Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art


3 Comments

One More Finish Today

image

I did it!  For some reason, I had to drag myself kicking and screaming the whole way, but I made the first boxy pouch!  This is for me, maybe to hold electronics cords, but mosty to work through the process.  And it was easy!  This is a very good tutorial.  It took longer because it is lined, but it would be a snap to do from laminate or maybe pre-quilted fabric.  I made the handle more narrow, and may go thinner next time.  I would definitly add a second pull tab.  And I’m thinking that both handle and pull tabs could be made of brightly colored webbing.

image

I know, the crust doesn’t belong on the inside, but I didn’t want a tan bag!  Still cute.  I used a brown zipper so as not to use up one of my fun colors, but I like it.  With the pieces already cut and interfaced, it took a bit over an hour.  I know the rest will be quicker.

Linking up with Finish it up Friday at Freshly Pieced.


5 Comments

Log Cabin Finish

2014-07-24 10.11.20

This warm, summery quilt was lots of fun to make, and it made a small dent in the string boxes.  It’s definitely a redo of this quilt, the one that was almost visible in Southern Weddings Magazine (Can’t see it?  Look behind the bride.)  Completely coincidentally, Southern Living Magazine contacted me this week to say that the wedding spread would be appearing in their upcoming issue.  No details yet.  Maybe there will  be a different shot that shows my quilt!

2014-07-24 10.08.43

This time I used 12″ blocks with no borders.  The other quilt also had more variety in the centers because I made them from a charm pack, and cut these from yardage.

2014-07-24 10.10.33

The back is very boring restful.

2014-07-24 10.09.21

I free-motion quilted a sun in every block with a sunny orange Masterpiece thread from Superior.  I really enjoyed doing them and I like the way they turned out.

IMG_2110

Hope you are having some fun summer finishes.  I’m linking up to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


1 Comment

WIP Wednesday: 7/23/14

IMG_2096

No, Lee isn’t having the linky for a couple of weeks, but I do have progress on a couple of things to report.

On the Log Cabin quilt, I finished all the quilting, trimmed it, and made the label.  With any luck I’ll bind it today.  I quilted each block (24) with a free-motion sun.  I marked two circles on each to guide me, and went from there, in one continuous line for each one.  At first they looked more like flowers, but I found that when I made the center spirals larger, they got more sun-like.  Either way, they are summery.

IMG_2097

I like the way the back looks, too.

IMG_2098

I got super organized and used a few spare minutes to make the binding the other day, but now I’m not so sure.  I usually like a dark edge to frame a quilt, but I might want to use the yellow and orange batik.  What do you think?

IMG_2094

I spent last week’s cool, dry weather cutting and spray painting a new top for our deck table.  Somehow, during that fiercely cold winter, our glass table top shattered.  We just looked out and there it was on the deck.  I priced a piece of replacement glass.  No.  We looked at replacement sets, but didn’t see what we wanted.  Also, we just didn’t want to spend the money on that right now.  And there’s nothing wrong with the rest of the set.  So I bought a piece of plywood, cut it, primed it, painted it, and sealed it.  I hope to get a year or two out of it.  I’m pretty happy with way it turned out.  I knew the newsprint stencil was lifting a little, but I think it looks kind of airbrushed and interesting. We have an orange umbrella, and the other furniture is orange, blue, and lime.

 

AND, I settled on this tutorial for boxy pouches, and bought some interfacing.  I’m creeping up on that project.

p (3)

Now I’m going to go clean out my purse to add money to my Piggy Bank Savings pitcher.  Thanks for all the comments on that post, especially Myrna, who warned me that old glass can be brittle.  I’ll add the coins carefully!

 

Hope you’re having a productive week.

 


1 Comment

Sunday Stash Report: 7/20/14

image

Nothing in this week and nothing out.  I guess you have to spend time in the studio to actually use some fabric, and I haven’t been up there much lately, in spite of the cool weather.  On the other hand, I didn’t bring any fabric back from vacation (I hardly saw any quilt shops, but I suppose there were some), so it works out.

