Sylvia's Progress 1 - Design Wall Monday 5/7/12

I was working on the first few blocks of the quilt, pulling fabric and I was already getting tired of the few fabric choices I have.  It is kind of hard because this is a scrappy quilt but we will probably be making some kits so I don't want to get too many fabrics. So after hemming and hawing I decided the heck with it..so off I went to the store and picked up a few more fabrics. I had a hard time finding some blues (since they read more of a blue gray) and I really wanted some darker ones but no luck. I ended up purchasing some grays although I did pick up one with polka dots and I really don't know if it will work but we shall see. I also would rally like a darker pink/maroon but couldn't find anything so I am at a make do point.  I will pick up more backgrounds tomorrow since I need to cut my sashing out first and it is rather unique since my sashing will be scrappy. 

A1 - Mosaic No. 3 (paper pieced)

A2 - Shoo Fly

A2 - Bright Hopes

A5 - Amethyst (paper pieced)

A7 - Cats and Mice

A8 - Star of the Orient

(partial seam construction and paper piecing)

I skipped a few A's for now. I need to get them done but I know these are a little time consuming as far as blocks go since I had already done them with my other color scheme.  One needs to be appliqued and the other one is major y-seams (yay..my favorite..NOT).

My goal is to get 10 blocks done a week so that in 14 weeks I can put the rows together and get it done to hang in the shop before class. I am thinking I may have to change to order of completing the blocks from horizontal to vertical that way I can sew the rows together as I go.  The long sashing is vertical so that might make it quicker. As you can tell from the blocks I am putting the sashing on the bottoms of each as I go...less to do later...and it is scrappy. Of course I just realized as I was typing this up and looking at the blocks above that I put the same sashing on both 7 and 8 which will be next to each other in the quilt.  Guess the seam ripper will come out early today.

Have a wonderful day.

Michelle

For more design wall update head on over to Judy's

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

Mrs. A's Quilt

I have a co-worker/friend who asked me to do a favor for her. So of course I jumped right on it.  Mrs. A has the first quilt she ever did over 35 years ago that was hand pieced and hand quilted.  Now this quilt has seen a lot of love and it was starting to fall apart. So she bought some backing and asked me if I would quilt in the ditch around all of the squares and borders so that she could add some new binding.  Her goal was to keep it together for a little bit longer..so I said no problem.  I can tell you if I could have kept this quilt I would have.  It was so soft, warm and cuddly.  She is just hoping that she could get some more wear and tear out of it before it becomes a cutter quilt.  I just loved it and it was super easy to quilt back together.

Enjoy Mrs. A.

Just keep sewing,

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

Too Cute

I am always on the lookout for something quilty, crafty, unique etc..to add to my studio.  Well, I found this last week..

I have to decide now it I want to paint it because this definetly does not match the decor in the quilt room for sure.

Have a great day everyone.


Michelle

May Day May Day....I should have stayed home

really I should have.  I figured going to a yarn store would not be that bad right? I mean no fabric what harm could there be...well...I know now I can not go into any yarn stores or fabric stores without some serious damage to the pocketbook.

I am taking a beginning knitting class at a local yarn store. I had taken quite a few classes and a big box store and spent a lot of money and learned nothing. I mean I had already you tubed a bagillion videos on knitting and purling so I pretty much had that done...well once I realized I was purling wrong but that is besides the point. Anyway, I came home from one of my last classes and I was really upset. I spent all this time and couldn't figure anything out...I didn't know how to TINK, recognize my stitches, etc. etc.

So my trusty yahoo search brought up Green Valley Weavers and "oh! they are open on Sunday" so back in the car I go to browse and then "oh! you have a beginning knitting class starting in a couple of weeks and it is on a Sunday"...well you know how that went. Anyway, I have been to three classes and honestly in the first hour of the first class I learned more than all of my other classes combined.   Our project is a teddy bear sweater and I am almost done but the best part of this whole scenario is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE to knit. I am not very good at it and I am slow but that is OK. (My family loves it as well because I am not screaming out my numbers so that they don't interrupt me because now I know how to figure out where i am at if I stop.)

Fast forward to today...I was procrastinating getting up into the studio. Why? I don't really know. So I figured I would head on down to Green Valley...well...here is what happened.

I had seen this pattern on Purlbee, The Sunshine Scarf,  and fell in love with it.  I don't know if it was the colors or what and the best part is that it is a very simple pattern (as a newbie I like this even more). I also wanted to pick up a couple of those thingamajigs that have the crochet hook on one end and knitting needle on the other. I figured that was a very good reason to head on down there (it is about a 25 minute drive from my house if the weather is good..you know the complete other side of town).

Can you tell where this is going?

These are my choices.

The gray one is Quicksilver, and the gold is Gold Dust (makes sense huh). These two come from a local dyer. Spruce Dragon, LLC out of Divide, Co.  The last one is Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk Paints color 9801. I told myself I couldn't start working on this until after I get at least half way done on my crochet project.  Lets see how long that will last. 

I am also waiting for a sock class to start that coincides with my schedule.  I really want to make socks so this is what I ended up with.  These are just some worsted weight yarns in my favorite color (of the moment).  I was instructed to make my first pair with worsted weight yarn and then move on from there to the light weight and fingering which made perfect sense to me.  Who knows maybe one of these days I can actually make a pair of socks out of the book my hubby bought for me..(The Joy of Socks"

Then of course I needed the needles, and the tapestry needles, and the highlighter tape (which I think is totally awesome) and of course my thingamajigs.



So the moral of my story...stay out of the fabric, yarn and of course the book store unless I go in with an allowance or  no checkbook, no credit card, no debit card and maybe I should take a kiddo or hubby with me...hmmm not a good idea either.


Happy May Day,

Michelle

Just keep cutting

This past weekend I ended up spending almost 2 days cutting kits and believe it or not I am still not done..I have to wait for some more fabric to come in.  I have been cutting Generals Wive and Cotton Club for the shop here at home.  I can say I am glad it is coming to an end.

I ended up cutting up 30 kits for Cotton Club (3 months worth). I just need the patterns and I can bag them up and they will forever be out of my house.

For Generals Wive's I cut a bagillion yards...well..ok it felt like it ...I had 10 king kits to cut (which was 50 yards of fabric), 20 setting kits (which was 100 yards of fabric), and 20 kits each for 3 months (don't want to figure out that fabric count).  So I can say I is tired of cutting...

It will be nice to finally have all of this fabric out of my studio...I won't know what to do with all of that room...well..maybe I do.

Don't they look snazzy, all ready and waiting to be tagged and bagged? Although if I must stay so myself it doesn't look like a lot of fabric that is for sure.


Michelle