Sunday, January 24, 2016

Spring Clovers

     

One of my favorite signs of spring is that the clovers start to turn a bright green in the yard.  Spring for me is a sign of warmth and summer to come.   Needless to say I am not a winter person. 


     My mother is Irish and her family loves Saint Patrick's Day.   Two years ago I cut out a bunch of squares and rectangles to do a Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  I started to mark them and got a call this week at that time.  My mother was dying.  I put these down and have not touched them since.  As I packed up my boxes at my old house I threw the pieces in a bin.  I was trying to take only unfinished pieces to my temporary house in hopes that I would find time to finish them.  As I went thru the boxes I found this bag and knew it was meant to be a project.


     I then Googled the internet to find Saint Patrick's Day patterns.  I came across this clover design and loved it. 

http://www.quiltingworks.com/howto/shamrock-block.htm

    These blocks were pretty easy and sewed up quickly.  I decided to make 4 of the blocks and then make a runner.  But then I thought of maybe making them as a square and using them as a table topper.


  I could not decide which so of course I used a quilting Facebook page to help me decide.  And the decision was this....


     But they liked the square also.  Might be a project for later.



     Bonnie's design for these made them equal a chevron type layout.  The scrap pieces went together well because I already had them marked.  if not I would not have finished this in a week.  I used the Chevron to make a border around the runner.


     I decided to leave the White inside to make it appear to be a continuation of the blocks.




     After I finished I could not decide if I needed to add a border or not.  The runner was already very wide and might actually work better as a wall hanging.  If I did not add a border, the binding  might cover the green points.   So again I asked the quilting group because I am indecisive and not good deciding in a hurry.



     The decision was made.  Thin yellow.  I cut 1.25 inch strips. Only a little scrappy this time.  


     To quilt it I did my favorite swirls in a pattern on the clovers in a branching pattern.


     In rows on the green border I did a continuous swirl. 


     In the white I did a swirl pattern as a filler.


    For the yellow I did a zig zag to match the points. 


    The backing is made of 2 scrap pieces.


    The binding is one of the green colors in the clovers and border.  I thing it helps to highlight the clovers.


     I finished this during one of our coldest days so far this year.  A day that we received Snow.  A rarity for our area.   So I am now screaming come on spring!!!


     This is actually on of my favorite pieces I have made in a while.  Not sure if its just a family thing, that I know my mother would be happy or that its full of bright spring colors!!! Already ready to enjoy it! 


     Another project finished that is made completely from my stash.  Now I am ready for my next adventure.!!

     

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Batik Confetti Runner


     Will try to go into detail more later.  This is my first couchibg item and a lesson in the making!  


     This is a 14x90 runner for my new counter.  Inspired by a friend!  100% scraps from other projects! 




Thursday, December 31, 2015

Happy New Year!!

     I haven't written a post in a while, but to start 2016 I need to change that!   A lot has changed in my life, from my job to my house and soon to change again. Good things have happened in 2015 but the roads been really rocky, mixed with steep hills and deep pot holes.  2016 is going to change that with a new house and new education on the way!!

     As far as quilting, I have been deep in a slump and have had a hard time digging out. So much to do and so little time.  Added to the fact that I have now realized I am less productive working 8 hours then 12.  It has been years since I have worked a 5 day work week and I am still not sure if it's completely for me, but we will see where 2016 takes me! 

     My resolution for this year is a simple but hard one for me!  I need to try to live an organized life with a clean house.  Hoping to start fresh in the new place and keep it that way!

    Happy new year to all!! Let's make 2016 the greatest!!

Monday, November 30, 2015

Midnight Snow!


     Better photos tomorrow!  And a blog. Mo haven't done one in a while...

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Spinning 9's!!

  

 (More photos to come tomorrow)

  This months block for the Project Quilt   Focas Through the Prism Challenge is the "Nine Patch".  I knew just what I was going to do and it befit the Host of the Challenge; Kim!!

     Some months ago I bought a pattern called "Spinning Nines".  It was designed by Kim Lapeck from the Persimmon Dreams blog.   I used it once in another project and loved it!  So I decide to alter it to fit this challenge! 

     I have been using a tone on tone or a neutral in this challenge each month.  This time I reached out a bit and allowed just a hint of purple in it.   I vowed to use just the fabric I had, so it worked! 


     I cut all the original squares to 3 inches and made this base. 


     I then cut apart the pieces to make the second squares

     I then played with the different Layouts Kim put in her pattern and decided on this!! 

     I quilted the squares with curled.  In the half square triangles I did a feather type pattern. 

     To bind it I used the the batik fabric from the layout. 

     The backing I used a scrap peace that matched the colors. 

     This is one of my favorite ones yet!! 

Monday, September 28, 2015

Flying Geese In The Great Blue Sky

 

    This months Focus Through the Prism Challenge is Flying Geese.   I knew my color and knew I had a good selection of scraps in blue this month.  Just didn't have an idea of what to do except a basic set of flying geese.  But of course I wanted to go a little out of the box. 


     I decided to look on Pinterest and pinned lots and lots of flying geese ideas!  I found 2 videos I really liked.  One was on a quilt as you go method and the other was a Missouri star video.  I decided to go with the Missouri star video and to adapt it to fit my needs.   The pattern is "Flying Geese Log Cabin".


     The video made a small block.  The block is made of 2.5 inch strips and 2.5 inch squares.  The block finished at like 8 inches, but I continued to make a 20 inch block. 


     For the fabric I used all blue scraps and the hand dyed blue fabric. I tried not to be picky about what I choose to go out on a limb and make it more scrappy.


     The pattern is easy.  You start by cutting 2.5 inch squares of the color you are going to use as your "geese".  Draw a line from one corner across the square to the other corner of all of these.  Then you cut 2.5 inch strips of the background fabric. 


     The first square is 2.5 inches.  Lay the geese square on top.  Make a half square triangle with these 2 squares.   Then with the next row, start the next row on the upper side, like a log cabin.  You will build this one in just one direction.  When you finish the 2 sides of the block, add another geese block. Sewing on the line across the corner. This creates another geese. 


     Do this with every row sewing on just 2 sides and adding a geese to the corner until you get to the size you desire.   I added 10 sets until I reached 20 inches.  I made the last row the same color as my geese. 


     The backing is a big piece of blue dotted I used on the front.   The free motion quilting is a little messy.  I originally forgot to change the settings on my machine and the back stitches are a little loose. So I fixed the settings and continued to finish it in time.  I stitched triangles like geese for 3 rows then added curved lines in the other rows like clouds.  In the geese I made a 3 loop design.   


     For the binding, I made it scrappy.  I hand sewed it on.  I originally sewed it by machine to the wrong side.  I did not have time to take it off and resew it, so I went ahead and hand sewed it down to the front. 


     I hate when I have to rush to finish something.  Maybe this month,  I will start early and be able to take my time with the mini quilt. 



Sunday, September 13, 2015

Never the wrong time of year for a Patriotic Wreath!!


     I couldn't sleep last night,  had the supplies, so I got creative. 

     I tried this wreath a few ways.  I did not have the right stuff to do it the way I wanted, but this is how it came about.  

     It's made of one roll of the burlap colored deco mesh,  one roll of striped burlap and one roll of star burlap.