Wooly Quilter

Falling Behind

2012-01-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm behind on both posts and progress... I spent a little time at the machine last weekend and finished two of the five new Just Takes 2 blocks. I planned to finish the other three before the next set comes out on Wednesday, but I have very little time to spend in the sewing room this weekend so I probably won't make it. Hopefully the next set will be simple and I will have a chance to catch up!

I also started a new project last weekend - the Insanity Quilt. It is definitely named appropriately - it is made up of over 10,000 half-inch hexagons. The pattern comes from an issue of Australian Patchwork and Quilting from a few years ago. A wonderful Yahoo group friend from Australia sent me the magazine in exchange for a fat quarter (I sent several - one definitely didn't seem like enough!). I've tried a couple of different methods for working with the hexagons - more on that in another post - and think that the English paper piecing method is my favorite so far. I made quite a few flowers on my flights this week.

The toughest part of getting started with the hexies was choosing fabric. I originally planned to do the quilt in thirties fabrics, but after making the first flower I was unimpressed. I decided to switch to bright and jewel tone batiks. So far I am quite happy with my color choices!

Wonder how long it will take to assemble over 10,000 hexagons? I'm not sure I will live long enough to find out!

Finally Finished!

2012-01-15T18:29:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to have finally finished the binding on my Runaway Mystery quilt! It was quilted by Terry Russelberg, the leader of the mystery each year. The fabric, all Civil War reproductions, is from Homestead Hearth. I picked up a bunch of fat quarters during their Super Bowl in 2010. I am very happy with how it turned out!

One Step Done!

2012-01-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy week! I had high hopes of finding time to complete the first TAST assignment, but that never happened so now I am two weeks behind. I also had big plans for sewing a couple of Dear Jane blocks, but again - nothing. I did manage to finish my JT2 blocks for step one. I am still undecided on the redwork. I like the look of it - that is, I like it when someone else does it! I was not overly impressed with my first attempt. I'm going to live with what I have for a while and decide whether to remake the block I embroidered or finish the redwork to the other block.

I finally managed to find fabric for my Sarah's Revival project last weekend. I have prepped the first block and done a little bit of applique. I think I am goign to like it a lot, but I really need to get at least a couple of blocks finished before I can truly decide. The colors are completely different from what I originally planned - it's impossible to find a decent printed background to use with blue!

I'm off work on Monday and am hoping to get a lot of sewing done this weekend. I'm trying to resist the temptation to start yet another ridiculously complicated project - one that involves over 10,000 half inch hexagons and my collection of thirties fabrics. The instructions suggest that the quilt is a multi-year project. Is there any other kind???

Back to Work

2012-01-03T06:17:00.000-08:00

I had such big plans for my holiday break! I had visions of making lots of progress on projects and posting something new here every day. And although I thoroughly enjoyed the time off, I can't say that I spent much time at all in the sewing room. I didn't really manage to get up there until the last three days. I wish I could say I spent that time wisely working on projects already underway, but instead I was inspired to begin several new projects. I need to have my head examined!

The first thing I couldn't resist was the Just Takes 2 project. I will have to add the button to my blog. I prepped three of the first six blocks.

I also prepped another Stars & Sprigs block and an Applique Affair block (a blast from the past!). While I was working on prepping applique, I listened to the current episode of The Quilt Show featuring Eleanor Burns. One of the quilts featured in the episode was one that has been on my "want to do" list for a very long time. It's the Nancy Page basket quilt. I dragged out my pattern and the next thing I know I was at Jackman's buying all the fabric to make it! I didn't get very far - I hope to get back up to the sewing room after work to finish piecing and prepping the applique on the first block.

I did actually manage to finish up another block of my Flower Penny Garden BOW last week. This makes number three.

I wish I could say that was it...but I am expecting to receive my "Sarah's Revival" pattern today. I haven't settled on a background yet, but hope to find something before the end of the week so I can start that one, too. I really should resolve to just stick with one project until it is finished, but where's the fun in that?!? I'm sure glad I don't make resolutions!

Let it Snow!

2011-12-20T04:55:00.000-08:00

Although a white Christmas is highly unlikely this year - it's been near 50 F this week - I have been seeing a lot of snowflakes lately. My friend Katie taught an applique snowflake mini-workshop at our TAS chapter meeting this month. We had a great time creating the "perfect" snowflake from paper. I was having so much fun cutting that I made several. It was tough to decide which to applique first! I decided to start with this one:

We discussed several options for lining the snowflakes. Kate used another piece of white fabric to line hers. I decided to try one of those fusible leave-in materials to line this one. I cut the snowflake pattern from the fusible, ironed it onto the snowflake fabric, and needle-turned the fabric over the fusible. I am not thrilled with the edges. It seemed more difficult to hide stitches with the fusible inside, particularly in all of the inside "Vs". I am thinking about adding a line of embroidery around the edges to "crisp" it up a little.

Here are a couple more flakes I cut from paper - maybe I will start on one of these next. I think the one on the left would have to be reverse applique....

I'm looking forward to having some time to sew over the holidays. I've been traveling the past two weeks and haven't had much time to sew. I did have a chance to visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree again this year.

Time to get to work - only three more days until vacation!!!

So Many Great Things in the Works!

2011-11-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

So many of the organized creative folks out in blog land are making plans for great activities in 2012! I mentioned signing up for "Take a Stitch Tuesday" in my last post. Then I signed up for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge (see the button to the right). I really want to learn free motion quilting and figure a monthly challenge might just inspire me to practice a bit. Now, as a result of signing up for TAST, I have stumbled across a crazy quilt block challenge that I am oh-so-tempted to sign up for. What better way to practice those TAST stitches, right? I haven't bit the bullet yet, but I have added the blog to my favorites and will think on it a bit longer - who knows what I might come across in the next couple of weeks! The internet is awesome, isn't it?!?

Last Day

2011-11-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

I managed to spend a little bit of my last day of the holiday break in the sewing room. I almost finished another NYB block but when I went to square it up I managed to cut one side 1/4" short so I will have to replace the background piece. I really wanted to fix it right away but the family was starting to make noise about needing dinner so I had to leave it for another time/

I did finish my second Stars and Sprigs block, however:

I love the colors in these blocks, although I can't say that all of the Kaffe fabrics are the best for applique. They aren't bad, but some are more loosely woven than I prefer to work with. I realized when I was prepping this block that I need two of each, so I saved the freezer paper from this one and will make it again in different colors next.

Not that I need more to do, but I read about a new free online learning opportunity for next year that I couldn't resist signing up for. It's called "Take a Stitch Tuesday" or TAST. I've had Sharon B's online stitch directory saved to my favorites for a very long time - she is an embroidery master. I need to work on my embroidery skills and am looking forward to playing along. The link to sign up is http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2011/11/26/the-big-list-of-2012-tast-challengers.html. There are loads of people participating. I can't wait to get started!

A Few Days Off

2011-11-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

A few days off over the holidays has meant a little extra time in the sewing room. I probably should have used the time more effectively - picked a project and spent all my sewing time making progress on it - but where's the fun in that? So instead I spent the time on lots of different things and made little bits of progress on all of them. I started my second block for Stars and Sprigs (still in progress) and stitched the first applique block for my Farmhouse quilt.

I also started the new Dear Jane I have been planning ever since seeing the photo of the one done in Kaffe fabrics...

I started with applique blocks, of course. There aren't nearly as many as I remember - so many pieced blocks! I would love to hand piece them but probably should stick with paper piecing so that I actually get at least a few of them done.

I also had a blast digging out an old project I started back when I first began quilting. I have always loved New York Beauty quilts, especially the bright ones. I started a NYB quilt in a class at The Quilted Fox. I don't think I had much fabric at the time (boy, how that has changed!) so I purchased all kinds of brights to use for this project. I was shocked at how much fabric I found in those boxes! My original thought was to sort it into my stash, but there is clearly not enough room in my drawers to accomodate it all. I'll have to deal with what to do with it all later... In the meantime, I decided to get back to working on the quilt. It took me a little while to get back into the swing of the paper piecing and curves, but I managed to knock out one block on Thanksgiving.

I now have 13 of the 30 the pattern calls for - still lots of work to do there, too.

Other projects I worked on this week include my Runaway quilt (stitching binding) and the Ha Ha Tonka rug. I am the poster child for quilter's ADD!

TGIF!

2011-11-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness it's FINISHED, that is! I finally finished my Crazy Horse rug. I bound it while watching several World Series games and put the last stitches in the binding tape in the last inning of game seven. I won't let anyone look at those stitches up close - I was a bit too wound up to actually sew a decent stitch!

I really like the finished rug, and I am thrilled to be able to move on to something new. Now I just have to decide which UFO I want to finish next!

New Projects

2011-10-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

My quilter's ADD has taken over once again and I have started a couple of new projects. I am so excited that I finally have my first Stars & Sprigs block done! There are many, many still to make - I think 48 applique and 49 pieced blocks and a very busy appliqued border, but it's great to finally start it after collecting fabrics for over a year! I picked up a lot of the fabrics at Houston last year.

I've also made a start on my house blocks. They don't photograph all that well, but I really like how they are turning out so far. There are only 12 of these blocks, but plenty of applique to add once the quilt is pieced.

I plan to spend a lot of time in the sewing room this weekend. My goal is to get the binding on my Runaway Mystery quilt, prep another Stars & Sprigs block, and piece the rest of my houses. We'll see how it goes!

Calhoun County Quilt Tour

2011-10-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've heard about the Calhoun County Quilt Tour for a number of years but until last Friday have never had a chance to check it out. The weather was beautiful and the leaves are slowly getting their fall colors - it was a perfect day for a drive! The tour consists of quilt displays with vendors at four churches in four different towns. There are 38 "barn" quilts in the county, many of which we were able to view along our route. Quite a few of the "barns" are really business buildings, and sadly many of the actual barns are in pretty sad shape and not that great for pitcures, but they were fun to look for just the same. We found it particularly interesting that a couple of the antique quilts on display had been used as the source for the owner's barn quilt blocks. How cool is that?!?

This barn quilt was hanging on the side of a country produce market. The painting was incredible - it actually looked like printed fabrics!

The quilts, a combination of old and new, were displayed draped over the pews at each of the churches.

There were some very unique antique quilts. I've never seen anything like the grape quilt below. I think it was 60+ years old.

The last church we visited (below) is now privately owned. Over half of the quilts displayed in the church were made by the church's owner. Her work was beautiful and there was certainly a lot of it! We didn't get a chance to meet her but did get to see her current project - a beautiful applique quilt she is hand quilting.

I really loved this antique hexagon quilt. I've been wanting to start a hand-piecing project for a while now.

I think a hexagon quilt would be tons of fun - and I know I've got a bunch of those die-cut hexagons around here somewhere!

If Only...

2011-10-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

I had BIG plans for hooking down at the lake this weekend. I'm not entirely sure that I was being realistic, but I really thought that I could spend all day Saturday hooking and might come close to finishing the Crazy Horse rug. I am still working on the borders - I decided to finish those before trying to figure out what to do with the motifs. Anyway, I pulled out my rug and frame on Friday night and was all ready to get started when I realized that my hook and wool were still in the closet at home. It's really tough to make progress without wool! Here's where I am at as of last night:

I have a couple of nights' work left to do on the last side border and then need to figure out the corners before moving back to the flowers. It's hard to see in the photo, but I am thinking about the medium blue for the corners. I'm not sure that I am loving it, though. I may need to do something different...

More on the Baltimore

2011-09-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, there were quite a few unusual techniques used in the Baltimore Album quilt we viewed at the IQSC. A couple of them were included in this block:

They are easier to see in the close-up below. First, there is some sort of crocheted edge around the monument. I believe it is emboidered directly on the quilt rather than couched, but it was difficult to tell. The second thing we thought was interesting in this block was the piece of fabric with the spiral on it (I'm not sure exactly what to call it!). It looked like the maker created this fabric herself, either by dyeing using a resist or bleaching in some manner. I don't know too much about quilt history, but I don't think either technique was all that common in the mid-1800s.

There were also several blocks with flowers that were created from a single stuffed piece of fabric with embroidery used to form petals. Here's one:

Notice also how the maker embroidered around the flowers and leaves. Here's another example:

It was such a beautiful quilt! I am looking forward to reproducing a couple of the blocks one of these days...

Baltimore on the Prairie

2011-09-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a wonderful few days in Nebraska attending the Baltimore on the Prairie applique conference. The adventure began with a trip to the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln where we were treated to a close-up look at one of the Baltimore album quilts in the museum's collection.

The curator told us that the quilt is believed to have been made for a Major Ringgold based on an inscription on one of the monuments in the quilt, and is dated 1847. The quilt was obviously the work of several different people and includes several different names inked on various blocks. Apparently there is a large gap in provenance - very little is known about the quilt prior to the museum's acquisition.

There were some interesting and unusual tecniques used in some of the blocks. A few were embroidered with very heavy threads, and there were some really unique dimensional flowers. Some were just simple but bold patterns - I particularly liked this block:

After our visit with the curator, we toured the museum's exhibits, which included some of the most interesting and intricate geometric designs I have ever seen! There was one quilt that was a mosaic of a horse and rider that was composed of tiny squares - probably about 1/2" finished - and was nearly bed-sized! I can't even imagine how the maker was able to get all of those pieces into their proper places!

After we left the museum, we visited Baker's Candies, an outlet store full of tasty chocolate meltaways in lots of different flavors. We filled up on free samples (yum!) and purchased plenty of chocolaty souvenirs. The milk chocolate mints were my favorite...

We stopped at The Quilted Moose on our way back to the lodge. I found quite a few really nice batik FQs that I had to add to my collection. I was so excited about shopping that I forgot to get a picture!

One of my favorite things about the conference venue is the wildlife. We saw deer a couple of times during the week, and enjoyed watching a steady stream of hummingbirds at the feeders throughout our visit. I really loved seeing the turkeys at the seed feeders - they make a mess and waste a lot of food, but they are fun to watch!

My teacher for the conference class was Rita Verroca. She was fantastic! I will post more detail about the class and my project later. One of the interesting ideas Rita shared with us was to laminate paper patterns to create templates. The laminated patterns are great for tracing around, and we experimented with the iron and found that they would hold up to the starch method for those that like a prepped edge.

I was particularly imnpressed by Rita's demonstration of inking. I don't know that I would ever be able to work up the nerve to use a permanent marker on my finished applique, but I loved the effect:

Hmmm...writing about Baker's makes me hungry for chocolate! I think it's time for a snack!

