Design Wall Monday

I've got... nothin'!

I just finished a vest for my son, and am handquilting two quilts, but there is nothing currently in pieces and parts in terms of quilts.  I do have a basket of clothing, but who wants to see a basket of clothing?

Check out the other design walls at Judy's place.

From the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #13

Almost a 1/4 of the way through the year - I still have a lot to do!

This week I finished:

A pair of pants for the Screamer to wear under her Easter dress.  She wore them outside and promptly had an accident in them.  At least I know she likes them!  (I won't count this fabric out until I have all the Easter things done.)  I also made a vest for Bear Cub Q, but despite the pattern's assurances, it was SIGNIFICANTLY too small, so I will be making a larger one.

 The pink and green blocks are a top, now basted and hand quilting started.  You can see, particularly with the dark green fabric, that the Assistant rearranged after I had laid out the rows, so lots of things line up that I didn't intend to have in a line.

My version of "Making Ends Meet" is a top.  Woo-hoo!  I love it, despite the sizing issue caused by the Assistant adjusting my needle position, unbeknownst to me.  She's been a good assistant this week, can't you tell?  (pattern: Making Ends Meet by Judy Laquidara)

I also have my "Favorite Things" borders on.

There was lots of outside time.

My UFO #1/brown monochromatic project is complete!

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 139 3/4 yards

OUT this week: 1 yard
OUT YTD: 24 3/4 yards

YTD Totals: 115 yards IN

Check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

UFO #1 and Brown Monochromatic quilt complete

This month was much busier than January and February, and there was no potentially broken ankle to give me extra quilting time, and, and, and... and I just wasn't in love with this project.

I'm a big fan now that it's done.  This was a charm pack of madder/brown fabrics from Connecting Threads several years back.  It was a freebie, or it wouldn't have been in my stash.  I finally cut the charms into 4s, alternated them with muslin, and began hand quilting.

You can see in this view of the back (which is NOT the true color, but it shows the quilting), that it makes a bit of a basket weave effect.  I had hoped it would be more pronounced on the front, but it looks cool anyway.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Top Finished

My "Making Ends Meet" top (pattern by Judy Laquidara of Patchwork Times) is complete.  I am a little sick to my stomach at the fact that my daughter adjusted my needle position, and I didn't realize it until I had sewn the entire pieced border, so it's a little small.  Ugh.

It's still beautiful, and I will have pictures soon.

Now I just need to figure out why I don't own her books when I love her patterns.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Design Wall Monday

What a week!

On Tuesday, Judy suggested a new quilt in celebration of National Quilting Day.  I did well until the pieced border, then stalled due to the pinning, etc., that my Bear Cub Q wouldn't allow.  I don't have an updated picture, but check here for my blocks.

Since I was on borders, I pulled out Favorite Things and decided it was high time it became a finished top.  After 4+ hours of sewing on Sunday (after Mass and lunch), here it is, awaiting pressing, quilting decisions, a backing... you get the idea.

DH says it's crazy, and I think that's a good thing.  DH was so gracious as to watch the kids outside so I could zoom along the border.  They are straight, but there wasn't enough room on the floor to lay it out, and I still need to press it! (pattern: Peaches 'n' Dreams by Judy Laquidara)

Check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #12

After last week's exciting delivery, it was time to get crackin'.  Therefore, this week, I pieced a pillowcase to match the Assistant's Pink Things quilt.  I can't include a photo, as I promptly washed it and put it away for her birthday in April.

I also finished Screamer's "princess" dress, complete with fabric flowers.  As you can see, she's quite happy with it (or is that grin for the oatmeal cooking in her hand?)

I also started a new quilt top with Judy in celebration of National Quilting Day.  I am currently working on the borders, but here is a picture of the blocks.  Check out Judy's blog for the pattern.  Her directions are beautiful, clear, concise... I love how it's turning out, especially since I have always been put off by borders but love Judy's, so I'm doing them.  AND it's all from stash.

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 139 3/4 yards

OUT this week: 4 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 23 3/4 yards

YTD Totals: 116 yards IN

This week is Spring Break, so I will be slowed down by DH being home.  Plus, onions and asparagus need planting.  Still, I hope to finish my brown table runner, get the borders on my Favorite Things top, and finish the top "Making Ends Meet."  There's that pink and green baby top as well, but it may need to wait.

Check out the other stash reports to see what else people did for National Quilting Day!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

National Quilting Day...

... is Saturday.

Here are my completed blocks for the free design Judy is offering in celebration of National Quilting Day!

My family will probably be glad when I am done with this, as I have been neglecting laundry folding, extra cooking, and regular house cleaning in an effort to keep up with Judy.

Judy has lots of yummy, bright colors in the top she is making, but I opted for all fabrics in my favorite colors - aquas, turquoises, etc.  The dark green fabric is a fabric I've been saving to make a special quilt just for me, and I think this will be just the ticket!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

What am I thinking?

I have started on Judy's National Quilting Day quilt top.  It starts with 144 half-square triangles.  Am I completely mad?  I have plenty of other things to do!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Design Wall Monday

The cassock is done, buttonholes and all, as is the Pink Things quilt (my stash report has pictures).

I am now working on, among other things, a pink and green scrappy quilt (from the Assistant's quilts, explaining the pink-ness of it) for some friends who are fostering to adopt a preemie.  These are just a few of the blocks (I have more ready to iron).

