First, a photo of all the sunflower seeds I got from the first set of heads. I have another group of flower heads that I will try to get processed this week. This is my first try at this. I think it would have been better if I let the heads on the stalk a bit longer, but they still turned out pretty good.
I had a wonderful time at the Georgia Quilt Show. So many beautiful quilts to see! I took very informative, interesting classes from both Victoria Findley Wolfe, and Ebony Love.
I am generally a late adopter, but I will probably get some kind of die cutter eventually. Ebony Love gave us lots of information to help us compare and contrast the various options.
I got almost 2 blocks made in Victoria Findley Wolfe's class. I really enjoyed learning about her technique-very freeing.
When I got home I really had the urge to sew something, but I was too tired to try to start machine quilting the pineapple block, or put the borders on the T shirt quilt, so what did I do? I started a new quilt!
Remember this fabric?
I love this fabric. It is organic cotton from honeybegood.com The designer is Harmony Art, and it is 110" wide!
I knew that I wanted to fussy cut those motifs and do something around or in between them. Between watching Bonnie Hunter do all of her Crumb piecing, and taking that class with Victoria Findley Wolfe, I got an idea. I pulled out my "small bit" bin, and started piecing on strips of telephone book paper.
That rotary cutter has a yarn tale to remind me that is the rotary cutter with the old blade I save my old rotary cutter blades and use the to cut paper. It works quite well.
After some playing, I came up with this block:
Now quite as free form as Victoria Findley Wolfe's blocks, but more free form than I had originally planned. I had thought that I would use all greens, or at least only cool colors with this, but I really like the warmer colors in the mix. Right now, I am thinking about a whole quilt of these blocks with fairly narrow sashing of the striped fabric.
I will have to set this aside for a little while, and get back to more urgent matters, but it sure was fun doing some playing! I am sure I will get back to it eventually.
Oh, BTW I won my tennis match last weekend, but this weekend- not so much. Better luck next time.
That is what I have been up to this week. Don't forget to check in with patchworktimes.com to see what other quilters have been up to. Thanks for stopping by!
The blocks are sewn together.
It is spray basted and ready to quilt.
The weather here is slowly getting a bit more autumn like. I think the high today was low 80s. A great day to for our community garden workday. It felt so nice.
We cut all of the sunflowers down. I have a big pot of sunflower seeds sitting in salt water in the kitchen. They will soak for 24 hours before I dry them and, bake them for a half hour at 300. There is a lot of instruction on this on the internet. Isn't it great how you can learn to do so many things on the internet?
Tomorrow I have a tennis match. It wasn't really my turn to play, but I have to sub in for some one else. It is supposed to be pleasant again tomorrow, and I am really looking forward to playing in the cooler temperatures.
I am busily working away on a rug too, so it be a few days before I can quilt the pineapple piece.
Hope your weekend is going well. Thanks for stopping by!
This week, I put my blue and green quilt on the back burner. I felt like I needed to get these pineapple blocks finished since they are a class sample for a class I am teaching later this fall. Mission accomplished.
Tomorrow, I am going to a group sew with some friends. That sounds like a perfect time to get the paper off of the back, and get these blocks sewn together. I plan to machine quilt this myself. That is unusual for me. I usually make large quilts, then send them out to be quilted, but I wanted a smaller Pineapple quilt so people taking the class would have a smaller design to work on if they wanted. If I am going to do that kind of thing, I am going to have to learn how to quilt these smaller items myself. Most of you have already seen the large class sample but I will add it again for the benefit of any newcomers.
So that is what I did with my sewing time this week. I know there will be many inspiring things that you won't want to miss seeing at patchworktimes.com
Thanks for stopping by!
Finally! After many months, there is something on my design wall to share! I barely remember how to do these "linky" things, it's been so long. I think many months ago I shared this drawing.
The blocks are finally finished, and up on the design wall.
