A New Start and a Flimsy

Oh yeah! On the same post a start on the Snowball and 9 Patch Sew Along. I've made Snowball quilts for 5 of the grandkids. I wanted to make one with white snowballs... go figure. This is about springtime snowballs. You in the Eastern U.S. of A. know about those.  Do they make you think of flowers and green grass?

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here is the Good Night Irene sewn together but needs ironing before sandwiching. (It's the kind of witching I'm best at.) It all takes a while on that tiny ironing board. This one is for the Sweet 16 QAL and ultimately for the Hands 2 Help Charity Quilt Challenge 2015.

Linking up with the Sweet 16 QAL and the Snowballs and 9 Patches Sew Along - see the buttons on the side bar. Probably going to use the start on Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times tomorrow.

Have a lovely sewing week.

Hugs,

Terri

Blue blox

Rainbow Scrap Challenge day, and I have one block, well, maybe 3 quilts started.

I sorted through the blues box...

I found the blocks I made for RSC last year...

Below is the kind of butterfly I wanted to make, but I couldn't find the pattern.

 I did find the pattern for the one below. Okay, I wanted to make a butterfly quilt, maybe I'll make 2.

So there it is. I'm thinking a color on white like this one, and a white butterfly on the color - a negative of this way. I'll work on that one next. Keep your fingers crossed for me so I can find my bigger butterfly pattern. (Should be in a heavy book box in Crafts.)

 

To see what others are making for the RSC check out soscrappy today.

 

And have a beautiful tomorrow,

Hugs,

Terri

I've always wanted to...

I'm going to try again....





I've followed along long enough! Time to jump in and get some things going. I've long admired the quilts and other things the Rainbow folks make. Plenty of inspiration... I've gotta get me some of that.
So the button is done, and her html is on her side panel... I'm ready so far. Now for some type of block to make during the New Year... I love Sheila's mugs, they are so cute. I don't want to copy her, though. I have an idea... You will just have to stay tuned to find out what I'm planning.

Happy Weekend to you all,

Hugs,

Terri

Design Wall Monday

I have a new Design Wall.
You remember that I'm trying to sell my house, and the design wall my hubby made was foam core nailed - with huge nails - to the wall. Well, that come down this week and the holes were patched and the whole thing painted... by my hubby, seen here hamming it up.

He did a wonderful job, you can't see the nail holes even when you know where they were!
I'd buy this house!

But, please don't think I have no place to design... (Oops! double negative...)

Foam core leaning with some Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks from several years back.

I've shown them before...

Some patterns for the next paper piecing project. I'm making potholders for some of my peeps.

 

Above is a new "I love you" hand in the works.

 

Oh, and this occurred this week. A hole. I picked the flowers for a backing on a H2H quilt, and had to add some extra fabric... did not notice that there was a big dip cut out of the middle edge of the flower fabric. Noticed that while sewing together. What to do?

 

See the hole is quite big.

 

To the rescue.... a little paper pieced apple core, fray checked and zig zag stitch and now it's a whole.

 

 

 All for the backing to this....

 This is the quilt with the apple core on the back. I pin basted on my dining room table. It was easier on my back than putting it up on the design wall (now nonexistent) and stitching the basting. Since then I've done some straight line stitch in the ditch, but I don't like it... Gotta do the yellow with yellow, and redo the blue, too. So there is some ripping out in my future. You know I'm putting that off.
Sew that's what I'm up to... How about you? What project occupies your mind this week? Our neighborhood has a parade of school kids on the 4th...
Oh, and Shay (in Australia) of  Quilting in my Pyjamas and I are having a giveaway and showing off our ineptness at FMQ on posts from Thursday through the Fourth... You will want to come back and see that.

Sew Hugs to you all - especially if you got this far down in the reading.

Terri

Coming soon to a blog you may know

Sunday - the one coming soon - March 16 is the start to Hand to Help - see the (square) button on the side. Sarah has the "rules" written up - go here to see - It's my favorite QAL.  There are sponsors and prizes, tutorials, and Linky parties are planned. This year there are 3 different charities waiting for donations!

