Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I finished Krabapple completely.  This project is from a swap last year of 9-patches with 18 participants.  Thanks everyone for all your wonderful 9-patches.  Pretty much this same group of participants are busy making 5" HSTs for the current swap which will be due the end of June.  Wonder what projects will be made with them?

I'm still working on Kommon Kongregation.  Hopefully by the weekend I'll be able to claim yardage.  I've moved the blocks around a bit but no new blocks have been assembled.  I'll be digging around in my stash for a suitable inner border.  Stay tuned.

Happy Hump Day!

Design Wall Monday, March 25, 2013

Sunday I spent time hand sewing and making labels.  I have one more side and the sleeve to finish Krabapple.  The three in the middle are next.  Then comes that stack of labels tucked under Christmas Tree Ornament 2 to put on everything you see.  I'm ready for more Kerry!

Kommon Kongregation is what's on my Design Wall.  I finished the block in the lower left.  It will either stay as a full block or be cut in half.  I'm going to wait to test the purple block that is yet to be assembled before deciding which block from the two on the bottom (left and center) which gets cut in half for the second row.  I'm still moving everything around to distribute color best.  I also need to select an inner border color.  I'm leaning to a dark brown.  This is a Marti Michell design called Seven Sisters Simplified.

Dancing with the Stars is on tonight.  Krabapple will keep my fingers busy for the evening.  Lot's of other projects going on around the globe that you can see through the links at Patchwork Times.  Have a wonderful week.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Kommon Kongregation

Here's where I am today.  I'm not sure that I like the full block on the fourth row from the right.  The star fabrics are much lighter than others.  Also the background seems not to work with the other backgrounds as well as the rest of the group.  I could easily cut it in half and make it work for one of the half blocks.  The jury is still out on this block being used at all.

These are the four backgrounds from my Mom that arrived yesterday.  You'll notice that the second from the right is the background fabric that is in question.  I have already used two of the others for half blocks.  The background on the top is in wait for the eggplant purples that I'm waiting on from Aunt Marti.

I decided to make another full block just in the jury says to remove the block completely.  Since I don't know whether I'll use it as a full or half...a full is going to be assembled.  This turquoise is a different color than I've used so far.  It seems to fit in fine.  I'll have this assembled today and solicit opinions on Design Wall Monday.

In the mean time I have three small quilts to get binding on and sewn down.  Krabapple is waiting its time for finishing the binding.  Labels need to be made for a bunch of them.  Never nothing it do in my sewing room.  Happy Saturday!

Sunday Stash Report, March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I'd forgotten until just hours ago that I'd never taken Patrick out of the closet to help us celebrate this day.  Hope you have a lucky day.  I'm planning on something Irish for dinner...just what is yet to be discovered!

Khambray is done.  I was able to finish it yesterday and it's now in Kerry's Quilting queue.  I found a little trouble with Cathy Wiersbicki's pattern when it came to the outside border.  I found the top and bottom didn't need the 3" cut from each end as directed and the side borders were about 7" short.  I checked all my seams and everything measured right.  Fortunately I had enough scrappy fabrics left to make it all work.  Teal YLI thread is planned, a goldish black for Sew Batik, and a feathery looking quilting pattern called Exquisite will be used.  I've got a stripe in teal and gold that will be used for the binding when the time comes.  So today I have yardage to input to the "USED" statistic!

Khambray, March 2013 UFO, 85" x 97.5"

 I've also got lots of binding to do.  These three are all at the half binding stage awaiting their turn.  Do you recognize any of them?  I'll share a full frontal when their finished.

These are the last three Ornaments to be finished.  Kerry quilted them up yesterday.  I plan red binding for each of them.  

Here's the numbers for this lucky day!

Used this week:  20.25 yards
Used YTD:  92.25 yards

Purchased this week:  0 yards

Purchased YTD:  26.25 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2013:  66 yards

Friday, March 15, 2013

Khambray

Time to assemble!  I can see that used fabrics stat changing on Sunday!  I've finished all the units now.  Taken the time this morning to mix up the blocks nicely.  Now it's time to sew the blocks together and put the borders on.

