Marking a quilt

Woke this morning with creative juices flowing!

Finally hit upon an idea on how to quilt my 

applique / sashiko quilt!

This has stymied me for some time now…

but this morning things seemed to start to fall into place!

Since my quilting is done on a domestic Janome 6600

I like to mark my quilts before sandwiching.

Gives me a sense of direction on exactly 

where the quilting needs to go, and if it will fit!

Using simple tools the areas are marked

with a Clover fine White Marking Pen

(my favorite for marking dark fabric!)

Finally found a good use for this crazy looking tool!

The Quilter's Resource Measuring Gauge

helps me draw my Big circles!

It just a guide to ensure the design will fit

once the quilting begins I will most likely

use a walking foot 

and that will give  more accurate measurements

Found this awesome stencil in my travels,

and it is perfect for drawing the circles!

The Hole Thing by Creative Grids

the circles ranging from 1/4" to 3"

all on one sheet!!

LOVE IT!

Since I'm not that confident in my feathers

Fon's and Porter has created a fabulous tool the 

"Fine Feathers Templates"

the feathers ranging from 1" to 2.5"

along with a circle template.

LOVE IT!!

Love it when the tools make life a bit easier!

Here is the label I designed for the quilt

Might have to change the end date to 2016!

Not sure I'll finish the quilting before the end of the year!

It usually takes me a few months to quilt a quilt,

like to take my time, 

shoulders will only let me quilt for so long,

and major family obligations!

Huge Thank You to Sylvia Pippen who designed this 

spectacular quilt!

Can't wait to finish the marking phase

and Jump into QUILTING!!

Sewing Room Chaos!

Leading up to the Silver City Guild's Quilt Show

everything was dumped into my sewing room!

Fabric, Books, Patterns, Ideas, WIP's

You name it - it was dumped in this room!

Al thought there is some sense of order…

the fabric and books are neatly stacked!

Ignore the fabric falling out of the closet,

the three WIP hanging on the closet doors,

the appliqué and sashiko quilt that's waiting to be marked

but is buried under another project!

Is it just me?

or does your sewing room get like this!?

This week's task at hand…

Clean and Reorganize!

Hmmm … any good movies on right now?!

"Winter Days in Shades of Taupe" in a magazine!

Just picked up the latest issue of

Quilter's Newsletter…

and opened it up to find

"Winter Days in Shades of Taupe"

 on page 9!!

The article featured the top winners from

Home Machine Quilting & Sewing show

held last May in Utah

"Winter Days" won first place for Embroidery!

Holy Moly!

Unbelievable!!

Silver City Quilt Show … Best of Show

Silver City Quilt Guild

is having it's 5th biennial quilt show this weekend

and my

"Winter Days in Shade of Taupe"

WON BEST of SHOW!

our judge was Pat Harrison

she is a NQA Certified Master Quilt Judge.

It was quite an honor to win Best of Show this year

as there war so many fabulous quilts in the judging room.

My red quilt "Funky Garden on Red"

won BOS in 2013!!!

Two shows in a row! Pinch Me!!

"A Day at the Beach"

 Won second place in the Judged "Other" division

"Sashiko Table Topper"

Won First Place in the Judged "Other" Division

and

"Exemplary Hand Quilting" in the Judged Division

My son Matt paid me a visit at the show
and My daughter Victoria sent me a Congratulations
text from Corpus Christi (miss her so much!)
Hubby - he went fishing!!
But gave me a hug and kiss when he got him!!

All in all it was a GREAT day!!!!

More quilting around embroidery!

Slow progress is being made!

The sashing and boarders are done...

now it's time to quilt around the embroidery!

Slowly!

Here is a close up

you can see where I have stitched 

in white thread going up the leg.

My Janome 6600 is Loving

White Aurifil 50/2 #2024

Using the Sharon Schamber's

"Quilting Halo" really helps!

Here is a good close up

of the stitching

Just a few more blocks to go…

then it's time to make the piped binding using

Sue Cleveland's "Groovin' Piping Trimming Tool"

and then this way cute label!!

Just in time for the 

Silver City 2015 Quilt Show!!
September 19th and 20th.

Can't wait!!

AQS Syracuse

Just saw the winners list from

AQS Quilt Week in Syracuse …

"Funky Garden on Red"

earned an Honorable Mention!

Yippee!

Took a ride to a Quilt Shop

The day started out with a quick trip to have 

my car serviced for routine maintenance…

Perfect time to get in a little Sashiko stitching!

Making good progress on this block

It is a great take along project,

easy to handle without a lot of moving parts!

Fabric, thread and a needle!

Love it!

Then I decided to jump on the highway and zip

(45 minute zip!)

to Heart in Hands Quilt shop in Weymouth Ma

to pick up a Row by Row pattern and License plate

and a few other things!

Just loved Melody Miller's 2014 Cotton + Steel

mint green with flowers and gold dots!

Think it will make a lovely little zippy bag!

And Thimble Blossoms "Swoon Sixteen"!!

Haven't made "Swoon" yet …

but that's ok..

now I can make Both of them..

eventually!

Plus I picked up four 2.5" squares of

 "The Boat House" by Sweetwater

which will look perfect with

Basicgrey / Grunge by Moda

and a yummy steel grey fabric that I was 

able to get the last yard of!!

OH the glass Button!

She's just a beauty!

Thinking it will look smashing on a Bag flap!

Will have to hunt through my stash for the perfect fabric

to make a spiffy bag!

It was a great little zip trip to the quilt shop!

July … Life and Quilts (and it's dilemmas!)

Love my new Sewing room clock!

It is just the cutest thing!

Check out Yankee Ingenuity in Chatham Ma

It is the Coolest shop!

Working on my guild challenge quilt

for our show in September!

After stitching …. forever 

thinking things were going along just ducky

I ran into thing unfortunate issue

puckers and pleats - OMG!

Apparently this quilter was not paying enough

attention to the fabric grain when quilting

UGH!

So I tried a few other designs

none of which is too pleasing to me

There in lies the dilemma…

massive frog stitching …. OR …. just start the whole thing over

and use this piece as a practice tool???

What would you do?

This quilting fiasco aside,

a trip to Corpus Christi Texas was next!!

Where this sweet thing picked me up at the airport!

Victoria

and once to her apartment I received LOTS of

loving from this cutie pie!

Stella

Of course there was shopping involved!

Had to pick up a pair of official cowgirl boots!!

and picked up these beauties for

Victoria's birthday!

We drove up to Houston to visit her boyfriend and

the Houston Museum of Natural History!

Great day!

and of course there was Quilt Shopping along the way!

Had to pick up a few Row by Row 

patterns, license plates and fabric!!

and still thinking of my challenge quilt dilemma

I picked up a yard of this beautiful

Caryl Bryer Fallert - Essentials

Just in case I decided to remake the quilt!!

still haven't made that decision!

Once home

it's back to work making quilting design choices for this quilt

came up with clouds and seagulls floating

over these cute whales

for the outer boarder

Can you see the markings?

I tries pink and yellow

neither of which is great!

maybe I'll just quilt over the Golden Threads

and spend an evening picking out all the paper pieces?

Another dilemma!!!

I have no problem making the quilt top or quilting it
(all though more practice is needed in that category!)
It's the whole coming up with a perfect quilting design and
then transferring it on to the quilt that always
cause me distress!!

That's it … it's 91 degrees time for a swim in the pool!
Maybe that will clear my head
and all of my Quilty Dilemmas will quilt away!!

Until next time, Happy Quilting!

Flowers and a walking foot!

 This was the week of "Retirement" Flowers!!

Joan gave me these beauties 

and my Sister and Brother-in-law
sent me this Huge bouquet.
Love the Bird of Paradise flower
they are one of my favorites

The house smells wonderful with all the flowers!
I'm a lucky Girl!

Today I'm working with my Janome Even feed foot
it's been a while since I've done straight lines
not so easy when your a bit rusty!

This quilt is for the SCQG Show challenge..

"50 Shades of …. Purple"!!!

I figure it's a good practice piece for straight lines

and a little free motion in between!

Using two layers of wool batting…

again this is a good practice piece to test out

working with two layers…

it's a bit puffy!!

And yes my blue wash away marker bleed out a bit…

crossing my fingers it will all wash out

during the final rinse and block.

Again this is a good practice piece!!

We'll see how it all works out!

Have to get cracking - have 3 other quilts to quilt by
show time! September 19th and 20th!!!
One BIG one, one small one and one small one by hand!!
Good thing I'm retired now!!!!

Almost retirement time!!

Just FOUR more school days and I can wear this t-shirt!!

Yup!

Then I'll be home full time to spend more time 

with this little lady!

My Mom!

and maybe I can sneak in a bit more Quilting!!

Working on quilting my challenge quilt

for the Sept 19th and 20th Silver City Quilt Guild Show!
Hope to see you there!!

Pin Basting

spent the afternoon pin basting a baby quilt

started with this group of fabrics

it's for my nephew's baby boy

who was born last week…

hope they like it!!

On to Syracuse ....

Just received word 

That my quilt

"Funky Garden on Red"

Has been accepted into

AQS Quiltweek Syracuse!!

Yippee! 

La Passaccglia ….I've been bitten by the bug!

Guess what arrived today!!!???

opened up my package from Paper Pieces LLC

and out popped 

Millefiori Quilts by Willyne Hammerstein

starter packet of paper pieces

and templates!

I've been bitten by the La Passaccglia Bug!!!

Quilting designs ….?

SCQG challenge for the show is…

"50 Shades of …. Purple!"

spent the last few days designing my quilting…

think I've come up with something??

Thank Goodness for 

Water Erasable Fabric Marking Pens!

Love using them to draw on my quilts to figure out

just what I want to do …

don't like it?

Easy … spritz with water!

If the marking is heavy…

may need two spritzes!!

Have never had any issue with the 

blue not disappearing when spritzed with water.

Give it a try.

HMQS - "Winter Days in Shades of Taupe" wins a Ribbon!

"Winter Days in Shades of Taupe"

won a First Place Ribbon

in the Embroidery Category

at the

Home Machine Quilting Show!!

This quilt was pure joy to embroider, piece and quilt!

and now she's wearing a Ribbon!

Unbelievable!

Working on a baby quilt this weekend,

with these ways too cute fabrics

and solid coordinates!

The fabrics is "Robotic"

a Rebekah Ginda Design for Birch fabrics

My nephew and his wife are having their second child…

and it's a boy! They have a 2+ year old cutie pie girl already!

These fabrics are perfect as my nephew is a chemist and

his wife has her masters in Library … oops I forgot!!

anyway she deals with a lot of books!!

and what little boy doesn't love robots!!

The colors are way out of my usual color scheme

but they are just such fun to work with!