Handmade Parade - I'm so behind

I'd been feeling pretty awesome this week.

I got three quilts done. 


My happy dance was stopped short when the Mr. asked how my Handstitched class was going.

Ugh.
I kinda don't want to talk about it.

I'm weeks behind. I haven't done any of the side projects.

Until this week I hadn't done *any* projects.

Oh baby, look at those Frankenstein stitches. 

Still behind but at least it is something.

Last night I had planned to play some Nintendo DS.

The man stole it.

But it meant I got some more of my Summersville Sampler done:

Almost done! 

Man I love that lil' b.

Now I'm just trying to figure out what stitches to use in the last ten letters. 

Farmer Friday - Fewer Pieces is love

This week sewing my Farmer's wife blocks was a joy.

A JOY I say.

Why?

Because they didn't have 87 bajillion-million triangle pieces.
They went together smooth.
Came out straight.
Came out the right size.

Blocks 39, 40 and 41.

All weeks should be like this. 

Reclaimed Vintage Quilt - Finished

It's a project that I've barely talked about on here.
I think I mentioned it once last year.

Let me search....
Oh Look. Over a Year ago I brought it up.

The squares got stuffed back in a box. And I got busy. And then we moved and they got their own cubby in my desk (granted one at the bottom).

And I'm still busy.
But I didn't feel like working on anything I was supposed to today.
So I pulled out all the vintage pieces to see what I could do.

It isn't very big. 38" x 55". 

I decided to use a thrifted flannel sheet as batting.

And I didn't want to bind it. 

So it was done using the no-binding method. 

I wish the piecing was mine. 

My mother found these blocks at an auction and sent them my way. 

They were a bit beat up. Completely handsewn. 

I patched the few placed that had fallen apart. And reinforced the seams that were tearing. 

The blocks had originally been handpieced onto sugar sacks:

So over the winter I went on a hunt for as many of those sacks as I could get my hands on. 

I only found two that were in good shape (and affordable).

They were worked into the new backing; pieced together with a vintage sheet. 

It's so lightweight. 

The quilt feels like air.

Delicate piecing.

Delicate back. 

That makes three quilts I've finished this week.

All completely different.

Here they are laid out on the living room floor:

I think I might just go lay in the middle of that for awhile.

I'll be linking this up for

Since the Vintage quilt was on my list for this quarter. 

Peekaboo Peeps Prism - Finished!

Me and the Prism quilt went to the park today.

It's really 'cause I wanted to go someplace with a P.

Then I could say Peekaboo Peeps Patchwork Prism in the Park.

Perfect.

The bushes were kind enough to let me perch my quilt on them. 

My absolute favorite grey dotted binding. Sadly there's no more in my stash. 

Backed in Castle Peeps and Moda Dottie in Steel. 

Quilted on the diagonals. 

I love the diamond effect.

\

One last shot hanging on the bridge over the creek.

I couldn't resist.

It's so bright. And happy. 

I could play I Spy with Peeps all day. 

My precious Peeps. 

I'd had them in my stash forever. And I wouldn't cut them for anything.

I love how they peek out of the quilt. 

Big Peeps.

Little Peeps.

Peep towers.

I think me and triangles are officially okay now. 

Soda Pop QAL - Cutting Part 1

You've got your stacks of fabric. (Which are just looking gorgeous in the Flickr group)
Now it's time to chop them up.

I'm not going to lie to y'all.The cutting is a lil' bit daunting.

So we're breaking it into two steps.
This week is cutting your background squares and your fusible.

Go ahead and set your solid/pin dot aside. We'll tackle that next Monday.

You'll need:
Background fabrics
Fusible
Template Plastic
Scissors (not your fabric scissors)
Rotary Cutter
Mechanical Pencil/Marker/Writing tool of your choice
Cutting Mat
Ruler of your choice



The squares are the easy part.
Cut your squares as per the pattern in the book. You should end up with a hefty lil' stack.

For those that need it there's a tutorial for cutting charms here.

Cutting that Tula Pink was more difficult than I want to admit.

Those of you who are observant will notice that's not enough squares...I still have a bit of cutting to do ;)

With your squares cut, it's time to cut petals from your fusible.

A note on fusible:

There have been some great questions about what fusible to use both on Twitter and in the Flickr group.

My personal go-to fusible is Steam a Seam Lite 2 for a couple of reasons.

I've never had bleed problems.

It's always available at my local craft store. 

It's super affordable.

Do you have to use that one? Nope. Not at all.

I'm also a big fan of Pellon Wonder Under. 

In fact, when I wrote the first post I had noticed I was short on my Steam a Seam from my stash. A trip to the craft store and I've come home with a bolt of Wonder Under because there was a too-good-to-pass-up-sale where I could get it for 99cents/yard. 

