Playing...

I don't have a grand plan...

It's evolving...something risky for me.  But I am learning a LOT.

:o)

The beginning...

I am starting a new quilt with these fabrics for my sister-in-law who is very ill.  (She had an aneurysm leaking near her brain stem in October resulting in brain surgery.  It's been a long and tough process of recovery but she's moving forward.)  Her favorite color is purple...any shade of purple.  And she has this 'thing' for anything with strawberries on it.  I found a Moda batik with strawberries that came in a colorway that included purple. Score!

Then I am adding a variety of prints I have been longing to work with.  Here are some samples.

Can't wait to begin.  :o)

Stitch length

When I grew up (back with the dinosaurs), the stitch length indicator on a sewing machine indicated stitches per inch...8, 10, 12 etc.  When I got my first Bernina, back in the 80's, the numbers were different.  I remember thinking 'it must have something to do with metric and I don't do metric.  My machine's default is 2.5 so it must be about the same as an old Singer 10' and I eyeballed it from there.  Well, duh.  There is a pretty simple explanation about stitch length numbers that can be found here.  I can't believe it has taken me over 25 years to finally get this straight in my mind.

All this heavy thinking was a result of wondering what stitch length people use when they are straight line quilting.  I used a 3.7 on my last straight line stitched quilt shown here.  I like the way it looks but wonder about it's durability.   So I have been asking blog friends what they use. My unscientific poll reveals bloggers use anywhere from a 2.5 to a 4.1 stitch setting for straight line quilting.  I suppose what you are quilting makes a difference...what kind of fabric, what kind of batting, what is the purpose of the piece, etc.  I wonder if there is a 'quilt police' rule.

I am finally quilting some tops that have been waiting for a few months.  Here is my Asian influenced quilt.  I am using a 3.8 setting.  What stitch lengths do you like to use for machine quilting?

And a 2013 finish...

As I read my friends' quilt blogs with lots of accomplishments for the year already, I am feeling a little sheepish about finally showing my first quilt finish for this year.  Above is my beach themed baby quilt for a new baby boy born in Bermuda.

I used the Dear Stella's All Hands on Deck fabric for the front and back.  I used Kona white for the binding.  The batting is Dream Cotton Select.  The quilting is 1" straight line with a 3.7 stitch length setting.  The blocks are 6" finished and the quilt size is 42" by 48".

And this is the back which is very simple and I think stands alone as a classic look whole cloth quilt.

Washed and dried crinkliness...

  :o)

Pinned

One evening, two sore knees and three band-aids later...

:o)

This and that...

I forgot to tell you I got this book for Christmas!  I don't have a big library of quilt books.  I hope every quilter gets a chance to read Victoria Findlay Wolfe's 15 Minutes of Play.  This is a book to be savored.  It's like walking into an art museum.  You get on overload fairly quickly as this book just exudes inspiration.  It's yummy!  Victoria has a couple of blogs.  The one I follow is Bumble Beans.

I have been working on the pieced backing for my Asian quilt.

And I just finished this for my littlest grandson.  I crocheted a blanket for him when he was first born.  It eventually became his 'go to' comfort item and has seen some pretty heavy use!  It has been caught in the stroller wheels and repaired.  It has spent many hours mopping the floor as he drags it along from here to there.  It's been washed a hundred times. The little guy is three now and desperately needs a replacement.  He has been watching me crochet this one these past few weeks and lovingly fingers it from time to time.  'Is it ready yet, Grandma?'  Well, now it is and tomorrow it's his!

:o)

Fluffy

I've been writing many blog posts in my head these past few days.  But I have not been getting those words to my computer.  Argh.  Anyway, I had no one fooled on what I was doing with this!  I made very simple tutu's for my two of granddaughters for Christmas.  Here is the youngest of them in action:

And her big brother had to give it a whirl, too:

I have done a lot of sewing this past weekend.  I used my walking foot with the seam guide to quilt the ocean-themed baby quilt I have been making.  The quilting is 1 inch apart and the needle is set to 3.7 on my Bernina machine.  I often wonder what stitch lengths other people use.  No one ever seems to write about that.  I am very anxious to see how the quilting looks after the quilt is all washed and crinkly.  (The baby boy arrived in Bermuda this past weekend...9 1/2 pounds!)

