2012 Challenge Quilt

My LQS, StitchCraft, has a yearly challenge.  You are given a 1/2 yard of a focus fabric with the challenge of creating something from it.  The only real rule is the fabric cannot be hidden in a lining of an item or the backing of a quilt.  The fabric for this year is from the iota line by Robert Kaufman.

I went with a play on the grandmothers flower garden and created my secret garden.  I fussy cut my hexagons creating a kaleidoscope effect.  I'm very happy with the outcome.

Tropical Storm Quilting

Tropical Storm Isaac is moving by the Keys today bringing lots of heavy rain and winds to us here on Florida's southeast coast.  I'm not complaining about being stuck inside all day, at least we didn't lose electric so I've been quilting!

I pulled out the batik scraps leftover from my last bag and set about making a miniature paper pieced quilt (I'll look up the name of the book later).

Since I've rearranged the room, I can't wait to start making and displaying more little quilts.

Craft Room Re-Do

Today my DH helped me with reorganizing my craft room.  My current sewing machine table set up didn't work for machine quilting.  It had a number of problems, the machine is too high, no room to support a large quilt, etc.  I did however like the u-shape of the table and that I had a workspace to my right.

I've decided to rearrange a few things in the room and get a new sewing table set up.  I saw a great idea on youtube using an adjustable height table with foam insulation to bring the bed of the sewing machine level to the table.  I ordered two 2'x4' adjustable height tables on the Internet and found the insulation on Lowes.com that measure 2'x4' so I don't have to buy a big sheet and cut it down.  Today we tore the room apart, rearranged some furniture and hung a quilt.

I'll post pictures of the new setup as soon as it's finished.

Hexagons

I think I've been bitten by the hexagon bug.  I've always wanted to try them but thought it would be too much of a pain.  When I was at my LQS recently I noticed they started carrying the hexagon paper pieces so I figured why not give it a try.  I picked up a package of 1 1/2" hexagons.  I spent Sunday digging through my scraps cutting out squares of fabric and tried my first two hexagons.  The Sometimes Crafter blog has a great tutorial and links to others.  It was so easy!!!

I made myself a little portable hexagon sewing kit out of a metal lunch box I found at Tuesday Morning (I love TM!).  I have a small pin cushion with a few sewing needles and pins, a thread cutter, spool of thread, my thread catcher, squares of fabric and the hexagon templates.  So far I've managed to make a few hexagons in the morning before work and during my lunch break.  I really have no plan right now, so I'll see what happens when I get them all made.

Doggie picture:

He's so adorable....

Geese

The South Florida Modern Quilt Guild has an ongoing Quilt Bee this year.  I was the Queen Bee for March and asked everyone to create a block with a flying geese theme, or as my friend says "triangles".  We have eleven people participating in the bee so I had to make one extra block.  I started doing the Circle of Geese pattern.  I had my fabrics laid out in a rainbow and started piecing the block.  Well, I really shouldn't piece late at night because I paper pieced from the wrong side of the paper.  Not so bad if I stayed consistent, but I put the rainbow in the wrong order on the next block so I improvised.

I also made some scrappy geese for a border.  I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to add a solid border.

Here's my finished block for the August Queen Bee - K-Ro.  She chose the the Garden Fence pattern from Hyacinth Quilt Designs.  The block was so easy and fun.  I think I may make this as one of my upcoming quilt projects.

Doggie picture:  My little guy was sound asleep on the couch.  I slowly peeled back his blanket to find him all stretched out and comfy.  He loves sleeping in my sewing room.

My new bag

A few months ago I made myself a new knitting bag using a pattern from Carlene Westberg Designs.  I love the bag and decided to make another to use as my everyday bag.

I picked up a Mini Tonga Treat by Timeless Treasures in the Gelato colorway from my favorite LQS - StitchCraft.  I only used 32 of the squares for the outside of the bag.

I quilted the bag with a meandering design (I still need to practice this more).  Overall though, I'm very happy with the finished bag.

$10 Block of the Month

Today I went to my LQS for the August $10 block of the month.  It was an easy log cabin block that I pieced together this afternoon.



As promised, here is the July block.  I think this one is my favorite so far.



This afternoon I decided to practice my free motion quilting.  I have so many quilt tops ready to quilt and since I'm in the middle of deciding the perfect set up for my machine I went ahead and practiced the quilting today.  I gave in and bought the quilting gloves and they did make a difference.



Hopefully I'll have my new machine set up soon.

It's been awhile...

...since I last posted.  I guess things have been a little busy around here.  At the beginning of June I was feverishly crocheting a baby blanket for my mom that she needed in time for a baby shower.  It was so boring to crochet but I stuck with it and finished it, only I didn't get a picture of it.  I've also been busy making the blocks for the South Florida Modern Quilt Bee.  June was an interesting block using this tutorial.  I started making it using the measurements provide and just couldn't get the block correctly squared up, so I started over, made everything about an inch longer and it worked.  Here's a picture of the first block that didn't square off correctly, unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the second one that came out correctly.



The July block was a granny square using this tutorial.  The block on the top is the one I'm keeping for my sampler quilt and the bottom is the one I gave to the July Queen Bee.



I also completed the August block that used this tutorial.  But I'm only going to show the block I kept since I haven't give the block to K-Ro yet.  This was a fun block and I think I may make an entire quilt one day.



I've also been busy working on the $10 BOM blocks from StitchCraft.  The June block drove me crazy.



At least I really enjoyed making the July block (I'll have to post a picture later).

In the South Florida Modern Quilt Guild a round robin quilt has been going around.  I had it in June and added a cute little gnome and some hourglass blocks..

In July we had a swap that involved making something with a zipper.  I saw a cute project in a magazine for a hexagon zippered pouch.  I made one for the swap and made one for myself that has become my new bag for my knitting notions.



For August, we had a quick presentation on paper piecing and each of us is making a paper pieced chicken block.  I finished mine this weekend but may have messed up squaring it off.



Goodness, what else?  I really need to keep up to date on this blog and update it more often.  StitchCraft, my LQS, is having it's yearly challenge.  They give you a half yard of fabric that needs to be utilized in your project.  Here's this years fabric.  It's from the IOTA line by Robert Kaufman.



I finished piecing my item last weekend and just need to get it quilted.  I'll post pictures after the challenge is over.

I've also been working on a baby size quilt the past few weeks.  I'm not sure if the block pattern has a name, it's just something I sketched out on graph paper.  I'm using a really bright limey green solid for the background.  I saw it in the store and just fell in love.  I finished assembling the quilt top this weekend and pieced the backing fabric, now I just need to get it quilted.






 
I realized this weekend that I have about eight quilt tops that need to be quilted.  My current sewing table set up isn't the best for machine quilting so I'm currently on the hunt for a better solution.




On the knitting front, I'm finally getting close to finishing my Mom's sweater.



I also crocheted some squares that I'll have to post pictures of later and just started a scarf that is a gift.

Well, I think that is enough for now.  I'll have to be sure to update more often but as you can tell I've been a bit busy.  It also doesn't help that I got a NOOK for my birthday and have been doing quite a bit of reading lately too.

Can't forget the doggie pictures.  The boys get lots of sleep while I quilt.