Hand-Pieced Quilt...

Back in January of 2012, Erin of whynotsew blog fame, started a quiltalong for a hand-pieced doll quilt.  Well, never having done hand-piecing, I was curious, so signed up for it.  I used all oranges with white as a background and sashing fabric. 

My plan was to hand-quilt this.  But, I didn't.  It sat around forever!  I'd pick it up and try some hand-quilting and decide that I didn't like what I was doing...then let it sit around some more.  I finally decided that I really needed to finish it.  The batting I used was given me by my lqs to try.  It is so soft and a much more lofty batting than what I'm used to (warm and natural).  I machine quilted it...each block its own pattern determined by the lines of sewing.  I made 2 rows down the sashings.  It's a bit poofy, but okay, I think. 

This little quilt measures ~20" square.

Here it is now...

For the backing, I used a piece of vintage fabric given me by a coworker...I had planned to do the quilting in an aqua or teal to match, but went with white thread when I decided to machine quilt it.

  

I am finally able to cross something off my list!  I seem to keep adding, but never subtracting from it.  

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

What Inspires Me...

I see a lot of things I like...and that I would like to make, but not all of them truly inspire me.  This, on the other hand...definitely does.  This quilt is made up of churn dash and monkey wrench blocks...

as well as plenty of half-square triangles.  Isn't it fabulous?  (I apologize...I never noted where I saw the photo so am unable to give credit to the person who made it.)  What I love about this quilt is that there is a method to its madness, yet it looks so random.  It so inspired me that when I belonged to the Bee Addicted 3 block swap two years ago, churn dash and monkey wrench blocks were what I asked for.  Alas, those blocks are still waiting to be worked with.  I think at the time it seemed like such a huge project.  Perhaps I'll get to it this year.

Take a look at these churn dash quilts made by Erin of Why Not Sew?.  She stitched one by hand and one by machine...

Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it.  I love her use of fabrics...these small quilts look so old and soft and already loved.  Don't you think?

You may remember that our first block in the hand-pieced quiltalong, with Erin of Why Not Sew?  was the churn dash block.  Here's mine...

Last but not least, my latest inspiration...this small quilt I saw at Purl Bee.

They call it Masking Tape Quilt...because of the way the little square blocks of fabric look.  I think it is dang cute.

Wondering where all of this is leading?  Why, to this little churn dash quilt I am working on.  All the blocks are pieced...and this is about as random as I get.  And, yet, there is some kind of order to it.  The top is finished...I would love to have it completely done before Sunday night comes.

What inspires you?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Hand-Piecing???

I cannot believe I am going to do this, much less that I am actually quite excited about it!

I very much enjoy having something to work on in the evenings while sitting in front of the tv.  There is still a lot of embroidery left on my 'snow days' quilt, but sometimes I want something a bit different to do.  Well, wouldn't you know...along comes Erin of Why Not Sew? blog fame with her bright (read fantastic!) idea of doing a hand-piecing quilt along.  I'm in.  Like Flynn.  (OH!  Remind me to tell you about that!)

So.  I am going to do it.  We'll be doing twelve 6.5 inch blocks...one per week. 

I looked at several different fabrics that would work, and decided to use these oranges...

I'll throw in a few aquas here and there with some kind of white as background.  I have the most fun backing picked out...just wait til you see it!  {grin}

And, ohgosh, a major oops!  Three days ago, I realized I haven't yet made a quilt for my niece/godchild, Michelle!  YIKES!  Her birthday is February 21...think I can get it done by then?  I ordered some Kona solids that I need for it and will get going as soon as they arrive.  

In the meantime, I am working on a few smaller projects.  I'll show you as I get them done.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."     Jeremiah 29:11

Aqua & Red...

So.

I joined a bee.  

Why?  Cuz they're fun.  

And, because I have nothing else to do.

It's called the 'Aqua and Red Block Bee'.

(See the button on my sidebar.)

I love the aqua/red color combination

and have yet to make anything with those colors.

When Erin, of Why Not Sew? started up this bee,

I quickly joined.

(You may remember Erin from the "we double rock swap"

she & I did 2 years ago...click here & here).

I have no red and aqua fabrics in my stash.
Really.
Well, perhaps a few pieces.
But nowhere near what I'll need.
I have plenty of time to pick some up here and there.

I stopped at my LQS today to
drop off my 'Just One Star' blocks (2!).
My LQS gathered a total of 44 star blocks
from its customers...woohoo!!!

While there,
I looked around to see what they had
for aqua and red fabrics.

I found these...

