Did I do that????? Surely not!

Can some one explain this to me? I designed the quilt in EQ6, which seemed to take forever as I kept changing the border layout. Once done, I was pleased - but then after putting some blocks together, I even changed this layout that I had labored so long on.

I was thrilled to find the perfect fabric and set about cutting it into tiny triangles - all 2,248 of them plus a extra "just in case". Each quare was meticulously trimmed to make sure it was the proper shape and seam lines drawn (this step was after I made a few stars and realized my cutting was not quite as precise as it should be and that I do not sew a true 1/4 inch seam.) Then organized into trays so that I could keep the colors straight.

I cut small 1/2 inch squares of each color and made a color layout that I constantly refer to to make sure I am getting all the pieces in the right order, laying them out on my flannel board before I start sewing them together. I check off those I have completed so I don't lose my place.

The evolving quit top resides on my design wall so that I can also check the block against the ones that will be above it - once again, just checking to make sure I am getting all the points in the right place. Each completed row is added to the design wall and checked before sewing it to the top.

So would someone please tell me how this happened?????

Its the fifth block from the left in the picture above. I put the completed row up before sewing it on and &*^%$@)(*^&^ there it was in all its glory. The teal star is right, it's that blue point that is wrong. Now do you have any idea how hard this is going to be to remove and sew the correct color in? I thought maybe I would just leave it there for my "humility" block, but this quilt has quite a bit of humility already.

So today will be a rip roaring day as I rip out the wrong point and my mind roars at me for being so careless. I plan on working on this quilt at retreat in October. I wonder if that is a good idea. All that fun and chatter - who knows, I will be lucky to have any of the star points in the right spaces!

Happy Sunday!

Faux Applique......Fun, fun, fun!

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack! Boy do I have some reading to catch up on all the blogs. I could read before, I just could not leave a post. And what is the fun of reading if I can't say something?

It took two trips to the computer doctor and almost 3 weeks in the shop - but my pc seems to be on the mend now. I sure did miss this extension of myself, which is what it sometimes feels like.

So what have I been doing? I discovered Faux Applique by Helen Stubbings. This is so much fun. I have mine colored and sealed and stitched, but not yet completed and quilted . I am thinking of adding some pinwheel blocks to the bottom and then quilting it to make a cute wall hanging over the fuse box in my kitchen.

This technique involves coloring on the fabric with colored pencils, sealing it and then stitching around the edges. Of course there is a lot more to it than that, but you get the idea.

While I was playing with the technique, I did a test to see if the colors would fade when they were washed. I was also experimentting with different sealers and types of pencils. I have had trouble with crayon coloring technique fading when I washed it. With this technique, there was absolutely no fading what so ever! The top of the chart is just the color, not sealed and not washed. The colors on the bottom are sealed and washed in HOT water.

Virus are just downright MEAN!

My computer is in the shop and I am on a borrowed one, so I can't download any pictures. I have a project I want to show you - my first Faux Applique block from Helen Stubbings book.

Just a word of warning - if you get a popup that says it can not open a page you are trying to view because your Internet Exployer is out of date, DON'T FOLLOW THE LINK TO UPDATE IT! That is just what I did, looked legit to me, and it has about destroyed my computer. Doggoneit - I hope they catch the ones creating these viruses and lock them all away for a long time.

Sheep Seasons

Remember these?

I started on this project before I broke my elbow, and my very thoughtful friend Cathi (Shakerwood Primitives) offered to finish them up for me. You see, these are part of a project Cathi was going to teach at our club meeting today, and well, in their current state, they were just a tad of a dissappointment.




So here is the finished project:

The sheep comes from a pattern called Sheep Seasons by Sue Allemand. The pattern comes with 4 different quilt designs and I chose to do the Fall one. Cathi did a great job teaching the blanket stitch applique stitch on wool.

We had a great day and quite a lovely flock was all quilted by the end of the meeting.

How was your Saturday?
Teresa

Last Friendship Block....

....but not the last of our friendship fun. We swapped our final blocks today at lunch over a little "soul food" a great new resturant. We immediately began plotting what we would start doing now in our little mini lunch group, besides eat that is. We didn't come up with an idea yet...any suggestions?

So here are our blocks.

First up is Carol's block - a signature block with a sweet saying. I have enjoyed getting to know Carol over the past year or so. She always encourages me to try to things and shares my enthusiasm for new techniques and projects. Thanks Carol for all the blocks and for your friendship!

Next, we have Cheryl's Signature block - a little wonky, just like Cheryl! I love to joke around with Cheryl. We have worked together for years, but who's counting. She has a great heart, wonderful sense of humor and cares deeply for her friends. I am blessed to have her for a friend.

And then my block, which is the Nice People Nice Things "Friends" block. I gave Carol and Cheryl a signature block earlier in the year, and don't have a picture of it, but I thought this block so appropriate for our quilt.

This project was a lot of fun and thank you Thimbleanna for the idea. Gather up 3 or 4 of your own friends and have a swap each month. Some months it was hard to decide what block to do, but it was so much fun making blocks for my friends and receiving their special blocks. Now to get the quilt made!

Mushrooms

Now this post has nothing to do about quilting, unless you are looking to nature for inspiration. I often go to my mom's house (she lives right behind my house) on Saturday and Sunday mornings to share a cup of coffee and chat, and today I walked up to her paper box to get the Sunday paper, and WOW - there were RED mushrooms and ORANGE mushrooms all around that area. It had rained a lot last night and was still drizzling this morning, and these must have popped out this morning. So after coffee, I hurried home, woke my daughter (she loves me so much) and we both grabbed our cameras and went on a mushroom hunt in the drizzling rain and her in pj's (now's there's a picture I can't show you). Here are some of the pictures I took of the variety we have in our yard.

Isn't nature amazing!