BLOCK PARTY PICNIC QUILT ALONG

Clearly I was trying to do too many things at once last night and couldn’t read the calendar clearly.   The quilt along will be on Saturday, May 23, 2015 (not Monday, May 25, 2015).   Saturday is the start of Memorial Day weekend here – a three day weekend.  But never fear if you can’t play along at that time.  The instructions will remain up in the list of free patterns you will find in the right sidebar of the blog – even after the specific button/page for this project is removed from the blog.  Rather than clicking the button in the sidebar to access the information, you will just need to go down to the PAGES list, and find the quilt name in the list there to get to the download links.

Anyone planning to Quilt along???

A Knitter’s Gifts – August block

Well I can’t claim to be totally caught up on this BOM.  I have one hat block to make, and I think I have two or three sock blocks to applique – the pieces are all cut and ready to go so it shouldn’t take long.   And then there’s this month’s block – the flying geese scarf.

August Block

Friend Janet P already left a comment regarding the fact this block is paper pieced because she knows I don’t like doing paper piecing.  🙂  But when it’s all just moving along one continuous piece like this – I don’t mind too much.  I guess what I really find annoying about paper piecing is all that thread cutting and trimming away of excess fabric – slows me down. LOL

But I decided I’d tape my pattern together.  Then decided I’d pick out what fabric I wanted for the “background” of the scarf around the geese portions.  Well then, why not stitch a section or two…… I don’t know what time I started sewing on this block but I finally called it quits about 12:30 a.m.

I have a whole mess of scrap trimings and thread tails on one side of the table and the other size has the pile of batiks I’ve been digging through to use.

Here’s what I have so far. I think I’ve got about 9 more geese to add.  The colors look a bit off – at least on my computer since the scarf background is very purple and not blueish.

I also got the backing all pieced for my Camp Loopy sewing project done as well as added the final border to the front of that project so once I finish these flying geese, I can get to layering my wall hanging.

From Head to Toe – A Knitter’s Gifts BOM for 2014

  Yes – another new project coming in 2014.  Click the button in the sidebar to get all the info.

City Streets!

It’s design wall monday over at Judy’s blog – such great eye candy so check them all out.    CTS is still on the big design wall. I will get back to that one of these days. But I’ve been busy yesterday and will continue working on today – the Batik Lifesaver swap blocks. These are the ones I had done yesterday – I’ve got about 27 more in various stages and hope to get them all sewn this morning.

  I posted several different colorways of this quilt design, which will be the March quilt for the Stitchin with Justquiltin 2013 project.  The stitch along will be March 16-17, 2013.

I also asked for name suggestions and much thanks and congratulations go to Glenna for coming up with an absolutley perfect name for it — “Reminds me of a taxi in the city. I’d call it “City Streets” cause my eyes just keep moving when I look at it.”

If you take a look at this map of the Capitol Square area here in Madison, you will see why I think it’s so perfect.  (Okay, you need to tilt your head to the left when looking at the map to get the right alignment.  But that pieced block square in the very middle of the quilt  is like where the capitol building is.  It has main roads going out like a “plus” sign in each direction  and it also has roads traveling out on the diagonals.  The next block out (the large square formed by all the dark brown squares) — on the map you will see those roads too – for those who live in Madison, we  refer to it as the “outer square”.  

So I hope you’ll join me in March to make this project named by Glenna.  And as a thank you Glenna – please email me (justquiltin@peoplepc.com) with your full mailing address and I will send you some of my Justquiltin goodies — the mousepad and pen with the Stitchin with Justquiltin 2013 logos on them. 🙂  Sure to be a collectors item some day! ROFLOL

Thanks to all for playing “name that quilt.” 🙂

On the Needles – Friday, Jan. 18

Many things are on many needles – I still haven’t gathered them all together to figure out my plan of attack for getting the Unfinished Knitty Objects (UKOs) finished.  But the three that I am currently working on are the Drifted Pearls scarf – Camp Loopy 1st Quarter project which you can see HERE in yesterday’s blog post.

Although it doesn’t look like much all scrunched up on the circular needle, here’s how far I am on the Greta vest.

 Both those patterns can be found on Ravelry.