Strip Exchanges

2011-08-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I am completely in love with Edyta Sitar's latest book, "Friendship Strips and Scraps".

The first quilt I fell for was the spools. A few of my guild friends were also hooked, so we organized a strip exchange. We're each cutting 40 1" strips and will mix them all up and return them to participants in November.

When we were up at Kinderhook a few weeks back, we saw another quilt from this book at The Hickory Stick in Hannibal, MO. Of course we decided we needed to do that one, too...

We have a group of 13 people that are going to exchange smaller strips for this one. We are combining batiks and prints for this exhange. The quilt in the photo has Civil War reproductions, batiks, and miscellaneous other fabrics and is absolutely gorgeous. We're going to trade these strips a bit sooner. I can't wait to get started on this project!

New & Old

2011-08-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to have the opportunity to spend a few hours here and there sewing at a friend's house last week. Although I wasn't able to devote a lot of time to "retreating", I did make a bit of progress on a couple of blocks. I tried my hand at back-basting on one of the Applique Affair blocks:

While I am happy with how the block turned out, I have pretty much convinced myself that back-basting is not for me! It took far longer to trace the pattern onto the back of the fabric and baste everything than it would have to just trace freeer paper templates and trace the patterns onto my fabric. And I didn't find that I could follow the thread holes (I had to "connect the dots" with a pencil), and I also didn't find that the fabric turned any better. I'm glad that I gave it a serious try, but I think I will go back to my old way.

I also had a chance to finish up block one and prep block two of this year's BOW. It's a lot more involved than the little blocks were last year, but I am very happy with how it is turning out:

I also had a chance to spend time in the sewing room over the weekend, and even hooked with a friend on Saturday night. More on that progress later...

State Fair

2011-08-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

I actually got my act together in time to ship rugs to the Illinois State Fair this year! It is really a shame that more people don't participate. There weren't many hooked items this year. My rugs took 2nd and 3rd. First place went to a very nice fine-shaded rooster. We went up to the fair on Friday. It's been at least two years since we've attended. We had a great time!

It was difficult to get a good picture through the glass...

Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that they both make it home safely!

Jury's Still Out

2011-07-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to break out my new "toy" - the AccuQuilt Go! cutter I purchased in Paducah this year. Luckily the die that came with the cuttter is exactly what I needed for the project I hope to start at a retreat later this week, so I set up the cutter, read the instructions, and gathered up my fabric. I couldn't wait to give it a try!

I started by pre-cutting my fabrics - the die I am using has multiple shapes on it and not all will be cut from the same fabric. The instructions recommend that you cut the fabric about an inch larger than the shape. That bugged me a bit from the start - seems like a lot of waste - but I figured I would try it that way first before trying to cut back a little on the excess. I loaded up the die with two layers of fabric (it says you can do up to six, but I thought I should start off with less) and ran it through. Hmmm. I had to use my scissors to cut the pieces loose in several spots. I then repeated the exercise with various numbers of layers, from one to six, and had about the same results for each. Perhaps it is the fabric I am using (Kaffe Fasset), but so far I can't say that I am exactly thrilled with the cutter's performance. I suppose the real test will come in the sewing - if the precision of the pieces makes accurate sewing easier, maybe it's worth it. So far, however, I am thinking that it would be easier and less wasteful to just cut the pieces the "old-fashioned" way!

Determination

2011-06-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted... I have been crazy busy lately! Not much time for sewing or hooking, with the exception of this past weekend when I had a wonderful opportunity to retreat at a friend's house. I started on a new project, so a lot of my time was spent cutting, but I did manage to get 18 of the 100 blocks completed. I forgot to take a picture, but here's one of the quilt from the Thangles site:

I purchased the pattern and fabric the first year it was displayed at Paducah. I found the receipt for the fabric in the bag - it was 2006. I've been wanting to start it for a long time, so it was really fun to finally get it going.

Starting this quilt was actually part of a two-year plan - a plan that involves having at least four quilts ready by the time of our guild's next quilt show (June 2013). We just finished with this year's show and sadly I had absolutely nothing to show for the past two years! We usually allow each member to have up to four quilts in the show, and I am determined to have four of my own in next time. Never mind that I have never had more than one in the past...

Down to the Wire!

2011-05-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

I finished piecing my Lisa's Garden quilt yesterday, just two days before the 2011 BOW is due to ship. I am so excited that I was actually able to "finish" my 2010 project before the new one started! I realize it isn't really finished - quilting is always the toughest part for me - but I have so little time to actually sit at a machine these days that I have to celebrate every milestone! Now I just have to get the quilting and binding done in time for this one to be in the 2013 show!

I have also been making some progress on my Crazy Horse rug. I took a picture last week but never had time to post, so here it is as of this morning:

I am hooking this one a bit backwards - background first - but I have had such a problem with having to pull out parts of my motifs because of conflicts with backgound that I have decided I will get all of the background done and then go back and figure out my motif colors.

I'll be spending another day in the sewing room. I'm not sure what I will work on next. I have at least 20 things I can't wait to get back to! I may just have to break out the AccuQuilt today - it's still in the shopping bag from Paducah. I was thrilled to find that the standard dies that come with the cutter are the size that I need for the stars in the "Stars & Sprigs" pattern. I can't wait to give it a try!

Mother's Day Sewing

2011-05-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

What a nice weekend! Lots of sunshine (a little too warm for May, but given that it was the first non-rainy weekend in recent memory, I'm not going to complain!) combined with a fairly short list of things on the "to do" list made for a relaxing couple of days. I spent the entire afternoon in the sewing room yesterday and managed to finish up all of the nine patches for my Lisa's Garden quilt. I still have 8 blocks left to applique and then need to come up with the setting. I am definitely doing it different from the instructions, but can't decide if I want to include the squares around the border or not. Decisions, decisions!

I also spent a little time hooking over the weekend and made a little more progress on my Crazy Horse project.

I pulled out the red in the first flower and finished filling in the second one. I'm not sure what direction I am going to go with the petals on the first one. It really seems to defy traditional logic to hook the background before the motifs, but I feel like I need to have the background colors in place in order to make decisions on the flower colors. I plan to continue working on the background for a while before filling in any other motifs.

Paducah and Susan Quicksall

2011-05-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last week was full of fun and excitement! The week started with a trip to the AQS Show in Paducah, KY. The show was quite a bit different from previous years due to flooding. AQS did an outstanding job of last-minute logistics in order to pull everything off. I was amazed at how smoothly everything went! I thought parking would be a nightmare, but other than the crowds being a little thicker than usual in some of the vendor locations, I think it went rather well. It seems like it took a lot less time to see everything than usual.

I returned home from Paducah a day early after giving up my room to some friends whose hotel had closed due to flooding. It worked out well for me in spite of the fact that I missed a chance to have a second dinner at Flamingo Row and instead ended up with Hamburger Helper since I needed to be at Nola's Friday afternoon for my workshop with Susan Quicksall.

The workshop was wonderful! Susan is such an incredible artist. Her patterns are gorgeous, and sitting in her class you are tempted to buy one of each...if only I had time to do them all! Below is a sneak peek at the rug she is currently working on. It's amazing!

I ended up pulling out a rug I started in class with her the last time she was here (five years ago - yikes!) and was very happy I did. It became obvious as I went through the materials I had packed away with that project that I must have left that workshop without much of a plan. I was able to really focus on the color planning this time aroung and have a good idea where I am headed now.

That being said, I was having trouble following the color map on Saturday night and ended up making a mistake. The dark teal behind the red-orange flower is suposed to be red. I pulled it out last night and replaced it with the correct color, but now the flower looks like it needs to be a different color even though it is outlined. I will probably pull out the petals and make them some type of blue. I think it will work better with the other flower in the long run. It started out as gold and ended up red, and I hate having two red flowers so close together. I'm setting aside my Antique Floral for a while to focus on this one - I would like to finish it up as quick as possible while I am in the groove. We'll see how fast it goes!

Rug Camp (Catching Up)

2011-04-18T05:06:00.000-07:00

I never got around to posting pictures from rug camp, so it's time to play a little "catch up". Our camp teacher this year was Wendy Miller of The Red Saltbox. The class was wonderful! Wendy's colors were awesome. Here's a small sampling of what she brought (and this was taken after the table had been heavily picked over by all of us!):

I didn't get a lot of pics of people working on their rugs this year, but did manage to take a few at show & tell. Here are a few of the finished rugs, beginning with Imogene's Christmas Sleigh:

Angie did an incredible job creating dimension with lights and darks - she did this rug using only overdyed worms:

Barb H. did a beautiful job on her rug:

And I absolutely love Barb A's chickens:

Rachel's rugs are always beautiful and always original designs. I love her color pallete!

Now back to the present...I did manage to finish one thing on my "to do" list this weekend. This block is part of a special top-secret project, so I can't say too much about it now... I found the pattern in a book of blocks published by Quiltmania.

I was a little too ambitious with the embroidery - thankfully it doesn't show up all that well in the photo. I absolutely HATE writing on quilt blocks, so I thought I would give embroidery a shot. While I have gotten better at the fancy stitches from my crazy quilt classes, I am definitely a novice when it comes to stitchng letters!

Antique Floral Progress - Week 3

2011-04-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

Work continues to get in the way of my artistic endeavors, so I haven't made a tremendous amount of progress on anything lately. With the quilt show looming less than two months away, I think it is safe to assume I will not have anything to enter. I haven't had time to work on the one little quilt I thought I might be able to complete due to other commitments. I am currently spending my applique time working on a block for a friend, and as soon as that is finished I need to knock out another cake basket for the AQOMV quilt. I am wondering why I got myself into that one!

I have spent some time on my Antique Floral rug. Not a huge amount, but I can at least see a little progress since the photo two weeks ago. I have a horrible tendency to pack when I use monk's cloth, though - it's tough to get it to lay flat enough for a picture!

I finally remembered to take a picture of the building across the street from my office in New York. I have been fascinated by the facade ever since I first saw it. It is barely noticeable from the street level, but we have a very good view from our third floor windows. I would love to make this design into a brightly-colored rug:

Time to get back to that applique - I don't want to be the last one finished!

Time Sure Flies...

2011-03-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

...when you are traveling almost every week! Between vacation and work travel I have been on the road for five of the last six weeks. I even took two trips one week!

I attended the Applique Academy for the first time in February. It was wonderful! I took classes with Kathy Dunigan, Bobbie Ashley and Georgeann Wrinkle. I purchased way too many patterns - enough applique to last me a lifetime!

Somewhere between the Academy and a trip to Austin, TX (work-related) I managed to finish my first swap block for the AQOMV exchange. I really, really hate having to sign the blocks. I ended up having to replace the piece I signed on this block and wasn't at all impressed with the one I did this month. There has to be some way I can do better!

I haven't had a chance to work on any other blocks for myself. I am doing well just to get my one basket made and in the mail every month!

Last week was one of my favorite events of the year - Toddhall Rug Camp! This year's teacher was Wendy Miller. I decided to work on an old Emma Lou Lais pattern I had in my collection. Wendy's wools are gorgeous! I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped, but I did get a good start and can't wait to get this one done. I have to work hard to make a significant dent in it before Susan Quicksall's class next month. Here it is at the end of week one:

I have completely given up on finishing that big applique quilt in time for this year's show, so I have gone back to working on my Lisa's Garden blocks. There's a slight chance I could get that one done by June, particularly since I could do the quilting myself. Too bad it's not a rug show - I have actually finished a couple of those in the past two years!

AQOMV Eagle Block

2011-02-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my eagle block for my AQOMV project! I was just a little behind - he was supposed to be finished in January. I did manage to finish one of my signature blocks so I am ready for the February swap. I haven't signed it yet... I really hate writing on blocks! I am completely terrified of messing them up. No matter what technique and pen I try, it never looks good to me.

I need to prep another applique block for this project. All of the signature blocks we are swapping will be pieced, so I plan to focus on applique first and then fill in with additional pieced blocks later.

Bedspring Challenge

2011-02-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my bedspring! It didn't turn out exactly as planned, but I am pretty happy with him. Making a snowman seemed particularly appropriate this weekend given the surprise 5" of snow we received Saturday morning!

I learned a few things in the process of making my little snow guy. First, you can't felt into styrofoam - it just doesn't stick! Second, you can't cover styrofoam with wool and attempt to felt additional wool onto it. Why it wouldn't work I don't know, but I totally destroyed my Clover felting tool (one broken needle and four bent ones)! Third, Clover makes replacement needles for the felting tool - I had tossed it into the trash with the intention of buying a replacement, but found that you can get refills at JoAnn's for less than half the cost of the tool. Luckily it was still near the top so it received a quick bath and is happily back to 'normal' now.

Last, but not least, I learned that they make a textured paint that looks like snow that does stick to styrofoam. I was walking through JoAnn's with a bottle of glitter in hand when I spotted it. I was thrilled - I absolutely HATE glitter! The snow stuff went on easily with a brush and really turned out cute!

I was also really excited to find the button I used for the nose. I can't remember what it is called, but it is perfect! Now I just have to hope that all the hot glue holds until Wool Club!

Sincerely Jane Challenge

2011-02-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to spare much time to work on any of my projects lately, but I did manage to get my journal cover finished and started filling it with ideas.

One of the project ideas I have added to my journal concerns the "Sincerely Jane" challenge that I am planning to start with other members of the Yahoo Rug Hookers group. I really don't have time for yet another challenge, and already have way too many projects slated for 2011, but this one is really calling to me! I pulled out the old pattern I drew 8 or 9 years ago and found that I don't really care for it all that much. I designed a couple of alternatives with my Dear Jane (TM) software:

The blocks and triangles in the above layout are subject to change - I just threw things in to get the basic idea. I had to make the center pretty large to balance the traingles on the border - the size is 39" x 49".

This one is similar to my original. I am not sure that I like the plain borders. It ends up being much more reasonable in size (29.5" x 39.5"), but it doesn't speak to me like the first design. I think the triangles and kites really tie it to the original. Now I just need to decide if I am up for starting yet another huge rug!

First Finish of 2011!

2011-01-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my 2010 Wool Club rug! My project for this week will be to decide on a name. I stink at naming projects! "Flowers" just doesn't cut it.

