Potpourri

I decided that today I would tell you about some of the non-quilty things I've been working on this month.  Despite my little rant about Flickr, there are still a few swaps going on.  This one - called the Secret Tote Bag Swap, is just ending, and this is the little tote I made for my partner.  I created the pattern myself, and I really like the fun shape the pleat gives to this roomy bag.  The theme was nature, and I found this pretty home dec fabric on the remnant rack at JoAnn's, which is not my usual thing, but it was so pretty, who could resist.  And I think it does make a pretty bag.  Whitney said she was a mom with young children and she requested lots of pockets, so it has my usual zipper pocket and double patch pocket on the inside.  I didn't take a photo of the inside, but the lining is a brown Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow print that was on sale at my LQS.

Another fun little project I did recently was this cute little pinnie.  My partner requested a wrist pin cushion, so I had to figure out how to do that.  (Isn't the internet wonderful?  I combined a bunch of ideas I found to make this little pinnie just what I wanted it to be.)  This one has a little plastic base (cut from a Cool Whip container lid) at the bottom so you won't stab yourself.

The patchwork is from the leftovers of the Fairy Tale Friends honey bun I used to make my Fairy Tale Friends Quilt, which was my first finish for 2013.  I put a little button and some felt leaves in the corner for a little flower.

I honestly have no idea where this little piece of Minkee (or Minkee knock off?) came from, but I found it in my scrap basket and decided it would make a really comfortable wrist band.  I used both elastic and velcro so it was v-e-r-y adjustable to just about any sized wrist.

And I don't remember if I told you about the little Friendship Bag I made for my partner in the Sewing With Friends swap.  Yup, same fabric.  I didn't have the pattern handy, so I just guessed.  I think it might be a little deeper than she specifies in the pattern, but hey - my philosophy is "If you're going to make it, make it your own."  In keeping with that idea, I used ribbon for the handles.

I'm working on the Autumn Sampler from the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.

I haven't done counted cross-stitch in years.  Are the holes in Aida cloth a lot smaller than they used to be???

I'm not making a ton of progress on this project so far...  I think maybe this one might be finished by NEXT autumn.

My friend Wanita's birthday was in August, but we just managed to get together this week to celebrate.  I made her this Union Jack bag for her birthday.  I've had the blocks done for-e-ver, but of course I didn't manage to finish the bag until the morning of our lunch (why rush into these things, right?)  Anyway, the blocks are from the Victory Garden quilt pattern.  I was kind of surprised at how huge these blocks turned out to be (originally, I was thinking Union Jack mug rug - but not from these monster blocks...  placemats came to mind.)  I used some Kona coal for the bottom of the bag so that the whole Union Jack would show.

I used this DS Quilts gray dot (yes, GRAY!) for the lining, with my favorite patch pocket.

So, that's what's been going on craft-wise around here...  What are you working on?

Elegy for Flickr

OK.  So this isn't a poem.  I don't really feel up to composing poetry today.  But the word "elegy" certainly reflects the intent of this post.

I really love swapping.  Making something for someone else - especially someone I've never met -  really pushes me out of my comfort zone and makes me try things I might not always feel confident about.  Maybe I would have tried the face on the Girl On A Swing that I mentioned in my last post if one of my quilt partners had requested it.  Who knows?

One of my first-ever swap projects

I have to say that I am more than a little disappointed that the Flickr platform has become so difficult and unpleasant to use since they made the changes this summer.  I have noticed that the participation on Flickr just isn't what it used to be.  There are fewer swaps and fewer participants in the swaps that do happen.  Discussions and conversations that used to go on just don't happen.

A Swap Package - Craft Apron, FQs, and an embroidered hoop

I've heard from some former Flickr participants that it takes so lng for the pictures to load and uses up so much bandwidth that they just can't afford to use Flickr any more.  Or, they can't get Flickr to load at all on their iPad or other device.  And where I used to be able to use Flickr on my phone, not only does it take forever for the app to load, the new mobile site just won't take me where I need to go.  I use Flickr Mail and Groups the most, but since Flickr is pushing random pictures on its mobile site, those are the places I have the hardest time getting to.

My "Ugly Quilt" has become one of my favorite quilts - Totally inspired by a Flickr challenge

And while I love Instagram, it just can't take the place of Flickr.  Because IG is so linear, unless you're looking for something in particular (and you know what people have used as the hashtag), you're likely to miss the good stuff.  It's not like you can just spend an hour on IG looking at pictures and adding things you like to your favorites like you could on Flickr.  Or make a mosaic or gallery of the ones you want to try.

And I love that the "Ugly Quilt" has blocks on the back - the challenge was to use ALL of the ugly fabric

The personal result of this is that I don't seem to feel nearly as creative as I did just a few months ago.  I have trouble getting excited about projects, and I don't seem as likely to say, "I love that!  I'm going to try it!" And actually do it.

