Packers and Quilting...

I'm doing some stitching on this little quilt while watching the Packer game.  I know it will take me longer than the Packer game to finish but that's okay with me. 

I'm doing the appliqué in wool because I love working with wool.

This is the second quilt we are doing from Kim Diehl's Simple Whatnots 2 Club.  I'm taking the class at Ye Olde Schoolhouse Quilt Shop in Cedarburg WI. Really cute shop :-) 

Packers win!!!!!

Have a good Sunday,

Leanne

Hello September....

Where has the summer gone?  Time does fly by!

This quilt was made by me!  I still can't believe I made this.  I joined the Kim Diehl club at the Ye Olde Schoolhouse Quilt Shop. This quilt was a challenge!  I'm kind of new to quilting, I know how to sew but quilting is quite different. Cutting accurately all those little squares, marking, sewing a scant quarter inch seam, all those little pieces to stay organized are just a few things I learned how to do. Oh and read directions over and over again.  I am totally hooked on quilting!  I can't wait for the next class :-)

I getting ready for my craft fairs. Making a lot of wool appliqué pieces.

Scarecrows

And more wool.

First fair September 19 @10:00, Holy Hill Art and Crafts Fair in Hubertus, WI.

Now for a tip....

I like my work to have a primitive look.  Sometime when working with wool I can't get the antique looking color I like.    If the color is too bright coffee dye it!

See the difference? The piece on the right is the coffee dyed wool...the perfect color!

Enjoy your day,

Leanne

Rainy Friday.....

So what do you do on a rainy Friday?  

Go shopping for flowers....

I haven't planted them yet because it's supposed to get down into the 30's this weekend.  Right now it's 78.  That's Wisconsin for you!

House clean, laundry done. Check and check.

Now I get to work on my newest quilt.

This one is very time consuming.  Lots of points to match but I love it!  You might think I'm crazy but I really like doing this.  Sew a row, open it up to see if everything matches and if points are sharp.  I think I've done about 3/4 sewing and 1/4 unsewing but if it looks likes this I'm happy!  

Just 5 more rows to sew.  

This pattern is on Bonnie Hunters Blog Quiltville.  It's on the free page. Yes I said free!  She has so many tips and she is a scrappy lover...love it!

Off to my sewing.

Enjoy your weekend,

Leanne

Almost Summer Sewing

You know when you are working on something so cute and it's looking so good that you just have to share it?  Well I would like to share pictures of what I'm  working on. This mini quilt it's called Little Red Eight by Red Button Quilt Co.  I just love their patterns!

I had all the block rows done on Wednesday.... I thought.  When I put all the rows together my  pinwheel blocks didn't line up sooo I made them over.

Now they fit perfectly.  I did the stitching last night.  I hope to have enought time this weekend to back it, quilt it and bind it.

Happy Stitching,

Leanne

All Prepped and Ready to Sew....

I spent the last two days prepping some stitching and stitching.

I have my block of the month ready for stitching. These are blocks 9 and 10 of Norma Whaley's How Does Your Garden Grow. I'm running a little behind but I'm hoping to get these done before my next blocks come....that's my goal.

This table topper is all ready for stitching.... I just love this!

This is a custom order.  My customer and I worked together to come up with this design.

I love it when two minds work together so well!

Here's the fabric for my next project.  All starched just hanging to dry.

Yes I do starch my fabric before cutting into it.  I think it's easier to cut the fabric more accurately  when it is starched. 

I bought this kit along with the pattern in Chicago when I went to the Quilt Market. So cute and I get to do a little embroidery on this one.

I finished these pillows last night.  These are going to be for sale at my craft fairs. They look so great on the chair I just might have to make one for myself :-)

I'm off to do some stitching.

Enjoy your weekend,

Leanne

Finished....

Finished this quilt wall hanging and in time for summer.

It's hard to see but I finished off the quilt with a blue print binding.

Now back to working on some wool appliqué...

and I think I'll finish another quilt hanging that I made for fall.  

This has wool applique vine and leaves in the borders.

I am so happy I learned how to machine quilt.  I'm loving all the mini quilts that are so popular now. I have my eye on some new ones I would like to make or try to make.

Enjoy your day, 

Leanne 

Working on Something for Summer and a Tip....

I'm pretty much a beginner quilter but that hasn't stopped me from trying to design a wall hanging.  

It all started with this pattern from Buggy Barn.

I just loved the center flower basket.... perfect for wool appliqué.

 I wanted to make something more scrappy for summer in red, white and blue. 

I found some French General fabrics in the colors I wanted. 

I made the center wool appliqué and did the quilt squares. 

One problem..,

I think these squares are too scrappy.  

