BOM's Away / {Sew} Modern Monday

Enjoyed a weekend away with friends, but was allowed to be productive too!

Here is Block #3 - Tulips in my Pam Bono Out of the Darkness quilt.

I also finished this little pot holder made with the Sashiko technique. My first Sashiko project. Actually enjoyed it since the stitching goes so quickly. I started this in a class last weekend from Pepper Cory at EESchenck's Spring Trends event in Portland. Had I realized what we were stenciling was going to turn into a potholder, I might not have chosen a circular design or 3 or 6 sided design, but none the less, I liked the hearts of the stencils available to choose from and ended up creating this.

I even got the sleeve sewn onto my Charmed Network - Eva version which will be in the Tri-City Quilter's "Stitchin' Stars" quilt show March 30 and 31. I'll also have "Spinner" --the EQ BOM layout winner (which still needs to be bound YOWZA! but was left drying in its blocked position on Friday, but I did get the piping made) and "1892 Rondure" --my McCalls Quilt Design Star 2011 round 1 entry.

Check out other BOM's progress at Lyn's What A Hoot linkup and other modern finishes at Canoe Ridge Creations.

The voting is now open for the Golden Quilter awards ...stop by SewCalGal's blogpost and vote!

WIP

I've been focused on taking care of customers, but I took a little time and worked on a bit of my own personal list.

Started
While at Trends (EESchenck's Mini-Market) this past weekend, I had the opportunity of taking a make'n take class with Pepper Cory. She taught the basics of Sashiko (by hand). Mark the piece, use Pearl 8 Cotton, each stitch is 2/3 visible, 1/3 invisible (under the fabric), go with a gap vs. touching the next stitch when crossing over. If right handed, use your left thumb to help get the needle out of the fabric, in and out, and do several stitches, then pull it through. Be sure fabric then lays flat before continuing. Try to keep float stitches at a minimum, knot it and move to your next location if it is bigger than about 1/2".

This trio of hearts wasn't exactly a good design idea for a square potholder. I didn't realize at the time I was selecting the design that it was going to go into a potholder. doh! ok...so maybe I'll figure something else out in the end, but she was quite pleased with my stitching! yeah!!





Progress

• Alaska 2007 Shop Hop Block #3 - Sleeping Lady Willow from Seams Like Home, Anchorage, AK

 

• "Spinner" --worked on testing the removal of color bleeds :( The worst culprit was a black batik that bled brown onto the background grey fabric. I also discovered two hand-dyed greens that bled a little. As some say...if you can't see it on a galloping horse as you ride by, then don't worry about it--then I shouldn't worry about any of it, but I am, and am trying to learn through this process. The photo was taken when it was still wet. I did try treating them with natural soap and water, lemon and water, etc. and now that it is dry it is lighter, but still present. I took a test strip with the culprit fabric and then put lemon on it and put it in the sunshine to dry. Then rinsed it. The color is still present. Tues. wasn't sunny, so didn't try anything else. I have settled on my binding strategy, so just need to figure out if I want to re-soak w/ a color catcher and then re-block it before moving on, or what.
  IDEAS WELCOMED!

Also awaiting quilting:

• WWVQG 2006 Basket BOM

'Til Next Time

• Out of the Darkness...ready for block #3
• Skill Builder Blocks ...planning a big catchup on April 1 ;-)
• Rose of Sharon Bird Block
• Oddie's Wild Nature (O.W.N.)
• McCall's Mystery - Part 3 --waiting for pattern!
• Snowflake/Blizzard Quilt
• Irena Bluhm coloring samples

2012 STATS

Completed: 9
In Progress: 11
To start: 3 (Peace Park, Shop Hop the Blues 2007 & 2009)

Just have to show you another version of Mi Amore that got quilted --this time a construction version. The binding will be the orange/grey on diagonal stripe. This one is being sold for the Adobe School Project. Contact bettybaerg@cox.net if you're interested in purchasing it. Thanks to my mom for 'testing' the pattern. The Mi Amore pattern is available at Craftsy or from me directly.

Are you going to Ireland in June? Pricing available for the 'tour' only, i.e. do you have miles you can use to get there? Join me!!

