Here it is...FALL! And it happened like a light switch. One day it was Summer, sunny and warm...then bam, it was Fall, cool, rainy and fallish! The hummers have decided to migrate, well, almost all of them. I still have one hold out, he is probably excited to have the entire feeder to himself.  But, at least I have a nice sewing studio to work in. Air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. I have not turned on the heat, yet. But, you can bet that as soon as I do, the Velcro puppies will be find a cozy spot in front of the heater to spend their unproductive moments. Wait, I don't think that they have productive moments. They eat, sleep and bark...nope, nothing productive there!
So, I started a new project.

It is still a work in progress, but it is coming along nicely. I have to take a more recent picture. But, I have to take a break, because I have some piecing to do...hope that will be done by the end of the weekend. But then, while I am piecing, I need to make a baby quilt. And I need more practice on George...not quite like a job...but plenty busy. Well, time to hit the spools!

So, here it is Sunday...starting a new project. Well new, may not be correct. I have had this partially worked project pinned to my design wall...well, since the wall went up. Let's not stop to think how long that has been, scary!
But first, I did get the bird project done. And it is residing in it's place of honor in a new home. The exact home that I did not plan for it to be in.

I was really liking this project. Each project that I finish, I learn more about applique. You are not seeing this at an angle, the tree side is 4" longer. I just could not even off the bottom. It was an enhancement that was a surprise when it happened.

The other exciting thing that I am learning....is my new sewing machine. I have had a long arm machine for the past eight years. While, I love working with the APQS Millie..the back will no longer allow me to reach for the time it takes to start and finish a large quilt. But, large projects is not something that I am into anymore. So, I upgraded..for me, I purchased an APQS George. George is a sit down machine. Takes the pressure of standing for long periods of time. So now, it is back to practice, practice, practice. I learn new things each time I use it. So far, I am loving it!

So, the next project is getting started. Don't know how long this will take, because I may have to take a short break in the middle to do some work for my daughter. But, until that time, I will work diligently on it!

 

Wow, seems like the first few cucumbers just came off the vine...and now, we are looking at the end of the crop. Where did June, July and August disappear to. I think mine disappeared in the sewing room. Been a lot of changes in there.
Where to start....
I finished my sunflower project and it came out as expected.

 

I get wrapped up in my designs...I sometimes hate to part with them.

Well, I went from something small to something larger. And in hindsight, I wonder why!

This project was larger than I like to work with. But, it leads to another story. I have an APQS Millineum..I have had Millie since 2005. But, because of some medical issues, I decided to get an APQS George. It is a sit down machine. And while it will require a learn curve, I am sure..It is not something that is beyond my abilities. It really is an entire new avenue into my sewing adventures.

 

This is one of the last larger projects that I will do on the Millie. I have actually set it up in the living room and the George is in the sewing room...in the place of honor! It is not that I will not be using anymore, but at some point the Millie will probably be going to my daughters home in Georgia...a long trip! But, onto other matters. this is quilted but still needs the binding. I have been lagging on that because I have already started my next project.

I have an issue with this project. Because my best friend is a bird lover....and while I am working on a project with a bird theme, I did not want her to feel like she was obligated to purchase or that it was made specifically for her. It was just next!!

 

This is the project that I am now working on. This picture shows the layout and now I am ready to fuse. 

This is the final layout and it is totally fused and part of the initial top stitching is done. This is only the first layer. More to follow.





 

Well, it is painfully obvious that I have not been paying attention to my blog...I have been busy developing and sewing another wall hanging. This is one that I have had to develop along the way. I know what I want it to look like but, sometimes getting there is an issue. And, I hate wasting fabric.

I noticed that working on this project, I have a pattern. I mean a pattern of working. It sort of goes like this. I have the pattern in my head. So, the first thing to think about is how big do I want this project. So, I cut a piece of muslin the size of the project and I pin it to the design wall. Then it is study the size as I go in and out of the room. Once, I decide the size is right, then the fabric comes into play.  As I develop the pattern, I am also auditioning fabric. For this project, a sunflower, I had to choose three yellow fabrics that blend well..and then for the background, a piece of sky.  The sashing, something green, but it has to be a different green than what I will use for the leaves and stem. And a word box. Once I get it all pinned in place and I have to start sewing, I like to wait for a while, again going in and out of the room, making sure that everything blends the way it should.  Then it is time to sew it down and hope that it still has the effect that I am wanting to portray. Because I really do not like to use the seam ripper. Sometimes patterns that I think should be very easy take longer than I thought they would.

I hesitate between different layers of the project. I do this because, I am always thinking it will not work...or what will this look like...changing my mind...But, in the end...everything works out just as I had envisioned it. But, it has a little fretting and worrying applied during the assembly! Another thing that I have been doing is, every night before I leave the sewing room, I take a picture of the project. Not, only do I have a record of how far I have gotten. But the picture gives a entirely different view of the project. I like the flat image, it shows so many things that I have not even noticed. Are the clouds looking okay, is the border straight. I have seen a border with a pattern that looks different when top stitched different directions. Was not as noticeable in real as it showed in the photo. It was a simple fix, just remove some stitching and stitch down in the other direction!

 

So far, so good. Now, to top stitch and bind. More pictures to follow when done!