Last year I made these 2 quilts to go to the Happy Chemo:

Jazzy Snowballs - 2013 entry for H2H Challenge

 

 

California Earth Tones - 2013 entry for H2H Challenge

 

I used two of my UFOs for the H2H Challenge. I'm not a fast worker, so this works out for me. This year I have two more UFOs that I'll finish for the H2H Challenge. It might be just the thing for your collection of UFOs. 

Hugs,

Terri

 

One Name on My List - Exciting News, and an H2H flimsy, I'm cheating

So last post I suggested a swap.... Valerie Reynolds commented that she'd like to participate.  Well, Val, I guess you and I will swap springy colors. I'll send you  3 - 10" squares, and  you do the same. We'll have a bit of stash exchange; something to take the edge off of winter, some happy snail mail. Thanks for joining in. I really appreciate it.

In other news, our company has moved on to Las Vegas, NV. We had a great time with them! (Bill's brother and his life partner)  Love you guys! We took them up to Lake Tahoe and had a bit of a snowball fight along the way. Snow at 6500 ft. - about 50 degrees.

 In the biggest news.... My Oldest Grandgirl is Engaged!  They haven't worked out a date yet, but they are thinking June - OMG!  How's a granny supposed to get a special quilt together that fast?  I made this sketch - I'm thinking low density colors except for the center. What do you think? It might be too incongruous for the center to be red and everything else low impact.  Any  ideas?  I want it to be special, but easy.  She's the first grand to marry.

And now some floral views

 

Seems awfully early for my pear to be blooming... daffodils in the background haven't a single bud, strange.

Somehow, I've got this out of sequence... Talking again about the Grandgirl's wedding quilt: I have some UFO's, but those are earmarked for Hands to Help Charity Challenge... (See the button in the side bar.)  I finished this flimsy last night. It was already cut and partly assembled. (It had to come off of the design wall for the grandson's quilt... the one currently on the top of the blog.)  I inserted some paper pieced lady bugs  and a saw tooth piece or two. (The pink behind is a piece of thank you fabric from Val. I need to get that washed up. It isn't part of this quilt.)

So to summarize:  Help! and sending you some Springtime, Val.

Hubby's birthday tomorrow... off to Red Robin for his free burger.
Happy Hump Day!
Hugs,
Terri

Show off your pincushion - Grandma's Pincushion (a half-way tutorial)

I've always wanted to share some pictures of my Grandma's Pincushion. She made a bunch of them for the bazaar at her church - along with hemmed dish towels and other sewn items. (Her quilts inspired me to try making some.) This pincushion is Genius - in my mind.

Exhibit A:

 

Knit with tiny needles - #1 or 2

Grandma used some really thin (2 or 3 ply) yarn - probably leftovers from the knitting mill in town.
She knit a rectangle, folded it in half and fit it around a thimble. (The rectangle was about 2.5" wide. You will have to measure it up to your thimble for the length.) Then another color combo (blue and white) knit to go around that, and then another (reds) rectangle folded to fit around the whole thing. Each is pulled tightly.

Then on the bottom a circle of felt - probably glued on and stitched with big stitches to hold the felt on. (No filling needed!)

I've used it since 1974... without a smidge of trouble. The thimble fits in the center, and it accommodates (probably) hundreds of pins. You can even put in a nail between the knitted rings and it stays put. Sew in the world of wondrous pincushions - I have the best one.

Now show off your favorite pincushion - if you dare. LOL

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Hugs,

Terri

On the Wall and a Tip

Jazzy Snowballs ready to sew. Actually this is from the weekend. I do have the rows all done and about half of them sewn together, too. But this is the picture of the arrangement. 

(shown sideways - left bottom is left top, and needs to be turned right sides out... Hubby helped.)

