The Latest Finish!

Remember the sneak peek I showed you on Sunday?  Well, here’s the reveal – my latest finish is Runaway to Bali!!!

This is a Lyn Brown design she calls Staycation that I found in her Etsy shop.  It's a jelly roll quilt and a lot of fun to do!  This is my Quilting UFO Challenge quilt for March - all done early except for the binding which will be done by the end of this week - yoohoo!!!

Not being too crazy about the name – but totally crazy about the quilt!!! – I began thinking of a name for my quilt almost before I started piecing it.  I finally put together the facts that I pieced this quilt last year at Runaway Quilters Retreat, and I used a Bali Pop for all the bright batik colors to get the name, Runaway to Bali.  Don’t you just love the deep turquoise batik background on this beauty?  

It is really something else up close I tell ya!!!  As soon as I saw it, I knew what I was going to do with it because I had purchased Lyn’s pattern several months earlier.

I think I did pretty well on the long-arm quilting too.  I just love the sweet and simple Daisies Galore panto!

I can really feel Spring in the air today!  Yesterday I saw this beautiful spot of color in the grocery store and had to bring it home to brighten up my Ivory Tower!  Isn’t it lovely???

I’m off to Book Club this afternoon.  We are reading Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult this month, and it is a good one!!!!  

A lot like The Green Mile, and it has received some bad press because of that, but still a very good book on its own and I’m enjoying it.  Unfortunately, I haven’t quite finished the book, and I hate getting to the group discussion and not participate fully.  I really tried to catch up but simply ran out of time.  In fact, I was so far behind that I ended up buying it on Audible so I could listen while I quilted!  I’ll be sure to finish it up later this week.

What are you up to today?  Hope its fun and exciting for you!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Linking up with Such a Sew and Sew's A Stitch in Time March 2012 Finishes - hop over THERE to see what others have finished so far this month!

Design Wall Monday – Week #11

Can you believe this month is almost half over already?  I realized this morning that before I know it, it will be time to say goodbye to my March calendar quilt and hang up the April one…. except that I had not even started work on the April quilt!!!  When it hit me just how close April is, I realized I’d better get cracking or I’d be caught with my proverbial pants down – and trust me, we don’t even want to think about going there! :*D

I hurried up to my Ivory Tower (that’s what Don calls my sewing room) and began to pull out fabrics like a crazy woman.  This is what I finally decided on….  

And after a lot of cutting and stitching, I have my background ready for the April Calendar quilt.   Ta Da!!!!  (The black and yellows are part of the applique that will go on top of the background later.)  This quilt will be one of my March NewFO Challenge quilts.

What will it be?  Remember I decided to keep this one a little mystery until it is done.  Do you love the rainbow effect of the border?  I DO!!!  I’ll be working on the appliqué pieces this week, and I’ll share sneak peeks as I go.  Can you guess???

I’m also all ready to begin work on my next Moonglow block – Sea of Vapor.   

And I’m hoping it gets sewn up and disappears onto my design wall just like vapor!  That last block just about turned me off Moonglow for good.  I do think this one will be a little easier though, because I plan to do all paper-piecing except for the center medallion which I will appliqué in place.  Hey, whatever works is what I say =^..^=!!!

These are Jenny's traditional instructions… (I apologize for the quality of these pictures but my camera just won't give me better ones.)

Yikes!!!  Do you see all those Y seams?  Oh no, no, no….. not this little girl!!!  Now, here are the paper-pieced & appliqué instructions…. much more reasonable, don't you think?  And besides, I love to paper piece!

I even have my little template for the center cut and ready to go!

Moonglow is my March UFO Challenge quilt, and I'd love to have it finished this month.  It's a tall order, but I'm giving it my best shot!!!

A lot of my friends are headed over to the Mountain Quiltfest this coming week, so no sit-n-sews lined up for me after tomorrow, and I will be home most days.  Lots of sewing should get done.  I also need to spend some quality time with my house some time soon.  Just sayin’........

Come back tomorrow, because I want to show you my latest BIG FINISH!!!  You’ll be glad you did!

What are you working on?  We’d all love to see and get inspired too!  Go over & share what’s on your Design Wall at Patchwork Times.

I’ll also link this post up with BOM’s Away Monday and Quilting by the River’s Tuesday Linky Party.  You can get to these by clicking on the buttons at the right side of my blog!

Hope everyone has a lovely week!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

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Sunday Stash Report – Week #11

I made good progress this week in using my stash in fun ways!  I quilted and bound one quilt which used 5-1/2 yards for the backing & binding.  I’ll post some yummy pics tomorrow, but here's a peek just to whet your appetite!!!

I also finished up two Stitchery Keepers, which took about 1 yard each.  You can read more about how I came to design these HERE.  This is the main fabric for the second one that I finished up for a friend this afternoon.  Isn't the quilting fun and happy?  I free-motion quilted the daisies & hearts while looking at the Daisies Galore pantograph design as my guide.  I was pretty happy with how it turned out!

