Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Monthly Archives: April 2013


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Getting it Done for April and May

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Where did April go?  I don’t know, but I did plug away at my goals and I met them!  I do think part of my problem is that I am not as lazy (well…) as I am forgetful.  And distractable.  I just don’t notice that things aren’t done until someone visits my  house… or shows their project that I meant to do.  So having four goals that I can keep on my brain is really helping, and I do feel satisfied marking them off.

One slight problem is that I liked the primary (Elephant) baby quilt so well that I saved it to give as a gift for an anticipated great-nephew.  It isn’t really a problem, but I do have to put it back on my list if I want one for the shop.  And I was so inspired that I made a coordinating quilt for the great-niece, so that’s all done.  Early!

April Goals

1. Make 4-5 spring wall hangings for Etsy shop

2. Quilt and bind queen bed quilt

3. Make floral baby quilt

4. Make primary baby quilt

May Goals

1. Finish Project Hope Online Quilt Show art quilt.

2.  Make a pair of pillow cases to coordinate with new queen quilt

3.  Primary baby quilt (yeah, I know, again!)

4.  Scrap donation quilt.

 

How are you doing on your goals?  It’s hard with spring here, but sew when you can!

 

I’m linking up with Getting it Done on Patchwork Times.  It’s not too late to jump in and join us!

 

 


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Design Wall Monday: Project Hope

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Today I’m working on my contribution to the Project Hope Online Quilt Show.  That ray of light makes things look more hopeful already, doesn’t it?

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I worked on this for a while, but eventually used a 50/50 bleach/water solution in a spray bottle and misted it on lightly, a little more heavily at  the top right.  One thing I learned was that old bleach that has been sitting in your spray bottle for a year is not nearly as potent as new bleach.  I also drew my applique pattern.  Now that the background is dry, I can begin choosing and cutting fabrics.  I haven’t done work like this in a long time, so it feels a little uncomfortable, but that’s probably a good thing, right?

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Find out more about Project Hope on these blogs:  Sandi’s Quilt Cabana and Sandy’s Quilting for the Rest of Us.

View from My Studio

I have been an empty-nester here for the last few days.  Robin built her nest and then went away.  I hope she just found a spot she liked better, where there were no cats staring at her out the window (I sure it wasn’t me she objected to).  Today a very genteel mourning dove couple looked the place over and decided they could do something with it.  Mrs. Dove scooched around in the nest to try it for size, and told him it would do as long as they remodeled.  He began bringing her sticks and the two of them worked them into place.  I can’t tell much difference, but they were incredibly sweet working together, and he seems very attentive.  They’re a little skittish, and I don’t want them to leave, too, so I’ll wait a couple days before I  open the window to take a photo.  Just imagine a beautiful taupe-colored bird cooing and blinking in the nest surrounded by white dogwood blossoms.  Yes,  location is everything.

I’m linking up with Design Wall Monday on Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 4/28/13

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Yes!  Finishing a queen size quilt will really take it out of the old stash!  To the tune of 19 yards!  If you haven’t seen Nicey Jane, here she is.

This week:  +0 yards,  -19 yards
YTD:  +50.5 yards,   -120 yards
Net stash used in 2013:  -69.5 yards!

How are you doing with your destashing?  Keep plugging, the year is young!

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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Finish It Up Friday: Nicey Jane!

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Yes, Nicey Jane is all finished and bound and ready for our bed as soon as warm weather truly arrives and we can put away the down comforter. I’m fairly happy with how it turned out. The colors are certainly perfect in our bedroom.

 

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Yes, I have a light green bed and raspberry night stands. Doesn’t everyone?  I’d say it was the quilter color thing, but actually my DH picked out the nightstand color and painted them and a vintage dresser.  The walls are light green, too.  I rubbed glaze into existing tropical leaf wallpaper.

 

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The wool batting.  Hmmm.  It did shrink some, which is all right.  The quilting isn’t as poofy as I was hoping, but it’s fine.  Bearding!  Wow.  All over, both sides, really a lot.  If you see any in the photos, it’s after I spent quite a while with the lint brush.  I guess it will resolve over time?  I’m very glad I used white batting with fairly light colored fabric.  It would be a disaster on a dark quilt.

 

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In the end this wasn’t nearly as much work as I built it up to be and put off finishing. It was unwieldy, especially the last day when I had joined the two halves and had to drag the whole thing around. It fit under my machine harp okay, but every rearrangement was cumbersome and hard on my shoulders. The binding seemed to go on forever. I am glad that I had enough of the bright pink to bind it. It’s perfect.

 

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I’m linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


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WIP Wednesday: Joining together

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Well, my Work in Progress isn’t nearly as important as this lady’s.  She’s taken up residence in the dogwood outside my studio window.  Guess there aren’t eggs yet, because she comes and goes a lot.  Opening the window for a photo didn’t bother her.  Pulling down the window shades did!

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I’m finished with all the quilting I can do on both halves of the queen Nicey Jane quilt.  Now it’s time for the big join.  I’ve done this different ways, depending on the fabric or pattern of the front and back.  This time I opened up the edges and sewed the two halves of the top together first.

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After pressing that seam open, I cut through both layers of batting to make a good tight join.  I used this fusible product designed for joining batting.  The package is gone, so I have no idea of the brand, but it works well.  It’s a little pricey, so I only use it for this application, where it’s really convenient.

Next, I’ll whip stitch the backing together with water-soluble thread (guess I could use regular thread if I wanted to slow down and be carefull…), and it will be ready to go back on the machine to finish quilting the center, over the join.  I’ve had lots of comments on the pretty colors, and they have made this a joy to work on.  Can’t wait to see it on my bed!

