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Finished the Red, White & Blue 2017 Saturday Sampler.  Working on the Batik 2017 Saturday Sampler

Now in the mail today my little treat.  More applique tools.  Yep, I’m a gadget girl.  Looking forward to playing with these.  Still trying to get as good at starch/prepared edge applique getting sharp points as I had achieved with needle turn. Practice, practice, practice.    What fun.  Love Karen Kay Buckley’s products.

Back to cutting and sewing.

Katherine Sissy Malone

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UFO Work Zone

 

I’m a month ahead of my projected schedule.  Woohoo. So that leaves time to get cracking on my 2017 Saturday Sampler Quilts. I did not get them finished in 2017.   I was so focused on my Boy & Girl applique quilt that the setting of these quilts together got pushed aside which ultimately relegated them to UFO status since here I am a year later just getting to them.  Ugghh.

Yes, I said quiltS.  Silly me signed up for both colorways presented.  I loved both of them for different reasons. The red, white and blue, I have in mind as a gift for someone.  Those color combinations are not my favorites and I just don’t have them in my stash when I need to work with those colors.   I was presented an opportunity and I jumped at it. I chose the small version it’s going to be 72” square. A perfect quilt to display over the back of a recliner and when it gets chilly, over the legs it goes and its snuggle time while snoozing or watching a favorite program.    

Thanksgiving Day I was able to spend most of the day in my sewing room working away on the first round of settings for those 12 blocks. I am pleased to say, I got the first round completed. I did over do it a bit and my back was just a bit tired. Got to be more careful. Don’t want to throw my back out again.   Hopefully this weekend I will get a good start on the final setting. And poof, it’s done. Then on to the second one.

The second one is 96” square and is batiks.  This one is set to grace my bed. I typically gift my quilts so it’s unusual for me to keep one for myself.  I’m pretty excited about that. I will give myself several weekends to get this one done. More sewing since it’s larger.  Note to self, buy more machine thread today while at store. And the final project to complete for 2018 is getting the borders on Long Time Gone.  To be honest I have been procrastinating on these projects. So it’s push time.

A month to get it all done.  Now that might require some time management.  If I am successful at this goal, I will have marked off a total of  4 projects on my UFO/Bucket List that has 20 projects on it. A fine start.  Lists are awesome. They help me measure my progress and keep me focused and give me a sense of  accomplishment when I get bogged down on a particularly intensive project, like a big applique quilt.

I’m not sure if I mentioned, I passed on signing up for the 2019 Saturday Sampler.  I will miss the monthly meetings and seeing everyone and all the Show and Tell. I have decided that this year I will focus on working on 2 major projects and squeeze in 2 UFO’s if possible.    I am not going to sign up for any BOM’s. I have collected a few these past couple of years and I need to start tackling them or I will be way behind again. I have to say besides Sue Garman I am particularly attracted to Jen Kingwell’s designs. Her BOM’s are the ones I have been collecting and really need to get busy working on them.  They are addicting. The compromise I hit this year is she is the featured artist for Quiltmania Magazines mystery quilt so instead of signing up for the BOM at Homestead Hearth, I subscribed to the magazine to get the pattern. I should have plenty of scraps to make this quilt. My grandmother would be proud of me. Making scrap quilts.  Not something I ever thought I would do. I was into “PRETTY” quilts. But here I am in love with them. Who knew they can be just as fun and challenging as “PRETTY” quilts! My Grandmother, of course.

Heading to Springfield today.  I have some errands to run. I also am hooking up with Vicky, my awesome longarm quilter, to deliver 2 quilt tops.  Then it’s back home to get my chores done so I can spend the rest of the day in my sewing room. Here we go again, Time Management.  If it wasn’t for the nasty chores, wish I could ignore them, I could get more sewing done. But, laundry, clean bathrooms, clean floors when you have a dog who tracks in muddy feet after a day of rain, needs attention.  There it is again, Life outside my sewing room.

Back home and chores done, in the sewing room:   

Get ready sew…. 36 7″ squares to be made into HST

Big Ooops.  Right side to wrong side.  Dang, had to pull out my BFF, Ms. Ripper.

