Art Journal and a UFO

While waiting for the fabric I ordered to arrive to back this quilt, I work on my May Art Journal Challenge pages. It seemed logical to me to use flowers for May since my April pages were of rain showers. We certainly had enough rain showers! Hope we have lots of May flowers!

I'm having so much fun with this project. And I love that I'm using fabrics and supplies from my scraps/stash. 

The buttons have been in my 'stuff' for a very long time! The bird is a sticker and I drew the tree branch with fabric markers. I'm pretty happy with it!

 With more time to pass, I got the urge to pull out some stitchery blocks I did SO long ago. In fact, looking back on my blog, I showed peeks of these here and here...way back in 2010! 

When I pulled out the blocks, I had drawings of the possible layout...but it was a little overwhelming to me on how to put together this puzzle. I even found my original drawings of the stitchery patterns I drew. 

I was determined to work on this UFO! 

I thought I would get some Kona Ash for the background and make the pinwheels from bright Kona colors to match the different flowers in the stitcheries.  

So I took a trip to my LQS and found Kona Ash...but I just had to looked through the sale fabrics...and there was Dimples by Andover in a bright pink. Thinking it might just work I grab it but just in case bought some Kona. 

 I auditioned both pieces.

I loved how the pink made the stitchery stand out and added a brightness. So, I started making the pinwheels using this new tool I found at a Quilting Expo I went to a couple of weeks ago. 

This is a unique ruler for squaring up HST! That shaded part running along the diagonal is actually a channel. 

It actually 'locks' in place along your seam. Trim 2 sides, then

rotate your piece and slide the ruler along the diagonal and trim the other sides. Makes a perfect HST!

I really liked using this tool!

After all the pinwheels were together, I started putting the pieces together. 

Here is the flimsy before the borders. 

The inner border is a narrow Kona Snow and the outer border a blue and white stripe from my stash! Sorry, no pictures. It is sandwiched and ready for quilting.  

Wait! Can you spot a mistake? 

I didn't until looking at these pictures. See the pinwheels in the upper right corner with the pink strip on top? They should have been reversed so the pinwheels were along the top and the pink strip framing the stitchery block. Should I rip it out or leave it as it is? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear your opinion.

That's what I've been doing this week. What about you?

Another One!

I was hoping to get this done to count as a finish for January but it just wasn't meant to be. I have been busy at work and it took me a while longer to quilt than I expected. I am pleased to show you my finished Birdie Stitchery Quilt! 

The details are hard to see here. The quilting is stitch in the ditch around the squares, a simple zig zag in the sashing, a winter poem I wrote around the inner border, and a feather pattern on the outer border. 

The backing ~ the extra block is used as the label.

This block was originally planned as the June block but I decided it was too busy compared to the others so I used it as the signature block and designed my own June block. This was actually one of my favorites to stitch!

Fabrics: Sunkissed by Sweetwater and Moda Bella White

Backing: found at Joann's

All Stacked up!

Soon it will be time to head over to the Superbowl Party! Enjoy!

Busy as a Bee

I have been busy... not only in the sewing room.  Here's what I made for Valentine's Day.  

I followed the tutorial from Pleasant Home. 

After a little break, I worked on my daughter's wedding quilt and now the borders are on and it's ready to be sandwiched.  I need to get to the store to get some batting.  It is really looking good! Sorry, no pictures.

I also sent out these mug rugs and extras to my secret swap partner, Helle in Denmark.  She received them and really liked them! Yay!  

How cute is that little cat cookie plate?  And the mug is so cute!  It says 'time for tea with a cat on my knee.'  The box is just as cute.  

I so enjoyed making the paper pieced cat that I had to make this mug rug...for me?

This is a free pattern from Artisania...here.

I think I may be in love with small paper piecing!

I am also completely caught up with the Block-A-Palooza blocks. These are the first 6 blocks and

Block 7 (oops...it says block 6)

See more blocks on the flickr group page.

Caught up on stitching the Give Thanks BOM from Jenny of Elefantz, too. Verses 2 & 3 are done.  A great reminder of all the blessings in my life...God's beautiful creation and my warm home.  The little verse cards are interchangeable.

Finally, I finished the 1st block in the Birdie Stitchery BOM.  I was so close to finishing when I ran out of yellow floss.  One swirl on the birdies little belly and no more floss.  To make it worse, Hobby Lobby was out of the yellow I needed.  I either had to wait for Hobby Lobby to call and tell me they got it in OR get to Joann's.  It took a couple of days but I got some more yellow floss and finished the block.  Now I'm working on Block 2.  

