TOTALS July 2013

July was a busy month... but, aren't they all!

I spent 3 weeks working on a customer quilt... custom work, twenty 15inch blocks, with each block uniquely quilted... and some simple feathers in the sashing and cornerstones.  It seems each summer I have one big free-motion job, and this was it!  I stressed over getting everything perfect, but it was worth it in the end, as the customer was very happy!  My biggest disappointment is that I have been unable to take a picture that shows all the quilting that went into it.

Once that was done, I was free to get Easy Street quilted, bound and entered into the FCE Cultural Arts Competition... winning a blue ribbon!  I will be entering it into the County Fair this coming weekend and it will progress to the Regional FCE competition in September.

I also completed the quilting on Matthew's Puppy Quilt... it will also be entered into the Fair competition.  Then he will decide if he wants to sell it, or not, and how much to ask.

And, as if I didn't have enough UFOs to work on, I started another new project... POTC.. (I forget what the letters stand for.. will have to go back to yahoo groups and check)  It is a hand-pieced elongated-hexie block swap!  The swap doesn't officially begin until September, but I am working on my first one as a practice!  So far, I am enjoying it!

                       I think I like the right side setting better... I need to make more pieces and decide which way to stitch it together

I made a bit more progress on my Spring Wall Hanging.... fusing the daffodils and some hyacinths onto the background.  The tulips and narcissus and more hyacinths are still in progress.

WORK COMPLETED IN July
 .....03.....customer tops quilted (YTD 39)
.....01.....customer quilts bound (YTD  11)
.....00.....flimsy completed waiting for quilting (YTD 13)
.....02.....quilted flimsy (YTD 11 )
.....20.....hand-work hours (76 YTD )

MY PROJECTS COMPLETED THIS YEAR:
Lucky Charms wall hanging (1/21/13)
Basket Sampler Welcome wall hanging (2/15/13)
Knitted afghan  (3/20/13)
Scrap Mania quilt (3/19/13)
Orange/Blue Jelly Roll quilt (3/18/13)
Hope Academy Banner (3/27/13)
Jaxson's quilt (3/22/13)
Baltimore Album (4/5/13)
Civil War Snowball (4/5/13)
Big Brother Quilt (5/7/13)
Easy Street (7/22/13)
Matthew's Puppies (7/25/13)

Projects Waiting to be Quilted
 Sloanie Christmas Star Swap
 Floribunda


Projects in Progress 
  Spring Wall Hanging....backing prepared.  preparing flowers for applique, some fused to backing
  Disappearing 4 patch...blocks are completed, ready for assembly
  Sweet & Sassy.....9 blocks completed, sashed and quilt corner assembled
  Becky's Barn basket wall hanging...4 blocks completed, assembly to be decided
  Novelty Quilt... blocks cut, need assembly
  Happiness Key...background complete, needs applique/embroidery
  Floral & Pinwheels.... made 4 pinwheels then renamed.... Florals&9patch
  POTC... a hand-pieced hexie swap project.
 
Bonnie Projects in Progress
.....01.....cheddar bowties blocks hand-pieced (YTD  1  of  81)   ...  (81 of 162 in 2012)
.....00.....cheddar bowtie rows stitched (YTD  0 .... 9 of 18 in 2012)
...done....Orca Bay Step 1 hourglass blocks made (YTD 49  plus 21 in 2012) total  70 of 112 
....done...Orca Bay Step 2  3.5in string blocks made (completed in 2012 )
....done...Orca Bay Step 3 2in HSTs (YTD 55 plus120 in 2012)  total 175
.....done..Orca Bay Step 4 5.5in string blocks (YTD 08 plus 24 of 32 in 2012) total 32
.....done..Orca Bay Step 5 cut 350 triangles and stitch to part 3 to make winged triangles (175 of 175)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 6 cut 2.5in squares and assemble Ohio Stars (0)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 7 make flying geese (0)
..done.....Floribunda Blocks assembled into flimsy and ready to quilt!
..............Talkin Turkey..... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..............Midnight Flight....1 block complete plus parts
..............Winston Ways... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..done....Easy Street is now assembled into flimsy and ready to quilt

Wednesday Sewing Sisters

This morning I met with my girlfriends at the library to chat, sew and have a bit of fun!

I think it was back in March the group agreed to work on a Spring Wall Hanging together.  I really didn't need to start another new project, but this one appealed to me and since several others wanted to try it too, well, why not!?!

I purchased the pattern book, raided the stash, and organized fabrics (my only purchase was that blue butterfly background fabric... but it was just a rementant ... on sale!)  

Here is the book we are using... the pattern is on page 96

Applique The basics & beyond by Janet Pittman  
ISBN 13: 978-1-890621-06-3

At our April meeting I cut and pieced the background and cut and pinned some of the fencing.  I was disappointed that none of the others were starting yet... they had other projects they were finishing up first, but planned on starting soon.  I have other projects too, but decide I would work on this one only at our meetings and find time at home for the other projects.

In May, I needleturned the fence rails.

In June I began with tracing and fusing the flowers together.

When fusing multiple-part or layered applique (like the grouping of daffodils) I learned that once the fusible  is ironed onto the back of the fabric and the shapes are cut, you can peel off the paper and place them on a piece of parchment paper fussing with them until the are set just right.  Then you lightly press with the iron to fuse them all together.  (I use Heat&Bond Light.) When cooled, the entire grouping easily peels away from the parchment.  If it isn't quite right, you can still carefully peel it apart and easily correct the placement before finally fusing the entire grouping on the background.  In this case, the hyacinths are added after the daffodil grouping to cover and hide the mess of stems at the bottom.
  
Now it's July, and today my daffodils and some hyacinths are complete and fused to the background ... and I am started on the tulips.  (I forgot to take step by step pictures, but here is a picture of how far along I am today).   

The tulips are fused together, but just laying on the background for now.  I still need to cut out the stems and leaves before layering and fusing everything in place.  There are narcissus and a bunch more hyacinths to be added before I start the process of blanket-stitching all the pieces.  There will be some embellishment stitching, also, to hopefully bring out the finer details of the flowers.  I plan to add a pieced border, and a final border that should, hopefully, make it big enough to fit my wall.  If I keep plugging away at this each month, I may have it quilted in time to hang next Spring!