Long time, no see!

Like many other bloggers, I've moved to Instagram, where it's easier to share pictures of my latest projects.  My IG id is:  grr2011

2015 sounded so far away when my baby boys were born in 1997, but 2015 is HERE and they will graduate from high school in June.  They have both been involved in music since the 5th grade, earning many accolades for their talent.  So I'm using the music themed fabrics I have collected these past 8 years and making big star blocks, with alternating light and dark backgrounds.

 



The blocks are 16" finished, so each quilt with finish 80x80.  And I recently discovered they make 90" wide Minky, so the backs will be cozy for my college boys.

I've added a few things I'm looking to sell to my Destash blog.  Please check it out, some good stuff here!

Blogger's Quilt Festival entry - A Mini Stitch (or Two)

I have wanted to enter a quilt finish in Amy's Creative Side's Blogger's Quilt Festival but never seem to have one ready.  So I'm happy to be able to enter my first quilt in the Festival, in the Mini category. 

I made a cute pink sewing machine for my friend's brand new sewing room (with pink carpet!) and then made another one in red for a friend's birthday.  I already have a few more in the works.  This sweet pattern is called Mini Stitch and it's designed by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts.  Both minis are made using fabrics from various Bonnie and Camille (Thimbleblossoms) fabrics and quilted in a 3/4" grid pattern using my home sewing machine.  Each measures about 12" x 14".

Please click the symbol to the left to visit Amy's Creative Side to see all of this fall's entries!   Vote for your favorites beginning November 1.

Good times!

I just returned from a week away, taking classes and meeting up with friends for the Buggy Barn's annual quilt show.  We didn't make it to the show this year, but we took some awesome classes, including 2 classes from Kim Diehl, which I've wanted to do forever!  I learned some new applique skills and can't want to try them out.

Here's a picture of Kim talking to us about one of our projects, the Idaho Lily.  (Sorry, Kim - I only took 2 pictures of you and neither was very flattering).

We also took a class with Stacy from Buttermilk Basin and learned some great wool applique tips and tricks.  I see a lot more of this in my future now that I have a clue about what I'm doing!

Shopping and eating were also involved, of course.

Now to get to school shopping and back into my routine.  Dang, why did it have to end?

PS:   I listed some FQ bundles for sale.  Please check my destash blog if interested.

All over the map

My sewing has been very unfocused of late!

I hit a wall with my Metro Hoops quilt, not just the fact that I seemed unable to get the corner squares to match (there's the perfectionist in me), but also that I didn't feel like the fabrics were me.  Too much pink!  It would seem obvious to anyone looking at the fabrics I chose before I started.  But I loved the Waterfront Park line and if you love a fabric, doesn't that mean you'd love the resulting quilt?  Apparently, not so for me.

I'm still determined to use the Quick Curve Ruler and actually produce a finished quilt top.  I've moved on to the Metro Twist pattern.  No corner setting squares to match (or not match, in my case).  This one seems more do-able to me.

I'm using Indelible by Katarina Roccella and love the colors, especially the dark grey background with a little bit of color.

I'm still trying to whittle down my stash to a more reasonable level.  This has meant making some hard choices about what stays and what goes.  I appreciate all of you that have helped me destash.  Beautiful fabric should not just sit in my closet when someone will actually use it.  I've added more items to the destash blog today.  Check it out!

I also joined an Instagram Strawberry Swap #thestrawberryswap   I haven't had good luck with swaps in the past, but when I saw the cute minis from the Schnitzel & Boo swap and then heard about this one with the strawberry theme, I couldn't resist.

I made this mini for my partner.  I used a combination of shrunken Strawberry Social blocks and the Berry Basket pattern found here.  I hope my partner likes the mini quilt and the other goodies I have gathered for her.

Awww Saturday....   I need to concentrate on getting my projects cut out for some classes that I'm taking with two of my best quilting buddies at the Buggy Barn the week after next.  Some fun ahead!!

Something Old, Something New

I made this quilt back in 2012.  I got the idea for it after reading I'm a Ginger Monkey's blog post here.  The tutorial I followed was from Jeni Baker's blog and is provided here.  This quilt was made from fat quarters of cotton velveteen by Anna Maria Horner and Amy Butler and I used a chocolate brown sketch print for the background.  This beautiful quilt top was languishing in my closet until last Friday, when I had another class at my long arm quilter's studio.

There was a whole lot that could have gone wrong with quilting this one, unbeknownst to a longarm newbie.  The velveteen is stretchy and the back is flannel, which was also stretchy.  Richla's machine Louise and I were in perfect sync, though.  I used a panto called Champagne and quilted a bubble pattern over the quilt.  I'm getting more comfortable and can't want for my next opportunity to quilt one of my own quilts on her machine.

I also had an old quilt rack that I had purchased a couple of years ago, and a big blank wall in my now-clean sewing room.  My DH, DD and I put up the shelf this morning (what a team!) and - voila!  Something fun to look at while I'm at the ironing board.

Something else I hope is not getting old with my blog readers - I have more stash to sell.  Please follow this link to my destash blog and see if there is anything you would like to have.

Have a great weekend, all!

OOP 3 Sisters fabric

I've listed some older 3 Sisters lines on my destash page.  I have Gingham Rose, the original Chocolat and Seaside Rose.  Also a block of the month kit featuring Sanctuary.  Please take a look here!

Going batty!

I spent many years stockpiling Warm & Natural batting using my 40% coupons at JoAnn's.   Whenever I could, I'd buy the maximum number of yards allowed, 10 at a time.  I'm just now (more than 10 years later) running out of batting.

I haven't been using my batting stash consistently - sometimes it's just easier to have the longarm quilter provide it.  Sometimes I like a different batting.  My all time favorite is Dream Wool.  I love the way it quilts and washes, but it's expensive and not suitable for every quilt.

Recently I tried Warm & Plush batting.  It is awesome!  Thicker and softer than regular Warm & Natural, but it's not readily available.  I got a queen sized batt from fabric.com and used it in my last quilt.  The Warm Company's website says it's "available for a limited time" and you can only buy a crib size, queen size or by the yard.  As my leftovers weren't large enough for the next quilt I want to quilt, I started searching for some more Warm & Plush.  I found some reviews somewhere that mentioned an Amazon.com seller who had it on the roll - 25 yards x 90 inches and just over $6 per yard, about $100 off the retail price.

I hesitated a while, talked to some local friends who wanted to share and as a result, clicked it into my shopping cart.  Guess what arrived today?  I may be set for batting for another 10 years!

In other news, my Metro Hoops quilt is having a time out stuffed in a bag.  We may have parted ways for good.   But I am playing around with some strawberries I started for my first Instagram swap.  Still playing around with the final design, but these are from the Pattern Basket's Strawberry Social pattern, reduced in size by 25% - aren't they cute?

In other news - thanks to all who shopped my destash sale.  I will be adding items, probably once a week on Fridays.  Please check and see if you'd like any of my stash to be your stash!