This week SewCalGal has a drawing for a very nifty Sewline mechanical fabric pencil with ceramic leads.
Go on over to SewCalGal and leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing.
http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2012/01/fun-friday-sewline-fabric-marking.html
"One lucky winner will be randomly selected and announced next Friday, January 13th."
Sunday, January 8, 2012
BlockLotto - January 2012 - Eclipse
Directions are here:
http://www.blocklotto.blogspot.com/2011/12/are-you-ready-for-little-challenge.html
Examples are here:
http://www.blocklotto.blogspot.com/search/label/eclipse
The templates are sized for a 9.5 unfinished block. Template C is really what is cut out of the larger 9.5 inch square. Luckily the way I had place the template on my fabric and cut things (starting with C and then cutting B and A) I saw that before officially messing up!
Sophie found and picked out the block, Kristin resized the templates so we really didn't have to think when cutting things out.
The angle in this photo is odd - but shows where the seams are. The background in the strip is mainly pink and does a nice job of picking up the background and supporting colors in the bigger pieces of fabric. I will try to sew at least a few more later in the month but wanted to post at least one so I get the sneak peek for the next month's block.
All the blocks this year are going to be 9.5 unfinished, so in theory someone could easily make themselves a sampler quilt..... nice idea.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Merida Fabric Expenses
Pretty orange fabric. Not made here, but it's my souvenir for the trip.
2 meters of each fabric
49.99pesos each
Total 199.96 pesos
Really 200 pesos as no change returned to me
I have other photos of the store - I'll add them to this post luster.
49.99pesos each
Total 199.96 pesos
Really 200 pesos as no change returned to me
I have other photos of the store - I'll add them to this post luster.
The Free Motion Quilting Project: Quilt Along #1 - Let's Wiggle!
The Free Motion Quilting Project: Quilt Along #1 - Let's Wiggle!
So excited to see the first QAL Wednesday entry for Leah Day - it's going to be fun - I'll learn so much.
I'm still traveling though - tomorrow will be final travel day then home.
The Free Motion Quilting Project: Memorizing Quilting Designs
The Free Motion Quilting Project: Memorizing Quilting Designs
Today's task is first to get a notebook - and to start to use it to pre-practice our FMQing!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Shut Up and Quilt!
The Free Motion Quilt Project: Let's Start a New Project
Out of order, but when I read Leah Day's post today I realized that I needed to go back to her January 1st entry - and what a wonderful surprise that was!
She is changing up her blog and now will be having a Wednesday Quilt A Long - with follow up questions answered on Thursday. We can use what ever we have handy to do the practice...
Seems she was reading my mind. In her entry she mentions being bored on her end with doing designs in isolation on little 4 inch squares and how she wants to work on sizing the stitching up to what most people use in their quilts...
I've been doing her beginning patterns as part of my Wonky Shoo Fly quilt - instead of the 4 inch squares I wanted to end up with something useable It's been working fine - but even though I'm not finished I've been feeling like it's not quite enough. I'm not bored but it wasn't feeling 'real' to me.
So when Sara described how she did QAYG for adding borders I decided to baste what I had done for the Liberated Round Robin and to change things up and to divide the result into sections. I challenged myself to not quilt in the places with piecing - it was very successful for first try. (Next time I want to work on adding more stuffing or something to the pieced areas so they stand out more.)
I listened to the first entry for the SewCalGal FMQ Challenge (one expert a month sharing a video with tips) and found the first one to easy to follow but I bet very hard for the beginners to figure out how to do. Still it won't take a lot of time for me to do one sample per month listening to a different teacher....
I sort of feel like I've been on the FMQ bandwagon ahead of others - ever since I started practicing I've been thinking how I like the actual quilting as my favorite part of the process. Not the planning, the design or picking out of fabrics, colors or patterns. Not the cutting and piecing or ironing. I like what happens after the basting -> getting to actually start quilting!
There is something to be learned from everything so I'm going to be going back and forth between different projects so I don't get entirely rusting on one part of the process.... but this year I will be working to finish projects - not just work on them.
Leah ended her video post with the pitch that she was going to Shut Up and Quilt (she used to say Let's Go Quilt) but has changed it as she wants to develop the resources and foundation for our quilting - but really wants us to quilt a little everyday so we improve at our craft/ hobby.
Out of order, but when I read Leah Day's post today I realized that I needed to go back to her January 1st entry - and what a wonderful surprise that was!
She is changing up her blog and now will be having a Wednesday Quilt A Long - with follow up questions answered on Thursday. We can use what ever we have handy to do the practice...
