Category: scraps

I Think my Quilting is actually improving.

So, this is my One Monthly Goal project and I decided to not do my normal boring meandering.  This is an all over pattern, but I was surprised once it was all done that it did not look to bad.

I always get nervous when I try something that is outside my norm on a quilt.  I mean there is the potential of totally screwing up a top that you spent time putting together.  I am certainly becoming less intimidated.  So, I actually had the angled meandering done a quilt before, but I paid for it.  I did not like it all.  They kind of did a crappy job.  Mine is actually better and I did not have a long arm.  Just me and my Bernina free motion quilting. As I was quilting this, I did not think that I would like it.  I thought I may have done to much quilting, but once it was complete, it did not look to bad.

I really think that I am Super Klutz.  I almost titled this post “Fat Girl Falls Down Part 3”. Saturday morning, I decide to go out to the hot tub.  Step up get one foot in and the steps slide out and I fall straight down, one foot still in the hot tub.  This time I am straddling the edge.  It hurt so bad, that I could not move.  I actually chose to fall in.  Seemed way better than falling outside the tub, considering it was ten degrees.  I survived.  I have the blackest bruise I have ever seen, somewhere you really don’t want a bruise.  I am starting to think the hot tub is trying to kill me.  It is supposed to be helping me.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

Hand Quilt Along- Dog Bones and Flowers

I missed the last post for the hand quilt along since I was sick, however some progress was made on hand items since I was just lying around.  There was also movie watching over the holidays.  I have to be doing something or the cookies and chips find their way into my mouth.  So the flowers are my swim team project.  While Haley is at swim practice and meets, I make the flowers.  The dog bones is my TV watching project.

So, for my EPP flowers, I recently learned something.  I purchased a hexie die for my papers (I use cardstock).  SInce I am n longer cutting them by hand and using my accucut, each one is perfect and it certainly makes a difference in how they go together.  I wasn’t having major difficulty, but it certainly made a difference.

So for my dog bone dresser scarf, I need it to be 54 inches.  I am only at about 38.  Ugh.  I will get there.  Since this is dresser scarf #4, I am sort of tired of it. WaterMark_2018-01-06-21-30-40

If you are interested in participating in the hand quilt along, please contact Kathy.

You can check out everyone’ progress at the following links.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Deborah,  Susan , Jessisca  ,  Sherry,  Nanette, Sassy and Edith.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

My contrast quilt or the I am mad quilt

Why might this be the I am mad quilt?  Well, when I get mad or upset, this is the quilt I work on.  I think that is because it is simple.  I need a total of eighty blocks, so I either work on finding fabrics or cutting the leaves or just sewing them on.  Plenty to do, nothing complex.  I actually have about 62 blocks together in various states of sewing.  I try to minimize my thread changing, so, I sew all the ones I can with same color I have threaded in the machine.  It is meant to be a play on colors lights and darks.

I think this quilt will be a bear to make sure the blocks are placed correctly.  My daughter put this on my design wall and I noticed the bottom black/red one is incorrect.  Not a problem, since I am not yet sewing it together.  But I am the person that looked at my safari quilt forever and still had three camels right next to each other in the same row.  Knowing myself, I will have several backwards but wont notice until it is quilted and bound.

I made this from scraps but it would be great for layer cakes.  The base is made from 2, 10 inch blocks, cut in half and then sewn back together with the opposite one.

I really don’t get mad that often, but sewing always puts me at ease and when my mind is racing, best to stick with something simple.  I keep this project in my sewing room neatly in my pizza box.

News:  I was one of the winners for the One Monthly Goal Prize.  thank you Elm Street Quilts!

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

My One Monthly Goal and the coming year

So, for my One Monthly Goal, I am going to completely finish this baby quilt.  It needs quilted and bound.  It has been laying over the gate entrance to my room, for months.  It is just staring at me.  Since I am now imaging my unfinished quilts are staring at me, I should probably just complete.  Then, my non completion guilt should go away….maybe, there are a lot of those pieces.

The one monthly Goal has been so helpful in helping to get items completed.  I very much have that personality that if I say I am going to complete something, then I am going to do it.

For this year I would like to finish all the tops that I have lying around.  I am not sure how many I actually have.  I would guess 7 or 8.  That is a fairly tall order, but it would be great to get done.

I won’t say that I won’t start any new projects, but I do not want to buy fabric to start a new project.  I can purchase stuff to finish things, but I am trying to avoid going out and buying fabric to start new quilts.  We will see how that goes.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Block #12 I wish you a Merry Quilt Along

Wow, time flies when you are having fun.  My twelfth block of the I wish You a Merry WaterMark_2017-12-09-22-17-55Quilt Along is complete.  I went a bit off the directions with my display of the lights.  It is windy outside and my lights are being blown all different directions.  I kept with all my snowflake themed fabric. that I have collected over the years.  I never thought that I would use them.  Just always liked snowflake fabric.  This quilt already looks festive and it is not even completed.

Now to figure out how to put them all together.  Since completing the top is my one monthly goal, I should figure it out.  I have a couple of ideas.  Just not sure on which one aI will settle on.

I certainly do wish everyone a very festive and happy holiday season.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Hand Quilt Along – More progress and my “other” project

Well, on my last Hand Quilt along post, I did not have a photo of y “other” project.  I sort of call this the swim team project.  Mostly because I work on it during swim practice and al the long weekend meets.  For tis project, I am making hexie flowers.  My long-term plan is to pick a background fabric and make a quilt from all of them.  So, at one time belonged to the Fat Quarter Shops mini charm club Fat Quarter Shops mini charm club.  I got 4 different mini charms each month, so I have quite a collection of them.    They are perfect for making these hexies.  I use a solid center and then each charm pack will make seven flowers.  I have no idea how many I will truly need, I will just keep making them.

