October's NewFO's

Time to wrap up October.  This group isn't about finishing anything.  It's about starting new projects.  Though I do like to tack a finish or two into each month so my studio doesn't end up flooded with UFO's.  Thanks to our generous hostess Barbara at Cat Patches you can win a quilter's pin for listing the projects you started this month along with us.

Firstly the dog dresses.  I made 20 in October, I became enamored with the concept of making 27, like the movie with Katherine Heigl, though obviously different.  While I didn't make it to 27, I do have a new customer that I will begin making dog dresses for her two dogs this month, so I am very excited about that.  New to my collection this month is a serger which so far seems to be a big help to my sewing.

I also made a diaper stacker for my new niece who was born at the end of October.  According to her mom it's prettier in person, with lots of glitter.  Can you tell her theme is butterflies?

I also made quilter's pincushions, which I gave away when I was hostess for this months CQAL.  Both of my winners have already received their cushions in the mail so I'm sure they've been stabbing them as they deem appropriate.  I also made one for me, but I haven't started using it yet.  I need to add Velcro so it can sew around on my midarm when I quilt.

Last but not least, while I'm sure many of you made your children's Halloween Costumes, or perhaps you did in the past, DD picked a store bought one this year.  I happily added a little black pocket for her to keep her Vampire Fangs in when not in use.  DD's favorite holiday is Halloween, so I spent some time shopping this month for a future NewFO buying fabrics for a Halloween Quilt for her.  Only the prettiest most friendly fabrics will do as I'm certain you understand.

I hope everyone had a safe Halloween!

October NewFO's

It's that time again!  What did you start in September?  Oh I'd love to hear!

I made oh gee how many? I made 12 Doggie Dresses for my friend's therapy dog.  Together they are both turning heads everywhere they go.  Two of the dresses were my own design.  This one off to the left with the butterflies and then one that looks like a mermaid.  Tigger doesn't do the later justice though.  So if you're lucky I'll remember to post it when I have a picture of the rightful wearer in it.

I also made a baby quilt for one of my sisters, who is due this month.  The quilt is reversible pink safari themed with raw edge applique butterflies.  It is quilted with loops of the butterflies flight patterns, the baby's name, hearts and a couple of stars.  It was a really quick and easy quilt so it's okay if it ends up loved to pieces.

I also put thread to fabric on this delightful quilt backing, which is part of my Lilly's Garden Quilt Project.  This back went fast but the front will surely take longer.  I have started cutting the fabric for one of the borders on the front but haven't actually started sewing the it yet.  I have another fabric order that needs to arrive first and there is one last embroidered block which is the center point that I don't have.  I'm worried about accidently cutting one of the embroidered fairy blocks to small so I've been putting it off.  Likely tomorrow or Monday will be soon enough.

Does anyone remember this?  It's my wall hanging River Art Quilt, showing our minor Florida rapids. I started it in June, and finished it this month. Everything is applique with just a little bit being raw edge, to give a more organic look to things like the palm tree in the upper right corner.

I've already completed 6 doggie dresses for this month, so time will only tell what I will have to share next time.  Until then, happy sewing.

Doggie Dresses!

Yesterday was a great day in the sewing room.  A friend of mine had asked if I would mind making some dresses for her dogs.  Who knew such a thing could be so much fun?  I happily stitched through an entire afternoon and when I was done I had these four pretty dresses to show for it.  Just two more left to finish up.  Sure seems like a great start for my September NewFO's hu?

I always knew Lumpy was really a Girl

Tiger was by far my best model as he was
likely horrified by the experienced.  

Piglet could only hide his face in shame.

Lumpy wanted to try something in green as well.

DD held in the background in the above pictures
and since I knew she wanted to be in them...
Sunny was to tired to comment

Which dress is your favorite?  I'm partial to the blue and the yellow ones myself.  Though the pink...

July's NewFO Finished

As you may have noticed I haven't been a good blog author and am behind in my posts.  So this evening's post is about the Mug Rugs I made for a friend of mine.  I started and finished these all in the same day.  No bidding just sew flip and close.  Then I ran a bit of quilting around the little paw print border.  I wanted to stitch around the dalmatian but DH warned me that would wick moisture through glasses and or mugs so I didn't take it that far.