I've got three small quilts completely done.  Kerry quilted them up for me last week.  First up is Koppice that was a 2012 UFO completed on time but hadn't been quilted.  I thought about trying to quilt it myself, but why when Kerry's Quilting does such a fantastic job.  Koppice is from a pattern I picked up at Temecula Quilt Co in Temecula, CA.  It's from A Collection of Small Red and White Quilts.

Koppice, 12 1/2" x 12 1/2"

Next Kadette was completed.  Natural thread was used and the pattern changed for each block, but they were all on the same batting and back making the quilting just a bit quicker.  Kadette was a 2013 UFO.  Its from a pattern called United We Stand by Mary Herschleb Designs.  I enjoyed the tiny paper pieced pieces.  There will be another one to make in the future as promised.

Kadette, 13 1/2" x 13 1/2"

Last but not least, a Christmas Gift for someone special made well ahead of time.  I've got three others in different colors done ready for Kerry's Quilting.  The pattern is by Quilt-Pro Systems.  It was their Block of The Day on December 5, 2012.  It was designed as a paper pieced 4" square pattern that I enlarged.  It should make a nice decoration for a small space.

Ornament 1, 13 1/2" x 13 1/2"

I've got three other larger projects in the binding queue.  You'll be seeing No Klucks Here Either!, Kooky Kins, and Krabapple in the next few days.  Kerry's also suggested that the next three ornament blocks can be done tomorrow while we are sewing together for the day.

I'm off to Bits and Pieces where they are holding the newest Buggy Barn book for me.  They ordered six and got them in just yesterday...all are already spoken for!  I'll be needing mine for a workshop I'll be taking on May 4th.  We'll be doing When the Cows Come Home which is the feature design in the new book.

Have a wonderful day today!

Design Wall Monday, November 5, 2012

I finished up Krabapple and decided next to finish up a few small projects I had going on.  First up the 9-patch neutral blocks.  Another 25 were made adding to the others that will at some point be made into a project.  Don't know what that will be yet, but I'm sure these will come in handy some day.

Next up Sunshine Quilt Guild's November BOM.  The stripe was provided with instructions to add in two complimentary colors for each block.  I really liked how the green with a touch of gold sparkle played with the stripe and the rust and orange looked nice too.  I thought about a deep purple, but decided to stay in line with what might be more popular.  The deep purple really did look nice.  The meeting isn't for another week so I'm early.

Finally I pulled fabrics, cut pieces...

arranged...

and completed the November Quilt Square Quilt Along block.  This is a Lori Smith design from her pattern Quilt Squares #6.  This one is Small Quilt #5. DH said I should make this one over the Single Star design...because it looked so much like the others.  This one was more unique; so I went for it!

It brings in another light block to match the two already made.  These are the blocks that will eventually be made into a sampler.  Only December block to go.

Today at lunch I'm pulling from my 1 1/2" stash for anything that will work for Sister's Nine Patch.  This pattern is in her Adventures with Leaders and Enders book.  The pages in the book kept flipping to this pattern while I was making Krabapple (Crabapple).  There must have been something calling me to make this quilt.  I'm going to stay with Bonnie's colors that are reds ranging anywhere from dark pink to red to burgundy and neutrals ranging from white to cream to beige to tan.  Bonnie's instructions are for 2" squares, but I'm going a 1/2" smaller.  More 9-patches coming!

I will be getting into another project this week, Krayons.  The Scrappy Layered Log Cabin from a workshop I took with Karen Eckmeier in January at Road to California Quilt Show.  More on this one as the week progresses.

Make sure you vote!

Sunday Stash Report, November 4, 2012

Did you enjoy your extra hour sleep?

I have a finish this week!  Krabapple is all done and ready to be quilted.  This is a Bonnie Hunter design called Crabapple that is in her book Adventures With Leaders and Enders.  All the 9-Patches were part of a swap with 18 others that I coordinated earlier this year.