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Meanwhile, on my design wall, I’m playing around with some batiks (tag says only: “Aruba/Barbados”) to use in my contribution to the Project Hope Online Quilt Show.  This is being sponsored by Sandi (Quilt Cabana) and Sandy (Quilting for the Rest of Us), as we work through our feelings about Boston, et al.  Go to their blogs for details, and I hope there’s lots of participation.

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I’m linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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Sunday Stash Report: 4/21/13

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Well, it was all buy this week and no use.  I was feeling a distinct lack of solids and neutrals, and my DH and I found the perfect day to make a trip to The Fabric Shack.  I know that those of you around the world who buy from them because of their low-cost shipping are jealous that I am close enough (forty-five minutes) to visit there.  It is a great store to visit.  The stuff just goes on and on.  However, they have more in their online store than they can fit in the brick and mortar place.  Kona solids, for instance, are never completely represented when I go there.  Their warehouse is in town, and if they’re not busy (ha!), and you can wait long enough, they might bring over the bolt you need, but sometimes it is just easier to order.  Still, we had a very pleasant spring trip, and I found the floral on a good sale.

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I’ve been sewing all week (when I wasn’t fabric shopping), but I only succeeded in quilting half of my queen sized Nicey Jane quilt, so nothing to count as used.  Maybe next week?

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If you like numbers, notice that I’ve used exactly twice as much as I’ve purchased this year.  So if I buy another hundred yards… No, I guess not.  As you can see, my stash is already out of hand.

 

This week:  +12.75 yards,  -0 yards

YTD:  +50.5 yards, -101 yards

Net stash used in 2013:  50.5 yards

 

How are you doing on your destashing?

 

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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WIP Wednesday: Nicey Jane

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Monday I sandwiched both halves of my queen bed quilt made from the Nicey Jane jelly roll.

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I used the wool batting.  It’s lovely, soft, puffy, and feels “tender”.  I’m sure it would be easy to hand quilt.  It’s making me a little nervous, because it doesn’t have the firmness and stability I’m used to with the cotton batting.  Still, it hasn’t given me any trouble, just feels odd.  I have done the stitch in the ditch stabilizing between all the blocks with the walking foot.  All seems well.  I think it’s lighter weight than the cotton to rest on my shoulder, etc.

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Now I’m trying out some stencils on the 12″ blocks.  I have a large feather wreath that I like, and a tulip stencil that goes well with the florals on so many of the fabrics.  I’m looking at some leaf/vine designs for the sashing and borders.

 

What are you working on?  Something fun, I hope.

 

I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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Design Wall Monday: Phillip Jacobs Roses!

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There is really nothing on my design wall, because I have a queen sized backing I need to make today…  But if there were, it would be this.  I totally love this rose fabric, and have been hoarding saving it for something special.  Now I’m thinking about using it for a baby quilt for the impending (August) great niece.  I just happen to also have these fabrics in stash:  Kona cream, Basic Grey Grunge, and something called Krystal from Michael Miller.

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Here are a couple of options I’m playing around with (if I were spending time on this).  The plain sashing mimics Elephant a little more, but I really like the print sashing (which would not look purply like this, much more pink).  I’m thinking.  What do you think?

What’s on your design wall today?

I’m linking up with Design Wall Monday on Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 4/14/13

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Last Sunday snuck right past me somehow, but it wouldn’t have been a very exciting report anyway, with 1.25 yards out for wall hangings, and 1 yard in for backordered fabric.  THIS week is much more exciting, with two wall hangings and two baby quilts finished.  Plus, I’ve used over 100 yards so far this year!  Sometimes I think that I just plod along, but I must be doing some sewing to use that much.

 

This week:  +1 yard,  -9.5 yards

YTD:  +37.75 yards,  -101 yards (!)

Net stash used in 2013:  -63.25 yards

 

How are you coming on your destashing?  Keep going, it adds up!

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report on Patchwork Times.


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Two Finishes

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Finished the bright “Elephant” baby quilt this morning, and the light was good for taking pictures of both of this month’s baby quilts, so here they are.

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This is “Daughter of Sultry”, made from those scraps, a little green, and lots of Kona Snow.

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The back is a whole piece of a slightly different Sultry print, very effective (I think), and no piecing, for once.

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This turned out pretty cuddly and yummy.  Very sweet, tho.  Probably heading to my Etsy shop.

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This is “Elephant”, and I love it!  I may not be able to put it in the shop.  It may have to go to the new great-nephew.  Of course, every newest quilt is usually my favorite, so it could change before August.

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I did decide to sash this with Kona Khaki.  I kept the circle theme going in the quilting with the rows of circles/dots in the sashing, and the circles around the elephants.  The border is all stars.  All of that is stitched with Superior Bottom Line thread in a khaki shade.

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The elephants and spirals are done with “Art Studio” and “New Brytes”.  The scrappy binding was a no-brainer, and turned out great.  It required one extra two-inch strip to make up for all the piecing.  The whole quilt is like some kind of ode to Robert Kauffman, since the elephant print is Kauffman “Urban Circus”, and then there’s all the Kona.  Purely coincidence.

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The batik for the back is covered with the perfect size dots to go with the bright dots, which I pieced in.

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So, I’m making great progress on my April “Getting it Done” goals.  Trouble is now I want to pull some fabrics for a girl quilt that would kind of coordinate with Elephants…  Hmmm.  Take care!