QuiltCon Block Challenge

I finally figured out what I wanted to do for the QuiltCon Block Challenge. I bounced for a few different ideas and finally it came to me. Here it is.

Does it look familiar? Yes, it's my logo! I turned it upright because the block had to be 12 1/2in height x whatever width. I guess I could have made it bigger if I would have turned it on it's side, but I didn't even think of that until just now..haha. Oh well.

This block was a challenge to make for sure. There was a lot of guess work. The angles are not the standard angles on a quilting ruler. And I did my fare share of ripping out!

This challenge is not for prizes. Just a little recognition I guess. I'm getting ready to link up to Flickr, then send it in the mail tomorrow.

Oh, one more thing. I totally changed the background. Here is my first one.

I hope I made the right choice. Personally, I like it much better. Wish me luck;)

Homework finished...whew!

I got my Bare Branches homework done for the Wednesday's Quilt Along with Leah Day. I kind of rushed through this one because of my procrastination.:/  I was going good at first, but then, Things started getting a little funky. The design is easy enough, but you need to have good spacing for it to look really good. My spacing pretty much sucks on the bottom half. I'm gonna blame it on a long day and I'm just tired.:D I'm gonna wrap this post up pretty quick But gotta share one more thing first.

I have TWELVE practice sandwiches for my QAYG quilt! Yay!! Almost half way there! They really do add up quick.

Questions for Leah:


#1How do you keep your spacing so consistent? Are you just naturally good at it or do you have a magic trick?  I have always been artistic. Have done calligraphy since I was 10. But, to make calligraphy really outstanding, spacing of the letters and the height are the key. I have always struggled with this. If I don't have marked lines, I will veer off. I do the same thing when I swim with my eyes closed. haha. I know, random, whatever, I'm tired.


#2 How much time do you spend quilting/sewing per day, or week? I'm finding it hard to keep up! The demands of daily life take over sometimes. I have to find my own balance....but it's hard sometimes. Sweet dreams to all. I'm headed for bedzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Just for fun

I had this little idea to make a TV pincushion. I'm calling it the Idiot Box pincushion. I have had this idea for a few weeks. It's been under construction for about 2. I'm not sure why i hem-hawed for so long. It really didn't take very long. I guess I was afraid it would be to plain, but it turned out OK. It could use a little more, but I'm not sure what?? So, I have a question. What do you stuff your pincushions with? I read somewhere to stuff very tightly with cotton stuffing to make your pins go in easily. I used cotton balls...close enough, right? let me tell ya, either my pins are very dull, or this is incorrect info. My pin's don't go in easily.

Hope you like!

FAIL=Things don't always work out

I was inspired by Leah Day's design Circuit Board. I thought I had come up with a very similar but different design. A few people who had tried the design on the Wednesday Quilt Along said it was hard to keep those 90 degree angles of the design.

I have, since I can remember made the block letters that to add to card envelopes, posters banners. It's my own version of the standard block font. It looks a little like this.

 So I was thinking, what if I applies these semi wonky shapes to Circuit Board? Then add an arrow here or there? In my head, it looked like graffiti art. You know, the beautiful fonts you see on buildings in the big cities? I know, it's vandalism, but I have always been attracted to it.

So here is my drawn out version.

 Hmmmmm. Can't tell yet. It always looks better when I stitch it.

Well, what can I say, I tried. It didn't turn out quite how I envisioned. As I was going along I thought,  maybe I need some circular shapes. So I tried one.

 Opps, that pic is sideways, but you get it. It didn't seem to help. I think I didn't get the graffiti effect because those letters overlap. I'm not sure how to achieve this other than a LOT of travel stitching.

But, It did come out somewhat different. Check it!

Hopefully these will enlarge enough for you to see the difference after I post:P It did give a different look. I'm not sure if it is enough to stand alone as a design, but adding slight angles to the design changed it a little.  For all you who weren't to hip on right angles, the design can still look cool. It doesn't have to be exact to look good!

I wish I could have come up with a super cool graffiti design to share. And I wish I could finish my wonky quilt. I'm outta batting, and well...lets just say it might be a while before I get some more. For now, I will just work with what I have.

Purse Palooza 2012 wallet

Here is my second entry for the Purse Palooza 2012.  I finished this last night to match my Emmaline Bag I completed for the challenge. I didn't realize that I could also enter the wallet :D
 I used the tutorial from Confessions of a Fabricaholic. You can find it here.

What I learned about making wallets: It's not easy. You need interfacing for structure, but to much interfacing is not easy to sew. The main problem comes when you get to the end and turn it. Getting those corners turned is a challenge in itself. Then, trying to get all of those layers under your presser foot is almost impossible! They should make a higher presser foot. Do they???

My first attempt at making a wallet i used the Traveler Passport Wallet Pattern. I couldn't get it under my presser foot . I think where I went wrong is I interfaced it to death! I may have used to heavy of interfacing, or maybe just didn't need it on every layer. 