I made four of them because I had four of the cute little panels.  It was a bit of a scrap tapestry panel someone had given to me and when I saw it buried in my "notions" bin I knew it would make a perfect impromptu gift.  For the backs I used a seashell themed tapestry.  I told her she can use them to go under her doggie bowls or use them as mug rugs, around here we'd just say they are over sized coasters.  She seemed happier with the later idea.

Florida River Art Quilt 2

I spent most of today working on the River Art Quilt for the local show again.  I'm thinking I'm about halfway now.  At Vicki's suggestion I have added two birds and a nest.  Can you find them?  I wasn't sure about where to put the nest so DD came in and nestled it in for me and I think that works just fine right where she put it.  She also wasn't thrilled where I thought she'd suggested the branches on the Cypress Tree (the big thing in the center) should go, so I fixed one to her liking and explained why the other one wouldn't work (a balance issue)  and after adding more and more detail decided it needed another branch.  I have a fair idea how to quilt the greenery - leaves, needles, and so forth, and the tree trunks will clearly have bark.  Likely I will run with the batiks and let them tell me how to quilt the rocks.  The water should flow so that shouldn't be a problem.  But what about those little plants and so forth?  Do you think I should just go with the print?

River Quilt Scene in Pieces

I find I'm torn for quilting it as well.  Do I free-motion quilt it on the little Elna (and brave those pins), or do I go for the more reliable control and mount a backing and batting on the quilt frame and then just float this little piece on top?  Perhaps I should plan a quick baby quilt and quilt that while I have this on the frame.  They would have the same backing that way, but could also create an unwelcome distraction with each advance of the frame - this would likely only need two possibly three advances.

So far the raw edge is only the palm tree in the upper right (which is true raw without web underneath but I think it's good for a Palm to fray a bit - more realistic that way), the cardinal and the blue bird, oh and the nest when I fuse that on.  Truly the more I see it where DD put it the more I like it.  I'm also thinking about hiding a panther face in the shadows.  I have a cat face that is about the right size, but it's black with wonderfully glowing yellow eyes...  A face in the shadows would be shadowed though right?

This little wonder is getting heavy too.  The muslin runs throughout the bottom as I mentioned, then the forest green fusions in the background of the top third, and all those little pieces. Along the top especially towards the left you can see where I'm allowing the sunshine to peak through the trees.  What do you think that?  It seemed natural that in looking across a river you would see the sunlight like that.

And hey what do you think about binding?  I was thinking scrappy binding so it would flow around the quilt in blues, tans, blues to greens and back?  But that I'm not sure.  Since the quilt is supposed to be connecting many other art quilts.  What do you think others will do with their binding?

First Guild Meeting

Beginning of River Quilt

Well after 4 years and about three months of quilting, I went to my first Quilt Guild meeting.  I'm still on the fence about joining, but they are having a challenge and all participants quilts will hang in the River of Threads at the local Art Gallery, and do you have any idea how floored I would be to have a quilt hung in a gallery?  Not just any quilt but my quilt?

Requirements are a mini quilt - no bigger than a fat quarter to depict a scene from a Florida river.  The river must flow left to right, and be between 2" and 5" at the entrance and exit of the quilt.  So guess what I'm working on.  Yep.  You guessed it, the aforementioned art quilt.   I have several hours in so far and there are clearly many more to go but I believe it is a good start.

This has a solid muslin first layer with the details all turned edge and pinned in place.  I am planning to quilt this rather densely allowing the movement of the quilting to add depth.  Any thoughts?

June New WIP Finished

DD with Quilted Travel Bag

Ever since I saw this pattern earlier this year I have wanted to make it, and now I have.  What is it you ask?  A quilted travel tote.  It is a large weekender or going to Quilt class bag.  Sizing in at 21" wide x 13" tall x 7" deep.  This is a double pinwheel pattern.  Though personally I found it's size annoying.  Finished blocks are 7" which seems like an odd number, not to mention smaller and more fussy than I'd like.  If I made another of these travel bags again I will likely want to use a bigger block.  Though I do like the effect when looking at the pictures.

