Back to applique

Sometimes I want to work on something that isn't quilting.  Still want to use a needle and something that is at least semi portable so what did I find?  I found a kit that I had gotten at one point or another from one place or another (so long that I can't remember the details) in cross stitch.  I had a bad start to it though.  I had done around 140 stitches and THEN discovered that those 140 stitches were going in the wrong direction.  Actually I had stitched them right, it was the fabric that was going in the wrong direction.  Yeah, that's it.  I'll blame it on the fabric.  One day to stitch; a second day to unstitch. That's how I craft.  LOL.  Here's the pattern that I'm working on.  I'm not sure I'll do the black and white border.  I'm thinking of changing it up a little bit.

It wasn't long before I wantedd to go back to my applique.  This is block one from the Rose of Sharon BOM.  I'm making progress which is good since we have six blocks now.  I know, I'm a little behind but I'll eventually get caught up.

Oops. Call the Quilt Police!!!!!!!!

Hello, my name is Bonni Feltz and I am in hiding from the quilt police.  Well I feel like I should be anyway.  This week has been a little rough at work so I turned to cleaning my apartment.  Yes!  Me!  Cleaning!  The sewing room AGAIN!  So that means I made more of a mess than I cleaned up.  It really wasn't my fault.  My paper shredded is in my sewing room and I had some papers that I was shredding.  Of course when I empty the container of shredded paper it doesn't always agree to go nicely into the garbage bag.  I think all those little strips of cross cut paper have a collective mind and knew that I was going to get rid of them FOREVER!

But that's not why I am in hiding from the quilt police.  I did something that I'm sure will get some of my quilting friends on the phone to the quilting police.  I...threw...out...fabric!  COuld I hae salvaged it for another project?  Probably.  Let me explain.  There was this fabric I had picked out for a turtle wall hanging.  I labored with needleturn applique and finally one day, a LONG time ago, I finished appliqueing all the pieces.  Then I washed it.  I had washed the material before but I used a little bit glue on some of the pieces and wanted to wash it off before working with batting and quilting it.  Life got busy and it was set aside.  When I picked it back up....I couldn't stand to look at it.  I kept finding errors in it.  Not the kind of errors where The turtle's shell didn't look right because it wasn't perfect but the kind of errors of frayed fabric.  I tried to fix up some of it but each time I took it out I hated it more and more.

My solution?  To rip out everything that I did and to start all over again with different fabric.  That was before my Oops.  Ummmm.  Parts of the fabric accidentally got snipped.  The first time it happened I looked at it and said that not too bad.  I'll just reposition the fabric and cover it up.  I said that for the first three times it happened.  The fourth time I was pissed at the stupid turtle scales!  So I looked at the background fabric to see if I would ever be able to use it again (it really was pretty).  The more I looked at it the more disgusted and pissed I got so......I crumpled it up and threw it in the trash bag amongst all those cross shredded paper bits.  I can't wait until tomorrow when garbage pick up is so I don't have to keep looking at it mocking me.  I will not take it back out though.  Lord knows I have a lot of fabric and if I do the turtle pattern again it will be with fused applique.

So quilt police...if you're coming after me you have to do it tonight for tomorrow the evidence will be gone.  LOL.

The proposed layout

Here is the proposed layout.  Of course it will look better when it is all trimmed up and sewn together.  At least I know it will look better after it is trimmed up.  I *hope* it will look better after it is sewn together although I am happy with the blocks.  It took a bit for me to do.  It's buttonhole stitched by hand.

Inspired Blocks finished

I finally finished my Inspired by Tradition blocks.  I have to trim them and then sew them together.  I hadn't planned on putting sashings in but, of course, am double guessing myself now.  I'll take these blocks to work and lay them out on the floor or wall at work.  I can get a better idea but I couldn't help but snap the pictures of the individual blocks.  I think they turned out pretty good.

My corner blocks

A close up to give a better idea of the colors

I can't make up my mind on which one is my favorite.  My eye goes to the eagle but that could be because of the deep blue.  The eagle is my middle block.  Which is your favorite block?

It's finished

I have to admit that this tote went together faster than I thought it would.  I think that I will make more but maybe next time be brave and put a pocket in it.  I, of course, will have to figure out how to do that.  LOL.

Here is the picture of the finished tote.  One is the front and the other side is the back.  It doesn't really make any difference which is front or back.

I don't think that the tote bag turned out too bad.  It's lined in the same material as the brown that is on the bottom of the tote.  :)

New project

I started a new project last night.  I must remember to start these projects BEFORE 10 p.m.  I didn't get very far but we'll see how it ends up.  Can YOU tell what my new project is?

Don't worry if you can't.  I wouldn't be able to and I KNOW what it should be.  It's my attempt at a purse/tote pattern.  It's from Missouri Quilt Company.  You are suppose to get 3 bags from one charm pack (and a little extra fabric).  I'm not that ambitious yet since I've never made a tote or bag with lining so it's small baby steps for me.