I had a fairly productive holiday weekend. In addition to putting the finishing touches on the rug, I made a cover for my journal (I've been trying to decide what to do ever since Wool Club!) and started on my first new quilting project for the year. Although I shouldn't have, I committed to a group project through the Primitive Folk Art Yahoo group. We are doing a quilt inspired by this book:

There are eleven quilters participating in the project. We are each supposed to start the project by making an eagle this month. We will then make a swap block for another member of the group each month. I selected the cake basket block as my swap pattern. Each month I will make and sign a cake basket block and send it to one of the other participants. We can make as many other blocks as we want to complete our quilt. This is not a pattern book - we are designing our own projects in the tradition of the Miami Valley qlbums. I started my eagle this weekend and made fairly decent progress. I am using the new "Piecrust" primitive muslin designed by Lisa Bongean as my background. I love the color! I wish I could say the same about the rest of the fabric I am using... it's all quality stuff, but the repro cottons just don't work as well as batiks when needleturning tiny eagle toes and beaks!

Can You Say "Out of Control"?!?

2011-01-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

I know that it's pretty common to want something even more when you are told you can't have it, but how crazy is it to react that way when you are the one who said "no"?!? That's why I don't make resolutions - I not only can't stick with them, but I become completely obsessed with doing whatever it takes to thwart my efforts! Shortly after I told myself that I would not sign up for any new BOMs for 2011, I saw "My Renaissance" on the Common Threads Quilting website.

I had to sign up for this one. Just one BOM isn't too bad, right? Of course, when the first package came and I realized they were sending four blocks at a time it seemed a little more intimidating... Then Homestead Hearth sent out their newsletter and I was intrigued by their "Fundamentals Weekly Block" program. Why, I don't know - $3 for fabric for one block isn't all that economical, and I don't really like piecing, but for some reason it sounded like fun. I signed up for the batik option.

I also noticed that they are planning to do Sue Garmin's new "Friends of Baltimore" as a BOM...fortunately for me they aren't taking sign-ups yet!

And then there's Sue Spargo. I was able to resist when the info on the 2011 program first came out. The program filled up, and I was fine with that. That is, until I saw another picture of the project a couple of nights ago.

What could it hurt to just call and put my name on the waiting list? So I called - just to put my name on the list, right? - and found out that someone had just cancelled - what luck! How could I resist? It must have been meant to be! I can almost recite my credit card number from memory...

Wool Club Challenge & Serious Temptation

2010-12-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

Now that most of the hustle and bustle of the holidays is behind me, I need to start thinking about what I am going to do with this:

Yes, it's an old bedspring. The challenge is to turn it into something prior to the January meeting. My first thought was a snowman, but a quick search on Yahoo shows that my idea isn't all that original. I will mull it over for a couple more days, but now that I have the snowman visual stuck in my head it will be difficult to come up with something else!

As usual at this time of year I am surrounded by temptation. I'm not referring to food - although there is a lot of that, too - but projects. I am such a sucker for challenges, group activities and BOMs! My Primitive Folk Art Yahoo group has decided to do quilts based on the "Album Quilts of Ohio's Miami Valley" book. We are to start with out own eagle block in January, and then do our own blocks along with exchanging siggie blocks the rest of the year. I tried to talk myself out of it, but couldn't resist. I need to choose my fabrics and get started - this project has deadlines!

I am still trying to decide what to do for Wool Club this year. My original plan was to do a small piece based on each month's theme. After seeing the themes, though, I am not sure I want to go that route. I also thought about a twelve square "sampler" project, but the monthly themes are all over the place and probably won't work in a single project. I also need to keep in mind that I will be starting new rugs in workshops in March and April, so I already have more projects on my plate than I can handle. More to come on that one...

And even though I already have way too many rug projects, I picked up on a discussion of a Dear Jane rug challenge in my Yahoo Rughookers group this morning, and of course had to jump in with both feet! I would love to do something with the DJ-inspired pattern I started six or seven years ago. I had switched to wool yarn and planned to do it in three colors, but after looking at it again may switch back to wool strips. I'll have to give that one some thought as well. So much to think about!

On the Road Again

2010-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's been another crazy travel week with little progress on any projects (other than work!). I did have a chance to break away for a little fun here and there, though. On Monday night I took a long walk to see the New York store window displays, Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Center. New York is really hopping at this time of year - the streets were full of people shopping and sight-seeing.

On Tuesday I headed to the American Folk Art Museum to see their "The Year of the Quilt" exhibit. The museum is fairly small - the exhibit consisted of about 25 quilts. There were several absolutely gorgeous applique quilts in the collection. I took a lot of pictures (it's one of the few museums that actually allows non-flash photography) and also bought the new book they have released that shows their quilt collection. The book weighs a ton - I am probably going to regret purchasing it after hauling it through all the airports tomorrow!

Today I was in the Boston area and finished up a bit early, so I checked the GPS for quilt shops. I don't know how I lived without a GPS! Much to my delight, I found that I was only about 15 miles from the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA, so I jumped on the highway and headed that direction. One of the exhibits currently on display is a collection of antique blue and white quilts. I loved them all!!! I need to add a blue and white quilt to my "someday" list.

One of the things that really captured my interest in the shop was a collection of out-of-print books they are selling to benefit the museum. They had several of Elly's books (including two copies of "Spoken Without a Word" for $300 each). I picked up a really wonderful applique pattern book by Pat Andreatta and one of Pat Campbell's early books. There were actually two books by Pat that really caught my attention, but I decided I needed to exhibit at least a little self-control and leave one behind. I had never heard of Pat and am looking forward to trying to find out a little more about her.

I'm headed home tomorrow and am looking forward to Wool Club on Saturday. Nola is issuing a challenge - I can't wait to hear what it is!

Ready, Set....Sew!

2010-11-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

I was able to spend quite a bit of time in the sewing room over the four day weekend (no shopping for me!) and managed to prep the first of nine blocks for the Antique Rose quilt. I decided that I should prep all of the pieces rather than needleturn this one - I think because this pattern is so geomertic/symmetrical it is critical that everything be very uniform. I used a combination of overlays and tracing on the background to get everything properly aligned and then basted the pieces in place. I had a little bit of time to start sewing last night and was able to get a stem and leaf appliqued. It will be interesting to see how quickly I can get all of the applique done - I'm not used to having everything ready to go like this!

Trying to Focus

2010-11-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

I spent a good portion of Saturday trying to reorganize my sewing room to accomodate at least some of the stuff that I have been dragging home from all of the quilt shows and shopping adventures this year. I was somewhat successful, but only because I pulled the remaining rug hooking things from the closet and baskets and hauled it to the basement (a.k.a. wool dumping ground). I threw away a couple of things, and made mental notes to get rid of a few others at the guild's yard sale, but overall just crammed more stuff into closets and drawers that are already bursting at the seams. The whole process served to remind me just how many projects I have started or purchased fabric for - I am totally out of control. The worst part is that I do not have a single quilt to show for all my efforts in the past year or so - lots of blocks and partially-completed projects, but nothing even close to a whole quilt. With the quilt show coming up in June, I figured it is high time I focus on a single project in an effort to have at least one thing to enter. I do have the Runaway quilt to finish, but I really want to have an appliqued quilt to enter since that is the thing I love to do the most.

So I spent some time looking at some of my applique projects to assess degree of completion. Bottom line is that most will require considerable effort (like making 250 more little baskets, etc.) to complete. My Hearts & Flowers project is close, but I am not sure how I want to finish that one. What I really want to do is start the Rose of Sharon pattern from McCall's Jan/Feb 2010 issue. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it, and I purchased the fabric for it at the end of last year. Here's a picture of the project and the antique quilt that inspired it (from Barbara Brackman's blog, Dec 2009):

I realize that trying to finish something this big in six months is quite an undertaking, but the pieces are big and there are only nine blocks, so it should be feasible, right??? I'm a little concerned about the symmetry. I will have to be very careful not to let anything shift the least little bit or it will be obvious. I know I am completely out of my mind, but I can't wait to get started!

Taking a Deep Breath

2010-11-12T21:27:00.000-08:00

I'm just beginning to recover from the craziness of the past couple of weeks. I still haven't tackled the gigantic mess in my sewing room (although I have to admit that my recent purchases are only part of the problem - I still have bags from Chicago, Paducah and Colorado), and I am way behind on other things like making arrangements for rug camp, installing my replacement router, etc. I can hardly believe that it is nearly the middle of November already. My travels and the warm weather have me totally baffled! I took this picture of fall foilage this morning. Trees around here usually aren't quite this brilliant in color, and the almost never have any leaves left by November!

Immediately upon returning from Houston, I attended a rug class with Anne Marie Littenberg at Nola's studio. It was one of the best workshops I have ever attended! We had a fantastic group of really creative people, and Anne Marie was an incredible teacher! I am very excited about my project and was so inspired by everything I learned!

The rug that Anne Marie is holding in the above photo illustrates one of the techniques I would like to try. (And yes, that is Sharon Townsend in the corner - I said it was an awesome class!) Anne Marie uses smaller and smaller cuts to create perspective as she works away from the foreground. The designer of this rug is using an 8 cut in the foreground and is gradually working to a 4 cut in the distance. You could already see how dimensional it will look!

Here's a picture of my pattern and the hooking I got done in class. With Anne Marie's and my daughter's encouragement I opted to do a view of the side of the Ha Ha Tonka castle rather than the view from the front. I learned all kinds of tips for creating light and shadow. I can't wait to get a little farther along to see how my building looks!

Another thing that Anne Marie inspired me to do is start a journal. I have tried to capture ideas in various places in the past, including this blog and a composition notebook in my sewing room, but I have never been very serious about it. I haven't found the perfect journal yet - I am off to Barnes and Noble in search of something tomorrow. I want to do a better job of documenting my projects as well as the hundreds of ideas I come across, and jotting notes from my three days with Anne Marie seems like the perfect way to start!

Wrapping up the Sydney Trip

2010-10-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

I'm down to the last night... It's been a fantastic week, but I am definitely ready to be back in my own bed! I have just about gotten used to some of the things that are different here, but others would take a much longer visit! For example - salads. I've been to all types of restaurants this week, and very few serve any type of salad. Those that do serve something called "rocket" (a type of lettuce) with essentially no dressing - lemon juice or something. I am craving a big ol' Bread Company Fugi Apple Chicken Salad. Actually, I am craving anything from Bread Company!

I have spent quite a bit of time touring Sydney over the past week. I hopped on a tour bus and did the city tour at the beginning of the week. I went inside the Opera House and toured the Royal Botanical Gardens.

The bathroom in the Opera House had the most amazing sink! I had to get a picture:

I saw some beautiful flowers at the gardens. So many that I have never seen in the US! And along the walkway I ran into this little guy - just sitting there eating his lunch!

I have so much more to share - next time will be about my trip to the Blue Mountains.

Visiting Sydney

2010-10-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

It was a very long trip and a close call with the connection in San Francisco, but I made it! I left home around 4:30 PM Friday and reached Sydney at 7:30 AM on Sunday. I did get some sleep on the plane, so I am still functioning fairly well, but I'm not all that motivated to roam the city tonight. I did some wandering this afternoon and found some really interesting things. There's a market in an area adjacent to the hotel called "The Rocks". They had everything - lots of jewelry, art, etc. I already have a few ideas for souvenirs.

My hotel is located on the water, right at the base of the Bay Bridge. My room overlooks the bridge, and the other side of the hotel looks out on the Opera House. It's a beautiful area, although it was cold and rainy today. I'm hoping for better weather so I can wander a little farther tomorrow - and look for some quilt shops!

Snowman Finished

2010-10-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my snowman! I need to come up with a better name, but my brain is so overloaded with work and getting ready to leave for Australia that I am unable to think of anything the least bit creative. This rug was made to satisfy two different efforts. It was originally designed for a Wool Club project. We all hooked holiday-themed projects that will be photographed to create a set of Christmas cards. We will each receive a complete set (one of each project). I then plan to donate my rug to my quilt guild's auction in November. It's almost ready to go - I just need to come up with a name and create a label.

My next post will probably be from Australia - I head out on Friday. I've prepped plenty of applique for the long flight!

Shop Hop

2010-10-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Country Shop Hop was lots of fun! There were a few duds, and I wasn't all that impressed with the "special" fabric, but overall I had a great time. I started out Thursday at Warrensburg. I opted not to head up to Higginsville, a decision I regret since I ran short of time anyway. The shop in Warrensburg, Primitive Stiches, is very cute and had lots of fantastic fall and Christmas wool applique projects. From there I headed to shops in LaMonte and Sedalia. The LaMonte shop had an excellend version of one of the x-block patterns on display. I have the pattern and the ruler, and her sample made me want to get started on making my own.

After work on Friday I headed over to Warsaw to visit Saltbox Primitives Woolens. I absolutely loved the shop! I have purchased from them at shows, but had never been out to their shop. It was really cute outside and in:

I found the perfect fabrics for the leaves in The Blessings quilt there. They had a couple of really cute rug patterns, too, but I resisted temptation. I have way too many rugs in the works already and lots of patterns waiting in the wings. They also had a couple of antique quilts on display that dated back to the late 1800s. The quilts were recently given one of the ladies in the shop by someone who was clearing out a relative's house for an estate sale. They were in incredibly good shape!

After Saltbox, I visited the shop in Lincoln and all three participants in Stover. I ended the day with a wonderful look at fall colors along Hwy W and dinner at Panera.

I wrapped up the hop with the last three shops on Saturday. The shop in Camdenton is a lot of fun! I ended up signing up for another BOM there - Buggy Barn's Folk Art Blooms - beginning in Jan 2011.

I visited Ha Ha Tonka to take a few more pictures of the castle before hitting the road. I plan to do the castle as my landscape project with Ann Marie Littenburg in November.

I had hoped to get a picture of the castle with fall fall foliage, but found that all the trees surrounding it are junipers, so no such luck. Perhaps I will have to make a few adjustments...

Shop Hop Time!

2010-10-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

I am soooo excited - I am going on a shop hop tomorrow! I actually have to work first, but I am leaving early in the afternoon and heading out across Missouri to begin hopping. I haven't been on a hop in a long time, and the last few times I participated I only visited a couple of the shops. My intent is to visit all of them this time, but I'll have to see how it goes tomorrow and Friday.

I love the hops in central Missouri. The shops typically have creative patterns - not just a standard block - and they usually give a 20% discount on most of the things in the store. I'm particularly excited that they have a special batik that was made just for this hop - and it's a dogwood blossom! I can't wait to see the fabric and the patterns.

More to come on the hop, including a picture of the fabric as soon as I get my hands on some!

