Design Wall...

OK, I know today is Tuesday. I missed getting this up on Monday.

I have a finish. Well, 2 finishes, actually.
2 T-shirt quilts for the sons of a co-worker.
The sons are grown, but the parents wanted quilts made with their shirts from activities when the boys were growing up.
I agreed to do these the end May and was given the shirts then. I posted about them earlier. They were to be Christmas gifts. I did get them finished for Christmas, though it took me much longer than I expected. The parents were really excited when they saw the finished quilts. I haven't heard how the boys liked them. I am hoping that when I go back to school my co-worker lets me know.

I am working on another project, although it is too larger for my design wall. I have it draped on my quilt machine for now.

This is the base for a Twister quilt. I love batiks. I have used all batiks in this quilt. My Christmas gift from my husband was to go to the quilt store and buy whatever I wanted. I did show some restraint, but it was hard! I got a package of Hoffman Bali batik 10 inch squares, plus some fat quarters for another quilt I am working on.

I am using the Hoffman batiks, that I cut into 5 inch squares (they didn't have 5 inch packages at the quilt store) plus more from my stash in this quilt.

I don't think I am going to be able to get this quilt top finished before I go back to work. I am still working on the base, not even half sewn. Then I need to cut it using the Twister tool and sew those together. That's ok. I would hate to run out of something to work on.

Ha, like that will happen soon. :)

Another disappointment

In my last post I mentioned that I have been knitting scarves. 

I had been seeing fabric yarn in the stores lately. I finally decided to try it. 

This scarf is knit with Yorganza in a black/white design. 

It is a little pricier than the other yarns, but it is pretty. 

And, since it is light weight it would be nice for warmer weather.

 The disappointing part... it has a funny smell. 

I think the smell is from the fabric dye.

I am hoping that goes away. 

I have had it hanging up for about a week know and it does seem better.

I have also been working on another t-shirt quilt. 

I have been asked to make 2 quilts for this family.

This one was started by another quilter who decided not to finish it.

Some of the t-shirts were already cut up ... raggedly. 

Not sure what the plan was, but it was different than how I usually cut the t-shirts.

I have squared them up as best I could and am now trying to come up with a good lay-out.

The customer and I both agreed that black would be a good choice for setting the blocks together.

The blocks in the center - the ones that say 

'Just when you thought it was safe 45

... He's back!!! 45' 

are the front and back of one shirt. I think they should stay together. 

I am trying to decide if they should be framed with red or white. 

Either will work since those colors are in several of the shirts.

The school colors are red, blue and white.

I am working on a lay-out to show the customer before I start cutting any fabric.

The other shirts can all be cut nice and square. 

But, I am wondering if I should make them not square so that quilt is similar to this one. 

I will make a lay-out like that to show the customer and let them decide.

You can also see in that picture a pile of knitting on the back of my rocking chair.

That will be a sweater as soon as I find time to block the pieces.

My photos aren't the best. Something happened along the line somewhere and I can't seem to edit my photos. I just have not had time to mess around and figure out what the problem is.

Disappointed

I have knitting scarves. Lots of scarves.

These are made from Red Heart Sashay and Ribbons yarns.

 

  

This scarf is made with Bernat Boa. 

I love the colors of the one I already knitted and the 2 other skeins I bought. 

I thought they would all look so pretty. And, the yarn is so soft.

 

But.... it SHEDS.... HORRIBLY! :( 

This is the floor in front of my chair after knitting this yarn. My chair and clothes were also covered.

I noticed this right away, of course, but kept knitting, thinking it wouldn't be so bad when finished. No, still shedding horribly. 

I had the thought that maybe if I vacuumed the finished scarf 

that would remove the loose fibers. 

No, still shedding horribly. 

The scarves were intended to be gifts.

I would not wear this scarf. 

I certainly will not gift it to someone knowing it will cover them head to foot with loose fibers.

So now I have 1 finished scarf and 2 skeins that I will not use.

So disappointed.

Design Wall Monday

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since my last post.

School has started - and it has been hot, hot, hot. Four days last week our district dismiss 1 hour early due to the heat. I have been just beat by the time I get home so not much is happening as far as sewing or quilting is concerned.

I did manage to get this wheelchair basketball player appliqued onto this ball court panel. It will be surrounded by t-shirts from tournaments my son has played in the last 4 years. I am making 2 of these quilts for his basketball coaches.

Other things I have worked on this past month are:

 Bonnie Hunter's Leader and Ender  Challenge for 2013 - Split Nine Patch.
The first picture shows a block laid out on design boards.

The tutorial for the design boards can be found at Bee in My Bonnet.

The second picture shows how far I got before I took it off the design wall to put up the wheelchair basketball panel.

I am hoping this uses up a lot of my scraps!

 I made myself an apron to hold my tools when machine quilting. I finally figured out that I was spending a lot of time walking around or to the end of the frame to retrieve the scissors or seam ripper. Hope to same some time. Maybe I won't need the seam ripper if I carry it with me!

Used up some scrapes with this project, too!

I made a pincushion/thread catcher/tool holder for my machine. Again, I hope this cuts down one the time I spend searching for the tools I need. I had made the thread catcher a few years ago so it didn't take long to get it all together and put to use.

I have also been doing some knitting.
The scarf, above, I gave to my sister-in-law. We both have a love for the color green. It was an interesting yarn - a ribbon type yarn that transitioned from a thin yarn to a slick, shiny ribbon with the color changes. I did not enjoy knitting with it, but I do like the finished scarf.

