First Quarter 2015 - Figured out pics!!

I now understand a little better how to add pictures, so here is what I have worked on during the first quarter of the year.  The first two pictures are the table topper that I was trying to show in the last post - but never made it.

These two pillows borrow Sharon Shamber's design, I used different flowers but the idea of the background quilted feather circle and fillers were from her website.  I actually drafted and marked the feather circle. On the blue pillow, I had used a very boring olive green for the leaves.  I was not happy with results, so I broke out my dyes and added a little texture with both black and white (I also added some gold to the tulip while I was at it).

This is a pi pillow for pi day.  You can see the numbers in the circles if you zoom in.  Fun easy pillow, raw edge applique with blanket stitch.

Here is the same pillow that I showed before along with another new pillow that is triangles.  I am actually enjoying making pillows.

This is a table topper, nothing too special.  Fun piecing method based on Craftsy class.  Quilting simple.

Finally, this is a wall hanging that I started at the Longmont quilt retreat.  The inner embroidery was purchased over 20 years ago from Hmong women.  It is a story cloth (thus I named the quilt Story Quilt), Used seminole piecing techniques which were really fun.  Lots of quilting too.  I like the result. 

 

I think that is the majority of my quilting activities over the past quarter.

I will add that we replaced our carpet this week and I got busy and spray basted two large quilts on the old carpet.  They are my Great Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt and a quilt that I pieced last year. Still trying to decide how to quilt both of them.  Cheers!

Kari's oval table topper

I finished the large table topper for Kari from my scratch book (last entry).  Just before I started to quilt the table topper, I got a new sewing machine!  So, I used all the decorative stitches when I was making it.  I really like it and I think that Kari will too.  I am adding pictures but having trouble with formats.  

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Kari's new home and Dr. Who table topper

January is here but I am just getting started...

Kari moved into a new home in Houston.  So right after Christmas, I drove down there and have not sewn anything in 2015.  Maybe my goal of a table runner a week will start in February.

Here is a picture of Kari's new house.  Yes, those are palm trees in the back yard.

I did get the circle project done.  It morphed into a Dr Who themed table topper.  Here it is --- for how discouraged I was at one point, it is not too bad.  I had to applique the brown center to the boarders to get the curve correct.  I liked the circles and they were fun to do.  The border was more fun than expected, I just started doing different things in each color and it all worked out.  The tardis is a label that I ordered off the web.  I put angelina behind it.

I am going to do a large table topper (oval 42 by 60 in) as my next project.  I bought material at a very cool quilt store in McPherson Kansas.  Here is the rough sketch.

Watson plays in snow and start of Dr Who table topper

Time flies and I realize that doing a table runner or equivalent each week next year is going to be hard.

The last two weeks (has it really been that long), I have worked on a "circle" project table topper for a 42" table.  Design on this one has not come easy and I spent a lot of time looking at different methods of making circles.  I am going to have to get faster and not spend as much time previewing fabrics and futzing if I am really going to be able to crank out a project a week.  I also have to keep in mind that it is suppose to be fun.  Well, here  is my current progress on new one.

I am including a sample free motion pattern too.  I got the idea at a calligraphy workshop and am including it to help myself remember the idea --- cause I kind of like it.  I clearly need to figure out how to rotate images... but this is fine for now.

Also, (and more amusing) is my puppy (Watson a 10 month old Westie) playing tug of war with a great dane.  Watson would not give up.  He held on - even when the Dane pulled him off his feet.  As soon as the Dane took a breath, Watson kept hold of the toy and ran behind the trash cans where the Dane could not reach him.  

First Entry

I am so excited to start a blog.  This will be a challenge for me, I do not do much of anything on a routine basis.  Love to quilt and am going to use this log for my own personal documentation of my efforts.  My goal over 2015 is to make a project (probably a table runner) each week.  The idea is to play with lots of techniques and try new things.  Also, I am trying to get away from over thinking everything - so I am hoping that setting a challenging goal for myself will keep me moving forward and creating.  The next couple of months, I am getting ready - thinking about patterns, sizes of table runners, getting ready for the holidays and learning to blog.

I have three quilting projects worth mentioning in 2014; Rainbow Moth, a quilt for my daughters graduation from Colorado School of Mines, Scampering, a table topper and Pinwheels for Rick and Me, a king size quilt for our bed.

Rainbow Moth - May 2014

I have attached the picture of Rainbow Moth, the other two will have to wait because the images are not on my current computer.  Clearly, the pictures are going to be another part that I need to work out.

The moth on this quilt was put together using a technique fashioned after Ricky Tim's Rhapsody quilts.  I used freezer paper to draw the designs, I then sewed strips together (using the patterns as guide), I then cut a quarter inch from the freezer paper patterns and sewed them together. The curved piecing was difficult but steam irons are wonderful!  Once the wings were pieced I appliqued them onto the quilt using a wash-out fabric glue to hold fabric in place and a satin stitch.   The flowers were also applied using the wash-out fabric glue and then held in place using thread painting and a small zig-zag stitch around the edges.  I will post a close up later (again need to get pictures off my other computer).  If I had this to do again, I would use steam a seam, I was making this quilt when it was difficult and expensive to get steam a seam and the glue seemed like a good answer.  Unfortunately, the end result would have been crisper if I would have used a different product.

There is a lot of quilting that is not shown in this picture.  I use a conventional sewing machine and a great wonderful sewing table that my husband made for me.  That is it for now.  

Cheers,