Resurrected

If you have been following my adventures with my project for the Spicing Up the Kitchen Swap, you will remember that the placemats above were giving me fits. My intention was to make reversible placemats for my partner.  These were definitely not cooperating!  If I took them apart once, I took them apart 8 or 10 times, to the point where I finally gave up on these, finished the others and sent them off.  Frankly, I was tempted to chuck these, but the yellow is bright and cheery and Kumari Gardens is so, so pretty, and I just couldn't.

Meanwhile, I've been pondering what to do for my sister for her birthday.  Suddenly, a few days ago, it hit me - finish these for her.  So I did.  They were really no more cooperative at the end than the beginning, but I did finish them.  The border on the towel and the potholders were made from the very interesting scraps produced by the diagonal borders.  They were actually a lot of fun!

Can you see the quilted butterfly?  I had a terrible time getting a shot of the actual quilting.  This was really the best I was able to do.  The quilting was actually fun.  

And believe it or not, after all that angst over what to put on the back, I didn't get a photo.  Well, I did, but apparently it didn't get downloaded and I've already erased the pics off the camera.  And the gift is already in the mail.  Suffice it to say that the Weekends fabric looked awesome on the back of these things.  The butterflies and flowers - and the colors - coordinated very well with the Kumari Gardens.

And after they were done, they had to be washed because the wash-away marking pen I used to quilt the butterfly on the yellow centers had to be washed out, you know.  And I know it's all the rage, but I really like quilts before they are washed when they are crisply pressed and they feel so smooth and nice.  But these were washed and I didn't press them again.  Am I a slacker?

The binding is Central Park. The color was perfect.  The design didn't detract from the rest of the fabrics. It's what I had.  

Nuff said.

I hope she likes them.

Blogger's Pillow Party

When our family met for Christmas at BD#1's house, BD#2 wanted a new pillow to match her new comforter.  She had picked the fabric by the time I arrived.  She chose McKenzie by Dena Designs for the front and Minky in white paisley for the back.  But what should it look like?  .  

So I set her looking through Flickr pictures in the Pillow Talk swap and came across THIS pillow. It became our inspiration.

I offset the pieces and quilted the two sides in different directions, with a narrow piece of the lighter fabric as sashing between the two pieces.  The top band and bottom band (which don't show well at all in this photo) are from the gray floral and are outline quilted.  And the center band with the flower is bound with the lighter fabric and the flower is copied shamelessly from the inspiration pillow, but that was the part that inspired us.

This pillow is now living happily in BD#2's college apartment.  I hope though, that it serves her well beyond her college years!

UFO Weekend

Here is my list for this weekend...

Finish the Central Park Quilt for the Opera - i.e., back, bind and quilt.

Finish quilting and bind the Fandango Sugar Rush quilt.

 Square up the A Blockwork Orange blocks so I can get them in the mail.

NOTE:  A Blockwork Orange is a Flickr group based on Oh Fransson's tutorial found at the link above.

Finish my mini quilt for the Flickr Mini QT swap.

 Finish my sister's birthday gift (I'm fairly confident that Sis is not a blog reader.)






I promise myself that I will not start anything new until I finish at least these 5 UFOs.  I know there were more things on my list, but if I get these done, I can celebrate.

The Mini Mini

So, I probably shouldn't make this confession, but here goes...

I am involved in a mini quilt swap via Flickr called Mini QT.  The little quilts can be no more than 12-inches square and this month's theme is 3D.  This isn't a secret swap, so you can't show photos of the whole thing until your partner receives her little quilt (which is OK, since my creation isn't finished yet LOL).

I have this dynamite idea in my head which requires the creation of a mini mini quilt (or maybe even 2).  Anyway, I've been struggling with the mechanics of creating something so small.  Yesterday, while I was finishing up the SUTK swap I came across the scraps I cut from what was supposed to have been the reversible place mats after I cut off the excess after I took them apart for the second or third time and added more of the yellow sunbursts (at least that's what they look like to me - or maybe kaleidoscopes)....  I had a ton of these little pieced scraps - 16 of them to be exact.

So I started playing with them, turning them every which way, putting them together in different combinations, and suddenly, I had this little mini mini ziggy zaggy quiltie.  The binding was also a scrap from the same project, already cut.

In all, the whole little quilt took less than 30 minutes, quilting and all.

Kinda makes up for all the problems I had with it's obstinate parent.

SUTK Swap Package

My package for the Spicing Up the Kitchen swap is finally done.  After several abortive ideas and much frustration, my package is COMPLETE!  I am so glad.  It seems like I have been working on it forever.

I started with the idea of a reversible place mat.  My original color choices were based on a piece of Amy Butler fabric that was lovely, but the only fabrics I could find that coordinated were pink, and that received a resounding thumbs down from the SUTK Flickr group.

Then, I thought I would do little birdies in green.  It was maybe just a little too green.  Note the Amy Butler fabric in the picture below.

