Design Wall Monday

I've been quilting a lot lately.  I went on a retreat and got to work on a few projects.  First, this is the round robin I received that I need to add a border by mid July.  I'm still in the "thinking" phase at this point. Trying to decide the type of pieced border I will add.

My goal for the quilt retreat was to work on my Christmas quilt.  I only got 9 blocks made by last Sunday; 6 snow flake blocks, and one each wreath and mittens.  So this past week I made it a goal to stitch on this quilt each day.  I now have 3 of 13 rows completed.  The wreath blocks are 3" finished and there are 16 of  them!  By the end of June I'm supposed to have gingerbread men, ornaments, and Christmas lights blocks added; we'll see.  I have two trips schedule for the month of June and I don't think I'll get much sewing done.  I'm happy though with the progress thus far.

 I went to my friend's house on Saturday to borrow the long arm machine!  I got  two quilt tops quilted.  This one is last year's scrap quilting club's yearlong project.

This one is my drunkard's path string quilt.  I'm so excited to get them both quilted. Now I need to pick binding fabrics and get them off my to-do list.  We'll see if they get completed in the month of June.

To see more design walls, visit Patchworktimes.com.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Updates for Chain Reaction and Round Robin Border

I'm still sewing on a couple of projects.  I finished the top for Chain Reaction.  I'll decide late if I want to add border to make larger, depending upon the recipient whom I haven't named yet.

The Chain Reaction quilt needed 6 blocks but 1/4 inch larger than half a block.  These were the pieces left over. Instead of dumping them in the trash or letting them hang around in the studio until I decide what to do with them, I sewed them together.  I can quilt as it or put into a future project, like a sampler quilt.  The goal is to do something with the pieces, creating a larger piece of fabric.

 I posted asking for suggestions on this round robin I received but didn't get any feedback.  I kept looking at this trying to determine what the owner wants.  Is it a night nature scene?  I couldn't add flowers because you wouldn't necessarily see them in the dark. Stars could be added; guess that would have been okay.  I wasn't feeling any of that though so I came up with something else. I was thinking that maybe the owner wants a string quilt.  Well, I have PLENTY of those hanging around.  I pulled all values and tones of orange, yellow, green, blue and brown strings from my bin.

Ta-da! This is what I came up with.  I free hand cut the side borders.  For the corner blocks, I used my GO! Drunkard's Path die (3.5" finished  and them trimmed them down to 3" finished.  I really like this quilt top and am looking forward to seeing what the next person adds.

Now, back to working on my charity quilt!
--------------------------
Type-u-later,
 
http://www.teaquilts.com

Design Wall Monday

I'm working on the Chain Reaction quilt again. I have all blocks made and sewn into rows.  I'm nearing the finish line.  Now, I need to find time to quilt.

--------------------------
Type-u-later,
 
http://www.teaquilts.com

WIP Update

I'm still working on my Chain Reaction blocks. I needed 30 more and here are 15 this way....

 And I started the other 15 this way.  I stopped when I cut 4 of them in the wrong direction.  I have very limited amount of the background fabric so I had to do some creative thinking to save the fabric.  I fixed the four I cut wrong and am working on the last 9 blocks.

I also made some more "signature blocks" for a charity quilt.  Here are some possible layouts for the blocks Where I will not have too many seams to match.  The first one has all the blocks facing the same direction; no matching needed for this one.

Making the blocks in quarters and flipping them one-quarter turn can do do things.  This first one has an "X" in the middle with "V's" going out.  Very interesting.  I will have to match seams that meet in the center of the quilt, but not every seam.

This setting, 1/4 turn create squares as you flip the quarters.  Again, I'll have to match the seams down the center of t he quilt.  I think this one is a winner. Now I need to make about 50 more blocks to create the quilt top.

Happy quilting everyone!
-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Finally a Post!

I've received some emails and personal inquiries about my lack of blogging.  Sometimes life just gets in the way and disrupt our plans.  I've been a tad depressed regarding my friend's death.  In addition, I was helping the family sort out all of her studio items and being a set of ears to the family when needed.  I was so exhausted because along with that, I still had quilt lectures and workshops scheduled, I've been traveling with my line dancing group and been dealing long distance with family regarding my grandmother's health.  When I did have "free time", I used it to read which is what relaxed me the most, not quilting or blogging.

Well the last few weeks I've been going back into the sewing studio.  I quilted and put binding on 3 quilt tops that my friend had made and gave them to her family.  I absolutely forgot to take pictures of those.  However, I finished two of my quilts that I gave to two cousins in Birmingham, Alabama.  They love them so much already.  The colors in these photos are not true and are bad presentation of the actual quilts but this is all I have.

