Seam Ripper! First Step to Improvement!

Too wide on front!

Too narrow on back!

I would love to have said, "Seam Ripper, First Step to Perfection," but I know it's just improvement. And with this in mind I have taken my little quilt hanging, "Sunset Reflection on Lake" and removed the binding!  I was never happy with it, even though I called it finished and posted it on Flickr!  It was not finished because it was not done correctly!

I had followed the instructions for sewing a binding on with a sewing machine, just like the first two; however, I didn't do the the first seam correctly.  It was right on the edge, barely catching the fabric along the edge and then when I turned it to sew on the front, it was way too big!  It covered too much of the quilt.  Some of the colors along the edges were missing and I knew it.  I had this huge binding on the front and almost nothing on the back and I still called it done!

Well, suddenly today I couldn't stand it.  I was looking at the picture of the quilt prior to binding and after and thought, "it's time I pull out the seam ripper and start this over. And I did!

I'm may rethink the color of the binding and may change it, but even if I reuse this, it will be seamed correctly on the back, so that the binding on the front is of equal size and correct.  It only took about fifteen minutes to remove this and I will forever be thankful that I did it.

I would normally beat myself up for doing it wrong and then leaving it, but not today.  I just see it as part of the learning process and proud of myself for being willing to fix it! And, so I'm leaving this post for a few minutes (hopefully) and a binding on my quilt.  When I come back, I will add a picture of the "new" finished quilt.   Too late for the challenge, but not to late for me!

Sunset Reflection on Lake - Binding redone, proper size!

 And here it is, all finished!  I went with the same binding, just put on correctly and I'm so much happier.  It's still far from perfect, but it's just my third, well, now I guess it's my fourth binding and I will get better and now, the colors show properly.  The binding was so big, that it blocked out some of the colors like down in the bottom left corner and upper right, specifically.  I am satisfied!

Project Quilting - Bonus Challenge

I am posting today for Kim at Project Challenge.  You've heard me talk about the weekly challenge, but this is all about a bonus challenge for those of you who want longer than a week to create a quilt.  There's a bonus fat quarter bundle for this challenge, well, let me just let Kim tell you all about it:

Hello everyone!  This is Kim from Persimon Dreams, www.PersimonDreams.com, and I’m so happy to be here sharing some exciting Project QUILTING news with you.  We are currently in the midst of Season 4.  The first two challenges inspired over 100 quilts to be created – so amazing!  The third challenge went up on Sunday, February 3^rd and I can’t wait to see what comes from it (still time for you to join in!)  

I personally love Project QUILTING because it has been extremely inspirational to me in my quilting journey.  I know I only have a week for the projects but it’s a great opportunity to give ideas in my mind a try – see what happens, try new techniques.  If it works…maybe I’ll do a bigger project that takes more time.  Project QUILTING has me creating pieces I never imagined before, it brought me out of the only making ‘what I think will sell’ and in turn, and the Project QUILTING community has been such an inspiration and support.

I have heard from many that they love watching along with Project QUILTING and the projects created from the challenges but they just can’t fit making a quilt in just one week.  That’s what my exciting news is all about today – a new *Bonus* Project QUILTING Challenge.  I’ve teamed up with a fabulous online fabric store – The Fat Quarter Shop to bring you all the ‘Fat Quarter Shop Bundle Challenge – Tradition Times Three’:  http://www.persimondreams.com/2013/01/bonus-project-quilting-challenge-fat-quarter-shop-fabric-bundle-tradition-times-three.html  

Diane outlines what is required for this particular challenge.  You must go to the Fat Quarter Shop to by the fabric bundle (http://www.fatquartershop.com/store/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?sid=570110135227570&Store_id=499&page_id=23&Item_ID=87597&Parent_Ids=) 

in order to complete the challenge BUT the twist is – you have until May 30^th, 2013 to submit your challenge!  At that point, one of my girls will randomly draw a winner of $75 to use at the Fat Quarter Shop.  

