Design Wall Monday 7/29/13

It seemed like I spent lots of time trying to quilt, but not really accomplishing much over the past week. I think it was that post-finishing let down after I completed my Turning Leaves quilt and finished my teal Dancing Stars blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. That left me wondering what to work on next. My time for quilting was limited and my energy level was rather low, which made it very difficult to get going on another quilt.

I did manage to make the four log cabin blocks for the Scrappy Sampler BOM. They are now attached to the center, along with 2" borders at the ends.

Over the weekend I pulled this little quilt out of my closet of UFOs. I think the block pattern is called Puss in the Corner, but I always thought of it as an uneven nine-patch. Back when I taught beginning quilting, this was made as a duplicate of the class project. It had been layered and pin basted, and the quilting was started but never finished. Yesterday I did the rest of the stitch-in-the ditch quilting along all the seams. Now I need to figure out how to quilt the borders. It is a good size for a baby or small child's quilt, about 38 x 49". I hope to finish the quilting soon and get the binding on it.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/28/13

I have been doing pretty well on not buying much fabric lately. Then last week, I discovered that Connecting Threads had their wide backing fabrics on sale. I fell in love with this fabric when I saw it on their website several months ago and decided that I would get some the next time it went on sale. That accounts for my addition of 3 yards to the stash. It will be the perfect backing when I finish my red, white & blue quilt.

On the usage side, I made four log cabin blocks for my Scrappy Sampler quilt, plus added borders to the ends. I also made some extra pink and orange Dancing Stars blocks.

Used this week:    .75 yards
Used year to date:   59.5 yards    

Added this week:     3 yards

Added year to date:   43.5 yards

Net year to date:   16 yards used 

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Dancing Stars--teal & others 7/27/13

I finished up four more teal/turquoise Dancing Stars this week. I also made one orange and two pink blocks from pieces that had been cut earlier in the year. 

Here is the whole group of 14 teal/turquoise stars for the month.

Before I put away what was left of my teal and turquoise scraps, I cut rectangles and laid them out as Crossroads blocks. I can't remember where I first saw this pattern. There are links to two different tutorials here and here. I really like the way they look and thought it was time to give the pattern a try. I haven't cut anything for the background fabric yet, but I am liking the way these pieces look on my pale grey cutting mat. 

I am linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013, where you can see all sorts of wonderful ways that other quilters have been using their teal and turquoise scraps this month. 

Julie in GA

15 Minute Challenge 7/23/13

I have been spending some of my free time working on an extra costume project, which has limited my quilting time. However, I keep trying to get in at least 15 minutes a day, frequently during my lunch break at work. I have discovered that foundation piecing works well there, because I don't have to worry about trying to get a 1/4" seam allowance on a different machine. I need to figure out a new hand sewing project to have around to work on at night during TV, another good time to make progress.

7/16 - 7/22
Tuesday--Scrappy Sampler
Wednesday--costume project, Turning Leaves 
Thursday--Dancing Stars, costume project
Friday--Dancing Stars
Saturday--Dancing Stars, Turning Leaves, costume project
Sunday--Scrappy Sampler
Monday--costume project


Check out the 15 Minute Challenge posts at Life in Pieces to see how others are finding time for their creative pursuits. 


Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/22/13 Turning Leaves finished!

For the first time in several weeks, I have a completely finished quilt to show! This is another of my many projects from 10 or more years ago that are finally getting finished. The handstitching of the binding and hanging sleeve were completed over the weekend.

The pattern is called "Turning Leaves." It was originally published by Quiltmaker magazine in the September/October 2002 issue. The pattern is still available here. I eliminated their pieced border, making mine a smaller version. The finished size is 43.5" x 60".

I made the quilt top in 2003 and taught it as a class a couple of times that year. Then it got packed away with all my other quilt tops and UFOs while I was on the road for seven years. I had it quilted last month by my good friend Jan of Cat's Meow Quilting in Brookfield, WI. 

Here is a close-up to give you a better look at Jan's beautiful quilting. All the fabrics in the top are batiks.

I am so happy to have this quilt finished, and we have the perfect spot to display it.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/21/13

I have a deadline coming up soon for a costume project, and that has filled up most of my extra time this past week. However, I did manage to finish up the rest of my teal and turquoise Dancing Stars blocks. I ended up with 14 blocks for the month, using a total of 1.25 yards. 