New Projects

2010-10-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's time to take a break from making lists and recording less-than-stellar performance... I definitely didn't stick to my plans for September! I did make a lot of progress on the Runaway Mystery and my snowman rug, though, so I don't feel too bad about the others. I hope to finish hooking my snowman in the next couple of days. I have almost everything except the details on the snowman finished.

I mnaged to get the first three rows of the Runaway Mystery sewn together over the weekend. There are tons of seams and of course since there were no pressing instructions they are all going the wrong way. It's very frustrating! My answer to the frustration, of course, was to start something new. And not just one project - I started two! I finally started The Blessings quilt. It's a little different that the usual applique - some of the applique pieces are pieced. Here's my start on the first block (it's still missing a bunch of leaves and dots):

I love the shadow of my hands and the camera - I have to stop trying to take pictures on the floor! I've only appliqued about 6" of the inner ring so far.

The other project I started (or re-started, I suppose) is a Baltimore Album. I decided to go with the traditional size this time instead of reducing to 12". I chose a pattern from the Lovely Lane collection and am making it actual size - about 18". I started with the vase yesterday, using a piece of Japanese fabric I picked up in Colorado this summer. I'm excited about this block - I think all these big pieces will be a fun break from all the tiny blocks I have been working on lately.

I'm getting excited about a shop hop I am planning to do next weekend. More on that later in the week.

Feels like fall!

2010-09-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

The hot weather seems to be gone for good - finally! I am a fall fanatic! I haven't had much of a chance to enjoy the beautifully cool, sunny days we've been having. Work seems to be getting in the way. I do have a wonderful view from my window, however, and can see the leaves starting to change:

There's not a lot of color yet. We won't see peak colors for another couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing what this tree line looks like then!

I received my confirmation paperwork from the Applique Academy yesterday. I am so excited! I was able to get all of the classes I requested. I also receied an e-mail indicating that I got my first choice for Baltimore on the Prairie. If only I could get into the class that I want at Houston! I'm still not sure what I am going to do with myself on Wednesday before the show opens.
Work has been consuming so much of my time lately that I haven't had much time for sewing or hooking. I did spend a little time putting together my first ring for The Blessings pattern. I am using Jo Morton fabrics for the applique but can't decide if I want to use shirtings for the background as I originally planned or go with something a little brighter. I placed the ring on a plain background - a Moda Bella solid - and didn't like it at all. I should pin together a mock-up and take a picture. Sometimes that helps with decision-making.

I am still anxiously awaiting the release of the "Stars & Sprigs" pattern. I plan on getting my bright fix with that project. Glorious Applique should have the pattern in the next couple of weeks. It feels like I have been waiting forever!

Runaway Mystery Quilt Update

2010-09-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

Time has flown by this month! I had a wonderful time at Kinderhook last weekend. I really need to do that more often - go on trips to work on projects rather than to shop for more, that is! I spent many, many hours working on the Runaway Mystery quilt. I had high hopes of getting it completely finished, and put in at least 16 hours of sewing each day, but alas came up short... I did make considerable progress, and even started fantasizing that I might get it done in time for my friends to take to Runaway with them this year, but I think I am going to run out of time. I have a few more blocks to finish but started laying it out on the floor to see what it will look like:

I wasn't sure that I liked it at first, but looking at the picture, I really think I do! It is the first scrappy project I have ever done, and it's really been difficult for me! It's going to be a big one...I think maybe a king or at least close to it.

I've also been making some progress on my Lisa's Garden blocks. I've had week six done for a while but hadn't gotten around to taking a picture:

I haven't made much progress on my snowman rug. It has to be finished by October in order to be part of our Christmas card project, so I suppose I had better put away the stitching and get to hooking!

September Projects

2010-09-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's always amazing to look back at the previous month's "to do" list and see how far I have strayed... What is most amazing is that I even work on anything I list! I'm really challenged when it comes to staying focused on a project - there are just so many out there that I can't wait to start! Here's the status report for August:

1. Applique Affair block 17 - didn't touch
2. My Garden Album block 12 - Finished! Happy dance time!!!!
3. Hook Aug flowers - didn't touch
4. Runaway Mystery (finish Mar clue) - half way through this one
5. Primitive Gatherings BOW (pieced blocks for weeks 1-6, applique 5-8) - ouch! Not quite...
6. Falling Leaves (three blocks) - one block finished
7. Sew Ewe-nique Baltimore block 1 - didn't touch
8. Begin snowman rug - about 25% finished

Wow - I thought I did more than that!!! Looks like there will be a lot of repeats for September - here we go:

1. Applique Affair block 15
2. My Garden Album (begin piecing borders)
3. Hook Aug & Sep flowers
4. Runaway Mystery (finish Mar & Apr clues)
5. Lisa's Flower Garden (pieced blocks weeks 1-6, applique 7-9)
6. Finish snowman rug
7. Garden baskets (two blocks)
8. Falling Leaves (two blocks)

I'm really counting on making a lot of progress on projects at the retreat - we'll see how it goes!

Catching up

2010-08-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've been plugging away at my Lisa's Garden blocks and the Summer Freebies but haven't taken the time to take photos in a while. Here are the blocks from week five:

I am still completely in love with these blocks! They are so much fun to work on. I also finished week six:

I also love the summer freebie blocks. I finished the second one:

Last, but not least, I finally finished the last My Garden Album block! I had a problem with one of the fabrics bleeding but I was able to get it out by soaking it in Synthrapol. I'll post a photo when it dries. I now need to turn my attention to the pieced borders. I'm not entirely sure what Homestead Hearth intended for us to use in the piecing - they sent two single pieces of fabric when the pattern calls for one plus a lot of scraps. I don't like the idea of just using two fabrics - I think I will have to supplement with my own scraps to make it a little more like the pattern.

I'm looking forward to heading off on a four day retreat a week from Thursday. I need to decide what to take - I certainly have a lot to choose from!

Incredible Workshop!

2010-08-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending the last two days in an intermediate applique workshop taught by David Taylor. David also lectured at our guild meeting last night. He is a fantastic teacher and presented a wonderful program! I only wish I would have spent the time needed to adequately prepare for the workshop. I decided not to use my own photo at the last minute and instead opted for one of the class kits. I still learned a lot, but I would have loved to have David's help making a pattern from one of my photos. Here he is demonstrating how he creates his patterns using tracing paper over an enlargement:

And here is what one of the patterns looks like when drafted (this is one of the class participant's kitty):

David has a very interesting applique stitch. I tired very hard to do it but failed miserably! I resorted to my usual method for stitching, but did use his method of prepping the pieces. The jury is still out on the starch prep method...I love having the edges all perfectly turned when I am ready to sew, but I sure hate getting them to that point! I am starch-challenged.

David does incredible, extremely heavy quilting on his pieces. He showed us his stitching process on the white board - it's like drawing lots of tiny, close together flames with all different colors of thread. I can't believe how close he gets his lines without ever crossing over! Here's a shot of the demo:

Gee, one of these days maybe I will finish my hummingbird and give this a try...

Setback

2010-08-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

No pictures to post today, although I have finished the first Summer Freebie block and a couple of the BOW week 5 blocks. I also started a new rug on Saturday at Wool Club. I'll have to post a picture of it later. It's a snowman...it's kind of funny working on a snowman during a heat warning. It's supposed to be 100 F the next couple of days.

Sometimes a little whining makes me feel better...

I spent the afternoon at the machine yesterday, diligently working my way through the first step of the March clue for the Runaway mystery quilt. The clues have no text or explanation - just line drawings that are filled with the approximate color that the pieces are supposed to be. I use the word "approximate" because the colors aren't entirely obvious in some of the clues. So anyway, I finish all 80 sub-blocks and press them nicely, then take a look at step two. Step two calls for 64 green triangles. I have 10 left after sewing the 80 blocks. Only then does it occur to me that what I thought was green in step one was supposed to be black. Not my happiest moment of the weekend, to be sure! I now have 80 blocks to "un-press", unsew, and redo. I made it through the first 10 last night. Only 70 left to go. The worst part was that I decided I had better take a look at the rest of the clues, including the final layout, to make sure I hadn't screwed anything else up. It kind of ruined the fun a bit - I like a true mystery - but I am glad that I did it. If nothing else it prevented me from making a mistake on my border. The good news is that I really like the final quilt and think it will look nice in my colors, so I guess I will bite the bullet and grab the seam ripper!

August Update

2010-08-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

First I must mention that my Lisa's Garden blocks look better "in person" than they do in the photos... The fabric is dyed to look antique, which kind of gives the appearance of wrinkles. The wrinkled look really comes across in the photos. Honest - I ironed all of the blocks before taking the photos - it's the fabric, not me!

I fell short on a number of my goals for July:

1. Applique Affair block 7 - didn't start
2. My Garden Album block 12 - started, but less than half done
3. Hook June & July flowers - Done!
4. Bind Bird Party - Done!
5. Runaway Mystery (finish Feb clue) - Done! (Started the March clue, too.)
6. Primitive Gatherings BOW (all blocks for weeks 1-4) - Done!
7. Sue Spargo BOM block 1 - didn't touch
8. Sew Ewe-nique Baltimore block 1- didn't touch

I guess I didn't do too badly for being gone a week and having way too much going on at work. I also started a block for my first Nancy Page quilt, made a bit of progress on my Crewel rug, and designed a new rug for Wool Club. Our theme this month is "Christmas in August". My plan is to hook this little rug to donate to our quilt guild auction.

So....time to plan for August:

1. Applique Affair block 17

2. My Garden Album block 12
3. Hook Aug flowers
4. Runaway Mystery (finish Mar clue)
5. Primitive Gatherings BOW (pieced blocks for weeks 1-6, applique 5-8)
6. Falling Leaves (three blocks)
7. Sew Ewe-nique Baltimore block 1
8. Begin Snowman rug

I have a couple of other projects that I am dying to start (so what else is new?!?), but I will stop here for now. Too bad I have to work today - I am anxious to dive in!

Lisa's Garden

2010-08-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've been having such a great time with Primitive Gathering's summer BOW! I prepped a bunch of blocks to take on my trip and managed to make quite a bit of progress. Here are the applique blocks for week two:

And here are the applique blocks for week three - I also did the nine-patch blocks for this set, but didn't take a picture:

I finished the last of the week four blocks this morning:

I prepped the week five blocks along with the first week's summer freebie this morning. I'm not sure which project I like better - the summer freebie blocks are adorable little baskets of flowers. I can't wait to start on them!

Stuck in Raleigh

2010-07-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to be on a plane right now headed back to St. Louis, but it appears that the weather (or something) isn't cooperating and my plane has been delayed for hours. I am still hopeful that I will be able to get out of here tonight.

I've been in the Raleigh area since Sunday evening. I managed to get several of my BOW blocks done while down here - I will post pictures later. I also managed to make it to a few shops. There were a couple of shops in Cary, one of which was mostly dedicated to machine sales and didn't have much fabric at all. I didn't bother to go into that one. The other, Elegant Stitches, ended up being right across the street from my hotel. I didn't get any pictures, but it was a nice little shop with lots of really fun, bright fabrics. I have fallen in love with Kim McClean's patterns and love the fabrics she uses - Kaffe Fasset's and other brights. I can't wait for her "Stars and Sprigs" pattern to be released - I think it's due out in September. I picked up several 1/8 yd pieces of bright, happy fabrics to save for that project.

The other shop I found just happened to be one of this year's "Quilt Sampler" featured shops. Plain & Simple Quilt Shop is located in Apex, NC, and is absolutely wonderful! The shop is located in an old house and each room has a theme. The "cottage" room was full of Bunny Hill and Blackbird Designs-type patterns and fabrics:

Isn't it cute? There were three other rooms and more displayed in the hallway. One room was Civil War repros, another primitive, and the fourth was sale fabrics. The hallway contained a couple of Moda lines and a really adorable new BOM the shop is offering:

Of course there were plenty of copies of "Quilt Sampler" available, too! They had quite a few Primitive Gatherings patterns and a small selection of wool. There were tons of Jo Morton fabrics. I could have gone completely nuts in that place if I wasn't limited to what I could cram in my suitcase. I picked up a cute pattern by a local designers and a really nice striped fabric that I think would make an awesome backgound for it. I also grabbed a few neutral fat quarters - a quilter can never have too many!

Teri Tope Workshop

2010-07-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

I am still struggling to get used to the new blog design...I decided to give the new Blogger design tool a try and now can't figure out how to get rid of it!

Teri Henderson-Tope spoke at our guild meeting on Tuesday and I was able to sneak away from work for part of the day yesterday to attend her "Doodle in Reverse" workshop. Her reverse applique is phenomenal! I loved the workshop and can't wait to work on my project. It's certainly a lot of work, though! It took an hour and a half just to trace the pattern onto the background. Teri had lots of great applique tips to share, and looking at her projects gave me all kinds of ideas. I love reverse applique! Here's a shot of Teri demonstrating how to reverse applique perfect circles:

I also managed to finally finish my Applique Affair block assignment for June. It was such a relief to finally have it done! Now it's time to work on the last My Garden Album block. I am so excited about nearly having that one finished!

I plan to spend what little time is left this evening working on week two of the summer BOM. I'm so far behind - but what else is new?!?

Fantastic Weekend!

2010-07-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

I had such a wonderful and productive weekend! It's a shame there isn't some reason to be off on Monday at least once a month. I got an early start to my weekend on Friday, heading over to Bread Company with a friend to sit outside (the weather was absolutely wonderful and completely atypical for this time of year) all afternoon and work on binding Bird Party. I was 75% finished by the time we left for the day! I finished whipping it Friday, stitched the binding tape down Saturday, and did the final steaming this morning.

I finished the first week's applique blocks for the Summer BOW late last week but didn't get a picture posted. I have prepped the applique for week two. I haven't started on the pieced blocks yet. I am absolutely loving this project! The pieces are tiny but the blocks are so cute!

I also managed to finish the first sewing step of my Runaway Mystery quilt this weekend. I was really worried about how all this scrappiness would turn out, but when the blocks came together I was very happy with them. I took a peek at the next step thinking I would get going on it, but the first instruction involved making 80 of something - an immediate turn-off! I went back to my applique.

Last, but not least, I did get some applique done. I am still plugging away at last month's AA assignment. It's an obnoxious block! I have 27 of 45 pieces sewn. I also took a quick break today and started one of the quilts that I have been wanting to work on for a long time - one of the Nancy Page Quilt Club patterns. I appliqued one block but still need to add embroidery. I will write more about the quilt and my Nancy Page obsession at a later time...

