Those Darn Goals!

Well, it was bound to happen.  I did really, really terrible on my goals this time.   I did work really hard on each of them (well, almost - but more about that later!), but sadly, only one was completed.  But enough already!  Here is the bad news:

1.  Finish the Hoffman Challenge - top priority. Done!

  Yeah, the only thing that got done.  Well, it does take a fair bit of time to plan and execute something like this.  And, looking back I see that I have not posted completed pictures here.  I'll take care of that later this week.  She was mailed in plenty of time and now the waiting begins.  I think that's the hardest part of all!

2.  Complete TIF and bind into a  book.  Still in Progress. 

Yes.  STILL!  And not very much progress at that!  But I am determined that this will get done . . . someday!  Soon, I hope, but I'm not making any rash promises.

 

 

3.  Stitch top for Scrappy Stars .  In Progress.

  I've posted a few times about this and it is coming along fine.  Just put it back a bit for a couple of weeks.  I think it will move back up near the top of the list now.

 

4.  Finish a UFO doll I call Carmen.   In Progress.

  Actually not too bad.  When I added her to the list, she was naked and bald!  So hair and underwear is a major improvement.  I do want to finish her up soon.  For one thing, she is taking up space on the worktable!

 

5.  Start another QOV quilt top. In Progress.

  Actually, since the goal says "Start" I could count this as Done!  Ah, but that would be cheating.  The top needs to be done soon so I can send it off for quilting.  So, I think it will move to near the top along with Scrappy Stars.  By the way, I also posted about this one.

 

6.  Complete the last lesson in Creative Box Making. No progress.

  Nothing, nada, zip!  Er, unless you count pulling out the instructions and looking at pictures!  Argh.  I really want to make this last box, too!  The photo is of the next to last lesson.  Close but no cigar!

OK, so not too great.  But it's not as if I was doing nothing this period!  My priorities just got shifted around.  I attended a Bernina owner's class and we had an anniversary.  Plus the town cafe has had some excitement that called for "community participation."  LOL!  I presented the July program for my local quilt guild - it was a show of some of my dolls - as well as having responsibilities for the doll club July program.  I sewed and sent off a bathrobe for FIL and made a quilted wall hanging for the aforementioned cafe (I'll be showing that off later this week, too).  So - gee whiz!  Who has had time to worry about some silly old goals!

Ah yes.  This was my idea in the first place, wasn't it?  Well, fine.  Let's see what I have scheduled for the next six-week period.

1. Have two QOVs ready to send to quilter.
2. Send some dolls to State Fair (esp. Carmen).
3. Make something using Altoid tins (August doll club project).
4. Make bookmarks for a Stargazers group exchange.
5. Stitch and swap a pendibule or humbug.
6. Can we please finish the TIF project?

Next review will be September 11.  I really hope it looks better than this one!

Wednesday WOW - July 29

Isn't this a mess?  And almost no progress, either.  I had a special project that has put everything - including housekeeping! - on hold.

I put the binding on it this afternoon, so next week there should be lots more to see.  Pretties, I hope.

Another S&W Quilt

I had so much fun doing my first Stack & Whack quilt that I've started on another one!  The pattern for this one is much simpler, tho . . . just four triangle to form a square.  I got the pattern from the same book by Bethany Reynolds, Stack-n-Whackipedia.  The pattern is called Suspended Squares.

Here is the original fabric:

I saw this fabric and immediately wanted to try stacking it.  Quilt guild is working on Quilts of Valor this year and I think this is a good print for that as well.  There was just over 2 yards left on the bolt, so I grabbed it!

After the usual preparation and stacking, I cut squares into triangles and re-stitched them into squares.  Here are some of them on the design wall.

These are just the centers of the blocks.  When you add a round of strips they look like there are shadows behind them.

Cool, huh?  I'm so pleased with the way these are turning out - even if I did sew a whole lot of strips on upside down the other day!   I could tell it wasn't going to work when I went to sew the next strip and it wouldn't fit right!  But, there was no screaming-of-curses or stomping-of-feet.  I just frogged the whole lot and started over.  I'm quite proud of myself - but I'm thinking a little extra chocolate may be in order.  LOL!

Wednesday WOW - July 22

Is it Wednesday already?  Well, this is a little different and nowhere near being recognizable at this point!  But a photo is called for and here it is (actually a composite of parts of two, just to confuse things!):

Natalie

This is Natalie.  I've had a list of techniques I was itching to try out - and a spare body - so finally sat down and drew it all together!

The body was one I made as advance work for a class from Sherry Goshon.  After I made the body, I noticed that the instructions said to add the seam allowance to the pattern.  No wonder it looked pretty skinny!  Especially once held next to the correctly sewn body.  Can you say anorexia?  But, never throw something like that away.  It can always be used somewhere!

Her face is paper clay from a mold I made.  I took a dime-store vinyl fashion doll, and used the face to make a mold of polymer clay.  Then I made a paper clay cast from that mold.  Once the paper clay had dried completely, and been cleaned up just a bit, I glued it to a "blank" cloth head and attached it to the body.  Once painted with acrylics, I used some pens and blusher to highlight the features.  I know of some things I will do different next time, but I think she is pretty cute anyway.

