WIP Wednesday {8.31.2011}

Is tomorrow really September?  This is blowing my mind right now, where exactly has the summer gone??  This week has been a little of this and a little of that...here's what I've been up to!

Completed Projects

Rocco's Garden Fence quilt

This was my big finish of the week, Rocco's Garden Fence quilt is on his way to him as we speak!  More on this quilt here.

Ongoing Projects

Bee Blocks

I sat down last night to work on my bee blocks, and realized that two of my bee's had ended in July?  Whaaat?  A year has gone by already??  Our Simply Strings Bee goes until October, and then I will be bee-less.  Anyone know of any modern bees starting up?

Anyways, this block is for Becky.  She wanted scrappy fan blocks based on this quilt, and wrote up this great tutorial if anyone is interested in the process.  She wanted things really scrappy, so instead of sending us her scraps, she sent us each a fat quarter of fabric to keep, and asked that we use our own scraps to make the blocks.  I think this idea is genius!  Can't wait to see what this quilt looks like.   

Solid Spiderweb quilt

As I was doing a major clean up of my sewing room this weekend, I dug out my spiderweb blocks I received from the Solids Bee, Sew Fun Bee and Simply Strings and threw them up on the design wall to see what I had.  I am so so loving these blocks!  I need to make more, I'm thinking at least 7 more blocks for a good snuggle sized quilt, but this has now jumped on the to do list.

Birdie Stitches

This is February's block.  Too stinkin cute.  I think I have found my new favorite portable project.  Embroidery it is!

Farmer's Wife

I now have completed  blocks 1-26.  More on this weeks blocks here. 

This Weeks Stats

New Projects: 1

Completed Projects: 2

In Progress: 6

For the Love of Solids {a modern swap}

FWQAL

August Bee Blocks

Rocco's Garden Fence Quilt

Birdie Stitches QAL

Solid Spiderweb quilt

UFO Quilt tops (maybe, one day...)

Postage Stamp quilt top

Central Park quilt top

back in the saddle

The farm and I have been away from each other for a week or two now, so I was very happy to spend some quality time working on a few blocks this weekend.

Block # 24 Country Path

This week, I took a hint from twin fibers who pointed me in the direction of paper piecing templates for all of the Farmers Wife blocks.  I had seen Lee mention this in her FW post last week.  On Yahoo there is a Farmers Wife Sampler group that has the templates for all the Farmers Wife blocks, so I decided why not give it a try!  

Now, I don't know that I will piece all the blocks this way, but for this weeks blocks, I'm a huge huge fan.  Don't compare this block too closely to the block in the book, because I messed up the color order!  It took until about half way through block #26 before I got the hang of the whole mirror image thing with paper piecing.  I'm still happy with this block, so I'm not going to change it.  

Block #25 Cups and Saucers

I don't know what it is about this block, but I just really like it.  Again, I paper pieced this block, with no worries about the mirror image thing, as its the same frontwards as it is backwards.  I used some Amy Butler Love fabric that I received from the lovely DeeRoo G in the DQS 11, and some American Jane pin dot fabric I picked up from my LQS for $5 a yard!

Block #26 Cut Glass Dish

Again, don't compare this block to the book, because its not the same either!  My triangles are pointing in the wrong direction.  I think as I was piecing tiny minuscule triangle 40 our of 48 that I figured out if I turn the paper over and plan where my colors should go, magically things work out better!  D'Oh.  I was really happy with how this block turned out though.  I used some Riley Blake and Alexander Henry Heath in Metal, and some random fabric I had laying around from Joanns.  

Again, I don't think I will paper piece all the blocks from here out, but you can bet when I come across these 90 bazillion tiny triangles I will be heading towards the paper piecing templates.  Not in a million years could I have gotten all those points to line up just so piecing them regularly.  

Here are blocks 1-26.  Almost 1/4 of the way done!!  That's exciting and very very intimidating at the same time, as there's a whole lotta blocks left to make!

