Five Shadows

My daughter and I signed up for a re-upholstery class. It started September 15th. We are half way through the class now, 5 more weeks, meeting one evening a week. Here I am at the first class, just starting to pull out tacks and staples. It took me two classes to get it all pulled apart. My daughter is doing a wing-backed chair and it took her 4 weeks to pull it all apart with my help! I tell you what! Pulling staples is hard work! At least for me! My hands would be so sore the next day!  Tonight I retied the springs in the bottom of the chair. That was even harder on the hands! They hurt so much right now and I just got home from class. I hope they won’t be hurting like this tomorrow.

Earlier today, I started two new things. A tote, using Quilts Illustrated pattern Charm Party Tote. I’m modifying it by adding a zipper. Here is one side with the charms sewn together. I did a simple meandering stitch.

This morning while reading the blogs I follow, Amy of 13 Spools announced she will be hosting a Feather Quiltalong featuring Angela Walter’s Free-motion Quilting with Feathers Craftsy Class.  That class has been on my wish list, so I went and looked at it again. I pondered if I should take yet another Craftsy class -how many Craftsy classes are too many? I considered all the other projects I have going, or at least started. I went back and looked at Amy’s post again and read the comments. Then I thought about the tote I’m working on and decided a feather would look nice on it for the quilting. So, I took the plunge and signed up for Angela’s Craftsy Class and then went back and left a comment on Amy’s blog. I watched a few of Angela’s lessons while eating lunch, and then I jumped right in and quilted my first ever feather on one side of the Charm Party Tote.

That makes my second new thing for the day free-motion feathers. It’s not perfect, but it was fun! I’m showing the batting side because you really can’t even see it that well on the Charm side, the thread blends in well. My Charm Party Tote will be meandered on one side and feather quilted on the other side. More fun, right?!

Have you signed up for any Craftsy Classes? If so, how many?  This Feather class makes 20 for me. Several are free ones, and I do try to buy when they are on sale. Luckily for me Angela’s was on sale today!

I’m linking up to Connie’s Linky Tuesday over at Freemotion by the River.

I’ve been playing with Jenny Pedigo’s Quick Curve Ruler this past week. I had just bought several of her patterns when Vicki Welsh announced her Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along. Perfect timing!

I have decided on Two Step Topper in black and white. But I’ll be adding a twist or two – stay tuned – because it is just so fun to change things up a bit.

I continued playing with Dot to Dot. Both are designs by Jenny at Sew Kind of Wonderful and printed by Cut Loose Patterns. I used a Moda Kate Spain Horizon Layer Cake and just love how it is turning out!

And the fun continued with Metro Hoops. Jenny has a Tuesday Tips page on her blog and I found it helpful for accurate cutting and piecing of this block. I’m using Moda Best Day Ever Jelly Roll by April Rosenthal.

The fun will continue this weekend as I get to use these examples to demonstrate Jenny’s Quick Curve Ruler at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shop in Roanoke, IN. Stop in from 10-3 Saturday and introduce yourself to me if you happen to traveling through or live close by! I’ll be in the kitchen with donuts and coffee and a fun demo!

When I read about Vicki’s Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along over at Field Trips in Fiber, I knew I wanted to jump in! I love all the variations using the Drunkard’s Path block and have made several and even taught a class once or twice several years ago. I’ve picked up a few new patterns, so why not just join in and get to making up a few?  …  OK, so I might not have time to make a  few but I can play with some of the new patterns I’ve bought and some of the ideas rolling around in my little head!

Here are some of the patterns I’m interested in making that I have already purchased:

Curve it Up by Sew Kind of Wonderful. See the second block in the third row? That is a Log Cabin with a Drunkard’s Path curve! So cool! I love how Jenny is using her Quick Curve Ruler to alter tradition blocks!

I also like Jenny’s Dot To Dot Pattern. Apparently so much so that I have bought it twice! Oops!

While looking through the Flickr Link that Vicki posted, I found this DP in a Wedding Ring and since I just bought Jenny’s Metro Hoops, I can see playing around with this idea of putting DP inside the hoops.

Then there is this modern DP! Love! It would make a great baby quilt.

And this Retro Flower by Rachel of Stitched in Color. Another great modern look!

Oh! And Clam Shells! I bought this pattern from the Craftsy site. Latifah Saafir has designed it in several sizes.

And there is another pattern I keep looking at while at the local quilt shop – Fabrics and Friends in Roanoke, IN. Polka Box by Karla Anderson keeps calling to me and asking to be made up in Oriental fabrics. Here is another Karla Anderson pattern I like, Circle Takes the Square. It reminds me of a quilt I made using Elisa’s Backporch 8″ Rainbow Block Templates. 

Now, which one will I work on? So many lovely DP quilts out there!

I’m linking up  Cross the Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along with Vicki!  Come join the fun!

Phew! The charity quilt tops are complete! No pictures yet, though.

Since I felt like the charity quilts are now under control I went back to working on the baby quilts! I had two already quilted, so this weekend I attached the flange binding.

Here is my favorite baby quilt so far:

I love the bubble fabric! The back (sorry no picture) is a Batik River Otter Print. I used the walking foot to quilt the spiral, using the guide bar set at 1″.

Here is a close up of one of the 9″ pieced blocks:

This next quilt was inspired by the theme fabric – line drawn animals, butterflies, and leaves. I wanted to show off the fabric, so just put a pieced border around it. Then I thought it needed another border in the theme fabric to set the pieced border off. I quilted straight lines using Jacquie Gering’s Echoing In lesson from her Walking Foot Craftsy Class.  The spiral idea is from Jacquie’s class too. I’m loving her class!

