Piecing progress

 First I wanted to show the progress on my Stay at Home Round Robin.

This round, the 2nd one around the wool applique center, was to use diamonds. I took all week to come up with a plan.  It just came to me as I was sewing this afternoon. And I really needed to put it back into a square anyway.  So it is kind of a diamond. 

Then I worked on my hourglass blocks. I keep rearranging the colors. But then I did get this together. 

I just didn't get a picture as it didn't get pressed yet.   50  units each at 3 inches. 

Next I worked on my patchwork trees for my Christmas gnomes. 

          

Each a little different from each other and fun to figure them out.  

Cork Cross Body Bag

 I am so excited for this reveal.   At our Wisconsin Quilt Show many Septembers ago, I  saw this new cork fabric.  And a native creator showed some wonderful creations from it.  And later, I couldn't resist buying the cork "fabric" and hardware and pattern.  

It proved very easy to make.  As I started it a couple years after I purchased it, I was worried about assembling it.  However, on the webite/ youtube, I was able to find a step by step video of how to construct it.  AND that made it so very understandable.  I would watch it, and maybe rewatch it. Then I would assemble that step.  Going on to the next step.  Holy cow.  EASY PEASY! 

It was called the Zippy Bag ( cross body bag).   

Don't mind the photo too much. I had spots on the mirror, not my sweater. I was just so excited to get it done and show it off. 

Back showing one pocket

Front showing 2 pockets and zipper opening.

It is lined with a pretty batik of browns and rusts that I had in my stash. 

This thin cork covered polyester was easy to cut, trim and guide through the sewing machine.  I used a little heavier thread, but mostly because it matched the color better. 

The zippers all came in a kit together, and are polyester. 

 This is the website; I really admire the young owner/creator. She has many free patterns for wallets and stuff. 

https://sallietomato.com/

Field Trip for FABRIC

 What a wonderful day!  A friend and I took a field trip to Illinois for quilting.

We both needed to go to Pieceful Gatherings in Fox River Grove.  I dropped off my exchange blocks for them to avoid the postage fees.  I had made two sets of blocks and am excited to see what I get in return.

I have finished my BOM blocks, all 9 of them. I needed fabric for setting. And boy did they come up with the perfect fabrics to make the top. I can't wait to put it together. A lovely beige/tan with a brown design. And the best part is a great striped pattern with red and brown.  I intend to make it into sashing and the border. 

I also had to fill in some low spots in the stash with blues and pinks.

And 2,  count them, 2 packs of 5 inch assorted squares of lights and darks.  Yummy!

We had a lovely lunch and then shopped at Fresh Thyme followed by custard at Julie Ann's.  It was a phenomenal ice cream sundae.  Oh, the best. It was super cold outside, but we found a spot in the sun. I recommend them highly.  There are multiple locations, but we were in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Then I "coerced" my driving partner to go to Material Girl.  Such a contrast in shops.  So bright and modern. We found so much just as we entered the door. They had scrap packs for 5 dollars each. 

And an awesome table runner of a pattern they have created for cut Loose Press.  ( their creations)

They are published on a card as an individual pattern.  And the construction is sort of like a Buggy barn pattern. 

And although this is not a rendering of that pattern, here is another scrappy heart block.

Here is the link for this other heart block by Pat Sloan. 

Pat even showed how to construct it in her daily video today, January 27th on youtube.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGmthdTzwZScpQGnqpmWJkzDRJC?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1

Sewing away

 I have been out and around a few times, but it is cold, not artic blast cold.  Just cold. 

So I have restricted myself to the necessities.  Some groceries, some tutoring. 

And I have enjoyed being home, doing things. I lost my large, to do list.  And so I went back on my blog to see what I really have gotten done in the last month.  Not bad. 

I guess I am in the throws of many projects which I do enjoy.  But I am not seeing ending trajectories at the moment: 

So here are some of the various 

More of the sampler blocks 6 done and 3 to go.  I am deciding on the setting. I know I need to space them out with either a connector block or something.  I find them fun and easy to do.  The hardest part is making sure I have the right fabrics in the right places. They each come in a little package with just enough fabric for cutting the block. It also makes my piecing skills better.

                  

Then I cut out 2 more gnome blocks to embroider.   Each one has its own personality.  

And these definitely need some details.  Wonderful work to do in front of the tv.

       

Lastly I got out a quilt I started a year ago.  I made 20 hourglass blocks a week for a Temecula pattern. But never put it together.

So I started putting them in rows.  Two small sections put together.  And then I discovered, I miscounted. And now I need to make 100 more.  

50 hourglass blocks sewed and trimmed while watching the Green Bay Packers LOSE.

Ugh!  They definitely did not play their best. 

So 10 more  hourglass blocks. cut out today. 40 planned and ready to cut. 

Curves

Curves:  No, I am not a fan of exercising.  And this is not about joining a fitnessclub or something.  

THIS is about the 2nd round of the Stay at Home Round Robin on adding curves to the center block.  Here is the link for Anja's  blog for the inspiration and her version:  Curves     From there, you can find links to the other quilters in the group. Maybe you will want to join???

