EQ Block Challenge

I just came home from my afternoon quilting group, and saw the EQ block challenge, using the Fiesta line of fabrics from Michael Miller.

I had fun playing with the collection, and designed this block....

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I certainly wish the weather would make up its mind!  My sewing room is unheated and built under the carport roof.  Earlier this week, DH opened the blinds early and I could sew by 11am.  Then when we had extra cold weather, my room didn't warm up enough to sew at all.  Suddenly, it is 83F outside, and my room became uncomfortable hot by 2pm!  This is certainly cutting into my sewing time.
I did get 3 sets of place mat tops completed.  The backings will be added when I return north in April - stash lives there....  I used a pattern called Take Four, using 4 fat quarters to make each set.

I'm still trying to decide which backing fabric to use for my dragonfly garden quilt.  It will be a large wall hanging, so I'm thinking I might use some unbleached muslin for backing - it will be against a wall for most of its life.

Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  42.375 yards

Fabric added this week  3.5 yards

Fabric add year to date  50 yards

Net used 2015  -7.625 yards

I tried to be good at the fat quarter sale, and I picked up 3 sets of 4 to make placemats to be donated.  Then I found a cute stripe, and DH said I couldn't buy 13, so he picked up one more to make an even number!  2 sets of placemat tops are completed, but I'll wait until I return north to find backings from my stash.  I completed my Dragonfly Garden quilt top, but not sure what I want to use for backing.  My mystery quilt with my southern group is getting there - we have 2 more weeks left, and I stitched the centre together - I couldn't wait!  So......once again, lots of sewing but nothing finished!

Check out the stash reports at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

More fabric from deep in the stash - lovely dragonfly fabric.  The border print finishes 9 inches wide.

The coordinating print only had 8 blocks so I looked through the blocks in EQ7 and chose one called "sixteen points" to make the centre block.

I don't have enough border print to make a mitered border, so I've decided to make corner blocks, using a quarter block of the sixteen points design, in colours to match the 2 combinations used in the quilt center.

I plan on giving this to DS2 and DDIL for their entrance hall.  She loves dragonflies, and they have a large open staircase in their new home.

Check out all the shared creativity at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times, and at Love Laugh Quilt .

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  6.625 yards

Fabric used year to date  42.375

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  46.5 yards

Net used 2015  -4.125 yards

I'm still in the red, but closing fast.  Unfortunately, my favourite quilt shop is having their annual fat quarter sale on Tuesday, so....

I did complete another "panel" quilt.  I've had this in my stash for a long time.  I'm looking forward to completing my group's mystery quilt.  Mine is in pieces, so I have samples of each step.  I've been sewing them together after each week so I'll have the top completed as soon as possible.
My next project is using a large border print and some matching blocks that just love.  Hopefully my design idea will work!

Check out all the reports at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

 

QUILTING AND BINDING COMPLETE

I completed the quilting on Tuesday, and hand stitched the binding down that evening.  I used monofilament (invisible) thread to outline all the cute blocks, then completed the quilting using Superior's King Tut thread in colour 937, called Tiny Tuts.  It is variegated in pink, blue, yellow and green - I use it often on baby quilts.  I stitched leaves in all the sashings, back and forth wiggle lines in all the yellow triangles, and gentle curves in the gray-green triangles. 

It is a shame that so many people think that monofilament thread is bad.  I've never had a problem with it, even in quilts that have been washed and dried regularly.  I love using it to give dimension to areas without adding another design detail.
 
I still have 9 more identical blocks for another project, but I think I'll work on it when I return north - I have more stash there, and can make a totally different quilt.  I'll have to think about this for a while.

Wednesday is my quilting group, and we are on week 5 of an 8 week mystery quilt.  I love seeing the pattern emerge with all the different choices of fabric.  I pin-basted another quilt panel, but DH and I are going out for the day - we need some US time!

SMALL QUILT TOP COMPLETED

I did  manage to complete the quilt top on Monday.  I would have quilted it as well, but we had a heavy downpour for most of the afternoon.  My sewing room is build under our carport, and even with a double aluminum roof, with insulation, it is still like working inside a bass drum when the rain is heavy.  

I did the best I could with limited stash available, and I refused to shop for more fabric!


