FEET AND TOOLS I JUST HAD TO HAVE

I am a quilting tool junkie.  Rulers, sewing machine feet, and pressing sprays and tools are like a magnet for me.  I get drawn into them and have to have them.  Now the fact of the matter is that I find that for the most part they are wonderful additions to my craft.  

Now this sewing machine feet set is just the absolute best thing going for the price.  My VBF Brooke did an extensive  review on them on August 1.  You can take a look at them for your self on Madamsew.
My Janome has very few feet and this set has really broaden my ability to do other projects.  I was also able to get a Bernina adapter and use them on my 750QE machine.  Now those feet for that  Bernina machine are really pricey.  Most run $50 or more, and this entire set was about that same price as one of those feet.  Plus it came with a information booklet, a down load, and a disk to assist with how each foot works and demos of them.  

Now this is my second best purchase in the last month or so.  A wool pressing mat.  I have had issues with my irons.  I like steam, but eventually the iron leaks, spits, and eventually spits globs of yucky stuff on my projects.  I have tried cheap irons and very expensive ones.  Some friends have told me they just buy the cheapest iron they can get and when they start spitting they throw them out and buy another. I guess that works!  I decided to try an expensive iron. Yes it works nicely, but the cleaning instructions were extensive.  It appeared that cleaning it would require a good two hours or more monthly cleaning it.  You must be kidding!!!  I have decided to not use steam anymore.  I saw a couple articles on these pressing mats and decided it was worth a try.  Well it is wonderful.  It does a great pressing with no steam.  If I need a bit of moisture, I just have a spray water bottle and get just as good or even better results without risking black stuff spit out of my iron all over my piece. 

To Do Tuesday

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Silly Mama Quilts

DOUBLE WEDDING RINGS

I started a quilt some time ago making a modern version of a double wedding ring quilt.  I got it about half sewn together and the rest of the pieces cut and then lost interest for a while.  My guild offered a free workshop this past weekend and I thought it a great opportunity to work on mine and maybe learn a bit more as well.  

This was our teacher's class sample.  Now I am not a great fan of Halloween or Halloween fabric but this is pretty interesting. 

And two more of her samples.  As you can see this is not grandma's idea for a double wedding quilt.

Sometimes the best thing about a class is seeing other student's ideas.  This was going to be a three ring table runner.  Her fall fabrics were wonderful.

This student was working with Asian fabrics.  




This one was going to be a child's quilt. 


I learned you can sew several fabrics together and cut them out rather than pieces the squares individually.  She cut the 6 strips 2 and 5/8 wide and then just laid her template on them and got this results.  

I thought getting this motif into the center of a ring was wonderful.

So I have mine well on its way to being done. 

Row number three on its way.

And the final plan approved by my official quilt inspector Ginger.

Learned lots including there now is a template that you do not have to cut the three pieces out to make the melons, and ironing all the seams open really does reduce the massive amount of seams and everything lays flatter.  

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CONFESSIONS OF A FABRIC ADDICT

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DESIGN WALL MONDAY

PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL QUILT SHOW

I was able this year to attend the Pacific International Quilt Show in Santa Clara, CA.  I had a piece that was shown there, so had to make sure to get a photo of it.  

And there it is in the center.  So pleased to be able to be offered this opportunity.  
Now we all know that quilt shows have vendors.  I have very few opportunities to fabric and notion shop in my area.  So, a quilt show with lots of vendors is pure joy.

Fun background fabric.  I am not a fond of solid fabrics.  I prefer to work with these types of fabrics for backgrounds.  

Now I have a plan for these four combinations and hope to get to that soon.  Thinking pears appliqués on the printed as backgrounds.  More on that later!

And these last three just because they were fun and caught my eye.  Frankly sometimes the vendors are more fun than the quilts in the show.  I did spend plenty of time looking at them too.  Not to mention all the fun demos many of the vendors have.

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Busy Hands Quilts

Confession of a Fabric Addict 
Design Wall Monday

DRESDEN QUILT MAKEOVER

I originally made 24 Dresden plate blocks in three different sizes and 24 flying geese for a quilt.  Well some where along the line my planning for this quilt top went astray.  I laid it out on our king size bed.  For me the perfect place to arrange blocks to sew together.  It does not work!  Dresden blocks and the geese just do not jive size wise.  

So I just sewed the Dresden's together.  I like it and plan to quilt it myself.  Now that might be a challenge, but I do plan to try to do that.  

Another view of it.  It is pretty good size. 

However, what am I to do with these.  There are 24 of them.  I have already made a quilt with geese.  I do not want to make another, in fact I do not know what I want to do with these.  They may end up going to a friend at my quilt guild that I off load all my scraps and unwanted quilt items.  She loves the bags of things I hand over to her.  Surely I can get them out of my studio and off my mind.  I do admit they are pretty and it took hours and hours to make them.  Surely she or someone would love them just not me at the moment.

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BRAIDED QUILT FINISHES

I began a braided quilt earlier this year.  I had two rows done, then packed it away for a while.  In the last month or so I pulled it out again and added a third row.

I decided this past week it was time to sew all the rest of the blocks together and be done with all the 3 inch strips laying on the floor of my studio.  
Well I got a sudden rush of finish it up the last couples days and cut the blocks out ready to go.

I devised this system with my home made template to cut these blocks into their 7.5 by 14 inch sizes.  

Using a Frixion pens that disappears with heat I can cut them out easily with my rotary cutter.  

And the last three rows were cut out and ready to add to the original first three rows of the quilt top. 

And the top is done.  It is pretty large 63 by 84.  

I had to fold it in half just to hold it up for a photo.  So it is off to the quilter and get it bound in time for our cooler weather.  

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WEST VIRGINIA QUILTING

Husband and I returned a week ago from a trip to the East Coast that took us through Maryland, Virginia, and primarily West Virginia.  Along the way we noticed a number of building with quilt blocks painted on them.  

It seems that in West Virginia there was a program that took place with many towns participated in doing these quilt blocks on the sides of roads and buildings.  

It was fun to see various examples of this.  

Of course I had to stop in a couple of general stores along the way and found several pieces for sale by local quilters.  

Several of these spiral runners were for sale.  I made one not too long ago myself, so appreciated the work that goes into these pieces.  

This particular runner I found really nice.  It was all quilt as you go, and the blue Indigo fabrics really made this simple runner so attractive.  
So I'm home again, but had a fun time and enjoyed not only a wonderful opportunity to see the country and some fun quilting ideas and scenes as well.  

Silly Mama Quilts

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

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Design Wall Monday

I'M ON MY WAY

Last week husband and I were in West Virginia.  Lots of fun train rides, coal mines and other sites.  

These old steam engines fueled by coal were so much fun to ride.  

A ride down to the river for a jet boat trip.  Do not look down!

And a tour of a coal mine.  This was not a place you want to work.

Once home I really got busy working on my newest appliqué project.  

So block #3 is complete.  This project is so fun picking out the different fabrics.  

Block #2 done as well this week.  I think in the end I will be trimming the blocks down to a smaller size.  Right now they are 20.5 inches square.  I think bigger than needed.  But I will wait until all are done to make sure what size I can trim them down to.  

And of course block #1.  I can see already trimming these will be a bit of a challenge.  They each end up placed a bit differently on the backgrounds.  The pot on the bottom of the backgrounds are all placed exactly the same, but then things differ a bit.  I have used the lay out as directed, but obviously the patterns are not perfect or maybe its me.  Never the less, the project is fun and in the end I am pretty sure I will get them all trimmed and together into a quilt top that works.  

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