Seems she was reading my mind. In her entry she mentions being bored on her end with doing designs in isolation on little 4 inch squares and how she wants to work on sizing the stitching up to what most people use in their quilts...
I've been doing her beginning patterns as part of my Wonky Shoo Fly quilt - instead of the 4 inch squares I wanted to end up with something useable It's been working fine - but even though I'm not finished I've been feeling like it's not quite enough. I'm not bored but it wasn't feeling 'real' to me.
So when Sara described how she did QAYG for adding borders I decided to baste what I had done for the Liberated Round Robin and to change things up and to divide the result into sections. I challenged myself to not quilt in the places with piecing - it was very successful for first try. (Next time I want to work on adding more stuffing or something to the pieced areas so they stand out more.)
I listened to the first entry for the SewCalGal FMQ Challenge (one expert a month sharing a video with tips) and found the first one to easy to follow but I bet very hard for the beginners to figure out how to do. Still it won't take a lot of time for me to do one sample per month listening to a different teacher....
I sort of feel like I've been on the FMQ bandwagon ahead of others - ever since I started practicing I've been thinking how I like the actual quilting as my favorite part of the process. Not the planning, the design or picking out of fabrics, colors or patterns. Not the cutting and piecing or ironing. I like what happens after the basting -> getting to actually start quilting!
There is something to be learned from everything so I'm going to be going back and forth between different projects so I don't get entirely rusting on one part of the process.... but this year I will be working to finish projects - not just work on them.
Leah ended her video post with the pitch that she was going to Shut Up and Quilt (she used to say Let's Go Quilt) but has changed it as she wants to develop the resources and foundation for our quilting - but really wants us to quilt a little everyday so we improve at our craft/ hobby.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Bonnie Hunter: Monthly Addicted to Scraps Articles
I was reading Lib Quilter Nann's blog and she had a link to Bonnie Hunters unveiled new pattern - what a studding quilt!
Anyway, it turns out Bonnie is writing a monthly article with ideas for scrap quilts - so I'm going to try to incorporate in my hobby time....
Also, will keep track of the fabric and things I used for quilting - would be so satisfying to be able to have my own end of the year reckoning like Nann!
I'm enjoying my visit to Mérida, but looking forward to being home too - with time to sew!
Anyway, it turns out Bonnie is writing a monthly article with ideas for scrap quilts - so I'm going to try to incorporate in my hobby time....
Also, will keep track of the fabric and things I used for quilting - would be so satisfying to be able to have my own end of the year reckoning like Nann!
I'm enjoying my visit to Mérida, but looking forward to being home too - with time to sew!
2012 Projects
ONLINE PROJECTS
New (to me) Trying Out in 2012
The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI)
Raising Awareness & Funding Research Through Art - Donations are accepted on on-going basis. Later on this year I'll be good enough to make a quilted donation.
Liberated Quilting Challenge
The Free Motion Quilting Project - New for 2012
Leah is changing up her blog and will be focusing on exactly what I'm interested in for expanding my FMQ skills. this will be a weekly quilt-a-long with new information posted to do on Wednesdays. On the Thursdays she will respond to questions she gets about the Wednesday post. It will be super to start the morning with Leah!
Weekly New Project - QAL Wednesdays ******
January 1 - Intro - Leah -
SewCalGal's - Free-Motion Quilt Challenge
She has arranged for 12 different FMQ experts to post a monthly challenge to show off their way of doing and teaching FMQing. There are lots of giveaways too being set up for participants to the FMQ Challenge. I was happy to see that Leah Day is one of the experts - her style of teaching has helped me so much - will be interesting to see if I am able to be flexible and follow instructions give by a different FMQ expert. What attracts me to this challenge is: once a month, no assigned setting or fabric, different experts to learn about and from. She has posted a list of suggested supplies - but without links to sources for the materials. ( I think because they have not sponsored her event.) I thought SewCalGal was the instructor for adult education in Orange County and that she had posted tips and patterns on her blog - but I realize now she is not the person I thought she was! I bookmarked her webpage a while back as she was organizing blocks to be made for various charities. In reading over her webpage it appears she organizes events and sponsors on her website and gets companies to give her things to evaluate. I can't even find ay quilts she has made although she makes reference to being new to FMQ which sort of implies she quilts herself.
Added 1-3-12: I've got emails coming from Facebook all the time - I'll need to figure out how to turn that option off. Have to go to the SewCalGal site to find the video for January - had to click on the home page and scroll down to find it!
