Under my Needle - Currents projects I am working on.

Today I am enjoying the warmth of the sunshine while I am writing on my blog... I haven't been here in a while and it is nice to be back.... I am making fabric baskets to help with organizing my Quilt & Sewing Studio.... also I want to make some baskets for my Grands and Greats (over 22 of them young enough) for Easter.... I stopped over at my LQS "Mom & Meg's" in Dandridge last week and picked up so cute fabrics to use for this project...  Check out these finds.  Below under my needle yesterday was the large sheep basket.  I finished it up this morning and decided to put ties on the side.  I just need to finish it up by tacking down the flaps, choosing a cute decorative button and deciding if I want to make a handle for this one. The pattern is a simple one I got from Pinterest.  You can check it out my Fabric Baskets Board here.  Here is the Fabric Baskets Tutorial I liked to use. It just takes 2 pieces of fabric & batting of the same measurment.  I used a 16" square for the Xtr large basket as shown below.  14" made the Large Basket, 12" make the medium and a 10" square made the small basket.  

here is my Xtra Large Basket.  I had fun quilting this one.   below are my other baskets waiting to be finished.  

This is my smallest basket using a 10" square of fabric

3 sizes small (Floral), Medium (Lavender) & Large (big Floral) 

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My 2015 Summer Row By Row experience

SE MN Row x Row 

The Firefly Quilt Shop - Mankato

  This Summer I decided to take part in the Row by Row experience.  I traveled back to Wisconsin for 2 family weddings this summer.  I left East Tennessee on Saturday the 20th of June to get ahead of the summer storms coming thru Tennessee and Kentucky and be able to arrive in Wisconsin before my youngest Son, Earl's wedding at the end of the week on Friday June 26th.  I did not have time to stop at any shops that day because of the storms and Row by Row didn't start until Monday the 21st.   I had an uneventful drive and did get there by Sunday evening.  the 1st week was very busy.  The following Monday I was traveling to Southern Minnesota to see my Granddaughter and her youngest baby.

I took a couple of side trips that day and stopped at 2 quilt shops. The Firefly Quilt Shop in Mankato, I was in luck for both were participating in the Row by Row.  The above quilt at the Firefly Q S was made by each shop in the SE MN area that are participating in the Row by Row 2015.  I enjoyed the shop and did get both the Kit and the license plate for this area.  The goodies I bought at this shop, the row by row block, a license plate, a kit to make a barn pot holder, a quilt label and some steam a seam for my applique patterns.  

Southeast MN RxR Shops

My goodies from the Firefly Quilt Shop

A Barn Hot pad Kit

I loved this barn quilt but the pattern was no longer available

Zuri with Aunt Elizabeth and Baby Amelia

 I stopped at the Eagle Creek Quilt Shop in Shakopee, MN.  This has been one of my favorite stops on the Minnesota Shop Hops.  I enjoy their variety of quilting material and the wool candle mats and Needle Punch quilting patterns.  I've always admired these kits so I decided to buy the Needle Punch and some fabric.  I even got an impromptu instructions on using it.

Auntie Elizabeth reading to Baby Amelia

Zuri & Aunt Elizabeth took Amelia inside and was reading to her from a soft cover children's book.  They enjoyed looking at the variety of  fabric & patterns in the Children's corner.

I really liked this wool applique winter table runner

I want to make this wool applique table runner for the winter.  I'll have to order the kit online

My Goodies from the Eagle's Nest 

Look at all the goodies I got from the Eagle's Nest.  Eagle Creek Quilt Shop . A Row by Row pattern and license plate, a 1/2 yard of fabric with Minnesota names on it, a yard of fabric and a needle punch with a spring hoop.  I have a snowman pattern I made that I want to use with this.

