Sewing Goals for May

If you want to join in the Stocking Swap it's not too late!!!  You just have to have everything finished and ready to mail by the first week in December.  This is a good thing since I haven't even started on January's mug and mug rug much less anything else.  I am so far behind!!!  I think I will try to make one thing every week or every two weeks if I am being practical, to try and catch up.  Maybe by July I will be caught up and can continue on with making on item a month.  Let's see, besides January's mug and mug rug, I need to make February's pillow cover for a 14" pillow form, March's - 2 matching pillow cases.  Hmmm, I just made two, but I am not sure I could give them up.  (they are Alexander Henry's men of Halloween.  I also recently made the men of Christmas and blogged a picture of them), I think I will make other ones to give away.  Since I don't know who my box will go to, I am not sure they would appreciate my men pillow cases.  Plus, I want to keep them for myself. LOL  Okay, April's  pin cushion and a set of pins will almost get me there - I will also need to add in May's 4 placemats since tomorrow is the beginning of May.  What happened to April?  What??? We only have 5 weeks of school left?  This is crazy!  Really, can someone tell me where April went?  I think it blew out of here with all the dust and wind we have been experiencing lately.  (58 mph on Sunday and 25 - 30 everyday since.  That doesn't include the gusts!)

The good thing is, I think I have two placemats finished and all I need to do to the other two in that set is to hand stitch the binding.  That one can almost be marked off.  Yea!!  That is all I have to concentrate on for now to catch up in the swap, so I guess this weekend I will crank out the easiest thing for me, pillow cases.  I have a few sets made (not just my men) and I could and may give one of those sets, but I have purchased fabric in the past year just to make into  pillow cases so I need to make at least one set and maybe 4 or 5 sets.  Now I have a sewing goal for this weekend.  Okay, I know, the binding thing - I sewed all my black strips and trimmed them, but they are not pressed or ready to be used yet.  That is another thing that needs to be done this weekend.  One thing at a time, but those are at the top of my to do list.  Do you have a to do list? I am going to have to put several things on mine to keep me focused in my studio or else I will go off on a tangent and make fabric or start a new quilt.  I almost did that tonight and didn't get the binding done.  But I did get it sewn and I also went through a ton of mail and threw away and shredded 2/3 of my stack.  That always feels good.  Do you let junk mail and magazines just pile up?  I usually pick my mail up in the morning on the way to school, sift through it quickly when I get back in the car, pull out and read the personal letters and then put the rest in my school bag.  Then when my bag gets heavy, I take it all out and stack it together.  That is what I went through tonight, one of those stacks.  Solicitations from credit card companies and insurance companies, advertisements from local stores and churches for special services or guest speakers, all those political flyers that the majority of the universe doesn't read (what a waste of money) and last but not least and one of my favorites, coupons from local eateries.   Now, those, most of them, I will use.  Well, not all of them, but at least one or two from each of my favorite places.  I will sometimes take the rest up to school and share with my students. 

Triangle Strings and Quilts from the Quilter

 

I finished my string triangles.  The above picture is of the block top and the below picture is of the quilted, finished pillow cover.  It's about 18 1/2" square.  The one on top is a bit dark since it was really cloudy that night and we were supposed to be getting a bunch of rain.  It didn't happen that night, but it did a couple of nights later.  We still need more and we may be lucky enough to get some this week. 

 

You can see my strip boxes on top of this cabinet.  I have a 1 1/2" box and a 1 3/4" box.  I also have a 2 1/2" box, but it's higher up on this cabinet.  They are all full of strips for future projects.  These triangles didn't come out of those boxes.  I used strings - strips of fabric in an undetermined width.  (that's my definition of strings) I keep my strings in a separate tub. 

