More on the Blog Hop

A Friendly Reminder from Quiltmaker :

100 Blocks Blog Tour
Monday, May 2 through Friday, May 6
Giveaways, inspiration, fun all week at Quilty Pleasures. Links to dozens of new designers and their stories!

And since   I'd like to have a giveaway to share with you this great resource.  Come back on Monday, May 2nd and you will have a chance to win a copy of QuiltMaker's 100 Blocks, v. 3.






                         

My First Machine Quilted Quilt

Having fun with my company! While they're off to visit a friend at Simple Simon's (a local outdoor cafe) in downtown Riverside, thought I'd post a quickie.  This quilt is the first one I quilted maybe 15 years ago - mostly stitching around the design motifs and before the days I had read anything about machine quilting and basting the quilt with safety pins - hence the puckers and pleats on the back. I did the middle and then put it away as I didn't know how to stipple. It's been finished a couple of years now after having found it in a bag tucked in a drawer.  It's got lots of mistakes, but Alan and Leo don't mind those so it is getting used.  This was a panel.  I used matching yardage on the back and for the binding.

Secret blocks Explained

A friend ask what was up with all those secret blocks I kept talking about. Well here is what I was up to:

Volume 3 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks will be out shortly and then there will be a giveaway.  QM will have a blog hop soon also to commemorate the issue.  I'll let you know about it too.

Stash Report 4/24/11

Like Judy, I didn't use anything this week as I was resizing curtain sheers and getting ready for company.  And what did I learn:  I don't like to be without quilting.  I couldn't even do my 15 a day after thursday as I have so much to do.
So for this week:

Used this week: 0.0 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date: 26.37 ards
Added this wk: 0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added: -3.5 yards
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Total Yr to date Use: 22.87 yards

Same as last week.  I hope this coming week to at least make one block from the ufo I'm suppose to be finishing for this month, but sadly I couldn't fit it in with all I had to do and watch Alan all week.  There is
always the week after, but then it will be May - can you believe it?!

See what others have done at Judy's Patchwork Times which you will find to link to on my left sidebar.  Enjoy and tell us how you did on your destashing efforts this week.

Almost Two & A Half bigger

Well, I picked my next round and it's the green I pulled out first. Now what? Measures 18 1/2" square now.

Haven't a clue where to go next, but I'm leaning toward red, but what pattern red? What do you think?

This Wednesday I've decided on...

interviewing some more greens for the next go round on this block.  And does this qualify as a medallion quilt?  Let me know.

Check out the We Did it Wednesday with the button on the left sidebar.  Thanks, Sew Much Ado!

Fabric Tuesday or...

another 15 minutes of playing with those 2 blocks - now they are 4 - actually a 4-patch. They turned out 7 1/2" square and are now joined - the piece is 14 1/2" square. Where am I going with this?  Maybe tomorrow I'll know.

Be sure to go to the left sidebar and click on the button  Fabric Tuesday to see some great eye candy from the Quilt Story blog.

Design Wall Monday 4/18/11

I'm shortening curtains so all that's on my design wall is the scrap blocks that developed from my playing with a technique similar to one in Ms Solomon's book (see previous post to see what I'm talking about).  I learned that this version is good but doesn't work well with big novelty fabrics but will probably work well with  prints or directional fabric.  I have to try those next.  Here they are:

Be sure to go to Judy's PatchworkTimes on the left side bar to see what others are doing right now.

Old Habits Die Never

Grrrrrr.  I'm trying to do as Bonnie Hunter and have Leaders and Enders.  I'm finding I can't break my old habit of picking up the scissors and cutting that thread as soon as I've finished sewing. How do you do it?  I seem to remember to do a leader, but the enders part eludes me.  Here are the ones I made today, and there would be twice as many if I would only remember to do an ender!
How does she do it.  I want to save thread, too.  I measured and there is from 3 to 4 inches of it (twice) that's wasted.  That's 12 x 8 or 96 inches of thread into the trash.  I'm determined to get the hang of this.  Any suggestions?

Stash Report 4/17/11

Cut more yardage for the St. Ann's Sewdality - 2.25 yards.  Playing with a block with fabrics from my stash inspired by Anita Grossman Solomon's book (Rotary Cutting Revolution) -.25 yards.

So for this week:
Used this week:                     2.5 yards
Used/Donated Yr to date:  26.37 ards

Added this wk:                    0.0 yards
Total Yr to date Added:     -3.5 yards
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Total Yr to date Use:      22.87 yards
 
See how others are doing with their stash at Judy's.  Just click on the button Patchwork Times in the left sidebar.  How are you doing?

Design Wall Late or rather Fabric Tuesday

I forgot to post this on Design Wall Monday, so I'm posting it on Fabric Tuesday.  If you're the first to guess what kind of quilt I"m making, I'll send you 2 fat quarters.  Be sure to leave your email address in your comment if you use anonymous.

For some great eye candy be sure to click on the buttons on my left sidebar to see what's new at Judy's Design Wall Monday and Fabric Tuesday.

Always great.

Quilt-Along moving along

Making progress on Quilt-Along
All borders added.  Decided since my borders are only 2.5 inches wide, I'm going to do the minimal quilting on them, so I am doing a line half way between the border seam and the outside seam.  I'll be using the walking foot for this and the seam guide.
Remove the basting pins of the top border.  Lay flat on your cutting table the top border of your quilt.  Fold over toward you the border and the batting.

Now fold the back of the quilt under at the seam.  You want the backing as far as you can get it from the cutting edge which will be the edge of your border.


Fold the front and the batting back up and align the edge of your ruler with the edge of your border.  Trim away the excess batting.


Bring you backing up now so that it is smooth and is like the photo. 


Now trim your backing to 3/4" or 1" all across the border.  This will be your binding.  Do this for the other three sides.  Repin your border's edge through the three layers. We will now quilt the border.


Through the window

signs of Spring bring a smile (especially after this last very unseasonal cold spell - it got down to 37!)
poppies, geraniums and an Aeonium Kiwi bordering the abundant grass.

pink and white geraniums
three more geranium and some alyssum - do you think I like geraniums?


Some bush sweet peas and statis amongst the soon to explode Mexican primrose.  You can see three blooms of it in the top left.  Oh, yes, a miniature rose in there - white buds.

Spring Break

I had the pleasure of watching my two grandsons during Spring Break. Will had 2 weeks off  and he spent the first one with us.  And so did baby Alan:
Alan is at the stage when he tries to talk and his baby talk is so sweet!
Will was such a helpful older brother during the week.  Thank you, William!

SAHRR Round 5 and 6

  Ready to show rounds 5 and 6. Actually, the prompt for 5 was make 4 of something. So I chose four patch, and actually since that made my q...