Design Wall Monday On Sunday

I've been quilting Pineapple Blossom #2. I have this last pineapple section and then the 10" of borders. Hopefully Monday morning will see this beauty complete.  I'm freehand quilting swirls because of the swirl fabric using a nice light sage green thread.

On the design wall is my Bow Tie center. I am thinking about borders.  That's all I've been doing is thinking, not even pulling fabrics because I don't know what colors I want to use. What do you think?  I want a 2" inner border and a 4" outer border. This will go into my need a gift quilt bin.

I'll be spending Monday morning looking at other design walls that have linked up to Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

Happy June!!  I just turned on the TV to catch the weather and I'm thrilled there is no rain in the outlook for the week.  That means the garden will finally get everything planted in it.  I'm way behind most everyone. Like normal!

On my little design wall is this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge block for my Row Quilt. Using this block for my leader/ender means each block will have to be laid out and carefully put back where it belongs. On the sewing table are my bow tie blocks ready to be sewn into rows 1 and 2.

See that orange J on my tablet?  That is my note to tell me where I am on my latest tablet viewing. I discovered the BBC series The Great British Sewing Bee. Someone posted it on Facebook-I couldn't resist. It can be found on YouTube here.  I am a long time fan of Project Runway but so far, this series is so much better. Mainly focusing on the sewing and not the drama.

I'm going to spend some time in Blogland this morning. See Judy L's great design wall and those of others at Patchwork Times today.

Design Wall Monday

Hawaiian Sunset 1845---please don't let me get tired of flying geese.  I am so close to the end of these and anxious to start the 9 and 4 patches....so anxious that I have started pulling strips out for them.  Just a few, it's going to take lots more.  I see progress on others and it makes me want to forget about the box of apples and the bucket of green beans I have waiting for me this morning.

And my precious bow ties.....I have 4 more twosies to sew together and then I can get the remaining 4 patches finished.  Daughter Crystal was here the other day and didn't like the way I had them paired up so she rearranged some for me.  She doesn't know it yet but when the 4 patches are laid out, she has to work her magic on them.  

Day 24 of National Sewing Month--I continue on my journey of sewing every day.  I'm quite amazed with myself...I thought I would fizzle out after the first few days but haven't.  Let's hope the mojo sticks around for a few more days. I'm thinking of buying myself a nice prize when I complete the month.  Something special, sewing related of course!

Check out what Judy L has on her wall today and what other fabulous projects are being shown on DWM.

Families of Geese

It's time for these geese to find their soul mates.  I've always heard that geese mate for life.  I'm kind of the same way......we just celebrated our 40th anniversary so I've been thinking a lot about that.

I know, my mind is kind of quirky sometimes but I'm OK with that.  I have to think things through in my own way. You know what I mean!  And see that little pile of bow tie twosies?  That's all that remains of the twosie leader/ender pile.  Soooo close to making foursies.  And the timer set at 22 minutes........yip, that is still going on. Wonder why I didn't set it for 23 minutes??? 

 The geese units were counted and pinned into sets of 10 as they were finished.  When all 600 were complete (sigh of relief!), I pulled out 20 sets to use as the completer geese.  Then I started sewing them into pairs.  When the 400 geese have found their soul mates, I will start to make a families of 4.

Then I'll make the complete family of 6 using the completers.  You know I had to make 1 family so the rest of the flock will follow.  99 families to go before we can have the family reunion.............

See the extras in the top of the photo?  The goose on the left is single.......the one on the right needs a left wing and will hopefully be needed and the pinks are all that I had leftover.  Funny/not so funny:  I tried sewing 26 wings on without bobbin thread. 26!!!  I'm shocked my machine didn't eat the top thread but it didn't, it let me go on and on and on...

Not too bad for resisting the Hawaiian Sunset  1845 quilt.  And the best news of all???  I have sewn everyday of September as I celebrate National Sewing Month.  Even today before 6:30 am I have had the machine on and sewed 2 seams.  But there will be more sewing later today.  I have families to complete!

Design Wall Monday

After a fabulous weekend Quiltathon, I decided to lay out my bow tie twosies into foursies.  I've been using the twosies for leader/enders all weekend.  I was quite surprised at how many I had put together.  There is still a little stack left so I won't do the final pair up of these until they are finished.  I'm getting quite anxious to sew this into a quilt top, but I'll be patient.

See Judy L's fabulous pink project and other great projects here.  I love Monday in Blogland.

Design Wall Monday

National Sewing Month has really put a bee in my bonnet.  I have been sewing up a storm!  Day 9 had me up early to work on my Sow-A-Long blocks.  So far, each day has me sewing on something.  That's a good thing.

After the corn was finished yesterday, I went right back to work.  I only have 1 block left to make before the new ones are posted.  I have a plan for the pink and brown blocks that will use 50 blocks.  We have 47 so far. I'll make the scrappy version until she is finished posting blocks.

And this is part of the final set of 10 bow tie leader/ender blocks.  I have 4 more to finish and then I'll start pairing them up into twosies.  I have 72 blocks that need to be made into 4 patches. Then the real fun begins with the layout of the quilt top.  

Visit Judy L today to see her absolutely adorable quilt top and what others are working on.  I love Monday in Blogland!

Design Wall Monday

I don't know if it's just my computer or if this is on everyone's. My font is super small. I didn't change any settings so I'm hoping it's just a blogger fluke right now.  I'll check back later today.  If you would be kind enough to let me know how it shows up for you, I appreciate the feed back.

!~!~!~!~! Thanks to AnnMarie at 16 Muddy Feet, I figured out MY problem with my page......she said to use CTRL+ and my page will become larger.  Thanks AnnMarie!

Sewing time has been dedicated to catching up on the Sow-A-Long blocks.  I'm making 2 of each block, one with browns and pinks, the other totally scrappy.  

I continue to work on my Bow Tie leader/ender blocks. I am almost finished making the little blocks.  Just in time too, because someone posted a new leader/ender challenge this morning!  Will I jump in?  No, not yet.  I have a different leader/ender to finish up.  Maybe I'll make a little wall hanging at some point.  I'm trying to be disciplined. LOL  You all know how good that works for me.

While I was sewing, I was kept company by Bonnie on QuiltCam.  It was pretty fun and funny.  Hopefully today with have me finishing up the remaining blocks.

What's on your design wall?  Check out what cuteness Judy L shows and what others that have linked to  at Patchwork Times.  Time for me to visit friends in Blogland. Happy Monday!

Early Morning In The Quilting Room

I love leaders and enders and find it out of my comfort zone not to have a L/E project going. I've been working on the bow tie leader/ender challenge for quite a while and am now at the block count down. I needed to have 71 more blocks to finish my layout.

This morning, I decided to take my first 2 hours and get my remaining bow ties ready. I hope I didn't go crazy and cut way too many but if I did, I'll put them on the back.  And everyone knows if I don't have enough, I have lots of fabric to cut more from.

I start by cutting my background fabrics and lay them out for easy pick up.  Then I cut the bow tie fabrics and lay them out.

I pick the background fabric for the block and pin them together and put them in the yellow basket.  Then cut some more.  My scrap 2 1/2" bin is quite low now.  That's a good thing.

When I am sewing, I have a stack of 5 block kits by my machine.  I work on these 5 until they are finished.  Then I work on 5 more.  When I have 10 blocks, I pin them together and put them in another bin.  Then I want to see what they look like in a 4 patch block........you know what I'm talking about.  

When I get to this stage in the l/e project, I want to just sew the whole thing together.  But I'm trying to resist and keep working on my pineapple blocks.  I have a few more to go before I can lay the top out.  I'l love to have that ready to take with me tomorrow so my Binding Friends can help me with the layout.  We have so much fun doing that!  Ohhh, that would make a great Wednesday post.  Note to self, take camera, use camera!  

Design Wall Monday

 In the never ending quest to reduce the amount of UFOs that live in my sewing room, I pulled out this set of 12 complete blocks from the 2010 Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along at Moose on the Porch Quilts. I got the sashing on these 4 blocks yesterday and hope to work on the remaining 8 today.  I always ask myself why I wait so long to finish up these projects because I really like them!  I know the answer, there is always something new and shiny to distract me.  

I continue to work on my bow tie leader/ender project from Quiltville.  I have sewn all but one of my bow tie blocks into sets of 4.  I have 30, I need 48.  I need to kit up 71 more bow tie blocks for this project. I need to pay attention to the background fabrics since I chose to do light and not light for that. (I better write myself a sticky note.) Close yet so far!

See what others are working on by checking at Patchwork Times for the Design Wall Monday Post.  I love Monday in Blogland.

Design Wall Monday

I have several things happening on my non design wall. 

 I miss that wall and need to figure something out. 

 I have a kind of plan but I'm not sure if it will work or not.  

So I do the best I can.

This is the quilt body waiting for borders. 

The borders are cut and waiting.

I continue to work on my blocks for the Sow-A-Long.

I don't know if you can tell or not but I had to unsew the outer units.

I sewed them backwards.

It's no fun unless you spend a bit of time unsewing.

I'm still making bow ties.

I ran out of precut parts.

So I started putting my little blocks together.

I think I should have taken another photo.

I'm excited to put this see this one develop into a top.

Go to Patchwork Times to see what everyone else has happening.

I love Monday in Blogland.

Busy Busy

Tuesday and Wednesday morning, I made time for block making and strip cutting.

 I made June's block for Carol Daok's yahoo group BOM/Mystery.

I cut my strips for my first strip swap with the QuiltvilleSwap group.

Then made a trip to the post office to get them sent off.
I CANNOT wait until I get my package back!

The strips on the left go into my 2 1/2" bin.
The strips in the middle go into the 2" bin.
The lone strip on the right goes into the 1 1/2" bin.

Then I made blocks 26 and 27 for the Sow-Along at Barrister's Block.

This morning she posted blocks 32 and 33.  

I want to be caught up by next Wednesday when she posts more.

Wish me luck!

I continue to work on my Bow Tie Blocks for the 2011 Bow Tie Leader/Ender Challenge from Quiltville.

I started making my blocks here, in August 2011.

I stopped working on them for quite a while.
I picked them up again here, April 2012.

The yellow basket holds my pinned together block parts.

I work on 5 BT blocks at a time.

I pin 10 completed together and put them in the bin.

I don't know how many I have or how many I will need.

While going through a stack of books and magazines,
I found this booklet published in 2005 by Billie Lauder called
Let's Make Bow Ties & Spools of Thread.
I tried to find a link on the web but couldn't find one.
It has all kinds of layouts in it.
I'm having a hard time picking the one I want to use.

Now I'm going to spend time with my Binding Friends.
I wish I were working on binding but won' be.
Still having issues with skipped stitches on the quilting machine. 

I'll work on that later.

Maybe I'll crochet or knit or stitch.
I better go figure that out.  

Design Wall Monday

Last year, Bonnie Hunter wrote about a Bow Tie Block Challenge.  We were supposed to use them for leader/enders only.  I wasn't going to do it, I had too many other things going on.  You all know where I'm going here, don't you!!!  Yes...I caved and started making blocks.  They are just so darn cute.  Then life happened and other things happened and the bow ties were put away to be worked on "later".

Guess what??? It's later.....I unearthed the basket-really I knew where it was but I needed to cut fabric and put that off.  This weekend I was sewing on a couple of my Sow-A-Long blocks and didn't have anything for a leader/ender.  I decided to get busy and cut a bunch of block parts to fill my little basket.  I don't know how many I cut but I know there are enough to keep me busy for a while.

It sure feels good to be sewing again.  My room isn't finished yet, I have shelves to put up still and things to put where they are handy.  I know what storage containers I need to buy.  Now I have to make a trip into town to get them.  It will get done.......soon.

Design Wall Monday

It's fun to have a loaded up design wall. I am loving the new bow tie leader/ender project. I've decided not to use cheddar and use from my over flowing bin of 2 1/2" background squares.

Next up is the last l/e project, Trees Left Standing that I started here using up some of the 1" bonus triangles. When I put the red strip on the wall and looked at it for a while, I knew it had to be lots thinner. So I decided I like it showing 3/4" and the outer border will be 2 or 2 1/2" wide.

On the right are my 2010/11 completed blocks for BOM-Quilt Addicts Yahoo group. That's right, I said completed! Before the newest project starts! OK, so just the blocks are completed but I feel good about that. :0) Now I am going to cut up the remaining fabric from the fat quarter pack into 2 1/2" strips to make up stars for the border and scrappy binding. I'd better make the binding first though......... And I think I will rearrange some of the blocks and maybe replace the brown and orange one. (afternoon edit--The orange and brown block has been replaced with a pink and blue block and looks so much better. )

I love Design Wall Monday, thanks Judy L. Go here to see what other's have on their walls today.

Design Wall Monday

I am almost to the stage in my current leader/ender project where it becomes the main project and a new l/e needs to be started. Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame has issued the Cheddar Bow Tie Leader-Ender Challenge. I wasn't going to do it. No, I wasn't going to start any more new projects. But........

I have a drawer full of 2 1/2" background squares, a drawer full of partial 2 1/2" strips. And I have been wondering what I was going to use for my next l/e project. I do want to make a cute bag for my g tablet. Does it sound like I'm rationalizing something here??? I have had my eye on some cheddar......I don't have any in my stash. I could make the cute bag from my stash and then decide if I need to buy that cheddar fabric......you all know I'm going to. :)

Head over to Judy L's and see other fabulous design walls and wish Judy luck with getting her new wall up and filled with beauty.