Hat, butt, hat, butt - August Free Motion Challenge

Here is my piece for the August Free Motion Challenge.  I have mixed emotions about this one.

I could definitely see the possibilities for this motif when the month began.  I loved how it looked in Wendy Sheppard's quilts, especially the Christmas ones.  But....when I started to try to draw it on paper, my excitement waned.  It was a lot harder than it looked.  I even went as far as printing out the example and tracing it several times.  Just when I thought I would have the hang of it and it was time to try it on my own, the results were less than optimal.  I went through dozens of sheets.

As usual, I thought to myself, "perhaps quilting it will be different".  It wasn't.  I could get the "jester's hat" part done, and usually on the 2nd one, but if I tried to get fancy and do anything other than a line of the shapes, the motif fell apart.  I am now out of practice sandwiches.

So yesterday morning, the day before this month's "deadline", I decided, "why fight my minds natural need to bring order to this design?  If my brain needs it to be in lines, then perhaps I should just go with it.  After all, at some point you are going to need filler for a border or two, right?"  So that's what I did.  I had to keep chanting to myself, "Hat, Butt, Hat, Butt, Hat, Butt" until it was done.  I don't think it looks awful.  My "butts" jump out at me more than any "hats", but that's OK.

With all the projects I am working on these days, I have a feeling I will have another opportunity to practice this one.

How did yours turn out?

Jen

Hello, World! - WIP Wednesday

Hello World!  I really missed out on a few days there, but I am happy to report that I am among the living and the sewing!  Yesterday, was really the only day I have sewn in a week, but I feel like I got some things done (and that's what we like to see in these weekly progress reports, right?).

I've mostly been working on this wall hanging for Ashley's teacher.  It has given me a chance to put my new sewing machine through some of her paces.  I am finding that it is a bit like learning how to do everything all over again, especially when it comes to free motion quilting.

In particular, I am struggling with finding that perfect speed to do my quilting.  With Ms. Kitty, I liked a nice medium speed.  But if I go that speed with the new machine, my hands are slower somehow and I end up with more eyelashing.  So, I need to sew faster, but I find myself getting a little out of control at times.  Back and forth I go between speeds.

I also had a little trouble when quilting through thicker layers, like onto the leaves of this quilt.  The new machine would at times skip stitches in those areas, so I found myself going really slow and backtracking when necessary.  The stitches in those areas ended up really small as a result.

It is not perfect, but it is DONE!

I actually went to the trouble to hand bind this one.  It must have been a long time since I have done any hand binding (or the feverish pace I was doing it) because my fingers are extremely sore and even have a few bruises.  Who knew sewing would be so grueling?

This Wednesday......

Completed Projects:

• Vintage Holiday Quilt Along - Block 2, 3, and 4
• Thank you quilt for Ashley's kindergarten teacher - well it is almost complete.  In my haste to do all the machine binding, I forgot to add a label, but it is in the works.  I WILL deliver this quilt to the teacher by Friday.
• August Free Motion Challenge - I'll be writing this one up for tomorrow's post.

On-going Projects:

• Handstitched goodies - several projects in limbo
• Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop Item - not started
• Vintage Holiday Quilt Along - Still behind, but catching up!
• Totally Groovy Quilt Along - not started.
• Star of Africa Bee - July block is now 95 percent complete.  Just a couple hand touches needed.  I WILL post on Tuesday - you won't want to miss it!  Thankfully, August is my month, so I don't need to worry about turning around and making another block right away.
• "Tree" themed quilt for the guild - the guild is having a quilt show in October and each member is asked to make a small quilt with a "tree" theme.  I've had my design planned out, but now I am wondering if I really even want to participate.  It is my first year in the guild, I've only been to one meeting, and as you can see, I have a lot of other things going on.
• Grammie's placemats - not started. deadline Sept 19th

Back Burner:

I am determined not to forget these projects!  Keeping them in this category reminds me of them on a weekly basis.

