Beginning Machine Piecing and a Trip to San Francisco

Sorry about yesterday.  I had thought I would be able to post the photos from the next to last Beginning Machine Piecing class but by the time I got packed, I ran out of time.  I had the best type of flight from Atlanta to San Francisco – uneventful!  By the time I got here to my daughter’s house, I forgot I was going to do a blog post.  Here are the photos from Wednesday’s class.

Next week we will finish putting the blocks together and then putting the borders on!  Exciting!

Today we are going to the Farmer’s Market in the morning and having tea in the afternoon.  Not sure what is scheduled for evening.  Hopefully I will remember to take photos.

Melinda

Snowman Block of the Month

I posted a photo of Cindy’s version of the first block of the Snowman Block of the Month that she is leading at Tiny Stitches a few days ago.  Here is the photo again of the first block that Cindy stitches.

Apparently several people are interested in the pattern and have contacted the shop.  I didn’t explain it well enough and many thought it is a free Block of the Month.  Actually, it is $10 per month and that includes the pattern and background fabric each month.  If anyone is interested in it, you can contact Tiny Stitches at tinystitches@bellsouth.net and Cindy will get back to you with details and work out the payments.

I am still trying to decide what color(s) I want to stitch mine in.  I think I will look for a variegated floss or perle cotton and just use one color instead of all the colors Cindy used but I can’t decide.  So far, I have just traced the patterns on the background.

Melinda

Swap Package for Kris

You might remember that I received a wonderful swap package from Kris.  Here is is.

Here is what I sent to her.

The accessory bag I made is a click-it bag.  I also made her a nametag/cell phone bag like I made for the quilt show.  I included a few other goodies that I hope she finds useful.

Melinda

Selvage Fabric

Yes, I know I said I was going to try to slow down my fabric purchases but this one I absolutely couldn’t resist.  SELVAGE fabric!

I got it from Spoonflower and it comes in two size prints.  I love it!!!!  Not sure what I want to do with it as I know I will have trouble cutting into it.  I got a yard of each size.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–February 13, 2012

I finally finished the table runner – now it just needs to be quilted.

I am so glad I finally used some of this fabric.  I have words for the backing.

After taking this off the wall, I put this up.

The fabric is also by Sweetwater – it is a Snapshot quilt out of the book Happy Hour.  The line is Reunion.  I finished the rest of the blocks this morning and hope to get the top put together later today.  It is too big for the design wall, so I will lay it out on the bed.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check out the rest of them.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 7, 2012

As you can see below, I didn’t do well this week.  First was the purchase of the wonderful polka dots.  I can’t say I am sorry for buying them but I need to start using more fabric.  The second purchase was 5.5 yards for the back of a quilt.  I haven’t turned it into a back yet so can’t count it used.  Hopefully this week I can get it ready to quilt.

Used this Week: 13 yards
Used year to Date: 13 yards
Added this Week: 11.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 23.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: –10 yards

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

More Bee Blocks

I made the January and February bee blocks today.  One is going to Canada so it won’t go out until Monday but I can drop the other off at the Post Office tomorrow.

Here is the January block.

Here is the February block.

Hope they like them – I do.

Melinda

Polka Dots

I know I have been trying to slow down on my fabric purchases but I just couldn’t resist this.

I only got fat quarters but it still added up to six yards!  I love them!

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Five

We made the last of the blocks for the beginning quilts yesterday.  Next week we will lay out the quilts and start putting them together.  The last week we will put on the borders and talk about quilting.

Here are the morning blocks.

And the evening ones.

It is going to be so exciting to see what the quilts are going to look like.

Melinda

Catching Up

I finished up some past due Bee blocks.  First is this one for Bailey.  She did not want it trimmed to size so here it is, uneven edges and all.

Next is one for Staci. I really like this block.

Lastly, here is Marta’s block.  She used Christmas fabrics.

Hope they like them.

Melinda

Super Bolt Sale

Here is the store before opening on Super Bolt Sunday!  Lots and lots of happy shoppers.  Next is what most of them were waiting for – fabric by the bolt and a very good price.

