Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Tag Archives: Getting It Done


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The Beach Quilt is a Success

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Yuri and I are pretty satisfied with this quilt, finally.  I set out to throw some fabrics together for a carefree day at the shore (metaphorically), and it turned into two days of editing, and left me with another pile of fabrics to make into yet another quilt… it never ends.  Fortunately, I ran out and took pictures during the few minutes of dry weather we’ve had lately.

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My two favorite things  about this are the embroidered shell batik with gold accents, and the wavy blue quilting.  The shells do have a tendency to come unraveled, so, happily, the blue waves cover them pretty thoroughly and will control that, I think.  The straight lines are in light brown Living Colors thread (40 wt.) from Superior, and the turquoise waves are their New Brites (30 wt.).  I did everything with my walking foot.

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My next favorite thing is the back, where I used up some more strings in seven blocks to make a ten inch strip through the tan flower and stem print.  To me this print looked like waving beach grasses, even though there are flowers.

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My last favorite is that I had a blue and brown awning stripe that made the perfect binding.

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Yuri’s favorite thing is that it makes a great tent when you drape it over an Adirondack chair.

This will be my last finish for a while, as we are heading out Sunday, traveling to New Jersey and Lancaster, PA for the next week.  I look forward to seeing yours instead.

We’re linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


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Getting It Done in June and July

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Summer is certainly here, and I am a warm weather fan.  Unfortunately for quilt production, it also means gardening, lack of routine, family activities, vacations, and a sultry studio.  For these reasons I’ve really seen my finishes slack off.  I’m content with that, but it’s why my July goals are very modest.  “Machine service” isn’t even a sewing goal, but I included it so that it will Get Done.  Last year I forgot to take it in before we left on vacation, and then I didn’t want to be without it when I returned ( my LQS is pretty slow.). It deserves a good cleaning.

June Goals

1.  Make donation quilt (Tulips).

2.  Nautical baby quilt.

3.  Make pair of pillowcases (Nicey Jane).

4.  Piece top for SIL Christmas gift quilt.  ( I got this designed and ordered fabric for it.)

July Goals

1.  Piece top for SIL Christmas gift quilt.

2.  Piece top for summer/beachy quilt

3.  Take sewing machine in for service

4.  Quilt beach quilt.

I didn’t do too badly on my June goals. Also, I completed the commissioned quilt and pillow cover that I hadn’t anticipated. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

I hope you enjoy summer, whether you make all your goals or not.

I’m linking up to Getting It Done at Patchwork Times.


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The Tulips are Finished!

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All done!  And successful.  I have to say that this is one of those quilts that I saw in my mind’s eye and was able to create the vision from fabric.  Yes, I got tired of looking at the pink, but it was the right choice.  I did use my design wall a lot, really changing around the position of the blocks, and enlisting input from the Twilters, but in the end I think it became a rich and inviting quilt.

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I think the two tulip prints worked together because they are the same scale and use different values of the same colors.

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The extra blocks and the rest of the lighter tulip fabric went on the back.  I did a really good job using up all of these two fabrics but for a few scraps.  My stash feels lighter.

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This is quilted in all the ditches with Bottom Line thread.  I did do the accent quilting with pale green King Tut, but I decided to mark it with wavy lines through every row of squares and quilt those lines with the walking foot.  I have two of these June Tailor rulers for various sizes of curves and scallops, and I use them a lot.

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Are you aware of how many shades of green fabric do not match this quilt?  I have two drawers of green fabric, and almost none of it was suitable for the binding.  I finally combined two pieces that look very similar, one darker than the other.  It doesn’t really look scrappy,  just shaded.

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I used a label cut with a little extra space at the bottom to write a message when I donate this quilt.  (Note to Universe:  no new disasters are needed just because I have a new quilt ready to donate.)

What did you finish this week?

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


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Getting it Done in May and June

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Well, where did May go?  It’s always a busy month, with end of school stuff (not so much for me anymore, but my son did have to be moved home from college), birthdays, and holidays.  Still, I was thinking about reporting for the month about the 27th, and then…poof!  It was June.

 

May Goals

1. Finish Project Hope Online Quilt Show art quilt.

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

3. Make primary baby quilt

4. Scrap donation quilt. (orange and blue)

June Goals

1.  Make donation quilt (Tulips).

2.  Nautical baby quilt.

3.  Make pair of pillowcases (Nicey Jane).

4.  Piece top for SIL Christmas gift quilt.

 

Yes, I made all my May goals.  Considering that I’m retired, these were not lofty goals.  I prefer to make them very attainable, and feel the satisfaction of getting them done.  Without them I am sure I would wander around and do far less.  Plus, it gives me a place to write down new projects as they occur to me.  I know, some people track everything on spreadsheets, but that isn’t me.  My Goals page, my Flickr destashing group, Stash Reports, and my little calendar with the cat on the front are where I track my progress.  It’s working.

