THREE NEW QUILT PLANS

I had several piles set aside waiting for me to cut them up with the Accuquilt cutter--I did yesterday!

Another set of leftovers from other quilts;  accomplishing two goals which is to use fabrics in the stash and to be creative!

This is the third pile I have cut up to try out an accuquilt die I have had for a long time but never tried out!  

The fabrics are from a kit I have had for even longer

 but since I've never used it, 

I will put the fabric to use to try something new!  

 

TO TOP IT OFF!

I added some leaves and acorns to the panel 

and will soon get it to the quilting frame!

These pieces were cut on the Accuquilt cutter 

and some scrap fabrics. 

This kit from a friend is completed and also added to the queue at the frame.  I felt a lot better so went to finish the QOV that is on the frame and the laser needed charging so I couldn't work after I was all ready to put some uninterrupted time into it!  Oh, well.  It will be first on the list today so I can pound it out and get the four other tops quilted!  

I hope Blogger has its 'bug' worked out so we can comment on each other's blogs today!  I did read all of my blog list 

but could only comment on a few--a bother is all.

IN THE STUDIO

A friend came over yesterday with an alteration project 

and once I set her on the right course, I tried to do a bit of cutting out using the Accuquilt and some Autumn fabrics.

I was able to cut out some small tumbling blocks which will eventually form a table runner!

 

PLAYING WITH PIECES

The Steam Punk quilt is not only bound but is also washed and dried!  This one is for me--

here is one of my favorite blocks...

and here is another!  The quilt ended up being 40 x 52"--just right for somthing to throw on my lap so Lena will curl up on my lap! lol

I pulled out someFQ's and some yardage to crank out some pieces to make a new quilt.

After I had cut out a few blocks, a thought poked its way through my mind and I realized it wasn't the blocks I wanted to do but by then I was committed so I stuck with it!  There will be 12 blocks at least in total.  It might be hard to tell but it is a FQ pack of indigo prints with a mottled beige for the opposing fabric.  Only the top left block has been pieced, the rest are just on the design wall.  

I will be piecing some more but first I have a dr appt and then we will be installing the 2 shelves!

 

INSPIRATION!

I knew what I wanted the pantograph to look like but could find none that were just right.  I went out in the studio this morning and came up with a plan....I used the clamshell die from Accuquilt and cut out a fat quarter square of cardboard and used it for my pattern!  It is just what I wanted and it is an easy bounce across the quilt to get the look I want!  

 As long as I had the die out, I cut out some scraps for this very spontaneous top!  I need more pieces but I have a general plan;  I only ran out of steam after cutting these out!

She Touches Several Bases

This is the view out my front window-the azaleas are all doing their thing and in the early morning light, they seem to be fluorescent!  You also see the driveway is covered by leaves, Live Oak leaves to be exact.  They shed in the Spring when their new leaves are already sprouted so they are never bare trees but what a mess!  So much so that by the time I was done blowing this area clear, it looked like this again in 20 minutes.  Embrace the season, I guess! lol

This is the other shelves that now hold all of the glass bottles 

I have collected.  

They are pretty here and safe from dust and curious fingers!

I also promised a view of the backing fabric to my table runner; you can see both the green thread and the white in this shot. 

 I have finally used this fabric so that is a very good thing!

Now here is what I spent an hour doing yesterday, 

and a glimpse of the preview in the background!

Apart from all of the deep cleaning I am continuing,

 I did spend some time at the lathe!  I used a piece of the grapefruit tree trunk to make this bowl.  The orange in the wood is actually a bacteria that dies when the tree does but it leaves this stain which people either love or disparage.  I like the look.

See what I mean?  The bowl has some beautiful shades of spalting and staining which adds to its natural look.

The little bit of bark is from the outside of the tree 

so the bottom of the bowl is from deeper in the trunk.

Yes, each new piece amazes me, too. 

 This is the usual 6" x 3".  I finished this one with Shellac and some buffing to make a nice satin finish.

Today, I have to go to the doctor's for the usual check-up and a stop to Home Depot for some new paint for several rooms 

and even the pool patio!!!!  How exciting is that!?

Pitiful Little....

Pitiful little has been done in the way of creative.  I would like a secretary to handle all of the mundane bill paying, correspondence to doctor's, etc--but for now, we do have one and it's me!  Late afternoon I did cut some piles of Accuquilt pieces for some LeMoyne blocks to go with this map panel Cassandra asked me to turn into a quilt.  I love it when my kids as for my sewing skills on their behalf!

I didn't get to paint the snowman faces/buttons but I did collect the supplies....