I struggle with how to photograph things on my design wall since there is a big weaving loom in front of it. But, alas, it is the only large blank wall in the house. Here is a shot from the side.
I also have a smaller project on another design wall. This will be repetitious for anyone who has read my blog lately. Sorry for that.
I am teaching beginning paper piecing with the pineapple block in a couple of places locally in the next few months. This is my sample quilt.
I thought it would be nice for my students to have the option of starting a project that didn't have 80 blocks, so I designed this on my EQ.
I have 5 blocks completed, except for the corners. I think I would prefer to choose the colors of the corners later, after I have all of the blocks finished. I only have the first few rounds on the other 4 block, so they don't look like much yet. This is what I have so far.
Well, that is what I have been up to. I have been so looking forward to participating in Design Wall Monday at www.patchworktimes.com for awhile now. Check it out. There are always a wide variety of interesting projects to see.
I hope you are having a fun holiday weekend. Thanks for stopping by!
Another rug finished, and I have a few days before the next rug needs to go on the loom; so I have been working on the pineapple blocks for my class sample. I showed my drawing, and the full quilt class sample in the very last post, so I won't add it again here. I wanted to give the students the choice of working on a smaller project if they chose, since the quilt has 80 blocks. This sample has only 9 blocks. I have 5 of them done so far.
Four blocks to go. I hope to finish them this weekend.
I had started with this block.
I started over because I decided to make it scrappier, and use a different print in each corner. I am happier with the scrappier version. I usually find that I prefer more variety.
I am also about 75 percent finished with the T-shirt quilt. Two days ago, I put about 6 or 7 items on my Etsy site that I have been meaning to post for months.
I have all of my blocks for this quilt finished and trimmed. I want to get them arranged on the design wall this weekend too. It would be so nice to get another top done.
I can't wait to see these blocks up on the design wall. Finally, I will have something to post for Design Wall Monday, at Patchwork Times. I have not had anything I could share on my design wall for months!
I hope all is well with you all, and you get to do something that you really enjoy this holiday weekend. Thanks for stopping by!
This will make more sense if I remind you that I live in Georgia. Yesterday, I was running errands. It was 4pm when I drove by the bank and saw the temperature reading at 63 degrees! At 4pm on August 16th!? It sure is beginning to feel like fall around here, but, I know it won't last. A friend of mine told me today that it feels like she should be planning her Thanksgiving dinner! Crazy,crazy.
I am scheduled to teach paper piecing using the pineapple block this October 26th at A Scarlet Thread in McDonough, and November 2nd at the Spirited Quilters in Duluth, and again at Hot Springs Village, Arkansa in March of 2014. Here is a photo of the quilt:
I thought it would be nice to come up with a design that uses less blocks, but involves the same principles for those who prefer not to make a commitment to doing a 90" quilt with 80 blocks. So, I designed this:
Only 9 blocks.
I have started making the sample for that.
I am thinking I will start over, and use a different print on each side of the center.
I was reading at The Quilting Edge Blog where she was showing photos of her messy work space. I turned from my Ironing board and saw this:
EEEK! Oh well-the cost of creativity.
Back to sewing. I hope you are able to have some fun in your sewing room this chilly, rainy weekend. Thanks for stopping by!
This week I have been setting up my loom for the next rug, I shipped the Doubler Star ll quilt,
Since finishing that quilt, I have spent most of my quilting time getting T shirts ready for a T shirt quilt. I am reluctant to show that quilt since it is meant to be a surprise for someone local.
So, I will show you photographs of my first chicken pincushion. I made this for a friends birthday. She seemed to really like it. This friend is not a quilter, but is a fabulous seamstress, and I wanted to make a nice large, functional pincushion. After I stuffed it, I wished that I had made the beak a bit larger. I will know better next time. I used scraps from my days of weaving scarves and blankets, so this is made from hand dyed, handwoven fabric. I plan to make more for our fall show.
Well, that is what I have been up to. I hope all is well with you guys. Thanks for stopping by!