Sorry about the resolution on this photo, but it just shows that I pin a seam for each block in a row and then take the row to the sewing machine. (Last week someone I follow used the stacking method to get things off the wall, and that would drive me crazy.) Until I figured out to pin them in place - just roughly - I got into all kinds of trouble stacking. Once I get to the machine I take out the pin and align the pieces so they are matching and right sides together... then I know where to sew.

 

Shows my pinned row almost off the wall. (The second last row.)

 

Sew I hope you have a wonderful weekend (sewing).

Hugs,

Terri

Working on Two Charity Challenges!

Hello Friends,
We are getting ready for Easter. Our son, daughter in law and newest grandson are coming over!!!!  We're going to have porcupine meatballs, baked potatoes and carrots (in honor of the bunny).  Maybe we'll partake on the patio...  rain is predicted... but you know how the weatherman is usually wrong.

Anyway, I have the flimsy done for the palms quilt I've been working on.  I'd show it off, but it needs ironing. I do have some pictures to share.

Sneak peek: one of my UFOs is going to be a quilt for the Hands 2 Help Charity Quilt Challenge (see the side bar for the beam over button - quilts donated all go to charity. (Join in by Sat. (tomorrow) to get in on the giveaway!) It is my favorite charity! They give quilts to a wide range of people... I like that.)  Here's a sampling of my UFO.

I've had it squirreled away for almost a decade. Time to make it into something!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

And the Fandom in Stitches Project of Doom Charity I thought I was too busy to join in will be getting at least 2 blocks. It's a Harry Potter thing, so you know I couldn't stay away. See the button at the right if you'd like to make a few blocks. One winner gets the blocks or a quilt, (unsure about that part) and the rest of the blocks are going into Project Linus quilts. That's a worthy charity, too.

So far I've made one cauldron brewing Felix Felicis (the good luck potion). The other pattern will be Hedwig. She's going to be hard to make,  the background has to be white and she is white. Dilemma!

 

Sew that is all for me today. Wishing you all a Happy Easter, or a wonderful spring break, or both!

 

Edit:  Linking up at So Scrappy to show off some orange. Also, Confessions of a Fabric Addict and A Creative Princess where I'm # 148, I think. Check them out, there's lots of creative things to see.

 

Hugs

Terri

You may have noticed...

The new  Hands 2 Help Charity Quilt Challenge is starting again!!!!!!!!!! Get in the game fellow quilters. Sarah has the rules and news on her blog.  Go ahead and push the button at the right to see how you can be a helper 2.

Hugs,

Terri

Spiderman symbol

So the challenge was supposed to be choosing a pattern at Fandom in Stitches from one fandom, and applying it to another. I paper pieced this spider:

I made some minor adjustment - the pincers larger, and the top legs on the bottom are larger by a little. It's Spiderman or as a spider it's Ron's Worst Nightmare.

 

Now the thing is that I don't find anything about the challenge at the Flickr group, and it all was due at Midnight March 1, 2013. I wonder if I'm the only one who participated, or if I'm off by a day, or maybe it's Jennifer's other site. We shall see. I do like the pattern, however, it isn't a beginner pattern.

 

Thanks for stopping by. I'll probably link this up to some party tomorrow.

 

Hugs,

Terri

Reading & Sewing....

I've been reading blogs and sewing... That's pretty much it.

Here are some pictures



Meow!

Jennifer has a challenge going for paper piecers (see the button on the sidebar). Make one or up to 5 of the kitty faces from her free pattern and send them in, and you could win all of the kitty faces. There are rules posted at the link above (Jennifer). I did have a bunch of troubles with mine.... First, I'm not a cat person, so making a Tabby block... well I had troubles figuring out the colors, and second, they didn't turn out the correct size, so I may have to try again. Third time is the charm?  See the grey kitty has a neck. I made one of the pieces the wrong color. (I kind of like it that way. Looks like he is turning his head to look at me.) But alas, he is not quite 5.5" either. The spotty one maybe the wrong color way, and the nose and ear pink don't show much....also the eyes seem to be too green, and for me that gives him a lizard look.  What do you think?