This week: +0 yards, -0 yards
YTD: +73.75 yards, -134 yards
Net stash used 2014: -60.25 yards

Hope you’re sewing, if you wish, or enjoying your summer in some other way.
I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


1 Comment

Good Sewing Weather

wpid-8253389546_fdb631e427_o.jpg

Back from our short vacation to PA.  Recovered yesterday, and went back to step class today, and dealing with the house and life.  Pretty soon I’ll be out of excuses for not sewing.  This cool, cloudy weather isn’t great for the peppers and eggplants, but you can’t beat it for sewing.

image

One place we saw on our trip was Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, which belonged to the Kaufmans of Pittsburg.  I’ve been there before, but its an ongoing restoration, and always inspiring.

image

Nearby is Kentuck Knob.  Its much smaller, but a little gem on its own.  And its based entirely on a grid of hexagons!

image

Yesterday I started arranging these 12″ blocks on the design wall.  Not sure if this is it yet, but its a start.

What have you been up to?
I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


7 Comments

Piggy Bank Pitcher

p (3)

Valerie Reynolds invited me to stop over and participate in her Piggy Bank Savings=Money for Quilting Challenge, so I’m in.  What could be wrong with saving spare change to put toward quilting supplies?  So I grabbed my dresser change to get started.

 

2014-07-06 19.23.31

Here’s my Pitcher Bank.  It’s an antique pitcher that was my great grandmother’s, and she was a quilter, so I know she wouldn’t mind.  I’ll use the money saved up to purchase a few Craftsy classes.  I’ve never spent the money to take any, and I’d like to take some on machine quilting.  Here it is on top of my treadle, but now it’s in the china cabinet where Yuri won’t bother it.

So, who wants to join me?  Come on, you have time for this!  No excuses.  See you at Val’s linky.


7 Comments

Sunday Stash Report: 7/6/14

image

Beware of a Stash Report that opens with a fabric store sign!  Yes, some was added, but it was blacks, whites, and some sale fabrics for a backing.  No apologies.  You don’t expect me to pass Waynesville, Ohio without stopping, do you?

image

These zippers for future pouches came in the mail yesterday.  Almost as pretty as fabric, but I don’t have to add them in. They came frome Zipperstop.com, a link I believe I got from Jaye.

image

On the minus side, I put together ten tissue covers last night, using half a yard of scraps.  I never made them before (I think Benta inspired me), but they were simple, quick, and fun.  I used this tutorial.  I feel this may really be the last bit of Mirror Ball Dot, at least in the lime/teal colorway.  I think.

Also, I took a page from Judy’s book, and cut up half a yard of old stuff for plant ties.

This week: +9 yards, -1 yard

YTD: +73.75 yards, -134 yards

Net stash used 2014: –60.25 yards

Good luck with your destashing!
I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


3 Comments

Yep, It Was the Needle

2014-07-02 17.42.43

 

My house, etc., was pretty neglected after those two Rail Fence finishes, so I haven’t been sewing much.  Also, it’s been hot and very humid.  Each day I’ve put a few minutes into turning these strings of fabric into something artful. We’ll have to see how I do, eventually.

As I pieced today, the thread started to do that maddening thing where it had double strands coming out of the needle, into the fabric, and back through the needle again.  How is that even physically possible?  I fixed it and rethreaded the machine a few times, and then finally I changed the needle.  Yep, that was what it was.  Sewing fine now.

The reason I was reluctant to change the needle (even though I knew that was what it needed) is because I just changed it a few days ago while quilting the Cowboy Rail Fence.  It had begun to skip stitches, so I changed it then and got back to work.  So I quilted most of that quilt and then the whole Plaid quilt with that needle, then did some mending through twill and light denim fabric with it.  Yep, only a few days, but it was probably due.

When I was growing up, I swear my mother never changed the needle until it broke.  I was usually in trouble for forcing her to get out a new needle from her tiny stock.  We were only sewing garments, but I don’t remember any trouble with those well-used needles.  Were they harder than today’s?  Were the machines more forgiving?  I don’t know, but today I know I put a lot more miles on a needle in a few days, and I need to change them frequently (when I don’t break them off doing stupid stuff with different feet or the wrong plate or my finger…).

Skipping stitches?  Change the needle.  Stitches going, “Thack, thack, thack”?  Mmhmmm.  That weird tangley thing I had today?  Yep.  You know it.  Go ahead and change it, and save yourself a lot of grief.  Wish they came in bigger packages!

 
image

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