Design Wall Monday, September 17, 2012

No Klucks Here!

I was busy on Sunday teaching No Klucks Here! at Paradise Quilters in Escondido, CA.  No time for any sewing until way late in the evening. 

Kollinwood Konnections, Kontinental, Klowning

I got the bindings and sleeves all pressed and ready to attach to my newly quilted quilts.  Klowning, Kontinental, and Kollinwood Konnections.  Klowning and Kontinental are both Bonnie Hunter designs (Little Monkey! and Take A Scrappy Trip Around the World!).  Kollinwood Konnections is a Judy Laquidara design (Road to Brownwood).  All of these patterns can be found on their websites.

I didn't get a chance to go this year to the San Diego Quilt Show that happened this past weekend.  I heard good things about the new format and the volunteers organizing the event.  I had five quilts displayed.  Kerry went to Preview Night and took photos for me of my entries.

Korabell and Krissy, Kitty, and Karl

I did have a completion in Korabell and her three Kitties over the weekend.  Hope to work on my class sample of No Klucks Here! this week along with hand sewing the bindings.  It is sure to be a busy sewing week.

Tonight is Canyon Quilt Guild's September Meeting.  Harriet Hargrave is our speaker who will show us a trunk show of her wonder machine quilting.

Sunday Stash Report, September 16, 2012

Korabell with her kitties Krissy, Kitty and Karl are done!  I decided this weekend to get this very cute cat doll done.  She's been sitting waiting in a dark box for nearly two years now.  I took this class at Country Loft on my Birthday in 2010.  Gosh time does fly!

Saturday I picked up three quilts at Kerry's Quilting.  I have the bindings started on all three.  Next is the iron and the sewing.  I'll share more information on these three projects tomorrow.  Now it's off to Quilters Paradise where I have a class to teach!

No changes this week.  See what others are doing with their stash at Patchwork Times.

Used this week: 0 yards
Used YTD: 209.5 yards

Purchased this week: 0 yards

Purchased YTD: 102.5 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2012: 107 yards

Thursday, July 5, 2012

I was busy yesterday putting the finishing touches on these two projects.  First up is the Hot Air Balloon top that is my Mom's.  The blocks came from a swap she participated in a couple of years back.  I don't know if the others who swapped found it has hard to find a fabric to sash the blocks with that would go along with all the different blue backgrounds that perplexed us.  Once the decision was made to go for the black and white 1/4" check...it had to be found.  Finding what you'd think to be a "staple" sort of fabric didn't turn out that way at all.  Finally found though and ready for quilting.  I found putting the white with black dots in the corners gave it a a bit of a punch too.  Three more blocks are left which will find their way onto the back.

Betty's Hot Air Balloon

Over the course of the week I finished all 20 blocks, decided on an arrangement and then started assembly.  Blue is a pleasing color for both gals and girls so navy became the inner border and scraps from a 2005 quilt were enough for the second border.  I'm still working on a back for this project that I'm calling Kontinental.  It is a pattern by Bonnie Hunter that is offered FREE on her website called Scrappy Trips Around The World. 



Kontinental

 It was real nice having yesterday to sew.  Since I'm a bit ahead on my UFOs the sewing has been on getting a few projects without due dates done before I have to put them on a list!  Tomorrow is an off day for me.  I have Klowning on my sewing table with one more border to attach before it can be called complete.  Klowning is my July UFO Challenge with Patchwork Times.  Maybe I'll work on Korabell and her kitties next...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Here's Kommodore so far.  I've got it up on my wall with the usual blue painters tape.  One day I'll make it a real design wall (hubby gave me the green light!).  I still have a bit of rearranging to do with the blocks before I sew them together.  The green is the first border that is all one fabric instead of making it scrappy.  I thought it would calm the middle a bit before the scrappy pieced border.  I'll be finishing it off with the binding in a medium purple; probably again with one fabric.  I don't have enough of any of the fabrics I have left in this shade so it will probably be a purchase...unless one of my friends has something they want to rid from their stash :)!

The pieced blocks on the top are the way the project is designed, but I like the green together around the corner like the layout below.  Any opinions?

Tomorrow is the last working day of the week for me.  I have a class on Friday at Country Loft where I'll be making another cat doll.  Korabell and her three kitties are still meowing to be finished...but you know a class for a project you want to make doesn't come around all the time...

Have a wonderful finish to this week.  May is just around the corner.  Do you have all your challenges for the month done?