The only thing I personally avoid is Heat n' Bond. When making my Pac Man quilt I had it bleed through the fabric on me. Twice. 

I'm well aware that my iron is a beast that likes to ignore heat settings. So I'll always forgive one bleed. But two makes me sad. Especially when I'm being careful.

Can you use Heat n' Bond? Of course you can. You probably have a better iron than me. That behaves itself. 

My only real suggestion for fusible is use something lightweight that you're comfortable with. There's a lot of petals here.

A lot.

Heavier fusibles are just going to add a lot of weight and you're going to be sewing over all of them anyway. 

Another question that was brought up is whether or not the template needs to be enlarged when copying. 

That tricked me too for a second.

But then I took a trip to Kinko's and looked at the copier. 100% is normal setting. 

So in other words a straight copy.

Therefore I just placed my template plastic directly over it and traced:

I cut two templates from my plastic. Because I always lose one in the middle of cutting.

You really just need one. 

Then get to tracing onto the paper side of your fusible.

And tracing.

And tracing.

Don't forget to trace the extra ones like I did the first time around! 

I've shown mine here in marker to make sure you can see it. 

Normally I would use a colored pencil or a mechanical pencil. 

You can certainly use whatever you'd like. 

And that's it for this week's step.

I know..it's a lot. You might want to break it into bite-sized sessions over the week.

Or you can superman it and knock it all out at once. 

Feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I don't mind at all. You can comment here, catch me on Twitter (@Allegorical) or start a thread in the QAL Flickr group. 

The questions help me too because it helps me remember things to point out in these posts. 

I'll be back next Monday to get that solid/pin dot cut up!

Skill Point Sunday - Stencils aren't my friend

Skipped over a few more projects. It's things that I already really had enough of around the house. I'm  running out of project space.

Maybe I should take over the other office....hmmmmmm...

So fast forward to the Glasses Case:

Lesson #1: I suck at stencils.
I was going for a randomly placed hexagon look.
Yeah...not so much.

Lesson #2: Glasses cases and scissor cases are the same size. 

I think I've found a new use for this. 

I'm off to cut more templates because Tomorrow the next Soda Pop QAL post will be up!

I'm so excited.

The flickr group for the QAL makes me amazingly happy. 

Farmer Friday - So it's Saturday edition

Even tho' it is Saturday. We can pretend I did these yesterday. I've got three more blocks this week. 

Full of so many tiny little triangles.

I might need a new bottle of spray starch. 'Cause I used a ton.

Blurry Instagram Pics. My replacement camera cord should be here on Monday.

Blocks 36 and 38

Block 37

I love that candy corn print so much. I wish I had more of it. That was a surprising find in my scrap bucket when I was cutting squares for hexie kits. 

So hoping to have this quilt finished in Oct. I don't want to do the math to see how many blocks behind I am. 

I'm sure that'd just make me sad. 

Interview Time!

I'm super excited to let y'all know that I'm being interviewed today over at Amy's Creative Side.

Thank you guys so much for nominating me for the Blogger's Quilt Festival and for nominating me for the interview!

And if you're stopping by here from the interview, Heyas!
I hope you'll stick around.
There's a lot of great things going on right now with more coming soon.

My normal schedule has been a bit disrupted today.

My "helper" Oz needed a vet trip today.

And then it was off to get meds.

And off to get special food.

Not to mention chasing him around the house in order to give him meds.

So Farmer's Friday will be a Saturday special this week ;) 

WiP Wednesday - Running in Place edition

This morning has been a sit down and analyse sort of morning.
I've still been all go-go-go and yet somehow I felt like I was running in place.

I've been wrapping things up and yet I was still left with this vague sense of not getting anything done. You know what I mean?

You've seen these pics earlier this week. I believe that one of the cats has run off with the camera cord again.

Completed!:

That right there is a finished Cranberry Pillow Quilt.

It's backed in Moda Steel Dots. 

Nomnom will not leave it alone.

It's off at the dry cleaners because it is too big to fit in a washer.

Queen sized and full of puffs. 

I'm going to have to make another one for the cat...aren't I?

Ongoing:

Peekaboo Peeps Prism:

Finished Top.

I might be a lil' in love with rainbow quilts now. 

No Progress This Week:

Summersville Sampler

Tardis

Medallion (Handstitched Class)

Bottled Rainbows

Grape Soda

Coming Soon:

Swoon

Vintage

Hexy MF

ZigZag

I made a new list to put on my wall. 

So many projects got transferred over. 

Completed: 1

WiP: 10

Priority one is actually starting my Handstitched Projects. 

And figuring out how to quilt Peeps. 

Peekaboo Peeps Patchwork Prism

Whew. It took me a bit longer than I thought but I've finally got my Patchwork Prism QAL top together.

