To quilt or not?

I'm working on my Starburst Christmas Tree Skirt today. I've got the skirt done, and the backing is pinned but now I'm trying to decide if I want it quilted or not. I like the look of it the way it is and could just quilt in the ditch for each "spike" of the skirt to secure it. It would also look good to quilt following the "chevron" of the fabric strips (if that makes any sense).

Got any suggestions?

Take care,

Started 2018 with UFO projects: 22
New YTD:2
Gave away YTD:0
Trashed/dismantled YTD:
Sold unfinished UFOs YTD:0
Finished YTD: -1
So far 2018: 23

Finally... a quilting finish for 2017

Well, it's finally done and on the wall. My Jelly Roll Race Gone Plaid... and, I love it!! I finished it 3/31/17 and I'm just a bit surprised it took me so long to complete since I started working on it mid-January. I know I haven't had much time in the sewing room, but mid-January? :))

Actually in my own defense, I've been very busy working out in our yard. Last March I tore out the backyard borders, covered them in newspaper layers, and topped them with bark. In the meantime, I've been pulling any weeds that managed to grow through and finally decided it was time to start planting. We had to rent an auger since there are so many roots from the trees planted behind our property that's it's impossible to dig through. The Auger worked well and it was fun to get a great many holes dug in one afternoon. The majority have been filled with plants which are doing well and there's just one 20 ft area where I'll need professional help since I want to plant another three good-sized palm trees.

My herb garden is doing extremely well. I'll be using a lot of it fresh, and drying quite a bit for my own use, but I have so much I would like to share. If you are in my neck of the woods and would like some fresh herbs, give me a holler via email.

I've also finished the knitting project I have been working on for five months so now I'll have to think of another project to keep me busy in the evenings in front of the tv.

I've still got these blocks to sell... if you think the price I'm asking is too high, please make me an offer! :)

Take care,

I started 2017 with UFO projects: 32
I have found (buried in my sewing room and elsewhere in the house) YTD: 0
I have started YTD: 1 ongoing project (composed of 34 units as of 4/5/17)
I have given away UFO projects YTD:0
I have thrown out or otherwise dismantled YTD: -2
I have sold unfinished UFO projects YTD:0
I have finished YTD: -1 "finished-for-now" project (composed of 41 units as of 4/27/17)
I have finished YTD: -1
Projects remaining YTD: 29

Jelly Roll Race going Plaid!

I'm not sure I've ever gone this long without posting, but honestly I have not felt like writing anything. What I have been doing is working on this UFO project as well as another ongoing project (consisting of finished units).

This quilt has been fun actually, even though when I dragged it out to work on it I was less than thrilled. I got into it as time progressed and now it's turning out to be one of my favorite quilts.

I originally made a Jelly Roll Race quilt out of scrappy, 2 1/2 inch strips of different lengths. They were basically left over from other projects and when I finished it I didn't care for it and stuck it into the UFO pile. When I got it out again to work on, I decided to treat the quilt top as fabric and cut it into 9 1/2" blocks. I happened to be looking at Karla Alexander's book, Color Shuffle, at the time and liked the Plaid Passions pattern... so my quilt is based loosely on that pattern, although I made it narrower because I like "banner" size so I can hang it on my wall.

I've got it basted (and the pins are closed) now and I'm getting ready to start quilting it. I'm going to do a plaid quilting design... should be easy and I think it will look great with the quilt.

Take care,

I started 2017 with UFO projects: 32
I have found (buried in my sewing room and elsewhere in the house) YTD:0
I have started YTD: 1 ongoing project (composed of 33 units as of 3/22/17)
I have given away UFO projects YTD:0
I have thrown out or otherwise dismantled YTD: -1
I have sold unfinished UFO projects YTD:0
I have finished YTD: -1 ongoing project (composed of 33 units as of 3/22/17)
Projects remaining YTD: 31

Six years in the making... and it's finished! - #10

Yippee!! I finished my NY Beauty quilt on 7/28/16... only six years after starting it.

I loved making this quilt since it was a first in so many ways. I tried paper piecing for the first time... I found free blocks online (here) and printed them off onto bond paper. And, at first, it was a real struggle to wrap my head around how to paper piece since it seemed as though I was wasting a huge amount of fabric! :) But, I got over that and with practice, I came to quite like paper piecing. I also used some batiks and a lot of my own hand-dyed fabrics - something I've not done before this quilt although I have a huge stash of batiks and quite a lot of my own hand-dyed fabrics.

As you can see, I quilted it using organically straight lines about 1/2 inch apart since I wanted a more modern look than these quilts are known for having. I agonized for quite some time trying to decide how to quilt it, but kept coming back to the straight, vertical lines. Even as I started it, I wasn't sure it was the right choice. But, I love the way it looks so I'm happy I went with my instincts. And, it's the 10th WIP I'm able to cross of my list for 2016... I'm on a roll!

Progress shots along the way are here, here, here, and here!

