Friday, May 30, 2014

LIttle pieces of this and that


 Well, I have 63 of these blocks cut out.  I started piecing them...and stopped, as is often what I do.  They are alternate blocks for an unimagined quilt.  So it is hard to stay with them, until I know what quilt they will be in!
 A dear friend sent me some scraps, asking if she should just throw them away, or send them to me.  SEND THEM TO ME!  I replied!  Above are a few of them, pieces that she had cut some blocks from, about 3 inches wide...hmmmmm what to do with them??
 Dream...and then cut!  See my ancient kitchen counters??
 The slivers that are left...
 A tiny mug rug, quite modern for me, out of the littlest 1 inch strings.
And tada!!  Baskets!!  See the pieces in the second picture...they have been cut into the body of baskets.  3.25 inch unfinished...can't help the strange measurements...that is what they were, LOL!  So I have 6 more cut out, and will sew them up soon.  Thank you to Mary at Quilt Hollow!!  See her blog HERE.



I love scraps!!!



Have a great weekend...

Julie

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Lisa Bongean's tenth anniversary quilt along!

 Happy Wednesday!!  Off work today...laundry, vacuuming, dusting, cooking, cleaning...those are the words of the day. Except...for prepping this block! This is Lisa Bongean's block, of Primitive Gatherings; the first block in her quilt along.  She is celebrating the tenth anniversary of being in business, so she is doing a free quilt along to celebrate.  Her store also sells fabric and wools if you want to go that route.  I am using scraps.
So here is the block...it has tiny pieces!!  Those are normal size scissors next to it.  The block is on an 8 inch background, so I imagine it will be 6 inches finished.  Pretty tiny, huh??

You can see Lisa's post and get the free pattern HERE.


Hope all you have a great day!!

Julie

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Slow Stitching!

 One lady likes purple...one lady likes brights!
 One lady likes orange...one lady likes blue.  So, here are some gifts for these ladies!!  Mug rugs...hand quilted and bound, ready to give to these ladies at the next quilt guild meeting.  I hope they like them!
Year before last, I received a plant from my son and DIL, for Mother's day.  I planted it, and it comes back bigger each year!  Thank you guys for a wonderful gift!




************************Thank you!************************

Thank you for all your wisdom and insight about the quilt in my last post. Especially you long arm quilting ladies, I really appreciated your knowledge and kind comments.  After all, it is just a quilt...not life or death...not hospitalization or tragedy.  I appreciate you!!


Have a super great day!!

Julie


Sunday, May 25, 2014

Saturday

I decided to try out a local long arm quilter with this little quilt.  It is hand blanket stitched, 3 inch tulip blocks.  I took it to her in February, and got it back yesterday.  I bound it last night, and it will be a good little quilt for spring.
Please give me your opinion if you have a moment...does this look like custom quilting to you?  What does that term mean to you expert quilters....?  The quilting lines go on and off the blocks, and on and off the applique, and are fairly crooked, but are just straight lines, like a domestic machine could make.  Just looking for a little insight here.  Thank you for your wisdom!


I hope each of you has a great day!!

Julie

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

More progress...

 Well, I am to right here.  All the blocks are sewn into rows, and all the vines are in place...but I need lots more leaves!!  Lots and lots....  I am just sewing rows, because when I have time to hand applique, that is when I can just  pick up a row and go.  Pretty portable, much more so than a whole section, and much easier to applique, being a small piece.
I will work on more leaves when I have time this week...if I have time!!  The hospital has called me to work every day...and I am going, because summer is coming, and that is historically a slow time for us.  Makin' hay while the sun shines!!


These blocks are all the design of Lisa Bongean, of Primitive Gatherings.  Some years ago, she designed a quilt with nine patches and flower blocks, all 3 inches finished.  I just enlarged the blocks to 6 inches, and designed my own setting for this new quilt.  So thank you to Lisa!!  I loved purchasing and making her first quilt, which was a block of the week, and now am making another!!  I did design a few blocks myself too, just to fill in where I was missing a few...I think four blocks are my own design.  I looked at the Primitive Gatherings website, and the pattern is still available HERE.   I drooled a little at all the other quilts on the website too!!

I hope each of you has a wonderful day!!

Julie

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Slow Stitchin' Sunday!

Slow stitchin' here!!   I finished these blocks I think in January...and they have been sitting there looking at me, and I at them.  I had no idea how to set them together.  I tried to set them together with my 6 inch nine patch blocks...nope!  It made the whole quilt dark.  Then...I tried alternate pieced blocks...nope!!  Lost the flowers in that design.  Then 1/2 square triangles...and that is all I saw!!  So...I took my time and just asked my self...what do you want the quilt to look like??  Airy!!  and light...with no heavy piecing.  So...I designed this border and corner stone setting.
Lots of prep time here!!  And lots of applique...but I am liking it!!  Lord of the rings, in the land of the Elves...kind of viney like that!!


So....what are you working on?  And are you going to do the Primitive Gatherings block of the week for summer??  Linda O. and I have been discussing it back and forth...and I think I am going for it!!!


Hope you have a wonderful Sunday, and find time for slow stitching!!


Julie

Monday, May 12, 2014

UFO's again...

I was working on these blocks last year, and ran out of steam.  Sometimes a little break from a project is just what a quilter needs!!  I have sewn all these blocks together, and they are mostly finished with the applique.
The remaining blocks were prepped last night...an insomnia night.  So I made good progress, and these blocks are now ready to applique and border!!  The borders are all cut and ready to go, after the blocks are finished.  So another UFO is finally progressing...yippee!!This is a Piece Of Cake design, and I got it at our local quilt shop; the Cabbage Rose.


***********************Nurse's notes******************************


What in the world??  Ladies and gents, why in the world can I not sleep more than 3-4 hours a night!!  I really dislike it...I feel yucky and tired, but the world goes on and I must keep on working at the job and at the house...so tell me what you do for this!!!  I really don't want drugs...any ideas or solutions...and have you ever had this? It is getting pretty dang old!!!  Although I make great progress on my quilting, LOL!!!


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Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Homework

  Hi everyone!  Above is my homework for the quilt guild.  A darling lady named Pixie makes kits for the guild members to take home and make...