More WIPs at the linkup on Lee's Freshly Pieced blog. Happy WIPping ;-)

The voting is now open for the Golden Quilter awards ...stop by SewCalGal's blogpost and vote!

BOM's Away Monday

Been a while...but got a little bit of something done today!

Alaska Shop Hop 2007 -- Block #3 for me...

Sleeping Lady Willow from Seams Like Home in Anchorage, AK

I've got several blog posts in the works....so stay tuned

1. Classes with Sharon Schamber
2. Tutorial on how to make 'Spinner' -the EQ Block Setting Winner
3. Update from Trends - EESchenck's mini Spring Market

I promise to write these...it is still going to take me another week though (most likely) before they are all done.

Busy trying to catch up on some customer quilts and getting ready for the Tri-City Quilter's show March 30 and 31. If you live in the region, hope you'll stop by and check out the quilts. It is a good show!

Also...I got 'tagged'....by Melissa ...so here are my questions and answers:

1. What is your favorite quilting toy (other than your sewing machine!)?
Probably my Red Snappers used to put quilt tops/backs onto my long-arm machine 2. Who is your favorite fabric designer?
BasicGrey3. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint Chip4. What is your comfort food of choice?
Mexican5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Besides thanking the Lord I'm alive....take my synthroid and... As of a couple of weeks ago it was make my husband breakfast...but his job has changed...so that isn't such a high priority at that hour of the morning ;-) !!6. If you were forced to give up your craft of choice…what would you do with all that free time (and extra money)?
Build a house7. What’s for breakfast?
Heart Shaped Egg-Whites on an English Muffin
8. Easter is right around the corner – what is your favorite Easter candy?
Cadbury Caramel Eggs
9. What is your favorite Reality TV show?
I used to watch lots...kind of  'off' reality right now.10. What is your least favorite household chore?
Clean--so I do hire it out so it actually gets done!
11. Who is your favorite celebrity and why?
Sandra Bullock --I've been told (on occassion) that sometimes I look like her

Lyn has more BOM's linked up....check 'em out!

WIP

New and Completed

Had to throw in a new project since 'Zoe' is turning 2 today! I used an 'Amy Butler' pattern, but did not make the pockets or the belt. I used Michael Miller's laminated fabric for the outside, and some fleece scraps for lining the bodice and hood, and other fun polka dot (kind of) coordinating cotton fabric from my stash for the arms. I discovered my old Pfaff machine, had the appropriate teflon foot. I wanted to use 12 wt Aurifil for the top stitching, but didn't have the appropriate needle. I made it work with a quilting needle (just a few thread breaks to deal with, but I got it made). It went together quite easily with these modifications. I did trim the fleece lining at the hemline so that it didn't have to be folded over in the seam. The sleeves are so small that I couldn't fit them underneath my sewing machine, so had to work carefully to get the hem sewn. I also learned of Babyville Boutique's snaps while at Sew Expo in Puyallup last Friday and was able to pick them up at their store on Sunday morning and used those for the closures. Super easy to adhere to the coat, even through the fleece.

 She loved it! Her first words, just seeing the fabric while I was making it--"CUTE!" At her party, I had her put it on so I could get some photos, her parents had a hard time getting it off of her.

2012 finish #9 !!

Progress

• EQ7 BOM Layout--did you see my previous post, I WON!!!!! Working on the prairie point piped binding now.

Also awaiting quilting:

• WWVQG 2006 Basket BOM (Since I won Quilting Gallery's contest last weekend, I won't be pushing to get this done for this week's "Baskets" themed contest. Definitely participate or at least check them out and vote, regardless!

'Til Next Time

• Alaska 2007 Shop Hop
• Out of the Darkness  Skill Builder Sampler Blocks
• Rose of Sharon Bird Block
• Oddie's Wild Nature (O.W.N.)
• McCall's Mystery - Part 3 --waiting for pattern!
• Snowflake/Blizzard Quilt
• Irena Bluhm coloring samples

2012 STATS

Completed: 9

In Progress: 10

To start: 3 (Peace Park, Shop Hop the Blues 2007 & 2009)

Are you going to Ireland in June? New pricing available for the 'tour' only, i.e. do you have miles you can use to get there? Join me!! Pay by check by March 7 and get a 3% discount.