 

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In addition to the goals I wrote down, I also made the aqua and gray zig zag baby quilt, and a flag for To Boston With Love.  Have you seen the flags hanging?  Look at this video of 1500 of them hanging in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

 

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The most satisfying May goal was the Project Hope Online Quilt Show.  Go there and see more of these beautiful, thoughtful pieces.  Lots of good vibrations sent out to combat the hatred in the world.  Be inspired and add yours to this great project.

 

I’m linking up with Getting It Done at Patchwork Times.

 


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Color Spikes Quilt Finished

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This week I finished up this baby quilt.  The top went together very quickly, of course.  I spent much more time arranging the blocks (originally I thought all the blocks would have the color spikes, but that gave me secondary patterns.) than when I finally sewed them.  Then all the straight line quilting was tedious and time-consuming, but very worth it.  It gives it a great crinkly texture and saves it from being so plain.

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The object was to use this very bright print.  It looks like a hand dye, and like it’s crinkled, but it’s just a print.  A print that went with nothing.  I put it with two gray and white dotted fabrics.  I don’t have the selvage, but I think they were “Mix and Match Dots”, or something like that.

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I used the rest of the bright on the back.  Using the Fairy Frost and nearly the last of my Mirrored Dot is probably what started me into the new HST zigzag quilt.

 

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Hope you had a satisfying finish this week.

 

I’m linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, where I love Amanda Jean’s new finish.

 

 

 


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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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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: Spring Hangings, take II

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Monday I cut, sewed (not really pieced), and sandwiched two 12″ x 24″ spring wall hangings for my Etsy shop.  Yesterday I quilted them, trying to make the designs I’d drawn on the spring prints pop by surrounding them with dense quilting.  This so did not work.  I practiced some new filler stitches, so it wasn’t a complete waste of thread and time, but one is a wadder for sure.  (Do quilters use the term “wadder”, as in wad it up and throw it away?  I think I picked that up from Carolyn at Diary of a Sewing Fanatic.  She sew garments, but you haven’t seen stash till you’ve seen her stash!)  I know, we so seldom throw anything away, reusing blocks and pieces, but this is a heavily quilted little thing.  I might save a little of the border fabric, but then it’s going out.

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The other one I worked on with a green permanent marker (Bic Markit in key lime-  anyone have any experience with these?).  I may finish it.   We’ll see.

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So, yesterday I fused and appliqued shapes to new backgrounds and am starting the process over again, in a different direction.  Wish me luck.  The Wonder Under already fought with me yesterday.  I am not in a very springy mood!

 

I’m linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  Maybe I’ll feel better after I see what everyone else is working on!


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Design Wall Monday: My Bed Quilt Top

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Last spring I gathered a jelly roll of “Nicey Jane”, a few stash fabrics, and lots of Kona “Bluebell” to make a queen sized quilt for our bedroom.

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I designed it on EQ7.  Since I hate to quilt huge quilts, I  planned it to be made in two pieces and put together when nearly finished.  I got the first half of it together, then ran out of Bluebell.  While waiting for more to arrive, I guess summer intervened and this went to the back burner.  Way back.  I put it on my March “Getting it Done” list, so I dug it out to finish.

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So hard to figure out what you were doing on a stone cold quilt!  I had to remake a couple of blocks, but they’re all together now, so I just have to add the borders.  I am not completely happy about the borders.  They are all cut, and they will look nice with my green bed.  Probably they will be fine.

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Here’s the view from my studio this morning.  It’s very beautiful, but it’s time for spring.  Birds keep stopping by my dogwood tree.  I think they are looking for nesting sites.  It would be nice to sew with a family outside my window.

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


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Finish It Up Friday: Pink and Gray Donation Quilt

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With the 4 x 4 pink, gray, and white blocks completed, this quilt went together quickly, and the solid gray offered a good place for some fun quilting.

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It’s all from stash, and a lot of 2 1/2″ scraps from many previous projects that were fun to revisit.  I made the blocks back in December or January when I was unfocused and needed some mindless piecing to keep me moving forward.

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I knew the fuscia hand dyed fabric was the right design choice for the binding, but I was pretty nervous about it bleeding, even though it had been prewashed.  I used three Color Catchers when I washed it, but didn’t have a bit of bleeding, so that was a relief.   (Reused those C C s later to prewash newly arrived fabric, and they picked up some dye there.)  It’s actually two different pieces of hand dye, but we won’t tell, will we?  This binding was a lot easier to photograph than the one on my last quilt, so I took photos as I did it for the machine binding tutorial.

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This quilt has no current destination.  I wanted, for once, to have a quilt ready made for the next quilt drive or disaster, so now I do.

I’m linking up to Finish It Up Friday on Crazy Mom Quilts.  (Check this out, I’ve met a lot of fun people over there!)