Monday, August 26, 2013

Comfort and Joy

Well, I think Judy has forgotten all about Comfort and Joy, but I haven't! I have had a lot of fun with this pattern. When I first got it I just about panicked, but after quite a bit of obsessing about how to start, I have loved it.

I believe this is the block we were supposed to finish this month.  It was fun and easy.
I hadn't been able to figure out how to do the angel's hair or crown or whatever, so I just jumped into it and did it.  I'm going to embellish it anyway.
And here are the blocks sewn together. I got on the green outer border and have the appliqued outer borders ironed down.  I'm appliqueing a little every day.  Then I can worry about quilting it.....or not quilting it!!
I have several other things going that I can't talk about! Christmas is coming!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Free Motion Quilting

I'm soooooo over sending out my tops to be quilted. I never was really comfortable wit the people who did mine here in town, so I've just been saving tops. I have tons all ready. Some are even basted. Sometimes I just quit toward the end of making a quilt so I don't have another one, but I end up with UFOs.

 So a few weeks ago I took a free motion class. I think I may have mentioned it before. I enjoyed the class, and I learned a lot about thread and a start on patterns, but out of a class from 10:00 to 3:00, we only practiced about 20 minutes which was totally not enough. I was pretty darn disappointed. I was depressed a couple of days, but I practiced some, but never really found my rhythm.

 But I did find this wonderful site I want to share. It's by Leah Day and it's a Gallery of Free Motion Design.  It has 396 free motion designs with short videos to show you how to do them! It goes from Super Beginner (me) to difficult.  I've  been looking at the designs and practicing on paper.

Last week I went to the 70% close out sale (sob) of a nearby quilt shop, Sew Bee It.  I got the panel below and the coordinating fabric for a border and maybe the back, depending!  I'm going to go with some sort of spiral I think, practice a little, and just go for it.   I'll probably try different designs as I go.  My grandkids won't care what it looks like.  They don't even notice the quilting! Ha!  (As proof I could show you a favorite that is just a mutilated stitch in the ditch, but I won't.)

I'm really looking forward to get good enough to dig out all those tops!!


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Handwork

Last year I was working on the Row quilt along with Patchwork Posse. One of the rows had a redwork snowman. I had so much fun sewing at night and listening to TV. So I went looking for a cute one to do for Spring.

I found the Rabbits Prefer Embroidery and went to work.  I enjoyed every stitch!  It's a Bunny Hill Design and cute as it can be.  So all I've done is the top row.  I have all the embroidery done, but haven't put any more together.  Soon!! Soon!!


Anyway, I found Hocuspocusville, and I feel in love with it!  I ordered it immediately from Crabapple Hill Studio.  I went to my favorite go-to shop and spent a small fortune on fabric, but I'm about ready to start on it!  I'm really looking forward to it.  To warm up, I'm going to work on the silly angel from Comfort and Joy.  I just have to get her hair done, and then I'll start this!  Yea!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Design Wall Monday

This is my first post for Monday in a long while. I have been sewing, but just haven't posted.

 I am so happy that Carole is feeling better and posted some Curly Tops blocks. This is for my granddaughter with her own curly top. Her hair falls in ringlets and I just love it. So this quilt just was begging to be sewn!
August with a surfboard, sun-bleached hair, and a sunburn and July with a flag

I changed the tractor block to a Gator since she loves ours so much!
I get several blocks that need the same color and then I applique that color on as many blocks as I can.  Today I did black and am slowly working on the hair now in brown.  All those wavy lines are slow going.

This is how I store my thread and the bobbin that goes with it so I can change threads easily.  Anyone have another idea that will work easier?  (See the red marker scribble on my machine instruction book?  That so easily could have been on blocks! Whew! A close one!)
And I am still plugging along on Comfort and Joy.  The last block is on the bottom right.  I am going to frog sew and take it apart.  It seems to have some waves in it and there's no wind!!!  The angel is still missing on the left because her hair isn't done.  I stopped because I didn't like how it looked and haven't ever started again.  Maybe soon.
I absolutely love to read on Mondays.  I haven't been commenting much lately, but hope to today.  I'd love to hear from you!  Have a great week.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Busy, busy!

Much has been going on around here, and, believe it or not, sewing has taken place!! Here's the list!

 First, Grace, my almost 10 year old granddaughter,  made a quilt from a jelly roll. She sewed her little heart out. She wanted her name on it, so I found some letters on the web that she liked and we are now ready to quilt. There is a little problem there. I don't know exactly how and what I'm going to do, but here it is all sandwiched.  She even helped me do this!
Which leads me to the 2nd thing....I took a class in free-motion quilting.  It was an all day class, and to be honest, I was disappointed.  We only practiced about 20 minutes in all the time we were there.  I did learn a lot about thread and weights, tension, and more, but really felt I wanted to practice a lot more with someone there.  I did get help with my darning foot, and I've been practicing a little every day.

Carole at Ewe's Quilting got to feeling better after her cancer treatment, and she got caught up with Curly Top.  I was so excited.  I have one more block to iron down before I start the applique.  I changed the tractor to look like our Gator since little Ruby loves the Gator like crazy.  I am using all stash for this, and it hurts my feelings sometimes since there are so many bright fabrics I'd like to use.

Here is what I want to work on now....

  • Finish the Curly Top blocks and begin the machine applique
  • Finish the quilt that Holly and I are making and get it sandwiched.
  • Do 3 more rows for the Row by Row quilt (see upper right margin) and call it a day on that one.  This might be the first one I try to quilt.
  • Get the last Comfort and Joy block done and start on borders
  • Practice the free motion patterns I've decided to try.
  • Start some secret Christmas stuff!!!  
I've really been enjoying sewing.  We've been busy with company, grandkids, and yardwork, but there is still time for quilting.  I'm so grateful for my blessings!

I'm planning a trip to Atlanta to the quilt show in September.  I'm going to check out the longarms, but something tells me I'm not going to want to pay what they cost.  Does anyone have one they just love?  I'd love to hear about it!  Pretty please!