My favorite block
Spinning Snowball block
Monday, November 26, 2012
Ring Toss by Swirly Girls
Today I attended a class at Quilter's Emporium taught by Rose Ann Cook on the Ring Toss pattern designed by the Swirly Girls using the Creative Grids Circle Savvy Ruler. It is a wonderful ruler and so easy to use. You can cut any size circle from 3" to 15 1/2 " easily. Quilter's Emporium has both the pattern and the ruler available.
I pulled fabrics from my stash to use. I wanted it to be bright and cheery. I haven't decided on the final layout yet, but here are some of the layouts I've tried so far. We cut 3 different sizes of circles. I could just arrange them the way the Swirly Girls did on the pattern, but I never follow a pattern exactly. I like to put my own stamp on any project I do. I'll leave it up on my design wall for awhile and see what ultimately appeals to me (and my design consultant /husband). He likes the second layout better because he says each of the 3 circles of the same fabric form a triangle. He is a very linear person to the extent that he uses a level, a yardstick and a string to trim our box hedges. Our box hedges truly look like boxes.
Traffic was horrible today. I guess everyone was going home from Thanksgiving and back to college. The lead car in both lanes was of course going 5-10 miles under the speed limit so I just sat back and listen to my Spenser novel on cd. Listening to books keeps me much more alert than listening to the radio. Another secret I've discovered is that eating an apple keeps you more alert and awake than either water or caffeine.
Have a wonderful last Monday of November!
I pulled fabrics from my stash to use. I wanted it to be bright and cheery. I haven't decided on the final layout yet, but here are some of the layouts I've tried so far. We cut 3 different sizes of circles. I could just arrange them the way the Swirly Girls did on the pattern, but I never follow a pattern exactly. I like to put my own stamp on any project I do. I'll leave it up on my design wall for awhile and see what ultimately appeals to me (and my design consultant /husband). He likes the second layout better because he says each of the 3 circles of the same fabric form a triangle. He is a very linear person to the extent that he uses a level, a yardstick and a string to trim our box hedges. Our box hedges truly look like boxes.
Traffic was horrible today. I guess everyone was going home from Thanksgiving and back to college. The lead car in both lanes was of course going 5-10 miles under the speed limit so I just sat back and listen to my Spenser novel on cd. Listening to books keeps me much more alert than listening to the radio. Another secret I've discovered is that eating an apple keeps you more alert and awake than either water or caffeine.
Have a wonderful last Monday of November!
Thoughts on life
Why did car manufacturers move the bright/dim headlight switch off the floor? If they had to move it to the steering column, couldn't they at least have put it in a standard place? My husband and I have cars from the same auto maker, yet the switch for the headlights is in a different place in both cars.
Why do people think it's effective to use a leaf blower to blow the grass clippings and leaves out of their own yard and onto the street or into a neighbor's yard? Don't they get it that God is just going to send a wind to blow them right back in their yard. Further, why can't they rake them up, it's much quieter. Does anyone else get annoyed when they are woken up early Sunday morning (the only day I can sleep in) by a loud leaf blower?
And the most important question, Why don't I go to bed at a reasonable hour at night?
Why do people think it's effective to use a leaf blower to blow the grass clippings and leaves out of their own yard and onto the street or into a neighbor's yard? Don't they get it that God is just going to send a wind to blow them right back in their yard. Further, why can't they rake them up, it's much quieter. Does anyone else get annoyed when they are woken up early Sunday morning (the only day I can sleep in) by a loud leaf blower?
And the most important question, Why don't I go to bed at a reasonable hour at night?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Placemats
I'm also making two sets of Christmas placemats and a tablerunner using the same technique. I've just barely started them although I do have all the strips, backings, batting and bindings cut.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
UFO Pajama Party
Saturday I attended the UFO Pajama party at Quilter's Emporium. I stayed up until 2 the night before cutting my strips so I could work on the placemats I'm making for Christmas and birthday gifts. I was lucky to quilt with two of my quilting friends who I hadn't seen since the last UFO party months ago. I finished one set of 6 placemats and started two strips on six other Christmas placemats. My two friends were working on a 6 month mystery quilt from Quilter's Emporium. I sewed until midnight then drove to a nearby hotel for the night. I always sleep good in that hotel. Hubby and I hit the road for home around 8:00.
Sunday, I unloaded the shopping from the car, had a restroom break, took my vitamins, then I was ready to speed off to my friend Ginni's house for our joint quilt project. It's so much more fun sewing with a friend. I'm a former Yankee autumn leaf expert and she is the Queen of Quilting Bling so we had some discussions about fabrics for the leaves. We both think it will turn out beautiful anyway. This is my first time to use Thangles for 1/2 square triangles. I think next time I will cut the strips just a little wider than the instructions call for to allow for possible sliding of the paper.
