Ok...Ok

Well its bit quite awhile since my last post but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Lets see...I finished the ornament mini quilt:

Created some row/block markers, to keep things straight when doing larger projects:

And make a Queen sized body pillow for our bed. I made a pillow case for it as well, but here is the pillow itself made with red ticking:

There are a few other things that I have started and I will show those in a later post.

Not quite done

Didn't quite finish the ornament wall quilt over the weekend. With any luck I'll shoot for this weekend. Here is how far I did get though...

The appliques were sewn together in rows that look like this.

Then the rows were sewn together, seams pressed open, which became the basic top. It takes a little more time to press your seams open but I love the way the tops lays flat.

I then made some smaller ornaments and added those to the top which came out to look like this.

I could just leave the top as is or add small templates to the outer edges, but I'm not sure which one I will do. I keep walking in and out of my sewing room, looking at the top on my design wall, waiting for it to 'speak' to me. I'm pretty sure that I will be on my own making this decision, though.

Ornament Wall Quilt

Ok, back to my quilting drawing board. It s been a minute (a very long one) but I was able to get back in my sewing room for awhile (man I missed it). Here is the start of my new project starts with this template:

Using these fabrics and a few others:

They turn into appliques that look like this one:

My aim of course is to complete the quilt this weekend. We'll see. Wish me luck!

A little something

I starting back on a small scale and made this little diddy for my husband. A cell phone charger basket.

It is big enough both of our cell phones to fit comfortably. The next one I make I will use a heavier stabilizer. The basket holds its shape but I would like it be a little sturdier.

A little antsy!

It has been over a month since my last post. Between family commitments and a sewing room rearrange I haven't really touched my new machine but to repair a pair of pants for my husband.Suffered a little withdrawal and a bit of anxiety; feeling 'I need to quilt so I can blog about it'. Sounds a little obsessive, doesn't it? Anyone else ever suffer from this? Just wondering. Well  most of the last couple of weeks I've been with extended family. There was the Native American Pow-Wow in North Carolina. Here are a few pics from the Grand Entrance.

Then a couple of weekend ago we attended my cousin's wedding and the remodeled Oxon Hill Manor. It was a beautiful sunny day and here a few random pictures of the manor itself. The front...

the side...

and the back.

Unfortunately since my work and its commute keep me out of the house for about 13 to 14 hours a day, I don't really get a chance to get back to my quilting until the weekends. Since most of the rearranging of my house and sewing room is nearly complete I should be able to get back to sewing this weekend...yaaaaaayyy!

Lessons Learned

Well...a new pattern and a new machine do not necessarily make a good combination, I'm sad to say. Hubby bought me a new sewing machine a few weeks ago. It has way more bells and whistles than my old one and I was so excited to use it. I should have practiced on my new machine for a while longer than I did because my plaid mini top did not turn out any where near like I wanted it to. I am almost ashamed to post the pic, but here it is...

Since I took the process pledge, I did promise to show the work, both good and bad and by the looks of this picture I need more practice with my new machine. Well its back to the drawing board for me and I will come back to this pattern later.

Plaid Anyone?

I found a really cool plaid pattern that I fell in love with. Here are the strips that I am using for it.

And here is a test block.

The block didn't quite turn out as accurate as I would have liked, so I am going to do a few more and turn them into...you guessed it...a mini.