something quilty

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I was going to have to add "another must quilt soon" to my list. Friendship Quilters has a challenge for the group to finish something that was taught at a guild meeting program or class. For me, that would be my Gordian Knot #1. For a full out shot of the top see HERE in March of this year. They need to be done by the Christmas party in early December. I would like to pin it at Belles on Tuesday.

Recently they had a convergence class but I had already made two of those. The one I did as a gift was finished, of course. Mine still needs borders---that should go on my UFO list to get done in 2012. Or when I ever get caught up, LOL. Yeah, right!

I had already prepped the backing for this when I completed the top way back when. I think the binding is done too but I follow up on that tomorrow. I cut the batting and marked the top with a 2 inch wide cross hatching that echoes the width of the lighter blue dot and other of the block components.

I was done with job fairly early in the afternoon and thought what do I do now? Lately I have not had a lot of time nor frankly, inclination to sew, quilt, whatever. Then I remembered that the machine was still set up to button hole applique. My Pumpkins 4 sale fall piece probably last pictured HERE needed most of the applique stitching done. Essentially I had the wagon done and the first letter of the word Pumpkin when I drug it out of the closet.

I finished the stitching about 730 tonight between IM's with two pals. The backing was already cut but I did need to seam the batting. Here it is already to start pinning on the table at home. I have since finished the job.

So a day that I was sure would not be very productive. How about that?

My friend Teresa asked what I was going to work on at the meeting. I replied binding, once I get that one quilt pinned. I supposed tomorrow would be a good day to quilt Pat's bday present! I would like to show the girls how the top came out as they saw it when I was working on some of the embroidery elements.

About time to turn in------so I'm outta here. Thanks for stopping by!

Design Wall Monday

This past weekend turned out to an impromptu FAB "sew and check in" time. Some housework, cleaning and cooking, kept me from joining in until after lunch on Saturday but I made some progress.

I'll show you what I got done in the past 48 hrs, LOL. Some stashbusting and both wall hangings I am working on have been moved along

Borders applied to winter "In Seasons" and I dug around in the red bin to find an old Mary Ellen Hopkins geometric red on black that I will use for binding. A scrap of it is hanging there next to the quilt-let. Binding is cut and awaiting seaming but this whole thing is in a holding pattern till both hangings are prepped.

By quitting time last night I had the wagon area of "Pumpkins 4 Sale" all prepped. I had to seam the teal piece in order to use if but I love the way it looks----like faded paint. It is turned over freezer paper as that seemed to be the easiest way to deal with that long narrow piece. It is thread basted in place.

I got lucky and found that the wheel shape was just a hair bigger than the moon shape that I had just used in THIS "Happy Halloween" wall hanging. I turned the raw edge by treating it like a giant yo-yo over the piece of Templar, stitching it was a heavy carpet/buttonhole twist.

I tried to turn the edges on the big red stars on freezer paper but was not pleased with the points so gave up and windowed out some fusible web. I knew better than to try it with the smaller ones----fused those down along with the wording.

Then I had a little setback when it came to the lettering. Those were NOT reversed in the pattern. I don't see anywhere in the meager directions where it suggests you should reverse anything! Did they expect us to make templates and needle turn this project?? I am not fond of my efforts at needle turn-- no, thank you. I want this done, sooner than later. Of course, it did not even occur to me that the letters should have been backwards in the pattern till I had traced them all off on the last bits of pellon stuff I had. By the time I started to cut out the letter, it finally hit me. That will NOT work, there is no goo on the back of this. Tossed that attempt and re-grouped.

I ended up flipping the pattern over to the plain paper side, putting it over the light box, tracing it off on steam a seam, the regular stuff not version 2. (bought the wrong stuff in error a few months back) Warm Company tells you to trace on the web side which is NOT easy to do. By marking the reverse of the shape, I was able to trace on the paper side instead. I know that sounds a little confusing in its description but it worked! I called it a night once PUMPKINS were fastened down.

Today my task was to pull fabrics for the pumpkins and stems. Templar is pricey so I am not going to turn edges over pieces this big. See above, I don't needleturn. Those are on freezer paper but I still need to turn the edges back. I just wanted to see what this will look like. OOPS! At first I managed to put brown stems on the taller pumpkins but that was blending in too much with the border fabric. Easy enough to fix that--just trade places with the green ones. Would you have known if I hadn't have told you, LOL? The stems will be fused down once the pumpkins are in place.

Well, you know where to find me---with glue stick in hand turning pumpkin edges till it is time to think about fixing supper.