Looking Ahead

I can't help it ...

Happy Surprise

Yes, I remember my 2015 pleadge to FINISH what I work on ...

Yes, I know, I have more than a couple things on the front burners ...

Yes, I'm being faithful (sort of) to the leader/ender process ...

But I just HAD to see how the current L/E project is working out!

I'm glad I did this little test run because I can see that the low-contrast combos, especially the dark ones, are not as striking.  I think I will rearrange some of my pairs to get more contrast between light and dark.

Full leader/ender box

This project is a design by Jo Kramer and her daughter Kelli.  Their quilt appears in (and on the cover of) the 2016 American Patchwork & Quilting calendar.  Using a Jelly Roll of Moda "Grunge," I've cut the half-square triangles using the Easy Angle ruler.

Progress thus far:

Help

Sometime recently I read about a blog or website that was auctioning/selling/offering/trading unfinished projects.

Can someone send me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Libby (a/k/a The Lib-erator)

Random Progress

It's Radically Random!

"Radically Random"

Since everything about this quilt has been totally random -- a difficult exercise for someone who desires/requires organization -- I've decided to call it Radically Random.  (However, if you look closely, I did insert a few elements of balance just to satisfy my obsession.)

The three 20" blocks on the right will go together today so that I can make room for the left side of the quilt on my design wall.  One chain block is ready to sew together, then one more to audition.  I hope I have enough pieces-parts for the border ....

In the end I will have pretty much decimated two rolls of 2-1/2" strips, found places for miscellaneous charm squares, dug into my solids, and used a background that has been on my shelf for at least 5 years.  Pretty liberating.

Just call me The Liberator!

Linking up with others at Free Motion by the River.

What's Up?

Clean Cutting Table

... on the design wall

Yesterday I was touting my clean cutting table.  

Today I'm celebrating a nearly empty leader/ender box!

Leader-Ender Box

I have tried L/E many times in the past, but just couldn't get it working -- either I'd forget to put something under the needle, or I'd get excited about the L/E project and bust ahead on it.  About two months ago I decided to dedicate myself to the process, beginning with a pile of sew-and-flip cut off corners.

The blue and red pieces were cut off Starstruck that I finished over a year ago.  The rest are from Twist of Lime, currently underway.  I keep all these little finished HSTs in an ice cream bucket (a Kroger Party Pail, to be precise) and periodically I'll take the bucket to the kitchen and trim while keeping an eye on dinner prep.

So what's a girl to do with an empty leader/ender box?

Inspired by a quilt I saw on Jo Kramer's blog, Jo's Country Junction, I have cut some more half-square triangles from a roll of Moda's "Grunge" strips.

Cutting HSTs with Easy Angle

Wanting to get a lot of variety in my color combos, I began by cutting the strips in half and made rough pairings.  I can get six units from half of the cut strip (or 1/4 of a whole strip).  I then take the remainder of one color and pair it with the next color on my pile.  The cut units are currently stacked on a square ruler for transportation to the L/E box.

And the cutting table is occupied again .....

Have a great week, Y'all!  And check out what others are working on at Patchwork Times.

Lookie, Lookie!

... a clean cutting table!

It all started with two rolls of 2-1/2" strips that exploded on my sewing table after I pulled a couple of strips out for a project.  It was very tempting to shove them back into a drawer, but I could see possibilities of merging the two rolls into 4-patches.

Some were paired with white for Candy Dish.  All the blocks and rows are made and they are waiting for a clean space on the sewing table to work with the larger pieces. 

Some light print strips were paired with medium solids and worked into this little crib top. 2.5 yds 

Crib Quilt

More of the medium-darks were paired into random 4-patches for "Ginger Belle" (still trying to come up with my own name for this one).  All the star blocks are made and one of the chain blocks is done.

Ginger Belle

So, for a brief instant the cutting table is clear....

Also back for crib quilt was made.  1.5 yds

Weekly Stash Report - July 5, 2015
     In last week:                        0.00 yards
    Out last week:                      4.00 yards
     In year to Date:               121.25 yards
     Out Year-to-Date:             76.75 yards
     Net Used 2015                  44.50 yards 

Linking up with Patchwork Times.

Oops!

Too many irons in the fire ...

This is what happens when you work on multiple projects at one time:

Big Oops!

The black was a corner square from the "Twist of Lime" pile.

The quarter-square triangles are going into one of these star blocks for "Ginger Belle."

Ginger Belle Star Block

What can I say?

A Tribute

... to the Queen Mother

My mother-in-law, who has lived with us here on the hill since becoming a widow in 2008, turned 95 yesterday.

Angie and Pops

She was a draftsman in the airplane industry during WWII.  After marriage she became the ultimate mother and hostess, doing everything with style and flair.





In "her day" she was an artist ...

Displaying her needlepoint stocking

... needle artist -- both needlepoint and crewel embroidery...

Crewel Bell Pull

seamstress (tailored all her clothing), knitter, and quilter extraordinaire...

Iris kit quilt circa 1960
"If it's not totally handmade it's not a 'real' quilt!"

Second oldest of eight sisters, four of whom have already succumbed to Alzheimer's, today she is unable to hold a brush or a needle and she barely remembers her talents, even though we have surrounded her with many reminders.

We had a quiet family celebration yesterday.  She was flooded with cards from my friends.  She doesn't remember that she doesn't know them.  She just knows she is special.

Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.