Design Wall Monday - 4/14/14

I finally made a decision on how to set my Fantasia blocks!

These are my blocks from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge last year over at SoScrappy.  I put getting them assembled into a flimsy down for my #7 item on my Guild's UFO Challenge this year, and you guessed it - #7 was called for April!  Coming up with a creative way to assemble these blocks quickly has been a real challenge for me!  I really didn't want to just sash and border with chunks of fabric.... these blocks deserve something more than that!

 I remember that Sew Kind of Wonderful used a great curved sashing for their Curve It Up QAL blocks last year, which I just loved.  Since I used the Quick Curve Ruler to make the curves in these blocks, I thought that sashing treatment might look good with them.  The first thing I did was draft it up in EQ7....

The more I play around with this software, the more I like it!  It's really helpful to be able to see lots of options before I cut even one piece of fabric.  I'm still trying to decide about binding (black or multi?) And maybe the stripe or dots on the outside edge?  But I really do like the look of this sashing!

One of my biggest problems was what fabric to use to tie them all together.  Rainbow blocks are a lot of fun, but no one fabric really works with all of them.  In the end, I went with my usual favorite - black!  A nice black with a white polka dot worked perfectly.

After some trial and error, I finally worked out a method to make a strip that looks like the original and works for me.  Here is how it will look in the actual quilt....

And a close-up view.....

So now I just need to get busy stitching it up!  

I may actually get this Guild Challenge project done in time for the next meeting after all :*)

What's on your Design Wall?

Share with us at Judy's Patchwork Times!!!
Also linking up with today's RSC linky party HERE

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Slow Stitching Sunday - 4/13/14

Today I'm planning to join Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts and all her friends who are doing some Slow Stitching.  The May Bertie block arrived this week, and I was SO excited to begin working on it.  For once, I am caught up on these blocks, and I want to stay that way if I can.

Here is my block ready for stitching :*)  It is one of my favorite Bertie's Year blocks so far - such a cute design!!!

Unfortunately, I had to make quite a few replacements of the fabrics included in this month's block. I know you don't always get the same fabrics in a BOM that were used in the original quilt, but I do expect something similar in color and texture.  I was glad I had some flannels in my stash that would work - yes I even have a flannels stash :)  Below is the picture of the original quilt on the pattern front .....

I love those bright colors!  Spring calls for BRIGHT and HAPPY colors, am I right?  Well, what came in the laser-cut set was not even close to those in the picture.  This dull mauvy pink (top fabric below) looked dead on the brown background and I decided to go with a new spring grass green instead of their darker choice...

And fall-like golds instead of yellows and oranges.... Really?  What part of that top flower says "spring"????  The bottom flannels are my replacements - can you see how much closer to the original they are?

The original also has a pretty deep blue wagon hitch, but they sent this rather blotchy, dull flannel instead .....

...... so I changed it out to a nice bright purple!  Okay, so I know that the color of wagon hitches is not normally the subject of hot debate, but I happen to be very particular about my wagon hitches! LOL :)  The bluebell piece on the very left is one that came with the package.  The violet was bright and would have been fine, but it really didn't work once I changed to the purple for the hitch, so the six petals on the right are the ones I cut from a brighter light purple that matched better.

So, that's enough complaining!  I'm delighted to have this piece ready for stitching.  It won't take very long to do the buttonhole stitch by machine, and then I can sit and do some embroidery embellishments with my lovely perle cotton threads.

I found this awesome box at Tuesday Mornings last week - and for only $2.00!!!!

(Just the box!  I already had the threads)

This sure beats them all tumbling around in a tin and getting tangled :*)

I also want to spend a little time working on my last Blue Collection vase.  Last night I prepared a new piece for the one on the bottom right that was not lining up very well....

This one is not perfect either, but since the pieces are at an angle, the lines are never going to line up perfectly, so it's as good as it's going to get!  I'm so excited to be this close to having all the vase blocks done!  True, they all have to be assembled with block sashing, the 3-D tree has to be wrangled in there somehow, and the borders have to be prepared and stitched.... whew, that's still a lot of work!!  But I'm a whole lot closer than I was when I started, right?  LOL!!!!

I think that just might be enough to keep me out of trouble on this fine Sunday :*)

Be sure to visit Kathy's Quilts HERE to see what others are Slow Stitching on today.

Hugs & Blessings to you all!!!!

Teresa

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Colorful Hooties Everywhere :)

Today is Saturday, and of course that means Rainbow Scrap Challenge link up day!

Meet the newest sibling in the Hootie family....

I traced and fused the pieces down for PURPLE Hootie yesterday - isn't he so cute???  I still have to stitch them down, but that's for another day.  Now that I have four of them, I decided to put them on the design wall just to see how they are going to play together....

Awwwww... they're adorable!!!!

