THE SUCCESSFUL WEEK

This week has been very productive.  I finished last weeks project and also started a couple of my own quilts and made good progress on them as well.  I love this time of year, we processed some apples and they are in the freezer ready to make apple crisps and apple pie, and some cherries as well. Our tomato plants are growing like weeds and we even harvested a couple cherry tomatoes, and the vegetable stand we love is open and has all sorts of yummy veggies to purchase.

I purchased these two patterns and fabric kits from Connecting Threads.  I wanted some fast and easy projects finished up for upcoming gifts.

I got the first one completed and I have been working on quilting it.

I am brand new at quilting my own quilts so I am very much in a steep learning curve.  I purchased this Quilters Select ruler some time ago, stashed it in the drawer and pretty much forgot about it.  But drawing lines with various markers has been a chore.  This rulers is extra thick, and it has a surface on the back of it that sticks to the fabric.  I can line up ruler to the side of my machine foot and guide the stitching with no issues at all.  With the large holes in the center I can grip the ruler and guild the machines foot right along the edge.  This one is 2 by 8 inches, so I just ordered the larger size of 3 by 12.

This is the second kit I purchased.  I like this one even more than the first.  In fact the pattern is so nice I have cut another out with some of my own fabric stash.

And yes, last week's Project is complete, and it is off to the ladies that asked me to make it for them and they will quilt it.  I will get it back to bind and do the handwork.  It is destined to go to some charity event as a fund raiser and be auctioned off.   

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

MID WEEK MAKERS

CONFESSIONS OF A FABRIC ADDICT

   

    

THE PROJECT

I have spent this past week working on a project for my Warm Wrappings charity group.  The two ladies in charge of the group asked if I would make a quilt kit up for them that they were not able to manage.  Sure, sounded like fun. 

Now, that situation did surprise me a bit, as both these ladies are very experience and exceptionally good quilters.  But, I did know both were going on a couple summer trips and I figured timing to get it done for possibly an upcoming organization doing a fundraising auction event was a reason to ask me to do it for them.  

I have it done thus far.  There are two more borders to go on it.  I do know that there was a LOT of fussy cutting of the fabric for the panel pieces and also the six floral pieces between the square panels.  One thing they knew about me was I am a very accurate piecer, and Oh Boy was that needed for this project.  On top of it some fabrics had lots of extra and others were just barely enough.

I did take some creative license on the four blocks in the corners of the center piece.  The border fabric that was used in the floral pieces between the 4 square panels had strips of large and small butterflies, moths, and dragonflies.  Those 2" finished squares were supposed to be 4 patches of 1"each finished.  Hmmmm, I don't think so!  Why do all that piecing when one has these little guys that were a perfect size to fit into that space instead. 

Well, here is my pieced second border.  The top and bottom borders are done and I am working on the sides now.  To add to all the fussiness 52 of those greenish colored triangles are one-way fabric so have to be cut very carefully so that they are all going in the same direction from top to bottom on all four sides.  After that just one 2.5 inch border in white, then it goes back to them they will quilt it and I get it back to do the binding and handwork. 

Just because after all that above, I thought I earned a moment of cuteness.  My daughter sent me this picture of her newest pets addition to her back yard farm.  They live in the country on about 4 acres and she has a number of chickens, ducks, and peacocks, and now it appears she has these little guys and they are geese.  

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

MID WEEK MAKERS

CONFESSIONS OF A FABRIC ADDICT  

 
  

   

ALL FINISHED

Still having some blog comments not going through to my emails.  I apologize to those of you that comment and I do not reply.  I have found that I can reply through my Mail AP on my computer, however it is a new computer and for the life of me I can not get it to work.  Time to call in the IT guy (youngest daughter's husband), maybe he can get it to work.

Over the weekend I worked on making a couple of these fabric gift boxes.  It took several very frustrating hours, I had lost the pattern and spent the entire afternoon trying to recreate it from a prior made one.  The pattern is all one piece 11 inches by 21, of outside, lining, and stablizer.  The zipper is on the 11 inch sides.  Once the zipper is in then just boxing the four corners and inserting the handle is all that is left.  Lesson: Write things down and keep them.

My Butterly quilt is done.  All quilted, and the binding nearly sewn down by hand.  I am really pleased with this quilting job.  Just my second attempt at a relatively large quilt 50 by 62 inches myself.  Just goes to show you really can teach an old lady something new.  

I ended up having three blocks left over.  A quick table runner seemed a good idea.  The pastel variegated thread was still in the machine after doing the quilt, why not.  

Zoey had a difficult time of it last week.  A trip for a shampoo, haircut, blow-dry, and manicure was just a bit too much as far as she is concerned.  A sun bath and nap on the living room sofa was the perfect way to recover from such an ordeal.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

MID WEEK MAKERS

CONFESSIONS OF A FABRIC ADDICT

  



   
 

BUTTERFLIES AND YORKIES

 I spent the better part of this last week quilting my Butterfly quilt.  Having managed to quilt myself the Wonky Block and a baby quilt over the last couple weeks, I am feeling really accomplished at this.

This one is bigger than the last two, but it is going really well.  I think the real key at least for me is moving that machine out to the dining table.  Lots of room to work has made it so much easier to manage.

I finished the binding on my recent appliqué project.  Just in time for some rainy spring weather.

Yes, a mug rug for Zoey.  Actually an 8 by 11 inch water bowl place mat.  I could not resist using this doggy fabric.  Was she impressed, no not really.    

And here she is, all 8 pounds of her.  Just back from her spa day at the groomers.  Hair cut and manicure, still not impressed.  Life is really bothersome some days when you are a Yorkshire Terrier.  

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

MID WEEK MAKERS

CONFESSIONS OF A FABRIC ADDICT