Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art


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July/ August Goals

So, July has come and gone.  I didn’t do too badly with my quilty goals.  I was only home for two weeks in July, so I kept them modest.
July Goals:

  1. Make the quilt for Orlando.  Yes!  Ready to mail off.
  2. Finish the Impressionist Quilt.  Yes!  I sent it to victims of the WV floods.
  3. Hang photo in Studio, etc.  No, again. Sigh.

Bonus: I made commissioned Elephant baby quilt, and I sewed a top for myself.

 

August Goals:

  1. Hang the darned picture already!
  2. Coastal-themed art quilt.
  3. Piece top to Birds in the Air quilt.
  4. Make autumn themed wall hangings / table runners.
  5. Make blocks for Kat’s August drive.

 

We shall see what August brings, but that’s what I’m thinking for now.

Good luck on achieving your goals!


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Sunday Stash Report: 7/31/16

Busy week with just one finish, this commissioned baby quilt in a familiar pattern.  I did have to buy a yard and a quarter of the aqua chevrons for the backing, but the quilt used three and a half yards.

This week:  + 1.25 yards,  – 3.5 yards
This year: + 77.25 yards,  – 102.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  25.50 yards

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 7/24/16

Hot, hot here, but we did get an inch of rain this week from some lucky thunderstorms, so I can’t complain.  My studio is too hot most of the day, but I worked by fits and starts today to make all the blocks for a new commisioned baby quilt.  Yeah, same old chevron design.  I’m waiting for people to get tired of it, but at least this one has a little more color.  Watch this space.

This week I bought two yards of fabric, but used five and a half for the Rainbow Hearts quilt, so that works.
This week:  + 2 yards,  – 5.5 yards
This year: + 76 yards,  – 99.25 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  23.25 yards

I think I’m on track to destash fifty yards this year.  How are you doing?
Keep cool (in the northern hemisphere!) and keep sewing!

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.



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Rainbow Quilt Finish

IMG_2701Here is my finished rainbow heart quilt for Orlando Pulse survivors/families.  The Orlando Modern Quilt Guild is collecting these, and there is still time if you want to send one.

IMG_2699The butterflies are the HSTs that were trimmed from the lower corners of the heart blocks, and then I framed them to bring them up to size.

IMG_2703The back is a light green dragonfly print, and it has a row of print rectangles inserted in it.

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I quilted half-inch and one-inch grids inside the hearts, and free-form feathers in all the white space in between.

And, of course, I had this snuggle-tested, and it passed!


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Sunday Stash Report: 7/17/16

This my first Stash Report since the end of June.  I tried to write one before I went traveling, but it repeatedly disappeared into cyberspace until I ran out of patience.  I may have mastered the updated WordPress app now, so I’ll try again.

My only finish so far this month was sizeable, at ten and a half yards.  This the Impressionist Fabric donation quilt.
This week:  + 0 yards,  – 10.5 yards
This year: + 74 yards,  – 93.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  19.75 yards

I asked for suggestions for this fabric, and I did consider the ones I received.  As I looked more at the fabric, I found that the prints were really only medium scale.  

More importantly, most had no center of interest, no pictures or scenes that could be centered in a block to any effect.  So I went with my original thought to do large Rail Fence blocks (10″ finished).  I also added a little Kona solid to counteract the busy-ness of the prints.

Yuri wants you to know that, in spite of extensive testing, this quilt was not as snuggly as usual.  We scrambled to take photos before it rained, so it hadn’t been washed yet.  Then we washed it up and sent it off to Quilts of Compassion to go to flood victims in West Virginia.
We’re linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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Piggy Bank Savings = Money for Quilting Challenge

I’m late, I’m late, but I am here with my report, and linking up to Val’s Quilting Studio.  I was away on vacation, but I’m back now, and I’ve counted my savings.

The Official Pitcher was about 2/3 full of change and ones.  (I make sure to place the change rather than drop it, as advised!)  The grand total?  $81.55!  That should buy some Craftsy classes, huh?
So, the Pitcher goes back into the china cabinet to start filling again.  Are you saving with us this year?


