Chevron Nines

This was a good weekend to sew, rained most of the time. These are Bonnie Hunter's Rick Rack Nines from Leaders and Enders, probably my favorite book. I am thinking they will make a cute baby quilt. I am really liking these smaller projects.

 

I got this done and think when I add borders it will be just right for a special baby. Not sure what color border yet but am leaning towards a purple with maybe a yellow or pink inner border. I have all my rows put together just need to add the half blocks and setting triangles. What do you think?

Happy Sewing

Baby quilt

I have had this idea to use Bonnie Hunters "Hopscotch and Butterscotch" pattern for a baby quilt for a long time. I now have the opportunity to make one for a girl at work. I had thought I would use yellow and white four patches and pink bar units with orange sashing but I didn't have enough of any one piece of orange so I used orange and pink in the bar units and still just used yellow for the four patches. So I started auditioning sashing fabric. Believe it or not this is actually a soft purple but it really looks blue here so I was afraid it would be too strong for the blocks.

 

 

I tried this hot pink but it turned red

 



This wasn't the right one either.

 

 

I ended up using a light pink batik. It looks kind of purple here but it isn't. The pattern called for piano key border but I used checker board. I think it turned out nice. It measures 53 x 63 so I think that will make a nice quilt.

I started another baby quilt from a book called Pinwheel Pandemonium and the pattern I am trying is Pinwheels gone wild. Of course I am using brighter colors than they have chosen. Here are two blocks.

 

 

Oh yea, if any of my stitching buddies has a white on white with the alphabet in capital letters on it, I need more for this one if I am going to use the same background on all blocks. Just let me know if you think you have some. THANKS

A Little More Progress

I have gotten a few more stars and quarter square triangles done. I think I have 16 more star blocks to go and parts of them are done. I am not sure the exact number on quarter square triangles but all are cut out with the first step sewn. I have gotten side tracked on a couple of other ( okay 3 other) projects and just got back to this one today. I spent and hour and a half yesterday morning before I went to work cleaning and putting things away in the sewing room. I really had too many projects pulled out. It was amazing how much better it looks after just that short time of cleaning/organizing but I still need to spend a lot more time doing just that. I still need to go through things and let some things go but that is hard to do.

I sure hope all my stitching buddies that went to retreat last week had a good time but then I know you did. I let the first of the month slip up on me and haven't announced the UFO number for April. Well here it is # 7.  My number 7 is a spider web string quilt, not sure if I will have any better luck with Aprils number than the first quarter of the year. How are the rest of you doing. Got to work this Tuesday so won't make this week if you all are getting together.

Keep sewing and take a stitch or two for me.

Latest Work in Progress

This is my latest work in progress, it is a pattern I have been drooling over for a while. The pattern is Match a Patch Stars for the December 2012 Fons and Porter For the Love of Quilting magazine. Liz's is done in a blue and cream but I didn't want another blue quilt plus I had this red in my stash.

 

The stars are what I call a planned scrappy sawtooth star. I still have a bunch to go I think it says I need 50 of these and 49 of the quarter square triangle. I am getting a little more sewing time now that I am only scheduled 25 hours a week and I am not so tired when I get off work. I do  have some other things going and my do some switching back and forth. There is really  no  rush on any of it except maybe the baby quilt and it will be ok to be a little late.

Hope everyone finds the time to sew a little this week.

Door Wreath

Wow, I just realized I went the whole month of February without posting. I worked a lot of hours that month and was just tired, both body and brain. I didn't do a whole lot of sewing, it seemed I had a short attention span. But this week I was off on Tuesday so I got to spend the day with my quilting buddies and that made me very happy. I carried the makings for this wreath for Michelle and put it together while visiting with the girls. It was very easy, I had strips of fabric cut 1" x 8" plus some rick rack and ribbon cut the same lenght. Then just tied them on a metal ring, added the metal K and ribbon loop for hanger. It felt good to finish something, maybe I should do more small projects, but probably not (I might loose my spot as UFO  queen).

 

I have also been working on this black and white disappearing nine patch. I am going to add to the right and bottom to make it more symmetrical then add a white border with applique flowers in black and white. This applique idea will keep this an ongoing project for a while.

I have also been working on these blocks (Bonnie Hunter pattern) with the intention of putting them together for a baby boy quilt.

 

Before I started the b/w disappearing nine patch I was working on this. It is a pattern called Ginger Belle by Miss Rosie.  I also started started another top by a pattern in the Fons and Porter magazine.

 

No picture of this one yet but you can see what I mean about a short attention span. I have yet to work on the UFO challenge, At least I found a little time to post this  morning, just hope I haven't lost all my followers. I promise to do better in the future. Until the next time happy quilting or crafting.

 

 

 

Finely off the wall

Working sure has interferred with my sewing time but I finely got Easy Street put together this week end. I still have the borders to do but I have made the decision on them and started cutting. I am using the gray as an inner border and a  purple tone on tone check as the outer border. It is so big I will have to do some creative piecing for the back. I have nearly 7 yards of one fabric that I thought I would use but will have to add something else to make it big enough. Work and I are adjusting so maybe I will be able to work in more sew time in the future.

For those in my stitching group, I am working Tues. so won't be able to make it. The number for February is 3. If anyone can take pictures of January's number 5 finish  please send them to me. I will try to call you all Tuesday morning to relay the UFO number for those that don't read this in time. I did not even touch my number 5 but guess what number 3 is Easy Street and no I did not even look at my list before I pulled the number. This makes me feel so much better being able to swap these around, I thought I would be so far behind I would never catch up, but now there is hope.

Got a long day ahead of me but the rest of you have a great day.

Christmas Party

Yes, I know it has been a while since my last post. Two reasons, first I have gone to work at Hobby Lobby in the fabric department. I just happened to ask the lady in fabrics if they were hiring and she said she was retiring in Jan. 2013 so yes they really needed someone with fabric experience. But let me tell you it is WAY different from working at the quilt shop. Hiring right here at the Holiday season was not a good idea either, very long hours, but I guess since I needed a job I needed to jump at the first opportunity. The second reason I haven't posted in a while is that when I did get time to sew I was working on Christmas presents that couldn't be shown. Now I can share a few with you, just not all yet.

 

These are all miniature quilt blocks. I gave these plus a table  stand to my stitch group. I couldn't decide who to give each one to so I just tossed them out and let the grabbing begin. I really enjoyed making these and each one I loved better than the last or at least I thought so at the time. In the end I would have had a hard time picking my favorite. I do hope to make more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope everyone is happy with their gift. More later about all the other goodies. I should have gotten a picture of the food it was wonderful and Pam's home was decorated so nice, thanks for hosting the party Pam.