January! And I already have some Christmas Gifts Made!

You might ask. What are these? In general terms they are my January finish for the Christmas Challenge. We are challenged to start making Christmas gifts now. See more information on this link.  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/p/the-christmas-challenge-consist-of.html.

As for specifically what they are, they are neck warmers for dogs. These are made for little dogs. I will gift them to friends this Christmas and I will continue to make them throughout the year to donate to the Oregon Dachshund Rescue Holiday Bazaar. See the Facebook page and  “Like” the Oregon Dachshund Rescue here:

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oregon-Dachshund-Rescue-INC/274984542506

It’s a fun, pretty mindless project to work on when you are watching tv or waiting for an appointment. Each one takes less than 1oz of yarn.

My friends really stepped up when I asked “do you have little bits of left over yarn”.  You would not believe how much they donated to this project. Thank you Beth and Dianne!

And please, remember to check out your animal rescues before making a donation. Always verify that they are an actual 501c Charitable Rescue. We hear too many stories about “rescues” that are not legitimate. Those poor dogs suffer not only once (losing their first home) but twice by being put into poor conditions in “rescues” that are unable to adequately care for them.

Cheers!

Toni

WHERE HAS SHE BEEN?

Was she abducted by aliens? Snatched by Sasquatch? Just what has happened? Actually what has happened is I got divorced after many many years of marriage. And it’s not that we don’t love each other, it’s more like not being able to adjust to retirement and spending 24 hours a day together. So we are apart and friends.

But to get there, of course, there were lots of hard times. Negotiating, avoidance of each other, time spent with the attorney and just plain trying to figure out how to live as a single person. For me, I left, without notice, with four dogs. No plan, but at least it was summertime.  For six weeks I camped, yes outside, with bare necessities. I would spend a few nights with family once in a while for companionship, beyond dogs, and civility. I also spent several days at “LaQuinta” and I have to tell you that they are pet friendly, no extra charge, and did not blink an eye when I checked in with four dogs. Albeit, four small dogs in kennels. So keep them in mind if you travel with pets.

I’ve not been doing much quilting. I was spoiled by having a dedicated room with everything set to my liking. Now I will be back to having the sewing machine set up on the dining room table. Well, “dining room” may be an exaggeration! I’ve decided to live in an old single wide that we bought at the beach a few years back. “Lucy” as the trailer is affectionately called, will be my project for the next few months.

No pictures this post. I’m in transition again, moving from Portland Oregon to Ocean Park Washington.

What got me blogging again? First, Sarah of http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/ asked

“What’s made you dance the happy dance? Share with us, we want to dance along with you.”
For me, the answer is, meeting new people. Having lunch this week with some fun, spicy women who call themselves “The Steel Magnolias” and feeling like I instantly have friends in a new neighborhood

And secondly, I want to be part of Sew Cal’s http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/p/the-christmas-challenge-consist-of.html. And I will want to share my projects. This is a handmade Christmas Challenge. My posts this year will probably have less quilting and more handwork. It’s always nice to diversify! Feel free to visit her site and join the challenge. You have until January 15.

It's good to be back!

Cheers!

Toni

Design Wall Monday~July 8

On my design wall is the beginning of a new quilt. Am I supposed to be starting something new this month? Don't I already have enough to do in July? Is it on my July list?  It's not, but there is so much satisfaction in starting a new quilt. Especially one that will use up some of my already cut 2 1/2 inch squares. I deserve it is what I tell myself. Actually I told myself I can only work on this, one block a day 'cause I  have many other projects to finish this month. You may have noticed that I talk to myself a lot!

Here is the website with the directions and measurements for these blocks.

http://toefeather.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/circle-of-squares-block-information.html

Also on my design wall are a few blocks from an earlier Block Lotto. I've just begun machine quilting them. And while I really liked the blocks. I'm now in love with the blocks with the quilting. I have two QAYG projects on my "to achieve" list this month and this is one of them.

Prior to these blocks  I have used two other QAYG techniques. One was a Fons and Porter technique where you actually did the whole quilt in thirds, quilting the center sections and then quilting the outer sections. I used that on "Pineapple Blossom".

When I did  "Swoon" I used another technique that required sashing.

For this quilt I didn't want sashing on the front and I  didn't want to have to hand sew sashing on the back. There are so many techniques available for QAYG. Just look at the Internet. Just look at YouTube. I was overwhelmed and the more I read the more I was confusing one way of doing it with another. So to help me, I did two sample blocks, and wrote my own notes. Now I have a permanent sample and notes.

I have been repairing, or supposed to be repairing, an old quilt belonging to my son. This was tied and is from the eighties. And finally, after almost two years I can cross it off my list.  No more repairs. Next time, instead of saying "this quilt needs to be repaired" I will say "you need a new quilt."

Don't forget to visit Patchwork Times for other "Design Wall Mondays"

Enjoy!
Toni

Design Wall Monday-July 1

Actually this post should have another title. I'm not going to link it to Patchwork Times Design Wall. I guess I could call this "Wordless Monday" but you ought to know I can't keep my mouth shut even if it is repeating things you've heard before!

Having said that, the only pictures I have to share are repeats. With slight variations. Last week I shared "PotLuck" on the design wall and the top was not quite finished. Here is the finished top.

And here is what is on my tabletop. All repaired, rebacked and with new batting. I should be able to finsh the tying today and then, if I can stand having so much quilt on my lap in our over 90 degree weather, I will also get the binding on today. Okay, maybe the binding will be tomorrow morning when it is cooler.

