Oh Yes, I Dared !!!

Ta-Da!!!  

My very first Dresden Star Block!!!

I feel like a new mama!  

Do you all like my new baby?  LOL!!!

Although I've always loved the look of Dresden quilts (and even drooled over a few!), I had never Dresden'd before - what fun!  As soon as I saw that Mdm Samm was introducing the Dare to Dresden Blog Hop, I signed right up!

When I started pulling fabrics for inspiration for my Dresden, I found a large group of scraps left from my Oriental Peacock quilt that I made last January...... this is a really terrible picture taken before I got a decent camera.   If the sun ever shines in Nashville again, I'll try to take a better one and update it. :*D
(And it's still not quilted - shame on me!!)

Then I chose Edyta Sitar's Dresden Star pattern and templates for my block.

It went together very easily and the templates were a real bonus to have!  I bought these when Edyta came to our Guild last year, and I am very glad I did!  The little "star" points in the center of each blade really helped separate these colors I think.  You can see it in the construction process here.....

I hand stitched one of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa on the center circle, using a design I liked by nanaCompany for the lettering.  She has a free pattern HERE for an expanded stitchery which is really lovely.  Then I hand stitched down the completed Dresden Star to its background.

But I didn't just make a Dresden block, I made a new Stitchery Keeper for me!  This is where the sneak peek at the peacock I gave you earlier HERE comes into play.  I used it for the outside quilted cover of the Keeper.  Yes, indeed, this Dresden Star has some very elegant company....  I'm thinking of naming her Dresdemona - what do you think? *winking with tongue in cheek*!!!

I quilted this gorgeous peacock from Timeless Treasures with a soft outline stitch around all the motifs....

and then I used this wonderful blue metallic thread on the peacock itself.....

....  which gave it a nice sparkle!

The Dresden Star then takes center stage on the inside cover flap....

The flap is there to protect my stitchery underneath from dirt and from fold creases.  

When I lift up the cover flap, you can see the base which has all kinds of neat little places to keep my stitchery tools! ......

When I am done stitching, I simply place my stitchery back on the base, 

Re-cover it with the gorgeous Dresden flap, and fold it all gently back up - 

the gentle fold keeps the stitchery from getting creases or wrinkles!

Cool, huh?!?  This is my own design, and I will share more about all the sweet little details of the 

Stitchery Keeper very, very soon .........

This sweet little Dresden Star project is also my January New FO for Cat Patches' 2013 NewFO Challenge!  You can click on this button to see what all the fun is about!

And I'll be linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River for her Tuesday Linky Party!
Click on this button to see all the projects underway this week :*)

And because this is a BIG finish for me, I'll be Whooping it up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict!

I hope you all enjoyed seeing my Dresden Star as much as I enjoyed showing it to you! =^..^= 

Many, many thanks go to Mdm Samm at Sew We Quilt and Christine at Quilt Monster in my Closet for all their hard work in putting this wonderfully fun Blog Hop together!  Please be sure to check out all the other bloggers who share this day with me!

January 29^th, 2013

A Peach in Stitches

Nancy W @ “that Other Blog”

L3 Designs

Bungalow Bay Quilts

Quilted Delights

Quilt Crossing

Lixie Makes it

A Quilting Sheep

Charlotte's Creations

Quilt-n-Queen
Domesticity and Other Ponderous Things

Sew Much 2 Luv

A Quilt and a Prayer - ME!!!

Amanda Murphy Design

Little Mushroom Cap
Kathy's Quilts

Sandra Kaye Design

Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

Update from the Ivory Tower

LOL!!! That's what my husband calls my sewing studio - the Ivory Tower :*D  

It's located upstairs in the bonus room and is even set off from the rest of the house by a little ante-room which we use for our home office.  When he sees me heading for the stairway, he always asks, "Are you off to the Ivory Tower now?"  Yea, he asks that a lot =^..^=

So here's a little update of what's going on in the Ivory Tower....

Dresdens!!!  

Here's another little sneak peak at my progress.  It's almost done -yeah!!!

Can you see the wonderful aqua blue metallic thread I used for quilting this gorgeous peacock?  YUM!!!

My day for the Dare to Dresden Blog Hop is Tuesday, so be sure to come back ;*D

Slow Stitching!!! 

I haven't had an opportunity to work on my slow stitching projects, but my granddaughter Emma has really been enjoying embroidery since she learned how to do it this past summer.  This is her latest project.  She continues to improve - her stitches are getting smaller and neater.  We still need to work on french knots, and she wants me to teach her how to do a satin stitch for filling areas.  I love her choice of colors.  She took all of these separate motifs from a book and put them together in this little vignette - very creative!

Stash Enhancement!!!

Well, not really :*)  I didn't do any shopping this week - yay me!!!  But for those who missed yesterday's post, I thought I'd share this wonderful gray text fabric I pulled from my stash for this block....

Can you see how the gray text print adds an extra layer of yummy to this Lone Starburst block?  Oh yeah, I'm loving it!!!  And I especially love that I had it in my stash - that feels like free to me LOL!!!

Easy Street!!!

