Is it spring yet...

Seems like everyone here has been battling a bug! A while back I had pneumonia and now some of my kids have bad coughs and sniffles. So in between dealing with illness, trying to fit a bit of schooling in here and there, I thought I'd share what's on my sewing table and ideas I have for spring. Whenever it chooses to finally arrive and stay awhile that is... ha! ha!

Just off my sewing table today I finished up my blocks for our block exchange at the shop. I rather like most of them. We'll see what I get in return...

If you're interested in making this block you can hop over to my other blog at http://parklandparish.blogspot.com/#!/2013/05/friendship-star-block.html for the tutorial.

The other projects I have been working on, are these quick fun applique wall hangings. This is the June one, and the next Thimbleberries project quilt. I also took a Prepared Hand Applique class the other night and will have to post that project later! It's too cute!

 Just need to fix my goof and add the last couple of borders and it will be done!! At least the top, that is!! Lastly I've been dreaming of a fairy garden in my front flower bed. Now that I received my new book, my kids are excited too! LOTS of cool fairies, including Ninja fairies!! The boys are really hooked on that!

What are you working on? I'd love to read your comments and see what you and your brood are working on! Enjoy your many blessings!! TTFN!

Quilt top done!

WELL I FINALLY HAVE THE final boarders on, and am done with my quilt top. If you've been following me along you can now see the finished product. I think it turned out really lovely!

After doing the center of this quilt it really was just about getting the boarders on. You'd think that, that's the easy part and while you're right it is, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If you haven't taken a class or read anything about adding boarders, you may think that you just measure out the fabric and slap them on. However if you choose that method and send your top out to a 'longarm' quilter, you may find she's not so happy with your top. If you don't measure properly your quilt will not lay exactly square and will give her problems on her quilt frame.

When you sew a new boarder onto your quilt, you need to treat it as if you're just adding on to another block. Which indeed you are! For my interior boarders I was able to add them without having to use more than once piece of fabric, but as I added the more outer boarders I then had join pieces together.

When I do this I join my fabric like I do when I'm making a binding, by adding it on in a diagonal. I place the fabric in a 'L' position, mark the diagonal, sew and cut.

Then I cut a 1/2 seam allowance and press the seam open. This gives a bit stronger seam.



Now that I have a long enough piece to boarder the longer edges of the quilt I measure in three places. Across the top, middle and bottom. Then you add them up and divide by three to get the average length of your quilt. Then you cut your strip the length of the average. For example, say your quilt measures 34 + 34.25 + 34.5 = 102.75. Then you divide 102.75 by 3 and get 34.25, that's what you would cut your boarder. Then you get the middle of the boarder and the middle of that side of you quilt and begin pinning from the center out. You would do this for each boarder you're adding. This will keep your quilt top nice and square and give you top a much nicer look and make it much easier to quilt.

The last important thing to remember when adding boarders or any part of your quilt for that matter, is the pressing. Remember to always PRESS and not iron. So that you have nice crisp seams and don't unintentionally distort your fabric. Hope these tips help you along your way.

As always enjoy your day!!

Works in Progress Part II

BOY IT'S BEEN hot here! I guess we've finally joined the rest of the country with the roasting weather. I can't complain though we've gotten off extremely easy this summer. I pray each day for all those who are trying to beat the heat, have lost homes, crops, and love ones due to the heat and fires this summer. It's been quite a year!

We've been out playing in the sun mostly, but to beat the heat today I am finally getting back to my projects. I am so thankful for my basement. It's pretty cool down there and makes sewing a definite possibility during this heat wave!

So last time I was putting the center together. If you didn't see that you can go back here... Then I had to put on the interior boarders.

Now I'm getting to the picket fence boarder. It's coming together nicely!! I may have to keep this one for me!

First I had to make the tops of the pickets. So lots of marking squares and sewing on the diagonal.

Once I got the corners on to make the "little houses" then I had to make a strip set and cut them into 2 1/2 inch strips to connect the little house pieces to make the fences.

At this point I have only one last boarder to make. Then the final boarders and I'll be done! So stay tuned! Enjoy your day!!

 





This quilt is from Thimbleberries Pattern Party. Check it out!

Works in progress...

ISN'T EACH DAY A work in progress? Each day I get up and sit at the foot of our Lord and pray over all that the day will bring. Then I move on to feeding children, doing chores, activities with children and on it goes.... If I'm lucky I get to fit in some time to work on my projects and if any one is interested I let them help. My goal here is to get more time to play with fabric, yarn or wool. Aren't I sneaky. But I think all people, especially children like to be creative. I also think that children appreciate things made especially for them and it's even better if they get to be part of the process.

