Monday, March 30, 2015

Make a List Monday - Market Edition

I had big plans for this past week, unfortunately they didn't quite work out as planned......

1. Work on a second Prismatic Star. - nope. Didn't happen.
2. Work on Cactus Rose. I would like to get the 16 main blocks pieced this week, so that I can start the appliqué on Easter Weekend. Nope. Didn't happen.....


3. Work on the B blocks for the QAL. I did manage to get some of these done, though sadly it is never as many as I've planned.

This week is going to be interesting. It's report card time at work, as well as a holiday week, and we have tons of things scheduled to ship, as well as a large inbound shipment of goods, so it is going to be very very busy at the full time job. 

Easter weekend includes a scheduled retreat with some friends and a weekend full of Cactus Rose. Hoping to make major progress on this one since there are only a few weeks left until market (seriously, how does it go so quickly)???

And that is all I have planned. Sew, sew, sew. And then sew some more. 

Catherine

P.S. What are you working on this week???

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Wedding Ring QAL - Week 6 Update

Week 1&2 February 15th -28th - Project Selection and Supply Attainment -- DONE!!!

Week 3 - March 1 - 7 - Paper Preparation - cut out and bag you papers according to your pattern. - DONE!!!!

Week 4 - March 8 - 14 - Sewing A Arcs - there are multiple sets of these and we are going to spend multiple weeks working on them. Some done.....lots left

Week 5 - March 15-21 - Sewing A Arcs - just keep sewing!!!! With a crazy week and the beginning of market madness (as opposed to March Madness), I didn't get a lot done, but I am making steady progress, completing 1 or 2 sets each evening, so far I am up to 11 sets of As and 7 sets of Bs, so approaching half way.

Week 6 - March 22-28 - Sewing B Arcs - just keep going! We got this far, we can do it! See note above. 

Week 7 - March 29 - April 4 - Sewing B Arcs - This week!!! It's the last week of ARCS, and while there is NO way I will get them finished this week, I am determined to keep going, and get as far as I can.

Week 8 - April 5 - April 11 - Using QW Wedding Ring Rulers - Cutting out backgrounds -- Asteroids and Melons.

Week 9 - April 12 - April 18 - Pieced Asteroids and Melons

Week 10 - April 19 - April 25 - Assembly

Week 11 - April 26 - May 2 - Assembly

Week 12 - May 3 - May 9 - Assembly

Week 13 - May 10 - May 16 - Assembly

Week 14 - May 17 - May 23 - Applique - Fused

Week 15 - May 24 - May 31 - Applique - Hand Turned

How are you coming along on this project??

Catherine

Stormy Seas Update


It's been a busy week around here.....I taught all last weekend, and worked on either side of the weekend, so I was bound and determined to have a little fun this weekend (and sleep in, but more about that later). To my surprise, a package arrived on Tuesday that I was not really expecting -- my Stormy Seas from Carrie!!!! This one is not anywhere near my color palette. But I really do love it!!! It's a gift eventually -- which is to say, that I made it with a certain someone in mind after I use and abuse it as a class sample. It is a LARGE table runner -- 71 inches to be exact. Which just happens to be 1" shorter than my Mom's dining room table. Happy coinkidink.  

The pattern is newish, and called Stormy Seas and is a smaller version (with an alternate border) of A Touch of Spring. It's  great pattern, and a great into to curved piecing, since it has both the traditional C curve and the dreaded S curve (in the border). I pieced this lovely right around Christmas, and it was made from various Kansas Troubles collections. I think there were 4 different layer cakes involved, as well as background yardage. The great thing about this one is you can do it super scrappy (like I did), or super organized. Using 115+ fabrics or 4 this quilt always stands out. 

And the quilting...well let's just say it doesn't disappoint. Of course, it's Carrie, so I am not surprised. The main sections are quilted in a tan blender, and disappear into the piece, leaving behind texture and scrumptiousness. And the border is a tendrily feathery lovely in a soft cream, that really shows off the curve of the border. And in that corner, a hidden gem (can you see the star??). 