 

There are a couple of triangles in there that were cut out with the strips running up and down.  I think they add some fun and character to everything.  They were also too narrow to cut out the other way, but I didn't want all that sewing to go to waste, so I cut the triangle out any way I could.  The border fabric was stuck in the string box, also.  I am not sure if I had intended to cut it up into strips or if I was working on a project and this just happened to get in there.  Either way, it ended up in a string project. : )

 

Last week I got back the quilts that I had sent off to be quilted by Abby at Latimer Lane Quilts.  They are beautiful! 

 

 

The one above is a flannel quilt I made many, many years ago.  It was hanging in my closet with the backing - also flannel - and the binding just waiting to be quilted.  It will be going to my cousin's daughter as a late graduation present once I get the binding and label done.  With the wonderful quilting it now feels like suede!!!!  It is amazing.  I just love touching it.  

 

This one is a pattern I got off of Moda Bake Shop and was designed by Quilt Dad.  It's made with a honeybun and a charm pack (all of the same line).  It's really sweet and girly, but really small. (about 50" square)   I am not sure where this one will end up - I have a couple of ideas - but I really like it even though it's pastel so I may keep it.  The quilting is awesome on this one, as well.  I didn't take a close-up of the quilting.  Sorry



 



This quilt you may recall seeing here on the blog.  It's the Jelly Roll quilt along from the Moose on the Porch blog.  It was a lot of fun and turned out really great.  I can't believe it was in 2010 that I made this top and I hate to say it, but it's one of the newest quilts from this collection of quilts.  I think the pastel one is probably the last one finished because it even has it's own matching bag and I recently started doing that.   

I had originally said I wanted it to be quilted in orange or red or pink, but Abby suggested a pale yellow and it works great.  I just knew I didn't want white thread. The yellow is so pale, that the quilting fades into the background - which is what Abby said it would do. - so, listen to your quilter on things like this. 

These next two were made to show case some fabric I had in my online quilt store.  I still have a bit of some of these fabrics and they are the best feeling batiks that I have ever worked with.  They have an almost suede like texture, but are not flannel or even brushed cotton.  I don't know what they are exactly (other than 100% cotton batik fabric)  They have a completely different feel from the  other commercial batiks you find out there today.  

Yellow Brick Road

 

showcasing the quilting on this quilt.

 

And another section of the quilting on this quilt.

 

Lucky Star

 

the quilting on this quilt. 

 

Those were the first 5 that I have sent off to Abby to quilt, but won't be the last ones.  They were the only ones that had backs already made and ready to go.  I have since finished the back to another late graduation quilt and am working on putting together a second back - yes, to yet another graduation quilt.  I do believe I am behind on giving out 7 graduation quilts to family members - they are the only ones that get them.  I think they all know that I run late on these after seeing the first two great grandchildren get their quilts late.  Maybe I can get caught up on all these quilts - the tops are all made - it's just the backs and getting them quilted that is the problem - now that I have found Abby and her wonderful quilting I hope to get back on track and might just have the quilt finished the next time a family member walks the stage.  (I think I have a couple of years before the next one graduates! It doesn't help when you have 6 graduate in a two year period!!)

 

Scrappy Trip and Strings

I finally completed my scrappy trip around the world quilt.  I am sorry to include a picture of one of my students in this one, I couldn't get it to crop out.  I guess I don't have the right programs to do that on my laptop.  So, just ignore him and the arm of the other student on the other side.  I don't know what the deal is with the two blocks in the second row.  I think they may have been too light or something, but since I didn't put the blocks up on a design wall, but rather just picked them up and sewed them together, I guess that is what I get.  It's kind of interesting and once you get past that, you can see that a few more blocks stand out also.   This was a lot of fun and the majority of the blocks were made while my students were elsewhere taking their state mandated tests.  I probably made half of the blocks at school.  So, I need to come up with a name for this quilt that reflects it's origins. 