Home Again

2010-07-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

What a crazy last couple of weeks I have had! I headed to the Ozarks directly from the airport on Thursday. I finally made it home on Friday evening. It's good to be back in the normal routine for a while!

It's once again time to review my progress against goals...this is starting to feel a lot like work! (Which reminds me...I never did write my mid-year review!)

1. Applique Affair block 7 - started, but not very far along
2. My Garden Album block 11 - Done!
3. Hook June flowers - didn't happen...looks like a project for this weekend!
4. Finish Bird Party - Almost done - hooked and steamed, just needs to be bound
5. Runaway Mystery (finish Feb clue) - also didn't happen
6. Primitive Gatherings BOW (weeks 1 and 2) - week one applique completed
7. Sue Spargo BOM block 1 - didnt happen
8. Sew Ewe-nique Baltimore block 1 - partially completed

Hmmm.....it doesn't look like I did so well this month! I did finish one item not on the list - the 2009 Summer BOW block. That's about it for the month. We were so busy on vacation that I didn't accomplish nearly as much as I hoped.

So here's another ambitious list for July...

1. Applique Affair block 7
2. My Garden Album block 12
3. Hook June & July flowers
4. Bind Bird Party
5. Runaway Mystery (finish Feb clue)
6. Primitive Gatherings BOW (all blocks for weeks 1-4)
7. Sue Spargo BOM block 1
8. Sew Ewe-nique Baltimore block 1

There's so much more that I want to work on such as my Baltimore blocks from Elly's workshops, but my list already seems too long. I'm definitely going to make the best of the long holiday weekend!

Back in New York

2010-06-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a chance to post after my second day of class with Elly. After the class (which was wonderful!) we went back to the park for one last hike and then went to dinner in town, picking up a couple of last-minute souvenirs along the way. I did pick up a few patterns from Hummingbird Quilt Studio, a Colorado designer, during my lunch hour on Friday. Her patterns were wonderful and a bit unique - she has big quilt patterns that are pieced and appliqued, and then smaller (large wall size) patterns that are subsets of the original designs. She also has block patterns that are usually two elements (one pieced and one applique design) from the larger quilts. Her website is http://www.hummingbirdquiltstudio.com/. It looks like only the big patterns are posted - supposedly she'll be updating the site soon. I almost fell for the king-sized "Autumn Memories" pattern but talked myself into going with a smaller version instead. I love the colors!

Our trip home took 14 hours with only minimal stops for gas and fast food. We were home around 10:30 PM. After unpacking and getting a few hours sleep, I made cookies and mowed the lawn (both for Father's Day), did laundry and repacked. I was headed to the airport by 1 PM on Sunday. My hotel has the tiniest rooms I have ever seen! Check this out:

I had to stand in the bathroom doorway to take the photo. Look at the chair at the desk - it's such a small space that even my skinny little daughter would have trouble sitting in it! And the corner of the room that isn't in the photo is filled with a small table that contains the coffee maker and ice bucket sitting behind an upholstered chair and in front of the closet. I have to climb over or move the chair to access the closet. It's hysterical!

I had a wonderful dinner - delicious Chinese food from "Six Happiness". Excellent recommendation from the front desk...

I'm planning to start week one of the Primitive Gatherings BOW tonight. Weeks one and two came while I was in Colorado. I have decided that using fusible is a must. I prepped one of the blocks from last year's project to work on in the car on the way home. I did it without fusible and am not really happy with the final results. As much as I hate sewing through the sticky junk, I do like the look. I'll be looking for wool to redo the block when I get home. So much for trying to get something accomplished during the drive! Oh well - live & learn!

First Class With Elly

2010-06-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day of workshops with Elly Sienkiewicz. Today's workshop was the ruched rose she demonstrates in her first video. Despite a rocky start (we were supposed to have been given a pattern and have done our prep work prior to class, but that didn't happen), the class was wonderful! Elly did a fantastic job of improvising and we were back on track in no time. I ended up doing an 8" block instead of 12" as planned, but I can always start over if I really want to include it with my barely-started Baltimore. Here's a shot of Elly demonstrating how to handle the cut-away stem:

At the end of the day, Ricky Tims stopped by with his video crew and filmed a quick talk with Elly and our group. He's apparently working on a piece about Quilt Colorado for an upcoming episode of The Quilt Show.

I am looking forward to my second workshop with Elly, although I hate for the week to come to an end. I still have several things that I want to do - I'm not sure that I can accomplish them all before we wrap things up tomorrow night. I am not looking forward to the long day of driving on Saturday, but I sure can't wait to se my puppy!

Colorado Day Five

2010-06-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

We hit the road yesterday, heading down to Idaho Springs by way of Golden. Our final destination was the Argo Mine, where we learned about the Colorado Gold Rush and tried our hand at panning for gold. I realized very quickly that I would need more incentive than a few tiny gold flakes to do that for any length of time - it's hard on the wrist!

I visited the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum and Golden Quilt Company while in Golden. The museum was really a disappointment. It is very small, with only a dozen or so quilts and a tiny little gift shop. I did get a great deal on a book about the Marie Webster museum and saw a couple of antique applique quilts that were really interesting, but the entire visit took about ten minutes - and that included lingering in the gift shop. I am surprised they can keep it going. By contrast, the Golden Quilt Company was outstanding! They had a wonderful selection of batiks, including some that have graduated color across the width of the fabric. The person working at the shop said that the graduated fabric was fantastic for ruched roses - I can't wait to give it a try!

My next stop was the Hen House in Idaho Springs. It's also a very nice little shop, with a fantastic selection of neutrals. I picked up quite a few fat quarters to add to my stash.

Last, but not least, Quilt Colorado opened last night. It's a nice show although smaller than I expected - I think our guild show is larger. They have a nice selection of vendors. I found some very interesting Japanese cotton fabric (from a shop in Wyoming, believe it or not!) and a Colorado designer that has created beautiful applique patterns of local birds and wildflowers. I didn't do a lot of shopping last night but may head back to the show after class this evening.

I'm off to my first class with Elly this morning. I'm anxious to see how it goes!

Another Block and More Quilt Shops

2010-06-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

Although lighting has been an issue - I've spent the better part of the last couple of evenings huddled next to a lamp - I did manage to finish block 11 of My Garden Album:

I also managed to make it to the other two quilt shops in town in between visits to the park. We made it almost to the top of Trail Ridge Road this morning - we decided to turn around at 12,000 ft (just short of the highest point) because my daughter's fear of heights was starting to get to her. We returned to the park for an awesome hike to a waterfall this afternoon. Once again, all the photos are on the camera I can't download until we're home.

The first shop I made it to was Cottage Bliss. What an adorable shop! She had all kinds of cute gift items and wonderful displays for everything! Here are a couple of pics:

The other shop, Maggie Mae's Quilts 'N (that's really the name - it looks like something is missing, doesn't it?) was small and didn't have a lot of fabric, but they did have a really nice selection of 30s fabrics. They also had several small and very beautiful designs by Columbine Quilts (or something along that line - I can't find the patterns on the internet) but did not have the patterns available. There is a chance they will have them back in stock before the end of the week - I really hope so, although I am not sure when I will have time to get back there. Quilt Colorado check-in is tomorrow, and the quilt show preview is tomorrow night. My classes with Elly begin on Thursday. I'm very excited, but a little bummed that I will have to miss out on the gorgeous weather to sit in a classroom. I'll have to try and get my fill tomorrow!

Sunshine!

2010-06-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a huge improvement over yesterday! It was very chilly this morning - 36 F - but we had sun most of the day and it warmed to a balmy 60 F by afternoon. It was actually quite nice for exploring the Rocky Mountain National Park. We did a couple of short trails around Bear Lake today and at one point it was actually snowing! There was quite a bit of snow on the ground around the lake, too. The view up there was unbelievable! Of course, I didn't take any pictures with the cell phone so I don't have any to post until I get home.

I made it to one of the local quilt shops this afternoon - Mountain Lady Quilts. It was such a cute little shop! She's done a very nice job of assembling all types of forest-themed patterns. Lots of bears, elk, moose, etc. and some Colorado-themed fabric to go along with it all. Here's a glimpse at some of the shop samples:

I did take a couple of pictures from the cabin today - here's the view from my Colorado sewing corner:

I'm hoping to be able to finish the My Garden Album block this evening and then it will be back to wool applique for a while. Off to stitch some berries - ugh!

Cold & Rainy Colorado

2010-06-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Vacation is off to a rather damp and chilly start. According to the local media, it should be dry and around 80 F today. Instead it is pouring, the local rivers are dangerously high, and it was 41 F when I woke up. The rain is supposed to end today and we're supposed to see a high in the upper 50s, but there's no hope of warmth today. I'm happy to say that they are predicting much nicer weather for the remainder of the week...

Most of Friday and Saturday were spent in the car, so I didn't get much done in the way of sewing. I did manage to finish one of my BOW blocks from last summer - I started it last year and had picked it up recently as a quick take-along project, and have been chipping away at it ever since. I brought the next block along to prep - I love wool applique! I had really hoped to have the new BOW in hand before we left, but it must have been sent on the slow horse - I received the thread, but not the project. Looks like I will be at least two weeks behind on that one!

I'm back to working on My Garden Album block 11 now. The lighting in our cabin isn't the greatest, particularly with the lack of sunshine, so applique is a bit of a struggle. We're planning to brave the rain today and visit the shops in town. The area is beautiful, and the cabin is really wonderful. We've got a nice fire burning in the fireplace as I write. I'll have to post a few pics later. Back to sewing!

The results are in...

2010-06-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

And May was a fairly productive month! Here's the final tally:

1. Applique Affair block 5 - not finished (not started, actually)
2. My Garden Album block 10 - Done!
3. Bird Party progress - doing well, could finish in June
4. Hook May flowers - Done!
5. Applique Affair block 19 - Done!
6. Runaway Mystery - finished cutting, started sewing Feb blocks
7. Sue Spargo BOM block 1 - still not done

Not perfect, but not bad! June will be a crazy month - a couple of new projects to start, a lot of traveling (some vacation, some work), so planning is tough. Here's what I am hoping to accomplish:

1. Applique Affair block 7
2. My Garden Album block 11
3. Hook June flowers (this rug needs a name!)
4. Finish Bird Party
5. Runaway Mystery (finish Feb clue)
6. Primitive Gatherings BOW (weeks 1 and 2)
7. Sue Spargo BOM block 1
8. Sew Ewe-nique Baltimore block 1

Probably a little too ambitious, but I've got big plans for vacation!

Finished With Time to Spare!

2010-05-31T18:45:00.000-07:00

I managed to finish this month's Applique Affair block with 12 hours left in the month. I'm not completely happy with my berries, but one of the worst is the one I made using Perfect Circles. I was so happy to finally get them all finished...and so disappointed when I saw that there were 8 berries on the next My Garden Album block!

New Projects

2010-05-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

I can hardly wait for this year's Primitive Gatherings BOW to get started! I have been interested in Florence Peto's quilts for a couple of years and have been dreaming of doing something along the lines of the Calico Garden or Froncie Quinn's "Florrie's Garden" pattern. In fact, I purchased the Calico Garden pattern and joined Florrie's Gardening Club when I visited Froncie's booth at Paducah this year. I hadn't even unpacked my purchases from Paducah (okay, I still haven't) when I received Lisa Bongean's e-mail about the new BOW. It looks like it will be awesome - a mix of wool and cotton with designs based on Florence Peto's quilts. Lisa is such an incredible designer! Here's a picture of the first week's blocks from her website:

From the Primitive Gathering's website:

http://www.primitivegatherings.us/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=6379

I should receive the first packet the week of June 7. I hope it arrives before I leave for vacation - I'd love to get a jump-start on this one!

Another project that I am very anxious to get started on is the new BOM from Ewe-nique Creations. Unfortunately they don't have a picture of it up on their site yet. I opted for the wool applique on linen version. The blocks are Baltimore-style with wonderful embellishments. I received the first block a couple of weeks ago. It's interesting in that you quilt the block (linen on batting, no backing) for stability prior to doing the applique. I hope to prep the background this weekend so that I can get started on that one very soon.

I've got big plans for getting a lot accomplished this weekend! I still need to start Applique Affair block 19 (I've traced the pattern, but haven't started the block) and to do my prep work for my upcoming classes with Elly. Quilt Colorado is only three weeks away!

Garage Sale, Excessive Heat, and a Bit of Sewing

2010-05-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend was crazy busy! My sister and I finally got around to having our garage sale. It was a popular weekend - several local neighborhoods had sales the same day (a couple because of rain delays), so the competition was stiff. I'm never sure if all the hard effort is worth it. It does force me to clean things out (especially the garage!), but it's certainly not much fun! Now I have all the follow-up to take care of - getting all the leftovers picked up by whoever will take them.

The weather this weekend was wicked-hot! It was dry for the first weekend in over a month, but the humidity was oppressive. Today was ridiculous - over 90 F. I hiope it cools back down soon. I'd hate to think we completely skipped spring! We did have a bit of spring-like weather in April but May was cold and damp, so I'm not at all ready for heat and humidity.

I did manage to squeeze in a bit of sewing this weekend. I finished block ten of My Garden Album:

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I used the Floriani stabilizer technique that I learned from Mariya Waters in Paducah. Not bad, but I think I will try the starch technique next. I still can't find anything that I like working on more than plain-old needle-turn, but it does seem like placement is a bit more accurate when the pieces are prepped ahead of time.

I also managed to do a little more sewing on the Runaway Mystery quilt. I am definitely not good at "scrappy"! I'm still working on the February step...I'm a bit behind, but making progress! I have the most difficult time putting all the different tans/creams together - it just doesn't look like they should be in the same block, but I have seen so many quilts done this way and love them, so I am going to force myself to stick with it. Here's a shot of all the pieces:

And one of the first blocks (not sewn, but this is the general idea:

Wow...I don't like that one bit! This is going to be tough!

Journaling

2010-05-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

I often think that I need to start a journal in addition to my blog - an old school, non-electronic notebook where I can keep track of all the projects that inspire me. I have made several attempts to keep track of the projects I have started, including those I have only purchased supplies for, but I haven't been very good about keeping them up. I have never kept track of all the things I want to do - projects in magazines or patterns I have purchased. Perhaps there is no need to track it all, but every once in a while when I am looking through a drawer I will come across a forgotten item. I have to admit that I am completely out of control when it comes to adding things to my wish list, even if they are just patterns. I can't tell you how many projects I have purchased all of the fabric for - complete kits, mind you - and haven't even touched. It's mind-blowing!

