Winter has come!

This week we got lots of snow, which was a really nice change...for awhile.  Note the snow on the picnic bench and barbeque--roughly NINE inches.  You can see the leaves are still on many of our trees--the temperature was in the 70's just last week.

Bryna (yes, our new puppy finally has a name!) enjoys the snow, but not the cold weather so much--it's currently 14 degrees, and going to go lower tonight.  We took this photo after our walk in the snow today.  She's growing so fast.  When we brought her home about a month ago, she was almost 6 lbs.  Yesterday at the vet, she was 20 lbs.  Seems she takes after me!

 

In between shoveling snow, walking with Bryna, and watching Bryna, I've managed to finish a couple things.  After working on it a couple of years--seems like forever--I finally finished the bottom panel of the Roseville Album. 

 

 

The trees seemed to take forever.  I wish I had used a darker fabric for the one on the left, but it is done and done is good!  Strangely enough, the darker tree stitched so much easier than the lighter one, and I really do like the fabric and the way it looks for the tree.  But it did cause one near crisis. 

 

Somehow the panel got damp (maybe from sitting near a condensing glass of ice water), and the fabric in the tree on the right side bled onto the background about an inch out throughout the tree area.  This happened at the point when the panel was 90% done, just a few circles and birds to go.   I just about had a heart attack seeing that. 

 

 

This is the fabric--it's a Brandon Mably called Green Clover Dots (I think).  Since I prewash everything, it wasn't a good surprise.  Luckily, when I soaked the panel, it all washed out.  But, I would recommend you prewash that fabric if you have it--mine is going to get prewashed an extra time! 

 

And, tonight my husband watched Bryna, my daughter was gone, and I got to sew uninterrupted (pure heaven).  I was able to do the finishing machine applique on Quilt Doodle Doodle's BOM for October.  I had finished stitching the pieces last month, but forgot about the light's string.  Since then, I've been mulling over how I wanted to add it. 

 

 

I had thought about embroidering it on, but I really wanted it to show up against the blue, so I went with a narrow bias strip instead, using a narrow black and white stripe that I had left from another quilt's binding. (Cut just slightly over 1/4 inch)

 

 

That's likely all I will get finished for awhile.  My daughter is home for 3 more weeks--such a rare treat, I want to enjoy every moment I can with her!  (When I can pry her away from Bryna that is--they've been having a grand time together--I'm going to have to be sure she doesn't pack her up in her suitcase!) 

 

Happy stitching--and Happy Thanksgiving if I don't post again before then!

A Roseville Update

This someone is sleeping now, so I have a minute (or two) to catch the blog up.  She still is unnamed, but we're getting closer. (I hope).  Since she ignores most commands, a name doesn't seem to be a problem.

In the prior post, I forgot to show the back of the quilts (they are they same on both):

 

 And--FINALLY--I finished, washed and ironed a panel of the Roseville Album.  I was waiting to finish another block to do them together, but at the rate I am going, decided to make this my "project" for the day (or maybe month?).

 

 

And a couple close ups:

 

 

 

 

I am close to being finished with the bottom panel too, but have a few more pieces to add when/if I can squeeze in a little applique time.  I'm also trying to get a chance to sew some binding on a quilt I need to finish by the end of the month. 

 

Unfortunately, someone thinks quilts are fun to chew/pull on.  Seems her toys are all boring now.  And since she's up now and exploring and eating every leaf, twig, and worm she can find outside, I've gotta go!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

May's BOM

Finished with May's block!   The block is part of a BOM designed by Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodles, which you can read about here.

May's Block

As you can see, I still have a little "problem" with some triangles which are refusing to leave the design wall unless I stitch them together. 

 

 

Meanwhile, I've been doing a bit of applique on the Roseville, which is aggravating my shoulder.  Nothing very exciting to show yet, but I'm making some slow progress on two of the panels--trying to get it all glue basted, and I've finished stitching both the trees (from hell) on the bottom panel. Hooray for that!    

 

 

The trees aren't that bad, but they did take me about 2 years from start to finish--although I can't honestly say I worked on them much during that time period. :)  I'm also not thrilled with the fabric I chose for the tree on the left (you can see above the cow)  Guess I should have figured out sooner that it's too light.  Oh well--I'm not going to redo it!  

 

Happy Stitching,

Catching Up #2

This Spring was also a busy one family-wise. 


My son and daughter-in-law were lucky enough to find a house they liked and could afford, so we helped move them.  I didn't take very good photos, but this is of their very lovely kitchen. 

It feels good to have them settling in.



And soon after they moved, my daughter graduated (Dr. Alex now--whoohoo!).  We moved her home so she could prepare and pack for her next move.  

