an easy quilt!

i decided i wanted to make a useable quilt for my friend erv – to kind of thank him for the various things he has done for me around here, etc.  i’ve had this ongoing thought about making a ‘rag’ quilt a different way.  for those of you who have made one – or at least seen/heard about them – the usual way is to choose a block size, cut squares that size for front and back.  then, cut a smaller square for the lining (if you choose to do it with a lining), which is usually just another layer of flannel. then you must do some amount of machine quilting in each square before you join them together – often just stitching a big X by stitching from corner to corner diagonally.
i thought it would be easier to use scraps and foundation piecing. and wanted to use old jeans – as i had many of them saved for a project of some kind! once i began, i realized it would be even easier to do a kind of raw edge machine applique – like big ’snippets’ or what phil beaver does???
so, i dug out my flannel stash – mostly leftovers from jackets. and those old jeans. i had to piece several of the backing blocks – it’s ok, even better. ^_^
i then laid the 15 blocks out on the bed and moved them around till i was satisfied with the layout. i am doing 18″ blocks so i don’t have to do so many! i’m not concerned about how ‘ragged’ it will be. the raw edge on the jeans pieces will also fray, so there will be plenty.
i pinned a paper with the block number on it to the same corner of each block. just stacking them doesn’t work so well for me – i tend to forget what order i stacked them in!!

to sew the blocks:

place one backing piece on your work/cutting table with the wrong side up. see below -

 

 

 

 

 

 

you will then be placing radom pieces of whatever you are using (flannel or denim or ?), overlapping them and using different sizes and shapes.  here is this one in process -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

contine until you have covered the backing completely.  sometimes, i end up with just a tiny space to cover, so i added a heart and did it raw edge as well. ^_^

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you will also notice lots of pins.  be very careful as i have stuck myself several times now! grrr  you need lots of them!  everytime i thought i had it pinned down enough – sure enough i didn’t!  you have to move the piece every which way to stitch around all those odd shapes.

these next two pictures are the front and back – to show the stitching.  i did not do it preciesly or carefully.  didn’t maintain a set distance from the raw edge, etc.  on a couple of the blocks i did additional stitching across what i thought were ‘too big’ spaces.  this quilt (blanket as he will call it) will be well used, i hope!

            

i chose not to use a lining – i thought the flannel and denim would be enough. there is a lot of overlap with those pieces. hope i was right and he finds it cumfy!
and i hope this inspires you to create something of your own – just for fun! ^_^

love and beauty www.artfullyapplique.com

 

AN URGENT PLEA

so here’s the deal.  we are about to lose our home and that will put a 70 year old woman, a 5 year old, a preganant woman and my son all on the street.  not to mention i have no idea how to run this business from a grocery cart – hardly big enough for inventory!

here is my urgent plea/request.  go to the webpage and order, even one will help.  in return, for each one you order, i will send you another of your choice.  use the comment section to tell me which you want for free.

God Bless You

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

 

friday

having one of those emotional days – just something stuck in my craw, as we used to say.  not even sure exactly what, so am just doing my best to let it all be.  that way it will more likely just flow on by.  and in the meantime, trying to do something productive.  so, have been working on yet another flannel jacket kit.   thought i’d post the picture of the last one – the one that’s not really flannel.

as i said, i think these are ’shirting’ fabrics – unless that term refers to fabric intended for ‘dress’ shirts (men’s, that is).  can’t remember.

 

 

 

and i guess that’s it for this lovely day.  off to feed the birds – and i’m not even mary poppins. ^_^

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

 

another

mostly just to have a picture to post today – here’s another of the reversible jacket kits.  today i finished another ‘flannel’ one – it isn’t really flannel.  i think they are called ’shirting’ fabrics, tho not sure about that.  no, i’m not sure what these are.  just not flannel – or even ‘brushed cotton’, as they aren’t ‘brushed’.  they are like the ‘wrong’ side of the brushed cottons.  and probably were intended for shirts.  anyway, back to the reversible one from the other day.

 

 

all of these kits will be ‘one-of-a-kind’ so when they’re gone, they’re gone.  if they don’t sell, i will eventually make the jackets myself and then sell those.  i have sold every jacket i’ve made so far. yea!

