Quilting for Violet

Finally I have gotten in a little sewing this summer!  I have been assisting and guiding a Lovely Little on her project for 4-H.  Since I was hanging out in the sewing room, I managed to whip this sewing machine dust cover up.  Randi has a great tutorial this month for her sew-a-long.  This went together easily.

I used most of the fabric left from Joy's cover for the inside lining.

Here is Joy in her quilt.

Violet in her quilt.
I have to say that I originally thought that Violet wouldn't need a dust cover.  She would just hide away in her cabinet while not sewing.  Well, I guess I am either too lazy, or this Singer 201 is just too useful.  She is always out and I am enjoying having two machines ready at a moments notice!  (Now if I could just figure out how to use them both at the same time.)

On another note, please notice the shiny, new button at the top of my blog.  Over the couple of years that I have been blogging, I have gotten acquainted with some great people.  One such person is Amy over at During Quiet Time.  She is having this great contest, with fabulous prizes.  Come join the fun, but don't you dare beat me!  ;0)

Okay, so I will totally forgive you if you do!

Blessings,

KT

Indecisiveness...well,maybe...maybe not!

I have had this fabric laying around for over a year now thinking that I would make cushion covers for this rocker. Now I am considering chucking it in favor of quilty coverings. I didn't pay much for this fabric, clearance at Joanne's. I could find it a good home.

Then again, the colors are beautiful. Goodness me, I can't decide. Any thoughts?

Blessings,

KT

Finally a Friday Finish...

 with time to blog about it!  I actually finished this over Memorial Day Weekend.  Perfect time to finish a picnic quilt.  I drug it everywhere we went, clipping seams as I was driven to fun events by Treasure.

Finally, Monday evening I ended up out on the trampoline finishing it up.  Why the trampoline?  Well, after weeks of denim lint cleanup, I am sick of denim lint.  I am sure if I sneeze too hard, it will be blue.  (Let's not talk about all of it still in the van.)  Each square was 5" x 5" cut, then sewn with a 1/2" seam allowance, making this one massive quilt.  I have not yet been brave enough to actually measure it, but I will say my elbow is finally recovered from rotary cutting and clipping all the denim that makes up this quilt.

Me, nearly passed out from the relief of having the clipping done!

All that denim is on the back.  This, hopefully, is one heavy duty quilt.  I hurried to finish it for a picnic that was today...that I am not at.  Sickness has invaded the camp.  Oh well, it is rainy and chilly anyhow.

Treasure took me out on a date to the laundromat to wash this up in a big washer.  I had heard horror stories about repair bills and clogged pipes from denim rag quilts.  We went to Pizza King for a Royal Feast first, so it really was a date!  This picture shows how well it fluffed up after washing.

I am linking up with Sew & Tell, so have fun using that cute little button on my side bar.  There are some great projects to peek at!

Blessings,

KT

Quilting Conservation

Yesterday I stopped at an LQS to pick up some white on white fabrics, not because they were having an Easter Egg Hunt.  One of my favorites was working, and I asked her what was new that I had to have.  Boy did her face light up!  She asked me if I chain pieced.  Hello!  I have to conserve time!  She said I had to have this Cutting Gizmo.  And it was purple...BONUS!

This is the closest thing to an in action shot I could get, having only two hands and all.

I have been doing a little scrap management, trying to conserve space and resources.  Love these double hour glass blocks.  I have to buy the white though.  Been using all kinds of different white on white.  Remember, that is what I went to the LQS for.  It had nothing to do with the Easter Egg Hunt.

Finished fourteen today.  (There are two of some prints, lest you think I can't count.)  Yup, I like to chain piece.  See all that apparent clutter in the background?  It is actually pretty tidy, just cramped.  Guess that is all perspective though.  My family would probably tell you my sewing area takes up a lot of room.

Current count:  53.

The Cutting Gizmo has earned its place.  Have I mentioned its purple?