The layout will have 3 Hooties each in 3 rows sitting on a brown branch (which is really just a sashing row of brown fabric).  That's when they will get their little feet.....

The bottom is left unfused so I can insert the feet when the blocks are sewn to the brown sashing....

... or is that claws?  Anyway, I'm sure PINK Hootie will be happy about that, because she seems to be a little worried about not having any feet, don't you think?

I also put up  my Fantasia blocks from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge last year to try to figure out how I want to set them together .....

Honestly, right now I have no idea!!!  But this is my Guild Challenge project for April, so I'd better come up with some ideas soon :*)

Be sure to go over to Angela's Rainbow Scrap Challenge to see all the other PURPLE projects in process... hmmmm, say THAT three times real fast LOL!!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Like a Little Kid with a New Toy!

I've got a new bag of "potato chips" to share with you my friends!  These blocks are irresistible and YUMMY!

My very first Japanese x&+ block!!!

Yep, I just started a new can't-make-just-one-block project!!!  Honestly, I couldn't help it.... It's all Mary at Needled Mom's fault LOL!!!!  I was totally focused on getting a good chunk of my Diamonds are Forever blocks done this week, and feeling very virtuous :)  Head down, knocking out those blocks.... oh yeah!  I'm in the Zone!!!

Then suddenly, out of the blue - BAM!!!  

I got totally knocked off the tracks!  I was very innocently reading a few blogs the other day with my morning cup of tea as usual, when I pulled up Mary's blog post and saw her AMAZING Japanese x&+ quilt ....

Photo courtesy of Needled Mom

INSTANT LOVE!!!

You can read more about Mary's quilt HERE.

Oh my gosh!!!  I could look at this quilt all day and not get tired of it!  Look at all that scrappy goodness :)  Bright colors everywhere - it's just awesome!!!  Mary joined a Japanese x&+ group swap - what a great way to get so much variety!  My first thought was, "I want one!!!"

I must admit that I've fallen in love with every Japanese x&+ quilt I've seen - something about this pattern really appeals to me.   The first one I saw was made by Carol Muse Skinner, and she used all Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  You can see it HERE at her blog, Postcards from Panama.  Seriously - go see it now!  You'll be glad you did!  Friends, it just about made my eyeballs pop out it was SO beautiful!!!!  I decided then that I really wanted to make one for myself, but I got sidetracked, and before long I had forgotten it.

Then a few weeks ago, the bug bit again when I saw Carla's in progress - you can read about her quilt's journey at her blog Grace and Favor HERE....

Photo courtesy of Grace and Favor

.................. Oh!  I wanted every single one of those blocks!  Yes, my friends, I coveted them!!!  Teals and grays and limes - Oooo-la-la!!!!  Carla did a swap with her friend Cindy to build up the scrappiness of their blocks - great idea right?  She encouraged me to get started on a Jx&+ of my own, maybe even start a swap, but there was too much going on in my life right then and again I let the idea slide.  I did however Pin a tutorial on how to make the blocks from Badskirt blog :)

Then I saw Mary's quilt and the longing returned, full force!  When I commented on how beautiful her quilt is, she replied with lots of encouragement to start my own.  And when I said, "I really want to - maybe I'll do some color planning today ...."  she came right back with, "I'm holding you to it!"  And even offered to make up a few and send them to me to get me started... Wow - Mary is clearly a gifted Encourager!  How could I resist that???

Now you all know how I get when I start thinking in terms of color, right?  It's like offering a dog a steak bone!  It's all I can think of.  There's a reason they call it "stash" - as in "addiction"!  Once I started thinking about what colors I'd like to play with in this quilt, I was off and running - there was no stopping me!

Hot pinks!

Hot oranges and yellows!

With Blacks and Whites to frame them....

I had to wash my orange and yellow stash before I could do anything, and a good part of yesterday was spent washing the rest of my black/white fabrics.  I couldn't resist putting together block combos as soon as they came out of the dryer!  They are truly just as irresistible as a fresh bag of chips!!!

And now there are Four!!!

Between this new project and the Diamonds are Forever blocks, I think I'm in heaven :*)
Thanks to Mary and Carla, I'm well on my way to having my own Japanese x&+ quilt!!!
I'm kinda glad you can't see me doing the Happy Dance right now :*)

I bet you want to start your own now, too, don't you?  LOL!!!

And for an added bonus, this is my NewFO Challenge project for April

I just love checking things off the To Do List so early in the month =^..^=

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Design Wall Monday - 4/8/14

Yes, I'm a day late, but I have several exciting-to-me projects currently in the works....

These Diamonds are Forever blocks are just too much fun to let them sit idle for too long!  They're like potato chips - I can't resist dipping my hand into those luscious strips and starting just one more block.... and then just one more.... well, maybe just one more LOL!!!

