Friday Finish 8.30.13

Here's another fine finish.  I'm very very happy how the feathered circles with crosshatches turned out!  This is a charity quilt for my local quilt guild.  It measures 45" x 79".  I did seven of the feathered circles with crosshatches in the cream solid blocks.  For the rest of the quilt I used straight line quilting spaced one inch apart.  You can tell in the picture that it gave the borders some texture.

 

 

Here's a couple more close-up pics:

 

 

 

You can see the templates I used in this post.

I'm also happy to link up with Richard and Tanya Quilts for the Link-A-Finish FRIDAY.

 

I'm also showing off this finish by joining the linky parties on:

 

 

Can I get a Whoop Whoop?


Finish It Up Friday

Check out the giveaway while you are a Confessions of a Fabric Addict blog!

http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/

 

 

County Fair Quilt Pictures

Here's some of the pictures from a neighboring county, Randolph County Fair in Ohio.  These are some of quilts that caught my eye. 

 

The picture of the mountain stream was all pieced with individual colors.  It was amazing.  The raw-edge applique quilt above it was scored higher (and pretty as well).

 

 

 

Great use of blues and cream in the above quilt.

 

 

Love the blues and creams in the Jacob's Ladder quilt.

 

 

Just plain cute.

 

Loved the scrappy blocks.  Sorry, don't know the block name right now.

 

 

Rules rules rules.  I see they require bias binding.

 

String quilt got a blue ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WIP Wednesday 9.4.13

Here we are!  The little man has returned to school.  I see a LOT of quilting in my future!  Here's what happened this week:

I finished the 8th of 9  paper-pieced blocks for the ...And Sew On BOM @ Quiet Play.



I made a sample hashtag block.  I saw it on another blog and just had to make a sample.



I've been working on my Star Surround blocks.  They keep getting moved here and there after I lay them out and then I have to lay them out again.  I hate when that happens.



I'm almost done with the binding on a charity quilt for the local guild.  Here's some of the quilting:



It's my first attempt at crosshatching.




New Projects None

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn
1.  Herringbone OSU quilt
2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt) -- Gave blocks to LQG Round Robin swap 4.23.13
3.  Quilt Doodle Designs BOM
4.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt
5.  Picadilly Circle
6.  Snowman quilt (pattern from Debbie Mum's book)
7.  Star Surround QA at Happy Quilting blog
8.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play

Blocks Still Need to be Made
1.  NY Beauty
2.  Orca Bay
3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4.  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt
5.  Maroon Star Sampler Quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9. Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt
11.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Butterfly Blocks (that I won)
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto; January 2013)

Quilts back needs o be made (tops are done)
1.  Grandma's WIP -- Cameo Rose (this one is a long-term project)
2.  Grandma's WIP #2 (This is also a long-term project)
3.  LQG Christmas charity quilt
5.  Lucky Stars

Ready to longarm
1.  Dutchman's Puzzle
2.  Scrappy Christmas QA (I think I'm going to straight-line quilt this one)
3.  Spring Mystery 2012 (still need to rip out those early longarming eyelashes)
4.  Easy Street (still have no idea how to quilt this big one)

5.  Geese blocks from May 2013 Block Lotto
6.  LQG Ship charity quilt
7.  Tumbler Charm quilt

Quilted, needs binding
1. LQG Jacob's Ladder charity quilt

Each Wednesday I try to link up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.  Check out what others are doing!

Hashtag Sample Block Accuquilt GO! Baby Style

It was one of those days that I saw a block and immediately said, "I can make that with my Baby GO!".  I saw the block on a jellyroll link-up at and then I Googled it and saw one at Guy and His Girl files.   There's also a nice class at Craftsy Pre-Cut Piecing Made Simple by Camille Roskelley.

I used my 2" square die (cuts six 2" squares at a time per layer) and my 2" strip cutter to make this darling 7" finished block (7.5").  LOVE it!!!  I'll add this one to my bucket list.  It took me about 10 minutes to make it after grabbing the red and the white scraps.

I know I could use my 2.5" square value die and my 2.5" strip cutter to make a bigger block, but I think this will be super cute for a baby quilt with the 7" size and I LOVE mass cutting (six at a time) of the 2" block.  Cute cute cute... in my opinion.

The jelly roll quilts were posted here on A Quilting Life blog.  Check em out! 

Found this one on facebook for those days that I will be on my longarm and I want a crockpot meal:

I made the Crockpot Chicken and Noodles and it was delicious. My husband even said it was better than Bob Evans Chicken and Noodles. Now that's a compliment. Th...e only thing I would do different is to make sure I'm using the proper size cans of chicken broth. Mine were a little smaller than what the recipe called for and it really needed a little more.

Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 stick of butter
2 15 oz cans chicken broth
24 oz. frozen egg noodles

Directions
Cook chicken, soup, butter, and broth in crock-pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Take chicken out and shred.
Put chicken back in; add noodles and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir a few times while cooking.

Star Surround Sub Assemblies

I didn't get much sewing done this weekend.  Busy busy.  Right now I'm working on my sub assemblies for the Star Surround QA.  I'm going about it in a different order than suggested at Happy Quilting because for the most part I am only using three fabrics.  I am putting together the block in four equal pieces.

Circle Lord Swirlz

Several people here and on some of the Yahoo groups have asked me how I make my swirls on my quilts.  Here's a picture of my template board that I purchased from Circle Lord.  http://www.loriclesquilting.com/  I LOVE this pattern.  It is very versatile. 

As you can see, it sits on the table of the longarm frame.  I follow the grooves in the template with a stylist.  I work from the back of the quilt when I do this.  This particular board goes the length of my frame (almost).  It accommodates a king-sized quilt if necessary.  Note:  I am not using this template for the quilt loaded on the frame.  Here's some photos of quilts I have done using the Circle Lord Swirlz template set.

 

Soooo versatile!!!

Broken Herringbone QA Anybody?

Broken Herringbone QA Schedule from Molli Sparkles Blog
The tutorial is at http://www.play-crafts.com/blog/tutorials/broken-herringbone-block/
Looks like a good place for a rainbow of 2.5" scrap strips.

We will be kicking things off Monday, September 02, (get those kidlets back in school!) and hope to finish up by Sunday, October 27.  We may bleed pass this date, but I promise you, we will be finished in time for you to get your Thanksgiving feed on. Girls, I gots to eat too!

Week 01 - Sept 02 - Sept 08 - Introduction to the Tutorial

Week 02 - Sept 09 - Sept 15 - Suggested Blocks: Pink, Red, Orange

Week 03 - Sept 16 - Sept 22 - Suggested Blocks: Yellow, Green, Teal

Week 04 - Sept 23 - Sept 29 - Suggested Blocks: Blue, Blue-Violet, Indigo

Week 05 - Sept 30 - Oct 06 - Sashing, Sandwiching, Basting

Week 06 - Oct 07 - Oct 13 - Quilting

Week 07 - Oct 14 - Oct 20 - Binding & Label

Week 08 - Oct 21 - Oct 27 - Show & Tell

 

Found two more recipes on facebook that look yummy!!!

 

PERFECT COUPLE PIE
Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients
...
For the pie:

1 chocolate graham cracker crust
1 cup peanut butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tub (12 ounces) Cool Whip, divided
1 jar (11.75 ounces) hot fudge topping, divided
½ cup sugar

For the topping:
2 tablespoons hot fudge
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Method
• In large bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar until creamy. Fold in 3 cups Cool Whip. Spoon mixture into crust and smooth to edges.
• Remove 2 tablespoons hot fudge from jar and reserve in zip-loc plastic baggie for later. Heat remaining hot fudge according to package directions. Spread on top of peanut butter layer. Refrigerate pie until serving time.
• At serving time, carefully spread remaining Cool Whip on top of pie.
• Knead hot fudge in baggie with hands; cut tiny hole in corner of baggie and pipe over pie. Repeat with 2 tablespoons peanut butter and pipe on pie in opposite direction.
• Serve. If that isn’t making love to your tastebuds, I don’t know what is

 

*******************************************

 

Hmmm.  I don't know what would happen with the rest of the bag of peanut butter cups if I made this one.  This one could be dangerous!

 

Reese's Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

Melt 4 Reese's peanut butter cups and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in a pan with 3 tablespoons of butter. Fold in 3 cups rice krispies. Drop and cool on wax paper sheet or press into a buttered baking dish and when cool cut into squares.

Frame Friday 8.23.13

Since I don't have a Friday finish for you today, I thought I would show you what is on my longarm frame right now.  I am working on a charity quilt for our local quilt guild.  I'm fortunate that our lqg lets me "practice" on the box of quilt tops that they have at our clubhouse.  This one is taking a little longer than others because I am doing a lot of small detailed work.  I am quilting feathered rings on the seven plain large squares and then quilting crosshatching in the center of each feather circle.  It's tedious, but worth it.  I think it's looking pretty good considering it's my first attempt.

 

For those who are wondering, I am using Sure Lock cone thread that is 100% polyester.  Regular price for the cone thread at JoAnn Fabrics is about $2.19.  When it's $1 per cone I buy a bag of them.  Sometimes they work great; sometimes the thread breaks.  If the thread continues to break I use it for piecing.

 

I am making these designs using two different templates (quilt pattern boards).  First I use the feather circle that I purchased from R & S Designs..

 

 

The template sits on my longarm frame table.  A stylist attaches to the longarm.  I follow the grooves.

