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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Aqua and Orange Bee String Blocks

These are the fabrics I choose for my month in the Aqua and Orange Bee.  I added the browns to the mix, there is one fabric, it is in the back, and it has orange, brown and aqua,  I wanted to include this fabric.  I'm not quite sure how the browns are going to play out, but I love my finished blocks, so I know I can make it work.  Everyone will get strips in one colorway, and 4 foundation pieces, which come together to make one block.  

The foundation is Ricky Tims Stable Stuff, this will wash away to softness after quilting and washing, so no need to remove after sewing.  Please note the placement of the Kona white, you need 2 diagonals going in each direction.  Since the foundation is not square, they aren't interchangeable - believe me, I tried!

Some of you may choose to pin the white strip down before sewing.  I just pressed it flat with my iron and held on to it.  Place the first string strip on top of the white, right sides together, and work your way out with the next strip going on top of the first aqua (or whatever your color is) after pressing.  I would sew down one side, and then the other for time saving.

I found that it was a good tip to press each strip flat, right sides together. 

Then open up and press again for a good seam.  Have a piece of the white Kona for your last strip on each side.  The strips are different sizes, may be wonky, you can wonk something that isn't or make the strip narrower if you need.  Please do not add anything, if you come up short just send back what you have made. 

After sewing on all your strips, your back may look like this.  Trim down to the foundation, which should be 7.5" X 9.5".  

I would like to have white on each corner, so they come together in squares where the blocks intersect.  You should have 4 sections like this when you are finished trimming.  Sew together to make 1 block, pressing seams to one side.  The foundations will seem thick, but not to worry, no need to remove!  
Thank you so much Bee Mates!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Yes I can, Sam I Am

I am a quilter, therefore I sew, therefore I can make a costume for my nephew who wants to be Sam I Am.

Sam I Am is not a costume pattern this Halloween.  I found one already made on Ebay, but I was outbid at $36.99.  Like Clint Eastwood, I adapt, overcome, improvise with this pattern.

My Veterinarian sister asked if she owed me anything for my efforts.  I said well, I studied the pattern for about an hour, I believe you doctors call that a 'consultation'.  What's the going rate on that?

A chance to use my pinking shears!  But they didn't work too well on the fleece.  

I can re-fold the pattern so it fits back into the package.  Admit it, this takes skill!

A break for cookie making, working with a pattern deserves a cookie break.

Improvise - instead of making a whole new hat, I found a Dr. Suess  hat, I used my trusty hot glue gun to cover the white with red felt.  Viola - Sam I Am hat.

Ta-Da.  But the kid is going to be hot in all this fleece, he lives in FL.   The neck gave me daymares, until I remembered that you can use elastic instead of all that interfacing.  Especially since said kid is in another state and can't be measured.

Yes I can, Sam I Am.  I haven't tried Green Eggs and Ham.  Yet.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

In honor of Lily

I have been talking about this quilt for a few months now.  It is on it's way to a special family, wrapped up, weather protected, insured, sign for delivery. 

Ever have something happen that sends you reeling and makes you re-evaluate everything?  You want to comfort but there are no words? 

I first quilted from the back, around the large dresden plates, this showed up on the front fabulously.  I love the way Kona  krinkles after washing.

My hope is that this family will use this quilt with their two daughters, for snuggling, reading, when they're sick, for a picnic, anytime.  And be reminded of the specialness, the uniqueness of each and every life we are granted to steward.

Our lives are like Quilts, bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.

For Madison - A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul.

For Alexa - Those who sleep under a quilt sleep under a blanket of love.

Listen for my footfall in your heart, I am not gone, but merely walk within you.


Snawder Sherbet Peeps 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

Are you (insert expletive) serious?

And, THIS, my friends is a sewing table.  I took a picture, I need to remember that it is white, and it isn't just for project storage and that I can quilt so well with the table cleaned off.  Now, I will never be able to find everything I put away.

Wow.  I have nothing to add to this photo.  Except, I take back my 'I can quilt so well' statement.  This happened 3 times on this quilt, I am a really slow learner.

