New blocks

Here are a couple blocks I cut out over the weekend.  I'm trying a new method.  It was pretty easy.  As you will see they aren't sewn together.  A very bad habit of mine, posting pics before completion.  I would say I will work on that, but I won't :)

Here's Della:

And here's Evangelina

After completing Evangelina I saw a different way I should have done her.  Maybe next time :)

Here is Evangelina finished.  I do not know how I went from 15.5 inches to 11.5.  I don't think I should have lost so much just because I changed machines :( but that is the only thing I can come up with, double :(:(

I'm still pleased with her.  Of course the center blocks seams are my worst but still not bad.

When I respond to your comments!

For some very strange reason I cannot comment from my home computer only my work one.  Just want to let you know - if you comment, please be sure to check the original post and you will see that I responded through an edited post.  I * the response and typically put the name of the person I am responding to.

I try to make sure I don't ignore anyone but because of my "technology issue" it can sometimes appear as though I am.

Welcome Followers :)

Greetings:

Welcome to my blog and thank you for following me.  At times I am very active and at other times not so much.  I am kinda in my not so much mode now.  This would be because I am working on getting 3 t-shirt quilts done.

When they are done I will post pics here.  I am also signed up for a doll quilt swap and "quilting in the new year" swap.  Both of them are coordinated through quiltingboard.com.  My partner for the "quilting in the new year swap" agreed to exchange blocks with me.  Thanks to Bonni I have two new block designs that I am going to try to accomplish - wish me luck with that :)

So anyway, this is where I put my quilting life.  Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions or maybe even the occasional criticism.

Thank you

Connie

T-shirt Quilt Tutorial

I have been asked to put this tutorial here.  Wish me luck as I have never done one before.  But hey, a good challenge is always a good thing right?

Here we go!  I dug to the bottom of the t-shirt drawer for this one.

Cut the sleeves off

Cut the front and back apart (up the sides and across the top)

Here is where I missed a step - will try to add it later.  I should have shown how to measure the design so you know how much stabilizer you need.  You will see later I blew it :(
For the sake of this tute I pieced my stabilizer together.  It works and there is no real reason why you can't do it.  Save money! I cut this to cover a 15.5 square ruler.

Next you iron the stabilizer to the t-shirt. Make sure you use enough stabilizer to cover the entire design plus some extra. (too late I realized I should not have used gray - it's hard to see the stabilizer)

Turn the t-shirt over and place your ruler over the design.  I used the 12.5 square but should not have as it was not big enough to cover the design.

Cut around your square and you have your ready to  use block.

Hope this helps you.

I don't know the name of the stabilizer used in this tute but I have Pellon Sof-Shape to use on my next one.

Progress being made

Just a couple of those things from my to do list.  First are the potholders.  I really love these but am wondering about the sanity of using WHITE!  The second is the mittens wallhanging.  The binding is not sewn on but I used a new product tonight.  It is fusible thread. When I first learned about it, the person was using it to secure the binding for hand sticthing.  I don't know how to hand stitch but now the binding is secured for machine stitching :)

check back here for edits as I complete projects from my list!

**edited 8/17/11

Well the mittens wallhanging is done!  Not happy with the binding stitching.  I used a snowflake design but it didn't feed the way I wanted (what's new?)  Anyway, here it is

You can kinda see the attempt of the pattern.  You can definitely see that I can't sew straight!

Here are a couple baby quilt books I did.  They aren't finished either (seems to be a pattern) but that's ok.  They were fun and quick.

And last, but not least, are two runners:  The red bordered one I just love.  Few mistakes in it.  The navy bordered one I like but lots of mistakes.  Oh well, the more I look at it the less I care.  That's good right?  It is pretty.

Cut out evenings are not for me

Yeah, so all those big plans?  Not.....after I finished the potholders I seriously fizzled.  I still had about two hours before Wes came home and could have gotten lots done but just couldn't.  Was even so pathetic as to not put the sticky note on my sewing machine.  Oh well, there is tonight.  So now I will try to get most of those things done this weekend.  Going away all day tomorrow.  Have an idiot coming on Saturday to finish up all the adjustments on the tv and then hopefully we never have to have anything to do with Best Buy again!  NEVER NEVER get anything of a major purchase there.  They suck.

Do need to get some cleaning done as well.  Maybe first thing Saturday morning and then free the rest of the weekend? 

