Design Wall Monday

I have been busy! I cut into my scraps almost every day for a couple of weeks, until my strings box could not hold another sliver of fabric! I have in mind two different projects for the strings, so I went ahead and started sewing them together to make 5 and 1/2 inch strips. I cut squares (for a scrappy rail fence) and 60 degree triangles out of the strips (for a six point star). When I could put the lid on the string container, I counted 99 squares and 21 triangles. Not too shabby! I'll go back to cutting scraps again before I make any more. I also made several small ornaments to give to some friends, along with some Christmas teacups and saucers filled with peppermint tea and chocolates. Make your own cup of tea and visit with Judy and her design wall.

Friday flimsy

This flimsy was a Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt. I made this shortly after my mother passed away, using fabrics I inherieted from her mixed with my own. Its not very big, but I love it! The corners need to be redone with HSTs. Its hard to tell in the photos, but the lights in the 9-patches are strawberry fabrics, and so are the light blue squares. My name for it is Strawberry Fields, my mom loved to pick strawberries in the spring. We would eat strawberries, make jam, and eat more strawberries! I am setting this post up a few weeks in advance, this may be my last flimsy to show unless I complete something in a hurry!

Design Wall Monday

I couldn't seem to settle down at my sewing machine last night, so I spent some time online looking at every one's fabric choices for Bonnie Hunter's new mystery. In doing so , I came across a small Christmas mystery by Andra Gayle at Simplify and Quilt. Christmas scraps I have in excess, so that enticed me back to my sewing. Go over to Judy L.s design wall Monday posting and find more enticing ideas!

Friday flimsy

This flimsy was a long time in the making, I made shaded 4-patch blocks as I acquired plaids and stripes. I decided at one point that it was big enough and sewed the blocks together. Looking at it now, I think I have enough different fabrics to add at least two more rows onto the length. And I am definitely going to switch out the small floral I had for the backing of this to a leafy,flannel print. Hmmmm.....I even have a recipient in mind for this one. Happy Veterans Day to my husband, father, brother, and brothers-in-law.

Design Wall Monday

This little cuties are a free paper-piecing pattern, Santa in a Star, offered by Carol Doak and Quilt Life Magazine. Not sure what I am going to do with them, but I like them! Check out Judy's design wall for some great design inspirations.
In the spirit of cleaning out and organizing, I have ironed a pile of scraps, made a spreadsheet of the sizes and shapes I want, and lined up some little containers (clean vegie trays). I am going to follow Michele's lead at Distracted Quilter and cut scraps for 15 minutes a day for the next month or so and see what I can accomplish. It will be great to start a new year with a pile of scraps already cut!

Friday flimsy

This flimsy is from Trudie Hughes' book Even More. The pattern is Road to St. Louis. It only took me a few days to put this quilt top together,but it has been aging for several years. I love the pink and brown combination. I have been totally sidetracked from sewing since last weekend. DD#3 wanted to be a pirate for a Halloween party. We looked and looked for a pirate shirt I had made for DD#2 a few years ago, but didn't find it. In the process of looking for it, the big walk in closet upstairs has been cleaned out, and now the storage disaster that is in the rec room is well on its way to being semi-organised, and yes, I found the pirate shirt the day after Halloween!

Friday flimsy

Here is another flimsy that resulted from leftovers and fabrics gifted to me by Sarah. I am trying to empty out some of my project boxes so that I can fill them back up with new projects in 2012!

Design Wall Monday

Here are two little quiltlets that I pieced last fall. Over the past couple of days, I have quilted them on my DSM and sewed the bindings on - two projects finished, and two off my list of UFO's! I learned a few things with these, I prefer a cotton batting on these little quilts over a polyester, the wonky stars needs more contrast, and I learned how to do a ladder stitch to sew down the binding. Both of these quiltlets came about from the generosity of others. Marcie at Patchalot More offered the Christmas Tree pattern a couple of years ago, and I used The Happy Zombie's Jingle Jolly pattern as a starting point for the wonky star quiltlet. Be sure to stop by Judy L.'s for more blogland inspiration on Design Wall Monday.

Friday flimsy

I have shown this project when it was still a work in progress, but here it is as a completed flimsy. The pattern is Picket Fences by Judy Martin. This flimsy came from leftover pieces from my Carolina Christmas flimsy and my seemingly never ending supply of Christmas fabrics. It is a much brighter, richer red than the picture shows.

Friday flimsy

Just put the borders on this one this week. I started this string quilt with purple centers several years ago, with the intention of working on it slowly, as scraps accumulated. The border fabric has been in my stash for a while, it has a lovely feel to it. I am trying to free up some project boxes for 2012!