I'm looking forward to working on my Row by Row Blocks

Hi, it's been a while since my last post.

a finished quilt for Grandbaby Amelia

Wow, Hard to belive it's Oct 3rd already.  my last post was almost 4 weeks ago.  September was a busy month with meeting, quilting and doing some polymer clay things.  I continue to work on my quilting studio and just got my bookshelves in place with the help of a friend, my jewlery making/polymer clay station is operational, and I bought a small table for cutting which will become my ironing table as soon as I get a 6' table to replace it. Things are running smoothly, I have been busy quilting tops for my great grand babies and for bags of love.  Thursday I went to the French Broad Quilting Guild meeting at the Cherry Pit in Sivierville.  We got a lot done, it was a good meeting.  today it was a gloomy/slow day and I did take a nap in the afternoon.

It's been hectic around here these past few weeks

In August I helped out at the Jefferson City Fairgrounds and entered some of my projects and won some ribbons.  How fun, this was my 1st time entering things in a fair and a great learning experience.  I also enjoyed working with my FCE group to volunteer at the fair, we had a good participation and won $200 for our group. 

 I got a Blue Ribbon for my Mini Easter Egg quilt, my Gingham Kitchen Towel and 9 Patch Pot holder didn't get a ribbon but it looks nice in the display area.

My Thanksgiving wall hanging got 3rd Place. 

My Beaded Butterfly Pin got a Blue Ribbon too.  I'll have to take a better picture of it since it did not show up well in the case. 

 I won this great pr of Socks at Holloway's Country Store in Cosby TN a couple of weeks back by commenting on their Blog about what type of quilting Block "Knocked my Socks Off!"  - it was the pinwheel block.  a very simple and humble block but set it off with a log cabin block alternating rows - Wow! These socks were designed by Maria Holloway herself.  I had so much fun going down to pick these up.  Marie just had gotten in a new shipment of fabric so I was able to take a peek before they put it out on the shelves... "my idea of FUN!"

My winnings -Quilters Socks designed by Maria Holloway of Holloway's Country Store in Cosby TN

"Rock my Socks" off!

Today i went down to pick up my prize for commenting on Holloway's Country Home - Blog Holloway's Country Home Custom Handmade Quilts; "Socks" designed by Maria Holloway herself.    I choose the color green.  The question was what kind of quilting block "Rock your Socks off?" - my answer was Pinwheels.  I really did not think pinwheels did it for me until I saw a quilt hanging on the wall of a quilt shop in Elk River Minnesota that I visited with friends.  the quilt was the Perfect Palette Designed by Angie Roberts the owner of  "The Noble Quilter"The quilt pairs log cabin blocks with pinwheels units in soft cocoa browns and Teal. (the pattern is featured in the Spring/Summer 2013 Issue of Quilt Sampler)

Maria has designed a new  Applique Quilt quoted from her blog.   "Maria is always designing new quilts.  Actually her newest release can be seen on p. 55 of the September issue of American Quilter.  It's a beauty that features the AQS 30th Anniversary Dogwood Fabrics and original artwork from one of Maria's friends in the Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community."  I had rushed over to take a peek at the quilt and it is a beauty! 

French Broad Quilting Guild - my second meeting

I was excited to go to my second meeting of the French Broad Quilting Guild, we met at the Methodist Church in Dandridge today for a sew-along session.  Loved the pattern we are doing.  It's called "Inlaid Tile" a strip piecing quilt designed by Mary Ellen Hopkins you can find one of her many books here,

"It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt Book"   

  we each brought along our fabric, 4 coordinating colors of our choice to make into this quilt.   I had fun choosing my fabrics so today I cut them out, made strip sets and now am ready to piece them together.  I didn't realize I had her book till I just looked it up on Google.  :) So now I'll have to unpack it. 

The ladies also shared thier Pizza Blocks of the Month.  Wow such pretty colors and beautiful workmanship.  I'm so glad I'm a part of this group here in Tennessee but I do miss the ladies from Hudson Heritage Quilters and my own Tuesday quilting group at the Point with Frank, Gwen and Katherine back home in Hudson Wisconsin.  

# 10

 Theses are the Pizza Box - Block of the Month that 10 of the ladies of the group participated in.  They are just so beautiful and the workmanship is exquisite.  These pictures do not do them justice... Enjoy!