Yes, I bought them.
Are you surprised?
Don't be.
You know I have no willpower.
(Won't that red stripe make the best binding?)

I think that's a good start, don't you?

I have no idea what type of blocks I'll want...

stars or log cabins or what,

but that part doesn't need to be

decided for a few months, yet.

I also picked up one of these charm packs...

It's scrumptious.

It's for a future project.

That's all I'm going to say about it.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Low Humidity + regained energy =

a productive day!

YAY!

Gave Tag  a bath.

Mountains of laundry washed/dried.

Quilted my second dqs9 quilt.

Vacuumed.

Feels good to get stuff done.

And, I'm not finished, yet!

Here's the quilting on this one...

big flower in the middle & pebbles around the hst's.

Straight line quilting on the outside border.

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My friend, Erin

(my 'we double rock swap' partner from last year), 

over at Why Not Sew? 

just opened her etsy shop.

Click here to go there.

Her work is awesome...and those

pincushions with thread catchers are a must-have!!!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Surprise in the Mail...and a Tag Story!

So.

You all know how I love getting packages in the mail!

You must...cuz you keep sending them!  {grin} 

I'm not sure if you remember Erin of 'why not sew?' fame...

from the 'We Double Rock Swap' last year.

Just the two of us.

Swapping doll-sized quilts.

I blogged about it here and here. 

Yup, she's one of my blogger BFF's.

For sure!

Anyway.  I received a small package from Erin in today's mail.

No clue what it was.

ohmygosh...

She sent me a needle case that she made and blogged about here!!!

(I really hope you all are checking these links out!)

 

...it's now MINE, ALL MINE!

ohman, I love it and I needed it soooo badly!!!

BUT, wait!  That's not all she sent!

She also made this little half-square triangle

(hereafter referred to as hst)

mini quilt for me!

I love it!!

Look at all those bitty hst's!

Finished size of each hst is 1 1/4".

The mini quilt measures roughly 9 x 10 inches.

It is A. Dor. Able!

Don't you think?

Thank you so very much, Erin!

I love, love, LOVE them!

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And, now...the Tag story!

As most of you regular readers know, Tag E Butt is one smart boy.  He is my service dog.  Not officially, but in reality...yes, he is.  He picks up whatever I ask him to.  Paper, phone, remote, fabric, shoe, sock, pen...the list goes on and on.  Being a retriever, this all comes naturally to him.  He has such a soft mouth, too.  When he picks up paper for me, there is not a tooth mark on it.  Not all wet and sloppy, either.

In addition to being the quintessential brown dog, he also has a huge vocabulary!  I have always talked (LOTS) to my dogs, and I think that they develop a better vocabulary from that.  And, the word recognition game is an ongoing process.  He has recently learned 'food bowl'.  So, now, it's up to him to bring his food bowl to the kitchen when it's time to eat.  As I walk to the kitchen, I say, 'get your food bowl'...he grabs it and brings it to me in the kitchen.  


Course, he thinks it's great fun to bring it to me at other times to see if I'll fill it up.  I don't...unless it's actually mealtime.  Which, sometimes, it is!  His inner clock and all that.  




Okay.  Here's the story.  It was suppertime for Tag.  I didn't say a word to him...just walked to the kitchen...didn't ask him if he was 'hungry', if it was 'time to eat', I didn't say 'get your food bowl'...nothing.  He followed me out to the kitchen, being the ever hopeful food-driven boy that he is...he knows what time it is.  (really)  I opened the cupboard door, got a pill (phenobarbital) from the bottle, and stood there looking at him.  Put my hands out, as if to say, "well?"  but I didn't say a word.  He looked at me for a moment, sat (a very nice sit on the slippery floor, too) and then you could see it...the 'aha' moment!  He ran out to where his crate is (his food bowl sits on top of his crate between feedings), grabbed the bowl and brought it to me.  

5/25 edited to add:  Apparently, I should have given a more detailed explanation of the 'feeding Tag' routine so that you would better understand the 'aha' moment.  Tag gets a pill (anticonvulsant because he has idiopathic epilepsy) with each meal, so opening the cupboard door to get one is the first thing I do once he brings his bowl.  So, to just stand there...I didn't have his bowl to put the pill in...that was the 'aha'!  Tag connected those dots and got his food bowl.


I praised him BIG time and we were both happy that he had figured out what I was doing.  What a good boy!  It is always so exciting to see it happen...when he figures out what the missing piece of the puzzle is.



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DWTS is tonight!  Two dances...one a freestyle!  Cannot wait!