 

 

After the feathers are done I do diagonal lines using the cross hatch board that I got from Circle Lord (Loracles).   This particular board has graduated lines that are spaced 1/4" apart.  I used every other line.  Circle Lord also sells a "push button" device that will mechanically operate the stylist, but I have long arms and can often times work from the front of the quilt and still be able to reach the stylist to lift it if I does not end up too far under the quilt.  I am also flexible that I can quilt from the back of the machine. 

 

I made a lot of progress on my quilt yesterday while my little guy spent his first day in kindergarten.  I only have one more crosshatched feather circle to complete.  I didn't want to overkill the quilting on this quilt, so I did 1" spaced straight lines on the other areas of the quilt.

 

Here's the quilt before I loaded it to the frame (and the pieced back).

 

 

...and just because I can and this is my blog, here is a picture of Owen, my kindergartener

 

 

 

Here's Owen, Class of 2027.  No, I didn't let him go to school in this big shirt.  I plan to take his picture every year in it until he graduates.  Go Owen!

Where I Sew

Jennifer  from Ellison Lane is having a blog hop featuring some of our favorite blogger's pretty sewing rooms.  Here's mine, but it isn't "pretty".  Everything is packed into this small 8' x 10' space.  This is also where I use my computer and work from home.  I know where most things are.  I have tons of WIPS.  It isn't pretty, but it's mine and a lot of pretty stuff comes out of here.  We live in an old farmhouse.  We are building a house on the same property on which we live (behind our current old farmhouse.)  Someday...  We are doing everything ourselves on the new house.  It has been a WIP for quite a while.  I'm not in a hurry to get it done.  We are very content where we are.  BUT now my longarm is in the new house and I LOVE all the space I have there.  So here's my sewing space:

Here's where my longarm is in the new house:

Check out all the other sewing spaces at Ellison Lane Quilts!

...And Sew On August BOM

 

Here's my August BOM for the ...And Sew On QA at Quiet Play:

Check out the others at:  http://quietplay.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/and-sew-on-august-block.html

WIP Wednesday 8.21.13

Not going to sew much today.  My little sunshine starts kindergarten full time TOMORROW!  Sniff... sniff... But it's been a productive week otherwise.

I completed my String of Pearls quilt and am entering it in the fair today (judging Friday).  This was a QA at  Christa Quilts blog'



I finished putting together the top of the Tall Geese I won in the 2013 May Block Lotto this year.



I have enough of the 60" wide shirting fabric to put on the back of the tall ships charity quilt. (My son loves the red ball in between the quilts on the clothesline.  He hits it with his bat.  That's how I learned to be a home-run hitter.)



I celebrated my 48th birthday -- here's a gift from my friend, Julianne all the way from California.



Selected fabrics for the 2013 fall mystery quilt with Heather Spence Designs


There's plenty of time to join.  Check it out!!!

http://www.heatherspencedesigns.com/mystery-quilt/

 

I did a sample 10-minute block that I found on YouTube.  Quick and cool!  http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=ZbTHlGGKMPM

 

 

 

New Projects
None

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn
1.  Herringbone OSU quilt
2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt) -- Gave blocks to LQG Round Robin swap 4.23.13
3.  Quilt Doodle Designs BOM
4.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt
5.  Picadilly Circle
6.  Snowman quilt (pattern from Debbie Mum's book)
7.  Star Surround QA at Happy Quilting blog
8.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play

Blocks Still Need to be Made
1.  NY Beauty
2.  Orca Bay
3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4.  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt
5.  Maroon Star Sampler Quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9. Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10. Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

11. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt


Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and some sashing)
1. Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011 - 2012)
2. Butterfly Blocks (that I won)
3. Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4. Split Stars (block won from the Block Lotto)
5. African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)


 Quilt back need to be made (tops are done)
1. Grandma's WIP -- Cameo Rose (this one is a long-term project)
2. Grandma's WIP #2 (this is also a long-term project)
4. LQG Christmas charity quilt 

5.  Lucky Stars  

 

Ready to longarm
1. Dutchman's Puzzle
2. Scrappy Christmas QA
3. Spring Mystery longarmed, but Eyelashes to rip out!
4. Easy Street (still have no idea how to quilt this big one)
5. LQG Jacob's Ladder charity quilt (on the frame but doing fancy feather circles with crosshatching)
6.  Geese blocks from May 2013 Block Lotto
7. LQG Ship charity quilt
8. Tumbler Charm Quilt

Quilted, needs binding

None
 

Open ended projects (Red highlighted items on this list are complete for August.)
1. Block Lotto Blocks (only made 3 blocks for August)

2. And Sew On BOM project 2013 (almost done; just need to put the subassemblies together)

3. 2013 BOM Quilt Doodle Designs

Each Wednesday I try to link up with Lee at Freshly Pieced. Sometimes the linky will accept my picture and let me link; sometimes it doesn't. But I try.