I'm A Sucker . . .

for new fabric!

Just look at this beautiful collection . . . and it's sitting on my cutting table right now.

I'm sitting here in restraints because all I want to do is dive right in and start something new.  I feel very stressed that I have too many other things on the go and this little scene will remain just a tease for quite some time yet.

I have finished the second part of the beginner quilt pattern project and we have just nicely started advertising the class.

Both of these quilts (see previous post for the other quilt) are very yummy and I'm really glad they are in my "collection" - doesn't matter how simple the pattern sometimes, it's the fabrics that make the quilt and how we feel about them afterwards.  I LOVE these ones!

This is another one that is now completely done and if there is enough interest in beginner quilt classes this would become Part Two of those lessons.  There are a lot more seams to match in this particular quilt, but once again the fabric selection is easy - just one charm pack and lots of background, with a bit of border print mixed in.

And this is the reason that I cannot cut into that wonderful stack of goodness shown above . . . this project needs completely done and in the mail by March 1st.  I'm getting close to the end of this one, but then it has to head out to the quilter . . . this is the type of quilt that I want some extra special quilting done on.  Not my usually squirrely, squiggle stuff.  Interesting colors - eh?!?!!?

And this is what greets me every morning as I drive out of my valley . . . very cold and dismal.  I believe that the morning I took this it was about the -27C with a wind chill - always perks me up in the morning!  No winter depression around here :-)

Have a great week everyone,

One Down . . . Eight to Go!

My first PhD finish . . .

(if you're new here, click on the logo over at the right and it will take you to where you need to go to find out more about PhDs)

and one of my favorites!  Not only is it done, but I love it . . .

 

the colors, the super, super easy construction . . .

the skinny little border insert and the simple, all-over meandering . . . all make this one of my current favorites.

Having said that - just wait until you see my next two finishes . . . no, they are not PhD's but they are really, really nice; really, really easy - and they are done also!

What a great week . . . and it's only Monday!

Meandering Through Life . . .

Yes, there has been a bit of meandering going on around here.

 

Some regular meandering . . .

 

and some loopy meandering.

The first one is almost complete . . . just two more edges that need the binding sewn down on.  The second one will be coming with me for the weekend road trip and will hopefully have all of it’s binding done by then also.

And then the mailman finally arrived on Monday with some fabric that had been shipped on December 20th.  Thank goodness it wasn’t for a particular project . . . just a gleam in my eye at this point.  I LOVE those prints – look at those little trees and the beautiful colors on all of them!  When I see a sale I just have to stock up on the things that I like.  I had already purchased the charm packs back in the Summer/Fall on one of our little road trips, but I had nothing to go with it until I saw some of the coordinating prints come on sale.  Opportunity was a’knockin’!

On the same sale were some 3 Sisters prints (Park Avenue?/Aster Manor? – I can never keep them straight!) that I needed for “potential” borders and also some more red and black flannels to go with a wonderful package that I had bought back in October from The Quilt Patch girls from Moose Jaw.  Isn’t that black gorgeous?!??!   I need a flannel project to start on one of these days – anyone have a suggestion?

Applique . . . Done!

Ready to baste and quilt . . . yahoo!!!

AND since this is the PhD that I hated the fabric that I had used, and the whole thing had been stuck in the bottom of the stack . . .

 . . . I'm pleasantly surprised to say that I'm beginning to think that it might be growing on me.

The turning point was the cream centres in the flowers that have tied the whole thing in with the light colored squares in the quilt top.

Kinda surprising what a little bit of applique can do to a ho-hum project.  Of course the jury is still out until the quilting is complete and all is said and done . . . but I am feeling a bit more optimistic about this PhD.

Thank goodness!

I basted two of the other quilt tops together this afternoon and hope to get started quilting on the one first thing tomorrow morning.  I'd really like to get it done by Monday and move on to the second one . . . these two have a deadline while the one above is "just a project" and can wait in line for a few more weeks.

Oh btw, how many of you have been over to Anne Sutton's blog to get your free copy of Henrietta Whiskers - block number one is now available and the cuteness is indescribable!  This is the first of nine BOM patterns and if the first one is anything to go by, I've just added another project to my list of things to do in 2011.  Go have a peek . . .

Wishing everyone a productive weekend . . . happy sewing!

Another Quilt Top . . .

that's ready to be put together and quilt.

This "stacked coins" quilt (48"x57") is made from the leftovers of the "boxed in" quilt (58"x58") . . . how fun is that!!!  One 12 pack of  fat quarters and 3 1/2 yards of background fabric made these two quilt tops. 

Of course there is that tiny little border strip there and the binding to purchase, as well as all the backing fabric . . . but I still have two quilt tops!!!  AND I love them both.  

These are actually class samples for a quilt workshop that is being planned for February and they really need to get done as soon as they can.  Unfortunately, once again, I do not have enough backing fabric to complete these and all the yardages have been added to an ongoing and constantly growing shopping list for the next time I'm in "the big lights". 

 What do you think?  Would these two samples make you want to sign up for a beginner's class?

Too easy?  Too difficult?

Let me know what you think - PLEASE!!!!

Progress Is Being Made . . .

 and it's feeling pretty darn good!!

PhD #8 - All the pieces are now appliqued and it is now time to decide what I'm going to do with it. The original kit was for a pillow that measured 16"x42" . . . where on earth would I store something like that for 10 1/2 months of the year???? I considered finishing it as a table runner but all the pumpkins only face one direction so that just looked weird and then I considered finishing it as a pew seat topper (we have an old church pew in our front entry) - everything would just get dumped on it and we'd probably never see it. So now I'm looking at finishing it as a wall hanging without tabs and installing a new rod in the dining room and using the clip system so that I don't have to worry about putting tabs on everything (I hate doing tabs!!).

I'd say I've made a good 50% progress on this PhD so far . . . obviously the grand finale is still to come.

PhD #2 has progressed to the finished quilt top stage.  All the borders are now applied and I need to go looking for a backing.

On the border of this one I inserted a folded red strip to accent the creamy border - I like the subtleness of this look and I think that once the red binding is attached this quilt will look pretty darn good.  I do not have the backing purchased for this quilt either so another shopping excursion will need to happen before I can layer and baste this pretty quilt.

AND . . . you can go ahead and shoot me now . . . I have started my first new project for 2011!  The scraps from PhD #2 just needed to be used and I am neck-deep in this process today.  I hope by the end of tomorrow I will have another quilt (small) that will be ready to layer and quilt.  I guess we'll see, won't we?!?!?!

Happy sewing everyone . . .

Happy, Happy New Year!!!

What a glorious day!!!

I finally feel like I have some energy and motivation to move forward.  The old flu/cold bug hit me right around the 20th of December and has had it's evil grip on my days and nights.  This is the first day that I woke up with motivation to do any sewing and I'm well underway with that.

Thanks to Myra  and the PhD Challenge I have . . .

 calculated, cut and started attaching some borders on PhD #2 . .

and made the bias strips for the Halloween #8 PhD and got all the pieces laid out and pressed where I want them.  I have even started blanket stitching the vine down!

I've also been watching Planet Patchwork's site and keeping tabs (but not participating!!!) on Merry Mayhem's New Year's Day Mystery. 

I love a good mystery and I love seeing what the ending is going to be.  Maybe you have some scraps laying around and want to join in . . . they are currently at step 3 last time I checked.

I hope everyone is having fantastic day and that you get lots accomplished on whichever project you've decided to work on.  Right now I hear my sewing machine calling out to me . . .