The second time around, I eliminated the interfacing on my seam allowances. I also eliminated it all together on the credit card slots. On the CC slots, I just double folded the fabric. Live and learn. I will know better next time:)

Purse Palooza 2010 Entry

   This is my entry for the Purse Palooza 2012. The pattern is the Emmaline Bag from Emmaline Bags and Sewing Patterns. I saw Shape Moth's review of the bag pattern and I loved her fabric choice, so I went in the same direction. I used Home Town Square by sweetwater Gray/Grey canvas and Home Town Cross Town by Sweetwater in Mist.

   I took me 3 long days of sewing to complete this bag. Either I am a slow sewer, or just way to methodical. As methodical as I thought I was being, I did have a few mistakes. Thanks goodness I wasn't to far in to it to correct them.

   My biggest mistake was here. I double stitched each seam down. I think it looks better and it also helps hold those bulky seams down. This is much easier to accomplish before you get the base attached. I had 6 seams to double stitch. After I attached the base, I noticed I had forgotten a seam. Rather than rip out the base, I turned it inside out and carefully added the stitching. You would never know...YAY! This is what happens when you work on something all day into the wee hours of the morning. When I get tired, I make mistakes!

   The next time I make a bag I will use canvas for the outer shell and lining. Why? I hate fusing interfacing!!! It takes forever. No matter how good you think you have it attached, It eventually screws up. I painstakingly added it to the canvas, and the lining. Now that it is done, I don't think I needed it. Especially if I would have used canvas for the lining. Also, last year, I made a school bag for my daughter. Once water hits it(like rain) it starts to bubble and wrinkle. I plan on making a wallet which I know will need some sort of interfacing for structure. I think I will opt for the sew in type and see how that goes.

I wouldn't say this bag was the easiest to make, but if you take your time, an advanced beginner can surely make it. And pin the heck out of it!!!! I think if I make this bag again, It wont take me nearly as long;) I like how it turned out, but I wonder how it would look whitout the interfacing......hmmmmmm.

One last thing, although the bag isn't the easiest to make, the pattern for it is VERY CLEAR in it's directions! Janelle did a great job. Don't be afraid to give this pattern a try. I think the second time around, I won't even have to refer to the directions :)

The Color Purple

 Are there any purple lovers out there? I am. But my step-daughter M is obsessed. With that in mind, I have been on the hunt for fabric for her. She is also extremely picky. I haven't been able to find anything I thought she would love, so I decided to dye some fabric purple. 

  

I had some left over purple dye from the school Field Day t-shirt tie dying. You can read about that post here. I dyed 4 yards of Kona White with purple dye, and just a little teal. I really loved the color, but I didn't quite think it was purple enough for M, so I tried an over dye with red. 

  

Big mistake. It gave me big red splotches all over the fabric. I wasn't liking it at all.  M came over and I told her that I really tried to dye her some pretty purple fabric and it didn't quite turn out, but Amy, my dye mixer, said she had a pretty plum I could try to over dye it with. M exclaimed " NO, DON'T TOUCH IT. I LOVE IT!" Crisis averted. As long as M loves it, that's all that counts;)

 I am using this fabric for piecing modern quilt tops for Quilt Along Wednesday with Leah Day. I decided to go a different direction then the wonky squares. I am doing wonkified stars. I have been dying to make these, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. I really wanted to do a Sparkle Punch Quilt, but I'm making all the stars the same color. I think the Sparkle Punch Quilt would look better with multi colored stars. On the SPQ the stars touch. Being all one color might not be the best option. So I made 13- 12 1/2 in. star blocks....then...I ran out of the grey background fabric. 

EDIT! I forgot to mention. If any of you decide at some point to try out this block, here is something to think about. You start out with a block the same size your ray block(part of the star block) will be. then you sew on the triangles for your rays.use the bottom square block as a guide for the placement of you rays. Although this is free-form sewing, you still have to be somewhat mindful of you placement. Do NOT do as I did above. You want the ray fabric to extend past the bottom square. This is because the bottom gets chopped off, and you won't end up with a square in the end.

See how I already cut the first side off of the back and pressed open the seams? You will do the same for the other side.

So if you are short on the ray(purple) fabric, you won't be square. I hope this makes sense.

  I can't wait to see this come together.

Question for Leah . This has to do with batting. Have you ever doubled up on batting? I have noticed a few bloggers mentioning that they use 2 layers on quilts. Would this be harder to FMQ and would you need a heavy duty needle? I would think It would make for a warmer quilt, and puffier quilting. Do you have any thoughts on the subject?

Well that's all for now. I have a cool idea coming up for a pincushion that I will try out next week. I hope it turns out. If all goes well I will share. Seriously, I need more hours in the day for all the ideas I want to stitch out;)

Danielle