Garden Fence Quilt

Rocco's Garden Fence Quilt is complete!  This quilt is based on the pattern by Cindy of Hyacinth Quilt Designs. I just love this pattern to pieces, and am not quite finished playing around with this design just yet...(wink wink).  This quilt is a commissioned quilt for baby Rocco that was requested by two friends I work with.  As per their request, I used blues, browns and I added some greens in "non baby" prints, with white sashing.  I just love the way these colors work together, they should work quite well as a baby quilt, and work long into boy-hood.  

As for the quilting, I used one of my favorites, an allover meandering stippling in white thread.  

On my last trip to one of my local LQSs, I spied this Sweetwater Pure argyle print, and it literally jumped into my arms almost subconsciously, as it is the absolute most perfect fabric for the back of this quilt.  Rocco's mom is apparently quite "preppy", and what is more preppy than an argyle print??  I made sure to grab some extra to add to my stash as well.

My co-workers also requested that I embroider Rocco's name on the quilt.  I always get so nervous when I go to machine embroider on a quilt, I am absolutely terrified I will set it up wrong and ruin the quilt I spent all that time on!  Aside from being ever so slightly off center, I'm happy with how the embroidery turned out, whew!

This quilt will be on its way to Rocco next week, welcome baby Rocco!! 

Quilt Stats:

Name: Rocco's Garden Fence Quilt

Size: approx. 45" x 45"

Fabrics: Assorted designer/quilt shop quality fabrics (Kate Spain Verna, Denyse Schmidt Picnics and Fairgrouds, Joel Dewberry, AMH Good Folks, MoMo It's a Hoot!, among others) Kona White 

Binding: Brown with white geometric circles (from LQS)

Quilting: All-over meandering stipple in white Gutermann thread

secrets revealed

I can finally reveal my secret project I had been working on a few weeks back!  I took part in the Little Quilt-Sew, Vote, Swap over on Flickr.  It's a secret swap where everyone who is interested in participating makes a doll sized quilt, snaps a pic and sends it to the Swap Mama who then posts the pic in the group pool.  The great thing about this swap is  there are no designated partners, and you just make what you want!  At the end of the alotted time for entering quilts, everyone votes on which are their favorite quilts, however no one knows who made what quilt.  Once all the votes are entered, the person whose quilt received the most amount of votes gets their first choice quilt, the person whos quilt received the second most votes gets their highest ranked quilt thats still available and then on down the line until all the quilts are assigned to their new homes. 

I love that because its secret, no one really ever knows who's quilt was picked first or last, and everyone ends up with a mini they liked.  Here's what I entered into the swap:

 

This mini measures 15" x 20" and is made entirely of Kona solids, with the exception of the binding.  I had seen this picture on pinterest, and knew immediately that I wanted to interpret the design into a quilt.  I used my Accuquilt GO! Baby and drunkards path die to cut the pieces and played with them until I liked the color arrangement. 

I quilted this quilt simply by echoing each block 1/4" on either side of the seam.  I really want to make this design again, perhaps using the larger drunkards path die, and possibly some prints in addition to the solids, and think next time I will echo quilt around the curves instead...oh the possibilities!

Once the voting had ended, I waited with baited breath to see who was going to receive my mini, and to see which mini I would be receiving!  I was shocked to learn that my mini would be headed out to none other than the mini quilt queen herself, Carol (known as mamacjt on flickr)!  I think my first reaction was "she wants my quilt??!?  Needless to say I was shocked and honored.  I mailed my mini out to Carol last weekend, and guess what showed up in my mail box on Monday??

Carol's mini she made for the swap!!  I absolutely adore every mini I think I've ever seen Carol post about, so I couldn't believe that one of her creations was now mine!  Mine, mine, mine!  It is just absolutely perfect, it measures appx 14" x 17" and is already proudly displayed above my sewing machine.

Oh goodness, I can't believe I'm showing you my disaster area of a sewing room right now, but there's my new mini, ready to inspire fun, colorful, bright projects! 

I do believe there is another round of the Little Quilt- Sew Vote Swap starting up in September, and anyone can join in the fun, enter here if you're interested!

WIP Wednesday {8.24.2011}

Before I get to whats new in sewing land over in these parts...any east coasters feel the earthquake yesterday??  I can honestly say I never thought I'd ever feel any part of an earthquake out here in Pittsburgh, but I most definitely felt my chair shaking yesterday afternoon.  Too wierd.  Anyways, onto more things sewing...

