Thursday, September 29, 2011

Inspiration strikes finally!

My design wall looks a little different tonight! Yeah!
(the Navy goat is for Dustin bc he asked)

Ok so tonight I posted to my blog and was trying to clear the backlog of blogs I needed to read before I went to bed.  And there it was...my inspiration ... on Mommy's Nap Time!
So I'm talking about what the next step was with my Habitat challenge

I have had this mess on the wall stuck with what to do.  So I sewed sets of two segments together. Then I got out the 12.5 inch square and cut each out four squares and was left with these

I love it!  It was exactly what I was trying to achieve.  After cutting the squares I was left with a pile of misshapen triangles.  So I got out my smaller 8.5 inch square and cut them into 1/2 square triangles and ended up with these

I will probably play a little with the combinations of triangles.  I think I may float the large and one small on the front in the dogwood gray and no border probably a scrappy binding.  And put the other small on the back with a medium blue from my stash.

Keep dreaming...Colleen
Ive been reorganizing my stash..it still is not neat enough!

Flaunt goodies and a giveaway!

If you are looking for the FQ giveaway please go here. :o)
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I am participating in Flaunt! again this year.  It is October 22 from 10-4p.
I have been busy making little things to sell in my booth.
badge holders
scissor jewelry
key fobs on top and bottle fobs on the bottom

flower pins and flower hair clips
Just a small sample of what I will be selling in my booth..
Keep dreaming...Colleen


pouch swap mosaic


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

What's on my design wall tonight

This is what's on my design wall tonight.

I made my first star block for the  FQ Stars Quilt A long

I used these fabrics from 16 fat quarters I blogged about Monday. 

 I also have a giveaway you can enter for a twin set of the fat quarters.
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This is the center for my DSquilts mini quilt along.

Im not sure what I will do next for borders.  Or I may put it on the back as I am feeling a little uninspired by it.
* * * * * * * * * *

This hot mess is going to be my Jay McCaroll Habitat fabric challenge quilt.  I need to get at least the top down before the next guild meeting.  Ive been a little blocked as what I thought I want doesnt look like it will work. 

Time for bed.

Keep dreaming...Colleen


I mounted 8x10 pics last night on foam board.
 I took them to the Dixie Classic fairgrounds today to enter them in the fair's amateur photo contest.
 I also took 1 small quilt and three wall hangings.


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

BOMs, Swaps, Quilt-a-longs, and a Giveaway oh my!


My awesome September Block Swap Adventure block from Samantha.

Doesn't it look good with one of the others.


All of a sudden I'm being buried in blocks!
Yesterday I started the LQS BOM at Sewingly Yours.  For a mere $10.68 I get a new star block pattern and the fabric (5 coordinating batiks) for the making the block.  As long as I complete my homework of finishing my block each month and then attend the next monthly meeting, I get the other 11 kits free!  Plus they teach you any techniques that you need to know.  I have always liked to learn new techniques and having that requirement is a motivator. 
I went right home and sewed up my first star! 

And using the little triangles cut off the flying geese and some other scraps I whipped up this block which I think will be a mug rug.
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Sunday night I joined the Blogger's BOM sponsored by Canton Village Quilt Works.  I had a stack of stash fabric from my last Block Swap Adventure block that I really liked. 
 So I added the gray and white fabric from my stash and made the first block.

* * * * * * * * *
BTW have I told you how much I love star blocks?  Because I really really do and when Moose on the Porch Quilts posted block one for her Fat Quarters Star Quilt-a-long I knew I needed to do this one too.

I went to my stash again and found 16 prints to coordinate and cut them into fat quarters.  Six all pink or pink and white prints, six all green or green and white prints, and 4 green, white, pink prints.  I will use a white for the background.  What's funny is that 14 of these prints were fabric I bought about 5 years ago.  It was when I was well on my way to recovery from the cancer and chemo and was feeling creative.  I wanted to get back into quilting as I had missed it so much.  I didn't really have the space and my tools were all packed away.  But that didn't stop me.  I went to Joann's week after week for about 2 months and bought 2 yards each of the fabrics above on sale.  I didn't know about the LQS back then.  I wanted to make a new quilt for my bed.  Then I started graduate school.  The fabrics of course were never used.  So this will be a perfect use of them and I will have plenty of yardage for a pieced back.  Oh and I wanted to make a star quilt then too!  So as I was cutting all of those fat quarters I cut two from each fabric. 

