Sew Sunshine

Not sure that is the correct name I want to give this quilt but it is how I am feeling. I have lots of flaws, lessons learned, and techniques tried though. There is also a bit of blood, sweat and tears but I am choosing to have 'Satisfaction' playing in my head right now.      Skillbuilder QAYG BOM QAL is done. Started in 2013 and finished 3/28/14...yeah me! My picture is not great as usual but there really was some blood involved in making this quilt. I snagged a pin through the skin on the tip of my thumb while putting the binding on. Not a place to put a band-aid so there is some of my personal signature on this quilt. It is okay it was practice and skill building for me and will be lovely with all it's flaws on my couch. :) Putting the pieces together had me sweating a bit and when I carefully pinned and lined up the rows with the binding and they did not match up as pinned. So you guessed it there were a few tears...but I did not stop, I did not pop, I ...

Winds are blowing here at about 40 mph and my sewing machine is going almost as fast. I really really really want to get at least one of my 1st Quarter goals done before the end of the month.  My AYoLF for March is one of my goals too so I am putting the pedal to the metal. I am letting nothing get in my way.   *Nope not even the wind blowing the gutter off the side of the house...seriously!  The wind was so strong it picked up our 4 1/2' grill and tossed it around the patio like a toy. Good thing it is hooked to the house by a gas line. I just phoned my husband and went back to quilting. ha :)   Skillbuilder work in progress! I finished the last six blocks and finished quilting them. The Skillbuilder BOM blocks are QAYG. You can see more about them over at PileoFabrics.com. This is last years blocks...sigh.  I have them trimmed and ready to glue baste.    20 Blocks complete. Strips cut and starched and ready to glue. I am not sure abo...

  "Stardust"  19 1/4" x 32" Tablerunner Project Quilting Challenge entry #6 = Triangles   This week the challenge for Project Quilting #6 was Triangles. I wanted to give the flip and sew triangles that I learned in the Jacquie Gering class a couple weeks ago a try. This method made perfect use of the triangles as a focal point of this table runner. I called it Stardust because the shades of gray and taupe blend so well with the pop of the star blocks. I used some french themed fabric I had in my stash and added a few texture pieces and I think it will look great on any table.  I did match-stick quilting with 4 shades of taupe to gray to cement thread. They actually add to the Stardust effect.  For some reason the up close view with the finer lens made this look a little more blue gray and it is not. The match stick work looks good here though.    Plain piece of dot fabric on back and bound by machine but finished by hand. (...

"Apple core quilt" 44 x 54 flannel pieced backing curvy line quilting   Recently went to visit the Accuquilt facility near by with a group of quilty friends. The lovely Tammy Miller gave a tour and currently on exhibit were a few of Eleanor Burns quilts. If you are a quilter you know Eleanor Burns and her Quilts in a Day Series. The sign outside the Accuquilt gallery says "Quilts in Half a Day" with Accuquilt of course. Cracked me up a bit. ;) Inside the studio we were allowed to play with the Studio, Go and Baby cutter. I wanted to try something I knew I didn't want to spend time cutting out. In less than thirty minutes I cut out 80 apple cores. If you have an Accuquilt cutter then you probably know how accurate they are.  Once you fan fold your fabrics (I used some fat quarters, some half yards and yardage fabrics) making sure the grain is going the right way, then you just roll it through and let me just say....it is practically miraculous.  A...

Friendship Star March BOM block progress *note..it was so windy I had to find an alcove and tape the flimsy down!   Here is my Friendship Star quilt top that I have been working on for the Classic Block challenge at SewCanShe blog HERE The idea is to make the monthly block and post it to the group on FB. I decided this one was so fun so I made a whole top from my stash! Anyone can join in and we are just now voting on the April block.  I am linking up with WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced  HERE and Let's Bee Social over at SewFresh Quilts HERE   and Fabric Frenzy Friday HERE

As soon as I finished my Giant Starburst QAL quilt with CanoeRidgeCreations and I saw the Patone Challenge was Radiant Orchid I knew I had a quilt for entry.    "Giant Purple Starburst"  60" x 60" Aurifil thread straight line quilting Linking up with the Quilt size Patone Challenge HERE  Please.....Stay tuned for the open voting!!!! 

Busy week so far. I have once again started something without finishing the previous project. Not only that but I took a class this week too. :) WIP is a little ditty  and the main quilt star is the Friendship Block chosen this month over at  SewCanShe .  If you want to participate you still have time for this month so check it out.    This is a big block! 18" I wanted to practice HST's and thought bigger was better. Then after the ease of practice I decided to make a few more to surround this one. I used a tutorial from Sew Happy Geek HERE  and came up with this so far.   "Bring on Spring!" ~ Now to make it big enough for our quilt guild charity which is 45 x 55 min so I have some borders or thinking to do. Most exciting news is once again this is from my stash! Then time for a little class yesterday. Our quilt guild brought in Modern Quilt guru Jacquie Gering. I can easily say that if she is near your home you need to g...

I am going to start out by saying that this challenge has innumerable possibilities.  I thought of so many things I might use like this coveted piece of lettuce fabric I have (don't ask!).  Or rainbow colors for all the colors you are supposed to eat, fruits, veggies etc. On Thursday night, knowing I was going to be out of town for the day on Friday, I gave up the idea of making anything. Woke up Saturday morning, got out my dresden plate ruler and decided to give a small project a go.  Every time I go to the grocery store I forget to grab the big tote bags to get my groceries in. They are big and they don't fold down unless you take the time to really make them.  I decided today was the day for a soft fabric market bag. I am calling it "Be Green".   I made a mostly green dresden plate for the greens I love to eat. The fabrics are all from my stash and left overs from another quilt I made last year. I used a dresden plate ruler, made 4 1/2" petals an...

  1 of 20 blocks and 1 of 10 I have to quilt   I wasn't sure I was going to pick this for my goal (still not) but I have to commit to something and this is taking up the most usable space in several rooms. I am going to choose to work on my Skillbuilder QAYG blocks from 2013. I have slowly made progress and finished the last 10 blocks but don't have them quilted. If I make a plan maybe it will get done.  I will need some luck on this project.  Linking up with A Lovely year of finishes  HERE  

WIP Wed already. I was such a slug over the weekend and now the week is flying. Making some progress anyway so linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wed HERE   Two corner stones for the bottom went together really well.  Two cornerstones attached to the first two rows ...done!!! I am so happy I figured out what I was doing wrong and have made some progress. I have one seam I am not happy about how it lined up in one spot but I am making progress. I love the KF fabrics around the outside in this scrappy way. This is progress for the Polka Dot Bikini QAL I am doing over at Fabrics and Flowers HERE . Now if I can just make some progress on my hormone balance I would be really happy! :) Also linking up with Let's BEE Social  HERE