Sea Glass at the Beach

This quilt turned out amazing.  It is definitely one of my all time favorites that I have made.  It challenged me and I met the challenge - mostly.

My job this past school year was as associate teacher.  My lead teacher's daughter was expecting her first child.  They knew it was a boy and her theme was beach, but not nautical.  I poked around the internet to see what ideas were out there for quilts in sea glass colors.  Quite a few it turns out.  I liked the movement of the Snails Trail variation of Storm at Sea.

I went with my normal MO - make it up as I go along!  I started with the Snails Trail blocks.  I watched quite a few tutorials and realized that there is definitely no right way or best way or easiest way to make them.  So I just started with the center and worked my way around until it was pleasing to my eye.  I had to trim them square at every step, which was very time consuming, but ensured that the "curves" were smooth.

Then I figured out the sashing using my tri-rec rulers.  I didn't get the side points very accurate, but they are consistently not accurate if that counts!  I had run out of some of the colors I used in the Snail Trail so had to add more scraps into the mix, but I think it came out okay.

Lastly, were the corner stones.  Which took a few tries to get the right size, but once I had the correct center square they were easy.

Playing with a layout for the center.

Once the pieces were made the center all went together easily and the movement that I wanted is definitely there.  The border was harder because I wasn't sure what I wanted.  I ended up with piano keys which took about every last scrap of anything remotely a sea glass color.

Before scallops.

Then the corners which were a spur of the moment idea that worked once I got the math right.  I think the uniformity of the corners tidies up all the scrappiness of the rest of it.

 I had no idea how to quilt it, so I just did a giant spiral with the walking foot.

I have always wanted to make a scalloped border.  I finished a quilt for a friend once that already had the scallops cut, but this time I had to figure out the spacing on my own.  I marked and cut the scallops after it was quilted and it was relatively easy.  The binding was the same fabric of the star points and the edge of the corners and is just the right touch.

All in all I am very pleased with how it came out.  My sister who doesn't usually make comment on my quilts even said she liked it.  That is high praise.

Extra diamonds on the back.

I gave it to my lead teacher and she was pleased.  She later said her daughter liked it.  This is one of those situations where I don't know if it will be appreciated for its value as a quilt or not, but it is what I felt I should do.

Little S and I went to the beach to take pictures.  It was a windy day, but I love the way the colors show against the sand and sky.

Linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict to show off finishes.

Last Stash Report for May

Fabric In: I'm up to THREE weeks in a row I went to the Thrift Store and DID NOT buy fabric.  Again, there was nothing much good for quilting and the little bit there was was overpriced.  Since College E has been home we've been going thrifting Saturday afternoons when she gets off work.  It's nice to have company and I think that makes me a bit more picky as well - a witness!!

Fabric Out: I made Edward a few months ago, but this week I upgraded his wardrobe and finally gifted him.  rabbit with wardrobe - 2 yards
I made a few small blocks but nothing far enough along to count out.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - good reading!

Fabric Purchased Since Last Report - 0 yds

Fabric Purchased YTD - 46.20 yds

Free to Me Since Last Report - 0 yds
Free to Me YTD -  8.75 yds

Fabric Used Since Last Report - 2 yds
Fabric Used YTD - 21.82 yds

Fabric Movement -  33.13  stashed 

Price/Yard YTD - $0.64 / yard

This was the last week of school with kids and that is always busy.  One day I was just too tired, but then other days I made myself work for just the 15 minutes and it was just what I needed.  I was pleased to get as much done as I did and hope that this summer brings more finishes.

Days spent on sewing related tasks this month: 23/25
Days spent on sewing related tasks this year: 23/25
Percentage of time on task: 96%

Linking up to QuiltPaintCreate and Life in Pieces to stay accountable.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

In the midst of working on two 60-hour professional development courses I decided to make a stuffed rabbit.  Not just any stuffed rabbit, but Edward Tulane.  In the spring our class was reading "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" and it seemed like having a "real" rabbit who changed as the book progressed would make it more interesting for the class.

Edward as himself.

Thankfully I found a rabbit panel at the thrift store just before I started looking at patterns.  Actually, the sewing helped keep my sanity during the early weeks of the courses as well.  The panel included a dress and pantaloons, which I used as a loose idea for the various changes of clothing for Edward.

Edward as Susanna

The pants made from a handkerchief was the most fun.  I used a real handkerchief!

Edward as Jangles

 The kids seemed to look forward to seeing what Edward would look like each day.  One little girl asked me if I re-colored the clothes each day.

Edward at the end of his journey

Fast forward to the end of the school year and I remade the dress to be the right color for the story and I found the book on CD at the book sale at the local library.

