Got it done!

Was beginning to think I'd never see this top completed.  It seems like everything that could go wrong, did... the applique' was ok and so was constructing the center... my problem was with the borders, lots of trimming and quite a bit of 'fudging'.

Again, the photography isn't that great, but the best I could do with it laying on the guest room bed and without climbing up on a ladder.   I'll get a better pic once it's quilted and I can take it outside to lay on the lawn.  The important thing today is that the top is DONE!!!

more frustration

All I had left to do on my second garden quilt was add 'checkerboard' inner border and then the four outer borders...  sounds simple, right?  Ummm, nope!  The checkerboard wasn't too bad; matched up except for lower left corner ( and I don't think anyone will notice)... The outer border on the other hand has become a real PITA.  I pin one side border on only to find that it's too long... oh yeah, the Ohio star block goes on the top and bottom border ends, not the side borders.  So I take them off... pin again... still too long.   Re-read the measurements in the directions... yep, they're right.  Have no idea why the borders are too long... I must have done something wrong in the center 'block'.  Took a nap because I couldn't quit yawning and because I was getting REALLY frustrated by this point.

Three hours later, I decided I'd get out the first garden quilt top and compare measurements...yep they match and if I lay the  #2 quilt center onto the first one, it matches up  perfectly so if I did do something wrong in assembling the center of the quilt, I did it on both.

While measuring, I noticed that I must have done some cropping on the borders of the first quilt, so that's what I'll have to do on the second one, too.  Not sure if I'll get to it tonight or not... hope to have it done by tomorrow night so that I can get started on finishing up the San Antonio Star, which I HOPE won't give me problems like this second garden quilt has.

Oh, and I found enough fabric for the backing for the  Sticks and Stones quilt so I can get that loaded onto Mo'e in the next day or so, hopefully.  I may want to put some practice fabric on  first. though so that I can practice doing feathers.

Steady on - future could be bumpy

Ok  finished the Sticks and Stones quilt top yesterday morning.  What a - not sure what to call it - I like it, but I'm disappointed that I couldn't do it like Jenny Doans did in her video ( with blocks alternating between vertical and horizontal).

It's not a very good pic... will try to get a better one once it's quilted.  It was really quite a pain to do but only because the 2 1/2" precut strips were not all 2 1/2"... a couple of the purple strips were 2 1/4" and a few  other strips were only about 2 3/8".  Of course, that made it hard to match them up with the white 2 1/2" squares and that's also why I couldn't alternate vertical/horizontal... when I did try it, the horizontal blocks were 3/4" too short - and that was with VERY SCANT 1/4" seams.
Right now, I'm thinking that I was to quilt it with feathers in the diagonal.  Not sure what I want to do on the borders.  You probably can't tell from this bad pic, but part of each border strip is solid white fabric while the rest of each strip is done piano-key style with pieces cut from the remainder of the precut strips.

So, after I finished that, I decided to work on a UFO and pulled out the second garden quilt that I started sometime last year.  Here's the first one  (again, not a great pic)... top is finished and waiting to be quilted.

 The first time, it went together pretty easy; this time, not so easy.  In the lower right side of the pic, you can kind of see the Ohio star corner block.  ( Ignore the green print - it's not part of the quilt)  I started making them for the second quilt last night and it wasn't coming out right... needs to be 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" square. For some reason, the center square was off by at least a half inch.  So, I took it apart, made new center blocks cutting them at 3" instead of 2 1/2" and then cutting it down once I had the four together and that worked.  Only one completed last night, so have three more to do today along with doing the 'checkerboard' border before I can finish assembling the top.

I really like this pattern... I did do it a little different than usual ( and called for in the pattern directions); I used fusible for the shovel ( top border) on both quilts, but then decided that I didn't want the stiffness that comes with using fusibles so I cut out the fabric shapes and glued them down before stitching.  I was able to try out a few different stitches to applique the shapes and even did some bobbin work using Ricky Timm's Razzle Dazzle threads.  Before I put the tops onto Mo'e for . quilting, there are tiny buttons to hand stitch on.  I thought I would add them after quilting, but they are so small that I should be able to sew them on before quilting and quilt around them.


