Evening in the Garden Quilts

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Tag Archives: Valerie Root


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Time to Count Up

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Yes, its been a year since I joined the Second Annual Piggie Bank Savings =Money for Quilting Challenge at Val’s Quilting Studio.

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I forgot to take a photo of my finished collection of bills and change, but here is the pitcher half full.

I threw (gently placed!) change in here that I found in the dryer or around the house, and cleared my wallet of ones and change whenever it got too fat.

And the grand total is….

$76.05!

I’ll be using this “found” money to finance some Craftsy quilting classes, so let me know next time you hear of a sale, please!

For next year,  I may spend the next couple of years saving up to go on another quilt-related trip, since I enjoyed treking to the Kansas City Quilt Festival.  What will you be doing with your windfall?


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Sunday Stash Report: 7/5/15

With the finish of Blue and Gold Scrap Trellis I am back to making progress on my goal of destashing fifty yards of fabric this year. (We’re now in the second half of the year…). This quilt was great, since it came almost all from old stash and scraps, and made good use of that lovely piece of fabric for backing.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 7.5 yards
This year:  + 77.5 yards,  – 98.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  20.75 yards

No sewing yesterday due to partying, so I’ll show some photos of my back yard and vegetable garden. 

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Yes, everything is really this green, we’ve had a ton of rain.  It will look a little less vibrant in August.

Have a great day, and good luck destashing!  I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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June and July Goals

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2015-06-29 13.33.08Not a perfect job on the goals this month, but that’s okay.  We’ve been traveling, and trying to get our house and yard into shape in between the rains.

 

June Goals

1.   Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.   No.  Think maybe I’ve given up on this.

2.   Quilt and bind  Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.  Yes!  Here.

3.   Attempt a photo transfer technique for a Coastal wall hanging.  No, but I bought the soluble stabilizer and the gel media.  Our printer is on the fritz.

4.  Assemble quilt blue and gold leaders and enders units into a top.  Yes!  And I’m quilting it!

 

The only “bonus” item was the Slabs of Color for donation, and those were just fun.

 

And July promises to be more of the same, so here are my unambitious goals for the coming month:

July Goals

1.  Finish the blue and gold quilt.

2.  Attempt a photo transfer technique for a Coastal wall hanging.

3.  Get another leaders and enders project organized so that it is available when I’m piecing.

4.  Make a baby quilt from an animal panel I purchased.

 

2015-06-27 15.11.33That certainly seems doable.  These goals do help focus my muddy brain so that I get something done, so that’s good.

Hope you are making progress and enjoying your summer (or winter)!

 


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Sunday Stash Report: 6/28/15

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No finishes in the last two weeks because I spent a week traveling, including to the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival.  Yes, I bought thirteen yards of fabric, but can anyone blame me?  I was in Fabric Mecca, otherwise know as Hamilton, MO, home of the Missouri Star Quilt Company.

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I bought some neutral Grunges and crossweaves, two florals for borders, and this very neat layer cake I had never before seen.

This week:  + 13 yards,  – 0 yards
This year:  + 77.5 yards,  – 90.75 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  13.25

If you don’t know the story of MSQC, be sure to read it.  Quilters have truly brought this tiny town back to life, and restoration of the beautiful old buildings is continuing.  They have have plans to open more fabric stores, and I’m sure more businesses will join the restaurants and gallery already there.  Go visit!

I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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Design Wall Monday

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After months of making these little units as leaders and enders, I finally made them into blocks and stuck them on the wall.  I’ll probably rearrange a few, but this is basically how they go.  This morninging I printed some butterfly designs for the white blocks.  It would make a lot more sense to trace them before I assemble the top.

I’m linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.  Check over there and vote for your favorites!


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Sunday Stash Report: 6/14/15

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This week I finished Scrap-in-a-Box (7.75 yds) and the last of the Slabs of Color, another .25 yds.  And I managed not to buy any more fabric.  Working with all scraps (except the other borders and backing) made it seem like lots of progress.  And I’ve got another scrap quilt in the works.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 8 yards
This year:  + 64.5 yards,  – 90.75 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  26.25

Not bad:  half-way to my goal and half-way through the year.  No promises, though.  This week I’m off the the Kansas City Quilt Festival, so little sewing and possibly a few purchases.  Hmmm.

