Archive for July, 2008

How the Grinch stole a Christmas quilt idea

July 30, 2008 at 8:47 pm · Filed under Books, Fabric, Quilts

Regardless of the hot, sticky weather outside, it’s holiday time in here. Somehow, I got yesterday’s Christmas blocks arranged and finished the top. I did this while the rest of the family was occupied watching Wipeout. The dogs think it’s hilarous. I know, how could I pass this up and sew instead??

Today, I moved on to another Christmas quilt. I totally stole this block idea from Joanna.

Totally stolen idea! And, WordPress, you and me and your image uploader are getting along so well. Not.

Joanna’s quilt is just gorgeous! I love how dainty her blocks look, given that they are 6″. Mine are going to be a little beefier, coming in at a very round 8 3/8″. Yeah, how’d that happen? Math, don’t fail me now! I really thought the block would be great in these festive Christmas fabrics. I’m loving this so far. Have to decide how many blocks to make. Hmm…

In other festive news, a lovely new book arrived:

This is a fantastic new book. You can go visit the author’s website to see more of her work. Beautiful stuff!

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Oooooh, Christmas quilt, oooooh Christmas quilt

July 29, 2008 at 9:12 pm · Filed under Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

Back to the to do list today. Time to face some Christmas fabric. I wasn’t totally enthused, but this project is growing on me.

The pattern I’m using is called Oval Images by Olios. I believe the pattern was purchased at The Sampler in Minnesota, but I can’t find it on their site nor can I find these patterns anywhere else online.

I’ve been avoiding tackling this project because of the curves (and, happily, I was waiting for some more fabric to be delivered). I wasn’t entirely put off by sewing the curves. It was the cutting I wasn’t so much looking forward to. No acrylic templates? Whaaaaa? I guess I could have had some made, but I worked out a work-around instead. I decided to applique it.

Today was the day. After tracing the curve about 36 times:

D'oh!

D'oh!

I realized it would be easier to just hold the shape on the fabric and cut an approximate 1/4″ seam allowance:

Yea!

Yea!

Yes, I figured this out after tracing about 36 out of 48 shapes. That’s how I roll. Figure out the short cut after most of the work is done.

In any event, I alternated preparing the shapes for applique (with heat resistant template plastic and starch) with sewing the shape to the background (invisible machine applique).

I’m using a lot of Martha Negley’s and Jason Yenter’s latest Christmas fabrics.

Somehow, magically, I got all of the blocks done today and did a sample layout:

How did that happen so fast? Frankly, I think I pondered the process longer than it took to actually make the blocks. Don’t you hate that? Thinking it’s going to be a pain in the patoot and then it’s just fine and quick! I’ll probably re-arrange the blocks longer than it took to sew the blocks… But, hey, I’m excited now. I’m going to go on faith that this will all fit together in the end. Yes, good luck with that. Oooh, wouldn’t this be pretty with some gorgeous Kaffe fabrics?!?!

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Basket quilt

July 29, 2008 at 2:06 pm · Filed under Books, Quilts

Kathie asked if I had a pic of the inspirational basket quilt. Here it is:

I believe it was made by Renee Carl and quilted by Crystal Smythe. The tag isn’t clear when I magnify the photo, but I know the quilter’s name is correct. Anyhoo, the quilt was started at a Gwen Marston retreat.

For the two blocks I showed yesterday as the start of mine, I referred to Collaborative Quilting for basket directions, but adapted so the basket bases are bigger. I ended up adding rectangles rather than triangles to the sides of the basket for the background.

Isn’t it a great quilt?!?!?!!!! It makes me smile.

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Basket case

July 28, 2008 at 9:15 pm · Filed under Books, Everyday Things, Quilts

Late last week, I felt a clarity of mind that I hadn’t experienced in, oh, maybe eight years. I didn’t realize the cause because it just felt so darn good. It felt like I could get organized and accomplish anything. I was making mental lists of all of the things I knew I could get done.

Yesterday, dear daughter returned from two weeks at “granny camp.”

This morning, while attempting to make breakfast and pack a lunch for drama day camp, it was all over and the brain was fogged in again. Oh, that was it. We were child-free. It took almost two weeks to clear out the cobwebs…not nearly as long to return the brain to its “normal” state.

I feel like I used my time wisely and got a lot of things done. I’m hoping there is a forward momentum left over and I can continue to get things done this week until the sewing machine goes in for its spa treatment and we go on vacation.

With that said, I, uh, took a side trip to make some baskets. Absolutely NOT on the to do list, but every time I see an adorable free pieced basket quilt, I SWEAR I’m going to make one. I saw another cute one at a quilt show the other day and this time I had a witness to my swearing. The deal we made is that we will make a liberated basket quilt entirely from stash.

So, I thought I would get a couple done while I tested a method and while it was fresh in my mind.

Completely fun and hopefully easy to make while also fulfilling obligations.

There, my brain just gave out. Wheee!