 

and then there is this – an authentic ‘copy cat’ ?? ^_^

 keep smilin’ ^_^

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

 

tues

i have finished all the kits for the reversible jacket.  well, all those i gathered together this time.  i have a LOT more fabric earmarked for jackets!  however, it does take a lot of time to find the other 3 coordinating ones – and i didn’t think i was going to be able to find them all within my stash.  somehow i did – yea!  here is one of the pictures – what i am using as a ‘cover’ for the kit.  so you can see all the fabrics and how they look together.  once again, i have sewn the pieces together that make up the little patchworks from which you then cut out your jacket.  within the kit, each piece is clearly labeled so you know what it’s for.  i have also made the pockets, which are also shown in the picture.  these are the two front pieces with the trim fabric shown between them

perhaps i will post one of these each day.

i now have 5 more flannel ones to do.  found that many sets already assembled!  it takes longer to sew the flannel pieces as all the seams are finished.

not much else to report – except i did capture another (alligator) lizard the other day.  and the baby titmouse has left the nest/birdhouse.  missed it!    am hoping to see it at the feeder eventually – once i can afford to buy more birdseed!  oh, here is the picture i took of the view from my yellow chair (which needs to be repainted cause i didn’t put it under cover for the winter)  it’s the first year for most of these iris.  lovely!

with that, i will say

love and beauty   www.artfullyapplique.com

 

progress

however slight it might be.  put two more stars together and watched a lot of golf.  huh?  well, yes – a couple weeks ago i discovered that watching golf had a very calming effect!  no violence – even that cleverly disguised as a ’sport’.  i mean those pros rarely throw their clubs around!  they may, on rare occasion take a whack at the ground, i guess.  i mean after their swing at the ball. sooo, decided to give it another go today.  pebble beach, pro-am qualifying rounds going on.  my my, was it beautiful down there today – as it was here.  and, just think, i get to be in that area in june! (for the monterey quilt show)  how nice.

so, sewing was slow going – just kind of relaxed.  just now i have finished preparing to begin the oleander.  am trying out that new clover white pen/pencil – the one that is supposed to disappear with heat – from an iron, or even a hairdryer.  will see if it lasts thru the whole applique project.  will still have to do a vinyl overlay for placement of overlapping pieces.  i did cut the pieces of fabric i will need – estimated how much of each i will need to put into the kit.  i will do the sample using that same size – to make sure it’s enough.  i’m really liking the spring-like colors.  would love to finish both this one and the paperwhites before watsonville.  yes, and those pesky mini iris’s.  i’ll keep you posted.

i can see another fabulous sunset brewing out there.  is currently in the bright yellow, pale peach and light blue stage.  i will resist the urge to take more pictures – unless i can’t. ^_^

there will be a hockey game to watch tonight – so perhaps there will be dinner also.  last night we had both games, along with pizza (yum) – and both teams won exciting games! (as in the final few seconds or overtime!!)  and a good time was had by all. ^_^  and, yes – hockey and basketball are a couple of “those” sports.

love and beauty

 

bored

ok, confession time.  i just have to admit that part of the reason i am having such a hard time working on those mini iris samples is – i’m a little tired of doing them.  i mean, i worked so hard and so steady to get the opportunity quilt done, and it was all iris!  now, trying to do the same ones over again so soon – not easy for me.  never do like doing something twice! 

however, i did get more than halfway thru the first half of the second one.  it is two blossoms, mirror imaged and i finished the worst of one.  i also decided to do something semi-radical – i’m going to fuse the third one – the one with THREE blossoms – and then combine the handsewn and fused ones in the sample for the kit for the wallhanging.  my ‘reason’ will be to show folks they can be done either way.  truth is, i’m just ready to move on to something else!

so, i did choose fabrics for the oleander.  i also used the copier to enlarge the drawing, just a tad.  it still fits within the 10″ circle i usually use, but some of the tiny pieces are just a little bigger.  and i’m going to use a dark green background, not black.  hey, it’s spring!  need to lighten up just a little. ^_^

now here’s a picture of the kind of other crazy thing i love to do – and what i did yesterday to avoid sewing.  no, the day before!  yesterday i cleared some stuff out of the garage!!  erv came over and brought the rest of the shelving and we put them up – yea!  turns out they are from the hardware store that closed not long after we moved here.  they are those two-sided metal ones and there is a piece of pegboard separating the two sides.  it can also be used with pegboard hooks.  i will probably only use the shelves on my side, but tom may want to hang stuff on his side??  i positioned them across the garage, to kind of section my part off – so told tom he could have the other side.

ok, back to the picture.  these are not “stack & wack”!!  i am not a fan of that process – too wasteful.  these are fussy cut.  some were sewn on the machine.  the current ones are being done by hand just cause i want to sit in my comforable chair and sew.  i have a vague idea of what i’m going to do with them – very vague.  my plan is to just keep making them until i’m ready to do something.  the 8 pointed ones are set with ‘corners’ to create a block.  the 6 pointed (& smaller) ones will be appliqued on.  somehow they will be combined.  somehow is the important word there – like i really don’t have a clue at the moment.  just plan to have some fun making them. ^_^

i’ll take a real close closeup another day.  this fabric was out a year (maybe 2?) ago.  bright colors and metallic.  3 or 4 colorways and 2 or 3 different designs.  i didn’t think quickly enough to get them all.  they do make lovely stars!

