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Saturday, September 27, 2014

New technique to try

I am working on the quilting of the H2H, honest. I have it all set into the sewing machine, ready to go again. But last week on the blogs, I came across a new (to me) technique that I was most anxious to try. I don't remember whose blog it was on, but here is the LINK. It's for making circles using the sewing machine - well, here are some pictures of the ones I tried.

These are the fabrics that my grandson "picked" out for me. (I added a bunch from stash to get enough for a drag along quilt for him.) Then I got the idea to add the circles for contrast - more pieces from stash. (Do any of you enjoy shopping your stash more than going to the store? Lately the stores carry 70s designs, that I really don't care about. I find better stuff in the stash.)
 Anyway, here's one of the circles (below) that I sewed on the machine!  (I purposefully set mine off center, so I didn't have to center them.) (I'm quite proud of them, and it was sooooo easy!
 Below is the circle from the back...
 Some of the other circles
 
 This red one is my favorite.
Anyway, if you are interested in a new fun technique.

So back to the quilting...
Have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs,
Terri

Monday, September 15, 2014

Around the World Blog Tour (Hop)

I was reading blogs this morning and came across the Around the World Blog Hop written by Beth at Love Laugh Quilt, That reminded me... I was supposed to write one today! I was invited by Sarah at  Confessions of a Fabric Addict. (Check out her blog. Lots of pretty quilts and great stories.)

By way of introduction... I'm Terri and I enjoy quilting - especially paper piecing. I also love Halloween, Harry Potter and my Hubby... not necessarily in that order.  I make up lots of little plants to give away at Halloween in our diorama of the greenhouse in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . The trick or treaters love that they get a little plant along with their candy. We love doing it, too.

We are supposed to show some pictures and answer some questions... Here goes.

Jazzy Snowballs 2013 Pattern from a Quilter's Newsletter or QuiltMaker Magazine in like 2010 or so.
 
Paper Pieced Butterflies from a pattern from Claudia. I don't see the same butterflies there anymore, but there are some shown in the gallery, so they must have been there once - right? Why she would take them down, I don't know, but they are beautiful and I enjoyed making a bunch of the 9 designs that I bought.
 
Simpler paper pieced butterflies - from the book 365 Paper Pieced Quilt Patterns (or something like that. All my books are packed away, and have been for over a year, so I can't check out the name. We are getting ready to move, and it has taken a year for our house to be sold. Finally, last weekend our buyer found our house! She sounds excited to buy it. I'm quite happy for her, but now I have to find one in Washington state that I like. Help!)
 
A red (Ford Anglia) for a blog friend's hubby.
Paper pieced, of course, from a Harry Potter pattern from Jennifer .

Donation blocks for a QoV for Alycia.

 
Grandson's I Spy quilt which is now my header on the blog.

Hubby's 70th birthday present. Made right under his nose for a QoV - or so he thought!

Paper pieced hexies for a QoV - still a WIP
 
This one being worked on as a quilt for H2H Happy Chemo
I'm late on the deadline by months... sorry. So many other things going on here.
 
Granddaughter wedding quilt finished in June 2014
I tried 2 other designs before I liked this one for them. 
 Most recent finish - a doll quilt for the Mrs. Claus project.
(See the button in the side bar.)
 
 
a UFO
 
 
 
Apple cores paper pieced UFO
 
 Another paper pieced UFO

Dolly quilt made and sent years ago for the Mrs. Claus charity

a star for the female astronaut making a quilt
 

A quilt for my latest granddaughter (she is 8 months old and I started this 4 months before she arrived!) .. pink, white and lime green. Paper pieced of course... and I've been picking the paper for a year in between all kinds of other projects. I just recently restated it, and will be working on it as well as the other projects below.
 
 
In the works, tomatoes

and carrots. Paper pieced veggies - produce in process. Lol
 
 
 Below are the two projects I'm working on now. 2 "I love you" ASL symbols for a friend. 

This one needs some fixing... I messed up and added the wrong color on the bent finger, which makes it look fat. Can't have that!
 
And now the questions.
 
What am I working on?
See the above pictures. The hands should be in the snail mail today. Still a lot of work to do on the veggies. I'll show pictures of the finishes after the recipients get their gifts.
 
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Well, obviously, it's different because I did it.
Then there is the fact that any quilt is different from another in the design, colors and fabrics chosen and the pattern choice... and they are all unique in the arrangements of the blocks, too. You can try to make something exactly as another has designed, but there will always be the unique differences... fabric cut here and not there... the quilting is always an identifier. Then there is the label - mine says made by me and yours says made by you. LOL
 
Why do I write/create what I do?
Short answer: to use up all this fabric! lol
No, really I don't know what I would do if I didn't have something creative to do... clean house? Ugh! It might be necessary once in a while - like when the dust bunnies start to attack... but really, cleaning (incessantly) is for the people with no imagination or skills. I write my blog to join in the community of quilt bloggers. I've learned a bunch from this community, and shared a few thoughts. I enjoy the write/create (most of the time....)
 
So I think this does it for the blog hop/tour. I wish I had 3 in line to carry on from me, but I don't. If there are any visiting who would like to host one - please do.
 
Have a lovely week of sewing.
 
Hugs,
Terri
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Winnings sent and House sold (hopefully)

Since September is Orange over at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and Halloween is just about here, I sent Shelly a set of three FQs pictured here:

She was the winner of my recent giveaway.
I love the texture on these three, hope you can use these, Shelly. I would have sent a paper piecing pattern for a jack o' lantern, but I'm all packed up to move, and I just couldn't find it.
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Zig Zag Stitch - capital 6) LOL
 
On Monday we had 2 (count them) 2 offers on our house! Unfortunately, one offer was for cash and wanted us out within 3 weeks!  I'm sorry, all that has to happen just couldn't happen in 3 weeks. The young man who was buying thought because it was cash everything would be easy. BWAHaHa! Sorry honey... He decided it was to difficult for him to get everything done in such a short time. (I still have to pack, oh, and buy a house that is 600 miles away, switch utilities out of our name, get the movers on just the right day, etc, etc. And he thought he was stressed.) So he backed out of the deal. Thank Goodness! 
 
Anyway, we have this other offer. It'll be 70 days... much more comfortable to accept... and we can sell to anyone else in the mean time if the offer is better. This is soooo much more comfortable.
 
I'm going to have to ask for help with some things... I'm really getting quite frayed at the edges. And on another front, I've volunteered to make  a couple of more ASL "I Love You" blocks.... I love paper piecing, so there should be some therapy there.
 
Happy Wednesday!
 
Hugs to you all,
Terri
 
 
 

Saturday, September 6, 2014

A winner has been chosen...

BEWARE: I like to have sneaky giveaways... I guess that's why I don't have so many followers. You don't have to sign up to follow me in order to be in the running. Anyway, the commenter who won has already been identified, and notified. It is Shell from Canada. I have emailed her with the news, so I expect to send her a few FQs soon.  I haven't decided on the fabric to be sent yet. Hubby (almost typed Huggy. LOL) is anxious to get out and go to lunch. I'll take pictures of the fabric (not the lunch) and get back to you all.

Hugs,
Terri


Thursday, September 4, 2014

This is it! A year of posts!


(Contest is over - see next blog post for the winner)

This is post #365... I've posted a year's worth! (It's taken me 4 years to get here.) Actually, I've been blogging since July 30, 2010. Seems I missed my Blogoversary.  This time I want to show you a finish, a new granddog, and make an announcement, all in this  groundbreaking  monumental special post. Let's get started, shall we?

Here's the finish




Can you tell I'm quite proud of it? It's only a dolly quilt, made for the Mrs. Claus charity run by Debbie at Stitchin' Therapy. (I still need your address, Debbie.) It took me forever, mostly because I kept putting it off. I really didn't have a plan when I started. Finally I sewed the hexie flimsy to a white on white print and quilted around the flowers. The binding is the same as the back. Technically, it isn't the best job. I do love the colors, especially for a dolly quilt, and I'm just glad to have a finish after such a long dry period. You know what I mean.
 
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Now for the newest Granddog:
 
 
Bella (I think) is 16 weeks old, a golden lab. Such a pretty granddog. I hope this picture shows up. I just copied it off of my DIL's Facebook page.
 
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And now the announcement... Dot Dodda Dah!
 
I've been asked to do the Around the World Blog Tour! Monday September 15. I know some of you have done it already... any suggestions? 
 
And if you got this far down, you deserve a chance at some fabric. Just leave me a comment, and I'll draw a name on Saturday at noon (California time). Lol
 
 
(Contest is over - see next blog post for the winner Saturday - noon CA time.) 
Happy Thursday! Have a wonderful weekend.
 
Hugs,
Terri