tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67075578952555554622024-02-07T05:59:51.468-08:00Armchair QuilterClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-32754274221955332932013-10-31T15:36:00.001-07:002013-10-31T15:38:33.557-07:00Modern Amish SamplerA very last-minute submission of my Modern Amish Sampler to <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/">The Blogger's Fall Quilt Festival </a>in the<a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/2013/10/25/bloggers-quilt-festival-home-machine-quilted-quilts-2/"> home machine quilt category</a>. This is a quilt that I planned to make for several years to hang over my sister's fireplace -- finally finishing it in the Spring of this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NCYWXBrdBThapo2DvU5zRDhjYMTvMDJv0-h2BGAbDXvdWyQeShk1KUN_53mu4eLpXaVkLI1D3ky4qRwn8UEl1ujgRnAj_SZNaefTmyDiZOwyStsSbKDpHay4wpaXr-gHtIQE6goKOYk/s1600/Amish1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NCYWXBrdBThapo2DvU5zRDhjYMTvMDJv0-h2BGAbDXvdWyQeShk1KUN_53mu4eLpXaVkLI1D3ky4qRwn8UEl1ujgRnAj_SZNaefTmyDiZOwyStsSbKDpHay4wpaXr-gHtIQE6goKOYk/s640/Amish1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern-Amish Sampler</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPcetXQcg14UenkRq3w5DuVf7vi-AiT-4LMS-vvPRwBaCjSp7-HrRSdSAwG-3SH9Os2w3gfwhMmItW_ydgZtYiHtfPiPUxdjQjpdYskgZzSsILlt9j97kf-zwLmXFhrUE2e7cxTT5zOk/s1600/Amish2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPcetXQcg14UenkRq3w5DuVf7vi-AiT-4LMS-vvPRwBaCjSp7-HrRSdSAwG-3SH9Os2w3gfwhMmItW_ydgZtYiHtfPiPUxdjQjpdYskgZzSsILlt9j97kf-zwLmXFhrUE2e7cxTT5zOk/s640/Amish2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back side</td></tr>
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<u><b>Some Details:</b></u><br />
It started with a fabric bundle from Cherrywood Fabrics and a pattern called Marmalade & Jam purchased at a quilt show. I used my own color scheme and ended up having to add various other fabrics to complete the quilt. I used wool batting, which is why the quilt is so densely quilted. I had no idea how "puffy" my stitching looked so I kept on adding thread until I right to me.<br />
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The back is improv-pieced with log cabin blocks k (my own design).<br />
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Quilt is faced instead of bound. <br />
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I use a Babylock domestic sewing machine for all of my quilts for both piecing and quilting. I prefer to free-motion quilt organic-type shapes instead of using templates or pre-marking my quilt tops. The open feather design featured here is one of my favorite designs to quilt. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccCpOFPnOS6dn9HKDyIZ8uQeT1QQ_7WNAHKDjZfvZawEKFqIANZSdas4sP4LPaH1GtkSpU_yHFtGmfiqAWVLGWTu6kCDxqDJj_H7sG9wODHER6bYMt9S05OOQYpoBTSSI8dO7A_8U0HU/s1600/Amish3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccCpOFPnOS6dn9HKDyIZ8uQeT1QQ_7WNAHKDjZfvZawEKFqIANZSdas4sP4LPaH1GtkSpU_yHFtGmfiqAWVLGWTu6kCDxqDJj_H7sG9wODHER6bYMt9S05OOQYpoBTSSI8dO7A_8U0HU/s640/Amish3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilting detail -- before binding</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free motion quilting in progress</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K0NALIA8lKs7W3I5KWEIRBbjyN2yYJNsLl0wgNUjQiBvAUMeqT-KPcQOMm_xZ8Xu4YyruVuVOSnexOqZFI0E0II4rtYvbE-TdcXiRvNXhE-YBNv0I-ehF8P8KJXCABpsznqlEiGtz1M/s1600/amishcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K0NALIA8lKs7W3I5KWEIRBbjyN2yYJNsLl0wgNUjQiBvAUMeqT-KPcQOMm_xZ8Xu4YyruVuVOSnexOqZFI0E0II4rtYvbE-TdcXiRvNXhE-YBNv0I-ehF8P8KJXCABpsznqlEiGtz1M/s640/amishcloseup.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite spots</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUlblx5zl2jQ9mgsJI7R2P6Xh98EI5hK6hGxlUIbsc_NfslAllkyY0X-iflqHzRfW_NBzKiIWPp9r3Q3yKxAimc9PwVvAPfuJo33XxujP4jA2V4aFfXt2UnKJ3qZkSbFX8zX3KArrEf8/s1600/amishtop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUlblx5zl2jQ9mgsJI7R2P6Xh98EI5hK6hGxlUIbsc_NfslAllkyY0X-iflqHzRfW_NBzKiIWPp9r3Q3yKxAimc9PwVvAPfuJo33XxujP4jA2V4aFfXt2UnKJ3qZkSbFX8zX3KArrEf8/s640/amishtop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Modeling" the finished top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-OZ2nwKIQ0ITpXIHAT2pvBiHiJdIUD58MKgceG65urccrZKb1OS-9xYi0vk2mvk_uZlkLIAudBvKayPpWAtvJ41h2KDMEChOMOttjnNEagtrvrPyc80b97jqe0HAqdUzq9wRJFh1JaE/s1600/cherrywoodstash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-OZ2nwKIQ0ITpXIHAT2pvBiHiJdIUD58MKgceG65urccrZKb1OS-9xYi0vk2mvk_uZlkLIAudBvKayPpWAtvJ41h2KDMEChOMOttjnNEagtrvrPyc80b97jqe0HAqdUzq9wRJFh1JaE/s640/cherrywoodstash.