The challenge here was words that start with "M"

And the people on Flickr were so helpful.  If you had a question or were having difficulty with a project, there were kind folks there who would offer help and advice.  And have you noticed that they're not "contacts" any more?   As of yesterday, they are "followers" now. What's in a name? I kind of liked that we were more like friends and equals than hangers-on and gawkers (although maybe we were those as well).

Hexies?  NEVER thought I would love hexies until I found Flickr.

Even more, the comments and feedback helped keep me excited and enthusiastic.  And it's the enthusiasm, I think, that I miss the most.  On IG, you can "Like" something and just keep moving.  The comments on Flickr were much more interactive and meaningful, I think. Not that you can't comment on IG, but it seems that few people do.

Wonky?  I never thought wonky was my style - until I saw all the fun wonky quilting on Flickr

So, alas!  Goodbye, Flickr.  I would gladly exchange the sharp, clear photos for the ease of use and community spirit Flickr used to have.

So, as much as I hate to say this...  Flickr,

How have the Flickr changes impacted you?

WIP Wednesday

I am sorry to report that I have made virtually no progress on any of my WIPs this week.  I have been sewing - a little - but these are not what I have been working on.  I had hoped to get several quilts sandwiched and ready to quilt at the ECMQG meeting last Saturday, but since I didn't get the backs made, I wasn't able to get that done.  I love the big floor in the fellowship hall of the church where we meet.  It has a lovely indoor/outdoor carpet that holds the quilt very well until I get basting pins in it to hold it together.  So, the Modern Maples quilt is still in the WIP pile, waiting to be finished.

The good news is that I now know exactly what I'm going to do for the back of this quilt, which I didn't know on Saturday, so maybe it's a good thing that I waited.

The bookshelf quilt is also languishing in the WIP pile, and for the same reason.  Since I took this picture I have added borders to the ends to make it just a tad bit bigger.  My friend Leona gave me a bit of this fabric (I think I have called it by several different names, but it is Santorini, by Lila Tueller) that I plan to put on the back, along with a coordinating solid, I think.

I decided that the Wonky Cross quilt needs borders too, since it's just not quite big enough to be useful.  Oddly enough, the borders will involve gray!?!  I'm going to get that done very soon (I hope) and then make a back for this one - maybe one large wonky cross?  It could be cool.  We'll see.

The Bento Quilt top is done too, and just needs a back.  AFTER I finished this quilt top, I found several blocks that I missed because they weren't in the bag with the other and which didn't make it into the quilt.  It's kind of a shame, because if I had seen them before, I might not have needed borders at all.  But, rather than take it apart again, I think I will use the extra blocks on the back for a little pizzaz.

Oh!  I almost forgot this baby...  This one still needs the fill-in piecing around the points of the stars, and then maybe borders.  Amanda says she put borders on one of her quilts of this pattern but not on the other, and I think it is almost big enough as it is, so I may just leave it, as it is quite large without borders.  We'll see when I get that done.

I actually dug these ancient (from 2010) blocks out of the basket last week.  This was one of the very first modern-ish quilts I ever started.  The fabric is Breath of Avignon by American Jane.  The pattern is a Moda Bake Shop picnic quilt called - oddly enough - Avignon.  These were among the first charm packs I ever bought.  In fact, it was kind of my return to quilting piece, and I started making the blocks on my old machine before I realized/remembered that my foot was not 1/4".  Putting this one together may be a bit of a challenge.  The good news is that the blocks have finally seen the light of day again, and I hope to put the top together soon.

So there's what's going on in my WIP pile this week.  We;ll see if I make more progress than I did last week.  I'm hoping I do - maybe it will get me motivated again.

Meanwhile, I have a question (well, technically, several questions, but they are all related)...  Do you use pins to baste your quilts?  If so, what kind?  Or do you spray baste?  (I've never tried spray basting.)  What are the pros and cons, as you see it?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Fun Mail

I'm really not sure what's wrong with me lately....  Ever since I got home from my uncle's funeral in Seattle I've been in kind of a sewing/blogging funk.  I just don't seem to be making much progress on things lately.  But I did manage to have a photo session of finished projects and swappy gifts last week, so I thought I would share some of them.  This very cool panel is part of a lovely tote bag that Susi made me when we did our bag swap back in...  um....  June or July?  Really?  And I'm just getting around to taking the photos??  Forgive me, Susi.  I'm not sure what happened.  I opened them...  And admired them....  And put them away, and just.  Never.  Took.  Pictures.

And here's the bag.  Isn't it just the cutest?  I love the spools.  And the books (arranged horizontally and vertically - Fun!)

Check out the adorable pin cushion...

And the button jar is just too fun!  I honestly have one very similar to this on the shelf in my sewing room.

