Current Blocks

May not look like a lot of work, but this is two days work on these blocks.  Granted on Sunday I only did one, since I ran around a lot with John, but Monday, lots of work.  the baskets were particularly time consuming since it was made with templates.  I enjoyed doing them though, really!

Started the Jelly Roll Sampler

Oh yes, got in the sewing room and got started on the Sampler.  I have really got a lot of fabric choices for this quilt, basically three jelly rolls.  I loved doing this for several reasons.  One, I've been doing 6.5 in. blocks and these are 12.5.  What a difference!  Second, I like using the longer strips instead of short fat quarter or scraps.  I did decide I wanted scrappy background and the directions called for 2 yards.  I managed to use a 4.5 in. square from cut scrapes which is nice.  Basically though, I won't have to do a lot of cutting since I'm using scraps already cut or jelly roll strips.

Block 1

Block 2

Lotta quilting

I spent lots of time the last two days do quilty things.  I've been working on my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler using L & E for the log cabin for Emily.  I also cut some scraps into usable pieces, while straightening up the sewing room.  All in all, lots of fun.  Feel good getting something done. 

I also decided to follow a quilt along sampler using 2.5 strips.  Part of doing this was to run off the patterns for block 1 & 2 and decide on the fabric I would use.  The directions say to use one jelly roll.  I thought about scraps, but want to use a group so it will look put together.  I started hunting for a roll of 1800's reproductions I had gotten on a local shop hop few years back , found those, then look some more and found two batches I had gotten at the LQS for the strip club they had a few years ago.  I hadn't done the pattern or just didn't get to it.  Anyway, needless to say I have plenty.... of strips to use.  Now to get after the sewing.  Looking forward to that.

Organizing and sorting

I needed a picture of this drawer of 2.5 in. squares.  It may never be this neat again.  The reason it is is due to hunting for squares of batiks for a project I was working on.  I've been amazed how often I go to my stash of cut scrapes.  The half square triangles are in the box because I made up my mind to put all 2.5 in. units in this drawer.  The blocks I'm making with this drawer at the present time are shaded nine patches. Maybe by year end I'll have enough for a top.  Oh and I guess I'll add the batik squares back I didn't use in the project for another time.  Great to have all these pieces cut.

First Round of the Row by Row Completed

Here is the final result of the row by row.  I say this because I tried 3 different blocks before ending with he tulips.  I'm not sure the picture does it justice, but it looks good to me.  The blocks below the rows are the rejects.  Funny I didn't intend to put single flowers on the end, but I like it.  I just hope my friend JoAnn likes it.  Now to get this to the next person to add her rows and wait on my next row project to come to me.

Finally! Last Row almost done.

I worked and worked on ideas and tried several of them for the last row on the Row quilt.  I've even awaken thinking about it and wondering what would work.  My friend whose row quilt  this is suggested a pattern from the new Love of Quilting magazine.  At first, I didn't think this would work because of the difference in size. Today, I decided to just go for it.  I worked on the blocks, added some more with more purple to fit in and will finish it up tomorrow.  I'm already feeling a sense of relief.  I'm also ready to go on to other things.

So Bad

I'm so bad, haven't been posting for a week now.  I haven't been too busy.  I worked on a knitted scarf I started in Dallas for Leigh, my daughter when I was up there and bored with no hand work.  It's her thread and I've been playing with a pattern.  Finally decided to just do it!

I had my granddaughter here from Dallas and we spent an evening picking out fabric for her quilt.  The plan is for her to come and spend a week this summer to make a quilt together.  I want to start teaching her to sew.  She seems pretty excited about it.  She wants a pink and black quilt, pink being her favorite color.  We pulled pinks and blacks from all my stash.  After showing her how to lay out the fabrics and look for ones that didn't work and pulling those, Ashleigh developed a good eye for choosing her fabrics.  After three times of doing this, we got a good selection for her quilt.  Next will be pattern selection.  I was thinking of blocks possibly 4.5 in. and just sew pink then black for a simple checkerboard look.  She needs to learn to use the sewing machine before we get too complicated.   She was leaning toward a more complicated pattern, but baby steps first.  I am looking forward to this summer.

