Monday Morning Design Wall 10/24/2011

I was very busy this week and was able to get a day off of work to catch up on house cleaning (quilt projects), cooking (applique projects), and spending time with the kids (quilting while talking with the kids).  I have officially trained the 14 year old to clean the floors, the 16 year old to clean the bathrooms and now if I could only get the dog to mow the lawn!!  Hope lives!!!   I finished two applique squares for my Baltimore Album quilt and one for my Hawaiian Quilt.  They have turned out so nice I am thrilled.  I was able to give myself a bit of a refresher in needlework for the chain stitch but I think both the Baltimore album squares turned out so nice. 

Love the Hawaiian block and am so looking forward to making more blocks for that quilt.  I purchased the fabric when I was in the Bahamas on one of those One In A Lifetime Family Vacations a few years back and the fabric seems to fit the Hawaiian style of quilts.  Check out the rest of the design walls at  http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Applique Thursday 10/20/2011

Another Baltimore Album block completed this week, I finished the basic sewing several weeks ago but took a while to complete as I had to do some embroidery on it for the stems.  I like how it turned out and it was nice to know that I have not forgotten my embroidery skills after all these years!!   I have been through the gauntlet of needlework in the past, embroidery, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch and now quilting.  For some reason quilting has stuck with me for the past 10 years and I am just loving every minute of it.  Now I get to bring in embroidery?  Yes.....the perfect combination of hand work.  The only thing missing are the french knots, the block calls for 5-7 on each red strawberry but I have never really been able to do french knots well so I am very leery about trying them and messing up the block. 

Monday Morning Design Wall 10/16/2011

Wow, I got so much done this past weekend!!  This was the pay off for working a 15 hour day on Friday and I just sat on the couch recovering all day Saturday and half of Sunday.  Did manage to do laundry!!  Thank goodness the weather is still nice enough to hang it up outside!   I was able to finish two blocks on my Baltimore Album Quilt and put them all on my design wall so I can see the balance of colors as I am getting ready to work on the next set!  I still have to finish quilting my first applique quilt, finish 18 more blocks for this quilt and then dig into my next project.  At this point, I think sleep is overrated!!!  Check out everyone's design wall on Judy's website http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Applique Thursday 10/13/2011

Sigh, another day, another applique block.  I realized over this past week that in order to complete all the projects I want to do, finish the one's I have started and dig deeper into other projects, I will have to quit my job so I can sew full time.  Hummm.....can I make that work?   Lets see, two kids in college and two pending, one dog that likes to eat, kids that like to eat, house to pay for and fabric to buy.  OK, I guess I will keep working because the most important thing on my list is the ability to buy fabric!!  I just ordered 10 yards of fabric for the next applique project (yes, I am stocking up on the fabric before even reaching the halfway point in the current project)   Here is my next block in the Baltimore Album quilt, I have lost count as to which number this is out of the 25 I will be doing as I accidental got out of order a couple of weeks ago.  I may have to do a count this next week to see how many I have left.  Maybe time to start the huge applique boarder????   This project may take longer then I had hoped but I can always get ready to start the next one!!    Time to try the Lottery??   

Monday Morning Design Wall 10/10/2011

What a beautiful weather we enjoyed here in Northern California this past weekend.  I need to actually get outside at some point this week and enjoy the cool crisp fall weather before the rain hits!  I took a Hawaiian Applique Class on Sunday afternoon and this was the first time I have attempted needle turn applique.  I have been hooked on freezer paper applique but since you bast down the fabric before you attempt to needle turn, at least it stays in place and there are no pesky pins to catch the thread every stitch!!  I have only done the upper left hand corner so far but so far so good!!   Just what I did not need, another project!!

Check out the rest of the design walls at http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Monday Morning Design Wall 10/3/2011

Happy 75th Birthday to my wonderful mother!!   May this year be your best ever!! My hat is off to a woman who can raise 6 kids by herself, start and run a successful retail business for 30 year and be a fantastic grandmother to her 6 grandchildren!! 

Back on subject, my design wall is bare as I have spent the week working on hand quilting my first applique quilt!  I am enjoying watching old television shows in the evening (after a trip to the gym) and just quilting the quilt.  At this rate I hope to be done by 2012!!    Check out the rest of the design walls at http://www.patchworktimes.com/