Monday, December 31, 2012

No Pins Please!

With incredibly few days to go before Christmas, I decided to make my youngest (14) a quilt as a gift.  I knew it would not be complete but the goal was to get it done enough that wrapping and snuggling on Christmas Day could be accomplished and then I could whisk it back up to the machine and finish.


It all started with her great love for all things Dr Who on BBC.  (She even has me hooked now!)   I've made a couple of TARDIS bags before and blogged about it using fabric I got from Spoonflower.   A new blogging friend Rebeckah saw the creations and sent me the Police Box banner sign she had created on Spoonflower.  From there, my idea to create a TARDIS quilt for my daughter was born.  ((BTW, this is her favorite Doctor, the 10th Doctor.)

I banned everyone from my sewing studio aka bonus room.  (There are two entrances to the room.  One has a door with a lock and the other is the back staircase from downstairs.  So I had to count on everyone honoring my 'stay sway'.)

Using a photo, I pieced it together as I went - trying to make it 'to scale' but really working with the Police Box banner I was gifted and the 'pull to open sign' that I found on Spoonflower.

I assembled the TARDIS 'on point' to simulate a journey through space.  (You see, this is really a space traveling time machine.)
This was the first large quilt that I've attempted to FMQ on my home machine.  With a well defined object in the middle, I did in the ditch quilting around the TARDIS and all the little boxes inside with a plan to fill (eventually) more of the Tardis with FMQ.  The grey area was to be all FMQ and I got about a third of it done before running out of thread!!!  (More thread had been ordered but I thought I had more than I actually did.)

So more incomplete than I had planned, I machine basted it together and removed all the pins and wrapped it up!

I was successful in keeping a secret from the family, especially my daughter.  The gift sat wrapped under the tree without a name in the 'to' column.  It was the last present to open and I asked my daughter to get off the couch to open it up.  I warned her that it was not complete but that I had removed all the pins.

Her reaction was incredible!!  A very loud scream followed the unwrapping.  All quilts should get this reaction!



There is a Dr Who Christmas special on each year so the quilt was basted together well enough so she could cuddle under it.  She can't wait to tell her friends all about it.

From my home (and the TARDIS), my very best wishes for a HAPPY NEW YEAR and a 2013 filled with much time for quilting!.


Happy Stitching!

Friday, December 28, 2012

A Full Year Of Schnibbles!!

A big THANK YOU to Sinta and Sherri's for being such fabulous hostesses for this wonderful year filled with Schnibbles.  I so much enjoyed myself making each quilt and I looked forward each month to the parade.

Our final December Schnibble was a pin cushion.  I had some scrap blocks left over from the previous mini and decided to use these to make the pin cushion.

As cute as it might be as a pin cushion, I turned it into an ornament (minus the pins) and hung it right next to my Abominable Snowman (from Rudolph).


A full year of Schnibbles brought me Rainbow Row, Journey, Typewritter, June, Lemonade, Potato Chips, Popsicle, Windows, Speck, Harvey, Cranberry and my Pin Cushion.  







Happy Stitching!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

A Year of FMQ

SewCalGal hosted a wonderful challenge for 2012 to complete a monthly FMQ lesson.  She invited a wonderful and talented group of FMQ experts to share information and assign us a lesson.   I completed all 12!!

This month was to experiment with different border designs. 


I had a lot of fun with this small quilt.


Patsy Thompson posted this month's lesson.  Her video on making feathered borders is really good.   These were so much fun to make.  My choice of the variegated thread turned out to be a design element!

Not quite a mirror image but then, not bad for my first try.

What did I learn from a full year of challenges?


  1. FMQ is fun.   Singing some song over and over (for me anyway) is a great way to relax and get in the rhythm.  (Your a mean one Mr Grinch was stuck in my head as I did this one!)
  2. Feathers are fun and easier than they look - assuming you don't care about having a perfect feather.
  3. A good filler instead of stipple is the leaves (hearts).  It is easy to do and you don't end up stuck in an odd spot like I did with some of the other fillers.
  4. Practice does help!  (See, kids, mom was right!)
There are a few things I still need practice with especially deciding on the design and the thread choice is very hard for me.  I sit there staring at a blank canvas and can't figure it out.  

