BLOGGERS QUILT FESTIVAL

TO ENLARGE...CLICK AND THEN CLICK AGAIN

This is my submission for the Bloggers Quilt Festival.

My inspiration for this quilt was a picture I had taken at a quilt show...before I started quilting.

I started collecting all sorts of fabrics and looked high and low for star patterns.  It took me awhile before I figured out the sizes I needed.

I knew that I wanted lots of colorful stars...and wanted random black and dark blue background squares.

This past year, after having discovered I AM IN LOVE WITH PAPER PIECING, I started searching for 6" and 12" PP block designs.

I found out that paper piecing takes way longer than expected!  AND there is ALOT of waste, for me anyway!  But the end result is just wonderful...I really enjoyed the whole process!

I really wanted to quilt this myself...but after machine basting it and trying to move this large quilt around, I decided to take it to my LQS and have it professionally done.  It came out beautiful, I wanted loops and stars and I got 'em.

For the backing I found this wonderful black and white floral print...I dyed it in my washing machine.  The color came out JUST RIGHT!   I used Rit dye and Cushing Procion dye...first the yellow Rit and then I used the dry Procion to get the varied deep golden tones throughout the fabric back.

Some of these pictures are faded...I'm not the best photographer !!!

A big thank you AMY!

This festival is such fun!

On the other hand...posting this post was NOT fun at all.  I don't know why Blogger changed the picture thing...but it's taken me over an hour to post this.  I have had to publish EACH picture and then open the dashboard and EDIT the post to include another picture....what happened???  It was sooooo easy before the 'improvements'...LOL

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Thanks for stopping by.

CHARMING GIRLS FINISHES

CG CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST SEWING PARTY

I finished the back of the Christmas Table Topper, it is sandwiched and pinned...but I'm not sure how I will quilt it yet.  Here are a couple of pictures...the colors are richer in person.

Please click pictures and then click again to ENLARGE !

FRONT

BACK

I pieced the back with the leftover fabric.  I had that pretty, sparkly tree fabric I thought would give it a 'kick'.

******************************************************************

Charming Girls Finishes for July and August

I actually finished up all my goals in July as August was a busy month with family.

My Falling Stars Quilt is finally together...it was pin basted and then I decided to machine baste it so that it would be easier for me to quilt.  Now I'm undecided what to do with the quilting...am going to take it to my LQS and see what they charge...the stars are all Paper Pieced and that means 'TONS' of layers at intersecting points.  Not sure I can handle it.

Look how pretty the fabric came that I dyed for the backing...I really like it.

This is a before and after...sorry it looks so dark.

I had 4 BOMs from Simple Thymes to do, here they are...minus the hand stiching which will come later.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS !

HAVE A HAPPY WEEK AND THANKS FOR STOPPING BY !

Charming Girls Quilt Along and Crazy Mom's Quilt Along

Well I did it...caught up with Charming Girls quilt along.  It's all done and sandwiched together...just needs quilting.

I made a boo boo though, I cut too many of the 4 piece strips...enough for about 10-15 blocks over.  So I had to use them in my border...but I don't think it mattered at all.  Looks good to me!

One thing...I have only just begun using pre cuts.  First was my Maypole layer cake for Kelly's first quilt along and then the charm packs for this one.  I think that, in the future, I will use those in larger blocks...I hate loosing the big floral prints by cutting them so small!

See those 2" square strips in the above photo?  They were supposed to be for my Stars quilt...but I decided to make the quilt alot smaller and now they would be much too wide of a border.  So I took them apart and am going to use these batiks instead of the Eden layer cake I originally planned on doing for CrazyMom's Quilt Along.  I need to cut the background today for this quilt along, then sew the blocks.  Not to worry, though, since I am not making a big quilt, I decided to make a table topper instead...have just enough of the batiks cut to make it.

So....catching up wasn't so hard to do!

More later, thanks for taking the time to visit!

FINISHES FOR APRIL CGGC

I have made my goal for April...

whew...4 of them.

Been working hard on the Beyond the Color Purple Quilt...am happy to say that I have finished stippling 2 blocks this month.

The stippling is coming easier it seems.  I still have 5 more blocks to do.

