Friday Night Sew-in OR "Oh, No, Not Another One!"

Husband was gone; daughter was absorbed in her own project. What's a mother to do? Enjoy a Friday Night Sew-in! Yes, I started another quilt.

So I was looking at this X-block ruler and the pattern that was with it (it was in the estate sale box...), reading how it works. I realized that I had some coordinated fabric with the exact amount of yardage that the Topsy Twosy pattern required.
These fabrics are from Heidi Grace's Only Time line of fabrics. There were bolts in the red dot clearance section at JoAnn's during a half off sale. I paid $1.50 a yard! I knew I would use them eventually...
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So I followed the cutting instructions exactly:
...then started sewing the strips together.

The strips get cut into pieces and sewn into blocks (left side of pic). Position the X-Block template according to the lines and cut. (See the extra right triangles at the top? They will make a second quilt, included in the instructions! No waste, hip hip.) The smaller block on the right is one-fourth of the finished block.

Here are four units put together to make one large 12.5" X 12.5" block.

As one who does not purchase specialty rulers, I must admit that this is a rather fun project! The x-block pattern has very simple-to-follow instructions, all measurements are correct, and it is fun to put together! I can't wait to finish all the blocks and see the secondary pinwheel show up!

Little Green Quilter Update

I have no progress to report this week. I did not do any sewing this week. Just look at my sewing space and you'll see why I did not get to work on anything!
Even the ironing board is buried!

But I did do some digging through my closet, and look what I found!

Last summer I spent a few days buying fabric at an estate sale. (http://imkeepingbusy.blogspot.com/2010/07/estate-sale-fabric.html) and (http://imkeepingbusy.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-estate-sale-fabric.html)

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I purchased a big box full of fabrics and half finished projects for $20. There were also rulers and templates in the box, but I set those aside in my excitement over the fabrics. Last night I dug into the tools and I got excited all over again!

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The very best thing is that little odd shaped ruler in the right hand corner. It has many angles, and at the quarter inch spot on each angle is a tiny hole...so that I can mark that pivot point! I've been doing that with a ruler, drawing lines to find the intersection point, but this is a very handy dandy tool that I did not know existed! Hip Hip!
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So what have I been doing? While the rest of the country is battling snow and floods, I am pulling weeds in my front yard. We've had mild temps and little rain, and I could not resist being outside!
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Check out other little green quilter updates at Susans!
http://blackberrycreek.typepad.com/blackberry_creek/2011/01/ufo-bust-week-4-progress.html

Little Green Quilters Finish No. 1

I have my first WIP of 2011 finished! Hip Hip!

Here it is! The Snow Table Runner for my mom. I fussy cut the snowmen so that each one faces people sitting at the table. I think its kinda cute.
I machine appliqued the snowflakes down with a straight stitch. I see lots of quilters doing it this way and I like the look.

I tried out a new batting for this runner. I wanted a super thin batting, and Joanns is now carrying a 50-50 mix of cotton and....SOY! I've not seen soy batting, but this was the thinnest and softest....oh, so soft!...batting ever. I did not even have to use my walking foot for the machine quilting. I will be using it again. The only downside is that it was only in a natural color; I did not see it in white.

Here is my "just playing' mini quilt. I finished it as a top. It measures 14" X 17". Those little tiny squares that border the quilt were a bit challenging; my old machine would have sucked them right down into the feed dogs, but the Juki, well, let's just say it runs smoooooooth!

Daughter has claimed the mini quilt for her American Girl Doll collection. She even had Kirsten try it out, and it is the perfect size! Now I need to get it quilted.

I also made more mini nine patch squares this week, but I have no picture of those. I think I have 190 finished now. I am trying to decide on the setting, so stay tuned!

For more Little Green Quilter Finishes, go visit Susan at http://blackberrycreek.typepad.com !

Playing

When my MIL gave me a bag of fabric scraps, these pieces were included in the bag. I recognize the fabrics from a quilt she made for one of the grandchildren.
So I cut them into 2" pieces and sewed them together to make little four patches!

Add some white sashing, and I have a pretty mini-quilt. At this point it measures 9.5" X 12.5". I will add some kind of little border, but it is time to wrap this day up and head off to bed!