I was so excited to have it finished I didn't even press it before I took the picture. Yikes! You can see more on the flickr group page.

I told you I've been as busy as a bee!

Productive or not?

Friday Night started with picking up the computer from the Apple Store.  Nothing too wrong just annoying.  Hopefully we found an answer.  Technology....

As soon as we got home, I quickly got started with stitching and finished the binding on this quilt.  

Then I made and added the label.  

Picture is blurred so to keep the secret.

I also finally made and added the label to this baby quilt.

The baby shower is tomorrow...

 I also made another block for Queensland.  I now have made 5 blocks!  I will be making a block after every finish until I have to send them off to Australia.  I better get busy...

If you would like to join in...stop over at Retromummy and visit Corrie.  She is heading up this project-Quilts for Queensland!

That was my FNSI...productive...not as much as I hoped but I'm satisfied.

Here is another something I've worked on and finished but never showed you.  

This was a Quilt Around the Block by Helen at Hugs from Helen.  It was designed for a group of 4, each doing one round.  I just followed along on my own.  I finished the center square and the first border with the hexis.  When Helen posted the 3rd round, I was a bit overwhelmed as the flowers were to go all around. I decided that was too much for me so I added a sample of the stitchery on 2 corners.  And I eliminated the 4th round of stitchery and added a cute coordinating fabric instead and made it into a pretty pillow cover.  

PROJECT FINISHED!

Last night I finished putting together the needlecase from Kaaren over at The Painted Quilt!  It turned out much better than I anticipated.  Why? I needed a hand project to take to my knitting/handwork club and I didn't have anything started.  [Of coarse I was throwing this together at the last minute.]  I quickly decided to download Kaaren's project and then I realized I didn't have a large enough piece of muslin in my stash.  No time to run to the store, so I just used a piece of white cotton from my stash and traced the stitchery.  I decided to use navy floss instead of black because of the starkness of the white.  And off I went.

I showed peeks of the stitchery in a previous post.  It was coming along.

Yesterday with the stitchery finished,  I picked some navy fabric from my stash for the outside and a small red and white polka dot fabric for the binding.  Here it is:

I love it!  The deep pockets are roomy enough to keep your projects in and the ribbon tie for the scissors keeps them in place.  Thanks Kaaren!  If you would like to do this project, hop over to Kaaren's blog, The Painted Quilt!

Friday Night Sew-In results and more!

Thursday evening, I finished the binding on my Red & White quilt!  My Friday morning started with washing and photographing it.  I still have yet to label it and this is my dilemma. Can you help? I like to name my quilts but I am having a little difficulty with coming up with just the right name.  This pattern is a old traditional block called Robbing Peter to Pay Paul.  I could name it that and be done but it doesn't seem right.  I have been calling it my Red & White quilt but that just isn't creative at all.  Some ideas have been: Jumping Jacks (due to one of the patterns it makes with arms and legs stretched out), Twist and Shout, A Kusama Happening (after a famous Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama that has an obsession with red and white dots). What do you think?  I would love to here your opinions!

For FNSI, I worked on making 2 new pillows for our living room.  We recently hung new curtains and I wanted to add some more contemporary throw pillows.  I didn't want square pillows but I couldn't find pillow forms in the size I wanted so I bought a child size body pillow (15" x 36").  I then cut that down in half to make 2 - 15" x 18" pillows.  Using some left over fabric from curtains I made for my daughter's room, I cut 1 - 15.5" x 18.5" and 2 - 15.5" x 14" pieces for each pillow.  Using my computer,  I printed the words family and friends onto some coordinating fabric from my stash.  I then cut those letters out and fused them to the right side of the 15.5" x 18.5" piece of fabric and then machine appliqued around each letter.

I then stitched the backing pieces (overlapped) and the front piece together and stuffed the pillow forms in and they were done! I really how they like the look!

 

The charcoal gray gives a little update to my pink and blue (a little outdated) room.  This will have to do until we can afford something else.  I'm happy with it!

There was still some evening left so I continued working on my stitchery needle case from Kaaren over at  The Painted Quilt.  I'm loving it.  Only a peek as it is not yet done as you can see!

Now I will be spending some time visiting other FNSI blogs to see what you all have been creating!

 

Friday Night Sew-In results and quilt along

I was so ready for some quality sewing time.  In fact, I was sewing most of the day!  Yes,  I had lots of plans!  But the best laid out plans don't always work out! Sigh!  Most of the day, I worked on my Between Charming Friends Quilt Along! We got the 1st sewing instructions this week so I wanted to get sewing so I wouldn't fall behind.  