Design Wall Monday, March 5, 2012

Here we go March!  Already two months of 2012 behind us...where does all the time go?  Today I've spent the good portion of it with Kordova Klosure.  I got all the blocks together now into rows.  The rows still need to be stitched yet.  I also have the border pieces together.  Tonight after work I'll spend time stitching the rows and then adding the borders.  I'm planing on making mind a bit larger so that it will fit on my bed.  I'll be adding a black border and then a red border using pieces that are left.

Looking forward to having this project finished so that I can move on to my two March projects. 

I haven't finished Korabell and her kitties yet, but when I was at Country Loft over the weekend I signed up for another doll class.  Fat Cats is really cute and looks quick.  Aren't their bags too cute?  Debra had signed up for this project and suggested I join in on the fun.  I resisted until I saw these at the shop.  I picked up a light gray for one of the cats and will look for more of this dark gray stripe or something similar for the second cat.  I have a shout out to Heavens to Betsy which is a wool manufacture where this piece came from.  Hopefully they'll have another piece; keeping my fingers crossed.

Hope you have a wonderful week.  Check out more quilty works in progress at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday, January 16, 2012

I've got several things going on in my sewing room today.  Too many to put on my design wall.  This is what is on my wall.  It is from a Scrappy Trips Around the World workshop I took with Bonnie Hunter at Memory Lane Quilt Shop on Wednesday.  I have just six of the 20 that I'm planning on making.  I've not decided on a name for this one yet, but it will go together fast once I get back to sewing it.

The other projects I have started and not finished include the Cheddar Bow-Ties (Bonnie Hunter) which is sewn up to my scraps of blues and oranges.  This one will be sewn as these fabrics come along OR I get to excited with it to wait!

Chunky Churndashes (Bonnie Hunter) is part of a swap that I'm coordinating with 15 others.  Several have turned in their swap blocks which are supposed to be to me by the end of February.  There will be more on this project later in the week.

 
Kontinuum (Judy Laquidara's Connect the Dots) is at Clue #3 which is the last of the connector block being assembled with the top's assembly as well.  It also has the instructions for the borders.  This is my January 2012 #5 UFO with Patchwork Times.

Komplikated (Bonnie Hunter's Patches and Pinwheels) is ready to assemble.  This is a 2011 UFO.

Kordova Klosure (Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay) is at Part 7.

Korabell and her three kitties (JoAnn Mullaly's Mama Cat) is no further along since what was done in the workshop that was in October last year.

Kartwheels (Judy Niemeyer's Mariner's Star) hasn't been touched since May 2011.  This one is a 2011 UFO.  It is sort of on hold until I decide what to do with the center melons.  Not excited with what I have at the moment.

Another January 2012 UFO is with Jo's Country Junction from Quilt Squares #1, the log cabin quilt.  It is a 12" x 12" project that once going won't take long to finish.

Finally two new projects to cut for in the next couple of days.  Yes it is crazy cutting out more when all the ones I've already mentioned aren't done!  I'm taking two workshops at Road to California Quilt Show this weekend.  The first is Scrappy Layered Log Cabin with Karen Eckmeier; the second is a mystery with Tracey Brookshier on Friday night.  I'll show you what fabrics come from my stash later this week.

If you have more time look at other Quilter's Design Walls via Patchwork Times.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

I did not have the normal Saturday sewing with Kerry.  She's in retail and this is a busy time for her with Macy's.  I may have changed the routine anyway since I have so much catching up to do with all the sewing projects I have going on in my sewing room.

When I got home from my Thanksgiving trip I had a package from Australian Homespun.  I won the the Readers' Showcase for Volume 13 No 2 which goes on sale in Australia on February 8.  Thank you Elizabeth Newton, Deputy Editor of Homespun and Clover for great quilting tools!  The 60mm rotary cutter and case are items I've been hankering to have in my tool box!

As I closed the evening on Friday I had quite a few Step 2s completed. 

I was so excited to get going in the morning that before 8am I had finished all 72 blocks plus one for good measure.    Before the day is done...after all the household chores these will be trimmed down and Step 2 will be done. 

I'll be working on Step 1 next.  I've got 145 of these to cut and sew.  Friday during lunch break I did get a few cut, but much more to do before this step in complete.

I'm planning on the November UFO Kourageous Heartsease next and then it's on to the BOM for Sunshine and Step 3.  Korabell and her kitties will have to wait along with Komplikated and the Chunky Churndash project.  Bonnie Hunter sure has me busy!

Hope you have something fun in work in your sewing room.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Isn't this the cutest drawing.  It was on a blog post about tension, ever heard about T-N-T?  If you haven't been looking at Quiltmaker's Quilty Pleasures blog posts you should.  There are some very good tips, tricks, techniques and show/tell presented by Diane Harris.

