Little Progress



I have made very little progress since I last posted, as I was in the hospital again. What I thought was going to be a quick trip to the doctors office turned into a week in the hospital that included two trips to the cath lab and a new stent !  I can truly say I am glad to be home!!

My wise sister suggested after my last posting that I put the borders on the quilt on the design wall before changing the blocks.  I normally would do that...but just not  thinking normally! 

Above is the quilt with a gold inner border fabric that was used in my last project.

Below is the original inner border which is a deeper gold/rust with small ginko leaves. 

Which inner border do you prefer?  The gold or rust ginkos?



Sorry to say, I won't be traveling to the Kona Bay open house in Washington next weekend.  I just not quite up to traveling yet.  Would love to hear from those of you that do go!



Weekend Project...now what??

It's been a good, quiet and relaxing weekend.  Have hemed pants for work, held the grandbaby lots, napped and even worked on a quilting project! 

I've had the panel below for some time and decided it was the project for the weekend...nothing too difficult, had lots of possible fabrics to use with it and even had a pattern set aside to try.  The pattern is Sidelights by Monutainpeek Creations.  Here's a link so you can see some of their other fabulous patterns.
http://www.mountainpeekcreations.com/patterns.aspx

Knowing that I tend to over work the design process, I challenged my self to use what fabric I had and to just put the blocks together without too much fussing or thinking...Now that the blocks are together, I'm not all that crazy about the outcome.  So I am rethinking the blocks. 
Here are the options:
A.  Change out the light border blocks for more dark and medium border blocks.
B.  Change out the dark border blocks for more light border blocks.
C. Rearrange a few blocks (they are sewn together).
D.  Leave it along and move on!

What would you do?

Window on the World from Asian Fabric # 20 is FINISHED!!

Window on the World from Asian Fabric # 20 is finished.  It is actually straight, only the photo is a bit wonky from being taken while it hangs on the design wall.  I'm pleased with the color combinations and looking forward to sending it on to my favorite long arm quilter Jean.  You can check out her work at http://www.santiamriverquilts/. com . 

Yesterday, as I was checking what is in my stash, I realized I have the same fabric as used in the magazine, but in a brighter blue colorway.   Perhaps I'll make the one up with this pattern some day.

So what is next?  Here are some possibilities:
--Pumpkins gone wild panel and coordinating fabrics from last year.
--Asian crane with golds and browns, with just a hint of blue.
--Michael Miller giant poinsettias to be used in a 9 patch pizazz.  Plan to play with doubling the block size.
--Bright green flannel bug quilt for the most wonderful little grandson...
--Two minkee strip quilts that were suppose to Christmas presents last year...I never promised when they would arrive...
--Batik squares from Sisters, Oregon with black lattice for my awesome niece in Olympia...sorry even if I start now it won't be ready by my visit later in September on my way to Redmond.
--Asian lady panel project picked up last year at the Long Beach show...
--Make more Japanese blocks from the book purchased in Tokyo with traditional blue fabrics
--Piecing a top from butterfly squares found last summer during cleaning out a family estate.  There are 50 plus butterflies in various states...
--Hemming three pairs of pants for work  :-( (You can see what I think about that chore!)

These are just the ones that come to mind off the top of my head...I'm sure there are others if I went to my sewing room!

So which one do you think I should start?

Thanks sis for the good mail day...a package with fabric butterflies from N. Carolina arrived today.  Now I will have 12 red ones to put together for the red and white quilt.

Window on World--OOPS!

Well, I took a deep breath cut into the panel.  Little did I realize that I was cutting it wrong!  After looking at the photo of the quilt and the measurements of the quilt (41 1/2 x 32) and the first cut of the quilt (24 1/2 x 22 1/2) I had assumed that the panel was to be cut with 24 1/2 as the width and 22 1/2 as the length. 

So when I was at the stage above I realized when I added the top and bottom frame to the five sections on the right, it would be too long and not match up with the framed panel on the left.

 So, I sent an email to the magazine editor.  What did we do before email?  They quickly explained that there is a note that the quilt uses directional fabric and the first cut was parallel to the selvage edge. I had assumed...that only applied to the frame and border fabrics.  Oh rats...I had cut it wrong!

So with a little creative trimming of approximately 1/2 inch from four of the side pictures, I was able to stitch it all back together and the left section is now the same length as the panel!

Window on the World progress & process

Making good progress, so thought I would continue to share the process.  Have you ever struggled to cut a large panel?  Here's my process:

--View panel on design wall, deciding which portions you want to focus on. 

