Design Wall Monday–September 24, 2012

Time for another design wall Monday.  Today I have two different projects to share.  First is a finished project.  It is small but I was able to finish it in just a few days.  I started it at the Modern Quilt Guild sew-in last Thursday night and got it quilted and bound last night.  It is from my favorite new line – Mama Said Sew.  The pattern is by Sweetwater and is called Mama’s Spools.  I uses a charm pack and a little yardage for the background and borders.  Quick and easy!  The spools are actually fused on and then stitched with a straight stitch close to the edges.

It doesn’t look very square on the wall, but it is – believe me please!  Just need to finished sewing down the label and writing on it.

Next is a quilt I actually started this morning.  I saw a video by Missouri Star Quilt Company about making a quick quilt using two layer cakes.  I brought home a layer cake of Spa which is a wonderful blue and white collection.  The shop didn’t have a white layer cake so I just picked up yardage of Kona White and cut my own 10 inch squares from that.  Lots more blocks to make but here is the beginning of the quilt.

I am looking forward to quilting this – love the open white areas.  I see lots of feathers in this quilt’s future.  I can’t wait to play more with this.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 38, 2012

I think I am giving up on stash reports – at least for this year.  I have not made much progress about using my stash and have made too much progress about adding to it.  I plan to work on organizing my sewing room over the next few months and will be able to get my stash so I actually know what I have and will hopefully be able to use it more effectively.

Hopefully next year, I can make progress on using my stash, not just adding to it.

On another note, here is my finished Sampler quilt hanging in the shop waiting for the class this week.

To check out stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Monthly Kaffe Fabric

Look at the wonderful fabrics I got this month.  Now I just need to use some of them.

Melinda

Finishing Beginning Machine Piecing

Yesterday was the last meetings of the beginning machine piecing series of classes.  Only one of the quilt tops was completely finished but the rest of them are well on the way.  I think everyone will be able to finish on their own.

They will look very different when they get the borders on.  Most of them were able to get the inner border on last night and just have the final border to do.

Next week we start the Sampler class.

Melinda

Binding Class

I taught a binding class last week.  I teach straight grain binding and Stella teaches bias binding.  I use pre-quilted fabric to cut a placemat size piece and we bind that.  They are able to cut binding, sew it on by machine, learn how to do the invisible join and sew it to the back by hand.  Fun and easy.

Have you used the Clover binding clips.  They are so much better than the hair clips that most of use have used. 

Today is the final class for Beginning Machine Piecing.  We will be finishing the quilt tops.

Melinda

Piecemakers–Quilt Made

One of the members of Piecemakers needs a comfort quilt.  She will have surgery this week and we wanted to get something make quickly for her.  We had a sample of fabric for color inspiration and all make a couple of Ohio Star blocks.  Yesterday we got together and put together the quilt top.

Here are the blocks on the wall.

We had four people on the sewing machines, one cutting sashing and cornerstones, one ironing, one getting pieces to sew to the sewers and I organized putting the top together.  In less than two hours, here is what we had done.

After this we cut the borders and they were sewn on by the time I left but I forgot to get another photo.  The backing was also made and Michele has the whole thing.  She will be quilting it on her new Sweet Sixteen.

Just goes to show what a small group of determined women can do for a friend.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–September 17, 2012

Thought I would show some of my slow progress on my hexie quilt.  I still have 2 more columns to add to the right plus one more flower on the upper right corner.  I haven’t been working on it but would love to get it done.

Here is the other project that I have been working on – the Sampler quilt.

Since this photo I have quilted it but will hopefully get it bound this evening.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

I am also linking up to Sarah’s Hexie Linky Party.  She apparently does this every month and since I love to look at other people’s hexies, I am in!

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 37, 2012

I finished the Sampler quilt this week but I also bought some fabric.  The out and in were almost even.

I received the monthly solids – blue/gray this month for a total of 2 yards.  I bought 2 yards of extra wide for the Sampler quilt.  Sew Stitchy yardage came in and I got 17 fat quarters plus 3 yards for a total of 7.25 yards.

Going out is 9 yards for the sampler quilt plus the 2 yards for backing.