Next week we go back on our regular work hours.  Not sure how I am going to manage that after only working 3 days a week all summer.  The following week school starts and all the students will be back.  To be honest, not as excited about that as I usually am.  Again thinking it may be time for me to leave here. 

My Evening Cut Out For Me

So today is Wednesday and that means Wes is going out tonight :)  My plans for the evening are as follows:

Finish potholders for swap.
Get Dee's placemat done or at least the paper piecing parts, unless between now and then I change my mind about what I am going to do.  It will stay a placemat just maybe no the one I had picked out.
Make note for new machine that says:  Are the feed dogs where they need to be for what you are doing today?
Put the binding on the snowman wall hanging so I can finally call it done.
Maybe mark one of the halloween wall hangings.

Things I must do to make any of this happen:
buy insulbrite
buy navy thread

I think that is all I have to do :)
Oh and somewhere, somehow, someday I really need to find a place to put in exercising.  I have a little place set up in the basement and it's great for what I do, now just getting it in on a regular basis rather than the here and there I have been doing all summer.  Remembering I told myself 2011 was going to be "the year" I made the change and got my weight back down to something reasonable (of course defining reasonable leaves lots of room ;) )

Saturday's Quilt Class

I enjoyed it.  I already knew some of it but such is life.  I do know how to cross hatch BUT what I did learn was how to start it from scratch when you are not working with squares!  That 45 degree angle on our rulers does have a purpose :)

Now the drawback to the class?  The free motion part.  Well, as mentioned earlier, my feet are not interchangable and the Viking store doesn't open until 10.  I did what I could while my machine would let me.  **NOTE:  they have lots of room so if  a person needed to take 2 machines they could.  I think I will get into free motion.  First I have to fix the tension issue on my new machine (dumb me did it again!)  Then it's off to the races to see what I can achieve. 

I am building a nice little pile of things on the couch that need to be done but for this, that or another reason I have not touched it ;)  Excuses come easy when there is a good book in the house.

No, I did not get the insulbrite so off to HL I go on Wednesday so I can finish my pothotlders that evening while Wes is off to pool. 

Quilting Class Alert:  They are having a "quilt as you go" session on November 5.  I don't know the cost yet but am going.  Sounds like we will do a project:  perhaps something called Fun and Done or maybe that is what she is calling the class!  Will be there regardless and hope I can rope some friends into it as well, cost depending :)

Should I ever get back to completing projects (or take a couple pics of Saturday's work) I will have some new pics soon. 

Until then......

Yet another quilting class

Tomorrow I will be taking a quilting class in Rockford at the Quilters General Store.  I am debating taking both of my machines.  I couldn't find the darning foot I wanted for my Singer sooo.....

Will post tomorrow about how it went.  Also will be finishing the snowman wall hanging.  Used a crystal button for the snowflake.  Would have preferrred finding snowflake buttons but such is life.  This will be ok.  I stole the idea from my friend Bonni.  She used button medallions on one of her wall hangings too.

**edited Saturday morning:  why can't sewing machine parts be interchangeable?  I have two free  motion quilting feet for my Viking and NEITHER of them will fit my Singer.  Mad dash to Joanns before class :(  Hope I can remember to get insulbrite while I am there.

Slow night - basting only

Bought a couple of cute halloween panels last week.  Tonight I cut them down and sandwiched them.  They are now ready to quilt once the basting spray dries and I have time. Probably next week after I take a quilting class this weekend.  Here they are:

and #2

I love the backing for these.  Here it is:

and again the mittens without the snowflake.  I did find I have some nice coordinating material to cut the snowflake out of.  Just gotta find a different snowflake design.  Yes, this has been spray basted and I am sure it's going to cause me some problems, but hey, why not give myself a good challenge?

Good night!

Quilting and the Storm

Have you ever had that quilt project that you first liked and then didn't?  Well that is what happened with this wall hanging.  I put the top together and cut out the mittens and then set it aside.  Last night I kept looking at it and finally decided on how to fix it.  I am going to put a snowflake in the corner :)  Sorry to not have the snowflake on yet, but it's my goal.

And then the storm started.  Was sitting in the kitchen working on the wall hanging when I realized I heard the deck furniture moving around.  Got outside just in time to keep the patio table from falling off the deck and shattering into hundreds of pieces of glass.  The picture below is just a sample of how strong the wind was.  We have never had a chair get this far from the deck before. 



This is the machine I will be doing my quilting on...hopefully

New to this!

Ok--well this is new to me so be patient while I struggle to figure it out :(