2015 Recap of my Year

Today is the last day of the year.  2015 was a good year for me.  Today, I am going to give you a recap of the year by reminding you of some of my posts I made this year.

My word of the year was Clarity, and I tried to be more clear in everything I did.  In my communication, I tried to make sure that people had enough background information to understand what I was saying, and tried to choose my words more carefully instead of taking the lazy way out. While there was effort and improvement, I will continue to work on this.

In my home, I tried to clear out my spaces to be more open, welcoming, and easier to maintain. I was extremely successful in this.  I got rid of some big furniture pieces and either bought something smaller or went without a replacement.  I reduced the number of flower beds in the yard. There has been substantial progress in the  family room, the kitchen, and the yard.  Other rooms also have made progress, but not to the extent that I want. I will continue to work on them in 2016. And it wasn't all cleaning-type work either.  I framed and put up artwork that had been in the closet for years, put up tiles for a back-splash in the kitchen, replaced a defunct dishwasher, had some electrical work done, and purchased and painted a picnic table so I could enjoy the outside as well as the inside of the house. Yesterday, the contractor finished installing a new front porch on my house.

In quilting, I had a lot of fun.  Although the number of quilt finishes I had in 2015 is low, there are many works in progress that provided me a lot of joy this year.  I kept my focus on the projects I was working on and I hope to finish them in 2016. Most of the quilts I made this year are made up of different blocks, so if you have been following along, you have been able to see my progress block by block throughout the year.

In February, I showed the finished the Christmas Tree quilt, which I showed you again recently.

In February, I joined the Elephant Parade Quiltalong, hosted by Lorna Mahon of Sew Fresh Quilts. I added more animals and people throughout the year, and in September, I finished making all of the blocks. These blocks were a lot of fun to make, and now it is just a matter of trimming some blocks, choosing a layout, adding the sashing, and putting them into a quilt.

I also joined A Life of Plenty Quiltalong, hosted by Jeni from the Willow in February. I think I made my last block for it in March.  There are still many more blocks that have been prepped. Even though I was enjoying making both quilts,  I realized that Elephant Parade and A Life of Plenty were competing against each other with my time and space.  Since they both required me to dig through my stash, and different parts of my stash, it might be better for me to do one at a time.  I do really like this quilt and hope to get back to it soon.

In August, I showed the finished Irish Chain Quilt.

From September through November, I worked on the Islamic Tile Quilt. It is now a top and needs to be quilted.

I started the Quilty 365 Project in November, where I make a circle a day. This project is a year-long project, and I have been making a circle a day most days. I've slowed somewhat on this, but hopefully I will get back in a routine for making these circles. These circles have gotten out of order as I was showing them off, but I will be putting them together soon.

 


 In November, I started the rail fence quilt from Sujata Shah's book, Cultural Fusion. All the blocks are now made, and I just need to put them together into a quilt.

This is the first time I have finished making blocks, and yet not taken it to the next level of making a quilt top, and yet I am at that stage for two and a half quilts.  I think it is just the excitement of making the next quilt that distracted me from finishing the quilts I started.  I enjoyed making the blocks, and I enjoy seeing completed quilts, so I am hopeful that all of these quilts will be shown as finishes for 2016.

In December, I made this little quilt out of the leftovers from the rail fence quilt. I even finished it so I could be sure to have another finish for the year.

As a bonus, I want to show you something I haven't shown before. My family came over and we had a craft day, making these cute little strawberries. It is a great way to round out the year with family, and crafting.

I wish all my readers a happy and healthy New Year.  I hope it is the best year ever for you and your family.

Viking Sewing Event

Tulip Pillow made at Viking Sewing Event

Earlier this year, my trusty 24-year-old Kenmore gave out on me.  It seemed like it was a goner, and I started thinking about getting a new machine.  I tinkered some more with the Kenmore and think I have fixed it, but I haven't had time to work with it during the busy season at work.  But the yearning for a new machine didn't leave me, and I broke down and bought a new machine, the Husqvarna Viking 650 with lots of stitches.  I have started writing a review for it, and want to try out some more features before I publish it.

I am still working out a schedule for my free new machine classes, but in the meantime, I received an email on Tuesday about a Sewing Event.  Pay a small fee for supplies and lunch, and come in for six hours.  On Thursday.  Talk about short notice!  I am still working, but I have flexible hours, so I decided to take the day off.  Of course, my boss decided I had a deadline on Thursday, so I worked late on Wednesday and early Thursday morning in order to meet it. Phew! That was tiring.

On Thursday, I went to Joann's (the Viking store is inside Joanns, but it is a separate entity).  I thought I would be the only person there, or one of a few, but there were more than 10 people!  I missed the introductions so I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, but it turned out that we were all making a pillow.

