Sew Days are Great Days

My applique group books a workroom for two days every three months.  My gf M and I come prepared with boxes of blocks.  The design walls are fantastic and we take full advantage.  Here are a few 'show and tells' from our sewing days.

Almost all of this are from Kim Diehl's first two collections that were used for her BOM patterns. MF decided to "cut it up and use it up". Great job.  She did get this top together that day!

Work stations quickly filled up with supplies and projects in the making.

Not all of us brought out the machines.  Several ladies worked on hand projects both days.

JB was working of Foxes, but I did not snap a picture. I will share it another time.
M stopped by on Friday and got a few blocks up on the design wall.  A fun baby quilt in the making.

KA started this Pies and Tarts quilt quite some time ago.  She has stayed on it and brought her blocks to use the design wall.

Here is the start of her layout.  I love the brown background and she has made her 'pies and tarts' from Asian fabrics.  Some are fussy cut, some random, and some are from a full circle of fabric.  A great way to let the design work for you!

CD has started on this project.  She took the plunge and trimmed the center section with all the beautiful embroidery and added the pieced border.  I thought this striped border was from one strip of fabric, but her work is so precise, it was hard to tell where the white strips were added. 

Here is her pile of blocks for the next round.  This is going to be a beauty when it's all finished.

GB was working on some EPP with some fun fussy cut centers on some of these blocks.

CO also brought her EPP.  She, and others have gotten hooked on Hexi's and they have been making some amazing blocks.  Again, our fabric designers have certainly helped us out with so many fabulous prints to choose from.  C also made progress on a Log Cabin project over the two days.

Here is a very sweet piece that MN put up on the wall.  Sorry, I don't know the source of this pattern but it sure is cute.  I remember those candies!

As for me, I have been packing this project to our sew days F O R E V E R!!! And this time I finally got it finished. This is Bonnie Hunters Mystery quilt, Carolina Christmas from years ago. I did not start it before I saw the reveal. I don't do mystery quilts well. I loved it and I also saw it as an opportunity to learn the Easy Angle ruler. Making this quilt was a big undertaking, if you've made Bonnie's patterns you will know why. So much piecing. Which means so much cutting. Which translates into so many seams and so much pressing and organizing. Unfortunately for me, and for the quilt, I cut the strips for the border piecing a 1/2" narrower. When I started on the pieced border it became apparent something wasn't quite right. Since this has been in the works for so long, the fabrics in the quilt are nowhere to be found. I did have some left over trimmings from a quilt back in this mottled green, and it was used in the center of the quilt. After opinions were tossed about, the red stop border was added. There is enough of the green to make the binding. Now to get it quilted! I do love it, I'm so glad I persevered on this pattern, and it finished at approx. 90 x 90. Perfect for the bed at Christmas 2017!

I showed this piece and wrote some details to hopefully motivate a reader or two. If you loved something enough to pull the fabric, cut your blocks and start piecing it, pull it out and re visit the project. Even if you only refresh yourself on the pattern and directions, make some notes to keep in the box so the next time it will be easy to start into it. I've refreshed myself on something too many times, and found that just that was enough to stop me from moving forward. Make the notes, put it back on the shelf, and next time you can just start in on it. Finished is SO much better than a box of cut pieces.

Keep stitching,
Sharon

Empty Bobbins

It was retreat time with my gal pal. We've packed and talked about projects for a week in advance of going away for two glorious days with nothing but sewing, chatting, and snacking all day and into the evening. As we pulled up to our retreat room, we could see there were people in there, and after a gasp and confirmation that we had the right day, we found out the room had been double booked. But not to worry, those quilter's were busy at the cutting tables, and we couldn't get our blocks out and up on the design wall fast enough.

Here is the first project. I decided on the same setting as I've used before. Blocks are all stacked and pinned and ready to go together in my sewing room.

Next up was a few blocks of pink and brown. I've kicked around a few ideas for these and just left them up so I could see them and ponder.

I just soaked up the look of side by side,

Pondered using a setting square to break up the piecing,

And got busy on my Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Carolina Christmas from 2009.  I got the 1/2 square triangles all put together, only 104 of them needed.

and had these blocks finished a few years ago,

and then got these little cream and red 4 patches all together.  They are SO cute.

Took a break from sewing and organized all the star blocks.  I wanted to make sure I didn't repeat any prints in the 4 patch that comes together in the center.