 Then I fell in love with Kumari Gardens and wanted to showcase the butterflies.  Sadly, they did not want to be showcased as badly as I wanted to showcase them.  This is where most of the frustration came in.  I took them apart and put them back together too many times to count.  And then, when I finally did finish them, they were bigger than their partner and wouldn't work for reversible place mats at all.  I may finish them for a wedding gift or something.  They really are pretty.

And so, I did what any self-respecting quilter would do who was running desperately short of time - I took what was to have been the other side of the double-sided placemats and went full steam ahead.  I don't think I have a scrap much bigger than a charm square left of any of these fabrics.

There are 4 placemats, each with a different applique.  The applique patterns are from Sandi Henderson's Bits and Pieces book.


Note that I am too short to get a really good picture of these.  This was taken standing on the couch.

I made a decorative dish towel.  I pieced a decorative border for the bottom of the towel.  I was amazed that I had a towel the perfect color in my stash.  Such forethought (NOT - purely accidental!)

Each of the fabrics is "quilted" onto the towel.

I made a double sided pot holder from a tutorial I found here.  It was super easy and fun to make.

I did discover that my sewing machine, which does not really like to FMQ at all, REALLY does not like to FMQ on Insulbrite - especially two layers of insulbrite.

This is the outside.  

And this, of course, is the inside, with two little pockets for your hands and a little loop to hang it up.
















 Finally, I made a modified fat quarter apron.  I used the same border idea on the apron as on the dish towel.    I thought it turned out pretty cute.

I really hope my partner likes it.

I Love Holidays!

Today, I'm very glad that Presidents have birthdays.  I really needed a long weekend to recoup from the last 6 weeks or so.  And I planned to be very productive.  So I got up this morning and decided I didn't like this project after all and that I had to add some more contrast in the string portions of the side panels.  Boy was that a bad idea.  I wanted to add someof the yellow medallions that you can barely see in the corners.  Guess who ran out of fabric?  So now I have 2 finished placemats and two that are still in pieces.  I suppose a trip to A&E is in order after work today.  Oh darn!  Still it is frustrating.  I could have gone to A&E today, but I just didn't want to make the drive, not that it is far, but it would just be too much interruption.

The good news is that this placemat process yielded some interesting scraps.  I am going to make string quilt-esque pot holders to go along with the placemats.  I was going to do an apron also, but I may just let the market bag do.  

Anyway, I was playing with the pieces, and came up with this:

I'm thinking it may be the beginnings of a pillow top for my Urban Home Goods partner.  She said she likes modern and traditional mixed, and bright colors, and this string-quilt-meets-log-cabin may just do it.  Here is the center detail:

Right now it measures 14" square, so with the last border and binding, it should be about 18".

On another note, I am the QB in my First Time Bee virtual quilting bee in March.  I have been racking my brain for an idea for my blocks.  In the charm square swap, we have been discussing quilts that we have known and loved, and it reminded me of a quilt we had when I was a little girl.  It was a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt that my great, great grandmother had made for my dad.  It was made of teeny, tiny hexis cut from old dresses and shirts and who knows what all, and tied together with a peach border between the flowers.  Perhaps that is where my love of quilts came from, because I loved that quilt.  I would have slept with it every day, but my mom would only let me use it when I was sick (hmmm...  maybe that's why I was sick so much as a child...  but I digress.)  Anyway, this thought keeps coming back.

So on Saturday, I made this suggestion to my Bee Buddies and they were so supportive.  There were a couple of hesitations, but now everyone seems excited.  I have been intimidated myself by all those hexagons, so made a sample block just to see.  I had bought some templates a couple of weeks ago, and those - along with a good pressing - make the job pretty easy.  Here is my sample block, in stages.

GMFG flower, stage 1, one row

GMFG Block, stage 2, two rows

The fabrics are from my scrap bag, so this quilt should be a good scrap buster.  I left the choice of fabrics up to the quilters, but while this block is terribly traditional, I think the quilt would be more fun in a mix of traditional and modern fabrics.  And I saw a totally non-traditional block on Flickr that really excited me.  I'll have to see what I can do with it. 

And I just realized that my Mini QT quilt has to be done by the end of the month, and all I have is a sketch.  Guess I'd better get going, huh?

Fabric Therapy

So, the last time I blogged, I mentioned that I was glad BD#2 had come home for Pres Day weekend and that she arrived at the end of a t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e week.  I work for a bank and we were laying people off, most of whom were my friends.  In addition, I had to move my workspace after 9 years at the same desk.  Many tears shed, many late nights, much anxiety about friends gone and new responsibilities and a tired, sore body on top of it all.

It was time for some fabric therapy, and I was very glad BD#2 was home and glad to have a playmate.  She and I went to A&E and I thought we exercised a great deal of restraint there.  We only bought enough fabric to finish the 2nd McKenzie pillow, the fabric for my PP6 swap (Hideaway in aqua),  and fabric for one other project she asked me to make for her.  And we even shared half of the AMH Garden Party and selected coordinates (A&E didn't have much AMH left) with BD#1!  Wasn't that generous?
 