I missed finishing my November UFO #3 Kourageous Heartsease block on it's due date :(!  This one is designed by Claudia Hasenbach.  Kourageous blocks completed to date and the fabrics intended for the last two blocks got a lot of oohs and aahs when shown to family.  I sure hope I'm able to find the perfect setting for these extra special blossoms.

I did find time though to do a little sewing on Kordova Klosure that is Bonnie Hunter's current Mystery, Orca Bay.  Steps 1 and 2 are partially completed.  Step 3 was released today.  I'm very anxious to get this one up to date.

My Mom and I cut from her stash pieces for a Chunky Churndash project where I'm coordinating a block swap with a total of 16 quilters.  It's due date is the end of February.  Another Bonnie Hunter design.

Komplikated (Bonnie Hunter's Patches and Pinwheels) travelled to Maryland with me, but didn't see outside my suitcase.  You never know if time will be available so we must be prepared right :)!

Korabell and her three kittens are meowing to be finished...my goodness am I behind!  I should ask Santa for more sewing time!

What order these get done along with Sunshine's Block of the Month is yet undecided...guess it really doesn't matter too much as long as they get done!  Spending the Thanksgiving week and a few days afterward slowed me down in the sewing department.  It's been unusually cool in San Diego of late so a good weekend to stay inside.  Wonder if there are any TV Series marathons this weekend?

I'll have pictures to post as I make progress.  Hope you have a quilty weekend.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

I spent the day on Friday, my birthday gift to myself...making Korabell and her three kitties Krissy, Kitty, and Karl.  Probably hard to tell but I did make lots of progress.  I have all the cats cut out.  Korabell has her head, one arm, and two legs stuffed.  Kitty is stuffed too!  With the help of my classmates I have all the fabrics to make each of the pieces of clothing they'll wear, the cotton Pearle threads to put things together and rusty wire for their whiskers.  The hardest part was finding the right pink for the cats noses and the right tummy and paw fabric.  Thanks to Maureen and JoAnn's stash!  The fabrics behind the cats are the clothes they'll be wearing.  The tan wool at the lower left is for the tummies and paws.  JoAnn is a great teacher.  If you are in the area or just visiting and want to take a doll making workshop check at the Country Loft.


So let me share with you pictures of what was going on during our workshop.  The workshop was scheduled to make the cute fairy doll most were working on.  Clara and I worked on a different pattern.  Clara is making a much smaller doll that has a male companion; both will be dressed in Halloween attire.


Susan



Maureen



Linda and Mary



Clara



Linda



JoAnn

 

This is Kit Kat Mama with her kitties.  When I get done Korabell and her kitties will hopefully be just as cute as she is!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Happy Wednesday!  Its a special day for me today...my Birthday!  I learned that today is the most common of days to be born...now that is some trivia I never knew about until yesterday.  If you are one of them Happy Birthday to you too!  I hope you've got something special in your schedule to celebrate.  Bonnie and Sue are taking me to lunch and I've received well wishes and cards (which I love receiving) from several friends; ones that I've known for years too many to count on all my fingers and toes.  I love celebrating my Birthday!

So this week I've been working on what I want to work on most, Kolonial.  On Sunday I assembled all dark and light star blocks (two stacks on bottom right).  Last night I finished the remaining broken dish blocks (the two stacks at the front on the left).  Tonight I'll separate out the corner stone broken dish blocks and assemble what's left into pairs.  That's it and I'm ready to assemble the top.

Thursday night I'll have to gather my supplies for my Kit Kat Mama workshop at Country Loft in La Mesa on Friday.  I decided to give myself a Birthday gift with a class and a day off work!

Enjoy today, do something you want to do, and if you are celebrating a Birthday I hope you have some nice surprises.  We only get these days once a year, right?

Design Wall Monday, October 3, 2011

 

Here's Kit Kat Mama.  I will be attending a class at Country Loft in La Mesa on Friday to make my own.  I have found some cute names for my cats.  Korabell is Mama and Kitty, Krissy, and Karl are her kittens.  There will be more posts about this project as I bring my supplies together and take the class.

This past Thursday was the last workshop to make this project, Crazy Cats.  I'll be calling my project, Katnip Krazy.  Earlier posts will give you more information if you are interested in making one of your own.  The quilt pictured adds a real cute mouse design into the border.  The idea comes from Julanne who taught the class.  My project is coming along nicely.  I have all the cats done and four of the 12 flowers.  I have a purple for the border and will use scraps from the project for the mice.  I will probably remake one of the flowers as I like the way the one two in on the top row has a background that matches the border.  Wasn't aware of the border when I selected the original flower fabrics.  No biggy, I'll just put the extra flower on the back as part of the label. 