I also took a few minutes to trim some strip blocks for the Strips for Siren quilts that I've been encouraging guild members to make prior to next month's sew in when I hope we can join them together and make at least two quilts for our local homeless shelter.


This weekend, about 1/2 our guild members will be going up north for quilt retreat.  I am not one of them.  I'll stay home and have a 'quilt retreat' of my own.  Once I get the garden top done, I'm going to pull out the San Antonio Star by Bonnie Hunter and see if I can get that top finished... I have flying geese for the border to finish and have at least two orange sections to  sew on between the star 'arms'.  I can't remember how many flying geese are required, but  it's something like 280.  Thank goodness, most of them are done.

ARGHHHH!!!

Night before last, I started working on MSQC ( Missouri Star Quilt Company)'s Sticks and Stones pattern using some beautiful Stonehenge precut strips.  First block  ( Blue ) went pretty easy so I started on second block - not so easy.  The GREEN strips were cut just shy of 2 1/2"... first ARGHHH!  I finally figured out that if I made the seams a wee bit smaller, it would work. I started working on it again yesterday morning, but I realized that there are a lot of blue, green and  purple strips with only two of brown and two of pink.  I got out my graph paper & colored  pencils..decided that I didn't like what I came up with so I ripped out the three blocks ( #3 was a combination of 1/2 blue and 1/2 green).  ARGHHH! again.
This morning, I started AGAIN... I finished cutting the strips to required sizes and sewing the 2 1/2" square Stonehenge blocks to white blocks of the same size ( approximately since green wasn't the only color that wasn't cut exactly 2 1/2".  That went well, so I pressed on and started stitching the same blocks to what I THOUGHT was the 8 1/2" strips... having to stop about 6 times to unstitch and restitch after I realized that I had sewn color to color instead of  white to color.  I had TWO left to stitch when I noticed that I had been attaching the 10 1/2" strips and not the 8 1/2" ones. ANOTHER ARGHHHHHH !!!  So, that's where I am right now... sitting down to unstitch about 28 strips... then back to using the correct size.

WISH ME LUCK!

Catch up

Fair week is almost over... we pick our quilts, etc. up tomorrow morning.  This is the first time I've entered any of my quilts - and I'm not sure whether I'll do it again or not.  Notice the gold AND the blue ribbons on  this one?  This is the quilt ( wall hanging) that I made with the intent of entering the AQS show in Grand Rapids this year, but it didn't happen because we didn't have the required eight entries.  Not too shabby, eh? (hubby took the pic of me with the quilt, but didn't bother to tell me that my hair was messed up, so please ignore).
Unfortunately, you can't see the alligator hiding behind the gold ribbon - and I'm very proud of him.  I used Texture Magic to make him - stitched the Texture Magic onto the back of green fabric, steamed it to make it shrink, then traced, cut him out and appliqued him to the background.  I'm quite proud of the panda bear, too as the black on him was completely thread painting.
These won me two third place ribbons...

 

The top one is Grace's Garden and one of my best quilting jobs... the bottom one is the Poinsettia wall hanging that I did for last summer's guild challenge.  I had to use  the colors black & red; it had to be a certain size ( which I can't remember at this moment) and use multiple techniques, which I did - like about 8, I think (info is written on quilt's label).  The background was sun bleached to get that brown & black design; I appliqued the stem and 'flower', used faux piping on the binding, thin metal (copper) on the green leaves and the center red 'petal' was sewn separately and a wire was satin stitched to  it before poking it into a hole in the center of the 'flower'.  I also used Texture Magic for the center ( it doesn't show even when you see it in person) and then added black beads for stamen.

