Just What I Needed!

A new toy!



I've made a few blocks.



Jacobean flowers



Birthday blocks



These are for a table runner that I'll keep for birthday celebrations. As you can see there is some puckering. I didn't realize that some heavily stitched designs might need more than one layer of stabilizer. Since they will be quilted I'm not going to worry.



You can also do cross stitch designs. I wouldn't have stitched this but it was included in the machine's memory and I wanted to see what it looked like. While I never say never ... I don't see this in my future!

It's so much fun, but like any new craft there's a bit of a learning curve. I'm taking an embroidered applique class at Quilt University. Here's a little demo:

So, As I Was Saying ....

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."

~Benjamin Franklin


So we'll just leave it at that! The last couple posts were about Disappearing Nine Patches and my new machine. Here's the Tranquility quilt:



I quilted this using my new Elna with its IAF (Integrated Adjustable Feeding, the same as Janome's Accufeed). Diagonal lines through the blocks and a soft winding figure-eight in each of the borders.

I also finished Piper's Hushabye quilt,



but never took a picture after the binding was sewn on. I'll have to ask my nephew to shoot a picture. I guess we'll see how it held up to a year's use!

Over the winter, while completing yet another certificate (this time for online instruction), I researched the hell out of free motion quilting. Watched Patsy Thompson's series on The Quilt Show, bought two of Dawn's Pajama Quilter videos, and watched Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting tutorials. Now it's time to put all my video watching and reading to the test.

More Fun with Nine Patch

I am in love with this Hushabye collection. So is my daughter, Sarah, so keeping these blocks in the house is becoming a problem!



I made up six blocks based on Rachel's Christmas Table Topper.



Cut the nine patch in half, vertically and horizontally.



Rotated two of the blocks.



Doesn't look all that appealing, does it? I love the blocks but when I looked at it laid out on the floor it wasn't doing a thing for me.



But once I arranged them on the off white (Snow) fabric I bought for the sashing it looked so much better.



Sewn together and ready for quilting. Piper Eileen was born six weeks ago so I better get going! This is going to help.

Disappearing Nine Block

The warp is just sitting there waiting for me but I'm having fun playing with this quilt block. After dipping my toes back into the quilting world I found I've collected a nice little collection of charm squares. Searching through the quilting blogs I found this tutorial. I'm using two Moda charm packs Tranquility and Laurel.



I didn't have too much time. Workout or piece? I combined them by laying out the blocks on the living room floor and taking them downstairs, one block at a time, to sew.



Nothing little a little aerobic sewing, huh?



After I cut them apart ...



I repeated the process, taking one column downstairs at a time.



Just think, if I clean up the basement studio so that I can have my worktable back I would miss out on all that calorie burning!



The blue will be a narrow border and the binding. The orange will be used for the outer, wider border and the backing. I'm going to be machine quilting it after some small practice pieces this week. Wish me luck!

Up Next

I've always wanted to try overshot but it was one of those things that was pushed to the back burner. Not anymore!

The original idea was sparked by a runner at the Funny Farm. It was the Colonial Rose Runner from Handwoven's Design Collection 11. Looking up the pattern I saw that it was based on a Davison draft, Ancient Rose Design.



Checking out my tattered copy of A Handweaver's Pattern Book I found, right above the original draft, A Kutztown Design No. 3. Considering I went to Kutztown University, then known as Kutztown State College, I thought this was appropriate.



Playing around with Fiberworks I was able to add the border from Colonial Rose. It took a little tweaking to get a nice transition from the pattern to the border. It took a lot more tweaking to correct all of my errors. I recommend exporting the screen to a jpg. Just like a photo will point out design problems when you're laying out a quilt or pick up an error in your lace knitting, seeing the image helped me to pick out several errors!



20/2 perle cotton, Safari, from The Mannings for the warp and tabby. 5/2 in Forest for the pattern.

Half-day today and then I'm finished my adjunct work for the summer. Back to school on the 26th. So many projects.......

Knitting in Hugs and Kisses

If you know any preschoolers you know the wig and glasses are from Yo Gabba Gabba. They were actually a present to my son from his MIL but what two-year-old doesn't think all presents, especially on his birthday, belong to him!

I knit Claudia's Wee Bigger Aran a long time ago (i.e., 2002, before I was a grandmother). Now that I'm knitting for Jackson the idea of knitting all of those Xs and Os take on a different meaning - hugs and kisses surrounding him.



Both sleeves done.



Body done, just waiting until he comes over tomorrow to the check length of both sleeves and body before joining



Close up of those cute Xs and Os.



I'm a winner! Yes, the important thing is that Claudia raised a whopping $31,070.73 with her Knitters Against MS Ride. Now that the niceties are over, I WON!! Donna donated several skeins of yarn and I won three of them. I've already cast on with the cool denim.



Just in case you needed another picture of Jackson celebrating his 2nd birthday.
Large toys are courtesy of the doting aunts and uncles.

Weaving Along

I thought I'd lash on the cloth beam because my chains were a little uneven and I thought I could save some warp. I've tried it a few times and was not a fan, but, hey!, it's summer, I have a little time, right?



That would be wrong! I can't seem to get even tension even when using a very slippery nylon cord. It looks so easy when Tom Knisley does it :-)



So back to the tried and true!



Plain weave and one color weft. What a joy! I'm listening to books on my ipod and just throwing the shuttle. How relaxing can you get?