Needles and Pens

I've been trying to keep from showing a full photo of this quilt in my weekly updates, just so I could have a big "reveal" with the final post. Finally the time has come! I really didn't think I could do it, but yes, it is finished -- and with a few days to spare. Now I know what I'm capable of if I just set my mind to something! And here it is, my no-longer-a-UFO, hand-appliqued rose quilt... The finished size is approximately 52" x 67." Hard to tell from this picture, but it is a large wallhanging. This photo gives a better size reference: As you can see, I had to pull the couch away from the wall to take the first picture. Some rearranging is in order if it's going to live in this room permanently. That big ball of fluff is our cat, Sarabi, who came to live with us from the shelter last summer. It hasn't taken her long to make herself at home. Here she is, glaring at our other cat, Reesa, and staking her claim on the cushiest spot i...

Well... since I'm getting so much accomplished in the UFO challenges, why not start another project, right? (Hopefully this one won't wind up as next year's UFO.) I couldn't resist the 2011 Block-a-Palooza Quilt Along over at Quilt Dad's place. Each block will be designed by a different blogger and revealed on Mondays and Thursdays through the end of March. I thought it would be interesting to see the different ways each quilter will use wild geese and/or nine-patches in the various blocks. So far, I haven't been disappointed! Here is my first block, "Flying Over Fields," designed by Quilt Dad, John Adams. Pretty wild, I know. But I do have a "vision." lol We'll see if I can make it work. The designers of the quilt-along are all featuring fabrics from Moda's Sunkissed line, but since I have little fabric budget and ample stash, I'm going a very different route with my bright pinks. (That is hot pink, and not red. It's ...

Tired of appliqued rose blocks yet? ... I am. But, good news! Much to the relief of my numb, tingling, aching hands, the last two blocks are done; the Triple Rose... and the Rose of Sharon. At this point, there was much celebration (in my mind, at least). I still had two weeks left in the month (and I thought I'd be doing well to just finish the blocks in January). I had already decided on the size and layout of the top during my many hours of applique, so I was ready to get right to work on it. I found the perfect fabrics right here in my stash (gotta love that!). No need to go shopping, so I started cutting and sewing strip sets... ...and cutting those into sashings and cornerstones... ...sewing blocks into rows, and rows into a quilt top... ...and finally adding a border. The border print is one I have kept with my two original blocks for all these years, knowing I wanted to use it in the top eventually. There is a bit of clash between it and the sashing print,...

Still plugging away on my appliqued rose blocks, and finally there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Four more blocks were completed this past week; the Radical Rose, the Mexican Rose, Grandmother's Rose, and the Wild Rose. That leaves just two more to go! My next block is in progress... This one is the most difficult of them all, I think. Look at all those sharp inward curves -- such a headache to turn those under! But it's coming along, and will make finishing my last one seem like a breeze. If all goes well, I'll be starting on my quilt top in a few more days... wish me luck!

It’s true. I’ll admit it. I’ve hardly done anything except sew this month. But if it weren’t for these quilting challenges, I’d most likely have been hit full-on by now with the winter blahs, so it’s justifiable therapy. (That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!) January’s number for the CQUSA “Get ‘er Done” Challenge was number eight, the “Homespun Holidays” panel: Since I’ve been up to my ears in appliquéd roses with the UFO challenge, this has been a nice little project to work on when I just couldn’t stand another moment of hand stitching. Nothing fancy in the finishing, just a solid maroon border, followed by a little angel print border that seemed to be made for this panel. (Another bonus: everything used was from my stash!) Most of the quilting is simple outlining, and I bound it in the same maroon solid. Finished it off with a hanging sleeve and a few primitive wood heart buttons tacked on here and there. The finished size is 28” x 35.” Might make a nice Christmas gift for som...

Well, 2011 is off to a great start! My family has been healthy so far, the days are getting longer, my Christmas decorations are almost all packed away, and I have set myself up with an awesome challenge to help me steer clear of the mid-winter blues. So far, so good. On New Year's Day, the first number was drawn for the 2011 Patchwork Times UFO Challenge ... ...and I learned that my project for January is lucky number six, the Floral Applique Quilt. All I have to do is make 10 more hand-appliqued blocks, sew them into a top, quilt it and bind it. That's all. By the end of this month. No problem! LoL Actually, my first thought was, "There is absolutely no way." Period. But then the incredible, miraculous motivation of a challenge kicked in, and I've been working like a maniac ever since, trying to beat the clock. I've spent every spare minute this week cutting, basting, pressing, pinning and stitching, and yes, I have made progress ! So far, I've finished...