I love the fabrics.  

I just think I need more solids or smaller prints to make this block work. 

 I just don't like them for this project.  

So with the left over fabric and buying a neutral fabric I made these blocks.

Now these pinwheel blocks look so much better to me. 

I had the piano key stripes cut so I added them to make the wall hanging larger. 

Used the left over red for a border. 

 I like how it all came together.

I have it all pinned and ready for quilting.

 For quilting I want to outline the wool appliqué and stipple the background on the block. 

I'm not sure how I going to quilt the rest.

Now here's my tip....

I take a picture of my quilt to see how the blocks and fabrics are working together. 

I will do this to audition fabrics for my borders too.  

I don't have a design wall and taking pictures works just as well.

Happy sewing,

Leanne

I've Been Busy....

I've been working on these runners.  

I love how they turned out so much that I had to share some pictures with you.

I just love how perfect it looks on my dining room table but...

It's not my runner.  

I made both of these for a very sweet customer :-). The long runner was made to match a shorter one.  I think I did a pretty good job matching the colors and style of stitching.

The runners were made using a pattern by Ginger Sanchez.  This runner I made is longer than the pattern so I just stretched the pattern a little bit and added more pears and leaves.  I followed the colors used in the smaller runner. The runner looks so different then the pattern when using a light background and red pears. 

I made this bird runner to go in the same room.  

This is my own design and I used the same wools as the long runner. 

I so want to make this with a blue bird and red accents for an Americana look. 

Maybe make the bird into a cardinal standing on a holly branch...so many ideas so little time.

I think I'll spend the evening working on some hexies.  I'm not sure what I'm making but I'll just keep adding on.

Remember this quilt?  

I bought the kit at the quilt show, its a Primitive Gatherings pattern.

I was working on it last night but I couldn't finish the wool appliqué because I need to get some gold valdani thread. Only 6 leaves away from preparing this puppy to quilt.

Take care,

Leanne

This is not my garden...

but I wish it was.  ha ha

I just thought I would share a few pictures from our trip to Las Vegas.

My favorite places to stop by are the atriums at the Wynn and Belagio.

This is the Wynn.  So much color all made out of flowers.

I just love these flower balls hanging from the trees. 

I wish I could have these in my yard.

This carousel is amazing!

Even the floor is beautiful.

The Belagio smelled wonderful.

This Japanese garden is so pretty and I just love the tulips.

So peaceful.

Love these parasols.

Guess where we stayed?

If you said the Flamingo you are right.

The weather was perfect!

I just had to add one dam picture.

Okay one more dam picture.  This was taken from the bridge you can see in the previous picture.

This is what I am currently working on.  

I want the larger, longer runner to match the small one.

I just love how this is looking!

I'm still working on my hexies.  

I think I want this to be a table runner or two.  

I'll just keep adding fabrics in red, black, caramel and off white 

and make

hexies until I decide.

I finished this little Buttermilk Basin picture on the plane. 

I bought the kit at the Quilt Show in Chicago.

Have a great week

and

Happy stitching,

Leanne

Quilt Show and Hexie Love...

I went to the Quilt Show in Chicago!  

I'll share a few pictures.

I love Red and White quilts and the Quilt Show had an amazing display of them.

Don't you just love these positive and negative houses?

The Log Cabin was the first quilt I made and it remains my favorite block. 

More houses...this treasure is a mini quilt.

The quilting is just amazing.  It's so beautiful.

I did my part in keeping the quilting economy going. :-)

I bought some wool and wool projects.

Love Primitive Gatherings!

I have been wanting to do this quilt for a long time so I bought the kit. 

The vines around the quilt is done in wool applique.

I had to get something Red and White.  I can't wait to do this mini. It has tiny red flower shaped buttons to go on the embroidered stems and leaved.  Once I get a triangle square up ruler I'm going to start this project.

My friend Anne told me about the hexies she was making and how fun they were...making hexagons using the English Paper Piecing method.  

She said I know you will like it.

While at the Quilt Show we saw a booth where a woman was working on a piece using hexies.  She showed me how to do it and of course I had to buy the paper for 1/2 hexies. 

The above picture is my first Hexie.

Thank you Anne for introducing me to hexies... I'm hooked! I got Anne hooked on wool appliqué;-).  

Here's my first star.  I did buy some little fabric bundles and added some fabric that I had because I didn't want it scrappy. I do have to tell you this is not a fast process. It's just something fun to do while watching tv.

I happen to have this tackle box which is the perfect place for all my Hexie work. Please note this box was never used for fishing bait. 

I wonder how many 1/2 inch hexies you need to make a king sized quilt? Way too many to count....lol.

Enjoy your day,

Leanne