Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Tag Archives: Valerie Root


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Sunday Stash Report: 1/12/14

Nothing in, and nothing out this week.  I’ve been working away at the Bright Strings quilt, and the back (all from stash as well) is almost finished, but it’s progressing at a snail’s pace.  I’ve had back spasms all week and can’t sit at the machine for very long at a time.  Hopefully it will get finished this week.

This week:  +0 yards,  -0

This year:  +0 yards,  -10 yards

Net stash used this years:  -10 yards

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In other news, I have a new ironing board.  My tall son leaned on the old one, bending the legs and producing a permanent slant.  I don’t know how obvious the problem appears here, but a.) Yuri kept rolling off, and b.) I kept cursing as the fabric and iron slid off.

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The new one is Bed Bath and Beyond’s “professional” model.  It was too expensive, but I used a coupon.  I wanted one quickly, and the main review complaint on the ones from Amazon was that they were arriving damaged, so I went with this.  It is 18″ wide, which I like, and it has it’s own electrical cord and outlet for plugging in the iron, so I am no longer fighting the cord as I iron.  It has a built in iron rest and cord guide.  The padding seems pretty thin and the cover is a rough, cream colored fabric, but I guess I know how to fix those things.  Since I haven’t been in the studio much, I haven’t really used it a lot, but so far, so good.

Hope you’re using your stash this year.

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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WIP Wednesday: Brights Top is Finished

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I finished the Brights top today, and I only had to put the borders on twice to get them right!  It’s too large (about 60 x 80″) to get a good picture, but you get the idea.

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Now I’m looking at fabrics for the back.  I don’t have four yards of anything remotely coordinating, but I do have all these brights, so I think I’ll cut them into large squares and piece them together. Which may procuce more bright strings, and I’ll be right back where I started…hmmm.

Quilting:  what do you think?  I’m thinking of doing all the quilting in a shiney black thread, or shiney dark gray.  Or maybe a varigated colorful thread on just the black borders.  Any ideas for color or motif?

Hope you’ve all made the progress you want.  I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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Design Wall Monday: Brights and Blacks

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Here’s a quick peek at my design wall on this cold, cold day.  Yesterday I made the forty flying geese blocks for the border, and today I am going to add all the sashing and cornerstones to the center.  The layout uses twenty-four of the bright string blocks, so I’ll have six left for the back.

Stay warm and keep quilting!

 

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

 


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Sunday Stash Report: 1/5/14 The First One

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Sending you some bright blocks to brighten your days.  Many of us here in the US are overwhelmed by snow and cold.  We must fight back by sewing!

 

A very positive stash report this week, but I will confess that there’s a fabric order on the way…

 

This week:  +0 yards,  -10 yards (pillowcases for donation)

This year:  +0 yards,  -10 yards

Net stash used this years:  -10 yards

 

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Keep warm!

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


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Quilty Resolutions 2014

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My quilting the past year felt a little directionless, so I’m trying to sets a few goals for this year.

Bags

I’ve sewn purses and bags through the years, but haven’t tried the new ones popular in this century.

  • I asked for and received Purses, Bags, and Totes by Moya’s Workshop for Christmas.
  • I’ve been saving Pins, tutorials, and posts about bags I like on Evernote for the last two years.  (Do you use Evernote to save everything in your life?  Recipes, blog posts, web pages, everthing, all nice and organized and private.  Across all devices.  I love it.)
  • I think little zipper pouches would make good gifts for kids at Christmas, and would be a good way to try out several patterns.

Quilt Variety

I tend to get into ruts extended studies on the same pattern or quilting design.  I don’t think that’s all bad, but I want to branch out some this year.

  • Do more with curved piecing.  It’s been a while.
  • Pick out a block pattern I’ve never used before.
  • Asked for Fabulous Feathers and Fillers by Sue Nichols for Christmas.  Okay, so that’s not different, but maybe I can take them in another direction.  And I could stand to learn a new filler or two.
  • Saw a great old quilt with really bold sashing that I want to try.

Slow Quilt

I do love to pull fabrics with abandon, cut big patches quickly, and stitch up a bright, fresh quilt before the energy can leave me, but maybe it’s time to slow down and make something planned and elaborate and maybe even show quality.  Maybe.

Stash

My goal is to have a net use of 100 yards again this year.  I’ve done it the previous two years.  I think the wire basket drawers where I keep my fabric are closing a little easier… hard to tell, but I must be making progress.  At least the fabric is turning over, and the drawers are stuffed with more modern fabric that is more my taste.  Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times is a great motivator, and I’ve really enjoyed my membership in the Flickr group, Stash Pact II:  Electric Bugaloo.  I can’t tell if we’re going into the new year, but I hope so.  There haven’t been comments in quite a while, but we continue to post photos as we sew, knit, scrap, etc., our way through our stashes.  Really positive people.

Getting It Done 2014

I haven’t seen if Judy is doing this again at Patchwork Times, but I hope so, and I expect she will.

January Goals

  1. Make ten pillowcases to go with the two I have for donation.
  2. Make HST commission quilt
  3. Make string commission quilt
  4. Scrapitude, step 4

Wishing all of you a great year in your personal and quilting lives!


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Wrapping Up 2013

New Year

An interesting year (aren’t they all?), lots of ups and downs, happiness and sadness, laughter and tragedy.  Some of that is documented here in the quilts.