When I showed it to my husband he said, "Wow... that's a work of art!" That made my day!

I've finally caught up posting finished projects and from now on, I hope to keep them in order! It got confusing (even to me and I knew what I was doing)!

Take care,

Halloween! (#'s 7 & 8)

Two more UFO/WIP projects finished a couple of weeks ago, and with plenty of time to spare since they are both for Halloween.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this Which Witches Boot (a Crabapple Hill pattern) quilt. I tried embroidering with perle cotton for the first time and I'm sold... it's so easy and is such a nice finish. It didn't take long at all to complete the embroidery panel. And, since orange peels are one of my favorite blocks to make, this border was a joy to make and it also went together pretty quickly. One of my goals with this little quilt/wall-hanging was to make it look like Halloween without using any obviously Halloween fabrics and I think I succeeded. However, for the backing I did use a great black with white Halloween print (see below) which was perfect! This is my seventh finish for the year!

The wonderful backing fabric...

The Halloween pillow that follows (number eight - yippee!!) was made from a length of fabric, purchased at Material Girl Fabrics in Redmond, Oregon, that contained two different panels. What a great little shop that is, and with a wonderful selection of fabrics! I loved spending time (and $$) there!

I started by quilting both panels - the usual way - using a lightweight cotton fabric (I use older quilting fabrics that I'm not in love with anymore since they won't show anyway) as a backing, then batting and the panel. That creates a nice, quilted texture that's not too flimsy for a pillow. The finished pillow ended up at 20" and I put a zipper on the bottom seam so it won't be visible when it's on a sofa or chair.

Since we don't have children and we don't see our niece and nephew very often (and miss them terribly), we sometimes feel that we miss out on the fun/spirit of the holidays. I'm trying to remedy that with this quilt top and pillow. Hopefully, it will feel a lot more like Halloween this year!

Take care,

Convergence wall hanging - nine!

I can't even remember when I completed this Convergence quilt top, but it was probably around 2003/2004. I've got two completed Convergence wall-hangings that I alternate hanging in my sewing room and while I still like them, I'm ready for something else on my walls... now to figure out what that is! :)

Anyway, in my quest to complete more UFOs/WIPs, I "dug" this out of my pile and decided it was the next project I wanted to complete. Easy, actually, since it was already a top. I tried and tried to think of ways to work with it... de-construct it? embellish it? cut it apart and make it a part of something else? Well, I could not settle on any idea that clicked for me, so the next best thing was just to finish it. And, I did that last Tuesday (7/19/16)!!

I decided to try a different way of quilting it and I am loving the way it looks. It works well for a wall-hanging as it makes the quilt somewhat "rigid" and it was easy/fun to do and quick too!. I'm finding myself attracted to the more "modern" styles of quilting these days. Isn't it great that quilting never gets boring since there are always new ideas and new techniques coming along that keep it fun and interesting!!

This is my ninth finish for 2016 and I'm posting it out of order, since it's the first one I've been able to get photographed. I've been surprised at how much motivation keeping a list and crossing off finished projects has given me. Now I have to decide what to do next.

I'm probably going to put this into my etsy shop, but until I get it there, you are welcome to email me if you think you might be interested in it.

Take care,

Time gets away from us, doesn't it?

I've been so involved in other aspects of my life that I haven't been posting nearly as often as I used to. I'm sure those of you who have been reading my blog for years have noticed. I still love my blog, but find it a bit more difficult to think of interesting things to write about. I've also fallen off the photography bandwagon for awhile. I haven't used my good camera in many months and that is something I want to rectify... I miss it!

I have managed to finish another UFO (well, technically I still have one side of the binding to sew down by hand, but I'm counting it as finished since that will happen today). I'm still somewhat surprised at myself for sticking with my goal of working on as many of my UFOs as I can. I seem to have developed a very short attention span over the years. I thought for sure that I would want to start something new by now, but it hasn't happened. This is my 4th finish for the year.

I started this Scrappy Trips Around the World in 2014 - only 2 years ago!!. :) And, I used random fabrics - meaning I just grabbed them out of a basket and sewed them together. I did make sure that I used the darkest fabric for the middle row so the design would work out, but other than that there are some really ugly fabrics in this quilt.  Turns out that I love it!!! I'm going to keep this one (unless someone offers me some good $$ and begs with me to part with it) because it's so cheerful and happy. It's fairly large too.

I quilted it horizontally using wavy lines, which left it soft and cuddly. I seem to gravitate towards the simple quilting styles these days.

It rained Friday and yesterday and it was forecast for today, but so far the clouds have just blown over. Isn't that wonderful? I mean about us getting rain. The landscape is green and lovely right now and the roses are prolific! I don't know if I'm just appreciating them more because of our drought situation or they really are more spectacular than usual, but they are gorgeous!!

Ok... off topic but, I'm wondering why this bill was defeated last week?

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend... I am!!

