Friday Finish: Feather Block from Forest QAL

My paper piecing kick got derailed in the last week or so after our printer ran out of toner.  A brand new, $55 box of it that I'd bought at Best Buy, in a city an hour (each way) away had an opened interior bag and a totally empty toner cartridge inside (which we discovered only after it was home).  Booo....  We're working with the company now to resolve this.  In the mean while, we ordered on on-line from COSTCO.com and it was delivered to us with free 2 day shipping earlier this week!  Yea!  Guess who I'll be doing more business with...

The above feather block from the Forest QAL group again was very challenging.  I made a few goofs, and unsewed more than a few seams, but I love it!  Thanks to Joanna of Shape Moth for the fantastic pattern!!

Along with the publication challenge finish at Project Quilting, I had a pretty good week!!

I'm linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilt's Finish it up Friday!

Project Quilting 5 Challenge Done! Seed Packet Quilt

For this last round of Project Quilting, the challenge was to use page 28 in any publication as our inspiration.  I choose a seed catalog that we have been eagerly browsing through, in anticipation of Spring planting season!  It turned out a little bit corny, but that's OK ;-).

As I mentioned in my last post, I used this challenge to try to learn how to make a paper pieced pattern on my EQ7 program!  I'm so happy about this!  I also thought it'd be fun to "personalize it some, putting our name at the bottom.  My husband is from Illinois originally, which is pretty much a king corn state.  We almost always have corn in our garden, and according to him, it should always be "knee high by the 4th of July", so I had to add that as well.

It's 18 by 12 inches, and has hand embroidered letters, paper and regular piecing, and finally some free motion quilting.  My husband remarked when it was almost done that the corn needed some tassels, so I added a few of those too for fun! I purposely did the embroidery and quilting over it to give me a mini trial on how quilting my "Organic Chemistry" quilt would work.  As you can see, sewing through the embroidery really doesn't distort it much at all.

I also tried out my idea for using a lamp and my glass table as a "light box", and it worked beautifully!! SWEET!  ... corn that is LOL

I DID it!! My first EQ Paper Pieced Pattern!!

I'm just too excited!!  I FINALLY figured out how to create a paper-pieced pattern in my EQ7 program!!  I've been struggling with this program for about a year, as I got it last Christmas, or birthday (which is in January).  I'm not too computer savvy, but have been making myself use it each time I try to design anything quilt-related.  Slowly but surely, I'm learning this program.  I've been wanting to figure out how to make a paper-pieced pattern for several months, and have even used quite a few of the foundation block patterns in the EQ library.  It finally all clicked (sort of) and while my pattern is a bit clumsy, I did it!

It's part of this week's round of Project Quilting.  With my current round of quilt alongs, swaps, and finish alongs, I almost decided NOT to participate in this round.  I generally don't do these unless it truly inspires me, or I want to try or learn a new technique.  It's a perfect way to do this.  So, I decided to try to make a paper pieced ear of corn block.  And it worked!!!  I used this tutorial on Joanna of Shape Moth's site to step me through it.  THANK YOU Joanna!!

I plan to create a "seed packet" mini quilt with it, based on my "page 28" inspiration in my seed catalog :-).  Our printer is out of service, but luckily I got this printed in the nick of time.

WIP Wed, West Coast Edition: PQ5 and Organic Progress

When I first bought the fabric for my Organic Chemistry Quilt, I first cut a generous "border" from the selvage of the fabric in order to resew it back on to look like the margins of a page.  I finally sewed this back on.  I also decided that I'm going to pre-wash the batting to try to minimize the shrinkage.  I don't always do this, as it's a big hassle, and takes time, but I think it does help a bit.  Tomorrow I hope to start pin basting it!

One good thing about having this top finally done is that I can now add these yummy scraps to my scrap bin!!

This week's "Project Quilting" challenge is to take our inspiration from the page 28 of any publication.  Wish Spring right around the corner, seed catalogs are on just about all of our  tables and counter tops. I'm itching to make something "Springy", so I'm hoping to make a project based on the page above!