This is the other reason for slow-motion;  freezing temperatures that killed many plants including the bananas!  

Nasty winter that blows our way every once in a while!

I also knit a few more bells....

and some more stockings. 

 And I have written the instructions for the stocking in the round without a heel turn or gusset-very fast knit now without seaming!   

I am going to tackle making the bell in the round today-

it will take a lot more thinking and I couldn't do it last night! lol 

 Here's to embracing slow-motion!

(I am having lathe withdrawal....)

 

I am Feeling Well!

The front and back was seamed at the shoulders 

so I could pick up stitches and knit the rib. 

 It was pretty easy to make a square neckline;  

I don't think I have done one before!

The second sleeve is finished and over the next few days, I will seam up the sweater!

I was able to cut up some more Hunter Star blocks;  

I found another bit of fabric that closely matches the other that I used up

 so I can make at least a lap-sized quilt.

As soon as I finish one block, I lay out the pieces for another.

The star is pieced by making triangle units, 

which are joined to make four squares,

 then halves and then you have a block!

Last night as I was knitting on the slip stitch yoke sweater,

 Lena climbed up on my lap, tunneled up the sweater and settled in for a nap!  

Bill thought it was nice of me to knit that for her! lol

And finally, I painted a postcard inspired from a pic on Sarah's blog!  

The photo was black and white so I imagined the colors! 

  Heron on the Gulf,

 5 x 7" postcard in watercolor

 

It's Good!

This is Sissy.

She always looks grouchy 

and usually acts that way to the other cats.

She does love Bill and I but has no patience for the others!

I put the rest of the four patches together,

 I wondered about borders

 but this is already too large for a single width of fabric for the backing

 so I will reserve the rest of the sashing fabric for the binding. 

 Nice to see these antique (well, almost) patches from KeepsakeQuilting

 to my Aunt to my Mom and finally to me!  

Hot on the tail of that success, I had to find something new to piece!

  I dug through the shelves and organized several piles for future quilts! 

 This is a grouping of Autumn fabrics which I thought would make a good LeMoyne Star block.  

I wanted to make the centers all of one fabric but ran into some accuracy problems

 and after an hour, I admitted defeat.

I hauled out the Accuquilt Cutter and in no time had a whole pile of scraps cut up

 and this block pieced=accurately, I might add!

I think I am most proud of this watercolor painting of any I have yet done!

 She is a loggerhead ,which is the most common sea turtle to lay eggs on the Florida coast.

Here is the source of my inspirational  picture.

 Size 5" x 7"

Piecing Happened!

 This apple core top has waited for me for a long time;

I finally did some piecing.

I didn't make a mistake but I have to work at becoming dexterous again!

Fumble, fumble is how I would describe my hour of piecing! 

I cut out the pieces to this little quilt top--I have long wanted to make a Carpenter's Block.

After cutting it out and trying to get the pieces in the right order on the design wall, I was all done in!

This is the last of my azaleas.  

I sat and savored the color while Bill took me out to get the mail on our golf cart.

I'm having a great deal of pain from my achilles tendons-

they feel atrophied; yup, both of them!

I am shuffling like a 94 year old!

This journey of recovery is not a straight lane......

Bee Sweet

 I cut out a bunch of golden blocks for a honeycomb--

this lap quilt will be for a friend who is a beekeeper!

The first of the bands from Dorian make itself known.

Turn up the volume-you can hear the wind/driving rain.

Cranky!

 Not as in grouchy but for cranking out tons of these tumbling blocks 

for Christmas quilts for the hospital!

 I have pulled a pile of prints that will work for kids so I can make my 49 pieces for each one.

 I like two contrasting colors but might have to improvise for some of the piles 

when there isn't quite enough of one print.

This is a win, win endeavor;  I use up these piles of fabric 

and the quilts will cheer up an unfortunate child this holiday season!

Next up is the marathon of piecing which should go very quickly with these large

and easily pieced blocks!

The Frog's Last Leap!

 

I was able to do some spinning first thing yesterday morning...

it was so peaceful with Lena in the sunshine in front of me

chirruping good morning!  

Later in the day, I worked on the final row of the frog applique quilt!

When I was ready to shout a ta-da, 

I realized I had the four blocks to do that would go in the backing;

I almost tossed them in the orphan block pile 

but stuck it out and finished them as planned!

Now I am truly over the frog fingers !

(I did 552 frog fingers for this quilt--as in needle up, needle down, turn, needle up, needle down, turn...you get the idea!!!!)

 The beautiful Cana lily I received for Mother's Day is still going strong....

it is an amazing pop of color in the pool area!