 

I think if I do it again, I will make a concentrated effort to make that diagonal line more pronounced.  Instead, I let it be the fabric I liked the most or that stood out the most in that set of 6 fabrics.  So,  it could be a very pale fabric, a bright fabric or a dark one.  Then, I think I would make the two fabrics on either side be a major contrast to the main diagonal fabric.  That would make it stand out even more.  It was a lot of fun, but this quilt is HUGE!!  about 72 X 96.  Okay, not so huge, but still quite a large quilt.  I love seeing all the greens in there along with the pinks and reds.  Fun, fun, fun.  If you haven't tried making a block I highly suggest you make at least one.  The pattern comes from www.quiltville.com and I blogged about making the block way back here.

 

 

I just finished this pillow cover.  This is made from the scraps I received from Chris.  I am working on samples using strips and in the scrap bag were some wonderful strips already cut in various sizes so I just pulled a few out and started sewing them together.  Once I had them sewn up, I had to determine the shortest length and what size I could cut them into squares.  Then I decided I wanted something else, so I sewed on corner triangles.  Well, I sewed one on the wrong corner so I just made those two blocks have double corners so I could get the middle the way I wanted.  With the leftover sewn strips, I cut them into 1 1/2" strips to use around the outside.  I dug through the bag again and found the black and white print and just had enough to go around the outside of my four squares.  However, I wasn't going to have enough of the strips to go all the way around the block so I dug through the bag again and found a large piece in some of the same colors and VOILA!!  I have an almost 16" square (15 3/4" or so) I added some batting and quilted the top in straight line stitching - don't look too close in the center - that was the last little bit I did and I went too fast and it's not straight, but I am not taking it out.  Then, I dug through some of the fabric I took with me to Quilt Con and found enough to use for the backing to make an envelope opening for this pillow.  I can't wait to put a pillow form in there and see what it looks like all "blown-up".  This was a lot of fun and went together really, really fast with very little thinking on my part.  Which makes it so relaxing, I think.  Anyway, now I have one for two - a project from the scrap bag and a strip project for a class on strips I will be teaching in a few weeks.   Now, I need to post this over on 15 minutes Play blog so everyone can see it. 

 



Last Call for Pillow Covers

I don't know about you, but I really hate it when I write a perfectly wonderful blog and then it doesn't save and it won't publish.  I am now, re-writing this same blog posting again.  Okay, it won't be the same at all.  It will have some of the same words in it and it will definitely have the same pictures, but it won't have the same tone or wittiness.  I was quite funny in the first one, but now, I am tired and you won't get to have all the fun jokes and the humor, sorry. 

 blah, blah, blah here is a pillow cover I made, blah, blah, blah. 

the end. 

Not really, I will write a proper posting.   (Ooh, that sounds quite British - proper posting) Of course it's with a very southern Texas Drawl, too. 

Have you been working on your pillow cover for the Stocking Swap this month?  You only have a few more days to get it finished so we can move on to March's project.  Even though I  have already made a couple of pillow covers, I had been wanting to make one with a ruffle or a flange.  So, here is the one I made with a very ruffly, ruffle.  I won these fabrics in a raffle a couple of years ago and the main reason I put my ticket into the bucket was because of these fabrics.  I am always needing lights and never have any on hand.  So, when I saw these fabrics, I put in my ticket and voila!!  I won!  . . . . and I don't really know what to do with them since they are so not my style of fabric.  I thought they would look great in a pillow so I played around making a basic 9 patch and then wonky log cabined with some yellow and blue to get the right size.  The ruffle is with two different fabrics and even though these fabrics would not be my first choice

Pillow Covers and Round Robins

 I made my first pillow cover for the Stocking Swap this weekend and quilted it while watching the Superbowl.  This is my version of a cone flower pillow that I had seen on All People Quilt.  When I first saw that pillow, I loved it, but didn't bookmark it so I had to hunt for the link so I could post it.  However, it stuck in my mind and this is my version.  I think they are both whimsical and I love whimsical things.  I don't know if I will include this in my Stocking Swap or not.  It may have to live here with me. 

