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.