Used this week:    1.25 yards
Used year to date:  58.75 yards    

Added this week:    0 yards

Added year to date:  40.5 yards

Net year to date:  18.25 yards used 

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Continuing in Teal

The collection of teal Dancing Stars blocks continues to grow. I now have 10 teal/turquoise blocks finished and 4 more partially done. I had hoped to make another little quilt from my many teal and turquoise scraps this month, but it looks like time will run out before that happens.

I am linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013, where you can see all sorts of wonderful ways that other quilters have been using their teal and turquoise scraps this month. My thoughts are with Angela, our hostess for this challenge, following the loss of her mother.


Julie in GA

15 Minute Challenge 7/16/13

Returning to work a week ago has cut into my quilting, but I still managed to find at least a little time to sew every day. I finished the binding on my Turning Leaves quilt and just have the hanging sleeve to finish up, plus I am keeping up with both of my BOM projects.

7/9 - 7/15
Tuesday--Turning Leaves binding
Wednesday--Turning Leaves binding, costume project
Thursday--Dancing Stars, Scrappy Sampler
Friday--Dancing Stars
Saturday--Dancing Stars, Scrappy Sampler
Sunday--Scrappy Sampler
Monday--Dancing Stars


Check out the 15 Minute Challenge posts at Life in Pieces to see how others are finding time for their creative pursuits. 


Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/15/13

My Scrappy Sampler BOM quilt is back up on the design wall again. We had our monthly meeting on Saturday. I got all the 8" blocks that are done so far attached to the center. After the next round of blocks, there will be a double row of bowtie blocks as the border. I have been working on some and wanted to see how they look with the rest of the quilt.

Our assignment for next month is to make four log cabin blocks, which go at the corners of the section shown above. I was auditioning fabrics yesterday. I might still switch one on the light side, but the dark choices look good to me. Now to get them cut and stitched into blocks.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/14/13

I have been working on a few different projects over the past week, but only have one finish to report. I spent last Sunday making kid's pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer. I managed to finish seven of them that day, using up over 7 yards of fabric. 

Used this week:    7.5 yards
Used year to date:  57.5 yards    

Added this week:    0 yards

Added year to date:  40.5 yards

Net year to date:  17 yards used 

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Teal Dancing Stars 7/13/13

This week I have a total of seven teal/turquoise Dancing Stars blocks to show for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I have three more stars in the works today, but they are not complete yet. The Dancing Stars pattern is a free download at Amy's Creative Side. 

It has been a couple of months since I put the different colors of stars together on the wall. I will need to rearrange the colors a bit, keeping the blues from being right next to the teals. What a treat to see them all aglow! This is about 1/3 of the number of blocks I have made so far, and I need around 20 more for a throw quilt. 

I am linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013, where you can see all sorts of wonderful ways that other quilters have been using their teal and turquoise scraps this month. Best wishes to Angela and her family during her mother's illness.


Julie in GA

15 Minute Challenge 7/9/13

Yesterday was my first day back at work after having the past 2+ months off. The time off went by very quickly, but I feel good about all the quilting that got done. Now my quilting time will be much more limited, but I am still determined to find at least 15 minutes each day for my favorite activity. Reporting to Kate's 15 Minute Challenge definitely helps keep me motivated.

7/2 - 7/8
Tuesday--Dresden Stars, clean sewing room
Wednesday--Dancing Stars
Thursday--Dancing Stars, RWB Scrap Club Sampler
Friday--Dancing Stars, Turning Leaves binding
Saturday--Dancing Stars
Sunday--make 7 pillowcases
Monday--Turning Leaves binding


Check out the 15 Minute Challenge posts at Life in Pieces to see how others are finding time for their creative pursuits. 


Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/8/13

My design wall has seen many changes over the past week. It started with the Dresden Stars blocks made in class with Edyta Sitar. My hope was to pull the finishing fabrics for this project out of my stash rather than buying the kit. I spent one afternoon and evening making a huge mess of the sewing room while pulling out fabrics, auditioning them on the wall, taking photos, then switching it all around again. It was such fun! I have five stars made and three to go before they get appliqued to the background.