Close up:

Linking up to Linky Tuesday over at Freemotion by the River!

Oh dear! I’m so very late! I signed up to make some charity quilts and I thought I had until the end of October, but I found out Saturday that they are due by September 30th! Oh no! I was a month off! I am usually not a procrastinator, but this time I have really messed up. That means I have put the babies quilts on the back burner, once again, sigh, and have amped up the charity quilt production. No pictures yet!

And just because that is not enough to be doing, I’m going to be teaching 3 classes at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke, IN this Fall! Tee hee! So excited about that!

Toes in the Sand Quilt Top.  The Pattern is by Jaybird Quilts and uses the Hex N More Ruler. I love love love this ruler. We have kits made up in Batiks, or gals can buy their own color way. This will be a 2 part class to learn cutting with the ruler and machine piecing the shapes (hexies, half hexies, diamonds, and triangles) and will included some in-set seams.

Charm Party Tote by Quilts Illustrated. This nice sized tote is constructed from a favorite charm pack.

Beginning garment sewing – easy PJ bottoms. Flannel and an easy drawstring casing.

I’m linking up to Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday.

I finished up two more baby quilt tops over the weekend. The first is a print with drawn cats, dogs, chickens, butterflies, and flowers. The back and binding will be a turquoise stripe.

The next one is a bubble print and the back is going to be a Batik otter print. This top is my new favorite!

Wednesday, August 27, another little babe joined our extended family. He was a bit early, but is doing well, still in NICU. That means I am still 2 quilts behind. I plan to make a receiving blanket for him  first and then a quilt will be added to that list I just can’t seem to reach the end of! I’ll pick up fabric Thursday from Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke, IN. His name is Jonah, and I know just what fabric I want and how I’ll use it!

I’m linking up with Connie over at Freemotion Quilting by the River Linky Tuesday.

The rest of the week I’ll be quilting up some of these baby quilt tops!

Oh my! I’m so late it is embarrassing! My intention was to make quilts for my nephews and nieces as they had their babies. And even though I have started several quilts with the plan of presenting the quilt to the parents while their baby was still a newborn – I am, oh, let’s say up to 3 years behind on some of these quilts! But with another wave of babies due, including my first grand baby! I’m making an effort at finishing up 9 quilts in the next 3 weeks! One is complete, and 4 tops are ready to sandwich, and one top is in progress. Another one is planned with fabric ready to be cut. I have 2 more on the drawing board, does that leave me only one short? Hope so!

I’ve decided to go with simple pieced tops to get ‘em done! I’m using what I think will be theme fabric that the family will understand why I put it in their baby’s quilt. The zigzag here is my new favorite ‘solid’ – Grunge by Moda. Polar bears and penguins on the back.

The back for this top will be a different polar bear print.

Simple wedge piecing using a variety of purple and pinks from my stash to coordinate with Alexander Henry Just Hanging print for the back. I’ll show the backs to the quilts once quilted.

This is the oldest quilt top that for some reason just got lost in the shuffle and the baby is (gasp) now three!

Another quilt top that lost its way and will soon be going to a 2 year old grand-niece.

I’ve been listening to Stephanie over at Modern Sewciety while sewing. Have you listened to any of her podcasts? I’m really enjoying them!

I’m linking to Connie’s Linky Tuesday over at Freemotion by the River. Lots of gals are linking up! Go check them out!

Amy over at 13 Spools shared a list of her little quilty secrets

While working up a demo using Creative Grids 45˚/90˚Triangle Ruler, a co-worker mentioned that she was actually using the ruler to make Atlantic Link. She lent me a few of her blocks to use for the demonstration this Saturday at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke, IN. This ruler can be used for cutting half square triangles (HST) and quarter square triangles (QST) from strips measuring up to 5″ wide.

I’ve worked up a few samples (not photoed) for both HSTs and QSTs using this ruler. It was nice to not have to ‘reinvent’ the wheel, so to speak, this week when working up the demo. Thank you, Vicki, for lending me your pretty Atlantic Link blocks!

This past week was mostly spend helping my daughter prepare for her freshman year of college! We shopped, we ate out, we spent time with her sisters, we cleaned (not enough!) and packed! Then over the weekend her dad and I helped move her into her dorm. Our youngest off to college! The years really do fly by!

I’m linking up to Connie’s Linky Tuesday, over at Freemotion by the River. Stop on by and see what all the other quilters are up to this week!

Machine applique. I like it because I can get a project/top finished pretty quickly. If the applique pieces waited for me to get to hand work, there would be along wait! This top is complete, and waiting for quilting. I just straight stitched around the leaves and blanket stitched around most of the other pieces. I build, meaning the tail and feet are appliqued in place first, then the body, next the head and arms, etc. And I change top thread color to match or coordinate with the current piece being appliqued in place.

14″ square. Little bits – the acorns are about 1 1/2″

I also used the little squirrel and his acorns to embellish a tea towel. And another tea towel with just the leaves and three acorns. But, oops, forgot to take a photo before sending them off. And they turned out so cute!

Pattern: Give Thanks by Briarwood Cottage.  I altered the pattern, replaced pieced border with a solid border, and added the leaves.

Linking to Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday.

This project was used as an applique demo for Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke, IN USA.