Thanks Darlene for a gathering today a wonderful set of guests to teach us.  Thanks to all the wonderful teachers who took time to share some basics with us beginner FMQers!

Happy Stitching!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Boxing Day

I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas.  We had a lovely time - far too much food for sure!

In the days leading up to Christmas, my sewing machine was humming (as I imagine it was for many of you as well.)

I did some circular quilting on the Tetris quilt for my son.


With ridiculously little time to go, I began my very first FMQ of a large quilt on my machine.  It was going well and I had a reasonable strategy on how I was going to navigate the quilt through the machine until I ran out of thread.


I knew I was close but didn't realize how close.   I basted it and wrapped it anyway!

On Christmas Day, once the pies were baked, turkey in the oven and the kids scattered with their various video games and movies, I got caught up on my two weekly projects.

First up, Easy Street.  3 1/2 inch sqaures with 2 inch triangle make a cute little block - looks like a house!


Second,  Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice block called Mother's Choice.  At first look, I thought this block was going to involve those ugly y seams but it didn't.  I still am not a big fan of templates but this one went together quite easily - only 2 seam rips!



Happy Stitching!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Friday, December 21, 2012

Gifts for under the tree

I always enjoy making gifts for Christmas for family.  Since some of them read my blog - hi Mom! - I'll blog about several of these gifts in the new year.

I can show you the small bags I made for two of my kids.

The fabric is from Spoonflower and both are references to Dr. Who.

I've made many a bag but this was the first time I tried to do one with a lining.  It was an adventure and not all together a good one.  I need to really think about the logistics around the zipper and the lining for the next time.

Next up is finishing the binding on this quilt for my middle one.  She has seen the quilt, helped me pick it up from the LAQ but it will still be wrapped and under the tree.


The pattern is an Irish Chain and the fabric is Marmalade.  The back is a nice soft flannel.  The binding is attached and now I need to sew it down.  Will put a nice movie on the tv and sit and sew.

Happy Stitching!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Project Linus

The events last Friday have been in my thoughts quite a bit.  My heart goes out to all the families and the community.

I've wanted to do a quilt for Project Linus for awhile now so decided now is the time.  I'll donate locally but dedicate it to the children in Ct.

Using a stack of fat quarter loveliness that I won earlier in the fall....



...... I cut up 5 inch squares.  I am going to assemble these into a disappearing 9 patch pattern.



To make a disappearing 9 patch, assemble your 9 patch, press and then cut as shown in the photo below.


i intend to quilt this one myself on my home machine.  Another first.

Happy Stitching!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Geese

Flying geese played a big part in both of the blocks required for each of the weekly quilt a longs.

First up is Capital T (for Tolerance) from this week's post at Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice.  I was very proud of my flying geese points.


Also needed geese for Easy Street.  These points were all ok except for the one I put on top of the pile for the photo shoot!


I also got caught up on all the cut ahead instructions.  I await the next clue.


I am using fabric from the Moda Good Fortune line.  My orange is Bonnie's purple, my blue, her turquoise.  I didn't want to make quite as large quilt so am building the 1/4 the block count.  I have fabric to make it bigger but am waiting until I see the mystery revealed.


Happy Stitching!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Votes for Women - Centennial


Fight for the right for women to vote in New Zealand was the topic of this week's post at Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice block of the week program.  This block is called Centennial.    I am pleased wit the way this turned out but also wondered whether I should have gone with something other than white for those triangles.  Would dramatically change the block and I'm having some second thoughts.
 


Here are my blocks so far.  The first 9 - 



And blocks 10 through 15



These photos were taken in different light so the colors are a bit off in some of them.  I seem to be making many more RED blocks than blue so will need some more discipline to stick with blue for a bit.

Happy Stitching!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Easy Street - clue 3

This week's clue was for a block called a shaded 4 patch.  I am a fan of trimming blocks to make sure I end up with something at the correct size so a quick google search found some good instructions on youtube that didn't put me in a position of cutting small squares and triangles.



