Last Day of Retreat More Show and Tell

The past 2 1/2" days have been spent working on a new project "Tara".  

Month 1

Month 2

 Made 4 of these for Month 3

Then spent the remainder of the time cutting the rest of 24+ yards of fabric for this quilt.

I now have all of the remaining 9 months cut and ready to sew.  There are LOTS of template work 

here OR you can foundation piece.  I don't like that "F" word, so I choose to work with the templates.

With all of this sewing, I did manage to get 19 more of my leader/ender blocks completed

 That's a grand total of 29.

I only need 994 (whoot-whoot I'm under a thousand)

To finish up retreat, I am working on my Phebe quilt.  Here is a pic of the finished quilt.

I started the center applique, but had 2 pieces of fabric that I couldn't decide between.

Both are tonal florals.

The floral is just a couple shades darker than the background and I think it gets really muddy.

I picked this one.  Florals are a little more defined and I think my applique will show nicely on it.  It will also be used in two more applique borders around the quilt.  The hill fabric shows really light here but it is not.  It's aggravating when pics don't show well.

Just waiting on my background center to dry - I starched it and will machine stitch the vase, trees and hill down before we start packing up.

All in all it was a tremendously successful week.

I just feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world being able to do what I love 

and be able to do it all DAY every DAY if I like.  It's great and I love it!

Happy Sewing

Summer Retreat

I am so PROUD of myself.  It has only been less than 3 weeks and I AM POSTING AGAIN!

I could say that "life gets in the way", but that would only be an excuse.  I am just lazy and mainly forgetful.  I don't remember to take pics of what I finish during the week at home.  In fact, I have been at retreat all week and am just now showing you what I have done for the last 4 days.

I like to work a few months ahead on my block of the month commitments for the shop.  It is easier to do at least 2 months at a time and then I can skip that BOM the next month.  This system seems to work easier for me and I don't have to handle the same fabrics as much.

 Here are August and September

Boys of the Bible Blocks

Next to do was the Temecula BOM.  These are month 4 Blocks

And Dear Jane Blocks.  I am determined NOT to let this sit around for 10 years before this second DJ is finished.                                                                                                                                    So my Challenge each month is to make a certain number of these until they are all done.    These are K3-4-6-8-9-10 and 11. I did not intend to skip around, but I forgot to pack any blue thread to applique with.                                                                                                                                     I am about 30 blocks from having the center done (169 blocks total) and 26 pieced triangles to go (half way there with those). 

                                                                                           

At the lake in April, I finished the center block portion of Mrs. Miller's Apprentice BOM.  And then it just sat at home until this week.  Retreats are a great time to do some mindless sewing.  With all of the laughing and carrying on and after everybody has gone to bed (I'm the late one) putting on a good book you can really get some things cranked out.

Two solid borders, pieced border and then the last solid one again.  Finally went to bed about 4:00 am.  BUT IT IS FINISHED!

These are the last 22 blocks of the Primitive Gatherings Triangle blocks.  My finished blocks measure 6" and each has a different 3" center made of 16 - 3/4" half square triangles.  There are 98 blocks total. You could make your half square triangles ANY size you wanted and you know me, I love all things little.

I used 1930's prints in all colors.  I have about 10 different prints in each color.  These are the last of the purples, turquoise, blacks and browns. 

AND ANOTHER FINISH!

I don't have a setting worked out yet, but have been playing with that at retreat also.  

 And my new Square Deal leader/ender blocks.  11 total done now and more coming.

I am starting a new project and will have updates later on Tara.

Ready for lunch.  A nice big caesar salad sounds great.]

Happy Sewing!

Insanely Insane

It seems like I am having a hard time getting to the sewing machine this summer.  

One month is almost gone and I don't have anything to show for it.

I am keeping up with my monthly obligations, but that is about all.

BUT--

(and this is probably WHY I didn't get anything else accomplished)

I am almost finished with my Leader/Ender project.

What is a Leader/Ender you ask.

Well, it is a second, no brainer, easy peasy quilt that I 

piece anytime I am at the sewing machine. 

First, I run a unit thru the sewing machine (the leader).

Such as these two 

 triangles

My leader

Right behind that, I chain piece whatever project I am currently working on.

When that chain is finished, I run another of my Leader/Ender project thru (the ender).

This piece stays in the machine after I have cut all of the chain piecing off.

It will automatically become the leader for the next round of sewing.

I always have a leader under the machine.  Why do leader/enders you ask.
 Well--

*it kind of "tricks" the machine into thinking

it is still sewing.

*I have no more points going down into the needle hole when I start

*I don't have to mess with those pesky long threads at the beginning

*I don't have to keep rethreading the machine because I used my threadcutter

and it came unthreaded when I started sewing.

*BONUS-I get a second quilt finished without any extra work or time

Now that the leader/ender class is over, back to the story.

I will be finished with my current leader/ender project soon.  Just a few more of these blocks to go, and I will have made 98 - 6" blocks - JUST AS LEADER/ENDERS!

All  half 

square triangle units.  The inside block finished 3" and uses 3/4" finished half squares with 1 1/2" ones for the star points.

So, I have been playing with some ideas for my next lifetime leader/ender project(s).

My inspiration came from a customer's quilt that I quilted for their guild show in September.

No, I won't show the entire quilt, but I will give you a preview.

Yes, they are 3" finished bow ties.

If you follow our Patchwork Plus facebook page

www.facebook.com/Patchwork-Plus-134736059870382/

you have seen the teasers of my new project.

48 darks

 and 24 lights cut from stash and starched

then

cut and divided into 48 blocks

and these will be sew into square in square blocks.
And yes, the will finish 2 1/2"

I need 1023 to be set on point with these 48, I only have 975 to go!

While I was doing this one, I am also starting to cut for future Leader/Enders

I think I really do have my entire life of these planned.

As I pull out my reproductions I will be cutting for the above quilt as well as for

my version of the bow tie quilt

 1400 - 3" finished blocks

and our new BLOCKSWAPPER program at the shop

 A modified 9 patch

-  Here are my 25 blocks due at the shop August 1.

Call the shop  618-251-9788 if you want to join us.

First set of blocks will be due August 1.

I need 410 less the 150 I will have from Blockswapper.  So I only need to make 260 more.

 This Bow Tie leader/ender quilt will be done with 1930's reproductions - 3" finished.  1440 blocks needed

and another 1930's leader/ender

1064 - 3" Nine Patch blocks

and as if I didn't have enough to do--

I am planning an applique quilt for when I just want to sit and watch TV

This one is only 143 5" finished blocks.

So, I think I really have ALL of my LIFETIME quilts planned with leader/enders.

I did manage to get these blocks completed for the new Temecula Album Sampler BOM

starting July 1.

Happy Sewing

Wrap UP

Only been home less than a week and I need a vacation

from vacation.

How many of you feel like I do?  

I mean, come on - the unpacking and laundry, putting the kitchen back in place

putting all the totes and suitcases away, catching up on the pile of mail,

and the dreaded --- putting away ALL the quilting you took!

And then---WORK!

I am very lucky that when I walked in on Monday am.  there were a few calls to return, 

just a little computer work to do and get the bank deposit together.

Thank you Margaret and Susan for all your hard work

the shop looked FANTASTIC!

Now on to the title of this post

here is what was wrapped up in the last few days of vacation.

First let me say that to this point I had finished
all I had "scheduled" to get accomplished.
Yes, I am one of those that like to have a plan of attack when I go on a sewing
retreat.  I NEED to come home with things done (because I am usually behind when I leave).

  Since I had the remaining months of Mrs. Miller's Apprentice with me, I just started piecing the next month

and the next

and the next

 until I had all of them done.

So why stop there

I just had to see the center put together.  There is one more plain border, then a major pieced border and then the large plain border.  Beginning to work on that soon.

Plus a few more 3" triangle centers done for my star leader/ender blocks.

  That makes 76 all done and

only 22 more to go.  Maybe I'll have this project done by the end of the summer and all from

leader/enders.  BONUS!!!!!

Keep those needles flying!