Are you*%^& kidding me?  That much, just that much.  

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Sometimes you need a review to see what you forgot

I went back to add some labels to posts, and realized I never finished posting about this top I completed.  Original post is HERE.  At that time I needed to get back to my happy place, my Mother In Law had died and I was having a hard time going back to regular life.  Sewing is such a comfort, and I wasn't ready for the comfort for awhile.  But others were depending on me, and it was time.  She wouldn't want me to stop what I love.  

Anyone who knows me knows that 'my colors' are in the autumn spectrum.  I find them warm and inviting.  I chose these fabrics because I needed to sew for me and I knew it would be easier with colors that I love.  This is how I line up cut fabrics for a photo op.  Nice, right?  

This is the natural me.

There was some sort of pattern type deal that I looked at when I cut these, they are slightly wonky.  I have no idea now where I saw it or how much I copied.  I think it was in a magazine, I didn't copy the quilt, just the cutting of the strips.

I had cut the Joel Dewberry Aviary 1 fabric so that the birds would all be going the right direction.  I had just enough to cut the horizontal strips and then the strips for the border to be vertical, but I had to piece the vertical strips.   

I haven't named this quilt yet, and I think I'm going to quilt it as soon as Sherbet Pips is done (it is almost), but this quilt to me says, home, nesting, beauty.  And I know that I made it to bring me back to the happy place.  

So, yeah.  I have a LOT of other Joel Dewberry as exhibit A 

Exhibit B, I haven't entered my grey/ yellow phase yet.

And Exhibit C.  This one is going to the Aqua and Orange Bee for November.  

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

I promised to quilt, and I'm almost there!

Well, so far I have Sherbet Pips pinned.  It sat taped to the floor for 3 days, my husband didn't want to come in my room for fear of stepping on it and stabbing himself with a wayward open safety pin.  *Note to self: leave pinned quilt on the floor to keep menfolks out of sewing studios.  It is has now moved to the sewing table, one step closer to quilting.

Funny thing - in February at the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show, I picked up 10 feet of Matilda's Own Wool/Cotton Batting, because cotton prices were shooting up.  The next day my Mom was returning to the show and I asked her to pick me up 5 more feet of batting.  Only I said YARDS.  Batting?  Anyone?

This block was for my Sew Modern Quilt Bee, Kristy has an awesome tutorial on her blog HERE.  I hope she doesn't mind I took her idea for the block, and I'm going to use it over and over.  

I loved it so much, I made 5 more for my hive mates over in NeBees Block Swap.

Brilliant idea, make this car fabric into sashings for my t-shirt quilt!  Make tons.

Make start centers in the sashings with bright colors in the car fabrics!  Cut up tons, and feel all cozy inside, getting something accomplished and using sashings.

Someone, whose quilt opinion I do not rely on says 'it is too busy'.  I keep going, see?  All sewed on?  A quilter comes over for sew day and says 'It is too busy'.   

Everyone happy?  Toned down enough?  Really?  I don't mind being wrong, but why does he need to be right?  And it does look better now.  Sigh.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

The Booty

Sherbet Pips needs a back.  I had declared October quilting month, and here it is the 8th, and I haven't started quilting yet.  To quilt a top, it needs a booty or as more commonly referred - a back.  

I made 3 humongoid dresden plates for the booty.  And, I know, this was a lot of work for a booty.  My goal was to use up as much Sherbet Pips fabric as possible.  I want it all in this quilt.  

After I had the dresden plates attached to large pieces of Kona, I cut up more Sherbet Pips into 4 1/2" squares and made strips to attach to the Kona blocks.  I didn't have a master plan, I seldom do, just a wing it and see what happens idea.

I am so pleased that the lines of squares fit perfectly (almost) with the large Kona blocks.  

This booty is almost EXACTLY the same size as the front, I will have to very carefully pin the sandwich together so the booty does not fall short on any side.  We wouldn't want booty hanging out.  This could be one of those reversible quilts I've heard tell about, just never figured out how to make one.  Still haven't, this was winging it.