#1

#2

#3

#4

 # 4 & 5 - there are 2 complete set of blocks on this couch

#6

#7

#8

#9

 

My Quilting/Sewing Arts Studio is beginning to take shape

It will be three weeks tomorrow since I have arrived here in Tennessee.  I am enjoying this area, the beauty of nature is all around me from the birds singing in the trees and flitting from one feeder to another to the lovely Yucca plant that is flowering in my neighbor's garden, the mountains are an awesome sight as I drive around to do my daily errands, the people are very friendly.  Roses are in bloom all over along side the roads and in the gardens.  I am slowly getting things put away and working on my sewing room to co-ordinate were I want things to go.  Today my friend Valoriea and I picked up a few bookshelves and cabinets at the local yard sales for my sewing area.  Yesterday I went on a shop hop to a few local quilt shops in the surrounding area.  The Cherry Pit & Red Barn Quilts in Seviersville and Holloway's Country Home in Cosby.  I enjoyed the day out traveling the roads to these shops.  You can read about my excursion on my blog: "Creative Lady's Enthusiastic Thoughts" 

Technique: Using the digital camera when laying out your quilt design.

using a digital camera to help with placement of blocks and color values

Technique: using a digital camera to aid in layout arrangement and color value of your quilt top

Today at my quilting club at The Point on 3rd & Vine my friend Gwen was laying out her squares for the "Rag Quilt" she was making.  She had laid out her layered flannel 6" squares in a pleasing pattern and asked for me to check it out.  her layout looked good but I had my digital camera with me and remembered a tip a friend had given me about color values & layout arrangement using the camera to help me see it better.  So I did take a picture and showed it to Gwen.  we both noticed that the 2 squares in horizontal row 4 & 5 (third  vertical row from the right) seemed to be almost the same color value and give the top a white patch in that area.  So we switched the block placement and as you can see in the bottom photo was a more pleasing arrangement.  The camera on your cell phone would work just as well.

Have you tried this technique yourself?  Share your thoughts about it.

switching the blocks gives the layout a more pleasing arrangement.

I finished a few projects this morning!. Yeah!

a look at the back

This morning I was able to be in my sewing studio and finished several projects.  The 1st project is my Paper Pieced Postcard BOM for February that I am working on for my Facebook Group - Quilting.  I used vintage lace embellishments on block #'s 2 & 3, I used lace from my wedding gown, (circa 1961), on the corner piece leftover from the Satin & Lace Hankie - "Something Old", I made for the Bride, my Granddaughter Caroline's Wedding in January 2014.  I also completed my Winter Olympic Mug Rugs - a Swap project - done and ready for mailing to my partner. After my partner Susan L receives them I'll be able to put up the pictures. 

It was so nice to be able to sit at my sewing machine for more than 30 minuets and actually work on a project to completion and even start on another.  Its been 3 1/2 weeks since my back surgery and each day brings more comfort with doing my everyday chores/fun stuff.  I haven't yet been out and about as freely as I would like but that too will come.  My endurance for day outings is still down to about 1 - 2 hrs at a time before I tire and need to rest.  The outside weather hasn't cooperated either.  Thursday/Friday brought about 10 inches of snow and drifts.  last eve they came and plowed out my driveway and then came back and snowblowed out my sidewalk but left an 10" x 12" x 3' wide patch of snow against my porch door making it impossible to open the door.  I was concerned and annoyed and before going to bed I texted my son to see if he could come over early Sat morn to shovel that out.  I was relived to find that this morning they had come back to shovel me out.

2014 BOM Paper Pieced Quilted Postcards

Today I worked on my January Paper Pieced Quilted Postcards that I am following on Facebook group QUILTING.  Carol Ann Ferrari-Rogers uploaded a pattern for us to follow for our January BOM.  It is a paper pieced block measuring 41 /2" x 6 1/2" unfinished.  For each month we have the option to make 3 blocks using one for a postcard, one for a mug rug and one to be sewn together at the end of the year for a wall quilt hanging.  Each person can choose to make one or all three of each months paper piecing pattern.  I feel like I want to make all 3.  Here is the finished January block for my Postcard.  Thank you Helena Dantoni for the pattern. 

Paper Pieced finished Block

My Finished Quilted Postcard
 



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