DD with Quilted Travel Bag

The bag is fully lined and for added stability I sewed the lining in the ditch down each corner seam anchoring it to the quilted outer layer rather than just thrusting it in there.  As you can see from the help of my model DD, the back is a little different the front, and if you're wondering yes that is a zipper.  No internal pockets on this one as my pattern only mentioned that I should add them as I wanted instead of giving any real directions.  In fact the directions were rather crummy showing the handles in the completed bag being completely different than the ones the directions tell you how to make and more than once I had to sit and think about how in the world to make what they were talking about happen.

Still nice to scratch this one off my "wanted to do list".

My May WIP: Jammin Jammiez

Jammin' Jammiez

Okay Normally I would wait to tell you about my new project for May but I just started it this evening and finished it too.  Using leftover flannel I made my daughter new pj's.  Jammin' Jammiez.

This is my own pattern.  I seem to do much better making clothes when I just wing it, and I find not only do I enjoy the process more, I am often much happier with the results both short and long term.  Because I didn't use a pattern that meant I took the measurements off my daughter, while she was feeling impatient with me because she wanted to play on the computer.  I was sure 26" would do it with plenty of wiggle room, but she doesn't feel it's loose enough.  Being sleepwear I'm inclined to agree, so tomorrow I will seam rip off the bodice, adding likely 3" over all (by adding at the side seams of the bodice and resewing the front and back pleats then re-attaching.  It sounds like a big deal but it isn't, and will likely give her a year or more of grow room.

Jammin' Jammiez Back

Oh you should have seen her.  She was delighted, wanting to know if she could pretend it is a dress and wear it to school.  I have never seen her so happy over a blue garment before.  Granted it has been a while since I sewed anything for her.  A year, I think?  Perhaps I need to make a point to hand make something for her every so often.  Oh and the big surprise?  I have enough leftover of the light blue stars to make a simple version for me too.   Then we'll be mom and me sleepers.  Or should I say daughter and me?

Now no worries about the Lone Star, I've been making progress since that border post.  I've have 3 of the last 4 glow blocks fully sewn - and they are completed blocks not just arcs!  As for the 7th there was a little water spill on the completed arc and I had a bit of an issue with the dye in the purple running.  Currently I feel like I have three options.  #1 Just remake the entire glow  #2 Carefully use a bleach pen and last but not least  #3 seam rip out the 3 or 4 offending pieces, cut new ones exactly the same size and replace.

I'm feeling in favor of #2 or #3.  What do you think?

April NewFO Just had to Finish

Meerkat Kindle Cover Finished

Yes, I said it, I just had to finish the Kindle cover, so this evening when all was nice and quiet except for some strong winds outside, I finished it all up.  For now I'm going without toggles, buttons, or velcro and I'll see how that goes.

Now for confessions of a 4 year quilter.  This kind of project is exactly why I have regularly been finding myself trying to explain that I am not crafty and I am in no way a crafter.  This project was so fussy and everything needed to be just so.  Not to mention on a small scale!  I can handle fussy in a quilt (though fussy quilting and I would rather only be friends every once in a while), but something like this?  Oh no.

Kindle Cover Ready to Read

I would love to be that woman; the one with the beautiful shop on Etsy, filled with nit picky beautiful items not to mention she churns out so many perfect little crafts that everyone just has to have, so she's being interviewed to talk about how she left her almost perfect job to start and run her own business?  I'm not that gal, and unlike some I'm not even going to bother to pretend I'm that girl.

Kindle Cover Middle

Want quilts?  Want to watch them grow and chance from fabric yardage into family friendly cuddly comfort items?  If that's the case you've found the right place.

It is like cooking.  I'm a home cook.  I can and do.  But if someone said here is a sewing machine and 2,000 bolts of fabric you can have this to sew with as long as you'd like or take this designer chef's kitchen - honey I'd take the fabric!  Which begs the question what would you take?  What is your equivalent of a designer kitchen?

April New FO Posting

Kindle Cover WIP front

Today I started a new project.  This is the cover for my Kindle that I have been looking forward to making.  The meerkat fabric is a custom swatch made from a picture my DH took when we were on vacation last year.  I did a bit of hand stitching to say "Mom's Kindle" at the bottom.

The additional fabric on the back is a fusions fabric and on the inside is a delightful bit of hand dyed fabric that some of you might recall from the Mermaid Quilt I made last year.
I planned a little pocket inside which I have started as you can see below, ribbons will hold the Kindle in and gussy up the pocket.