An article by Marianne Reitsma in Art Dolls Quarterly (Summer 2006) was my inspiration for the lower half.  After bending a strong wire into eight "legs" I used another piece of wire to wrap them around the doll's waist and at the bottom to define a bell shape (well, if bells were lumpy & lopsided!).  Then I just had fun wrapping and weaving whatever looked interesting - yarns, ribbon, wire, beads, etc.    This was the really fun part!  Digging through the stash is always entertaining and my mind starts spinning off on tangents!  I can blow a couple of hours with that!!!

I used tissue paper decoupage for both her clothing and her hair.  Hair ornaments are actually chocolate wrappers, so there is a little shine with the color.  Lots of glue and Mod Podge made this a fairly messy project.  But then, I enjoy getting my hands really messy sticky once in awhile.  LOL!

Thinking Out Loud

So, today I've been fiddling with blocks in my Quilt Design Wizard software. (This is like a beginner's version of Electric Quilt.) There are a lot of options for setting my scrappy star blocks, so I tried several layouts.

There are enough diamond pieces to make 25 blocks. So that is where I started (Ignore the odd piece that is wrong colored. I started with a red white & blue layout):

Hmmm. This would work up to about 90 inches square. Don't think I want to go for that size. I have 12 blocks now, so how about something smaller?

Oh, much better. About 70 inches - but I'm still not quite sold. Let's try something different.

Well, now. I think we are getting somewhere! This particular layout takes 30 blocks to make up 58 x 66 inches. I would have to cut out 5 extra sets of diamonds. Ha! Like I don't have scrap bags overflowing!

That's a lot of blocks! I think this quilt just became a WISP - Work In Slow Progress!

Edit: OK, those numbers do NOT make sense! It's been nagging me all day - why would I be making more blocks? So Quilt Wizard had these as 8-inch blocks when they are more like 11-inches. That makes this layout 73 x 84! If I change the layout to 20 blocks (4 across, 5 down), then the size is 62 x 73. So that's what I'm doing. Hey, I'm an artist, not a mathematician!

Wednesday WOW July 15

Time for some decisions. . .

I have twelve blocks.  Do I go for sashing and borders?  Or do I keep making stars?  Standard setting, or on-point?  Think I'll fire up Quilt Design Wizard.

Coming Up For Air . . .

Well, I finished the Hoffman entry yesterday and today I cleaned my worktable.  Whew!  So glad that's over!! 

This week I have Quilt Guild and Doll Club - and I have the program for both of them!  How did I manage that?  Note to self:  check the calendar before you agree that July will be fine!  So I will be pretty busy for the next few days, but should be able to show you some fun stuff after that.

But I won't leave you hanging without something to look at!

I'm sure you recognize what this is.  Trimmings from squaring up blocks for a quilt.  So, what do you do with this?

No!  Don't throw it away!  Make this . . .

Trimmings sandwiched between 2 layers of BadgeMaster and stitched with metallic threads.  It's laying on a white towel, so all the white areas are voids.  This will become an insert in something one of these days.  Not sure what - or when!

Wednesday WOW July 8

Still working on Hoffman challenge.

Getting closer! 

Ruffles

I suspect I could come up with any number of puns using this word.  Like "I'm forever sewing ruffles" or "R-r-r-ruffles have r-r-r-ridges" or "Houston, we have ruffles."  But I'll spare you all that.  (Oops!  Too late!)

What I really want to do is show you my new toy tool!

This is the Bernina ruffler foot.  It looks pretty complicated, but the action is pretty simple.  Every so many stitches, the contraption in front pushes a bite of fabric under the needle to make a little pleat.  You can adjust all kinds of things so that the pleats are small or large, close together or far apart.  Plus, you can pleat at the same time as attaching to a straight piece of fabric.  What a time saver!

And look how neat and even.  I've always wanted to add ruffles to my dolls, but it was such a lot of work.  I'm too lazy for that, you know?  But I can foresee lots of ruffles on future projects.  At least until the excitement wears off!  LOL!

Yes, that is the Hoffman challenge fabric.  I'm finally working on that doll!  Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

Christmas????

I know there are a lot of people who are making plans for Christmas now.  They are the ones who will have all the sewing and shopping DONE by the first week of December.  Don't you just hate people like that?!?

But . . . isn't this the cutest, happiest, coolest quilt for Christmas?  It is so yummy I could even imagine ME (!) working on this for six or seven months (it's a 7 month BOM pattern).   Hmmm.  I don't think I can see me actually finishing it for Christmas, though.  Let's not get carried away, shall we?

This quilt was designed by Helen Stubbings of Hugs from Helen and she is going to give away a copy of this pattern.  Oh, oh!  I've got all my fingers and toes crossed!  (Does that really work?)  If you don't feel lucky, there is also a link to buy the pattern.  Just click on my link above.

Good luck and Merry Christmas y'all.

Wednesday WOW July 1

Another Wednesday at the quilt shop therapy session.  I now have 9 stars!