My Peekaboo Peeps Prism quilt:

Thrown across the corner of my table because I got stung by something when I tried to take it outside. 

This spot right here is currently my favorite. 

Linking this quilt up with the My Precious QAL because cutting into my stash of Peeps was so very very hard for me. It's the first fabric I've ever hoarded. There's been multiple projects where I reached for it and then left it on the shelf and ordered something different. 

At one point I had to teach the Mr. about roatary cutting because I didn't want to chop lil' Peep faces.

I know.

I'm terrible.

But now that it's together. I love it. 

Now if I can just figure out how on earth to quilt it. 

Now I just need to figure out how to quilt it. 

Summer Sewing Finalist

Woke up this morning to see that my Monsterz Burst quilt is a finalist in the Summer Sewing Contest!

Voting is here! 

There is some absolutely amazing competition.

A girl can dream about winning, yeah? 

In the Weeds.

That's how the saying goes, right? In the Weeds?

Well whatever that saying is..I'm in it.
I've been in go-go-go mode. So much so that I missed Skill Point Sunday yesterday.
Oops.

My weekend in snapshots:

Fighting this quilt..and fighting the cat to work on it:

Half of a Patchwork Prism top:

Cutting squares for hexie kits:

That last picture has me half tempted to just start making random 1" hexies of my own. And throw them all together in a quilt...

How long do you think it'll take me?

Instead of those random hexies, I should really be deciding on my fabric for the Hexie MF QAL. I've suddenly been hit with a serious case of indecisiveness. 

I have a top to finish. And then I'll let myself pick fabric. 

Farmer Friday - So Fried

Those of you who see me on Twitter and Instagram know that I was up quilting until 2am...and then at it again this morning. I'm very pleased that I made the deadline.

I went to get a snack and the Mr. asked me where my Halloween block was this week. (This whole interest in what I'm doing thing is hard to get used to.)

I might have muttered a swear word.

#35 was pretty easy going. And it felt good to still get a block done this week.

If I can do one block, I can do two...right?

Right. 

This is where I wimp out for the week. That whole 20 tiny triangle thing is just too much after a midnight quilting session.

So one poor lil' block this week. 

I'm gonna try and bake cookies without setting the house on fire. If I had the stuff for it I'd make Bacon Brownies. 

There's no convincing me to go to the store. 

Destash (Part 2)

It's been a crazy day over here. I woke up with a plan. A good one.
Then the cat threw up on my fabric so I went off to the laundromat.
Back to the house for lunch and the second cat tried to jump on the counter..missed...and landed in the trashcan I had pulled over.
Cat bath time.

I've got a great battle wound. I might instagram a pic of it.

I had promised myself to get this destash post up. So up it goes.
I still haven't reached the part of the closet with magazines and sewing patterns.

Apologies in advance for the mix of regular pics and instagram pics.

Needlework:

Crewel Comforter Kit - $10

Lot of two cross stitch kits and one pattern book - $10

Fabric: 

Lot of Cat Panels (the green on top is multiple ones so it's over 1yd) - GONE

FQ Bundle of Vintage Sheets - $10

These sheets came from my neighbor (I think she liked florals...). They have been washed twice and ironed. 

I've got two bundles of 5 FQs. 

Hexie Kits:

I'm planning on listing these in my shop tomorrow (with proper pictures) but I thought I might throw it up here too since I'm already posting.

Hexie starter kits - rainbow mix set

25 die-cut paper pieces

50 2.5" squares -every square a different fabric

Hexies finish with 1" sides (2" across widest point)

$7

Shipping: 

Costs include packing materials and Paypal fees. 

Hexie kit by itself - $3 shipping US, $5 intl. 

All other items: US - $5 first item + $2 each additional

                          Intl. - $7 first item + $3 each additional

Let me know in comments if you want to snag anything. Make sure I've got a way to email you 'cause I'll be sending Paypal invoices. 

Any Shipping overages over $1 will be refunded by me. 

WiP Wednesday - QAL and Deadlines.

Pretty much everything on my list is on hold this week in order to focus on two major things.

(I did manage to post some completed projects here earlier this week.)

One: 






My very first QAL has kicked off. 
Katy is even in on it. You know a quite is fabulous when someone makes it twice.
The beginning fabric posts and the name discussions over in the Flickr group are making me so happy I can barely stand it. 

Two: 
I've messed up and didn't read a deadline closely enough so when I thought I had a month...I really had a week. 

The project has been unearthed. 

And surprisingly enough there were blocks finished (that I didn't remember). 

So I've been ironing and sewing and ironing and sewing. There may have been a brief moment where I kicked a block that was on the floor. 

It didn't fly nearly as far as I had hoped. 