Along with the adorable bag, Susi made me this Girl On A Swing mini quilt.  Isn't this adorable?  And I love the bright colors.  I have to admit that I have been admiring coveting these since Aneela did the tutorial way back in 2010. but I was always intimidated by doing the face, so I doubt I would have ever tried it. 

Thank you, Susi, for the lovely gifts.

I received this fun little mini quilt from Michelle (A.quilter.2) in the Super Swaps Flickr Swap.  The theme was "embellishments" and I think she did an awesome job with the buttons, the embroidery, and the beads.  The little pouch even has a 3D flap.  so cute.

Michelle even included an adorable little matching fabric basket to help me organize the sewing room.  I took photos, but they are all so blurry that they make my eyes cross.  Not sure what happened there, but apparently the camera and my eye were not communicating.

Thank you, ladies, for the lovely surprises!

WIP Wednesday... 4 finishes and a WIP

I'm not exactly sure how it got to be the 10th of October already, but here we are.  It is officially fall, the weather is cooler, the leaves are changing, and here in Florida, the humidity has dropped to reasonable - even pleasant - levels in the wake of quasi-Tropical Storm Karen.

I finished the string block quilt which was my October goal in my 13 in 2013 challenge.  It went a lot faster than I thought it would.

Barely an afternoon's quilting and it was finished!  I was amazed.

I tried a wood-grain quilting pattern, and I have to say, it was kind of fun.  Certainly nowhere near perfect, but I'm satisfied with it.

I did a herringbone design in the first border.  Looking at it now, it might be further apart that it should have been, but I don't dislike it at all.

And the outer border is kind of a wonky diamond design.  And frankly, I really like the stripey binding.

So, this one is a wrap, and I'm ok with the results.

And I finally sat down and finished the last of the scrappy trip along blocks.  I really love the combination of dots and solids that Leona chose.  So happy!

Since Leona only wanted a quilt top, this one is a finish also.  I love how the square blocks look like they are on the diagonal.  I love how the colors play together.  It took me a bit to decide how to lay this one out, but I'm glad I chose the traditional layout.  The quilt is 7 blocks square, or 84" x 84"  Glad I'm not quilting this one myself!

I finished my latest Weekender Bag.  This is the one I started as the demo for my class at Derrel's of Pensacola in September.  I did this one in blue, and used Lizzy House's Castle Peeps as the focal fabric.  I must be into stripes lately.  I really like the stripey piping on this one too.

I had a lot of fun with the Castle Peeps in making this bag.

And I finally took photos of the last of the citrus quilts.  This is the one I kept - mostly because Abby liked it.  It may yet be a Project Linus quilt, but somehow I just couldn't part with it.  I love how the blues in this quilt make the citrus colors pop.

I tried a leaf design on this one, and it was a lot of fun to do.

Yup!  I kinda like this one.

I got the rows put together in my Starflower quilt.  Would you just look at those points???  Amanda's method for perfect points is, well....  perfect.  Honestly, they all look like that.  How did my daughter get to be so smart?  Now all I need to do is to cut and attach the borders....

So, that's what's been going on around here in the last week or so.  I'd love to know what you've been up to. 

13 Finishes in 2013 - September Goal

I'm doing OK with my 13 in 2013 goal, but I'm still behind. 


Here's the list I started with in January:

1.  Jelly Roll Quilt, finished March, 2013
2.  Fairy Tale Friends, finished March, 2013
3.  Teal/Red 3x6 Bee Blocks, finished 2 quilts, July, 2013
4.  Citrus quilt(s), finished 3 quilts, August, 2013
5.  Granny Squares Quilt, finished March, 2013
6.  String Blocks Quilt
7.  Bow Tie Quilt finished September, 2013
8.  Bento Blocks Quilt
9.  Breath of Avignon Quilt
10.  Anthropologie Duvet Cover, finished April, 2013
11.  GMFG - this one is about 2/3 completed
12.  Lark Pinwheel Quilt - I used most of the blocks for Weekender bags, so I'm counting this one as finished
13.  Basket Quilt

And I did go on a sandwiching spree this week and got three quilts sandwiched; the string block quilt and the bento block quilt are sandwiched...

And the bow tie quilt is DONE!

It shouldn't be too hard to finish both the string block and the bento quilts since the worst part of the job is done.

I've made wonderful progress on the Grandmother's Flower Garden - more than I ever expected - but I still have a couple of long rows to do to finish the top...  and I think I'll count that as a finish.  If I decide to hand quilt it, it may be another couple of  years before this one is done.

So, with three months left in 2013, I have 5 quilts left to finish.  Two of those are already sandwiched and ready to quilt, so they are well on their way.  I think I will be able to finish the GMFG top by the end of the year. That will just leave the Breath of Avignon and the Basket quilt to finish before the December. 

Who knows, I might actually make it!