I also wanted to share with you a few ways you can save on your fabric bundle.  First – head over to my blog and enter in the giveaway I posted today:  http://www.persimondreams.com/?p=4082 

OR if you want to save 20% off your entire purchase of fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop check out this blog post: http://www.talkintuesdays.blogspot.com/2013/01/talknt-jan-29th-fat-quarter-shop.html to find the special code – good through February 10^th.

~Kim Lapacek

Don't miss out on this opportunity to save on this bundle and join the challenge!

Mapping My Mind

I was online the other day and saw a reader challenge for Quilting Daily.  I guess the word challenge is important to me this year because I saw one that looked like so much fun. ( Maybe challenge should have been my word for the year instead of bloom!) Anyway, back to the point, it was called "Mapping it Out" and this was the description:

 What do you think of when you hear the word "map"? The dictionary reveals that "map" is a noun and a verb that can be used both literally and figuratively. Scientists map genes, politicians plot a road map for peace, and business people map out a plan. People are described as being all over the map. Or, if they're successful, they're on the map. In a spiritual sense, one might map the soul. Such complexity from a simple word. Sounds like a challenge to us!

What does "map" mean to you? Draw us a map to your thoughts in a 10" x 12" art quilt.

I was immediately intrigued by this thought and saw a map of my mind!  My head is so full of so many thoughts and desires and, well, I guess just things I'm doing or want to do.  You know I love to draw my "girls" and so immediately one was in my journal with my mind mapped out.

The challenge deadline was January 25 and so I've zoomed right past that, but since I can't get that sketch or thought out of my mind, I've started on this quilt process today.  First here is my sketch, and then how I enlarged it on my copier and finally, cut out the pieces of my mind (wow, it should be so easy to control our thoughts) and next I will cut them out of different color fabrics, so I can piece them back together on the head. 

The next thing is the head and face.  Do I get a colored fabric?  Do I try to paint her on white fabric?  I will probably try painting her first on white and see what happens, I can always try the other if this doesn't work. And now I just thought, paint the map!  Well, it will be fun to decide just how to do this and maybe I'll even end up with two - one all painted and one in fabric pieces.  

Stay tuned for the next installment and see which way I choose, or if I choose!  (Laughing) Following along with me, shows just how crowded my mind is and how quick I can jump around!!!! Anyway, I will post the steps as I move along and hopefully, I'll have at least one finished "map of my mind" 10 x 12 quilt sometime soon.  

And I can't wait to see the ones submitted by the readers - they will be in the June 2013 Quilting Daily magazine!  Back soon with the next step . . . . .

Princess in Pink - Project Quilting Challenge 2

I can't believe this is the first time I've posted since the last Project Quilting Challenge, but I don''t see anything so I guess it is.  I've recently started my new blog on our alpaca adventure and so guess I've just been posting there, but I digress, let's move on to "Princess in Pink".

This weeks challenge was to pick our favorite color and do a quilt, in any size or shape, in that color (and shades of it) and white!  No other colors allowed.  I chose pink, it actually not my favorite color, but I like it and it's how I imagined this little dress, so pink it is!

We receive the challenge on Sunday.  I was blank.  How hard can it be to come up with a quilt of any size or shape etc. etc.  It was very hard for me.  As I've said my desire to quilt comes strictly from wanting to paint my flowers and then quilt them.  And then my friend Sally introduced me to this quilt challenge. Actually, I really can't blame her - all she did was post on FB that she was excited about the new year of the  Project Quilting Challenge and I jumped in and joined. But, I can say, if she hadn't posted, I wouldn't know about it!  Thanks, Sally Keller!  Which reminds me you must go look at the quilt she did for this challenge!  She is just amazing and so is her quilt.

