A seaweed, a coral, and a starfish...

 A seaweed, a coral, and a starfish...

Not bad for one day.

I really loved watching my progress today.

Back to the drawing board

 Back to the drawing board...

But at least this means continuing with my project and not starting over!

My Heartbeat and I have had two weeks of company at our house. We loved every minute of it. We did a lot of sight seeing and out of the house activities with our company. Now they've left and I get to go back to my sewing ☺️.

First project I'm going to work on is the Employee Challenge at my work. My boss had an idea of offering a Fat Quarter Bundle of the Month. We will be pulling some coordinating prints off the shelf. Displaying them for a period of time. Customers can order a Fat Quarter Bundle that will be ready for them at the end of the month.

Our first bundle was "beach" inspired.

In an attempt to inspire our customers to purchase a bundle, I had the idea of an Employee Challenge. Each of us will get a fat eighth and make our own quilt, using whatever piecing/quilting techniques we want. An opportunity to show what can be done with these colors.

It's harder than it looks!!

I have been going back and forth, changing my mind, about what I wanted to do with my pieces. We don't have the option of adding more of these fabrics to our project, it's limited and reserved for the customers! I suppose I could add from my stash or from the store, but I'm really trying to stay with the bundle.

I finally decided on an appliqued sea scene and I have to have a starfish.  Turtles are my favorite and would work with these colors, but the thought of a starfish isn't letting go! 

So, I made a background with gentle curve piecing. 

I'm feeling a little "meh"about it. But once I cut into that fabric there's no going back, no starting over. I'm completely committed to this piece now.

And so, today, my bedroom window is turned into a light box. My drawing is taped to the window and I'll start tracing the patterns onto the fabrics. 

My fingers crossed that my efforts get create something close to my vision!

Thanks for visiting. Wish me luck!!

Just a few stitches

There won't be a whole lot of stitching going on here. I have family visiting this week. 

But it's amazing how much can get done with a stitch here and a stitch there. It all adds up!!

Just a few more stitches to complete Block #3 for the store's applique Block of the Month.

Caught up! Laundry Basket Quilts' mystery 2021

 Day #9 of the Laundry Basket Quilts' mystery 2021.

I am caught up for a few hours!

Hopefully, I'll see you tomorrow ☺️. Thanks for stopping by!!

Burning both ends of the candle.

 

I finally put the binding on this little quilt that I made for a store sample.

The pattern is "Simple Pleasures" by Karen Arzamendi.

It's really a sweet pattern. If you enjoy many quilting techniques this might be the project to satisfy all your quilting cravings in one little work of art!

First piece the background. Then applique with whatever technique you prefer. Then add some embroidery for the fine details. And of course you can add any embellishments you can think of!! 

I finished mine with hand quilting but you can machine quilt or tie it with little embroidery thread tuffs or whatever!

Also, I only made the rabbit prefer but you could make a matching trio with the birds and flower vase that are also in the pattern.

......

I wonder if anyone believed that I would leave the center of my Bullseye as it was? My eye kept seeing the puckers that were in the point pieces. I just couldn't leave it like that. I unstitched and hand applique it. It's not perfect to but I feel it's much better than before.

Now I'm ready to move onto the second ring, as soon as I decide what colors!

Bullseye by Becky Goldsmith from Piece O'Cake Designs.

.........

I have gotten behind. . I've finished day #7. In just a few hours day #9 will be released.  I'll have to try to make both #8 and #9 tomorrow. 🤞I think I can do it! 

Laundry Basket Quilts' mystery 2021.

........

At work, quilts came back from the long armers today.  I had the joy of attaching the binding. I took pics so I could make a FB post on the store profile.

I love making these mitered corners. 

First, fold the binding out.

Then fold it back on itself and along the edge, making sure to make it square.

Then, stitch until you get to the next corner!

Also, at work... We are going to do a monthly Fat Quarter Bundle. Here's the first collection. Doris and I were inspired by a beach photo. Sign ups for the bundle will be open until May 20.

I feel I got a lot done today! Now time for some 💤's!