Other things I am working on this week: my brown/UFO table runner.  I'm hand quilting this time, and it's a different pattern than my last two.  A "princess dress" for Screamer, who has been waiting so patiently.  I've finished two flowers for the waist, but there's plenty of sewing ahead of me.  Some crocheted baby hats and flowers.  If I get all that done, I'll work on the blue borders for "Favorite Things," so that I can baste and hand quilt that monster!

Check out the other design walls (and floors, and tables, and... you get the idea) on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Sunday Stash Report Week #11

This is a picture-heavy post, and I "blame" the following pictures on my DH, who insisted I needed a few splurges (hey, it was almost all on clearance for less than $3 a yard, and DH is all about hedging bets against inflation).  And my stash isn't that big.  I couldn't make quilts for the rest of my life without buying anything and still not use up all my fabric (unless I hand-pieced everything.  Then, maybe).

Let us begin with the numbers:

OUT this week: 11 yards

OUT YTD: 19 1/2 yards

IN this week: 104 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 139 3/4 yards

YTD Totals: 120 1/4 yards IN

Now for the pictures:

For a Double Wedding Ring Quilt
and pillow shams for my DYS (27 yards)

For a quilt I would like to write a pattern for.
1/2 yard cuts on the left, 1 yard of focus fabric on the right
background behind (15 yards of background, but it was $2.48
and I can use it for other things)

Can you guess what my favorite color is?
(4 yards, 3 yards, 3 yards, 3 yards)

I just love the colors.
1/2 yard of each stripe, and 1 yard of the houses

3 yards and 6 yards, to make next year's "Easter clothes"
I didn't have enough of any one fabric to make everyone something out of the same print.  Now I will!

15 yards, 13 yards
I've been asked to make a few T-shirt quilts for ballgames, and the brown looks perfect for that.  The white will be a good basic background (I didn't have any basic creams, whites, etc.)

Pink for a pillow case to match "Pink Things"
Reds for the Screamer's quilt,
and the star fabric will also go to my hexagon qilt

I love stars.

I did manage to finish two HUGE projects in my life this week, in spite of a birthday, in-laws visiting, and a Saturday spent planting potatoes (and I have the sunburn to prove it!)

Presenting, Pink Things (with gratuitous shots of Bear Cub Q)

Front

Back

Quilting Detail

Finishing at 5 feet by 7 feet, it will be large enough to grace the Assistant's bed even with three of us laying down (which sometimes happens when we're reading or they're sick).  She insisted I should wrap it up and save it for her birthday, so I will.  I'm going to make a pillowcase with the above purchased pink as well as some leftover squares.

Then there was this cassock.  You know, the 33 buttonholes, the sleeves, the pleats, the 43 buttons I made, the collar I botched the first time, the lining I sewed into the buttonholes and almost cried when I found it.  Yeah, that one.  The buttonholes are done, the buttons are sewn on, and there are a lot of prayers sewn into this garment.  When my friend is ordained to the deaconate, I will be so... joyful for him,  Please excuse the dark picture.  Bear Cub Q was chasing me as I tried to find a place to take a picture since he wanted to have the camera.  It is definitely not perfect (you caught that bit about the lining and the buttonholes, right?), but I honestly did my best, and I am proud of it.  I'll just ask my friend not to tell me if he decides he doesn't like it.  Now to get it pressed and sent to Colorado.

Check out the real stashBUSTERS on Judy's blog.

Later today, I should have a post about Purgatory Ranch and potato planting, pictures included.

Next week, for a slower change of pace, I'll be working on my brown table runner, some crocheting, and a quilt for some friends who are fostering-to-adopt a preemie.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Happy Birthday, Screamer

Happy birthday, Screamer.  Screamer, my very-middle-child, turned 3.  She was a bit bemused by all the singing on the phone by long distance relatives.  Her celebration with my brothers and sisters will be on Sunday, barring stomach flu (my brother's family has it now, and I'm hoping we escape!).

Design Wall Monday

No picture today, although there is progress.  The cassock is almost hemmed and is lined, but a picture won't show you that.

I've started on my brown table runner for my UFO and monochromatic challenges, so there are little piles of brown on my sewing bench.

I am down to TWO rows left to quilt!  Since the Screamer's birthday is this week, and we need to till for potatoes, I probably won't finish, much to my chagrin.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #10

Nothing in.  Nothing out.  Give me a few weeks, and that will change.  I completed my two rows of quilting on "Pink Things," and at this writing, have only to attach the lining to the cassock, then on to hemming and... buttonholes.

We went out to the land Friday and mowed in preparation for tilling.  Okay, DH mowed and I watched the kids and moved logs.

My sister wants me to open an etsy shop with crocheted baby hats.  Once she takes some lovely, gorgeous pictures (she's an awesome photographer), I will show you what I mean.  They're definitely addictive and fast to make!

Bear Cub Q has officially fallen down stairs.  Until this week, I was able to be fairly lenient in blocking the top of our stairs because he would tell me before he was heading for the stairs, then stop to look if I was coming.  (Isn't that nice of him?)  Then, I was upstairs putting up our gate to keep him in, when he pushed open the kitchen screen door and walked outside... and off the back steps.  Concrete.  All four of them.  Busted lip, line across the forehead, scrape over the eye.  Yup.

Check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.