This is the beginning of my favorite time of the year… Quilt Season… It begins with the very talented Jaqueline de Jonge, followed by a fun week of classes and shopping at the International Quilt Festival (can I tell you how happy I am to be living in Houston) and ends around Christmas time when we all get way too busy to finish all the projects we started during quilt season.
This weekend is my second stint in Jaqueline's Be Colourful workshop. Last year I did this and it did not go well… And that my friends, is an understatement. I picked her hardest quilt and was completely unprepared. This year, I picked the easiest one and was 100% prepared. Right down to getting a brand new sewing machine for classes… Oh Yeah… She could not get over how improved I was. ***Blush***
If any of you are interested, the Sugar Land Applique Society is raffling off an amazing beyond amazing quilt. "Back Roads and Sunshine" tickets are 1 buck each or 6 for 5 bucks. It measures 81" X 81", hand appliqued, machine quilted by an award winning quilter, took first place in the group quilt division at the Coastal Prairie Quilt Show last year, and has been appraised at $5,000.00. I didn't sew one stitch in it (these ladies are far more talented than me). I am relying on my amazing selling skills as a way to contribute. :-)
Most quilters (probably all quilters) have a very short attention span when it comes to sewing. This lack of focus combined with our addiction to fabric can lead to a few unfinished objects (UFOs). Or in my case, more than a dozen or so… My goal is to finish 12 UFO’s this year. This is being greatly hampered by all of the new projects I am starting up.
Despite all the new projects, UFO #2 was finished this week. It’s a flowery quilt that I started in 2004 for my friend Kristi. As luck would have it, we are still friends. It is most appropriately named “Late Bloomers” and I cannot wait to give it to her on Monday. 7 years ago I was a very young quilter and I actually did the majority of the quilting back then, so this quilt may not be the prettiest belle at the ball but she’ll turn a few heads J
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/154
I never thought it would happen but I have found my quilting nemesis. The "Flying Geese" block. The last two weeks have been particularly painful, all due to this block. It was in both the "Just One Star" star and my local quilt shop's Block of the Week. There are many ways to make this block and I have mastered none of them. Lot's of pirate sewing went on this week (Yelling "Arrr" every time you mess up).
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/152
I went to the West Houston Quilt Show this morning to see the beautiful quilts and to get some inspiration, I have been struggling on the Tortuga quilt over the last week, trying to figure out what to do about the flowers. Everything else is done! Luckily I stopped by a booth and they had the coolest wooden buttons, score! I think I have found my flowers!
After I finish my second UFO I will be venturing back into the land of Baby quilts. I have two to finish and one to start (as soon as I find out the flavor).
Back to sewing…
Paula Sue
In working towards my goal of finishing 12 UFO’s (Unfinished Objects), I have completed the first one! I know… I am running a bit behind. I finished the Animal Party quilt this week and it is so cute! I also free-motion quilted for the first time on something real. Major milestone for me…
This quilt also has a secret. I cannot wait to give it to baby William and let him (or his sisters) figure out the secret.
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/122
I am continuing to work on the Tortuga wall hanging and a couple baby quilts. The next UFO I am going to finish will be the most painful one because it is almost done, but not done well… it was the product of a failed experiment in using my bed to pin the quilt. Tucks Suck… I’m just sayin’…
Well it has been a good day for quilting. Unfortunately, I spent my day doing the least glamorous, most dangerous, and painful part of quilting -- The Dreaded "Pinning of the Quilt". There is a reason that us quilters have a stack of finished, un-quilted, quilt tops in our sewing rooms. Nobody really wants to spend the afternoon crawling around on the floor sticking themselves with "safe"ty pins.
I tackled an old Amy Schimler quilt top this afternoon in an effort to keep my new years resolution and finish those UFOs. Baby William (for whom it was intended) will be 2 this year and its about time he got his quilt! I have loaded a pic of the top in the "Animal Party" album. I hope to have a finished quilt there by this time next week :-).
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/123
The Tortuga project is coming along nicely, I am about to tackle the sky and after that comes the fun stuff - embellishments! I have never embellished a quilt, I can't wait!
Until next week!
-Paula Sue
Not much sewing has occurred today… I bought a new computer and the geek in me took over and prevented the quilter from getting anything done. But I have been remiss in my geekly duties lately. So today was spent learning my new computer(switched from PC to Mac), rebuilding/upgrading my mom's computer (my old one) and running errands like crazy.
Over the last week I have made serious progress on my Tortuga quilt adding the bright green grass at the bottom. And I have been working on one of three baby quilts that I have to get knocked out in the next couple months. My new design wall has been so freaking awesome, I don't know how I lived without one!
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/120
I hope to have plenty of pretty baby quilt pictures for y'all next week!
I need help naming a baby quilt that I put together very quickly this week. It was made using the “Sent with Love” Moda charm pack and some white muslin. Normally I would be very lazy and just call it “Sent with Love”, but this time I will be slightly less lazy and ask you guys to help me name it. Send me a message in email, through the website, or through Facebook. Over the course of the next two weeks it will be quilted, bound and labeled so it’s gonna need a name soon!