 So back to deciding what to do.  I was so blank I decided that I just wouldn't do one.  And then on Thursday as I waited at the doctor for my appointment a sketch appeared in my sketch book!  The docs PA walked in and ask what I was sketching and I told her an idea for a little wall hanging.  Once I said it aloud, it became real and I began to think how to do it.  The finished item is not the sketch, but it certainly was the inspiration.

This is the second time I've done a binding and I am happier with this one.  I found a video on You Tube from Missouri Star Quilts on how to do a machine binding and it was really good.  Finally it made sense so progress is being made.  I'm not ready to begin a large quilt, not even one over 12", but we'll see what the challenge is in two weeks.  You never know when they might just push me to move out of this "small" comfort zone.

The one thing I hope I will do while I wait for the next challenge is practice!  Practice free motion quilting and bindings!  The one thing I see or hear in every class, article, video etc. is practice, practice, practice and so if I really want to learn to do this I must, you got it, practice!

So until next time, I shall be at my sewing machine seeing what I can learn and, of course, preparing for Bible Study, mentoring MOPS, preparing for the arrival of the alpacas (to see more on alpacas click here) and the usual duties of homemaker!  Life is good! God is GREAT!

Quilting Challenge - Bloom

I'm so far behind!  This has been a very busy week - filled with Bible Study two mornings, food pantry one morning and Association Board Meeting Thursday night - needless to say all of these also involved phone calls, study, copying, etc. etc. etc. and so it's almost time for the next challenge and I'm just posting about the last one.

I mentioned in my last post about the pincushions that I had decided to join a quilt challenge and the first quilt was due in a week.  Yes, we had from Sunday (I found it on Monday) when they announced the theme to the following Sunday at noon to have it completed and a picture uploaded.

And now to my quilt! It begins with the word bloom - my word for 2013!  So many of my friends talked about choosing their word for the year.  I had never done that, but it sounded intriguing.  I began to pray about my word and I had two words come to mind.  Try and bloom!!!  The more I thought about it bloom was the word and this week I got to use it.

Now, call me crazy, but I decided to give this challenge a try.  I have actually quilted some fabric together in practice and about six years ago I quilted some fabric and made cute little jewelry (misc.) bags - three to be exact and a month or so ago I made a mug rug for Bill, but turned the fabric - did NOT put on binding.  That I had never, ever done!  So you ask,  "What was I thinking?"  Believe me by Saturday (a week ago) I was asking that, too!  I sat down and painted a flower early in the week, as soon as I signed up.  That's the easy part, I do that all of the time.  In fact, that's why I bought my new machine, to make wall hangings or other small items using my painted flowers.  But a completed wall hanging in a week?  Oh, my goodness!

But sometimes, this is just what I need, a challenge!  I am a procrastinator even about things I want to do and so a timed challenge is very, very good for me!  It forces me to act!  Now you notice, I said I found the challenge on Monday and I painted the flower immediately and then you might notice I mentioned Saturday as the day I was asking myself what I had gotten myself into.  Procrastination at its best! Yes, indeed, I thought about it every day, I looked at my flower every day and then on Saturday I panicked, went up stairs to the studio and seriously picked out fabric.  No I hadn't even picked out fabric when I painted my flower!  The advantage to being a fabric hoarder is that you have almost every color stuck away somewhere and so I pulled out a drawer and there it was the exact colors that were in my flower.  By the way, I thanked God for this and saw it as a miracle, since it was a set of matching fabrics and was in the first drawer I opened! Next it was cutting and pinning and quilting and BINDING!  Yes, I did just scream the word binding.  I studied videos and dvds and my binding finally got done around midnight!  Far, far from perfect, but done!


I posted the picture on Flicker and connected them to the challenge and I took a deep breath and went to bed!  From a distance this looks pretty cute and I got some wonderful comments, but I know that if I want to do better I have to practice, practice, practice! And so, in just an hour or so another challenge will appear on Facebook from Project Quilting and I will try again.  Just hoping it's not so far beyond my skills that I can't do it.  But whatever it is, I will try!  Check it out you might want to join me in this venture.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you I won a prize!  No, not for my quilting, but a random drawing of all the entries and I won a wonderful prize, picked out just for me from Pam Geisel For Quilts Sake. Check out her Etsy shop here.