Mystery day #6

The Laundry Basket Quilts' Mystery 2021 ISD in progress. Edyta Sitar chose to do this mystery over a course of 12 consecutive days. Which I very much like. I also like that she decided not release a clue on Sundays. And I was able to completely catch up ☺️.

Here's my design wall with Day #6.

I did change the green fabric.

Just last Monday, my quilting friend Kim was sharing fabric she had gotten at an estate sale. She said she had to purchase a bag full of fabric. She couldn't pick and choose the pieces. She didn't want to keep the Christmas prints and was giving them to anyone that wanted Christmas prints. I wasn't in a rush to bring more scraps home, but there were two pieces left at the end of the evening and I kindly took them off her hands 🤣.

 It doesn't really look like Christmas fabric to me. I suppose those little red flowers could be poinsettias. Whether it is or isn't, it was perfect timing to fall into my hands. It's the perfect green I needed!!

Bullseye Workshop and the mystery continues

Today I joined some of Denton Quilt Guild members and took a Bullseye Quilt Workshop by Becky Goldsmith from Piece O' Cake Designs. Becky Goldsmith offers her classes at Creative Spark Online Learning. Here's the link for Bullseye, if you are interested.

Wow! I really enjoyed doing this. Taking a class while in my own sewing room was fantastic! I admit, I wasn't super prepared. I actually picked fabrics out for the center circle about 30 minutes before the Zoom meeting started. And the fabrics for the first ring weren't picked until I was ready to start that section! And about half way through class, I had technical trouble when my laptop ran out of battery. I had to run for an extension cord, but was back in class in just minutes.

I did miss some of the things that happen in an in-person classroom. I missed getting to know a fellow classmate that may have sat across from me. I missed the laughter and teasing and encouraging and ..... snacks 😋. And my favorite thing in a room full of quilters is the singing of sewing machines as everyone is trying to keep up with the instructor.

In the classroom, I do tend to be a bit behind schedule. I like to walk around the room and see my fellow classmate's choice of colors.  Because I was at home today, I stayed on task quite well 😄. All I had was me, my rotary cutter, my sewing machine... and no distractions! My Heartbeat even brought me lunch. He's so good to me!

  Looking at the quilt, it's intimidating to think about attempting something so complicated with a million pieces. 

Bullseye is a foundation paper pieced pattern. Becky Goldsmith walks you through everything, from thread choices to color selections to piecing. Today, I took one step at a time and was surprised at how easily and quickly it sewed together! And at one little pivot point, I am certain Becky taught me how to do magic!

I was already starting the first ring when I thought to get pics to show you. 

I truly believe making these units can get addicting.

The magic pivot was in putting these units together.

Soon I had the whole ring done!

The backside looked pretty cool.

Well, I need more practice putting the center circle in...

after 5 hours of sewing, I just wanted to get it done. I may have been a bit hasty here.

But it's not terrible. I don't have an urge to unstitch and do it over.... (k, not a really big urge 😋)

Thanks for the great workshop to Becky Goldsmith. I definitely recommend it!!

After a break for dinner, I was back in my sewing room.

Today is day 6 in Laundry Basket Quilts Mystery 2021. I had to catch up with day 5 and day 6. I don't have progress pics of day 5, but the blocks are in the end of day photo at the end of this update.

I do have to tell you about the day 6 blocks...

I chose this bright green with hearts. It's definitely a directional print.

However, I like the way it looks when the hearts are placed up and down. I decided to sew it like this...

But What??

good grief, I sewed it into a pinwheel 😏

I was so taken with how well the points turned out I didn't even notice my mistake until after I pressed the seam flat. It is a pretty pinwheel, isn't it? 😂

I corrected the block and placed it on the design board.

I may have made another mistake.  The green looks too bright to me.

The day has been long. It's been a great sewing day, very productive...

... and I'm ready to stop for now.

I'll have another look tomorrow, in the daylight, and make the necessary decisions then.

Good night! Sweet dreams.

Needle turning and mystery catch up .

