Design Wall Monday 7/8/13

I AM DONE!!! Finally...I have my Dear Jane top completed.  Is it perfect? Nope far from it but that is ok. I learned a lot and maybe one day I will make another one. Just not anytime soon.

I started this top May 2011 and I put the last rows together last night. Talk about a quilt hanging around. I worked on it every month, 10 blocks each month.

I couldn't find a good place to lay the whole thing down. Of course Zeus had to see what was going on as well.

If I do another one it will be black and white only (I think).

 

 

The only thing I have to do now is my Sylvia's (and that is only 5 blocks a month). Maybe once Camp Loopy is over I will be able to crack out some quilts and get my stash report started.

 

 

For more ideas head on over to Judy's.

 

 

Michelle

Design Wall Monday 2/18/2013

I just realized this is my first design wall of the new year. With the move and all I have just been very busy. But, alas my new design wall is put up.  It only took about 5 hours to do. It would have been a very easy task it I would have had dry wall up. Since I only have foundation walls down here in the basement on the outside walls it took along time, drilling into concrete is not a fun task, just ask my husband. But, the design wall is up in the hallway and is done. I do have to use pins to hold the blocks up, mainly because it is a hallway and with a teenager, a pre-teen, husband, cat and dog it is the easiest way to make sure my hard work does not move.

The new design wall.  This is 4 sections of sheathing/insulation, each section is 4x7. I thought it would be plenty big but....

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, it is so long I put the first blocks on the ceiling.  Hubby thought it was quit interesting. There are more blocks hidden behind the bow tie blocks.

Dear Jane is starting to come together. It has been a bad word around here for quit a few months. I am just ready for it to be done. We have about 50 blocks left. So by the time we are done it will have been a little over 2 years that we have been working on it.  The scary thing....I am seriously considering doing another one....am I crazy or what.

I finally finished my bow tie blocks that I had been working on as leaders and enders. I know Bonnie Hunter and the crew finished awhile ago and moved onto spools but I just had too many left to do. But now these are ready to be sewn together and I already have started another leader and ender project. More on that later.

I tried to get the complete picture here but with the hallway not cooperating this was the best I could go. I sewed these into 9 patches and now have to sew them together. It is going to be a 9x7 setting I think or something crazy like that.

 

 

Now, I need an opinion. Should I find a border to put on it or just bind it. I am thinking of just binding it but then what color should I bind it. I don't have anymore of the cheddar. I thought about black and I also thought about scrappy.  What do you think?

 

Well that is what is on my Design Wall for this week and very well what will be up there for a while to come.  For more ideas head on over to Judy's.

 

Have a great day everyone,

Michelle

My Dear Jane

Here are the blocks from my October class.  I now have to start on November...the never ending Dear Jane cycle. 

While going over the blocks in class I was again talking about those dreaded set in seams on the block. It will be the second pink one on the bottom left. I was stating that I can do them (the set in seams) I am just not very good at them and I don't like them.  Well...there are a lot of appliquers in the class so the response I received " Why didn't you just applique it then?"  I responded with a very simple " Duh!  I didn't think about it".  I can say that it would have probably been a whole heck of a lot easier that's for sure. Good thing I label myself as a facilitator rather than a teacher that is for sure.

At the end of class I realized that we were going to be doing a lot of triangles the last couple of months and no one really wanted that so I spent the morning rearranging the order of the remaining months so that we have at least 4 triangles and 6 regular blocks making life more simple.

Then I realized I only have 73 more blocks.....I know it still seems like a lot but when you figure you start with 225 that is nothing ( I am including both the blocks and the triangles).  I ONLY HAVE 73 MORE BLOCKS ...I should dance a jig...wait...I will save that for when I have less than 20 or maybe less than 10..I do know there will be a dance of epic proportions when the top is put together that is for sure.

Then I started thinking, which is dangerous in itself. Can I get this finished by the end of the year? That has been my goal but life keeps getting in the way. There is approximately 88 days left in the year.  That means less than one block a day..hmmm....I think I can...I think I can...

Yep, that is my goal for the year...finish this lovely top..then I can concentrate on Sylvia's.  I figure if Dear Jane is done then I can just whip through Sylvia's and then the only thing I have to do every month is my Schnibble'.  I can then concentrate on getting the stuff done I have put on hold and at the same time start cleaning, sorting, and packing for our move next summer.

I think I am off to work on Dear Jane.

Have a wonderful day,

Michelle

Back In the Groove

Finally, after a long time I am able to get back in the sewing room.  I am hoping I will get into a routine now that company is gone, kids are back in school and I am on a schedule with work.  It will still be hectic for awhile with football and soccer but life is good.