The other thing I've been working on is a quilt I started in 2002.  I got caught up in "me too" fever when Cindy came into the LQS wanting to do a quilt from American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  I joined with several others in buying the fabrics picked out by the Shop ladies.  It happened to be a Kim Dielh pattern and has a patchwork center with very involved applique borders all around the quilt.  I started this with hand applique so it has taken a long time to do.  Particularly since I haven't just devoted my time to this project.  Long story short, I'm on the very last border.  Once I finish the leaves, I'll sew the last border on and complete a flower in each corner to be finished with the top. 

Row by Row

I decided my friend isn't following my blog and I want to post my work on the Scrapper's projects, so I will start posting pictures on the row by row.  This has turned out to be a real challenge to do.  First off the beginning row had to be about 64 in.  Then we are to add about 12 in. either spilt into two rows, one on top and one on bottom, or 1 row if it fits the quilt.  The challenge comes in deciding on what to put that will work on the quilt. 

My first quilt is my friend's and I figured out the top row.  I looked through a bunch of my books and found this pattern for this cute house block.  I used scrapes from the Redneck Box (log cabin box of batiks).  Yesterday as I was around a lot of quilters, I got opinions on what to do on the bottom.  I was thinking browns and neutrals 3.5 by 2 in.  One friend recommended using greens and I realized that would be perfect.  So now I have that inspiration, I can get started and be finished on time.

Latest Sylvia's blocks

Oh boy, I made some progress yeaterday.  Yesterday was our weekly gathering at LQS to work on the Sylvia's Bridal Sample blocks.  The week before I was paper piecing challenged and didn't finish a block, hence no entry.  This week I did much better, finished three blocks.  So proud!  The bow tie block we did with templates, one paper piece and the Jacob's ladder I pieced on my own.  Now, I have been quilting for years, and am capable of doing these on my own, trouble is I won't push myself to do so.  I think what I like most about this gathering ,besides the people, is the challenge of working in a way that is not my usual comfort zone.  Especially when it comes to paper piecing.  I now intend to start on some on my own too, since the plan at the shop isn't to do all the blocks.  I did find a web source for the blocks and subscribed to that.  On it it lists mistakes in the book which are corrected and how to fix.  Look forward to hearing from that.  Look forward to working some more.

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

I'm off this morning to work yet again on the sampler.  Last week I had issues and didn't like my color choices, so I organized my group of 2.5, 3.5 strips and realizied I need to add more red to my stash.  I intend to catch up with last week's block and also complete the one this week.  Will post a picture later.

Scrappers Project for this Year

In Happy Scrappers our project this year involves a row by row.  We are to add at least 12 in.  on the top and bottom of the row we have for this time.  Last meeting we all brought our rows and got our rows to start on.  My row to the right was a block swap that I put together on point.  I can't say what I'm doing to the row I got, but I did get to work on it.  The biggest challenge is trying to make something the other person will like.  I spent a lot of time thinking of what to do, and I'm not sure about what I decided to do, but I really like it.  Shame I can't post as I go.

Happy Dance! I'm Finished!

I finally finished this quilt!  Now for the story behind the quilt.  When I joined the group Happy Scrappers, this was one of the first projects I got involved in.  There were 18 of us in the block swap and we were to do 18 of the block assigned us.  We had to use black Coats and Clark thread and the button hole stitch in size 2.2 length and width to stitch down the pieces on the blocks.  Also we were to make leaves and flowers to swap. We used the technique by Ellenor Burns with the interfacing where you sewed and turned. 

Not so easy on the small leaves, but you tried.  The project was finish a few years ago and in an effort to get some of my UFO's furthur along, I decided to finish this one.  I truly didn't enjoy working on this machine applique. I could do a lot of the qpplique before the border was on, but to finish up I had to put on the border and work with the whole quilt.  I think in the future, I'll try to change things up somehow and make it work for me, or give it away.  I'm glad it's done though and will go ahead and get it quilted and bound.

Quilt Retreat progress

I went on a quilting retreat last week and finished my 4 blocks for Sylvia' Briadal Sampler quilt for last week.  I do enjoy doing these blocks.  It's working out so well to use the strips I had cut in my stash. 

That's not all I accomplished at the retreat.  I worked on the Flower garden machine applique and almost finished that, but not quite.  I finished two backs so I can get someone to quilt those quilts.  Also got some organizing done and another set of 9 log cabin blocks for Emily's quilt.  All in all a good retreat.