Peaches and Cream quilt pattern by Judy Laquidara.  Instead of a tone on  tone quilt, I pulled out all the scraps as my cousin specifically requested a very colorful quilt.  This was definitely a joy to make.  The next photo is the back of the quilt.  I found this neat fabric that makes the quilt looks like a two-sided quilt.  I named this quilt Colorful Boxes and started it in January 2011 with the scrap quilting club.  I finally finished it in April of this year.

Another scrap quilting club project that I completed to send to my 2nd cousin, son of the quilt recipient above.  This one I call Rows of Boxes however, the pattern is Awesome Lap Quilt by Jamie Mueller and can be found in Moda Bake Shop.  I started this quilt in 2011 when the pattern first came out.  It had a few direction mishaps so I compensated by adding fabric pieces to the row ends and trimmed them all to the same size.  I've been told that the pattern has since been corrected so you shouldn't have any problems with it if you try it now.





This is the start of April's scrap quilting club project called Chain Reaction published in Quiltmaker's Magazine March/April 2012 issue.  You can see more ideas by clicking Quiltmaker. I have almost 4 of 7 rows shown here.

I have those 4 rows pieced.  Now I need to make blocks for the remaining 3 rows (30 blocks).

Apparently because I just LOVE works in progress, I started machine embroidering the "Names Above All Names" quilt.  I plan to give this as a gift.  I have about 20 more blocks to make. If you want to see all the block names, click this link:  http://www.embroideryonline.com/p-48535-name-above-all-names-quilt.aspx

I want to make a charity quilt with fabrics I received from Karen.  I got out two GO! dies and started making signature blocks.  But wait a second, I didn't make signature blocks.

I used some Kona cotton I had in my stash for the background.  Here are the first 16 blocks I made.  I plan to make many, many more in all colors. I could set them this way but I would have to worry about all those seams matching up.

So, I decided to set them this way.  I think I like the background space in this layout because it's not the norm.  I have about 90 blocks cut but don't have any plan at this time.

I have a lot of scrap quilting club photos I need to upload.  I'll try to blog again soon.  Until then, happy quilting!
-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Round Robin Suggestions?

I have the round robin on my design wall.  I need to add a border; any ideas?  I'll post in a hour or so about my own projects.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Hard Work and No Play

Nothing new here, but I wanted to show what I've been working on since Sunday I didn't have anything on "Design Wall Monday."

I woke up Sunday morning and decided to go to Ikea. Well, it's only 4.5 hours away,what the heck! I was looking for something to store the large Studio dies and I had so many GO! dies that I was running our of storage space.

So my goal for the trip to Ikea was to look for shelving units 15" in depth or larger. I found a 15.75" depth bookcase that was slightly wider and much taller than the one that used to be in the room.  Plus, I would be able to get more items on this unit.  I decided my small/medium GO! dies would be happy here.  The dies are stored on two Ikea DVD storage trays.  I think they are made to be placed in a drawer unit but so far, the dies are still standing!

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Then I got lucky and found pantry storage. I was really excited until I saw the prices; yikes! 18" shelves with rolling baskets which I wasn't happy with) was $380 and I would need two of them. So, I kept walking and got to the closet storage area. I found a closet unit that had a hanging rod for holding hangers. 
I went to sales representative and asked if I could just get all shelves instead. The depth of these shelves are 22+" and I can cram lots of stuff on them. And I did!

Here is close up photo of the Studio dies and large size GO! dies.  I save recycled paper to use with the dies if I need to adjust layers for perfect cuts.

I have my Studio cutter sitting on a kitchen counter I purchase years ago to make a large ironing surface. I made the surface and used it about 6 months that way.  I collected so much fabric that I starting storing fabric in large plastic bins on it.  When the studio came in December, I clean it off!  That's motivation.  My GO! cutter is hibernating in the basement, waiting for me to lecture or hold a stash busting workshop. I don't need it upstairs anyway because I can use my GO! dies on the Studio cutter with the adapter board.

I store my cut die pieces in these units.  I have one more in my sewing studio that also holds cut units.  Previously, the pieces were not in the trays long enough to justify labeling.  However, since I got the studio, and because it has it's own home, I die cut more now than ever.  I do plan to label these but haven't gotten around to it yet; been way too busy lately.

I realize I haven't gotten the items stored in the shelves properly and that will take some time. This small storage room holds a lot of stuff and it took me 3.5 days just to switch out two storage units. I couldn't leave the stuff out around the house while I got it all organized.

This makes me appreciate the crafters that makes organization look so simple.  Its hard for me because if my areas are clean, I'm not working!

