Direction...

Not direction like north, east, west or south, but
direction meaning line of planned action.

Here's what I mean...
sometimes I have an idea 
firmly fixed in my head.

But, then it's time to begin and
that's when I begin to rethink...
and go in a different direction.

 

Here's an example...

I've been picturing this small quilt with

the fabrics I showed yesterday.

(shown again right here for your convenience)

I was excited to begin working on it.

But, when it came time to start cutting
into the fabric, I changed direction

and decided to use different fabrics.

I'm using the Whitewash fabric collection

(received from Sharon...thank you!!).

I am very happy with how they are turning out.

These blocks measure 5.5 inches...

aren't they cute?

 

Another example.

I started following Cheri's quiltalong

for the apple brown betty small quilt,

 but this is what I came up with, instead.

I am very pleased with how it turned out,

in spite of the fact that I changed direction

and went my own way.

So.

Do you do that?

Is it a good thing?

Or not?

I like to think it's my creativity.

Well, really...what else could it be?

{grin} 

I know some of you are wondering,

so here are the details on the small quilt...

I used Luna Notte fabrics

and Kona solid in Bone.

It measures about 11.5 x 20.5 inches.

I quilted in the ditch in the center portion,

then quilted with rows of straight stitching

around the outside border.

 

Here's a view of the back
where you can see the quilting.

Today's agenda:

Watching this movie

while eating pizza.

Sewing more churn dash blocks.

Finishing my hand-pieced quilt top. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little story about Tag E. Butt.

He doesn't let much of anything

stop him from getting

what he wants.

Oh, don't get me wrong...

he is very obedient...

when I decide that he needs to be.

Some say he is spoiled.

I say he is special.  

{grin}

Anyway.  The story.

Tag does not let a little thing like a 

plastic container sitting smack dab

in the middle of my big easy chair

deter him from laying there.

He is a smart dog and knows 

that this is, of course, 

the most comfortable place to lay.

And, he knows that he can make this work.

So, he got up behind the container,

pushed the towel out of his way

to make his bed and laid down.

By the way,

the towel is there because there is a

hole in the fabric of the seat cushion

and I have yet to mend it.

Putting the towel over it prevents further tearing.

In theory.

When the brown boy moves the towel

and situates himself,

he is also bothering with the tear.

{sigh} 

But, gosh...doesn't he look comfy?

Just so you know,

as soon as I walk away from this computer, 

I will make him move out of my chair.  

My wish to sit there overrides his cuteness.

Hope you're having a good day!

It's back to work tomorrow.

"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

Two Finishes and A Start...

Well.

I figured out what was going

on with my digital camera!

The battery compartment door is loose,

therefore the batteries are

not making good contact.

Drat!

This happened with my last camera.

I wonder if someone can fix it?

I suppose I should ask/call around...

would be better than buying a new camera.  

In the meantime...

if I hold the door shut so

that the batteries are making contact,

I am able to take photos.

Not the easiest, but workable for now.  

With that being said,

I can now show you a few

finishes from this week.

I used this pattern...

 

to make this bag for my niece, Michelle.

Michelle loves blue...any and all blues.

I have it on good authority that she will love this.

And, here is block 4 of the hand-pieced

quiltalong I am doing with Erin.

This is the Bear Paw block.

6.5 inches.

Do you love those 4 fussy-cut

squares as much as I do?

{grin}

I try to not have too many projects

going on at the same time.

I think I'm in a good place

right now to start something new.

I bought this fabric over a year ago

and have been chomping at the bit

to use it.

So, today, I started.

The fabric is

'Poppy Collection' by Laura Gunn.

Here is the collection in the spice colorway.

It's for my bedroom...quilt, curtains and pillows.

The quilt pattern I'm using is by

Ashley of Film In The Fridge.

It's called Rubik's Crush

and can be seen here.

With 12.5 inch blocks,

it is especially suited for large print fabrics.

Which Poppy is.

I fussy cut one poppy block...
I had to!

It is way too pretty to not show

it in its entirety.

Wouldn't you agree?

(I have more yardage of that particular

fabric which will make up part of the backing.)

See the 2.5 inch squares
toward the top of the photo?
That's just some of them...
there are 189 total.

I should be able to start piecing tomorrow.

Can't wait!

What are you up to this 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

Corn, Blocks & Dogs...

A bit of this and that today...

One afternoon, as Julie and I were driving home, I wondered aloud how tall the field corn was.  Julie stopped her car and stood next to the corn stalks so I could see.  You could say that she is...outstanding in her field.  (ya know...out standing in her field)  {grin}  Okay.  Never mind.  Julie is 5'4".  But really...see how tall the corn is?

  

I finished two more blocks for the Summer Sampler Series Quiltalong.  Yesterday's block is called 'Star'.  It was paper-pieced.

The block I finished today is called 'Arkansas Traveler'.  It also was paper-pieced.

I have 5 more blocks to make of this summer sampler, but I may make an additional 4 blocks to make it larger.  Time will tell.   

                 

The boys (read dogs) were having a grand time chewing sticks and pieces of bark (ya gotta eat a certain amount of 'bark' so you can make good noises, mama!...???). 

Hope your weekend is wonderful!


"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

And, Here's the Backing!

(Which is big enough in case I decide to add back in the 6th row of blocks.)

Quilt Top All Done!

YAY!!! Got this done. I decided to make this quilt square...60x60 inches. I am really liking this fabric...and the pattern. Easy Peasy! With resizing this quilt, I have more than enough fabric left over to make another one. One with lots of white, I'm thinking.

I have several pieces to put together for the backing. That will make it kind of fun, methinks.

QuiltAlong...

About a month ago, I joined a quiltalong organized by Dana of Old Red Barn Co.. We are now in week 4...time to sew our blocks together. Here's what I've got. This is a photo of the quilt from the side...it's 5 blocks wide by 6 blocks long.




It took a bit of doing to arrange the blocks so the colors were (somewhat) evenly distributed and so that there were no same blocks next to each other.

I had my design consultants helping me...yeah, Allegra and Tag. They both thought I was putting these pieces down for them to lay on...walk on...drool on...lick on. Criminey!!!! ~grin~ Good thing this isn't a swap quilt...and that it will be washed when it's all put together.

I've got the blocks sewn into rows...now to sew the rows together.

Week 5 & 6 will be getting the backing ready, then putting it all together and do the quilting. I am going to do the wavy line quilting like I did on my mini...and with that same variegated thread. I think it'll be exactly right.

Week 7, I'm guessing, will be to sew the binding on. Then...DONE!

The fabrics I'm using are from the FRESH collection by Deb Strain. I love it. Working outside of my box...really outside!
Bren did the same thing...chose really bright and fun fabrics.

Cutting Strips...

is all done! YAY!!! Here they are...all 84 strips...2 1/2 inch wide. These are for the quiltalong quilt (see my sidebar). So far, that's all I know to do. We will receive more instructions on Monday.