Submitted by Sandie Griego on Sat, 08/17/2013 - 17:19
I don't feel like I have gotten much sewing done in the last month, but I think it is because most of it went out the door. I stitched names and leadership positions on the back of Boy Scout caps for our council's summer training event. I also made them 20 bags that held their course books - to hang from the staff member's belt. I also replaced a zipper in a family member's motorcycle riding gear. There were several items that took me out of my comfort zone in the last month.
I made my mom a bag for her walker. I forgot to take a picture before I mailed it to her. It got the attention of her Home Health Nurse and she wanted one. I made her a tote bag. This time, I got a picture. This was part of using up my stash. The only item purchased was the webbing for the handles.
The local Plano quilt show was last weekend. It is not a large show but has very nice quilts and a nice variety of venders to shop. This year's show had an abundance of beautiful quilts and inspiration. I was a good girl and kept with my budget. I only purchased items I needed to work on an already purchased pattern and fabric. The quilt show also had some hands on demos. I learned about an applique technique I plan to use on this quilt. This will be a long term project. I just loved this pattern when I saw it and paid too much for it.
I originally wanted to do needle turn applique but found that I did not have the patience to do that. I decided I would create the applique shapes and do an invisible machine applique. We will see how long it takes me.
This weekend we received out last block for a block of the month program I was participating in at my local Bernina dealership. I was getting ready for it to be done so I completed the quilt top as much as I could leaving out the missing block. This is the book the quilt came from.
We did not do the quilt in Christmas colors. We used Fall colors, I promise. Here is my finished quilt top.
You can see how Jade insisted on walking on it while I took the picture! I plan on quilting it on my friend, Barbara's Bernina quilt frame in the next week. Anyone planning to make this quilt needs to know a couple of things. Each of the main blocks around the outside should finish to 12.5 inches. They did not. The creator of the quilt compensated for the lack of accuracy by instructing you to cut a strip of fabric 1.5 inches wide and sew to all sides of each block, then trim to 12.5 inches. All of these little frames are a different size. This drove me absolutely crazy. Now that I have finished the quilt top, it does not bother me so much. Had I known this before starting the quilt, I probably would have given it a pass.
I have also started cutting out the Pinwheel Paradise quilt. I purchased two jelly rolls from the Foliage fabric line to make this quilt. By the time I purchased batting and backs for this quilt and the top I just finished, I had spent my entire month's budget. I will work on this quilt along with the "In a Pickle" paper piece quilt at the next quilt retreat I plan to attend next month. I am so looking forward to the quilt retreat.
And last but not least, here is some eye candy for you. This was the Best of Show and Mayor's choice in the Plano quilt show. It is an art quilt made from a photo taken at the Dallas Aborium last fall. It is a row boat full of lighted blown glass balls. It was a true work of art.