Finally, I just turned in my final quilt block swap that I've been doing for the last 6 months at my local quilt store. Above is what I turned in, and below is what I picked up (from Feb).  I LOVE that Tula Pink frog!!

Be sure to check out what others are up to at Freshly Pieced WIP Wed!

Ombré Quilt Finish!

Over the week-end, I was able to finish up my Ombré Quilt with plenty of time to spare.  I spent much of Saturday at a swim meet, and most of Sunday cleaning and organizing, so I'm a bit late blogging about it...

It was created for Project Quilting's second 2013 challenge, making a project with white and one other color.  I originally wanted to make a full size bed quilt, with the only scrap bin that was overflowing, my blue bin.  After spending a few hours ironing and cutting out squares, I decided that there was no way I'd meet the deadline.  I was cutting out 4 inch squares, so I turned to my smaller than 4 inch squares, and downsized.  This quilt is only 22 by 17 inches, made up entirely of finished 1.25 inch half square triangles.

I've been wanting to make an ombré quilt for several months now, and this was the perfect opportunity.  I LOVE the color gradations in "ombré".  It reminds me of nature... water at a beach, sunrise and sunset, Spring and Fall leaves...

I also enjoy trying out new techniques with these challenges... the short time and small projects are a perfect opportunity!  I made an invisible binding based on this tutorial that I saw on Felicity Quilt's blog a while back. I LOVE the result, and will for sure be doing this again!!

As usual, I used 50 weight Aurifil thread to piece the quilt.  I rarely use anything else these days for piecing.  I like a heavier 40 weight thread for quilting, but in this case, decided that the 50 weight looked better, and with my new Janome that quilts with any thread I put into her, I was able to do all of the quilting with my Aurifil thread!!  I made simple "waves" across the quilt, as this reminds me of water. I can not tell you how happy I am to finally be able to use any type or brand of thread to free motion quilt!!

I am starting to build up a small collection of Aurifil thread, and since the spools are taller, I also spent a bit of time this week-end making up another thread rack to hold them :-).  I used the same method outlined in my tutorial last summer, using the 4 inch pegs.

This week, I'm hoping to finish up my quilt for Shanna's "A Lovely Year of Finishes" link up, and the will be looking forward to PQ challenge #3!

Ombré Quilt

First of all, I really want to shout out a very big thank you for all of the wonderfully smart, generous ladies who have helped me out on the computer part of this blog!  Thanks to Amy, and Beth recently for explaining how to take anonymous commentators off my blog, and thanks to Debbie for helping me get signed up for Instagram and telling me how to browse from my computer via Web.stagram.com.  Thanks also to Kit, Shanna, and Marlene.  You all have taught me so much about blogging and computers!!  I'm very grateful!!!

Speaking of Instagram, I'm now on there as "Solar Threads".  I don't have a smart phone, but did get an ipad mini for Christmas, which has a camera, and the ability to finally get on board!  I can also now get on-line when DH is using our shared computer, or we're using it's monitor to watch TV.

Finally, here's my finished 2013 Project Quilting top for this weeks' challenge.  The challenge is to use white and one other color.  I knew immediately that I could use this to scratch another project in my "project file" off of the list.  I've been wanting to make an ombré quilt for a while now.  I originally wanted to make a bed sized quilt, but this mini may be all it takes to get this itch scratched and move on.  I also have my most full scrap bin, blue, totally under control again!  Between my log cabin cat quilt (yellow and green), my Purple Haze Quilt (purple), the Low Volume (cream and white) and this one (blue), I have literally done a scrap quilt journey through the colors.  Sadly, my orange and red scraps are all in one bin that has never become full.

While scrap quilts aren't my favorite to make, I do really enjoy revisiting fabric that I've used in the past.  This has blue fabric that I used to make a quilt for my Father-in-law, a gift box for a dear friend, clothes and projects for my boys, and even some fabric that a sister-in-law just gave me a few weeks ago.  Fun!!

