Work in Progress - Jazz Hands

 

Over the weekend, I made three more Jazz Hands blocks.  I am having a good time making these.  It may be the hand sewing or just that this block is so portable.  This makes 6 blocks completed, so I have got 6 more blocks to go.

 

Linking to Work in Progress Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2012!

It is time once again for the Blogger's Quilt Festival!  My entry is my "Stretch" mini wall hanging.

 

Finished quilt measures : 19″x 19″

Special techniques used : hand applique, beading embellishments 

Quilted by : hand quilted by me

Best Category : Applique Quilt, Hand Quilt, Scrap Quilt

It was during the Blogger's Festival Fall 2011 that I realized that I was in a design slump and needed to expand my skills.  I declared that 2012 would be my year to try all new designs and new techniques.  So far, it has been great trying new things.  New things are good - but maybe in 2013, I might declare it to be the year where I finish things (LOL).

 

My word for this year is "Stretch" and I made this mini as part of the Lets Get Acquainted Blog Hop which I wrote about here. 

 

I think it is also interesting to look back at my previous Blogger Festival entries and see how I have stretched my quilting in a new direction.

 

 

For great quilty inspiration, please check out the Blogger's Festival entries at Amy's Creative Side.

 

 

Work in Progress - More jazz Hands

Just finished my 3rd Jazz Hands block from Material Obsession2.  This one was pieced totally by hand while I watched TV.  My first 2 blocks were machine pieced using Y-seams.  So far, it takes me one night to complete an entire block.  Three blocks down, nine more blocks to go.

Linking to Work in Progress Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

Blogtoberfest - Day 24

Design Wall Monday - Just Cutting

Cutting, cutting cutting......

I finished my second Jazz Hands block and I love it, but it seems all I am doing today is cutting.

Linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

Blogtoberfest - Day 22

Work in Progress Wednesday - Feathers

 

I am still working on creating feathers and had planned to use a Kona tan background.  But I have been thinking about possibly using a print background.  After pulling a few prints from my stash, I now can't decide.  For now, I guess, I'll just keep making the feathers.

 

Linking to Work in Progress Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.  

Blogtoberfest - Day 17

Color Palette Challenge - October

In January, I prepared a list of sewing goals that I have been faithfully working on throughout 2012.  One item was to join in with more challenges.  The Color Palette Challenge is held monthly over at Patchwork Times.  I have looked forward to these monthly challenges and have (so far) been able to keep up.

 

Each month's palette is chosen by Vicki Welsh at Field Trips in Fiber.  October's challenge is taken from a Kandinsky painting.

I searched my stash and could not find a focal fabric that contained these colors, so I decided to work with solids.  It is still a work in progress.

Blogtoberfest - Day 16

Design Wall Monday - Spider Webs Again

This weekend I was looking over my 100 Day Hustle to-do list and I took out my box of spider web blocks.  I love the way the blocks look with the red.  Can you believe that I was working on the blocks earlier this year and I ran out of scraps?  As a person that saves every piece of fabric, I never thought I could run out of scraps! 

Since then, I have worked on a few projects building up a few more scraps, but not much.  Progress is slow going.

 

 

Linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

 



Blogtoberfest - Day 15

Sunday Snippets - Blogtoberfest Day 14

Linking up today to Sunday Snippets at tinniegirl. This is where you post a few pictures of your past week with little or no words. 

 

I found these pics on my iPad, so I think my 6 year old niece must have been using my iPad.  I think I may see a quilt here.

 

Blogtoberfest - Day 14

Jazz Hands - Update

When I started this project, I planned to do it by hand.  But last night, I realized that I could join the pieces by machine with a Y seam.

Once I started, I got an a roll and finished the block.  This project may be completed much faster than I thought.

 

Linking up today to the Virtual Sewing Room at Amylouwho who has set up a linky party for all of us that did not get to attend the Sewing Summit this year.  Check out the other projects and join us!

 

Blogtoberfest - Day 13



 

Jazz Hands - Blogtoberfest Day 12

I need a portable project.  Now I know what you might be thinking, "Hexagons are a popular and great portable project".  Well, me an hexies have a history and its not good.  I think they are cute.  I try to make them, but I just cant seem to make them a consistent size.  I do have several hexie WIPs that I could work on. 

But, I chose to work on a new project - the Jazz Hands block from Material Obsession 2.   

There is only one template that is used for the block.  There are three pieces that create a triangle.  So far, I have complete the inner triangles.  I think the key will be to make sure that the seams are ironed flat.  Hopefully, I will have a completed block to share very soon.

 

Blogtoberfest - Day 12

The 100 Day Hustle - Update

With 82 days left in 2012, I thought that I would review the projects that I have on my list for The 100 Day Hustle at Kelsey Sews!    The goal is to get your projects done by the end of the year, so you can start 2013 with a clean slate.  When I created the list, I did put some thought into it because I wanted it to be do-able.

What I would like to get accomplished:

 

1. The Oct, Nov, and Dec monthly color palette challenges at Patchwork Times.

• This is an ongoing project.  I have completed the October challenge.

2. Complete a project from a craft book for the linky party at Craft Buds.

• Completed my entry "Dawn & Dusk"

3. Complete my Proverbial Quilt for the Quilt Along at Poppyprint.

• No progress.  I need to find a big block of time to finish the layout.

4. Complete a 2nd Proverbial Quilt top.

• Several blocks done, maybe 5% of the top.

