Design Wall Monday 05/20/13

Today all I have to share on my Design Wall are a couple of hexagon flowers.  I haven't done much sewing lately, except for these hexies that I've been hand sewing in my down time.  I'm not really sure where I'm going with these, but I'll definitely do something with them eventually.  At least I don't feel like I'm completely wasting time while watching tv anymore!

I do have a quilt top that is nearly complete.  I bought some border fabric over the weekend (add two yards to the stash report!), but it's packed up to take to class so I couldn't take a picture of it.  Hopefully I'll have a picture of the completed top soon!

Meanwhile I'll be working on my hexies!

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what everyone is working on today!

Blogger's Quilt Festival May 2013

Today I'm linking up with the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side.  The quilt I'm sharing is very special to me and my family.  Back in the 1970's, my Mom started quilting.  She decided to make a family quilt to present to my grandmother (her mother-in-law).  She got everyone in the family to make a block that represented themselves and my grandmother.  She gave each person a packet of fabric, including several purple fabrics (Grandma's favorite color).  My Mom and my aunt Shirley made some filler blocks to round out the setting.

The upper blocks of the quilt depict my Grandmother and Grandfather, Viola and Lee Parham, and their seven children.  My grandmother was originally from Australia, and my grandfather was from Indiana.  They settled in San Francisco, where they raised their family.

I love looking over the quilt and seeing the story in the blocks - those of my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  My sister and I each have a block in the quilt as well.  I was the youngest contributor at 8 years old!

The quilt was presented to my grandmother in the late 1970's, and it hung in her bedroom until she passed in 1981.  I recently took the opportunity to photograph each block, which I posted to Flickr, so everyone could see the quilt and blocks at any time.  Head on over there to see each one!

Thanks to Amy Ellis at Amy's Creative Side for allowing me to share this very special quilt.  It looks like this time around the quilts in the Blogger's Quilt Festival are split up into categories.  You can find this quilt posted on the Group Quilts page.

Be sure to check out all of the amazing quilts in the festival!

Design Wall Monday 04/29/13

This weekend I felt like trying something different.  I've been wanting to make some hexies for a few years now.  I pulled some scraps that were sitting on my cutting table and put together seven.

Then on Sunday, I thought it would be nifty to make a little pouch to hold my hexie making supplies.  This is also something I've been thinking about making for quite a long time now.  I really didn't think I'd actually finish the pouch, but here it is!  I used Noodlehead's tutorial and it worked out great.

Here it is all zipped up.  Now I'm all set to sew up some hexies in my spare time (like watching tv).  I used a fat quarter that I've had languishing in my stash for years.

Now I need to decide what to make with my hexagons.  Probably a mug rug.  I'll applique them to a square of fabric and quilt it a little.  I have a binding technique I'd also like to try out.  It was a weekend of trying new things!

Be sure to hop over to Judy L's blog to see what everyone else is working on today!

Design Wall Monday 04/22/13

We are having a little bit of a heatwave going on right now. Today is supposed to be in the 90's!  We were out and about most of the weekend.  I did pull out this Dear Jane block that I had started a while back.  I sat down to sew a few times, but got sidetracked each time.  Oh well.  I remember I was having some issues with this block, and so I printed out another set of foundations on freezer paper.  I think I might try out Freezer Paper Piecing and see if it helps me on this one.  If it works out well, I might use it more in this quilt.  No paper to pick out after the block is made!

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what everyone is working on today!

Design Wall Monday 04/15/13

Not much sewing went on last week.  On Saturday, I did sew a few more of these blocks above that I started in a class last week.  I paired up all of the units and realized that I am short some pieces.  I can still get enough from the scraps I have left over, but I'll have to do some more cutting.

Class starts tonight.  I spent most of the weekend writing and printing patterns.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute!  At least all of the sewing of the samples was finished.

I didn't post a stash report yesterday, but I did buy a little fabric last week.  Someday I want to make a Spool quilt using striped fabric to look like thread.  It's a project that's been in my head for a while and I just haven't made it yet.  But I just found some fabric with spools on sale, so I picked up a yard to somehow incorporate into the quilt.  I also got some 10" squares of batik fabrics to add to a batik scrap quilt that I'm making.  Not sure exactly how much fabric they make total, so I'll call it a yard.  I'll add these figures to my sidebar so I don't forget about them next week.

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what every else is working on today!

Design Wall Monday 04/08/13



Yesterday my sister and I took a class at a wonderful quilt shop in Livermore, CA called In Between Stitches.  The pattern is called Tradewinds, and it uses 2 1/2" strips.  We both already had a Bali Pop in our stashes, so it worked out really well.  Above are four blocks that make up one pinwheel.  I have all of the strip sets sewn and everything is cut using the Strip Tube Ruler.  Now all I need is a little time to sew these puppies up and I'll have the top done.

We had a great time and got really far on a new UFO project!

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what is on everyone else's Design Walls today!

Stash Report 2013 - Week 14

Time for a stash update!  My sister and I took a quilting class at a shop today, and I couldn't leave without getting a few pieces of fabric.  I wanted a piece of everything in the shop, so I think I actually did pretty well!  I got a half yard of a new scooter print and two fat quarters from the new Comma line. 