BD #2 is taking a culinary arts class.  What she asked me to make was a knife case and a tote bag for her CA stuff.  Hmmm...  I've never made a knife case before.  Just what are the requirements?  How big are the knives?  Are there patterns out there?  Not that I could find.  So, I did what I always do when I'm really stumped - I made it up from thin air.

Oddly enough, while I was at quilt guild last Monday, someone donated some home dec fabric on the giveaway table that was perfect for my purposes.  And I just love the outside fabric.  It is so bright and cheerful.  Anyway, here are some pics of my creation.

Here is the knife case folded closed into a neat, tidy bundle.

The case rolls together and ties shut.  I forgot the handles, so will add those before it is mailed.

Here the case is open with the cover folded up.

Here are the pockets for the individual knives.

In this one, the knives are covered and safely stored.

I thought it turned out OK.  I hope it will be functional and make BD#2 happy on those COLD, no make that FRIGID Idaho mornings (it was -7 there this morning when I checked).  Farenheit.

So, my kind sister got me two books for my birthday.  This one, that I've been oogling forever:

And this one, which is just the ticket for my next little project:

So here are the beginnings of the tote bag.  The outside is mostly done - sewn and quilted.  It was mostly fun to quilt.  I am not a great free motion quilter and frankly, my machine doesn't like it.  I broke several needles in the process, but I am fairly pleased with the results.  The flowers look kind of cool quilted.  I'm not so happy with the quilting on what will be the sides.  It is kind of funky, maybe because the pieces are so long and narrow.  Overall, though, I'm ok with the results.

I am currently working on the inside pockets.  The requirement is that at least one pocket has to be able to hold BD#2's chef's coat.  Now that I have the quilting done, I am thinking I should have put a couple of pockets on the outside.  I may add a pocket for a water bottle to the side, but frankly, the flower is just too pretty to cover up with a pocket.  I may just have to put all the pockets on the inside.  This is a WIP, but I hope to finish by the weekend.

Anyway, so the Tuesday after Pres Day, I head in to work thinking that the layoffs are over, the worst is behind us, and things will get better.  Not so.  In the next 2 days, 6 officers leave to go to work for another bank in town.  THIS required major fabric therapy.  Friday night, I went to A&E and treated myself to the above selection of yummy fabrics.  When I came home, I arranged them, and rearranged them, and petted them...  WH laughed at me.  He just doesn't understand.

So the next week has to be better, right?  Nope, my boss retired suddenly and we have a whole new management team.  Whew!  That's a lot to happen in 3 weeks.  It required even more fabric therapy.  The picture above is the selection from last Friday night.  It is also the selection for the charm square swap I am in.  (So, if you are involved in the swap and you are reading this, I just spoiled your surprise when you get your little package....  Sorry.)

This selection includes:

Weekends by Erin McMorris
Dancing Paisley by Amy Butler
Monaco by Dena
Kites by Felicity Miller
Picnic Plaid by Joel Dewberry
Daisy Chain by Amy Butler
Freshcut by Heather Bailey
Paperweight by Kaffe Fassett
Kumari Gardens by Dena Designs

Speaking of the charm square swap, there are 18 members (including me) who are swapping 8 unique fabrics each.  That's in the neighborhood of 144 charms (of course I kept a set for myself - I just love those fabrics!)  That should be enough charms to make 2 quilts.  I think for one of them, I will do the Square One quilt from Camille Roskelly's book.  I really only expected to have enough charms to make one quilt, so I haven't really thought about the second one yet.

So far, I have received two of the packages of charm squares.  It is turning out to be a wonderful selection of fabrics so far.  And getting these little non-bill envelopes in the mail has brightened my less-than-stellar-but-better-than-the-last-three-weeks days so far this week.  Here are pics of what I have received so far from Val and Lucinda.

Charm Square Package from Val in Indiana

Charm square package from Lucinda.  I'm not ready to untie it yet, but it has "chairs" in it!

It is so much fun to get these little packages in the mail.

Also yesterday and today, I have gotten 2 books from BD#1 and her family (for my birthday? - she had already made me some hand-knitted dishcloths for my birthday!)  Anyway, I have had 2 great mail days in a row.  Here are the things she sent.

 I have been eyeing this book since I first saw it at BD #1's house.  Yummy projects and ideas.  I can't wait to try them.

And I hadn't seen this book before, but it has some great modern twists on traditional quilt patterns.  Can't wait to try some of them. 

AND today is February 1 and I signed up to be in the Mini QT swap.  My partner is Valery Anne.  As I understand it, you know who your partner is, and you only give sneak peeks of your project until your partner receives it.  So here is my sneak peek.

I just love this fabric.  It is going to be so much fun to play with.  The theme is 3D, and I think there are wonderful possibilities.

I think this blog post should have been 3 or 4 blog posts.  If you have made it to the end of this, you are uber stout hearted, and I wish you a wonderful week.  Meanwhile, hopefully, this week there won't be a need for so much fabric therapy.  On the other hand, if something good happens, we could go fabric shopping to celebrate....