This one really was a joy to make, and now, I really must get it bound....along with the 3 or 4 others that need a little binding fairy. 


Happy Quilting!

Catherine

Monday, March 23, 2015

Make a List Monday

It's been a whirlwind this week....so many happenings going on. As I mentioned last week, I had both a show and a 3 day teaching engagement this past weekend, so I didn't have any big quilting plans. I did manage to get some things done, even if they were just a few things.

My plan for this past week....
1. Make binding for Stormy Seas. It came back from the quilter this weekend and it is lovely!!! Just need to get some pics and put some binding on it!!! The binding is made, but not on. It took a lot more fabric than I expected, and it has to be on the bias, so it took me quite a but longer than I expected.

I did get some things done that weren't on my list...

1. cut out the papers for Cactus Rose. I will be sewing this one up for Market in Mid-May!
2. Sewed some B arcs, when I got a last minute option to sew on Wednesday might, I took it. Unfortunately, it was super short notice, and I wasn't organized, and I picked up the B arc bags, but at least I got some things done, right???


This week, I have a day off!!! A whole day off!!! Not sure what I am going to do with myself!!! Super excited to hopefully spend the day hanging out and doing absolutely nothing. I am sure that by Friday I will have filled my free Saturday with a multitude of plans, but for now, I will dream of doing a whole  lot of nothing!!!

So, this week, with some free time, and some scheduled sewing time....I am going to...

1. Work on a second Prismatic Star.
2. Work on Cactus Rose. I would like to get the 16 main blocks pieced this week, so that I can start the appliqué on Easter Weekend.


3. Work on the B blocks for the QAL.

Catherine

P.S. What are you working on this week???

Monday, March 16, 2015

Make a List Monday

Well, we're back to Monday posts this week. Trying to get back on the organization track.....now if I can only get the house organized!

Here's the update on last week's projects...I had some pretty ambitious plans, and while I got a lot done, I was nowhere close to getting it all done....

1. Finish Paradise in Bloom - done
2. Finish Prismatic Star - all blocks pieced, just need to cut out the backgrounds
3. Sew 12 sets of A Arcs for the QAL. - I got 3 of them sewn, and one partially sewn, so I am 9 sets behind!!! AHHHHHH!!!!

I was pretty sure I would struggle, but I really thought I would get at least half of the arcs done, but it wasn't meant to be. 

This week is a busy one, with a show in Henderson CA, and a retreat at Cozy Creative Center in El Cajon, so I don't have a bunch of sewing plans, simply because I don't want to set myself up for disappointment....but then if I don't have a goal, it will never happen.

1. Make binding for Stormy Seas. It came back from the quilter this weekend and it is lovely!!! Just need to get some pics and put some binding on it!!!


Catherine

P.S. What are you working on this week???

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Wedding Ring QAL Week 4 Update

Week 1&2 February 15th -28th - Project Selection and Supply Attainment -- DONE!!!

Week 3 - March 1 - 7 - Paper Preparation - cut out and bag you papers according to your pattern. - DONE!!!!

Week 4 - March 8 - 14 - Sewing A Arcs - there are multiple sets of these and we are going to spend multiple weeks working on them. Well, I am way, way behind. I managed to get 3 sets done, out of 12, leaving me with 9 uncompleted sets (yikes)!! SO, I am WAY WAY behind, and this week is not a good week to catch up given all of the things on the plate. I wanted to get ahead this past week so that I could slack a little this week!!! Maybe I can catch up during the B series week!!! I better or I am in deep trouble!

Week 5 - March 15-21 - Sewing A Arcs - just keep sewing!!!! This week will be a light week on the QAL front, as I am prepping for both a show and a retreat next weekend, and a full work schedule. 

Week 6 - March 22-28 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 7 - March 29 - April 4 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 8 - April 5 - April 11 - Using QW Wedding Ring Rulers - Cutting out backgrounds -- Asteroids and Melons.

