Busy December

I know it's February, but I did get a lot done in December!

This year's ornament.  I did a lot of it on my embroidery machine.
I used software and created the body and appliqued beard.
It took some time, but I enjoyed the challenge.

30 Santas!

 Right after Thanksgiving, I got involved making machine embroidery table runners.  I made five tops and had my three sisters select the one they wanted.  That way I knew which ones I needed to finish.  They all got their runner before Christmas!  Below are photos of all the tops.

Peppermint Candy.  Claudia's Creations.
This is the design that started the process.  I used my software for some groupings,
but realized it was just as easy to add them one at a time wherever I wanted.

Yard of Snowmen.  Bird Brain Designs.  Blue.

Yard of Snowmen.  Black and gold.  Very elegant.

Ginger Garland.  Turnberry Lane Patterns.
I changed the border so it came out even.

One sister wanted to hang hers and needed a smaller size.  The original pattern made the gingerbread men in pieces, then sew them together.  The second time I put the designs in software
and used the multi-hoop feature for placement.  It was an interesting process to figure out.

The amazing thing was that I had all of this done by December 22.  That's a record for me!!

Thanks for checking in.

On Ringo Lake Quiltville Mystery 2017

Thanks to a friend visiting over New Year's I was able to finish my Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery, "On Ringo Lake".  I only had clue 1 complete when she arrived Friday, Dec. 29, but by Tuesday when she left I was almost caught up.  It's amazing what two focused quilters can accomplish.

I changed colors:  Red, green, aqua, and black for my neutral.  I  made it square by leaving off nine blocks, then added an extra border of three-inch squares just to make binding easier. It finishes at 79 x 79 inches.  The extra nine blocks will become the center for a medallion quilt later.  We took time to play with designs before the final reveal.  All we got right was that the blocks were on point! - but it was fun to play.  I'm using one of the arrangements for the medallion.

I don't do a lot of truly scrap quilts, so I especially like doing the mysteries.  I'm excited to have the top complete.

Here's the link back to Bonnie's Website/blog.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2018/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6-7-8-9.html

It's fun to see all the different variations from one set of directions.

On Ringo Lake
79 x 79 inches

Extra 9 blocks . . . to be continued!

Thanks for checking in.
I'll add my Christmas quilting in a separate post.

Quiltville (Bonnie Hunter) Mystery

It's time for Bonnie Hunter's Annual Mystery.
October 31 Bonnie released the introduction for her newest mystery quilt:  On Ringo Lake.  You can use the information below if you want to check it out.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2017/10/on-ringo-lake-quiltville-mystery.html

I started thinking about fabric choices.  Rather than use Bonnie's suggestions, I'm putting together my palette.  I have two possibilities:

1.  While checking out Bonnie's paint chips, I picked up some extras for additional ideas.  One card gave a "top-pick color" then showed colors that you can mix and match.  I picked four choices from that card.

colors:  Upholstery Red (1008-3A), Johnny Cake (3001-6A), Notre Dame (5006-1B), and Virginia Soil (1003-9A)
I always wonder how they come up with names!

2.  As I have done in the past, I selected a piece of fabric and used that to select my palette.

Of course, the color is off.  The colors are black, yellow-green (3), orange-red (20), and aqua blue (8).

I have two weeks to make my final decision.

Thanks for checking in.

Two more finishes (almost!)

I took a guild class with Peggy Martin, Quick Paper Piecing Feathered Star and I've been working to finish one quilt for a guild challenge.

I haven't quite finished the binding, but I'll have it ready for the next
guild meeting.  I used the floral fabric to pull my coordinates, then fussy
cut it for the center.  Rather than quilt a design in the setting triangles,
I quilted around all the black.  It needs more, but I'm not sure how
far to go.  I'm taking a class next week on Thread Painting, so I think
I'll take it with me and discuss it with the instructor.  Other than
the foundation quilting there's not much quilting in this quilt.

I introduced this quilt in my last post - but now it's quilted.

The guild challenge was to use only solids - fabric and thread.
I couldn't decide on what to do and then while cleaning/organizing
the studio, I found an old class project.  I was about to throw it away
knowing I'd never finish it when I realized - it was all solid fabrics!
Sooo ..... I cut it into half-square triangles, put with black, and
went to the design wall.  I originally planned to quilt feathers
in all the black, but decided on lines instead.  I used a stencil I had
in my drawer - equilateral triangles with fill lines.  I still need to
do the black around the center.  I held off to think about what I
wanted to do.  I'm going to add more lines.  I'm excited - this challenge
is not due until November and I'm finished!!

Thanks for checking in.

Two finishes and two ready to quilt

A friend came to visit and we spent three days sewing.  I got a lot done!

This is for my newest great-nephew born January 1 2017.  I actually have it quilted and bound. I hadn't even decided on the pattern, but Anna had good suggestions.   The size was determined by the amount of border fabric I had purchased.  I just did the math!!  This gets a stack of fabric off the table and the left overs put away.

50 x 50 inches
 

We had both purchased a kit for this pin cushion and decided to work on them together.  I had to use a BIG button to cover up the hole where all the pieced came together.  This qualifies as a UFO for my guild since I bought the kit 1 1/2 years ago.  And . . . . I got a small box out of the studio.  Now I have a pretty cushion instead of a clear box.

