WIP Wednesday 7/10/13

I wasn't going to write a WIP post this week so pardon the horrible photos.  I spent this past week working on a Cynthia England piece and since it is still in pieces with freezer paper all over it, I didn't think it would make for good pictures for a blog post.  However, last night my husband and I decided to have a TV night so I sat and prepped an applique block while we were catching up on some shows.  We finally watched the season five finale of Sons of Anarchy last night.  I can not wait until the next season starts.  We really love that show.

This is the last applique block from the quilt a long over at One Piece at a Time.  She is releasing a new block any day and I wanted to get this done before I fell behind too far.  I still have to add a few pieces to it and then stitch it down.  There are little tiny leaves on those circles and a circle to go in the middle.  I think I have mentioned before in my blog that I do turned-edge applique with a foundation.  This block only took a couple hours to prep.  I should have ironed it again before the picture.  I am pretty sure my kitty took a nap on it last night.  

And here is a cute picture of my kitty, Frodo, trying to help me.  For some reason, the only time he wants attention is when I am hard at work.  

Don't forget to click the link below to check out the awesome Christmas in July sale at Fabric.com.  I am having a hard time restraining myself.  I have a slight obsession with anything snowman.  Have you started working on your Christmas gifts yet?

Fabric.com... Free Return Shipping!

This week I am linking up to Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday 6/12

Its another WIP Wednesday.  I got a lot done the past two days!  I am completely caught up on the BOM over at One Piece at a Time.  Actually scratch that.  Almost completely.  I still have a applique block that is almost finished. A few of the leaves need to be stitched down still and there are red berries that go on the ends of the three flowers.  I am still debating on the vase.  I actually found some fabric I like better but I also had the idea of doing some decorative quilting on it when it came time to quilt.  I might wait to see how it looks when I have all the blocks done.  I am being really indecisive.  The next applique block is getting released in a few days so I need to get this one done soon.  

I also got another Dear Jane block done.  This is block A-8.  It was a super easy block.  I did it by paper piecing and I think it only took me about 20 mins.  Its actually a smidge too small.  I think I trimmed the paper too much.  It comes out at 4 7/8" or so instead of 5".  But I will make it work when it comes time to put the sashing on it.

The next few days I plan on doing one more block but my main mission is to find a new rotary cutter.  Mine gave out on me.  It locks open to cut but now when I push down to make a cut it snaps shut.  :(  But its served me well.  I have had it about 10 years and if I remember correctly it was my mom's before that.  I was looking at Olfa Splash 45mm Rotary Cutter or an ergonomic one.  I have bad hands and cutting a lot makes them hurt.  If you have any recommendations please share.  What I really want is an Accuquilt but its a bit out of my price range.

Today I am linking up to Freshly Pieced.  Head over to see what everyone is working on!

TGIF!!

I didn't have much in the way of finishes this week but I did manage to get a block done for my Dear Jane that I haven't worked on in forever.  This is block A-7.  A few days ago I just had this urge to work on this quilt again.  I saw a few pictures on another blog and my desire rekindled.  Don't you love it when that happens?  The white melons are reverse applique and the aqua melons are regular applique.  I have about 20-25 blocks of this quilt done so I better get going on it.  Lots more to do!

In also started this applique block for the free BOM, Jingle Belles, over at One Piece at a Time.  She is releasing the next block soon so I need to get caught up.  I am not sure about the colors on the vase though.  I might need to change them.  I still have to add flowers and some leaves so I am going to wait to see how it looks after that.  The red is just looking too dark to me.  Maybe with some bright yellow flowers and light green leaves it won't be so bad.  I love this block of the month and am loving the cardinals but they do take a bit of time to prep.  The cardinal alone took me about an hour but I think he came out pretty good.

I also got another sponsor for my blog this week!  I love, love, love, this online store.  I actually order all my Moda Marbles for them for the Jingle Belles BOM.  Being a sponsor means that when you click any banners or links on my site and place an order with them I get a small commission.  It doesn't change the way the sale works for you at all.  Anything I make from my sponsors goes back into my blog.  My opinions of the store and its products are my own and are not influenced by the company at all.  

This week I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts.

Finish it up Friday 4/26/13

Last week was a busy, busy week.  I don't even know where to start.  Last Monday, as you probably know by now, was the Boston Marathon.  Every spring my in-laws always come to New England to support my brother-in-law in this race.  Thankfully, he was done and out of harms way when the explosions finally happened.  Facebook is an amazing thing.  About 10 mins after I heard about the explosions and after a few frantic facebook stalking moments, my brother-in-law finally posted on facebook that he and everyone he was with was ok.  Phew.  My deepest sympathies to those that were hurt.  :(  

The Vancover Modern Quilt Guild has started a drive to collect handmade flags to support the citizens of Boston.  All the details can be found here.  I plan on making at least one to send down.  I am a member of a guild but just as a floater so I am going to send them directly to the person running this drive.  The address can be found in that blog entry.

Now for my news.  I got a lot done this week!  

I finished these blocks for Bonnie Hunter's mystery, Lazy Sunday, that's in quiltmaker.  I just have to finish a few more small blocks and I will be done part 2 and all caught up.  I mentioned that this quilt was going to be twin size in the presence of my 9 year old daughter and she promptly claimed it.  And more than likely will end up with it.  

