Hooked on Quilting

So sorry that I've been away. Had some health issues and haven't felt like doing much. It was a harrowing experience and I'm sure no one wants to hear about it. This means that I really need to get going on all these projects that I've started!!! I'd hate to ask my children to have to decide what to do with my "mess." So, I did a quick drawing of the quilting design I am thinking of using. I got this fancy software to make it into a digital design and if it works, I'll be trying to finish my Dino's quilt. Anyway, I'd love some thoughts on the quilting design if you have ideas, I'd love a comment! BTW, those are paw prints and loops, just in case you didn't recognize them as such. I'm going to add a 2014 tab at the top of my blog, but I'm going to try NOT to start something new. Famous last words.

Yikes, it's been, like, forever, since I've done any sewing or anything! I could list all the excuses and number them, but, alas, the truth is that life just simply got in the way as well as the warm weather, house guests, the pool, and therefore, my motivation. Last week, I started the animals from the book, "The Old Lady who Swalled the Fly" for the grandchildren. This is the cat.  I'll start blogging again as I get all my "ducks in a row," again. 

I've been so bad at blogging lately. Trying to do justice to Freshly Piece d, though! WIP Wednesdays!! What I did today is some pillows and pillowcases for the dolls in the family. They are so cute. Did you notice that my ironing board cover is ripping? Left top corner. I've been moving the board around until it's really, really bad before replacing. Not sure I'm going to do the silver stuff again.  These are the doll quilts to go along with the pillows. Just quilting and binding left.  I did get all the daisy badges sewn on the vest, although I forgot to take a pic after they were finished.  Not much has been done on the applique effort. :( I really need to get going on all my projects. Truly, I do. 

Working on the second valance for the Dino's project. I've pieced the "grass" to the "sky" and stuck the T-Rex on there to share what I hope will be cute. I'm going to add "teeth" to his mouth and spots to his back, then add legs. Not sure what else I'll do. Lots of hand applique to get done. Here's the finished valance of the brachiosaurus that I've done. Needs an eye yet. This is my sewing studio window just so I could see how it looked. It's not going to be gathered, but my space is too small. It's just hanging on a rod, not really mounted, but really cute. He's just lumbering along across that window!  The dinosaurs will be facing each other in his own room. Adorable. The quilt, if ever finished, will also be spectacular!! I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced WIP - Wednesdays !!

Here's what I started this morning. I'm following Anina's instructions at That Quilt  and this is how far I've gotten. I've chosen B-9 Tinker Toy for the first of my two blocks for the week. Been doing a ton of re-organizing since I bought those bins. I'm going to try to get some photos or maybe a video when it's clean, neat and tidy!! We'll see how long that takes!!  Appliqueing a thread on two every so often on my Dino's as the day progresses. Trying NOT to get too side-tracked today. LOL I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP - Wednesdays !!

Well, I'm really trying to get my Dear Jane quilt back on track. Just two each week shouldn't be that difficult, right? B10 - Jud's Trophy C-10 - Patriot's Lantern Worked on my Dino for the valance and the bean bags, too. 

Just had to share! Abigail is the reason I was gone amiss for a while! Of course, Jacob and Isabelle were two thirds of the reason for my visit! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sorry, I've been amiss lately, just been so busy doing nothing. LOL Well, not really, I've been watching as many free shows at The Quilt Show because they are free this weekend in celebration of National Quilting Day yesterday. Went to a local quilt show sponsored by the local guild which I'm going to try to attend a meeting this week and see what's going on there.  I purchased a couple of raffle tickets in hopes of winning a quilt or two and to support them. I won some silent auctions while there. Very excited because I got one of those Hang It Dang It quilt hangers. I also got a Christmas quilt kit with fabric. I got a pack of fat quarters with a book to use them. I got a ton of 7" square blocks of fabric that were just bagged from what I suppose was someone stash, but since I don't seem to have a ton of variety, I plopped my name down and won it!! Here's my winnings:

So, I see that a few people have added Bloglovin' as their replacement so I'm going to jump on the bandwagon, too. I'd really gotten it down pat and could read all my blogs quickly and had grouped them and it was all so convenient...starting over is hard. I'm not sure I'm going to stay Bloglovin', but for now... Follow me???

I finished my pillowcases for my two granddaughters!! Linking to Freshly Pieced . More soon. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Gosh, had a great time with my daughter and my grandchildren. Went to Costco and look what I found! Just another way to try to be organized or maybe it's just a bin-fetish I have. I'll post more about my projects in a little while once I'm settled.

Finished building and sewing the baby blocks...just have to stuff and close the opening. Think I'm going to change the bean bags to white with colored letters. Which do you think will help the kids learn their letters better? Going away for a bit to baby sit the grandchildren so I won't be sewing much. I'm just taking a few things with me, but I doubt I'll make any progress. Way too much fun to play with the kids! Keep you updated when I can. 

I've decided to make alphabet bean bags. So I put one together. It's not the finished project, just basted to see how well the muslin bag would fill the finished bean bag. I think I will make the inside bag a bit larger.  Leaders and enders, from Bonnie's Easy Street, Step 4 .  I'll keep working, but thought I'd check in and I've linked up with WIPs at Freshly Pieced . Join me???