I love all these wonderful colors and playing in the scrappy strips - and don't these lime pieces look like a row of ties?  LOL!!!  Yes, late last night I was getting a little loopy and in need of sleep :*)  You can see by the number of "ties" that I still have quite a few blocks to go on this project, so you'll be seeing it again - just thought I'd warn you!

I also spent a very relaxing and enjoyable couple of hours this weekend preparing the applique pieces for my last vase in The Blue Collection.

My tools of the trade for Starch Applique preparation

Edit - One friend just pointed out that she found it amazing that diced pimentos would be part of my applique tools LOL!!!!!  Of course, that's just the jar that I keep the liquid starch in for traveling :*)

This is the vase that holds the center tree, and I totally love this piece of Jenny Beyer border fabric I found for it!  There is only a fat quarter of it, so I have had to be very careful about cutting it.  There are a lot of pieces to this block, and of course those angles are already threatening to give me headaches.  Looks like I'm going to have to re-cut the bottom right piece because it is not lining up :( 

The Blue Collection is one of those dreaded Dinosaur UFO's that I really, really, really want to get done this year!!!  Once this block is done, I will have the outer border applique remaining, with about a million leaves (see below picture of the original by Maggie Walker), but most of those are going to be done with raw edge fusible.  I'm sorry but I'm just not crazy enough to sew all of those leaves down by hand!!!  And there is still the motif block at the center top that needs to be completed as well.  But I'm beginning to smell a finish here and it feels GREAT!!!!

This is the Designer, Maggie Walker's quilt.....

Courtesy of Maggie Walker

The number pulled for my Guild UFO this month is #7 - which is to assemble my Fantasia blocks from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge last year into a top for the contest at our next meeting.  Ugh!  I have no idea how I want to set those blocks!  At least I DO have all of them done, which gives me a great shot at maybe meeting that goal.  Here's the RED block for reference :)




The May Bertie's Year BOM block should arrive this week and I'm looking forward to playing with her - we're quickly becoming very good friends.

And that's about it for me.  What is on your Design Wall?  Some see all the pretties at Judy's Patchwork Times today!  Also linking up with Connie's Linky Tuesday party!  Hey, wait a minute.... that MY Cottontail bunny she's featuring today!!!!  Yippee :*)

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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It's a PURPLE-y Kind of Month!

PURPLE is our color for April's Rainbow Scrap Challenge ... and of course I'm delighted!   It's one of those really delicious jewel colors that just trips my trigger! =^..^=

And I think it makes a really delicious Soul Searching block too, don't you????

From the deep dark PURPLES.....

To the more red VIOLETS......

They are all yummy to me!  

And I especially like them all mixed up scrappy-style to add sparkle!

Auditioning for the Soul Searching block :)

My task of washing up my stash for the RSC color was made much easier this month because I had already washed many of my PURPLE fabrics for the recent Diamonds are Forever workshop at Guild -

I sewed up a few of these fun blocks last night just because I love seeing these colors play together so much!!!

What a lovely potpourri of strips!!!!

And while I had all the PURPLES out, I chose my fabrics for this month's Hootie block....

I'll let him shine in next week's RSC report :*)

And can it be a coincidence that my current socks project is PURPLE?

I think Angela is reading my mind! *grin*

Are you playing in PURPLES too?  

Please share at SoScrappy's RSC linky party HERE!

Or are you just enjoying some of the lovely PURPLE blooms that are bursting forth this spring?

Courtesy of Found and Sewn

Wishing you all a perfectly PURPLE kind of Sunday!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On The Needles - 4-4-14

I'm making some good progress on the Swing Cowl.  It seems the designer is now calling it the Wavy Cowl, but it will always be the Swing Cowl to me :)  I think I am a little more than halfway done ....

Pardon the quality of this picture please!  That muddy "browny" color in the middle is actually a plum-purple.  I had hoped to take a good picture in the light this morning, but it is not so light here.... stormy and rainy and dark.  Just yesterday, Gypsy and I sat out on the side porch and enjoyed the lovely spring sunshine....

Ahhhhhhh....... There's a reason for that old expression, "Like a breath of fresh air!"  It is heavenly to have the warmth and sunshine back after the bitter cold of this past winter.  I know some of you still have cold temps and even snow - UGH!!!  I am glad to have my faithful friend to sit with me in the mornings again this spring.  This is one of our favorites things to do together!  I am sad to realize it will probably be her last considering the way her health has been failing this past year.  She'll be 18 in August, and she's had a wonderful life, so we really can't complain, can we?

I also got a good bit done on my current pair of socks while at Guild this week...

It always makes me smile to think about how much the first stage of these two-at-a-time socks on the magic loop look like knitted bra cups LOL!!!!  I tried to start these at the same place in the color strata, but as you can see, they are each taking on a life of their own :*)  I don't mind at all - I think it makes them more beautiful!!!

Sharing with others who love to play with needles at Judy's Patchwork Times today!

Have a lovely weekend my friends!!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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