Went faster than I thought!

I started putting my blocks together for the mountain fence rail quilt. I got my self set up really well and utilized the diagram I made back in the beginning.

This really made the process go super quickly. I think that I would have gotten myself really confused had I not done this. The colors on the diagram are very close to the colors on the blocks. I was able to keep track because I used the actual color. I was also able to visualize what the final product would be. As I put the blocks together I kept them in chains so I could match them up later on.

I got quite a few rows together. I really like my color combinations of teal, purple, green and yellow. I have placed in a few embroidery blocks in rows. I am trying to be very conscious of where I am putting them in the quilt. I am even marking them on the diagram. I started doing rows on the left side of the quilt, then I jumped over to the right side to make sure that the embroidery pieces are throughout the whole quilt.  Below are the two sides of the quilt. The long rows are folded up on themselves. I am super happy so far.

Hand Sewing

I am trying to finish up the embroidery on a handful of the blocks for the fence rail mountain king size quilt. (There has got to be a better way to describe that quilt, for consistency concerns I need to come up with something). I decided on using small flowers/ leaves in threes for the Mountain Quilt ;  )  . I seemed to balance on the block nicely. I was attempting to make it look like a crazy quilt. However, it has ended up being more refined. I just stitch whatever comes to mind. I have completed most of them while Hubby watches NBA finals. I do actually like all levels of basketball, though I do find it hard to watch 3 games tailed on to each other.
Meanwhile, I threw this hand pin cushion together very quickly. It was more out of necessity, I lost a quite a few needles and pins recently. I actually found one in my nightgown... while in bed... in a not so great spot... just waiting to stab me.

Ultimately, I will be putting the Mountain quilt with the crochet afghan above. I beginning to think that it might just be too many stripes. What do you think?

Busy Day

I have finally completed all of the blocks for the king size mountain fence rail . I used up a heck of a lot of fabric in order to create the 224 7.5x7.5 blocks. It feels good to put the fabric to work. After I embroider on a handful of blocks I will start on piecing it all together. This will be interesting to see how heavy it is. I want to quilt it. I am super concerned that I wont have the room to do it. We'll see!

I also created these super adorable pillows out of Kaffe fabric. I recently fell head over heals for this fabric. It certainly spices up my boring leather couch. A quilt is next to come!!! So super excited over these little guys. I bought the best inserts I could find. I have found it makes a huge difference. They are the perfect size.

My sad overly used quilt

I did this to this pretty little topper. Gasp! My mom found the top at a yard sale and tacked a back on in the 80's.  I don't really remember seeing it until high school and I left for college and took it with me. I know that the holes weren't that bad when I took it. Remember that the blacks and dark blues were being chewed up. I feel sad when I look at it. It is sooooo soft and the perfect weight, but it has terrible shredded fabric and the seams are coming apart so I am putting it up. It cant be washed! I cant believe that I did that! Oh I am ashamed. I know some of the fabrics are from the 40's. They feel like kleenex lotion tissue. (I know that is uber specific, but I am bit of a tissue snob) I don't think that I can fix it! Too far gone.  I am going to have to create a replacement from the purple king size Mountian quilt scraps. (Blogging of,  I pulled it out last week and ironed the blocks and strips and sized it up and figured out a game plan. I am finishing that UFO soon!) I am never gonna be able to make it soft enough!

Inspiration

I found these images of hand dyed fabric on flickr. I absolutely love both of these images. The second is from lovefiber's blog. I am bummed that we didn't dye more fabric when I had it set up. I really, really want to make a quilt out of the hand dyed fabric. I am delighted by the soft, warn, warm and used feeling that the hand dyed fabric gives to the quilt.
I really loved the mountain landscapes, I reminded me of my original inspiration for the king size quilt. By the way I haven't touched in months. This is so amazing to me. The depth that the hand dyed fabric gives to the rather non-dimensional piecing is incredible. I hope to create more things like this soon.

What Happened to February?

