(Click on photo for a larger image)

Is this the cutest bag or what?  I think we all love bags.  Yesterday fellow DayStitchers (and they’re also friends) June, Betty, Margarget and I met at Pam’s house for a day of quilting.  We each made one of these bags.  I hope to get a picture of the five of us with our finished products.  It was a super fun day, chatting, laughing, sewing, laughing, lunching, laughing – and actually getting something done.  This bag (I did the “tote” size in the whole-cloth variation) is by Indygo Junction.  Not a beginner pattern, for sure, but the end result is just smashing.  This pattern utilizes drapery grommets to thread the handle through.  Very clever, and a very nice bag.  And isn’t quilting with friends just the best!

Sue

Here is my little baby of the weekend (I think it’s about 23″ by 24″ — not sure if I mentioned the size before).  And I cut off the bottom part of the picture again.  That annoying habit is going to be my trademark pretty soon.  After arranging the flowers and leaves into a heart shape (actually a LOT of REARRANGING went on during this process), I bravely fused them down with heat and steam.  I am surprised at how good it looks!  It felt more like a craft project than a quilt project, but I’m pleased so far.  I have a couple of borders to put on, then I’ll quilt it.  The borders are first a narrow black border, then a wider deep mottled purple.

There’s another kit that’s a wreath of cats by this same company, Whims, that I think my mom would like.  Some day.  For right now I’m ready to do some regular straight piecing where I’m much more in my own element, although it’s good to try something different once in a while.

Sue

My watercolor wall hanging is coming along.  The other ones I did would have been done by now, as the heart was pieced right into the watercolor.  This one has the heart added on top of the watercolor background by fusible applique, so I’ve been busily cutting out flower motifs from the included floral fabric.  It’s a little tedius.  Thanks goodness for the Olympics.  Next I will arrange the flowers in a heart shape on the watercolor background and fuse them down.  More Olympics.

I’m in “gift mode”, as there are a number of people I need to “gift”, so I am also making some quick table toppers, about 36″ square:

This one is from a charm pack and a little yardage that came in a kit.  (Note to Self:  Check border fabric for vertical pattern.  I cut this one on the grain, and the printing must have been a little off.  II didn’t realize it before cutting it that it wasn’t an all-over type pattern.)  Oh, well, that will be part of its charm, right?

Staying in gift mode, I will then move on to aprons, table runners, and bags/purses.  I wasn’t too concerned until I sat down with pen and paper and tallied up the gifts I want to make.  NINE!!!  I love the quote (saw it on some else’s site, and this isn’t exactly worded), “Don’t tell me not to burn the candle at both ends.  Tell me where I can get more wax!!!”

We’re going to the Minnesota State Fair tomorrow.  I received my first State Fair ribbon.  A fourth place.  On a little whole-cloth wall hanging that I don’t even have a picture of.  It was an afterthought to even enter it.  Isn’t that the way things go?  It’s fun to go and see all the fabulous quilts, and then try to find my friends’ quilts plus a few of my own. 

Something new at the fair this year is “Quilt on a Stick”.  It’s a 9″ x 8″ quilt with a vertical sleeve on the back to hold a paint stick.  Photos to come…

Sue

When we were in Seattle in July (gee, that was only LAST month???), I ran across some Whims patterns.  They are watercolor-type quilt patterns.  I did a couple of them several years ago, and then they kind of disappeared from the local quilt shops around here.  I would see them in a catalog once in a while, but figured they were a once-hot item that had passed on.    ANYWAY, I thought this heart kit would make a perfect thank-you gift for someone special (whom I already have in mind), and I started on it yesterday.  Because there are a number of new quilters out there that maybe haven’t seen this type of pattern before (actually, it’s a kit), I thought I would share some photos as I work on this little wall hanging.  Included in the kit came stacks of pre-cut 2″ floral squares, which you sort by value, lightest to darkest.  (The few leftovers are shown below.)  This particular kit also came with some yardage, from which I will cut individual flowers.  I will arrange these flowers, hopefully somewhat similarly to the heart that appears on the package.

But back to the beginning.  You start by arranging the individual blocks on a light-weight fusible product that has a grid printed on it (purchased separately).  The directions contain a drawing of the grid pattern, showing where to place the dark fabric, the medium-darks, the medium fabric, and so on.  It is sort of like doing a paint-by-number painting in fabric squares.

The final effect is a color wash, or a watercolor, effect.  The photo above shows my fabrics placed on the fusible grid, which has been pressed so the squares are staying “put” (remember, it’s a fusible base).  The next step is you fold right sides together on the grid lines and stitch your seams.  You can see I have started this on the right-hand side.  Once all the up-and-down seams are stitched, I will press them well to one side, then stitch the side-to-side seams.  THEN I will get to build the heart from the fussy-cut flowers. 

I’m sure this is all as clear as mud, but I’m having so much fun doing this little project, I thought I would share.  Hopefully, I’ll get a finished photo posted soon.

Sue

ps:  If this look intrigues you, there are many watercolor quilt books out there where you can build your quilt from “scratch”.