My 2-3 year adventure has begun with block C-9. Check it out here:
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/115
I plan on coming up with a more creative way to display the blocks on the website as I make them.
Today, like most Saturday’s for me, was full of sewing fun. This morning was Fon’s & Porters on TV followed by Applique Society and my second ever Dear Jane meeting. Dear Jane is my crazy new quest to recreate Jane Stickle’s Civil War quilt. 169 unique 4 inch quilt blocks. The ladies asked what my plans were for the quilt, I told them that since this was a multi-year adventure for me, I was going to keep it scrappy and not risk running out of a specific color of fabric in year 3. They said “No, No, you have to have it finished in time for the quilt show exhibit in 2012”. To which I responded “Really? Won’t there be other quilt shows after that one?” They all laughed, I was being quite serious.
In all seriousness, I will be working on these tiny little buggers so stay tuned, I will post each of those blocks as I get them done.
In a completely unrelated topic, I have made serious progress on the Tortuga quilt, having fought with interior points and skinny regular points for the last week. I have about one more week of points to go as I add in the sky. It is really starting to look like something and it is so exciting to finally see it come together.
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/114
All of my grand plans for what I wanted to get done this week were foiled. I was stricken with the plague (aka: upper respiratory infection) and missed 3 whole days of work. I basically did nothing for the entire week except lay in bed and feel sorry for myself (pathetic, I know). But I am feeling a little better today and appliqued on the last 3 turtle toes this evening. He is lookin’ fly!
http://paulasuequilts.shutterfly.com/pictures/108
While I was sewing tonight I noticed how much better the work I have done in the last few weeks looks when compared to the turtle shell which is where I started. I am a fairly new needle turn applique-er and this has truly been a fun way to continue learning the ropes. I am still tempted to redo the shell but I am confident my laziness will prevail.
In other, not nearly as exciting, news: I made a decent haul at the Super Bowl sale last Sunday, I was already starting to feel bad but I endured the entire day and scored fat quarters, yard cuts, a charm pack, a layer cake, and thread as far as the eye can see. I have posted a pick of my booty under a new "Random Fun" album.
I hope to be fully recovered soon; I have several things I want to start working on in addition to the turtle and I can’t wait to get started!
Why am I excited about Super Bowl Sunday? Aside from the fact that we will be hanging out with our good friends Matt and Carey... My local quilt shop has a Super Bowl Sunday event! Yea! Frito pies and all kinds of bad for ya stuff along with sales ever 15 - 30 minutes. It’s like the K-Mart blue light specials when I was a kid. I go every year and stay until I am just too tired to continue fighting little old ladies for thread, books and fabric.
I will be posting some updated photos of the turtle tonight; he is starting to look like a turtle. Thank goodness, I was beginning to get worried...
I have been stressing over a couple things about the Kirby project recently: #1 All of the markings on the back of the piece have disappeared and I am going to have to go back to the light box for the 3rd time. I need to find a marking pencil that will mark on black fabric and not come off due to by unnaturally sweaty hands, and won’t bleed through to the front. #2 When I am done with the turtle’s body, I am going to have a ton of interior points to do for the grass and I have not yet mastered that one.
This morning at our monthly applique society meeting I got answers to both of those! Apparently, I can put a dab of clear nail polish on the point before I clip it and it will take care of my loose threads. And, Pilot makes pens that disappear with heat (yes, I know… sweaty hands are still an issue) but the ink will reappear if you put it in the freezer. Genius. I picked up nail polish and the Pilot “Frixon” pens this evening can’t wait to try them both out!
I stayed for the “Dear Jane” meeting that happens after the applique society meeting and I am very tempted to take this on as well. http://www.dearjane.com/. Yep, I am out of my mind…
It has been a few weeks since I have done any sewing. It's been crazy around my house but, I am getting back to it tonight! I finally got a chance to go through my Christmas trip fabric and I can't wait to make this project after the dozen or so I already need to finish...
Next up... More work on the Kirby project, that turtle needs a body!
I am also endeavoring to finish at least one UFO (unfinished object) a month this year and I am already behind...
A few days ago, I met up with Kirby for coffee. We hadn't seen each other in person in years! It was so nice to see her and hear what she has been up to. She has a new peice posted on her site and it is so very sweet! Please visit her site to take a look.
We are finally home and we had quite the trip, I was able to make it to 4 different quilt shops (one twice) and got some beautifull new fabric to add to my collection. I will add them to the map.
I was also able to get some work done on the Kirby project and will post pics soon.
It is as I predicted, I always said I would have to start this project over at least once. And here it is... I tried to do the tortuga at 12 inches (original was just over 2 inches square) and the lines were still too small to applique, I put the first piece on last night and did not like it at all. So we are going BIGGER... 24 x 24 baby!
We are also going back to the quilt shop for more fabric. LOL
I have been fussing over the layouts and adding pictures to the website all night, I imagine that I will continue to do so over the next few weeks. Thank you to Ms. Kirby for suggesting it! I am going to open it up for public consumption. - To my facebook friends, I appologize... the majority of what you see on here currently is duplicated on FB.
My current project is "Tortuga" which is a grand experiment in back-basting applique.
Take a look at the album to see my progress!