The problem with creating such a journal is deciding how to do it such that it is useful as a reference. I tend to think electronically, so the first thing that comes to mind is creating a spreadsheet with all of the projects listed. A spreadsheet would allow me to quickly see what I have and track start and finish (yeah, right!) dates along with other useful information. I could even save the spreadsheet on my phone and always have it with me. I've tried something similar in the past, but again I haven't maintained it. The problem with a spreadsheet is that it doesn't allow me to add pictures (well, I suppose I could, but I don't want list maintenance to become a huge ordeal) or draw sketches to capture creative ideas that flit through my mind. A good old-fashioned notebook would afford me the freedom to paste pictures or doodle, but it doesn't keep my project list as neatly organized. So, do I start both - a journal and a spreadsheet? Or stick with my electronic tendencies and go with a spreadsheet, figuring out how to add in the pictures and details I want to capture? Definitely something to think about...

Since it seems wrong somehow to post without a picture, I will include one of a pattern recently added to my wish list. I picked up the pattern at the Chicago IQA show. The pattern was designed by Bits 'n Pieces and is available on their website. One of the shops in the current issue of Quilt Sampler has a finished version hanging on their wall that is absolutely gorgeous! Here's a picture of the quilt from the BnP website:

I would love to get started on this one (and the Blessings quilt, the one from McCall's earlier this year, and...the list goes on!) I am also excited about this year's Primitive Gatherings BOW. The pattern is inspired by the quilts of Florence Peto. I have admired her work for some time and finally broke down and purchased the Calico Garden pattern and joined Froncie Quinn's "Florrie's Gardening Club" while in Paducah this year. I am very anxious to get started on the BOW version of this quilt, and might just start work on a cotton version as well. Is it any wonder that I am pondering ways to track it all?!

Catching Up!

2010-05-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm spending the weekend - half of it, anyway - at the lake. I headed down here after Wool Club yesterday and will return home tomorrow afternoon. I spent all of last night and most of today hooking and doing applique. I finally finished Applique Affair block five (my April assignment):

My pictures aren't the best tonight - both were taken with the cell phone since I don't have my other computer to download from the camera. And the fabric bled (again!) so I will have to soak it in Syntrapol when I get home, but I couldn't wait to get it posted. It seems like it has taken forever to finish, even if it has only been a couple of weeks!

I also hooked my May flowers last night. The new flowers are the red one (looks pink in this shot) on the upper right and the yellow one. This month's theme was flowers and I was oh-so-tempted to start another project to explore the theme a bit, but I resisted. I think it would be fun to make something with small proddy flowers with standing wool circles for centers. A clay flower pot with a few flowers in it would be fun. I should design something that would fit that frame I purchased from Anita White. I also need to hook the pumpkin pattern that goes with that frame one of these days.

I received my first block of the month from Ewe-nique Creations on Friday. I had completely forgotten that I signed up for that one! It is really wonderful - wool applique on linen. I was considering starting another project when I finished the next My Garden Album block, possibly Wildflowers or one of the other new patterns I picked up at Chicago or Paducah, but now I am anxious to start that one! I hope I am able to spend a lot of time sewing while on vacation in June. My "wanna do" list just keeps growing!

Progress Report & Planning for May

2010-05-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'll start off with an excuse...I was gone half of April, and didn't accomplish much of anything during either of my week-long trips. With that said, I did okay for the month, just not quite as okay as I had hoped. I did manage to finish block 9 of My Garden Album. For some reason I can't get the picture to post right-side-up, so I will have to take another.

I made a lot of progress on my Sue Spargo BOM block 1, but need to add the finishing touches before I can cross that one off the list. I did finish my April flowers and made a decision on the background after an initial misfire. Here's the first one I tried. I love the splash of color, but the flowers really died in it:

So I ordered a vanilla- colored wool from Rebecca Erb and gave it a shot:

It's difficult to see it in the photo. It's very light, and the flowers really "pop" on it. I'm not sure it makes the best background, though, but I hooked enough of it that I really don't think I want to change at this point. It will end up a little brighter than I originally plannned, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I did make a bit more progress on Bird Party, but didn't get started on the Runaway Mystery project until yesterday, so it can't be counted for April. I also fell short on my Applique Affair project - block 5 is about half way finished, and the May block has already been assigned.

I didn't get much accomplished this weekend, either, despite having good intentions. I was busy Saturday helping my oldest daughter get ready for prom, and I spent Sunday watching my Cardinals play an outstanding game against the Reds. Go Cards!!!

So now for the May list:
1. Finish Applique Affair Block 5
2. My Garden Album Block 10
3. More progress on Bird Party
4. Hook May flowers
5. Applique Affair Block 19
6. Finish cutting and begin piecing Runaway Mystery
7. Finish Sue Spargo BOM block 1 (finally!)

I'm also aching to start a new project... I have been wanting to get back to my Dinah Jeffries patterns and I still haven't started the one from McCall's that I picked up fabric for earlier in the year. I also acquired several beautiful patterns at Chicago and Paducah, and I received the fabric for the Blessings quilt. And if that was not enough, the Primitive Gatherings BOW starts next month. Aaarrrghhhh!!!

Last Night in Paducah

2010-04-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

I've had a wonderful week at the AQS Show in Paducah! I arrived Tuesday and have shopped until I nearly dropped every day. As usual, I have acquired more projects than I could possibly complete before next year's show even if I was able to sew all day for the next 9 months. What's really interesting is the diversity in my purchases. My bags are full of reproduction fabrics and batiks...quite a strange assortment.

The new pavillion (fondly referred to as "the marshmallow" by Libby Lehman and the AQS folks) was a wonderful addition to the show. It was a little warm by mid-day, but nothing like the pool area used to be. It was well-lit and set up quite nicely - very impressive!

Amidon Quiltworks was here for the first time this year. I've only seen them in Chicago in the past. Another wonderful first-timer is Sew Unique Creations (Tara Darr). She has such wonderful patterns! I really enjoyed visiting her booth. I picked up a couple of patterns and quite a bit of fabric there. Other notable purchases include two complete queen-sized kits - one from Quilts by the Bay (the Judy Niemeyer wedding ring quilt) and another called "Dove in the Window" from Sew Batik). I ended up with lots of odds and ends from other vendors including lots of patterns (mostly applique, of course).

I have one more class before I leave tomorrow - a color-planning class with Judy Niemeyer. I have to keep my fingers crossed that I will win one of the patterns and planned quilts. Afterwords I will meet up with friends for one last meal at Flamingo Row (the third time this week) and then head out of town. It's always so sad to see the week come to an end!

Farewell, Chicago!

2010-04-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday at the IQA Spring Festival in Chicago. We made a marathon day of it, leaving here at 6 AM and returning around 11 PM. It is a great show, particularly in the way of vendors. Here's one of my absolute favorites - Primitive Gatherings. I started the show and made my first purchase at their booth.

I was incredibly disappointed to hear that this was the last year for Chicago. They are moving the show to Cincinnati. It will be a week earlier next year, but it still doesn't really make sense to try to head all the way to Ohio right before the Paducah show. I also think that AQS is short-changing the Paducah show and that is has lost a bit of its former glory. I think it's a shame that they are spreading themselves so thin and that they have had so much trouble at Paducah. I hope we don't end up losing all of the really good shows in the midwest.

I am heading to Paducah on Tuesday. I did manage to get a little bit of sewing done last week and plan on doing at least a little more while in Paducah, but I think it's safe to say that I will be coming up short on accomplishments again this month. To make matters worse, I picked up at least a half dozen new projects yesterday. And one is another BOM. Oh no!!!

Visiting La Jolla

2010-04-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

I am spending the week in La Jolla (near San Diego) on business. I flew in yesterday. It took nearly the entire day to get here, but thanks to the time difference, I had time to do a little exploring once I arrived. The flight out here was quite interesting, too. I'm not sure if we were flying lower than I am used to or the sky was just really clear, but I could really see the mountains as we flew into Salt Lake City. I've never been to SLC (or Utah, for that matter). According to one of my co-workers, though, I still can't say that I have been there. He says you have to leave the airport in order for it to count.

I visited Rosie's Calico Cupboard yesterday. What a wonderful shop! They had an absolutely unbelievable amount of fabric. There were walls of each color, and rooms of things like Civil War/Jo Morton. Here's a pic of just one of the many fabric areas:

I did a little bit of applique on the flight out yesterday, and a little more last night. I plan to do a bit more tonight. I'm not making tons of progress, but every little bit counts! I am working on My Garden Album block nine and Sue Spargo block one. I find that the wool applique is a little more forgiving when dealing with turbulence.

I did get my April flowers hooked before leaving home but didn't get a chance to take a picture. I also thought I had the perfect background, but after hooking some of it in, I think it kills the flowers. I am disappointed that it won't work (I bought a yard of it!) and also bummed that I don't have a solution yet.

I saw a pattern that I loved at Wool Club this weekend - Bea Brock's "Birds and Berries". Nola also demonstrated a couple of techniques that gave me a fun idea for the May project - the theme is "flowers". Jennifer stopped by to show us the tiles that she is making for the June project - the owl that I had been resisting very successfully...that is, resisting until I saw the tiles. They are so cool! I purchased the pattern and need to figure out what colors I want to use. So sadly I am back to rapidly acquiring new projects, and I haven't even been to Chicago or Paducah yet!

I have so much to talk about - I didn't even mention the Ricky Tims' Homecoming Concert we attended last Friday. It was very fun. He is extremely talented and very entertaining.

Well, it's after midnight at home, and probably time to get moving here in California if I plan to get any sewing done before bedtime. I'll close with a couple of pictures I took after work this evening.

One Thing to Check Off My List!

2010-04-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

I was one day late on this one - Block 9 came in the mail yesterday. I'm just happy to have it finished! I guess I really can't count Block 9 as a "bonus" this month now that I have it in hand. Hopefully I can find some time to prep it while I'm working on Easter dinner tomorrow.

April Plans

2010-04-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

I know better than to be too ambitious with my list this month. I will be out of town for two full weeks and won't be able to get much done on any of my upcoming trips. I am going into this month with a very positive attitude... I am absolutely positive that I will end the month significantly behind where I started! I am headed to the IQA show in Chicago (Primitive Gatherings, here I come!) immediately followed by a week in Paducah. What's really sad is that I have found a few other things to purchase online over the past few days so I started my traditional month of crazy, impulsive shopping a bit early this year!

So, being realistic:

1. Complete My Garden Album block 8 (I'm almost there - it was two weeks late getting to me!)
2. Finish Sue Spargo BOM block 1
3. Continue making progress on Bird Party
4. Hook April flowers
5. At least start cutting the Runaway Mystery Quilt

I won't commit to anything more. If block 9 of My Garden Album arrives before the end of the month, I will try to get it started. My Applique Affair assignment for this month is block 5, which I am pretty sure I already have completed, so I get a break there. If block 20 arrives I may try to get it prepped so I can eventually play "catch up" for last month. Any progress on these falls into the "bonus" category.

Time to get to work!

Pathetic Month!

2010-03-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

As March draws to a close, I'm sitting here wondering where the heck the time went! I didn't get a chance to finish talking about the Memphis trip. One of the reasons I didn't get any sewing done on the trip was this guy:

It's not the best picture - taken by a cell phone in a dark bar - but this band was excellent! We had dinner at Rendevous (I'm just not a rib person..), walked around Beale St. for a while, and then ended up at the bar next to Rum Boogie Cafe listening to these guys. I didn't get back to the hotel in time to get any sewing done.

I'm slowly but surely getting this month's My Garden Album block finished. I'm more than half way done. I'm also about half way done with block one of my Sue Spargo BOM. The only other thing I can take credit for is my rug. I made a fair amount of progress.

Next month is crazy with travel and lots of opportunities to acquire new projects, so I am going to have to work extra hard to knock at least a few things off the April list. I'll have to post the list tomorrow - it's time to shut down the computer and spend a few minutes playing with my youngest...after all, it is his fourth birthday! He's a happy little boy today - new treats and new toys!

Visiting Memphis

2010-03-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

I am visiting Memphis for the next few days. Although it's a business trip, I managed to fit in a little bit of fun stuff on the drive down. I still don't have much to show in the way of progress for this month, but I did bring some applique with me in hopes of getting a little bit done over the next couple of evenings. I can take credit for progress on my rug, however. Jeannette hosted a hook-in on Saturday and I was able to devote the entire day to working on Bird Party. I am by no means anywhere close to getting it finished, but I am definitely making progress!

I stopped at the Golden Needle in Cape Girardeau, MO on the way down today. It was a very nice shop. I picked up a few tan fat quarters to add to the Runaway Mystery Quilt collection. Hmmm...think I will ever get around to that project? Here's a picture of the shop:

My next stop was QuiltSmith's in the Memphis area. It was a very small shop with a lot of novelty fabrics. I didn't find anything to purchase there, but enjoyed the visit.

After stopping by the site and working for a few hours, I headed over to Neely's Barbecue for dinner. I am a big fan of their Food Network show. Their food always looks so good!

The Neely's weren't there (other than on a television screen and large banner inside), but the food was very tasty. I had the smoked turkey.

I think we are heading to Beale Street for dinner tomorrow. Perhaps it will inspire another food report!

Still Dragging

2010-03-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where my time is going this month! I am not making much progress on anything. I am still working on block one of the Sue Spargo BOM, with lots of leaves and berries still to be stitched to call that one done. I spent the afternooon prepping My Garden Album block eight, so I will make a start on that one this week. That's pretty much it on the applique front.

I also haven't done much with my Bird Party rug. I hope to make a little progress on that one while watching television this evening. I have high hopes for making great strides on it next weekend when I get together with friends on Saturday for a hook-in.

Wool Club was wonderful fun as always, followed by a most excellent dinner of Zia's baked spaghetti. I finished the flowers for this month, but didn't start anything new. I have too many things in the works, although I am always very tempted to jump into a new project. I still need to make a life rug - I'll start collecting clip art for motifs when things calm down a bit on the work front. Sounds like a good lunch hour activity. Here's the latest picture of the flower rug (it still needs a better name):

In addition to coming up with a better name, I need to decide on a background color and start working it in. I hate to leave it all until the end!

Progress Report

2010-03-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Seven days into the month and I still don't have much of anything to show for my time. I have been working on the first block of my Sue Spargo BOM and can't get that excited about it. I screwed up with the velvet pieces - I didn't follow directions - so I either need to substiture something else or contact Sue for more fabric. I'm not too keen on appliquing velvet, so I may just substitute wool.

