Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Stash Report - Week 30

Added fabric to finish the quilt I was working on last week.  Not much sewing getting done this week as I have been fighting with my longarm!

Used this Week: 0 yard
Used year to Date: 79.75 yards
Added this Week: 2.75 yards
Added Year to Date: 53.25 yards
Net Used for 2014: 26.50 yards

Saturday, July 26, 2014

San Diego Quilt Show

Do you live in San Diego or are you planning on visiting for the SD quilt show the beginning of September?  I just saw the schedule of classes and am so excited that Judy Madsen of Green Fairy Quilts will be teaching!  She has two classes ... One on feathers and other beautiful elements, and the other class is on background fillers, borders, and deciding what quilting looks good in a particular area.  I am so excited!  I have never taken a longarm class from anyone besides just the basic classes I had from my dealer.  There is no one whose work I admire more than her's and I am so excited to meet her.  Can't wait to take the class ... I signed up for the borders and background class.  I may sign up for the other one too.  We have a fairly small quilt show as shows go, so to get a teacher of such caliber is exciting.  Now if only Innova would do a maintenance class!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

A Block of the Month

One of my customers gave me a quilt a little while ago.  It is a block of the month from a couple of years ago and is a beautiful autumn quilt.  She added a lot of her own details to this quilt ... Extra embroidery and some beautiful threads.

When I quilt a quilt like this it takes extra time because you have to be really careful to not catch the decorative threading. It is also tricky if the stitcher doesn't pull the stitching very tight, and then it catches quite easily.
I was really careful, especially while echoing around the appliqué.
Didn't she do a beautiful job?  I had a great time custom quilting it and deciding how to make each block a little different.
I did the top and bottom borders and then quilted the entire quilt, leaving the side borders undone.  I took the entire quilt off the frame and pinned it on again so the side borders ran horizontally. It is much easier to quilt it that way with echoing the vines then trying to roll back and forth, if that makes sense.  I used Omni in the top and a magna glide prewound in the bobbin.
I think she is going to love hanging this quilt this fall.  What an honor to put my touch on such a beautiful quilt.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Stash Report - Week 29

Okay, I failed to mention when we passed the halfway part of the year ... Yikes ... Week 29 means there are only 23 more weeks left ... Too scary ... Slap me for even mentioning it!

Remember the fabric I bought and cut while I was in Va?  Well I put all the blocks together ...


So cute, huh?  This quilt makes me so happy that I have decided to use it in my bedroom.  I was going to give it to my daughter, but I love it.  All 16 blocks are together and I do have to buy some white tomorrow for the sashing and borders.  I know I am all about using what I have, but I have nothing for it ... It has to be the white and when I bought the fabric, I forgot to buy enough for sashing.

I quickly whipped up a back so I can be ready to quilt it as soon as I get the sashing put together.  I used up all the sizeable odds and ends from the project, and luckily had about 3 yards of a pretty blue/green batik that I had bought in Kauai a few years ago ... Thank goodness or I would have had to use a fabric I didn't really think coordinated for the back.
Doesn't look so great in this picture, but it will when it is opened fully ... At least you can see that batik.

Used this Week: 10 yard
Used year to Date: 79.75 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 50.5 yards
Net Used for 2014: 29.25 yards

Finally that used total is starting to look a little better.  I will have to add some to my stash for next week because of the finishing of the above quilt, but it should
all turn right around and be used.  Know I threw several stash reports at you in one day, but now my confessions are made and I am up to date!  How about you?

Stash Report - Week 28

I made a class sample which turned into a quilt for a Christmas present ... With top, back and binding (binding is sewn on and ready to hand see down!).  

Used this Week: 9.5 yard
Used year to Date: 69.75 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 50.5 yards
Net Used for 2014: 19.25 yards

Stash Report - Week 27

I forgot to add one store to my stash report while we were gone ... I don't even remember what state it was in ... Haha!  Four 1/4 yards ...

In keeping along with my gifting, I gifted a layer cake of fabric to a friend ... I knew she would love it.

Used this Week: 2.75 yard
Used year to Date: 60.25 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 50.5 yards
Net Used for 2014: 9.75 yards

Friday, July 18, 2014

Hello

Well I know I owe you several stash reports, but I am lacking a couple of pictures which has held me up there.  Promise to get those out soon.  

I have been back to the longarm machine as I need to get cranking on some of these quilts.  I taught a mystery jelly roll quilt on Saturday ... We had a lot of fun.  This is my sample ... It happens to be a Christmas present for my stepmom.  This is probably a first for me getting a Christmas present done long before Christmas.  I decided my family is getting quilts from me this year ... So that helped me get started early.
Kind of hard to see here, but this is the beginning of it while on the frame.
The quilt is on point and it's snowball blocks and nine patches.  Around the edges I left the corners off the snowball blocks ... Makes it a little interesting.
I did something a little different ... A swirl with a daisy . . . I think if I did it again I would have made the quilting a little bit tighter.  I used Omni thread in the top and a prewound Magna Glide in the bobbin.
The quilt measured 68 1/2 x 68 1/2; I wanted it to fit on my stepmom's bed, so I decided to add a top and bottom border out of the same fabric after the setting triangles were added ... I like it.  Happy to say that with my red binding that I added, I used a total of 9 1/2 yards of fabric out of my stash, so that makes me really happy!

Here is Kathy working on her mystery quilt ... I am so happy to have Kathy in my class!  She usually works so much that she hasn't had time for classes, but with the restructuring at the store, she has a little more free time now.  At least 5 people commented on how happy they were to see Kathy taking a class!

As you can see, we had 7 ladies working hard!  They had a pretty big quilt to make, so they were really keeping at it.  I provided lunch too, so it was nice to feed my students and keep their energy up!

Speaking of energy ... Look who is growing up ...
Isn't she just adorable?  Kylee and mommy were supposed to come visit a couple of weeks ago, but Kylee got 103 fever the morning they were supposed to leave ... So sad we all were!  So we are hoping  they can come back around Labor Day.  We sure miss them lots.