Sunday, May 29, 2011

Tackling Another UFO


I have been waiting to buy more of the blue I wanted to make the binding for the animal appliqué quilt.  I finally bought it and the binding is now on the quilt.  I hope some child in the hospital will love it.

I have a long list of UFO projects to work on and I have a difficult time deciding which to work on next. I pulled out last year’s Quilt Mavens round robin project.   I’m not sure what the problem is but the fused vehicle wheels just won’t stay on.  I tried repressing and it did not help so now doing machine blanket stitch around each one.  It is not an enjoyable task because it is difficult to manipulate the whole top to go around each wheel.  After I get that done, I will need to sew around each vehicle because some of them are loose also. It would have been easier to machine applique before the border was sewn to the rest of the top.   I am looking for things to add in the wide green areas that will give a youthful neighborhood feeling. I will have a similar problem if I machine applique.  I wonder if hand applique would be easier.  I guess that will depend on what I decide to add.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Postcards

  I finally spent some time making quilted postcards.  I pieced the background from scraps and then free-motion quilted before adding the feature elements.  The applique flower and butterfly are made from scraps with fusible web.  I printed sayings onto fabric and added fusible web to the back.  I love the saying about weeds and wild flowers.  I had a difficult time finding a saying I wanted for the butterfly postcards.


Monday, May 23, 2011

Where Did the Time Go?


I have spent several early mornings working in the yard before it gets too hot.  I have spent a couple of days helping a friend clean out a house.  I did manage to finish quilting the animal appliqué quilt but I need to buy some blue fabric for the binding and I have not done it.  I practiced my free motion stitch control and echoed each animal block and did a wiggle in the alternate triangles.


 I made my granddaughter a requested space suit.  I measured her on my visit at Easter and I took up the sleeve and leg length.  I hope it fits reasonably well enough for her to pretend.   Here it is but I look forward to seeing a photo of her in it.

Waiting at the allergist this morning I made half dozen small yo-yos for some project. Tomorrow is charity sew day so I’ll see what I can get done there. 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Different I Spy


     I have not done any sewing in several days.  I enjoyed a trip to the mountains of NC and a visit with a sister and brother-in-law.  While there I attended her quilt guild meeting.  I showed my brown crumb quilt and some members checked out Bonnie Hunter’s crumb piecing page.   I think I inspired them to have a crumb sew day. 

     Today was GCQ guild day.  It was great to see all the show and tell and especially the show and tell by new members of recent years.  Bonnie finished the binding on the I Spy quilt made by the Shandon Quilt group and passed it on to me to make the label.  It is loosely based on a Judy Martin pattern which is different than many I Spy quilts.  

Now maybe I can get back to quilting on the appliquéd animal quilt.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Crumb UFO Finished

   This evening I finished hand stitching the last of the binding on my brown crumb quilt so that is another UFO finished.  I did not piece the back so did not include the brown words I pieced.  I'm still thinking about whether to applique at least part of it onto the back when I add a label. I enjoy crumb piecing and plan to do more soon.  I have many scraps organized and ready. 

   I added borders to the animal applique comfort quilt and got it sandwiched so I can quilt it next week.  Since I have finished these hand applique blocks, I need to decide and prepare some more hand applique blocks to take with me when I am waiting some place. 

   A couple of others and I paper-pieced Christian symbol blocks and today I added sashing and cornerstones and quilted a small wallhanging that will be a going away gift for an interim associate pastor.  Tomorrow I will take it for another lady to hand stitch the binding and add a label.  

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Finished Comfort Quilt


      One day at a local fabric store I was browsing the clearance fabric which I did not need and I found some adorable duck fabric. It felt like good quality and was a really great price so I bought several years. Then I had to plan a quilt project to use it.  I used the duck fabric for the border.  I found the drawing of the little duck and designed the quilt in EQ. The ducks are fusible and machine applique. Today I finished it.