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherrywood fabric bundles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4k656rX_Ss41SenfpOBIgPxyMpMte4v-Sp6-QZg78uwj791QgkKfrVStjK_tdCjT_D9t1QR6Xru9FFGoPmBmH4ChTe3BkqMuXkIMast8AOvRLrGUF2ySx7eg2Z1W75Yhqsc68fTQ29w/s1600/marmjam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4k656rX_Ss41SenfpOBIgPxyMpMte4v-Sp6-QZg78uwj791QgkKfrVStjK_tdCjT_D9t1QR6Xru9FFGoPmBmH4ChTe3BkqMuXkIMast8AOvRLrGUF2ySx7eg2Z1W75Yhqsc68fTQ29w/s640/marmjam.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern & fabrics</td></tr>
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One final picture showing the quilt hanging over my sister's fireplace!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCznhBt5CCCS8f236HfTizxn7ZF7dbslZ74eIq4Gu6GE6OyabOxSyE7rC-6h1rANiKtDlLs5kUl9njftX1AkkFm4M-AtWi2vXklVd0OYHY2NYbxT-T2b9AkG1yjEnY6yBfArakKUDBtDY/s1600/Amishfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCznhBt5CCCS8f236HfTizxn7ZF7dbslZ74eIq4Gu6GE6OyabOxSyE7rC-6h1rANiKtDlLs5kUl9njftX1AkkFm4M-AtWi2vXklVd0OYHY2NYbxT-T2b9AkG1yjEnY6yBfArakKUDBtDY/s640/Amishfinal.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Amish Quilt</td></tr>
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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ClaudiaClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-60510262274830899352013-10-29T14:25:00.001-07:002013-10-29T14:50:30.783-07:00Easy Curves Wall Quilt<br />
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Hello everyone! I'm back from the dead just in time for Halloween and reviving the blog so I can enter my newest quilt in the <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/blog/">Blogger's Quilt Festival</a> over at Amy's Creative Side in the wall quilt category.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy Curves Quilt</td></tr>
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I had so much fun making this quilt.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in progress</td></tr>
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In September I took a class through my guild, the SFQG (San Francisco Quilt Guild ) to learn how to piece "easy curves". The technique involves taking 2 strips of fabric about 6" wide (selvage to selvage), stacking them FACE UP, securing with pins and then free cutting curves with a rotary cutter. Swap the top and bottom fabric pieces and the curves are sewn together without pins. It's not too terribly difficult but some of my strips ended up so out of kilter that I couldn't square them up. I cut some of the worst ones into pieces and put together the quilt improvisationally. I think the cut up strips add interest to the overall design.<br />
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The back:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy Curves Quilt</td></tr>
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I quilted different free-motion quilting patterns in each strip. I used two different Sulky rayon threads: variegated grey/white and variegated teal.<br />
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Thanks for visiting Armchairquilter and I hope to see you here again in the future. I will probably only be blogging occasionally so you can be alerted of updates via Bloglovin'. And don't forget to check out all of the wonderful quilts @ Amy's Creative Side.<br />
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----Claudia<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-66317328555073621712013-10-28T15:05:00.001-07:002013-10-28T15:05:32.635-07:00Adding Bloglovin'<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4988223/?claim=9mgzyhw2n6q">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a><br />
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Hope it works!<br />
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--ClaudiaClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-14154702652631933752013-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:002013-01-17T16:20:38.895-08:00Quilting progress and hexiesI've been working on free motion quilting on my Liberty Fields quilt (pattern by Material Obsession):<br />
