Playing in Pinks for February!

I really haven't finished with the January BLUES yet for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, but February snuck up on me, so I had to start pulling out the PINKS as well :*)  My PINK stash is pretty slim, and the scraps are even slimmer, but I finally managed to pull together some fabrics for Hootie and Soul Searching.

It will be very interesting to see if these come together to make a few decent blocks!  

I traced off the fusible shapes for the February Hootie last night while watching TV....

I still need to dig into these crumb jars and whittle them down.....

Just look at all those yummy little scraps just waiting to become a gorgeous little quilt!!!

I have a few ideas of what I might like to do with them, but I probably won't decide for sure until I sit down and start playing :)

And after I finished tracing the Hootie pieces last night, I sat back and relaxed with some knitting.  Before I knew it, Wingspan was DONE - WOOHOO!!!

There are supposed to be 8 "wings" but as you can see from the tiny ball of yarn remaining, I didn't have enough for another wing.  I think this will be fine, though, since I'm built rather small - at least from the waist up LOL!!!  This still needs to be blocked, but all the ends are worked in and it is ready to go!  This will knock 400 yards off my stash yardage :*)

So what's in the works for me today?  First, I'm excited to show you the February Bertie wall hanging that I finished embroidering this week....

Isn't this just too darn cute?  

The white edging embroidery stitches took FOREVER and were not easy to keep uniform, so don't look too closely :)  Today, I plan to sandwich and quilt it and get it up on the wall so we can enjoy it all month.  The January Bertie only got two weeks' wall time, which is a shame because I love it so!!!

One last peek!!!!

Later on, I will be joining Kathy's Quilts doing some Slow Sunday Stitching on my little hand-applique Miniature Heart Blooms while watching the Super Bowl!

You can tell from the red hearts on the left that this was an early attempt at hand applique!  I was trying to do them by needleturn, but they are not very smooth.  I may end up taking them out and redoing them..... but then again, maybe not.  From past experience, I've learned that sometimes it doesn't really show that much when looking at a completed quilt.  Since this will be for my own personal enjoyment, I may decide to leave it as is :*)

I'm also hoping to get a few of these pieces for Rose Medallion prepped with the luscious oriental fabrics - I'm really anxious to see how that's going to look!!!  It's been quite a while since I played with the orientals - a task that I enjoy way too much LOL!!!

Also linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday & Connie's Tuesday Linky Party :)

I wish a lovely week for you all!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

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January 2014 NewFO Challenge Project

My NewFO for January is Rose Medallion and it comes from this book, which I have had now for well over a year....maybe even two, I can't remember.

I've been in love with this quilt since I first saw a picture of it on Pinterest.....

I'll be using that scrumptious, shiny black sateen cotton as my background for the design - which will be done all in Orientals - YUM!!!

One thing I didn't realize, though, is that this quilt is 54 inches square!!!  Road Bump!!!  I'd been thinking from the picture that it's maybe 18 inches or even 24 inches ... but nope, tricked again!!!  I never dreamed this thing was that huge!  Of course, my first thought was to just reduce the templates and make it smaller. But then..... I thought, what an impact that size quilt would make, in that design and those fabrics - wow!!!  (Are you beginning to see where "thinking" gets me in trouble often?)

So, of course, I just had to do it :*)

But then ...... I read these instructions....

Seriously?????  Major Road Bump!!!  I had to consult with the engineer in the house immediately - start talking to me about math, geometry, radii, 18 degree segments, protractors.... and my eyes begin to glaze over!  But this guy - he's able to handle these things with ease!

And by the way, he informed me the other day that he really HATES being called "Hubby" on my blog, and asked that I please come up with something else :)  After a very in-depth discussion with my sewing buddies - involving much silliness and laughter I must confess! - the following are possibilities that I will present for his approval: "Daddy-O" (we LOVED that one!); "Honey"; "Mr AQAP"; or simply "My Guy".  The last one comes from the TV show, How I Met Your Mother - Barney has "Guys" who make things happen for him.  I have to admit it, that show is totally raunchy and inappropriate, but it makes me laugh every time!

Until he gets his vote, I'll call the cute engineer who lives with me and makes things happen for me "My Guy" in this post :*) So....  My Guy went to work, and he quickly cobbled together a method for marking the circles and sections on that huge black square.  First we had to stabilize the fabric so it wouldn't move, which involved rolling back the rug on our great-room floor and then t-pinning the square to the carpet.

He devised this super-scientific, totally perfect ruler-thingy tool to make the circles....and it was in our price range too :*D

Since the center will be covered with applique, I was not concerned about tape residue or a potential hole where the t-pin was placed.  My Guy drilled three holes in the ruler to insert the Clover disappearing white ink pen (my favorite tool EVER!) for marking the three required circles....

My job was super important and very technical...............

It worked perfectly - Yay!!!!

Yes, I'm a little concerned about the puckering where I had to piece this!
I'm trusting that applique and quilting will take care of it.....

And then My Guy used a lot more math and calculations - eyes glazing over again here! - and figured out how to mark the 18 degree sections.  Something to do with circumference = diameter x 3.14 (Pi), divided by 20 ..... yep, you understood all that, right?  Me neither!!!

