Work in progress

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. I had an amazing dinner on the 15th since the 14th including taking girl 1 to gymnastics class. It was nice getting out of the house and J and I having a little time to relax.

I really had a plan last weekend to get some sewing done. It was a great plan but never happened. I started playing donkey kong country returns and wasted a very nice sewing day. Kids had a blast playing though, which was nice since they have all been sick. Fevers max out at about 103 with girl 1 getting it the worse, little man was second and girl 2 is just starting her turn. It's been a long week plus but I think (hope) we are getting over this round.

The weekend before I did get some nice work done on the girls quilts. Little man's should be quite quick so the girl's quilts needed a head start.

Girl 2's blocks (purple is her favorite color)

More blocks!

Some more blocks ready!  

Now looking at the blocks with some stashing fabric choices.

Girl 1's blocks (pink is her favorite color)

 

 These four patch blocks have been fun to put together.  It was my first time doing four patches and I must say they are quite easy and make a great beginners block.  My sister even got in on this project and sewed the purple four patches!  I'm not sure I'm a good teacher but I think a bit of the quilting bug has entered her.

Don't forget tomorrow is Friday Night Sew In.  I plan to work more on these quilts, do my Feb. block of the month and I'm also hoping to make some more 1/2 square triangles for another exchange!  We'll see how work goes and then how the kids and I feel.  I know I'll at least get some of that done, not quite sure I'll be able to get it all done. 

Feb. 18th is the next FNSI

I'm super excited!  It is almost time for the next Friday Night Sew In.  I only got to sew for one or two hours last time but still got quite a bit done.  I can't wait for the 18th to come!

Fuses and amuses

2010 was a slow year for quilting.  I had one workshop in April I believe.  While attending that workshop the lady next me on my left mentions that attendance has been down for the workshops recently.  Since the 60 degree diamond one I had certainly notices this.  The October 2009 workshop was great but the quilt show was that same month so I'm sure not many were wanting a new project to begin while trying so hard to finish their show quilts.  Topsy turvy nine patch attendance was down as well.  It was a great workshop and I love my quilt but I'm sure it's not a quilt everyone loves.  This lady goes on to mention so has taken off work for the August workshop, she is going to both the Friday and Saturday ones.  She is just so excited for Laura Wasilowski to come!  Wait a second, I think.  I know that name, I had just watched her on The Quilt Show !  And, she was so much fun.

That was it I got home and sent an email out to see if the workshop was full.  It wasn't and before it did fill up I wanted a spot.  It didn't matter what the class was about.  Well it turns out the class was Stitch after Fusing.  Oh no, I know nothing about hand embroidery.  I mentioned this to T. and she says it's not really something she knows much about but J. is the go to girl on this.  I get a hold of J. and ask her if she would mind teaching me a few things so I don't go to class and look like a complete fool.  She agrees and one day I go to her house and have a great lesson and end up with love of hand embroidery.

I get to the workshop without any problems.  They start passes out the kits for class and we get to work with Laura's fabulous hand dyed fabric.  She was an amazing teacher and quite the artists.  I was fun to see what everyone could make using the exact same kit.  My quilt looks a lot like the sample quilt.  I don't what to say but I did and still do love that design.  It was such a fun day and I am so glad I found out about it when I did because after her guild lecture that class filled up.  Here is a look at my version of Laura's wonderful quilt.

Happy Quilting
CDC

Back to the past

During January I took all of you through the start of my quilting.  That covered 2008 and 2009.  Overall I was quite happy with my progress.  I went from very little sewing experience, I believe I sewed some placements in 2nd grade, to feeling pretty comfortable with the sewing machine.

2010 started with quite a few changes around the house.  In February my sewing room turned into a storage room and then into a guest bedroom.  Quilting slowed down from quite a hurried pace toward the end of 2009 to barely any.  November 2009 I signed up for a couple of guild workshops. March 2010 was the first.  It was Topsy Turvy Nine Patch by Judy Laquidara.  I had fun picking out the fabrics for this one.  It had been awhile since I had been to Quilt Quarters and had fun going through  the batiks.  I really saw the "curves" as water so I wanted some sorta blue color.  For the nine patches I thought a gold/orange would be great.  It didn't take too long to pick out some great ones.