--Make preliminary marks at approximate edges, being sure you are not cutting key design elements.  For example, not chopping off the head of a major bird, etc.  Sometimes it just can't be avoided.  One of my pet peeves!  But that is a  topic for a different day!

--Straighten at least one to two edges, using rotary cutter and ruler.  Be sure you are outside of your final cutting marks.

--Using a 24.5 inch ruler and marking pencil (I like the white, green and red ones pictured above) draw cutting lines at the exact location.  Be sure to start by using one of the straight edges as a reference point.  My pencils came from the Tokyo show, but I now see them in stores here.

--Next step is to draw all four cutting lines using the same process of using what you know is a straight line.  Be sure you have included seam allowances in your measurements.

--Then using the largest square ruler you have, check all four corners, to ensure you have a square panel, not a wonky one. 

--If not square, remeasure and remark as needed...that's where multiple colors come in handy!

--Final step, using ruler and rotary cutter, take a deep breath...and cut out the panel.  This is always the scariest part for me, as I am always wondering if I will mess up this panel!

When I purchased this panel, they had half of the previous panel, so of course I wanted that too!  Good thing since this pattern calls for five 4.5x6.5 additional pieces.  I hate to destroy the second panel with fussy cuts!  So, I still have several good sized scraps to include in other projects.

When I need to fussy cut images, I often will use sticky notes, attached to the ruler, to identify the actual size of the piece I am cutting.  It is a quick way to be able to view only the final image.

All the blocks and borders are cut for this quilt.  I have even cut the binding and set it aside...a trick I learned to do long ago, so that I don't accidentally use up the binding fabric in another project!  Hope to be sewing this evening!

Fall quilt project--Asian Fabric Magazine Number 20

Recently as I was blog reading, there was a discussion about writing more about the process rather than just the final finished project.  Sorry, I can't locate who wrote it...but it definitely struck a cord for me...So here is an attempt at process writing:

I fell in love with this panel just a few weeks ago while shopping for some binding for a 30's fabric quilt (yes, the real stuff) and looking for possible borders and lattice for the 50+ butterfly blocks discovered during our estate clean out trip last summer. 

Of course it is a Kona Bay...nothing else would be that beautiful.

Last Tuesday, the latest Asian Fabric Magazine arrived in the mail.  That's what I call a great mail day...either a new magazine or fabric arrivals!   On page 58 is the WIndow on the World Quilt, a great use of a panel and then 5 smaller cuts from the same fabric.  Immediately, I knew just the panel I wanted to use and amazingly have discovered the other fabric in my stash. 

I had to force myself to finish the baby quilt below and do some basic household stuff (Laundry, pay bills, clean up the kitchen) before I could start the new Asian quilt.  I've learned to force my self to do some things, otherwise I would just be starting new project and never finishing anything!!  It's all done now, so when I return from Cardiac Rehab, it will be time to start!  I'll post pictures as soon as it is in progress!

Also in the new magazine are the details for the September 25th event at the Kona Bay Warehouse in Redmond, Washington.  Let me know if you are going, as I would love to connect with some other bloggers!

The borders are on the baby quilt, so it is ready to go off to the long arm quilter. 

Little quilting, lots of touring Oregon

Not much quilting going on this past week.  Here is what is currently on the design wall...another quick baby quilt for a neighbors first grandchild!  Seems like we are having a mini-population explosion on our street as babies are born and kids move back home!  This was all from scraps...hoping to find a good border for it later this week.  I am on a shopping freeze...only allowed to buy something to finish projects...no new projects and no new stash fabrics!!  Let's see how long that lasts!

These next three pictures are from King Estates Winery near us.  It is one of my favorite places to take out of town guests and to buy wine!  We are so blessed to have so many choices in Oregon.  We had dinner on this patio, after a tour and lovely wine tastings...

Check out the web site at http://www.kingestate.com/

View from the patio of the vineyard.

We spent one afternoon visiting many covered bridges.

A beautiful day at the Oregon Coast!

With all the visiting family moving on to other parts of the country, I was back to working on binding the sunflower and pumpkin quilt from last year's Fonz and Porter Magazine last weekend.  My wonderful wife (sister from N. Carolina) started the binding while she was here as I recovered.  I finished it on Friday evening.  I will post a picture once I get it hanging!

Since we are in the middle of a heat wave...all of 98 degrees for 4 or 5 days, I won't be spending time reading on the deck in the evening...I am hoping to work on binding the blue Asian quilt I posted on awhile back (see April 28, 2010).