Design Wall Monday Flying Geese Valentine Style

 

 

 

 

This pic is sideways as I could not get blogger to pick it

up as it was rotated in my picture file the right direction.

These Flying Geese finish out to 4X8. I have more to make

to get a good size twin quilt. I lined them up as you can see first

scattered then in rows of like kind.

 I believe rows of like kind is going to be how I decide to sew them.

The scattered geese had my eyes jumping all around.

 

It has been a long time since I have participated in Design Wall

Monday but hope to get back into it again and hold

my own feet to the fire and see some finishes

here in the year of 2014.

 

My husband became very ill around August of

2012 and was very blessed by a Gift Of Life Liver

Transplant  on May 2nd of 2013. That was almost

2 months after we lost our 8 year old grand daughter

in a car accident.  So I have not been doing the

greatest or have been extremely  busy and worn

to a frazzle. So I am trying to get back on

the track of creativity as therapy!!

So what do you all think Scrappy or Organized???

 

Wish that top pic was turned right side up!!!  

Design Wall Monday

Well the stack and whacks are on hold...or have been ignored

since the last Monday's post of them. So, I have picked up

a new project to start and it is in the new book about

borders, by Judy L. 

The blocks are 7 and 1/2 inches unfinished, the picture of the

quilt in the book is just beautiful. 

I love adding borders to my quilts that get to the finish line and

this book has a lot in it. It also shows you how to figure for

your borders to fit correctly. 

There is a little hint pic of what this quilt will look like on the

very right side of the front cover, if my health and time allows

it to get to the finish line.

Too, many WIPS at my house and not enough energy and

time!!  There are even more project in magazine

pages and my mind than there will be time!!

Are all quilters this way??

I envy you all that have no health problems

and can accomplish all you set out to do!!!

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Fibromyalgia just

flat sucks if I may say so!!

It gets in the way of my life...the life I had planned

and the one I am trying to live.

Done whining for now!

or until next time..............



Fabric and Burned Iron

Well, my design wall looks the same as it did in the last design

wall posting so I didn't want to bore you with that today,

  instead I will show you what I plan to have

on my design wall in weeks or months to come!!

I plan on taking the black and white fat quarters and cut more from the

bottom yards and make a Turning Twenty, believe it or not

I have never done one of those yet.  I think I have the pattern

and loaned it to my daughter in law, so will have to track it

down first.

 If you go back to my last posting you will see where one of my local quilt shops

went out of business due to the owner going into retirement....so she really

had some good sales this last week.  No time to sew, had to shop.

The above fabric I plan on doing a Rail Fence with the bottom three and

a small border of black Kona I already had on hand. Then one of the

shop teachers talked me into the plaid for the border, not sure on that

but will see how it looks after the rail fence is done.

 There were some really good buys going on so I had to build up on some backing and

some stash fabric as I told myself I would never be able to find fabric again at the price

they were going for in the shop's closing sale.  So I indulged a little too much.  I don't know

what I will do with the wild flower fabric....just really liked it!!

 I did plan on trying to get more stack and whack blocks done for my wall and

this is how it started.  I sewed some and then plugged in the iron and left the room.

I returned and it smelled funny so I thought I better set it on the ironing board before

setting my seams and it was on there just a touch and the smoke rolled!!!!

I am so glad I didn't touch my fabric with it as I had purchased it late last

summer and just got enough to do my project. If I had burned that

block I don't know how I would have replaced that fabric!

The iron hit the trash sack, actually I threw it on the ground first then went

back and got it.  The thing was stinking up the sewing room!!

I still can't believe it heated up that hot in such a short time.

Glad I didn't leave it on and walk off for very long, it had one of those

deals where it turns itself off after a certain amount of time...but

after this blow up doubt that was working.

Stack and Whack Blocks

Well, these block seem to boggle my mind.  I have to

really pay attention to what I am doing.  I love

the Stack and Whack quilts I have seen, and everyone

says they are fun to do!!

I think they are a little bit complicated, but then maybe after

you do a few more they get easier.  I plan to do 8 of these

blocks and make a couch throw for my Mom's apartment.

I love how they remind me of those little kaleidoscopes we had when

we were kids back in the day.  Those were so fun to play with, you

never did know what design you would end up with.  I was always

trying to turn it and get the same one to show up twice.

This is just a beautiful one a lady from my guild made...

Kay W. from Stitch in Time, this thing is a California

King Size....and I am worrying about doing 8 blocks?

Then again I have the energy challenge (CFS) that likes

to dictate when and how much I do.

If you have the patience they sure do make beautiful quilts.

Design Wall Monday....Round Robin

The quilt guild I go to is doing another Round Robin Quilt exchange.

This is the one I drew at the last meeting.

I absolutely love all the brights in this.

