A Few Little Things

My Meg's Baskets, JLW quilt is ready to quilt. I am going to hand quilt this top. It is a perfect size for me, perfect in that it won't take longer than my attention span, I think!
Discipline, staying on one track, finishing what I begin. These are the sticky notes that should be on my computer to keep me from starting something new. Not as a grudge note, but because I LOVE to finish. I am just not disciplined enough to avoid being sidetracked. One confession is enough for today.

Wednesday evening was my JLW group meeting and a few gals used the colorful basket fabric as their background fabric in the sawtooth border. SO CUTE!! This is going to be a fun class, lots of sharing from each other about techniques. I love that about quilters, even if you don't use the technique right now, it may be useful at some point.
I received a couple comments about the HST technique, getting 8 out of the larger square. So I googled and found a website that I want to share.
http://www.patchwork-and-quilting.com/grid-pieced-half-square-triangles.html
Ta-Da.... it has so many techniques that I have saved it in my favorite places.

This months JLW8 project is starting a 4 month quilt, Holiday Inn. A medallion quilt that I think is so sparkly with color. Gail added some new backgrounds and colors, we will use leftover reds from Meg's Baskets too. The border is hour-glass blocks.

Timing is everything you know, I received an email newsletter from Marsha McCloskey, she shared a blog that has a tutorial on her precision ruler that you use for this exact block (hourglass). So here is that blog post: http://sisterschoice.typepad.com/sisters_choice_quilts/2009/02/you-simply-must-trim.html I marked her blog as a favorite too. She has a very cute dog Sophie, wonderful Batik quilts.................now you see why I need that post-it note on my computer to stay on track. There are so many wonderful sites to explore and get very useful info.
Block #2, A Tisket, A Tasket BOM with Anne Sutton. Anne has a tutorial on embroidery on her blog that I found helpful. I will start using a hoop and foundation to keep my background from puckering. :)) Oops! Those cute little birds need eyes and beaks...
Block #4 from Wool Garden with Farmhouse Woolens, I really like the colors in this block, the red is bright and rich. The colors of the geranium really bring out the colors in the basket wool.

Next month I will put them all together for a picture, I look forward to having this quilt on my wall.

We have been having a pretty mild winter this last month, as much as I like it I know we need more snow for snow pack. Which gives us much needed water in the rivers. Fires are a big hazard in Central Oregon so hopefully we will have a bit more winter-like weather. Its Friday so I am going to wish all of you a wonderful weekend.

Winter Blessings, Carrie

New News is Old News!!

" New news is old news to new people!"

Perfect!! Listening to a morning inspirational speaker I got (stole) my title to this post. LOl... really perfect but quilting was not the topic, oh well, it is what I have been thinking about as I waited for these pictures to upload. I have been thinking, this is old news Carrie. The old technique to do half square triangle was really not enjoyable to me so I just started avoiding fun little projects like this one. This is project #1 for JLW 8 group that I joined. I sewed on it this weekend while DH was in Portland.

I could have gone to Portland too, I was tempted. Anne there are FOUR Panera's in Portland. And all those quilt shops I could have gone to see, be tempted to buy more fabric, find new wool pieces to add to my stash! Or I could stay home and sew. I do love staying home and sewing.

Did I ever mention I have a roommate in my sewing room. Yes I do, call me crazy or cranky!!!

But we put my DH's antique roll top desk in my sewing room. Oh.....a story for later. But I stayed home and sewed ALONE in my sewing room....on Meg's Baskets!

These next pictures are of a easy way to make half square triangles that I found enjoyable. I really like that you don't cut large pieces of fabric in bias strips, leaving strange pieces to work with. Two 2 inch squares, right sides together, rst, draw a line from corner to corner.
Sew your "scant" 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side of the drawn line.

Then you cut them in half on the drawn line.

Press them open, and trim to make them 1 1/2 inch squares.

Do this with the many sets you have prepared according to instructions, sew them together and this is what you have. Cute little 4 inch baskets set on point. Next......Trying out this Clover chalk marker, I will mark lines from corner to corner both directions. Making an X. I really did like the way this marker moved over the fabric, my pencil lead was fatter and caught on the threads. This marker is finer and moves smoother across the fabric.
This time you sew on both sides of both lines, same scant 1/4 inch.
It lays pretty flat, not much distortion.

Cut apart by starting through the middle, then corner to corner on the diagonal. These are 4 inch pieces, I used my ruler with 1/8 markings and made sure the fabric was square before starting my cutting. I was very pleased with this method.