This is the only one that I didn't receive a ribbon for - and I was surprised/disappointed; I thought for sure it would win something.  The quilting was better than average ( for me) and it's so stinkin' cute.  Of course, wouldn't you know that my quilting friend, Colette, ( who loaned me the pattern) entered the one that she made ( and won 1st place).  We entered them in different categories, so I still could have won  a ribbon...not sure why I didn't.

Ok, now to show you the one that I was working so madly on in hopes of entering it into the fair

 ( instead of the farm animal one shown above).

I absolutely love it!!! but didn't enter it because when I got it on the long arm ( Mo'e) and started stitching around all the pieces with black thread, Mo'e jumped over onto the colored piece here and there.  I had some issues finishing it up ( like running out of backing fabric because I'd turned the leader bar too many times - again) and had to 'fudge' it at the bottom by binding the three other sides, then making a 3 1/2" binding ( I usually make 2 1/2') so that it would cover where the backing ended but the top didn't.  THEN I noticed that I put the label on the wrong end - not really a big deal.  Because of the binding issue, I used the traditional method of sewing the binding to the front and then hand sewing it on the back... I don't usually do this because I like doing it all by machine so much better ( and it's a lot quicker).

Today, I finished quilting a charity quilt for one of the other guild members... not a great job because Mo'e didn't want to do circles ( I think it's the extension table getting in the way) and they were coming  out squarish.  I decided to just do swirls until the last two rows and then did circles again and this time they came out  pretty good... I don't know what his (Mo'es) issue was.

Almost forgot... July 9th was the guild picnic and we revealed our challenge quilts.  Usually, Ruth gives us a challenge for the  picnic, but since she said she wasn't going to  this year.. I gave the challenge... a finished  quilt no larger than 36"x48" and the theme was 'common  phrase'.  Only seven of us entered, but that's ok -- we had fun.  

Well, I just tried downloading the pics of the entries from our FB group, but it wouldn't happen.  Darn!  So, here is my entry.... can you guess what the common phrase was that I picked?  :)

  

I wasn't born yesterday

The next challenge due is the Brown Bag challenge in which we chose a bag (closed so we couldn't see inside until after we picked) that contained 5 fabrics.  We could either choose a bag marked A ( which meant we could only add one more fabric to what was already in the bag) or B ( we could add as many fabrics as we wanted to). We're not supposed to know who's bag we picked - and I have no idea whose I have, but I do know who picked mine because I just happened to see her pick it up  when we were choosing bags.   I chose A and kind  of wish that I had gone  for B instead, but  it will work, I'm sure.  

I've picked out a couple of patterns that I  thought might work with the fabrics ( I'll take a pic of the fabrics later so that you can see)... still not 100% sure that I'll go with one of them - might find something else that will appeal more to me.  They aren't due until Oct so I have time.

Next up on Mo'e I think will be a quilt that I'll be giving  to my youngest daughter for Christmas this year.  I just need to piece the backing before I get it on the frame.  It's a Editya Sitar pattern (Mountain Majestic, I think)... scrap quilt made with Editya's version of Thangles.  I also have at least two or three Missouri Star Quilt Company patterns that I  want to get started on... AND I have the quilt to make for my son  for Christmas, too.  So much to do, so  little energy :(.  which is why I put my foot down on doing the Row by Row this year... there are several rows that I'd LOVE to do, but I haven't even finished last year's so it's a NO! this year.... maybe I can do it next year.

Working undercover

I'm still around; just been busy working on a 'secret' quilt.  Our county fair is in a couple of weeks and I want to enter it along with three other quilts.  I finished the  top on Sunday and got it on the frame and started quilting it today.  Man, can I ever tell that I haven't worked with Mo'e for awhile... by dinner time, my back and legs were aching/hurting so bad that I was having trouble walking.  Tomorrow is bill paying/grocery shopping day so I won't have as much time to work on it... hopefully Thursday I can get some good time in with Mo'e.
I also called a company today to request permission to use one of their internet 'ads' in a quilt; the woman I talked to ( creative director) said it would be fine as far as she knew, but wanted to check with others to make sure.  So now I'm waiting for her to send me an email so that I'll have something on paper to show the judges if I can try to enter it in next year's AQS show.  Crossing my fingers! :)

It's been a long, long time...

