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.  

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ONE DONE AND ONE TO START

Blogger continues to give me issues.  Comments do not go to my email.  I have fused with settings and still not much progress.  I  have always liked to email back and let commenters know I appreciate them.  Now, very few seem to go through.  Just to let those of you know that do make comments that I appreciate them very much and would love to know what is going on.  I sure cannot figure it out. 

I enjoyed quilting my Wonky Blocks quilt so much last week that I decided to put together a baby quilt for my charity group and quilt it as well.  Fun little quilt 36 by 36.  A perfect very quick and easy finish.

It is time to start a new appliqué project.  Appliqué really is what I prefer and love doing out of all the different quilting processes.  Fabric choices seems to be the one real chore for me though.

I have a small stash of Australian fabric, and picked up on sale some Batiks that I thought might really work well.  Not really sure right now how this is going to go together.  I still need some sort of background fabric.  So  I think shopping for some interesting background beige or tan fabrics is in order.  Not sure where this is going as of yet. 

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YES! I QUILTED IT MYSELF

I don't normally quilt anything myself unless it is small, runners, small wall hangings and pretty much nothing bigger than 36 by 36.  I watched a YouTube this past week on quilting on your domestic machine and thought I might be crazy, but I would give it a try.

I moved my Bernina 750 out to the dining room table.  I knew I needed a good deal of space.  This quilt had 8" blocks and was 40" by 48".  I pinned pressed and smoothed out the first row and started quilting it proceeding row by row.  

Success!  No wrinkles and quilted with a serpentine stitch approximately every 2 inches.  Just finishing up the handwork on the binding. 

Lori Holt from the Fat Quarter shop had a YouTube tutorial on these 10 inch butterfly blocks so I figured that I would attempt to eliminate my Tilda stash.  At this point I can only get 20 blocks cut out of my Tilda leftovers.  I will have to turn the blocks and set 4  across and 5 down.  It will require lattice strips of probably 2 inches.  So should come out at 46 by 58.  Well, if I was able to do quilt the Wonky Blocks quilt successfully I figure I can manage this Butterfly quilt.

I finished my other Tilda quilt last week.  It will be turned into my Warm Wrappings charity group to be quilted, bound and distributed to 5 local agencies in our area in October.  I had a goal of making 12 quilt tops for them this year and this completes my commitment.

This coming week I am making some spring placemats for myself and very possibly doing some more quilting of those butterflies too.

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FINISHING THEM UP

This week I have spent a good deal of time doing handwork on a number of finished quilts and runners.  My stash of baby quilts that I keep for my daughters to give away as shower gifts once again was greatly in need of a few new additions.  

This particular fabric has been in my stash for several years.  I just hated to cut it up.  When I ran across it again I thought it really makes a very pretty baby quilt.

I also finished my linen and Tilda runner.  I really love the textured  linen I used as the background for the appliqué.  I used invisible thread for the appliqué and did not think that any other quilting needed to be done. 

While going through runners to put out for this nice spring weather I ran across this runner.  Not sure why it has been stashed in the closet for so long.  Time to get it out again and show it off.  

The Gone Fishing quilts were given to my two grandsons over the Easter weekend.  They were very happy with them.  

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WONKY LOG CABINS & SPRING BOUQUET

I spent the majority of this past week getting the bindings on my two Gone Fishing Quilts.  I still have my Picnic Under the Stars quilt that also needs its binding sewn on and the handwork done on it.  But I took a bit of a break and worked on Wonky log cabin blocks. 

I originally had three blocks done last week with the dark colored logs all the same print.  I discovered that if I did that I would not have enough jelly roll strips to get 30 blocks completed.  So did a bit of un-sewing and did them with two different dark fabrics.  So a bit over half done with these guys.  

Have all the remaining blocks cut and ready to go.  

Shannon Brinkley had this free appliqué pattern available this past week.  I still have a lot of Tilda fabrics left over from a previous project so thought I would make a pretty spring runner.

I had several linen fabrics stashed away and ran across this one with a textured grid.  I think I will do the appliqué with invisible thread and a small zigzag with a very light weight batting and not do any quilting except for the appliqué stitching as my quilting.  I think the textured grid on the fabric is perfect.  Just have another appliqué bloom to set down on the other end of the runner and finish this up with a pretty Tilda binding.    

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GONE FISHING UPDATE AND WONKY LOG CABINS

I think the rain has finally stopped in our area.  It might actually be the beginning of some spring weather.  I may have finally got my blog email issue cleared up too.  Technology is wonderful until it isn't.

My quilter published my finished Gone Fishing quilt on their Facebook site on Friday and I picked up the second one with the blue lattice on Saturday.  Now to bind this thing, it is 74" by 94".  I have been worried as both have to be done by the middle of this month.  They are gifts for two grandsons, one  for his birthday and the other just because I don't want him to wait until August for his. 

No small task to get the binding on this quilt.  I moved my Bernina 750 to the dining room table and set up chairs to manage excess hanging over.  I was greatly surprised that it worked really well.  I had the binding on it with no problems at all.  Now the hand work sewing the binding down and get the second one bound too.

I had a really large Jelly Roll of spring fabrics setting around for several years.  I recently purchased a set of Wonky Log Cabin rulers by Jean Ann Wright and decided to take a bit of time and try them out.  The 10 inch size uses 2.5" strips.

  

I only made them up to 8 inches with the 10 inch ruler as I did not have sufficient fabric to continue the third row of light and dark fabrics. But they are fun!  I hope to be able to get enough made for a small quilt, but figure if that doesn't work I can make placemats or a table runner out of them instead.

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SEWING ROOM CHAOS

I have spent several days fighting with my blog's replies to post comments.  They have not been coming through to my email in order to moderate them and post my comments back to those that make comments.Very frustrating as it has always worked for years before now and I have not made any changes.  Still working on that issue.  So if all else fails I have started a new project this week, and working on Flower Power too.  Have three ladies coming on Monday to work on binding.  I had them in two of my last classes and they are still having a bit of a problem with the concept, so volunteered to help them here at my home.  

I have had this container full of Tilda fabrics left over from various projects in the past.  They are pretty and spring colors so I thought to do something with them.  

That one container was not the entire stash of them either.  Yes it does seem like a bit of chaos going on. 

There is a bit of a method though.

The pattern is by Tilda and they offer a great selection of free patterns.

And a great lay out for construction.

And we have blocks 1 and 4 complete.  Plus a bit of progress on Flower Power from last week too.  

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FLOWER POWER AND PILLOW CASES

This past week I finishing a lot of odds and ends projects.  So now I can start something new.  Once I somewhat clear the clutter, I found a project that I purchased some time ago and just set aside. It is a paper pieced project, and I really do like that process.

I got the first block done.  So nice when all the pieces come together perfectly.  The beauty of paper piecing.

As you can see I have a ways to go with this one.  I bought the fabric kit with the pattern.  It came with a lovely assortment of pretty batiks, but I just couldn't help myself and threw in a couple more pink fabrics from my stash.

I do have the second block's pieces cut out so ready to start with another block.  

I finished my Happy Trails charity quilt last week.  This pattern used up a good deal of accumulated scraps, but was a real chore.  I am glad to have finished it and get it turned in and be done with it.  

I have often said I am not a free motion quilter.  Well, my table runner from last week's blog had to be quilted so I figured I just had to get over it and do it.  I did cheat a little.  I used a template to draw the stipple on my quilt, but once I had that in front of me I got going. It is not perfect, some irregular stitches and a few turnings with a point rather than a curve, but all in all unless you really get down there and look for them things look pretty good.

Saturday was our guild's National Quilt Day meet up.  About 20 of us showed up and made a lot of pillowcases for the Madera California Children's Hospital.  This is an annual event and we contribute about 125 every year.  We have a great time and even do a salad potluck lunch. 

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TIME TO WELCOME SOME SPRING FLOWERS

 March means getting some spring table runners out and changing out some of the wall hangings to Springier items too.  Not so spring like in our neck of the woods.  Our area has been in a severe drought situations for a number of years.  Well, this year we are getting plenty of rain and very cool weather too.  While some might think that 17 inches since October isn't much to be thrilled about, it surely is better than the 3 inches we have gotten over the last few years.  

I started looking for some spring table runners and decided there wasn't much very interesting to set out on the table.  Time to make something and get it finished up quickly.  I had used this particular pattern before so got busy and hopefully will have it done this coming week.  And I do plan to try out my skills with FMQ.  I have been working on it and not perfect yet, but getting better.   

I originally made it in this smaller size in more fall colors.  This one was hand appliquéd.  No time for that so the new one is machine appliquéd with a blanket stitch.  

Our little pup Zoey was 2 years old on the 7th.  Her birthday gift was that huge bone.  She loves them, and yes a pretty large treat for a little 8 pound dog.  She will probably have it gone within a week and we do limit her to just an hour each evening.  There are some pretty good choppers in that little mouth. 

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VILLA ROSA AND SOUTHERN CHARM

 I am back to the sewing room again, thank goodness.  Technology is a wonderful thing until it isn't.  The new computer is working great.  The only wrinkle was my iPhone quit, and I had to take it in for a new battery.  Well, seems they no longer make batteries for that old 6 year old model.  Great news, Verizon not only got me a new one at 50% off but very successfully updated the new with all the old ones information.  Yes, a few new features, but Utube has tutorials and all is working well.  I can truly return to the sewing room this week with all technology issues solved.  Thank goodness my Bernina's have never been this much trouble.

I just got the nicest Villa Rosa prize this past week.  I recently used two Villa Rosa patterns to teach a couple beginning quilting classes at our local quilt store.  I posted them on From Bolt to Beauty and was contacted by Villa Rosa Designs that I had won this wonderful prize.  So fun, and I plan to get busy with this project very soon.  

A another fun new project to look forward to.  I love the fabric that I purchased from Southern Charm Quilts.  This pattern is perfect for them.

Melanie Traylor stocks the pretties fabrics for her patterns. 

 

I am also back to working on my Garden Party project.  

The best part of this project is picking out all the different colors to blend together for the appliqué pieces.  The worse part, trips to JoAnn's for matching appliqué thread.  However, they do have a sale this month on thread.  Buy 3 get 2 free.  I'm a repeat customer!  

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