It's coming along, slowly but surely.  I got four more Block A's done Friday at sit-n-stitch with friends, and there are only 6 more to go.  All the Block B's are done and most of the setting triangles.  I'm still hoping to have it done by the end of the month to complete my Get It Done project list.

So what's going on in your Ivory Tower?

I'll be linking up Patchwork Times and Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching this week!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Pretty in Pink!

PINK is such a happy color!  

Does everyone feel like a little girl again 

while playing in pink scraps?  I certainly do!

Here is what I made today, the last PINK Saturday for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge...

These are my first paper-pieced sections for the Lone Starburst quilt that I decided to make with my rainbow of scraps this year.  The design is by Anna at Six White Horses and my quilt inspiration came from this quilt by Curly Boy, Sandy Greenburg, on Flickr .....

Lone Starburst quilt by Curly Boy, Sandy Greenburg - see more HERE

I didn't realize until I started pulling the fabrics to cut for these blocks that Curly Boy used a gray text print as the second background - and Wow do I love that!!!  I also really love that I just happened to have a wonderful gray text fabric IN MY STASH!!  Whoot! Whoot!!!  

This is why I love to Stash Enhance my friends :*D

Don't you love these quilty words in the white/gray?  Yum!!!

I am making 8 sections out of each color every month so I'll have a lot of color movement in the final quilt.  Since my pink scraps were so limited, I made two sections each from 4 fabrics.

Hopefully I'll be able to use 8 individual fabrics for most of the other colors.

What have you been doing that's fun and exciting this Saturday?  If you worked on pink scraps, go on over to SoScrappy and share your work on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge linky party!  

Or you can just check out what others have shared :*)

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Another Curve It Up Block!

I just couldn't wait to share my latest Curve It Up QAL block with you ...
                           This is Block #4, the Curved 4-Patch!

Don't you just love it?  I do!

I expected this block to be really difficult, but to be honest it really wasn't hard at all.  It went together very smoothly and I just love the effect.  This is a block that rewards you for your efforts!  You can find the amazing Quick Curve Ruler and pdf's for all the blocks in this fun Quilt-a-long on Jenny's blog at Sew Kind of Wonderful HERE.

I had so much fun putting this block together last night that I really wanted to work on the next block today - it's an amazing curved 9-Patch - but I had to put my nose to the grindstone so I can finish up my Dare to Dresden project.

And speaking of which, the Dare to Dresden Blog Hop starts today!  The lovely and oh-so-talented Mdm Samm at Sew We Quilt is the instigator genius behind this fun blog hop, and Christine from Quilt Monster in my Closet is our amazing Cheerleader!

I know you don't want to miss a single Dresden project, so here is the full schedule.  

Psst...My day is the 29th!!!

January 24^th, 2013

Debby Kratovil Quilts

Apple Avenue Quilts

The TreeHouse

Sew Mollie Sue, Quilt Much

Quilts My Way

Buzzing and Bumbling

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Selina Quilts

Quiltscapes

Hill Valley Quilter

Sew Incredibly Crazy

The Raspberry Rabbits

I Like to Quilt Blog

Cherry's Prairie Primitives

Spoilt Dog Quilts

January 25^th, 2013

Gingersnap Quilts

Busy Bee Quilts

She Sews the Blues

Traveling Quilter

Grand Mama's Stories

Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio

Sew at Home Mummy

The Slow Quilter

Pig Tales and Quilts

Annie Oak Design

Jane's Fabrics & Quilts

Tea Time Creations

Mo Broker My Creative Side

Just Let Me Quilt

Words and Stitches

Just Keep Swimming

Sew Many Yarns

Sowing Stitches

Jane's Quilting
My Patchwork Life
2muchfun

Pumpkin Patch Quilter
Quilt Monster in my Closet

January 28^th, 2013

A Reformed Heath'n

Meadowbrook

Rosemary B @ “that Other Blog”

Stitch Duchess' Crazy & Sane Quilting World

Grammie Q’s

Bumbleberry Stitches

Sunshine Girl

Spiral

Butjenter Quilter

Blooming Where I am Planted

Quilting Lodge

The Tilted Quilt

Life in the Scrapatch

Pretty Bobbins
In The Boon Docks

Sew Much and More

Threading My Way
Pink Ribbon Quilts
Thimble Mouse & Spouse

January 29^th, 2013

A Peach in Stitches

Nancy W @ “that Other Blog”

L3 Designs

Bungalow Bay Quilts

Quilted Delights

Quilt Crossing

Lixie Makes it

A Quilting Sheep

Charlotte's Creations

Quilt-n-Queen
Domesticity and Other Ponderous Things

Sew Much 2 Luv

A Quilt and a Prayer - ME!!!

