Lots of quilting this weekend. I finished the Warrior Pride in time for the Homecoming game. I actually had 2 hours to spare :) I don't quilt well under pressure, just not enough time to get creative and then change my mind. I think it was the changing my mind that I really missed on this one. But the football mom loved it and that's what really matters. I did break out the embroidery machine for the letters, had to dust it off as it's been a long while since I've used it. And look at the back, I LOVE the football fleece we found for the back. Batting is Hobbs 80/20 and bottom line both top and bobbin.
Farm stand - QOV
Fan Fare panto, love this pattern
Construction - QOV
Construction - QOV
2 QOV quilts completed this weekend as well. These 2 came from Kathy in Columbus IN. The construction equipment kinda threw me. I just outlined as if it were applique. I used Fanfare by Patricia E. Ritter, I love that panto for the Farm Stand quilt. . Batting hobbs 80/20, bottom line bottom of both. Construction quilt has invisible thread for the outlines, and bottom line for the background quilting. The Farm Stand quilt has so fine on top. I've been using quilters dream 70/30 for the past few months and honestly I like that so much better than the hobbs. I think once I finish the roll of Hobbs, I'm switching completely to quilters dream batting.
Not quite done with Orange Crush but hoping to get that completed this week for quilting next weekend. Can you believe how completely different that is from Warrior Pride? Orange Crush is true to the pattern so far where Warrior Pride deviated just a bit.
Orange Crush
And one last picture or two, we're having such wonderful colors this year. Last week all the Hickory trees were a wonderful golden yellow, this week the oaks are showing off their brilliant reds and burgundy. This one in the front yard was just so pretty. In the second one you can see the swing where I take the pictures of the quilts outside. Too wet this weekend for outside pictures, would have been a nice picture of Warrior Pride in that spot.
Front yard, beautiful color
another view of the front yard, I love this time of year here.
I finished the 6 snowman place mats last night, yippee!! The snowman pattern is the same that I used on my table runner at the ends. Is it bad that I finished the one for me first??? Nah, I think of it as warming up so the ones I give as gifts have all the kinks worked out! Had a little extra time so I jazzed up a couple of kitchen towels (one of my favorite things to do). No sewing today. But at list the lists are moving a bit.
I can move at least one small item from the "to be quilted" to the "finished in 2010" list! Yeah, small victory but I'll take it. I finished the snowman table runner. All my girls will home next weekend for our Christmas together so I wanted to make the table festive.
I did finish all 60 string blocks for RRCB. A couple of people mentioned using the back of the fabrics which I did unintentionally on a couple but then intentionally towards the end. I wish I would have thought to do that from the very beginning as I would have had a bit more variety in the blocks. I love seeing all the different blocks. The purple as neutral - one of my favorites. I think a string quilt in 2011 will be on my to-do list. Especially since I cut soooo many neutral strings! I've been seeing a number of quilts that I really like with strings.
I can move at least one small item from the "to be quilted" to the "finished in 2010" list! Yeah, small victory but I'll take it. I finished the snowman table runner. All my girls will home next weekend for our Christmas together so I wanted to make the table festive.
I also got the snowman collector quilt top almost done. Still have two and a half more borders to put on and then the top will at least be done. I hope I'll have it quilted before the snow starts to melt here!! I really like pieced borders better than solid borders, but at least there are a few of them and that helps.
All in all not a bad week for quilting. Won't get much done the rest of this week nor next week end. Hey I had 3 good sewing weekends in a row, it couldn't last forever ;)
Well there we go the top is done. There are a few things that I still want to tidy up a bit. But I'll save that for Friday. What I learned - look closely at the pattern of the quilt. While EQ7 had this as one block, I should have split it up into two blocks. This would have avoided the whole twelve pieces of material coming to one point. That is really too much for my skill level. So look closely and redesign the blocks if needed. I learned that pinning really was important and that I really don't like it all that much. I need to improve my pinning skills. Use long, thin, sharp pins (watch the fingers - I still poke myself way too often), push the pin in parallel to the material, or as close as you can get and for the points I pinned just above by a thread or two. Still lost a couple of points, but what can you do? I never said I was an expert quilter, I just like to have fun and try new things.
Now, to do a little Christmas shopping and think about dinner tomorrow and then back to my regularly scheduled snowman quilt that I have been avoiding.
I struggle with pinning, usually I don't because I actually get better results without pins. However there are times when pinning is just necessary, like in the example of the baby quilt I'm working on. I did manage to pin things correctly for the most part and I'm satisfied with the results. By the time I got to block 9 I think I was pretty good at, still working on it though. My poor fingers have been pinned and re-pinned many times. Now that the blocks are done, lets see how I am at pinning the blocks together!!
I got a lot of good tips from the cyber quilters that really helped!
How could I work on a snowman quilt when we had tornado warnings today? Really, tornado's in the mid west in late Nov??? So I worked on the baby quilt. Oh it's coming along so nicely. All the embroidery is done and I should have some blocks ready tomorrow. While I was piecing on one machine I made some coasters for my daughter on the other. I think I just might keep these though I really like them. the flowers are a from a design that I'm using for a wedding quilt for my nephew. That one is on hold until after the holidays. There are just too many quick fun things to make this time of year.
How long can this last? Two great sewing weekends in a row! I finished step one for Bonnie's RRCB mystery quilt. This is my first mystery quilt and the very excited about it. I just can't wait for step 2.
I have been playing with EQ7, I've created dozens of quilts on the computer, now to make one real! Starting with a baby quilt (I love making baby quilts) and the embroidery has started. I'm using the left over blues from the snowman collector quilt for a baby boy quilt. While the embroidery is going I'll be working on my snowman collector quilt. I have all the blocks cut and fused, now just need to add the button hole stitching. Lots to do while I wait for clue number 2.
Oh and I have the week off so there will be plenty of sewing this week!
Wow what a productive weekend. I finished 8 sets of coasters (nieces and nephews getting coasters for Christmas), the tops of two sets of place mats are done (siblings getting place mats for Christmas) and my first attempt at cathedral windows. Someone sent another technique that I will try. I want to master this and someday make a cathedral windows quilt, but I'm not quite there yet. Since it was such a productive Saturday I have started on a holiday table runner for myself!!
This is a surprise quilt for my grandson. I don't normally like doing surprise quilts, that's a lot of work if someone is disappointed!! But I think he'll like it. And if he doesn't I do and I'm a colts fan too.!
