A New Year of WIP Wednesdays

Nothing like a fresh new year for fresh new WIPs! What is it about me that I have to start a new project  before I finish all of my old projects? Now with that said, I really did finish many, many projects last year and have only one WIP from last year.

So here is a peek at my latest project, Koi Pond.

I'm planning on adding some koi embroidery to the center navy section. Here is a test run.

This is machine embroidery design by Embroidery Library. I was planning on putting 3 fish in the center. This test was done on a quilt sandwich and it stitched out pretty well, but the back was a bit messy. I'll have to work to see if I can get it to stitch out a little cleaner.

It worked great for a test, but I'm wondering how it will be when I have a big quilt hanging over the edge?

This gives you the idea of proportion, three Koi will  easily fit.

Most of the time the back of embroidery doesn't show, so I will have to work to get this looking good enough for the back of the quilt.

I also started a coordinating pillow, as my last project for Sew Cal Gal's 2012 FMQ Challenge.

So here are my stats:
In-process: (1)
Elephant quilt


New projects: (2)
Koi Pond quilt
Pond Pillow

Finished (3)
Purple heart wall hanging 
Storybook quilt # 2 
Pod Pillow
   
I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday

 

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Clue: In the Library....

....with a sewing machine, Pat @ Color Me Quilty finally finishes the Library Kids Quilt!

Best picture I could get today, because it's pouring rain outside!!!

Last February, I held a class with 4 kids at the Geneva Public Library to let them learn about quilts and quilting. Each of the girls and two librarians did some fused applique on 12 inch blocks.

These are the blocks I came home with from the library

And this is how they sat, until Leah Day started UFO Sunday, which FINALLY got me working on this project.

I added two embroidered blocks and colorful borders around each block. I needed the borders because I wanted to do this in a QAYG  (quilt as you go) method.

I had never done raw edge applique and I was a little nervous about stitching around each element in the blocks.

This was the toughest block because of the multiple layers of fused applique. It was kind of like stitching through cardboard.

Echo quilted and a few swirls thrown in to add movement without taking away from the kid's art.

I used white 50 wt. Aurifil thread for both the piecing and quilting. This thread is thin and gives texture without taking away from the quilt design.  The quilt is approximately 53" X 53". I hope the library has a wall space big enough for this quilt.

I'm pleased with how this quilt turned out and I'm thrilled it's done!  So today I'm linking up with the Free Motion Quilting Project for UFO Sunday and Quilt Matters for TGIFF. This is also a finish for Quilter in the Gap 4th quarter Finish-A-Long.

 

 

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

WIP It Up!

I have been diligently working to finish up my WIPs/UFOs over the past two months. I'm still not caught up, but I now think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

For my Leah Day homework this week, I was able to incorporate it into a quilt (Expanding Possibilities) that I'm trying to complete. I probably prefer stitching regular paisley, but I love the look of pointy paisley.

 This quilt is just about twin sized, so somewhat large and heavy. So my question for Leah this week is; Do you still recommend the Gidget II sewing tables? I haven't seen them on your shop website for a while now, which I realize could be a purely business decision on your part. I hope that this is an appropriate question to ask, but Christmas is coming! ;) 

This week I finished up some smaller projects and worked on a few more - YAHOO!

Sew Cal Gal FMQ challenge for June - binding done!

Table runner from last week's homework - binding done!

Sew Cal Gal's September FMQ challenge - done!

Embroidered the missing two blocks for my library quilt.

 I was very bad, I ordered some fabric for my next (after all of these projects are done) quilt. I'm REALLY looking forward to starting something new, but I NEED to finish up these last four projects!

My stats for the week:
In-process: (4)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs borders, backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (Continue to quilt)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
Geneva Public Library quilt - join and quilt (maybe make a block or two to even it out)

New projects: (0)

Finished (2)
Flip and sew orange table runner - done.
Sew Cal Gal June FMQ Challenge - done.

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Tell Me A Story From The Storybook Quilt

Storybook Quilt # 1 - Approximately 70"x 85.5"

Sometimes the universe brings together all of the elements to create a beautiful story and I think that's what happened with my storybook quilt. This quilt demanded my attention and demanded to be made. It all started with inheriting some orphan blocks from my mom.