This is only part of what was for sale.  The main store also had 25% off everything in the store so you can only imagine the crowds.  Thankfully everyone was glad to be there and very patient.  It was fun for both the staff and the customers.  Only a year to go until the next Super Bolt sale!

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–February 6, 2012

My design wall looks just about the same as last week.

Actually I have started sewing the blocks together but not enough has been completed to change the look so this is the same photo as last week.  Hope to get it off the design wall this week.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check them out.

Melinda

Stash Report - Week 6, 2012

I used fabric this week for the guild community service projects.  I cut muslin squares to use as bases for string blocks as well as giving my strips for the project.  I figure that I cut 11 yards of muslin and there were at least 2 yards of strips, so I am counting 13 years.  No new purchases this week although there are some dots on the way in the mail. I forgot that I purchased 2 yards plus 2 fat quarters last Monday so I have revised my totals.

Used this Week: 13 yards
Used year to Date: 13 yards
Added this Week: 2.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 12 yards
Net Used for 2012: 1 yd

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

New Embroidery BOM

Here is a the first block of a new BOM from Tiny Stitches.

There will be a happy snowman every month.  By the way, I did not stitch this yet – it is the sample made by my friend Cindy!  Her embroidery is the best I have ever seen.

Melinda

Shop Hop Quilt

Here is the fabric I have for a quilt for Shop Hop.  The top fabric is a preprinted piece.  The bottom will be the borders and binding.  The center fabric is so wonderful that we decided not to cut it.  There will be one big center piece with borders around it.  Here is my EQ7 drawing.

Simple but with such wonderful fabrics, I think it will work out well. 

Since this is a shop quilt and the fabric is not mine, I am not adding it to my stash report.  Of course that means I won’t be able to count it when completed either.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Four

Another fun day at the quilt shop.  It was time for the beginning class to tackle half square triangles.  They are such an important part of so many quilts but sometimes a little challenging to get just right.  They all did a good job.  First here are the morning blocks.

Here are the evening ones.

Next week we make flying geese.

Melinda

Community Service at Allatoona Quilters’ Guild

Yesterday was a community service day and we worked on string quilts.  I brought a bolt of muslin that I had bought a few years ago when I was under a delusion that I was going to make a cathedral window quilt.  I came to my senses but still had the fabric so I decided to use it for the foundations for string blocks.  I cut kits for several kits and managed to use more than 10 yards that I can report next week.  Of course the bolt was a 50 yard bolt so I still have plenty of muslin left.  I need to cut a set of foundations for my own use so I can work on a top from my scraps.  I forgot that I also took my 1 1/2 inch strip bin and donated all of them.  Here are a few of the blocks that were completed today.

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Melinda

Gift from My Sister

Look what came in yesterday’s mail.  Sure beats bills!

Wonderful socks in my favorite neutral – lime green.  They are made with bamboo yarn and I am planning on wearing them today.  They feel great.

The right side is a beautiful batik.  Here is is open.

When it is closed it can be used as a small ironing surface.  When open, there is a sandpaper board which is so helpful for writing on fabric.  The other side has a cutting board.  What a great useful gift.  I assume Robin bought these at Road To California a couple of weeks ago. 

Thank you Sis!

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 30, 2012

This is a table runner from last week’s guild special projects meeting.  It is a disappearing nine patch using a charm pack.  I have had this charm pack for a couple of years, along with a lot of yardage, a couple of fat quarter stacks, a layer cake and a couple more charm packs.  The line is Authentic by Sweetwater and I fell in love with it when it first came out.  While I bought lots of it, I didn’t have a particular project in mind and have had a hard time cutting into it.  Foolish isn’t it that when we find something we love, we are reluctant to actually use it.  I doubt I am the only person  who does this, am I?

I need to move a few squares around and then get it sewn together.  I can’t wait to complete it.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 5, 2012

Time for another stash report.  I have been working on projects but they are not at the point where I can count yardage.  I found two more fat quarters that I couldn’t resist last week – Kaffe that I didn’t have so I added 1/2 yard.

Here is the report for week 5.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: .5 yards
Added Year to Date: 9.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: –10

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times here.

Melinda