I enlarged it so you can see the quilting done at the top of the picture.  I am doing that all the way through.  No lining yet.  Just sewing the top to the batting and quilting and THEN I'll use the top as my pattern to cut out the lining.  So try to imagine that folded in half.  The dark brown is the bottom of the bag.  The six charm squares the top.  I'll keep you posted on how it turns out (ie, if it will be useable or not).

Rainy Sunday

Today is one of those rainy Sundays that leaves you with no ambition to do anything.  After coming home from breakfast with mom, I went back to bed and have been up and down every since.  I took an allergy pill and between that and the rain it's just a lazy Sunday.

I did manage to pull out some of my wrist supports that I hadn't finished up yet and finally finished them.  They are for use by your computer so your wrist has something to rest upon by your computer mouse.

I discovered that I was low on my supply after the holidays.  This time I made some in flowery colors.  I think I have some salmon colored ones done up waiting to sell also.  It's not much to get done but I"m ready to go and lay back down again.  Hate it when allergies affect my eyes.

I hope everybody is having a good day.

A small mini wall hanging...very small

Well kind of small anyway.

I didn't feel well enough to go gaming this weekend so my sewing weekend started a little early.  Allergy pills worked well enough on my headache but not fast enough to go gaming.  I had bought this little picture online a number of years ago but never did anything with it.  I hadn't read the description very well and didn't realize it was so small.  Today I finally found it again and decided to do something.  It didn't take very long and I only did a minimum of quilting on it.  It will hang up in my office in that little space by my desk.

It's hard to read the tape but it is around 8 1/2" long.  Normally I use mini's around 12" long in that space but this will work also.

That's it.  Not sure what I'll work on tomorrow.

How is everybody else doing?

Sunny day at last!

Oh what a great day it is today.  I haven't done any quilting but that's ok.  I'm at work so can't do sewing anyway.  What I can do, however, is walk at lunch time and sip tea at break time.

Theresa and I walked around the lagoon today.  It's not much to look at yet but the snow is gone and the geese and ducks are out.  Soon the leaves will be back on the trees.

Then for break time today, I got out my new teapot  and cup that Shalom Dunn at Delta Pottery made for me.  I'm still learning how far to fill up the teapot to pour it right but it's not stopping me from enjoying a nice cup of tea.  Today's tea is called Celebration!  It's an organic white champagne raspberry tea and one of my favorites.  It's one of the few teas that I can drink without any sweeteners in it.

Wait....there IS quilting today...See?  The mug rug is quilted and on the wall is the top for one of my zipper quilts.  That counts, right?  LOL.

Everybody go out and enjoy the day.

What was done this weekend

I can't believe that I accomplished so much this weekend.  It was both a lot and yet still didn't finish anything.  Oh well.  I'm still happy with what I accomplished.  So where to begin.  I've already shown you the brown zipper quilt but let me post it again because I also managed to do the top for a Cancer themed one.

This is what it looks like done with the cancer awareness fabric.  I think I like this pattern since it is so versatile.  I still need to figure out how I want to quilt it.

This is a close up of one panel so that you can see some of the fabric.

As I was laying it out before I put the sashings in, I noticed that it didn't look bad at all just joining the columns together.  I might do that with some of the over cuts.

Not only did I get those done, I also managed to work a little more on the Rose of Sharon blocks.  Not much mind you but I did start to stitch them and managed to get the rest of them fused on.  I will have to remember to post that progress on their own page but for now here is what they look like.

I also added another row of my February Hexie BOM so am making progress on that.

This is what the February heart pattern looks like.

The March one is the shamrock and the April is a basket.  Slowly I am getting caught up on it.

How's that for progress!

Zipper Quilt by MSQC

I finally got to try the zipper quilt based off of the pattern by Missouri Quilt Company's Youtube video.  I wanted something for the office so I made it smaller.  I used 10 retangles instead of the 19 which I think they used.  It should fit well on the space I have in the office.  I haven't finished it yet since I want to see it on the wall at work first but I am pleased with how it turned out.  I might do another border on it but haven't made up my mind yet. I used a charm pack (Jungleland by Dan Morris) but since you cut it in half, I have plenty left over.  I had ordered a jelly roll of solid blacks which I've been using.  It was nice to have most of it all cut for me.  :)

I also have a charm pack from Windham Fabrics called Project Pink.  I think it would look cute in this type of a wall hanging and could probably use the black on it also.

I really wanted to try this pattern because I am thinking of doing a version of it with the blue African fabric that I have.   All these projects in mind....now to do them.  LOL.

April is already here!

March went quickly and now April is here.  Of course that means one day/month closer to those May flowers they are always promising us.  Will we have snow on Easter this year?  Maybe.  It wouldn't be the first time.

I brought in my blocks from the Civil War BOM that was offered by Custom Quilt Kits.  We only have two more blocks to do and then figure out how to put them all together.  This is what they look like so far in all their non trimmed state.  :)

It's been a struggle but it does tell me a bit more about what blocks/patterns I don't mind doing (or can suffer through) and which ones I doubt I will ever do again.  I actually like one or two of the blocks that I made.  I guess that progress was made then.  :)