Quilt Doodle Designs BOM - February

Here's my February block for the Quilt Doodle Designs BOM.  Cynthia was kind to release it already!  It's called Garden Pinwheel.

Mystery Block-of-the-Month by Linda J. Hahn in Low Volume

Did you see the AQS Mystery Quilt release today?  Each month for seven months a clue will be released.  Pattern design is by Linda J. Hahn.   The first clue involves just the fabric requirements.  Looks like it might involve strip piecing (I'm totally in to that!), connector squares, and HSTs. 

Linda is using beautiful batiks.  I had a lightbulb moment and decided that THIS is the quilt that I will use low volume fabrics.  Since I saw the post on what low volume fabrics were on The Block Lotto I am hooked.  I have been searching for images of low volume quilts on Google, Pinterest, and Flickr in my spare time.  Check out these fabrics I pulled in just minutes!  Don't they look great together?  I hope they end up in the right places in a mystery quilt.  Can't wait to find out.

 

 

 

Now that I see the picture I may have to re-think the light orange.  But it is the fabric that calls for the least amount in the mystery.  I also shy on about four of the fabrics according to the fabric requirements.  If I don't have enough in a clue I will pull something from my stash in that color range.  I'm only about 1/4 to 1/2 yd shy on the ones that I am short.  The ones that I am short on are also easy-to-find fabrics.  We'll see.  At the end of the mystery, there will be a bonus pattern to use up any scraps that are left over. 

Here's the link for the AQS QA:
http://www.quiltviews.com/linda-hahns-mystery-begins?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Linda's%20Mystery%2001/29/2013%2017:09:18&utm_term=

Practice

Today I got some new templates.  This is my first attempt at a feather circle.  I thought this would be the hardest pattern.  Turns out it was the easiest for me.  It has a lot of starts and stops and bumps, but I think it's awesome for my very first try.

 

The piece I'm working on has numerous doodles.  I'm just changing my thread and quilting different things for practice.

 

Here's just a feather for a border or something:

 

And here's a different template.  I this one doesn't look too hot (yet).

 

Here's a pic just for reference and fun.  I look "thinner" behind something 12' long.

 

Oh Susannah is on the frame

Oh Susannah is on the frame.  I am just quilting waving lines.  This quilt would go fast, but the top thread keeps breaking due to the denim fabric.  It quilts fine over all the cotton and flannels, but when it hits the dark heavy jeans and the light tan heavy jeans it bunches up and breaks.

 

You can find this quilt along herel

 

Here's a picture of the whole quilt top:

 

 

A funny fact about this quilt is that twice this week and probably twice when I was in the process of making the top (June, 2011) my husband commented how much he liked the colors of this one.

It is made from my husbands work clothes and jeans (and of course some colors from my stash). It has a very masculine touch to it.  I just say, "Thank you."  But in my mind I am thinking, "You should like it... it's some of your clothes."  LOL.  I expecially like some of the character marks and stains in his jeans.  This quilt just reminds me of him so much.  It's my first quilt that actually had a color scheme inspiration (his work clothes).

 

 

FNSI Results

 

For the Friday Night Sew In (FNSI) I pulled fabrics for the February Block Lotto. I can't tell you what it is, but... these are just a few of the Low Volume solid fabrics I pulled from my stash.  (Then I cut them to size, but I'm not showing you that either.)  I didn't know what low volume fabrics were. This is just one of the many reasons why I love The Block Lotto. I seem to learn something new all the time -- Thanks, Sophie! I'll show more pics after February 1st.  Now off to pulling more low volume prints.

 

 

 

That pink and bright blue might have to go.  We'll see if I have enough fabrics of the others to leave them out.  I'm sure I do. 

 

Here are some of the featured fabrics.  I loved this little project because I pulled fabrics from scrap (string) bags that my BFF, Judy, gave me.  Judy is such an awesome friend. 

 

 

Yeah...you know what I was thinking when I saw this pile... definitely add this color scheme to my bucket list-- LOW VOLUME quilt.

 

 

 

Jelly Roll 1600 Race Quilt Complete

I finally have a Friday finish to show!  This quilt top was finished on Memorial Day weekend, 2011.  This was with Nicole at 1 Choice for Quilting blog.  You can read more about it here.   I thought it would be a great quilt to practice freehand longarm quilting.  It was also perfect timing for this cold, snowy weather and the fact that my little boy is now in a twin sized bed.  I love how flat it turned out, thanks to the longarm frame.  Basting the quilt and getting the back nice and flat without any puckers has been very very hard for me.  I love it!  I especially love that it is all scraps!  I used my 2.5" Accuquilt GO! Baby dies to make my own jelly roll.