I finished up all of my DJ's for the last couple of months and sewed them into the quilt.  I now have rows A - G done and hopefully by the end of this month (Oct. blocks for class) that I will be able to do row H....progress for sure.

I also have my first Sylvia's Bridal Sampler (SBS) class this Saturday so I took some time today to make sure that was ready to go.

I would have liked to continue sewing but it is off to the vet with the dog.  Maybe I will sew tonight during football or maybe I will work on knitting some more of my sock...hmmm..decisions..decisions...

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Michelle

Design Wall Monday 7/16/2012

My design wall this week is kind of a mish mash...it matches my life for sure.

I finished my block for this months Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery BOM..so far I am on track although it is only month 2.

I have also finished my Dear Jane blocks for July and completed the rows I could.  I can say that it is finally starting to look like a quilt to me. I see how much I have done and love it but at the same time I realize how much I have left to do. 

I also finished 2 blocks for August..well I have a small square to applique but its almost done.  I only have 8 more to do before the first.

By the time I get the next blocks done I should be able to add the E row and maybe the F I can't quit remember right now.

I also sorted and organized some more of my Waldo Canyon Quilts.  I think I may take the ones that are completed already to the get together on July 28th they are having to hand out quilts from the people in our area.  I really wish I could have them all quilted by then but I know that won't happen.  Right now I have over 25 to quilt and I need to figure backing out for most of them. I should only have a couple more busy days this week and then I hope to get back into a routine.  Well, until the 27th when we have more company coming for a week.  Oh my! does it ever slow down anymore...lol.


Check back tomorrow to see another post on the Waldo Canyon Quilts.

For more design walls head on over to Judy's


Have a great Monday everyone and a big shout out of thanks to all who have sent in either a quilt top, completed top or blocks for a quilt.

Michelle

Design Wall Monday 6/18/2012

It is really hard for me to post a Design wall...its seems it is always Dear Jane but what can I do...except for hurry up and finish them I suppose.

I was finally able to sew together rows B, C, D to that was really nice.  It finally feels like with all of this time spent on these blocks progress is being made.  I think once I finish the blocks for July (I only have 4 more to go) I will skip ahead and finish that one A block I have left so that I can sew that row on as well.

I even fixed my wall and put up the June wall hanging, figured it was finally time to take down April. I even brought down July so that maybe I can get that one up in time as well.

I also finished my Birds Eye View BOM blocks that I had originally cut double the amount.. I think it was month 9...so that one is on the back burner for awhile.

Yesterday I worked in the yard...I had to plant 3 lily flowers and then paint a sealant on 10 pieces of wood that we are using as the border for the yard. I found out today that I need at least 4 more which means more painting.  I am not too happy with that for sure.  I am still suffering with pains in my bum from muscles that I didn't know existed are becoming known.  I'm fine as long as I don't sit, stand or walk.  Oh well...it was worth it, the yard is starting to look a little bit better.

For more design walls head on over to Judy's.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Come on back this week for more craziness from my humble abode.

Michelle

Sylvias Progress etc..

I was off yesterday so I spent the day in the sewing room. I was hoping to get a lot more done but some progress is made.  Do you ever think that you will be able to get twice as much done as you actually do? It happens to me all the time.

I started by finishing another block for DJ..now I only have one left to applique then sew together and i am done....almost a week early too.hmm wonder if I can do that next month to..doubt it.

I then spent the rest of the day working on my Sylvia's. I thought I would lots done but these blocks were a little more intricate than I thought.  I had a lot of set in seams which means, for me anyway, drawing lines and points and sewing really slow to get everything matched up. I also redrafted a block in EQ so that I did not have to deal with more set in seams. I would rather have HST or stitch and flip corners than to have to do those SIS (set in seams), so that is what I did. I figure it is my quilt and I can do what I want.  I will also be able to teach the block using either method.  I bet most of the students won't want to do the seams either.

The middle one and the one on the right had those pesky set in seams and the middle one had enough bulk behind the center for sure. I trimmed and used that wonderful method of smash and push and sqush.

The middle block is the one I changed.

Two of the easier ones. You can see the Sweet Treats pattern I printed off from Patchwork Times..that is on my list soon.

I also have a block that I need to redo by hand. I tried and couldn't get it done for love or money..as seen below..why do I keep forcing myself to try and get it all to fit when I know it is going to look like crap anyway...clueless!