However, I finished a project that I've been working on, so I can count out two yards out of my stash.  I actually came out ahead this week!

Fabric used this week: 2.00 yards
Fabric added this week: 1.00 yards

Fabric used this year: 7.50 yards
Fabric added this year: 7.75 yards

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see how everyone else is doing.

Design Wall Monday 03/25/13

These are the fabrics I bought recently at Joann's (except the white that I already had).  They are brighter than what you see in the picture - bad lighting again.  The dark fabric is actually wonderful dark chocolate brown print.  I forgot to take a picture of the actual project in progress!  This picture was actually taken after the wall hanging was almost complete - just needs the final border of the print on the left.  So you can see I overbought again.  I've already added it to the stash report.  Once that final border is on this week I can count the yardage I used out of the stash.  If I can find the time to machine quilt it, then the piece on the far right (which is the backing) will come out of stash as well.

Tonight is the last class of our current quilting class session.  We'll have a nice pot luck dinner and door prizes and I'll draw names for the block lottery.  As of last week, we had about 25 blocks in the pot.  More may get added tonight. How fun!

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what everyone is working on today!

Stashbusting 2013 Week 12

I bought some fabric last week that I didn't report.  I needed some fabric for a new project (that will be on my Design Wall post tomorrow).  As usual, I over bought!  I wasn't exactly sure how much I needed, and one of the bolts was low so I bought the rest.  Anyway, I probably needed about a total of 2 yards, and I ended up with about 4 yards.  But I also have backing fabric now!

Fabric used this week: 0.00 yards
Fabric added this week: 4.00 yards

Fabric used this year: 5.50 yards
Fabric added this year: 6.75 yards

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see how everyone else is doing.

Try out The Quilt Show this weekend!

I've been a member of The Quilt Show (TQS) since it started several years ago and I just love it. (No compensation for saying that - just a satisfied member.)  It is an entire online quilting community hosted by Alex Anderson (formerly of Simply Quilts) and Ricky Tims.  They have web shows with lots of the quilting greats, a daily blog, block of the month programs, and much more.

Starting today, in honor of International Quilting Day tomorrow, TQS is opening their shows for anyone to watch for free through Sunday 03/17/13!  Here is the info from them:

March 15 through Sunday, March 17, everyone who signs on to The Quilt Show will have free access to over 140 of our Internet shows.

Beginning on Friday March 15 you can watch the shows, check out the great tutorials, browse the gallery of about 20,000 member quilts, visit the forum for answers to the most burning quilt questions and lots, lots more. And if you missed the shows, you can see them now.

You can also enter the TQS prize drawing with fantastic prizes from companies we know and love like Bernina, Gammill, Superior Threads, AccuQuilt, C&T Publishing, RJR Fabric, and Ricky and Alex will have gift baskets to give away too.

The grand prize is a new Bernina 550QE sewing machine!

There is lots to see, so I hope you check it out.  Click here to go there now!

International Women's Day 2013

Hey did you know it is International Women's Day today?  I feel remiss in that I didn't even know there was an International Women's Day.  And that it in fact has been observed since the early 1800's.  You can read more about it here.

Stash Report 2013 Week 9

I haven't been posting about my stash lately because there has been no change.  I didn't think a weekly report of "nothing in and nothing out" would be very interesting, so I haven't posted.  However, today I do have something to report.  I finished the top of the quilt I posted on this week's Design Wall Monday.  The borders are on and I think it looks great.  I'm counting that as 4 yards out of the stash.  I decided to make it smaller after I started, so I have a lot of border fabric left over.  I may use it on the back if I decide to get it quilted.  Or it will stay in my stash.  Or I'll make another one.  Lots of choices, but for now it stays in my stash.

Fabric used this week: 4.00 yards
Fabric added this week: 0.00 yards

Fabric used this year: 5.50 yards
Fabric added this year: 2.75 yards

Be sure to check on Judy L's blog to see everyone's stash reports today.

Dear Jane - J2

I finished up this little beauty last Monday night in class.  If I were smart, I would make kits for a bunch of blocks with the foundations prepped and fabrics chosen and cut, like I did with this one.  After that it's smooth sailing.  I love this fabric, but I've used it twice in this quilt and I think I'll go ahead and retire it.  Not much was used out of the fat quarter I bought.  I'll have to find another project for the rest.  For now it will age for a while...

Dear Jane - M2

Here's a quick DJ finish for today!  The center section was finished months ago.  I can't really even remember how long ago I pieced it.  I had set it aside for some reason and it got lost in my other projects.  I found it and all of the remaining pieces and decided to finish it up today.  It almost feels like cheating!  But I'll take it!

Design Wall Monday 02/25/13

Here is what is on my design "floor" today.  The blocks are in rows, and now they just need to be sewn together and then the border can go on.  I like how this one is turning out.  So far, all from stash.  I did buy the border fabric to go with the colors in the quilt.  I was originally going to make this bigger, with 30 blocks, but changed to 20 blocks about mid way through.  I have a lot of extra pieces already cut.  I may make a smaller version to donate at some point.  But that will probably have to wait, because my mind is already on my next project!

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what everyone is working on today!