Take care,

It's been gifted... Pats Quilt

I finally made it to the Camarillo farmer's market this morning. I've been wanting to go for the longest time. I used to go every week when I lived down that way and it was always a fun way to start the weekend. It certainly didn't disappoint!

But the big news is... I can finally reveal the quilt I made for my friend Pat! She should have it by now and even if she doesn't I doubt she has time to read my blog. Her daughter just gave birth to twins... a girl named Claire and a boy named Noah. Congratulations Granny!!

Pat was the first one to see and fall in love with this quilt pattern. I have misplaced the name/information for it right now, but I know I will find it and then I'll update this post. Anyway, it was hanging in Ventura at Superbuzzy when we first saw it. In their version, they kept their colors together and did it more as a color wheel. That's what I planned to do at first, but then I got started and really liked this layout. Let's hope Pat does too!

I had planned to quilt it myself, but I ran out of time so I sent it to Karen at Cosmic Quilting in Laguna Beach. My friend Johanne referred me and I was extremely happy with the results. Karen provided quick service, did a beautiful job of the quilting, and was very reasonable.

Anyway, I'll be anxious to hear what Pat thinks!! :)

Take care,

Sex in a pan!

This is such a wonderful time of year, isn't it? All the fun parties, good food, and great friends!

We are having are holiday pot luck at quilting today with a handmade gift exchange. It should be very exciting and different since we usually do a dollar store gift exchange and although that is lots of fun this will be better. I can almost guarantee it! As you know there is a lot of talent in our quilting group of 20-22 gals. I'll try to get photos of some of the gifts, but if I don't it's because I'm having too much fun!!

Anyway, I went through my usual process of trying to decide what to make/take. After several other options, I decided on this...

I used fusible fleece in this boxy pouch and it's nice and sturdy and keeps it shape quite well, even when empty. It's an Amy Butler fabric and I think it might appeal to more in our group than the two that I've made since, which helped in the decision making process. It will be fun to see who ends up with it at day's end.

We play that game where each gift may be stolen up to three times. I can't remember what it's called, but it is soooo much fun if you have a good group of people who are not too timid to steal.

I used Philip Jacobs fabrics for both of the more recent bags and even though they are a bit smaller than the first one, they are still a great size. I quilted the fabric using batting (rather than fusible fleece) before assembling and I like the way they turned out. They'll both be in the shop in a couple of days.

And, then there is all that wonderful food. We never assign categories so we all bring what we want and usually we have a very balanced selection of items. Everyone is a great cook so it's a real treat to try everything (and collect recipes)!!

For the pot luck, I'm taking Sex in a Pan. I've made it for years (since 1975) and always knew it as plain ole chocolate pie. Just recently, I've discovered that it's called Sex in a Pan. A much more interesting name for sure, but it doesn't change the fact that this is one of the BEST desserts out there. It's not fancy, it's just really, really good! The recipe was originally given to me by a good friend at the time, a very good Mormon girl, which explains, I think, why she referred to it as chocolate pie! :)

Take care,

Look!

We've been very productive at our Tuesday meetings and I haven't talked about our group for awhile. I think I've mentioned before how diversified we are. We have modern, traditional, quirky, arty, experimental and fun all in the same little group. I never know what to expect from these ladies, but it's always exciting and inspirational.

Here's a peek at what was happening week before last. Remember, we meet in a garage so last week when it was pouring down rain, we decided not to attempt carrying all of our gear up the driveway and into the garage. Wise choice in the end!

Pat made wedges and since then has made even more. I think she told me on Thursday that she needed 15 more! It's going to be a gorgeous quilt.

Karen does the most beautiful embroidery and these owls prove it! She's got all the blocks completed and now she's piecing the rest of the quilt. She's using black, yellow, and white if I remember correctly. It's going to be really stunning!

Katie has the most incredible stash/collection of neutral fabrics. I've never seen some of the beautiful taupe fabrics she's got and I would love to steal some of them from her! :) She was finishing up the binding on this quilt and truly, this photo does not do it justice.

 

Stacey was just getting ready to start making this collection of "softies." She's the only one in our group who does this kind of work so it's always fun to watch her little figures come to life.

 

Pat A was working on Christmas gifts so I didn't want this photo to reveal too much about her project. Suffice it to say that her gifts will be works of art and the word "perfection" will definitely apply.

Jane was also working on a Christmas gift and when I saw her on Thursday she had added four or five more borders to this. It's a raw-edge woven center with borders being added to get it to the size she's wanting/needing. I wish you could see it in person as it's truly lovely. Made with batiks, the colors are stunning.

I worked on making some more zipper pouches for the shop. I've got five or six I think and will aim for tomorrow for photographing them and getting them listed. Today I finished up some small Christmas gifts that I decided to make yesterday morning. I thought it would take me longer to make them, so it was a pleasant surprise when I finished up about 3:30pm today. Once they've been gifted I'll share them here on the blog.

Hope you're all enjoying this wonderful -busy- holiday month!

Take care,