Thanks Julanne for a great workshop.  I will certainly be taking more from Julanne with these Buggy Barn designs.

Kolonial has had no progress.  I really want to be working on this project.  I've had some exciting news recently and having this project done would be great.

I'm at assembling the components into the main block designs.  I have just had too many things going on with more demanding due dates.

Mom is helping me use stash too!   Thank you Mom.  This is one of her charity tops.  It is a strip block design and I am providing from my stash the back.  I have lots of novelty fabrics in colors that work with the top to be used.

What took most of my time the last couple of days was finishing the September UFO with Patchwork Times.  It is the last block on the row by itself, the pansy, soon to be followed by October UFO, meadow buttercup.  These blocks are my Kourageous project.  I'm telling you now I will not wait until the last minute again. 

The meadow buttercup isn't nearly as complex as others have been with just 18 Sections and a total of 89 pieces.  I will be selecting black and white fabric this time as there aren't enough of these colors in the mix.  There are only two more flowers to be chosen to finish off what I plan to use for Kourageous.  Among the possibilities are magnolias, a heartsease, a thistle, a calla lily, and several others.

Do you think I have enough going on yet?  Patches and Pinwheels a Bonnie Hunter design is a 2011 UFO also.  My project is called Komplikated.  I'm way behind on finishing these.  I've got three Judy Niemeyer projects still to go plus more if I get through my list to do in 2011.

Well I think I've covered just about everything that's active in my sewing room.  I'm working to get through each and every one.  Wish I had a few days...perhaps a week...to sit and sew.  Hey where and when is the next Quilting Retreat?  Look for other wonderful project from the group of quilters that are participating this week on Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, October 2, 2011

Awhile ago I participated for a second time in a 6" block swap.  During the week I got two blocks.  Bringing my total to a total of four.  Not sure this is well received seems like I remember the exchange should have brought me enough to make a lap quilt...  Oh well, I played along but please don't involve me again...thank you!

I did make some purchases this week and unfortunately I still have not been able to finish Kolonial. 

Three of the fabrics are just because; shall we say stash enhancers?  I picked up the three one yard pieces on the top right from Quilter's Coop in Temecula while walking the streets during the Temecula Outdoor Quilt Show.  What a nice shop they have on Old Town Front Street.  While there I was enticed to pick up a kit for my Mom that makes a Christmas Tree Pin and a pattern for a small 17" x 22" quilt project called Little School Girl by Lori Smith.

The bottom right are fabrics that do have a need for my Kit Kat Mama doll.  I purchased these two half yard pieces from the Temecula Quilt Co on Temecula Parkway.  I was there to attend their Grand Opening.  They have a Red and White Quilt Show going on during the month of October.  This is the show that my Krimson Khat is being displayed.  I have photos to share of this event another time.  Back to the need for the fabric...the class is coming on Friday at Country Loft.  They will be for Korabell the Mama cat.  She has a bibbed skirt and pantaloons.  I've got more to pull from my stash to dress the three doll kitties; Kitty, Krissy, and Karl.  I will have a post about this project a bit later this week.  I also picked up a pattern book for several of the small Red and White quilts that were part of the show.  None of the patterns needs more than half a yard of a light and a dark.  The largest pattern is no bigger than 18" x 24".  I'm rather partial to the Tree of Life design that makes up 11" x 13".

The top left fabric, 1-1/4 yards, is the borders for Katnip Krazy.  The final class was this past Thursday at Amidon's with Julanne.  I didn't have the yardage requirements or the instructions for the mice border until then.  This purple batik had just the right things going on.  The border is adorable with mice running about.  I will be using pieces left from the cats and flowers for the mice.  A later post with more about this project is coming as well.

So my used stays unchanged and my purchased accumulates to 104 yards.

Used this week: 0 yards
Used YTD: 192.50 yards
Purchased this week: 5.25 yards
Purchased YTD: 104 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2011: 88.5 yards

Och!  My Purchased YTD has exceeded my Net Fabric Used in 2011!  I best get something done.  Hope you did better than me this week.  Check out others progress at Patchwork Times.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

My Crazy Cats project is moving forward.  Eight are done and two to go!  If you take a Buggy Barn workshop from Julanne she'll give to you your very own pizza box.  She's found it convenient to store Buggy Barn pattern pieces while you are working on the project.  You put your master at the bottom and then stack your individual fabric pieces together placing them in the correct locations according to the master.  When you sew each block you'll take pieces from the top layer and sew together.  If you need to stop and store you pin the individual fabric pieces together close the lid and DON'T shake!  When you are ready to sew again you remove the pins and you are right back where you need to be.  If you try this make sure you get the biggest "clean" pizza box you can find OR come to one of Julanne's workshops :)!  Next Thursday is the second part of the workshop.  We'll be working on the flowers and the cute mouse border that Julanne includes that is not part of the published pattern; wait till you see how cute these are.