And now..with four blocks left I'm out of that white bubble dot on the top of the stack. 

Going to try and find a replacement and get this baby wrapped up today.

Tomorrow will hopefully be Patchwork Prism day. 

I'll be back to the regular roundup next week. 

Monster Burst - Finally Bound

I braved the rain to take pictures of Monster Burst.

At first I wasn't going to because it was grey and misty but seeing as how I wanted to enter this quilt into the Summer Sewing Contest I thought that a point of brightness in the rain was perfect.

This quilt is certainly bright:

Thank you all for your binding suggestions. I was sold on orange. Grabbed my bag, quilt under arm and out the door when I hear the Mister behind me...

"Teal." 

...wait...what?

Was he weighing in on a quilting project? 

I could have fallen over.

Not only that but he offered fabric money. 

I need a fainting couch. 

Backed in Squiggle from I Heart in Linen

Bound in Aqua Dot from Ruby 

Still love this shot of the center panel I took before it was quilted. 

Stats:

-Measures 50" square (perfect on the couch or to sit outside and read when it stops raining)

- Pattern from the Cosmic Burst QAL at Distant Pickles

-Top fabrics: Monsterz by Cloud9 and Essex Linen in Grey

-Back: Pink Squiggle from I Heart in Linen

-Binding: Aqua Dot from Ruby

-Quilted echoing the solid shapes

I love the bright bursts of color against the grey. It stands out even more under the grey skies. 

If this rainy weather keeps up at least I have something bright indoors with me. 

Soda Pop QAL - Kick off Post

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It seems like forever ago that I posted the notice that I'd be running this but I'm glad today is finally here.

May seems like just a terrible month to start things.

For those of you just joining us, we're going to be making this quilt:

Orange Soda by Katy Jones

From this book:

One of the best parts is that the lovely Katy is going to be joining us (I think that's pretty fabulous). 

Hopefully you all have your copy of the book. If not, there's still plenty of time to grab one. I'll be giving y'all two weeks to gather fabric in order to account for shipping time if you're ordering online. 

The Schedule:

June 11 (Today) - Kick off Post & Choosing your Fabric 

June 25 : Cutting Part One - Squares, Template and Fusible Web

July 2: Cutting Part Two - Petals and Binding

July 9: Piecing Part One - Sewing Squares

July 23: Piecing Part Two - Attach and Sew Petals

July 30: Quilt and Bind

Link-up Open Until: Aug. 12 (prize info coming soon) 

Pretty easy schedule, yeah? 

I think it's spaced out enough to keep from being stressful. You're absolutely welcome to work ahead if you'd like but there's also enough time to catch up when summer gets in the way. 

Fabric: 

I'll have to admit when I first looked at the fabric requirements for this quilt I shut the book immediately and put it on the table. 

Five minutes later I was picking it back up. 

The way I picked my fabric was by choosing my petal fabric first. 

I'm making a Grape Soda quilt so I grabbed a Purple pin dot. You can certainly use a solid in your quilt. I like that extra bit of interest in the tiny dots. 

Then I went hunting for fabrics that didn't have any purple in them. I didn't want to risk losing any of the background fabrics by having purple on purple. 

Tula Pink and Purple Pin Dot. 

Getting sixteen fabrics in one picture is difficult...

Katy recommends variety (try for 15 different fabrics) so I picked colors in these prints that I would normally shy away from. Blues and greens are definitely my bag. Yellow/Pink/Red...not so much. I'm excited to see how they look framed by the purple. 

Other supplies needed: 

*Book

*Template Plastic (I swear I think mine is from the 80s. Mom gave it to me...clearly we don't use it often)

*Fusible Web! 

Don't be like me and think that you'd gotten your fusible and then go looking for it and find only a yard.

If your fusible is 12" wide you'll need 9 yards. 

That supply picture is partially there to remind me to go shopping. 

Need Fabric?:

The amazing Brenda at Pink Castle Fabrics has given us a coupon code for the QAL!
SODA15
The code is good for 15% off everything in the store.
We <3 Brenda.
(If you're on Twitter..you should seriously follow her. She's been posting some great deals.)

Flickr Group: 

The Soda Pop QAL has its own Flickr group. 

I'd love it if you joined us over there! 

Feel free to post pics of your fabric, ask questions, etc.  

Prizes: 

I'm sure that making this quilt is enough but..

I am arranging some prizes for the linky party at the end of the QAL. 

I'm currently waiting for a couple of confirmation emails before posting them. 

Check this blog and the Flickr group for more details soon. 

Whew..that's a hefty post.

Still with me?

Good. I'm super excited. 

Don't forget to post pics of your fabric in the Flickr group! 

Can't wait to see what type of Soda you'll be making.