FINISHES!!!

Where have I been?

Where did the time go?

Is it really the 28th?

Honestly?

How the heck did that happen?

Oh, yeah, life interfered. Again. with quilting.

There's something wrong with my priorities. Please correct this poor habit and explain to me all the reasons why I should not put kids, hubs, house, and work in front of my quilting. 

Please.

Now, that said, on to business. I owe several of you some mail. I can only ask, please reread the opening of this post and understand, I suck. I was going to drop it in the mail the day I emailed you all and well, it still sits in my car. I WILL mail it this week. I will NOT forget, I will NOT delay any further. I know, I suck. I'm sorry.

Finally, I was determined 2 weeks ago to tag my finishes for my PhD challenge that's been sitting in my sidebar.  I had a great time reading about everyone's finishes and seeing everyone's projects as they've been completed but I wasn't getting anywhere.

I started ambitious with this post in January.  I felt good about what I could complete having participated in this challenge last year and it beign a great incentive. Sadly, this year, it couldn't give me the motivation I needed. Not because I didn't think about it or want to do it, I just didn't have time to sew much at all. I realized in May how poorly I was doing and the end result was to recognize one quilt as hopeless and give it away. I'm counting it as a finish because it's no longer on my to do list (well, except for the mailing issue I wrote about earlier).

The others, well, here's what's left "standing" in the WIP, UFO, PhD pen. 
1) Jinny Beyer SIL quilt
2) Double Wedding Ring quilt
3) Pineapple quilt
4) Summer porch quilt

I have high, crazy hopes of quilting and binding the summer porch quilt by July 1 but given work is running hotter than usual this quarter end, it's going to be crazy if I succeed.

Now, the two finishes I DID get to over the past weekend and tonight!
1) the Bento Box Quilt (front and back photos) Do you see my oops?

2) the Chateau Wall Hanging. For not planning out the quilting, I'm pleased with adding the snow flakes but really, just overall happy with it.

Thanks for hanging around, even when I wasn't here. While I may not have been quilting, I have managed to read blogs on my phone when I could (of course, that made leaving comments a PITA).

Onward and upward if I want to try to meet the crazy idea of one more finish in June!

Cheers, Beck

Dulles Quilt Show Eye Candy

I had a good time at the Dulles Quilt Show with Susan at Quixotic Crafter. We were there early enough to be in a line to get through the front door and late enough the parking lot was relatively empty as we walked out.  We looked at the quilts (a few are below for your enjoyment)  and then we ate and shopped. Not a healthy meal day but not horrible either. I didn't buy too much but did get fabrics for my new projects and probably drove Susan crazy with my indecision but she was a good sport and didn't complain.  I also scored some self-threading needles I'm estatic to try. It's for sinking your threads after quilting.

Now, onto what you really care about, here are some of the quilts (with labels for credit except the last one that was blurry & which stinks b/c I was thinking of getting that pattern).

Cheers! Beck

Cathedral Windows

Does everyone know what the cathedral windows pattern is?  If so, keep reading.  If not, keep reading. :)

Does anyone remember me asking the folliwing question? "What do you think I'm going to do with this fabric?"

Well the answer, my friends, is a "test run" on creating a two-toned cathedral window quilt (in this case, the test version is now a candle mat, I think).

I used this method by Angela Nash of My Three Sons posted at the Moda Bakeshop.

Let me first provide a "review" of the recipe. 1) Very well written with clear instructions.  2) Great she added notes on when to lin up sides or corners. It made a difference during construction.  I have nothing negative to write, but did find a brief annoyance while working on this. However, since it may be a result of the fabric I was using or my inexperience, or both, I'm nog laying that onto Ms. Angela's instructions.

You start with 9" square and fold it down into a tiny square. I used a simple black solid to offset my other two fabrics.

 Then you sew them all together.

 At this point, if you want to add a background color for the "peels" as I call them, you would cut the square to the size of the interior square and sew it straight down as close to the edge as possible.

 I thought I did a good job but...I found I had to try to hide the stitching with some careful folding and sewing later in the construction. The instructions said this would be hidden but in my mind that translated to "easily hidden".  Still, it wasn't too bad and this is why we do test pieces, occasionally, right?

 Next, if you want to have a design/color in the center, you cut it to size and pin it down. Then you fold the solid over to create the rounded effect and sew each edge direclty down.

 Looks good, right?  Yeah, the first one suckers you right in to thinking this is no big deal and you wonder why this block is thought to be so difficult.

 You start thinking, it's a lot of folding but as long as you get a true square at the beginning and don't mind, this isn't so bad...

 But then you realize, you are really concentrating to get the folds just right to cover the peel fabric sewing line as well as keeping the center fabric folded underneath the fold instead of getting folded with the fold and showing up.  At least the sewing is simple once you get the folding down.

All of them together...

Again, not too bad. I think my folding and sewing issues really were a result of inexperience and the fabric I was using. These were those clothing fabrics that you see, satin/polyester blends. A little stretchy, etc. So, my cutting of these squares was slightly off here and there. Also, they slipped a lot on the cotton. 

I desperately want to do a cathedral window quilt. I desperately do not want to do one without it having a big WOW result. I want it to look rich, decadent, special.  I've pondered many fabrics and colors. I've pondered for about 6 months now. Over easter, I bought the black fabrics b/c they were on clearence and I ccould test their look.  Aside from the slipping, I like the way they look. I will search a little more to be sure it's what I want but I think I'll be using these types. Check out all the color. Don't you think they will look great in a cathedral window quilt? I don't yet know how many of the colors, whether all or any, I'll use but I do know I like the idea of these kinds of rich fabrics.  We'll see. Are you excited?

Cheers! Beck

Favorite Things Friday - Quilt Shows!

Today's installment of FTF will be short on words. I love quilt shows. I wish I could attend more but time just doesn't permit.  If the hubs keels over while I'm still a spring chicken, I'm hopping in an RV (which he hates) and going to as many as I can in one season!  He can't believe I'm planning for if he keels over but I'm still a military wife, even with him retired, and I'm a contingency planner by nature so I learned to plan for it the first time he deployed.  Morbid? Perhaps but I'm sticking with "practical."  -wink-

Anyway, I was able to attend the Hampton quilt show and today, I'm meeting Ms. Susan at Quixotic Crafter over at the Dulles quilt show.  As a matter of fact, I need to attach photos fast and get going or I'll be late even though she's got the worse drive!

So, I'll leave you with some Hampton eye candy. Pics are small but I believe they will enlarge if you click on them.