Dee's Doodles: October 2014

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

WIP's And A Finish

Thank you for the encouragement and kind words on the Churn Dash quilt.

The whimsy is finished, batting and backing ready.

Now I just need a sunny day to grab a quick picture of it.

This sweet fabric was bought several years ago. No selvage. No idea where it came from or who made it. Sigh. But I sure do love the happiness of it all and have snippets in my Blues scrap drawer.

This scrap went into a block I made last January. I had great plans to make a lap quilt, but I'm realizing some color combinations just don't work that way in a house full of boys. LOL

So after finishing the first Churn Dash top, I sorted through my orphan blocks pile and pulled this out to finally do something with it.

I sashed it with a print from Sweetwater's "Sunkissed" line, one of my favorites! Some meandering quilting and large-outline, hand stitching and it was ready to be made into something I know the boys will like and use.

A soft, comfy pillow to take a nap or watch a movie with.

One of the very first quilt stores I started shopping at is going out of business.

*Gulp*

I will miss the very creative and funny owner, but she is closing to take care of her dad after her mom's death...and I deeply admire her for that.

She's having a 30% off sale for October, 40% for November and December is 50% off whatever is left. I had a chance to drive over and do some shopping and visiting.

The ones on the top are for fun and the ones on the bottom will go into a vintage linens quilt I want to start. As soon as my other vintage quilt is finished. Ahem.

I also managed to scoop up some used rulers at fantastic prices!

From $2-$5. I love being able to use tools that have been lovingly used by someone else. I like to think about all of the great fabrics they've seen and what they have helped make in the store.

Thinking of turning these into pillows too. They would match a certain Metro Rings quilt made for a lovely young pair of newlyweds.

Linking up with:

and

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Postest With The Mostest

We're on Fall Break for our homeschool co-op.

Three weeks to get class work for these shared subjects done.

That means lots of sewing time for me!

Taking these manly-man fabrics and turning them into:

...and then:

laying out for rows.

As soon as I stepped away to put my iPad down, the cat was aaaallll over this!

And once the blocks had been totally stampeded, she scampered off before the security camera could pan back to the scene of the crime.

LOL

The first two rows on the left are sewn together and the next two are laid out and a picture is taken to check color placement.

I am really excited about these quilts. Even though they are not my normal color and fabric choices, the blocks are so happy!

After a soccer game last weekend, I got to go fabric shopping just for fun. Not for a project. Just for the sheer love of color and print!

My ~~hoard~~ stash has shamed me into not buying random fabric for about a year now. I've tried really hard and been very good.

Speaking of soccer, our boys' team had Regionals weekend before last and Friday and Saturday this previous weekend, State games. They took First Place in their division (or The Best of The Losers...as we jokingly like to say) and won Best Sportsmanship!

These boys are phenomenal kids! They started asking other teams to pray before and/or after games several years ago. At first, they didn't have a lot of takers. Now, it happens almost every game. This is a very competitive sport and sometimes tempers and attitudes run hot. The approach our team has had has helped our players make friends with boys on other teams and left a great witness to the One they serve.

Our Ben is the one right behind the trophy.

So proud of them!

We have Nationals this weekend. Homeschool teams from all over the Midwest will be competing. Hundreds of boys and girls with their teams and families coming together for a very exciting weekend!

I love homeschooling!

This is our son, Chris, at Nationals last year. He is a freshman at college now and we miss him not being on the team, but we're so blessed to have Ben as a highschool freshman taking up the torch!

Here's to a great weekend for all of us, no matter where we are...or what we're doing!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Churn Baby Churn

...quilting inferno!

Nine fabrics.

Chain piecing.

Shy model.

Finished block.

Churning out the blocks!

and...wait for it...

Monday, October 6, 2014

Finish for the Newlyweds

We had an exciting summer with a very, very special couple celebrating their marriage with a honeymoon in a tropical location.

In Indiana (land of soy beans and corn), we can have some pretty cold, icy, wet and long winters. The Metro Rings Quilt I made for them is finally, finally finished and ready for a cuddle up under on a cool, crisp October evening.

I started this quilt in March. Wanting to incorporate some colors and prints that would help Jon and Rebecca remember the tidal treasures and moonlit memories of their honeymoon in the midst of our nasty winter season.

Kaffe Fassett's Collective Fall 2013 fabrics (along with some supplemental stash) were chosen not just for their tropical colors, but they matched the bride's wedding colors as well. The polka dot is a fun print from Joann's that just made me smile.

It was so much fun learning to use the Quick Curve Ruler from Jenny Pedigo.

The arcs were easy to piece and cut. Sewing the curves of the blocks was a piece of cake! I watched several of her YouTube videos to see how she recommended sewing them.

Choosing an only two colors for the blocks kept my "color mistakes" to a minimum. You know how you can go down a rabbit trail when talking to someone about something...and end up totally off topic? Well, I tend to do that with fabric. I start out with a very specific idea for what I want and then end up shaking my head because I'm waaaay off base on some of the colors and prints I've chosen.

Laying out the blue and green rings before I started sewing the finished fifty-six blocks together.

Speaking of rabbit trails...I made a couple of Rolling Stone blocks from scraps. These colors were just too yummy to not play with!

This is one of my all time favorite vintage sheets. I've kept it squirreled away for a special project and this quilt sure is that. It is super soft and the colors are perfect.

And I especially love, love, love the way it quilted up! I chose to echo quilt where the inner and outer areas arcs meet. I think it sort of looks like palm tree leaves. I did take a break from quilting due to shoulder soreness. Wrestling this large of a quilt under my Janome was challenging at times.

And here it is all finished. Washed and crinkley-i-fied. A very simple, celery colored batik was chosen for the binding. Something that wouldn't clash with the rest of the quilt and give your eye someplace to rest.

The Metro Rings Quilt for Jon and Rebecca measures out at 57" x 76".

I definitely learned a lot on this quilt and got a chance to grow some skills. LOL I'm looking forward to making this pattern again!

This weekend, time permitting, they'll be cuddling under it.

The block was made in April of 2013. I really need some inspiration to take this WIP to a finished project.

Linking up with some beautiful blogs where quilters from all over share what they're working on.

and