What's going on?

The answer is lot's.

I have been taking classes at my LQS which has resulted in more unfinished projects to manage.  Most of which are from classes that I have been taking to gain skills to work on more challenging projects.  I'll be posting some projects that I would like to share.

In the mean time, there has been a few big sales at my LQS and birthday discounts (Happy Birthday to me) in August that has allowed me to gather fabric for a few quilt for me projects I have pulled from various books and blogs I follow. 

The first one is El Camino Real: Quilts Inspired by Early California History, by Nancy and Oliver Rink.  I have been working on another applique project where I have been learning how to do needle turn applique.  I think I am going to attempt to do this one by hand to continue to develop that skills.  Up until now I have been doing only applique by machine.

 

 

The Candy Scraps Quilt is the other project I'm in love that uses pre-cut candy charm packs, featured on the Moda Bake Shop blog I follow.  It has been real hard to find Linen Mochi Dot Unbleached Linen and I was about to order online until Oklahoma Quiltworks stocked it.  There was a collective cheer from my guild mates when we all got the newsletter from the shop in was on the shelf.  This quilt callls for big stich quilting that is popular among a few of the guild members.

Time to get organized update the project list. 

Distractions

I have been a very busy girl.  Still doing my monthly classes at Prairie Quilts for Sewing Chicks and Machine Embroidery club. I did get my Stitcher's Garden 1 top completed.  I received a very nice Shimmer charm pack from Prairie for bringing it to class for show. It will be my FMQ practice top for my home machine.

I've been distracted with spring...projects that is like challenges and quilt classes.  This has side tracked me from my to do list, but going to add these as completed.  Then it won't look so bad.

Here's my recap of April.

My Fabric Bowl from a OKCMQG workshop at Oklahoma Quiltworks

 

My completed quilt top from my 1st place finish in Jelly Roll Race II at Prairie Quilts in a time of 36 minutes.

 

 

Here is are 2 block for http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/ for her wedding quilt.  She is my favorite ruler and pattern designer.  I used 1/2 of a star block I learned this weekend.  Then  some shapes using the mini hexnmore.

 

 

 



100 Blocks

I have switched gears from my on going machine embroidery project to another item on my 2014 list.  This past week I have started a quilt along (QAL)  with a few of my OKCMQG members.  Jemellia organized this QAL using Tula Pink's book: City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks.  We are meeting once a month at her very lovely studio Je's Bend, which is like walking into a quilty "I Spy" experience.  I left with a Pantone tin and a block scrap of fabric to practice free motion quilting.  It was a great time where I did more cutting then sewing, but who says you have to sew.  The cutting momentum continued through the OKCMQG sew day over the weekend where I did more cutting.

I decided to use a pre cut layer cake since the blocks are scrappy and finish at 6.5 inches.  This gave me a good variety of fabric to choose from along with a few other bonuses the Wren and Friends fabric line by Moda offered.  I wanted a brown background for this fabric so I'm using a brown dot fabric as my dark in all of the block.  I keep forgetting to get the name when I go to the quilt store where I bought it.

Cutting blocks at OKCMQG sew day.  I did not sew a stich, but I was not the only one.
Others were doing needle work and swapping projects along with sewing.
Love my wonder clips and Post-it tabs to keep what I'm cutting organized. 
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Saturday was National Quilting Day.  Our local shops were offering discounts or double shopping stamps.  I picked up coordinating Wren and Friends cream and tangerine border fabric to fussy cut for a few blocks that have a feature cut.

Here I am with doing a little chain sewing.



Block number one done.

Here are six completed blocks laid out on Kona Solid Chestnut which I think looks pretty good.   I skipped around in the first group of blocks as I hope to have a few more coordinating solids to add.
That's it until next months meet up.

I did it!

Sew....today was my first class at Prairie Quilts taking my free machine embroidery class.  I bought my new Pfaff 3.0 about 5 months ago and have not taken it out of the box until last night.  I was holding out until I had time to take a class to learn how to use the darn thing without breaking it.  Funny thing is, I was not the only one that had the same idea.  It was a full group today 12 ladies ready to tackle their chosen pattern.  Mine was a Lunch Box Quilts pattern called "OOH LA LA."  There were a few that were a bit more anxious than I am, so I let our two fine ladies from the shop get them situated while I figured out how to wind the bobbin.  30 minutes later...I found I like the ole' pedal was easier to use that the auto feature as I had a loose mess on my hand.  Next, I needed stabilizer*, one of many trips downstairs.  I got that hooped after I added fabric grip** to the inner hoop.  Ready to go... Almost!

Reason 1 why this was a good class:  My machine would not read my USB stick***.  Cause my USB port was not connected from the factory.  Seems to have been a common issue.  Luckily the shops sewing machine maintenance guy Kent, was working to day.  After a brief outpatient surgery I was ready to get started.

Reason 2 why this was a good class.  My machine was stopped in the middle of the basting my fabric to the stabilizer.  Cause I did not take this red plastic shipping pin from my embroidery unit.

After all that, here are some pictures of my progress.   I need to finish the blocks by adding the fabric frame to these below and I'll be ready for the next blocks in the quilt.



Machine Applique in the hoop to add the fabric for the heel.

Satin stitching around the shoe.

Adding the pink bow to the toe. 



Completed 2 very snazzy high heel shoes. OUi!

 

 



Notions***


This year in my blog posts I like to share tips about notions I use in my quilting endeavors. (So I can remember for next time I have a similar application)

* Stabilizer I used for this project was  inspira  Fast & Easy Tear A Way.  When you are machine embroidering you use stabilizer so your stitches won't cut through the fabric.  I'm going to store the label in the middle of the roll and wrap it in Glad Press n Seal to store it so it does not become an unrolled mess.

**Hoop Grip Tape was shown to use to add to the inner ring of our embroidery hoop.  It has an adhesive side and a grippy side that keeps your hooped materials from shifting in the hoop keeping it taught.  Works great.

*** USB Stick used for transferring designs from a design media for patterns, fonts, etc. to my Pfaff 3.0.  One major thing I learned is that they don't like USB stick larger than 1G.  If you run across one buy it they are hard to come by. For this use bigger is not better.

Mod Olives

I came across the Quick Curve Ruler at Quiltworks, one of the local quilt shops (LQS) I frequent.  Today also happened to be national shop at your local quilt shop day.  Like my blog titles I have a soft spot for notions, particularly acrylic rulers.  This was a worthy spend of a full loyalty card.  What sold me was the 20 + patterns listed on the front.  This is a "I mean business ruler".  A little exploration of the creators blog Sew Kind Of Wonderful led me to this quilt along.  First task it to pick fabric and post on flicker.  The fabric will be easy to find.  I am really keen on the fabric line High Street in the Moda family.I may use that as there is a green fabric I dig in that line. 

Bella Solids Clover

The challenge is flicker, I have looked through photos on flicker, but never posted.  This will be interesting. 

Let's Get this party started!

It's a new year with new goals.  I'm ready are you?  So I have to say that I learned a lot being in the Oklahoma City Modern Quilt Guild this past year.  Enough that I had the opportunity to have 2 quilts completed in time for the Oklahoma City Winter Quilt Show.  Big milestone!  I'm going to work on my to-do for the year as well as carve out some time to post some meaningful posts.  Hopefully someone will find some information of some use.  I picked up some new notions at the OKC Winter Quilt show.  I have to say I have become a acrylic ruler junkie.  My favorite brand is Creative Grids.  It was great getting to know the ladies a bit better as well as meeting people who are interested in modern quilts.