Moda love.....

Fabric is a lot like music for me.  I like ALL music.  I can listen to just about any type of music and usually enjoy it, and can even find something redeeming in music I don't really like.  Generally I have a few favorite songs that I go back to time and time again. 
Moda is my true favorite.  I like many different types of fabric, and use many different manufactures, but I always go back to Moda. 
This is Portobello Market by 3 Sisters, for Moda.  I've been saving it for awhile now.  The dark red piece arrived in the mail today but it is by French General..  I think it was the exact color this group needed  to set it apart..  I'm still working on the perfect pattern for these beautiful fabrics.  I also received a small cut of the cutest whimsical paper doll print by Windham.  There was only 1/2 yard available, and I'm thinking the scraps from the Portobello Market quilt will be saved to use with this print to make a Christmas table runner or tree skirt. 

I do like these cute paper doll prints, and have a hard time resisting them.  Recently I saw a listing on ebay for some vintage Daisy Kingdom paper doll fabric and it was listed for $16  for a fat quarter!  Unreal!  This seller had all the pastel colors and they were as cute as ever.  I was a bit tempted, as I had used mine years ago for little girl dresses.  I thought to myself, "just one, for memories sake" -- to put into a quilt for that now grown little girl.  I resisted, as hard as it was.  I don't need to stock up on unnecessary paper doll fabric at that price.  Besides, I think my sister still has some in her stash!                                               
I made this small 9 patch awhile back and quilted it diagonally.  But, I was never happy with it.  The white spaces looked empty.  This morning I woke up with an idea to add some fancy stitches with contrasting thread in those spaces.  So... I did. I'm still not sure about it, but it's done.  I'll get the binding on it, wash it up and see how it looks with the soft crinkles that a freshly washed quilt has.   

Abby Rose

I also woke up with this little kitty friend of mine.  I don't generally like black cats, but have made an exception for Abby.  She is the sweetest kitty I've ever had.  She is about four years old now and has been fixed a long time.  Every morning I wake up with Abby beside me, cuddling my hand, licking my hand and fingers like she would give a bath to a kitten.  I think she wants a baby.   My husband doesn't seem to share my idea to find a kitten for Abby.   Maybe she would mother a tiny puppy?  He might go for a puppy!  But would she?  

 

Basting days and Mondays.... almost as bad as rainy days.

Yes, I had to baste today.  Basting is the most dreaded part of quilting for me.  Someday, I may breakdown and buy a quilting system, but until then, it's safety pins...a lot of them.

I did buy some new curved 1 1/2" pins.  Amazing the difference new ones can make.  They are actually sharp!  I do like the curved vs. straight ones.  They seem to make the job go faster.

I still have one more quilt to get basted tonight, but not sure I'll make it.  It is rather tempting to start quilting on this
.

I thought I'd show you how I baste.  I have two rather large tables that are used to lay the quilt out on.  Usually I spread the bottom out first, and attach it to the table with the big black binder clips.  They do a real nice job holding everything tight.  Then I spread the batting out and clip everything tight.  Last the top goes on, and the I clip the edges down again, making sure all layers stay nice and smooth.  The worst thing in my world is when I finish basting and take the quilt up to find a big wrinkle, a fabric fold, or some crooked area that looks awful.  It's enough to make me pull my hair out -- and I have a lot of hair!

A productive weekend

 Wild color...  I had to figure out a way to contain all those bright prints.  I'm not sure I succeeded.  The pattern turned out perfect down to the 1/4", and that is always nice.  I still need to write down all the measurements before they slip my mind. 

Plans for this week are to baste and quilt the six tops that are hanging behind the one shown.  My design wall has become the quilt top storage system.  It does work great to keep quilts from wrinkling before they get basted.

It's 3:30 am here, so hopefully I can sleep a few hours before getting back to the sewing room.  I almost hate to quit when I'm on a roll!

Crazy Stars

Just put the last few hand stitches into this little quilt.  It's made from some hand dyed fabric.  I love the soft variations in the fabric.  One more down....  I'm afraid to count how many more tops need finishing!

What to do with a Jelly Roll? No, don't eat it!!

I have been going a little bit nuts trying to decide what to do with my Soul Blossom jelly roll (By Amy Butler).  I decided to just make log cabin blocks, and got the first round made, then while ironing them and thinking about those mitered squares I just finished, had an idea!!  What if I added triangles to the corners?  Well the above blocks are what resulted.  I placed 2 1/2" squares over opposite corners of the log cabin blocks and drew a stitching line from corner to corner, and got these blocks.  When joined together there will be little solid colored triangles meeting all over the quilt.  I think it will give all those wonderful prints a nice showcase, and the solids will give the eye a place to rest and take it all in.  I don't know if this is a block that's been made before, I can't imagine it hasn't.  It's just too easy.  I will be making these all weekend.

The great part is I only used 2 jelly roll strips and a few 2 1/2" squares to make the four blocks.  There isn't much waste at all.  The little triangle parts that are usually cut off can be sewn together easily after sewing the first seam, and then cut between the two seams.  Then you get four 1/2 square triangle blocks also.  No waste at all! 

