Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Designing an Autumn Floor Quilt

We have enjoyed having a floor quilt at our front door.
I bought 3 kits and took a class at The Sewing House with the designer of the kits.
The floor quilts work well with the seasons: winter, spring, & summer.

I needed to make one for autumn.


I wanted a sunflower, pumpkin, crow and cornstalk.


I looked at online quilt designs and open source line drawings.


I realized cornstalks have a tasseled top.


The crow needed a place to perch.


On the pumpkin or ground?


I liked the cornstalk in the middle.


The pumpkin needed a leaf.


I appliquéd the stems down first.
All the pieces except the stems have double sided fusible.


The stitching holds the stems in place.


Next I outlined the leaves and flower.


I was very pleased with the leaves on the corn.
I fused triangles of green fabric, then cut the leaf shape.
The leftover fabric was perfect for the top tassel.


The crow is made from overlapping scraps.
I might add an eye (white or yellow).


All parts are stitched down.


I played thread chicken with the heavy top thread.


Barely made it!

Now I have to quilt and bind.

Happy Sewing!





 

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Delta Fair Ribbons

Today I volunteered at our quilt guild's table at the Delta Fair.
I took some hand quilting but mostly we sat and talked.
Of course I had to check on my entries, too.
I received three 3rd place ribbons and one 2nd place.


It is hard to get a good photo because the smaller pieces are layered in glass cases.


I was really surprised to get a ribbon on the mug rug above.


This one was hard to spot because I was looking for a long wall hanging and it was folded up on a shelf.


Super surprised to get a 2nd place on this one.
I wasn't sure it was really finished.


Game Night (top right) wasn't a winner but I'm glad I made it.


The competition was stiff in the category that included my paper pieced tea quilt.


I'm close to finishing another nap quilt for this boy.
He is too tall for the first one.
I'll share it soon.

Happy sewing!







 

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Secret Sewing Finished

I have been working on this mini for our guild quilt challenge.
It will also go to the exhibit at the Cotton Museum and the quilt show at Davies Manor.


I hand quilted in the sashing and stitched decorative embroidery/quilting around each bird.
I couldn't share it before the UTQG meeting last Tuesday.
Our mini quilts were displayed and everyone voted for their favorite.

In other crafting busyness -
I worked on these backpack tags for my grandsons in NYC.
I used my metal stamping supplies and bought some charms to add interest.


I have a list of other sewing but no photos yet.





 

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Ornaments, bags, bingo, & color theory

The last few weeks my sewing has been a mix of small projects and detours.


I worked on ornaments for MAMQG's holiday tree at the Pink Palace.
We don't know if we will get to decorate a tree but we want to be ready.
I will show more in another post.


For two weeks I played quilt bingo with Mississippi Quilt Association's Facebook group.


I made a block for this charity quilt.


The detour was into bag making.
I enlarged the Alpen Bag but it didn't turn out the way I planned. 


It is a sturdy, boxy bag about the size of a shoe box.


It now contains all my threads and needles for Tinsel - still a work in progress.


I made a handle out of a bandana.
It works great and I like the look.


I'm working on a presentation on Color Theory for UTQG.
I want to make it very interactive for our guild members.


This morning I took these quilts and wall hangings to the Delta Fair.
They were entered in the craft section of the fair.


That's all for now.

Happy Sewing!



 

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Finished top & 4 year old's birthday present

The original Indiglow pattern finished at 54" square.


I added a row of checkerboard blocks on the top and bottom.


Somehow I cut too many blocks from one fabric 
so I used them and other scraps to make the extra rows.
Now it measures 54" X 65"
I pieced a back and hope to get the quilt basted this week. 
I plan to hand quilt it.


Our youngest grandson will be 4 soon.
I bought this cute campfire softee panel.
He loves to play pretend and has a tent for indoor camping.


Now he will be ready to make S'mores and cook a hot dog and fish over the fire. 


To help with clean up I made a drawstring bag that holds all the pieces.


Now the hardest part is waiting to show him.

Happy Sewing!



 

Monday, July 29, 2024

Quilt finish posted on my other blog

This week end I finished a quilt.
Wrote all about it on my blog: Wanna be Writer's Reading. here


I'm working on a presentation about color theory for quilters. 
I hope it will be fun for my quilt group.

I'm also working on adding some  borders on my paper pieced top.

Happy Sewing!

 

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Catching Up

Sewing has been happening here but not any finishes.
I have been making oopsie blocks from Bonnie Hunter's 2023 leaders & enders.
When I put them together I found that I made two different directions of blocks.
Oopsie!


I used scraps and tried out the paisley above as sashing.
Then I decided to use the flowers on white below instead.


The top and bottom sections are twirling one way and the middle section twirls the other way.
I don't think it will be too noticeable with sashing between the sections.
When I finish this it will be donated to our guild's charity quilt program. 


Most of the time I finish one project before starting another. Gotham Quilt Shop
offered a free pattern, Indiglow, that used blue and white fabric, 
paper-pieced, square in a square in a square.


I have been saving a stash of blue and white fat quarters. 
A couple of fat quarters had Japanese children in traditional dress playing.
I fussy cut those to be the light blocks.


There are 81 paper pieced 6.5 inch blocks.
I am almost finished sewing them.


The pattern finishes at 54 inches square. 
I may add top and bottom borders to make a large lap quilt.


The week of July 4th we had a fun vacation in Colorado with our son's family.

Happy Sewing!