My second hand quilt along project is my dog bones dresser scarf.  This is my sit on the WaterMark_2017-11-25-14-26-08could project, because I am not capable of just sitting down and doing nothing.  I need this to get to 54 inches.  I am at about 36 inches.  Still more work to do.

Thank Kathy for organizing this Hand Work Quilt Along.  It will e great to see everyone’s hand work without all the searching.  It is now at the tip of my fingers (and yours) .

Here is the list of others who said they would be joining in the Hand Quilt Along.  I hope you all check out their blogs and maybe even join in the fun.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

QADD – A look into the mind of someone suffering from this disorder

Quilting Attention Deficit Disorder (QADD).  I swear it is a real thing.  Just look at that table.  Oh wait, while it a table, it used to be our pool table.  So, needless to say, I have so many projects going on that I got absolutely nothing accomplished the entire week.

Currently, my daughter is on the swim team, which involves practice 4 out 5 nights a week.  Then there are the swim meets that are on the weekend.  This past weekend on Saturday at 5am we had to leave to spend the entire day at the pool.  Totally exhausting.  I have concluded, when I have a lot going on in my personal life, I can’t seem to concentrate on getting anything done in my sewing room.

I worked on this and that, but could not concentrate on anything.  I need to finish my block #10 for I wish you a Merry quilt along, but only managed to get part of it cut out.  I did some quilting in the ditch (which I did not like) on a table topper that has been sitting around a while.  While I was at the swim meet I did some hand work (EPP), but forgot my thimble and quit when my fingers started hurting.  I cut out pieces for a poinsettia table topper that I really did not need to start. Oh yes, and I started making a quilted bag (it is the blue blob in the photo).  Something else I did not need to start.  I have a pile of Christmas Fabric that I wanted to make a table topper out of (leftover from my Jingle bell tree).  Have not figured that out yet.  And I am working on a secret project that I can’t talk about, in case any of the recipients read my blog (wishful thinking).

And, Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away.  The only plus side to that is a couple of days off, which I totally need.  But it also beings about anxiety.  I will need to clean off that pool table in case we have guests that might actually want to play pool?  seriously who wants to play pool when we could be playing with fabric?  Apparently I am alone with those thoughts in my home.  So, I have to prepare to have a smaller work area for a few weeks.  I will need to cut a bunch of stuff so I can  just sew.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Fidget Blankets and a visit from the Fabric Gnome

So, This past weekend I got barely anything accomplished.  Saturday was the big Ohio State Game.  Go Bucks! then Sunday we were at the rental cleaning since we will be getting new tenants this weekend.  Very little sewing went on.  I did, however manage to complete 2 fidget blankets.   My guild was making them for a doctor who gives them to Alzheimer patients.  We were just asked to complete the fabric portion.  The Doctors office will add all the fidgety items.  They sew on socks and elastic bandages and plastic keys and satin ribbon etc…  Great idea.  I looked them up and they average about $45.00 each.  The back needed to be flannel or fleece so it easily stayed on laps and the front could be any combination of scraps.  Finished size is approximately 18 by 24 inches.  Pretty Simple.

And….The fabric gnome came by again….  Darn that gnome.  This time he left me someWaterMark_2017-10-26-19-40-44_resized (1) southwestern prints and colors.  Okay, truth be told, I got a $20 gift card from Connecting Threads for renewing my American Quilters Society Membership.  Being that renewal was $20 and I got a $20 gift card, how could I go wrong?  I ended up getting 8 yards for $28.00.  IT was on sale.  I can never resist a good sale.  I already have a design in mind.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer…

Had a very red nose in this case.  I like Rudolph.  I might like a quilt with all the reindeer.

I will say that all these pieces were a bit reminiscent of the dog quilt I am working on.  Used a lot of the same methods and tiny pieces, so this one I did not think was all that bad.  I managed to stick with my snow flaked themed fabric.  I think it is coming together nicely.  I find I am really enjoying the “I Wish you A Merry Quilt Along“.

It is never too late to get started.  You can still get links to all the blocks from several places.  Snowy Days Quilting did this block and you can find the link to all others there too.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

WaterMark_2017-10-26-20-01-19

One Monthly Goal October Finished – My OSU Puppy

Whew…..I kept putting it off…..

While I know it does not seem like much, one block, it was too me.  A block with over 50 pieces, crazy.  Now I think I need like 17 more.

I was totally scared to attempt this, however, I ended up finding it quite enjoyable and challenging.  Maybe those two things go together, enjoyable and challenging.  Either way, my  One Monthly Goal is Finished for this month and now I need something for next month.

The instructions for this quilt come in a booklet, which I really like.  For some dumb reason, it felt less daunting, just turning a page to move on.  There were some complications.  For this quilt, there are dogs facing left and dogs facing right.  I totally got this confused on multiple occasions.  I made the left one and eventually put Post-its over the pictures and instructions for the right facing block because I am not capable of not looking at it.  Covering those pictures and instructions with Post-its, worked.  No more issues after that.  It is a cute block.

So, since there are so many pieces, there is a lot of cutting.  Accuracy is totally important.20171022_194657_resized  There are many small pieces one inch by one inch for some.  I did find a useful tool for all this cutting.  It is a lifesaver, especially for me with Rheumatoid arthritis.  It is a weird looking ergonomic cutter by Martelli.  it even says on the package designed for arthritis and carpal tunnel, etc.  It made a world of difference.  I barely needed any pressure to cut, which was awesome.  Some days when my hands and wrist hurt, I avoid cutting with a rotary cutter.  I won a $25.00 gift card for Amazon at work and this was only $14.99.  I will not use anything else whenever possible.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting