Monday, April 15, 2013

Kindergarten Quilting Class

I am taking this class with my two "new quilter" buddies, Ellen and Jeannie, at Hayes. I needed tohavemy quilt top assembled before our Thursday class, but I had a hard time deciding on the arrangement. One thing I do know - I don't like 4-patch blocks.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Done is Better Than Perfect

Well I finally finished the borders on my log cabin project, quilted it, and stitched the binding tonight. And I sewed the binding to my prairie star project, too. However...there is now a needle on the loose somewhere in my living room.





Monday, April 1, 2013

Stitching Fool

I worked on 3 WIPs today.  They are still WIPs, but I've made significant progress!  Binding sewn to my Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle star project; nearly completed my little mini quilt I started at the last retreat; and assembled 4 log cabin blocks as a table runner...instead of the 16 blocks needed for the PWSC wll hanging...just wasn't felling it. I hope to finish the bindings on them tomorrow at the "Beyond Janes" sewing day at the Lake House.  And, I even vacuumed the house today, too!
Update:  I stitched about 7 inches of binding in the 3 hours I spent at the Lake House, in between chatting, show and tell, lunch, and chatting with my wonderful quilting posse of new best friends.  I am one lucky girl!  And I learned a few terms: WIP - works in progress; PHD - projects half done; PIGS - projects in grocery sacks.  Love my quilting family!




Monday, March 25, 2013

What a Week!

What a productive week!  Monday I took a paper piecing class with my friend Jeannie, photo on my last post. Wednesday I spent the morning working on Log Cabin blocks for my Prairie Women's Sewing Circle projects with my friend Dori (photo). Thursday my friend Sylvia stopped by to give me some tips and tools on free motion machine quilting techniques (photo of my practice stitching). Saturday my friend Louise took me on a road trip with her and her friend Leona to Corning where we stopped and shopped for fabrics and notions at more than a few spots! And meanwhile at home I spent nearly all my time in my studio...sewing!
I finished hand sewing the binding on charity quilt my friend Susan prepared for me so I could practice quilting (photo). I pieced the backing for the two quilts I've been working on, my blue hourglass quilt and my patchwork paisley quilt. I feel SO ACCOMPLISHED!

Finished hand stitching the binding, finally!


My hour glass "tube quilt" finally has borders, backing and batting!
Next step - basting and quilting...


Practicing free motion quilting, will need a lot more practice!


I had such a hard time piecing these log cabin blocks by hand (read:  they looked like hell) so I
found a generic paper piecing pattern and sized it, drew in another row of strips all around, and
made copies.  Now my blocks are so nice and straight!


Here's my patchwork quilt from an earlier post.  I didn't have enough yellow fabric
for the backing so I inserted a strip of the paisley right thru the center.  I think
I'll piece the binding from scraps of all the fabrics...when I get that far...