• Batik Stripe Quilt - still sandwiched and ready to be quilted!  
• Red, White, Blue New York Beauty - piecing in progress, but put well out of the way.  I need to be in a paper-piecing mood to resume.
• June UFO - "A Christmas Something for myself" -EPP in progress.  
• Charity quilt for the guild - not started

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 3, blocks that is.
New projects - 0
Currently in Progress - 7-ish

Don't forget to link up any blocks you have been working on to yesterday's post!  The linky stays open for a whole week, so feel free to add them as you complete or wait for next Tuesday (or both)!



Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday's .

Out from under the rock - Building Blocks Tuesday

I am officially out from under the rock today.  Whatever it was that I had was a doozy.  Thank goodness DH was able to be home this week to help with the kids because I don't think I was awake for more than 6 hours total between Wednesday and Saturday morning.  I am happy to be among the living and awake today, and I am feeling much, much, much better.

The only blocks I have to show this week were actually some Vintage Holiday QAL's that I completed after my post last Tuesday.

 I haven't worked on anything since, but I am hope that will change tomorrow.  Ashley goes back to school, and while my first priority will be to clean up this disaster of a house (she has a friend over today helping her make messes), I also hope to do some sewing.

Don't forget to link up your marvelous blocks that you have been working on!  This week you get to add a picture to the link!  Yeah!


Don't forget:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful project, not just the blog homepage
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please consider grabbing my button and posting it in your blog post
4) Visit other linky participants!

Inspiration Sunday (5) - via the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach

What goodies do I have for you today?  Well, this Sunday I thought I would share some of the wonderful appliqued quilts that caught my eye.

First up, one of my favorites, "Harmony in Nature" by Harumi Asada of Higashiura, Japan.  It is machine pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted.

I just love everything about it - all the interesting animals she included, the tiny pieces, the beading on the coral to add texture, and especially the colors!

This one is called "Deep Within My Heart Lies a Melody; A Memory of Texas" by Polly Mello and Illona Hull of Elkridge, Maryland. The design was from Barbara Brachman's  Prairie Flower, A Year on the Prairie.  Interpretations of blocks by Susan Delaney, Rose Hahn, Sharon Wilhelm, and Bea Oglesby.  All other designs were by the makers of the quilt.  Whew!  It was Hand appliqued, hand embroidered, inked and machine quilted.

I know the pictures don't do this quilt justice.  There was always someone standing in front of it.  That's because what makes this quilt so interesting is all the unexpected things that you don't normally see on an appliqued quilt.  It has snakes and about 50 insects mingling in with the flowers, buffalo, even longhorn cattle with her family's brands on them!  It was really neat to look at.

This one is called "Galaxy" by Kayoko Hata of Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.  It is hand pieced, hand quilted, and hand embroidered.  It was inspired by a book of appliqued lace patterns.

I can only imagine hand piecing all those tiny blocks for the background.  And the lace patterns give the quilt an old fashioned feel, yet the design is pretty modern.  It is interesting indeed!

Finally, "Happy Birthday" by Harumi Asada of Higashiura, Japan.  It is machine pieced, hand appliqued, hand quilted, and computer printed.  This is a memory quilt of her first granddaughter's first year.  I don't know if it was actually a 1 year old's birthday present, but WOW nonetheless!  Our girls are lucky to get a quilt by the time they are 3, and nothing like this design!

I just love all the amazing colors and adorable little pictures centered in the stars.  Too cute!!

I looks like I might have enough pictures for at least 2 more Sundays, so be sure to check back for more eye candy!

Jen

Life catches up with me - WIP Wednesday

When you are extremely busy for a long period of time, things are bound to catch up with you.  These last few weeks of summer have flown by at breakneck speed, and we have really jammed packed a lot of activities into our time.  But, they caught up to me around 11 pm last night when I spiked a fever, had the aches and pains to go with it, and an extremely sore throat.  Needless to say, I spent the entire day in bed today.  It is now 5 pm, and the first time I've gotten up.  Luckily this post was mostly written yesterday when I felt better.

