Design Wall Monday, March 12, 2012

Today I'll be working on the binding of a quilt I just got back from Kerry's Quilting.  Kindhearted Klues turned out very cute with a frogs in a green thread.  This is the first quilt I've backed with minke.  It sure is soft.  Morgan my youngest niece should love it.

Here's Kordova Klosure.  I'm making it bigger with the additional pieces you see.  I'm adding 12 finished inches all around.  I may have to find some additional reds; I should be set with the blacks.  Maybe I'll bind it in blue?  I've cut 10 1/2" squares of black and white fabrics for the back.  I've got somewhere close to what I need ready, but need to wait and measure just how many I'll actually need.

I'll be continuing through the week on Konnections to Kollinwood and Klunky Korners.  Hope you are able to get into your sewing room as much as you want to this week.  I've got a 4 day work week YIPPEE!  Enjoy the extra day light.

Sunday Stash Report, February 5, 2012

I have continued good news to report this week.  Three tops went to Kerry's Quilting for stitching and that means more yardage to claim as used.  I was also good and stayed away again this week from any purchases.  Again my net goes higher YIPPEE!


Komplikated is a late 2011 UFO finish.  I've got several more 2011 UFOs to finish but this one is one less!  It's a Bonnie Hunter pattern called Patches and Pinwheels featured in Quiltmaker Magazine September/October 2008.  I made mine rather unintentionaly rectangle, but I'm not dissapointed.  Couldn't understand why I had some many extra blocks.  Thought I counted right, but still why the extra...oh well I said I'll use them on the back.  When I went to calculate the yardage I realized I'd calculated the number of blocks across wrong.  According to the pattern it should have been 13 blocks across by 13 blocks long.  I for some reason stopped at 11 blocks across!  Kerry got the benefit of this error as she will be making the same project...no waste between the two of us.

Kindhearted Klues is a new project for 2012.  It was the mystery at Road to California with Tracey Brookshier.  The pattern is called Candy Hearts.  Minky for the back on this one that will be gifted to my 4 years young niece, Morgan.  The thread will be green and the pattern a cute one that's frogs for the quilting.

Not sure what the yards would be calculated for this Log Cabin Quilt Square.  It really is just a bunch of scraps.  It is from Lori Smiths's pattern Quilt Squares #1.  I'll be making more of her 12" x 12" blocks with Jo's Country Junction Quilt Square Quilt Along through 2012.  A sampler is my current thinking.  February's block iw a Bear Paw Quilt Square from the same pattern.

Here's the number for this week. Hope you are on a good path to using your stash this year.

Used this week: 29.75 yards
Used YTD: 46 yards
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased YTD: 9.75 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2012: 36.25 yards

Be sure to see how others are doing at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday, January 30, 2012

January 2012 is nearly a thing of the past.  Seems just days ago we were bringing in the New Year.  Okay enough...  I've got both UFOs for January done.  With days yet to spare...imagine that!

I got this one done today.  It is part of Jo's Country Junction Quilt Square Quilt Along for 2012.  Not really a UFO I suppose...but it will be if I don't finish each month.  Lori Smith designs these blocks.  Each pattern comes with six different 12" square designs.  For January we were to make the log cabin from her Quilt Squares #1 pattern.  I'll be linking in tomorrow along with finding out what's next month's assignment.  I plan to assemble all 12 blocks at the end of the year into a sampler. 

I also was able to finish Kindhearted Klues.  This one is from a workshop I took at Road to California last weekend.  Tracey Brookshier led 32 of us on through the night with Lakeside Mystery 1.  The binding will be more of the stripe that I used for the inner boarder.

Next up is Komplikated that happens to be a 2011 UFO that's been waiting its turn.  I have all the blocks done its just waiting for assembly.  Now that my January deadlines are complete this one is next.  Pictures of this project will be posted later this week.