So see? Nothing new. My husband even commented yesterday "you haven't been sewing much". The reason is....I told myself I couldn't sew anymore until I got the above repair job finished. We do have to set limits and goals for ourselves! Having said that, I have written a goal list for July that is pretty ambitious. I would share it here but there are a couple of gifts or surprises I'm working on and I don't want to give them away too early.

I hope you are managing to stay cool!

Enjoy!
Toni

Design Wall Monday~June 24

Boy are we having some unusual weather! And I'm not talking just about Oregon.

I'm so excited! I ordered my first whole roll of cotton batting! And with the special promo from JoAnn's Fabric, I'm only paying .21 in shipping!  I will have to use it up quickly as I really don't have a good place to store all that batting.

On my design wall is a picnic quilt. I saw this posting and thought "I need to make one of my own".
http://ididntsaybanana.blogspot.com/2013/06/potluck.htm  I had baggies and baggies of 3 1/2" squares and I was more than willing to use them up.

I told myself from the beginning that I was not going to plan, other than where the white needed to be. Obviously. I was just going to sew pairs and then sew those pairs and so on. And did this bother me?  Not so much in the beginning. Being" blind" to repeats of color became more and more difficult for me to ignore. But I stuck with the "no plan, plan.". Now that I'm at the end and sewing all the rows together, the top should be finished today, I have to admit it is still difficult! I keep reminding myself," it is a picnic quilt, it is a picnic quilt". So when you see pockets of pink, or groups of green, or heaven forbid, even the same fabric twice in the same quadrant of the quilt, be kind. Know that it bugs me too!

But, once it has been quilted and washed, I'm sure I will be just fine with it!

Don't forget to visit Design Wall Monday over at Patchwork times.
Enjoy!
Toni

Design Wall Monday~June 17



 

Blame it on my sister! I love my sister Joanne and often ask her advice on my ideas. I wanted to do another scrappy quilt and asked Joanne to look at my "Scrap Attack" board on Pinterest and "vote" on some candidates for my next quilt.  She looked at the board and said "Whoa! I didn't know you had pinned so many." and even tho' it was a task my sister came through with three favorites. One of them was a fan quilt. I've never made a Grandmothers Fan Quilt. So while I had, in the back of my mind, thought I would be using up already cut to size scraps, once I got this quilt in my mind I had to make it. Or am I making two? Sooo, as you imagine, I'm cutting lots of blades.

Why am I considering making two?  I started with the blocks in the first picture. At first I was going to limit the colors to  green, blue, red, yellow and purple. I liked those together, a little darker than I first pictured it but they felt rich.. But I wondered what would happen if I added one more color to each fan? So I took a blade off of each and added one more color to each. After that I found I preferred them without the addition of another color but this is what a design wall is for. (Pssst,originally I did have them on the design wall. I took them outside to try to get truer colors for the purpose of this post.) Then I asked myself if maybe I didn't need something a little lighter/brighter. So I did these four blocks.

And I like these too! To me the first blocks and the second blocks are so dissimilar that I can't see using them in the same quilt. Do you think I should make one with richer, deeper colors and one with the lighter, brighter colors? Or just integrate those darker blocks into a lighter quilt and hope the don't stick out like a sore thumb? Of course I could always use one set as part of the backing, or I could just make two quilt tops. What do you think?

And here is a picture of the top I made last week. I had better get to quilting. This years goal was to reduce the number of flimsys waiting to be quilted but between this month and last, I'm not managing to acccomplish that!

 

 

Don't forget to visit Judys linky Design Wall. http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Enjoy!
Toni

Design Wall Monday~June 10

For today, a few pictures a few words

Block Lotto Blocks. This is the pattern for this months Block Lotto. Come join us!

http://www.blocklotto.com/list-of-blocks-made-this-month/

Several people have won as newbies!  And you can enter as little as one block and still win. I already have too many projects in the queue so I am donating my chances this month but it was fun to learn to make eight HST at once. Sophie has prepared a wonderful reference on making HST. All the way from making one at a time up to making eight at a time. You should keep this reference. 

http://www.blocklotto.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Sophies_HST_Tips_v2.pdf

Raspberry Lemonade. I know there are other colors in there but that name just resonated with me. the top is finished. Now it will go on the to be quilted pile. Whew! That pile keeps growing! I love to play with colors, techniques and blocks. I less like layering the quilt top, batting and backing. At least I have already pieced the backing for this one.

This is a Doll Quilt that I just whipped together. I know it is an unusual layout. If I were to do it again, I still might make just that row of pink but I would put them all the blocks on the design wall and maybe play with better a better arrangement. Oh well! I have had these blocks for YEARS and they were going to go to Beth, who takes orphan blocks for donation quilts, 

http://lovelaughquilt.blogspot.com/

but there were some fabrics that I love and no longer have so couldn't give up the blocks. Sorry Beth!

Sneak Peek. Four of seven iterations of the block. Boy I hope that is spelled correctly. My batch of green scraps was overflowing. I decided I wanted to do a scrappy quilt  and use up some of those greens. I found Faiths tutorial. She used pinks, yellows, oranges and white but I think it will work in a green scrappy version. It was so nice that she has the blocks, A through F, with all measurements included. Behind each of these front squares are the other six blocks.  I am anxious to get them all finished and on the design wall.

http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?p=561

List for this month? Short and sweet. Get Joel's quilt finished. I now have the backing and new batting I just need to get those layered. This old quilt was tied so I will retie it. His birthday is coming up and I would like to give it back to him then. My only problem is I need to pull the kitchen table into the middle of the room for a day or two. If only hubby would go fishing I could leave the table "in the way" for the length of time it would take me to finish. Keep your fingers crossed that he, the husband, makes it to the beach this week.

Visit Judy's Design Wall Monday for more inspiration

http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Enjoy!
Toni