realizations

Finally basted this UFO today.  If I remember correctly, I sewed this bad boy together MONTHS ago, but never got around to basting it.  While I was basting it, I realized all the flaws throughout the top.  Squares not matching up perfectly, errors here and there.  And then I realized something, I have learned a whole lot in the last few months!  I am shocked by all I have learned, and the little things I have learned to get my corners to line up better (I am not perfect with this by any account, but I have improved)

So here is the basted quilt that I will be finishing this week.  I have a learned a lot since sewing this colorful top together, and this quilt will be a great reminder on how far I have come and how much further I yet to go.

time of finishing

I have been working hard to finish the 5+ quilts I have started, figuring that having that many UFO's don't cuddle as well as their finished counterparts  :)

In the last 2 weeks I have managed to finish 3.

One a simple 9 patch pattern with awesome bright happy colors that I gifted to my good friend since it matches her happy personality perfectly  :)  I have heard this quilt has become a good companion for her while she unwinds and reads a book after her little one has gone to bed.

Then I started on quilting out the navy blue and white block pattern that I actually started with Kate!  Took me a while to finish it (kept getting distracted making all the fun quilt tops!), but finally it has graduated from UFO to finished project.

I love the simplicity of this quilt, yet provides color to accent a room if you wanted. It continues with my love of being a little scrappy so each color has a little depth.  And the best part, 100% cotton batting to help you keep warm and cuddle up  :)

Finally I finished a slanted diagonal pattern quilt. I will admit, this is one of my favorites I have completed in a while.  This quilt uses one of my favorite blocks, the HST!  And now thanks to the new way to making HST, it goes even quicker! (please see earlier post titled).    I was hoping to finish this teal yellow beauty up so it could be used in our engagement photos, but my allergies had other thoughts that day.

All the quilts I worked on my wandering free motion quilting.  I absolutely love quilting that way because it is like a constant puzzle, adds great detail to the quilt and frankly, is just a lot of fun to do.

All quilts are perfect for cuddling up on the couch watching tv or reading a good book.  Or my pups would say are perfect for making into a soft bed to rest their heads.

HST-chevron

Thanks to Kate, I have discovered an entire pin on Pinterest on different ways to organize HST to make fun looking patterns.  And who can deny an awesome chevron pattern???

For the project, I used material I cut previously to make a rag quilt, then decided after cutting all this fabric that I really did not feel like all that tedious cutting at the end; especially after just finishing 2 other rag quilts. Plus, I wanted to try my hand at free motion quilting.  :)

I made this quilt more of toddler size for a late baby gift for a friend of mine, which I heard once her daughter received this quilt she loved it, and was dragging it around the house.  Nothing makes you feel better than knowing of your creations makes someone smile.  :)

This was my first attempt at free motion quilting. I think it turned out okay.  Have to admit, I am kind of digging the FMQ.  It is like a puzzle as you are finishing your quilt!

 

BOM 3- teal and orange

About a month ago I joined this block of the month group on facebook and I made my first block (which was block #3).  I loved the end result, that I just took off making a few of them, wanting to see what a few of these lovely blocks linked together would look like.

After making a few, I stepped back and examined them.  My first thoughts, "wow this is going to be a bright quilt.  Hope it won't hurt your eyes and glow in the dark."  And then I thought " this is going to be a bright quilt- and definately makes you smile!" So I kept going, and 30 squares later, some 400+ HST, I have all the blocks done.  :)

Now the question is, how should I lay out the quilt top??  this block is so much fun because it has so many options!  So, what is your thoughts??

option 1?

option 2?

option 3?

option 4?  

or option 5?

What do you think???

sew 2 large get 4 small HST

So I recently joined a block of the month club on facebook where I learned to make this beautiful block!

Along with learning the pattern for this block I also learned an excellent trick for making HST quickly.

This pattern required 4.5 inch HST.  For this technique, you take two 7-inch squares and sew a 1/4 inch stitch around all four corners.

And after sewing a bunch of 7-inch squares together, you end up with a nice stack of sewed together squares.

Now you cut in half diagonally

then cut each half into half again

Which results with each 7-inch sewn together square as 4 4.5-inch HST!!!

