Autumn Leaves ...

Last year when I went to Lancaster, PA I saw the prettiest leaf quilts and I wanted one soooo bad. One of the shops I visited had a quilt kit with one that I bought. It sat in my room all year, I just didn't feel like making a fall quilt in the winter or spring. A couple weeks ago I came across the kit and decided the time was right to make it.

The picture doesn't do it justice ...it was late in the day so the colors are a bit washed out ....but trust me it looks much nicer in person!!

I did the quilting in the ditch ...I really wanted to do some free motion but I liked the quilt so much I didn't want to take the chance of ruining it. I'll have to save that for something else!!

Free Motion Quilting

I've never made it a secret that I can't free motion quilt to save my life. Any of my attempts so far have been embarrassing ...so I gave up.

Recently, Christina, from A Few Scraps decided to offer some FMQ help ...I knew this was for me!!!

I think this Free Motion Quilt Along is going to teach me a LOT!!! Today was my first attempt at the machine and I think I did pretty good. My lines may not be the straightest or stitches the same length but I'm so far ahead where I was a week ago.

I can't wait to see what Christina has in store for us with her next lesson.

September OPAM #1

I finally machine quilted the March tablerunner from Maria Peagler's color series that I started in January. I hadn't been very pleased with my machine quilting so I found it hard to sit down to my machine. Even though I was only doing straight stitching with a walking foot, it just didn't look good to me.

I did much better this month. I had a bit of a problem with the echo quilting in the white squares but I realized it was how I was holding my hands and moving the fabric.

Want to know my secret with being happier with my machine quilting???


My new baby ...and I'm in love!!! I love that it has a built in walking foot, a needle threader and it actually cuts the threads at a press of a button! There are other great things about this machine but I'm still getting to know her :)

Oh Happy Day!!!

I did it ...I did it ...I did it!!! Can you tell that I'm excited about finishing Amy's Simple Sampler (see her link on the right sidebar)? Amy, my dear, you ROCK!!!



I learned a lot and saw quite a bit of improvement in my cutting and sewing. I also learned ...be careful of stripes and that they might not be the best choice for corner blocks :) No matter, I love it!

Another thing that I feel made a big difference was starching my fabrics before I started cutting.

Amy presses her seams open, while I didn't do it on this quilt ...I might give it a try in the future so I'm not going nuts at the end trying to have opposing seam allowances.

One other thing ...I don't have a design wall and think it would have been helpful with the layout, I see a couple blocks that would have looked better in a different spot. I'll have to add that to the list of things to do ;)

Now to think about a backing and quilting this baby!

Again Amy, a big huge thank you for this wonderful project and your great instructions!!

Simple Sampler Week 8

I can't believe that it's week 8 ...our last week of making blocks. And that I stayed current with this project!! I'm really looking forward to sashing the blocks and seeing everything all together.

Although all my points didn't match up I am very happy with how much better my HSTs turn out now ...thank you Amy :)

Block #1 is Aunt Eliza's Star.




Block #2 is another mosaic ..all I see is crab claws. I enjoyed playing around with these HSTs ...I was so surprised at how many different looking blocks I could create.



Here are all my blocks together and in no specific order. I see that a couple of them are pointing in the wrong direction but I was hurrying to get the picture.



I think it's going to be a lot of fun laying these blocks out. Yippee for me, completing these blocks on time!!

Simple Sampler Week 7

Gosh, this project has gone so quickly ...I can't believe it's been 7 weeks already. This weeks blocks turned out 12.5" which makes me so happy ...I think I've become better at cutting and sewing my blocks.

The first block is a Mosaic block which I really like. HST's aren't the dreaded thing for me anymore ...thanks Amy!


Block 2 is Practical Orchard. What I enjoyed about this block was learning a different method for the hour glass ...this was much easier for me. I have to also thank Lindsay from Me, Quilting for the idea of using 3 fabrics and stripes for this block ...thanks Lindsay.

Here are my blocks so far:


One more week of blocks and we'll be putting things together ...I'm so excited!!

Simple Sampler Quilt Along Week 6

Wow ...here we are with only 2 more weeks of blocks ...and I haven't gotten behind ...yet! I'm loving this project and have really seen my quilting improve.

The first block is a Cross ...I've seen these blocks all over the Internet but have yet to make one.


Block 2 is called New Album. I wasn't too sure about those triangles but they turned out fine. I think that starching the fabric really makes a difference.

Amy's Simple Sampler Week 3

Well just in the nick of time I finished this weeks blocks. Amy's instructions are so clear and her tips are making such a difference in my quilting.

The first block is Two by Three and used strip piecing. I have had many failed attempts with this before ..I think due to my cutting but this was much better.



Next was a Snowball Variation which used half square triangles. Again, Amy's directions were fantastic and her instructions on squaring the blocks up was so clear. I have a 1/4" seam allowance along the edges of the block which sometime alludes me.



Here are my six blocks so far.



So far all my blocks measure 12.5"!!!