New Projects

Birdie Stitches

This project is certainly not new, but new to me!  I've been looking for a portable project, and while I like to knit, I'm still quite a novice, and as I have about 9,000 scarves and hats that I've knit, and have already knit several for all my friends and family, I was search for a new take along project.  After seeing all the cute embroidery all over blogger land, I decided to throw my hat in the ring and give it a try!  I found the Birdie Stiches quilt along over on Flickr, and these adorable little birdies were right up my alley.  Seeing as I just happened to have a layer cake of Sunkissed on hand, I figured it was meant to be.  This block is actually January's block, but seeing as I'm completely addicted, I don't think it will take long to catch up.

In Progress

Rocco's Garden Fence

I finished Rocco's Garden Fence quilt top earlier this week, I had planned on getting the back completed and having this puppy basted last night, but I was lazy and just didn't feel like it (ever have those days??)  I promise though, you will be seeing a finished quilt in the next few days!  More on this quilt top here.

Farmers Wife QAL

I set these aside for a few days to work on projects with more looming deadlines, but rest assured I have not forgotten about these little guys!  This is why I really like doing more than the "required" two blocks a week, because I'm still not technically behind!  I'm itching to get sewing a few of these this weekend.

Completed Projects

4x5 Bee Blocks

These were mailed out to their new homes on Saturday, more on them here.

This Weeks Stats

New Projects: 1

Completed Projects: 1

In Progress: 7

For the Love of Solids {a modern swap}

4x5 bee blocks

FWQAL

August Bee Blocks

Rocco's Garden Fence Quilt

Birdie Stitches QAL

UFO Quilt tops (maybe, one day...)

Postage Stamp quilt top

Central Park quilt top

What's new with you??  Head over to Freshly Pieced and add your WIP!  

garden fence quilt top

This past weekend my sewing machine and I spent some quality time turning this fabric:

into this quilt top:

This is a commissioned baby quilt for two co-workers of mine.  Their requests were that I use blues and browns, and that mom wasn't into cutesy nursery prints, telling me they decorated the nursery "preppy".  Check, check and check.  I rummaged through my stash and pulled about 9 different prints, throwing in a little green, because just blue and brown wasn't really doing it for me.  

This quilt is based on the Garden Fence block designed by Cynthia of Hyacinth Quilt Designs.  I think this was the perfect pattern to use for this quilt: clean, fresh and simple.  It pieced together so nicely.  It's piecing like this that really show me how far I've come in my 1/4" seam accuracy.  I always think back to my very first quilt I made, I remember being so confident that I did everything perfectly...and then went to piece the blocks together, and everything was off by almost 1/2".  Argh.  Needless to say, this was close to spot on.  I'm now caught up on my Bravo and E! reality television series while I chain pieced like a champ.   

I'm hoping to finish this up soon, seeing as baby Rocco was born last Thursday, I'm sure he's anxiously awaiting his new quilt :-)

Spoiled!

The post man made me quite a happy girl this evening when I checked the mailbox, and lo and behold was my package from my DQS 11 partner!!  Dolores, DeeRoo G over on flickr, spoiled me rotten!

I am just completely in love with this little mini.  She paper pieced these teensy tiny little blocks using one of my favorite combinations of bright fun fabrics with grey, AND hand quilted this beauty.  Can you believe that Dolores almost scrapped this quilt and didn't send it??  After much convincing by almost everyone in the DQS pool she was convinced to send it, and I'm so grateful she did!! 

This little guy measures 12"x18" and is already proudly displayed on my sewing room wall.  

Not only is the doll quilt just perfection, but Dolores included all these fun extras!  Amy Butler fat quarters, pillow patterns and a fun Christmas pattern, adorable ribbons and a hand made journal as well as an adorable hand made ornament.  (I feel like those infomercials, "but wait, there's more!")  Like I said, she spoiled me.

I'm almost sad that this little label is on the backside and will be facing the wall!  Look at that hand embroidery, just love.

I just cannot say thank you enough, Dolores, if you are reading, thank you again!!