Today I am working on surrounding it with lime green

and white nine patches that will be 6 inch when sewn in.

I will break up the nine patches by adding a few white

strips in between on each side.

The next border added by the person drawing it will be

the last border. Next meeting we get to take home our original one.

I love these quilts ...as long as folks keep them square.

Well, this one doesn't look too square but that is just

the way it is sagging on the back of the table cloth hung on

my wall!!

I would love to own this quilt ....but I say that about

all the Round Robin Quilts I work on...you get attached to

them. Some of my favorite quilts are these kind.

More Soaking than Sewing This Last Week

I spotted two old quilts at an antique store in my home town a couple

months ago and went back last week and they were still there!! I

usually do not go into antique stores but was with a friend and

had some time to kill and wondered on in....boy I am glad I did.

I kept thinking about these quilts but knew I had more important

things to do with any spare cash in our budget (dentist).

The prices were kinda high in my opinion as they were around

twin size. The Wedding Ring smaller with stains and needing

some repair.

My son went back in later and was able to get these both for me for $140!!! Maybe that was too much, but I love them and love that my son showed the kindness and love to do that for me....as quilts go...he doesn't get too excited. Now if they were old guns, it would have been a different story altogether with him. So this week I spent 3 days soaking the white one in a product I found called Retro Clean. I don't have an after pic of it yet but it really worked. The yellow one I just soaked in Tide as I did not have enough of the Retro Clean to do both and the store I bought it at is about 45 minutes away from here. I put this quilt in a clear tub and added the mixture and soaked it out in the sun on the deck for almost 3 days. I would go out and stir it and lift it around and the Retro Clean really did work. There is only one tiny yellowish spot left on it. I covered my plastic tub with chicken wire as I was afraid my outside cat would try to drink it!! The above pic is after the the Tide soak. It cleaned up pretty good. All the Dresden plates are of old original feed sack material. I am not sure how old these are as the guy in the store purchased them at a sale and had no background on them. Isn't it sad that some family member spent so much time on them and they are not passed down in her family? Oh, well, I love them and appreciate her work!! I wish they had been labeled...reminder to self to get on that task. So instead of a design wall I am sharing a soaking deck!!! If you have any ideas on how old you think these may be feel free to comment!! If you have any stained fabric or quilts that need cleaning I would highly reccomend the Retro Clean.

Design Wall Monday

I actually finished this top in 2010.

I got the backing made for it

and after a good ironing it will be

ready for the quilter.

I love this little cat block I made for

the 3 1/2 inchers I am still plodding through. There are now 60 of the 4 x 8 flying geese. I also need to get my Dessert BOM and my Thangles- Buck a Block finished. The first Saturday of March new ones will be ready to pick up. I am really close now.....259 of the 9 Patches!!! I am so glad the sun is shining today. I believe I will get in the car and go up to the quilt shop and buy my white fabric to set these 9 patches on point.

Design Wall Monday

I am gaining little by little! There are

now 52 flying geese and I need 38 more.I have made 232 of the 3 1/2 Nine Patches

and need 38 more. Don't have much to say today....it is a CFS day. I plan to try to get some resting done and then maybe I will have some energy to do some sewing .....and laundry.

Design Wall Monday

This quilt is the new block of the month

project for 2011 at Kountry Kin Quilt Shop.

I really liked this one so I went

ahead and signed up.

I know I do not really need another project, but

what's one block a month to get done? The coffee cup is February's block, I picked my baggie up and will finish it before the months up. Below I have January's block finished...it is called chocolate cake. The owner has done a great job picking out all the colors to go in this quilt. She had two chocolate cakes made and ready to serve Saturday when everyone went to pick up their next block and instructions. Now to the design wall........this week I spent my quilting energy on my Valentine 8x4 inch flying geese blocks. They are fun to make and go rather quickly compared to my little 9 patch rascals!

Nine patch count is up to...... 204 down and

66 to go. Yeah, I have made it over the

200 mark!!!!

I have 48 flying geese blocks done

and 42 to go for my

Valentines Day Quilt! HAPPY VALENTINE DAY!!!

Design Wall Monday

These Flying Geese blocks are 4 x 8 inches. I saw

this Valentine fabric at Wal Mart and it was pretty

good quality so I bought about 4 yards

and am going to do one of

Eleanor Burns' patterns of a Flying Geese Quilt.

Probably just a couch throw size ...nothing too big. See those middle blocks that are the little heart candies?

Remember when we would trade cards when we

were kids in school and get those? I liked to get them but

sure didn't like how they tasted....and still don't.

The count for the 9 patches this week is.....

195 down and 75 to go!!! I saw this little guy yesterday....you can barely see the red on his head. I spotted a large red headed wood pecker earlier in the day and by the time I went and got my camera he flew off....I probably scared him when I hopped up out of my chair. I need to keep the camera by the sewing machine.

