Design Wall Monday, December 31, 2012

Here we are the last day of 2012...  I close the year with Kwitcherbitchin on my design wall.  You can see that I have some blocks yet to assemble, but all are trimmed up and ready.  This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern called Pfefferneuse.  Next will be to sew the blocks into rows.  This one is nearly done.  Kwitcherbitchin will likely be my first completion of 2013!

I was so anxious with Kwitcherbitchin that Step 6 didn't get done by today when Step 7 gets released.  Once again a Bonnie Hunter pattern called Easy Street.  I have several of the strips cut out and ready...I won't fall behind!!!

Be careful if you venture out tonight.  Remember to both drive smart and defensive.  Happy New Years!

Sunday Stash Report, December 30, 2012

Busy with Kwitcherbitchin the last couple of days.  There are 288 hour glass blocks to assemble for Bonnie Hunter's Pfefferneuse project.  They are definitely the time consumer in this design.  You can see I still have a stack of neutral/dark string blocks as well as neutral/green hour glass blocks to trim down.  I'm using my Bloc-Loc Rulers for this step.  Every time I use these rulers I'm pleased with the results.  I can't suggest enough to get a set of your own.

I'm putting the blocks up on the wall as I trim.  Moving them around to balance out the fabrics.  I think my Lori Smith blocks are going to come down to make room for Kwitcherbitchin.  There are still three up/down rows to get up.  Plenty of room once the 2012 Quilt Square Quilt Along Blocks come down.  Oh by the way the drums, guitar, and piano are applique patterns that I plan to use for wall hangings that DH requested.  I've got the fabrics for the drums already selected.  I'll be sharing this project with you soon.

As for the 2012 Year End Stash Report...  I've had a pretty good year.  2013 I'm hoping will be equal or better in the used category.  Hope that you were able to do what you set your sights on.  See how others performed in 2012 through the links at Patchwork Times.

 Used this week: 0 yards
Used YTD: 290 yards

Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased YTD: 147.75 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2012: 142.25 yards

Thursday, December 27, 2012

These are the dark fabrics I will use for my dark string blocks.  I was able to finish them up yesterday. 

Green seemed to speak out a bit, so green became my hour glass fabric.

Yes the sewing table does get a bit messy when it comes to sewing strings!

I put together a few of the hour glass units just to see how it would look.

Once I decided I liked the green...more were cut.  I'll be working on sewing these today.

Not a lot of variety yet, but you can see that it's coming!  Love my design wall...

Wednesday, Decmeber 26, 2012

I find that I need something more to do! Bonnie's annual mystery Easy Street isn't keeping me busy enough... 

 My Mom misread the neutral string block swap instructions.  (Is everyone on schedule to having them done by the end of January?)  They are quite nice but she added in gray fabrics.  Everyone will expect to get whites, creams, and beiges...not gray in their blocks.  Since Mom used up most of her neutrals for these blocks I sent her a bunch of neutral strips for her to make new ones.  I suggested different project ideas that she could do with these.  She instead gifted them to me.  Mom stitched these together very well.  The colors are something I can sure work with. 

 

I scanned Bonnie Hunters String Fling book and decided on Pfefferneuse.  I'll add dark browns, grays, and blacks for the dark string block.  Not sure what color I'll do with the hourglass blocks yet.  Maybe as I put the dark string blocks together the color will present itself.  It will be great to use up some fabrics from both of these overflowing totes.  On one of DH and my visits to Old Towne in San Diego recently we both noticed a wall decoration that resembled a license plate.  Printed was "Kwitcherbitchin".  Seems to fit this project...what do you think?

Mom also sent me some Fat Quarters she won at guild meeting holiday parties.  She sure seems to be lucky quite often!  Mom feels a bit intimidated by her growing stash...  Thanks Mom.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I finished four holiday ornaments that will become gifts for next year.  It's a block I found from a link on Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville Blog.  I enlarged it to make small individual quilts that will finish around 17 x 20.  Right now they are at 8 1/2" square.

This is how the blocks I've been making all year turned out.  I was participating with other quilters at Jo's Country Junction.  We made a 12 1/2" block each month that would come from Lori Smith's From my Heart to Your Hands series of patterns called Quilt Squares.  We made three from each of #1, #4 and #6.

Several quilters made small quilts with their blocks.  I plan on making a sampler lap quilt with mine.  I'm looking for ideas now with plans to finish it in 2013.

December's Sawtooth Star with QSTs

Design Wall Monday, December 24, 2012

Today I have Easy Street Step 5 to share.  None of the pieces from the first five steps have made it to my design wall yet since we don't know what Bonnie Hunter has in mind for the layout.  I'm excited to see what she's come up with for this year's mystery.  We still have the apple greens to get into the mix.

Fabrics cut into strips and then 3 1/2" turquoise squares and 2" purple squares

Marking the diagonal on 2" purple squares.  Both grey and white lead used, many purples too dark for grey

Sewing the first 2" purple to the 3 1/2" turquoise squares.  Assembly style.

All 64 with the first part of the unit sewn.

Next the top corner just 1/4" above the seam timmed.

Then pressed open.

Next sew the second 2" square to all 64 units.

Trim again.

Press one last time.

Step 5 done!

I hope you were able to get all your holiday gifts sewn in time.  Santa Claus comes tonight!

Sunday Stash Report, December 23,2012

The last report of the year.  Wish I'd stopped at the last few weeks numbers...but, turns out I went to Fat Quarters Quilt Shop in Vista, CA.  I purchased for two projects.  First 30s fabrics for Kookabura that is one of my projects for 2013.  Second woven fabrics for something new to me wool applique projects.  That brings my used net for 2012 down just a bit.  I would have loved to have gotten to 300 yards!