Ok, I haven't posted since Nov.  Guess I'd better get back at it.  I haven't been sitting around doing nothing in the seven? months that I wasn't posting; I have been busy.
I finished my TQS ( The Quilt Show with Ricky Timms and Alex Anderson) BOM for 2014 - A to Z for Ewe and Me designed by Janet Stone.

I had considered entering it in the county fair UNTIL I got it off the frame and saw several folds sewn into the backing. ARGHHHH!!  Otherwise, I am thrilled with  the way it came out.

I've also been busy making doll quilts that are going to be donated to our local fire department and will be given to little girls along with dolls ( and outfits for the dolls) at Christmas.

The first three were made from 'orphan' blocks that one of my "Fabric Fairies" gifted me with .  This nine patch was to use up some of my own scraps... it helped a little, but not much. 

 I can't remember where I found these dancing chickens - what was supposed to be a wall hanging, I made some changes and made it into a doll quilt... approx. 20" x 20"

 I found this paper pieced ( too many pieces to count) Olaf on Craftsy.com and thought some little girl would like him on a quilt for her dolly.

 I'm not sure where I found these flowers... probably Craftsy.com again ( one of my favorite sites for free quilt patterns)... used some fabric ( the print) that my oldest daughter sent me for Mother's Day ( it was a fat quarter or less and not something I'd normally use)... everything else was from scraps.  I think the blue was left from the trimming of the A to Z quilt backing.

 I can't remember where I found the pattern for this block, but it was  something I wanted to try... I liked it... made two doll quilts and kept another block on my design wall so I can go back to it and make again.

.

I also made three Scrappy Trips Around the World blocks for a young lady named  Diana ( Diana's Golden Needle on Fb) who is making quilts for teens who are aging out of the foster care system.  Several members of our guild decided to help her out by making some blocks to send to her; she will assemble them into quilt tops.  I forgot to take pics of my first two, but here's the third one...

Now, here comes the charity quilts I've done so far this year.

 This hexi quilt was the third one, I think that I did.... I got carried away with making them and ended up with more than I needed, which is why there were three lol.

This sheep was a panel that I think, I received from my late cousin,  Phyllis, via mutual friend, Vicki.  It was fun to do.... I got to 'play' with Mo'e.
Next are quilts that I've either done for myself or as a gift... first up is Grace's Garden - the top was completed either last year or the year before and was just waiting to be quilted.  Another one I'm very pleased with.

Here's the quilt I'm calling Grandma Bee's quilt, after my grandma... it's another top that was done and just waiting to be quilted.

This next one is the first of two... the second one is applique'd but still in single blocks ( and it has white background).  It still needs quilting - one of these days.  This one will be for my granddaughter, Krista and I'll keep the white version - at least for awhile.

The green at the bottom is NOT part of the quilt... that's fabric that was already laying on the bed and works to provide more contrast against the stripped sheet on the bed.
Ok, so that's what I've done so far.  There is one more quilt that I'm working on right now... I have to square up/trim the blocks, sew them together and I still need to applique the borders and add them to the center blocks -- then onto the frame it goes.  Hoping to have it completely done within the next  week or so... then I'll post a pic.
OH!  I almost forgot...I'm also working  on Gingerbread Boy block of the month that fatcatdesigns.com is offering for free this year.  I was going to wait before starting on them, but I couldn't  lol.  Here's what I have so far.

January

                                                                         February

The appliques are from scraps in my stash... the background is fabric left from the background I used for the A to Z for Ewe and Me quilt.