Tuesday, March 13, 2012

May for Me Bingo

I made my Bingo card early!  I'm really happy with it.  I used the satin stitch to make the letters on the top.  They are kinda wonky.  After yesterday's quilt post I think I am a little addicted to grid-line machine quilting.  I just love the way the little squares on the back look.  Now all I need to do is go through my mom's and grandma's cool buttons and wait for May.  Here it is:



Here is a list of the items in my Bingo rows:

B Balloon, Cookie, Airplane, Batman, Ribbon


I  Bumble Bee, Bat, Lemon, Tea Cup, Bird


N  Elmo, Guitar, FREE Space, Lady Bug, Hearts


G Present, Apple, Bugs, Acorn, Buttons


O Fairy, Pansy, Flowers, Butterfly, Bee

Here are the four May for Me Host Blogs: 
Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks (check here for the rules).
Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts (check here for the how-to).

Some of my bingo squares (8 of them) came from Marcia. Wasn't that sweet?

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Monday, March 12, 2012

Basketweave Quilt Finish

Excited I have another finish to show you!  This is a basketweave quilt.  Heidi at Honey Bear Lane did a great tutorial is at:  http://www.honeybearlane.com/2012/02/basketweave-quilt-pattern.html#comments
Thanks to my friend, Brandy, for finding this quilt pattern for me.


I made the quilt back about a month or so ago for another quilt and the colors just didn't match the original top.  This was the perfect solution to put a front on the back I already started.  Another WIP down and done!  I'm so happy with the scrappy binding on yet another quilt.  LOVE LOVE LOVE the way the quilting looks on the back.  This baby quilt measures 42" x 53".  I added the black ends because I'm not a huge fan of square quilts all the time.

I'm considering attempting this as a lap-sized quilt in the future.  It think it would be perfect for all the extra flannel and old jeans that I have.  I used a walking foot for the quiting.  That will be the challenge for the large quilt (rolling and tucking it so that it fits through the machine.)  But I still think it's doable.  I safety-pin basted it very carefully (every other row).  I put the pins all in the same direction so that I did not have to remove them as I sewed each row.  I only removed them after I was done with that row to reduce the weight of the quilt beign moved around the sewing machine.


This is my best machine-stitched binding yet.  I ran my presser foot down the seam (as if I were stitching in the ditch) and set my zigzag to 4.0 x 6.5.



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Check out the cute giveaway at Lily Pad Quilting!  It is sponsored by Jacquelynne Steves.  Check out her cute apple and pinwheels quilt while you are there.    There are lots of goodies up for grabs -- fabrics AND patterns!  Check it out at:  http://lilypadquilting.blogspot.com/2012/03/introducing-jacquelynne-steves-designer.html?showComment=1331574683180#c1530924339809674110

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Friday Night Sew In Sign-up Time

Time to sign up for the FNSI.  It's this Friday on 3/16.  I don't know what I'm sewing, but I'm in!
To signup go here



Just in case you're wondering, I've been sewing more than blogging these days...  Can't wait to reveal what I've been working on.  I'm almost done quilting it and need to run it through the washer a few times.  Hint hint.

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There's a cute charm pack up for grabs at http://adventuresinfabric.blogspot.com/2012/03/lets-celebrate-with-giveaway.html?showComment=1331460542610#c3590578970598473215 to celebrate hitting over 50 followers at Adventures in Fabric.

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Cathy hit over 200 followers at the Blueberry Patch.  Check out her giveaway at:
http://cathy-blueberrypatch.blogspot.com/2012/03/okay-people-its-giveaway.html

Thursday, March 8, 2012

March Block Lotto

This month's block for The Block Lotto focuses on half square triangles all oriented the same way.  Here are the nine blocks I'm submitting for March.  Whew.  That was fun.  All done for the month already!  Here's my nine blocks:


Join me on the Block Lotto Blog

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

WIP Wednesday 3.7.12

This week I planned to get a lot done.  It started out great with finishing my Block Lotto blocks early in the month.  This month we focused on half square triangle blocks.  Here's my nine blocks:



Join me on the Block Lotto Blog

I also finished the Eclipse Block Lotto quilt.  The blocks were won in the January 2012 lotto.  (See yesterday's post for all the details and a few more pictures.)


It measures 72" x 82"

For something new I'm signing up for the Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin.  Looks like fun!

quilts from the crayon box


Completed Projects -- 2
Completed nine Block Lotto blocks for March.
Completed Eclipse Block Lotto quilt

Currently in Progress: 7
Chasing Chevrons (need to make the pieced back--organized fabric and ready to cut)
Dutchman's Puzzle (made decision on border and ready to cut)
Orca Bay (piecing together the last step)
Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong (need two stars and one braid)
Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong (need three rows to catch up)
Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)
We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (all caught up)
30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show -- Secretly started working on this again!
Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - California King
Kaleidoscope Quiltalong
May 2011 Pineapple Blossom Block Lotto quilt
Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt

Projects on Hold: 6
Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt for our local quilt guild (2 cut)
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Crumb Along with Jo's Country Junction (still making crumbs)
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong
Stop by and see who else has what else going on with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Eclipse Block Lotto Quilt Finished

When I won the January Block Lotto and I started receiving quilt blocks, I never expected to finish it in March!  Whohoo!  I just loved the blocks more and more.  It's special because as I received the blocks from all over the world I machine embroidered the first name and location of the person that made the block.  This makes it even more special to me.  It's much more modern than what I currently make.  It hasn't run through the washer and dryer yet for a good fluff.  I was so excited to finish it and have Ohio SUNSHINE to take the picture.  Here it is:

It measures 72" x 82" -- perfect for the couch!  It is the first scrappy binding that I have tried.  I think the scrappy binding works for it.  I bought ZERO fabric to complete it!  Everything, even the tread is from my stash!  Yippee!!!  My stippling is getting better.  I still need to work on getting the back perfectly flat.  If you know of a tutorial on how to do this let me know.  Here's a close-up of my stippling.  I'm soooooo happy with it!

Here's the pieced back.  The little white label says, "Block Lotto 2012 Eclipse
                                                                                    Kathy ______ East Canton, Ohio"


Here's where the blocks on the front are from -- Thanks you guys!!!

(3) Beatrice; Le Bourg, France
(3) Deana; Cleveland, Utah
(3) Debra; Quinlan, Texas
(4) Gwen; Nova Scotia, Canada
(2) Helen; Nashville, Tennesee
(4) Jo; Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
(2) June; San Diego, California
(3) Kate; Surrrey, England
(3) Laura; Mableton, Georgia
(4) Laurina; Auckland, New Zealand
(3) Michelle, Noble, Oklahoma
(4) Pat; Upland, California
(4) Shelley; Madawaska, Maine
(1) Sophie; Austin, Texas

THANKS again, ladies!!!


Wednesday, February 29, 2012

WIP Wednesday 2.29.12

Happy Leap Day.  Where did this week go again.  Heck, this week? How about this month?  Wow!

I've been trying hard to finish my Pineapple Blossom May 2011 Block Lotto quilt.  It is the WIP I am supposed to be working on for my 2012 UFO's (tab on top of my blog.)  I'm sooooo much closer.  This quilt used to be just a shoebox of blocks.  I finished piecing the back.  It's a lot of pieces.  But I'm happy that NO FABRIC was purchased.  It's all from my stash.  It would have been much quicker to just go to JoAnn Fabrics and throw $30 - $40 at it and call it a day.  But I am very very happy with the results.
I also had a finish for February.  It's the Bust Yo Scraps quilt I did.  It was also a new FO.  It was also part of the Scrap Attack.  Here it is if you haven't seen it yet:
The quilt measures 41" x 56". It will be auctioned off with a local support group for Down Syndrome.
The pieced back is one of my favorites so far!
day.



All of the Eclipse blocks from the January 2012 Block Lotto have made it to their new home.  Here's the approximate layout.  I think I will do the top just a little bit differently or make two more eclipse blocks.  As I received bock I machine embroidered the name and location of the sender.


I am considering picking out colors for the NY Beauty QA and tempted by it. I really enjoy paper piecing, but do I really need another project going on right now? I usually wait until my husband is working out of town to quilt big quilt tops... Some of these quilts will be on hold for a while... Hmmmmm.
Completed Projects -- 3
Completed May Block Lotto quilt back -- ready to make the quilt sandwich.
Worked on layout of the Eclipse Block Loto blocks -- getting close to a decison.
Bust Yo Scraps/Scrap Attack quilt COMPLETE!!!
 
Currently in Progress: 7
Chasing Chevrons (need to make the pieced back--organized fabric and ready to cut)
Dutchman's Puzzle (made decision on border and ready to cut)
Orca Bay (piecing together the last step)
Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong (need two stars and one braid)
Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong (need three rows to catch up)
Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)
We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (all caught up)
30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show -- Secretly started working on this again!
Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4
May 2011 Pineapple Blossom Block Lotto quilt
Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - California King
Kaleidoscope Quiltalong

Projects on Hold: 6
Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt for our local quilt guild (2 cut)
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Crumb Along with Jo's Country Junction (still making crumbs)
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong
Stop by and see who else has what else going on with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

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