Design Wall Monday 5/28/12

The design wall is empty at the moment, but there is something to see on the "design deck."  The Storm at Sea quilt top is done!!!

My husband had a friend visiting the other day, so I got the two of them to hold it up over the side of the deck.  The top is too big (87" x 96") to hang up anywhere inside the house.  There are also photos of it on the bed in my last two posts here and here.

I am so happy to have completed this quilt top after such a long time (started in 2001).  The only bad news  is that the fabric for the back is not as big as I thought.  It is one of those super wide fabrics, but it is about a foot shorter than it needs to be.  I will have to fix that before I take this to my long-armer in June.  I can't wait to get this finished and on the bed!

Check out more amazing design walls at Patchwork Times

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 5/27/12

I finally have a major finish to report--my Storm at Sea quilt top is done!!!  At times it seemed like it would never end.  The quilt was begun in 2001 after I found this fabulous background fabric with sea anemones on it.  I had already amassed a large collection of teal/blue/green/purple fabrics. 

There are just over 3500 pieces in this quilt.   I worked on the piecing on and off for a couple years, but kept setting it aside in favor of other projects.  For some reason, 2012 became the right time to get it done!  I have quite a few projects that have been hanging around for a long time, and I hope to get some others finished this year too.

I have been reporting stash usage on this quilt as I cut new pieces, but hadn't figured out the yardage used for the parts that were already cut.  It feels so good to see the numbers go up for fabric used.  Even better is seeing the result of all those hours at the sewing machine laid out on my bed!  Tomorrow I will post a photo of the full quilt .



Used this week: 12-1/2 yards
Used year to date:  27-1/2 yards

Added this week: 0 yards

Added year to date: 43-1/4 yards
Net year to date: 15-3/4 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Storm at Sea top complete!!

For those who have been following my blog since I started at the beginning of this year, you know that my main project this past few months has been a Storm at Sea quilt.  I started this quilt in 2001, worked on it sporadically for awhile, then put it aside for 7 or 8 years.  I am hoping to finish up some of my old projects this year, and this was the first one tackled. 

I will get better photos later when I have some help to hold it up outside.  For now, the best option was on the bed.  Can't you just feel the movement of the waves?!!

Design Wall Monday 5/21/12

After making the tablerunner for my mother and trying it out on our own dining table while she was here visiting, it was obvious that we needed one.  I had purchased these lovely paisley fabrics a couple years ago with the plan of making placemats from them. 

I had several placemats partway done, but that's as far as it had gotten.  Last week, I finished the six placemats that were already started, plus made a tablerunner.  I still have more of all the fabrics and hope to end up with a total of 12 placemats.  That's the most people that will fit around our dining table. 

This is what my husband discovered on the dining room table when he got home from work on Saturday.  It was my anniversary gift to him.  Five amazing years together!

Here is a photo of the tablerunner alone.

Check out more amazing design walls at Patchwork Times

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 5/20/12

After making the tablerunner for my mother a week ago, my husband commented that it would be nice to have one for our dining room table.  I pulled out the set of placemats that I started making with these great paisley fabrics that I bought in Arizona in 2009.  I was able to finish up 6 placemats and a tablerunner in time for our anniversary yesterday. 

The fabrics are "Harmony" by Jan Patek for Moda.  I will show the finished placemats and tablerunner on my design wall tomorrow.

Used this week: 3-3/8 yards
Used year to date:  15 yards

Added this week:   0 yards

Added year to date: 43-1/4 yards
Net year to date: 28-1/4 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Design Wall Monday 5/14/12

Here is the completed tablerunner that I made for my mother with fabric that she picked out while we were in Paducah.  I am now working on another one for our table.

Check out more amazing design walls at Patchwork Times

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 5/13/2012

Not much sewing got done this week due to having houseguests all week.  First it was my oldest niece who is getting married in October.  It was so great to spend time with her before she starts her new life.

On Friday my mother arrived for a week-long visit.  The only sewing I have done this week was making a tablerunner for her.  She picked out this fabric while we were in Paducah.  The finished tablerunner will have to wait to be revealed tomorrow--can't show it here before she gets it for Mother's Day!

Used this week: 2 yards
Used year to date:  11-5/8 yards

Added this week: 40-1/2 yards

Added year to date: 43-1/4 yards
Net year to date: 31-5/8 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 5/6/12

My stash took a big hit last week after I spent 2-1/2 days at the Paducah quilt show with my mother and sister.  I haven't been buying any fabric so far this year, so I went a little crazy in Paducah.  There were just so many beautiful fabrics, and my willpower seemed to have disappeared.

I have been collecting music-themed fabrics for some time to make a quilt for my husband the musician, and these are the latest additions.  I just counted up the yardage in my bin of music fabrics, and it is right around 30 yards.  Time to stop buying and start sewing!  The border stripe that you see at the center is especially wonderful.

Batiks are one of my favorite types of fabric, and I am happy to add these to my stash.

My sister and I took a quilting class together back in 2002.  I have close to 40 blocks like this one made in different blue and brown prints at the center.  Every once in a while I pull them out of the box, put them up on the wall to ponder how to finish the quilt, and then they go back into the box again.  Maybe this great striped fabric for the back of the quilt will motivate me to finish it!

As always, we had a great time in Paducah and saw tons of amazing quilts.  There are endless sources of inspiration there,  and I am eager to get back to my sewing machine. 

Used this week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 9-5/8 yards

Added this week:   40-1/2 yards

Added year to date:  43-1/4 yards
Net year to date: 33-5/8 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

April Color Palette Challenge

I made a very late start on the April Color Palette Challenge.  I hadn't planned on joining in because I already had plenty of projects in the works.  However, I did like the combination of colors, even though the inspiration was a photo of a moldy pie!

As I was getting ready for a road trip to Paducah with my mother and sister, I decided that I needed a hand-work project to take along.  English paper piecing is something I have wanted to try for awhile.  Combining that and the palette challenge was the next step.

I pulled all the fabrics from my stash, but wasn't happy with every one of them.  Then I found the perfect grey/blue piece in Ricky Tims' booth at Paducah.  This piece of fabric was destined to be a part of this challenge!

I haven't completed much yet, but this is what is done so far.  Keep in mind that this was started about 10 days ago.  I am enjoying the process and am pleased with the way it is looking, even though I have quite a bit left to stitch.

Check out Patchwork Times to see how other people used this color palette and to find out next month's palette.

Julie