I get a 4 day weekend coming up and Saturday we will spend working in the yard. Here is the updated pictures after the bushes came out.  We will work on chopping those 2 trees down by the front yard and then the limbs picked up and the spreading of the dirt and such.  Hopefully by August we will have the rock and grass in and be done with it.

Then between all of the starkness there was this...love them..

I work today then I am off tomorrow. I have the garage door repairmen coming but I am hoping to get lots more done on the sewing front.

Hopefully my handwork will get caught up and done soon too.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Michelle



Dear Jane gets me again

I don't know what I was thinking. I really don't.  Acutally to be honest I really wasn't thinking at all. At least that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

I was working on the last block for class this Month (which really was last Weds.) and I didn't finish appliquing it because I wanted to explain it to the class. Now I have looked and looked and looked at this block...maybe I need my eyes checked..and I didn't notice the problem..even in class I didn't notice the problem until Mrs. N said something.

See,  the directions said make HST, I read make HST, I knew to make HST and I ended up making 4 patches...I mean what the heck right?

So the students all laughed at me and I after I gave the correct instructions they informed me that they knew I would probably leave it the way it was.  If I keep doing that with some of the blocks I have made it will no longer be  a Dear Jane quilt but rather a "How I Rebelled Against Dear Jane Quilt". So last night after finishing Mr's A's quilt I figured I would show them, and I will....lol

Here is my block "wrong" in all of its glory. I can admit that if I would have completed all of the applique and squared it up Iprobably would not have remade it.

Here is the correct block.  No..I have not appliqued it at all yet. It is now downstairs next to my chair wating for its turn.  I really isn't a major difference in the grand scheme of DJ but enough none the less.

My lesson learned...stay calm and just keep sewing..it will all work out in the end. Now if I only had that mantra this last Sunday when I came down stairs yelling

 "What the heck was Jane Stickle thinking...was she even in her right mind?"

Husbands response, "Who is Jane Stickle?"

Me..."Nevermind" and stomping back upstairs....man I sure cant get sympathy anywhere that is for sure.

As this posts I will be at the little ones last football game and then the end of season BBQ and it is supposed to be a hot one as well....guess there will be no sewing today.

Michelle

Dear Jane Moving Along

My design wall is coming along rather nicely.  I have almsot 100 blocks/triangles done.  After my class this month I think I might even have my second complete row done....yay.. I might even sneak in the finishing of my A row...I think that is a difficult block that I have slated for later ..hmmm...its a thought but I would rather work on something else so we shall see.

Sew Today and Be Happy.

Michelle

Design Wall Monday - 4/30/12 - Sylvias Bridal Sampler (SBS)

I start teaching a class in the fourth quarter this year, Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.  It is only 140 blocks and they are 6'' which right now seems tiny in comparison to my DJ.  I decided with this class I wanted the quilt done beforehand, especially since I will still be doing Dear Jane (we will be doing DJ a year in June and I am having a hard time staying interested in it...good thing I have the students to keep my on my toes), anyway I finally decided on the fabric so I am hoping this week to get started on it.

I had wanted to start it a couple of times in the last few days but I told myself I couldn't until I finished my DJ blocks, and after a 2 hour paper piecing session for one block they almost didn't get completed.

We picked browns, blues, greens and pinks and my backgrounds and sashings will be scrappy creams.

The bottom one is the border and the green is the sashing.

I did this block when I started this a couple of weeks ago and then decided it would be better to have the border first and then match the blocks. I really hate when I can't find a border to match and since we may have kits for this at work it was just easier to start over.  I originally had 4 blocks done but my colors were a little to bright.  What can I say it seems I am a bright girl working in a pastel shop.

This is the border fabric we chose and I actually like it. I think this will be a very pretty "girly" quilt, which I am really not one of but what the heck sometimes we need to step out of the box.

Hopefully I can show some progress on these blocks soon.  I would like the class to start in September so I need it done and quilted before then. 

Michelle

PS. This quilt will be right up there with my DJ, which will take a little over 2 years.  SBS will be 5 blocks a month so that will be a little over 2 years as well.  Gotta love the job security.

 

For more design walls head on over to Judy's

Stash Report 4/29/2012

I havent reported in almost a month. The first two weeks I didn't do any sewing...after that I was busier than busy.  Football season started for the little one and I was also really busy trying not to do the things that needed to be done so I wasted a lot of time., but I think I am back on track. Well, maybe not totally on track but I just decided that things aren't going to get done if I don't do them.  It doesn't matter if I like to do it or not but if I just spend a few minutes everyday doing something it will become a habit. Believe it or not just doing 10-15 minutes of something (sewing, knitting, applique, cleaning) every day...by end of the week you will be amazed at how much you get done.  I have a tendency to get side tracked on the computer (farmville anyone). So now with the new motto I have been able to cut kits, finish a couple rows of knitting, crocheting, still working on some of the cleaning though, and I feel tons better.

