WIP Wednesday and OMG, I get to see Bonnie Hunter!

A couple weeks ago I found out that Bonnie Hunter was coming to Maine!!!  And not only was she coming to Maine but to the next town over from where I live!  Even better.  And wait for it...... it gets better.  Even though the deadline to sign up had gone by there were still spots!  How does that even happen?  Its Bonnie Hunter!  Why are there spots open???  Within about 5 seconds of finding out there was a spot I had my checkbook open.  I sent off my registration and a few days later got my confirmation!!  The class I got into was for her Jamestown Landing quilt, which I have been drooling over for forever.  Here is a link to a picture of the quilt, Jamestown Landing.  I am not sure if I can steal a picture from her page to show here so I won't.  But go click.  I'll wait.  It's gorgeous isn't it.

I have been following Bonnie's blog for about a year now.  I haven't made any of her quilts yet though I have wanted to.  I don't have much of a scrap collectionbut it is slowly building.  I did start the Lazy Sunday mystery quilt that is going on in Quiltmaker right now but I am only part way through part one.  They just released part two.  I had a few baby gifts to get done so I used it as a leader/ender project.  Another one of Bonnie's methods that you can read about here.

I have been working on my stash of blue and creams for this.  Last night I started to cut my fabrics down into strip sets.

This is what I cut up last night.  She has asked that we have our fabrics cut in to strips so she can give us a lesson with her preferred method of making half triangle squares.  She uses the easy angle ruler.  I have used this method before but sometimes I find cutting them to be cumbersome so hopefully she gives out some good hints.  

Here are some blues and some neutrals.  I think those darker browns may be too dark.  I am not sure but I really like them.  I am trying to decide just how much I should cut up.  The quilt we are making is a scrap quilt but there is no way I have enough scraps so I have to use my stash.  I purchased the strips I already cut above and the top row of fabrics in this picture from Connecting Threads.  They are all fat quarters and I only paid about $1.50 each for them.  Awesome prices.  

Here are some more fabrics I set aside.

And these are more blues from my stash.  I am going to try not to cut into these.  I am saving them for a blue and orange quilt requested by my son.  

This is my only work in progress for this week.  I just finished a baby quilt Monday night.  I only have a few days before my in-laws get here for a short visit so I thought I would use this time to get ready for this class.  It's May 3rd.  I wanted to make sure I didn't need to find more fabrics but I think I am ok for the class at least.  This is not a quilt we will finish that day.  

I am linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced this week.  Click below to see what everyone else is working on.  

Frustration In Progress

I have renamed this weeks post from WIP to FIP.  I have been working on machine quilting this quilt for a few days now.  For some reason I keep getting skipped stitches.  I have changed my needle, cleaned my machine and tried a new spool of thread.  I tried quilting a sample I made up and my machine worked fine.  The only difference between the sample and the quilt is that I did not use spray baste on the sample.  So my conclusion is that something is going on with my spray basting.  I have used this kind before with no problems.  It's the June Taylor quilting spray they sell at JoAnns.  Maybe it was just a bad bottle or I used too much.  At this point I think all I can do is muddle through and keep fixing it as I go.  Luckily this is just a baby quilt so it won't be quite so dreadful.  UGH.  I just need to get it done.  The baby is due in about 3 weeks and I still have to ship it.

The skipped stitch is hard to see on this one but is on the white part.  

A little more obvious here.  I see three in this picture.  

A bigger picture of the quilt.  

Just showing more of the quilting design.

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.  

WIP Wednesday

I have decided this week to try to start participating in a weekly post taking place over at the blog Freshly Pieced.  Here is the link, Freshly Pieced.  This week I thought I would share an embroidery block that I have been working on for the past few weeks.  This pattern is Snow Happens by Bird Brain designs.  After it is all done it is going to be a table runner. As you can see I only have one snowman and a quarter or so left to do. I am very excited.  

I just recently started doing embroidery and I have to say that I am loving it.  I use Stick Fabri- Solvy.  With this stabilizer I just print out the pattern on my printer right on the stabilizer.  Then I take the backing off the stabilizer and place it on the fabric.  You can embroider right over it and when you are done it all washes out.  It saves so much time and makes it so you don't have to do any tracing.  Its easy to needle through and most times I find I don't even need to use a hoop.  

So if you would like to see what everyone is working on head over to Freshly pieced and check it out.  It is a site that I have been following for awhile now and its really great!