Now that I'm done with the two gift quilts I've been working on, I'm on to my Thimbleberries project. It's so fun to take a bit of fabric and thread and turn it into something beautiful and useful. I wasn't sure if I'd like cutting fabric into pieces only to sew it back together, but I really do enjoy it. It's like a puzzle, and I do enjoy a puzzle.

Each time I find a pattern, pick out fabric and watch it all come together it just amazes me how each step in the process brings the whole thing to life.


This quilt has lovely pinwheels in it. I guess I'm just a fan of pinwheel and star quilts. After cutting all my pieces then I begin piecing and marking. It seems time consuming to have to mark each piece, but once it's done it really just flies together.

Once all the piece sets are together I can begin making the blocks. This the first quilt I've made with the setting triangles and I have to say I really like that all the blocks will be set on point.



At this point I've gotten all my blocks together and the center of my quilt is coming together nicely. Hopefully next week I'll be able to get the picket fence boarders done. Then I'll just have the final boarders to go and I'll be home free with another quilt top done!!

What projects are you working on? Enjoy your weekend!!

Quilting it together...

I JUST LOVE quilting! At the beginning of the year I decided to take the plung and take on some hobbies that were just for me. That may sound selfish to some, however having had my last baby at 40 I've been feeling that if I was going to ever take something on I should quit waiting and jump in. I'm not getting any younger! LOL!

I've always wanted to learn to quilt and would often go to the fairs around and just delight in all the magnificant quilts on display! I would admire and think how amazing they were, but until now could never really appreciate all that went into their creation. It is such a process. One that I had not fully understood until I began quilting. It's amazing how an impatient person, as myself, can embrace and find solace in the pain staking process of quilting. I sit in wonder of how you can take just one little piece of fabric and build upon it and change it in to something else. To add depth and perspective that you don't notice when it's all on its own.


I guess it's what I imagine a painter going through. You begin with a blank canvas and then as you add color and texture it begins to come alive and take shape. In many ways for me that's what happens when I quilt. I begin with one print or color and add a bit of this and a bit of that only to draw out something more. Isn't that what we do each day as home educators? We take this child, who in some ways is that blank canvas, and we mold and sculpt helping to form this well rounded person. We add our influences, our tastes, our biases and in time we've had a hand in "developing" who our children will become.

There are times when a piece of fabric just needs to standout on its own and be shown off for its beauty apart from the rest. Then other times when a piece is so complimented by another color or texture and brings out a beauty that isn't noticed as much on it's own.

I'm currently making a "log cabin" style quilt for my grandmother, who will be 98 this month. It's amazing how each fabric I have chosen brings out something in the main blocks that reminds me of her, her colors.

It's the process of taking one thing and adding from my stash of scraps... and creating. Such fun!! It will be lovely when it's done and I always feel such a sense of accomplishment. But for now it's still a work in progress. Each evening I get to work on it for an hour or two, if I'm lucky. This weekend I was bless with an abundance of time and seems to be coming together.

So as we begin a new week and a new month for that matter I will continue to take a bit of this and bit of that to make up my main quilt that I call my family. Some times I don't care for all the pieces at first, but as they come together I can see where a bit of this and a bit of that has enhanced the rest and are neccessary to complete a beautiful quilt. Some day I hope to be able to take a step back and be proud of what I've done.

Enjoy your week!

Welcome

So I'm throwing my voice out into the blogosphere to see what happens. I feel like I'm doing so many new things right now I just have to have a place to keep track of the journey. In the late hours of the night when my house is quiet and I get some peace, I have thoughts rattling round in my head that just seem to need a place to live. I'm hoping by putting these thoughts down on "paper" so to speak maybe I'll be able to organize myself. But as a mom of 4 active children I think I'm only humoring myself that I can ever be organized!! One can hope!

My newest endeavor this year was to kind of find my creative side. To that end my hubby bought me a sewing machine and I got out my knitting stuff and I have been creating up a storm!! It's been so fun for me and I think the kids enjoy it as well. Since I try to include them and have been enjoying making things for them. I hope to post photos of project and things I do along the way. This is a photo of my latest project. Below is what you begin with... a perfectly nice patch work you say...

From this then we line up the tool...

Then we cut... Yes, I said CUT! Can you believe I'm cutting a perfectly good quilt apart. I must be crazy...but you'll see!!

Are you starting to see the twist??? Keep watching....

After making all the cuts and sewing the twists back together, then bordering you get....

Voila! And there you have the twister!! I hope to share more of my projects in future. So if you've found this interesting, humorous, and/or useful thanks for visiting and WELCOME!!!