Monday, August 31, 2009

Leaders and Enders

This is my new Leader/Ender project. Gather up your strips and strings. Use anything less than an 1 1/2".

Cut some 5 1/2" paper squares, making sure what you use the ink will not rub or iron off onto your fabric. ( tip from Bonnie).


Take a light and a dark and lay them in the center...right sides together. Stitch using a 1/4" seam allowance.


Flip and press top piece down. Keep alternating light with dark strips until you reach the edge. Your strips should be long enough to extend 1/2" off the edge of your paper.


Turn square around and start sewing light/dark strips going the other way until............


You end up with this!!! Uh... mine doesn't look so light/dark....oh well, no bigg-ee! Now trim....leaving 1/4" of fabric extended from edge of paper. If you will keep a pile of these papers and your strips close at hand while you are working on other projects you will ALWAYS have fabric under your needle.....and if you do, you will be working on two projects at once and one day you will end up with one of THESE....A Basket Weave Quilt.....Bonnie has more detailed instructions for this project on her web page.
Ok....all of you who whine about paper piecing....just keep the ones you have sewn by your chair and lazily tear out the paper in the evenings while you are watching the 'boob' tube.

I learned about leaders and enders from Bonnie at Quiltville....this is such a great idea!
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Friday, August 28, 2009

...LiL Sister....

.............It's been a year.........I still miss you just as much today.............!!!!!
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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Playing With 'Miss Bernie".......

Hey, how did those people in Switzerland who make these things know I had cows..????? Isn't this a HOOT!

I'm learning and checking out all her 'bells and whistles' today. Look at some of these wonderful stitches she allowed me to make!!

Oh my...look at these sweet little snowflakes. I'm thrilled they are a nice size and not tee-ni-nee!


This swirl or ocean wave stitch looks like real 'hand stitchery' to me....this one stitches out slow!


I used my BSR--Bernina Stitch Regulator here for some quilty practice runs.....Miss Bernie is not playing nice with me....the stitching is 'crap-o-la'!!!......Uh, well....maybe it's me???


My seem ripper slides easily underneath the large spaces on these seams...the seams are longer than when I use a basting stitch!! (Click to enlarge)....I thought this stitch regulator would make my stitches look better. I have practiced some just lowering my feed dogs and free motion....that worked better than this. I know.....it's probable ME!
Can you see what I'm talking about.....maybe I should get out my handbook....when all else fails.....read the instructions! I think maybe I need to adjust my stitch length.......I'll go try that and see what happens! .......MUST.LEARN.THIS.
......And Jenny (no blog) I'm waiting for that email picture of your scrappy log cabin...can't wait to see it!!

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Confetti / Cathedral Stars.....

As you can see....I have more or less finished the top to my Confetti Stars. This is my version of Bonnie Hunter's Cathedral Stars Quilt she has instructions to over here. I made mine so colorful I thought it reminded me of that glittery confetti you can get at the party store. I'm thinking I will just add a border around using the same turquoise green. I decided I didn't want rows of various borders of straight lines going around it. I wanted the stars to stay the main focus.....and then I'm thinking the blue for the binding. The hot pink stars are bright enough without adding more of that color around the edge....I'm just saying.....

It will lay on the floor through out the evening so Mr. Brown Dirt and I can do our ritual we do every time I finish a top. We look at it....admire it....critique it....give our various opinions on how wild and colorful this one is. We will discuss which fabrics would be good for the back and....LOL....try to guess on how long it would take me to hand quilt it! I truly LOVE this one.....I'm thinking GD Shaylee's name might be on this one!!

AND GUESS WHAT??? I pulled another SNEAKY drawing for a giveaway. I selected these Halloween fabrics left over from my blocks I made for Jane's Spectacular Halloween Swap. I drew a name from this post....there were 43 comments made......I appreciate all my regulars for helping me out with your opinions.....coming to the rescue when I needed it. Oh how I love to be sneaky.......AND the winner is...#33.......BONNIE from CALAMITY JANES COTTAGE!!! Oh....and by the way.....she is having a giveaway.....go check it out before it's too late!!!
Congratulations Bonnie.....get with me so I can get your snail mail address.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Round and Round They Go...........

VINTAGE GOODNESS.....
Oh...Oh......LOOK.......yummy SAILBOATS....

TINY blue roses encased in TINY blue hearts.....now who doesn't love that!!!
BALLOONS.......be still my heart!!!



CHECKS are my friend....especially LAVENDER!

LITTLE DUTCH PEOPLE.......YES...YES!!


I.LIKE.
These cute little rounds of fabric were in a Ziploc bag which were included in one of my wonderful 'care packages' from my friend Gail who lives in Michigan (no blog). They are MOST DEFINITELY VINTAGE! I don't know if they were cut for yo-yos or maybe for hexagons. I just thought you might enjoy seeing them. I was squealing like a little school girl when I discovered them in her package. There are more that I might share at a later date. Thank you Gail!!!
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Friday, August 14, 2009

The Fat's in the Fire......

That's Texas talk for when things are really busy....hoppin' and jumping at your place! Even though it's busy and crazy here.....this picture represents my dreamy thoughts of sitting out under the shade tree in a lovely white wicker chair sipping lemonade being lazy and just enjoying life......
But instead....here's my reality.......I've got to pick and shell a TON of these......oh, but YUM!!
I'll be sooo glad I did when the dead of winter is here and I can pull some of these out of the freezer!!!! ( In case you don't recognise what these are.....they are blackeyed peas.)

Clapping...Clapping....I have been busy opening up another 'care' package my friend Gail sent me(no blog)she lives in Michigan! Tons and Tons of fabric and a great Thimbleberries quilt book and a wonderful array of quilting magazines!! Thanks so much Gail. I haven't had much time to play with and examine the fabric and books......the picture below explains why.....
It's ALL Janes fault my work area looks like this!!! My swap deadline is breathing down my neck and I've been ripping...uh I mean sewing day and night trying to get my blocks finished!!!
I was busy 'digging' around in a drawer one day and found this......OOOuuuuu....I.LIKE.....
And.......I'm feeling 'green' this week. These are the fabrics that have been speaking to me lately!
So see....with father-in-law in the hospital....the garden in full swing....halloween block swap AND my house being soooo dirty......THE FAT HAS BEEN IN THE FIRE and I'm just trying to keep from getting 'splattered'!!
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Monday, August 3, 2009

Frustrated Quilter...

I don't usually ask for other peoples opinions because most of the time I have my own definite ideas concerning my projects........BUT, this is the first Halloween project I have ever done and the first Halloween fabric I have ever added to my stash. I am trying to finish up my swap blocks for Janes Halloween Spooktacular and I am getting VERY frustrated with myself because I just can't seem to make up my mind on which fabric to finish these blocks with!!!! I have taken some photos of my options and would like to get your opinions.....if-in' you don't mind!! ...LOL....I'm sure everyone will probable pick something different and I will still remain undecided!!!

I guess this is possible my favorite at the moment......

Mr. Brown Dirt likes this one......

And...he thinks this one is his favorite.......probable my least favorite.....

This one is cute.........

More cuteness........

See.....I just have a lot of unfinished 'BOO's laying around....waiting patiently.....

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