Click on the button to the right and check out Amy's quilt along ...I'm beginning to feel that I may actually become a quilter one day.

Simple Sampler Quilt Along

I joined the Simple Sampler Quilt Along at Amy's Creative Side.

It looks like a fun, stressfree project for summer. Amy has some great tutorials on her blog so I'm betting her directions for this quilt will be just as good. I really need to brush up on my quilting skills ...or lack there of ;)



These are the fabrics I chose.



Block number 1 is a super simple 4 patch. In looking at it though I think I have to work better on squaring up my fabric.



Block number 2 is a simple 16 patch. I had to change my fabric choice because when I cut the fabric it looked skewed ...I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

What I am happiest about with these blocks is that they both measure 12.5!! I have been losing 1/4" on the blocks I've made recently.

I think I figured out the problem though. I was lining up my ruler wrong when cutting. Instead of having the line on my fabric edge I had it to the outside. Thank you Maria Peagler for this tip!!

June Table Runner

I finished the June table runner from Maria Peagler's Color of the Month. I'm not sure why, but I had a heck of a time with it. I think I need to be more careful with cutting the fabric. I always come up a little short so I know it's something I'm doing.

I am sooooo far behind on this monthly series. I still have March, April and May to do. Problem is, I only have the fabric for May! That seems like a pretty good excuse not to have March and April done :)

March OPAM

Wow ...where did the month go?? I spent very little time in my sewing room ..hopefully this won't happen again. Although with the weather getting nice out, I know I'll be spending time outside.

Earlier in the month I made this cellphone purse for my sister. It has a pocket for your phone and another one for a credit card or a few dollars.



























My other finish of the month was this table runner I made ..again for my sister.

In April I plan on working on an applique quilt I started in 1994/5. How's that for procrastionation??

Yet another tablerunner ...

It seems like I have table runners on the brain of late. Actually, they are just so easy to make and finish. It also gives me a chance to try something a bit different and see how I like it ..and to practice skills that need practicing!



Hmm ..now to get to that applique sampler quilt I said I was going to work on next ...it's only been in the works since 1995!!

February OPAM ...

I figure I had better post my finished projects this month before I forget ..this is a short month you know!!

This months table runner was a bit of a challenge for me since everything kept going wrong!! I won't go into detail but believe me I don't need another month like this ...but at least I finished it!









My other finish was my Flying Geese Chase quilt ...such a fun project.

I'm not sure what I'll work on next ...I have plenty to choose from that's for sure. One thing I want to work on next month is machine quilting. Right now I'm just doing straight lines with my walking foot and I think I need to spend more time with this before I try free motion again.

Flying Geese Finish!!

I finished my first quilt of the year!! Actually this is the first quilt I have made in two years ...and before that who knows how long.

I enjoyed sewing this quilt so much. I bought the fabric around 7 years ago and it just sat ...waiting for me.

The quilting on it is pretty basic ...I still don't have a darning foot for my machine so it's straight quilting with the walking foot.

I have two simple projects to do and then I'll take something else of my UFO pile. Who knows, maybe someday I won't have any UFO's ...nah, I doubt it.

One of the things missing from my new sewing room was a place to store my fabrics. I wanted a small dresser and last Tuesday I found it. I spent a little while this morning filling it up. Now they are nice and neat and hopefully I can work at emptying it out ...so I can make room for new fabrics!!




Here's the bottom drawer filled with some fabric.

I set them on their side so I can see what I have without having to rifle through everything.

The room is really coming along ...although I think I'm going to have to rearrange it a bit for a better work flow.

Weekly Update ...

My geese are all sewn together and don't look as bad as I thought they would ...yippee!! Tomorrow I plan to get it ready for quilting so hopefully I'll have my first OPAM of the month later next week. And my first quilt in 2 years!!!

While I was looking through my stash for fabrics for this months color workshop, I realized that it is very dated. Hmm ..does this mean I should go out and buy more fabrics?? I don't want to ...I really want to try and use what I have but last night at the fabric store I was second guessing myself ...and guess what I did?? Yup I bought more fabrics!! Oh well ...next month I'll use what I have on hand :)
I started the pillow that I am knitting and am in love with it!! I cannot believe how easy it is to knit cables. The yarn I am using is from Knitpics and is Wool of the Andes ...I adore it. Since I've started knitting with natural fibers my stitches look much neater and I'm getting closer to getting the correct gauge.

What a fun week this was ...I enjoy spending a little time each day sewing or knitting. No pressure, I just do what I want. Life is good ...very good.

My Pesky Geese ...

Arrgh ...after sewing my geese together for my Wild Goose Chase quilt I noticed that I made a BIG mistake!!

The side points are going to be cut off :( I thought about ripping them apart and correcting my mistake ...but I dreaded doing that. I'm not adverse to ripping out a mistake but 96 of them seemed like a daunting task to me.

So this little geese quilt is going to be like me ...imperfect but hopefully loved anyway.

I figure it is mistakes like this that will help me become a better, more careful quilter.