Here are the current numbers

Used this Week:  11 yards
Used year to Date: 236 yards
Added this Week: 11.25 yards
Added Year to Date: 321,25 yards
Net Used for 2012: –84.25

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Seven

We had a wonderful time on Wednesday.  We worked on the last new blocks – flying geese.  Next time we will put the quilt tops together.

Here are a few of the quilts so far.

Here are some of the flying geese blocks from the evening group.

I can’t wait to see the results from next week.

Melinda

Sampler Savvy Quilt Top Finished

Yesterday evening I finished piecing the rest of the Sampler Savvy Quilt Top.  This is the top for the next series of classes I have scheduled.  It will start later this month.  I need to find backing and get it quickly quilted.  I have been thinking about custom quilting on it but I think I probably need to do a quick overall and be done with it.

I like how it turned out – now to write instructions for each block and figure out the order to teach them in.

Also this morning, I opened up my last package from Pink Chalk.  It included my monthly solid fabrics – blue/gray this month.

Cleaning house and doing laundry today – not fun but necessary.  I hope to make a few block between loads of laundry.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–September 10, 2012

Today on my design wall is a quilt that I did NOT make.  It is the raffle quilt for the ECQG guild and I am going to quilt it.  I did make two blocks but can’t remember which ones.  The pattern is by Kim McLean and she graciously gave us permission to use it for our quilt.  I like our colors even better than the original.

We have a quilt show every two years (odd numbered years) and this is one of the highlights of the show.  I hope to get it on the machine later this week.  I am thinking that is needs a small tight fill in the white, and no quilting in the applique.  Of course the stars will get some quilting – still trying to decide what to do in them and what color to use.

We picked out the backing yesterday and it is another Kaffe print.  I am loving this quilt.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 36, 2012

I made a little progress with the stash this week.  I finished the jelly roll variation quilt using Mama Says Sew for a total of 5.5 yards.  I did add a little fabric – you probably know about my Polka Dot fetish.  I found 8 new polka dot fat quarters at the buy one, get one sale last weekend.  I also got a yard of wonderful polka dots printed on the diagonal that will make wonderful binding on a polka dot future quilt.

Here are the numbers for the week.

Used this Week:  5.5 yards
Used year to Date: 226 yards
Added this Week: 3 yards
Added Year to Date: 310 yards
Net Used for 2012: –84

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Log Cabin Blocks

Wednesday was the 6th class of 8.  We worked on log cabin blocks.  Next week is the last week we will make blocks.  The last class will be putting the quilt together. Here is the morning class.  There are 3 students and only one of them was able to attend.

Here are the evening blocks.  There are five students and only four of them attended.

We also picked out sashing for the rows.  So far everyone is still having fun.

Melinda

Mama Said Sew

I finished the shop sample of Mama Said Sew a couple of days ago.  I really like how it turned out finally.

I saw a similar design at Samelia’s Mum – a great blog.  I modified it slightly but the basic design is from her.  Don’t you love tutorials from the internet – such generous people.

It was easy to put together.  I pebbled the background, and stitched a different design in each of the rows.  By the end I had run out of ideas so there are a few duplicate stitching rows.

Also, I thought I would share a photo of my label.  This has been my go to label for a while.  It is simply a six inch square folded into a triangle and sewn into the binding.  Simple and easy.

Melinda

Customer Quilt

Today I have Ella’s quilt to share.  Ella turned 8 years old yesterday and I delivered the quilt to her grandmother.  First here is the center of the quilt – a drawing by Ella that was transferred to fabric.

Here it is with all the borders – very cute!  By the way, I put the binding on for her and stitched three sides down.  She wanted to finish the bottom binding herself so she could say she finished it.

She is working on a Halloween quilt now.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–September 3, 2012

My design wall is unchanged from last week.

I hope to get this sampler finished soon.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 35, 2012

Not much going on with my stash report this week. I had a 60 percent off coupon for Joann’s so I bought 4.25 yards (end of bolt) of Kona White.  I use a lot of white so hopefully this will be used soon.

I have several projects close to done – with any luck, I will have some finishes to report soon.

Used this Week:  0 yards
Used year to Date: 220.5 yards
Added this Week: 4.25 yards
Added Year to Date: 307 yards
Net Used for 2012: –86.5

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Robbi Joy Eklow

Guild was fun today.  Robbi Joy was very funny and entertaining.  Here are a few more of her quilts.

Now to find time to work on my project.

Melinda