Watching Embroidery Machine Doing All the Work

We first sewed the triangles onto the center square.  They set us up on the embroidery machine, and we could watch the design show up on our piece.  Then we chose our own quilting stitches and locations, and put a backing to make a pillow.

It was, as expected, a way to drum up sales - check out our wonderful embroidery machine, on sale now!, the embroidery software that lets you design your own embroidery designs, how about a new quarter inch foot with a flange to keep your fabric from wandering off (which I really want now), etc.

It is a beautiful pillow, and it is amazing all the wonderful features that are available today.

Embroidery and Quilting Stitches on Tulip Pillow

I enjoyed the class, but it didn't have the satisfaction of making something.  Part of it is the fact that I made the same thing as everyone else.  I always change up patterns to avoid having something that looks exactly like someone else's.  Personally, the joy for me in quilting is the designing and making part, and not the finished product, so having a machine that does everything for me was somewhat disappointing.    It was a good lesson for me to learn, though, because I had been eyeing the embroidery machines, especially the ones that let you design your own patterns, and now I know that I made the right choice with the machine I did buy.

A Quilt for Lily

I've made a quilt and been frustrated about my inability to show it to you, since I lost the cord that attaches the camera to the computer.  I thought there was a way to use the card reader on my computer, but the card didn't fit in the slots.  This morning, I tried again, and there is a card reader that works, it just looks like it is bigger than the card.

So, at long last, I can show you a quilt for Lily.

First the background story.  Last year, the first weekend in June, 2011, I went to the National Quilt Society quilt show in Columbus, Ohio and took a photograph of a small quilt that looked very intriguing to me. Well, I actually took lots and lots of photographs, but this story is about this photo.

I showed it to a friend of mine who has a granddaughter named Lily, and she said "make that for me."  Well, there was no way I could even make anything exactly like that, and I wouldn't want to break any copyright laws legally or morally, but I figured I could make something inspired by it.  Unfortunately, this request happened during our busy time at work and somehow this little quilt took a year and a month to make.


I liked the original technique of cutting through layers for the background, but decided to keep it simple for my quilt.  I took a jelly roll and put the strips together for a background.  Then I traced the flower from this photograph and cut out some fabric with fusible attached to it.  Then I zig zagged it down.  Yes, I know that even after tracing, my lily doesn't look like the original.  Even when I try, I am not good at copying.

I chose a different font and a different location for the name.

This little bud is such a wonderful feature.

I didn't take the stem all the way to the binding so the flower is floating on the surface.  I used Timtex as a batting because this is a wall hanging and I wanted it to hang straight on the wall. This made it difficult to free motion quilt, but I had fun choosing different straight line quilting designs.  The backing fabric is folded to the front.  I did stitch it down. This quilt seemed too formal to just use fusible web, and I didn't want to use up any more fusible web.  I added a false back to hide my stitches, so I wound up having to use extra fusible anyway.

I added an extra layer of batting for the flower to give it more interest.  I gave it to my friend and they loved it.  It matches the room since it is purple and yellow.  I only today realized I don't have a photo of the whole quilt showing all the binding, but the binding is right underneath the photo so you aren't missing much.

Overall, I am really happy with it. The flower itself isn't as good as the original quilt, but I really like the rest of it, so it balances out. The quilt is 12" x 12", and was finished the end of July 2012.

I haven't stopped quilting, so there are more pictures to show on another post.

Avatar Fabric Postcards

I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas.

I had a lovely time making these avatar fabric postcards.  I have written up directions on how to make them and posted them on HubPages: How to Make a Fabric Avatar Postcard.

She looks like she is curtsying.  "Pleased to make your acquaintance."  I know I need to be working on my BOMs, but they are so serious, and I just wanted to play.

I think they turned out pretty good.  Do you have any ideas for their names?

Snowflake Coasters

Since I switched to Google Reader, I have had more and more difficulty marking posts as "read".  It seems like there are so many posts I want to save for their ideas. Especially around the holidays, there are so many cute projects.  

One post I didn't mark as read, had a link to this Snowflake Coasters pattern by Patrick Lose.  It's really cute, so I hurried up and finished sewing the rows together for the Simply Squares quilt, and chose fabric, washed it, and started tracing snowflakes.  Then I started reading the directions.

It turns out that he had a different idea than I imagined about how to assemble these.  I was thinking to sew them together, turn them right sides out, and then apply the snowflake and quilt.  He was thinking sandwich, quilt, and "bind" them with the buttonhole stitch.  Both are good ideas.  I decided to make one of each, and decide later how to do the rest.

Here's the pros and cons.