I finally started quilting this tree wall hanging for Ashley's kindergarten teacher.  It is starting to come together nicely.  I still need to add the kids' names on the leaves and bind it, but then it will be finished!  Hooray!

This Wednesday......

Completed Projects:

• Vintage Holiday Quilt Along - Block 1
• Urban Nine Patch Tablerunner - finished this one on Friday.  You can read my post here.

On-going Projects:

• Handstitched goodies - I am STILL in limbo on several of the projects, including some coasters, an applique pillow, and of course, the backing for my medallion quilt.  It is just too HOT to think about holding some of these things in my lap while I sew.
• Design something for the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop - I have my idea, I have my fabric, I STILL need to put it in motion
• Vintage Holiday Quilt Along - Still behind, but catching up is pure fun!  Heidi was right, there is something about putting the gray tops and white borders on that just transforms these blocks into cuteness.
• Totally Groovy Quilt Along - I need to start cutting like yesterday.
• Star of Africa Bee -I need to do the July block in PINK - block is now 75 percent complete.  Just a couple hand touches needed.  I hope to post on Tuesday - you won't want to miss it!
• "Tree" themed quilt for the guild - the guild is having a quilt show in October and each member is asked to make a small quilt with a "tree" theme.  I am going to make something similar to Ashley's teacher's Thank you quilt below.
• Grammie's placemats - with a trip scheduled for September, I better get these started so I can hand deliver them!
• August Free Motion Challenge - I've been busy drawing on paper, and this month's motif is more difficult than it looks!
• Thank you quilt for Ashley's teacher - now mostly quilted!!  I just need to add the kids' names and bind it.  So sad, that I will likely be giving this to her on the first week of the NEW school year!  What better way to remind her what great kids she had last year, right?  LOL!

Back Burner:

I am determined not to forget these projects!  Keeping them in this category reminds me of them on a weekly basis.

• Batik Stripe Quilt - still sandwiched and ready to be quilted!  Tookie is no longer holding this project up.

• Red, White, Blue New York Beauty - piecing in progress

• June UFO - "A Christmas Something for myself" - English paper piecing in progress.  It will be a table runner of hexagons.  This is the hand project I keep in the car, so I will do a little at a time, but progress is slow.
• Charity quilt for the guild - I'm going to miss the next meeting, but need to bring it to September's.  I hate to say it, but I am totally unmotivated to do this one.  The fabric is..., well, blah.  I know I need to bite the bullet and just run it through the machine and be done with it.

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 2, blocks that is.
New projects - 0
Currently in Progress - 9-ish

I hope you will return on Tuesday for Building Blocks Tuesday linky party.  I have figured out how to add the photos for your links, and can't wait to see what you are creating!



Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday's .

Big News - Building Blocks Tuesday!!

<a href="http://quilterinthecloset.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Quilter in the Closet" src="http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj619/NewbieJen/a3e94b25.jpg "/></a>

Ok, here it is!  A Button for Building Blocks Tuesday.  The code part was pretty tricky, so if it doesn't work, will someone let me know??

And that's not even the Big News!  Nope!  Building Blocks Tuesday will be a linky party!  I know I enjoy linking up my projects in other places, but most of them are to celebrate a finished project or one that is significantly along in the process.  Sometimes you just want to show a pretty block you made for someone!  This linky will be for the beautiful blocks you create!  This week's link is text only, but I hope to get to thumbnail pictures as soon as I figure it out.

Go ahead! Try it out!  Show us what wonderful block you made this week!

Oh wait, I guess there should be some rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful project, not just the blog homepage
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please consider grabbing my button and posting it in your blog post
4) Visit other linky participants!

