Cowboy Camp & Pillow Finishes

No sewing for me this week but I got the commissioned pillows done.  Only got pictures of 2 of the 4.  Just imagine the same thing in square.

My team teacher and I are making the curriculum and doing the prep for the Cowboy Camp that our preschool is having in a few weeks.  We will both be out of town during the camp, so we are in over-drive trying to get it all done this weekend.  Of course, sewing had to be involved somehow.

A HOWDY banner in burlap for each classroom.  A big one that says COWBOY CAMP is in the works!

The 4-year-olds will design their own bandana - 15 of them!  Zig-zag in red about 1/2 inch in on all the edges on the muslin.  Unfortunately the muslin did not come out of my stash.  So finishes, but no stash out - except for lots of odd bias tape!

Hooking up with Crazy Mom Quilts 
and Confessions of a Fabric Addict
and Richard and Tanya Quilts

Star Of The Orient

Design Wall Monday 052614

The UFO that I have been working on has a real name.  I referred to it as Spinning Octagons because that's what it looks like to me, but I found the book that this pattern originally came from.  I knew I would still have it - 3 overseas moves later! It is called Star of the Orient. The corners in the book are like pineapple blocks. Hmmm. Not sure if I am up for that, but for now they are working great as Leaders & Enders.

The one of the right was the original block.  The 3 on the left I got done as Leaders & Enders.  Woohoo!  

I got the last of the commissioned pillows done. 2 plain squares with zippers and 2 rectangular ones with trim. That made the zipper tricky, but I think they came out pretty good. Another project - another lesson learned!

The really good news is that they are done before my work week begins and 4 days before deadline so I am free to sew something I want to sew or at least concentrate on work again.

Go check out some other design walls at  Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 052514

Last weekend I was out of town and didn't get a stash report posted.  So this week I've got double - kind of.  You can see the details in my Friday Finish post.  Too bad I can't count the commissioned pillows, but that all came in and went right back out and was never mine.

Fabric Used This Week:  2.68 yards for 2 super hero aprons + .7 yards for 2 burp clothes = 3.38 yards 

Total Used 2014:  37.75 yards
Fabric In This Week: .33 yds for 2 odd scrappy pieces that were given to me

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 13.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 24.67 yards

The numbers are steadily getting higher!!

 


















  

Head on over to Patchwork Times to see some how others are doing at using up their stash.

Busy Busy Busy

We were out of town last week so I didn't get a Friday Finish post written.  So now I have a lot to report.  The 7 hour one way trip enables me to get a lot of hand-sewing done.

1) Commissioned pillows.  These are the first 2 of a 6 pillow project. My client had 2 burlap bags with printing. The printing read correctly when the bags were in the vertical position. She wanted the pillows to be horizontal. There was just enough burlap to cut and piece it.  She had a rustic fringe to cover the seams on the front. Had to have zippers and be lined. Not the easiest things I have done but not the hardest either.  I am getting better at zippers in pillows. The client was very pleased with the results which makes me happy. 

Captain America for me.

2) Super Hero Aprons. We are finishing the year with a BANG! and a super hero/outer space theme.  The kids will come in their super hero shirts and I made aprons for my co-teacher and I.  We usually wear work aprons, but I don't think I will be wiping my glue-y, paint-y, sticky fingers on this one!  After looking at lots of ideas we went with the bib aprons.  Once I got in my mind how to do it it went together easily.  Have to say this is near the top of my lifetime list of clever projects. 

This project kind of confirmed for me that I am a "make it up as I go along" worker. I pretty much already knew that but I couldn't put a name to it. Now I know. It doesn't work for everyone. But it works for me. I know that I used to be a perfectionist. Then I moved overseas. So I think it comes from living overseas for so long where I did not have access to much to work with. So I "hoarded" what I had and made it work. 

Batman for Miss Kathy.  She has only seen this side.

Jimmy Johnson #48 is her real super hero and is a surprise on the back!

Flannel flowers on the back.

3) The baby is a girl.  I will take the pink quilt to Guatemala with us this summer.  And just because I was in the mood to do something different I made some pink and purple burp clothes.  Already had everything, so it was easy.  I went ahead and embroidered her name on it since I can and that seems to be all the rage now.

I looks blue,but it's really purple.

Hooking up with Crazy Mom Quilts 
and Confessions of a Fabric Addict
and Richard and Tanya Quilts

Spinning Octagons

These Spinning Octagons are working just fine for Leaders and Enders.

The one on the right is the UFO block that was complete.  Left and center got done while I was working on a pair of commissioned pillows.  The little center is still in progress. I am glad so many pieces were already cut since it makes it go faster!  (The turquoise triangle is my Sochi idea block.  Someday...)

Go to Patchwork Times to see some other design walls.

Hands 2 Help Quilt Finished

It has been done for a few weeks but I kept forgetting to take a picture.  Now if I can just remember to get it in the mail before the deadline!

I loved being part of this project. 

It's check in time over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Go see some other Hands 2 Help quilts.

UPDATE:  It did get mailed just a few days after this was posted.  On it's way to Quilts of Compassion.

"My Turn, My Turn!"