There’s also a pair of SKYP socks I’ve been working on – just another 2″ or so on the foot of the first sock and I’ll be ready to finish that one off.

See what others have on their needles over at Judy’s.

Today, the first day of my 4 day weekend, is off to a slow lazy start.  I got up early, turned on the coffee pot, snuggled up in a chair with a quilt and have been knitting and looking around me thinking what a mess!   But you never want to jump right into that cleaning – you must plan your attack, right? LOL

Spent some time perusing the Hancocks of Paducah catalog – there are too many fabrics that I think — that would be perfect for this project, or that project or……… put down the catalog lady and step away!!  ROFLOL

 No I did not immediately (or as of yet) place an order. LOL  I’m not saying I’m out of the woods yet tho since my current fabric combination love is yellow and gray and there are some oh so pretty shades that I keep thinking wouldn’t one of my bid blocks look so pretty and springy in those  (we’re headed toward single digits next week so I’m trying to think ahead to spring!).   It was a bit disappointing tho that inside the catalog, where they show the fabric line that I designed the quilt pattern for, someone goofed and they gave credit for the “quilt design” (mine) to the “fabric line designer.”  But I’ll get over it – mistakes happen.

So several cups of coffee later, and many more rows knit, I’m still contemplating my plan of attack for the day.  The maid has not come to make me breakfast so I may have to find something myself to eat and  Mother Hubbard has not restocked the pantry so there’s not much to choose from.  (Thank goodness there was coffee!).    So I think another cup of coffee while I figure out a grocery list and then I may actually get dressed and get busy around here.   The only really true plans around here today are to go out to dinner with a friend and then to the grocery store – it’s a vacation day so I don’t want to work toooo hard. 😉

                                                                                                                                                                        

Don’t forget that tomorrow is the first Stitchin with Justquiltin 2013 free project.   Button in the sidebar is the place to find all info on this project.

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll go pull more fabrics for this one in this size or if I’ll just concentrate on getting the smaller version I made last weekend quilted.  I’ve got so many tops waiting to be quilted and I generally don’t repeat making a quilt design even in a different size. 

But remember — in order to qualify for drawings for some of the “Justquiltin swag”, you need to actually stitch along , since at some point in the future I’ll ask you to post comments on a particular blog post with a link to share your progress on a project so we can see some eye candy and what fabrics you are using.

Tote bag, mouse pads, pens — just little goodies to give away.   Okay -time to get seriously busy around here. 

January 19-20 – Stitchin with Justquiltin Starshine Project

I just updated the project page with new info for the first project for Stitchin with Justquiltin 2013 which  will be presented January 19 and 20.  I hope you can join me for a weekend of sewing!

Earlier this week I ordered some cool giveaway items (well I think they are cool anyway) which should be arriving by Friday incorporating the button design for Stitchin with Justquiltin 2013 and the button design for Strictly for the Birds in various items.   I’m hoping they turned out as neat as they looked on the computer screen, cause I’m so anxious to see them!!

Just remember, as mentioned in a prior post, although you don’t need a blog to join in the project, you do need a blog or to use one of the photo sharing services that allows you to post a link to your project photo so we can all see your version of the project in order to be eligible for random drawings for both this project and Strictly for the Birds.

I’m going to have to search the stash this weekend to see what fabrics I want to use – brights, batiks, orientals, homespuns, christmas….too many choices.

First Stitchin’ with Justquiltin’ 2013 Project Revealed

Well I’ve made up my mind which project I want to do for the first Stitchin With Justquiltin 2013 project. It will be Starshine. Below are a couple different colorings.  Lite background, dark background, brights, batiks, small prints, patriotic colors, more scrappy or just a two color quilt with a neutral background – they will all look good in this design.  I’d stay away from large prints and also one way designs if you don’t want them upside down.  And for those of you who have an aversion to Half Square Triangles, there are only 32 in the entire quilt so that’s not bad.

This project measures 60″ x 78″ and is definitely beginner friendly.   More info will be coming later this week as to exactly which weekend this one will be done and I may even have some yardage info in advance for you.

Quiltathon Day 2 – October 5, 2012

I’m off to a late start — just headed into the sewing room around noon.  I got caught up sitting and knitting a bit.  Then there was a new book I started that I wanted to read just a few pages of while sipping my coffee.  Well more than a few.  Then decided I really needed to make a fast trip to the grocery store so all the chores are done.