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June/July Goals

Lots of things were stared, worked on, or finished this month.  They just weren’t what I had scheduled.

June Goals:

  1. Recover settee cushion for our deck.  Yes!  I procrastinated, but got it made, and two bonus pillow covers.
  2. Order fabric to finish Scrappy Stars Around the Corner.  I’ll say “Yes”.  I can’t decide how large to finish this quilt, because I might change my mind about what to do with it.  Instead, I bought fabric for backs for three other quilts.
  3. Hang photo in Studio, etc.  No, I didn’t.
  4. Work on a new coastal themed art quilt.  Nope.
  5. Make blocks for Kat’s June block drive.  Yes!

Other things I made: 

  • I finished the Black and White Baby Quilt. 
  • Sandwiched and started quilting the Impressionist Quilt.
  • Made thirty blocks toward a quilt for Orlando.
  • Sewed a little zipper pouch to carry my stuff to the Y. 
  • Made a commissioned Star Wars baby quilt.

We’re going to travel again, I’ll only be home two weeks during July, so I have modest goals.

July Goals:

  1. Make the quilt for Orlando.
  2. Finish the Impressionist Quilt .
  3. Hang photo in Studio, etc.

This weekend we’re doing a Fourth of July Sew In on Twitter. (Monday is Independence Day in the U.S.) Please join us,  #4SI




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Sunday Stash Report: 6/26/16

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Good binding help can be hard to find.  This is Krissi.

Kind of a worrisome week, but good for me personally.  I got back to my step aerobics class, and am happy to say that my bionic knee feels better than the one that’s still original.  Great to be back!

I didn’t buy any quilting fabric.  I was bitten by the garment sewing bug, so I bought some knits for tops.  Pictures later if they turn out.

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The only finish was this commissioned baby quilt, using three and a half yards.  I think this is the seventh one of this design I’ve made, starting with the Elephant Quilt in 2014, then adding the Star Wars version last year (thanks to a client who had this vision).  So it went pretty quickly.  That isn’t pink under the baby’s name, but a patch of sunlight.

I did get very tired of  the stickyness from Steam a Seam Lite 2.  Yuck!  My needle was a mess.  I guess I’m going back to Wonder Under.  Any other suggestions?

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 3.5 yards
This year: + 74 yards,  – 83.25 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  8.25 yards

Keep using your stash.  I’m linking up to Sunday Stash at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 6/19/16

Hello, on the last day with the palindrome date!

With all the fitting from project to project, I had only one tiny finish.  That zipper pouch had only about an eighth of a yard of quilt fabric in it, so I’m not even counting it.  At least I didn’t buy anything!

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 0 yards
This year: + 74 yards,  – 79.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  5.75 yards

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I did finish fifteen heart and fifteen butterfly blocks for #OrlandoLove quilt.  Then I got a baby quilt commission, and the top for that is pieced, so the finishes will come!

Hope you’re using your stash.
I’m linking up to Sunday Stash at Patchwork Times.


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Tiny Pouch Finish

IMG_2669Yesterday I finished the little pouch to keep me from dropping my stuff all over the Y.  I used the Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial from Noodlehead.  I didn’t use her measurements, though.  I think I cut my pieces about 7″ by 6″.  And I added a strap by which to carry and hang it.  I’m not sure you could tell these are flamingos if you didn’t already know, but it’s colorful, anyway.  I used Pellon fusible fleece for interfacing, and it stands up well.

IMG_2667I also added inside pockets.  There is a very good reason the pattern doesn’t have pockets.  They don’t work with this construction method.  Well, because I’ve made pouches before, I figured out how to sew around them, but it added time to what should have been a very quick project.  Maybe if they were just sewn into the lining they would work, but I wanted them sewn all the way through the layers.  Probably shows my lack of bag-making experience.  But don’t do it if you’ve never made one before.  This is a nice, simple, cute pattern without them.

IMG_2664One pocket is for my Bluetooth earpiece, and the other is for hairbands.  Then in goes my phone and Y card, and maybe my wallet.  I’ll be so together no one will recognize me!

Hope you’re finding time to sew!