Design Wall Monday–January 13, 2014

I have an exciting design wall today – actually yesterday is when I took photos.  We had Bonnie Hunter club at Tiny Stitches and I finished my batik Scrappy Trips!  It finished at 96 inches square with 64 blocks set 8 x 8.  Here it is in sections as I put it together.

 

All the intersections are not perfect but most are.  I can live with a few that are slightly off.  Here is the whole quilt.

I love this quilt and it used a LOT of fabric for next week’s stash report.  I picked up an extra wide batik for the back but don’t know when I will have time to quilt it.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.  I love Monday’s design walls.

Stash Report–Week 2, 2014

Here is my stash report.  I bought two yards of Southern Belle White for my SBS quilt that I am trying to get started again.  I used five yards for my NYD quilt.  I have the backing ready but won’t count it until it is quilted.  I need to get backing for my Scrappy Trips – I think I will get an extra wide so I don’t have to sew lots of pieces together for a back – there are enough seams on the front so it will be nice to have none on the back.

Used this week:                              5 yards

Used  year to date:                         5 yards

Added this week:                           2 yards

Added year to date:                       10 yards

Net used for 2014:                         -5 yards

I have the Scrappy Trips top almost finished and am taking it to Bonnie Hunter Club today.  Hopefully it will be done tonight.

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

SSCS Gift

I received another part of my SSCS gift from Shari.  It is wonderful!  I am so happy with it – just need to find the perfect place to hang it so I can admire it every day.

Isn’t it lovely!

Melinda

On The Needles–January 10, 2014

I am still working on my socks.  With the smaller needles, I am working on the ribbing for the cuff.  With the larger needles and yarn, I just did a few more rows but have a long way to go.  I didn’t have much time to knit this week but I have been sewing a lot.

For more knitting projects, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

More Scrappy Trips Progress

I have been sewing the Scrappy Trips blocks into four block units and got quite a few done yesterday. I did manage to longarm one customer quilt but it is still too cold in the basement. It took me a long time to warm up after that. 

We have Bonnie Hunter club on Sunday and I would like to take this quilt and get it made into a top.

While working on this, I made 10 more bowtie blocks. These are 291-300. 

Today's plan it to longarm at least one more quilt and sew the rest of the four block Scrappy Trips. 

Melonda

Working on Scrappy Trips Again

In the background, I have been working on the scrappy trips blocks.  I got all 64 of them sewn into two block units and am starting to sew them into four block units.  Once I get that done, I will play with the placement a little and hopefully get it all sewn together soon.  I don’t think it needs a border but it will be easier to quilt if I have something around the outside.  It is be 96 inches with just the blocks.

Here are the stack of blocks sewn into two block units.

Here are the first two four-block units.

I am really liking how it is turning out. 

It has been too cold to work on the longarm but it should be a lot better today with a high in the 40’s so hopefully I can get down there and work on some customer quilts so that I have time to work on the NYD quilt.  I am excited about quilting it but have to finish up some customer quilts first.

I taught the first classes of beginning machine quilting yesterday but forgot to take photos of their fabrics.  Oh well, next week I will get it done and share all the delightful quilts in progress.

Melinda

Hexie Coaster Tutorial

I have had some requests concerning my hexie coasters.  They are made similar to the four patch coasters that have been popular for quite a while.  Here is my attempt at a tutorial.

I started with a Moda Hexie Precut.  Each of the packs have 40 hexies that measure about 6 inches point to point.  They come with a plastic template to cut more with or you can use any of the many hexagon templates that are out in the market.  40 hexagons make 5 coasters as you need 8 for each coaster.

The first thing I do is separate out 10 of the least exciting hexies for the back and middle of the coasters.

Be sure to stack them wrong sides together, with the one you want to be the back of the coaster on top.  Then you need to press all the rest of the hexies in half, wrong sides together.  Apparently I didn’t take a photo of the stack of pressed hexies but here is one of them on top of the full hexie.

Start by putting one half hexie on top of the backing hexie.

Next add a second hexie

Then a third one

Here is the fourth one.

At this point we have covered the backing hexie completely and it now is kind of like folding the top of a cardboard box.  First you lay it on top.

Next, lift up one little triangle that is showing and tuck the last one under.  Hard to say but look at the photo and remember folding a box top.

We now have five hexies on top so we need to add the last one.

Now you need to lift up two triangles and tuck the last hexie under.

At this point, I pin it all together.  Now on to sewing.  Stitch all around the outside (about 1/4 inch but don’t worry about it).

Next we need to trim the corners.

Now turn it right side out and press.  Here is a set of 5 coasters from one hexie precut pack.

Let me know if you have any questions and I will try to clarify.

Melinda

Christmas Finally Over

My friends and I finally got together for our Christmas dinner last night.  We went to Aspen’s as usual.  We tried to go to a new restaurant that opened in East Cobb but they were closed last night for their own party.  Aspen’s was wonderful and we were able to sit close to the fireplace which felt good on the coldest night in at least 20 years.

Of course, we exchanged gifts.  I will post the ones I received on another day but here is what I made for everyone.

 

I made a set of hexie coasters for each of my wonderful women friends – more than friends, we are family.  I also made fabric fortune cookies for each but forgot to take photos before I wrapped them up in a fat quarter tied with selvages.

Bill talked me into going out to breakfast this morning – despite the fact that the temperature was only 5 degrees.  Guild was cancelled this morning because the Cobb County schools were closed due to the cold weather.  They decided it was just cold for the children to be waiting outside for the busses.  Remember, this is the South.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 6, 2014

I have a design bed this morning because it is too large for the design wall.  I have the center of the NYD quilt finished and just need to add plain borders and piece the backs.  Hopefully in the next couple of days.

