Design Wall Monday 6/18/12

Many things to share with you.  My design wall holds the beginning, middle, but no ends of several projects.

Block #2 of the Beginners Quilt A-Long

After putting the two blocks next to each other, I think I'll remake #1.  I don't like the fabric choice.

Finished two Scrappy Dresdens.  Its a first time for me and they are a kick!

Not sure what color to for the centers.

The weekend was also filled with exciting events. Another wildfire and the flight path of the slurry planes and helicopters goes right past the house. They have been working on this fire since last week and it is only 15% contained.

Have a wonderful week!
Sew Happy to Share,

Design Wall Monday 6/11/12

Hope you all had a sew terrific weekend.  I was able to work a bit but didn’t have great amounts of time to really sit and sew away.  Oh well, it doesn't matter, I’ll cease any chance I can to either work on the Beginners’ Quilt-Along block, appliqué or the Bunny Hill ScrappyPlate Quilt.  Here is the first block. A 4" nine patch. I had to do some 'do-overs'. Couldn't get my corners to line up.

Had some time and cut the blades for the Bunny Hill Scrappy Plate.  Working with the pattern and tutorial over at Bunny Hill.

Recieved the first professional wedding picture of Kim and Bob.  They loved the framed wedding quilt.  Bob said having it on the wall gives him comfort to know he will never miss an anniversary.

 And the two families that were united by their marriage.... SO SWEET!

Check out Judy’s Patchwork Times to see many others design walls.  Oh, and it’s not too late to start on the Beginners’ Quilt-Along, even if you aren’t a beginner.

Sew Happy to Share,

Design Wall Monday 6/4/12

Block #4 ready for sewing.  The flowers haven't been glue tacked  (hence the pins) because the thread gets caught up in all the loose petals.  The stems are sewn first then leaves and then the flowers.  Block #5 is on the cutting out board. I love how each block takes on its own personality when selecting which fabrics to use.  It will be interesting to see how Block #5 evolves.

Head over to Judy's and see what others have showing on their wall.
Until later....
Sew Happy to Share,

Wedding Weekend

The wedding is Saturday and I am so pleased with the framing. However, taking a picture with my little camera and looking at the quilt through anti-glare glass doesn't do it justice. The matting is dark green with a second of burgundy. The frame has dark burgundy with the sweetest beaded border. 

Hope everyone has a safe weekend.
Sew Happy to Share,

Design Wall Monday 5/21/12

Last Wednesday I finished the wedding gift for my daughter's wedding this Saturday.   Got it to the framer, and was told he could have it ready before Thursday.  He is amazing and together we picked out the most amazing molding and a double mat.  I'll be posting pictures of the finished work. 

I did start making the applique pieces for block four of Florabunda, but nothing to show.  The quilt was on hold while I make the wedding applique. 

If you want to know the story behind the hearts take a look at my Applique Thursday post. 

Also, bounce over to Judy's and see all of the other posts to Design Wall Monday.
Sew Happy to Share,

Applique Thursday- Wedding Gift

A first for this ‘closet quilter’
Our daughter is marrying a wonderful man, bringing to the marriage, each, two children.  I was told that during the wedding ceremony they will be pinning each child with a special heart pin.
(Sidebar) Both Kim and Bob have built their relationship on Biblical principles with God as their foundation.  The pin, with the smaller hearts interlaced together by the center heart (their children) each outer heart represents them. Yet all hearts are held together by the larger heart representing God.  It is with this foundation they know their commitment to each other will remain strong.

The first challenge was finding a picture of THE pin she described. Then how to convey what I had in mind and put it on fabric?

I drew a sketch.

Put it to scale, created my appliqué pieces, since that's what I love doing, and  'wow I was on a roll!'  STOP!!! Let's get real... think it through before jumping in. I needed to ask some very important questions: Was I going to quilt it before or after I did the applique?  Do I embroider before or after quilting?  I decided to embroider the names first with hopes I could successfully quilt around them. 

 

I then created the appliqué banner and embroidered the name Adams putting it to the side to applique after quilting.  When it was time to applique the banner I realized it looked plain with no depth or definition. With a little more embroidery work, now it looks like a ribbon banner.

 My FIRST attempt at machine quilting. I drew swirls using a Piolt Frixion pen (amazing, it disappears with a little iron heat). It wasn't necessary to draw them over the entire piece.  Just enough to follow until my confidence grew.

The interlacing of the hearts was tricky for me but I think they came out ok.  At first, I was going to use different fabrics so the hearts would be distinctive from each other.  However, when I laid them together the difference in color didn’t flow making my eyes bounce all over the place.  Certainly not giving the message of ‘unity’ of the families. Thus the reason the hearts are all the same color.

Of course doing the applique was enjoyed the most.

I will be framing the finished piece, hopefully completed in time for the wedding next week.

Take a look at A Quilting Reader's Garden on Applique Thursday.
Sew Happy to share,

Design Wall Monday 5/7/12

Good morning... And what a wonderful morning it truly is!!
Block 3 is nearly finished, have only the center circle to sew. This was interesting and a lengthy challenge with so many points on flower petals and leaves. I also realize I need to cut my stems on the bias.  Note the little puckers in the stem curves, kind of like an old wash boarded dirt road.

Check out what everyone is creating on Judy’s blog at Patchwork Times.
Until next post......
Stay Sew Happy!

Design Wall Monday 4/16/12

Appliquéing frenzy!

