Another One Bites the Dust!

'Christmas Magic'

from Kim Diehl's book,

Simple Seasons.

I can take this one off the WIP list...hooray!

Of course, it is just a flimsy, but in the hands of the quilter.  

When it returns, button embellishments will be added.

I plan to display it on my kitchen table top and cover it with my snowman collection.

And, as always, I did work on something new.

F-A-L-L,

from Heart to Hand.

It currently hangs from the mantel at TOWQS.

I am back working part time at the shoppe, loving every minute of my time with my quilting community.  I'll be teaching an applique series in November, so I am busy preparing the samples for that.  I am also waiting on Lisa Bongean's new book, Little Gatherings, to arrive. Who knows what trouble I will get into once it arrives.

Around the World Blog Hop

I was invited to join in on the Around the World Blog Hop by Michele of Island Life Quilts. I have been following Michele for a long time and enjoy seeing her bright, modern quilts. I especially love all the little bags she makes.  The quilting motifs she uses to quilt her own quilts are always inspiring.

Why do I create?

For one thing, it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars...LOL.

But really, I just love it.  

My favorite part is selecting the fabrics for a project and then I like the challenge of piecing the quilt as best I can. 

Quilting also provides me with a community.

What am I working on?

What am I not working on! I just want to make them all. 

Here is a sampling:

'All Hallow's Eve'

This is a Sew Along I designed for The Olde World Quilt Shoppe blog. 

Anything small really makes me happy!

I am a big fan of Kim Diehl and just finished stitching down 'Penny Garland.'  Wool applique has really become a favorite medium for me. Here is another work in progress designed by Kim Diehl and using wool applique.

Finishes are not my forte, but here is a recent one that even has a binding...my least favorite part of the process.

'Snowbound'

Oh, the list of projects is endless, and I always have a new one brewing in my mind.  I recently took on a part time job at my LQS and my duties include selecting patterns and fabrics.  Boy, am I in heaven!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time today to stitch and create too.

Measure Twice!!

A hard lesson to learn! I bought the background and border fabric for this quilt 4 years ago.  So when I cut one border 1" short, I had to piece it together...boohoo.  Hoping the applique and quilting will disguise my mistake.

Christmas Magic by Kim Diehl.

Good news is that this blockhead project was successful...I met my goals and now I have all the flying geese done! Next step is to complete the applique.  My goal is to complete at least two corners each month. 

I have another Kim Diehl quilt pieced, but I am having a hard time settling on borders.  And I succumbed to the Primitive Gatherings BOW.  Boy, I bit off more than I can chew!  A very labor intensive project.  

Needless to say, I have lost my focus and need to find it again.  No other progress has been made on finishing all my WIPs. I have some other obligations (another mystery quilt and the Simple Whatnots Club) to work on this summer, so I plan to get back to my WIPs in the fall. 

Blockhead Project

I went back to Anna's original post about her blockhead idea, and reread her concept. Although she states you can make up your own rules, I like the idea of using the concept to work on quilts I have hanging around my sewing room, but have never started.  

Christmas Magic by Kim Diehl is one such project. 

 I bought the background yardage the first time I saw the project, but that is as far as I got.  

The project requires 88 of these blocks.

 And each block has 2 flying geese...that is 176 flying geese...YUK!

A total of 8 different fabrics are used to make theses units; so if I make the blocks out of one fabric per month, at the end of 8 months all the tedious piecing work is done!

Of course, my enthusiasm for a project is always its greatest at the beginning, so I already have 2 months worth of blocks made.

Four of the blocks are used to make these units that will be in the center of the quilt.

I am using Open Gate's Fit to Be Geese Ruler to make my flying geese.  I am a big fan of making things over-sized and then custom cutting them to the desired size. I think these are coming out pretty darn good.

I will also continue to make one Le Jardin block per month and a set of red and white blocks per month, but those were actually WIPs and her concept was not really intended to finish up UFOs or WIPS.

The final border of Snowbound is done, so I'll be back soon with a finished flimsy.  Might be awhile before I get anything to the finish line.  My favorite machine quilter retired and one of the best longarm quilters in the state just gave birth to her first child. I am one of those quilters who likes to quilt by check, but will do some of my smaller projects myself.  

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 I get to be a guest this year!