I only made one block this week (what can I say, it's been busy!), but it is my first for the Vintage Holiday Quilt Along, and it is so cute.  I can't wait to catch up on the other blocks!

Thanks!

Jen

Inspiration Sunday (4) - via the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach

This post should really be called "Little Pieces" because all of the following quilts have the tiniest piecing!  Get  ready, there are lots of pictures this Sunday!!!

The first two quilts were inspired by Liz Lois' book, Nearly Insane, and I can see why she titled it such.

This red & white beauty is called "Totally Insane" by Loretta Duffy of La Quinta, CA.  One of her little blocks contained 229 pieces!!!  That is insane!  The quilt was machine pieced and machine quilted.

Next is a quilt called "Dipped in Chocolate" by Karren Mitchell of Tustin, CA.  It is machine pieced and longarm quilted.  It was part of a year long exchange of Four Patches with friends.  It then took her another year to piece the 988 Four Patches and sashings.

These finished patches are only 1 1/2 inches square.  Amazing!

Next up is a mini quilt like no other I've ever seen.  It is called "Square in Square I" by Diane Loomis of Sudbury, Massachusetts.  It is machine pieced, and free-motion machine quilted.  The center point certainly has tiny piecing, but then it is surrounded by thin borders which are quilted on such a tiny scale.  It is really the mini-quilting that steals the show here.

Next up is "Kindergarten" by Tadako Nagasawa of Showa, Nogoya, Japan.  She actually explained how she made it in her description, "First, square pieces of 1 cm. x 1 cm. with seam allowances were joined as a string using the sewing machine.  Second, these strings were sewn together by hand.  The design was made of birds and small animals loved by infants."

I admit that as I walked by this quilt, I was so preoccupied by the tiny little pieces that I didn't even see the birds and animals she spoke of until I was across the room looking back at the quilt.

Finally, here is a fun one, "The Quilt Show" by Carole L. Corder of Kettle Falls, Washington.  It is hand and machine pieced, needleturn appliqued, and hand quilted.

 I just love all the mini quilts incorporated.

Look at those tiny pom poms!  This quilt is just adorable.

Well, have any of the quilts above inspired you?  I think I am looking at my small scrap strips a little differently.  Perhaps 1 1/2 inch four patches are in their future??

Jen

Urban Nine Patch Table Runner - Finish Friday

Yippee!!  I finally have a finish!

I know you got a sneak peak on Wednesday, but now it is FINISHED!  Once I got started, it was easy to finish it up.  And now, I have a table runner for Labor Day!  Nevermind that I started this project with the intention of finishing up in May for Memorial Day.  It is now done in time for another red, white and blue holiday.

Did I mention that it was fun??

Linking up this week with TGIFF (this week at Mama Love Quilts), and Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

It is like riding a bike, right? - WIP Wednesday

I hit a road block with my pink block for July's Star of Africa block; it was just not looking good, so I decided to take a break.  Sometimes you just need to walk away for a day or two, right?

So, I decided to spend my sewing time today quilting.  Yes, actually quilting something!  As you know, I have a big stack of things "awaiting quilting", and I need to get to them.  But, I must admit that all my problems with Ms. Kitty and then with Big Brother have shaken my confidence.  Here I have this brand new machine, and I am afraid to use it.  Why?  The first night I had it, I took a little practice sandwich and stitched out a few little designs, and thought, "thank goodness, my problems are solved!".  But my second practice sandwich didn't go as well.  Turns out, the learning curve for my new machine was a little steeper than I thought.  I thought, "it is like riding a bike, right?".  Turns out, a little more practice was needed and I was afraid to get started.  Until today....

I agree with what Leah Day said recently, if you don't want to spend the time using practice sandwiches, then you should practice on real quilts!  Makes perfect sense to me.  Yes, I made a few errors here and there, but I have started to get my groove back, and that's what is important.  Besides, this little table runner is staying in my house, to remind me to continue practicing.

This Wednesday......

Completed Projects:  Basically all my blocks from yesterday's post.