I sewed up 9 squares giving my 72 half square triangles ready to do the sawtooth border around my baskets. I pressed them open and will trim the to 1/1/2 inch. Very fast and not any strange shaped pieces of fabric leftover.

Monday the lqs was having a President's Day Sale so I didn't need to go to Portland to be tempted. I bought this book to give me some tips on my BOM Birds of a Feather. It was printed in 2002, but hey its new to me so it fits right into this post. And some fabric glue thatI will use to hold pieces in place. I liked the fine tip on this bottle. Thank goodness for 20% off sale, they don't give this glue away , but I think it will last for as long as I have need for it.

I have been stitching on A Tisket, A Tasket BOM, and Wool Garden BOM from Farmhouse Woolens. These are two very enjoyable projects, I love the artists expressions in them. My DH even commented on this months Wool Garden block, he loved the color selections of the wools. He is my go to guy when I am choosing borders and color selections. And since he is my new roomy, he is handier then ever. But guess what DH the rug stays!!!! Give them an inch and they start redecorating your sewing room. LOL.....

Winter Blessing to you all!

Carrie

Family and Quilt Shop Visit

Seems like I should have alot to tell about since I haven't posted in two weeks. I must be spinning my wheels and doing this and that and not getting much done. No finished projects to show and tell about.
But we did get away for a couple days and I visited one of my favorite quilt shops. Something to Crow About in Springfield, Oregon. My MIL lives their too, with Joe's brother. Boots is having a hard go of it in 2009, her second visit to the hospital, first a mild heart attack and now Pneumonia. We are hoping she is mending, even if it is slowly, and will be feeling better soon. We have some big family plans coming this summer so we are wanting her healthy and feeling great. My nephew is getting married and the triplets, with mom and dad, of course are coming to Oregon for a visit.

Something to Crow About is nestled in a small strip mall, if you didn't know about it you would probably miss it. It is one I really enjoy, folky, chickeny, woolie, friendly...... I did get pictures!
From the outside, well lets say not alot of street appeal, but don't judge a book by its cover.....

Inside makes up for the winter blahs for color, creativity and talent.

Like their name they are in to Chickens, and I am too so I love seeing whats new in Chicken. This is a fun patriotic chicken.

They have a nice variety of civil war fabrics.
Lots of fun signs, and wool quilts.

Now this sign I would love to put on my Chicken Coop!

Their were these prim cats, chickens that were new to me. Patterns by "Sweet Prims" a company with stitchery patterns called "Sweet Gatherings". I have seen the stitchery patterns for many years but these next pictures show some of their prim patterns.

Isn't this guy fun, I love the eyelids, even on the bird. I want to make this guy up, even though doll making is my weakest art form. I get the arm on backwards and everything. Not fun to take apart a sherpa bear with backwards arms. LOL....

And these next two chickens are so cute.

Especially this polka dot chicken. Love it !!!

This cute stool cover was in the bathroom, simply made but so cute with the pennies.

This wool piece was so cool. The cat is so creative and there are many beads and other details that give it so much charm. Don't you just love this big basket of flowers, you could make it out of the flowers that grow in your yard, and the tongues around the edge make such a cute borders.
Now this is sad, look at my purchases, after all that I I walked out with some green wool, aged muslin and 3 patterns. They showed some stitchery on pillow cases and I am going to do some on Christmas pillow for next year. Love the gingerbread, and the snowman in the bowl. This little penny rug with the chick and egg yolks on the tongues was made up and so cute. I surprised I didn't get a picture of it. My BOM Sheep in the Willow is using the aged muslin so I purchased half yards to try on other projects.

I am working on block #2 of A Tisket, A Tasket , Sheep in the Willows and my log cabin quilt. I have picked my border fabric, it was my second choice, #1 is long gone so I am going to dye it with rit tan #12. It is more gold than I want, so I am going to test out a strip trying for a taupe color. I am going to applique a vine with leaves, berries and stars on the border.

When I get my blocks done I will post them.

I have been visiting and see many of you have your BOM #2 ATisket, A Tasket completed. I am so impressed with how adorable they all are......don't you just love Anne's creativity. I am going to stitch up a redwork block in my spare time.......I just want to do it all!!!

The weather is calling for a bit of snow, we will see, it sure has gotten cold. We went out to the grasslands for some dog training on horseback, I stayed in the trailer and knitted. lol.... Poor DH about froze in the 28 degrees and fog. It was 45 degrees at home when we left. The dogs loved it though and Pilgrim our TWH got some much needed exercise.

I am hoping for an early spring even though we need the snow!

God Bless and keep you,

Carrie