Week 9 - April 12 - April 18 - Pieced Asteroids and Melons

Week 10 - April 19 - April 25 - Assembly

Week 11 - April 26 - May 2 - Assembly

Week 12 - May 3 - May 9 - Assembly

Week 13 - May 10 - May 16 - Assembly

Week 14 - May 17 - May 23 - Applique - Fused

Week 15 - May 24 - May 31 - Applique - Hand Turned



Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Make a List Tuesday

So -- some updates on my plans from last week....

1. Prismatic Star -- Cut out the Smart Corners!!! Once that is done I am ready to sew it all together. - DONE!!! And I even got one set of blocks made, and of course, I have planned a whole new one, because I am crazy like that....
2. Finish appliqué for Paradise in Bloom - mostly done, I need to make a change to one set of blooms, because I didn't end up liking them. I got the new template done, but didn't get to the stitch and peel.
3. Binding put on Glacier Star - Nope, my great intentions were foiled!
4. Get all of the strip sets prepped for the QAL - DONE!!! All 23 sets are pulled and prepped, and its time to start sewing.


And for this week, the plans are pretty ambitious:
1. Finish Paradise in Bloom
2. Finish Prismatic Star
3. Sew 12 sets of A Arcs for the QAL.

I'm not sure how realistic some of that is, it seems like a lot to get done, and it reviewing, it's about 35 hours total, so its either going to be some really late nights or some things not getting done....we'll see which.

So, wish me luck!!!

Catherine

P.S. What are you working on this week???

Monday, March 9, 2015

Wedding Ring QAL - Week 5 Update

Week 1&2 February 15th -28th - Project Selection and Supply Attainment -- DONE!!!

Week 3 - March 1 - 7 - Paper Preparation - cut out and bag you papers according to your pattern. - DONE!!!!

Week 4 - March 8 - 14 - Sewing A Arcs - there are multiple sets of these and we are going to spend multiple weeks working on them. Some done.....lots left

Week 5 - March 15-21 - Sewing A Arcs - just keep sewing!!!! As I mentioned on other social media outlets and other posts on this blog, I got very limited sewing done last week due to my teaching schedule, but I did finish a couple of sets of Bs...I'm about 20% complete on the As and 35% on Bs...so I will continue sewing this week.

Week 6 - March 22-28 - Sewing B Arcs - just keep going! We got this far, we can do it!

Week 7 - March 29 - April 4 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 8 - April 5 - April 11 - Using QW Wedding Ring Rulers - Cutting out backgrounds -- Asteroids and Melons.

Week 9 - April 12 - April 18 - Pieced Asteroids and Melons

Week 10 - April 19 - April 25 - Assembly

Week 11 - April 26 - May 2 - Assembly

Week 12 - May 3 - May 9 - Assembly

Week 13 - May 10 - May 16 - Assembly

Week 14 - May 17 - May 23 - Applique - Fused

Week 15 - May 24 - May 31 - Applique - Hand Turned

How are you coming along on this project??

Catherine

Wedding Ring QAL update - Week 3

I can't quite believe that it is week 4 this week....totally crazy!!!  I have been crazy busy all week, but I did manage to get all of my homework done, just barely!!! I got my papers all prepped and I picked out and prepped my strips, and I am ready to sew. I need 23 sets of arc strips!!! What exactly was I thinking when I gave myself 4 weeks for all of the sets. And Market sewing in the middle of it all!!! Oh goodness. Basically, I need to make 12 sets each week, which roughly equates to 12 hours of sewing each week. So, wish me luck, I have to get busy!

Here's some of my fabric sets, I ended up using fabrics from Judy Pop Generation 1, Group 1, which is the more green and blue grouping (as opposed to red and burgundy). Since I need 23 arc sets, I had to add substantial additional strips. I added some Malam batiks from RJR Fabrics, and a couple of regular Bali Pops (a Tiaramisu, a Parrot, and a Seaholly). I ended up with plenty of strips. Here are a couple of pics of the groups....













Week 4 - March 8 - 14 - Sewing A Arcs - there are multiple sets of these and we are going to spend multiple weeks working on them. I have 23 sets to do. I'm not sure that I will be able to keep up this week, as I am teaching this week, and I work all week, so it is bound to be crazy, but I am going to try.

Week 5 - March 15-21 - Sewing A Arcs - just keep sewing!!!!

Week 6 - March 22-28 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 7 - March 29 - April 4 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 8 - April 5 - April 11 - Using QW Wedding Ring Rulers - Cutting out backgrounds -- Asteroids and Melons.

Week 9 - April 12 - April 18 - Pieced Asteroids and Melons

Week 10 - April 19 - April 25 - Assembly

Week 11 - April 26 - May 2 - Assembly

Week 12 - May 3 - May 9 - Assembly

Week 13 - May 10 - May 16 - Assembly

Week 14 - May 17 - May 23 - Applique - Fused

Week 15 - May 24 - May 31 - Applique - Hand Turned


Are you playing with us? If so, we would love to hear from you!!!!

Happy sewing!!

Catherine







Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Make a List Tuesday

Monday was just not destined to happen in the make a list department....This week is a crazy one, Work, teaching in Palm Springs, and then teaching in Thousand Oaks next weekend. So, it's going to be a little wild, which is just how I like it!!!

I managed to get a lot of things done this past week...though not necessarily the ones I had planned....

1. I got the binding on my swap done. (Yippee)!!!
2. I started Prismatic Star!!! I ended up with a block of time available but not much room, so Paradise in Bloom wasn't a good option....but Prismatic Star was!!! So I got it all cut out!!!
3. I finished my Tea Time Placemats
4. I got the binding cut out for Glacier Star.


This week is bound to be fun, if for no other reason that I get to see some of my favorite ladies this week in Thousand Oaks. We always have a blast! This week, we will be doing Garden Wall on Friday, followed by Paradise in Bloom on Saturday, and a work day on Sunday. So, my plans for this week of sewing....

1. Prismatic Star -- Cut out the Smart Corners!!! Once that is done I am ready to sew it all together.
2. Finish appliqué for Paradise in Bloom
3. Binding put on Glacier Star
4. Get all of the strip sets prepped for the QAL

Hopefully I will get it all done!!! Wish me luck!!!

What are you working on this week???


Catherine

Monday, March 2, 2015

Glacier Star

Was many of you know, I sent my Glacier Star on an adventure to Montana. I finished piecing it over 2 years ago, and just didn't have time to let it go out for quilting...so late last summer, I finally had a window where I could send it off to get quilted. I dropped it off with the lovely Carrie Barone in Lakeside, MT while I was there, and she called last week to let me know that she was winging her way back home to SoCal. I gave Carrie full license with this one, at this point, she knows what I like (feathers, and pebbles, and details), and what I don't (super dense quilting that you can't see). Carrie did not disappoint! I am so in love with this one....here's a sneak peak, pre-binding!


The texture on this is superb, and perfectly balanced, without being too much of the same thing over and over again.....


This echoed star with the medallion grid is amazing!


The pebbles! Lovely!


Those echo grids again! Be still my heart!

So thank Carrie for sharing your amazing talents, and I can't wait to get this one to the photographer for some really good shots!











Sunday, March 1, 2015

Wedding Ring QAL Update - Week 2 final....

Week 1&2 February 15th -28th - Project Selection and Supply Attainment -- I made a decision. And a change....A final one, I hope. I spent some time with my recipient this week, and she and her soon-to- be husband want blue and green and purple, but no PINK....and a change to the project. The husband really likes the Bali Wedding Star, so I am going to move forward with making the As and Bs while I get my head together about the stars....So, I picked all my backgrounds, and A and B strips and am ready to get started on the next step.....

Here's the backgrounds....lovely light grays and pale blues and even a little pale turquoise. Some prints, some dots, and some 1895 semi solids. 




Some leftovers from a Jinny Beyer for RJR batiks....teals, turquoise, blue and green.....yummy!!!


Some Hoffman bali pops.....Tiarimisu, Coconut, and Brown Sugar. I may have to add in a Cockatiel so that I have enough lights..we'll have to see how that goes once I get them opened this week....


