WIP #3

I'm sitting here looking out of my window

and it's snowing AGAIN! {{{sigh}}

I can't remember a winter with so much 

snow!

I'm taking some of my Baltimore blocks 

and making them into wall hangings.

This one just needed a little more hand quilting

and I also added some embroidery - a binding

and finished!

"Rose Wreath with Red Birds"

This block can be found in "Baltimore Beauties 
and Beyond" Volume One by Elly Sienkiewicz.
This block is dated 1854.

I used the back basting method on this piece
for needle turn applique.

It measures about 20" x 20" finished.

Here's a very good tutorial by

Sentimental stitches 

I added some embroidery around the flowers

 Sleeve added

There are many tutorials on how to add

a sleeve to your quilt but I like Susan's

You can find it here Sleeve

I'm making good progress in finishing

my WIP (works in progress) - it's very

satisfying!  

I hope that you're inspired to finish yours

also. 

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The other day we had warm air coming

in  and with the snow still on the ground

it created a very dense fog.

It looks so eerie! But I think it has some

kind of mystifying beauty.

Of course my little friend was back!

He probably can't wait for spring either!

Have a great week and Happy Quilting!

WIP - #2 Finished

Thank goodness all of the snow is

finally melting! 

I know that there are many quilters

like me who have a lot of WIP (Works

in Progress) or UFO (Unfinished Object)

just hanging around.

Some of them are experiments, a new

technique, a new pattern that looked

like fun.... whatever. 

We spend lots of money (fabric is not

cheap) and buy books and patterns -

and also a great amount of time and

energy on the project.

That's why I am determined to finish

them. 

 This table runner just needed a 

little more hand quilting and a 

binding. 

I wanted to try the French Braid and

I didn't want a large project.

It's 64 1/2" long and 14 1/4" wide.

This is a very easy pattern - great for

beginners. 

Here's a very good tutorial 

French Braid Pattern 


I think that this pattern would also be

very pretty as a border.

                                                       ******************************


I was so excited to see a new visitor

on my deck!

It's a Yellow bellied Sapsucker!

I have never seen one here before.

And of course my regular was back.


Happy Quilting!

Coin Quilt finished

 Here's the post that shows how I quilted it
Process Here

Well the weather has been crazy not 

only here in Lancaster but across the country!

Lots and lots of snow and ice!

Which gave me time to finish the Coin Quilt

that I was working on in my previous post.

(For sale in my Etsy shop HERE)

The stitches are big stitch as I mentioned,I quilted

in straight rows. The threads are various colors

which match the fabric.

 I enjoy making  coin quilts as it's a way of showcasing
 your fabrics.

 After it is washed you can see the little puffs

which I like to do in children's quilts. I feel

that they should be cuddly for them not too

flat with a lot of quilting. 

It's a small crib quilt which measures 33 1/2"

by 37 1/2".

 The back is a pretty pink floral.

 I'm happy that another WIP quilt top is finished!

Now to pick the next one which will also probably

be hand quilted. 

The weather forecast is saying - what else - more

snow! ugh

The other day we had snow and ice which resulted

in many, many of my tree limbs cracking and falling.

 I am happy that it missed my windows but so

sad because it broke my rose trellis! 

 Too much snow and ice for the poor trees

to bear.

 What a mess! I'm so happy that my swing

was not broken!

 All the way down to the little creek tree limbs

everywhere.  Way in the back are branches

of my neighbor's Willow tree which was so

beautiful.  I cannot even bear to go down there

and look.  All these fallen limbs caused power

outages all over and we lost power for one day.

Some people still don't have any.

I'm still feeding the birds which gives me so

much joy! They are so much fun to watch.

Morning Dove

                                                       A Bluejay with attitude

This is one of my favorite birds! She's a small 

Red bellied woodpecker. I took this before the 

storm.  I'm shooting through my glass sliding 

doors. Sometimes the photo comes out good

sometimes not.

These birds light up the dreary winter months.

Stay warm and Happy Quilting!

WIP etc.

I have a closet in my spare room filled

with WIPs (works in progress). 

Most of them are finished tops that need

to be quilted. I have them neatly

folded on hangers. 

They are patiently waiting..

Every time I open the door it's like they

are calling out to me.  I choose one and lay

it opened on the bed for a couple of days

to decide how to quilt it.  

The one that I picked was a coin quilt that

everyone was making a couple of years ago.

It's a child size quilt and I love the fabrics in

it.  I'm just staring at it and it tells me that it

would like to be quilted with Big Stitch and in

colors. hmmmm good idea!

Again, I'm using DMC no. 8 and a embroidery

needle. I have 3 needles threaded in different

colors. 

I just find it easier that way with this quilt.

I was wondering where this idea of Big Stitch

came from? And then the other day on 

Celebrate Hand Quilt Facebook page;

Pepper Cory http://www.peppercory.com/

gave us a little history on Big Stitch.