Amanda Murphy Design

Little Mushroom Cap
Kathy's Quilts

Sandra Kaye Design

January 30^th, 2013

Charlotte H @ “that Other Blog”

Clothes and Crafts

It Seams to be Sew

Merry Gay in Stitches

Water Penny

Granny Good Stuff

Under the Presser Foot

More Stars in Comanche

Sew Me Something Good

The Day Before This Day

Farm Road

Livin' Blue Quilter

I Piece 2 Mary
Kwilty Pleasures
Espritpatch
Nutz4Redwork

January 31^th, 2013

Quilting Prolifically

Patchouli Moon Studio

Mountain Quiltworks

In Ga

Dachsies with Moxie

Color My World

Shepody Mountain Crafter

Christa Quilts

Moosestash Quilting

Lavender Quilts

Never 2 Many Quilts

Cathy's Chatter

Madame Samm

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Design Wall Monday - 1/21/2013

I've had a very productive week in the sewing studio!

This is the 3rd block in the Curve It Up QAL, hosted by Jenny and Helen over at Sew Kind of Wonderful.  There have actually been 6 blocks released, so needless to say I'm playing catch up ;*D  These curved blocks are so much fun!  Here are the first 3 blocks all together on my design wall.  For some reason the picture is really fuzzy, but you get the idea.

I'm using a lively set of fabrics called Good Fortune designed by Kate Spain, and there's a lot of variety and color in them.  I also got the next 3 blocks cut out and ready to sew up.  These are the fabrics I've chosen for each one.

While I was playing with these fabrics, and also putting away the fabrics I bought on my shopping spree road trip to Franklin, I went ahead and cut off the selvedges.  One of our Guild ladies makes the most amazing boxes using selvedges and she is going to teach a class on it in a few months time.  She advised us to begin gathering our selvedges so we'll have enough to have a nice variety.  I think I'm off to a pretty good start.  I'm not sure I ever really realized how cute even the selvedges can be.  Here are a few of my favorites .... =^..^=

And look at this Good Fortune selvedge.... I am in love with the little different colored fans here instead of the usual circles!!!  What a really nice, special touch!

Of course, I am still working steadily on Easy Street and making good progress, one block at a time.  This is my little "assembly station" LOL!!!

I even finished up one block using the pieces as leader/ender pieces while playing with my pink scraps yesterday!  My goal is to have this quilt pieced and ready for quilting by the end of January.

Of course, I am still working very diligently on my Dare to Dresden project.  I hope you'll be sure to come back on the 29th to see my project!!!  I'm pretty sure it's going to be worth the wait =^..^=

What's on your design wall?  It's always fun to check out the projects linked up with Judy over at Patchwork Times!  I'm also linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Stash and Stitch Report - 1/20/2013

It's Sunday, and you know what that means.... 
           Stashing & Stitching!

Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts is thoroughly enjoying some slow stitching today, and I always love joining in on the pieceful fun with her.  I've been working on my Promises & Borders block quite a lot this past week, and I hope to finish it up today while I'm watching the NFL Playoffs.

I'm picking up the pace, because I'd really like to get this project done and out of the way so I can add some new ones.  For instance, I picked up this oh-so-cute book at the LQS the other day....

I LOVE Art-to-Heart, don't you?  Nancy Halvorsen's designs and fabrics are always a delight!  As I flipped through the pages, I realized that these designs can also be adapted to embroidery.... isn't this adorable?

Picture from Love Is by Art to Heart

I love this one in applique, and I wonder how it would look in embroidery....

Picture from Love Is by Art to Heart

This one may be my favorite... I wonder why?  LOL!!!

Picture from Love Is by Art to Heart

Poor Mama cats!  Aren't you glad we humans don't have litters?  

I bought the book so I could pretend that I'm going to make this amazing bag....

Picture from Love Is by Art to Heart

I say "pretend" because there are only about 5 bags on my project list before this one LOL!  But a girl brought one she made to our Guild meeting last week and I just loved it!  You never know, it could happen, right?

Well, enough day-dreaming about future projects I want to do.... I thought I would show you a little Stash Enhancement.

I recently obtained a sweet little Bernina, an older machine but in great condition and with lots of bells and whistles :*)   I needed a "piecing" machine set up in the sewing studio so that when I have my Janome 6600 set up for quilting I can leave it that way until I am done.

I wanted to take her in for servicing before I started trying to sew on her, since the previous owner said she had not worked with her in quite a few years.  That meant a visit to the Bernina dealer in Franklin TN .... can you say, ROAD TRIP?!?

There are no less than 3 wonderful quilt shops in Franklin, and of course we had to stop in every one of them LOL!  I was very proud of myself - I had a budget and I stuck to it!  Here's what I brought home...

You know I'm crazy about dots!  And these are the colors that were pretty much 

depleted from the stash while making Easy Street.  

I just love the different values of colors in the dots - it adds so much movement!

I just couldn't resist fat quarters of each of these in aqua, purple and lime!

And I couldn't resist these Remix ovals from Robert Kaufman either ...

I got a fat quarter in every color.  But they make me dizzy looking at them all together LOL!

But here are my favorites.... saving the best for last!

They had these in several other colors too, but these four were crying to come home with me.  I can't wait to find out what I'm going to make with them ;*D  

When I find out I'll let you know too, okay?

So, are you slow stitching with Kathy today?  Do you have stash to share?  We all love eye candy!  Be sure to go check out what others are up to at Patchwork Times and Kathy's Quilts!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Linking up with: