SBOW Block 7

I am now beyond the halfway point, just six blocks left and then the borders.  This one has embroidery beyond the block, and I will also applique down the spout after the alternate blocks are sewn together.  I realized after I did the stem stitch that I forgot to add in little thorns on the vines.  Oh well... it would have definitely added more interest, but I am not going back over it again.

SBOW: Block six

Finally....


This one has leaves extending to the left, and a couple of berries (and maybe leaves, I can't remember) that extend as well.


Six together

Yesterday I started prepping four patches for the border... there are A LOT of four patches involved in this quilt.  I have had a difficult time focusing this week, and when that happens, the simple stuff feels like too much.  I need to get over that and just enjoy it, otherwise: why bother?  I tend to make things because something about it makes my heart sing.  This will likely be the reason I would never create things to sell.  If I don't like it very much (pattern, fabric, process), then I don't want to spend the time.  However, it changes if I have a person in mind, that changes my focus.  I suppose it's all in the perception.

So people who are very practical would probably ask why do I spend so much time and money on a hobby that I won't sell or make it profitable?  It's more expensive to pay a therapist I'm sure.  I find joy in creating, I find that these talents have helped me in giving to others as well.  Creating took a major backseat with the addition of my youngest son, but little by little I am able to carve in a little more time to create.

Yesterday I was in a bad mood and feeling basically sorry for myself.  Things weren't going my way (yes, I know... it is very pitiful, but it is something we all feel from time to time), the time out I gave myself to organize for the outside border of my Sunflower Gatherings (the quilt above) helped give me that space to snap out of that mood.  Cheap 45mins of therapy right there.

Anyway, whatever it is, find something that will make your heart sing and try to give yourself 30 minutes or more a day doing it.  It makes for a great attitude adjustment time, and those around you may thank you :)

SBOW: Sunflower Gatherings block 5

This one took me a little longer to do... I dare say that I may be getting burnt out on wool applique again?  Only eight to go, gonna keep plugging away!  I changed the centers of the blue flowers to be more "Forget Me Not" like, they originally had centers of the same blue fabric from the large part of the flower.  There are two blue flowers that extend into the alternate blocks.

I also got the directions for part 3 of the SAL, so I plan to put that together this weekend.  Flying geese for the that round, along with some more wool applique :)  I think that project is suppose to end in November, so there is plenty of time to join in if you want (from Primitive Gatherings, it's free).

Fair Results

I am humbled.  I can't even begin to tell you how much.  Yesterday when I looked up the results for The Evergreen State Fair (Monroe, WA), I saw that I was a "Class Winner".  Being completely new to entering anything in a fair, I didn't know what that meant.  A friend explained to me that it meant I was a "Best In Class" winner!  Wow! Really??? Even in all my errors that I know to exist in my Jane?  After the major tuck in the back that I hand sewed down (and really, you can't even tell there is one at all now)?  The backing that is made of scraps and my "map" to the fabrics I wanted to use for the blocks?

Kevin came home from work in the late afternoon today and we decided to go ahead and go.  We went to the quilt/sewing barn first (after parking a million miles away and checking out the horses).  After initially not finding my Jane hanging, we started to walk back to the entrance again and look.

I found her.

Over the moon is the only thing I can say.  Three ribbons!!  Here is the explanation for the pink/white:


Jane and I.  She was three rows from the entrance, but facing the opposite way.


Here is a link to my finished Jane quilt album (there are also some process and block pictures as well).

And a few fair pics...

Unusual chicken:


You will probably need to click through, but what would you guess on this one? Chicken or rabbit?  These were interesting too!


Free rides


I wonder if they are buddies? The silver cow was sleeping, but I just can't see how that was even comfortable.


Before we went into the goat barn, Darrin told me goats eat anything.  'Tis true... even blue ribbons!


I want one! Spot would be great for the blackberry bushes next door :)


This photo makes me laugh:


That's my fair report.  Again, I am so happy that quilty friends urged me to go for it and enter when I got a wild hair and asked if I should.  It was beyond my expectations.  Maybe I will finish my Orca Bay for next year?

SBOW: Block 4 finished

There is one more purple flower that will extend into the alternate block to the right.  One more down, ten to go!

Old Post: 12/5/2012 and 8/31/2013, Playing with Hexagons

***Note, this is from my first blog which got overtaken by a spam virus, and I ended up shutting it down.  While reading through Feedly (where I read my blogs), I discovered when clicking on my old blog (I never unsubscribed my old blog) I could pull up old posts.  I am thrilled because now I can place certain posts here and save them.  I will have this note on top of any post that is from my old blog.

This post was the oldest one I could get back to.  Though my old blog started in 2003 and I missing all the posts from before this, I am happy to be able to save some****

Every so often I get the urge to pull out the hexagon blocks I have made so far (up to 44!) and play with the color/fabric to see what designs I could come up with and maybe start piecing the blocks together. I scrolled through some great pinterest boards (one and the other) that quilters have created with just hexagon quilts today–in the past I have used google, but I found pinterest easier with the created boards. Maybe it was because people tend to pin what they love rather than just using the search word algorithm via google (so lots of duplicates in that regard). The first quilt at this post was pinned and that’s what got me to lay out the blocks I’ve made so far. I liked the center, but I ran into problems in figuring out what to do from there. I have two sets of blocks (12 each) that are the same fabrics that I need to either spread out in the quilt or come up with a design idea. I wish I started with a plan, but if I had a plan I’m not sure I would have come this far with these blocks. Not only that, but I haven’t found an easy way to doodle a plan with these hexies. I have software, but I can’t install it on this laptop (I don’t trust this computer since it is old and not reliable). And with paper… I hate erasing when I find that I am a couple of hexagons off! that happens too often. Anyway… Here are some ideas I played with this afternoon. Our living room has pretty bad lighting, but you get the general idea. I have more dark hexagons in waiting (enough for 24 more blocks), right now I am on a light/medium mood for the sewing. The blocks are put back for now. I’ll probably pull them out again when I finish up another dozen. *****Update from Aug 31, 2013 that I decided to add to this post: And I am still working with the hexagons. I am up to 50 finished flower sections. I am undecided about my layout and background still. I like the stars pattern that I posted about a while ago, but now I am not sure: I really like yellow fabrics and I’d like to use them more, so I was considering this… Yellow: Thinking not. My flower blocks get lost in the yellow I think Black: I like this. And a possible layout: I really wish I could nail down a layout that I’d like to do so I can start putting the flower blocks together into a quilt. Right now it just seems like I am collecting… I am feeling just too wishy washy on that quilt. So as the mood strikes me, I will continue to just put some down and take pictures. Hopefully one of the pictures will hit me as to which design I want to do soon! Isn’t it great to have digital cameras to be able to test designs?

SBOW: Block Three finished

Last weekend while I had a lot of alone time since all the guys were away at scout camp I had a lot of uninterrupted time to work on a few projects.  One of which was sewing together the backgrounds for the eight blocks (at the time, I have since received a new kit) needing to be worked on for the Summer Block of the Week (Sunflower Gatherings) from Primitive Gatherings (check out the link if you haven't already--isn't it gorgeous? She has a finished series of pictures of it, but I didn't dig too far on the site for it).  It was great to get in the groove and get all the four patches sewn and backgrounds prepared, now all I need to do is cut the wool for applique which tends to go much quicker for me.



Last night I cut and fused down the applique for the block 3, and tonight I am all finished until I get the alternate blocks sewn (it has two more flowers to attach beyond the original background block).  I have a retreat coming up in September, and I am thinking that will be my main project to work on.  The "pink" flowers are actually more red.

Maybe before I receive the kit for block #12 this coming week, I can finish another block!  I started this project 4 weeks after it began, so I was already behind... but I have to admit that I am enjoying the process right now.  After finishing up Folk Art Album, I did not want to look at more wool applique... but this pattern grabbed me, so here I am.  It would be a miracle to finish it in 2014 :)