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,