She said that during the 1930's when women

were making quilts of wool;  because of the 

thickness, larger stitches would have to be

taken. (sometimes called Utility)
 
 (That reminded me of the old woolen Welsh

quilts where the size of the stitch didn't much

concern them.) 

And then in the 1980s Jo Clover went to England

and took a few classes and made some wool quilts.

Seeing that the small traditional quilt stitches 

would not show - she coined the term "Big Stitch" -

starting using perle cotton thread and started to 

introduce, promote and  teach it - and it took off from there.

Jo has 4 videos on YouTube - here is the first
one - she tells you what supplies that you'll need.



And so my quilt is half way done.

 It is being quilted in my Quilter's Floor frame

by Dritz and it's made with PVC, snaps together

very easily. I can take it apart and store it back

in the box when not in use.  It measures 39" by

28" small enough to fit in my sewing room which

is a very small room only about 12' x 12'. 

 

I bought it in Joanns a couple of years ago -

used my coupon! 

I have it tilted for easy quilting although I have

to say it's only good (for me) to do straight line

quilting; anything else I use my hoop.

I also used it many times to base quilts. I don't

pin them - I layer on my dinning room table -

roll it up - then bring it to the frame and base.

There are 4 plastic covers to adjust the tension 

which is great for me.

Hopefully I can have this quilt finished by the

weekend. (fingers crossed)

Update - You can see the finished quilt Here

It is also for sale in my Etsy shop Here


Happy Quilting!

Hand dyed and painted fabrics

 Happy 2014!

I love painting and dyeing fabric and have

more than I can use.

Here are some of my hand dyed and painted 
fabrics.

 

 Fat eights in various textures and techniques.


Techniques - shibori style, sun prints, resist, blending.

I actually use paint brushes on some of the fabrics which

can be very time consuming but fun!

 Three piece set - coordinated - Shibori style Daisies

  - Hot Pink and yellows.

 Each piece measures 17 1/2" x 21 1/2" Just under one yard.

 

Rusted Fabric

Made from a small rusted garden fence

It has been neutralized with salt water.

 All these fabrics are for sale at my Etsy

shop.

I also started a new blog about dyeing and

painting fabric
http://materialisticvisions.blogspot.com/

 -------------------------------

We have had so much snow here in Lancaster

 for the past couple of weeks - I'm ready for

spring!

 I have been feeding the birds again this winter.

A pretty Blue Jay outside of my window.

Here's one hiding under the table on my deck.

And of course where's there's food......

Happy Quilting!

Star Wars Quilt finished!

Star Wars is finally finished!

I started R2D2 here:

http://uniquelyyourscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/star-wars.html 

Progress here:

http://uniquelyyourscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/star-wars-quilt-progress.html


I made the quilt in sections for quilting - quilt as you go.

 Minimal quilting - I didn't want it over quilted.

Then sewed the sections together.

There are many great tutorials on the web for
Quilt as you go. 

                     The finished quilt is about 60" x 60"

It was fun designing this quilt for my daughter and
son-in-law! They love it!

I always had problems with my binding until I found

Sharon Schamber's tutorial on youtube.  It's  easy

to follow  and the best part of it is - no pins! 

There are more videos on youtube from Sharon Please be sure to check them out! Have a very Happy New Year!  

Another Improv quilt

Lots of snow here in Lancaster this past week!

I had started a new Improv quilt awhile ago

and just recently finished.

Disguised Harmony

 I have strips, squares, rectangles and pieces of 

various fabrics. Some are from my hand dyes,

some are treasured pieces that I bought years

ago and some are new. There is also a touch
of batiks.

 What I enjoy most about making Improv quilts

 is the process itself.
There are no rules, no boundaries or measuring

pieces.
And best of all - you don't have to match seams!

There is no pattern to work from - It is intuitively
pieced  - You make the choices of fabric and 
shapes  as you go.

I cut on angles or just straight. On some pieces 
that are cut straight; I make just a slight curve 
while I'm sewing. It makes for an interesting effect.


To me, intuitively pieced quilts are playful and fun!
Anything goes!

I do like to color coordinate - otherwise it can look 
too harsh and busy on the eye. It has a certain 
amount of harmony

White or a lighter color fabric will also show off some
of the odd angles and also give the eye a resting place.



Improv quilts do not have to have angled seams
you can also add  straight cuts and circular.

The result is an abstract looking quilt!


Don't have a lot of scraps?

Most of us quilters have remnants from other quilting projects.

Cut them into strips or large squares.

I had a lot of left over cuts so I made this
Table Mat to match.

For both the quilt and the table mat I used
DMC threads for the Big stitch quilting.

I was inspired years ago by Nancy Crow  Gwen Marston
Freddy Moran!

(These are for sale in my Etsy shop)

Happy Quilting!