Field Trips in Fiber - Adventures in quilting, hand dyed fabric and fiber art.

Design Wall Monday

I didn't accomplish much in the way of piecing or sewing this weekend but it was a very productive and busy weekend. Last week was abnormally social for me so I had to iron and pack all of the fabric that I dyed last week on the weekend. We also had a nice visit from my nephew and his girlfriend. They are fun to talk to. I really should adopt a bunch of teenagers. I don't care for kinds much until they are about 15 and I love seeing them transform into adults. But I wasn't totally away from quilting this weekend. In fact, I had one major accomplishment.

I've mentioned a few times that I had a beastly project on Willie. I tried my best to work on it an hour every day since I loaded it but I would hunt for any excuse possible to avoid it. I still made reasonably steady progress. Last week I reached a major milestone on it and this weekend I was finally motivated to finish it. It still needs to be bound but the quilting is finally done. I'll have photos once the quilt is totally complete.

Now I can finally work on some quick projects! I have loaded Chris' quilt and started a pantograph. It will be done in a couple of days. After that I will load some QOV and veteran's quilts for more pantograph treatments. I feel like I need to do some pantos to cleanse my palette before jumping into another long term project. Plus I need to allow some time for Mom to come quilt some of her quilts too. I'm just so happy to see something else on Willie!

As for my goals for the week, I have lots of them but no week can get off to a better start than this one. My "office" is the back porch where the weather is just perfect today. It's about 73 and partly cloudy. 

Here's my view and I do find it distracting. I've jsut spent 20 minutes watching a Carolina Wren jump around these trees. Life is really, really good and I am grateful.

Don't forget the Thankful Thursday post. This week I'm giving awat 2 Quilt Show membership gift certificates. You can use them even if you are already a member and extend your membership a year.

I'm going to get back to "work" now so go check out what everyone else is doing at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

I am still mostly working on the 2 projects that I can show. One is on Willie (the longarm) and is about 75% done now. I hope to finish it this week and after that I'm going to quilt 3 or 4 quilts with pantographs just to have the opportunity to finish several projects quickly.

The other thing I've been working on is the veteran's mystery quilt. The first clue will be revealednext Monday (the 20th). If you want to make one for our project or one for yourself, I hope you'lll join in!

This weekend was Sewing Friday and Saturday with the Country School Quilters. I needed something to work on so I took the fabrics for my guest room quilt.

The quilt will have a 60" center with wide gradient borders. I had planned to do a Carpenter's Star center but at the last minute changed my mind and decided to do some free piecing. I have 2 more colors to add to this piece and then I can add the borders. I like how it's looking so far. It would be really cool if I could finish the top this coming weekend.

All in all, it was a great quilting weekend. She what everyone else is doing at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

I did get a lot accomplished this weekend but most of it was related to getting the new Thrive palette posted and the newsletter out. I have been sewing a lot this past week too and got the prototype of the Country School mystery quilt done. This week I will start writing the instructions and start a second version to test the instructions. 

These are the fabrics for my next version. These are all hand dyed samples from my stash. Anyone is welcome to join the mystery. The first clue will be posted May 20 and I'll post a notice on my blog when the clues are posted.  If you want to make one to donate to us to use for our veteran's project we would love to have them. The quilt will finish to 48" x 60". That is the size that the hospital recommended that we make.

I'm also going to make a larger version for a QOV and these are the fabrics that I will use for that one. The black is hand dyed but the others are all commercial prints from the stash. I am trying my best to use up the stash but it's slow going!

Last week I thought I would get out my psotage stamp UFO to work on this Friday and Saturday with my Country School friends. I've already changed my mind!

My friend, Denise, is coming to visit this summer from LA so I'm going to work on the quilt for the guest room to see if I can't get that room totally done before she arrives. I dyed the fabrics for the quilt a few weeks ago and I'm going to do a giant Carpenter's Star block with very wide gradient borders. It will be double sided with the tie-dyed backing. To be done by July it will get a pantograph treatment for quilting. But this is meant to be a quilt that's used a lot so that will be OK. Now I need to get the quilt drafted so I have cutting measurements ready for Friday.

In fun dyeing news here's a cool quilt back that I dyed for a customer last week. I hated to see this one go! 

I need to get busy ironing fabric and starting the second version of the mystery quilt. Meanwhile check out what everyone else is up to at Patchwork Times.

 

Design Wall Monday

I have to say that this was one of the best weekends that I've had in a while. I was the perfect blend of social and sewing activities. I got to quilt and sew for several hours Saturday and then we had friends over for dinner. Yesterday we went to Staunton to the Hot Glass Festival with Mom (more on that tomorrow) but got home early in the afternoon and I got in another 4 hours of sewing. I'm watching the series Justified on Amazon Prime while I sew. I'm really hooked on it.

I can't share much of what I'm doing because I'm making the prototype for the CSQ Mystery Quilt. It's coming along really well so I need to start writing instructions this week. I'm also making progress on the secret quilt in the longarm frame. 

I promise to have something real to share alter in the week! Meanwhile check out what everyone else is doing over at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

I'm not sure what happened with last week but I barely got in 1 hour of sewing. Well, I actually do know what happened. Our UK friends were here through Tuesday and that was followed by 2 days of dyeing over 50 yards of fabric. Then a miracle happened and I had TWO, no kidding, TWO social events this weekend. I had drinks with former co-workers Friday and we went to a friend's house for dinner Saturday. It was all very unusual but great fun to get out for a change.

This morning I had my first massage in over 6 months and I was about 5 months past due and now I can get on with finishing ironing the fabric I dyed last week and maybe do some sewing tomorrow. That would be awesome!

Part of the 50 yards that I dyed last week was fabric for me! I dyed a quilt back and binding for the QOV that I finished last weekend and I dyed all of the fabric for a quilt for the guest bedroom. This tie-dyed mandala will be the backing but I think it's going to be a bedspread for the bed until the quilt top is done. I'll make sure the quilt is reversible so I can use either side.

I will make sure I can do a bit of sewing today though so I can look out my sewing room window at this view. The pink dogwood is spectacular this year.

Check out what everyone else is doing over at Patchwork Times.