For 1/4 yd cuts for background

Kookabura, 2013 Project

All in all I'd say it has been a pretty productive year from my stash.  Hope you have been happy with what your numbers from 2012.

Used this week: 0 yards
Used YTD: 290 yards

Purchased this week: 3.25 yards
Purchased YTD: 147.75 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2012: 142.25 yards

Thursday, December 20, 2012

I got another ornament finished last night.  These are fun and not too hard.  They are paper pieced though which might turn some of you off!  I just love this background fabric.  It's the last of it I have...this ornament might just have to remain in my home.  I sure would love to find this white on white again.

I went to Fat Quarters Quilt Shop in Vista during my lunch break on Wednesday with Bonnie.  I was surprised to run into Joan.  Joan is going to help me get going on some wool applique.  I have quite a bit of scraps from making my cat dolls but not the woven cottons that will be used for the backgrounds.  This pattern uses four squares sewn together to create it's background then two boomerang shaped hearts (the smaller on top of the larger) in each of the four squares.  I'm supposed to use a "slip stitch" with pearl cotton thread.  I'm excited to get this going.  Thanks Joan for getting me into this technique.  You should see Joan's lovely projects...OMG! 

While at Fat Quarters Quilt Shop I picked up (along with Bonnie's help) a few 30s fabrics for my Kuibble project that is one of my want to dos for 2013.  This one has lots of pieces so it's a good one to cut out now.  Sure isn't easy finding the black prints.  I did pick up two blacks and seven brights.  Mom's sure to find a few in her stash so I'll wait until I see what she sends (or brings with her in January) until I pick up any more. Bonnie is planning a trip to the Temecula Quilt Company to look for more blacks.  I think I may be looking online too.

Have a great day today...only five more until Christmas!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

I worked on more of the cute Christmas ornaments last night.  The one above will be gold with red flying geese.  The one below will be blue with silver flying geese.

Then I cut out as much as I could of the black background for a 2013 project that I'll be calling Kuibble.  I still need a bunch of the 1 3/4" strips yet.  I don't have much 30s fabrics so I'm hoping to raid my Mom's and friends stash just a bit.  Black 30s fabrics are hard to find I'm learning.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

In keeping with the festive Holiday spirit I thought I'd whip up a couple of these Christmas Ornaments.  I'm planning to make each of them into small quilts.  Just the right size for many small spaces that need a little holiday excitement.  Too bad I didn't start these a bit earlier as I could have made them as gifts.  I've got more patterns printed to make several more before Step 5 of Bonnie Hunter's Mystery is released this Friday.

Only three more days until my Holiday break from work begins.  It will be nice having nearly two full weeks off.  Enjoy your day!

Design Wall Monday, December 17, 2012

Step 4 is done.  I thought certain we'd be doing something in this step with the green.  Bonnie is teasing us...  I did have part of my guess what would happen with Step 4; we did sew units together!

I got done with the holiday decorations around my home today.  I have loads more Christmas balls to hang on the tree, but what's there right now looks pretty good.  Maybe its just enough this year.

Let's see what can I work on for the next few days.  Step 5 will be upon us before we know it.  Lot's more going on in sewing rooms around the globe.  Check some of them out at Patchwork Times and Quiltville.

Sunday Stash Report, December 16, 2012

I had my Step 4 done on Friday.  I sure like how these colors are coming together.  I'll be sewing the units of Step 2 together with these Step 4 units today.  I've not started anything else that can't be finished quickly because I want to focus on Bonnie's Mystery. 

No changes to my stash report this week either.  It's been that way for a few weeks now.  I am spending time sewing just no completions to speak about.

Hope you have a wonderful day.  It's dreary in San Diego.  We've been having lots of rain lately...a good thing for us.  Just a little over a week until Christmas are you ready?

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times.

Used this week: 0 yards
Used YTD: 290 yards

Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased YTD: 144.5 yards
Net Fabric Used in 2012: 145.5 yards

Thursday, December 13, 2012

I finished up the last Quilt Square Quilt Along block for the project.  This was a one a month block or small quilt project that I participated with Jo's Country Junction.  I've still got to give it a good press.  Oops I see a problem on the top row.  Guess I'll be fixing that later today!

This is Sunshine Quilt Guild's December 2012 Block of the Month.  Participants were provided the white snowflake background.  We were to add a Holiday fabric.  I tossed and turned with a blue fabric instead of the green.  The blue really did look good...

We have lots of heavy rain in San Diego today.  Our winter is upon us!  Hope your day is a little less gloomy or you can cuddle up in your sewing room.

Tuesday, December 11,2012

Monday I receieved my winnings from the drawing held at Jo's Country Junction.  It comes from participating in the Quilt Squares Quilt Along that's been going on this year.  There are some nice patterns from Country Threads that I'm hankering to make.  Thank you Jo!

Tonight is the Holiday Meeting of Sunshine Quilters in El Cajon.  A Potluck Night, YUM!  I'm to bring a desert so I decided to make the Pumpkin Pie Bars that took Best Side Dish recently at work.  This recipe is a winner!  For anyone who likes pumpkin you'll love it.

Design Wall Monday, December 10, 2012

Step 3 Finished!  Ready for the GREEN...  Are you keeping up?  Friday will be here before you know it.

These are all the pieces for Lori Smith's Pattern #6.  I have a little bit to finish yet until I can call this block done.  This is the last of the fun many of us have been having this year at Jo's Country Junction.  I'll be putting all my blocks together for a sampler quilt.  Many have been finishing them as small quilts.

 

So what's going on in your sewing room today?