bits and pieces

can't say too much about this latest work in progress...other than it is yet another white rabbit...and it's a surprise for someone...so i won't say much...but just show you where i'm at...thankfully i have a week or two to get this one done (not just a day or two)...and when it's all done and been gifted...i'll share more details...

I can say that I'm using Camille Roskelley's Swoon pattern (I've been dreaming about that pattern and finally broke down and bought it...it arrived Tuesday!  This is just one of several quilts I have planned with this pattern!)

on a different note...I finally gave up on finding my camera battery charger...and ordered a new one...it should arrive soon and I can get back to using my camera...and not my cell phone for pics!

FNSI meets FWQAL!

Hopefully you have made it to this post...can't believe I linked to the wrong place!  oh well!

I actually started sewing about noon yesterday...and was able to get Girl's Seasonal Quilt top completed!  That was a major goal of mine, so I'm glad I got that part finished!  After taking a break to cook dinner and spend some time with the family before Guy had to leave for work, I headed back to the machine at about 7:15 p.m.

And that's when this:

met this:

and the fabric was flying and I got Weeks 13-14 of the FWQAL done!

I started with Block #24 Country Path and my sewing evening almost ENDED with Block #24...it took me 2.5 hours to get this one block sewn!    A good chunk of that time was cutting all the different pieces and then I had a few pieces I had to pull apart and restitch as I had them sewn to the wrong pieces...but in the end...here is the block...and quite honestly...I LOVE it!

after spending all of that time on one block...had to take a short break to have a snack with Girl and watch a little TV before she went to bed...and then I headed back to the sewing table...to work on Block #25 Cups and Saucers...which thankfully was a bit faster to cut out and put together...

and I'm torn about Block #25...not sure that I actually like it...it looks a bit off...may have to re-do that one later.

So finished up Block #25...and was ready to start the next...and then I saw what it was:

and that's when the laughter started...NO WAY was I going to cut out all 51 of those tiny little pieces last night...just wasn't happening...so for the first time since I started working on Farmer's Wife blocks...I skipped a block (I've been working in number order)...so I turned the page...and really started laughing!  These were up next:

Block #27: Darting Birds - 52 pieces

Block #28: Duck and Ducklings - 29 pieces

and while they don't actually appear to be that bad to put together...I just was NOT going to cut out all those pieces...so I just turned the page...it was getting late and I wanted to get some more accomplished, but I wasn't going to skip to the end of the book just to find some easier blocks to put together...thankfully all I had to do was turn the page...

BINGO!  Not a lot of pieces to cut out...and went together easy peasy!

Block #29: Economy

Block #30: End of Day (LOVE LOVE LOVE this one!)

and it was getting really really late about this time...so I called it a night!  Had a blast, got some things accomplished, and look forward to doing it all again!  One final pic of all 4 blocks together:

Now I'm off to hop along and see what some of the other folks did for their Friday Night Sew-In!

FRIDAY!!! time to sew!

woohoo!  it's FRIDAY!  and it's time for the Friday Night Sew-in!  I got started earlier today and got Girl's SQ top finished...so it's going to come off my list of projects to work on tonight...I'm thinking I am going to spend the time working on some Farmer's Wives blocks and then get some cutting done for the Facade class/workshop!  Here is a peek at Girl's quilt:

up-close

now...off to sew!  (Thankfully I also picked up some lovely snacks and some extra coffee creamer...just in case!)

Halloween prints by Joann Fabrics; Solids are all Kona (Tangerine, Chartreuse, Purple) and the polka dot border is some Pimatex Basics from Kaufman.

FNSI...the planning

URGGGG!  I am a doofus!  I linked to the post, not my blog itself...so if you don't mind following this link to my post about what I actually got done on Friday...I'd appreciate it!  Sorry for the inconvenience!

Ok...have lots of projects to get done...well technically one right now (Girl's Seasonal Quilt)...and I'm WAYYYYY behind on the Farmer's Wife QAL...and I need to do some cutting to keep up with the Facade class...so that's why I'm signing up for the Friday Night Sew-In!  Time for comfy clothes...I have all the supplies I need...might need to pick up some snack foods and dig out the Les Mis dvd (more on that here)...but very much looking forward to sewing til I drop!

oh where oh where

has my camera charger disappeared to???  has anyone seen it???

apparently no one that lives in my house has either...which is rotten luck when you finish a quilt...use the quilt...then realize...oops...haven't taken pics of the finished quilt

(conversation went more like this...Girl: I'm cold...Me: I just so happen to have a fresh from the dryer gorgeous and fabulous quilt here to use...Girl: ok...Me: (that's all???  no...it's an AMAZING quilt Mom???) ohh..kay...Girl: it's warm...Me: oh nuts...I didn't take pictures...jump up on the couch and hold the quilt...Girl: REALLY???)

 ...and halfway through...poof...the camera tells you things...like...change battery...oh well....I gave up...actually, I tried to take pics with the iPad and my cell phone camera...but none were good enough...oh well again!

here is what I was able to photograph of my finished new-favorite quilt, the MHQ front:

and no pic of the back...which is kind of sad...as it's my favorite quilt back EVAH!  (and considering I have made so few quilts...that may not mean much...but I personally love it!)...

but what I do have might be even better...

my quilt in use (the best way to see a quilt!!! (IMHO)):

Girl was using the quilt (we were sharing...she thinks it's hers...and ignores me completely when I insist it is mine!)...and the dogs decided they were cold and wanted to snuggle...what's really funny...the 50ish pound boxer somehow managed to be the one UNDER the quilt...and little girl...well she ended up curled up on top...glaring at her sister!

and now...on to Girl's seasonal quilt...

mostly wordless

working on this:

used this: 

with Mountain Mist Cream Rose batting...depending on how this quilt washes...may be my new go-to batting...

meanwhile...this

is staring at me...seasonal fabric (means time limit)...at the request of Girl...