Gosh, here it is the first few days of August. The garden is growing great and we are starting to reap the harvest...Ya!
I have been busy, but not sewing much, as the husband revamped the table for my sewing machines. I was using a small desk and it just did not cut it anymore..could not comfortably cram two machines on the desk and still sew. Why two machines, you may ask..because I have my favorite machine that I use probably 95% of the time. BabyLock Quilters Pro, that I have had for ten years. I love that machine..it only does a straight stitch..but, it is a great straight stitch. And my other machine is my BabyLock Ellegante. The Ellegante does things the quilters pro cannot do, such as embroidery and numerous other stitches that I may need at a moments notice. But, I digress....I needed a table long enough to handle two machines and a small pressing board. I wonder why I have any ironing board when I only use a small portion of it. So, now, I have an area where I can roll back and forth between my sewing machines/ironing board to my cutting table. It is FANTASTIC! And I now have enough room to move a larger project around without having to stop and straighten things so often.
I am so surprised how much room I have now and the machines like the new table...more stable than anything with legs..does not bounce or anything undesirable like that.

Did not have the ironing board done when the picture was taken...and I had not hidden the old ironing board, which I need to keep for the LARGE projects..
And now, the mirror in the picture has moved to the other side of the closet door and that wall is now destined for an additional, larger design wall.
So, with all of that aside, I can now get back to some of the projects that I am working on and need to finish.
Other projects that I have been working on:

These two projects have already been sold to a "bear lover" on the East Coast. I hope she enjoys them..I was developing a soft spot for the cabin scene, but I am capable of making another...Oh well.
Time to go sew. Hope your day is wonderful and you get to do what you want.

Here it is Tuesday...I got to spend Saturday at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. It was a long day...up at 6a.m. for a two hour drive to Sisters. The show starts at 9 a.m. We walked around for 2-3 hours...and then back to the shuttle, back to the car and home. Good seven hour trip, anyway you add it up.  The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is a big event and it has really spread out to include the entire town. Seems like more businesses participated by having quilts hung outside their business...But, it is along hike. A side note...I do not walk far or well, due to a back injury. So, by the time I have walked with the aid of my cane from one end of the town to the other and then back again, I am done. And my quilts...well, they were at opposite ends of the town. We were dropped by the shuttle behind the famous Stitchin Post Fabric Store. So, the first thing we got to view were the quilt blocks...YEAH! I got to see mine, with a white ribbon. This year, they had a top winner and four runners up. The sad part is that out of 167 blocks, there were only 70 from the United States...the rest were from Japan. Come on American Quilters, we should be able to do better than that. But, the Japanese blocks were beautiful and another look into quilting designs. My big quilts, was hanging not too far from the where that blocks were. I could see it across the parking lot. Now, where was my other one. I had decided that I would walk until I found the second one...at the other end of town. So, we stopped at Dutch Bros for a coffee and rested...then back across town. The past two years they have added a shuttle service from the high school. It is great..we don't have to drive around and around and around looking for parking. And, then the long walk into town. Park at the school, get in the van and you are dropped in the middle of the activities. But, it was such a fun day...the weather cooperated and was not blazing hot. Now, I am awaiting the return of my quilts and my winning (fourth runner up) block!

Yesterday, July 10, 2013, I got a very exciting phone call. First some background. I have never been a person that enters a lot of contest. I am just a realist and I know that winning is an over rated thing and only one person is going to win that item. Well, now that is out of the way....I entered the quilt block contest for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon. It is a very big thing in the summer. It attract a large group of people. The week before the Saturday show (always the second Saturday in July) there are classes and activities...quilters flock to Sisters to take part.
So, this year, I entered the quilt block contest...I paid $10 for the fabric to construct the blocks. It comes in two different colorways, so what the heck...get both=$20. I was surprised when I got the fabric...a legal size envelope...I opened the envelope and to my surprise both colorways were mailed in the same envelope...looking further, I noted that I had received a 10x10 inch piece of background fabric and four coordinating fabrics that measured 6x6 inches. Now, the next question was "I am suppose to make a 9.5x9.5 inch block out of these fabrics and it is due back by June 15, 2013. Well, I hung in on the design wall....this was going to take some thinking. I wavered back and forth between a conventional block or a whimsical block...I made up my mind and I changed my mind. When the time came, that I had to make a decision. So, I gathered my tools and my heatnbond and sat down to design a block. The first one..was probably the easiest, I had to spend more time thinking about the second block. A side note; I also decided to hang two of my own quilts in the show. It is just a fun thing...no prize expected. I was also working on one of those quilts. But, I digress-back to the blocks. So, I decided that my blocks had to fit the poster of the quilt. So, the first one had contained a tree and some fish. The second one was a bit more difficult. But, in the end, I got them both done and sent in by the deadline. Now, the waiting game. Some blocks, very few, were displayed on facebook...and I kept waiting. I went back to read about the quilt block challenge and found that they were not going to pick the winner until the week of the show activities and the Quilt Advisers (teachers for the classes) were going to make the finally decision. Now, there are only four spots to fill...The top block was the only block to take a money prize, but there are still three other spots.
Too my surprise, I got a phone call from Sisters, Oregon...I better take this one...I answered and the nice lady on the other end told me that my blue block, the one I had the most difficulty with had come in fourth place. WAIT! It did what...I was beyond excitement...for taking fourth place. I will get a ribbon and I will be awarded some of the other blocks to make a quilt...how great is that! It is not about the money or the ribbon...it is about having nationally know quilters/teachers pick MY block as one of four top blocks out of 167 entries. I just felt like they would probably call back and tell me that they made a mistake..but, they did not...I cannot wait to go to the Quilt Show this Saturday. I will be taking a number of photos of me with my displayed block...I CANNOT WAIT! I am picturing my blocks below. And, I will also put in a picture of the two quilts that I sent. I am still on cloud nine....



 





Thanks for reading!