The squares in this quilt are about 1 1/4 inches, and let me tell you, this was a bear to iron straight!!  It took a good long while to piece together as well!!  I plan to quilt it simply and try out an "invisible" binding for the first time!!  I'm hoping to get it done by the Sunday deadline!!  Stay tuned to see if that happens!

WIP Wed (West Coast Edition): Project Quilting

Yep, I have to admit that there are times where I must share others' questioning of my mental stability...  For some reason, this week's Project Quilting has driven me just a wee bit crazy!  The challenge is to create a quilt that uses white and one other color.  Simple, right?  Wrong...

I have a plan, but wanted to make it all from my scraps, and wanted to make a big bed sized quilt.  Blue is what I have the most of, so blue and white it is.... I forgot just how time-consuming scrap quilts can be though.  After 3-4 hours cutting only a fraction of the squares I need, I decided that this won't work by Sunday.  I still want to try to make something though, so I took the smaller <4 inch scraps and cut them into smaller squares, and spent most of today sewing and ironing them. 

Can you see why I'm questioning my sanity now? If nothing else, this project has taught me that I'm not cut out (pun totally intended) for miniature quilting!!! Stay tuned.  I'm also linking up with Lee's WIP Wed, even though most of my East Coast buddies are probably done with supper already...

Square2 Finished!

My first 2013 Project Quilting challenge is all done!!  The challenge this week is "square within a square.  It's 15" by 15", made with a rainbow of batiks I had on hand.

It is the second or third project that I've free motion quilted on my new Janome 6600, and I am just head over heels for this machine!  Unlike my Pfaff, it can handle any thread I put in it, which has opened up a world of even more possibilities!!  As you can see, it quilts beautifully!  I used a variety of designs, and even added a few little squares in the pebbling design, just for fun.

I got inspiration from my "idea folder"... a collection of notebooks, pictures and such that I file things into that may be future quilt designs.  I saw this sign a few years ago, and made note of it.

I found similar blocks in my EQ7 block library, which I was able to then enlarge, print, and foundation paper piece.  Here's a mock quilt with the design!

I'm so excited to again be a part of this fun challenge!!

WIP Wed: Project Quilting

Here's where I am so far in the first round of 2013 Project Quilting!  The challenge this week is: Square within a Square. 

I found this quilt block pattern on my much-neglected EQ7 program.  I enlarged it to 15" by 15", before I printed it, then taped the pieces together.  Gosh was it a bear to work with such a large paper piecing "template", but I love the way it turned out.

I'm hoping to get it quilted today, with a different pattern in each color.  Any quilting suggestions?

I spent Saturday in Baker City, OR, watching my son's high school swim meet.  It's about an hour and a half East of us, and is situated along the old Oregon Trail, between the Elkhorn Mountains Range and the Eagle Cap Mountain Range.  Forgive the smudge on my camera that I didn't notice until I got home, but here's a few pics I thought I'd share:

I also have to share a conversation between my husband and I.  When I told him that I wanted to head over there an hour or so early, he said "There's a quilt store over there, isn't there?!"  Totally busted LOL!

 Elkhorn Mountains above, Baker City street below.

 

Waiting for the meet to start

 Always looking for patterns... pool deck detail. Eagle Caps Mountains below.

Project Quilting 2013 has begun!!

If you were following my old blog last year, you'll remember how enthralled I got about Project Quilting last year.  Each week, Kim, of Persimmon Dreams give us a theme, and we have exactly one week to create a finished project based on that theme.  It's incredibly fun to see how everyone else interprets the theme, and the creative challenge is such a great exercise (because we're all loving our New Year's exercise programs, right?).

Special thanks to Kit Lang for telling me how to make my very first mosaic!!

We just got our first challenge, a square within a square!  My first thought, being a bit of a science and math nerd was do make something using square roots.  Believe it of not, there are many many square roots used in quilting...

Then I remembered this sign that I mentally bookmarked, (and took a picture of), as a potential future quilt.  I love using these challenges to bring ideas to fruition!!  That's just what I'm planning on doing!!

Come join us if you're up for the challenge!!