Quilting-Hand Work

I am venturing into more hand work. In 2012 I did my first applique project along with joining a hand applique club at my local quilt shop.

This wall quilt top just needs to be quilted.  I am not sure if I should hand quilt or not.  If I did I am not sure if I should do just cross hatching or something else.  If you have an opinion, please pass along. 

I came across this quilt called Rhapsodie Coloree II by Ricky Tims while searching for Hawaiian quilts, not quite Hawaiian, but it is a start.  I have completed the center and now working on the second circular section, which I only have about 3 more to do.  I am doing the entire applique portions by hand.  The center was the hardest.

I have also decided to do a whole cloth quilt by hand (always need a project to do while watching TV or listening to an audio book).  The center section in the first picture below was copied from a book, however as I go along, I am adding different motifs and making it up (either on my own or finding motifs to incorporate from books, etc.).  It is a slow progress, but I am enjoying the learning experience.

Happy Quilting...



Quilts from QuiltCon

I was lucky to be a Super Volunteer at the inaugural QuiltCon event.  To learn more about the modern quilting movement click here.  Enjoy some of the quilts I was able to squeeze in time to photograph as there were a ton of them (if you call it photography from my IPhone).  I do know on the web if you search for quiltcon you will find hundreds of photos.  Also try other social sites like instagram, flickr just to name a few.

Double Edged Love, Victoria Findlay Wolfe "American Quilters Society Best in Show"

Sing It Out Loud, Karen L. Anderson-Abraham "Coats & Clark Quilting Excellence Award"

The Local Quilt, Carolyn Friedlander "Stitch Magazine and Quilting Arts Magazine Best Machine Quilting"

The above winners at Quiltcon.

Super Volunteer Goody Bag

Happy quilting....

Guess What I Have Planned For This Weekend.....

I will be starting my tomatoes from seed.  Yes, according to our gardening calendar this is the weekend to start the seeds.  So looking forward to the new season and working the soil to produce some lovely vegetables.  I will be back later with what tomato seeds I decided to start this year.

I don't plan to go mad crazy with tomatoes as I did last year.  I have come to realize that my garden is small and the area it is located in only gets so much sun due to the house, shed, and fence, so most of the tomatoes struggled and the ones that did well shaded the rest of my vegetables, plus I have to move their location to help prevent disease.

I will also do some clean up in the garden and hopefully finish purchasing the soil and compost to fill the rest of the beds.  My husband helped me unload, re-cardboard the flooring (due to the excessive grass escaping through the cardboard/newspaper from before) and reload the soil back into the beds, so some of the depth is gone.

I HOPE (fingers crossed) I can go into the new season with a clean garden area and a clean shed (I know my husband would appreciate it).  Over the last week we have gotten drizzle to complete 2-4 inches of rain, so my garden area is well watered and hopefully Saturday/Sunday are good days to clean.  Also, this will give me a new outlook on where to plant the vegetables as last year I rushed to get everything in and the plan was haphazard.

Wish you all well and happy gardening.

Cynthia

Happy Halloween

I hope you all have a spooky day filled with less tricks and a lot of treats.

What To Quilt On Your Quilt

Even though this is geared toward longarmers, it does make us home sewing machine quilters think of new ideas.  Other than binding, deciding what to quilt on the quilt is always hard for me.  Because not only fabric choices, your quilting decision can make or break a quilt.  I have recently purchased a new sewing machine (blog post on that coming soon) and I am looking forward to putting it through tons of quilting experiences.  I purchased this sewing machine in June and just discovered this weekend the settings for free motion quilting.  I guess I must have overlooked them.  It really does pay to read the manual and become very familiar with it.




Happy Quilting....



I've Been MIA For A Little While

Well as they say.....Life gets in the way.  I have been pulled in various directions and have not had a chance to sit down and update the blog.  Lots of things going on, but never enough time to sit down and formulate into written words for the blog.  Things are starting to settle down so I should be able to "show off" what I have been doing, new projects/goals in the wings and repair the dying garden for spring (no fall gardening this year) with discussing a few things I learned NOT to do.

I hope everyone is well and your craftiness is keeping you all busy.

I can truly say looking forward to some cooler weather....Texas is just so DANG hot.

Laters.

Updates-Quilting

HI All ... I have been working on getting caught up on my WIPs and a few days off for the holiday was the perfect time.  The Ready To Sew Bernina 2012 BOM was one of my recent WIPs that needed attention.  This year they are doing a calendar type quilt, so I am really not sure if this will be a quilt that I will keep.  I may break it up into a couple of quilts and donate them to Linus.

I am also doing Honey Bee Quilt Store BOM, however I have kept up each month with this one.

I am dong both color ways (red), but I am concentrating each month on finishing the blue.  I am wondering what setting they will suggest. for this one.  Since the blocks are soooo different I am guessing a sashing of some sort.

Happy Quilting...