Now to get started!

Looks like teal is the new color RSC2014!  So I just headed to the sewing closet to see what was in the stash. Looks like I have everything to make my 3 pickle dish blocks. Since it tax season, I am not sure any sewing will get done this week as tax preparation will take center stage.

I am glad to report that I did make some progress on my hexie project this week. Now to decide what that center medallion will be.  My first thought was an applique block, but this morning I though maybe a crazy quilt block. I have wanted to try one, is this my opportunity............hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm??????

Well, I have some time to think about it!  I did decide since I finished my Floribunda quilt that my new focus will  be finishing the rest of the blocks for Baltimore Garden. That along with my RSC2014 blocks should keep me pretty busy.

My first ruffled quilt!

I am on the home stretch today with Floribunda.  It is  not a large quilt, but it served it's purpose of ridding my stash of some floral fabric. I also was able to use up some wool batting pieces that were trimmed off other quilts.  So why not do something new and exciting when it came to finishing it.  I have  never used a ruffler foot, so why not give it  a try.   After watching a you tube video on how to use it, I made what seems like yards and yards of ruffles.

I must say I am pleased at the results, and it was fun to do something different.  Although, it is a lot more work than a regular binding, but it is worth the effort. I have three sides of the backing turned under and stitched so hopefully today I can finish the final side.

 Then I will get out my hexie box. I need more background hexies to complete my six sided shape.  I had to undo one flower this week as I was off according to my map, so I didn't get as much done as I had hoped but it is coming along.

It's a Pink Morning

I am sure that most of you have heard the old saying "Pink in the Morning Sailor's Warning  Pink at Night Sailors Delight! Well, when  I looked out this am this is what I saw:

Yes and the weatherman is predicting rain for tomorrow. So my afternoon won't be filled with slow stitches like usual on Sunday, but my husband and I will head to the back yard to shred up the rest of our fall leaves and use them to mulch the landscaping beds.  It will do wonders for the shrubs and really help them to make it thru the very hot summers we have.

But since slow stitching with the gang of quilters that link each Sunday with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sundays has become such a habit, I will find sometime this evening to put a few stitches in my hexie project.  I was able to get another section almost ready to attach.  This will be side four.  Working on this project has been a bit like doing a puzzle.  I sure hope the last two sides will link up correctly, I think I will be fine as long as I follow my map closely.

I guess I really need to start thinking seriously with what I should do in the center of this project and what will come after that.  Any ideas?

Progress

So what do you do when the groundhog says six more weeks of winter?  We could spend a lot of time getting mad about it.  The trouble is sometimes the more we dwell on something the more it bothers us.  So, I have immersed myself into my quilting projects.

Yesterday was so enjoyable basting hexies and I was able to finish side 3 of my hexie project.

Slow Basting!

 Thought I would share my progress on my hexie project.  Two sides completed on my six sided project.  Then I need to decide what to do in the center. My original thought was an applique block, but I have also thought about a wonderful hand quilted motif.  I also need to think about what will be added next. It could stay a six sided quilt, or I could add star points the possibilities are endless.  I think that is what I am liking the best about this project.  I can do what I want, when I want, and it will be what it is.

I also like that I can take my little box with all my supplies and work on it anywhere.  A couple of weeks ago my husband had to have a test run at the hospital and I picked up my box and took it along.  Much to my surprise I had taken by needle keeper out to use on another project at home.  So there I sat in the waiting room not being able to stitch.  So I decided I really needed to make another one, when this week a envelope came in the mail. Deb was so sweet to send this little needle keeper with some great pockets in it to keep my scissors and other supplies.  It fits perfectly in my box, so now I don't have to find myself in that situation again.  Thank you so much Deb, that was so sweet of you.

Floribunda is still in the hoop.  I am using some wool batting, have you ever quilted using wool batting?  If not you really should, it is so true that it quilts like butter.  Another plus is the wonderful loft you get that really enhances your stitching.

 

So my Sunday will be filled with basting hexies and adding a few hand quilting stitches in  Floribunda.  With the Olympics and Downton Abbey on the tube it will be  a very enjoyable day. Of course I always love going to Kathy's blog and seeing what others are slow stitching. 

Pay off!

 It has been a long winter, although down here we don't get very hard winters, but we have had our share of lower than normal temps.  I am really getting sick of looking a that bermuda grass that stays brown till we get much warmer temps. Hopefully there will be some signs of spring  soon.  I have kept busy stitching on a few projects, mostly hand work, which is slow going.  So slow, that sometimes, I wonder if these projects will ever get finished, but then I remind myself that I do enjoy the process it is nice to reflect on what those stitches produce. So this morning, after a few last applique stitches, I have the four blocks for my pumpkin seed done! Mind you, I don't have it assembled into a flimsie yet, but sewing four blocks together shouldn't take too long.

 Also after spending a couple of months of basting hexies, I drew out my design.  I wanted to make a frame for a center medallion block, which turned out to be harder than I thought it would be.  I finally got it worked out and started sewing the flowers together adding the background filler.  I  really have enjoyed stitching them together. This is my progress, 181 hexies stitched together!

After another cup of coffee this morning and once the sun comes out I will go back to marking my Quilt of Valor quilt.  I am excited to get it into my new hoop.  Again I will be using perle cotton #16, to big stitch this quilt.  So even though sometimes it doesn't feel like I am making progress, it is good to look back and see how far these projects have come.

Slow Slow Stitching

Thought I would update you on my hexie quilt today.  If you have ever worked with hexies you know it involves slow slow stitching.  I did make progress this week, in that I started to assemble my medallion block.

This evening, the plans are to add a few more black background hexies to a few more flowers, so that they will be ready to attach. My goal is attaching four more flowers, not sure that will happen but I like to work towards a goal.
 

 

 This morning, while the sun is shining bright I am marking some blocks on my Quilt of Valor so that I can get it closer to going into the hoop.

More Blue!

Joining  Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2014 has really motivated me to get some things done.  I completed the three blue blocks for my pickle dish challenge quilt.  But, being a typical quilter ,I also have other projects on the go, so this week, I pulled out the  blue hexies in my EPP box and made all of these flowers.

I just loved the reverse starburst  block that Kat featured on her blog.  Her tutorial was great and I decided I could use some more scraps and easily make one more block per month. 

Looks like the end of the year is going to be very colorful when I got to assemble these blocks into  quilts.  Making more quilt tops means  I need to keep on track with my hand quilting. My goal is to hand quilting  three quilts this year!   Number one,  my thousand pyramid,  was finished this week.  Now to get number two marked, sandwiched and into the hoop.

Where do I start?

I was hoping to have my pyramid quilt finished by today and was looking forward to using my new binding clips while sewing down the binding.  But, things don't always work out like we want.   The weather was so gorgeous yesterday, I just had to go out and enjoy it.  I only have three more cables to hand quilt as you can see in the picture, but my spool of perle cotton is almost gone, not sure I will make it.  Time will tell. But the good thing is, there is always more slow stitching projects to work on.

As you can see I have made a bit of progress on my hexies.  I even did a layout drawing for the center medallion, not sure what will happen beyond this but for now I just need to keep making flowers.  Then I can work on assembling the center medallion.

I also have the last block of my pumpkin seed to assemble.  I assembled the four pumpkin seeds I made from scraps this week.  They are ready to applique to the background that has been pre-washed, although you can see I need to do some pressing.  So I  am  linking up again with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sundays to get some inspiration  to get my projects moving along!

Slow Stitching Hexies!

Christmas has come and gone and we sent the last of our Christmas visitors on their way this morning.  I can't believe that I have not done any stitching for the past few days.  I did get three hexagon flowers assembled before my sister and brother in law arrived on Christmas.

So today, I will spend the afternoon assembling a few more hexagon flowers. Hexies are such a great project to fill in those times  I am in between projects.  It is nice to have company, but I am looking forward to sitting down this afternoon and enjoying some stitching before we I have to face the routines the rest of the week will bring. I will be linking up with Kathy to see what others are slow stitching today!

Slow Stitching Sunday!

What does one do after a finishing a quilt? Yes, Christmas Journey is now a quilt! I posted the final pictures here. Well, like most quilters I have several projects that need  my attention. I made a few more hexie flowers this week. They will be added to the stack waiting until the final layout it decided upon.

Today, I will spend my spare moments putting in a few more big stitches in my thousand pyramid quilt. I am pleased with the way the quilting design is working with the patchwork.  It has made me rethink what I will do in the border.  I see a large quadruple cable winning the battle of ideas. Do you make changes when you are working on a quilt? I am finding that the more quilts I make the more that happens. How about you?

Back from Texas

We headed to Texas for Thanksgiving this year to have Thanksgiving with my son and his family. We had made a stop at the George W Bush Library. It was such a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the library.

Here I am outside the replica of the oval office in the rose garden. 

I took my hexie project along and got alot of hexies basted and even got a few flowers assembled. 

Today I decided to outline these shapes on my Red and Green Quilt. Then it will be onto binding it.

I also decided to use this pattern that came in the latest issue of Quiltmaker magazine as a the center medallion on my hexie quilt. Hope you had some time to fit in some  stitching. You can see what others are doing over at Kathy's blog.

I've been hexed!

I have played with hexies, once before, but just didn't get hexed as most quilter's do.  But, I keep seeing pictures of cute hexi projects and gorgeous quilts.  So I thought I would give them another try. I didn't put to much thought into it, just decided to use some scraps and make some flowers. Who knows where this will go.  I am using card stock this time instead of paper and I think it makes basting the hexies much more enjoyable.

This is my travel project, so I put together this little kit with a box I used in my sewing room.  It has everything I need to baste or sew the hexagons together. So everytime we jump in the car and head to town or take a trip it comes with me.  I am really surprised at the results of  fitting in a few minutes here or there makes.  Now I just need to keep at it and someday just  maybe  there will be enough for a a quilt.