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And it's hard going! I usually love FMQ but this quilt is large and because the blocks are on point and I wanted to stabilize it by stitching in the ditch around each block, it's been a biitch getting the quilt thru my machine. I'm now on to quilting swirly shapes on the white background fabric and my darning foot keeps on getting caught up on the applique and embroidery AND I'm also outlining the star shapes, freehand, which isn't so easy.<br />
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Hmmm, I wonder why this particular quilt seems like so much trouble? Hopefully all of the hard work will pay off in the end. I'm not even halfway through, but with a 3 day weekend right around the corner, I hope to make some significant progress to share with y'all soon.<br />
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My flickr friend Melinda (<a href="http://quirkygranolagirl.blogspot.com/2013/01/hand-stitching-away.html">Quirky Granola Girl</a>) has inspired me to make some new hexagons. On Sunday, I pulled my old hexagon project out and before long I had these:<br />
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and by this morning, my pile had grown considerably.</div>
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Fun, huh? Definitely addictive.<br />
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-9953916821805141832013-01-05T16:54:00.000-08:002013-01-05T16:54:58.174-08:00'Bye 2012, Bring on 2013Looking back at 2012, it wasn't a hugely productive year in quilts for me. Most of the year was spent piecing my Farmer's Wife Quilt. I guess one could say this was a good year for perseverance more than anything. Here is the completed top in all it's glory:<br />
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Now all I need to do is win the lottery so I can afford to by about 9-10 yards of backing fabric!<br />
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So sorry it's been so quiet on my blog as of yet. I'm always completely overwhelmed with the onset of the holidays. It's a very busy period at work as well in addition to the usual holiday stuff. I took 2 weeks off work to coincide with the kids' school break and once we were over the Christmas "hump", I've had a wonderful time relaxing and doing not a lot of anything (i.e., catching up on Downton Abbey and Breaking Bad). I've also spent some time sewing. I finished an old WIP that started off as a Flickr sewing bee.<br />
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I quilted with an all over meander in the background, an orange peel design and pebbles quilting on the stars and a natural open feather pattern in the borders.<br />
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I'm not sure why this photo looks so blurry, but you can see the original image on flickr. I had fun experimenting with different free motion stitches. I used Superior Threads Brights for the green border and a polyester embroidery thread for the rest of the quilt.<br />
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This is what happens when I go fabric shopping with my daughter. She HAD to have the mustache print fabric and I suggested we make a case for the ipad. The tutorial is from One Shabby Chick. It's an easy project and came together quickly.<br />
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Wishing all of my readers a happy and healthy New Year! Happy sewing!!!</div>
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-26613233135346682092012-11-12T13:56:00.001-08:002012-11-12T13:56:36.519-08:00Finishing up the Farmer's WifeJust a quick post to say that I'm still here ... and still farming. This weekend, I added the final borders on my FWQ. It's now officially a completed top (squeal!!!) and too big to photograph in the house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FWQ @ Armchair Quilter</td></tr>
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Here it is sans final borders, which are 6" strips out of the blue yarn dye - same as sashing fabric. The quilt measures 106.5 x 96 or so. I will have to find my notes to be sure. I was a bit surprised it turned out so large, considerably larger than the measurements for the queen-sized quilt in the book. I wonder if anyone else encountered this issue?<br />
