Scrappy Potential

I got a few of these large jars from the local BBQ place to stuff scraps in.

I've always wanted to make a ticker tape quilt and the time has finally come! This stuffed jar of scraps is about to become a ticker tape quilt with minky backing for a little girl.  I couldn't resist staring it today. I plan to do just a little bit every day and slowly work my way across the quilt.

I normally don't start a new project until I've finished the last one. I like to finish things and I usually don't have a lot of UFOs around.  For some reason though I'm going through a phase where I have a lot of ideas that I just can't wait to get started on.  I think I have four quilts actively in the works right now.

I am still putting together blocks on the Ocean Waves quilt. So far I have 13 blocks out of 72 done. On the bright side I love the way it looks. On the down side, 59 blocks to go...

HST Insanity...

Pressed HSTs for a few hours last night.  Is that pile getting ANY smaller?!

 I'd been sort of toying with the idea of making an "Ocean Waves" quilt for a friend of mine.  It was a someday sort of project.  Well, when said friend announced intentions to come for a visit around Christmas that 'someday' project suddenly went to the top of my priority list! 

For reasons that I can only credit to temporary insanity I decided to make this quilt with 2" HSTs and without borders to help fill it out.  ...Oh my.  To make a decent sized twin quilt that's (72) 8" blocks or 864 HSTs or (1,152) 2" units or 2016 individual pieces in this quilt! No matter how you think about it, it's a much more labor intensive quilt than I usually tackle.

With a burst of productivity in the past couple days I got all the HSTs cut and sewn and spent about 2 hours pressing them last night.  Today I started assembling the blocks.  So far I have learned that I CAN get away without trimming all those little devils (Hallelujah!) but I CAN'T avoid pressing the seams open.  I have my little Clover mini-iron out to help with pressing all those seams open and I've already burnt my finger good to start the day off.

This is what 864 freshly pressed HSTs looks like, in case you were wondering.

This quilt is putting up a fight, but I will prevail!

Finish! "Pockets" Memory Quilt

A few days ago I finished the "Pockets" memory quilt. This is the second quilt I have made for my cousin from her father's clothes. (The first was the Harley T shirt quilt here.) This one used a single red jumpsuit, one he used to wear at work. It was full or lots of interesting pockets and seams and worn spots. I tried to preserve the character of the clothing in the finished quilt.

My cousin doesn't have any children yet, but I'm sort of assuming one day she will.  This quilt was made with her future kids in mind, so they can have a piece of their grandfather with them.  All the pockets and zippers work. I imagine HotWheels cars and Barbie dolls going for rides in these pockets.

I'm trying not to buy any new fabric this fall so I ended up using two different browns on the front. I blended them with some red stripes of varying widths.  I also pieced together several pieces for the back and added the patch from the coveralls.

Cute kid-friendly fabrics in one of my favorite color schemes bordering the red patches.  I very simply quilted in the ditch around the patches.

I like the signs of life, paint stains and worn holes, in quilts like these.  After I take this to show-and-tell at the LQS Saturday this will be in the mail to Mississippi.

Making slow progress...

Hello :) I'm still here.  Exams started at school and suddenly my quilting ground to a halt.  I've had this top done for a couple weeks but haven't gotten the backing sewn together yet.  I first started on these red blocks months ago.  I initially planned to set them with Kona Coal.  I'd gotten about 3 of them set and then it sat and I stared at it on my design wall all summer...

Finally I admitted that I just didn't like the grey and cut it off.  I think the brown turned out great and now I'm sure I made the right choice cutting the grey. Since I was trying not to buy any new fabric I had to use two different browns and merged them with some red stripes.  Hopefully one day soon I'll get this backed and basted so I can start on quilting it.

An improv finish

I finished the improv pieced quilt for my friend over the weekend, and here it is! I really like the colors in this quilt. It is so rich, in color and texture.  The dense quilting, along with the corduroy, flannel, and linen make it extra nice to pet.

This print with the words is one of my favorites. Everywhere it appeared I quilted with these tight straight lines to make the writing stand out. It krinkled up beautifully after a wash and dry.

It's bound in a demin-like fabric I found on sale. It is only tiny bit heavier than normal quilting fabric but has a great look and feel.

I backed it with the Numbers fabric from IKEA that I've been saving for use in this quilt.  It looks great with all the texture from the quilting. I think I might like the back as well as the front.

Back in the saddle(?) again!

Love that fabric with the handwriting on it.

 This is the scene on my desk today; back to business as usual!  This quilt is for a friend of mine from college.  I've owed it to him for quite a few years, but you know how it is when something gets on your to-do list.

 Here it is all spread out to pin.  It's semi improv piecing.  I drew out my layout first but chose color and altered the design as I pieced.  Its future owner is very color- and design-inclined, so I hope it is up to his standards. It is a bit intimidating!

This really is a quilt that is as much about texture as visual effect. There are flannels, courdroy, linen, and super-soft shot cottons all mixed together.

I repaired (re-made) my first pillow cover yesterday.  Our dogs got ahold of my aunt's special pillow that her sister gave her.  I wish I had a "before" picture of this to show you, but just picture large piles of fluff and shreds of fabric spread across the pasture.  It was one of those straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back kind of moments.  Thinking (foolishly) "how hard can it be?" I offered to repair it for her.

In the end I stabilized what was left of the front with iron-on stabilizer, trimmed off the ruined bits, and made a new back.  I found everything I needed in the remnants bin at WalMart and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the envelope-back turned out.  I even sewed some piping around the edge.

New pillow, only slightly smaller than the original.

 Off to quilt, I can't wait to get this one done!  Hope you week is going well!

I'm Back! What a summer!

I took off on May 12th for an adventure filled summer. This is the backpack I lived out of for over 3 months, waiting in the terminal for my first set of flights to Eugene, OR. My rule this summer was to only travel to places where it was cooler than Texas (let's be honest, it doesn't take much).

Photo by Bob Harbison

I spent 7 weeks sailing on the Hawaiian Chieftain, the same boat I was on 2 years ago.  I was with them going north along the Oregon coast as well as in the Puget Sound.  The boats are operated by Grey's Harbor Historical Seaport Authority.  There's a great article here on our organization's educational program.

Chieftain's stack going under the bridge in Newport, OR.

After spending 3 weeks onboard Chieftain in Oregon I flew to Santa Fe, NM to tutor with a family for 7 weeks.  They treated me as a member of the family and showed me all the best adventures there are to see and do in New Mexico.  It was an incredible opportunity and I was blessed to have it.

Beginning our hike to sleep on the dunes at White Sands, NM

One of the best experiences I had in New Mexico was camping out on the dunes at White Sands.  We hiked in around 6pm, had a picnic, and threw our sleeping bags on the sand to watch the stars.

White Sands, NM.  I am the farthest ahead in the center.

Me, in a kiva at Bandelier National Monument.

A sunset picnic on top of a cabin on the Sandia crest, playing "airplane" with a very special little girl.

After 7 weeks in Santa Fe it was back to Washington to sail for another month.  The weather was pleasant, and at times even warm, and of course the scenery was beautiful.  We sailed around the Puget Sound and I was heartbroken to leave!

Mt. Baker, seen from somewhere near Anacortes, WA.

Through a combination of getting things done ahead of time and a few miracles I managed to stay on top of my Stash Bee blocks all summer, but that was the only sewing that got done.  Now that I am home regular programming has resumed.  I am back in school and already quilting again.  I have a list of quilts to get done by Christmas, one of which already became a top this week.  I'll post pictures soon.

I can't say I'm glad to be back, but I am glad to be quilting again :)

The harbor in Blaine, WA at sunset.