Check out more fun projects through links on Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, January 29, 2012

Kontinuum 2012 UFO Challenge January

Hooray!  I'm finally able to claim something in the USED category.  It seems like forever since I've been able to.  This USED is made even better since it completes my first 2012 UFO with Patchwork Times.  #5 - Kontinuum is finished.  I'll be getting this to Kerry's Quilting for some fancy quilting stitching.  How about something in that blue?  This is Patchwork Times pattern Connect The Dots by Judy Laquarida that you can find on her website.  I finished mine just after the pieced border.  I plan to use the blue for the binding.  Did you notice the blue and the cream are scrappy?  All of this from my stash.  So drum roll please........

Used this week: 16.25 yards
Used YTD: 16.25 yards
Purchased this week: 0  yards
Purchased YTD: 9.75 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2012: 6.5 yards

I've got another 2012 UFO for January to get done yet.  I'll be working on this today.  Jo's Country Junction's Challenge has us making from Quilt Squares #1 a 12" x 12" small quilt this month.  We'll be making the log cabin design and like Patchwork Times linking up on Jo's Country Junction blog.  I think I'll be doing all these 12" blocks with a similar fabric theme so that they'll go together as a sampler at the end of the year.  No name for this one yet.  We'll see what comes to mind as the year progresses and more blocks are assembled.

After this one I'll be assembling the Kindhearted Klues.  This project is from the recent Road to California Quilt Show workshop Lakeside Mystery 1 with Tracey Brookshier.  Tracey's pattern is called Candy Hearts.  I'm going to keep this one a mystery for you until tomorrow when I post on Design Wall Monday!

See others adding and using up their stash at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday, January 23, 2012

This is what was finished Friday at the first workshop of the day at the Road to California Quilters' Conference and Showcase.  The workshop was with Karen Eckimer on her design Scrappy Layered Log Cabin.  The technique is to press under a curvy side to your strip then starting with the black center layer it on top and top stitch the strip down.  Cut off excess.  Working in a counter clockwise direction add on the next curvy strip and repeat.  Center, light, light, dark, dark then repeat with the light.  These blocks have no particular size.  You match them up in a row then attach them to the next row in the same press under a curvy side manner.  You'll have to learn more with her pattern available in her book Layered Waves.

The Lakeside Mystery 1 that was the late night workshop was held at the Doubletree until midnight.  There were about 30 something attending.  We had cutting before class so we were ready to sew to our hearts content.  Tracy Brookshier was our instructor.  She was really prepared for us with seven clues and the reveal.  She sure mixed it up so none was the wiser until clue seven was passed out.  I managed to get all 36 hearts done during the six hours with a little help from speedy Kerry!  This project is nearly finished which makes me real happy since I've got so many other projects going on.

This week I'll be focusing on two 2012 January UFO deadlines.  This is Kontinuum my January UFO #5 with Patchwork Times.  I have all the major blocks done.  I am assembling the 84 small 9-Patches that will be part of the border right now.

How's your week looking? Lot's of quilters showing off their Design Walls today at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, January 22, 2012

Again nothing USED!  But PURCHASE I did!  What fun I had...of course now with less pennies in my piggy bank.  The report is showing a bigger negative than last week.  I'm not going to say anything about when this current trend will go in the other direction.  This is just the way it is right now. 

I attended the Road to California Quilters' Conference & Showcase.  Kerry and I attend this together annually usually staying in the Doubletree which puts us in walking distance from the Convention Center and the location of the Mystery Workshop that finishes real late at night.

Quilters Paradise in Escondido helped me with my first purchase this week.  FQs and a bit of yardage for the Road to California Quilt Show workshop Lakeside Mystery 1 with Tracey Brookshier that I took on Friday night from 6pm to midnight.  I had a good start from my stash for the project, just not a stripe and some additional coordinating fabrics with the start.  I was real excited how these pieces worked in to the rest.

The second purchase came at lunchtime the day of the workshop at the Vendor Mall on the Showroom Floor.  Turns out the Mango Margarita Bali Pop didn't have enough lights in it for the Scrappy Layered Log Cabin workshop with Karen Eckmier.  Kerry and I purchased a bunch of FQs and split them to keep going in the class.  Both of us could have shopped in our stash, but it exactly in our reach being 1.5 hours one way away from the classroom.  We also purchased Karen's book...sorry classmates I got the last one she had with her.  Karen took the time to sign it too.