Here it is March and I am sitting here wondering what happened to February? I am aware that February is a short month, but it disappeared in a blur of snow, birthdays and colds. I did have a few unexpected days off from work. I spent those days either in the bed, sewing or cooking. All with my gorgeous doggie by my side. I am sitting at my sewing table and up wanders a wet nose with this sweet face attached. How could you not take a picture.

Here are my existing squares. I am getting really close to finishing the 1,052 that I need. 

I love seeing the colors together. My piles of strips are shrinking. I am sure the dog will be happy to have her futon back. She loves it. The other morning I woke up and could find her. She was snoozing peacefully on the futon in the middle of all my strips. When she finally sauntered out into the kitchen she had a strip wrapped around her curly tail. 
This is my favorite group of strips before I cut it up into squares.

Purple Mountain Quilt

Here are all of the strips cut out and piled on the futon in the sewing room. I watched Pres. Obama's Inauguration on Tuesday. I was very overwhelmed with emotion. I though it was a wonderful speech. I was very thankful that I was able to watch it in real time. I did not get as much done as I had hoped that snow day.

I am still working on the purple king quilt. These pieced strips are all piled up and waiting to be pressed. The color flow that I am working on is in the background of the image. The pile of strips on the futon is getting much flatter. I am excited about having time to get this quilt underway. It has been cathartic to work on this task.

New King quilt

I have been very excited since I got my new machine.  I have had the opportunity to sit down and get familiar with it. Being laid off of work for two weeks has not started off so bad. I have accomplished a lot of unfinished tasks around the house. Now I am on to my crafting projects. I have vowed not to spend any money on trying to occupy my time during my sabbatical(that sounds so much nicer). I spend the better part of a a morning a few days ago trying to decide on a quilt pattern for the King sized mountain quilt I wanted to make this year. Hubby and I just upgraded to a king and we have nothing coordinating in our room. I have more than enough fabric  in my stash to make  a king quilt, pillows, curtains, etc.. I really wanted to do more of a realistic image of the mountains (see earlier post). Well, after looking at many a blog and many a book. I decided to go with a much simpler plan, my skill level is not there yet. Some day! I  found an image of a Fence Rail Quilt that  I was immediately struck with. I could visualize it in the purple color scheme I was hoping for. I decided to do a different color block per each fence rail for two reasons: 1. I don't have enough of any one fabric and, I think it will look more like mountains 2. I later found the Dimensions for a King and decided I would go for it. Yesterday, much to my husbands whining, I pieced together the first block and cut out many strips. I will start piecing more blocks soon.

Quilt Ideas

This is the type of quilting I want to do, I know that this image is of a lap quilt and I would like to create a King size. I still find inspiration from it. I am not crazy about the border or the harshness of the mountains. (These are Rocky Mountains). I would like to create a quilt of the Blue Ridge Mountains like this image, not quite as much green. I think that I need to go get more white fabric to create the distance for the quilt.

My Quilt Project

I am getting ready to make a quilt for our new king size bed. This is only the fourth quilt I have ever made and the first king size. I am using scrap fabrics that I had in a trunk for a few years. Some are silks and vintage. I am concerned on how the fabrics will hold up. I saw Georgia Bonesteel's quilting show recently on PBS and she was talking about using ties to make quilts. She suggested washing them and only keeping the ones that survive. I followed the Master's suggestions and most scraps survived. However, I am concerned about the wear of my husband and tear of the dog's paws. (I know they shouldn't get on the bed but, it is soooo nice when you are sick.) I am also concerned about the actual quilting process and how the materials will work. The quilt has been nice to prepare for but, I am concerned about actually finding the time and skill to complete.
The first quilt I made was very basic pinwheel pattern. I enjoyed the piecing the materials more than binding the quilt and hand quilting. This was made easier by the help of a dear friend and her large screened in porch. The second was a very sturdy corduroy and I simply tied the corners of the patches with yarn. The third mimicked the second except the fabric was blue jean.
I have decided to create an image of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the quilt. This is the most creative and largest undertaking I have ever done with cloth. I enjoy a challenge we will see how progress continues through out this blog. I just wonder how long it will take me!