That means I have one set to give away!

If you would like your own stack of 16 fat quarters to participate in the quilt-a-long or just to add to your stash do the following and comment for each one you do.

1.  Be a follower or tell me if you already are.
2.  Tell me what BOM or quilt-a-longs you are participating in now.

The giveaway will end October 11th at 5pm.

Keep dreaming...Colleen


Trying a white background for my DS Quilts mini quilt swap.


Sunday, September 25, 2011

Quilt for a doggie


This is my neighbor Bailey saying hi to Kalli-cat through the door (ignore my feet).  Everyday when I come home Bailey greets me enthusiastically through his door with Hershey chiming in.  Bailey was a rescue dog that my neighbor Denise adopted and has worked with to calm his fears.  He still shakes near me some and does not like most men.  I was organizing my stash and found a fatqurter pack of dog prints from Joanns some one had given me as a gift.  As I dont have a dog(see Kalli above)  the fabric really isnt me.  So I decided to make this

a doggie quilt with extra batting layers. 
 I rubbed it all over my body to help make Bailey less scared of me(LOL).
Here is Hershey jumping right on it. 


Bailey was a little more tentative.


But once he sniffed it a bit he felt right at home.

keep dreaming..Colleen

Bloggers BOM#1

Sept Let's Bee Together block


September Bee block

I finished my block for the Block Swap Adventure Bee.  Samantha said she was up for any block in soft pinks, blues and ivory.  There was a little bit of pressure on as I was her first swap partner and in a sense would be setting the tone for the following blocks.  I looked at my more traditional fabrics as I notcied when I stalked her block she was more tradional with her fabrics.  Then I thought wait...she had not dislikes...and part of this swap is about expressing ourselves. 
 So I picked a Kaffe Fasset, Moda Sugar Pop, a couple others from my stash with an ivory.  Then I pulled out my iphone so I could use this great app

Quick and Easy Quilt block tool is $3.99 and one of the most used apps on my phone!  it has over 100 blocks listed in its index
But what I really like is it shows you how to make the blocks in different sizes, giving quick cutting directions for the segments of the blocks.  I love this for when Im designing I can look up picecs that fit my design and see the measurements to quick cut them.

I highly reccomend this tool.  I choose to do the Dutchman's puzzle for Samantha. 

I love flying geese and there isnt any waste with this cutting method.

I hope she likes it!

keep dreaming...Colleen

This is what I thinking for my DS Quilts mini quilt swap.  Red dots inner border, ash outer, green square and blue flower and scrappy back.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

90's Fabric Destash!!

I've really decided to destash my 90's fabrics.  I want to have more space for my newer stash and let those I am not using (or never will) go to good homes.   
So with out further ado...
#1
This charm pack is actually a current collection called Big Beautiful Bugs.
$6SOLD
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#2
5 yards of this batik
$25
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#3

1 yard of this sewing print
Selvedge reads "Antique Etching"  Hoffman international fabrics
$6
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#4
1 yard of this blue and tan buttons print
Selvedge reads classic cottons FCI 1996 Ted Bear
$5
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#5

2 yards of the border print.  1 yard of the coordinating print.
Selvedges read "Sew Cozy Notion" Daisy Kingdom 1997 printed with pride in
the USA.
$15
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If you are interested in any of the fabric please email me.  I would prefer if you have a paypal account so I can invoice you. Include your paypal accounts email in your message. The shipping is $2 per item. If you buy more then one it is $1 per item extra.




keep dreaming...Colleen

I took this picture at last years Flaunt! arts and crafts show.
I want to make this throw sized quilt!



Foto Finish-Look up



I love to look up and see the way the light shines through leaves.  These were taken from the porch of the cabin we stayed in on Gull Lake in Ontario, Canada.  I was looking up into the trees.


keep dreaming...Colleen
Drama queen catches the big one this summer. 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A vintage treasure


I just wanted to share the top of the old quilt I bought in Hillsville, VA at the Flea Market.  I love these giant pinwheels in old fabrics!  Dont these look like som of Denyse Schimidts?

 I finsihed cutting all the ties and the thread on the binding which was the edge of the backing turned to the front.  The backing is intact and is large pieces of hand dyed fabric with a few prints and fertilizer sacks.  The quilt inside is extremely deteriorated.  I just carefully bundled everything up and put them away to play with another time.

keep dreaming...Colleen

This was the haiku mug rug I made for Living My Sweet Life.