Before class we had some work to do including getting the nine patches all done.  This was crazy for me I was still not great at sewing quickly so I got to work.  The workshop was on Saturday so I went to Friday Night Finishers and sewed as quick as I could.  By the end of Friday night I had them all done and was feeling great.

Saturday morning I headed out for the workshop.  I had been to workshops here twice before so I knew exactly which room I thought I needed to go.  Get to that room, the one the website said to go to, and it is black and no tables set up.  Okay I knew I was a little bit early but really this made no sense.  I start asking around if anyone know where the quilt guild workshop is being held and no one knows anything about it.  I run into another lady looking for the workshop as well.  It was about 20 minutes before one lady at the church thinks maybe they are on the other side of the building.  That is it we are both about 5 minutes late.  I hate showing up to really anything late but esp. workshops.  The class is just starting so I didn't miss too much.  It doesn't take long to find out not only should we have made all the nine patches but also cut all the other fabric.  So not only was I late but I also didn't do all my homework.  This was an awful start.  While others being sewing I start cutting then as quick as I could I got to sewing.  It didn't take too long for me to settle back in.  Judy was great and didn't seem too bothered with me.  She showed us the good and the "bad" in her award winning quilts.  She was nice and really after this workshop is when I started thinking about starting a blog myself.

 
That is the top, it still needs a border.  I hope really soon to decide on the border or maybe just not put a border on.  I really love the way it moves from light to dark even though I only used 5 or 6 fabrics.  I really like how the orange pops against the blue and I think the "curves" really turned out nice.  The lay out was helped by really everyone at Friday night finishers but especially T. and J.  with J. coming in and moving a few pieces around and really letting the transition from light to dark really work.

These are fabrics  I have picked out for the back.  They are Robert Kauffman the gallery basics collection.
Overall this is another quilt I really love.  And, was my first quilt with half square triangles and well other triangles!  Still learning lots of course.

Happy Quilting 

CDC 

Icemare 2011

February started with a slick start.  Due to the weather work was closed today.  Once I found out about it yesterday, just after the storm started,  I got thinking and decided it would be a great day to sew.  Then as I thought more about it the girls would be here with school canceled as well, why not teach them to sew.  The girls are ages 3 and 5.  The girl age 5 has spent a little time at the sewing machine but only to play never with a full project to do.  Since mug rugs are so trendy right now and quite a nice size I thought that's what we'll do.  I found many fabulous tutorials online.  Shortly after breakfast we got to work.

I started with the oldest girl since she did have some experience.  I laid out about 20 fabrics and told her to pick her 5 favorites.  She did it quite quickly.  Then we moved on to a border fabric.  I spent a little time explaining what a border was and she picked out a pink fabric, not at all a surprise since pink is her favorite.  And, last but not least, she picked out fabric for the back.  I cut the 5 favorites into 4 1/2 by anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 strips.  She did get a little impatient  while I cut, she was definitely excited to get going.  She was just tall enough to reach the foot peddle and the machine.  She did a great job and really seemed to enjoy it.

Up next was the girl age 3.  This would be her first time at the sewing machine.  In just a few months she'll turn 4 and I thought why not give it a try.  I gave her mainly the same choices throwing in a few extra hoping it wouldn't look just like her older sisters.  I should have known she would want more purple, since that is her favorite.  She quickly picked out her five then moved on to the border and the back.  Her sister picked hers out pretty quickly but this one picked them out very quickly.  As I cut her fabric she was a bit impatient as well but not quite like the older one.  I laid out the strips and asked her what she thought.  She loved them unlike her sister who took her time and changed the lay out all around.  We went over to the sewing machine and she had to sit on my lap to reach the machine so there was no chance she would reach the foot peddle.  I certainly wasn't expecting her to anyway.  She also seemed to love it.

Now them both together and then pictures with the girls showing them off both the front and back sides.

A fun day was had by all three of us.  I certainly think they are ready to get back to the sewing machine soon.

Happy Quilting

CDC