I have been doing a little work on my Bird Party rug. I should have taken a picture at the end of rug camp so I could see my progress. I took a picture tonight so that I can assess progress at the end of the month.

I have hooked half of the leaves and most of the green background since I came home. Also, most of the road and the brown background have been done at home. I am really struggling with the bird feet. Getting them to show up isn't easy! I'm actually surprised to see that the ones on the bottom row show up in the photo - they are really hard to see up close. I'll be very relieved when I have those dark background areas completed.

I had really hoped to work on my Runaway project this weekend, but it just didn't happen. I did receive block eight of My Garden Album, so I hope to get started on that this week. I think since it came in early, I will go ahead and knock it out before Applique Affair this month. There's still a lot on the "to do" list - just hope I can cross something off by the end of the month!

March Accomplishments

2010-03-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

If the first two days of this month are any indication of how the rest of it will go, I should make my list for March extremely short! I'm going to hope that my slow start is the result of being on vacation last week and that things will pick up soon. So, thinking positive, here's my list for March:

1. Complete Applique Affair block
2. Complete Block 8 of My Garden Album
3. Make significant progress on Bird Party rug
4. Hook March flowers
5. Finish Sue Spargo BOM Block 1
6. Complete first and second Runaway Mystery quilt clues
7. Add a few more pieces to Baltimore album block

I suppose I had better stop there - I am probably being far too ambitious. Well, it can't hurt to aim high!

Back to Work

2010-02-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

I'm down to the final hour of my vacation...so sad to see it come to an end! Rug camp was lots of fun. I absolutely love my pattern! I made quite a bit of progress - I will have to take a photo for my next post. I am thinking about challenging myself to try and finish it in March. I can't wait to get it finished!

While I don't have a picture of my rug to share, I have one that I took of my friend Barb's rug from last year's camp. It's huge! I can't believe she finished it. She collected wool from all of her friends (including me!) to use for the tongues. What a fun idea!

As February comes to a close, it's time to look back at my list of planned accomplishments and see just how many I actually managed to complete.

1. Angel block - finished!
2. My Garden Album block 7 - finished!
3. Applique Affair block - finished!
4. Fabrics for Runaway Mystery quilt - assembled, but not cut (I think it counts!)
5. February Wool Club flowers - finished!
6. Paint Chip Project - finished!
7. Kansas Memories blocks - didn't touch them...

I did work on my Everything But the Kitchen Sink quite a bit at the retreat, and finished two more baskets (I have nine or ten now). Here's my paint chip project:

It ended up being quite a stretch from the original paint chip colors - I used two of the four - but it turned out very nice. Only one problem...I intended to use it for my rug frame, but can't fit the silly thing through the opening! Oh well - guess I'll have to come up with another use for it!

Off to Rug Camp!

2010-02-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! Tomorrow morning I will be heading off for a week at rug camp. I am very excited about starting my Bird Party rug. I hope I can get a lot accomplished this week!

Our weekend retreat was very relaxing and enjoyable. I spent a little time piecing the large nine patches for my Everything But the Kitchen Sink quilt. I spent the majority of my time doing applique. I managed to finish block seven of My Garden Album. That's one more thing I can cross off my February list!

Paint Chip Frustration

2010-02-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

I'm down to the wire on the paint chip challenge, and I still have absolutely no idea what to do. Here are my colors:

It's hard to tell from the photo, but the darker blue is almost lavender. Almost, but not quite. It isn't purple, but isn't blue. After looking in five different shops, I think I can safely say that this particular shade of blue is not currently being produced in a quilting fabric. I have been planning to make a tote, but hadn't settled on a pattern yet. I found three of the colors at Homestead Hearth - they were a pretty decent match for the paint chip.

The problem is that I couldn't find the darker blue-purple color to go with these. Funny, but in the picture the darkest fat quarter looks like it almost does the trick. Unfortunately it really doesn't look anything like that color in person.

So I became frustrated with the search for the blue-purple fabric, and decided to go a completely different direction. I saw an incredibly cute tote bag pattern that I decided would be perfect for my rug frame. I started looking for fabrics that could loosely represent the paint chip. I found some I really liked - it's a bit of a stretch to use them for the paint chip challenge, but I actually like these colors!

I realize that there is no pink. I couldn't find a pink that would work for me. I decided that I could sew a pink button or two on temporarily. I decided to go for it - had I really thought through the pattern and realized what a tote bag that uses 3 3/8 yd of fabric and two different types of interfacing would cost, I probably would have decided differently.

So now I have a stack of pastel fat quarters that I have no idea what to do with and a ridiculously expensive collection of supplies for a new tote bag. I have just a little over a week to figure out what I will do and get it done. This is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be!

Flower Rug Month 2

2010-02-18T20:26:00.001-08:00

I completed two more flowers with this month's Wool Club colors. While I am tempted to do more, I have to remember that there are still 37 colors left to use. This month's colors were Tinkerbox Blue, Wash Bluing, Rustic Roost, and Eggplant. The purple-ish flower near the center is Eggplant with a Rustic Roost center, and the blue flower on the right side of the rug is a combination of the blues.

I need to settle on a name for this one... I'm not very creative when it comes to choosing names. I've come up with "Diversity in Bloom", "Blooming Diversity" and "Wool Club Blooms" so far. Perhaps I should keep trying...

First Accomplishment for February

2010-02-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that I am now able to cross the first item off of my "to do" list for February! I completed this month's Applique Affair block (okay, so I had to substitute one since I don't have the assigned one yet, but it's my block for the month!) in less than 24 hours. I did the prep work on Thursday night, but didn't start stitching until after work yesterday. Granted, it isn't the most complicated block in the world, but it's FINISHED! Now on to another item from the list...

Friendship Quotes

2010-02-02T10:57:00.001-08:00

I did a little web surfing this morning and found a couple of quotes that just might work for my block:

A friend is someone who reaches out her hand and touches your heart.
Friends are the sisters that God (or destiny) forgot to give you.
Some people make the world special just by being in it.

One of the best that I found, although completely inappropriate, has been bringing a smile to my face all day:

A friend would lend you her umbrella. A best friend would take yours and yell "Run, bitch, run!"

I'm a huge fan of Pat Sloan and follow her blog daily. At the beginning of the year, Pat encouraged her followers to choose a word for the year. Her word was "possibilities". I've been pondering the idea for weeks, and haven't been able to come up with a word that represents what I want to accomplish this year. Then it hit me - "accomplish" is it! I need to focus on actually accomplishing rather than just planning, buying, and starting. So, for the month of February, my "accomplish" goals are to:

Finish the angel quilt block
Complete My Garden Album block seven
Complete an Applique Affair block
Assemble fabrics for Runaway Mystery quilt
Hook flowers with February Wool Club colors
Finish paint chip project
Begin piecing Kansas Memories blocks

I'll report progress and set new goals at the end of the month.

The Projects Keep Coming!

2010-02-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

I hate to post when I have nothing to show, but I have so many ideas and projects bouncing around in my mind that I am worried I might lose them! I made a little more progress on the angel block tonight, getting the lace and most of the dress appliqued. I should be able to finish the dress and head tomorrow, and then all that is left is the stitching. I still need to come up with a saying to add to the block - I'll work on that tomorrow, too.

Today's mail brought the first clue in the 2010 Runaway Mystery quilt. I have wanted to do a scrappy quilt for a while now, and have been eyeing a couple of Bonnie Hunter's patterns as possible projects. I am not sure whether I will even make it to Runaway this year, but I have regretted not doing the last couple of mystery quilts that Terry has put together. They always seem to turn out fantastic! This may be the year! Of course, I probably don't have the right scraps - I see reproductions or more primitive colors in this one, not the stuff I have in my stash. Ahhhhh...the Superbowl sales are calling my name!

Other projects I have recently acquired include the Wool Crazy quilt by JoAnn Mullaly (through the Wool Crazy Ladies Club at Primitive Gatherings) and Sue Spargo's 2010 BOM, which came in the mail last week. It's hard to tell when I will have time to start either one! Block seven of My Garden Album should be in the mailbox any day now (it's actually a few days late), and the second Applique Affair block assignment should be posted any minute now. I feel the need to knock both of those out before starting anything new. With nothing on the calendar this weekend, I think it is definitely time for a sewing marathon!

Awesome Workshop!

2010-01-31T17:48:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic weekend! I spent the last three days in a wonderful workshop with Jackye Hansen of 1840 House. Jackye is incredibly talented, and is an excellent teacher! I am in love with Waldoboro-style hooking. Progress is definitely slow - it could take years to finish my rug - but the results are well worth the time & effort.

Here's Jackye (on the right) helping Paula with her project. She has such a good eye for color and her wools are beautiful! She prepares well, too - each student received a "map" of their project with colors and instructions. That will come in handy when I am trying to remember what goes where a year from now!

Here's what I managed to get done in three days...yes, this represents 20+ hours of hooking. Sad, isn't it?!?

We must have been working awfully hard...Debbie fell asleep on her frame! Maybe it was a sugar crash - we had lots of great food and delicious goodies to snack on while we worked.

Nola gave us a sneak peek at her Creative Juices project for March and now I am full of ideas for yet another rug! She created a non-directional sampler with symbols representing her life and family. I'd love to do something like that - it sounds so fun! My ideas haven't fully gelled yet, but so far I am thinking gardening for Darrin (possibly a tomato and garlic), a bird, something to represent the Cardinals, a quilt block, a book for Ann, a musical note and possibly something cheer-related for Kris, Ace and the cats, a boat or other item to represent the Ozarks...the list goes on and on! I'm sure there are other things that must be included. This will require some serious thought! How fun!

Vintage Postcard Rug Finished

2010-01-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

I managed to get the Vintage Illinois Postcard rug bound over the weekend and gave it another touch of steam tonight. I'm so excited to be able to mark another UFO off the list! I started this rug in Florida a couple of years ago. I thought I would be able to finish it during the vacation, but ended up packing everything but a hook, so I wasn't able to get started until half way through the week when we got to my inlaw's house (my mother-in-law had one I could use). I worked on it a bit after we returned home, but then packed it away in favor of starting something new (probably my Toddhall camp project) and didn't get back to it until recently. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but won't be hooking another face any time soon!

I am working on a quilt block for a dear friend that is fighting cancer. I started working on it yesterday and managed to have one of the least productive sewing days ever. I had all kinds of great ideas, but some of them didn't work out so well. I decided to crazy-piece the dress using some of the fabrics my friend and I collected and used in a class we took with Judith Baker-Montano last year. That seems to have worked okay so far, but the real challenge will be needle-turning it. I found a beautiful silk fabric for the wings, but after numerous attempts to applique the, I decided that silk is not my applique friend. I tried needle-turn, stabilizer, sewing to stabilizer and turning inside out, etc. Nothing worked. I also painted some lace to use at the bottom of the dress, but I think it may be a little too bright. We'll see when I get a little farther along. I couldn't find anything remotely close to a flesh color, so I stopped by Jackman's on the way home and picked up fabric for the face and wings. I managed to get one of the wings down tonight, and hopefully can get the other one on tomorrow. Hopefully, now that I have a plan, the rest of this project will go smoothly.

I received my package of wool for this weekend's workshop from Jackye Hansen. The colors are beautiful and very interesting. I'll have to give it more thought over the next couple of days since I need to choose my backgrounds. The pattern I selected is her "Crazy Quilt". I have loved that pattern since I first saw it in Rug Hooking several years ago. Not a surprise, I guess! I'm thinking of doing browns and antique black for backgrounds, but I need to lay everything out and see what works with my motif colors.

Last, but not least, I received my "Wool Crazy" book and wool from Primitive Gatherings last week. I am waiting to receive the first mailing from the club meeting for layout ideas. Earlier this evening, I stumbled across a blog that is dedicated to making this quilt. What fun! I can't wait to get started - it's so much more fun when you can do things with a group!

Off to bed for tonight. More time to create tomorrow!

Another Goal Achieved!

2010-01-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

I managed to stay on track - even be ahead of schedule - for the first month of my Applique Affair BOM "challenge". I'm hoping that working on this one along with others in the Applique_Cafe group will motivate me to keep at it. I actually have four or five of the blocks finished, but sadly just received block 18 in the mail. You could say that I'm just a little behind...

I steamed the Vintage Illinois Postcard rug yesterday and hope to get to work binding it this week. Next thing on my "to do" list today is to figure out if I have any yarn to bind it with. If so, I hope to post a picture before the end of the week. I'm on a roll!

Starting to Thaw

2010-01-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

It's finally starting to warm up... I think we may actually see temps above freezing tomorrow! Although we didn't even come close to setting a record, it's been bitterly cold for a long time - I can't remember it being like this in the last 10+ years. It would be a good excuse to stay inside and sew or hook, but unfortunately the 'work' thing gets in the way of that.

Wool club was wonderful - lots of fun, very inspiring, and oh-so-tempting! The wool this month was gorgeous. Nola managed to sell almost everything she dyed. I missed out on a couple of pieces that I would have liked, but maybe that's a sign that I should dye some on my own. I haven't done any dyeing in ages.

I decided that my first pattern would be based on an image from "Pattern Motifs" by Graham McCallum. The design was taken from the Japanese section of the book and adapted to fill in a rectangular rug. I didn't get very far on it, but the idea is to work on this one all year, incorporating wool from each month's session. Here's a peek at what I have so far:

I'm already thinking about ideas for next month. Our theme will be "hit or miss". I started sketching out a pattern today that includes five circles - inspired by the Olympic rings, but variable in size and oriented a bit differently. I haven't completely settled on how I will hook it, but I'm thinking of hooking the circles with the Feb wools and doing the background with a straight line hit or miss.

While at Nola's, I fell in love with her sister's latest pattern, "Bird Party". I decided that it would be a perfect project for Toddhall. I need to give it more thought when I talk to Janice Johnson, the teacher, but I am leaning toward doing each bird a little differently. I'd like to represent the variety of birds at our feeders, although I certainly don't want to commit to trying to recreate red-bellied woodpeckers and black-capped chickadees in an 8-cut!

"Bird Party"
www.nolahooks.com

I'm continuing to make progress on the Illinois postcard rug. I finished all of the sky last night. I have a bit of the suit left, and then have to take a stab at making the face look less distorted. I don't enjoy hooking faces!

On the quilting front, I started on my Applique Affair block assignment, and purchased fabric for the Antique Rose quilt I mentioned in a previous post. I think I need to find a different gold - the one I ended up with is a little dead. I'm anxious to get started, but must finish my AA block first. Of course, I should be working on my Baltimore... So many things I want to do!

