From Another Country?

I feel like a foreigner on blogspot as so much has changed.  During my last post in November I noticed some of the changes but didn't get a chance to look around.  I found I do not like the new way we have to read our news feed from blogs that we follow.

My life has been busy as usual with teaching quiltmaking, line dancing, and computer programs.  My schedule always seems to get jammed packed without a lot of prior notice and I find myself doing the next thing that has to be done.  I'm so glad it's spring as I really need to do a major spring cleaning. I really don't see how that will happen either as I have a few trips planned in the coming months.

I recognize that my blog will be incomplete with finishes as I made a few Christmas gifts and those were on my cell phone which was stolen.  I also noticed that I wasn't keeping up with my Excel spreadsheet of my projects either.  Today I clean that up as best as I could. Time permitting, I will try to add some of the projects I didn't get to share during 2013.

I have been squeezing a little quilting time in my schedule and I have a few finishes to report. This quilt is one I made and donated as a charity quilt.  I used my Studio die cutter to cut the pieces so it was quick and easy to put together. I named this one Jewels.

Tropical Paisleys is my round robin quilt.  I decided to get this one quilted so it wouldn't sit in the pile of quilt tops that need to be completed.  I made the center paisley block; Debra added the paisley embroidery border; Sarah added the drunkards path units; Norma added the sticks border; Cynthia added the final border.  I am very happy with my quilt and it will be hanging in my home in a few days when I switch out my winter quilts.

JSS: Twisting Triangles is a favorite as I got to use some batik scraps.  For some reason I didn't want to mix my batik scraps with my other ones.  Silly, I know.

Butterfly Glow is another favorite!  It's a machine embroidered quilt as you go technique by Eileen Roche of Designs in Machine Embroidery.  While I love the finished project, I didn't enjoy the stitching due to various design issues with the files.  I persevered and change things as needed.  I might do a product review of this product.

Here is a close up of all that pretty stitching!

Tonight I decided to make a collage of the projects I would like to finish next.  I'm hoping that by posting the list, I will get them completed.

I have lots of photos to upload of some WIPs and show-n-tell from scrap quilting club.  Keep your fingers crossed that I come back a few more times this week to post some more! :0)
-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

What have I been up to?

It's been a month since I posted. Life has been very busy for me. I hosted two meeting in my home, Dear Jane and quilt guild meeting. Having the meeting forced my hand to clean up a little more than norm and put away sewing projects. I'll talk about what I finished for the month first and then let you know how the rest of my month went. Here is my Window of USA wall hanging earlier this month. This is BFC Creations embroidery design. I had difficulty trying to decide if I wanted to frame it or make it into a quilt. Financial and time constraints won and I made the quilt instead. I pulled at least 20 fabrics for the border until I found the perfect fabric to complement the threads used in the design. Another project for me this month was to make ribbons for the quilt guild's challenge. I don't do much digitizing but decided this would be the time to try. It took all day, but here are the results. In addition, I also started my challenge quilt this month (can't post a picture as other members will see it). The challenge is to make a quilt with flying geese as the main theme. The quilt must be less than 30" square. Yesterday I finished the top and started quilting it.

Here is a 3-D butterfly I made using another BFC Creations design. Very interesting technique. I had originally wanted to use these as my award ribbons, but it took too long to stitch out...about 8 hours work each. Of course I would have had to make 4 so I could keep one for myself. Due to schedule, I had to change to the awards mentioned above.

Let's see, what else have I been up to? I attended embroidery club this month and had a lot of neat items to show (see previous posts.) I also went to Paducah last Saturday to attend the quilt show. It was a fun packed day spent with two other quilters. I was so tired afterwards. We also went to the AQS book sales, Hancocks of Paducah, and the mall (they have a few vendors there as well.) I held back on spending this year. I did purchase the 17" square Olfa rotating mat as I've been waiting for JoAnns in my area to obtain or the price to decrease. Neither has happened so I bit the bullet. I'm using it already so I guess my purchase will not be in vain. Another wonderful thing to happen is the vendor for Sew Ezi (http://www.seweziusa.com/) was there. I had a problem with a wheel on a table I purchased 2-3 years ago. She was so nice and gave me new sets of hub caps for all my wheels for free. I've contacted them in the past regarding table inserts online and I highly recommend this company.

Enough for now and I've got work to do.

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