Thursday, March 31, 2011

Better Late Than Never -- The Hexigon Report:)

                           It's been a busy week.  So busy there was just no way for me to post my posey progress yesterday.  I did make progress.  Slow and steady:)

                                             Last Week                               This Week

Total Flowers                              22                                            23

Total Stepping Stones                  20                                           34

Here is a picture of my new flower and the joined flowers.  I love to see them joined!!






Hopefully tonight I'll get to check the other participants progress and hopefully you will leave a comment when you check mine.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Another Great Giveaway

A wonderful giveaway from Lora of Eager Hands. She is giving away 50 5x5 Vintage Sheet squares and one yard of backing.  Visit the Vintage Sheet Blog to enter.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

How Does My Garden Grow?

This week I did get one more flower made.  I really like the purple fabric.  I also made a bunch (about 20) of hexigons from the off-white floral I am going to use  in-between  the flowers. 


I started to put flowers together --I'm excited, although it may take me years to finish.  I like seeing them together like that.  I also took a few of the templates out and was amazed to see they really do come out easily.

I think this was a productive gardening week.  I think that this quilt top will look very scrappy and old fashioned.  Just the way I want it.

How big are your hexis or flowers?  My flowers are about 51/2 inches.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Five More Posies to Add to My Garden

This week I completed five flowers for my quilt.  That brings the grand total to 21. I really enjoy making these hexies.  It is so relaxing.  I enjoy seeing the flower combinations other people are making and, of course, the comments to cheer me on:) 
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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Rainbow Scrap Challenge -- and More.]

I finally got my sewing machine back last week and had to do a lot of catching up.  First my BOM for the Quilting Board challenge.  I had the church done -- I finnished the farmhouse and barn.  None of the blocks are embellished, but they are complete:)


Then I started a Log Cabin square for each of the colors of the month for The Soscrappy Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I had the blue one done -- I completed the red and green ones.  I discovered I liked the colors mixed up -- not light on one side and dark on the other.  Well --I made a new blue block.  I think I'm getting better at this paper piecing thing. The houses are far from perfect, but many seasoned quilters are having trouble with them, especially th farmhouse block.   Also-- check out my One Flower Wednesday posts.   Living --Learning--Loving--Quilting.  It is nice to be back!!




Wednesday, March 9, 2011

It is a GREAT week for GARDENING!!!!

Ok--it is still cold and rainy, with an occassional snowy day.  My poor little crocus are trying to come up, but that is outside!!  Inside I have six beautiful new blooms for One Flower Wednesday!!  That makes seventeen in all.  I know I'm slower than many of you, but I am very pleased with this weeks progress:)

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Friday, March 4, 2011

Goals for 2011--How am I Doing?

Blog/Craft Goals for 2011
1. Learn to Quilt – I just mean the basics. I don’t expect to churn out 25 quilts or even two I would like to complete one quilt from piecing to binding by next January – is that too lofty a goal?

Working on goal one -- working on several quilts at once.

To help meet this goal I joined So Scrappy’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge (See button on side bar.) I plan to post something each Scrappy Saturday – even if it is just to say –not much progress this week.

I post most Saturdays -- but my sewing machine died for the month of Feb.  I got it back so hopefully I'll have more to report.

I also joined the Quilting Board and will participate in the BOM that Sulabug is moderating. The first block is a paper pieced church. Each block is a house of some sort. I’ll post pictures of my blocks monthly and may need suggestions to help with problems.

Two out of three completed..

2. Make something hand-made for everyone on my Christmas list.

Not started yet --some of the quilting will be for gifts though.

3. Submit at least two projects for publication in a magazine –Create and Decorate, perhaps.

No --not even close.

4. Write a new post weekly about crafting that week – this may be just the perils of a hopeful quilting newbie or it could be about other creations I’m working on.

Yes--I think I'm doing ok with this one.

5. Also –write once a week on a non-craft related topic. This may include: my yard, projects at my house, thrifting, a new favorite blog –or anything that suits my fancy at the moment.

Yes --I had several no-craft related topics.

6. Write at least one or two tutorials for my blog – nothing too detailed. Start small.

Not yet, but I have some time left.

7. Leave more comments. Everyone loves comments!!

I like leaving comments -- and I do every day!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Four More Blooms and Other Things I've Made:)

This week I finished these four flowers for One Flower Wednesday.  This is where my inexperience shows - my hexis are 1 3/4" and the flowers measure 5 1/2" across. If I make a double bed sized quilt how many would I need? I am trying to make half of the flowers different fabrics-- so if I make 100 flowers 50 would be various colors, only using the fabric again for the center of another flower. 50 will be some shade of off-white or beige and the centers will be the colored fabric from the first 50 flowers.(Does that make sense?) Ok for the Big Question. Is there a place I can go that explains how to figure out what I need?  What I figured so far is that a double bed is about 54x75.  If my hexis are 51/2" then I should need 10 across and 14 down-- or 140 in all.  Is that right??????? 


I've also been busy with other projects:  first I made this teacup pin cushion with a yo-yo on top.




I also have been painting a few things:
This vintage tube pan:

 These vintage milk cans:




I crochet a few candle mats from fabric that was my Grandmothers:  The ends need to be worked in.


And last but not least a combined effort:

This cross-stitched project to display vintage buttons.
A family friend cross-stitched the wreath. (Sister Charlotte Sauers)   I added the center grid.  My mother-in-law and I spent literally days going through buttons to get just the right ones.  I sewed some -- she sewed more!! And then we framed it. The frame was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law. She is a true whiz when it comes to framing!!

So in conclusion--I've been busy!!