I'm just under the wire, but it is still Monday here on the west coast, so I am linking this to Design Wall Monday over at www.patchworktimes.com !

Little Green Quilters Update

Here is my first UFO update for the Little Green Quilters (LGQ). You can click on the LGQ picture on the right to see what others are doing to finish up those unfinished objects!

I got the snowflakes made for the snowman runner. I drew the snowflake pattern on the fusible web, then I ironed the web onto the fabric and cut out the shapes. I was not careful, though...
...for look what happened to my iron. Fusible web goopie on the faceplate. I need to unearth the iron cleaner and clean up the mess before I can apply the snowflakes onto the runner. Bummer. Because I have no idea where the iron cleaner is at the moment!

So I pulled out the little nine patch blocks. I assembled another 20 last night, but have not pressed them because of the afore-mentioned problem. And, there are another ten squares in process. At 3.5" finished, these little patchworks go quickly!

Hopefully by next week those snowflakes will be in place permanently!

Thanks for stopping by...

A Beautiful Gift

One of my most favorite lines of fabric was Moda's Glace, (designed by 3 Sisters) Christmas fabrics from 2009, I believe. I don't know what is it about these fabrics, but I dreamed about them! I never purchased them, for I could not find it on sale (a self-made requirement for fabric purchases). Besides, I have a large bin of Christmas fabrics; I don't need more! Up until last week, I still searched for fabric bundles on clearance.
Enter my friend Wendy. Christmas 2009 she joined a block exchange group, and the chosen fabric came from the Glace line, which Wendy does not care for. At all. But she bought a few pieces of fabric and made her requisite 16 blocks, and when the time came to exchange, she brought home some really really nice blocks for a quilt.

She has been working on it this last fall, putting it together. She likes design input, so she included me in some of her setting decisions. It was tough, for I loved the fabrics and the blocks. I knew it would be a beautiful quilt.

On Sunday morning, Wendy presented the completed quilt to me.

I ....was....shocked!

She'd had it quilted by a long armer, and it is just beautiful.


The focus fabric is seen in each block, and Wendy used sashing from a current line of fabric called Fruitcake, also by Moda (Basic Grey, designers). The colors are a perfect match!

Needless to say, I no longer wish for a bundle of Glace. No more hoping to find just one bundle on sale. No more day dreaming about a quilt I could make. Nope.

Thanks to Wendy, I have a beautiful quilt!

UFO Challenge

One of my most favorite quilt blogs belongs to Susan Ramey Cleveland at http://blackberrycreek.typepad.com/ . I have visited Susan's blog first thing every day for a few years. She is now hosting a challenge to finish up those UFOs--unfinished objects-- that clog the drawers and closets. I have decided to accept her challenge!

I have many quilt projects that I am working on...
*Sunshine Quilt
*Flying Geese Quilt (gift)
*Autumn Beauty Quilt
*A Whimsical Thanksgiving Wall Hanging
*Christmas Sampler Quilt
Finished! *Snow Table Runner (Mom)
*One Block Wonder Quilt
*Purple Medallion Quilt (adopted from an estate sale)

Then there are those quilt projects that need binding:
Finished! *Quilt of Valor Quilt (donation quilt)
*Snowman Table Topper (gift)

How about those finished quilt tops that need machine quilting:
*Flower Baby Quilt (gift)
*Bluestone Walkway Quilt (gift)
*Snapshots Quilt (gift)
*Patriotic Quilt
*Beach Boys 1 lap quilt (donation)
*Beach Boys 2 lap quilt (donation)
*Log Cabin Star

The projects I hope to finish for sure:
*Doll Clothes for daughter
*Dutch Lace Valance for guest room

I have so many ideas for more quilts...even have the some of the fabrics. But the projects listed here are the ones I hope to focus on, picking a few each month to bring to a complete finish. Here and there I may start something new, but by joining this challenge, I feel I have some no-pressure incentive to finish some quilts!

So, for the month of January, I will try to finish the doll clothes and the Snow Table Runner. I'll post a picture of my progress very soon.......I hope!