Cleaning up my work space and found this project in a bag on the floor. The UFOs are together in a drawer so not sure why this one was out. Maybe it is yelling "My Turn, My Turn!"  I need a leader ender project while I am working on a commissioned project and this will work just fine.

I vaguely remember the start of this project. We were living on Moscow, Russia. Sr. G had gone to the USA and I had stayed behind   Can't remember why.  Pretty sure it was before R was born and she is 20!  Anyways, he brought me back a quilting book and this project was in it. 

Apparently the larger section is all that I had done.

But there were lots of pieces already cut. The paper and cardboard patterns were in the bag too. Funny to think I actually traced and cut with scissors all those pieces.

Not so funny when I see the lack of uniformity.  I wonder how they will turn out!  I started the 2 smaller sections to get a feel for how it goes together - no instructions in the bag.  I might still have the book, but I was able to figure it out without enough for now.  A tricky half-seam at the start of each round, but I think it is very much do-able.

The last UFO I pulled out was also just a single block.  Hmm.  I think I am sensing a trend!

Lots more design walls over at  Patchwork Times

Stash Report 051114

Fabric is moving out.  Got the chain extension blocks done for the Red, White and Blue quilt.  You can see the progress here  and here.

Fabric Used This Week:  2.04 yards for the RWB chain extension block border 

Total Used 2014:  34.37 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yds 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 12.75 yards
Net Used 2014: 21.62 yards

 Head on over to Patchwork Times to see some how others are doing at using up their stash.

No More Rearranging

It is webbed together.  Yahoo!  I can't rearrange anymore.  Although I did find one glaring error on the chain extension and did unsew and fix that spot.  I will work at getting the rows joined as I am able. 

The easiest place to take a picture.  It's too big for inside.

 I still think a narrowish red border all the way around next.  We'll see what it gets after that.

 Good timing since I pick up a commission job this afternoon. 

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict ,  Crazy Mom Quilts,  and
Richard and Tanya Quilts.

Red White & Blue Quilt on the Design Floor

Since the Quinceanos Quilt is as done as I can get it for now I worked on cutting out the half chain blocks for the RWB quilt.  Thinking that when I got a little bit of time I can progress faster.   Turns out it was a really rainy weekend and I got them all done.

There almost wasn't enough space to lay it all out.


I am really glad I decided to listen to the quilt.  It was telling me to extend the chains into the border and it was right.  I liked the quilt in the original design, but I like this better.  I think I will give it a 2-2.5" red border next and then decide what after I see that.

Go see some other design walls and floors at  Patchwork Times

Stash Report 050414

Despite a super busy week I made progress on the quinceanos quilt that can be seen here and here.  All 128 signature blocks are done and are sewn in rows and sections, so I get to count that as fabric out!!  Yippee!  Good thing because I had fabric in this week.

Needed a red stripe for super hero aprons I am making for my co-teacher and I.  I had all the other colors I needed except for the stripe, so I thought that was pretty good.

The first place I went did not have a red & white stripe.  Not any stripes????  Even my 79-year-old father who was with me thought that was odd.  But I didn't leave empty handed.  Huge sales and I can use my teacher discount and get 15% more off, so I got some white on whites which I need to continue the Red, White and Blue quilt that got this far.  I felt like my mother.  She used to stock up on white on whites.  I have worked through almost all of hers.  Makes me kind of sad, but they are in a quilt that I will keep so that's okay.

The cute pink Eiffel Tower fabric is for my niece who is going to Paris this summer.  I will come up with something for her with that.  I haven't bought fabric in a long, long time so I didn't feel too bad getting 1/2 yard of something with no real plan.

Second stop had the red & white stripe.  Got my one yard and got out of there!

So here's the damage report.  My total is down a bit, but not much.  Not bad.  

Fabric Used This Week:  3.93 yards for the Quinceanos Quilt  - All Stash!! 

Total Used 2014:  32.33 yards
Fabric In This Week:  5.5 yds 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 12.75 yards
Net Used 2014: 19.58 yards

 Head on over to Patchwork Times to see some other numbers.

As Finished As I Can Get It

I was determined to get the Quinceanos Quilt done. You can read more of the story here .  I knew I couldn't finish it completely but I wanted to at least get the rest of the individual blocks made even if they weren't signed yet.  Middle E was close enough to the end of getting the friends' signatures that I could estimate how many and just do it.   If there need to be more blocks they will go on the back and that's that.

Just when I thought I was good, she brought home more blocks than expected!  Unsewed and adjusted!!

I did not agonize over each color at the end. I just "went" with it and I think it "went" well. Interestingly enough the very last fabric used which is also nearly the center block was a little leftover strip from the backing of her big sister's quinceanos quilt which was made 7 years ago. No, I don't hang on to things long!!  

The last ...

two blocks!!

I got all the last blocks joined into rows and the rows joined into sections.  Middle E just has to carry around the entire 3 row section to get the last signatures now!  At least it won't get lost in the bottom of her backpack. 

Getting closer.

Overall I am pleased with the effect. It came out more or less like I imagined.  I can't wait until all the sections are joined. 

The top and bottom sections are not shown, but they are done!!

A true labor of love.  When all the rest of the signatures are done I will join the sections and get it really done.

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and  Richard and Tanya Quilts  and    Crazy Mom Quilts