Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!! Here is my two youngest, right before they set out to beg for candy. Drew is of course Mario, and Ash...well...my husband dubbed her Bloody Mary :) I feel a little guilty. It's the first year I didn't go with them. My husband went;) Still waiting for them to get back.

Here is my Jagged Lines. I think I failed at this one. I have a confession to make. I DID NOT WATCH THE VIDEO. This goes to show just how valuable Leah's videos are. I have been so busy trying to finish my wonky star quilt, and just living daily life, that I didn't get to it. I thought it looked simple enough. HA!  Maybe I should watch the video and  try again.

Better news.

I got a sweet little package in the mail today:) Check out what was inside.

Terri from The Fox's Den sent me this for her blogiversary. She made it from Jeni of In Color Order's lined drawstring tutorial. I absolutely love everything! Thanks, Terri!!!!!


I'm linking up with  Leah Day of  The Free Motion Quilting Project.

One last thing.......

I got my Wonky Star Quilt done! Blogged here. I entered it into the Bloggers Quilt Festival. If you think I am worthy of a nomination In the 2 color quilt category, bed quilt category or home machine category, I would be so thankful! I'm quilt #434 

 

 Kids got home, tired and full of candy as I was writing this blog:) I'm gonna go steal some candy now!

One last thing...for real... My husband just handed me $600 to put in the bank for bills. Wanna know what he said? " Don't buy fabric with it!" haha.....oops! Okay Dear husband. I will buy Leah's Craftsy class instead!  Nite, all................

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I have been working hard to get my quilt done in time to participate in the Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side. I finished this afternoon!

 Wonky Stars In Stripes (front)

(back)

This will be a Christmas present for my step-daughter Megan. Purple, being her favorite color, was the inspiration. I hand dyed Kona white in several shades of purple. Initially, I wasn't to happy with the outcome. Then I showed it to her and told her I was going to try to over-dye it and fix it. Her response was,"DON'T TOUCH IT! I LOVE IT!" OhhhKayyyy! 

I decided on the wonky stars because they just looked fun to do. And after Elizabeth Hartman's Creative Quilt Backs, a FREE Craftsy class, I knew it would be the perfect way to use up the rest of the purple dyed fabric.

 Here is a close up of the quilting. I thought this design was perfect for the stars. I based it on Elizabeth Hartman's Pointy Meander and Leah Day's Zippling. I think I met somewhere in between;)

I finished adding the binding this afternoon, crossing one name off my Christmas list, and just in the nick of time for the Blogger's Quilt Festival. This is such a fun event. Maybe NOW, I will have time to view all of the lovely quilt entries!

Quilt Stats

Measures: 67in.x72in.

Special Techniques: Free form piecing, free motion quilted

Quilted by: Danielle Hudson(me) on my Janome P-QC(domestic machine)

Best Category: Two color quilt,  Bed Quilt,  Home Machine Quilted Quilt

** I used Kona Ash & Kona White (dyed in purples) **

Quilt Your Heart Out

 I was going to wait until I got my Wonky Stars Quilt quilted before I linked up with Leah Day's UFO Sunday, but decided, it may not be until to later tonight. So, here I am.

I had a pretty productive Saturday with this quilt. I was at a stand still until I received MORE Kona Ash fabric in the mail on Friday. This is the second time I ran out of Kona Ash, making it my third purchase.:S As you can see in the photo, the dye lots are different, making it a not so perfect match, even though it is the same fabric. OH,well...............

This is the design I chose to quilt this quilt with. Not sure of the name, but it is by Elizabeth Hartman. I kind of feel like a traitor using this design as opposed to the many BEAUTIFUL designs that Leah has given us free reign over(sorry Leah). But this design just went so perfectly with the quilt. And with the awesome stippling skills Leah has armed me with, it was very easy for me to stitch out. Ask me to stitch out this design a year ago, I don't think it would have been so easy.  THANKS, LEAH!!!!!!

I have it nearly half quilted. The binding is made and ready to go. I am hoping to get it finished either tonight or tomorrow. At least in time to enter the Bloggers Quilt Festival for the 2 color quilt category. I know I can make it!!

I did manage to also finish my trapped paisley sample, but not in time to link up.

That's all for now. I have a few errands to run then back to quilting my heart out!

How my brain works

I got my wonky stars quilt pieced tonight. As some of you may know, I have 5 quilts to make before Christmas. This one is #2.

When I first saw the wonky star, I knew I wanted to make a quilt of them. So I started out making 13 blocks, then lost my steam. I realize now it's because I didn't have any sort of plan to go with. Aside from dying the purple fabric, I simply just started sewing.

When Leah Day started UFO Sunday's I knew I had to get back to this one. So while I was sewing the Greek Cross Quilt I started thinking how I was going to layout this one.

I didn't want rows of stars(like the Greek Cross quilt is laid out). Although I love the Sparkle Punch quilt, I couldn't do that for one, my stars were all the same color and may get lost. For two, I had already pieced blocks. So unless I wanted to disassemble them or start over, that was not an option.

I like to do something a little different than every one else if I can. Also, I had to make it fast as possible. So I decided to do 2 vertical stripes of stars with negative space on either side and the middle. I also offset each star.

Here is the start of my backing. I got the idea after watching Elizabeth Heartman's Creative Quilt Backs on Craftsy. (If you haven't watched this free class, I highly recommend!!) The front is fairly simple, so I figured the back needed a surprise.

Sometimes I start with a clear plan, sometimes not. Sometimes it changes because of a better idea, sometimes the supplies at hand force me to change plans.I think about my design ideas while in the shower, while sewing, while at work.....ehem....pretty much all the time.

This week Leah tells us the importance of doing one project at a time. So if you get stumped at a certain point of the project,instead of starting a new project there are other things you can do while you think it through. You could skip ahead and make the backing of your project. You could also make the binding. Spend time with your kids. Take the day off from sewing. Orrrrrrr, you could clean your house:0 Mine, for one, gets neglected due to sewing a lot!!!! ;)

Quilt Along Wednesday's

I finished my Goldilocks sample. I quilted this design bigger than last weeks in order to get my stippling a little bigger.

I'm under the wire tonight. I haven't had much time for sewing lately. Last weekend I went the the Covered Bridge Festival which cut into my sewing time. This weekend I have to work the Chicken Supper at my school which will be good money and lots of fun, but cut in to sewing time again,UGH!

I think I may have an addiction a problem. Is it bad that in both of these instances, I would rather be home sewing?

 To defend myself, I am REALLY under the wire here. I have 5 quilts for my kids to finish by Christmas and only one finish! I gotta get my butt in gear. My house work my suffer and my kids may starve, but dammit, my kids will be warm on Christmas(I hope)! That is my goal. I'm about to kick it into high gear;)

A UFO Finish

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love to put on binding. That was my goal last night.

I did it! All machine binded. A finish!

And for the back.

I used all DS fabrics on the back(except for the solid). I had one square done which I put on the back. It was my least favorite square. I still have to wash it to get the crinkly luvin' look! Maybe after I catch up on some laundry.

Today, I took a much needed break. Me, my friend Sundy, and her mom Jerry headed up to the Terre Haute, IN area to check out the Covered Bridge Festival. The scenic drive was amazing. I should have tried to take pictures of all of the beautiful trees turning colors, but we weren't stopping on those county roads.

We had a lot of fun and a lot of girl chit-chat on the way there and back;)

I'm linking up with Leah Day UFO Sunday on the Free Motion Quilting Project.

Quilt Along Wednedsay

Flowing lines is a pretty easy design to quilt. If you turn it like I have the photo, I kinda looks like water!

I came home from work today and the first thing I did was kick off my shoes. I walked over the the kitchen sink and my sock was suddenly wet. Eew! I hate that. I looked down and OMGosh!  Over the summer I had a brief interlude with tie-dying and fabric dying. My friend had mixed me up some plum color that I had in a milk jug. It wasn't upside down or anything. I wonder if the dye ate a little hole in the jug? I didn't bother to check. I was trying to clean it up without getting anymore dye anywhere.

It could have been worse. There was quite a bit of dye left in the jug that I poured out.

In better news, I got my Greek Cross Quilt all quilted and trimmed up. Ready for binding!

I may wait until tomorrow. I think a nap sounds better right now! But I have a question for Leah first.

I have seen a lot of edge to edge quilting lately. A lot of straight lines and waves. How would you quilt this in a big quilt? Would you keep it edge to edge still, or start in the middle? Your quadrant quilting method is great for the designs we have done so far. Will it work for edge to edge quilting?

I'm linking up with  Quilt Along Wednesday's at the Free Motion Quilting Project.