2013 Collage 1

2013 Collage 2

That’s a lot of quilts.  I don’t have one favorite.  The most meaningful was probably the flowers for the Project Hope Online Quilt Show, that Sandy and Sandi organized in the wake of Sandy Hook and the Boston Marathon.  I pushed out of my own comfort zone, and was awed by the variety of responses.

This year the #Twilters on Twitter named themselves and cheered each other on daily during Sew-Ins, give-aways, and project advice, sharing happiness, heartache, and food and pet pictures.  Big moments or small, it’s wonderful to have friends who understand.   There began the Quiltcast FitBitters group and #QHC (Quilter’s Health Check? I forget again!).  Between us we’ve walked millions of miles and lost lots of pounds.  All that while being darned creative!

This is my 201st blog post!  Thank you all for reading, responding, and commenting!  I’ve met some wonderful people from far away places, and it is such a positive community.  I plan to keep it going in 2014.

Getting It Done

I know that I accomplished a lot by focusing on the goals I set as part of Getting It Done with Patchwork Times.  We all had a lot of fun encouraging each other, and the limited number of goals each month was very helpful.  Hopefully, we’ll do it again, but I can also do it myself for 2014.  December’s list is vague, because not everyone has received these yet.  Also, I forgot photograph some before they were wrapped.  😦

December Goals

1. Quilt for DS (Christmas)

2. Placemats (Christmas)  and a table runner!

3. Pillowcases (Christmas)

Here is my list for the year.

 

January Goals

  1. Make ten pillowcases to go with the two I have for donation.
  2. Make HST commission quilt
  3. Make string commission quilt
  4. Scrapitude, step 4

 

 

All of you have a safe and festive New Year’s Eve.  Join us tomorrow for our New Year’s Day Sew In on Twitter, #NYSI .

May 2014 be prosperous, healthy, productive, and peaceful for you.

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


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Sunday Stash Report: the last one for 2013

Absolutely no sewing this week because we were in Washington, DC and Annapolis, MD, to attend the Military Bowl, where my son’s college, Marshall University, was competing (and won!), and where my son was marching and playing trumpet in the Marching Thunder band.

Here are the final numbers for the year:

This week:  +0 yards,  -0 yards
YTD:  +145 yards,  -259.75 yards
Net stash used in 2013:  114.75

I’m very happy to have made my 100 yard goal, while still enjoying acquiring some fabric.  It feels good to lighten the stash for the new year.

 

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Lots of walking around Washington.  The weather was very cold, but sunny.  It was interesting to see the city decorated for Christmas, and at some times nearly deserted because of the holiday.  I did get in one quilty visit.  “Workt by Hand” is worth seeing at the National Museum for Women in the Arts.  No photos were allowed, so it’s hard to remember everything, but they were beautifully preserved and visually dramatic quilts.  Some Amish, lots of crazy quilts, at least one hexi, lots of broderie perse, lone stars, and many more.  One idea I came away with was the use of a boldly patterned fabric for sashing.

 

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The people of Annapolis were very warm and welcoming, and enjoyed the parade through the beautifully decorated town as much as we did.  It was very moving to see the skydivers, the flyover, and the Medal of Honor winners at the game.

 

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Crab

Some crab was consumed during our visit!

I hope you had a good holiday, and that your stash and quiltmaking are flourishing.

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

This week on Twitter, we’re finishing up projects and organizing our lives and our studios to get ready for the new year.  It’s the Year End Sew In,  #YESI  !  If you’re looking for me, I’m @Scooquilt .

 

 


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Merry Christmas 2013!

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I’ve spent a most unusual Christmas here, since my DS will be marching with the Marshall University band on Friday at the Military Bowl in Annapolis.  I hope all of you have spent the day just the way you wanted, with family, friends, or maybe some sewing.  Wishing you beauty and peace, now and in the new year.

Valerie


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Sunday Stash Report: 12/22/13

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We’ve been doing a lot of this here, what with lots of snow and Christmas movies and Chex Mix, but there’s been some sewing, too.

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This week:  +0 yards,  -8 yards
YTD:  +145 yards,  -259.75 yards
Net stash used in 2013:  114.75

I’m pleased with that.  My projects are all finished and wrapped, so no last minute panic.  I hope you are finished, or at least enjoying your work.

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merry christmas

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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One Gift Finished

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This week I finished the green and white quilt I’ve been working on for my DS, who attends Marshall University.  It’s a nine-patch, so, really, it sewed up fairly quickly.  I just got a bit tired of green.

 

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Marshall has changed their green over the years.  It’s currently a shade brighter than kelly (emerald?), but at a game one sees every shade, from hunter to this current bright green. So I just rummaged through my 3 1/2″ scraps and my green bin to find a variety of greens that don’t go together at all, but seem to get along in this quilt.  These may be my last pieces of the chartreuse and teal Mirror Ball Dot.  The white is mainly Basic Gray Grunge, with some white, snow, and the odd bit of Fairy Frost.

 

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The backing came from Kelly of SewmuchfunWV  on Etsy (and has a different green from any on the front!).

 

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So that’s one of my December goals finished, and I’m making good headway on another (which I won’t be showing before Christmas!)  See what everyone’s finishing over at Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.