love and beauty

 

one down

here’s the first new sample of one of the mini iris designs i’ll be publishing soon – once the sample are done.  hoping to get 3 of them done before the next show – at least.  going to do the single, double & triple – this being the single. (these are some of the new ones i did for the opportunity quilt) then see if i can get them into one piece like the three ginko’s, and put together a kit.    this photo is taken with the new camera- which i finally got brave and installed the software for on this computer.

well, that didn’t work too well.  i have probably distorted this picture trying to get it smaller.  not sure howcome i somtimes don’t get a ‘thumbnail’ version when i upload.

the other brave thing i did was to give away the new computer i had never fired up!!  it has been sitting here since last march – yes, nearly a whole year!!  just too busy and was afraid to risk moving the business stuff over to it.  you know, computer projects are pretty much like plumbing projects – NEVER as simple as first imagined/advertised, etc etc.  the hassle i went thru when i moved everything down here taught me a very valuable lesson in that category.  yes, it also showed me i still have a brain that works well, and i figured most everything out on my own.  and it took way longer (days!!) than planned. not to mention some different hardware, etc etc etc.  since then, not had that kind of time to spare.  so, am still operating with the tv sitting where the monitor should be and the monitor off to my left.  gotten kinda used to it. ^_^

so, tom’s computer has been slowly dying – the kids (teens) just about ruined it – and it probably has some kind of virus, etc etc.  i just decided to give him my new one – no sense having it sit here for several more months!!  so that’s how he has spent his day – moving only the files he wants from one to the other.  and now maybe they can use the new webcam candace’s mom gave them.  hope so.  for sure they will have sound again.  and a cd drive that works.  and i have just a tad more storage space. life is good! ^_^

whoa!!  just let mr pepe out again and that sleet/popcorn snow that was falling a moment ago has now covered the ground!  can you believe it – there was lovely sunshine, and orange clouds dotting a blue sky as the sun went down!  these foothills are something!!

love and beauty

 

more rain

well, i did enjoy that lovely sunshine yesterday and it was all the more sweet because i could see what was coming toward us.  it’s not that i don’t like, or appreciate the rain – goodness knows we need it around here, since it doesn’t show up for months in the summer!  it’s just my february thing – which has as much to do with some family history as the fact that it is about the last of ‘winter’ in this neck of the woods.  and i am usually very ready for spring.

got those kits cut and will be shipping them today.  as expected – i received a call this morning from one of the ladies.  i assured her it would be in her mailbox by tues or wed – going out priority mail today.  i was able to assemble the two i needed easily.  then i have one barely acceptable fabric (for petal undersides) that will give me just 3 more.  so, once again i am on the search for fabric.  anyone have some batik-like, rose colored metallic “lightening” fabric?  i know, sounds weird, but if you have some you will know what i am talking about. ^_^

once i have taken these things to the mailbox – i will cut some fabric and begin those mini iris samples – i promise!!

oh, the opportunity quilt will be – IS, having its debut appearance today.  it is 1st saturday and that’s a special day at high sierra – ‘my’ quilt shop.  that means lots of folks come to share and shop – a perfect opportunity to sell some tickets!!  sure hope it does!  if you’re in the area – stop on by! ^_^  it’s a great shop.  cameron park in the bel air shopping center, right next to the freeway.  yes, i have actually learned to say freeway – not expressway.  no longer sound like a foreigner around here. ^_^

love and beauty

 

trying

to get more motivated, here!  i keep thinking i will get up and just get going and produce miraculous results.  not happening.  i also keep thinking i am actually going to have a day when i don’t have to go anywhere – unless i want to.  that hasn’t happened either.  dang!

today it was a trip to the vet with mocha – the man-eating chahuahua.  she had been giving her hind end a lot of attention lately – and yesterday also began acting ‘clingy’ – as in curling up near your feet, mostly invisibly, and thus causing both of you to risk of harm when YOU moved!  which happened while i was cooking last night (up there).  so, just over $100 and a mini cone around her neck later(plus antibiotics, of course) - i am back home.  and it is ‘afternoon’ and somehow just not the same energy as i have when i start early and stay with it.

did manage to find some fabric so i can cut the coneflower kits i need.  have two to mail to arizona.    those ladies may be beginning to think i forgot!  and these days – that’s often a very safe bet.   perhaps i can push myself thru the cutting process – once i’ve lolly gagged here playing some games.  and what the heck happened to my intention to actually do some sewing??!!

ah, speaking of that – i do need to get those cats finished.  the folks at fons & porter are waiting for the finished sample – to review for/in their magazine!!  now wouldn’t you think that would be inspiration enough!?  ok, truth is, february is just a tough month for me.  ready for spring.  and speaking of that – i can kinda feel it out there today!!  lovely sunshine right now.  looks like more clouds rolling up the hill toward us, tho.  nice now – great after all that rain again yesterday!

love and  beauty