More WIPs at the linkup on Lee's Freshly Pieced blog. Happy WIPping ;-)

Design Wall / BOM's Away Monday

Here is the progress on my EQ 2011 BOM ....now named 'Spinner'.

The exciting news is that the layout contest wrapped last week, and I WON!!!!!

DoYouEQ's blog post about the winner.
Whoo Hooo!!!!More detailed photos on my flickr photostream.

Still working on the continuous two-color prairie point piped binding....but I hope it will look something like this. Wondering if I should make the prairie points bigger. wdyt?



Also wondering about the brightness of the piping, I'd like a pop, but everything else is fairly subdued in the quilt except for a few pops in the 'flags' which are the BOM blocks.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving some advice if you have an opinion!

More Design Walls @ Judy's and BOM's Away progress at Lyn's.

A Big Win!

Excited that last week I got "Mi Amore" published. It is now available on patternspot.com for purchase as an easy PDF download. If you would like a printed copy sent in the mail, you can contact me directly. They are $10 + shipping/tax/etc.

The original will be on display at the Spring 2012 Trends Event March 16-18 (EE Schenck's mini-market in Portland, OR for trades only)

Here is a 'boys' version.

I also finished up a customer's custom quilting on an elongated variation of my Starlight-Flutterbright in a blue colorway. Fun to see the variations that clients will create with your original patterns.

Do you remember the EQ 2011 BOM that I worked on all last year?

March 1, 6am EST was the deadline for the EQ 2011 BOM Layout contest. I had spent the last two days quilting to death (a new approach for me), what I am now calling, "Spinner". About midnight I submitted it. Only the top needed to be pieced in order to submit it, but I had quilted it too. I had hoped to get the binding on before submitting it, but it was just taking too long. When I checked my email about 7:30am I had a 'Winner' email from Electric Quilt. I was so excited! I use EQ to design all my quilts and have enjoyed participating in the BOM last year, winning the Kaleidoscope add-on and now I'll get even more add-on software to have fun with. Whoo hoo--ok, I AM a software nerd!

To see all the entries go to this EQ blog entry.

More photo details with some closeups of the quilting and blocks at my flickr set. I'm working on a prairie point piped binding--serious effort here!

The Sewing Expo is on in Puyallup and I had the opportunity to attend on Friday afternoon. Picked up a couple of interesting tools, a binding tool called Zip Bind from Martelli and new full-line stencils from Hancy that are fine mesh, so no 'holes', but you can still use a pounce pad. Saw quilting celebs, including Eleanor Burns, Marti Michell and Marci Baker. Had a very productive conversation with Robert Purcell of Superior Threads. Thanks Bob!! It was fun to run into Barbara Em, Terri Hellberg, Donna Hibner, and Eddie Walker. I understand more of our quilting guild members were present too! I also saw Karen Brown -- beautiful long-arm quilter from Spokane.

Some of you may know my pattern 'Zoe'...this quilt was made for and named after our friend's daughter--Zoe and she is turning two this next week. For two weekends in a row we've been able to spend time with their family. Such a special time. I made her a rain slicker, with the body and hood lined with fleece. Nice to do something different once in a while. While at the Sewing Expo, I talked with a gal at Pacific Fabrics and she recommended some decorative snaps that I could use for the closures. 'babyville boutique' --worked great!

Another friend had a baby in January and named her Zoe, so she got another version of my Zoe quilt.

I heard from one of the Ireland trip participants! It is getting exciting. Have a great week!

WIP

a quick update....I'll post more when I finish, but I'm really excited to be this far along!! Binding to go that will add even more character!

The small blocks are from EQ's 2011 BOM...and the quilt layout I designed as part of their contest for creating a setting for the blocks.

Update 1-Mar-12: --I won the layout contest! DoYouEQ's blog post about the winner. 
Whoo Hooo!!!!

More detailed photos on my flickr photostream.