You can tell when I’m busy working on customers’ quilts — there’s not much activity in the blogging area!  I am treating myself to some quilting “work” on my own quilts this weekend, in conjunction with Judy Laquidara’s Quiltathon.  I am working on a very special quilt.  My best friend from high school and beyond, 40+ years ago, was Arlene Newman (Arlene Linton now).  Arlene is a wonderful decorative painter, and her specialty is painting lace.  She has three books out, and she also teaches internationally.  She has a heart as big as all outdoors, and has always been a fun, caring person.  Okay, back to the quilt. 

Last year, Robert Kaufman licensed some of Arlene’s designs and made some wonderful quilt fabric.  The line is called Linens & Lace, and it’s pretty much gone from the stores, although I think Arlene still has some available.  Of course, I had to get some in all the colorways.  Then what to do with it?  Choosing from the wonderful blue fabrics (my favorite), I decided to make a Four-Patch Posies Supreme quilt by HD Designs, which is a variation of a kaleidoscope quilt.  (I modified some of the measurements to suit my fabrics, so it isn’t exactly the same as the pattern.)  I’m very pleased with the way it turned out, and I have been waiting for a chance to quilt it.  Friday night I got it pinned up on my machine.  Doesn’t it remind you of blue-and-white china?

Then what to quilt?  I started with an overall design, and didn’t like it at all.  It really detracted from the fabric.  Rip-it, rip-it, rip-it.  In case you didn’t know what “frogging” meant!  Then I tried doing a custom design in the center.  Didn’t like that either.  More frogging.  I finally decided I needed to stitch-in-the-ditch (SID) the blocks, and I quilted a double-swag design in the borders.  SID is not my favorite, but it really allows the fabric to come through, and this quilt is all about the fabric.  So I’ll be quilting today until I get it done.  Then I’ll have tomorrow for binding. 

It won’t be a ribbon winner, but I am scrambling to get it done and ready in time for the Minnesota State Fair.  It’s so exciting to me that Arlene’s and my paths have crossed again, and this quilt will always be very near and dear to my heart.  Here we are in 1969.  Oh, my gosh, we were just babies!!!  I’m on the left, Arlene on the right:

Sue

Because I just don’t have enough to do (right…), I’ve decided to join Judy Laquidara’s BOM project starting in August.  Like I read on someone else’s blog, it’s funny how you have one color pathway in mind when you start selecting fabrics, and then you end up totally different.  My lightest fabric in the photo is an off-white muslin.  I just used it as a place-holder in the picture.  I haven’t found the #1 fabric yet, but it will be a cream/dk cream/lt gold (see how certain I am, even now???).  I didn’t get to use any stash, as I am mostly a fat-quarter collector, along with some backing-sized pieces.  Plus I wanted these fabrics to read pretty solid, and I found I don’t have much for solids in my collection.  Can’t wait to start this quilt.  And it will be fun to watch everyone else’s progress too!

~Sue

Friday I went with friends to Rochester for the Minnesota Quilters show.  The eye candy was fabulous, and of course, even though I couldn’t think of a single thing I needed to shop for, I still managed to go home with a bag of hand-dyeds.  I have only used them once before, so this is something pretty new to my stash.  And I think there were four different vendors tempting us with such a depth of color and texture, it was impossible to resist!  (No, my mermaid didn’t win anything, but it was fun to see her hanging out at the show!  And I think she had a good time too.)

I ordered some Moda charm packs from Hancocks of Paducah a while back.  These are the Posh line.  I thought they were so pretty, and I ordered four packs, so I started sewing them together randomly with a dark yellow-green sashing.  The border will be all the dark green with maybe some feathered quilting in yellow or gold or … who knows?  Maybe a variegated.

I also completed Kate’s chicken block for our box exchange on Wednesday.  The block turned out really cute, but can’t share it yet.  I think Kate stops by once in a while!

–Sue

Minnesota Quilter’s organization has a big show the end of June.  Every year they sell a challenge package — several pieces of coordinated fabric (something I would NEVER buy normally), along with size limitations (no bigger than 160″ around) and a theme.  So last year I bought the packet for about $15.  All year to work on it.  Well, it turned out to be all year to think about it, a week to get it done (just like high school).  I won’t share the picture yet, as the deadline for turning in our finished projects is Friday 6/20.  So after that date I will post a photo.

The theme for this year is Quilted Jewels.  Besides the three pieces of fabric (a 60s-looking daisy print on black background, a black with silver crinkles, and a light turquoise with silver coin dots), we were given a little bag of beads.  We’re required to use recognizable amounts of the fabrics and at least half the beads.  We can also add other fabrics and embellishments, if desired.

I am NOT a beader, NOT a fan of silver coatings on fabrics, and NOT real crazy about the daisy print either.  Wonder of wonders, I love my little quilt!  I will finish it tomorrow, more than a week ahead of the drop-dead due date.  Another wonder!  It always amazes me that, when we’re forced out of our comfort zone, we can dig down deep and surprise ourselves.  Oh, and I didn’t even mention that it’s — I can hardly say it — applique’!!!

–Sue

Another busy day, although more normal weekend activities and less sewing.  However, I did get most of the cutting done for the Quilt for an Hour project, which starts tomorrow.  I’m satisfied with my fabrics, and can’t wait to start sewing them together!  I also got some things ready for our guild meeting tomorrow night, so a lot of busy-ness and not a lot to take a photo of.  It was a great weekend!

–Sue