Below is the commission I got a couple of weeks ago. Here it is rows sewn, but not together... oh, and the bottom 2 rows are pinned together and sitting on the sewing machine. Since the picture I have the flimsy done... now the part I absolutely hate. Basting

 

You all are wondering what happened to my colors, these are the colors chosen by my client. (Don't you just love that word?) All the fabrics are from my stash, and it is gorgeous in person.... the camera takes away alot. That yellow is textured and the olive green is actually  a muted gold. This is a mere shadow...   ( Notice the white paper in the center? It's my low tech way of identifying my pictures. I didn't want to spend all that time on Picassa or whatever.) 

 

Here's my two blocks for the Rainbow Challenge, see the button on the sidebar. Orange is the color for September... that one on the right looks yellow on the picture... I might have to make a couple more orange. I love o.

 

 

Okay, so this is the part of the blog I've been dreading. I have to ask you all to pray more. My Chrissy is having more intensified chemo... She is growing more cancer cells than one set of chemo can kill. She is now having chemo beads injected onto her liver - and that has worked this first time, but only cleaned a small spot. They will keep trying to clean off the whole liver (which was cut in half to take care of tumors previously, and is not growing back now since the cancer has attacked it again.) If this all sounds really serious, it is. The chemo weakens her so much, and then the second kind is worse. It is so serious that our SIL called us - we should come to visit. So please, please pray your hardest.

 

Hugs,

Terri

Week 5 Tetris block

It took me a while, but Ta Da!

On this, the second half of the quilt -  I haven't even cut a white square!!! (Tooting my own horn -Tsk.) Everything is filling in quite nicely. I've been leaving openings for the pieces on next week's drop of shapes, so it isn't all sewn down yet. I'm having lots of fun with this challenge. How about you?

Hugs,

Terri

Recorded for Posterity

My sewing room... First round of pictures taken at eye level...

It's a pass through room to the last bedroom (which we call the "Way Back" room. It houses the considerable mess that is the art supply and rubber stamp hobby - we won't go there today... It would burn your eyes out). This is a pic of the left wall - the design wall, now empty - as you walk into the room. It has some cards, pics of the grands and small items pinned at the far end, and the back door with the makeshift curtain, to keep the sun off of my cutting mat. Any questions?  Yes, Mary? The reason the wall is empty is the quilt that was there is being quilted, and this condition didn't last long, as I now have the Tetris Challenge up on the wall. Helps me to figure out what the next pieces are... and I was cutting those while the pictures loaded.

This is the next wall with a door to the "Way Back" room, the cutting table (now covered in fabric and projects to be... the cork board leans on the table.

Left side is the cutting table and cork board again... next to that is the entertainment center that our son and girlfriend didn't want any more and it works out as shelving for this mess.

This is the window - facing west and trying to be cooled and shaded by 2 tangerines outside. Plants are on top of the shelving unit we got from a friend who used our garage for a while to make snowboards. (Most of the furniture in the room is rummage sale stuff.)

This is to the right of the window. Poster of a centennial quilt made by a guild in Carson City, NV. We just happened to find the quilt show there on the way home from Tahoe - a dozen years ago.
Book case above the sewing room (shows here on the right of the picture) is actually the window of the room that was cut in two - before we owned the house - to make a room and hallway to this sewing room and the afore mentioned "Way Back" room. Rather than cover it all over they used the sills to support the bookcase.

Here's the rest of the room at eye level. The bookcase ends at the doorway - which has no door, but you are looking out into my hallway of grandkid art, and the top of the very important $4 fan - more rummage sale. I've had it for a dozen years - works fine!

On the sewing machine right now is the I Spy. I'm sewing around the individual squares... UGH!

Now to the left of the sewing machine - which is in a cabinet and the lid is open all the time and it rests on a rummage sale table. The table also includes my boom box and tapes, CDs and the pink is pulled for the next palm which will be light pink and hot pink for the veins. The Cadbury box houses small sewing tools, the mister is for ironing and misting the plants to the left - shown later.

My crippled ironing board is set on boxes at the back and sticks out just under the sewing machine cabinet.... perfect to press a seam... no getting up, just twist in your chair. Saves loads of time.

Below the plants is the pink bin... the smallest one... full to the brim.

and below that is the collection of big enough pieces for most of a backing. See the roll of purple with peppers on it? That was to be the backing for a certain wedding quilt. The two didn't like the quilt on the wall, so it went to Sarah Craig's church group. I hated having it around. (You see I am Wiccan.)

Below - next to the pink

Below - my small purple collection.... (Did I mention these are candid shots. Nothing was upset by cleaning.  This is the raw truth, people... the true confession.)

Under more of the plants - working left...


Further left and on the TV stand...

In the space that held a TV... I Spy in a box, the Seasonal Fabrics are mostly Halloween and the Multicoloreds are fabrics I can't figure out where else to put. It's usually much more full, but right now I have a "tray" ( a box lid from Costco) full that I pulled for an unusual snowball quilt I'm hoping to get to make... soon.

Red and blue bins are both 78 Qt. plastic - actually the red one is bigger... but who is counting. When I pull fabrics it takes a while to get to see all the different pieces - I always go by color and value, and you know I'm usually paper piecing, so that's more important to the projects.

In another opening in the TV chest is my library of quilting books, and some felt.

This is the mess that has accumulated on the yellow and orange bin. It's some pinks that have been cut already for the palm fronds, the lid of pulled fabrics for the snowball adventure, my grandma's quilt that needs repair, and here on the left a new batting is bidding for attention. They hide out under the cutting table.

This is the mess on the cutting table. Tossed fabric that has been cut for the Tetris Challenge, and under that is the "tray" of fabrics I keep separate for Harry Potter paper piecing - an ongoing project.
I just love making them, and when I'm blue they help me feel better.

This is a "birthday and Mother's Day" gift from my Darling Daughter. She thought these pieces looked like Bird (making) fabrics... see below.

I'm pretty sure I haven't shown them before.

Above the TV section of the TV storage unit is a "tray" of  special fabrics saved for Scot's quilt. I have some biiiiiiiig plans for that one, and that is why it isn't made yet. I'm a bit intimidated by my own plans. I'm quite afraid of failure, so I put it off.  Does that ever happen to you?

On the design wall is the green bin...also a 78 Qt. full and open with a project tray with the palm leaves. See the calendar next to it? It got taken off the wall by the quilt being quilted... what a naughty boy!

In front of the door a cart of quilt mags and assorted stuff.  I have alot of asst. stuff.

Under the cutting table - more magazines. These are only the ones that are marked for projects I'd like to make someday. The other collection of quilt magazines is in the way back room....

In front of the window, my orchids. (Notice that is pronounced or kids.) There is also a white Christmas cactus on the right.

A Crown of Thorns and an Easter Cactus behind it... It's blooming out of season - see the red on the bottom right. They like alot of water, and will bloom all year if you keep them supplied.

Here's a pile of UFOs on top of the entertainment center.... and a bunch of projects to do. I'll show them to you some time.

 Above shows the mess by the sewing basket. The Nilla box is for recycling, the bag is for snippets big enough for 2 seams, there is a yellow bag that rigs up to the front of the machine for tiny snippets, and the waste basket. Beyond is a bedside table (we got for free from a neighbor) that holds quilting thread in a drawer, and all kinds of iron on stuff in the bottom drawer... I've never tried that.  The top is storing scissors, etc.

Lastly here is the box of fabrics saved back for HP paper piecing.  Fabric that looks magical to me.
See there is a cutting mat under there!

Anyway, that's my room - you've seen it before, but it is messier now, I think.

I know where everything is - so it is organized. Isn't that more important than pretty?

I am going to link up to the Moda Bake Shop stash link party - they are having a show off your stash event. Sheila said I should, so I'm gonna.

Hugs to you all!!!!

Terri