January - Francis Moore - Leaves Video
Quokkaquilts - Choose Your Own Free Motion Adventure QAL
Laura seems to be piggy backing on the SewCalGal project by guiding people to do FMQ on sampler blocks that are all the same size. She then is going to give instructions on how to QAYG the blocks together. I'm not sure what her guidance for FMQing will be. She has links to other people's tutorials but does have photos of her quilts. Her profile makes mention on other crafts but I did not see links to them. Only since I'm working on a couple of QAYG projects now - and haven't finish either of them I thought I'd 'join' her project so I would remember to check in on a regular basis.
Make blocks to use for practice
January - Cindy - FMQing Tips
Just Takes 2 Quilt
A mystery quilt that will last all year - twice a month new block(s) will be posted.
January - Sentimental Stitches - 6 blocks!! (I didn't read the fine print about sometimes getting so many new blocks to prepare - this might be more than I bargained for to do twice a month!) Units are freely available online for one month - after that there is a $3 charge to download each one.
Ideas of Inspiration
Not a quilting site, but a photography prompt to encourage creativity. I only submitted one photo last year as I wanted just the perfect ones to submit - I was letting perfection block my partcipation - this year it will be different (although I'll send my best).
Jan - Dimension - Time
For Sure Continuing
Liberated Quilters Yahoo Group
A wonderful online group of quilters who mostly can do traditional quilting, but choose to be more liberated in their projects. I enjoy the days I can read all their posts and click to see their photos. Last year we did a fabric/parts swap. It was very sucessful - we will be doing it again during 2012.
Liberated Round Robin
This was a project I started and had help with doing last summer. I wanted a project that ended with a completed quilt - but got (happily) distracted with summer-time quests and projects and then having housework done so I can't even find my fabric to finish the project now! So I'm bummed about that. There were wonderful projects - completed or in still in progress and about 30 people who were interested so I think that is something to repeat - in the spring or summer - it took most people more time than what we had originally thought it would....
Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project
Even though she has made 365 videos with information on how to create a different FMQ fillers, she is continuing to have the site up and to post new entries too! I first noticed her on Day 145 - Knit Stitch (March 18, 2010) but it took awhile for me to actually start to try things out. Now I have purchased several items from her webstore and have two projects I'm working on now using her tips and information. The first two projects I sent off to Quilts for Kids - but I have photos on my blog to remember them. I can't remember how I found out about their project but it was wonderful for me to let go and really try out FMQing. They send a set of pre-cut fabric and pattern to make a quilt - was very quick to sew up. So then my charity work was to get the batting and to quilt and bind the quilt. They encourage you to make up a second (or third) quilt and send that along too so I did that. I sort of picked FMQ patterns from Leah's site that I thought I could do - and did them! It was very freeing to know that my quilts would be appreciated and used and even though I was trying my best - the child receiving it was very ill so wouldn't be looking at the details in the quilt. Now I have gotten organized and am doing the patterns she has labels as being for beginners - I won some Block Lotto blocks and added lots of plain blocks so that would be big enough for our bed so I have lots of sampler blocks to work on, and will result in a quilt that I use! (I have just emailed the new San Diego contact for QFK to see how I can help.)
Weekly New Project - QAL Wednesdays ******
Intro - Leah -
Perhaps Continuing
Sophie's - Block Lotto
This was the site that really got me back into this hobby. During 2010 she switched from traditional blocks to liberated blocks which were just perfect for me! Many of the challenges really stretched me so I was so glad to have an excuse to make between one and nine blocks each month. During 2011 she started switching back to more traditional blocks so actually it wasn't as fun. A ton of people signed on to be in the lotto as it is such a grand idea - but it seems between not feeling well, changing jobs, and not liking all the extra overhead caused by having so many more people in the group I'm not even sure she will continue hosting the event. She seems to really like (and excels at) finding and writing up the directions. Even when she wasn't designing her own blocks or giving out liberated blocks I was learning a lot by reading her notes about color and placement. However, she doesn't have the time to do the follow-up and extra work sometimes needed when having such a large group to organize and gets frustrated (when she is ill or moving herself or job, etc.) It was a little disappointing the way some of the people would submit blocks that did not follow the color or fabric suggestions but they were just accepted and even used as examples. I know from the month I won how those blocks with different colors really can throw the whole look of the quilt off. To be really successful need to stick exactly to the guidelines. She has taken the month off to think about things herself.
January - Eclipse Blocks - Directions - Examples
Not continuing
Hetty's - Friday's Block Party
This is a good project - to challenge folks to do a different block each Friday in what ever fabric they want to. There aren't a lot of people doing the blocks so it's not as much fun as it could be. For part of the year I helped Hetty by posting an alternative block - animal blocks made with squares and triangles - and a few with paper piecing. I did her blocks for the inbetween weeks. I used the same colors for all the blocks and now have a huge (for me) stack of blocks now waiting to be joined so they can become a quilt. The traditional blocks are good practice, but I really prefer the freedom of liberated piecing.