I started cutting up some more fabric for the Bonnie Hunter workshop I am attending May 3rd.  I have carpal tunnel so when a quilt has lots of tiny pieces I have to cut a little at a time.  I have asked for an Accuquilt for my birthday/anniversary in June so hopefully my husband took the hint.  :)

This is pieced block #2 from the free block of the month over at One Piece at a Time.  My points on the yellow aren't great so I might have to fix that.  Its bugging me.  There were a lot of seams right there.

And this is Applique Block #2 from the same BOM.  She is releasing the next block this weekend so I am all caught up on this block of the month too!  I wish I could be caught up on all my block of the month clubs. However, I am about 6 months behind of my Dear Jane and about 3 months behind on my Baltimore and Bali.  I want to enter my Baltimore and Bali in a quilt show next year so I better get going on that.  Its all hand applique so it will take a bit of time. 

Today I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts.

WIP Wednesday 3/26

This is what I am working on this week.  Its an applique block from a block of the month at One Piece at a Time.  I love hand work.  What I haven't loved is this thread.  And I think its just me.  I have been searching all over Google for help.  I have been using Superior Masterpiece's bobbins that they make specifically for hand applique.  I have even gone so far as to email the manufacturer to see if I am just crazy.  (Just did it today so no response yet.)  I have been stubborn and dealing with them for the last 6 months trying to make it work out. Everyone raves about how great they are for hand applique.  I literally have not found one negative review.  My thread keeps breaking.  A lot.  Like stitch for about an inch and it breaks.  My thread isn't too long.  I have tried different needles.  I have used wax.  I think its time for me to part ways with it.  

My next try will be with silk.  I just can't wrap my head around only needing to use a few neutral colors though.  Can you really not see it?  Does anyone have any words of advice for a thread for hand applique?

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced. 

WIP Wednesday February 20th

When I went to write this post this morning I thought I wasn't really going to have much to write about.  Then I looked back on my photos and realized I had done so much more than I thought I had.  I started a new project this week.  (because apparently I didn't have enough to do already)  I decided to give english paper piecing a try.  I like it so far.  Its quick and easy to do on the go.  

I have this little case I got at Home Depot during Christmas time.  I bought it to organize all my little sewing notions but never used it.  It works ok to carry my EPP supplies but the hexagons don't quite fit right.  It will work for now.  

The picture below is a block I did of the Rainbow Dear Jane quilt I am working on.  I get it as a block of the month from Twiddletails.  I am really far behind on it.  She sends out 10 blocks a month.  I just received the packet for month 7 and I am only on month 2.  Ooops.  I need to get working on that.  

The block below is one of the block of the months I am following on the blog, One Piece at a Time.  I am actually keeping up so far on this one.  Then again its only the second block.  

I did have a finish I wanted to share.  I showed this quilt in yesterday's blog but I finished the binding last night.  My daughter pieced it and I quilted it.  She was thrilled with it.  We made it for her American Girl doll's bed.  Which, to be honest, is our kitten's bed now.  She sleeps there all the time.  

I used this quilt to practice my feathers some more.  Here are some close ups.  

I am linking up to Freshly Pieced this week.  I can't wait to see what everyone has done!

Jingle BOM

This is the block I posted the other day with the nasty pink stain on it.  It was on that right corner.  Can't see it now can you?!  I love that it came out!  If you want to see what other people are doing for this Block of the month you can check it out here, Jingle Belles.  There are some really beautiful blocks showing up.

I just wanted to make a quick note on which fabrics I choose and why.  For Christmas I received a bundle of Moda Marbles that worked perfectly for this block.  So I have decided to go with mostly marbles for all of it.  Since my small bundle wasn't going to be enough I recently ordered more of these colors and a couple more since this quilt is going to be Christmasy.  I also decided to order some Moda Swirls too.  I wanted to stick with fabrics that I knew wouldn't get discontinued on me since I didn't know how much to order.  I am going to wait to pick out my sashing colors and borders until all of the blocks have been posted.  I can't wait until the next block gets posted.  This one is going to be a pieced block!

Oops

I just recently started a free block of the month I found on the blog One Piece at a Time.  She does beautiful applique.  It is going to be an applique/pieced quilt with Christmas themes.  She just released the first block last week.  I was so proud of myself that I had it almost done this weekend.  All I had left to do was make the berries then applique them down.  As I was making the berries I noticed a small spot on my background fabric.  It looked a little bit like chocolate.  Darn it.  So I took a damp paper towel and tried to remove it.  And then being the smarty I can tend to be sometimes I took my iron to that corner to dry it off so I could finish applying the berries.  When I had placed my block on the ironing board I had a small piece of red fabric under it.  And so when I combined the applique block, the red fabric and the iron I made a huge mistake as you can see in the next picture.  The red fabric bled on my block.

I was quite distraught.  I did not want to do this block over again.  I was quite proud of the job I had done so far.  So my lovely husband, Mr. J, went to the store and got some stain remover.  He came back with a Tide Stain Stick remover and Stain Devils Ink and Crayon remover.   First I tried the Tide.  While it worked a little it still didn't help that much.  Next I tried the Stain Devils.  I had never heard of it before so I was a bit skeptical.  But now I am in love.  It got the stain out almost completely.  In fact if you didn't know it was there I bet you couldn't see it.  Here's a link to the product, here.

So now my block is almost complete.  I never did finish the berries last night because of the Super Bowl.  Hopefully I should be able to post the finish tonight.