There they are 36 Squares cut and trimmed into 72 HST now to lay them out with the blocks already completed and sew, sew , sew.

It’s Sunday a.m. and the weather here in Missouri is supposed to be yucky today so hopefully after church, I will be able to get most of this one pieced together.

Happy Stitches Everyone

Katherine Sissy Malone

Getting Reacquainted With My Sewing Machine

Wow, closing in on the finish line for my Bed of Roses quilt top.  Have blocks 8, 9 and 10 completed this month. Just two more blocks to go and it’s wrap up time.  That goal of January 2019 finished top to the quilter is looking totally doable.

With each project, quilt top, I learn a new method/technique, or am practicing to improve on a technique.  I also learn where I need to focus to improve my skill set and as always learn something about myself. Strengths and weaknesses.  I know I will never be a master quilter. That has never been my goal, but I would like achieve the title of expert quilter in my lifetime.  There’s work to be done to accomplish this.

Applique has always been my primary focus.  It seems from the beginning of my quilt adventure  I have been drawn to the Baltimore Album Quilts and I have a great fondness for Folkart Quilts.    I am now gaining an interest in pictorial quilts. In the near future I would like to take a workshop on that medium.  It seems that will require travel to one of the coasts. I’ve been to Asilomar and studied with Ely. So maybe now it’s time to go east and study with David Taylor at one of his workshops.  Also of interest to me is taking a class with Sandra Leichner and learning her embroidery techniques for embellishing applique. So many options from so many talented artists. Always learning and improving.  That’s my goal.

In the meantime there’s a world outside of my sewing room.  I know, hard to believe isn’t it. Having to get a new set of tires installed this a.m.; do the weekly house cleaning (yuck)  No one will ever say about me in 100 years (she was an excellent housekeeper) but they just might say what a great quilter I was.  Now that’s a goal worth going for. Teehee!!!!

 

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Okay, I meant to get the aforementioned posted but did not get around to taking any photos while I was working away on the Bed of Roses Blocks.  As time kept getting away from me to get those photos, I have now completed all the blocks, corners and set in blocks. Happy Dance! 

I get up early in the morning, usually around 5 a.m. ,  to spend quality time in my sewing room because when I get home at night, many times my eyes are tired from looking at a computer screen all day and am not comfortable trying to do handwork.  So this morning I read the instructions like 3 times on how to trim the set in blocks and the corner triangles for Bed of Roses. It is so slick. I just love how she thought of doing it this way. It really takes out all problems with the bias losing its shape.  Love, Love, Love this technique and will definitely use it again. So I have all the set in triangles ready, the corner triangles ready, I have cut the sashing strips and tiny connecting squares. I have only gotten 1 block trimmed to 15 ½”. I am hoping to get the rest done maybe tonight after supper.  Depends on how tired my eyes are. Then it’s construction time and I am ahead of schedule. I am beyond excited to see this top sewn together. It has been in pieces for 1 ½ years now. Another quilt to check off my UFO/Bucket List. Oh, what a feeling.

Getting reacquainted with my sewing machine after spending months doing hand work.   Note to self.. Oil machine..  I can’t remember when I last oiled it.  I usually oil it after 2 bobbin refills.  Can’t remember if I’m on lst or 2nd bobbin.   I’ve been doing handwork for so long, poor baby feels neglected.

Why is it when I am closing in on the finish line of a project,  I start planning the next project and those ideas are rattling around in my head.  Of course it has to be a Sue Garman pattern . I have such a girl crush on her! So very talented.

Sue’s Technique:

Cut freezer paper 15” square. ( My applique blocks are 15”)  Cut this in half diagonally. Center on top of appliqued block halves.  Sew ⅛” from edge of freezer paper on bias side. Then trim cutting ¼” from edge of freezer paper.  Voila! Perfect inset triangle! Repeat for corner triangles except cut in ½ diagonally in both directions.

You can use this technique for any size set in triangle.  Just cut the freezer paper the size of the finished blocks that will be on point.  Awesome technique!

Just a thought….. Why is my stash not getting any smaller?   I am finishing projects but my shelves are still full of fabric.  I think it multiplies while I am sleeping.

 

Happy Stitches.

Sissy Malone