How are you doing on your destashing?  I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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Scrap-in-a-Box is Finished! Alleluia!

IMG_2362Yes, It’s finally finished!  I’ve only had the top finished since the end of May, so I suppose two solid weeks of quilting isn’t ridiculous, but it seems like forever.  Maybe because we #twilters and others started this mystery quilt late last fall as we gathered and cut our scraps.  Maybe because we pieced along all winter and early spring as the design was revealed. Maybe because by the time I assembled it, the blocks weren’t exactly, um, flat.  But now it’s done, and very pretty!

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To deal with the waviness, after I had spray basted this quilt, I machine basted it through all the blocks with water-soluble thread.  Then I abandoned my original quilting thoughts for a design that fell mostly on the seam lines and in the flatter spaces.  IMG_2366

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It all washed up pretty flat and straight in the end.  Some of the quilting lines look like I was under the influence of something, but that’s what happens when you quilt over bumpy ground.  All in all, it’s very successful.  I love the colors I used.  I’m keeping this one, at least for a while.

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Thanks to Charlotte for designing this and guiding us through it, and all of the other participants.  Always fun to work together.  See our diverse results here.

I’m linking up to WIPs Be Gone at A Quilting Reader’s Garden.

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Sunday Stash Report and May/June Goals

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Nothing in, nothing out this week, but that should change next week, as I finish this Scrap-in-a-Box quilt.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 0 yards
This year:  + 57.5 yards,  – 81.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  23.75 yards

Goals

I did well on my goals this month.  Some quilters are doing theirs weekly.  I can see where this could work well, especially if you have a busy, structured work week, and this helps you accomplish some specific tasks.  In my retired (and DH retired) state, my days and weeks are more free-form and less predictable.  Some weeks I get lots of sewing time and really burn through projects.  Others seem to hold nothing but family gatherings, outings, trips, etc., and I get little done.  And I’m trying to be okay with that.  So the monthly goals give me more flexibility, but still some focus.

May Goals

1.  Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.  Yes, all caught up.  I’ve lost interest in piecing any, though.

2.   Complete the top for  Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.   Yes, on this post.  Now I’m quilting it.

3.  Assemble and quilt the pink and gray scrappy log cabin quilt.  Yes! See it here.

4.  Design and piece a beach-themed throw-size quilt.  Yes, and quilted.  It’s here.

June Goals

1.   Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.

2.   Quilt and bind  Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.

3.   Attempt a photo transfer technique for a Coastal wall hanging.

4.  Assemble quilt blue and gold leaders and enders units into a top.

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How are you doing on your goals?  Happy June to you tomorrow!

I’m linking up to Judy’s fabric report at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 5/24/15

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Good numbers this week!  I finished Beach Drunk, which used about seven and a half yards, and I didn’t buy any fabric.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 7.5 yards
This year:  + 57.5 yards,  – 81.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  23.75 yards

And I’m working on adding the sashing to Scrap-in-a-Box, so that should come out in a couple weeks.

Are you using your stash, or spending all your time in the garden?  It happens!

I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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Spring Violets, Bloggers Quilt Festival, May 2015

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I’m entering “Spring Violets” in the Home Machine Quilted category of this spring’s Blogger’s Quilt Festival over at Amy’s Creative Side.  This quilt measures 66″ x 84″.  The batting is Warm and White.  And, yes, that’s Yuri helping out.

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I started this quilt as a stash buster, possibly for donation.  I had a lot of purples and greens that I wanted to use up, and I thought of a favorite block of mine, Windflower, which is a variation of Drunkard’s Path.

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The flower centers are done with “Rainbows” by Superior Threads.  All the other stitching is with “Bottom Line”, also Superior.  The violets are quilted with “pebbles” and outlines.  I used three different background fillers in the green backgrounds around the flowers.  The borders have rings that mimic the “coffee rings” on the batik.

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It ended up as a meticulous, lengthy project, especially the quilting, and I’m now too attached to it to part with it.  It makes me happy.

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See all the entries at the Blogger’s Quilt Festival at Amy’s Creative Side.  Voting begins May 22!