This is the back

I've been using this one that I made for myself this week, and it is just perfect for keeping everything all together and my project cloth clean and unwrinkled!  I will be putting together a pattern for this soon, so I’ll be able to offer the pattern to any of you that might be interested in making one for yourself!  I'll post more pics tomorrow. 

I also purchased fabric this week, but I kept it reasonable for once! :*)  This yummy purple has been calling out to me the last couple of visits to Marita's shop in Mt Juliet, The Quilter's Path, so I just had to bring a yard of it home to live in my stash because I love it.  =^..^=

My friend Joanne used it for her background on her Quilts inProgress wall-hanging and it is really stunning.

Then I also picked up a yard each of these two fabrics for a project I plan to make for my youngest grand-daughter Reaghan. 

I bought some Chalk Cloth last summer when I was in Little Blessings in Crossville, and I thought it would be cute to make Reaghan and her brother Adam a fabric chalkboard wall-hanging that they can play with in their rooms.  They will be 8 and 5 in June.  

Reaghan has become obsessed with Peace symbols this past year, so as soon as I saw this I had to have it for her chalkboard.  It even looks like the lines on writing paper!  Don’t you think she’ll love it?!?

That’s it for me this week.  My stash report currently looks like this:

Used this week:      7.5 yards

Used YTD 2012:      44.00 yards

Added this week:   3 yards

Added YTD 2012:   60.00 yards

Net Used for 2012: -16.00 yards

How is your stash coming along?  Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with theirs.

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Design Wall Monday – Week #10

This is what’s on my Design Wall today - Moonglow…the first 8 medallion blocks.

The block on the bottom right is the one I finished up late last night. 

It is called the “Sea of Fertility.”  By about 11pm, I was calling it the “Sea of Futility”!!!  Let me tell you – I am NOT enjoying these blocks.  The first ones were fairly simple and a nice challenge.  But they get harder as you go along – a lot harder!  I worked on this block for two days!  I cut templates, marked everything super carefully.  

Pinned at each point, etc. etc. etc.  So, so careful, and STILL ended up with the big pouchy thing in the middle when I was done!  

I had to iron it into submission!  It’s not perfect, but it’s done and boy am I glad!!!  Only five more medallion blocks to go!  Woohoo!!!   The question is, will I survive it?  =^..^=

Since this is my March UFO Challenge, I’d really like to have it done by the end of March.  So hopefully it won’t be taking up space on the design wall too terribly long.  We’ll see …..  enough whining already!!!! 

I’m also working on designing a carrier for my Winter Wonderland embroidery project.  I like to roll my appliqué and embroidery rather than fold, and since I carry my stitchery projects with me on my travels often, I thought a nice carrier suited to my own stitching quirks would be fun to make.

First, I made this little thread catcher to go along with the carrier.  Isn’t it cute!  And it folds up flat so it is easily transportable.  

I have several of these that go with me when I sew away from home.  These are the fabrics I chose to work with.  That pretty aqua has little rose-colored ladybugs on it!  So dang cute!!!!

So this is what my new Stitchery Carrier looks like so far.  This is how it looks rolled up with the stitchery project and all my tools inside.  The ties will of course be tied into pretty bows.  I left them untied so you could see how I close it.  The fabric was quilted with a nice soft Warm & Natural batting.

Open it up and this is what you see first.  It is a cover for the stitchery so it does not get dirty.  I simply lift this cover and wrap it around to the back out of the way when I am working on the project.

Directly under the cover is the stitchery itself.

Then under the stitchery is the working base that holds all my tools.

On the upper left is a pocket for my thread catcher....

Under that pocket is a pin cushion stuffed with wool, and under that a felt needle keeper.

On the right are two pockets with a tie to hold my spool of thread in the middle of them. The top pockets holds various tools like my marking pen and thimble, and the bottom pocket holds my scissors.

When I'm done, I simply place my stitchery on top of the work space, pull down the cover and roll it all back up, securing it with the ties.  I still have to sew down the binding at the top, but otherwise I am done!  What do you think?  Cute huh!?!

I also traced off the newest Promises and Borders Block #3.  This block adds hearts - LOVE!!!  Here is a picture of Jenny's block from her blog.  Click HERE if you'd like to see more about these blocks on her blog.

So now share what’s on your Design Wall at Patchwork Times.

I’ll also link this post up with BOM’s Away Monday, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop! and Quilting by the River’s Tuesday Linky Party.  You can get to these by clicking on the buttons at the right side of my blog!

Hope everyone has a lovely week!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

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Sunday Stash Report – Week #10

Don and I went to the Lawn & Garden show in Nashville yesterday and saw some beautiful gardens.  Unfortunately, we were too busy looking and didn’t take very many pictures!  But I did get this one of a blast from the past…

This one's for you Laurie!!!!

As for stash movement, I'm afraid it's a boring Stash Report this week.  I have been happily busy with a lot accomplished, but no big finishes.  I did back, quilt and bind my March Calendar wall quilt, which took about a yard of fabric total.  Looking at my To Do list, it  may be a while before I have any big finishes =^..^=

Stash Report for this week:

Used this week: 1 yards

Used YTD 2012:  37.50 yards

Added this week: 0 yards

Added YTD 2012:  57.00 yards

Net Used for 2012:  -19.50 yards

To see how others are busting/using their stash, click HERE to go to Patchwork Times.