my version of a cone flower pillow

The back of the my pillow has a strip of fabric because I didn't have enough fabric - no, that's not the truth - I didn't cut out the fabric the correct way and when I discovered my mistake, then I didn't have enough fabric.  This fabric is definitely directional so I could either add a strip or two or having everyone turn their heads to read the words on this pillow.  You can plainly see what I decided to do.  The strip of fabric is one that I rejected for the leaves because it was too similar to the flower base. 

back of the cone flower pillow

Once the cone flower pillow was done, I got on the computer and started looking for more ideas for pillows so I could reference them here and everyone could have some inspiration from those pillows.  However, I got the inspiration.  I found an owl pillow made by Darci on flicker that I pinned to my pinterest board.  (sorry, I can't find it again to give you the link)  Then, I immediately had to make this pillow.  I don't think I am obsessed with owls, but I sure have made a lot of owlish items here lately.  I LOVE this little pillow!!  He is just adorable.  I haven't really decided if is a boy or girl owl, but since I have mostly boy dogs, things usually get called he more often that she.  I even sometimes tell Fiona what a good boy she is or to go outside and be a good boy.  I am a horrible mother.  Anyway, back to this pillow.  It goes together fast and easy and was a ton of fun.  The "hood" "flap" or whatever you want to call that peaky point on the owls forehead is not attached to the pillow and flips up and down.  That may have to be tacked down later so it will stay in one place. 

I have been a busy, busy bee in the quilting room this past week.  I finished quilting the rest of this quilt.  I like how I quilted the heart centers.  The only thing left to do, is to sew down the label on the back.  It will have to wait until tomorrow night during TV time.  Plus, I really don't have anything else lined up to work on tomorrow night. 

Below is a close-up of one of the hearts.  Thank goodness you can't see any stray pink marking lines from the heart rays.  I think those are on the other end of the quilt. 

My Bee Friends group are starting a wall hanging round robin this month.  So, I made two different blocks and now I can't decide which one I want to use.  I like this one below.  It is very modern using Kona solids - even though the colors are waaay off in this picture.  I drew out the blocks so I could paper piece the corners and center squares.  The star points are free pieced so they aren't even or perfect.  

This cake stand block is what I first thought of for my robin center.  I wanted a 5 inch block, but couldn't find one.  I drew it out on a graph card (I will talk more about these in a future posting) and thought I had everything down perfect.  However, when I sewed it all together I really, really lost my bottom tips.  I took it apart, made the white setting triangles a little larger and sewed it back together - - - and I still don't have my points on the bottom row.  I have thought about starting all over, but I really don't want to do that.  I think I may go with this block anyway because I really, really like it. 

I may get to use both of these blocks if we don't have someone in our Bee Friends to make up the 4th spot in our third group.  I could live with that.  Even though it means that I will be working on two round robins, plus everything else I am doing, but it would be interesting to see what both these blocks inspire in someone else. 

February Stocking Swap

It's February and time for our next item on the swap list, a pillow cover.  This months goal is to make a pillow cover for a 14 inch pillow form.  To tell the truth, I have only made one pillow cover, that I can think of, in my life.  I really messed up on the back part and desperately need to add a button or two to hold it together, but I still love my pillow. 

Wonky Log cabin pillow

After reading through a few blogs about making pillow covers, I have compiled some measurements that will help us to get our pillow cover backs to come together - right now, over me - sorry, the Beatles just snuck in there.  I haven't tried this out yet, that is what I plan on doing today while watching the Superbowl, so I will let you know for sure if these measurements don't work.  The front of the pillow should be cut about 15 inches.  You need to cut two backs 15" X 10" to make an envelope style back.  I don't think that is the right name for the back.  However, I can't come up with any other name off the top of my head.  You know the type of back - the kinds that overlap in the middle of the pillow so you can slide your form easily inside.  I will be posting more about pillow covers for this month, later.  Now, I want to see what I can come up with in my quilt studio.