Yesterday I blogged about back basting. Today the stitching continues with needle turning the raw edge under and stitching the applique fabric to the back ground with invisible stitches.

The basting stitches are taken out. Just a few at a time.

As the basting stitches are removed I use the needle to push the raw edge under.  Those basting stitches are the guide line, showing me where the seam line is and where I need to fold the fabric.

A view from the back shows the stitches are pretty much right on the traced pattern lines 😍

Sharp turns take extra care.

Using the needle tip to manipulate the seam allowance. It's too easy to fray that delicate point so it's gotta be done without too much fussing...

...and once you got it, hold it tight! get those stitches in quick! I don't want to have to fuss with tucking that corner again.

a couple of days ago I blogged about joining in the Laundry Basket Mystery quilt 2021.

This mystery is going to be over 12 days, minus Sundays. I started a couple days late, but as of tonight, I am caught up! Block #4 done! 

I am really enjoying this mystery. Thank you, Edyta Sitar from Laundry Basket Quilts!

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

Starting a Back Basting Applique

I work in a quilt shop. Out of the five quilters that work in the store, I am one that loves hand-stitching. I am gonna spread that hand-stitching love to anyone that is willing to join me in the joy of this slower paced quilting process!

My boss requested that we make an applique Block of the Month.  She chose a pattern from Laundry Basket Quilts and I am to pick fabrics for each month's kit. This BoM is scheduled to start in October '21. I don't think I'll be sharing progress photos of the finished blocks until closer to the start date. However, to keep my blog updates flowing, I'll sneak a technique post in here and there. 😉

The pattern is written for any applique technique. My favorite technique is back basting applique. The pattern is traced onto the backside of the background fabric. Special care must be taken to make sure the applique will be in the correct direction. That means, the pattern needs to be traced in the reverse so that it will be correct in the finished applique. If you were stitching letters, you wouldn't want your words to appear backwards.

After the pattern is traced onto the background, the applique fabric is pinned to the front of the background. Then basted on the stitch line from the back, exactly on the traced pattern. 

Using a thick contrasting color thread helps when the needle turning is started.

Be careful to have the applique fabric covering the piece you need. I pin from the back, using the pins to show me the area or I hold the piece up to the light to see the shadow of the applique fabric.

After the piece is basted, it can be trimmed. I am going to be stitching on this soon, so I'm trimming to the small seam allowance that will be turned under when stitching.  If I baste a lot of pieces or bigger pieces and I know that it's going to be handled a lot, I'll trim with a larger allowance and then trim again when ready to stitch down.

The first pieces to be basted are the ones that will have parts under other pieces. Here the blue flower buds have to be stitched down before the sepals can be basted on top of them. And stems will be placed over some of the leaf bases.

Ok, time to pack up. A hand stitcher's group comes into the store on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. That's tomorrow. This will be my project to work on. 

Thanks for dropping by! I hope to see you soon!

Who needs sleep anyway??

Yesterday, my Mom inquired about my blogging, or lack of... so here's a short update with hopes that I'll get into the blogging groove again...

So, the Laundry Basket Quilts mystery 2021 has started. I was totally unprepared. I didn't know about it until I saw Block #1 on my Instagram notifications.

However, I'm working on several quilt projects for work, I'm teaching two classes, and hand quilting a king sized quilt. I thought maybe I should skip this mystery...

Then I couldn't sleep...

 so I decided that I might as well be sewing... 😋

It's now 4:30 a.m.

And I'm in the middle of Laundry Basket's Block #2 clue. 😆

Edyta Sitar says the mystery is going to be over a course of 12 consecutive days! 

I am terrible at block of the month programs. Or even every week on goings. But I feel pretty good about sticking with a 12 day quilt top!

I'm choosing the rainbow color option and am determined to use only what's in my scrap stash, which really just means anything I have already even if it's yardage. This is going to be an exercise in color combinations for me. I'm hoping for the best but realize it might be a complete flop and I'm "OK" with that!!

But now I'm headed to bed. I should be able to drift off to sleep and be rested enough for Block #3 when I wake up!

Sweet dreams 😘.