My way:
Finished edge
Use CD as template

Cutting hole after putting together to turn it right side out - have to be careful to only cut what you want
Applique hides the hole
Press the applique to shapes might flatten the batting (it didn't, I used a towel underneath for pressing)
Pressing helps enforce the circle shape
Have to be able to sew circles circularly
Quilt last

His way
use his paper template
add applique before putting layers together - no worry about flattening batting
Raw edge
quilt first
trim after quilting
hand buttonhole stitch

As you can see from the picture, I went with his way for the most part, except that I used a CD for the circle.  It is a bit larger, but I think that will make it easier to aim the cup.  If you do want finished edges, you will want to keep your quilting to the center of the coaster.  You can also zig zag the raw edges instead of buttonhole if you don't want to do the handwork, but I think it adds to the charm of the coasters.

I went to the thrift store for my almost-annual gift purchase, and found this for myself. It is a cookie jar and comes with a pretty lid. I haven't washed the lid yet. I have great plans for it!

2010 Gift #1: Tissue Covers

I don't think that anyone in my family has every thought to themselves "Hmm, I need a cover for these little tissue packages," but I would like to think that if they saw one at a craft show, they would say "Hey, that's cute, and could come in handy" and get it for themselves if the price was right.

I saw a recent tutorial, and probably bookmarked it, but didn't make it the day I saw it.  When I was ready, I just did an internet search, because my bookmark list is very long, and looked at the first couple.  Neither is the tutorial  I bookmarked,  but it is simple enough that either would work.  The first one I saw uses smaller fabric than the second one.  But it is a simple tissue cover.  The second one uses bigger fabric and overlaps them a bit.  It also puts all the excess fabric on one side, which works well if you are overlapping.  But it is more complicated because it includes a hanger.  So I combined the two, made it simple without a hanger, although I did box the corners, but with bigger fabric, and with the excess fabric on one side instead of both sides.

They are fun to make and quick. And if you don't have tissues, candy fits in there really nicely too!

PS. I figured out the comments problem.  I have my mail forwarded from my HighRoadQuilter account to one I use everyday, to avoid having to look too many places for my mail.  I have to log in every so many days in order for them to know that I haven't abandoned it, and close it down.  Apparently they thought I had abandoned it.  I'm just glad they didn't give the name to someone else.  And I've noted on my calendar to log in next time.

Guess Who's Been Oil Painting?

mine with inspiration

We all have! And we had a great time. I did the sailboat. My niece and daughter did the trees. Then I did another one with trees, because everyone else had a tree in theirs.

daughter and niece

My brother and our guest painted a woman. Theirs was much more challenging, and she doesn't want to finish it, but hopefully she learned something and enjoyed doing the parts that she did do.

Free Magazine

I found a site where you can get a free six month edition of Down Under Quilts. There are other choices of magazines if you prefer some other type of craft.

Fabric Basket

I decided to go ahead and make a small project - in between putting the quilt top together. I made the fabric basket. The directions are in Pink Penguin's post. It was really fun and easy to make, and it helped keep making progress on my SITP. I added a yellow fabric for the liner to keep it from looking like a SITP leftover. I pieced the lining, because the yellow fabric is a fourth-yard cut, and I needed 9 and 1/4 inch fabric. I figured I should add a bigger piece of fabric on each side, so looks like I did it on purpose. I think it adds a nice touch.


Kristin has made a nice pattern for a drawstring bag. It just might be next on my list of projects.

This is just to show what I was trying to explain yesterday - the rows have to be added before the corner can be added, because the nonpieced triangle is already sewed on. I only have two rows left! Of course they are the longest rows, but still.

Next, a Bird

After finishing a big quilt, I have been wavering about what to do next. There are lots of things that need finishing - my SITP is still sitting our waiting for the setting triangles to be cut. The Dear Jane can be picked up at any time. There are several other projects that have not been completed. There was that orange crazy quilt I talked about the other day for which I have already conducted auditions.

I was doing my daily blog tour, and visited Nellie's Needles again. She tempted me yet again with more of the lovely birds. She even has a tutorial and explicit directions. I already have printed out the pattern. I decided to just do it. They are just so cute!

I made the body, and it came time to attach the legs. I have wire. I know I have wire. But wire is thin and small, and can hide easily amongst other craft supplies. I searched for it, and found all sorts of other projects that need finishing, or starting. My UFO list that is on my spreadsheet doesn't really cover all the thoughts that have flitted through my head and through the store.

I couldn't find the wire, and decided to go to Walmart to see if they had any. See smart, avoiding craft stores! They had this floral wire for less than a dollar, so no big loss. Especially if I make more stuff with the wire. And I also got a blouse for $1. It doesn't fit me, but it is a lovely fabric, and is lined, and has a bonus zipper I didn't notice when I bought it.

I put the wire in, and finished up the bird. Look, she can stand now. I need to add the beak still. It was fun to make - I may have to make a few more. The wire had 30 pieces to a package.