Monday, September 24, 2012

Scraps, anyone?



I have a small USPS flat rate box filled with scraps from Denyse Schmidt's fabrics from JoAnn's.  Most pieces are bigger than 2 inches - but this is what remains from 2 quilts and cutting 3.5" squares for a third quilt.  These pieces would be great for crumb blocks ala Bonnie Hunter!

First one to speak up gets them!

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

September's first finish!

It's done!  It's done!  It's done!!!!

I have been wanting to have my Swoon quilt on my bed all summer - but it is just now finished.  I was able to assemble the first row of blocks back on my sewing day for my birthday in June and then it just sat there, haunting me.  A few weeks ago I finally assembled the rest of the top and then had to decide what to do about the quilting.  Originally a friend was going to quilt it with a baptist fan pattern on her huge Gammill with a Statler stitcher.  Then she had the nerve to move to Utah in July.  I could have mailed it to her - but it is a huge quilt and since the background on the top and the entire backing are made of Kona cotton, I decided it would be too wrinkled by the time it got there.  So then how do I quilt it here, on my long-arm?  I really  wanted Baptist fans.  Was I brave enough to try them free-hand?   Nina does beautiful free-hand baptist fans.  She gave me several pep talks via email and I practiced on a small 1 yard square practice piece - and then just went for it.  This quilt is HUGE - almost 100" x 100"!   I love how it turned out.  It is in the washer now and will be on my bed tonight!



All photos should be clickable.   Now to quilt my yellow spiderweb quilt!  

Sunday, September 02, 2012

August was very productive!

I wasn't very hopeful about getting much done in August because of several planned trips and then the start of school - but I was wrong!  I began the month with an internal debate about whether I was even going to finish my August UFO.  It was a small applique tree project - very little time invested in it so far and very little fabric - mostly scraps.  Eventually I dragged it out and was surprised to finish top stitching all the leaves in only about half an hour.  Then I pinned it onto the long arm and did a tiny little meander in all the open space.  I also echo stitched around the leaves and the trunk to help hold the batting in place - and it made the back of the project much more exciting.  I ended up loving this little project - but I sent it off to live at my sister's house.  She couldn't believe I was willing to share it!


 


Since the first project was such a quick finish, I moved onto another UFO - my Christmas table runner.  I had started three of these table runners last year before Christmas - one for my mom, sister, and myself.  It came down to the end and I had to give up on mine and just get theirs done.  Again I was surprised at how little there was left to do.  The biggest problem came in putting on the outside borders.  The outside borders measure almost 60 inches and I didn;t have enough yardage to do it legnth-wise - so I had to piece them.  And I couldn't seem to measure correctly and kept coming up with a border that was too short!   Eventually I got it done!


I made a lot of progress on other projects as well.  I got my Swoon quilt top put together and quilted with free-hand baptist fans (thanks to Nina!!)  She cheered me on and told me I could do it!  I think she was just nervous that I would stick this huge quilt in a huge box and mail it her to quilt for me!  I love how the baptist fans turned out.  Now it is sitting on my sewing table, waiting for me to tackle the binding.

I also got my yellow spiderweb top put together.  My mom and I  have managed to get some quality sewing time this summer.  We set up our sewing machines on the dining room table and got busy!  I can't wait to get this top quilted and washed up and on the couch!

My September UFO is to use my Denyse Schmidt fabric.  Technically speaking - the Swoon quilt will count for this - but I also have another secret project in the works.   More on this after the recipient gets her present.   

Are you getting your UFO's completed?