To the left are 10 scarves knit from ruffle-type yarns. I used several different brands/types. I am not sure what I will do with these, probably gifts. I like them because they knit up so fast - a great project for those evenings when I just don't have the energy to do anything except watch TV. And, I think they are pretty, too.

Design Wall Monday

To see what others are doing,visit Judy here.

My design wall looks the same as last week...

Mostly because it was fair week. I entered 3 quilts.

This, Cosmic Jewels, got a blue 1st place ribbon. I quilted it with a spiral design.

This one got a red 2nd place ribbon. I quilted it with an all-over leaf design.

This baby quilt got a white 3rd place ribbon.

I was pretty happy with that. :)

Today was filled with a therapy appointment this morning for my mother-in-law, picking up my quilts from the fair, and a dentist appointment this afternoon.

I have been working on an embroidered label for a quilt and knitting.

I need to get another quilt on the frame and another one started.

I have cut some pieces for Bonnie Hunter's Summer 2013 Split 9-Patch Leader and Ender challenge.

You can see that here.

Design Wall Monday

Today my design wall looks like this...

Not much on it.
The stars are for a bed runner that my mom bought and asked me to put together for her. No hurry, she said. I have 3 more stars to make. I think it is turning out very nicely.

The reason there is nothing else on my wall is because I just completed the piecing for the deer quilt for my son.

The backing a soft fleece and is sewn together and it is ready to go on the frame as soon as this one comes off. I just have to tuck in a few thread tales. I find that easier to do when it is still on the frame. I used a spiral groovy board from R & S Designs.

In the picture below you can see more of the quilt. The center star is at the top of the picture. I will be losing about 3 inches of the borders. This quilt was so big that I couldn't quilt the borders to the edges. I am ok with that since the outside border was pretty big.

I was thinking of quilting this one next, but I just can't get inspired. I like the quilt, but I just do not know how to quilt it. I am not good at lines or feathers yet. And, I am afraid I will 'ruin' a quilt if my quilting isn't as good as I think it should be :)

To see what others are doing, visit this Judy L's page here.

Design Wall Monday

You can see what everyone else is working on here.

On my wall this week is something I am working on for my son. He is going away to school this fall and I thought he needed something for his bed. He picked this fabric several years ago and I just have not gotten around to doing anything with it until now. It is actually meant to be pillow panels, but with some sashing I think it makes a nice quilt. I plan to enter this in our local county fair.

I have been busy with other things, too. I got this baby quilt finished, except for the label on the back. This one will be at the fair, as well. I used my feather groovy board for the white outside borders and a wavy line border with small hearts in the corners or the inside border - had to turn the quilt 3 times to do that. I was nervous about doing that, but it worked out great. I used a small meander in the blocks. I then took it off the frame and hand quilted in the ditch around the sashing and outlined around the Sues, bonnets and arms. I am just not that confident yet to do that part on the frame.

My niece had a baby recently, a girl. I made a couple of burp cloths with the baby's initial on them. Another niece with a baby visited recently and showed me hers. She loves them. She says people know who the cloths belong to, you know, in case she forgets them somewhere. :)

Also, on my frame is another quilt for the fair. It is bigger than I usually do . . . 99 x 109. I am quilting a spiral design on it. I am sure I will have to turn it part way through because of the size.

Fair starts July 17 . . . so I better get busy!

Design Wall Monday

Wow - can't believe it has been so long since I posted.

I HAVE been busy!

On my wall right now is ...

Well, actually there isn't anything on my wall right now because this top is put together and on the frame.

This is a baby quilt for the granddaughter of a person I used to work with. She's a retired teacher but still subs occasionally in my building. I had made a quilt for her grandson a few years ago. The family wants to stay with the same colors since they will be using the same room for both children.

Others quilts I have finished recently - well since February - are:

Me, Mrs. T. and Levi on his last day of work.

Big Zig for a good friend. She started out as my son's first grade teacher, has tutored him all these years (he graduated high school in May) and has been his employer for the last 2 years through the school work program. She is a Dr. Seuss and Minkee fan so on the back I used a Dr. Seuss panel and fabrics in Minkee. For the front I used some fabrics that she had given me as gifts and some from my stash. The white is left from a HUGE quilt I had made for her several years ago.

Mrs. T's HUGE quilt. It measures 110 inches square.

I finished a quilt for the bus drive. She has driven my son since he started school. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of it finished before giving it to the bus driver.

Levi and Miss Donna on the last day of school.

 Here is the best picture I have of it before being finished. I chose the light blue for the inner border.

In other news, my son went to prom. He didn't have a date. Several of his friends hung out together at prom. He had a good time and won some nice headphones at the after prom party. This is the only picture I was allowed to take :( He looked quite handsome in his tux. The jacket is a cowboy style and the red tie really set it off.

He also graduated from High School. There were 60 students in his class. 

Everyone expected me to be sad and cry. I cannot tell you how many people asked me if I would cry when my son graduated! I am not sad. I teared up a little when the played the slide show. There were pictures of the students as babies, then as seniors with their plans for after graduation. But, I did not cry. I am happy and proud of him. I am ready for him to take the next step in his life journey. 

At his party there was cake! He says his favorite color is camo. So, camo cake and camo cupcakes. Yummy!

So, now the busy times of the school year have ended and summer has begun. I will have time to quilt and add more posts to this blog.