Inherited orphaned blocks

I knew that she hadn't made these blocks, none of these fabrics were in her stash. With 7 blocks, it was difficult to see how they could make a quilt, especially since I knew I would never make more of them. To my surprise, one of the blocks was signed and dated (2004) on the back. I found out that mom's sewing group members each made a block and my mom won them.

At home in the library

The next element came into play when Hawthorne Threads had an awesome cyber Monday sale on Lizzy House's fabric line 1001 Peeps. I love that fabric, so of course I bought it with no particular project in mind.  

In the same vein, I had purchased some cool storybook machine embroidery files from Embroidery Library. Why, because one step-daughter is a librarian and the other is a school teacher, did I have a choice???

Mosaic of embroidered blocks

Last element happened last year too, I acquired two adorable granddaughters, ages 5 and 8. I mean, don't they deserve quilts to make them feel part of my blended family??? 

My step-daughter Beth is the Director of Geneva Public Library

The rest of the fabric all came from my mom's enormous stash, including the borders and backing.

Quilt back

Librarians at Geneva Public Library give my storybook quilt a thumbs up!

I constructed the quilt as a QAYG (quilt as you go). I was amazed at how easy it went together. It must have been "meant to be"! I will be making a second storybook quilt. I'm hoping they will give the girls years of storybook inspiration.

I'm thrilled to be linking up for my second Bloggers' Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Quilty Friends

Oh, I've been having a wonderful couple of days with two fabulous quilty friends visiting from New Hampshire. Of course we had to go to a quilt store. I was very good, I didn't buy any fabric....but I did help my friends pick up some wonderful finds!

Kate needs to make a quilt for a friend's wedding. We found a great pattern in Quilter's World and found some great blue and green batiks.

Of course we needed to add a little embroidery accent in the sashing (Embroidery Library - Celtic Bridal Accent)

Tereska brought some "vintage" blocks (they are cut from old cloths, she put them together as a kid) to see if we could help her make them into a quilt. They are kind of cool, but just a tad "wonky"!

Our goal today will be to see if we can square them up and sash them into a quilt! Stay tuned!


Color "Us"  Quilty!

Pat, Kate and Tereska!

WIP Wednesday: Time to Shut Up and Quilt!

Over the last 6 months or so, I have been learning how to free motion quilt (FMQ). I would really like to get better at it (more confident) this year, so I have signed up for several challenges and quilt-alongs (i.e. SewCalGals, Quokka Quilts and Quilt A Long Wednesdays on the Free Motion Quilting Project).  So I have several projects lined up to quilt and several practice projects to show.

First practice of stippling

Second practice piece. Better, still a few issues.

A few hooks/sharp points

Very odd shapes near the edge

Off the edge!

Leah Day said she would try to answer some of our questions, so my FMQ question this week is "How do you get up close to the edge of the quilt and still control the stitching?" I'm planning on quilting my Storybook quilts with a QAYG method. I want to be able to get up close to the edge, because I don't want to have to trim to much off of the blocks.

Okay, so on with the rest of my WIP!

I have all of the blocks done on my first Storybook quilt and all of the embroidery is done for the second Storybook quilt.

Star block

Plain block

One of my big questions with this quilt is what to quilt on it. Lisa from Day in the Life of Raising Six Little Munchkins suggested swirls. I like that idea, but will that work on all of the blocks (embroidered, pieced stars, and plain)? I will be adding 2" sashing to join them in a QAYG method. What do I quilt there? I would love to hear your opinions.

So on with my stats for the week:

In-process: (5)
Hip to be Square FMQ sampler (still at 14 out of 30 blocks quilted)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs borders, backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (needs backing, quilting and binding)
Storybook quilt # 1 -  Blocks are done
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
New projects in the cue to start: (3)
FLMQG solids challenge crib quilt (Not started)
New Wave quilt (not started)
Friend's baby quilt - fabric picked out!


Finished (0)

I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for Quilt A Long Wednesday!

 






Color Me Quilty!


Pat

The Story is Ready to Come Together!

I finished the last three blocks for the first storybook quilt. I'm really quite pleased. All of the machine embroidery designs are from Embroidery Library.

This block is my favorite (I'm not sure why).

I hope I will be happy with my decision to QAYG after it is complete!

I plan on 2" wide white sashing with wider borders

I will be using the quilt as you go (QAYG) method I experimented with last Thursday. Now to figure out what to quilt??!!

I'm linking up with Fabric Tuesdays at A Quilt Story.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat