Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Catching up and Blog Color

Well I haven't posted for a few days, but I have neem getting things accomplished, just no pictures yet. I've been plugging away on the Diva Essential Bag that I have been working on for the last couple weeks, it should be finished in the next couple of days. The lining is finished and the outside is all quilted and ready to be put together. I'll be sure to post picstures when it's done.

I also finally got my HQ16 frame extended out to it's full size yesterday, I now have 115 inches of width so I can quilt king size quilts!!! I still need to find 1/4" sticky velcro so that I can attach the new leaders and then I can load the king size quilt that is waiting for me :)

Then I saw this on another blog and had to find out what color my blog should be

Your Blog Should Be Purple
You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything.You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey.You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.


Lo and behold, my blog should be (and is) Purple!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Machine Applique on the Embroidery Machine

Well I discovered machine applique on the embroidery machine and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I've been sick the last few days so I haven't done alot of quilting, but I did manage to find the energy to make my embroidery machine applique this butterfly:


Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Feedsack Row Robin

In the wee hours of the morning (around 2am) I finished my starter row for the Feedsack Friends Row Robin. I chose to use Michael Miller's Fairy Frost in the Vanilla color for my background with the 30's repro prints. My row has dragonflies embroidered in the center squares and then surrounded by different 30's repro squares to complete the row. Here are a couple pictures:



Monday, January 22, 2007

A New Round Robin Begins!

I made my center block for the International Round Robin I am doing with 6 other #QuiltChatters! This quilt will be worked on in the US, Canada, England, Scotland and Australia! I am very excited about the RR and am looking forward to seeing what all the ladies do!! Here's a picture of my center:



I chose a Maywood Studios print for the background and Moda's Cornucopia line for the focus fabrics. Now I can't wait to get my quilt back and I'm just sending my center out....LOL

Sunday, January 21, 2007

I just finished my First Customer Quilt!

I spent today finishing the quilting on my very first customer quilt on the HQ16! I did this for a friend of mine and she has seen my work in person, I just hope she likes my feathers :) Here are some pictures:





Saturday, January 20, 2007

The Fairies Are Finished!!

Well I just finished the last fairy!! They are all wonderful and I'm so happy that I decided to stitch them out. Now to decide what to do with them. I'm leaning toward making the blocks a free form log cabin in pinks and creams with each fairy as the center of a block, but we will see.

Here's a pic of the final fairy:

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Another Fairy Done!

Well while I was cutting out the pieces for the Diva Bag class I stitched out another fairy. I cannot believe that I only have one left to stitch and then they will all be done :) The next step will be figuring out how to set them into a quilt! Here's a picture:


So Much to Report Today!

Yesterday was quite the productive day! I not only stitched out another of my fairies (only 2 left to stitch), but I also finished my Trip Around the World quilt top, now to figure out borders!! Here are the pics of the 2 accomplishments from yesterday:


This afternoon while I dusting off the HQ in order to load a friend's quilt, I saw the USPS lady bring a package to the front door, brought it inside and knew exactly what it was!!! My Round Robin is HOME!!! YAY!!! I'm sooo happy with what all the gals did!! Thank you Cally, Lisa, Elaine, Nancy & Ronda....it is just beautiful!!! Here's a pic of the finished top:


Tonight I am taking a class at the LQS to make the "Diva Essential Bag". I'm very excited about this class. I bought the pattern and fabric for this bag ages ago and never got around to making it. So when I looked at the class schedule from the LQS I jumped at the chance to finally make the bag :) I also hope that I will finally learn to inset a zipper (LOL I'm a quilter not a garment sewer so never learned this). Here's a picture of the pattern and the fabrics I'm using for the bag. The cat print is going to be the outside and the pink/black polka dot is the lining fabric.






Wednesday, January 17, 2007

WIP Wednesday!

Well this is my first WIP Wednesday, I just joined the Quilt Studio Blog Ring this week and am really enjoying reading everyone's blog! Thank you all so much for letting me join you :)

I have 2 WIP's that I am currently working on and managed to work on them both today. One is my embroidery fairy quilt that I just started working on after I received my new embroidery machine at the beginning of the year. The WIP is a UFO that has been in the works for almost 2 years. It is my bright Trip Around the World quilt. I am now 5 rows away from finishing this top and hope to finish it tonight.
Here are pics of the newest fairy as well as the TATW in progress:



Sunday, January 14, 2007

The Cabinets Are Hung!

YAY!! I got hubby to install the rest of my cabinets in the sewing studio this afternoon then spent the rest of the day putting everything away!! It is now DONE and the room is back in order!!! I am so happy to be able to move around in there comfortably!! No new fairies today, was too busy being the organizing fairy myself!

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Another Fairy Finished!

I finished Fairy #8...only 4 to go before I stop boring you all with my embroidery escapade! Another pretty one :) Here's a pic:



Hubby and I went shopping today and bought the rest of the cabinets for the studio. I am hoping that he will install them tomorrow and then I'll post pictures of the new studio arrangement. this will also allow me to put all of the items on the HQ16 frame away so that I can do some quilting for a change!

Friday, January 12, 2007

Another Quilty Day!

Well I had yet another very quilty day!! I finished the 3rd quadrant of my Trip Around the World. I am in the home stretch! Here's a picture:

I also stitched out fairy #7 and she is a real cutie pie! Here's a pic of her:






Thursday, January 11, 2007

Feeling Better so I'm back to Embroidery!



I've been down with a nasty cold for the last couple days, so bad that I didn't even feel like going into the quilting studio! But I'm feeling much better now and managed to stitch 2 more fairies out (the project is half finished now) as well as made some more progress on the Trip Around the World Quilt! YAY!! Here are pictures of the latest 2 fairies:



Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Insomnia Strikes Again!

Once again I couldn't get to sleep last night so off to the sewing room I went! I stitched out another fairy block, this make 4 of the 12 done, YAY!! Here's a picture of the block:


I also worked on the Trip Around the World more. I'm 1/3 done the 3rd quadrant and sewed some more strip sets together to finish this quadrant. I'm just moving right along!

Monday, January 8, 2007

Fairy #3

Well I finished the third fairy stitchout tonight! Each one is cuter than the last!

Here's a picture:

I am also still steadily working on the Trip Around the World. I think that I will finish stitching the fairies about the same time as I finish the Trip Around the World top :)

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Another Fairy FInished!

I finished the second fairy this evening. These designs are very stich intensive and take alot of time to stitch out, but I just love the results! Here's a pic of the latest:


The New Embroidery Machine!

The new embroidery machine is fantastic! I hooked it up this afternoon and finally stitched out my first design on it. I am going to make a fairy quilt (hopefully for myself) and have now stitched out the first of 12 fairies. Here's a pic!


Saturday, January 6, 2007

My Trip Around the World

I have moved onto working on another UFO. Right now I'm trying to get blocks and partial quilt tops made into finished tops and then I will work on quilting them as the mood strikes me. I pulled out my bright Trip Around the World quilt top that I started almost 2 years ago. The bottom half is finished and I am working on piecing the upper left section now. Here's a pic of what it looks like so far!


Thursday, January 4, 2007

Insomnia & the quilt that is progressing because of it!

Well once again I could not sleep so I decided to move ahead on my daughter's Japanese quilt. I cut the sashing at midnight and finished sewing the sashing and blocks together at 3am!

And here's a close up of some of the blocks:

If I have problems sleping tonight I might manage to get the borders and backing finished! I have already cut the binding from the blue sashing fabric. I'm looking forward to quilting this one as soon as I can use the HQ16 again. Right now it is a resting spot for the contents of the cabinets that have yet to be installed....LOL


Wednesday, January 3, 2007

The Japanese Quilt!

Well I couldn't sleep so I decided to work some more on the blocks for my daughter's birthday quilt. Originally I had planned to make this quilt for her for Christmas but decided it just wasn't going to happen, so it will be for her birthday. She has no clue that I am making this quilt for her.

She loves Japanese anime and all things Japanese, so I decided to make her a Japanese quilt. I searched online and found Kanji symbols for my embroidery machine and stitched them out on ivory colored Fairy Frost fabric. I then used those as the centers for Churn Dash blocks using assorted oriental fabrics. I really like the results so far!








Tuesday, January 2, 2007

A New Year of Quilting!



Well it's a new year and I'm already working on UFOs! I have been rearranging my quilting studio since right after Christmas and yesterday was the first day I was actually able to sew!

During the rearranging I found some sailboat blocks that I started many years ago. Today I finished piecing the blocks and now just need to sash them.



I also received my anniversary present today (Hubby and I have been married for 2 years as o Jan 1st) via UPS! I love machine embroidery and hubby ordered me a new Brother PE700 machine so that I can do larger embroidery images!! I have it all set up and am ready to play tonight!!!