Brrrr!

2010-01-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

I'm already tired of the cold, and it's only going to get worse over the next couple of days. Good time to stay indoors and sew. Too bad I have to work!

I did manage to finish block six of My Garden Album over the weekend. Unfortunately, when I washed out my blue pen, the brown stems bled all over the background. Luckily I was able to get it out - thank goodness for Synthrapol and hot water!

I've made a fair amount of progress on the Everything But the Kitchen Sink quilt, too. I finished all of the nine patches - 150 in all. The next step is to put them into large nine patches. Perhaps I will get a little time to work on that over the weekend.

I hope to purchase a background for the McCall's quilt this afternoon, and perhaps some of the other fabric. Lots of sales at the local quilt shops this weekend! I can't really start on that project, though, until I have my Applique Affair block assignment finished. I traced the pattern last night - 26 pieces! Maybe I won't get back to piecing this weekend!

New Year's Decisions

2010-01-03T09:09:00.001-08:00

There must be something about starting a new year that makes me forget about how many projects I already have in the works or have purchased materials for and inspires me to dive head-first into new ones. I am trying to decide on my 2010 project for my Prim Folk Art Yahoo group and rather than going with a pieced quilt I already have all the fabric for, I've stumbled across (and completely fallen head over heels in love with) a new pattern that I can't wait to get started on! I will have to wait a bit, though - the pattern is coming from Australia, so it's not here yet. It's called The Blessings Quilt by Bon Bon Designs. I found it on the Three Ducks on a a Roof blog. It sounds like there has been a lot of interest in this one - I know that everyone in the Yahoo group loved it, too. Here's a picture of the quilt from the designer's website:

The version posted on the Three Ducks blog is made from Jo Morton fabrics. It is gorgeous! Unfortunately I can't find too many of those close to home. I've been looking at them online, but really want to take a road trip so I can see them in person. I'm trying to find a free weekend - seems like there are too many things going on this month!

Another quilt that I have fallen in love with over the past couple of days is in the current issue of McCall's Quilting magazine. According to Barbara Brackman's blog, the quilt is actually a reproduction of an antique quilt that wasn't mentioned in the article. It is beautiful!

I don't think that I want to use this one for my group project. I think I prefer to do this one in crisp, clear colors. I will probably go with an off-white tone-on-tone print for the background.

I am still working on my Baltimore block - or at least I have started it. I've been trying to wrap up block six from My Garden Album before getting back to it. And then there's the Applique Affair block - I've committed to work on it with the Applique Cafe group, so I need to knock out block nine this month. I'd love to get back to my baskets, too... That one will probably have to wait.

I drew up a new rug to start at wool club next Saturday. I plan to incorporate all of the year's colors into this rug. I will likely do some of the other monthly Creative Juices projects, too, but I thought it would be fun to have the entire color palette in a single piece.

Off to work on a block...I had better pick up the pace if I am to have any hope of getting my "assignments" done on time!

Another Rug Finished!

2009-12-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my Basketful rug! It's a bit sad that it took nearly the entire year to hook it. I suppose I did take time to work on my baskets and the blog rug this year, but I really need to pick up the pace if I ever plan to make a dent in the pile of projects I have already started or plan to start in the near future. I'm back to working on the Illinois postcard now.

I'm really looking forward to the new year of wool club and all of the projects I will be inspired to start (yikes!). I am also looking forward to getting back to starting my Baltimore, hopefully later today. I'm minutes away from twelve glorious days of vacation - I hope to get lots accomplished!

Block #5 Finished!

2009-12-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to report that I have finished block five of My Garden Album with two weeks to spare! Only four left and then the piecing... If I recall correctly, the border is pieced, so it shouldn't be too much work to finish once the applique has been completed. I am in love with these blocks - the colors are beautiful!

I found a suitable yarn to bind my Basketful rug and got a pretty good start on it yesterday. I hope to finish and give it a second steaming by the end of the week. I'm so excited by some of the ideas that Nola threw out for next year's wool club that I know I will be starting new projects at a frightening pace next year. I'd like to get Basketful and the Illinois postcard knocked out before I start my first project of the new year. Can I get that much accomplished by Jan 9?

Rethinking my Baltimore

2009-12-09T08:09:00.001-08:00

Well, I guess it's a good thing that I didn't get very far on my first Baltimore block before deciding that I just don't want 18" blocks! Of course, I didn't throw my work away - it's tucked safely away just in case I change my mind again! I may decide to start with a different block... I'm not sure that the first one I selected will lend itself to a 12" version. Although I made the decision over a week ago, I spent most of my sewing time working on block five of My Garden Album. I am close to finished - a few bunny parts and leaves and I will be caught up once again.

I finally finished hooking my Basketful rug. Now all I need is to find the right color yarn to bind it with... Everything I have on hand is too light. Hopefully I will be able to find something to do the trick at Nola's this weekend. I've moved on to hooking he Illinois postcard rug and feel like I am making decent progress on that one. I'd love to get it finished and get back to the one from Anita's class. I love that one!

Hopefully I will have a picture or two to show some progress this weekend - if trying to catch up with Christmas shopping doesn't get in the way!

Beginning my Baltimore

2009-11-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

I finally started a "true" Baltimore Album quilt. I have been doing a lot of reading since attending Baltimore on the Prairie. Although I have always loved the album quilts, listening to Jan Carlson's presentation really got me hooked. The more I learned, the more excited I became! So I was particularly excited when Katie and I decided to revive the TAS group with a Baltimore slant...which leads me to starting my first Baltimore Album quilt. The process of getting started was a slow one - prepping the background (Moda's Bella Solid in bleached white), choosing the pattern to start with, tracing the overlay, and selecting fabrics for the first flowers. I originally had planned to do 12" blocks, but after learning that true BA blocks were much larger, I decided to go big. The background fabric looks ridiculously huge at 22" square. I think the finished block will be around 18". I didn't get as far as actually sewing anything today. That will have to wait until tomorrow.

I have managed to keep up with My Garden Album yet again. I finished block four yesterday. I had stopped by Homestead Hearth on my way home from the lake on Monday and was told that the next one had shipped, so I was very anxious to get it done before the mail arrived!

I'm also continuing to work on my baskets. I have six completed, I believe. Only 285 left to go! They are fun to work on and are pretty simple, so they make a good "on-the-go" project.

It's back to the rug for the rest of the night - I'd really rather applique, but I'll never make my self-imposed deadline if I don't get on it!

Need a vacation...

2009-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to say that I don't have anything to show for the last couple of weeks... I've been busy dabbling in lots of things, but haven't had time to finish a single one. I recieved block four of My Garden Album shortly after posting block three. I've got a pretty good start on it, but will really have to buckle down over the next week or so if I hope to finish before the next package arrives in the mail.

I did have a bit of a break-through yesterday. I decided how I would do the bottom of the "Basketful" rug and found a "close enough" match to the wool I ran short on, so everything is now in place for me to finish that one off. I just need to wash the new wool, pull a few strips from the completed leaves, and mix things up so it looks like I planned it that way. I'll be SOOOO glad to have this rug finished! I'm dying to get back to some of the other projects I started this year.

I'm really looking forward to our upcoming Baltimore album TAS group and can't wait to get going on my first block. I think we are going to go with a wreath to get started, and I have found a wonderful wreath in a pattern I recently received from the Maryland Historical Society. Now I just need to decide whether to go with the Moda Bleached White or Kona Snow for background. I'm leaning toward the Moda. Perhaps I should order another bolt...

I'm also very excited about Nola's plans for next year's wool club. It sounds like she has lots of ideas to really get our creative juices flowing. I am already thinking about a couple of things I would like to do. Oh no - more projects!

I'm very much looking forward to being off work next week. The stress of not knowing what the future holds is starting to get to me. It's tough to stay motivated. I'm really itching to fly the coop! I'd love to head down to the lake for a quiet, no errands required mini-retreat. Perhaps I can get away for a day or two next week before the holiday madness begins...

Keeping Up!

2009-11-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

I managed to finish block three of My Garden Album before receiving block four...so far I am keeping up with this one! Who knows how long it can last...I have so many new projects I am aching to start that I am bound to get distracted and lose the race.

I need to choose a 2010 project for my Primitives Yahoo group. I am really interested in beginning an album quilt, and I would also dearly love to reproduce an antique applique project. I also have a burning desire to start at least one of the Nancy Page quilts - I just can't decide whether to start with the leaves, the birds, or the laurel wreath. Of course, none of those are very primitive (although the "rules" don't specify that the project has to be prim), so I am considering a few others that fit the bill a little better. I'd love to get started on Wedding March, and also would like to do the taupe quilt from Homestead Hearth. I also purchased all the fabric to make a log cabin with applique - again, not very primitive, but I'd like to get it done. Decisions, decisions! Thankfully I have a few more weeks to mull it over...

Wishin' I could be in Houston

2009-10-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Watching all of the exciting posts from Market and Festival makes me wish I had followed through on my plan to go to Houston this year. It turns out it's a good thing that I decided not to go, as my assistance is needed here, but I sure feel like I am missing out on all the fun! This is the toughest time of year from a quilting and rug hooking perspective - nothing of any magnitude planned until rug camp in February and the quilt shows in April. It'll be a long winter!

Once again, I have gone off the deep end and started yet another new project. It's so hard to resist when you see all the wonderful patterns and fabrics out there! This one is the basket quilt from "When the Wind Blows", another book I picked up during the shop hop last weekend. I am using Brannock & Patek's Blessings fabric, a new Moda line that just hit the shops. I started with a layer cake (also picked up during the hop), but now need to order lots more. I finished the first basket last night - only 290 left to go!

Shop Hopping

2009-10-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

I've managed to make it to five of the Country Shop Hop shops, although my plans had to be changed a bit last night due to the torrential rains that hit Missouri. I was only able to visit one shop on my way down - Love to Sew Boutique in Osage Beach, MO. There I found a wonderful rendition of a Smith Street Designs pattern. The shop owner is making the pattern in blue-teals and yellow greens instead of the Thimbleberries-looking sample on the pattern cover. It was gorgeous! I also snagged a cute free pattern for a Dresden plate table runner and the new Dresden book that I have been wanting to pick up for a while.

I headed up to Versailles, MO to Linda's Cotton Patch this afternoon. I love Linda's shop, especially all the wonderful Japanese taupes. I left there with a few more pieces that I couldn't live without as well as a couple other odds and ends I needed. I then headed to Stover to visit the three quit shops there. I found the "When the Wind Blows" book I had been looking for - spent more than I would have on Amazon, but I really wanted it now... I also picked up a few of the new "nutmeg" Hoffman batiks. I'm starting to collect for the Falling Leaves pattern. I decided it calls for autumn colors instead of the brights I was thinking about. I then ofcused on collecting a bunch of Civil War repros for the basket quilt I am so in love with. The prices were certainly right! I will need some shirtings or other old-looking neutrals for the background. I'm toying with the idea of heading up to Mexico on my way home tomorrow. I know they would have them there.

Tomorrow I will definitely visit the shops in Greenview and Camdenton. I won't be able to make it to the shops that are further out west, but may stop at another shop or two as I make my way home.

In between all the shopping and driving, I did manage to finish block six of my Summer's End project. I'm hoping that block three of My Garden Album is waiting for me at home. I'm ready to switch back to cotton for at least a few days!

Inspiration Overload!

2009-10-06T06:26:00.001-07:00

I didn't exactly end up starting the new quilt last weekend, but I did buy the fabric. I actually did start one of the quilts I was thinking about - Dutch Treat - but for some reason it just didn't "grab" me. I really struggled to find a block that I was interested in starting with, and then half way through appliqueing it I decided that I just wasn't all that excited about pursuing the project. I threw the block away and removed the project from my mental "to do" list, clearing the way for things I really am excited about, like "Everything But the Kitchen Sink". I started that one this weekend, using the background fabric I purchased for the Dutch Treat quilt. I haven't made a lot of progress, but like my colors so far. I've decided to do brights rather than 30s. I have enough 30s quilts either in progress or on my "wanna" list. Here's a peek at the colors so far:
I am planning to make my way down to the Ozarks this weekend to participate in the Country Shop Hop. I won't be able to make it to all the participating shops, but will be able to get to about half of them and might stop by a couple others along the way. I don't need a thing - definitely no new projects - but I haven't done a hop in a while so it sounds like fun.

I have made an effort to get back to my Basketful rug this week. My goal is to have it completed by Oct. 24. Perhaps if I take it (and no applique) with me to the lake I can make some progress!

Back from Runaway

2009-09-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I started out with the best of intentions, but completely changed my mind once I finally sat down at the sewing machine! I began working on some of my UFO projects on Tuesday and just couldn't talk myself into moving my machine up to the Mexican Star classroom. So instead I spent the entire retreat in sit & sew and ended up knocking out four of my Sweet Annie's BOM blocks and 26 pages of half-square triangle paper for another project that's been sitting in a pile in the sewing room for longer than I can remember. I didn't end up getting nearly as much handwork done as I had hoped, but I'm not at all surprised. In the end, the Mexican Star pieces came home in a bag in the same state as when they left here. Another UFO, but one I can tackle in the convenience of my sewing room.

Here's the latest Summer's End block:

I finished my second My Garden Album BOM block before leaving for Runaway but didn't get a chance to post it:

Between BOP, a new Yahoo group I found, Runaway, and a stop at the Cotton Patch quilt shop in Woodlawn, IL, I have been inspired to start numerous new projects. I plan to start at least one new one tomorrow. Now I just have to decide which one!

Preparing for Runaway

2009-09-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

I finally got my act together and started getting things ready to head to Runaway Quilters this week. I'm taking the "Mexican Star" class. I guess I need to update my list of projects with all the new things I have started over the last couple of weeks...

While not a very good picture (my shadow is in the way!), here's a shot of the beginnings of my Runaway project. It's hard to see the colors in this photo, but I've gone with purple and teal. The background fabric pulls it all together, honest!

I also plan to take my Civil War repros and shirtings and try to make some headway on sewing the 20+ pages of triangle squares I've had sitting on top of the cabinet in my sewing room. It's funny how much we tend to think we can accomplish in a few days, isn't it? I keep thinking I need to prepare another wool applique block in case I finish the one I am working on, and I debated whether to cut more of the fabrics for the repro quilt in case I finished all those triangle squares. Chances are I won't even finish the current wool block and will end up working on my Mexican Star in sti & sew. I'm going to do my best to be really productive...we'll see how it goes!