Packing mess for weeks!

Our graduate!

   While she was "packing", we came across the pillow I made for her undergraduate years (some 9 years ago--yikes--no wonder she feels like she's been in school forever!)

 

It's made with old jeans (obviously).

The flower section is actually one I embroidered on my pant leg back in the hippy days when I was in middle school.  I saved it when the jeans wore out.  I can't believe I had saved it all those years, but it was nice to find a perfect use for it.  (Makes me wonder how many other ancient things are in my sewing room!)

  

I used two pairs of button up jeans, butted together, and topstitched to one waistband to make the pillow closure. 

The pockets were taken from jeans, and topstitched onto other jeans when necessary.

This is the other side.  Pant leg seams were cut to use in the side panels, so the topstitching could be there as an accent.







 
Then we were off, moving her to Oregon, where we got to spend a few wonderful days on the chilly coast, enjoying every moment.

 At least until we had to say goodbye.. :(

 I did manage to squeeze in a bit of sewing, a Roseville piggy,

a few more Just Takes Two blocks,

 and a couple of Flower Garden blocks.

 And now you're pretty much up to date! 

There are a couple things in process, but no photos to show, and if you've read all this, that's really quite enough--poor you! :)

Happy Stitching!

Scatterbrained October

The Patchwork Times UFO Challenge for October was #5, a Roseville Block that I finished and posted about in early October.  Here it is again for the UFO Challenge followers:

The vase fabric is from a panel of Field Bouquet by Kaffe.  The block reads a bit dark, but I like how it turned out, although it had its moments of stress.  Partway through I managed to cut a hole in it, which led to a few days of depression, then a bit of moving around of the circles.  But it could have been so much worse, and ended up just fine.

With my UFO done so early in the month, you are probably wondering what I did the rest of the month.  Well, so am I--October was a very scatterbrained kind of month!

First, I worked on the King George, and finished this block (totally ignoring the other block already in process).  It probably wasn't the best fabric choices because they blend into each other, but sometimes you just have to try something, and I like that green fabric!

Then we found a new home for the kitty that had adopted us.  I still miss her though.  She would come out to say hello whenever I got the mail in or went outside.  But she'll be much happier--or at least warmer--in her new home.  (I'm afraid she is missing the ability to roam at will, but hopefully when snow comes she'll be happier to be inside.)

Next, I started work on the Roseville house panel--here's a sneak peak of it.  But soon I got distracted, and started the bottom panel too (no photo of that).  Neither are very far along.

And then (here's the confession) I started TWO new projects.  There isn't much to show, and I doubt they are going to move along much until after Christmas, but here's a preview.  The first group is strips for a pattern called Hugs & Kisses, and the second group is just some 2.5 inch squares I started sewing together, a bit of a leader/ender, but once I get started, there is no stopping for awhile, so it's hard to say which is the leader or ender.  Eventually they will likely be used in a quilt called Coming Up Roses, unless I get sidetracked again.  More on these when they're further along...

The UFO Challenge for November is #3 which is another Roseville block (also already finished, because I swapped it for #11 back in September).  Guess I will have to get to work on #11, which is now back from the quilter--before I start another new project! :)  Only two months to go!

Scoreboard for the Month/Year/Total Project:

Roseville Blocks – one finished in October -10/13 blocks, 1/4 panels, 0/4 borders completed

Flower Garden Blocks – none completed in October, 9/24 blocks completed

King George III - 2/12 completed, one in October

UFO Challenges Completed - 10/12, up to date (with the substitution)

Old projects Entirely Completed - 4

New Projects Started – 11, including Hugs & Kisses and Coming up Roses in October

Happy Stitching!

Progress--UFO #5

Finished another Roseville Album block last night.  Hooray!  I've been working on it on and off for awhile, trying to get ahead of the game.  It is UFO #5, and the UFO Challenge for October, so I'm ahead for the month.  My goal is to finish out all my UFO's so December will be a month off to enjoy doing whatever I want.

It's the last block of the center nine, so now there are "only" three panels, three blocks, and the borders to go!  It's a dreary, dark day outside, so the colors don't show up real well, but you can get an idea of what they all look like.   (I would wait, but I want to move the blocks off my design wall.)



Back to work....Happy Stitching!

September's UFO

September was a good month for projects and I accomplished more than usual, so that’s a good thing.  Unfortunately the September UFO wasn’t among the things finished. 

My September UFO Challenge was the two quilt tops shown above which both needed to be finished (bordered, quilted, and bound).  You can read about them here if you want, but the short story is one of the two is at the quilter’s (not due to be finished until October 10^th) and I have decided not to finish the other watermelon one, pending making a new “top” for the back, so I can have a double sided tablecloth.  (Still unfinished, but moved to a “new” UFO category!)

