Friday Fun!

Don't you just love all that color?  It totally says spring doesn't it.  It finally feels like spring has hit Maine.  Today it is supposed to hit 90 degrees.  I think the hubby is going to spend the afternoon after he gets out of work putting in our air conditioner.  We just have the ones you stick in the window.  I have a love hate relationship with them.  I love the cool air but it really makes our house dark.  

Anyway,  the above picture is my Lazy Sunday Mystery progress.  I took this photo a couple days ago.  This is part two.  I did manage last night to get all those triangles sewn together into hourglass squares but I didn't take a picture as I just wanted to get to bed.  So I now have part 2 completed.  Well except for the dog ear trimming.  There are still dog ears on almost all those loose blocks.  Part three has been released in the newest Quiltmaker.  People are getting them but I haven't recieved mine in the mail yet.  I hope to get it tonight so I can start part 3 this weekend.  

I am really loving the whole mystery quilt idea.  I have never done one.  I honestly didn't think I would like it. I love this one.  It could be that its in my color way.  I love bright colors.  

I did get a little more stitching done on this block.  I have just those little rust colored leaves around the middle left to do and that yellow pieced in the center.  I know, it doesn't look yellow but my camera really had a hard time getting that color right.  Its a really pale yellow.  I hope to get this finished this weekend so I can get started on the next block of the Jingle Belles BOM over at One Piece at a time.

This week I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts.   

WIP Wednesday 5/29

Just a short post today to share what I have been working on the past few days.  The end of the school year is so incredibly busy, isn't it?  I have this applique block from the pattern, Baltimore and Bali, all prepped and it is in the process of being stitched down.  I use turned edge applique using an applique foundation I purchase at Purple Daisies.  I love this method.  My applique has gotten so much nicer since I started using it.  

You can see in this close up that everything is stitched down but the rust colored piece.  Sorry for all the fuzzies.  Black picks up everything.  I love how crisp all my curves and points look.  If you have never tried turned edge you should.  

I did get a little bit done on my Lazy Sunday Mystery this weekend.  I have just a little bit left to do before the next part is released in the next Quiltmaker.  (And I just visited Bonnie Hunter's blog and found out she received her copy already!  I better get working on that!)

This week I am linking up to Freshly Pieced.  Click the banner below to head over and check out what everyone is working on.  

And new this week, I am also linking up to Esther's blog.  I just discovered her and WOW, I love her applique!

WIP Wednesday 5/1/13

Last night I worked on getting another applique block prepped.  This is one of the Baltimore and Bali blocks from the block of the month I have been slowly plugging away at.  I can't seem to get a good picture of it. The colors are much better in person and way more vibrant.  I still have to make flowers that go on the end of the stems.  

They only other thing that worked on in the past few days is a few items for my daughter for her birthday.  I made some party gift bags and I made her a new tote for school.  

I posted a tutorial yesterday for these gift bags.  You can find it here.  I am anxious to hear what people think of it.  Its my first tutorial for my blog.

This is the tote I made her.  I learned how to make it in a free craftsy class.  

Bag-Making Basics: Reversible Tote & Zipper Pouch

It was a great class.  I have made several of these bags.  You should check it out.  This bag only took about an hour.

Today I am linking up to Freshly Pieced.  

WIP Wednesday 4-10

This is this weeks work in progress.  Its a block from Baltimore and Bali.  I think this is the sixth block I have made.  Not sure though.  I should go back and count.  The pattern is done with all batiks but I am using cottons instead.

All I have left is to finish the orange flower and stitch down the yellow pieces on top of it.  Excuse the washed out pictures.  Its raining and cloudy so the flash is making my pictures look bad.  :(

I know these pictures are big but I wanted to show a close up of my stitches.  The section above is all done.

Here's a close up of a flower bud.  Please excuse all the fuzzies.  Black fabric picks up every little thing.

You can see in this picture that the bottom of the orange flower is not stitched down but the side is.  That's where I started.  

I turn all of my edges before stitching them down.  I have plans to do a tutorial soon on exactly how I do it.  But basically I use an applique foundation that I get at Purple Daisies.   Then I use a elmer's school glue stick to turn all the edges.  I even do all the stems that way.  The foundation is left in after you are done so I don't want the stems to look different.  After you wash a quilt that uses this foundation it puffs up and looks almost like trapunto.  Just not as puffy.  After I turn all the edges I baste it to my background with Roxanne's Basting Glue.  Love that stuff.  Now to stitch it all I have to do is grab my thread, thimble, and block and go to it.  Its so quick and easy on the go.  I love applique this way.  It took me a couple evenings to do the prep work.  I usually do it on a tv stand in front of  the tv so I can catch up on some shows at the same time.  (BTW, I watched Argo one of the nights I did this and it was such an amazing movie!!!)  

I have done needle turn but I was just never happy with the way it came out.  I am a bit of a perfectionist and could never get over the learning hump.  

A few posts ago I complained about the thread I was using.  I use Masterpiece bobbins from Superior threads.  My thread kept breaking.  It was getting frustrating so I wrote the company to see if I was doing something wrong.  And I was.  I was using too long of a strand.  And on top of that I think the foundation was fraying the thread as well.  So now I take extra care to make sure I stitch right in the fold and not get the foundation and I have had much better luck.  Still a couple breakages but so much better than before.  

This week I am linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced.  

WIP Wednesday

Its WIP Wednesday again.  I have a few different things to show you today.  First of all I finished the embroidery block I showed you last week.  I am currently working on the pieced border. I think I should have that done tonight or tomorrow then I can sandwich it and quilt it. I haven't quite decided what I am going to do for quilting yet.  

I almost always have a hand block to bring with me places to keep me occupied so I started this hand applique block this weekend.  I did most of the prep while we were snowed in under snowstorm Nemo.  I use a glue stick to turn all of my edges under then I glue baste them to the back ground using Roxanne's Basting glue.  Instead of using freezer paper like most do I use applique foundation.  Its really great.  I don't have to remove it after and it gives my applique a little bit of a pop, almost like trapunto.  

The picture below is a close up of the block.  I have stitched down the orange flower but not the base.  Sorry for all the fuzzies all over the block.  Black really does pick up everything.  

This is the pattern I am using to do this quilt.  I am doing it as a block of the month from Cotton Patch Fabrics.  However instead of using batiks like the pattern it comes with cottons.  Cotton Patch really has great prices on their BOM's and they have tons of them.  The only complaint I have is that the pieces aren't labeled where they should be used and a couple times I think I may have been missing a piece here and there.  I didn't get that black flower above with my kit for this month.  I had to supplement with my own scraps.  Which is fine because I have so many.  Its not really anything I would ever complain to the shop though.  This BOM is 15 dollars a month and whatever keeps the costs down are fine with me.  The customer service with them has been great so far.  And to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if I had just used the wrong piece somewhere.  I have to keep stopping myself from ordering more.  

I am linking up to Freshly pieced this week.  I can't wait to see what everyone is working on this week.