Yesterday my spider had to build a new home...with time to spare I received the wool that I ordered from Primitive Gatherings.  The redish orange on the left will be for Kit Kat Mama and probably one of her kittens (there are three).  The ivory is for another kitten and I already have two other black pieces I'm considering for kitty three.  Wish I had the pattern to share with you now; I'll be getting it soon.  The class is October 7th at the Country Loft in La Mesa, CA.  I really like the blue wool; it will potentially be used for clothing that these cats will be "dressed" in.  The other two maroon and green will find a way into this project along with lots of scraps I have from making Kevin and Koraline (two earlier projects).  Haven't decided on names for Mama and her three kittens...of course all four must be "K" names.  Hmmm...what is a good name for a Mama?  Klaudine comes to mind...need a name like Alice (which was my Grandma's) or perhaps Thelma maybe...don't know why Thelma came to mind!

I found an error that I couldn't live with on my August UFO completion, the Iris block for my Kourageous project.  I put my Clover seam ripper to several very tiny stitches and carefully removed the two pieces.  I used the wrong color fabric in both of these locations which fortunately were two outside pieces; do you see them?  I know if I'd left them wrong it would have driven me crazy so the undesirable deed was accomplished.  Much happier now that its right.  I also have all 23 paper pieces cut for the sewing to start on September UFO, the Pansy block.  As I mentioned earlier this one is a doozy.  I'll be sewing it together on Sunday.  Ticktock!  The end of the month is looming closer.

Kolonial is coming along nicely too.  I'm in a holding pattern until the two time critical projects are complete (Crazy Cats and Pansy).  I'm getting so close its hard not to spend time finishing it.  When this project is finished there will be a happy dance when I post my Stash Report!

So what have you been doing so far this week?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Hope every one's week is going well so far.  Mine has been really busy...but I treated myself tonight with a manicure/pedicure and a bit more.  I've been due for awhile now and finally decided tonight was the night.  I'm happy with the nice little massage my arms to my elbows and legs to my knees get...

Tuesday night as I mentioned in an earlier post was Sunshine Quilt Guild monthly meeting.  Crazy Jacks stepped out with a big bang!  YIPPEE!  It raised $67 for the evening.  There is one more selling night and the winner is drawn at the October monthly meeting.  We had our customary September meeting program to announce the officer for the coming membership year (I took on two responsibilities that were totally unplanned) and the Ice Cream Social.  We had lots of fun with two games and the ice cream with all the wonderful toppings was a nice touch to our earlier dinner at Outback Steak House. 

There is no right or wrong answer for the Nine Patch Retreat Packing Plan (which I took home a prize for a BINGO!).  There are right answers for the Quilting can be a Crime of Passion game.  I'll let you know them if you are interested in my Sunday blog post. 

I picked up the BOM for the month that will be due in October.  It is a traditional Quilters Cache pattern called Sweet Gum Leaf where we were provided a cream batik for the background.  We will choose a fall colored batik for the leaf.

I'm getting ready to take another doll making class at Country Loft in La Mesa.  It is scheduled for October 7th.  I ordered some wool from Primitive Gatherings Quilt Shop that I'm hoping arrives in time.  Wow...wool is much more expensive than cotton! 

I have a gray and black cat dolls already.  Kevin was my first and Koraline was last year.  So this time I wanted to have an orangish cat (like my cats Kaos and Komotion).  The pattern is KitKat Mama which has three kittens.  I'll be making Mama and one kitten in the orangish wool, and the other two kittens gray and beige.  Also picked up a couple of accent wools in indigo and periwinkle.  Wish me luck on everything arriving in time.  The orangish fabric is new and advertised as being available in September; we'll see.  Haven't named Mama or her kittens yet.  You do know that they'll all have "K" names :)!

Finally my Buggy Barn Crazy Cats pattern's first workshop is tomorrow at Amidon Quiltworks.  It was to be the second of two workshops for this pattern, but last Thursday's workshop was halted by the DARK SAN DIEGO power outage.  Looking forward to this workshop with the rescheduled second workshop on September 29th.

Yes indeed this has and continues to be a busy week!  Happy sewing to you all.