Wild Goose Chase

Ever since I made this block I have wanted to do a flying geese sampler quilt.  I thought it might be fun to have you join me in my endeavor, if you feel so inclined.  I've made this little button from the block that inspired the whole thing.  You will also find it on my side bar if you would like to put it on your blog.

I spent some time yesterday sketching out classic flying geese blocks and designing a few modern ones to throw in the mix. 

If you want to join me in this Wild Goose Chase pop by every Wednesday for a how to on the block of the week.  I will be showing how to construct it using two methods.  First, my favorite and preferred method using the Nifty Notions rulers demonstrated here.  Next for those of you who may not have these great rulers (and I do recommend them)  I will have another method.

Meet me here next week for the first block.  I'm looking forward to this Wild Goose Chase that should lead us to a beautiful quilt.

Getting Ready

In just over a week I'll be heading out to one of the three retreats I do each year.  I've been thinking and planning what projects I'll be taking along for me weekend of sewing bliss.  In antcipation of maybe starting a few new projects I bought this book by Sarah Fielke, co auther of Material Obsession, of which I also own.

I also had a little shopping spree at Jackie's Canton Village Quilt Works.  I love Jackie's shop.  She has great fabric choices, good prices, and her service is oh so fast.  I was in search of Kona solids for several new projects.  So I bought me some this pretty little stack.

Next step is the necessary evil of quilting; cutting.  

Color My World

I added a little sprakle to my day yesterday by making these fun wonky star blocks for my Sew Bee Wonky group.

Playing in my scraps is one of my favorite past times.  So when my star blocks were done I made these little hearts for my New Bee Group.

Finally I made these bingo blocks that I need for an up coming retreat.  This is a fun quilt guild game.  In the past we have put all the blocks together when we are done and made a charity quilt.  The insturctions for the blocks and game rules are here.

Nothing colors my world like a bin of scraps.

A Little Spring Fever

  While cleaning up in my yard this weekend I noticed my daffodils are pushing up through the ground.  A sure sign that things are warming up and winter is on it's way out.  So even though it tried to snow yesterday, I know spring is on it's way. 
   In my 12 x 12 group on of the words is prarie.  With my spring fever in in the air I decided to create a spring time prarie.  I cut and sewed greens and blues together to form my prarie.  Added an outcropping of trees in the distance and a blue sky overhead. 

I tried my hand at some bobbin drawing.  I think I need to work on my tension.  I learned this method from Lisa Brothman last fall.  I wanted to practice a little more before I put it to use on N's eagle quilt.  Lisa is a great teacher and I enjoyed her class immensely.  If you would like to learn this method along with other machine quilting skills she will be teaching them at Quilt Walk this June.  Look me up if you come.  I'd love to meet you in person.

Star Spangled

Happy President's Day! 

I've been working on my Challenge Quilt for the HQMS show.  Following Victoria's tutorial, I've been cutting out triangles, laying them out to form blocks.

Sewing them together and adding corners

Now I'm playing with the layout. 

What are you up to this fine Monday?  Do you get the day off.  Have some fun projects to work on?  I'd love to hear what you're up to.

Love This Finish

This Valentine's has been so fun.  DD came to me just before Valentine's to ask if it was okay if she had a Valentine.  I wondered what this little girl had in mind.  I asked her.  So what will you be doing with your Valentine?  She wasn't quite sure,  just be Valentines. The innocence brought a smile to my face.  Then she told me that two boys had asked to be her Valentine.  That she didn't want to hurt either ones feelings so she said yes to both.  She then went about making special Valentines for these two boys.  I told her not to take them to school because it might hurt others feeling that they didn't get a special Valentine too.  She came home from school and said that Nathaniel wasn't  going to be her Valentine any more because Cason was also her Valentine.  (so hard not to laugh here)  Then when Cason came to deliver his Valentine, DD hurried to grab his Valentine.  Then after he left she realized she may have given him Nathaniel's.  She rushed to look at the other special Valentine, so relieved that she had not mixed it up.  I then had to laugh and tease her about the trouble of juggling more than one guy.   

In the mist of all this romance I was able to finish quilting and binding on my Crazy Love quilt.  It is now hung on my wall above my stairs.  Not quite in time for Valentines but close.  I'm linking up with Sarah for her Whoop Whoop.  Make sure you hop on over and see what others have to celebrate.

Moving things along

I've been flitting from one project to the next lately but I am moving things along.  Take for instance this little quilt that has been hanging patiently on the clothes line in my sewing room waiting on a border.  I just couldn't settle on one.  Well this cute little stripe emerged from one of my other projects.  The white background with bright strips was the perfect combo and I had just enough for a small border and binding.  The borders on and soon I'm hoping to have it quilted and bond. 