Design Wall Monday

A friend made this cars quilt and showed it at the last guild meeting.

She said it was fast and she made it in one evening.

It would make a little boy's quilt or a bigger boy's

quilt. So bright and colorful.This weeks count on the nine patches is

156 down and 140 to go. Not a very productive week but am pleased to have some progress!! Has anyone ever started thyroid medicine for hypothyroidism? That's the path I am on this week and don't look forward to a new med added to the ones I am on....they gave me Synthroid. Well we are under a blizzard warning....don't think I have ever seen that here in SW Missouri. The front porch is already like an ice skating rink!! I think we're in for it but good for the next 2 days.

Design Wall Monday

The quilt guild that I belong to makes quilts to give

to families that loose their homes to fire and they are

running short on quilts right now. This week I put

together these 12 1/2 inch blocks, I hope to add

a few more, and donate them to the club's block stash.

Finally got January's two Buck a Blocks picked up

pieced and the star points added.

The count on the 3 1/2 inch squares are now up to

134......that is 1 away from being half way there!

134 down and 136 to go

Design Wall Monday

I have made it to 100 on the little 9 Patches!!!!170 more to go....and then all the little 3 1/2 inch

squares to set these on point...238 of them.

Design Wall Monday...Pink Churn Dash

I got the other antique Churn Dash quilt top out

and went over it and put pins in where I need to do

some repairs. I plan to get those done today while the snow is

falling outside the window by my sewing table!! Other than

a few falling fine flakes this is our first snow of the new year.I got the star points made and sewn on the

buck a blocks. I still need to pick up

the January set at the shop.

The batch of 3 1/2 inch 9 patches have

grown a little this last week.

I had 54 last week now there are 72. Still a ways to go to get to 270 but little by little I will get there. I feel like I am getting a head cold and really don't need that. I find it hard to sew if my head is hurting. If something else is hurting usually sitting down at the machine will take my mind off of it....but not when it is my head.

Design Wall Monday

If you are looking for a lot of new progress you might want to pass

on me and go to the next wall!! But, if you take time to look you will

see that my 9 patches have gone from 24 last Monday

to 54 this Monday! With my energy level very low

this week after Christmas ....that's some accomplishment.In keeping it real here at the first Monday

of the New Year .....this shows the

wall as it is. I should be getting the

next two black and white Buck a Blocks

this week if I make it to the shop.

I think it is two each month starting

in January.

As you can see I did not get my Christmas wall hanging

finished. I did get it squared up a little better

and worked on the back of those pinwheels.

I'll tell you, when working on the backs of those

I can sure tell it was my first project....they

did not fan out hardly at all....needed one

of those whack it hammers I have seen to

flatten them out. With poking and picking with

the seam ripper and iron I got them smashed

as flat as they are going to go. I am not really sure how I am going to quilt

this, stipple would be good but I don't do that

very well yet.

One reason besides time and energy that I did

not get it finished was that the backing I had

bought for it was not enough. So today

I dug around in my totes and found this

Santa fabric and I think it will work pretty good.

Happy New Year!

Design Wall Monday

I added 16 more 3 1/2 inch blocks to the wall this week.

Ok, that is 24 down and 246 to go to get to the

270 I need, to set on point, for

this pattern that makes a finished quilt that

is 75 1/2 by 92!!It is getting easier to make the small nine patches

but they are harder to do than the 6 1/2 ones I usually

have as an ongoing project.

If any of you have the McCall's America Loves Scrap Quilts magazine ...Winter 2010/2011....this quilt I want

to do is on page 42.

It is called Nine Patch Fondant.

Design Wall Monday

If you want to see what my design wall looks like

today just pull up last Monday and that's it!

I decided just to take a picture of the quilt

I have hanging on the wall instead.

I hang this every year the day after Thanksgiving and

usually leave it up till February.

I took it down the last day of February this year

but I guess I should have left it up as we

had a big snow on the 2oth of March. MERRY CHRISTMAS design wall Monday posters!

Design Wall Monday

The month was October, the year was 2005, when

I saw a finished sample of this Christmas table runner hanging

outside of the quilt shop advertising a sewing class to

make one for yourself.

I went in and signed up and here is the table runner

I made.....crooked, missed points, mistakes and all.!!

I decided to dig it out last week and try to get

it finished. I am going to leave it with

all the imperfections and enjoy it the way it turned out.

I bought some green to back it with and at the class she

gave us some of the red for the binding.

I am so glad I took that class, it was

fun and it got me hooked on quilting!!

Remember those black and white Buck a Blocks I

posted last Monday? Here is a pic of a few of

them in the quilt on display at the shop. I think

when I finish my blocks I am going to put

white on the outside of the red star points to

make it less busy looking.