And the quilt below is ready for the final thread trimming and pressing of the back.  I have the binding ready, but there is still the back to put together.

:o)

Back to sewing...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  Hope you all had great holidays and are back to sewing.  We had our entire family here for Christmas and 13 of the 14 of us were fighting something ranging from a cough and sniffle to full blown influenza.  It was still nice to be together.  Misery loves company, right?

Here is a little something I was working on before Christmas.  Can you guess what it is?

I have also been working a little bit on this:

And I have started the baby quilt for some friends who are expecting a new child any day.  They live in Bermuda and the baby is a boy.  Can't wait to see his picture!  Here are the fabrics I am using.  It is unusual for me to work with ocean related fabrics since I am a Midwest girl.  I love fun fabrics.

My plan was to lay out the simple squares and then add white corners for a snowball kind of block.

But once I saw this on the design wall, I liked the look of the simple squares and am going with it. I can envisions this quilt on the sand at the beach with the beautiful blue ocean in the background.

:o)

Just thinking out loud...

I had a post all ready to post yesterday and just couldn't do it.  What I am doing in Ohio is so trivial compared to what families in Connecticut are dealing with.  It is going to take some time to process this.  (I have a grandchild in first grade and another in kindergarten.  My daughter is mental health care professional for children.)  It's so hard to think about what these Newtown families are feeling right now and what is ahead of them.

There hasn't been much sewing here this week.  I have been getting ready for my kids and grandkids to come next week.  There will be 14 in house for several days.  If I am not ready for them, who cares.  I just want them to all be here and hear their laughter and get their hugs.

When I do get a minute to sew, here's what I have been working on...

 

 

 

In case you don't already know it, I cherish my friendships with each and every one of you!

My first tablerunner...

I am always inspired by my blog friends who make hostess gifts and little things for their friends.  I finally decided it was time to try a tablerunner as we were invited to an annual holiday open house that's always fun, and I wanted to show my appreciation.  (Never mind that I was sick the day of the party and my hubby went solo with my gift in tow.  I received a sweet thank you note from the hostess.)  I did discover that experience counts when it comes to tablerunners and I need some more experience! 

Here is a peek at the topside of the tablerunner.

And here is the backside which I happen to like the most.

I liked the back so much that I am making a runner for our table with both sides being just like the back of the gifted tablerunner!

:o)

I'm back again...

Hi dear blogfriends!  As hard as I try, my blog posting is becoming a once a month thing.  My goal has always been twice a week.  I blog because it is fun, after all!  So maybe one of my New Year's resolutions will be...naw.  My goal will be blog posting for fun.  I do keep up with reading the blogs I subscribe to as much as possible.  There are so many great things going on out there in quilt blogland.

Just because I haven't been blogging, doesn't mean I haven't been sewing.  (A girl has to keep her sanity, doesn't she?  I am blessed with a little bit of peace each time I slip into my sewing room!) I will try to post more this month to prove that I have been playing at my machine and my fabric.

First I had a finish!  I finished my godson's new baby girl's quilt about two weeks after she was born.  It has been mailed and I do hope they like it.

I also included a little something for her big brother...a Thomas the Train book and matching pillowcase.  Hope that keeps him occupied for a couple of minutes anyway.

:o)

Baby quilt progress

This has been one crazy week.  I have been doing most of my quilting in my head.  I did manage a little sewing and here is my baby quilt progress...if the sun would ever shine, I could get better lighting for my picture.  Since my design wall is still filled with the Asian quilt, I am back to using my floor.  Maybe I need an extra wall...hmmm...where to put it...

