Goodies, and Progress on Log Cabin with Cornerstones

Look what came in the mail! From Scraps and Threadtales Several FQs of lovely spring fabric AND this little notebook, complete with colored pens for playing/drawing on the enclosed graph notebook. Is this not cool? Funny thing, at our recent Guild meeting, one of the gals had used similar pens in a Drawing Totebag, and we were asking about where to find them. Thank you, Sioban (sp?) (who also goes by the name of "Bonnie"). I was a lucky winner!

We NEED lovely spring ANYTHING!!! - tonight we went out for a drive -- bad idea -- blowing snow, cold, and icy roads, but the snow is blowing SOUTH to Kansas at about 50 MPH - only a little of it is staying here. We were lucky we didn't get the blizzard.

OK, I corrected my error on my Log Cabin. Unfortunately I corrected a block that was RIGHT, leaving me with two errors needing correcting. Dohhhh! This was a perfect example of my "Inability to see the forest for the trees!" It's not the first time I become so engrossed in ... whatever ... that I loose track of the job needing doing. OK, I'm not so perfect.

I discovered my dark photo can be "enhanced" more than once to make up for the dark room, although colors are no longer true. I am NOT going to buy one large piece of fabric for the border and am determined to use what I have -- all those browns and greens -- to make the border. There have been about 6 false starts, but I think this one will work.


See all those baskets above? They are my organization system, because this border takes a lot of pieces. Hope it works. I have 6 inches of width to cover on the last border. The inner border will be determined later.

This is my sample border block - the dark cornerstones squares should go up and down, around the quilt. I tried using lights and darks but the effect was too dramatic. We both like it better with only darks, and one's eyes will blend the different fabrics. This is going to be TEDIOUS and time consuming, but I've done one previously, with all squares which was very successful. If I set up my 'sewing system' the project will move along with some efficiency.

CRUD, CRUD, CRUD

Thanks Vicki - yes one of those Log Cabin blocks is wrong!!!! Had to check and recheck and double/triple check it even when she said it might be wrong! ARghhh. Thanks MUCHO!!!

Pineapple Setting for Log Cabin

What fun! The setting almost looks like a giant Pineapple Block. This started when I was ... uh hem ... cleaning out one of my fabric areas and found an entire selection of beautiful forest-y quarter yards from Keepsake Quilting, still in its plastic sleeve, totally forgotten. I used what I had for the most part, except for needing more of the cornerstone fabric. The 9-inch blocks were posted previously.

And I had also mentioned that for the first time, all the strips (except a few strays) were cut on the length of the fabric. (Ya know, just like we've been instructed to do, but don't?) In other words, if I needed 5 and 1/2 inch strip, I cut an entire WOF of fabric (or whatever I had) at 5 and 1/2 inches, then did the individual 1 and 1/2 inch width strips from that WOF. The result is a great improvement in accuracy and stability, and those annoying odd puckers do not show up when pressing, except for those few strays which I now wish I had't used.

My border option is still sloshing in my brain, but I'm going to carry out the cornerstone thing into the border ... I think.

Windy, Snowy Spring, and Another Practice Piece

We weathered the blizzard without too much fuss. The wind was terrific, but our snow blew somewhere else, probably to Kansas! Our back yard is protected so the wind and snow verocity is not apparent.

Sunday I raked the winter debris off the garden, in 70 degree sunshine, and Monday? Arghhh! Today (Tuesday) is still blustery, cold, with a lot of ice on the ground.

Today after work, I threw this practice piece together, in a matter of minutes. Thread is a cotton variegated, King Tut, size 14 quilting needle, and regular thread in the bobbin (whatever was in there - not fussy) Is this not luscious? I have a Log Cabin quilt on the living room floor, and am preparing to start to get ready to commence to get inspired to think about a quilting pattern. This might be a good choice, but a little larger in scale, although with a busy background, it will partially disappear.

Once again, thanks PatsyThompsonDesigns.com!!!

THANK YOU! and I may get fired!

Oh my - I was hoping no one would notice me! Sheila, you red-headed rascal, (http://birdwomanau.blogspot.com/) you are a treasure, and despite a few continents and oceans apart, she and I have shored each other up a time or two. While I was busy trying to think of a way to say THANK YOU for this award, Paula (of Paula the Quilter), the next rascal, sneaked in over the weekend and gave me another one! Paula gave me some good travel advice that encouraged DH and I to do some traveling in her neck of the woods, in addition to frequent quilt-y conversations. Ladies, a big THANK YOU ! I especially like the part about "Sisterhood" -- we are all Quilt-y Sisters, enjoying what each of us has to offer the next -- sometimes kindness, or inspiration, or courage, or gentleness. The suggested guidelines attached with this kindness are ??? oh my, never in a million years could I pick out one or two or twenty others who deserve it. OK, OK, Sheila, and Paula, the truth is out ... I have a terrible time asking ANYONE to do this? So, does that mean I cannot post the awards? OK, I'm wierd, but I AM so very grateful for this compliment.

So, am I fired? 8-)))

Turned out better than I thought it would!

Once again, I am saying, "Hey, it's a whole lot better than I thought it would be!" One of these days I'll stop doubting myself. Each time I watch one of my quilting DVDs, I am strengthened, and have more courage.
The machine quilting turned out good -- again, I doubted myself. A year ago, this would have scared me, but my gosh, it's easy now! I started that clover thing in the border and it practically sewed itself and was done in half an hour! The quilt is 48 x 60. I am very pleased with my decision to stop wanting and whining for a long arm, and learn to use what I have! 8-))

For those of you still reticent to do your own quilting on your DSM, just start practicing! By the time you are through with a small quilt, you will have mastered whatever design you started with, and will be ready to start another. Invest in yourself!!! for a PatsyThompsonDesign.com DVD, or a PajamaQuilter DVD and you will see what I mean. Use a busy backing, and a blendy top thread, and you'll have a great start. Don't let all those "How-To Books" scare you off. When your project is finished, YOU might just say "Hey, it turned out better than I thought it would"!