I had hoped to finish it today, but I've decided I'm going to like the finished product more than I had previously thought, so instead of cardboard I will need to find my template plastic to give the cover some protection.

Kindle cover WIP front and back

After adding the plastic and stitching it in I will finish this with a bit of binding. As for the closure, what do you think a toggle, or velcro?  I'm currently leaning towards a toggle as I am concerned about anyone pressing against the screen.

At first I wanted to quilt reading friendly words over the back, but changed my mind before starting the quilting.  I like the texture it has this way.  As for the Meerkat print, it is echo quilted with clear mono filament, my favorite.  Not.

Kindle cover WIP inside

Today is April's NewFO show off day and in addition to this newly begun project, I did start and finish two radiant glow blocks for my Lone Star Quilt which you can see here.

Did you work on anything new this month?  Why not make a post about us and join us.  I'm sure Cat Patches would be happy to have a more quilters involved.

This month actually marks the first month that I didn't finish the project I started as my NewFO, but finishing isn't part of the rules.  All you have to do is start something new.  What a refreshing change.  The random draw is for another darling handmade quilter's pin.  This month's pin looks like a log cabin block in pink and black.

March New FO Posting

Front

Today is the last day of March, can you believe it?  I can.  Truly it seems like only a short time ago we were selecting DH's vacation time and April seemed rather far off, sure will be nice having him around more for the next week.

This has been a good month both New FO and FO wise.  I revisited the Hawaiian Applique Turtle Quilt, and decided to scale back.  Instead of it being a Full/Double bed size quilt, I opted for a Twin size instead, and then started and finished up the last two blocks needed.  I also made an entire pieced back and have everything waiting on the frame.  As you can see from the pictures Tiny likes this one and just when I thought I had everything ready to go I found she'd made herself a bed between the rails.  I'll need to fix that before I start quilting.  Someone once told me that's why they use zippers for attaching quilts to the frame, that way when they are done for the day they can just unzip one side of the quilt.  Yet, I was sure it would take her more than 6 hours to find the frame had a quilt on it again...

Back

Though that wasn't what I'd intended as my March FO.  You see I have long wanted to take apart one of the cat water filters, which I have to buy on a regular basis, make a new one with natural batting and fresh carbon.  Call me crazy but I just had to do it.  I used to know someone who owned an aquarium business as well as maintaining some of the not going to name drop big tanks in Orlando.  Well, I ran my idea by him and the consensus was that my theory was sound - if a bit spend thrift and so after all this time I did it.  I seem to have deleted the picture I took for you though so when I make another one I'll photograph that one.

Hope you had a great March and that April will be even better.  Did you do anything new this month?  Why not take a minute to join us and drop your name in the hat for one of the quilters pins Barbara at Cat Patches is giving away?

New FO Challenge: February

Happy Leap Day!  As this is the last day of the month I have my February New FO to share with you.  I made pot holders this month.  Four of them, crazy pieced and complete with slip pockets for your hands.  Putting the binding on these was a bit of a challenge and I was glad I decided to only make four.  These will likely be Christmas presents.

The Second Act: The Snake

The Snake in my Snake and Meerkat Quilt

I've been working on my Snake and Meerkat quilt lately.  I used organza and pinned it to the flannel, luckily I could see through the organza to the lines I drew of my snake on the flannel.  Then I ran a running stitch by hand stitching on top of the drawn lines.  Once that was done I cut the organza back to the edge of the running stitch.  Using glitter thread I painstakingly satin stitched overtop of my running stitch.  I will hand stitch the fangs on next, but I'm not sure if I should use thread or embroidery floss.  What do you think?

As this is a quilt about "What I would look like if I were a quilt".  I can say that the snake, oh the snake.  When the pain is very bad I can feel the snake in my veins hissing and spitting.  Sometimes even driving to me to reach out and snarl at friends and family with words I would never say under other circumstances.  Even though the pain is in my leg I can feel the snake in all of my veins, pounding and thrumming against my will.  Since starting this quilt May 9, 2010 (I know it's been on the list a long time!) I feel the snake less often.  Perhaps I could even say I rarely feel the snake.

