Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art


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Sunday Stash:  11/19/17


Hello!  This week some fabric was acquired, fourteen and a quarter yards.  Because I don’t have enough Christmas fabric.  Mm hmm.


But, I also had two wonderful finishes!  Pacific Stars is finished, and so is the poinsettia quilt, which I will post about when the weather clears up.  They used seven and a half, and eight and a half yards, respectively. 

 This week:  +  14.25 yards,  – 16 yards

This year:  + 103.50 yards,  – 146.50 yards

Net destashed added in 2017:  43.00 yards

Speaking of destashing, cutting directions are up for Charlotte Hawke’s mystery scrap quilt, Summer Stars on Fawn Lake.  Sewing directions won’t begin until mid-January.  I’m thinking about doing the smaller one. 

This afternoon I’ve been making spiced nuts for Thanksgiving.  The Cajun Pecans are finished, and the Sherried Orange Walnuts are cooling, and the house smells all warm and orangey. 

Hope you’re having a peaceful time preparing for holidays (or not!), and hope you’re using that stash!


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Wednesday Finish!

IMG_2917This week I quilted and bound Pacific Stars.  This is the mystery quilt by Charlotte Scott (The Slightly Mad Quilt Lady), featured over at Carol’s Quilts.  I started the first clue in June, and I have to say that it remained a mystery until the end!  I think it turned out great.  I don’t think the pictures really do it justice.

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I don’t usually make medallion quilts, but isn’t this fun and starry?

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And I’m not a big fan of square quilts, but this is the second one in a row.  The top is quilted with teal Living Colors and gray Rainbows from Superior Threads, and the bottom is Bottom Line.

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This used a lot of scraps, and turned them into a beautiful and unusual quilt.

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I hope you’re finding time to finish projects!


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WIP Wednesday: Poinsettias

2017-11-08 12.11.34This week I’ve been working on these red poinsettia blocks.  This design is from Anne at Springleaf Studios.  In 2015 she hosted this Christmas Quilt-along, and I’ve had it on my list ever since.  Back in late 2014 I designed something similar, my Spring Violets quilt.  The units in my new project are 4.5″ instead of 3.5″, and the blocks finish at 16″.  I’m making a total of nine for this throw quilt.

Image result for eq8Also this week, I downloaded the update from EQ7 to EQ8.  (If you get it by Nov. 13, there is a discount.)  So far, so good.  I created a mock-up of this quilt on which I’m working (although I see I oriented the flowers differently!)  I can also, with a little fuss, access my old projects.

pointsettia quilt

Do you use EQ?  When did you start?  I came in on EQ2.  Later I had 4, and then 7 for many years.  I don’t use all the features, but I like to play with blocks and secondary patterns, and I love how it does the math for me!

IMG_2910And I’ve listed the Star Trek pillow cases in my Etsy Shop, if you need a gift.


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Sunday Stash Report: 11/5/17


Wow, hard to remember to type the “11”.  I don’t know where the year has gone.

Some finishing happened here, and no new fabric came in!  I made these six Star Trek pillowcases, two of which are for my DS.  These were part of my goals for November, so that feels good.  And they let me use these bits of star/space fabric.

 This week:  +  0 yard,  – 6  yards

This year:  + 89.25 yards,  – 130.50 yards

Net destashed added in 2017:  41.2 5 yards

Looks like I might destashed that fifty yards if I keep working.

Have a great week, and use your stash!


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October/November Goals

October’s sewing didn’t really go according to plan, but it all got done and more.

October Goals:

  1. Make last month’s Pacific Stars blocks.  Yes!  
  2. Make this month’s Pacific Stars blocks.  Yes!  And I assembled the top, and pieced the back.
  3. Make commissioned flying geese quilt.  Yes!  And mailed it.
  4. Donate some quilts that are hanging around.  Yes!  I have two older quilts ready to send, one to Texas and one to California.  I took one to our local YMCA for our annual silent auction.

Bonus:  I made a quilt to send to Las Vegas.

 

I have no idea what November will bring, but I set some modest goals.

November Goals:

  1. Make pillowcases.
  2. Quilt Pacific Stars.
  3. Make Christmas throw.
  4. Make fox baby quilt.


I hope you’re enjoying all of your sewing and achieving most of your goals.


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Sunday Stash Report: 10/29/17

Quilts ready to be released into the wild.


Yesterday I worked at boxing up quilts to head to new homes.  I have a couple more that need a box and an address, respectively.  


Today I cut the scraps, put away fabric, put away the extra table, vacuumed, and just generally dug out from this month’s flurry of piecing and quilting.

It’s been a month since my last stash report!  As best I can tell, I’ve brought in 7.5 yards of fabric since then.  I’ve completed two quilts, the #quiltsforvegas, and the Flying Geese commission.  Extra points for the Vegas quilt, because it wasn’t just scraps, it was strings!  (Only the white bin shows any difference…)

 This week:  +  7.5 yard,  – 19.75  yards

This year:  + 89.25 yards,  – 124.50 yards

Net destashed added in 2017:  35.25 yards

Keep warm and use your stash!


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Finished Commission Quilt

IMG_2905(1)This quilt seemed to take forever, but it was really only about a week of sewing.  The customer started talking to me about it in early August.  We arrived at a design, then she chose all her fabrics, then sent the links to me,  I ordered the fabric, and then awaited it’s arrival.  I started sewing the first week in October, but stopped to do other projects while waiting for that last piece of fabric to arrive.  By that time, I had the back and binding made, so construction went smoothly.  These are big geese, ten-inch blocks!

IMG_2908Quilting took a little longer, because a lot of it was straight lines with the walking foot.  At 70″ x 90″, this was fairly large and took a lot of free-motion quilting after the lines, but after the Layer Cake Explosion, it was a breeze!  It’s all quilted, top and bottom, with Superior Threads Bottom Line in silver.

IMG_2909I should get this in the mail on Monday.  Whew!

I’m enjoying seeing your finishes this week!

I’m linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


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WIP Wednesday: All Quilted!


After pushing hard for a few days, I’ve finished quilting the flying geese quilt.


There are lots of straight lines from the walking foot, and then I added this pattern to fill in the negative space.  It’s from Shape by Shape by Angela Walters.

Trimming and binding tomorrow!


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WIP Wednesday:  Back to the Geese


That last piece of fabric finally arrived, and I was able to complete the flying geese blocks for the custom quilt.  The top is all sewn together now.  Quilting tomorrow.


In the meantime, I finished the rainbow quilt, #quiltsforvegas.  The quilting is straight lines and ribbon candy.


And I made the backing for Pacific Stars, so it will be ready to quilt next.

I hope you’re making lots of progress on your projects!


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WIP Wednesday:  Everything!


Everything is in progress, because I can’t finish anything!  I’m waiting on fabric to arrive in the mail.  One packet is fine and I’m sure it will be here soon and on time.  Another, special order, piece seems to be lost in the mail and I’ve started making inquiries.  That’s the one I need to finish up this commissioned quilt that is stuck on my design wall.  While waiting, I’ve made the back and the binding.


Still waiting, I made some string blocks and put together this #quiltforvegas top.  Here’s the post from the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild, calling for blocks and quilts.

Also, Quilts of Compassion is collecting quilts for Houston.


After I finished that top (backing is in the other package), I got out the Pacific Stars Mystery Quilt by Charlotte Scott (on Carol’s Quilts blog).  I’ve now completed all the blocks and am assembling the top.  It was mysterious until the end,  and I like it!

I hope you’re making progress and maybe actually completing something!