and then several smaller ones for the angelic host.

Once I've got all the designing done, then I'll write this one up and put the pattern up for sale.

Gratitudes:

1. Have meds to knock the sinus infection that I'm fighting.

2. Got to work safely in spite of other drivers.

Layout Possibilities

I still have 3 more of the military bears to draw up and make, but have been thinking about layout possibilities for them. 

My current plan is to not only do individual block patterns for the 5 designs, but also to do at least one layout from them.  And have been "doodling" on the computer thinking through designs for the layout.  So far I've come up with two possibilities, I'm not sold on either one.   

The solid squares would be where the bear blocks are.   The light blue is similar in shade to the fabric I'm using for the background of the block samples.   I plan to also use it for the background of the setting blocks.

Of the two, I think I like the stars better, but am not sure of the colors......

What do you think?   Any ideas?

Gratitudes:
1. Dentist appt this afternoon getting stitches out and next appt scheduled = progress, hopefully

2. Bears commissioned quilt is almost together

New block design..........

Designed another block this past week.  And stayed in a similar profile to the latest two blocks before this one.   Did this because I'm thinking of putting them together into a single quilt and want them all to work together.  =)

The sample I made of the new pattern was done in hot pink, orange and navy blue for the background.    Finished size is 12".

First two blocks in the series were the two shown at the bottom.  With one more design, I'm thinking that I might could come up with a nice lap quilt.

And then write up the pattern to offer on Craftsy as either a full quilt pattern (lap quilt size), or as individual block patterns.    These are all pp'd patterns which makes really nice points.

One thing I'm trying to figure out is how much to price the patterns at for a full quilt pattern or as individual block patterns.   Guess I need to do some exploring online to see what others are pricing them at.   If you were to buy something like this as either an individual block pattern or a full pattern for a lap quilt, how much would you be willing to pay?

Gratitudes:
1. Travel to/from the reunion was good (well with the exception of narrow seats on the plane!).

2. Beautiful weather in Southern CA for the reunion and my time there.

Playing with scraps and designs

Had time this morning before church to get another block done for the American Hero quilts that I'm working on.    Played with one of my designs to see what else I could do with it.    End up with three more designs to make.....and an idea for a fifth one.  

Meanwhile here is the block I finished this morning.   Tentative name is Southwest Wings because the red reminds me of the stylized western sun you see in art in the Southwest US.

This afternoon I'll start working on putting these t-shirts into pillows for silent auction goodies for my 40th HS reunion.

Gratitudes:

1. A lovely rain storm went through this morning, so the humidity should be a little less now.

2. Church and small group today....good times to come with friends.

Test new designs

Saw a block design on some blog that I can't remember now, but I sketched it out so that I could take and play around with it.  My intent was to not only make one for me, but to use if for some of my F2F blocks for the remaining months.

Well I've done that, but in doing so have realized that I can not PP the entire block section because I don't have paper that big......lol.   So I'll be PP'ing the triangular section and then adding the strips to them.  

The fun part will be in "squaring" up the triangle sections to the block.

Gratitudes -
1. Unexpected checks in the mail.

2. Insurance here is active on 9/1....I'll be able to get in and see someone about the platelets and the itching and edema that is driving me crazy.

Going crazy...........and excitement

Life has been a wee bit crazy this summer with three summer school classes in two sessions. Have also been doing a lot of commissioned sewing these days - scrubs, muu-muu style tops and dresses, and a few quilts. Have what seems like a ton of commissioned sewing yet to get sewn up still here as well. Needless to say I haven't gotten a lot of quilting for me done with everything else going on. A couple of the quilts that I was commissioned to finished for a friend are shown in the pics below. Work at the store is still happening as well. One of these days i might actually get caught up on all that I have to do here........

But the excitement for me the last week has been that the block design I submitted for publication in the Fall 2011 issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from todays top designers was accepted! It will be in the issue that goes on sale mid-November 2011. Getting my designs published has been a long held dream, and one that I decided to go for in the midst of all the craziness instead of just talkin about it it. Now I'm working hard to get a sample quilt made so that it can be photographed for publication in the same issue. Will work on that next week....have the fabric, and know what I'm going to make. =) And have the design drawn up for my next block submission as well....just need to get the sample block made for it.

Gratitudes:
1. For a long-time dream coming true.

2. for all of the opportunities for extra income that God has provided.

Finished school design project!

Woohoo, finished my part of the group design project for my technical design and communication class tonite. Am so glad to have this done. Project will be going back to school tomorrow. As a group we decided to design a possible solution for the problem of how to transport aid received by those people in developing countries in times of natural disasters. To this end we designed and built a prototype pack and frame to make transporting aid easier.

Yours truly got to make the pack because I was the only one that knows how to sew in the group, much less knows anything about designing anything to be sewn. the pack is made from flourescent Orange vinyl. The vinyl is the type that hanging outdoor signs are made from. And while not as heavy as some vinyl is, it was still 'interesting' to work with, not necessarily fun though!

Gratitudes:

1. For my machine behaving for the most part while sewing on the pack today.

2. For the odds and ends of fabric and batting that I have and how they help to block the drafts of cold air from antique windows that are not snuggly fitted.