Cleaning again

This is what happens when I clean and organize my sewing space. I find bits and pieces of UFOs among other things. I was cleaning out some scrap baskets on my sewing table yesterday. I toss my scraps into baskets on my table. When a basket is overflowing, I take out all the pieces and cut them up into usable bits like squares, rectangles, strips for strip piecing, etc. I cleaned out two baskets and then I found this one last basket. It contained 144 HSTs (that measure 2.75 inches square), some strip sets that were sewn together for 9 patches, and 6 pinwheel blocks.

All these pieces were left over from a mystery quilt. When I cut off the triangles, I pieced them together. I love doing that, but now I have all these HSTs and I am not sure what to do with them. When I finished the top of this mystery quilt back in 2008, I sewed two little blocks together from some of the leftover HSTs. I was trying to determine what design I would use with these little blocks. I like the block with the swirly triangles on the outside best. I wish I had more of the swirly fabric. I went back to the fabric store after I completed this top to see if they had any of it left, but unfortunately it was all sold out.

I am soliciting design ideas for these blocks. If I sew these blocks all together, it will be a small quilt since the blocks are so small. If you have a design idea you would like to share with me, I would appreciate it.

Happy Quilting

P.S. Blogger is finally uploading my pictures. It just takes a long, long, long time!

Whimsical Garden Block #1

This is my first block in the Whimsical Garden series by Piece 'O Cake Designs. Marlene is making these blocks, and I have joined her. She has two blocks done already, and I am just finishing my first block. When she mentioned that she wanted to make these blocks, I said I had purchased that pattern a while ago and also wanted to make some blocks. I had not decided how many of the 20 blocks I would make. Looking over the pattern again, I realized I liked all of the blocks and could not decide which ones I would make and which ones I did not care to make. They are all darling designs.

Originally I thought about a nine block wallhanging. When I started making my first block, I really looked at all the other blocks. At that time I decided I wanted to make all 20 blocks. Now my little wallhanging has become a larger quilt.

I have wanted a quilt to hang on the wall that would depict spring. My first thought went to flowers. When I was making my Baltimore Album blocks, I found a beautiful floral basket pattern about the right size for my needs. It had lots and lots of flowers and a wonderful basket. Needless to say, that project has not come to pass. I still would like to make that wallhanging, but I have found that these whimsical flowers would do the trick nicely as well for my spring quilt. I do not have Victorian style furniture. It is more like early flea market, so the whimsical garden style designs would work much better for me.

I believe Marlene has at least two blocks done so I need to step up the pace if I am going to keep up with her. When she mentioned this design to me I thought if I worked along side her making block for block, I would get this quilt done. If left to my own devices, I would not get it done. Working with Marlene gives me motivation to keep going. As long as she is making blocks, I will try to keep up.

When the Applique Cafe website was up and running, along with Crispy I joined a group to make the Aunt Millie's Garden blocks. I sewed four of the twelve blocks, then the website shut down. Crispy continued to make more blocks, but unfortunately I did not. I do want to make the additional eight blocks. I thought if I could get going with the Whimsical Garden blocks, when I finish those I could start making the AMG blocks again. Each of the AMG blocks has four quadrants. They are larger blocks and take a lot more time to complete. The Whimisical Garden blocks are smaller, and faster to complete with fewer pieces.

Now that block one is done, I need to get moving on starting block two. Wish me luck.

Happy Quilting

A Baby Quilt Finish

Early this morning I finished the binding on this baby quilt. I feel it is rather large for a baby quilt, but the fabrics and colors I selected are for a baby or a toddler. It will be a good size for a toddler to drag around, and it will fit on a baby crib. Usually my baby quilts are smaller, just big enough to wrap around the baby.

I made this quilt from a pattern borrowed from a friend. It uses six fat quarters, and believe me, you use every bit of each of those fat quarters. I had the six blocks sewn together, then I went on a hunt for the border fabrics. I love this turquoise dot fabric (it has purple dots). I purchased enough to use for the back as well as the borders.

Now I can place this UFO into my "finished" list. The Pick-It Fence top still needs its borders. That is my next "To Do" project. I want that quilt in the finished top stage so it does not become another UFO. I do not consider a top "unfinished" or a UFO. I think of it as being in the first finishing stage.

Our weather is a bit cold, but the sun is shining so nicely today. It is predicted that rain is just around the corner, but today is beautiful.

Happy Quilting

Pick-It Fences

All my friendship exchange blocks are sewn together. This picture only shows part of the center portion. The borders need to be added yet. I am going to my Saturday Sampler class tomorrow. The quilt shop there has lots of the new "designer" style fabrics. They are bright and cheerful. I am hoping I can find one I like with my quilt top.

This quilt is going to be larger than I had originally thought it would be. I laid it over my king size bed and it almost covered the entire top of our bed, and I haven't added the borders yet. I am so glad to have these blocks sewn together.

I want to sew any new exchange blocks together as soon as possible after I get them home. I don't want them to become another UFO project. This year I am determined not to produce anymore unsewn block sets or UFOs. I figure if I do not add anymore UFOs to my list, then any UFO I complete will put me on the plus side. Eventually I will have only a few unsewn projects left. Many of those will never become quilts as I took the classes to learn a new technique, not necessarily to produce a new quilt.

A few years ago I took a class from Doreen Speckman. From that class I produced two fish blocks. I learned her Peaky and Spike method. I wanted to take a class from her and it did not matter what the subject matter was, I just wanted to experience her as a teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I have a signed book plus two darling whale/dolphin (?) blocks completed. I may never put those two blocks into a quilt, or a wallhanging, but I have great memories of Doreen and her fun class. I do not consider those two blocks as a UFO, maybe orphan blocks, but not UFO blocks.