A crochet break

I

I learned to crochet when I was about 8 years old.  It's something I do when watching the news or a movie.  Recently though, crocheting is popular again.  There are some great blogs being written by those who also crochet.  One of my favorite is http://byelizabethcat.blogspot.com/.  Her blog is amazing, as well as her crochet.  She gave a pattern for these little flowers.  I'm using New Zealand DK wool yarn.  I'm not sure where this project will go, but making these little flowers are very addictive.  There are also many books out there that give patterns for different little motifs.  I hit the jackpot at my local library, they had dozens of crochet books.   

New Solids!

These lovely solids arrived in my mailbox today.  I found them over on Etsy -- my favorite place to shop.  I discovered a new shop,  The Tin Thimble, and just love their fabric.  These are Amy Butler solids in Coral and Slate.  I know they don't look like much by themselves, but add them to Soul Blossoms or other solids and ....  wow!   Nice things can happen. 

 I stayed up late last night and got the boarder on the Attic Window quilt --over to the right.  I'm still not sure about the whole thing.

Well, it's TGIF!  A whole weekend of possibilities....
I'm sure I will be sewing.  But...  a very nice man told me that there is a chance my bathroom remodel may get done this weekend.  There is always hope.  :)
 I have dreams of a long hot bath that isn't in a construction zone.  Bubbles....  

My Helper

This is my kitty, Moochie.  He showed up on my doorstep with his momma, one day when he was a little kitten.  For several months he and his family ate dinner at my house.  They were all very wild, but learned to come when I whistled.  Soon, they were comfortable enough for me to sit on the back step while they ate.  My goal was to catch them all long enough to have them fixed.  One evening, while they were eating, I just reached down and picked up Moochie, and wrapped him in a towel I had in my lap.  He never knew what happened.  I took him inside and he lived 3 days in a carrier, while he became used to me.  He went to the vet,  got checked out and all fixed up.  He earned his name by always looking to mooch a little tidbit.  He is a big baby and very sweet.

Moochie has learned to play fetch like a dog.  He LOVES the pull tabs from milk jugs.  He will go find one when I say "toy", then bring it for me to throw for the next 20 minutes or so.  Each time he brings it back and drops it in my lap, by my feet, or in the middle of my work.   He wants to do this ALL day and half the night.  It is really very cute.

 

So, what does all this have to do with quilting?  Not much, but he is one big distraction to my work.  I have a hard time resisting him.  He isn't suppose to be in my sewing area either.  But we all know how well that works out.  . 

What I've been doing....

Hello, from the once again freezing midwest!  Yes, the weatherman is predicting snow for Sunday.  Insane!  It's nearly April!  I pulled my sweaters back out today.  I suppose staying inside and sewing isn't too bad of an option.  I've been working on the blocks above.  I'm not sure I like them, so I've chosen to stop here.  It should be large enough for a baby quilt once the boarders are on.  If you have trouble making mitered corners, this is the practice block for you.  There is no speed piecing here.  I made each block one at a time and it's been steady work since last evening to get to this point.  The mailman did brighten my day by dropping this into my mail box:

These are a few half yard cuts I picked up in a great shop, Mimis, over on Etsy.  They are from Amy Butler's Love line.  I love the fabric Mimis carries and how they sell 1/2 yard cuts in groups that look great together.  I will most likely add these to the quilt I'm planning with the Soul Blossom fabric.  I just need to decide on a pattern.  so.... ttfn, back to the sewing machine.

New Fabric!

These lovely fabrics arrived in  my mailbox today!  Most of the prints are Amy Butler Soul Blossoms line.  The solids are Kona cottons selected to go with the Soul Blossom prints.  Now I just need to narrow my pattern choices.  So many ways to use these fabrics. 

I made this quilt many years ago...  like 15?  Wow...  long time ago.  I remember watching my kids playing outside and working on this quilt.  It is machine pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted.  I am giving this quilt to my now grown-up son to hang in his house. 

I haven't posted for awhile as I've been under the weather.  All I've managed is sitting in my chair, watching movies and crocheting!  I had a baggie full of cotton yarn scraps and made all these wash cloths. On the right is the full size pattern which is really a potholder pattern.  I've found all sorts of uses for these little wash cloths.  What I really enjoy from this is making something very useful out of old scraps that most people would throw out! 
Back to the sewing room for me!  I have a new shelving unit and need to reorganize my fabric.  Pictures to follow -- hopefully! ttfn

Flowers all in a row

 

This quilt was waiting for a hanging sleeve for a VERY long time, so finally did that today.  I found these hand pieced flower garden blocks years ago in Texas.  They are hand stitched, and very irregular in size.  I loved the colors and patterns in the old sack cloth they are made from, but didn't want to deal with making them fit together with a "path".  I ended up hand sewing them to squares and piecing them together.  I am fairly happy with the results and glad the old blocks are preserved.  I like how it looks in my guest room, which is a bit on the girly side.

I'm off to do some machine quilting while listening to an audio book.  It's amazing how many books one can "read" while doing handwork!  

Pillow made with old hankie and knitted doily.