Yes, my mind was blown after learning about this (after a soccer game of all things!)

My world of HST is now changed forever!

Thank you Quilting Bee!  :)

back again:) the new Janome

Long time, no write.  And what a busy several months it has been with moving into a new home, getting engaged, and then my machine crashing.  But looks like things are starting to finally chill out.  Thank you!  I am ready for a relaxing summer.

My original sewing machine died when the timing device stopped working correctly.  I went to a local shop to have it repaired, but found out it was going to cost $100 to repair a machine that, frankly, has seen better days.  So I took the plunge and purchased a new fancy sewing machine.  I ended up with a Janome Horizon from a great little sewing store around the corner.  I have to say, I feel like I got the cadillac of all machines with this bad boy.  And after sewing on the machine for a week, I have to say I am quickly getting spoiled.

 After purchasing my awesome new little machine, I have managed to finish another one of my favorite rag quilts.  I used smaller squares of regular cotton the front and flannel on the back. I did this quilt for a friend of mine who had a little one last year.  I tried to gear it towards a boy and the parents love for Virginia Tech

  I will admit the squares did not get sewed together evenly. I was quite perplexed why nothing was lining up consistently.  Then it dawned on me.  The straight stitch option I used on my new machine was to offset slightly to the left of center.  DOH.

It was a great learning experience, and I still think the rag quilt is cute.
















The second quilt I started and finished on my new machine. I cannot believe how quickly it came together on this new machine! Granted this is a smaller quilt (again a baby/toddler quilt size), but I have never finished a quilt with such ease!  I chose to go with HST as a chevron pattern.  And look how cute it is!

I also learned how to free motion quilt with this quilt; and I have to say, I am in love with FMQ.  It is like a giant maze in which you try not to overlap any lines.

I am very pleased with how this one turned out. I cannot wait to finish another quilt I have started.

it has been a while

I haven't forgotten to post.  But rather have been a little busy and my time to sew has been limited.   :(  But in the last week, I have been quite busy with the sewing machine working away!!

  I started this HST last weekend, and as of tonight I have the complete top sewed together!  So excited to have this one completed this far in such a short amount of time.  I am loving the mix of yellows and blues. And yes, there are sailboats, and fish all over the blues.  Now to come up with the design for the back.  

 Below the square in which it all extends from.  Again, like my last HST, this square is located in the upper left region, offset from the center, for additional character.

I also have been working on the string quilt gradually.  Sewing all the have sides of the squares of one color and eventually adding the other color has been a tedious process.  I have gotten a little impatient and had to sew some of the pieces together (using my template for guidance) and needless to say, I AM LOVING IT!  All the cutting, and sewing with no idea what it may look like is coming out beautifully!    This helps re-engerize me to finish up sewing the purples with other colors and cut the red and sew it all up.  Hopefully I can find some time this week to finish this.

 all of the pieces I have sewed to another square.  Just pieces of the soon to be finished top.

I love orange and I just think the black helps define the orange and each color! I love scrappy and this is all scrappy.  Definitely one of the coolest designs I have done!.  Thanks Kate for the idea.

It is a work in progress, but hey, aren't we all?  It is only Wednesday,and can't wait to see how it looks come Friday  :)  (linking up to WIP Wednesday)

Finishing HST and start of the string

I have been busy trying to finish up my blue and green HST quilt I started the other weekend.

Unfortunately my original idea for the back of the quilt fell through. I tried over and over again to get things to line up correctly, but just could not think well enough to make it work.  So, I started over and came up with this!

I must say, I really like it.

I worked on quilting it, and my original thought was simple straight lines every 2 inches or so.  Did one direction like that, then decided to mix it up.  Final result was:

Conclusion while sewing this quilt, keep it simple.  Don't think too abstractly when sewing pieces together, it just requires too much brain power.  Also, with quilting, you can pretty much do anything it may turn out cool.  Even with artistic areas of flair  :)

It is also May 1, so that means that Kate and I have decided to start our next quilt project together.  We have decided to complete a string quilt.  I have found my inspiration at favequilts and also through the book Kate got me for Christmas.

So I have drawn out the pattern for my string quilt.  Now time to get cutting.

Happy Wednesday!
-Lisa