Heart and Home

This quilt called Heart and Home was started at retreat in the winter of 2008. This was my first time using a Jelly Roll and found that it had some challenges. Did I use the outer point of the pinked edges to measure my 1/4 inch seam or the inner? all my blocks came out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch smaller except for 2 and they were too big! Well the whole thing did not fit together as it should and I put it away in a basket for another time. I have brought it out many times and re-measured and fiddled with it only to get frustrated and return it to the basket. Meanwhile my friend Pam finished one and has started another and her sisters have finished theirs, so what was my problem???
Well last week I decided to take another look. I must have been in the right frame of mind because I made it work! Easy-peasy. I trimmed the blocks that were too big and put in a spacer strip in another spot and it all came together. While working on this quilt I was reminded of how much I loved the fabrics. I used Madeira by Blackbird Designs and the Pattern is from Heart and Home Quilt of the Month by Suzanne Neill.

So here it is.. 2 years in the making!!!And well worth the effort!
So one more UFO out of the closet and ready to quilt. I'm so glad that I have finished this one. I totally remember now what made me want to make this in the first place.

Now I'm starting another Applique quilt from the book Country Inn  from Blackbird Designs. I have block one ready to start.
Stay tuned I will reveal each block as I finish it.
So maybe you will take another look at some abandoned project and give it another chance!!
Have a great weekend!
Kay

A Clipboard, Selvages and Decoupage Glue!

Dear Blogland Friends,
The month of September is birthday month in my family. Between family and friends there are 8, mine included. The week of my birthday also includes my son, his wife, her nephew, and my friend/employer Julie! Needless to say it is a busy month. Lots of celebrating :).

For Julie, I like make her something special and this year I had been thinking about what I would make and just as I was about to fall asleep one night I had my inspiration. I got up the next morning and began to craft my idea.
I have been inspired to "decorate" a clipboard since reading a blog called Janes Apron  and her post about a patchwork clipboard. She used scrap booking papers but I also have been reading many blogs about using selvages in quilts and bags and many assorted crafty ways and then it came to me...Selvages, clipboard and decoupage!!! Would it work, I just had to give it a try. I think it turned out pretty cute, but most importantly, Julie loves it. Yea!!
I have to say that I'm really keen to make another for myself. So I'm cutting the selvages off all my fabrics. These little treasures have been waiting at the edges of fabrics for years and gone totally unappreciated for their cuteness (is that a word?) until just recently. How have we managed overlook them for so long?
 I guess from now on the "usable width" of all my fabrics will be about 40"..oh well I can live with that.
Hope you are inspired by something today.
Hugs..Kay

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!

Hi Friends,

I have finished piecing Tangerine and Marmalade aka Summer Nine-patch Challenge. The name was inspired by the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, "tangerine trees and marmalade skies". I have always loved the lyrics of the song and have long been wanting to make a quilt inspired by them. I feel that there may be more designs to come. I was unable to get the whole quilt in the picture. It is much bigger than I anticipated.

I will have to keep the quilting on this simple because it is so busy. I chose a white tone on tone for the border but it is hard to see in my pics. I really need a new camera! The zoom feature is no longer working it just shuts the camera off!

I also finished piecing and embroidering Block one of Down in the Garden. Isn't it sweet! I have block 2 half done and I know that I'm really going to LOVE this quilt.
My "un-quilted" quilts are beginning to stack up, I need to devote some time to actually quilting some of them and I plan on having a few machine quilted by my favorite long-arm quilter. I will share them  with you as they are completed.
Well, I'm off to my studio to start preparing to "quilt".
Hope you all have a good week.

Summer Nine-Patch Challenge Update

92 orange and cream/white nine patches!!!!
Whew. I was a little behind but Saturday I turned on the TV and caught up on my fav new show on BBC America called "The Chorus", while piecing  the rest of my blocks. I then spent some time working out a setting that I'm very excited about. Wanting something different and unexpected I plan on adding "scrappy" elements to bring all the blocks together. Still in the cutting stage but stay tuned, I'm planning a sewing "Labor" day today and will have a completed quilt to share soon.
 I need something to watch today, maybe a favorite old movie? I'm sure I will find something.
To be continued.....Kay

American Vintage

Last year for Christmas I received a fat quarter bundle of a group of fabrics called "American Vintage" from my daughter. I had given her a list of what I liked on various on-line sites. I have been looking at this fun bundle of fabrics for many months now and finally saw a pattern at work that I knew would really show them off, Ruffles from The Pattern Basket. So I purchased a light background print from Moda "Make Life" group cream with green stars, that seems to play  nice with the group and waited for time to get it started. I had a quilt in progress when I left for California and intended to finish piecing that one before starting the next one. Well, after many hours of piecing, the rows did not come out the same length. It is a verticle setting so it is important that all pieced rows are the same length. Well I ripped and re-sewed, twice..I became so frustrated and had wasted sooooo much time on this ---- quilt that I decided to put in a box and maybe work on it again sometime. Not sure what went wrong but maybe some time and space is needed before I try again.
Back to American Vintage...I began piecing this fun quilt a few days ago and it went together beautifully, thank goodness, and I am really pleased with the finished quilt. Aren't the colors happy! I have enough left- overs to make another small project with these fabrics. Great!!!

I also have a new iron. I had to replace my iron. I'm hoping I will like this one..it shuts off automatically, that may prove to be a frustration but it may save the house from burning down so thats a good thing! It is much heavier but I can build up my arms while pressing!!
Well, happy September everyone. Hope you are spending time doing what you love.
Kay