Snake head in need of Fangs

But in the past couple of days I have learned that I'm not the only one with a snake.  I think we all have one.  Maybe it lives deeper inside some of us than others.  Coming out sometimes to hiss?   Perhaps not a hiss of pain, but a hiss of frustration?  Of anger?

Not a good day!

I'm so happy to tell you I've figured out the border for my Children of the Sea Quilt.  This will be a 9 inch border which will bring the quilt up to a 70"x90", a generous twin sized quilt.  I have 6 blue fabrics selected ranging from medium to light tones which I will cut gentle curves into and then piece them together in a loose artistic interpretation of the gentle movement of the ocean echoing the still waters in the panel.

I know exactly how I need to cut and sew the fabric, but I didn't sleep well last night and my leg is protesting my every thought.  I call this feeling the snake in my veins because I feel I have little control over my tongue much less how I'm feeling.  Right now it's akin to feeling like my blood is boiling.  While this pain is never welcome, I'm rather furious about it right now.  Why?  Because these curves are a new technique for me and I would never dare to quilt anything, much less a new technique feeling like this.  I pushed through it one single time when I first started quilting and then I hated everything I'd done while I'd been in pain so I had to rip it all out again.

So while I dearly want to get back to sewing, today is clearly becoming a forced day of rest.  It's times like these that I am reminded of my Snake and Meerkat Quilt.  Since starting that quilt my bad days have been less and less.   Wouldn't it be nice to pretend that when it's finished the pain will simply go away and stay away?

Dumb Camera or Operator?

Well I've tried to update you three times at least since my last post but each time I go to do so my camera flatly refuses to download.  Software based issue surely, so I'll just update you with words alone.

The Dresden Plates are all nearly finished.  I have just one more to applique and then it will be time to cut the triangles which squares up the entire on point quilt.  It feels a bit bitter sweet coming to the end of the applique work.  I feel like I was just worrying about the size of my stitches just the other week.

I found the gold organza fabric that I need to create the Snake of the Me, The Snake, and the Meerkat Quilt.  You'd never guess how much shopping you have to do to find gold high quality Organza.  Don't all those second time brides want to wear gold?

Quilting Bloggers is having a Swap and while I will not participate, I do plan to make my own tote using the swap pattern.  If interested you can take a sneak peak here.  I'm planning this for the Kailey Doll I showed you in my last post.  I think a nice matching doll blanket would go together well.  Not sure what colors I'd like it to be.  Something tropical I think.  That way we can all pretend we are on the beaches of Hawaii.

Anything else?  Oh yes, I am abysmal in my BOM Scatty Stars.  I'm telling myself it will be fine if I finish up the two blocks for March before March is over and then I'll be right on track for next month.  I added it to my Current Project list so hopefully that will help.

The Spiral

Just a small break today from the Dresden Plates, while I wait for the blue silk thread I ordered to arrive.  I took this free time as an opportunity to finish the back of the "What would you look like if you were a Quilt", aka Snake Quilt, aka more recently The Meerkat Quilt.

The back of this quilt is entirely blue and red blender snuggle flannel.  This is a single huge quilt block that I scaled up called "Monkey Wrench" and even as I type that I know it has been known by many other names, none of which come to mind right this moment.

I selected the royal blue because that represents my heart, my soul, and my inner calm.  The red is the pain, the hurt.  Note no matter how twisted up and turned around I get I'm still me.  No matter how far you go down the spiral - the me that is me is always there.  It's just hard to hear in the whirl wind sometimes.

Monkey Wrench Spiral Quilt Back

These pictures would have come out better had I not found a cat sleeping where I wanted to take my images.  Of course she only wanted to play in the quilt for a little bit and now she's at my elbow as if to say it wasn't me she was running from.

This project has taken three trips to the store for fabric.  The first time and then two oh cruds I don't have enough.  This most recent time had me so filled with dread I wouldn't even prewash the fabric to match what I'd already sewn until last week.  I actually bought fabric from the 3rd I don't have enough fabric issue back in November!  I was certain I'd only purchased 18" and I was afraid it would shrink to much.  Well come to find out I'd purchased 2/3rd of yard so that was a bunch of worry over nothing.

The Front of the Me Quilt Pre-Quilting

Then when I was cutting the pieces I was missing I had trouble with the pattern as you know, and thought I'd have to purchase 45" more inches of red and blue.  But I dug in anyway, I told myself I'd sew the middle and see.  Lucky me this time, hard to believe I know what I'm doing even when I'm second guessing myself!  When I finished sewing together all the pieces I had I started to reach for the tape measure but I reached for the quilt top instead.  After all who remembers a the dimensions of a quilt top they haven't worked on in months. Okay me, but that's not what we're talking about. So there's a nice amount of extra, just right for quilting and basting.

The last time I took a picture of this top it read a lot of yellow, but of course that's just the lights so I retook the image for you.  See no yellow.  Funny now I need to order thread and batting.  Gotta love quilts there's always something to shop for!

All Stitched Up With Somewhere to Go!

Yesterday I did all of the hand work labeling on the block for Myra and today I dug out the cutting mat and trimmed it up to 6.5".  So very soon now I'll be sending it off.  It's only a 6.5" block so even International I'm certain it will be no big deal to mail.

 On a different note I started cutting the pieced for the back of the Snake quilt and would you believe I don't have enough fabric?  I had enough fabric if I just sewed it together but because I just had to piece it.  Oh yeah, so I'm going to be sorting that out over the next couple of days.  Really makes me question what the quilt is asking of me!

My five year old hasn't been feeling well the past two days so while I'm always happy to take her picture her request that I take this one pulled at my heart strings.

The First Act: The Pain

This is the quilt I was working on for the "What would you look like if you were a quilt?"  Yes, clearly I missed the deadline.  But somewhere along the lines this challenge became more than a challenge and thereby more than fabric, thread, and a deadline.  After all it's the quilt of me and thereby no matter how deep the river once you start to swim you must continue.

The Red of this quilt is my chronic pain.  As you can see it infiltrates through everything I say do and touch.  But while a part of me it is not me and thereby the red and the blues never blend only intertwine.

The Dark blues are my core the deepest part of me and yes I feel pain there too, but just like an ocean current I move through it living with it as it ebbs and flows.

That's all for now future acts will include The Snake, and The Meerkat.  Did you think maybe for a second my pain was over this border?!?!  Oh yes!  I counted all of the pieces before starting (hundreds) and my husband color coated the "segments" so I could make them "block style", man oh man flannel is not seam ripper friendly!  Thankfully I put the sides together first and then moved on to the more complicated top and bottom, can't imagine if I'd started there.

If anyone is looking for updates on the Red Star Extension I'm waiting on the fabric and plan to be starting that within the week.

Entwined Border

This evening I've been working on the border for the "If you were a quilt what would you look like" Challenge.  I had a really difficult time getting it to turn back on itself at the right moment.  What do you think?

I'm not certain I'll make the deadline on this quilt, but I feel the need to proceed with making it anyway regardless of the time.

Right now the center is done awaiting the border and the rather extensive quilting I have planned.  I'm thinking it will just have a strip back with blue in the middle and the reds on either side.  We shall see.

Spiral... Woven

Sketch of the Striking Snake

Yesterday I worked some on the Quilt Challenge: If you were a Quilt What Would You Look Like? I think it's coming along nicely.  I drew out my plans for quilting and embellishment onto the top.  I don't think you'll be able to make them out very well, but here's some pictures all the same.

My helper showing you how the snake is curling around the red paisley.

Tiny couldn't seem to resist the top as she was bound and determined attack it.

Or Perhaps Tiny will just kill the Snake and then no one will have to worry about it.

As my center this is about 36" x 42" - okay it's really whatever the darned thing shrunk to after I washed it, as this is entirely flannel I didn't want things bleeding or shrinking unevenly.  Not to mention pre-washing flannel tightens up the weave of the cloth.


Is it dead yet?



If Tiny doesn't take it from me I'll be adding a 12" border around the outside.  The pattern I plan to used is called Entwined and can be seen here.  The center strip will be the royal blue and then the entwining fabric will be the red with the background fabric being the lightest of blue.  That will bring the quilt up to about 66"x60" which should be a nice lap size, or perhaps the quilt will want something more after the border.  For now I need more fabric.

Just for the record the snake is a metaphore for pain.