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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March Projects

 – UFO’s / NewFO’s / BOM’s

Yay!  March finally arrived!!!  And it feels like a beautiful spring day here in beautiful Music City USA.  The MarchCalendar quilt is happily hung in its spot on the wall, and I could swear the birds are chirping merrily in the sunshine!  I think they like their new home.  I know I love seeing them there every time I come down the staircase from a hard work session in the sweatshop sewing room!  I forgot to put the little beads on for their eyes though….. oops!!!  It will have to wait until I take it down at the end of the month.  Poor little things…

Judy pulled #8 for the UFOChallenge this month, and for me that means Moonglow!  This is a Block of the Month by Jinny Beyer that my husband gave me for Christmas in 2009.  

I saw this quilt in a magazine and fell immediately in love.  Then I saw that it could be had for a song (not really!) as a BOM, and I begged until the poor dear took pity sake on me and put a note under the tree telling me my gift would arrive each month in 2010.  The gift that keeps on giving!  I love it!  Jinny uses 27 different fabrics in this quilt!  And all of them are just saturated with color – yummy!

At the time I was thinking this quilt would really challenge me on my piecing - it has! And I thought it would help me refine my skills with templates & hand piecing - it has!  This project is definitely not for the beginner or the timid quilter!  It is a real challenge, but I think definitely worth it!

When I put it on the UFO list in January, I had six medallion blocks done and that was all.  I was a smart girl and did one of these blocks in January when I finished that month’s UFO early.  And that’s a good thing, because this UFO still needs a LOT of work!  This is what I have done so far …. seven medallion blocks.  There are 13 of these total.

And these are the medallion blocks I still need to do.  Block #10 has to be done twice, so even though there are only five pictures, I still have six medallion blocks to do. =^..^=  No way around it - six!  And of course, each medallion gets more intricate as you go along.

Then there will be the Irish Chain alternate blocks – 12 of those.  Personally I think this will be the most fun part of the project.

Then for the borders – looks like 7 borders!  SEVEN!!!  Yikes!!!!  And guess what I reeeaaaaally hate doing – BORDERS!!!!  And these are mitered too.  Am I in for some fun this month or what???  I gotta tell you, I just LOVE this quilt, but I am stressing a little about whether I can finish this top up in March.  It'll be a race to the finish for sure!  My one saving grace is that I have a four-day retreat the last week in March, so I can go on a Moonglow marathon if needed! =^..^=

On a brighter (and hopefully easier!) note, I am really looking forward to beginning my April Calendar quilt, which will be my NewFO for March.  I will keep you in a little suspense on this one because it is SO cute and I think you will enjoy the reveal when I have it done.  However, I’ll give you a clue:  “April showers bring May flowers…..”  For the next clue I'll show you a peek at the fabrics I plan to use.... Fun!!!

SoScrappy says the color this month for the RainbowChallenge is PINK.  Yay!  I love the way Pink adds light and sparkle to quilts and I’m very much looking forward to adding 2 bright and happy Pink Pineapples to my growing pile of mini-pineapples.  I’ll keep you posted on those when I get them started.

Jenny has not yet released the Promises and Borders stitchery BOM for March, but I’ll share a picture as soon as she does.

And as if that wasn't enough (!!!!), I've joined a group at my local LQS doing a BOM called Women of the Bible.  We only meet once a month and we do two fairly simple blocks each month, so that should not be too difficult.  I'll show you those as I go along also.

So that's about all I have going on in March - how about you?  Hehehehe!

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

=^..^=

We Have a Winner!

Wasn't Leap Day Giveaway & Blog Hop over at Such a Sew and Sew sew much fun?!?  Did ya'll have as much fun as I did?  I went to all those blogs and entered to win so many things.... if I win just one I'll be happy. Of course, my luck is not of the Irish variety, so I’m not betting the farm on it! =^..^=

Thank you to everyone who came by and commented for a chance to win the wonderful & fun Quilts in Progress pattern!

So I'm sure you are all anxious to see who won.... was it you?  Maybe….

Here we go.... Mr. Random Number Generator is crunching the numbers ....  Price/Waterhouse is standing over his shoulder spying on him to be sure he is absolutely above-board and honest in his calculations…..Here he comes with the results ….. Doesn't he look so nice in that spiffy tuxedo?  Kind of reminds you of George Clooney doesn't he? Oh yes, you wanted the results......

Congratulations to Kelli !!!  You've won the pattern!  
 Kelli said...
My favorite at the moment has to be Swoon b/c I am knee deep in the middle of it. It's a lot of fun to sew up.. and my next favorite will be one called Kickin' Stash. I will be blogging about that one in a couple of weeks....



I've sent an email to you Kelli, so quick like a bunny send me your snail mail address and I'll pop this little gift in the mail to you right away!

So glad for the new followers and all the lovely comments.  I'll be posting soon about my UFO and NewFO plans for March.  Oh my!!!  A brand-spanking, sparkling new month!  See you then!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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