Since I couldn’t finish my #11 this month, I have unilaterally decided to substitute UFO #3 for it—just finished yesterday afternoon:

Next month’s UFO Challenge block is #5, another Roseville Album block—only 1 more center section block to go!  I'll show a photo of all of them all together next month (assuming #5 gets finished!) 

I also finished three Flower Garden blocks, which I'll post as soon as the blocks are ironed and the sun comes out for a photo.

  

Scoreboard for the Month/Year/Total Project:

Roseville Blocks – one in September -9/13 blocks, 1/4 panels, 0/4 borders completed

Flower Garden Blocks – 3 completed in September, 9/24 blocks completed  (photo soon!)

King George III - 1/12 completed, none in September

UFO Challenges Completed - 9/12, up to date (with the substitution)

Old projects Entirely Completed - 4

New Projects Started – 9, including the Portraits in My Garden started in September

                                                                                                               

Happy Stitching!

July's UFO (and May's too!)

The number drawn for July’s Patchwork Times UFO Challenge was #2.  Since I’ve been working ahead, my #2 was done back in May—click here to see that post, but for a reminder, here’s a photo of finished #2, which is one of Kim McLean's Roseville Album blocks.

 So what did I do in July? 

Well remember this package?  It was a birthday gift for my dd, and inside the package was this pillow, which was just a teaser for the rest of her birthday present. 

















Which was this:

If it looks familiar, it is my May UFO, Capriccio—ALL FINISHED--but kept under wraps.  Since my daughter opened it last night, I can finally show it to you.

I tried to use bright, happy colors and fabrics that I thought she would enjoy, although I have to admit that it is sadly lacking in dog prints.  I guess I just don’t buy many dog fabrics—cats are a different story thanks to Laurel Burch designs. 

Since the top ended up reading a bit more yellow/green than I planned, the backing fabric I’d purchased didn’t really seem to match the front of the quilt.  But neither did anything else I tried—even yellow or green, and I couldn’t find anything else that I thought would work better.  After mulling it over, I decided to go ahead and use what I'd bought since the red print would give her an entirely different look if she wanted to “redecorate” just by flipping it over.

I’m glad the red stayed as it adds to the cheerfulness, and I think it looks great with the quilting Yvette did in yellow.  The red backing is from the line, Lift Your Spirits by Wendy Bentley for Timeless Treasures.  The pillow center panel and the label on the quilt back are both from that same line too.

Gotta admit, though, my favorite part is the black and white squiggly binding!  I love it and have to remember to buy more! (I think it's by Blank Textiles--called coffee something or opposites attract.) 

But this has been done for a couple weeks now.  So what did I do the rest of July? 

Pretty much nothing!  I have prepped some more Flower Garden blocks, but have barely put in any stitches.  I’ve been itching to start something new (hexagons keep calling my name), and been doing some retail therapy and a little mental planning of a new project, but looking at the calendar (and knowing tomorrow will bring a new UFO Challenge number) is holding me back. 

Maybe I’ll go clean on my sewing room so I’m ready for a new UFO….or work on some quilt binding, or maybe I’ll just take a nap and rest up…..there must be a reason they call these the lazy days of summer.

Happy Stitching!

Moving in the right direction........

After a rainy weekend at home to visit my mom for Mother's Day, I'm back stitching away.  And, the Roseville Album block I mentioned in my last post is finished!

That makes seven of the center blocks done, with another in process.  Here are six of the finished ones along with the single panel I finished first.  (the seventh block didn't make it into the photo)  Still a long way to go, but at least it is still an active project and not a UFO (yet).

I actually have one more block started, but with the work needed for May's UFO, not much will happen on the Roseville until June or later. (How can it be that June is the next month--we haven't had spring yet?  Today is the first sunny day in so long--rain, wind and cold has been our spring so far.)

May's UFO is Capriccio, a colorful pattern by Pie in the Sky Quilts, that I am making in "happy" colors pretty similar to the pattern model.  It involves sewing pieces together, then cutting them up, and sewing them back together.  At the beginning of May, it wasn't very far along.  In fact, it looked mostly like these strips, with a stack of these triangles:

But now there are a few of these squares,  

and a (very) few of these blocks

 
And, I am finding out that I wasn't very accurate in cutting/stitching, so the quilt police are going to have lots of violations if they choose to look. I am just matching seams where I can, and letting those problem pieces do what they must. Since some of the strips are scraps, cut over many years and left over from odd projects, it doesn't surprise me that they vary a bit in size.  Maybe that's why this was a UFO for awhile...Guess I better get busy or it will stay a UFO!
Happy Stitching!