And now I wait for the new challenge and head out to help my sweet hubby build the stall for our alpacas, Pancho, Lefty and Sammy who are arriving soon!  We went to visit them yesterday and they showed off some of their halter skills (not much yet) and let us pet them, a little.  Can't wait for them to arrive, but more on that later.

Be back soon,

Pincushions

Well, two pincushions down and what fun I've had! I've learned new stitches, practiced old ones and learned why my mom always told me I needed a thimble!


The first one is a bird (Sizzix die) and is nothing like the vintage one I showed a few days ago, but I think it's darn cute.  I love how this felting turned out - colors are just great and makes for a very interesting bird! There will never be another one exactly like it, but I'm sure there will be more pincushion birds.  The copy of the vintage one is on hold for a while, I have much to figure out on it before I could do a copy justice.

The second one is a little dress, this die is from Sizzix too, and I think it will make many cute things through the years.  My original plan for this die was a quilted wall hanging and there will still be one, but I think this is real cute too.  Had to laugh, three months ago I didn't even know what couching was and now it's on my dress! This is the other end of my piece of needle felted wool, but the colors are so different.  I have enough left to maybe make a flower pin, so I have to make some more before my next project.

I just signed up to do a quilt challenge, so don't know when the next pincushions will show up, but they're quick and fun, so they will appear.  I must do some more needle felting and cut out some new designs - some cute ones to follow soon!  But now to the quilt challenge.  Check it out, you might want to join in.

Words Should Always Be Covered In Chocolate!

A very dear friend once told me she always covered her words in chocolate, so if she had to eat them she would enjoy them!  This is very good advice and I'm so glad I listened to her. Thanks, Deb!

What was it, a month ago that I said I've found what I really enjoy and it's not sewing!  Well, what do you think I got at the quilt show?   Yes, I am the proud owner of a Bernina!  Now, it's a baby one - not one of those big multi-thousand $$$$$$ machines, but it is a Bernina.  Why you ask?  Because I've decided I want to make small quilts.  (I know what you're thinking - I just said sewing wasn't my thing) but I've now decided I want to make small wall hangings with both photographs and painted squares and quilt them.  Oh, how good those chocolate covered words taste!  Ha Ha

  Now don't think I've turned my back on those saws, I have not!  I just cut out a new piece for my front door last Sunday.  I have worked on it this week preparing it with colored papers.  I've added a ribbon and bow to the bottom package and will add  more ribbon and bows to the rest of the gifts, and it will be ready for decoration day.

Pattern

Wood Cutout

 Ready for Bows

And, that brings up a whole other topic - Thanksgiving Day.  My sweet husband and I have gone to "Autorama" every Thanksgiving evening for over 20 years and they changed the dates.  There is no Thursday evening show this year - I can't tell you the disappointment that flowed through our house when we discovered this tidbit of information.  But recovery has been quick and we shall use Thursday afternoon to put up our outside decorations, or at least get started. Friday we will do Autorama and Saturday, I will be in a sewing machine class all day!!!!!  Sounds like a great holiday weekend to me, with much to be thankful for this year, as always.

But now back to the reality of today!  What to do with the new machine?  Every inch of my craft room is covered!  Way too many projects going on at once and to be honest, just way too much stuff.  And so my new machine sits on my dining room table as I gut my room and rearrange, redecorate, get rid of much and make a place for this new treasure.  So as much fun as this is, I must stop, get off of my fanny and head back upstairs and face the mess!  The soon to be organized, great to look at and even greater to create in studio!  I mean it's going to be soooo neat and it will deserve the name studio!  Pictures to follow soon.