5. Complete the package of charity blocks for Margaret' s Hope Chest.

• Completed and package has been sent

6. Complete the pinwheel top from Material Obsession2.

• No progress yet

7. Begin work on a top based on the feathers designed by Anna Maria Horner.

• In progress and looking cute

8. Complete my spider web scrap quilt top (waiting to create more scraps for this).

• No progress, but am slowly making more scraps

 Blogtoberfest - Day 11

Work In Progress - Feathers

Making more feathers from the pattern created by Anna Maria Horner.  These are larger than I thought at about 17 inches long.  I really don't know what my final project will be yet.  So, I will just keep making more feathers.

Linking to Work in Progress Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

Blogtoberfest - Day 10

Project Hope Blocks - Blogtoberfest Day 9

I ran out of fabric in my stash for the fussy cut middles of these blocks, so I am calling this project finished.  Just over 50 of these Fun in the Middle blocks have been packed up and will be sent out in the mail this week for the final 2012 project at Margaret's Hope Chest.  

 

If you want to participate, the deadline to send in blocks is November 15th.

Blogtoberfest - Day 9

Design Wall Monday - Feathers

I have always liked the feathers pattern created by Anna Maria Horner.  I have a bundle of Happy Go Lucky that I did not know how to use.  Its a bit too floral and pastel for my current tastes, but I had a feeling that it would work well as feathers.

 

 

I made a test feather and am quite pleased with the result.  The pattern has an option of a pieced background, or you can choose to applique the feather.  I am still choosing a background and am leaning toward this tan Kona that I have in my stash.

 

Linking up today to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times and to the Lets Get Acquainted Blog Hop.

 

Blogtoberfest - Day 8

Sunday Snippets - Blogtoberfest Day 7

Hello all. 

Linking up today to Sunday Snippets at tinniegirl. This is where you post a few pictures of your past week with little or no words.  Here are a few of my pics.  All were happy times.

 

Blogtoberfest - Day 7

Quiltathon - Day 2 Results

Judy at Patchwork Times  is hosting a Quiltathon this weekend.  I wasn't able to join in on day 1, but I found time to sew on day 2.  I created more letters for my second Proverbial Quilt.  The letters are created with a tan background.

 
Blogtoberfest - Day 6

A Finish this Friday - Blogtoberfest Day 5

Woo hoo, I finally have a finish.....well...kinda.  Its a finished top.  In 2012, I decided to try all new ideas  and techniques.  This is good as I have learned a lot.  However, this has not been a good year for actually finishing many things.  I think that my finishes have mostly been mini-quilts.

 

This is the second top that I made using the Made in Cherry pattern by Sarah Fielke.  The first top is my Neapolitan Star.   I really like this pattern and believe that I may make another someday.  No idea when the quilting may be finished, so for now it goes in the "Tops To Be Quilted" pile.

 

Linking up today with Finish it up Fridays at Crazy Mom Quilts and to Whoop Whoop Fridays at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.   

 

Blogtoberfest - Day 5

Behind the Seams Ugly Fabric

Today, I am joining up to the Behind the Seams linky party at Fabric Engineer. This month's topic is ugly fabric.  Well.....this one was a toughie. 
 

 

 

 

But, I think I really do not like this Christmas green fabric that I bought so cheaply that I got the whole bolt.  Its been used on the back of many Christmas projects and now I wish it was gone.  There is only a bit left, so maybe I better get started on some Christmas gifts.

Blogtoberfest - Day 4 

 

 

Work In Progress - Proverbial Quilt

This project started out on fire, but then I had to wait for more fabric and I moved on to another project.  Now, I am working on the final layout.  I have sewed all of the words together.  Next, will be adding the contrasting strips between the word rows.

 

When we are flat on our backs,

The only way to look is up.

Find release from your cares,

Tomorrow is another day.

 

Linking to Work in Progress Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

Blogtoberfest - Day 3

Tips - Blogtoberfest Day 2

 

Blogtoberfest 2012 has started and is being hosted this year by Kat at I Saw You Dancing. This blogging festival challenges you to blog each day in October.  This is my second year and last year when I joined, I did not even have 31 posts.

 

So to help others out a bit, this is what I learned from last year.

•  31 days sure seems like a lot.  But just try it, you may like it.  You may just surprise yourself.
• Join with Linkys on other blogs. For example: Sunday Snippets, Design Wall Monday, Modern Monday, Tuesday Treasures, Tuesday at the Table, Work in Progress Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Random Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Finish it Friday.  These are just a few I could think of right off hand.  You can usually find these by reading blogs and clicking on their blog buttons.
• Plan ahead.  I printed out a calendar of October and wrote down possible blog posts each day.  This helps me because I am visual and it showed me that I don't usually post on the weekends.  This is an area that I need to work on for this challenge.

Blogtoberfest - Day 2

  

Color Palette Challenge - September

The color palette for September's challenge was chosen by Vicki Welsh at Field Trips in Fiber.

For this month's challenge, I searched my stash and found the following fabrics from a Garden Diva's bundle.

I thought that the colors really matched great, but I had a difficult time finding a way to combine the fabrics.  Then, I read about the party at Craft Buds  to celebrate that September was Craft Book month. 

I realized that there was a pattern that I had seen in a book I had recently won during a blog hop.  The mini is called "The Fan" and is found in Jane Sassaman's book "Patchwork Sassaman Style".

 

I had to change the dimensions of the arch a bit to fit the fussy cut fabric.  Can you tell, I'm kinda really loving polka dots a lot right now?  I call this mini "Dawn & Dusk" and it is 18x18.

Check out all of the other Color Palette Challenge projects at Patchwork Times.

Each month, Judy chooses a random winner for a bundle of fabric from Vicki's Etsy store.  In August, I was selected and received the following dyed fabrics from Vicki.  My first thought was thunderstorm.  Now, I will have to see how I can interpret that using these fabrics.  Thanks Vicki.