Instead, DH and I watched a movie, and I baked chocolate chip cookies!

Today I've been competing with chain saws, as they are trimming trees in our community today!  My blinds are going to get more use on sunny days now.  I hope our air conditioning bill isn't higher this summer.....

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I brought some cute printed blocks south, and finally decided to use them. I added sashing a multi-colour cornerstones.

I have limited stash in my southern home, but found these prints.

I plan on making 8 economy blocks, using the blue animal print in the center, and alternating between the yellow and green for the surrounding triangle pieces.  Then the blue print will be the final border.  Hope to get it completed by the end of today, although DH has been asking for some home made cookies, so......

Check out the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  21.75 yards

Fabric used year to date  35.75 yards

Fabric added this week  4.5 yards

Fabric added year to date 46.5 yards

Net used 2015  -10.75 yards

I'm still in the red, but gaining!  I love it when I complete a large project and can add all the yardage at once!  I completed my Grand Illusion quilt this week, along with a table runner.  I have to wait to get a picture of the huge quilt - DH needs a friend to help hold the quilt!  I did add some fabric this week - visited a quilt shop in Melbourne FL that was close to our friends' home, and I had to have a couple of yards of lovely striped fabrics, and a few fat quarters jumped into my hand as well.....

Now I have to see what other projects I can get started.

Check out Judy's blog, Patchwork Times,  to see all the stash reports.

A FUN LITTLE PROJECT

Last winter, when visiting a not so local quilt shop with friends, I spotted this wonderful border stripe fabric.  A piece had to come home, along with some of the coordinating fabric.  It is rich looking with metallic gold accents.

After completing my Grand Illusion mystery quilt, I needed a quick project to work on, so I placed the stripe on my cutting board, and cut one of each coloured stripe.  I cut 60 degree triangles from the darker blue stripe, and made a large hexagon.  I then cut a strip from the coordinating print to make the second stripe the same width, and cut more 60 degree triangles.

Here is the completed runner, that I named "Earth Sea and Sky".  I used gold metallic thread to quilt some of the lines in each block.  I echo quilted the shapes of the lighter fabric, and also in the centre of the darker hexagon.  I used crosswise cut strips of the fabric to bind the edge, to help bring the two totally different looking fabrics together.  Completed in an afternoon!  I showed it to my DIL via Skype this morning, and she loves the colours, so I think it has found a new home.....

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Nothing new on my design wall, but I've been busy quilting my version of Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion mystery quilt.  I rarely make a quilt in the same colours as designed, but this one struck a chord with me, and I quickly pulled almost all the fabric from my stash!  I think that quilts as scrappy as this one, usually look best with and all-over quilting design, as would be done on a long - arm machine, using a pantograph design.  BUT, I do my own quilting, by moving it through my machine's harp area, so I had to come up with a plan that would work for me.
I began by using monofilament (invisible) thread, and stitched in the ditch between each block and sashing, then around all the borders. 
After searching saved images on my computer, along with various books of quilting designs, I decided to keep it simple, and I chose design G1-8 from the book "Quilting Inside the Lines" by Pam Clarke.

I decided to use some "Twist" thread from Superior Threads.  I used a bright green colour to stitch the design, to echo the green in the sashing, and because there was no green in the block.

I continued to stitch in the the squares of the sashing, using a blue Twist thread, in a similar shade to the teal blues that I used in the blocks and cornerstones.  I used the "Squiggle Square" quilting design, from the tutorial by Lori Kennedy at theinboxjaunt.com.

Now I'm off to search for a floral quilting design to stitch in the cornerstones, using a bright pink thread.  I want to complete this quilt so I can count it as done soon!

Head over to Judy's blog, Patchwork Times to check on this week's creativity shared by other quilters.
 

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  14 yards

Fabric used year to date  14 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  42 yards

Net used 2015  -28 yards

I'm still behind, but finally finished a few projects.  Next week I should be able to claim my Grand Illusion quilt, being quilted right now (if I get back to my machine soon!)

Happy SuperBowl Sunday!  We're off to our neighbours' annual get-together later today.  Lots of delicious, less than healthy food, and lots of laughter and chatting.

Check out all the reports shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.