I hope to get it quilted in the next two weeks – have a quilt on the machine and need to work on a couple other customer quilts before I can dedicate a day or two to this one.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.  Lots and lots of design walls there.

Melinda

Stash Report–January 5, 2014

OK – I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do a stash report this year.  I gave up about half way through last year but decided I would try again in 2014.  Unfortunately for my report, there was a 50% off sale on the sale fabric room at work so on New Year’s Day, I bought 8 yards.  5 of a light green batik and 3 of a green polka dot.  I figured that I will use the 5 yards of batik for a backing and the other for borders on something.  Price was too good to pass up.

Last year I didn’t count yardage as used until the quilt was quilted and bound.  This year I decided that I will count the fabric in a top when it is completed and then count the backing and binding when used.  That makes more sense to me.

Here is my first stash report of the year.

Used this week:         0 yards

Used year to date:     0 yards

Added this week:      8 yards

Added year to date:  8 yards

Net used for 2014:   -8 yards

Hopefully I can finish up a couple of things and get back in the black soon.  Other stash reports are at Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Bowties

Still working on the NYD quilt – it is in two pieces and then needs borders.  No time until evening because I have to go to the shop early for the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild meeting and then will work in the afternoon.

I don’t have a photo of the NYD quilt but here are the latest bowties from my leader/ender project.

These are 281-290.  Still have a lot more to make.

Melinda

Cold!

I know it is colder other places but for Georgia it is COLD!  We just aren’t used to cold weather.  Earlier this week we went to Cracker Barrel and I got new mittens.  At least my hands are warm.

Keep warm!

Melinda

On the Needles–January 3, 2014

Still feels strange to type 2014 – even worse, we have a discount card at the shop that expires a year after it is purchased so we are now writing 2015.  How can that be?  My socks are still on my needles but I have made progress.  I have turned both heels and am almost ready to start the ribbing.

I really like how the socks are similar but not identical.  One has a purple heel and the other has orange.  Self striping yarn is fun!

For more knitting reports to to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Another Gift

This time from Lisa.  She made many, many of these hot pads and tricked me into helping her with the binding on this one.  Then she gave it to me!  I love it.

Melinda

Christmas Gifts from My Sister

Forgot to show the neat gifts from my sister Robin.

She also made me a pin cushion – look at the little airplanes on it. 

Our father was a pilot, actually he was a PILOT.  He was in the Army Air Corps during WWII and lived all his life around airplanes.  He was an executive pilot for an oil company and then ran a Beechcraft dealership and flight school on the Long Beach Airport.  Later he ran a Cessna dealership and flight school.  All our life we were surrounded by planes and pilots.  Most of our vacations were by plane – he would borrow one and off we would go.  He was a member of the Quiet Birdmen – I found a Wikipedia article about them – interesting.

On the back of the pin cushion she put a little label.  I need to get some of these.

Melinda

Michele Made Me Do It!

Michele sent me a photo from Sears last week and this morning I gave in and went to look at it.  While it is sold out, they will have it in a week.

I plan to use it in my longarm studio to hold all the stuff that goes with the machine.  There are drawers for thread, rulers and all the other stuff!

Michele also has a question that I said I would share and see if anyone knows the answer.  She works on a lot of old quilts and this one came to her over the weekend.  Neither of us have ever seen this pattern.  Any ideas?

Let me know if you have any ideas – I will be working on the NYD quilt.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–December 30, 2013

Well it is the last design wall of the year.  I have a new project on my design wall and ironing table.  I signed up for the annual class on NYD from Cindy Roth on longarm quilting.  I skipped last year but have done at least 2 others.

Here is the pattern for the quilt we will be working on.

Here are my fabrics.

From top to bottom is the background, the next two are HST, the polka dot is for the diamonds in the border and lastly is the backing.  I also have the dark orange for the binding.

Here are my first few blocks.

I hope to get it pieced by tomorrow.  I have to work on NYD but she videos the lessons so I can work on it the next day.

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

Melinda

Modern Christmas BOM

We have a new BOM at Tiny Stitches and it is tempting me.  I love the solid fabrics and the colors but I certainly don’t need another project.  But it is really cute.  So far I have not signed up but I am working this afternoon and may give in.

Melinda

Bill’s Christmas Present

Bill loves Minkie/Cuddle quilts and the heavier the better.  I bought a kit to make a quilt for him a year or so ago and my friend Sue pieced it.  It wasn’t bound yet but I managed to do it on Christmas day.

Here he is with his quilt.

On the back I managed to find monkeys – not sock monkeys but at least they are monkeys.  He did get a sock monkey water glass and a small sock monkey ornament to add to his collection.

He is enjoying the quilt almost too much – need to get him out of that chair!

Melinda

On the Needles–December 27, 2013

I have been working on socks.  I took a class earlier this month on making socks – toe up, two at a time, on Magic Loop and completed the first pair.  Not even close to perfect but I did learn a lot.  As soon as I finished the class, I cast on two more pair.  For the class we used size 4 needles (I knit very loose so used size 3) and somewhat thicker yarn.  I bought yarn to make two more pair of the same – just different colors.

At the same time, I had size 1 needles and regular sock yarn so I decided to cast on a pair.  I am getting ready to turn the heel on this pair. 

I am loving how they are turning out.  Nice bright colors and similar looks but not the same.  There are a lot more stitches on this pair than the first pair so the heels will take more time.  I am using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel and it is really quite easy, once you have done it at least one time.

The other pair are only a couple of inches long at this point but go much faster with the larger needles and thicker yarn.

Linking up to Patchwork Times for On The Needles.

Melinda