Anywho, back to the reason for the post.  I finished a couple of tops this week. I have the binding on my Orca Bay and can't wait until that is done (might be awhile....binding takes me forever). I also miscounted some fq's a couple of weeks ago, couldn't read my hand writing and I couldn't remember buying 60 FQ's..well a couple of days later I remembered---- I knocked over a brand new FQ tower I bought...my fabric doesn't even let me forget.

I have almost all of my blocks done for Dear Jane this month as well, just need to finish appliqueing two of them...I really need to force myself to finish them by Wed.

 

Used this Week: 19.84 yards
Used year to Date: 93.79  yards
Added this Week: 48.84 yards
Added Year to Date: 121.34 yards
Net Used for 2012: -27.55 yards


Not the greatest numbers but I did buy all of the fabric to make the top of my Sylvias Bridal Sampler...I have 2 more QOV to finish this week---one needs the binding the other needs quilting, and I have one more ready to piece together....now if I could just get busy....


For more stash reports head on over to Judy's .

Michelle

Hand Embroidery Update

I finished my scissors Sunday night and started on my next little square.  I don't get to these as much as I would like since Dear Jane still needs a lot of hand applique. I have one more DJ block to finish before next week so I have been doing a little bit every night.  My thumbs can only handle so much.

My scissors right out of the hoop.

My next project on its way into the hoop.

Between Dear Jane, knitted baby blanket, crochet project and hand embroidery project I am surprised I can get anything done. Unfortunately, applique, crochet and embroidery I can only do for limited amounts of time due to painful thumbs.  Knitting on the other hand I can do for hours with no pain except in the butt from sitting.  I guess I might eventually get a lot of knitting projects done.

Off to sew.

Michelle

Stash Report Week 6 - 2/5/2012

I had some good numbers this week, but alas I am still bringing more in....oh well.

I bought some backing for my Orca Bay. I didn't want to piece it since there are so many seams on the front. It goes to the long armer tomorrow.

I bought 10 yards of background for a new project.  I am going to be teaching Sylvia's Bridal Sampler in the fall and I actually want to have this one done before hand. So between my other projects and Dear Jane this will be another long term project.  I figure these blocks will seem huge since they are 6" compared to DJ 4.5".

I also bought a charm pack in some brights,  this will hopefully be used in my future Farmers Wife.

I also included my numbers in this weeks stash report for last months BOM that I picked up.  Will I ever get those BOM done and caught up.  Who knows.  One can only hope.

I did get some projects done so that is good. I will show those at a later date.

I finished two pillowcase for my 2 QOV quilts. I only need to add labels and they can be mailed out...yay...I only have 10 more to make before the end of the year.  Not bad for a busy week.

So here are my numbers for the week.

Used this Week: 21.25 yards
Used year to Date: 33.175  yards
Added this Week: 23.125 yards
Added Year to Date: 27.125 yards
Net Used for 2012: 6.05  yards

My two QOV are the same, one is in yellow (shown below) and the other is in purple.  I know they are a little bit girly but I think they will still serve a purpose.

For more stash reports head on over to Patchwork Times.

Off to do more sewing now before Super Bowl.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Michelle

Dear Jane Blocks 6

I have a few more blocks done.  Sometimes it feels like this is all I do.  I guess that is what happens when you do 10 a month and there is a total of 255...

A9 - Cabin Fever

G1 - Hattie's Hen House

K1 - Crooked Creek

Now I am off to make copies for class tomorrow then hopefully spend some more time cleaning up the sewing room.  I am almost done cutting for these last 8 kits..then the fun can begin.

Michelle

Dear Jane Blocks 5

 I actually finished my blocks for next class early, well, I just remembered I have one to applique then I am done.  I can spend the rest of the week working on other things....like Orca Bay...

I have decided to try and do at least one DJ  block a day, except Saturdays, maybe this way I can get them done a little bit sooner. If I stay with the class schedule I won't have them all done until sometime in 2013 and I just don't want to take that long.  I want it done!!!!!

E2 - Merry May

E3 - Paddle Wheels

G13 - Molly's Muffins

F13 - Tour de France

G8 - Justins' Comet

BR2 - Leigh's Woods

BR4 - Candy Dish

C10 - Patriots Lantern

Hope everyone has a great week.

Michelle