I put a few blocks up on the wall.  All the green sections were pieced in previous sewing sessions.  It's looking good!

I've kept all the instructions for every section.  It's all been contained in one box.  The reason for making this quilt was to become more proficient using the EA ruler.  I fell in love with it, and have used it so many more times since I cut for this project.

I got back at the machine, and started joining the green section to the red/cream sections.  See, sample sitting right beside my machine so I don't turn them wrong when piecing.  Look at that pile of chain piecing!

And then when pressing, I realized I HAD turned the block and got the wrong orientation.  All the left pile of blocks need to go to rehab...........

So I packed everything back into it's traveling suitcase, the bad blocks have their own special place; in a zip lock bag with a seam ripper for company. Then I closed it all up and called it finished................ for now.

To be continued.....

Hope you got to stitch this week, we are so blessed to be part of this amazing community of quilters.
Sharon

A New Year, A New Finish

December it the time of year I get excited about starting new Christmas projects and always say they are for next year. I enjoy working on something of the season and so I did some red work stitching during my vacation the beginning of December. It was all hands on deck once I returned, getting all the customer quilts quilted and back to them in time to bind and gift out on the 25th. I had decided if quilts weren't required for Christmas, then I would take the few days between the 25th and the 1st to clean up and regroup in my studio.

December 26th: I enter the studio with clear intentions, start cleaning and work on this green scrappy pile of strips and blocks that have grown roots beside my machine. It's JUST time to get these blocks done so I can gift out my last family quilt.

December 26, later that day:
In the clean up/pick up process, I find this pattern, border strips and squares all piled together on top of my Christmas fabric drawer and I pick it up. (big mistake)

December 27th:  Oh I'll just cut a few scraps and do a few corners to make the faces of these cute snowmen.  No, I didn't save these tiny off cuts.  Now that's just too small for me and remember, I'm cleaning up my studio and working on the green pineapple blocks.

OK, so you can see a few FG to the left.  Thought I'd test out the holly print for the background.

And once I got the snowball blocks all pieced, I thought I'd see what they look like on my design wall.  No time like the present to get them stitched together, right?

And while I'm at it, might as well make a few more FG blocks.  I love the  Elanor Burns method, it's perfect for something like this project.  All the outsides are the same and the centers are scrappy.

I only needed 78, so what the heck, just get them done.  A little trimming and the FG are perfect!

December 31: Well, might as well get the whole thing put together, quilted, machine sew buttons on for eyes, use some wool for the noses and a few sets of eyes.  All this just adds to the quilting as they were done after it was quilted and bound.  I stitched out an eye on one of the faces, just to make them individual and a little quirky.

January 8th: Stitch out the text around the inner border, using red Aurifil color 2260 in 28 wt.  It's my go to red thread for any type of red work stitching.

Oh, and I did get the drawer of Christmas fabric organized, tidied up and all put away.  That's what I started to do, right?

So who else worked on Christmas projects after Christmas?  According to IG, I wasn't the only one.  Now its back to the longarm and customer quilts for January. 

Pop by later this week to see what happened to the green blocks!

Happy New Year,
Sharon

It's a Busy Time

Wow, am I behind on blogging. I've been busy with the Christmas season soon upon us. I love to bake so that has taken a few days and evenings. This is what I took to Sunday dinner at my sisters place.

I had a last minute quilt for Debbie so now it's back at her place for binding. There has been a scrappy Christmas quilt in the works for years, I started it by hand, blah, blah. Knowing I had no more customer quilts, I promised myself I would quilt this one. Being scrappy, and not made of the best materials, I did not want to invest a lot of time into the quilting and since it's Christmas, ribbons seemed like a great idea.

This top is 48 x 60, the perfect size to use up a scrap of wool batting that was in my bin. I used a variegated red/green/cream thread and I'm thrilled with the results. Having the binding all ready to go made it easy to stay motivated on this. I came home from work last night, fed the 4 legged kids and headed down to my studio. I didn't come up until the binding was on! Now to relax with the binding and then wash and enjoy.

Here is my "tree" this year. It's huge.  The local hockey team was selling them as their fund raiser, so this was delivered last weekend. It's gorgeous.

I'm staying on track with my applique blocks from Beyond the Cherry Tree.

 Block 5 is alive and I'm going to start prepping #6.

Christmas is also a reminder for all my check ups. Everything is done and A ok. So if you haven't had your mammogram, put it on your list;  it could be the best gift you give yourself!
Sharon