Free Motion Quilt Challenge- Dish Cloth

I've joined the masses in the Free Motion Quilt Challenge at SewCalGal. Just like anything, we are better if we practice regularly. There is even a Facebook group. What a fun way of getting me to do what I need to do.

I came across a great idea from Sew Inspired: http://www.sewinspiredblog.com/2012/01/ffmq-guest-post-amy-from-amylouwho.html

She made dishtowels rather than just quilt sandwiches that get discarded. Smart. I copied her using a fat quarter, batting, and chenille on the back. Spray basting to make it all stick. I finished off the edges. Now I have a new dishtowel from a fat quarter that was never going to make it into a quilt...and I did my daily practice.

The back is pretty funny looking. It would look better if my bobbin had white in it but I didn't want to deal with it showing through the top.

Sure was a fun way to practice!

Tumbler Quilt

While vowing to start a project and finish it, the log cabin quilt, I started another. I fell in love with the Little Gatherings fabric. Just love those browns with a splash of black every now and then. Here it is all pieced together and ready to trim and quilt.

I couldn't wait to order a template for the tumbler so my hubby printed one. Prior to that I tried to use the cardboard from the charm pack but I kept cutting into it. I went old school and just used a paper pattern. That's what impatience does for you.

Then my hubby cut a template from MDF. So nice of him. I have a few odd tumblers due the the variety of successful and unsuccessful templates.

It's January and we have blooms. I love this mass of petunias that used to be in the urn. Now they have created a bed at the bottom of the urn. They needed more dirt and found a better way to survive.

And roses are blooming. This rose bush had a tough time during the drought. Now is it's time to be showy. These roses represent resilience to me.

I love the details in something as common as a petunia bloom. Wouldn't that make a lovely art quilt? Look at the veins and the contrast of the stamen. Just lovely. Some day.

Joanna

The Art of Making Simple Things Complicated

I've been away for quite a while. Some sewing happened but not much accomplishment to post. Have you ever been just depleted? Feel like you weren't giving what was needed in any area of your life but had so little left to give? That was me. Something had to change. So, I got a new job and started focusing on myself. Life is much better.

So I decided to use up some beautiful civil war reproduction prints. I bought them to do the Civil War Diaries but never got very far. I need a big couch quilt and thought a log cabin was a great idea. I also didn't want to take on a complicated project. A log cabin would be just repetitive sewing of strips. Very theraputic.

I got the Marti Michell book and ruler. Notice that the ruler helps you measure strips in the lengths you will need. Very efficient and simple.
Except, I made it so hard. For some reason I started making blocks with strips all the way to "n." That's 14 lengths of strips. The blocks were huge. Also, I didn't have enough light fabric. Lots of trips to the LQS were required. I ended up with huge, uber blocks. I really can't explain what I was thinking. Clearly I wasn't. So I unsewed so that I had 11.5 inch blocks. I think they should be 12 inches.

I'm going to arrange them in a barn raising layout. I've changed out a few blocks after looking at these pictures.

This is an audition of a sash with the gold. The border will be the brown. I think I need something dark between the blocks and the gold. Still thinking about that. I hope your 2012 is off to a good start. I'm looking forward to a year in which I meet my obligations but also have space for myself.

Joanna