Next project will be the November small quilt that I'm participating in Jo's Country Junction Quilt Square Quilt Along.  We have our choice of two designs from Lori Smith's Small Quilts #6.  I think I'll probably make the Single Star (bottom right).

I did add a bit to my stash this week.  I purchased 4 yards for Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery Easy Street.  Pretty certain my stash will handle most of the fabric requirements.  Easy Street's first clue is released November 23rd.  Will you be quilting along too?

Used this week: 15.5  yards
Used YTD: 263.25 yards

Purchased this week: 4 yards

Purchased YTD: 129.75 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2012: 133.5  yards

Friday, November 2, 2012

Moving along on Krabapple last night.  I have the first three rows together.  I'm looking forward to a finish this weekend!

Here's part of the reason for a swift Krabapple finish...Bonnie Hunter released the fabric requirements for her annual mystery called Easy Street.  First clue is released on November 23, 2012.  Got to be ready for it.  She's been known to pack quite a bunch into a week.  I was headed to Rosie's yesterday; what better place than there to find the constant gray?  I also found some apple greens that I just know I'll need since I've been using a lot of it lately.

Stay tuned for some yardage changes on this Sunday's Stash Report!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Last night after all the Trick or Treat activity finished for the evening I sewed up the trees for Krabapple.  There are 25 trees all set and ready for on point sashing.

Tuesday night after work I cooked, and cooked, and cooked!  It was worth it as you can see from my trophies.  My Pumpkin Pie Bars (thanks Kendyll for the recipe idea) took 1st place among several other competitors! 

The White Chicken Chili had some fierce competition. There were 13 others participating in the 2nd Annual event. I'm not unhappy to have the two that won over my entry do so. One dish was full of different beans including navy beans. From the description it came over as being really spicy, being no wimp on the spicy side...I gave it a try! Apparently a wimp called it spicy...NOT! The 2nd place finish was my favorite. A Chili Verde full of morsel sized pork; definitely a little zesty...fabulous. I can share the recipes if you are interested...

Today I'll be celebrating a quilting buddy's birthday.  A couple of us will be taking Bonnie out for lunch after stopping by to get her birthday gift from Rosie's! 

Did you get the fabric requirements for Easy Street?  Bonnie Hunter posted them today on her blog.  The annual mystery is set to start on November 23rd.  The colors she's chosen are to my liking; no reason to change anything...  I'll be looking for the perfect gray and a few vibrant greens to beef up my stash for this project.  I'm pretty certain I've got the other colors at my fingertips already.

Have a wonderful November!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

My progress so far on Krabapple.  I have all the trees paper pieced and trimmed.  I've also got the checkerboard sky ready to be sewn to the trees.  The sky is two light dark light sections sewn to either side of a dark light dark 9-patch.  This part goes onto both sides of the tree with a dark 9-patch at the top of the tree.  I have three of the blocks done.  This project will go together pretty fast since all the 9-patches are done...swaps are great!

The rest of the nine patches both dark light dark (top left) and light dark light (top nearly center) are for the border.  A cheddar and red will be the sashing with an olive green for the setting triangles.  Oh didn't mention that these trees go on point. 

We'll see how much sewing gets done tomorrow.  I have an entry in a Chili Cookoff to make for a fun group competition that takes place on Wednesday.  I'm also making a pumpkin goodie.  My place is going to smell yummy later tonight.  Wish our team "DIWS ur Chili Cluck" a Blue Ribbon on Wednesday!

Design Wall Monday, October 29, 2012

Here we are in the last days of October 2012.  Are you ready for the next four holidays?  They come rapidly now...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  I've got the scarecrows and skeleton out in the yard and a few decorations around the house in place.  Candy is in the pumpkin container and a pumpkin desert is planned for dinner on Tuesday.  Wonder how many kids will come to ring my door bell?

I find myself working on the last half of my neutral blocks.  I've got to make a total of 38 (36 to trade) for a swap I'm coordinating.  The directions for the swap are 9" neutral string blocks in white, cream, beige, and tan (no darker than a paper bag).  The center block needs to be 2".  I'm a bit flexible with this 2" since I didn't stipulate finished or unfinished width.  Either way the size will be sufficient for cutting through the center if that's how your project needs it done.  I use a feather or light weight interfacing as a stabilizer so that I don't have to remove paper.  In this project paper will do fine too.