Here is my finished project turned on its side for the first round around the center. It is not a very good photo, due to the sun. 

First I started with adding a 2 1/2 inch border to the block.

Then I toyed with the design, and  created templates from x-ray film. ( cheap substitute for template plastic)  I had lots of trimming and measuring to get it to fit. And yes, I knew the corners were going to overlap.

I then used fabric sizing sprayed into the white bowl.   I would have used spray starch, but we are all out. 

The liquid gets painted onto the borders  to saturate itand then ironed onto the film.

The ironing dries the sizing making the appropriate shape.

I used the three film curves over and over and made 16 blocks. 

The next step was to "glue" the shapes onto the border. I had Roxanne's Glue Baste it, but it is old and I instead just used a pointed tooth pick from Cracker Barrel to dot the edges and hold them onto the border.

Lastly I hand appliqued the shapes around all the edges. 

Finit!   

I cannot take credit for this technique.  I learned it from Erin Russek of One Piece at a Time, her blog.

I have followed her for years. She now works at a Quilt Magazine in Denver. So very talented !

Here are her videos on the technique: erinrussek.typepad.com/one-piece-at-a-time/applique-lessons/

Here is the last block of Erin's Peppermint Twist blocks she did in December.

Keep on stitchn

What a beautiful morning!  The sun was shining through the crystallized branches on the trees. I love seeing the winter weather. But I have not been out for several days, partially due to my aversion to cold and partially due to the self quarantine for my mild Omicron case of Covid.  I will come out of hibernation tomorrow.

My hubby worked yesterday for his transportation job for the hospital system giving my hours to play in my sewing area.  I have been slowly making progress on cleaning up the messiness. It doesn't look like headway, but it makes me feel a little better finding things and organizing others. 

Anyway, I made 2 of my pieced blocks for my French applique and piece sampler challenge. 

I played designer as I made 2 tree blocks to fit my 9 inch unfinished blocks. The math in me likes the finagling of spaces and numbers.  And it did not turn out quite as planned, but it IS done.

I will be making all the trees out of solids to go with the Gnomes. 

This one I drew on graph paper for the paper piecing. 

This one I found a pattern online, but had to change the measurements to suit the size of the block. 

And I forgot the different between finished and unfinished sizes.  Hence, the side seams. 

If I have additional fabric at the end I will remake it to avoid the seams on the side. I only have so much left of the background fabric and need to make 6 more blocks. 

And I finished all the embroidery for the first 2 gnomes, working  nightly on it while watching tv with my spouse. The outlining will be done when quilting at the end. ( I am not sure about the noses and will have to decide once I see more of them.)

 

The patterns are on etsy for a very modest price and are downloaded. There are 10 embroidery gnomes in the set available here: Embroidery gnomes

Lastly I have now pieced 4 of these sampler blocks of the  kitted BOM purchased at our quilt rummage this summer

 

Working on the to do list

 First project for the time being: Jensen's 4K Quilt 

Originally this quilt was made for 4K for my dear grandson Jensen: 4K quilt post   in August 2020.

And he loved it.  I can still hear him saying, " You made this for ME??????"  

I could tell the teacher loved it. So much so that uniform nap towels were the required thing for this year. 

So current story, the dog chewed a hole in it.   Nonny brought it home to fix last October.

And now I have repaired it using fabric left over in my "stash".

               

Not too noticeable.  And the fabric is a duplicate of the machines covering the hole. 

Mission accomplished. 

  And the second project finished.  Our quilt guild makes doll quilts, pads and pillows to accompany a little wooden cradle that a woodworkers guild makes.   We were given odds and ends pieces to make the rest of the ensemble for next year. I took 3 pads made of Christmas fabrics. And I constructed 3 different patterns and fabrics for quilts and matching pillows. 

Here are the 3 quilts and matching pillows for each one. Quilts are about 8 by 13 inches. 

This one has 1 inch squares; but the other 2 have 3/4 inch units. 

This one I have shown before Christmas.  ( above)

Covid

 The downside of visiting my family in Louisiana is that somewhere along the line, I got Covid.  First, my daughter, then my husband and now me.  Good news is that with the vaccines and booster and the new variant, it is only a head cold in symptoms. So lots of tea, some sleep, and staying at home are on the menu for a few more days. Monday will be 14 days. 

Now that doesn't mean I have been sitting and doing nothing. 

In fact, I completed the binding on this table runner. Much better the 2nd time around. 

And I have been hand sewing a lot on my French challenge:

    Lots of tiny embroidery stitches.  Relaxing to do in front of the tv. 

And lastly, I started this block a year ago for the Stay at Home Round Robin.

And it took a long time to get the wool appliqued. 

I only just finished the green leaves, and need to reapply 2 of them. 

Here is a closeup so you can see the tiny beads as well. 

So this is the first week's center of the challenge and here is the link if you want to join in the 6 week challenge.

Stay at home round robin

Keep stitchn.  I love to read  and be inspired by so many of your blogs.