• Beginner's Quilt Along Block 10
• How Far Will You Go? QAL Blocks 2 & 3

On-going Projects:

• Handstitched goodies - I am in limbo on several of the projects, including some coasters, an applique pillow, and of course, the backing for my medallion quilt.
• Design something for the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop - I have my idea, I have my fabric, I STILL need to put it in motion
• Vintage Holiday Quilt Along - actually started August 6th.  I already need to catch up, luckily the cutting is all really similar for each block.
• Totally Groovy Quilt Along - the sewing starts soon!
• Star of Africa Bee -I need to do the July block in PINK - redesign in progress
• "Tree" themed quilt for the guild - the guild is having a quilt show in October and each member is asked to make a small quilt with a "tree" theme.  I am going to make something similar to Ashley's teacher's Thank you quilt below.
• Grammie's placemats - with a trip scheduled for September, I better get these started so I can hand deliver them!
• August Free Motion Challenge - I've been busy drawing on paper, and this month's motif is more difficult than it looks!
• Urban Nine Patch Tablerunner - this one gets bumped up to this category because I actually started quilting it!

Back Burner:

I am determined not to forget these projects!  Keeping them in this category reminds me of them on a weekly basis.

• Batik Stripe Quilt - still sandwiched and ready to be quilted!  Tookie is no longer holding this project up.

• Thank you quilt for Ashley's teacher - awaiting quilting. So sad, that I will likely be giving this to her on the first week of the NEW school year!  What better way to remind her what great kids she had last year, right?  LOL!

• Red, White, Blue New York Beauty - piecing in progress
• June UFO - "A Christmas Something for myself" - English paper piecing in progress.  It will be a table runner of hexagons.  This is the hand project I keep in the car, so I will do a little at a time, but progress is slow.
• Charity quilt for the guild - I'm going to miss the next meeting, but need to bring it to September's

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 5, blocks that is.
New projects - 2
Currently in Progress - 9-ish

Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday's .

Bears! - Building Blocks Tuesday

Welcome to this week's "Building Blocks Tuesday"!  Despite being gone most of last week, I did manage to get a few blocks done (mostly late last night).

Here is block 10 for Quilting Gallery's Beginner's Quilt-Along. ANOTHER block with HST's!

OK. I agree that Half Square Triangles are wonderful, and the patterns they create are diverse and beautiful. But...I am starting to get a little tired of them for this quilt along.  I hope we switch things up soon!

Check out what the other participants blocks look like at the flickr group site.  

Also, here are the 2nd & 3rd blocks I've completed for the "How Far Will You Go? Quilt Along".  We only had to make one of the 2nd block, "Weathervane", and 3 of the "Pieced Stars".

I have also started cutting for the Vintage Holiday quilt along at Fabric Mutt.  But, I haven't got around to sew any actual blocks yet.  Maybe in the next few days.

I've also been working on the July block for the Star of Africa Bee.  I have finally committed to a design, and  have sketched it out.  I will decide tonight which technique and fabrics I am going to use.  Technically, the block should have been in the mail today, but our trip to Yosemite took more out of me than I anticipated.

Speaking of, we had a wonderful time.  I didn't get to spend too much time on the hexies as planned, because I ended up driving a fair bit of the way, or I was busy trying to talk to our Italian relatives (comical, since I only know a little bit of Spanish and NO Italian!).

We even saw two bears during our visit!  The one above looked like a young black bear, and was literally strolling about in the valley right next to the bike path.  The other was a brown bear, but I didn't get a good picture of it.

I am linking up with Plum and June's Let's Get Acquainted Monday Link Up too!  Consider popping over there to check out the Blog Hop participants too!

• If you have ever wanted to get your feet wet with English Paper Piecing, Sarah at Sarah Sews has a tutorial for an adorable mug rug
• And January at Sew Sew Go has a tutorial for a zipped portfolio!

Jen