Design Wall Monday 10/26/15

Not much to show today.  I was experimenting with a new block.  I saw a similar block and simplified it a little.  I like the idea of  using two shades of  one color for each block.  It would be great for scraps.  I'm going to use it for the Block Lottery in my class.  I'll make up a few in different colors and see how it looks.

I also drafted out a quilt that my sister had in mind so we could figure out some measurements.  Other than that, nothing quilty going on.  I am cutting out blocks for my Farm Girl Vintage quilt, so I have some "kits" ready to sew.  I really want to finish that quilt before the end of the year.  That is my goal because I have another quilt I want to start in January.

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what other people are working on today!

Design Wall Monday 10/19/15

I went to the annual Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) on Saturday. Another amazing show.  I've been to this show every year except once years ago when they were changing venues and they held it in Palm Springs.  I usually go on Sunday when it is not as crowded. However, this is the first year that the 49ers have played at their new stadium, which is right next door!  They had a home game on Sunday and I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near the show.  As it was, on Saturday the show was so packed that the parking garage for the convention center where it is held was completely full, and I was turned around to the main parking garage for the stadium.  It was a little bit of a hike to get back to the show, but it was worth it in the end.  I snapped a picture of the fabric at one of the vendor booths (above).  It reminds me of buckets of flowers at a farmer's market.  If there was a fabric you needed, you were going to find it at this show.  This was just one booth.  I spent a little more than I intended, but not excessively so.  I was already going to restock on the Superior thread that I like for piecing, so I save some shipping costs and bought it at the show.  A few fat quarters, a few patterns...

On Sunday I did a little sewing.  I finished another Farm Girl Vintage block (above).  I'm getting there slowly but surely.  I also got the postage stamp block all cut and arranged.  That one has 36 squares to make the 6" block.  I am so undecided when it comes to colors that it took longer than it should have to get that one cut out.  Now all I need to do is piece it together.  I also made some prizes for the ladies in my class who completed a summer challenge. They weren't difficult to make, but time consuming.  A lot of ladies finished the challenge this year!  I'll try to grab a picture of those and post next time.

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what is on everyone's design walls today!

Design Wall Monday 10/12/15

I'm back in the sewing saddle!  I was able to clear off my design wall and put the Farm Girl Vintage blocks back up there.  Looking good!  I guess my little sewing break was longer than I thought - the sew along is over now and I'm still 12 blocks short.  There are 45 in the sampler, and it looks like I have 33 finished.  This weekend I decided to go out of order to ease back into sewing. I made the Simple Star block below.  Now I have some design decisions to make.  For example, I need to decide if I am going to make the Strawberry block pink like it is in the book, or red.  Pink would balance out the colors in the quilt more, but I am not sure if I have enough different pinks to make a whole strawberry block.  I have lots of red fabrics, but there is a lot of red in the quilt already. We'll see how it turns out...

I did also make a sunflower block for my husband.  He has a variety of little quilts I've made him in his cubicle at work, but wanted something to represent summer.  He chose this block from the book a while ago and I've finally put it together. Now to trim the edges, do some light quilting and then bind.  This is a 6" block.

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what everyone else has on their design walls today!

Design Wall Monday 10/05/15

What happened to September?  I seem to have lost an entire month on the blog!  Things have gotten very busy, and I really haven't been sewing.  My husband and I were on vacation at the beginning of September and then I haven't been able to get into the swing of things.  I have a new project on my design wall, but I have to say - I absolutely hate it!  It is covering the entire wall and it's killed my motivation to sew.  I need to mark the pieces so I will have some semblance of order when I get back to it, but then I'm going to put it away for a bit.  Then I'll put up some happy things and I'll be more inspired to sew.  Before we went on vacation, I did put together this pumpkin pillow using a block I made around Halloween last year.

My sister and I popped over to the annual Quilting in the Garden quilt show in Livermore, CA.  This is always a fun little show where they hang the quilts from the old oak trees on the grounds of Alden Lane Nursery.  Below are a few pictures.  I apologize for not having the names of the makers of the quilts. They were in a program, but I don't seem to have it anymore.

Be sure to check out Judy L's blog to see what everyone has one their design walls today!