Made some progress on a couple of projects today and started, in earnest, a new-ish project. Here's a photo of the prototype alphabet bean bags I wanted to make for each of my children's households which means four sets of the alphabet, extra vowels and extra for each child in the family. I decided that since the kids are small that I'd make inner bags of muslin first, then applique the capital letters on the front and the lower case on the back. I really think my machine applique skills need some work. What do you suggest I do? What stitch would you use? Length, width? I am stabilizing the letter first.  ' Also worked on "Fresh" and am making three blocks for the latest grandchild to toss around. I'm going to stuff it and pink the seams so she can grip it easily. Different ideas?  I am still working on all my projects. Started sewing my Dear Jane BOWs, ironed the fabric for some more pillowcases, worked on the Stop Sign at bit, de...

I really need to blog every day, if I sew! I made a pillowcase for the quilts I made here . This one is for the twin for my granddaughter's birthday next week.  I need to make two more for the queen size, but her birthday isn't until March. I started and finished the diaper stacker to go with the nursery. We daubed the project "Fresh" for the line of fabric we used. It goes with the pillow , photo frames , runners  and quilt . For many reasons, these didn't get finished in a timely fashion.  Here's the second block of the Skillbuilder BOM called Magnum. No hand applique is getting done. Need to correct that today!

As usual, I'm waffling about which fabric to use, what do you think? I bought this pattern, Oakland Bay Sampler by Holly Bullock, from a quilt shop that has since gone out of business due to owner illness. It's a sampler quilt and one of the first quilts I'd tried to choose colors on my own. They just aren't so great so I've let it sit for awhile (read:very long while) in hopes I could one day decide. I'm still color challenged :(  Anyway, this is a king size quilt for my bed and I thought it was about time I finish it. Not sure if you can see it (remember, I'm still in need of a photography lesson), but there's a really soft pink in the two blocks to the right and the darker pink on the left. These are the only three of the 16 I need to do, so do I rip out one block or two blocks? Keep in mind that the 16 blocks are going to be sashed with either the light or the dark pink, so do you think the darker pink would make a better sashing or the l...

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesdays with Freshly Pieced  with my Dear Jane block for this week. It's the A-9 block, Cabin Fever and it's in purple. I'm really trying hard to get at least one block done a week. I think I will even start trimming and sashing them as I go so the job won't be so daunting at the end.  More later tonight. It's snowing and I feel like I should just sew all day, but I've stripped one bedroom and will try to clean it. Then checking out the Internet and watching TV might steal many moments of my time. My bad. 

One of my goals for 2013 was to do a Quilt As You Go type quilt. I joined the Skillbuilder BOM at Pile of Fabric. I worked on Block 1 and have gotten it sandwiched. Watched a bunch of Alyssa's videos in preparation. I practiced on paper and will try a practice piece after I feel I've gotten the hang of it! I realized that I hadn't completely finished the block and found a bunch of this red fabric that I'd bought on the bolt of the last day of the closing day of JoAnn's (relocated).  It's not the best, but I knew I'd have enough fabric for the back and that, hopefully, it won't show my mistakes too badly. I worked a bit on: Dear Jane Baltimore Autumn Baltimore Liberty  Stop Sign Pot Holders (need to get these done soon) That's it! How did you do on your projects?

Well, I've gotten a bunch done on my projects and thought it was time to share. I've finished the next step in the mitts. I cut the patterns and sewed them and turned them so all I have to do is add the binding (which is cut and pressed!). Hopefully, they will be done very soon and I can check off that project! I worked some more on burying the threads in my Stop Sign wall hanging. Need to cut the binding and sew it on and a sleeve to hang it and that will be done! Yippee. Also, got the fabrics identified on my Baltimore Autumn applique quilt. I'm doing a BOM with an applique Yahoo group and we are on Block 2 - Horn of Plenty. Lovely batiks for the cornucopia and I purchased the kit/pattern from Amidon Quiltworks . It's a Pearl P. Pereira design. It's a beautiful project. I love Pearl's patterns and I'm also doing her Baltimore Christmas, Baltimore Halloween and Baltimore Liberty patterns. I made a bunch of Step 4 of Easy Street  - Bonnie Hunter...

It's finally done! I squeezed the pillow form inside that small opening! Can't decide on a method of closing it up - hand or machine. Just not sure I want the stitching to show.  Anyway, thoughts? My daughter designed it to match the nursery. She really wanted bright primary colors. Well, only worked on three projects today. It's been four days since I even touched a few of them. Need to get on them!!

I've joined in with Freshly Pieced on WIP Wednesdays !  Today, it's being hosted by Jenelle at Echinops & Aster.  That wasn't a good thing...now I want to join Jenelle in her Honeycomb Quilt Along !!!  I see she's going to have hexies which is something I'd wanted to try in 2013.  How many more things can I add to me already too long to-do list? <grin> So here's what I've been doing so far today: These are the pot holders and the mitts. I just cross hatched them and will bind the pot holders and the larger pieces will be used for the mitt pattern then I'll sew and bind them. I've been doing a bit of practicing on my new machine and these were just the right size to use! More later...