Oh, and here are the white on whites that I bought yesterday.  Because that's what I went for, it had nothing to do with the Easter Egg Hunt.  Oh, I got two free fat quarters in my egg.  They are the two on the right.

;0)

Linking up with Sew and Tell, and Finish it Friday.  Have fun checking out all the great finishes!

Blessings,

KT

Welcome to the family Violet!

This is Violet, she came to live at my house this past Friday.  Some of you may know that I have a UFO quilt that I have been hesitating to finish.  It will be way too big to quilt on my Janome.  I have been considering getting a Juki (and still may in the distant future) but I have home repairs that are more important.

I love my Pearl, my Singer Featherweight.  So, imagine my joy when I found this beautiful machine for only $45!  Saturday I cleaned, oiled, and lubed.  In doing so I found that she has a knee mechanism in her cabinet.  Yes, the original cabinet was part of that incredibly low price.  Violet is a Singer 201!

Still don't know for sure if my quilt will fit.  That is a 5" charm square in her throat space!  But as I used her to sew these picnic quilt squares, I realized I will want to do a lot of my sewing on her.  She loves to sew, and that knee thingamajig is wonderful.

Joy, my Janome, requires a visit to the spa about every 9 months.  At $70 each visit, I have nearly payed for her twice.  I love Joy, but Violet I can maintain myself.  In so doing, I can save some wear and tear on Joy.

On to the progress!

1.  Picnic Quilt---332 denim and fabric blocks done.  625 is the goal!  I have run out of denim, and am pestering all my friends for their worn out jeans!!

2.  Hunky Dory Quilt---all 86 blocks done.  Now to square them all up!

3.  Amy Butler Bag---no progress, but I need to pull this out and get it done before vacation.

4.  Fresh Cut Quilt---Going to get back to this one as soon as the bobbins, walking foot, FMQ foot, and new marked plate get here.

Off to re-arrange my sewing area so Violet fits!  be sure to check out the other works in progress by using the button on the side bar.

Blessings,

KT

Pouches on a Tuesday

There is so much going on, and I have so much to share!  But, getting my thoughts and pictures together in a post has been quite a challenge.  Any how, I have gotten these pouches done.  I used Randi's tutorial to make them.  It was a great tute!  You may notice the pouch on the left is bigger.  I made these for a gift, and wanted to use all that I had on hand.  Yup, that great Amy Butler print was a bolt end just lying around waiting its turn.  Perfect girly, but not pink fabric for a very special niece.  Just happened to find the perfect pale yellow contrast in my scrap bin.  Already had the zippers too!  

You know me, pulling out a little fancy stitch for the "quilting".

These are a great way to use up that batting left over after you trim a quilt.  Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the interior.  It is just solid gray.  You guessed it...already had it...it was scrap.

Anyhow, maybe she will now remember her toothbrush and charging cords when she comes to spend the night!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday, please feel welcomed to use the button on the side bar to visit the other contributors!!

Blessings,

KT

Love Multiplies

After seeing so many Japanese + and x blocks, I finally had to just make some. Instead of using a tutorial, like a sane person, I had to make up my own pattern. Lately, I have been a little nuts that way! Well, I grabbed some scraps and some stash and began to play.

I was all set to try some FMQ, but then the quilt said "no". I ended up with a lot of very close straight line quilting. It all radiates out from the center.

That...

Was a lot of quilting! It might have been easier to FMQ! For the last border, I just went around several times.

I fell in love with this fabric from Joann's. It was a higher quality than much of their stuff, and I am still loving it. Wish I would have bought more.

The binding was a Jennifer Paganelli print that was left over from making a wall hanging. Still have some left!

I think that the matching binding kinda brings them together!

;0)

I will be linking this up to WIP Wednesday, and Sew and Tell Friday. Be sure to check out all the other lovely projects for these linky parties by using the buttons on my side bar.

Blessings,

KT