I started the truck in a collage class, however I like the truck so well I didn't want to cover it with flowers.  (Laura Heine pattern)  I have the backing ready, so I just need to layer and quilt.  Not sure what I'll do, but I will add some threads to the grass and leaves.

Not sure what I'll do with the quilt.  We have a 51 (red) Chevy truck in the family.  It's been around for a really long time.  Every family member that sees the quilt wants it so maybe I'll work out a custody schedule.  I'm hoping to find ownership records.  My grandfather purchased it sometime in the late 50's or early 60's.  I'm just not sure how to do that.

44 x 44 inches

The challenge for one of my guilds is to use all solids in a quilt related item.  I kept putting it off because I couldn't come up with an idea.  While cleaning out old projects I came across a class project that I knew I would never finish.  All solid fabrics - what would happen if I cut it up??  The foundation quilting is done, now for the fun part.  This gets a large basket off the floor and all the solids are now back in my stash.

34 x 35 inches

As you can see it was a very productive week.  I'm happy to finish (well, almost - I do have two fully complete) all of these items.  I'm continuing on with "finish it and get it out of the studio".

Thanks for checking in.

TQS Block of the Month and two finishes

I'm back.

Friends and I are participating in the Block of the Month program through "The Quilt Show".  I got REALLY far behind, but have spent the past few weeks playing catch up.  Last Friday I finished up through September!  What a relief.

Finished size is 87 x 87.  I want to figure out an additional border to make it at least 90 x 90.
That's a better size for my bed.  The last border is Delectable Mountains, which is quite large.
I'm thinking I need to add the extra border now and end with DM.  Another half-square triangle??

I'

Even though I haven't posted, I've been busy at my machine.  Following are some of the projects I've completed.

My sister requested a tree skirt with a snowman theme.  This was a pre-fused
kit from Shabby Fabrics - but it was a table runner.  I pushed out the edges
to make it round.  That proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated.
I spent three days just moving stuff around.  Of course, I added lots of crystals.

I stitched around every one of those tiny (!) pieces.
I'm excited that I finished this before Christmas.

This is my finished product from Gwen Marston's class last summer.
Everyone kept saying "just quilt lines"  but I couldn't get started.  I
was truly blocked.  I finally quilted the Baptist Fan design, but used
rulers with my domestic machine.  I've been collecting the rulers -
now I need to use them.  Good practice.

Six friends and I went to the outdoor quilt show in Sisters, Oregon, this past July.  I was downtown very early to watch them hang the show.  The firemen drew quite a crowd.  They only hung quilts on this one wall, but there were over 1400 quilts throughout the town for that one day.  

My hiatus in blogging started when I lost my camera (April?).  It's in the house somewhere, but it hasn't turned up.  I held off for several months, not wanting to buy another camera.  I finally borrowed one from a sister.  I'm still waiting for that camera to jump out of a container somewhere.

Thanks for checking in.

March 2017

March was filled with quilting.

Early in the month I made St. Patrick's Day "cards" for my great-nieces and nephews.  Today I finished Easter cards as well.  I forgot to take a photo of the St. Pat's cards before I put them in the mail.  I've been having fun making something to send the kids.

I didn't create this design.  It's from Embroidery Library.
For the St. Pat's cards I scanned a shamrock and used
IQ Designer on my Destiny to create the design.

I actually finished a challenge quilt one month BEFORE it was due!  That is truly amazing for me.  I actually scrapped my first attempt and created a similar second version to use for the challenge.  That means I completed two table runners in about one week.  Of course, this was only possible because I was working ahead.

Two table runners.  The top one is my first attempt.

I cut the pieces with my Sissix, then just quilted, thinking I'd cut it down to size

afterward.  However, I liked the quilting and didn't want to cut it 

off, so I made the second one.  The challenge was black & white, with the

red fabric given to us.  There are actually three different blacks, but even in person

you can hardly tell.  I didn't want to make a 24 x 24 piece, so decided the table runner

could fit the size restriction and be something I would actually use.

I didn't want to cut off all the feathers.

I had to use a recognizable piece of the given red fabric. I made red piping.
The quilting is similar, but I marked the outside edge first then stayed
within the boundary.  

This is the quilt I gave my sister this month in honor of her award.  I
tried making a beaded fringe, but it wasn't adding to the quilt.  I cut
off the beads and left it plain.  Actually a good choice.

I started my block of the month for The Quilt Show.  (no photo - just because I didn't take one)  I had finished month two, but took it apart to correct a size error that would only grow as the quilt progressed.  I know in a couple of months I'll be glad I did.  So even though tomorrow is the end of March, I'm actually only one month behind.  Not bad for me!!

I have three quilts in Best of The Valley quilt show.  April 7 - 9, Lindsay CA.  Although I never expect to get a ribbon, it's always exciting to see if there is one on the quilt when I get there.

As I finish writing this it doesn't seem like a lot of projects, but it felt like I was at the machine a lot this month.  I'm still working on finishing projects and getting them out of the studio.  That's why I finished the challenge.  It's already delivered . . . . . out of the studio!

Thanks for checking in.