I hope next year's class enjoys him as much as this year's class.

I got it all packaged up and gifted Edward and his wardrobe and the CD set to my lead teacher as a thank you.  It is one of her favorites and seemed appropriate.

Linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict to share finishes.

Inspiration from an Unlikely Source

I have been trying to figure out what to work on as a Leader & Ender project.  I wanted to do something that was more intentional than just sewing squares together because I had a lot of them.  Although I have done that before and ended up with a beautiful quilt. 

X Marks the Spot in progress 

I have been looking at books and blogs and tutorials and nothing really jumped up and said, "Make me!"  Until tonight when I made myself sit down for 15 minutes of sewing.  It was a really, really long day with lots of extra stuff thrown in.  (The end of the school year is like that.)  I would normally be in bed at this time, but I was mindful of the fact that I had already taken a "day off" from sewing this week and I didn't want my numbers to go too low. 

BOM goal!

I took out the last BOM packs that I had since I knew they would be easy and would also get me working on that BOM UFO.  I had joined Jo over at Jo's Country Junction for her 2018 BOM Challenge and was able to keep up until I got a new job.  These were actually my sister's BOMs when she thought she wanted to make a quilt a million years ago - before she realized she could get me to make quilts for her! 

Anyways - I started sewing the block, which was super easy since it is precut and realized that that block would make a perfect Leader & Ender for me.  I have lots of random triangles of various sizes and random squares and plenty of strips if I run out of precuts.  So I think I will work on making up some kits of this block from my miscellaneous pieces and see where it leads.  As an added bonus, the BOM block instructions include the dimensions of each piece even though it is all precut.  So I don't even need to math it out!  Win Win!!

Stash Report 051919

Fabric In: Two weeks in a row I went to the Thrift Store and DID NOT buy fabric.  This week there was nothing much good for quilting and the little bit there was was overpriced.  Easy decision.  Whew!

Fabric Out: Just a little bit out for the sewing class at the library.  Gingham to practice sewing straight lines and also fabric for the pillow covers.  1.23 yards

Fabric Purchased Since Last Report - 0 yds
Fabric Purchased YTD - 46.20 yds

Free to Me Since Last Report - 0 yds
Free to Me YTD -  8.75 yds

Fabric Used Since Last Report - 1.23 yds
Fabric Used YTD - 19.82 yds

Fabric Movement -  35.13  stashed 

Price/Yard YTD - $0.64 / yard
Heading in the right direction - slowly, but surely.  I was sewing all week but just working on blocks and I can't count them out until I get all of the blocks done for that particular project.

I did well this week.  Just little bits most days, but I got 1 whole hexagon block finished and 2 of the 4/6 blocks.  Only one more whole block to go.  I need to work on a final layout to determine what last color I should include.  Those little bits of time do add up.

Dark green, gold, and turquoise are from this week!

Days spent on sewing related tasks this month: 17/18
Days spent on sewing related tasks this year: 17/18
Percentage of time on task: 94%

Linking up to QuiltPaintCreate and Life in Pieces to stay accountable.

Super Carnival Quilt

For the 6th year I made an auction signature quilt for Ms. D's class.  My idea this year was to make hour glass blocks as the alternating blocks in greens since that is her favorite color.

The weekend before I started making them I found a great piece of super hero fabric at the thrift store.  Perfect.  That could be the backing and borders.

On the same day, but at a different store I had found small cuts of bright solids which turned out to be the same colors as in the super hero fabric.

I quilted it with a bright variegated thread in double lines around the seams.  The quilt went together pretty quickly which was a good thing since I was still in the throes of 120 hours of professional development.  The kids loved it.

Linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict to show off finishes.

A Clean Table is a Happy Table!

I cleaned up the sewing room yesterday from Little S sleeping in there this weekend and in the process I got a few things prepped so that it is easier to sit down and work for 15 minutes without having to put too much thought into it. 

Because the table was mostly cleared off I didn't have much trouble making a bit more space to cut 3.5 yards of 72" wide felt.  I like it clean so maybe I will keep it this clean and find other places for the odds & ends that accumulate.

Thankful for a large surface. 

My lead teacher is changing the bulletin boards to have felt backings and it was so much easier to cut the felt to the right size on this giant table rather than with scissors in the classroom.

Oh, that it could stay this clean!

After I finished cutting I sewed up the hexagon I had prepped yesterday when I was cleaning!  Woo hoo!  The perfect project after a long day.   

The green hexagon joins its cousins.

With last night's cleaning & prepping and today's cutting & sewing I am going strong with the goal of something sewing related Every Day for the Month of May!