My little boy likes it because we play "I Spy" with it too, even though it's really not an I Spy quilt. 

I did some freehand holly leaves and berries all over the quilt.  Here's a close up of one of them:

 

I guess this is also my first quilt finish for 2013.  Hopefully there will be many more to come.

 

I am also linking up with the New Weekend Update at the Block Lotto.  You can check out what other talented quilters are working on here. 

 

For the Friday Night Sew In (FNSI) I will be working on pulling fabrics for the February Block Lotto.  I can't tell you what it is, but... I can tell you that I am pulling Low Volume fabrics.  I didn't know what low volume fabrics were.  This is just one of the many reasons why I love The Block Lotto.  I seem to learn something new all the time -- Thanks, Sophie!  You can check out Sopie's post at The Block Lotto about low volume fabrics/colors.

 

 

 

I'm also excited to hook up to the Friday Finishes at Richard and Tanya Quilts here.

This week's giveaway is sponsored by The Fat Quarter Shop!  Wish me luck!

 

 

here.

2013 Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin

I thought the little shoo fly blocks in this block were just too cute.  This is my 6" block that will be the center of my 2013 Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin quilt.  I don't know why I picked these colors.  I guess I just like brights.  Anything goes!  Thanks to Michelle from Quilts from My Crayon Box for organizing this again!  Check out her cool blog.

 

 

I tried and tried to get a better picture of it.  It's just so blurry.  You get the idea!  Don't worry, the next time you see it, it will be AWESOME!

Oh, it's called the Tic Tac Toe block.  I got it from The Quilter's Cache.
http://www.quilterscache.com/M/MiniTicTacToeBlock_Page2.html

Victoriana Fabric Party Quilt Top Complete

It was only five degrees when I ventured outside to take this picture today.  Brrrr.  This is a little quilt that I started in June, 2011.  Each month or so we were given instructions for another row in the Victoriana Quilt Designs Fabric Party Quiltalong.
http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/BlockoftheMonth/VQDFabricParty.htm
I used a Fabric Central collection called Seaglass that I bought at JoAnn Fabrics.

It measures 59.5" by 52".  I did not complete all of the rows.  I'm not that thrilled with the contrast of colors. 

Scrappy Christmas QA Quilt Back

Here's where those cute churn dash blocks went.  This quilt back is for my Scrappy Christmas QA quilt.

 

Just to jog your memory, this is the front of the quilt:

 

You can learn more about the Scrappy Christmas QA at Sunshower Quilts:

 

http://www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.ca/2012/11/scrappy-christmas-quilt-long-week-1.html

Jelly Roll Race Quilt Back Complete

It's been a long time since I finished the quilt top for the Jelly Roll Race (something like Memorial Day weekend 2011!)  Since my son got a new "big boy bed" I needed a quick quilt for it.  I decided to make this back for it.

This helped decrease a bunch of my novelty Christmas stash that I got from a garage sale.  Most of these prints were on the front too.  My son likes it because he uses it as an I Spy quilt.  Just to jog your memory, here's what the front of the quilt looks like:

 

This will be the first real quilt that I put on my longarm.  I'm not totally sure what design I will put on it.  I was thinking about double loopy circles spread out between the lines.   It would be fast, but too simple to just do wavy lines.  We'll see.  I could change my mind ten times before it hits the frame on Tuesday.

 

 

Another New Project, Of Course

Our son is growing up; he's 5 1/2 now.  This week we moved him into a big bed because he was touching both ends of his train bed (crib matress size).  He was so excited about his new bed.  Sadly when I was making his new bed and tried to put his Whinnie The Pooh blanket on it as his comfort item he told me that he was "big" and the blanket was "for a baby".  The good news is that he needs lots of quilts now.  I'm going to try to quilt my jelly roll race quilt from 2011 quilted.  It will be one of my first long arm projects. 

I have been waiting to make him a special quilt.  I started one from the book "More Quick Rotary Cutting Quilts by Pam Bono Designs.  I'm not sure what is so "quick" about.  It's all pieced with zero applique.  I spent over eight hours cutting three of the fabrics.  Whew.  I have two more fabrics to cut.  At least I can get started of some of the blocks.  Here's quick look:

 

The little snack bag has (128) 1" squares.  Hmmm.  Wonder when this one's gonna get done.

Scrappy Churn Dash

I really like my scrappy stars quilt from the Scrappy Christmas QA at Sunshower Quilts.  When going through the little left over pieces I had cut I noticed that I could make these adorable scrappy Churn Dashes (or Monkey Wrenches).  These blocks are 9" finished.  I need to keep this in mind for future scraps.  I'm in LOVE with Churn Dashes!