The groom is a big hunter, so I wanted a lot of greens, and I had this Island Batik Strip Tease Pack. I don't know the color, it's a couple of years old. I wanna say it was spruce or something like that, but I'm not sure. Don't worry if you have duplicates, you can separate them into different pop sets, and use then up!!! Don't let them linger in your stash.


Here's the big view. I still need to pick out a few more things, but I got the majority done...



And now....we're moving on to the next steps.....
Week 3 - March 1 - 7 - Paper Preparation - cut out and bag you papers according to your pattern. It's time to get started on the next step...prepping papers. Depending upon which pattern you are doing you could have as few as 4 bags, and as many as 8. Most people doing Bali Wedding Star will have 5. I have 6. As, Bs, CMS (light side of stars), CDS (dark side of stars), Ms (Melon Stars), and optional flying geese borders. As I am going to do the finished border rather than the curved one, I will be using bag 6. So, get to work and get your papers all cut and bagged. This is also the week to review the Youtube video on prepping your strip sets. Judy has a great video on Youtube called "Quiltworx Bali Pops Sort for the Bali Wedding Star Pattern". I recommend watching it a couple of times -- once all the way through, and then once while you prep your first set.




Once you have done the activities in the first video, it's time to prep the actual strips....using the instructions in this video.....Strip Preparation and Stacking - Bali Wedding Star. If you are working on  Flowers for My Wedding Ring, there is a video for you too!!!!



Week 4 - March 8 - 14 - Sewing A Arcs - there are multiple sets of these and we are going to spend multiple weeks working on them.

Week 5 - March 15-21 - Sewing A Arcs - just keep sewing!!!!

Week 6 - March 22-28 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 7 - March 29 - April 4 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 8 - April 5 - April 11 - Using QW Wedding Ring Rulers - Cutting out backgrounds -- Asteroids and Melons.

Week 9 - April 12 - April 18 - Pieced Asteroids and Melons

Week 10 - April 19 - April 25 - Assembly

Week 11 - April 26 - May 2 - Assembly

Week 12 - May 3 - May 9 - Assembly

Week 13 - May 10 - May 16 - Assembly

Week 14 - May 17 - May 23 - Applique - Fused

Week 15 - May 24 - May 31 - Applique - Hand Turned


Are you playing with us? If so, we would love to hear from you!!!!

Happy sewing!!

Catherine


Wedding Ring QAL - Week 2 Status Update

It's the end of Week 1 -- have you decided which pattern you are working on??? What about colors??? It's a big decision, I totally get it!!!


Week 1&2 February 15th -28th - Project Selection and Supply Attainment -- I made a decision. It was a tough one. I debated and debated and debated, and finally talked to the recipients, and they want a "fancy"....so Flower's for My Wedding Ring it is. I have lots of fabric options....a Group 1 Judy Pop, a rainbow homemade pop from Cozy Creative Center, a black and white pop from place unknown, and a Hummingbird pop.....can't quite decide exactly what I am going to use. I'll be spending this week narrowing down my choices and picking some backgrounds.....


Week 3 - March 1 - 7 - Paper Preparation - cut out and bag you papers according to your pattern. 

Week 4 - March 8 - 14 - Sewing A Arcs - there are multiple sets of these and we are going to spend multiple weeks working on them.

Week 5 - March 15-21 - Sewing A Arcs - just keep sewing!!!!

Week 6 - March 22-28 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 7 - March 29 - April 4 - Sewing B Arcs - 

Week 8 - April 5 - April 11 - Using QW Wedding Ring Rulers - Cutting out backgrounds -- Asteroids and Melons.

Week 9 - April 12 - April 18 - Pieced Asteroids and Melons

Week 10 - April 19 - April 25 - Assembly

Week 11 - April 26 - May 2 - Assembly

Week 12 - May 3 - May 9 - Assembly

Week 13 - May 10 - May 16 - Assembly

Week 14 - May 17 - May 23 - Applique - Fused

Week 15 - May 24 - May 31 - Applique - Hand Turned