I'm up-to-date on the Pinwheel Party blocks, even made the 24 2" blocks.

I wanted to get 2/3 of the way thru the Stars blocks...and I have at least that many.  With any luck next month I'll have them all made.

This is April's BOM from Simple Thymes.

When I look at these finishes...they really aren't FINISHES...but they are getting there.

I do sew just about everyday, I just seem to pick things that take TIME!!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Charming Girls & Guys Finishes for March

                    It's been a productive month for me.

Finished all that I wanted to do.

Even made some softies for Haiti.

1.  The Circles and Sunflowers quilt is all done, quilted, labeled, bound and washed.  I have to say I LOVE IT!  It was a hard quilt to do, especially the quilting, but it was well worth it.

Following are some more detail shots of the quilting, I did a lot of different quilting in each of the blocks.

When it came time to make the back...I decided to make a really Big String Block.

And of course a label too.

2.  The Simple Thymes BOM is really easy to do.

3.  I FINALLY got all those pesky threads cut from the 4 quilts!  Yeah.  The Folk Angel quilt will still need some embroidery embellishment, but that can wait till I'm in the mood.

4.  I managed to do the micro stippling on 2 blocks from the Beyond the Color Purple quilt...it's moving along nicely.

5.  I've been working on the Twiddletails Pinwheel Party blocks...all done to date.  I'm liking the way these look, I've made small pinwheels where the blank color blocks are, as I may...or may not add them to my Star quilt.

6.  Been also working (a lot) on the stars for my Star quilt...most are paper pieced.  If I follow the original quilt there are 25 12" blocks and 45 6" blocks.  I may combine with the Pinwheel Party blocks...can't decide just yet.  They both look good to me.

7.  Although I haven't sewn anything together on the Around the World Quilt Along Quilt,  I did have them all layed out and decided on a black sashing with small multi color polka dots...didn't take a picture and now the stars and pinwheels are on my design FLOOR!

8.  The labels are all made for the quilts that needed them.

9.  I even made 15 little Sock Monkey Stuffies for Smiles for Children to be sent to Haiti.

I had my issues with the Jelly Roll Sampler...just wasn't able to use the Hello Betty jelly roll that I thought I loved.  Just didn't care for the fabric.  So I had my First giveaway!  It was alot of fun.  Grace (keepsewing) won...she lives in SINGAPORE!!!  Couldn't be ANY further away from South Florida!!!

So, all in all, I'm happy as a clam with what I've been able to accomplish this month and hope that next month is nearly as productive.  Thanks Charming Girls and Guys...I love having GOALS!

CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

MARCH PROJECTS FOR CGGC

I have decided on my March Projects...there are 8 of them...some easier than others.

Click to enlarge.

1. First up is the JELLY ROLL QUILT ALONG. I believe there are 2 blocks a month for this. I originally was using different fabrics...but when I found the brown polka dot fabric...I just knew I had to use my HELLO BETTY jelly roll. 2. SIMPLE THYMES BOM for March.

3. This project is a little complicated. This picture is from a show I went to in 1998. I have wanted to make a similar quilt ever since...SO...I think I will combine blocks from PINWHEEL PARTY and OLD RED BARN'S PINWHEEL quilt along with some STAR blocks and try to achieve something like this picture. I don't have a clear plan as yet, hopefully as I start making some of the pinwheels and stars it will come together. We will see!
4. 5. and 6. No pictures for these right now.

I will stipple 2 blocks on my BEYOND THE COLOR PURPLE quilt.

I will FINISH the circles quilt...
I will make 2 labels for my FOLK ANGEL and CIRCLE quilts.

7. I have 4 quilts that need the thread clipped, especially on the back, when I finish up my Circle quilt. This may not sound like much.....but there are many starts and stops quilting on 2 of these quilts...you know those 1/4" tags that are left by the auto thread cutter.


8. FINALLY...I got all the blocks back from the AROUND THE WORLD QUILT, hosted by SummerSadie. I need to figure out sashing and layout. Not sure how far I can get on this. It is the last project I will tackle if I have the time.


So that's it...list looks daunting, but doable!


THANKS FOR STOPPING BY AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!