Five Shadows

I’m late! For To Do Tuesday list, but here is what I have finished for next weeks Stitcher’s Garden Class held next Monday and Thursday at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shop, Roanoke, Indiana.

In this block we learn how to make and insert piping in our quilt blocks. The hot pink between the white background and the first border is a very thin piping. And the green between the orange and purple is a fusible piping. Here is a close up of the pink piping -

In the next block we learn how to use the Fringe or Tailor Tack presser foot.

The center of the flowers has fringe stitching. Here is a close up -

Kind of fun, isn’t it!?

Yes, I know it is Friday. But here is a late post to To-Do Tuesday.

Are you familiar with Buggy Barn books and patterns? I made this one years and years ago.

Deb Roehm, owner of Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shop, carries just about all of Buggy Barn’s books. Deb has ‘Til the Cows Come Home! from the book _Crazy Till the Cows Come Home_ made and displayed in the shop.

This Saturday, I’ll be demoing Buggy Barn’s construction method. I call it a funky mix between Stack n Whack and sort of traditional piecing. Their patterns are very well written, making them easy follow and construct. I’m using the Bramble Baskets pattern for the demo.

(images from Buggy Barn Website. I’ll update with personal photos soon.)

I’m linking to To-Do-Tuesday with Red’s Needles and Threads.

Last week I hoped to:

-continue working on client’s quilt  ✔ top finished and heading to the longarm quilter!

-work on Luke and Kim’s quilt, I should aim for 2 blocks a week (ugh, just not happening)

-piece a few more blocks of Whirled Peas (that did not happen either)

-tackle daughter’s closet ✔ A partial check, we made progress

-some fun stuff with daughter ✔ Yes! We shopped and found a prom dress and ate dinner out too – Sushi!

This week I’ll be happy to:

-finish up the demo mentioned above, with step outs

-visit Grace College with daughter

-continue the clean out of daughter’s closet

-add helping middle daughter with her fast approaching wedding of May 25! I see less quilting happening as the wedding date draws closer! I’m trying to be realistic here!

Update to include some photos, April 11th.

Just finished this table runner Wednesday. From Buggy Barn book _Still Crazy_.

I have a finish! Its a signature quilt made of blocks used as the guest book at a wedding. I was sent the fence rail blocks, which I set in a 9-patch arrangement and then sashed. To add length, I added an extra row of unsigned blocks to the top and bottom.  I hope they will be pleased!

The MIL to the Bride was the Matron-of-Honor at my wedding 36 years ago. I was the Maid-of-Honor at her wedding 4 months earlier.

I’m linking to To-Do-Tuesday with Red’s Needles and Threads.

The celebrations started February 15th with our soon to be son-in-law’s birthday. Then son #2 born on February 23rd. In March we have birthdays on the 4th, 7th, 14th, 19th, and 21st. That would be my husband, myself, daughter #2, daughter #3 and son #1. Then one more birthday April 13th which is our daughter #1. Our other son-in-law and daughter-in-law make us wait until June and then November to complete the birthday celebrations. I’m hoping for grandchildren to finish out the year instead of clustering in March! I suppose I could mention that my brother and sister are also born in March, as is my mother-in-law and two sister-in-laws. My father-in-law born in February and my mother born in April, as is a brother-in-law!

Since I have been busy with birthday dinners, I didn’t accomplish much in sewing this week. I like making a favorite meal for each of my children on their birthday and they can invite friends over. They seem to think this tradition should continue even though 3 of them are out of our house, 2 are married! Last Wednesday we enjoyed sweet potato burgers, cole slaw, tossed salad and coconut poke cake with our now 19 year old daughter. And we celebrated our son’s 33rd birthday on Sunday (instead of Friday) with homemade Steak Gyros and apple crisp.

Today I did manage to applique this cute little bunny and Tulips on to Moda Toweling using Misty Fuse and Edyta Sitar’s Laundry Basket Quilts pattern Spring Surprise.

I’m linking to To-Do-Tuesday with Red’s Needles and Threads.

And since I didn’t get to anything from my list last week, it carries over to this week.

Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber is having a Spring Break Giveaway all week long! She creates gorgeous hand dyed fabrics and sells them on Etsy. Visit her blog this week to enter to win. And while there take a look around at her beautiful quilts and fabrics!

This past week I played just a bit with a new to me ruler. Creative Grids 90° Double-Strip Ruler. I used the pattern Savvy by Rachel Griffith Designs and Moda’s fabric line Hearty Good Wishes. I do like the ruler, but have to warn you that there will be bias edges when working with this ruler. So do be aware of potential stretching due to the bias cuts. Rachel’s pattern is well written and easy to follow. Since I didn’t use her color way, I wrote out a chart with my colors to keep track of fabric placement. This was my first time to use a Rachel Griffith Designs pattern and I must say, I’ll be looking for her other patterns. I just love it when I find patterns that are well written. I’m putting Rachel’s Smitten pattern on my wish list!

I finally got caught up on my Building Blocks Quilt Along hosted by Leah Day. Dare I show you my blocks? When you see them, you will realize my desire to improve my free motion quilting. I’ve got a long way to go before my FMQ is pretty. ☹

And, crazy as I am, I started a new project that I’m calling Eat Your Fruits and Veggies, or Whirled Peas. I’m using Amy Gibson’s foundation piecing pattern Tilt-A-Whirl. I’m reacquainting myself with foundation piecing, its been a while. I think I’m going to enjoy the process once I get it going assembly line style. Only two blocks completed so far:

It’s finished! That is, the top of the Pineapple Quilt using Cut Loose Tropical Fruit Pattern and Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool is finished. And on its way to the longarm quilter, Paula Reuille. I have to say I really love this quilt. It is my first ever Pineapple quilt, and I admit, I was leery of the trim tool/ruler before I started using it. That all changed as I worked on the quilt blocks, the instructions and method just all clicked as the quilt blocks progressed.

… And a new-to-me tool. The Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool.

20 blocks made, border fabric, Pineapple Trim Tool.

I used Andover Fabric Line Kim’s Hand Dyes, filling them out with some dot fabrics for 14 colorful fabrics. I used Moda white muslin for the background and will use Moda Simple Marks for the border. The bright colorful fabrics make me happy!

I will be demoing this tool Saturday, March 1st at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shop, Roanoke, IN. Shop hours 10 -3.

Linking to Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday

and to To-Do Tuesday Link up Here is my list for this week:

Finish and photo Pineapple Quilt

Work on client clothing quilt

Catch up with Building Block Quilt Along

I’m taking part in Leah Day’s Building Blocks Quilt Along to learn Free Motion Quilting. Leah has us starting out with the basics. This will be a skill building quilt along for the year. So far, so good!