I used the 3.5" HST and the 2" square Accuquilt dies in my GO! Baby.  These blocks will be part of the pieced back for my Scrappy Christmas QA quilt.

 

In my opinion these would make great Block Lotto blocks.  But Sophie does a great job of taking care of that.  I'm just partial to Churn Dashes.  :)

Today's the Day 1-16-13

Today was a big quilting day for me.  My Nolting 23" arrived.  I'm very excited.  I need ALOT of practice; that goes with the territory.  I look forward to this new part of my life.  Here's my baby:

 

 

 

My goal is to "keep her dressed".  Hopefully I'll be showing you some finishes in the next month or so.  Looks like I will only get to play with it one day (tomorrow) and then have about four days off due to the long holiday weekend.  Oh well... it's not going anywhere.  Whee!

 

The above pictures show my longarm which is located in the "new" house that my husband and I have been building (all by ourselves) since 1998.  It's a pay-as-we-go project that I don't expect to be finished until about 2018 or so.  I'm very content in the house we are living in on the same property. 

 

Here's my sewing area in the "old" house in which we live.  Yes, it's messy, but it's mine.  Lots of pretty things come from here.  It's also my work-from-home-job area and my computer area.

 

 

Slowed Traffic on Easy Street

Little progress is being made on Easy Street.  It's slow, but steady.

 

 

It's going to be a busy week.  I think I have overextended myself.  Hope I can get at least the three missing blocks complete. (Remember, this quilt has another row that I haven't started yet.

 

Happy Monday!

Sunbonnet Sleuth Modern Mystery Quilt

Thanks to Cal from my Yahoo Groups Mystery Groups I have come across another mystery quilt.  This one is called Sunbonnet Sleuth.  It's a modern mystery quilt that claims to be fast and easy to make.  I'm hoping there will be a lot of negative space in this one for quilting.  We'll see how this one comes out.  I can't believe I haven't run across this site before.  Here's the link.

And Sew On... BOM Block 1

Here's the paper-pieced block I made this morning for the And Sew On... BOM at Quiet Play.  I did change the pattern just a smidge to accomodate the big ruler fabric that I had.  This BOM QA has a sewing theme each month.  I already can't wait for the February block.

 

Check out all of the others blocks this month here.

 

Look at all the cute blocks! This photo is from Kristy's blog.

 

 

And Sew On... QA

Since I will be finishing up the Easy Street top sometime this month, I think it would be fitting to start a new quilt along.  This one is a paper-pieced BOM at And Sew On....  At the first of each month a free paper-piece pattern will be released by Kristy at Quiet Play .  Kristy is a Craftsy designer!  Link up by the end of the month for prizes!  There's also a Flickr group.

Come on and join!  There only one block a month for nine months.  It should be done by the end of the year!

Easy Street Progress

Easy Street continues a couple of blocks per day.  Here's where we are now:

My Grandma's WIP

Here are two WIPS that I someday would like to finish once I learn how to longarm quilt.  My grandma did them.  She passed away about 38 years ago, so I know they are at least 40 years old.  I found them while finally going through some things from my mom's house.  My siblings threw these in a bag for me because they didn't want them and just put them on my pile of things to take home.  What a pleasant surprise to find these last week.  I knew one of them was in there... I didn't know about the other one.  I also know there is at least one more burried in one of the boxes.  Some day I will deal with that box.  Not today.  But I'd like to show you these beauties that my grandma did:

The above quilt is called Cameo Rose.  It was a kit by Bucilla Jiffy Cross-Stitch Quilt No. 2889.  Hmmm, wonder what was so "Jiffy" about it?  The blue marking on it? 

The finish quilt should measure 81 x 108 (double-sized quilt with a drop).

This next quilt I do not have any information on it.  Someday I will research it.  I think it would be by the same company.  I also have some of the catalogs from which my grandma ordered things.  I'll look through those.  She usually did everything by hand (quilting and all) except for sewing the seams together which she did with her old Singer treadle sewing machine.  She entered quilts and crocheted items in the Ohio State Fair every year--and usually won!

 

January Block Swap Adventure

Thanks to my January Block Swap Adventure, Ida from El Paso, Texas, I received another churn dash block as requested.  I love the purple paired with the small print background Ida selected.  She also enclosed a few scraps!!!  I asked for these because I will be using them as cornerstones in my sashing when I finish the quilt.  Thanks, Ida!

Easy Street Part #8

I'm finally making blocks for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt for 2012-2013, Easy Street Part #8.  The blocks themselves don't do much for me.  But then laying them out together and POW!  I like it!  I could have done better with my background colors, but it's a mystery quilt... Live and learn.  I still like it.

Here's the two main blocks:

But this is what they look like when I put them together.  Yes, I need to keep making more!