Never started
There are several projects I thought I would start, then after the directions came out realized they were not a match for me. I didn't have as much striped material as I thought, I didn't like the way someone else gave directions, or I just wanted to work on something else....
QUILTS TO FINISH
1. Liberated Round Robin - do the remaining rounds (including quilting and binding).
2. Wonky Shoo Fly - finish basting and quilting the plain blocks following Leah Day's beginner FMQ designs.
3. Tumbler - added 1-3-11 can't believe I forgot this one! it's on my 'designer dining room table' right now!
QUILTS TO FIND and FINISH
1. Black star quilt - add to make it for full size instead of twin
2. Half Log Cabin
QUILTS TO START from SCRATCH
1. H&K wedding quilt gift (lime - have fabric)
2. H&K baby quilt gift (boy)
I'll add more this list later!
New (to me) Trying Out in 2012
The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI)
Raising Awareness & Funding Research Through Art - Donations are accepted on on-going basis. Later on this year I'll be good enough to make a quilted donation.
Liberated Quilting Challenge
The Free Motion Quilting Project - New for 2012
Leah is changing up her blog and will be focusing on exactly what I'm interested in for expanding my FMQ skills. this will be a weekly quilt-a-long with new information posted to do on Wednesdays. On the Thursdays she will respond to questions she gets about the Wednesday post. It will be super to start the morning with Leah!
Weekly New Project - QAL Wednesdays ******
January 1 - Intro - Leah -
SewCalGal's - Free-Motion Quilt Challenge
She has arranged for 12 different FMQ experts to post a monthly challenge to show off their way of doing and teaching FMQing. There are lots of giveaways too being set up for participants to the FMQ Challenge. I was happy to see that Leah Day is one of the experts - her style of teaching has helped me so much - will be interesting to see if I am able to be flexible and follow instructions give by a different FMQ expert. What attracts me to this challenge is: once a month, no assigned setting or fabric, different experts to learn about and from. She has posted a list of suggested supplies - but without links to sources for the materials. ( I think because they have not sponsored her event.) I thought SewCalGal was the instructor for adult education in Orange County and that she had posted tips and patterns on her blog - but I realize now she is not the person I thought she was! I bookmarked her webpage a while back as she was organizing blocks to be made for various charities. In reading over her webpage it appears she organizes events and sponsors on her website and gets companies to give her things to evaluate. I can't even find ay quilts she has made although she makes reference to being new to FMQ which sort of implies she quilts herself.
Added 1-3-12: I've got emails coming from Facebook all the time - I'll need to figure out how to turn that option off. Have to go to the SewCalGal site to find the video for January - had to click on the home page and scroll down to find it!
January - Francis Moore - Leaves Video
Quokkaquilts - Choose Your Own Free Motion Adventure QAL
Laura seems to be piggy backing on the SewCalGal project by guiding people to do FMQ on sampler blocks that are all the same size. She then is going to give instructions on how to QAYG the blocks together. I'm not sure what her guidance for FMQing will be. She has links to other people's tutorials but does have photos of her quilts. Her profile makes mention on other crafts but I did not see links to them. Only since I'm working on a couple of QAYG projects now - and haven't finish either of them I thought I'd 'join' her project so I would remember to check in on a regular basis.
Make blocks to use for practice
January - Cindy - FMQing Tips
Just Takes 2 Quilt
A mystery quilt that will last all year - twice a month new block(s) will be posted.
January - Sentimental Stitches - 6 blocks!! (I didn't read the fine print about sometimes getting so many new blocks to prepare - this might be more than I bargained for to do twice a month!) Units are freely available online for one month - after that there is a $3 charge to download each one.
Ideas of Inspiration
Not a quilting site, but a photography prompt to encourage creativity. I only submitted one photo last year as I wanted just the perfect ones to submit - I was letting perfection block my partcipation - this year it will be different (although I'll send my best).
Jan - Dimension - Time
For Sure Continuing
Liberated Quilters Yahoo Group
A wonderful online group of quilters who mostly can do traditional quilting, but choose to be more liberated in their projects. I enjoy the days I can read all their posts and click to see their photos. Last year we did a fabric/parts swap. It was very sucessful - we will be doing it again during 2012.
Liberated Round Robin
This was a project I started and had help with doing last summer. I wanted a project that ended with a completed quilt - but got (happily) distracted with summer-time quests and projects and then having housework done so I can't even find my fabric to finish the project now! So I'm bummed about that. There were wonderful projects - completed or in still in progress and about 30 people who were interested so I think that is something to repeat - in the spring or summer - it took most people more time than what we had originally thought it would....
Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project
Even though she has made 365 videos with information on how to create a different FMQ fillers, she is continuing to have the site up and to post new entries too! I first noticed her on Day 145 - Knit Stitch (March 18, 2010) but it took awhile for me to actually start to try things out. Now I have purchased several items from her webstore and have two projects I'm working on now using her tips and information. The first two projects I sent off to Quilts for Kids - but I have photos on my blog to remember them. I can't remember how I found out about their project but it was wonderful for me to let go and really try out FMQing. They send a set of pre-cut fabric and pattern to make a quilt - was very quick to sew up. So then my charity work was to get the batting and to quilt and bind the quilt. They encourage you to make up a second (or third) quilt and send that along too so I did that. I sort of picked FMQ patterns from Leah's site that I thought I could do - and did them! It was very freeing to know that my quilts would be appreciated and used and even though I was trying my best - the child receiving it was very ill so wouldn't be looking at the details in the quilt. Now I have gotten organized and am doing the patterns she has labels as being for beginners - I won some Block Lotto blocks and added lots of plain blocks so that would be big enough for our bed so I have lots of sampler blocks to work on, and will result in a quilt that I use! (I have just emailed the new San Diego contact for QFK to see how I can help.)
Weekly New Project - QAL Wednesdays ******
Intro - Leah -
Perhaps Continuing
Sophie's - Block Lotto
This was the site that really got me back into this hobby. During 2010 she switched from traditional blocks to liberated blocks which were just perfect for me! Many of the challenges really stretched me so I was so glad to have an excuse to make between one and nine blocks each month. During 2011 she started switching back to more traditional blocks so actually it wasn't as fun. A ton of people signed on to be in the lotto as it is such a grand idea - but it seems between not feeling well, changing jobs, and not liking all the extra overhead caused by having so many more people in the group I'm not even sure she will continue hosting the event. She seems to really like (and excels at) finding and writing up the directions. Even when she wasn't designing her own blocks or giving out liberated blocks I was learning a lot by reading her notes about color and placement. However, she doesn't have the time to do the follow-up and extra work sometimes needed when having such a large group to organize and gets frustrated (when she is ill or moving herself or job, etc.) It was a little disappointing the way some of the people would submit blocks that did not follow the color or fabric suggestions but they were just accepted and even used as examples. I know from the month I won how those blocks with different colors really can throw the whole look of the quilt off. To be really successful need to stick exactly to the guidelines. She has taken the month off to think about things herself.
January - Eclipse Blocks - Directions - Examples
Not continuing
Hetty's - Friday's Block Party
This is a good project - to challenge folks to do a different block each Friday in what ever fabric they want to. There aren't a lot of people doing the blocks so it's not as much fun as it could be. For part of the year I helped Hetty by posting an alternative block - animal blocks made with squares and triangles - and a few with paper piecing. I did her blocks for the inbetween weeks. I used the same colors for all the blocks and now have a huge (for me) stack of blocks now waiting to be joined so they can become a quilt. The traditional blocks are good practice, but I really prefer the freedom of liberated piecing.
Never started
There are several projects I thought I would start, then after the directions came out realized they were not a match for me. I didn't have as much striped material as I thought, I didn't like the way someone else gave directions, or I just wanted to work on something else....
QUILTS TO FINISH
1. Liberated Round Robin - do the remaining rounds (including quilting and binding).
2. Wonky Shoo Fly - finish basting and quilting the plain blocks following Leah Day's beginner FMQ designs.
3. Tumbler - added 1-3-11 can't believe I forgot this one! it's on my 'designer dining room table' right now!
QUILTS TO FIND and FINISH
1. Black star quilt - add to make it for full size instead of twin
2. Half Log Cabin
QUILTS TO START from SCRATCH
1. H&K wedding quilt gift (lime - have fabric)
2. H&K baby quilt gift (boy)
I'll add more this list later!
Contests I've Entered - Jan 1
Giveaways and Contests
On New Year's Day these looked fun to me so I entered:
SewCalGal's Fun Friday Giveaway this week is for a the quilt book "Make Your Bed", by Leslee Evans. This giveaway is sponsored by Martingale & Company, home of That Patchwork Place. Deadline: January 6th
Fabric "Watermelon Bundle" Red with accents
Fabric "Full Bloom" Red with white accents
http://www.carolyn-justonemorestitch.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-new-year-giveaway.html Deadline Jan 5
Travel Finds:
http://rashisquiltblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-have-reached-my-first-goal-and-i-am.html Deadline end of Jan
Both the fabric drawings include red fabric - perfect for what I have planned!
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