Design Wall Monday

Only one seam away from another flimsy! This is a mystery quilt offered by Leslie at The Crafty Unicorn Quilting. Leslie did a great job designing and presenting this mystery to keep us guessing on the final outcome. I love the way it ended up in columns. Check out Judy L's design wall Monday post for tons of inspiration.

Friday flimsy

Ta-da! My Monochromatic Challenge! I am really excited about how this flimsy has turned out. When Judy L. started her monochromatic quilt challenge at the beginning of the year, I decided to make six string/crumb blocks in each color of the month. I've posted pictures of some of these on Monday's design wall, bur here is my flimsy, with six blocks each of eight colors.

Design Wall Monday

Thanks to everyone who visited last week and left a comment. I was unable to leave any comments for reasons only known to super techno types, but this week I seem to be able to. I finished up a flimsy this weekend, but I am waiting to show a picture of it on Friday - it is the quilt I have been making for Judy's monochromatic challenge. I am showing basket blocks I've completed for a mystery quilt hosted by Leslie at The Crafty Unicorn Quilting . I can't wait to see how the entire quilt is going to come together! Please visit Judy at Patchwork Times for more design wall postings.

Design Wall Monday

On my design floor for today are the blocks for the Quilters World mysyery quilt. I am going to set mine on point with a narrow sashing in between the blocks, and partial blocks along the outside edge. I like the partial blocks oriented so that the outside edge looks consistent. Visit Judy at Patchwork Times to see more inspirational ideas.

My dear SIL (who was my friend before she was my SIL!) came this weekend from NC to attend the East Cobb Quilters Guild Quilt Show. We were there for a good part of the day on Friday, enjoying all the beautiful quilts and supporting all the vendors! Both of us forgot a camara, so we ordered the dvd. We did jot down a few notes on quilts that appealed to us (I favor more traditional, she likes more art quilts). It was so great to spend time with her, and to have a fellow quilter to share ideas and fabric with! We plan on doing it again when the guild hosts their next show two years from now. On Saturday , we managed to visit three local quilt stores but we must have been on sensory overload, because we didn't buy much!

Friday flimsy

Okay, here is another mystery quilt! This is one of Bonnie Hunter's mysteries, Carolina Crossroads. I really like this pattern, lots of small pieces and interesting design. I do think that this quilt really cleaned out my pink fabrics! My pink stars are a bit too subtle, I think it would look better if they were more pronounced.

Friday flimsy

This flimsy is a scrappy snowball and 9-patch. I've seen many of these quilts that are beautiful, but I do think mine missed the mark! Maybe that is why it is so small!

Friday flimsy

This flimsy was not a mystery! It was a pattern called Honeymoon published in Traditional Quilter magazine many years ago. Check out that faded rose and country blue color scheme! I know I started this in when I was newly married, so at least 20 years ago! Now mind you, it hasn't been finished that long...

Design Wall Monday

I am caught on the two mystery quilts that I am following, spent the morning on housework and laundry, plan on having 5 dollar burritos at Moe's tonight for dinner, so I am spending the afternoon sewing! During the summer, I went to a "yard sale" at a LQS. I came home with quite a few fabrics that I am putting to good use. Today I am using some of them in this project, Last Wrung on the Ladder, by Lynda Hall at Primitive Gatherings. Its mostly Christmas fabrics, and I would like to get it to flimsy stage this week. Check out Judy's blog this week, she has her own design wall again!

Friday flimsy

Today's flimsy was a New Year's mystery quilt offered by Planet Patchwork. My DD#3 helped me pick out the fabrics and even sewed a little on this one. We anxiously waited for each clue to be released. We weren't able to stay up with all the clues, but we still managed to get the top together in a couple of days. Hmmm. I do have some more bright fabrics that I was wondering what to do with...maybe another quilt like this is in order!

Design Wall Monday

This is the progress I have made on the two mystery quilts that I am working on. I have an inkling about one, but the other one is not far enough along to venture a guess. Visit Judy at Patchwork Times to view other design walls - prepare to be inspired!

Friday Flimsy

The pattern is from the book Even More by Trudie Hughes. It was put together in diagonal rows - it would have been helpful to have a design wall for this one. I started it well before the year 2000, I only finished it last year!

Friday Flimsy

Okay, time for another picture of another flimsy! I don't exactly remember how old this flimsy is - I know my DS was about 3 or 4 when I finished it, and he is almost 17 now. I remember his age because he wanted to help me with it. His "help" consisted of cutting into the border with a pair of kiddy sissors! Luckily for me, he only made a small hole. I bought the chicken and egg fabrics as soon as I saw them-they just made me smile!