Here are my pieces for the 16 patch ready to be assembled. Do you see the little 4 patches in the back?  

All assembled and ready for the next step!  We'll get the next step on Wednesday.  Yep, that cute polka dot fabric in the background is the backing I picked out.  Isn't it cute?  I think they go together quite well!

I then started quilting on the Mariner's Compass.  As  I previously posted, it was taking me a little over an hour to quilt each compass.  I did manage to shave off about 15 minutes from the quilting as I worked thru the compasses.  I had 2 left to do last night.  No problem I say!  I probably could even finish the outside edges of the fleur de lis.  But my plans went awry when a big storm hit and knocked out our electricity.  This is what I was doing when the power failed.

Quilting the final points in the yellow compass! [the green one on the right is the last one].  At least my needle was down cuz I was turning at the point!

So what to you do?  Well, I was determined to get something done so I pulled out my stitchery and used the remaining daylight to stitch. Soon, everyone was getting hungry and no sight of the electricity coming on so we decided to walk to a local restaurant for some Mexican food [they had electricity!] After dinner, still no electricity and so out came....

CANDLES!

I managed a little more stitchery by candle light.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to pull it all out cuz I really couldn't see very well.  This morning I took a look [and a picture].

Not bad!  See the little purple flowers?  Those are what I worked on before it got too dark.  The stems were done by candlelight.  I'm glad to announce the electricity came on sometime in the wee hours.  The light in my sewing room was still on!  [I did remember to turn off my machine, unplug the iron and computers!]

Mariner's Compass Quilt and a little more...

I started this blog (back in January) because I wanted to record the progress I made on the Mariner's Compass Quilt that I am making for my husband.  Awhile back, I completed piecing the top but was stalled due to not having the time and space to sandwich it.  After school let out for the summer, I got right back on it!  I sandwiched and starting quilting.  Each compass is stitched in the ditch with a star stitched in the center circle.  I takes me about 1 1/4 hours to quilt each compass.  [I may add some more free motion quilting once the compasses are quilted.]  I also used a fleur de lis template in between each compass.           Take a look!

Since I starting this blog, I have become aware of all the talent around the world.  I have become inspired to try some new things like stitchery.  Here is a peek at the latest block that I finished. I think this is #6 and will eventually find its way into a quilt!

 

And finally after many years, look what's on my design wall!! Yes, my red and white blocks!  There are 96 in all [not all fit on my wall]. I am getting ready to stitch the blocks and rows together.  The blocks are hand appliqued. This is my first applique project!  A lot of learning in the process. Not perfect by any means but I love the way the design comes together and forms another pattern! Take a look!

It's a rainy day here in Chi Town.  Good for some quality quilting time!

This and That

Memorial Day weekend was a beautiful weekend spent outside, inside and with good friends!  Friday night I spent sewing and made this:

I saw this on a blog and linked to the free pattern but then couldn't find the original blog where I saw it made.  Does that ever happen to you?  Anyways...I just love it...look at all the ruffles.  I will add that the instructions are not very detailed...not for a beginner.  I needed to change the size of the binding strip, added an inside pocket [all bags need pockets], and needed to adjust sewing together the lining and bag to make them fit better.  I must say that there is plenty of room inside!!

Saturday was mostly spent outside cleaning the gardens, planting flowers, and washing windows.  There is something about clean sparkly windows that leave the sunshine in! A productive day!  On Saturday evening, my hubby and I spent the evening watching the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs!  While I am not a hockey fan, I am a Chicago sports fan!  It was a great high scoring game and the Hawks came out on top!! One down and 3 to go!  Of coarse, my hands could not be idle so I worked on a little stitchery.  A peek a little later...

Sunday, another beautiful day!  After church, I decided to sandwich and quilt my Happy Camper surprise quilt.  I still need to quilt the borders and then bind it!  Almost done!  In the late afternoon, spent time with hubby preparing and planting the vegetable garden.  Nothing like fresh veggies from the garden!!

On Monday, we were invited to our dear friends home for breakfast, Memorial Day parade and relaxing fun!  We love this family like our own!  Here is a picture of Ruth's breakfast table...

We arrived home to settle in and watch the last 2 periods of the Blackhawks game!  Another exciting game with the Hawks coming out with the WIN!  I did a lot better watching and following the plays.  Hockey is a very fast moving and physical game!  2 down, 2 to go!  Go HAWKS!!

I finished the stitchery block that I started working on.  Here's a peek:

Note to self: Must prep another block!

Hope your long weekend was as productive and enjoyable as mine!