Finished block 1

Stems and leaves sewn down on block 2 except for one little leaf.  Had it down but the final point started feying and it just wasn't good enough.  Off it came and another one was made to takes it's place.  I'm working on the flowers next. 

Have most of the pieces, for block 3, are ready so I can jump right into it when the flowers are down on block 2.

I want to thank those of you who commented on the previous posts.  Many of you have made the Florabunda quilt and have shared some important insight.

Sew happy this week and check out what's happening over at Judy's this Monday.

Design Wall Monday 4/9/12

"Spring has Sprung....The Grass has Rizz....I wonder where the Flowers is?..."

Ouch, such poor English!  My highschool English teacher is probably rolling over in her grave.  However silly it may be, my Mom loved to say things like this to make us smile.  So it's only appropiate to use her little ditty to show off  my completed center block, Miss Hannah. 

It's full of Spring flowers and does put a smile on my face.

Now onto Block 1 of Erin Russek’s Florabunda quilt pattern.  The leaves and stems are sewn down as well as the first flower, three more to go. There are three yellow balls to place over each flower.  So cute!

When Block 1 is complete the pieces for Block 2 are nearly finished. With only the blue center circles left, the running stitch is in place and ready to pull tight around the circle template.

Check in and see what others are doing on Judy’s PatchworkTimes with their Design Wall Monday.

Make it a Sew Special Week!
Hugs 'n Loves,

Design Wall Monday

My design wall contains a continuation of what I've been working on, it seems, forever.  However, this past week I've made great strides with appliquéing Miss Hannah.  Yeah, I’m down to three leaves then onto the final flowers. 

 How could we do it  without the ‘tools of the trade’??? I don’t know what I would do! Probably go blind with very sore fingers.  My newest purchase was the desktop needle threader by Clover. OMG it has saved me time and eye strain.  Working with silk thread is wonderful but it has a tendency to fall out of the needle’s eye.  The little gadget pops it right back through the eye and on I go.

Other handy tools are the sticky thimbles.  The metal cap saves my ‘under finger’ and the leather tab saves my sewing finger. Oh, and a little tip that I use.... you know those tiny hair ties, well I put them around my thread to keep the silk from unwinding in my basket.

Please go over to Judy's Patchwork Times and check out what everyone else is up to.

Great times sewing to you all.
Hugs and Smooches,

Design Wall Monday

When I made the commitment, to myself, to participate with the JustTakes2 quilt, I had no idea what an exciting journey this would be.  

As my blog title implies, this is the journal of a Closet Quilter.  A title I still claim. 

Journal Entry 3-19-2012..."I know why I’m concealing my identity as a ‘quilter’ and continue to remain ‘in the closet’...I don’t know what I’m doing!!" 

In a previous post I mentioned having to make each of these units twice.  Ripping out seams, picking threads and often having to re-cut and start over. 

Well, nothing has changed but the learning experience has been wonderful.  I am having to learn quilting terminology, techniques and skills in order to move on to each new block/unit.  The JustTakes2 blocks are given twice a month and often multiple units are released.  I've compled Block 6 of 24 and yes, I'm really behind but that's ok.  I will continue on! 

Now you know why I'm still a 'Closet Quilter' :)

Thank you for visiting my blog. 
Be sure and pop over to PatchworkTimes and see what others are doing.
Happy sewing.

Oh! The Memories

Have been away from my wonderful Bernina lately.  I have set up our little camp trailer as my sewing room, when away from the real sewing room.  It's located on some land we have, only an hour from home.  My husband likes to 'get away' so we head there to enjoy the mountains and do some fishing.  However,  I don't like having to package up the Bernina to take it with me so I’ve improvised by breaking out my 1960’s Singer Featherweight. 

When I’m sewing with it, wow do the memories return! This was my high school graduation gift from my parents.  I sewed all my clothes through college (what short time I was there) and as well as my babies clothes for years.  I actually have two Featherweights now that my mother left me hers.  They are wonderful machines with wonderful memories.

Baked Bread- Yum Yum

Bread machines are wonderful and they make us look wonderful.  I love making, effortless bread.  It's the Cuisinart bread maker that is the helper in the kitchen that truly does all the work. 

It takes less than 10 minutes of prep time to place the ingredients into the pan and push a button. When the machine beeps 6 times I know the bread dough is ready to pull out, shape into the bread pans and set in a warm place to rise.

An hour later they have doubled in size then into the oven for 30 to 35 minutes to bake.

OMG the fragrance of freshly baked bread fills the house. 

Ah, modern conveniences are so grand!

Make it a great day.

New Start

After seeing Erin Russek's Dresden Plates I was so inspired and willing to give it a try. She always makes things look so simple and I always love the colors she uses.

However, I suppose this would be the right time to confess my extreme weakness when I see the word "sale". Especially when it points to a fabric sale.  I happened to stumble onto the Fort Worth Fabric Studio website and there it was, practically blinking at me, SALE. 

I couldn't resist and within a few days my order arrived.  I love opening boxes like this, don't you?

I'm heading to the laundry room to pre-wash, yes, I am a pre-wash believer :) Would hate to see all of those reds run into my blues, wouldn't you?

Then the learning curve begins and the attempt to make Dresden Plates.
Wish me luck!

Anniversary

This post is made with sweet pride, for today is our 42nd anniversary. How wonderful to be married to my best friend, my lover and soul mate. We met in high school 1964 and it was "love at first sight", well at least it was for me :) Our prayer was to grow old together and God has blessed us with just that.... we have definitely grown OLD together.