Steps to the Altar

This is the picture from the magazine of the quilt I am working on. I haven't decided on colors for the alternative blocks yet.
Thanks for all the lovely comments. I learned to sew on my Mom's featherweight, so sitting at the kitchen table and sewing with that machine was very comfortable for me!

Design Wall Monday

I have spent some time this summer visiting with my Dad in NC. While there, I borrowed my Mom's old featherweight from my sister to piece these blocks. I have 6 out of thirteen finished. There will be twelve alternative blocks in a Trip Around the World style in a controlled color scheme. The pattern, Steps to the Altar, is from the August 2002 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting - it is from an antique quilt. Now I soon as I finish sewing sequins on flagline costumes, I'll be getting back to this one! Check in with Judy L. to see what other quilters are working on!

Friday flimsy

My DD#2 got a new camara and took some pictures of flimsies for me, so that I will have something to show on my blog. This flimsy was a mystery (what, me make a mystery quilt?) offered by Elsie Vredenburg many years ago. It is half-controlled fabrics, half-scrappy. My girls think that it wants to be a quilt by Christmas, in time for cuddling under it on the couch, watching our favorite Christmas movies.

Design Wall Monday

Wow, its been a long time since I posted anything, but I have been sewing in little bits and pieces. I have started another online mystery quilt hosted by The Crafty Unicorn Quilting, and my SIL just sent me a link to another mystery hosted by Quilters World Newsletter that we are going to do together, as together as 300 miles will allow! Soon it will be back to school for two college kids and two high schoolers, and life will return to some kind of routine. Check out Judy's blog for some lovely projects out there in blogland.

Sugar Sack Quilts

I won a give-a-way from Glenna Hailey at Hollyhock Quilts! It actually arrived at the end of last week, but my DD#2(a high school senior) had my camera all week for end of season soccer games and prom. This is a lovely book full of wonderful projects that have me itching to be stitching! I photographed it with my one authentic feedsack, and two packages of cotton rickrack that originally sold for 13 cents a piece. My two favorite patterns from the book are Stripping in the Garden and Hearts and Flowers, okay, my three favorites, because I love the Sail Away quilt too! DD#2 really likes the Happy Scraps quilt, I've pulled out my 30's reproduction fabrics to figure out a plan! Thanks so much Glenna, I am really enjoying this book!

Design Wall Monday

This little quiltlet is a Schnibble pattern called Mon Ami. I wanted it to be low contrast, but I think it turned out no contrast! I've had this fabric in my stash for a while, its called Winsome, by Nancy Halverson. I am going to use the small check as the backing, and bind it with the small dots. I want to do some simple hand quilting and have it ready to use by Easter. Go by Judy L.'s blog and look at all the other design walls - you are sure to be inspired!

Brown monochromatic blocks

I am a few days late in posting these, but I have had them done since last week. Check out Judy L.'s blog for more monochromatic inspiration. I love the way all of these 6" blocks are turning out - I think when I put them together at the end of the year they will look awesome! Now if I could only make the same progress on my UFO list...

Design Wall Monday

Today, I have the green leftovers from Carolina Christmas assembled. It still needs a border of the same yellow fabric as the cornerstones. My plan is to bind it with the green stripe fabric used in the sashings and border. I was so lucky to have received bits and pieces of Sarah's leftovers from her CC quilt - the pieces have added so much variety to my projects! Check out other design walls at Judy L.'s.

Design Wall Monday

I haven't done much sewing in the past month because I aggravated a chronic lower back problem, and sitting was no longer an option! However, I did catch up on all the ironing, file a lot of paperwork, gather all our tax info, and cut out three quilts from scraps/stash. When I finished my Carolina Christmas flimsy, I had many pieces and parts leftover. After moving them aside once again, I decided to find a way to use them. This first quilt is made from leftover red/background HSTs. I just needed to cut out bricks and setting triangles for this one, a pattern by Judy Martin called Picket Fences. I cut out two different sizes of sashings for the green leftovers for quilt #2, and after adding in some different colors of Christmassy type fabrics, I cut out a third quilt for a Lynda Hall pattern called Last Rung on The Ladder. I am back to sewing, but I haven't touched my UFO for February or March. Sidetracked, but sewing, and I'll take that any day over not sewing! Head over to Judy's to see all the great projects out there in blog land.

Design Wall Monday

Here are my monochromatic blocks for February. I love making these, the hardest part is stopping! I have pulled out a lot of FQs to cut additional pieces for the UFO challenge, it is one I am excited to be working on-it uses some of the smaller blocks from a 9-patch exchange organised by Julie. Stop by Judy L.'s to see more design walls.