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Another round

July 25, 2008 at 1:55 pm · Filed under Everyday Things, Fabric, Medallion Quilt-along, Quilts

I just discovered that I’m slightly ahead of the game in the Medallion Quilt-along. Yea! Although I’m not sure I like the colors I used:

Yes, and I’m going to have to find another design foot stool upon which to photograph it after the next round. In my head, I was thinking I would do bricks of similar color–like a variety of yellows and creams.  I changed my mind at some point and now I wonder if I should go back to the original plan. It seems like it would give the previous round a little more emphasis and would give the eye a little break. What do you think?  Frankly, I’m only considering this because the round is made up of glorious rectangles! If triangles had been involved, it would be staying. hee hee

In the don’t count your tomatoes before they’re hatched department, I bring you this sad sight:

Blight me! And this on the hardy Roma plant. I thought Early Girl would be the first to go. I wonder if she will be catching this whatever it is also.

Instead of ending on that note, I’ll leave you with a hydrangea photo:

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Cutting it close

July 24, 2008 at 9:41 pm · Filed under Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Medallion Quilt-along, Quilts

OK, I caught up to the first July medallion round. I used Jennifer’s superb directions.

Due to some unforeseen (?) carelessness, I had to do a bit of a re-doing. Of course. I blame Renee Zellweger and her Miss Potter and those cute little rabbits she was painting. My motto? Always have an alibi. I had hoped to get the next rounds of bricks added today. Still might get it done. Let’s see.

In my travels around the house this morning trying to solve the sock knitting mystery, I found some likely candidates for future rounds. See, I collect fabric for posterity and good uses. I just know it will all come in handy for the perfect project some day.

Hmm, for some reason, my medallion quilt-along category keeps disappearing…dandy.

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And I laughed

July 24, 2008 at 4:46 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

Turkish cast-on, magic loop, toe-up Nautilus sock pattern by Anna Bell.

I started this sock in April 2006. I’ve spent the morning trying to figure out what pattern this is and how in the world I ever knew how to start this. Oh, the ambition of youth (insert air quotes here). I did find the mountain of documentation that was required to get me to this point. Now, where the other “bolt” of Koigu is? That’s another hunt and decidedly getting way ahead of myself.

I’ve been having a nagging sensation of wanting some pick-up/put-down knitting and we have a train trip coming up. Something tells me this is not vacation knitting. Ya think?

I’m going to scuttle back to the sewing room and enjoy the July rounds of the medallion quilt before July runs out.

Oh well, mystery solved.

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Done and done

July 23, 2008 at 7:20 pm · Filed under Everyday Things, Quilts

Shhh…don’t tell anyone that I have a big portion of my work done.

This is done:

Yes, you’ve seen in before. But it wasn’t done.

And I’ve been sitting at the computer ALL DANG DAY to do its paperwork.

Considering it’s an addendum of sorts to a pattern, one would wonder why it took so stinkin’ long. Oh, wait, I think there was math involved. That’ll do it!

I found during the quilting process that the natural friend of the solid black border is the sticky grooming tool:

I may have to make a little pocket on the back of this quilt and insert one of these into it. Or maybe just a little lanyard that I can clip to the groomer and let it hang off the quilt. No, I didn’t use a black batting. Ahh, who needs a black batting? It’s only the border that is black. Besides I used a light backing. I needed to use a regular batting. Sheesh. I believe a poly batting might have been a little better than the cotton one I used. That is speculative. What a mess. It was so awful that I dreaded working on it. You can see that I’m not done with the grooming… OK, so maybe I’m not done with this quilt. argh

Anyhoo, I’m going to have to plan a little fun for tomorrow since I got my important work done today!

But first, let me show you my new Swiss precision technology:

As close to a new Bernina as I’ll be getting any time in the near future.

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But is the price right?

July 21, 2008 at 11:38 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

Are you watching Bernina’s game show launch for the new 830?

Where’d I put my dongle?

It has an alarm clock, people.

And built-in dual-feed.

I’m Swiss. What kind of discount does that get me?

The features are wildly impressive.

They are doing for machine embroidery what Bill Gates did for graphic design.

Oh, crap. There’s an 820 that doesn’t have the embroidery module. I was afraid of that.

I can save my money. The 820 isn’t coming out until early 2009.

The Bernina Boys? Really?

I think I may have to resign myself to appreciating the Swiss precision of my Sigg water bottle.

I hope you’ll pardon my play-by-play comments as I watched the webcast…

And now I am sad.

Back to finishing the quilting on Radioactive Renaissance, its solid black border covered in batting fluff.

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The next order of business

July 18, 2008 at 7:54 pm · Filed under Quilts

All 5,329 square inches are quilted:

There is satisfaction in the completion, but I am SO glad this is done. I ran out of thread early yesterday and hope no one will notice the difference between the dark icy grey and the light icy grey thread substitute. oops The binding is ready to be stitched down, but I’ve run out of movies for the moment. May need to make a quick run to the library before it closes for the weekend.

So, the next thing that needs to be taken care of is using this circle:

to cover this hole:

I’ve machine stitched it twice but will now hand applique it on in hopes that it will not pucker up AGAIN.  Then it’s on to borders, quilting and making up some sort of directions to add in to the pattern. Oh, that will be fun.

So, um, do you think there’s something wrong with me? Yesterday, I was driving down the road noticing all of these slow-driving types surrounding me. I thought to myself, ‘why are all of these people driving below the seam allowance?’ Yeah, I thought so. I’ve been spending far too much time at the sewing machine…

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