Happy Quilting

Another Mystery Quilt Finished

The turquoise quilt is my version of the Friday Night Mystery Quilt from our September 2011 Camp Stitches. The other quilt picture is a teacher's quilt. In the instructions we were given before class it was indicated to have lots of contrast and have lots of fabrics, meaning scrappy.

When I was preparing for this class, I was in my alternate storage space (the boys' bedroom) going though my fabrics. It is difficult for me to chose fabrics, especially when it is for a mystery quilt. All I was looking for were fabrics that met the yardage requirements for the class. Two of my three fabrics fell out of their stack and onto my feet. Bingo, two of my three fabrics were chosen!

My quilt has a very subtle color palette. That was not my intention, but that is what happened. Usually my quilts are much brighter. Before you email me and tell me there is no purple in this quilt, look carefully at the floral fabric. There is some purple in that piece. I tried to match some other purple fabrics to it, but was not successful enough. So, without realizing it, I have a soft, subtle quilt. Now if I wanted to do that on purpose, I would have a terrible time gaining those results.

The second picture is Jane's quilt. She used an Asian fabric theme. When I saw her quilt, and Carlene's quilt (the other teacher), I realized why the instructions had the word "contrast" in the directions.

I love making mystery quilts. It is such fun for me to try to figure out what the quilt pattern is from each step of the construction. I have been disappointed only once with my choices of fabrics for a mystery quilt. It was a big quilt, too, with lots of piecing. I liked each step of the construction, and the fabrics I used for that quilt. When the whole quilt was pieced together, I was not happy anymore. I should have taken off the borders because I really liked the center section.

This mystery quilt was an unexpected surprise when I finished it. I had achieved a soft palette of colors. Why did I not realize that when I had these three fabrics chosen? This is one of the wonderful happenings I truly enjoy about quilting. I learn something new with every quilt I make. Even when I have my fabrics in hand, I never know what they will look like when they are cut into pieces and sewn together. Of course, this was a mystery quilt so I did not know the finished pattern, but I knew what three fabrics I had chosen. I like my quilt even though it does not have a lot of contrast.

I am working on my rail fence style quilt top today. Maybe I can make some progress on it. I am about one third finished. Although all sewing will stop when the 49ers football game comes on television this afternoon. It is drizzling this morning. The stadium is across the bay from here, closer to the ocean. I know the stadium is wet since we had a lot of rain last night. I feel it will be a wild and wonderful game (I hope)! Last week's game was a thriller. I think this game today will be thrilling as well.

Happy Quilting

A Good Start for the New Year

Here is a picture of the old White sewing machine I have been sitting in front of when I am at my computer. It has been housed here for a few years. Another quilter in my evening adult class rescued this machine from a dumpster. She sent out an email asking if anyone wanted it. Silly me, I sent her back an email telling her that if no one else wanted it, I would take it.

I thought it would be a good project for my DH to work on. He needs something to do (that is what I think, but he does not apparently). In my infinite wisdom my idea was that he would tinker with it and maybe get it working eventually. I did not think it would be housed in my alternate sewing space, but that it would go out to the garage where he could work on it. When he unloaded it from my friend's car, he proceeded to bring it into the house and plopped it down near my computer.

Since this is the beginning of a new year (even though it is already the 14th of January) I have decided today is the day to get moving on my downsizing goal. I have started with moving that old machine outside. I am not sure where it is going from there, but it is out of my sewing space. I have emailed a picture of it to a friend who repairs machines. If he thinks it is salvageable, I will get it to him. If not, I guess I will take it apart and dispose of it. I have whined and fussed about getting my sewing space in order. I finally decided that no one else is going to do it but me, and I better get started!

There is a Singer treadle machine in the corner that I am going to move out to the front room today. With both of these cabinets out of room, I will have more space to move things around and I can actually see what is in here. I am determined this is the year that I will move my sewing room into this bigger bedroom with the big windows and more wall space.

Happy Quilting

ME Dots Quilts Finished

My Mary Elgelbreit Let's Go Dotty quilt is finished. The quilting was done and I applied the binding on Dec. 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012. I consider this quilt the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, a collaboration of sorts. I have the binding to finish on a mystery quilt (it is half sewn down), then I will have that quilt finished and ready to donate to our Community Quilts group.

Also included in this post is a picture of the TWO blossoms on my Christmas Cactus plant. Each year it will have one or two blossoms. They usually fall off before they open up. This year they have not fallen off and have opened up to become beautiful blossoms. I am so excited. Wanda said I needed to keep them watered, which I have done this last month, and look what transpired! Whoohoo!

I know I always have more energy in January to get things finished. I have lots of drive/energy to finish things in December. I wish I could carry this energy throughout the year. Just think how much sewing I could get done! WOW! It boogles my mind! LOL!

I have a set of friendship blocks that I received in an exchange a few months ago that I want to set together. I have a fabric in the drier that I want to use for this purpose. I hope it is enough fabric. If not, I will add some other piece from my stash.

This morning I was at In Between Stitches Quilt Shop in Livermore for my Saturday Sampler demo. I have been lax concerning this BOM. I now have three blocks to sew together in order to be caught up with the regular monthly schedule. I was sick last month and did not attend. In November I had another activity planned so I also did not attend that month either. Today I picked up my two blocks that were there waiting for me. Every time we arrive home from our trip to Livermore, my husband says I should go right into my sewing room and sew up my new block. He is so on target. If I do things right away, they will get done in a timely manner.

We have beautiful weather today. It is cold, and a bit breezy, but the sun is shining warm and bright. It is very cold in the house. It is actually warmer outside than inside again today. Our temperatures at night are cold, but if the sun shines in the daytime, it warms up nicely. Now is a good time to take a walk.

Happy Quilting