I pulled out the  Flitterin’ top that was the free birthday pattern I put up on the blog and took the quick way of layering it – basting spray.  It works so well for those little wallhangings.  I use 505 Spray and Fix – no odors and doesn’t gum up the machine needle.  All the other brands I’ve tried, despite their claim not to gum things up, have so I stick (no pun intended) to the 505.

  Here it is all ready to go.  Now to pull out the other sewing machine and choose some thread and figure out how I want to quilt this one.  The goal for today is to finish this off, get the binding made and attached so I can hand stitch down the back this weekend some time and then who knows.  There’s  a dog block I want to make into a little wallhanging,  or maybe layer another little project to quilt…. will have to wait and see what happens.  I’ll update this post later today with what I accomplished.

See what Judy and others are quilting on today.

 

 

4:15 p.m. update — the butterfly is quilted, the binding is made, it’s attached and pinnned to the back so now I just have to hand stitch it down.  That may wait a while because heck – I’ve got Socktoberfest knitting to do in the evenings not binding sewing — at least for this month. LOL

This afternoon has gone by very slowly it seems — but I think its because I never had lunch and was getting hungry and every time I’d look at the clock I’d think – isn’t it time to make dinner yet.  Then I finally decided no reason I couldn’t have dinner at 4 p.m. 🙂  but I didn’t but it will be earlier than normal for me.    But there’s acorn squash baking in the oven and there will be smoked pork chops and fresh asparagus and a crusty french dinner roll.  Yummmm.. I am hungry.       Well a bit of a tidy to do in the sewing room so I don’t have to do it tomorrow a.m., and then off to knit till dinner is done.

 

A bit of this, a bit of that, and a bit of applique

First the stashbusting report – nothing new to report.  The design wall is full of projects but they are all still in progress so I won’t add them in until they are at least to completed top stage.

 But there was some stash enhancement — the additional wide backing fabrics I bought arrived.  I now have these four plus two others I bought, so no excuse not to get some of those projects layered since there’s batting for at least one if not more projects waiting in the closet.

My Camp Loopy project is finished!  All three camp projects are now done.  I just need to block this one bury a few ends, and get a photo loaded to the Camp Loopy albums.  If you’re a knitter, check out the photo albums at The Loopy Ewe.  They have separate ones for all the camp projects, their quarterly challenge projects, socks, etc.  Lots of great projects to look at.

After finishing my Loopy project, I cut out the pieces for Sheryl’s  July block for Christmas Town Sampler.  I got that one all appliqued last night and here it is.

   I had made Susan’s  Bell block earlier in the month so that one was already done.

  So now I just have to figure out what fabrics I want to use for Judy’s August block  and Sheryl’s August block and finish the rest of my Business District blocks — I only have one made.    I’m thinking my Business District will have two different blocks colors – one colored the way I did my tester block, and then another with a black building and a gray building — sort of a bit of calm (at least colorwise) between all my bright houses.  I’m also thinking I may do Sheryl’s poinsettia block in something other than “traditional” poinsettia colors — maybe shades of blue – it would look like a frosty blue flower in the fabrics I have. 

 

Do you realize you have half the patterns already?  Here’s what mine looks like so far plugging in photos of my actual blocks (except for Judy’s and Sheryl’s August blocks which I haven’t stitched yet, and using just one coloring of my Business District.

  Now I have to get more coffee and decide what I’m going to tackle today.

Are you ready………

Did you notice the blog header – it’s the EQ virtual border for CTS with some of the fabrics I plan to use plugged into it.

Are you joining Judy, Sheryl, Susan and I for Christmas Town Sampler – A collaboration among friends (CTS)?  Have you picked out your fabrics yet?  There’s only 20 days left until we start! Yep check out the countdown above the CTS button – 20 days and counting.   All info available to date – general yardage, and how this blog hop/mystery quilt/block of the month is going to work is  all there by clicking the CTS button.

My fabrics are chosen, I’ve made a tester block of each of my border blocks, my first pattern is written up and ready to go, and I hope to get a few more border blocks sewn before we official start but let the countdown continue!