I best get busy

White Rabbit...the finale

I don't usually talk about batting...because I really don't know enough about batting to sound educated when I talk about batting...but I figured since I usually share other pieces of the quilt process...today I would add batting to the conversation.  Here is the quilt batting I normally use:

and I say "normally", but with the exception of one quilt...all my others are finished using Hobbs Batting...sometimes the fusible, sometimes not.  I like the fusible...but have become partial to using basting spray instead of fusible batting...basting spray is so much faster, holds better over time (you know...when you start quilting...and then let it sit for a few weeks...then quilt some more...maybe it's just me) and I have fewer problems with wrinkling the back as I sew.  However, basting spray has one major draw back...it stinks!  I have to let the quilt lay out for a good hour to two hours after basting to let the fumes die down...otherwise it's just too much when you have it all around your face while wrestling your quilt through a machine.  Anyways...back to batting...

Hobbs has been great for me...but...hubby went to pick some up for me yesterday...and well...there was no Hobbs to be found!  Massive dilemma...so he picked up a new can of basting spray (was almost out) and a different batting...after I try it out, I'll let you know if I like it or not.

Moving on!  after a few hours of this:

I ended up with this:

funny story....the binding was giving me a massive headache...kept bunching up and sliding all over, and the finished binding was really NOT pretty...and then I realized...I had the wrong foot on my sewing machine!  The foot I normally use when sewing the binding has always worked well for me...and I had my 1/4 inch foot on, and it kept catching the fabric in odd ways...oh well!

and finally the finished white rabbit (modeled by Guy):

and now...what to work on next?  I could finish up MHQ, or finally get back to some FWQAL blocks...or finally make a decision for T's quilt...or...I could just do nothing....

Did I mention I signed up for this:

Because I totally need another WIP!  Looking forward to the class, which is being aught by Rachel Griffith of PS I Quilt.  You can read more about the class here.

anatomy of a quilt back

ok...so before I worry anyone...I did the get the white rabbit to the church on time!  or in this case, to dinner on time!  but before I share with you the final result...have to show you some pics of what I was up to around 11 pm on Thursday night!

So...the quilt back...had to hit a big box fabric store for this due to time constraints...and was so happy to find some Kona Taupe...it was an almost perfect match!  (thankfully I had enough remnants from this quilt to throw in something for the backing of the white rabbit!)...and I had little struggle in figuring this one out...but considering the process figured I'd share it!

So...I got the top finished...then started by laying out the Kona Taupe...then tried to figure out what pieces I was going to add...it's pretty much just a jigsaw puzzle...

once I got the mental picture of the back...started working on the sewing...

and then finished it up!

and then I had two of the three pieces I needed to get this quilt finished!

white rabbit

I'm feeling a little like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland...I can't be late...must rush...long story short...on last minute notice we have some family who will be in town this weekend for the USC/Kentucky football game...and we'll be having dinner with them Friday night...they are recently married and we were unable to attend the wedding.  Soooo...hubby was very concerned that we didn't get them a wedding gift...well it just so happens I had pretty much all the elements of a quilt top, and the getting the quilt top sewn together won't take long...so I said...well...do you want to give them a quilt??  (their wedding invitation specifically stated no gifts...but hubby...is well...he is what he is).  Hubby's response to my suggestion...GET TO SEWING!  LOL!

So remember this quilt?  Meet it's soon to be fraternal (close but not quite identical) twin:

and I even had enough of the border fabric and binding fabric left over:

now I just have to get the top assembled...and buy fabric for backing...so tonight i'll try and finish up the quilt top...and then tomorrow I'll make a run to the LQS and see what they have in the way of matching/similar/anything for the backing...and get that pieced together tomorrow night...and start quilting!

Did I mention...we are meeting them for dinner Friday night?

MHQ and some lessons

Happy Sunday!  I'm LOVING the weather we currently have here in SC...it's in the high 60's/low (LOW) 70's...sunny...bit of a breeze...LOVE IT!  The fall here is my favorite time of year...cool, but not cold (until night, when you want it to be a bit chilly and pile on the blankets!)...it's supposed to warm back up to the low 80s the next week or so...but I guess I can deal with that, because it seems as though fall is finally on its way!

Anywho...got my MHQ top finished!  WOOHOO!  This quilt top has gone together so easy...I love working on more long term projects, but it's a lot of fun to put something together a little more quickly here and there.  Now I'm trying to decide if I want to go ahead and start quilting it...or work on some farmer's blocks...dilemma!  Here is the finished quilt top:

and a big thank you to Girl (back on a chair) for modeling...speaking of Girl...she's decided she wants to learn to sew (she wants to make her own quilt)...so we pulled out the little machine...and started with a few "lessons":

mostly just practicing pedal control and learning about the 1/4" seam:

and to keep our fingers OUT from under the needle!  I really don't know HOW to teach someone to sew...let alone my own kid...who inherited my impatience and stubbornness...but...it appears

she's enjoying herself so far!