The fabric I am using is Good Fortune.

While I found good videos on how to make the block, I needed a block that finished at 3 1/2 inches.  The square  - if one were cutting all the pieces - would be cut at 2".  I decided to cut a strip of the orange at 2 1/4" and the white at 3 1/4".   My regular rulers with the 45 degree angle marking was all I needed.  Quite a bunch of trimming but it worked out just fine.

Clues 1, 2 and 3 are all ready to go and await the next clue!





Happy Stitching!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Comments from around the globe.


Thanks to the world of blogging, the world is a very small place!


Thank you to everyone who visited my blog during SMS Giveaway Day - Week!  It was so much fun to see where everyone was visiting from.  I had posts from at least 40 of the 50 states in the US and from countries all over the world including Ireland, Poland, Amsterdam, Lithuania, Israel, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan!  I had fun visiting other blogs and meeting new friends.


My random choose number 247 and a lovely charm pack of Freebird will be on its way to my lucky winner Sandy.  I've sent Sandy an email asking for her address - congrats Sandy!


I've been busy this weekend putting final touches on some holiday gifts that I hope to put in the mail this week.  Can't show pictures yet but I've been playing with some fun text fabric from my stash!  (Gifts that don't need to be mailed are on the to do list for next weekend!)


Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Stitching!

Seaglass Final block!!

What a lot of fun the monthly HST quiltalong has been from In Color Order.


These blocks are 12 inch when finished.  I am using Kona Solids.

I intend to join them together without sashing and am thinking about adding a border of flying geese of sorts.



Happy Stitching!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Irish Chain off at the Spa

My Irish Chain quilt - twin sized - is all done and off at the LAQ spa this week.



I used a jelly roll of Marmalade and matched it with Bella Porcelain color.  My DD just loves it and wrapped it around herself in the flimsy state!  (Just wait until it comes back with the flannel backing!)




This project went together very quickly.  I just love this fabric line - the colors are beautiful.




I choose an all over quilting design called Pinwheel Flower.  The quilt should be ready tomorrow. 


Finally, if you've not yet entered my giveaway as part of SewMamaSew Giveaway Day, please check out my post here.   Giveaway closed 8pm Friday (today).
Happy Stitching!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Quilt-a-long updates

Continuing to enjoy these two quilt projects.

The first is Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice block of the week program.  This block is called Bride's Knot and her post discussed how women essentially lost their rights when they married.




I love making flying geese blocks using my WingClipper ruler.  This Friday's clue for Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery quilt was flying geese 2 by 3 1/2.  Her color purple is my color orange.  This is such a pretty color - from Moda Good Fortune - and it should pop on the quilt!



I am making a smaller quilt that she is - for now making 1/4 of the requested block count so instead of 128, I  needed 32.  Now awaiting the next clue!

Finally, if you've not yet entered my giveaway as part of SewMamaSew Giveaway Day, please check out my post here.

Happy Stitching!

Monday, December 3, 2012

SMS Giveaway Day!



Giveaway Day!!!  It is that time of year when you get to visit blog after blog and make new friends and - if you are lucky - win some fun stuff!  I find Sew Mama Sew's blog always informative and fun - today is just better than usual!  (smile)



Making this as easy as possible - because I know you've plenty of places to visit - let's get right to it.  I am offering a charm pack of Freebird.   Great fun colors and fabric prints in this line.


The rules:


  • First entry, leave me a comment and tell me the city that you live in (it is so much fun to see where all the blog visitors are from.)
  • Second entry (optional), follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me you do so.
  • Giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
  • Giveaway closes Friday, Dec 7 at 8pm est.
  • Mr. Random Number generator will choose the winning comment.
  • Winner will be contacted by email - entries without email address (i.e. no reply bloggers and anonymous will be invalid)

Comments are moderated so there will a delay before they post.  Although I typically respond to comments, I won't do so during the giveaway.

Good luck and happy quilting!

Happy Stitching!