Tea in MO
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-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Design Wall Monday 2/11/13

Today is my friend, Debra, birthday.  Happy birthday Debra!

I didn't do too much this week quilt wise.  I did press, organize and label the tumbler units shown on my design wall last week.  I must have done a lot of reading or playing Spades and/or Sudoku.

On Thursday the Trace n Create template arrived in the mail and I got majorly distracted and made two iPad covers for my daughter and I.  We have covers with the keyboard attached, but it's kind of dirty and a little heavy when we don't need the keyboard. I made the Mickey one first using pattern instructions.  It's a little too much wiggle room for me.

On the second one on the inside I added a pocket to put a note or two and a stylus.  Also, because the first one was a tad too large, I modified how far in the elastic straps extended.  The red strip is extra strip on the inside; the blue is the original called for by the pattern.  It's so cool that it stands up this way by itself.  I used layers of heavy weight Pellon inside instead of the plastic insert sheets recommended.

I squared up about 70 HSTs; still have approximately 60 more to go.  I sometimes dread this step in quiltmaking. These units will go on my weed whacker quilt in the border.

To see more design walls, visit www.patchworktimes.com.
-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Design Wall Monday 2/3/2013

Sorry this post starts with sad news but it will pick up with my progress later on.  I attended a retreat last weekend, January 25-27, and really had a great time.  

This is a picture of my friend and table mate, Karen. She had foot surgery and was on a one-legged scooter contraption because she couldn't apply pressure to the foot.  I assisted her the entire weekend, helping to get her equipment into the center, getting water, ice, food, and assisting however I could to make her stay enjoyable.  We are both members of the quilt guild sponsoring the retreat, but we also are members of a 6-member guild that meet in each other's home on a monthly basis. We function like a large guild in every aspect.  I dropped her off at home last Sunday and she was tired but so excited that she got out the house as she was getting bored.  It saddens me that she passed away last Tuesday due to a blood clot.  I've have had a mix emotions in the past week  I know that I will miss her dearly as she was the sweetest person I'd known, willing to assist others without expecting anything in return, even strangers.  I just wanted share with you a new angel that's watching over us and warn you that she's a perfectionist!

It's been two weeks since I posted and I do have a few projects that have moved along. We had an Asian inspired retreat and we had the option to make "Hu Hot Iron Caddy" This is a great pattern to make an iron caddy that doubles as an ironing surface as well. See that cord pocket on the outside; you can pack up and take the iron home while it's still hot.

 
Then I worked on a modified week whacker pattern. The top is pieced but I need to work on the border at some point. For this one, I used blue, green and red scraps. I have fabrics that have been in my stash from 1995.  They never go away!

 I also got an opportunity to sew these string blocks together.  I think this one may get a plain border; or I might change my mind as I haven't really decided yet.

For Superbowl Sunday I started out cleaning my studio. I haven't been able to sew in there for months.  After getting about 75% complete, I decided to reward myself and sew some stack blocks as they were already cut.  I have 21 blocks here. I may make about 40 of them so I need to cut down some 2.5" strips to continue.  I did piece some of the bricks to get rid of smaller scraps too.

Also in the photo above on Sunday, I sewed more tumbler units.  I'd previously sewed together 39 4-unit sections.  I laid them out as in photo below and realized I needed a few more with additional fabric choices.  Funny how if you have a large area to lay out the blocks/units the quilt top wants go be larger (okay they talk to me. LOL) So today I cut out more fabrics so I could make some new selections.  I now have 61 4-unit sections. I will save this project to work on Friday at my work group's craft night.

Please check Judy's site to see more design walls.

--------------------------
Type-u-later,

http://www.teaquilts.com

Design Wall Monday 1/21/13

I'm back home from a line dancing in Cleveland, Ohio.  The theme was Jamaica   This is a photo me dancing at the workshop. I'm in the front row, left grey t-shirt with Bob Marley on it.

Here is my and my daughter at the evening main event. I wore a sarong in Jamaica colors.

I knew I wouldn't have much time to sew, but didn't want to miss an opportunity to sew some units I had already cut with my die cutter.These tumblers have been sitting for at least a year so I packed them up.  I have a stack of tumblers sewed into 4's and another stack sewed into 2's.  I have to decide how large I want this one to be.

Before leaving home, I cut 24 blocks using the Take 5 die and some polka dot fabrics I won in October. I used 8 of the 9 fabrics and cut three blocks from each color. Mixed them up as I sewed.  Not all blocks are shown here as I ran out of design wall.

I realized I worked on my trees but no photo is on the camera.  I'll show it some other time.  To see more design walls, visit Patchwork Times.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com