We were doing this at night, so it was impossible to get the black to look black in the pictures

Whew!!!!  

That was a JOB!!!  

Many, many thanks to My Guy, because I'm telling you folks, this would NEVER HAVE HAPPENED if left to my own devices!  In other words, when it comes to math, I have no devices LOL!!!!

The rug is all rolled back now - don't you just love the "quilty" design?

Believe it or not, we bought that rug the year BEFORE I started quilting :*D

I've decided this quilt deserves more than fusible raw-edge applique, but the thought of having to hand-stitch all these pieces was daunting.  I'd really like to finish it someday, you know what I mean?  And I already have two hand-applique projects in process.  So I'm going to compromise and do this as machine-stitched applique which has the appearance of hand work.  All the pieces will be prepared with turned-under edges using these freezer-paper templates and starch, but then they will be stitched on by a tiny machine stitch that will be barely visible - I hope!  I'll keep you posted!!!

I'm also linking this NewFO project up with Sharon Vrooman's (Vrooman's Quilts) Let's Book It in 2014!  You can click HERE to read more about this fun monthly event!  Sharon says she has lots of books on her shelf that have never been used - amazingly, I do too!!!  She decided to choose one book a month and make something from it.  Great idea, right???

Since I want to keep with my focus on keeping things as SIMPLE as possible, I'm going to work this together with my NewFO project when possible.  I may not be able to make something all 12 months from my unused books, but even if I get six of them in action that will be a good thing, right?

Did you start something new in January?  Join in the linky party HERE at Cat Patches - it's fun to see all the great new projects, and you might just win a prize!!!

I'll leave you with this picture from my upstairs window...

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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DWM - 1/13/14

My Design Wall has a hodgepodge of things on it (and around it!) this morning...

Block #10 - Vintage Valentine

My mom and my sister both asked for a Vintage Valentine block for their table topper frames for Christmas (see below picture - didn't it turn out cute???)  I did have to leave off the top valentine from the original design so it would fit in the frame, but it still looks beautiful, doesn't it?

I decided since I was doing this block, I might as well go ahead and make one for my quilt too, right?  All the pieces are fused down on the block and ready for machine buttonhole-stitch applique.  I believe that will make 8 of the 12 blocks complete, plus I have the center medallion fused down and ready for applique as well.  Since this is one of my Dinosaurs, I'm glad to get refreshed on it and know that I am this far along!!!

And speaking of Dinosaurs.... it's time for me to "bag" one - 

isn't that what the big game hunters do?  LOL!!!

Dinosaur UFO #1

Rag Circles Doll Quilt

These blocks are a REALLY old UFO!!!  A true Dinosaur!!!  One of my earliest, actually.  In my first year of quilting, I took part in a Guild sit-n-sew where we were given instructions to make so many raw-edge circle blocks from our scraps, like this one .....

And then we cut them up into fourths and swapped with others.  We then sewed the fourths together to make a new scrappy circle.  I got mine sewn up to halves in class ... I remember it being a fun day!!!

Of course, swapping with others that meant that not all the circles lined up perfectly, and some sewers made better circles than others, etc.  Part of the package in a swap, right?  But with rag circles it really doesn't matter because the edges will ruffle and lose definition when they are washed anyway :*)  And I think the wonky connections will add some edginess to it.

I used this Easy Circle Cut ruler for my circles, and it worked perfectly!!!!

This was originally intended to be a lap quilt, but I've decided that I don't really like it enough to spend that much time and energy on it.  I'm going to sew up the blocks I have - 12 - and make a doll quilt for my nine-year-old granddaughter, Reaghan.  She still loves baby dolls and I think this will make a lovely birthday gift for her.  It will go quickly, and that will be the demise of my first Dinosaur UFO!!!  I'll keep you posted :*)

January NewFO & "Let's Book It" Challenge

Rose Medallion

It was SO MUCH FUN to finally open this book and begin to work on this project!!!  

I made copies of the templates for this project yesterday and began to prep them for hand applique.  I had originally decided I didn't want to take time to do hand applique, but the more I looked at this gorgeous burst of colors, the more I knew that machine applique was not going to get it.  And besides, I've really begun to enjoy hand applique since I learned how to do the starch method, and these pieces will not be that difficult to do.....

I also prepped the hearts and other pieces for the Miniature Heart Blooms UFO at the same time.  I actually managed to get a lot done yesterday during the football games, even though our Carolina Panthers fell to the 49ers :(

And for those of you who may not know Morning Glory Designs, Reeze has announced a new FREE BOM design for 2014.....  there's a contest going on right now to name it and you can win some lovely fat quarters if you suggest the winning name :)

Isn't this a GORGEOUS design????

....Block 1 is available HERE now if you are interested in these lovely blocks!!!  But you must hurry, because after January, it will no longer be free.  Don't you love that border?  Reeze is famous for her borders :*)  PLUS - if you sign up for her newsletter, you will receive a Bonus Block each month - absolutely free!

I'm going to download and save the patterns, but in the effort to work my SIMPLIFY mojo this year, I won't start on this one now.  One day, though - I can definitely see this quilt in my future!!!

So that's it for me .....

What's on YOUR Design Wall?

I'm Linking up with Patchwork Times
& Connies Tuesday Linky Party

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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