Can't stop thinking about all the people without homes, basic needs, and housing on the East Coast.  Thankfully some creative people are coming up with quilty ways to help.  My daughter biked from Brooklyn to Manhattan to work on Friday as there is still no public transportation for her.  I can hardly think about her riding a bike on Manhattan streets without my heart racing.

:o|



Happy Halloween!!!

Finally...

I knew I wanted to make a baby quilt.  But it took me forever to come up with a plan.  Do you ever just draw a blank?  The baby is a little girl (expected in November) and I want the quilt to be sweet.  I remembered a fat quarter bundle I won a while back in a giveaway.  The selections are from Piggy Pirouette by Benartex.  When I opened up the fat quarter bundle, I discovered that there had been some fading on the folds.   So I opted for a square in a square plan and did a lot of fussy cutting to eliminate any faded areas.  (I had hoped to try something different from several quilts I had made in the past, but maybe next time.)  I am also using some fabric I found in my stash from Basic Grey...a pink with a splash of yellow grunge design.  Perfect!  The project is cut out and I am ready to sew.

:o)

Making Progress

I have the blocks made for my quilt in progress.  These are my favorite fabrics:

 

And here I go with the layout...

 

I am really starting to love this quilt!

:o)

A Splurge

Part of the time I was in New York City last month, my daughter was feeling under the weather.  So we didn't get to go out and shop.  We had fun hanging out at her apartment and web shopping.  Since I saved all that money by not shopping in the city, I got us each a treat...the new Kona Cotton Color Card with the new 28 colors included.  I will say the card is not laid out as well as the old ones.  But it does the trick and we have both used it already!

 

:o)

New York Finds

I forgot to show you what I bought at City Quilter in New York!  I found these to add to my New York fabric collection.  This one is a grayscale night scene with some sparkle in the windows.

 

This one is a bright depiction of many different places of interest in NYC.

 

 

I am not sure where this NY fabric will end up.  (A few bits went into my grandsons' I spy quilts found here.)  But I am drawn to all things New York as I have many fond memories of trips to New York with my daughters (one lives there now) and with my whole family.

 

I love this Flea Market Fancy and wish I had bought a couple other pieces in this line.

 

 

I also found a backing for my Japanese taupes quilt.

Gotta think of a name for that quilt...never really named my quilts but this one needs a name.  Any ideas?  This backing fabric is not a Japanese taupe but is perfect anyway.  (Oh, I had a Japanese taupe type backing fabric I bought in Washington but I miscut.  $!$!  It happens.)

My daughter took me to the Garment District and took me to a couple of places I had missed on previous trips.  Pacific Trimming is amazing.  I never saw so many trims, cool buttons, and high quality zippers.  The prices were very reasonable.  She also took me to Mood Fabric which is a must see if you are ever in New York.  We hit some other places but those two jump out as noteworthy.

What a blessing sewing is!

:o)

Procrastination

Two weeks ago I was overwhelmed by upcoming events..trip to NYC, houseguest coming, garage sale coming, baby quilt needed started...all good things but crammed into a short span of time.  Like a great big magnet, my sewing room refuge pulled me in to a quilt I had planned a few months ago.  At least this was productive procrastination, right?

My maternal grandmother had a huge influence over me as I was growing up.  She was so awesome.  Yes, she sewed and taught me a few sewing things.  But she taught me a lot of about life and shaped who I became in many ways.  I am lucky enough to have some pictures that belonged to her and hung in her tiny living room.  She loved things to be very simple, and she loved these Asian themed pictures.

They now hang in my loft above a guest bed

 

 and above an antique settee

 from my husband's grandmother.
.

I thought the bed needed a proper quilt of with Asian influence and found these wonderful Japanese Taupes when I was visiting in Washington last spring.

This fabric must be magnetic too because when I entered my sewing room, I went straight for the stack in my sewing cabinet and a quilt began.

:o)