In honor of July 4th, I pulled out my red, white & blue scrap club blocks. It was a pleasant surprise to see how many are done. I fixed the four pineapple blocks that were going the wrong direction. I only need to make two more 12" string stars and about a dozen 6" stars. I have been reading and watching videos about splitting batting to make machine quilting easier to handle. I think this might be the quilt for me to try that process. There is another column of blocks at the left side that didn't fit in this photo.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon making pillowcases for our quilt guild's community service project. They will go to ConKerr Cancer. I had a great time pulling out fun fabrics and completed seven pillowcases.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/7/13

I have been bouncing around from one project to another all week. It has been lots of fun, but hasn't resulted in any finishes.

I do have one correction to make from last week's numbers. I had listed the kit from the Dresden Stars workshop with Edyta Sitar as an addition of 3.5 yards. Later I realized that I miscalculated the amount of fabric in the kit by 1.25 yards too much. In an attempt to use more of my stash, I have been auditioning other fabrics to use along with that kit for the setting triangles, sashing and borders. I think I have settled on these choices.

Used this week:    0 yards
Used year to date:  50 yards    

Added this week:   -1.25 yards

Added year to date:  40.5 yards

Net year to date:  9.5 yards used 

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Dancing Stars in Teal

This month's color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is teal, one of my all-time favorites! This is one of the rare colors that I not only like to wear, I also love to use teal and turquoise in quilts. Below is a small quilt that I made many years ago in a guild workshop. I had been collecting fabrics for a Storm at Sea quilt (which finally got finished last year), and they worked great in this scrappy little quilt. I still have scraps of most of these fabrics, and they will be showing up in my blocks for this month.

I managed to get four Dancing Stars blocks done this week. You can see the stack of 2-1/2" strips in teal and turquoise next to my blocks, ready to be chopped up into little triangles for more stars.

I am linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013, where you can see all sorts of wonderful ways that other quilters have been using their teal and turquoise scraps this month. I'm sure everyone participating wishes Angela and her mother well during her mother's illness.


Julie in GA

15 Minute Challenge 7/2/13

This is my last week of time off before we start back to work at the theater. The upcoming season looks like a busy one, which may have an impact on the amount of time I have for quilting. I have managed to find time for quilting or other projects on 159 days out of 182 days total so far this year. That comes to a little over 87%. I don't know how to make charts and graphs like Kate has on her post today, but I feel pretty good about my numbers this year and hope I can stay on track for the rest of the year.

One thing that has helped me be able to make progress on quilting projects almost every day is to keep at least one hand stitching project prepared at all times. I usually have binding that can be stitched down while watching TV, and I have been foundation piecing by hand as a travel project. I might be able to continue doing that when I go back to work if it is possible for me to stitch on the train commute.

6/25 - 7/1
Tuesday--Turning Leaves binding
Wednesday--yellow & blue 9-patch, Turning Leaves binding
Thursday--yellow & blue 9-patch
Friday--yellow & blue 9-patch
Saturday--Dresden Stars class, yellow & blue 9-patch (top done!) 
Sunday--Dresden Stars
Monday--Dresden Stars


Check out the 15 Minute Challenge posts at Life in Pieces to see how others are finding time for their creative pursuits. 


Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/1/13

The past weekend was filled with quilting fun for me. On Saturday I was able to attend a workshop with Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. It was a full-day class where we got to see many of Edyta's beautiful quilts featuring different star patterns. After her presentation, we got started making the Dresden Stars pattern, her variation on the traditional Dresden Plate with 3-D stars formed by inserting folded triangles into the seams between the segments. This is the pattern cover for our project which you can find here.

As part of the class, we each received a kit with the pattern, all the fabrics needed to make the eight blocks in this quilt, plus acrylic cutting templates. We provide our own fabrics for the centers of the blocks, plus setting fabric and borders. I managed to construct one block in class, plus two more on Sunday. I am currently planning to make a wallhanging with five blocks instead of the eight blocks in the pattern.

I got the idea that this pattern would make a good patriotic quilt, which led to the red & yellow version at the bottom of the photo. I made the pieces a bit larger, which took some testing to get things to fit together. I was thinking a combination of blue and red blocks would be very striking.

My other project for the weekend was finishing up the borders for my yellow & blue 9-patch quilt. The top measures 38-1/2" x 45-1/2". I love the way the outer border fabric pulls it all together.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA