Quilt 2 UFO 4

Cat City is done--I now have a new model for the pattern.

UFO project 4 is from the PTQG closet stash.  I liked these 3 half yard pieces together, so I cut them into 3 5" strips each.  I think I know what I will do with them... Tomorrow... in the new year.

Quilt 1 UFO 3 Top 3

First quilt complete for the UFO party.  It's ready to return to CS for the Pine Tree guild on Tuesday night.  Busted 4 pieces from the closet stash.

Top 3 started as a back and batt from Valley Quilt guild that didn't fit another quilt top.  I picked the sweet blues and used my PRISTINE pattern.  This UFO started out with only the spacers sewn onto the 5x9 slices.  It worked out the right size to fit the back and batting it was made for.

Top 2 Cats with Cats

As part of the de-cluttering-my-life project, I am watching old video tapes one last time before I give them away.  So, as I put the last border on the cat quilt, it finally dawned on me that I was watching the Cats video.  It was simply the next tape in the bag, honest--cat karma.  Or as my punny son would say, the Cats is out of the bag.

Top 1 UFO 2

The first top is done and loaded on the quilter. 

Now for UFO 2--a Cat City baby/lap.  This one needs to be done for a pattern model.  I have made so many of these for sale over the years that I get distracted doing another.

UFO 1

I just spent 2 hours writing on blogs, figuring out Facebook, joining the forum.  Now it's time to start quilting.  The new blade is installed.  Project 1 was just started yesterday--I do not want to add it to the UFO pile, so "last in, first out".   It is a Community Service quilt for the Pine Tree Quilt Guild using fabric from their closet.  The object here was to use every inch of the fabric that I put together.  That closet can use a little stash busting, too.

UFO Busting Party with Pat Sloan

I am joining the UFO Busting Party on Pat Sloan's blog--patsloan.typepad.com.  As a professional quilt finisher, I should be able to do this.  I have plenty to work with--as a professional quilt starter, I have more than the average quilter's UFO's.  More than 30 years of making samples--for my shops, college classes, patterns.  I moved all this mess twice--once when I closed the store, and again when we moved.  I have finished a lot since "retiring".  But I have also started a lot with the new pattern business and with the Community Service quiltmaking for my 2 new guilds. 

Up here on the hillside at Villa Rosa, I can keep myself a bit isolated, so it is definitely time to try some online groups.  Now to figure out how to work with posting on forums and Facebook!  Meanwhile, I will post my activities here.  At least that will help with the New Year's resolution of posting more. 

So here we have just some of the UFO piles--the first 3 are the sewing room, the next 3 are in the workroom.  Messy as always, even more so since I have been making kits to clear out the Community Service fabrics I took home.  I am making progress, believe it or not.  It falls into the category--"it always gets worse before it gets better".

Minnesota's Finest

Minnesota presented a perfect little snowstorm yesterday.  It stacked up nearly a foot, great for snowmen, and not so cold that it froze over or was difficult to drive on--once it was shoveled away.

But the real reason for Minnesota is more than the snow.  The dynamic duo makes the best of it here.

This a house full of readers--and a cat.

And then there is Miss Glam in Jammies.

Market Dash

The only time I could see the exhibits was after hours.  At least the aisles were clear! 

Amy Butler's most colorful booth was stunning.  We can hardly wait for this new line of fabric.

Anna Maria Horner never disappoints with her style.  Her Innocent Crush line is smashing in this display.

Westminster/Free Spirit are my perennial favorites.  Tula Pink has joined them--Parisville here is a winner.

Round About

In my long travels, I wish I could take more time to stop, take pictures, and write...I've been on the road for 3 weeks now.  First stop was Austin on the way to Houston.  Ten days in Houston.  Hop back to Austin, then up to Minnesota.  Just thought I would take the Northern route home.

Houston Market and Festival were wonderful.  My RoseCards caught a lot of attention.  I am pleased with all of the great ways people are using them.

All of my Market and Festival buddies had scheduling conflicts, so I was a solo act.  Not much time to do anything but work, eat Mexican food, and collapse.   At the shows, I did meet many new people and shared many new ideas.  It is so much fun to handle all of the fabulous fabrics. 

On the first leg of the trip, I took the time to play tourist in Frederickburg TX, in the Hill Country on the way to Austin.  Fabulous shopping in this historic town.  I loved the inviting look of the front of Henfeathers.  And isn't the saying on the window perfect?



















And how appealing is the fabric folded on this wall in Things in a Room.

Loved this display in a booth at the Brass Armadillo in Des Moines.  Could you saw old end tables in half?  Or better question--would this hold fabric?

Red Rose

From bolts to quilt top--all in an evening's work.  Just couldn't go to bed without having this done.  Way, way too pretty. 

Starting with the 5" strips makes for very quick work.  I will do the kits with 5" strips--love that cut.  Chop, chop--2 5" squares and 2 14" long rectangles.  Plus some quick 5" polka dot centers from a fat quarter.

To the machine, and the blocks come together in a flash. 

Clear the floor to lay them out, sew them up,and add the borders.  Aren't stripes the perfect first border?

And now the photo finish....

Red Rose Farm

They are here--this wonderful group of fabrics from Elizabeth Scott for P&B Fabrics.  I know just what I want to do with them--another RoseCard for Market of course.  Off to work--keep you posted.

Pacheco Pass Party

The Quilt Show with the Pacheco Pass Quilters in Los Banos was another great weekend.  Fabulous hospitality from the help with unloading and loading to a Saturday night barbeque.  RoseCards and bright fabrics were a hit in my booth.  Thank you all again.

Playing with Blocks

My new best block.  I am trying it out for all sorts of fabric groups--5 inch strips, fat quarters, 10" squares.  These two are Community Service tops from the PT closet stash.  I wanted an alternative to the Just Can't Cut It block that alternates with a theme.  I think I have found it--love how these came out.

Turkey Trot with Dot

Our wildlife preserve provides amusement every day.  Here you see our cat Dot grazing with the turkeys at T time.  They don't seem to mind--she is much smaller than they are. 

This is all happening right outside the open back door of my quilting room--with the dog at my feet.

Community Kits

Today was Community Service workday for the Pine Tree Guild.  I had cut several quilts, mostly the four patch Freedom.  I thought it was time to package them up with a pattern and hand them off to others in the guild to sew. I ended up with 15 kits, 12 of which have already been given out, thanks to one very enthusiastic member.  That 8 inch Four Patch works so well for using up stash fabrics--it can be cut from fat quarters or regular quarters.  We have so much of that size piece in our stashes and donated fabrics like this.  The little quilt only takes 6 pieces, or 12 for the throw size--which can include some duplicates.  When I pick for these from a donation stash, I usually go for color, sometimes with a theme or two.    Once, cut, they sew up in just an hour or so--very rewarding for everyone involved.  Can't wait to see them all back.

5 Inch Playtime

I am playing more with the 5" strips.  Windham Fabrics offer 5" strip bundles, as do other companies and shops.  I know I will be adding them to my offerings, cut from my new fabrics.  I love bigger cuts like this--fast, fun and it shows off fabric.

Last night it was the Zoo Babies from Windham.  I have a bundle with 24  5" strips.  It would make too big a quilt if all are used together, so I divided them into boy and girl.  With 2 simple blocks, I set to sewing.  I loved playing with these blocks, but I would do the color layouts differently next time.

Both blocks use the 5" strips very efficiently, which is what I am about.  STASH BUSTING begins with not adding more to the stash--so little or no waste or scraps here!
 
The rail block is 5" squares (made from a quick set of 2 strips) and 5" x 9 1/2" rectangles (our Pam Cake slice!).  I kept the same fabrics grouped together for the blocks, and tried to make a rail fence look.  Nice idea, but the fabrics did not separate out well in color or contrast, so it klunked.  Not sure if I will leave it or rip it and rearrange (the more I look at it, I think I will rip).  I am disinclined to rip--much faster to make a new one.  I can already see other fabric groups that would make this work better.  Or just simply go scrappy and random--I have all of my scraps cut into 5x 9 1/2 and 5 inch squares, anyway.

The frame block is 5" squares and 5"x14".  How easy is that?  A 5" strip nets 2 14" and 2  5" pieces--perfect--all that is needed is a center 5" square.  That center could be a common fabric, or in my case 2 that I liked, or scrappy.  I love the look of the block, and how fast and fun it sewed up.  Layout-wise, again I would do this over.  I think the yellow needs to be in the center, so I will rip.  I guess it is time to find room for a design wall.

My brain in reeling with the possibilities for this frame block.  I am figuring ways to use 5" strips or fat quarters efficiently for quilts with this block.  I also realized I can use 4  5"x 9 1/2" Pam Cake slices for this as well.  It can circle around the center using the partial seam technique.  With this variation, the 4 pieces can be all the same, 4 different, or 2 and 2 (light and dark maybe?).  This will also cut more efficently from fat quarters.  Gotta get my chores done, so I can try this out soon.

Round Two---Brilliant

Quite literally the colors in this second shipment of Kaffe Collective are brilliant.  The first out of the box were reds, and boy do they do reds!  I am getting closer to being able to design and kit these new fabrics.

I had to make something from the Meadowsweet 2 Geranium colors, so I did make a quickie from favorite pattern Cheaper by the Half Dozen.  I think I was less than 24 hours complete on this one--pieced one evening, quilted and bound the next morning.

They're Back

The Kaffe Collective fabrics are coming in.  Shipments are due weekly--and they started this week.  This is just part of the first installment.  They should be listed in a couple of days.  It will be another few weeks before we can packet and design.  We need more of a colorway.  It is exciting, nonetheless.

Designer on Duty

Grandma Pam is now moved closer to me, up in the woods in Nevada City.  I put her to work today helping me with another version of the quilt I made from Hoffman's Jasmine batik bundle.  This time it is Feedsack VI prints from Windham Fabrics--30's repro's are one of her specialties.  Windham gave me a bundle of the whole line so that I might design 5" strip patterns with them.

I think this pattern is perfect for them, and how completely different from the Batiks!  I still have some kinks to work out with the pattern, so here we go with Version 2.

The whole stack is 55 pieces--wow!  Great colors.  I asked her to pick 20 for this project--"no problem", and off she went to work (in her easy chair).  The bottom 2 rows are the chosen 20.

Once home, I got right to work cutting, sewing strip sets, and making blocks.  Over half of the blocks are done, just 2 hours later.  What a team!!