I can't wait to have three days of school off for Thanksgiving. I should be able to get a lot of quilting (or organize my sewing room) done. Ginni and I will get together one day too while my husband is driving the band to the playoff game. My class and I will be making posters for two of the players tomorrow. Last week we wrote them cards of encouragement.
I did finish a mystery quilt this summer. I did it in red, black and white batiks. I can't wait to get it quilted, although I haven't decided what to do with it yet.
Sunday, I unloaded the shopping from the car, had a restroom break, took my vitamins, then I was ready to speed off to my friend Ginni's house for our joint quilt project. It's so much more fun sewing with a friend. I'm a former Yankee autumn leaf expert and she is the Queen of Quilting Bling so we had some discussions about fabrics for the leaves. We both think it will turn out beautiful anyway. This is my first time to use Thangles for 1/2 square triangles. I think next time I will cut the strips just a little wider than the instructions call for to allow for possible sliding of the paper.
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| International Intrigue Mystery Quilt |
I did finish a mystery quilt this summer. I did it in red, black and white batiks. I can't wait to get it quilted, although I haven't decided what to do with it yet.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Yes, I'm back again. I haven't been quilting as much as I could the past couple years. I've started lots of projects, but have not completely finished them.
UFO's as of Thanksgiving, 2012:
1. Swirly Girls Clubhouse 2011 quilt and bonus projects
2. Swirly Girls Clubhouse 2012 1/2 quilt and 1/2 of bonus projects
3. Square in a Square class quilt
4. Summer Solstice by Judy Neimeyer - have all parts pieced but need to put the pieces together.
5. Big Ten - by Swirly Girl strip club project (black & white & primary colors)
6. Hunter's Star red and blue wall hanging for guest room - need to quilt and bind
7. Fall wall hanging - beginning quilting class project - need to quilt and bind
8. Fall star paper piecing - need to quilt and bind
9. Blue and white table runner - need to quilt and bind
10. Ricebird Rising - modified Drunkard Path - need to finish 3/4 of blocks
11. Christmas block of week - 1/2 blocks need pieced
12. Summer Loving block of week - 1/2 blocks need pieced
13. Red white blue table runner from Vermont quilt class - put halves together, quilt & bind
14. Irish Mist quilt - finish piecing
15. Carolina Lily quilt - finish piecing - Paula Barnes class
16. LeMoyne House quilt - finish piecing - Paula Barnes class
I am also making 3 sets of quilt as you go placemats for Christmas gifts. I will get them done before Christmas. The patterns says to use 1.5 inch strips but I think it's more interesting with different width of strips so that's what I'm doing.
I'm also making a Thangles Autumn quilt with a friend. We've worked on it for two Sundays now. We've got the big leaves "thangled" and assembled but still need to do the small leaves and borders. We hope to donate it to a local charity.
UFO's as of Thanksgiving, 2012:
1. Swirly Girls Clubhouse 2011 quilt and bonus projects
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| 2012 Swirly Girls Clubhouse |
3. Square in a Square class quilt
4. Summer Solstice by Judy Neimeyer - have all parts pieced but need to put the pieces together.
5. Big Ten - by Swirly Girl strip club project (black & white & primary colors)
6. Hunter's Star red and blue wall hanging for guest room - need to quilt and bind
7. Fall wall hanging - beginning quilting class project - need to quilt and bind
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| Paper Pieced Stars |
9. Blue and white table runner - need to quilt and bind
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| Table runner |
 |
| Ricebird Rising |
10. Ricebird Rising - modified Drunkard Path - need to finish 3/4 of blocks
11. Christmas block of week - 1/2 blocks need pieced
 | ||
| Christmas Block of Week |
 |
| Summer Lovin' Block of Week |
12. Summer Loving block of week - 1/2 blocks need pieced
13. Red white blue table runner from Vermont quilt class - put halves together, quilt & bind
14. Irish Mist quilt - finish piecing
 |
| LeMoyne House block in batiks |
16. LeMoyne House quilt - finish piecing - Paula Barnes class
I am also making 3 sets of quilt as you go placemats for Christmas gifts. I will get them done before Christmas. The patterns says to use 1.5 inch strips but I think it's more interesting with different width of strips so that's what I'm doing.
I'm also making a Thangles Autumn quilt with a friend. We've worked on it for two Sundays now. We've got the big leaves "thangled" and assembled but still need to do the small leaves and borders. We hope to donate it to a local charity.
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