Friday, March 25, 2011

I'm a little late for Saint Patrick's day...or really early!

In early March I had a house full of visitors. It was so much fun to have company but in order to get ready for their arrival, I stopped sewing for a bit and start cleaning. As a result, I had a pile of green fabric all ready to be stitched but I had to put it away!  So a bit late or really early, here are some really cute ideas for St. Patrick's Day runners that we will get to enjoy next year!!!! 


These are Ten Minute Table Runners except the one on the right with the extra stripes….That would be a Ten PlusTen Minute Table Runner!


I think I could get away with using the Green Hydrangea one in the summer too!


Green, green, everywhere and a wee bit of  orange too!  And luck be with you all! Happy Sewing!


Jan

Thursday, March 17, 2011

"Stars on a Christmas Night"

The Christmas Star Quilt is complete. I'm going to call it, "Stars on a Christmas Night".  It was so much fun to first exchange the twelve in blocks with all the ladies from the yahoo group. 
These are the 24 blocks which I sent to Kim in Ohio. In return a few weeks later, I recieved 24 blocks in return. One of block from each of the sets of blocks that she recieved. It was so much fun to open the package and see all these beautiful Star blocks!

Then the search was on for for just the right back ground fabric and decision on how would I set the block in the quilt. It did not take me long to decided on the dark blue Moda Fabric with the gold metallic stars.  After laying out the blocks, I decided that I was a couple of blocks short for what I wanted to do so I made two additional blocks including the Lone Star in the center.


After a few nights of sewing the blocks were complete and it was time to put the top together.

Then it was time for a border or two. After much thought, I decided to add a one inch white border followed by a three inch Green border and a five inch red border. So here it is...all done.


Since I am so new at machine quilting, I'll be sending this out to be quilted. They plan to display some of these Star Quilts in the MQX West Quilt Show in Portland in the fall.



SO here it is...."Stars on a Christmas Night"

Happy Quilting. The new projects....they are brewing!




Jan



Sunday, March 13, 2011

New projects a whirl......

Well, my head has been full of gold and navy fabric…I have had this pieced border in my head and I thought that it was what I needed for my Christmas Star block quilt.  So today I was making the border.  I love it but…..


It will not work for the Christmas Star block quilt! So a new project is whirling around in my head that will use this beautiful combination of fabric. I think this is the first time that I started a quilt with the border!!!


Since this border will need to be for a different project, I looked through my stash and I have found fabric which will work for the borders of the Christmas Star Quilt.  I did spend some time this weekend looking for the Navy and Gold Moda fabric which I had used in the background of the Christmas Star Quilt just incase I needed a bit more.  I found it online but I know that I had found it locally recently too and it surprised me.  I always prefer to buy locally and support our local business but I can’t find it..

In the mean time with St Patrick's day looming there is a lot of Green fabric on sale right now..so I supported the local fabric shops again…..I see some table runner projects in my near future…

And a few for spring too!


So as soon as I get the border on the Christmas Star Quilt…I’ll show it to you…I see some Cinco de Mayo projects too…

Happy sewing!

Jan







Friday, March 11, 2011

What was on my machine this week - March 11,2011

Spring is almost here and Lucy and I have had fun this winter. I thought I would show you what I had on the machine last week!  It's pink, it's black and gray?


It's Halloween?  In March? Yes…It’s a bit early for Halloween or late.. depending on how you look at it. Kind of like ying and yang or half full or half empty...  It is a project that I really enjoyed assembling last fall but have been waiting to get my machine so I could quilt it!  It will be ready for next year, that is for sure! This was adorable Halloween fabric in nontraditional Halloween colors. It reminded me of the Adams Family.  I know I am going to enjoy it hanging over the fireplace! So here's a closer look.














Another look...



I used a variegated black-gray-white thread in a large overall stippling design, nothing too fancy as I learn how to use Lucy! Hope you enjoy it! I am finishing the Christmas Stars Block swap Quilt and then I promise that my next project will be for spring!

Have  a great weekend snd I'll be back soon!

Happy sewing!

Jan