Saturday was our Showroom Floor day that began immediately at the Koala booth.  I did it!  In just a few short weeks I'll be having furniture delivered that will be awesome.  I decided on white (just like the picture) and wine upholstery for the chair.  In the photo the base cabinet which is where the machine is located with two sets of drawers one on either side fo the chair.  I also got the optional leaf and shelves that attach under it.  I also got the extra 6" height.  The extra height will make it kitchen counter heights so there's no bending over to cut.  I'm terribly excited!  I picked up a package of bobbins for the new machine too.  It was getting a little silly with only two bobbins; stopping to fill them up all the time instead of having a bunch done at once.  You know how fast you can get through two bobbins.

The final fabric purchase was reproduction theme blacks and a great cheddar.  A pattern caught my eye that will need a bunch of small scale blacks so I'll be building my stash with them until I need a new project and I've got enough variety. The pattern is called Licorice Allsorts by The Rabbit Factory.  I also picked up the book Beauty 'n Check from the Cozy booth.  I've been waiting for this book for at least two years.  The authors held a class at Cozy's awhile back that I really wanted to attend but timing just wasn't what would work at the time. 

Here's the damage!  Check me out tomorrow and I'll show you what I was able to accomplish during the 12 hours of sewing in Friday's two workshops.

Used this week: 0 yards
Used YTD: 0 yards
Purchased this week: 6.75 yards
Purchased YTD: 9.75 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2012: -9.75 yards

How am I matching up to what you're doing?  See others adding and using up their stash at Patchwork Times.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Happy Wednesday!  Hump day for most of us...but for me its the start of only two work days left this week.  Then it's time to have fun!  Starting Thursday it's Road to California Quilt Show the Best Quilt Show in the West.  I'm going with Kerry on Friday morning bright and early to arrive by 8am for the first workshop Scrappy Layered Log Cabin taught by Karen Eckmeier.  We will be making a quilt that's approximately 42" x 50" with an assortment of dark and light scraps and black.  I'll be using what is left of two Mango Margarita Bali Pops and my favorite black Kona cotton.  It's a raw edge project that looks like it will be fun putting together.

Scrappy Layered Log Cabin

The second workshop of the day starts at 6pm and goes until midnight. Yes you heard right midnight. Sounds like Tracey Brookshier has a fun evening planned out with this Mystery project along with a contest to boot. We had homework and I'm working on that today. Fabric requirements are 1-2 yards of medium or large scale print in a particular theme along with 12 or more FQs of small or tone on tone prints; half light and the other dark that will coordinate with the large scale print. Last fabric to bring is a coordinating striped fabric; stripes running parallel to the selvage. Here are my fabrics before cutting along with the "or more FQs". Hope I've chosen correctly. Morgan my 4 year old niece will be the recipient of this project.



Lakeside Mystery 1



Lakeside Mystery 1 Extra Fabrics



Then it's to bed for the Quilt Show and Vendor Mall in the morning on Saturday.  Hopefully I'll be able to meet up with friends at lunchtime on Friday and just before the second workshop.  Not to mention seeing other friends on the show room floor.  One thing I'm sure to purchase at the show is a Koala sewing cabinet.  I've been waiting to see first hand what I'll be ordering and the "Show Deal".  Today I learned of another item I'll be purchasing at the "Show Deal" is the book I've been waiting for for two years Beauty 'n Check by Janice Ellertson and Jodel Yover.  It will be available at the Cozy Quilt Shop Booth.  Wonder what other goodies will entice us this year?





Next picture is of a block swap that I've been coordinating.  Blocks are due to me by the end of February and already I've got the blocks from Karen C, Lisa F, Joan T, and Collette M.  The last stack are my blocks to swap.  We are swapping Bonnie Hunter's Chunky Churndashes, 30 must be swapped giving each of us two from everyone participating.  11 more to turn in as of today but we've got lots of time yet. 



Chunky Churndashes Swap

Last but not any less exciting came tonight to my doorstep from my Mom.  I will certainly put this Iron Caddy from Keepsake Quilting to work this weekend.  A big thank you to my best friend!  Love you Mom.

Iron Caddy

That's it for now.  I'll be back soon to tell you about my Road to California Quilt Show adventure.