Another Monday....

Ok so I've been MIA for a couple of weeks.  I know!  I do this sometimes.  And I have a pretty good reason this time.  [Don't I always?]  lol

I've been focusing on getting a certain quilt finished and I don't want to show a lot of it since I'm not really sure who reads my blog.  

But I can talk about it a bit.  I do have all of the blocks sewn together and was getting ready to attach the simple 6" border .... when I stopped.

You know "they" say that a quilt will tell you what it needs.  

Wellllll ....It was telling me to NOT just slap a border on this very pretty top.  So I laid it out on the floor so I could get a good look at it and thought it really didn't need a border.  

So there.  I made my decision.  

Folded it all up and was getting ready to take it (as is) to my longarm gals.

But NO!  That just wasn't going to be.  I kept pondering that quilt for days and days and then went back to EQ7 and changed the border design and suddenly I knew this was going to work.  One more border to get made and added and THEN it is going to my 'gals'.  I'm happy.  The quilt is happy.  

In the meantime I pulled out some of the Carol Doak blocks that I had made this last year and decided to make a few more.  I do love to paper-piece so once I got on a roll I had three blocks made in no time.

So now I'm heading over to check in at Judy's Design Wall Monday and see what other quilters have been up to.  

I bet they have much more than I do.  ;-)

I hope you're having a great day. Glad you stopped by.....Linda

Design Wall Monday....

Another Christmas snuggle in the process.   This will be for our youngest granddaughter.  When I had the girls check out the Christmas fabrics I had in my stash she was the first one that spoke up and said she wanted these.  Don't ask where I got them because I can't remember that far back.  haha
I picked up some green and red to use as an accent and went straight to EQ.  It took a bit of changing directions on the design because I only have one yard of each of the three fabrics.  I finally came up with the pattern that would work and that I liked. I'm paper-piecing the corners.  

And since it's Monday I'm heading to Judy's to link to her Design Wall.  

I hope you're having a great day. Glad you stopped by.....Linda

Almost half finished....

It's been one of those weeks where I've been rather scattered and time just keeps rolling along.

I have managed to get a little sewing done on the commission quilt.   The top three rows have all been sewn together and the blocks in the next two rows almost done.

This is turning out sooooo much prettier than I even imagined and I'm going to hate to give it up.   But she should really be happy with it and that's what this is all about anyway.   I just may have to make one for myself one day.

Since I messed up the first block I made I had to come up with a solution to be able to not make that same mistake again.  So I thought I'd share what I came up with.   Who knows.  Maybe this is common knowledge.   But it wasn't for me so I'm patting myself on the back that I thought of this.  hahaha

First I had to number the different fabrics (as I cut the pieces) since each block is made with different fabrics in different positions and there are eleven fabrics to keep track of.   I printed a copy of the quilt from EQ and used that as my roadmap.

Here are a couple of trays of the cut pieces and the way I numbered them.  Not all fabrics are showing.

When I'm ready to start sewing I lay the patterns (after I trim the excess paper) for one block in front of me face up.
And this is where the problem started on that first block.  I just looked at the roadmap and the pattern this way and started flipping and sewing along merrily.

Not the right way for these blocks!!!

Then I realized I needed to find a way to keep track of the correct fabrics (and their correct places) by looking at the back of the patterns.  Sooooo Now I turn the papers over (keeping them in the right order) and as I check the roadmap fabrics I write the correct fabric number on the corresponding section.  Like this.... 

Problem solved!

Now I'm ready to start sewing the fabric patches on each section.  The first piece can get a bit wobbly and move if not careful, so I use a tiny little spot of Elmers school glue (it's washable) to tack down that one piece.  

Just a tiny dot will do.  I lay the starting piece down (making sure it covers the complete area) and then I'll touch it with an iron to set the glue.  

See.... it's just what's needed.  

And the rest is simply folding, trimming and sewing the next patch.  And all blocks are correct and beautiful!  

Now I'm going to link to Judy's Design Wall.  Come along if you'd like.  

.....Linda

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  We shared the day with our son's family (even though the girls were not able to get home from college -- sadly) with delicious grilled hamburgers and mouthwatering salads.   A warm sun and blue sky allowed us to enjoy a relaxing afternoon outside.

Today I'm planning on working on my latest project for our Guild Auction.  A pineapple table topper.....  

Blocks finish at 7" and there will be a total of 16 to complete the center.   

I'll add a couple of borders to finish it off and I'll then have two out of the three projects for the Auction completed.  

I love these fabric colors!!    

So now I'm going to link over on Judy's Design Wall and check out what other quilters have been working on.  

I hope you're having a great day. Glad you stopped by.....Linda

Grandmother’s Choice block….#6

Today I decided to get this block made so I can relax the rest of the week without it nagging to get done.     Each week I look forward to a new block to come out on Saturday morning on Barbara Brackman’s blog:  Grandmother’s Choice.    She has done such a wonderful job of pulling together these blocks for us.  But even more important I think is the wonderful history she is sharing with us all.  If you haven’t been to her blog yet please go check it out. 

Here’s my rendition of #6 Aunt Eliza’s Star.   Even though this would have been a simple block to piece I chose to paper-piece it.  I’ve fallen in love with paper-piecing so if I can do it simply then I’m all for it right now.  With the BOM from Carol Doak and now my Christmas Bows & Boughs all being paper-pieced I’m sure getting a lot of practice.                   

I'm making my first mug rug.  Can you believe it?  My first!  I know, I know.... but I usually don't do little things.
Table toppers or place-mats have been the smallest things I've made.
But when Carol Doak gave us a bonus project to paper-piece I decided it would be perfect for Oct and my coffee.  The center is only a 3" x 3".  By adding the border I now have the perfect size for my coffee mug.
Isn't this cat in a pumpkin just the cutest thing?    

Thanks for stopping by....Linda

Today I was able to get caught up on my Carol Doak paper piecing blocks.  
This is July's block and I chose to rotate the corners this way.

And here is the August block.  Now I'm caught up until Carol gives out the next block.  I wish my camera would do a better job with the colors.  These are so much richer and darker in real life.   

Thanks for stopping by....Linda

The other day I was blog hopping and came across this blog. 

Well now!  I love New York Beauties and about three years ago I started making a few.
I don't know why I stopped.  But I did.

So when I was making out my UFO list this year (and these are definitely on that list)  .... I said to myself.... "Self, I really should get those out and try to make a few more this year".

Yes those were my exact words!

And then along came this challenge.   New York Beauty Paper-Piecing Quilt-Along   

I bet you can guess what comes next huh?

You're right!  I'm going to accept this challenge and pull out my fabrics and start printing off my foundations while I wait for the challenge to start.  

And along with these patterns that they are using for the challenge I'm also going to use  this collection of blocks by Donna Duquette   (hi Dee) ;o)

Any takers??  Who wants to join us?  

Thanks for stopping by....Linda