Once I've got the strings sewn down I position my foundation on a line on the cutting mat.  Can you see the foundation just below that middle string?  Then I position a square fit for 9" blocks with the diagonal line on that same line on the cutting mat.  Then trim away the two top sides of the string block.  I always cut with the strings up.

Next turn the block 180' with the cut point on a cutting mat line.  Place the square at the 9" mark making sure that both side edges are on the 9" mark as well.  Then trim off the last two sides of the string block.

Here's the back or foundation side.  Notice how that center piece is exactly in the center.

With my trimmed away strings...any that are 1 1/2" long get squared and made into cute little 9-Patches.  No waste here!

The rest of my week will have me sewing on my Krabapple project that was also a swap I coordinated a bit earlier this year.  The swap consisted of dark and light 9-Patches.  Krabapple uses lots of 9-Patches in it's border and the sky of the crabapple trees (Bonnie Hunter design called Crabapple).  All pieces are cut out for my project already. 

 Time to sew Krabapple now that my 2012 UFOs are complete or it will become a UFO :).

Design Wall Monday, October 1, 2012

Kaktus

Judy selected #6 to work on this month for our 2012 Challenge.  I'm really pleased to have Kaktus done already.  I have two more UFOs on the list and neither are started...  I'm hopeful with this extra time to continue on some of my projects not part of the challenge and perhaps get started on one of the two that are coming.



No Klucks Here Either!

 

Kurly Kues

 During the quilt retreat this past weekend I got done with the turkey blocks less the zig zag stitching around the Steam-A-Seam turkeys.  I wanted to do this part on my Pfaff instead.  I'm familiar with it's stitching and like it a bit better than my portable Janome.  I also got done with the 16 16-patch bow ties blocks.  I wanted to put these blocks together after a long look at placement so that I can spread the fabrics out best.  I'll find time this week to finish Kurly Kues for certain.



Krayons



Krabapple

Never got to work on Krabapple or Krayons, but it was good to have taken them just in case.  For some more eye candy check out the links today on Patchwork Time's Design Wall Monday.  Have a wonderful week!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Get ready...get set...get retreat ready!

Monday evening I busied myself with cutting pieces for Krabapple.  I want to sew at the retreat this weekend not cut pieces or realize I didn't bring what I need to work on a project.  Sunday I pulled fabrics for the setting triangles, sashing, background for the trees, the trees, and the tree trunks.  I'll be using a green for my setting triangles.  I purchased this fabric when Amidon's was at their peak in discounting fabrics just before they closed their shop.  Some time back I purchased a red fabric and a cheddar with a red design that will be used for the sashing.  From my stash comes the trees and their backgrounds.  Going for variety for each of these.  I have a pretty good selection of brownish greens that go well with the setting triangle green.  I'll be going with just one dark brown for the tree trunks.

I'll figure out the borders once the middle is assembled.  This pattern is Crabapple by Bonnie Hunter which can be found in her third book Adventures With Leaders and Enders

Tonight I'll get Kurly Kues together.

Design Wall Monday, September 24, 2012

No Klucks Here Either!

I'm making progress finishing up the workshop sample for No Klucks Here!  I led the workshop last Sunday for Friendship Quilt Guild at Paradise Quilters.  I need some more Steam A Seam 2 Lite to get the four turkeys put together.  I only had enough to start on the feathers. 

No Klucks Here Either!

This week I'm gathering up what I'll need for the quilting retreat that starts on Thursday.  Sure hope it doesn't end up being a really hot weekend.  Four projects are going into my car.  This way I'll have enough to work on and whatever inspires me most will be right at my fingers.  No Klucks Here Either!, Krabapples, Krayons, and Kurly Kues are all started with each at about the same stage of completion.

Hope your last week of September is full of what makes you most happy!  See what other quilters are doing at Patchwork Times.