Then I pulled out my bin of green scraps and made some scrappy backgrounds for my test blocks.  I really like how they turned out. I think they may find a home in my improve flower quilt, for which I've decided to listen to Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribbean and use the rules of quilting more like guidelines.  I'm excited to see where that path leads.

Finally I've started a challenge quilt for the HQMS show in May.  I sent in my money and my challenge fabric has arrived.  I've been toying with ideas but finally decided on this great block by Victoria.  The tutorial can be found here.

What fun projects are you moving along in your sewing?  Let me know.  I'd love to hear about them.

This is Only A Test

It has been established that in my sewing room I have ADD.  And this weekend was just another example of it.  I know I said I would be starting a wonky liberated flower quilt.  But another idea came to me this weekend.  It involved Dresden plates, which are like flowers.  Because I had not made these Dresden plates before and none of my wedge rulers would create a plate with the number of petals I wanted I decided a test was in order.  So before cutting into the pretty new line I have chosen for this new quilt I decided a couple of test blocks were in order.  So watched a couple youtube videos on making Dresden plates, did a little math, pulled out the two most overflowing scrap bins and began to play.  Here is what I came up with. 

The one above works just right for what I want to do.  The one below  is 1/2" to big and will not fit in the block size I was thinking of.  So a little more testing is in order. 

And since they are test blocks and not intended for any particular quilt, they just might make it in my wonky liberated flower quilt.  Maybe my ADD is not as bad as I originally though.

A Little Inspiration

Now that my Dream when Your Feeling ... and Crazy Love are nearing completion.  It's time to start thinking of a new liberated wonky quilt to make.  With winter almost over and spring in the air I've decided to make a springy flower quilt.  So I decided to peruse Flickr for some ideas.  Here is what I found...

by Mihaela

by gcl1964

by Felicity

by Helen

by Colimachia

Aren't they great!  Don't they sing spring?  And inspire you to make something flowery?  Well they sure do me.  I can barely wait to start this quilt.

Grrrrrr!!!!

Yesterday was a not so good day in my sewing room.  I know life can't be all sunshine and roses even in my sewing room, but wouldn't that be nice.  So after having so much love making with Crazy Love I guess a disaster was bond to happen and it did.  I had sandwiched the quilt I showed you a sneak peak of here.  Sorry I still can't show it.  I was ready to start quilting and immediately my thread kept breaking.  Grrr!  I finally got that problem fixed and thought I was going along just fine.  I had to leave for an appointment with a friend and when I came back I noticed that some of my stitches were loose.  I looked on the back and GRRRRR!!!  The tension was all off.  I had loops and all kinds of mess going on back there.  I didn't take a picture of that.  Don't want to be reminded of that mess.  So I grabbed my seam ripper and did a ton of reverse sewing.  Here is a nice pile of some of the tread I picked out. 

When the mess was taken care of I re threaded my machine and started over again.  Now that is much better.

Crazy Love

I received three more blocks on Friday.  I'm not aware of anymore coming so I decided it was time to finish up my Crazy Love Quilt.  It has been so much fun working on this quilt.  I must admit liberated piecing is one of my favorite things to do in quilting.  I love the freedom, playing with my scraps, and the creativity that goes into making all the pieces fit.  I had to show off this sweet little block I received from Kellie.  A prefect match for Crazy Love.  I must admit it is one of my favorite blocks.

I made a bunch of tiny

wonky

hearts

to fill in and make everything fit.

Now Crazy Love is a top.

Now to get some batting a backing and make this into a quilt.

A Little ADD in the Sewing Room

When it comes to sewing I believe I have a severe case of ADD, as manifest by the many projects I have going at one time.  Take for example right now.  I have my Free For All project that I'm using for my leaders and enders.  If you are interested in making one of your own you can find the tute here just scroll down until you find it.

I have also started another 12"x12".  The word for this one is prairie.

And here is a sneak peek of another project in the works.  Sorry I can't show you more.

And that is just what I've been working on this week.  It does not enclude the many projects in varying stages around the rest of my sewing room.  What fun projects are you currently working on?  Are you as easily distracted in your sewing area?  Please tell me I'm not alone.

Twofer

At the last Happy Chemo Sew In I put these blocks together.  I ran out of the light blue fabric before I ran out of blocks so I used some Kona grey to make borders and use up the remaining 4 blocks. 

I didn't have enough black to do the whole black but my black scrap bin was full to overflowing.  So I used the black piece I had and started bordering it with bits from the scrap bin.  That zinger in there is from the pack of prints I used for the four patches on the front.  It wasn't a bright so I left it out of the front.  I'm wondering if I should have left it off the back also.  But it's there now and I'm giving this twofer quilt to my friend to finish. 

And then on to Ginger to give to someone who needs a little comfort.