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Even though I was super careful with starching and handling, I had some issues with the bias pieces on the edges of the quilt. The sides measured 1 inch wider at the ends of the long sides vs. the measurement through the center of the quilt and an half an inch variance on the crosswise edges. I cut my borders for the average length, calculating the difference between the center and end measurements and easing with pins. Hope that makes sense? Anyway, I'm hoping the quilt lies flatter and I won't have any issues quilting this behemoth. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FWQ @ Armchair Quilter</td></tr>
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I'll be back later this week with some outside "vanity" shots.<br />
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Claudia<br />
Armchair QuilterClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-46063327835609767142012-09-25T11:03:00.000-07:002012-09-25T11:03:18.896-07:00Sashing AwayI've had to limit both my sewing and online computer time due to some back/shoulder/arm issues. It's challenging, but slowly the FW quilt grows ...<br />
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It's about halfway sashed and I'm hoping to finish it up this weekend!!<br />
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Even though we don't experience much in the way of the changing leaves of Fall in the City, I love this time of year! The light is softer and the fog stays away (<em>well, at least half the time</em>).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bento Box quilt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City Hall, San Francisco<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">-- Claudia</span></div>
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-1806216966296251042012-09-16T09:36:00.001-07:002012-09-16T09:36:28.059-07:00A "mini" mixerMaking a mini quilt feels satisfying considering my limited attention span these days (not to mention lack of sewing time). <i>We'll just forget all of those WIPs languishing in my sewing area.</i><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Mixer<br />11.5" x 11.5"</td></tr>
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I needed to whip up something super quick for my friend's birthday. Initially, I thought I'd make her some potholders; and I found this really neat paper pieced pattern but soon realized it would come out too large for a potholder. I was severely pressed for time, otherwise, I would've resized it smaller. As it was, I modified the pattern a bit and if I had more time, there are a few more things I'd change ... oh well, next time!<div>
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Here's the pattern and initial pieced block:</div>
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Pattern from <a class="goog-spellcheck-word" href="" span="span">href</a></div>
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Inspired by this <a class="goog-spellcheck-word" href="" span="span">href</a></div>
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This has been a difficult last couple of weeks. I've been dealing with back issues so I'm trying to limit both my sewing and computer time. But I've been chipping away at some small things. </div>
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Some progress on a hand applique (carry along) project:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hens are growing! This is our "red".</td></tr>
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I hope to share some progress on my Farmer's Wife quilt soon! Here's a snapshot from our little "urban farm"!</div>
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-16080523708422385432012-08-27T06:36:00.000-07:002012-08-27T06:36:44.436-07:00111 Farmer's Blocks ... DONE!Well, Hello there!<br />
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I'm back from a little break. We took off the last week of the kids' summer vacation to embark on an almost 1,000 mile road trip through Northern California. We visited a couple of colleges my son is interested in attending next year and saw a play at the Ashland Shakespeare festival in So. Oregon. All in all, it was a good trip.<br />
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I prepped a little hand applique project to take along with me on the trip (pictured above), but I didn't make much progress. However, I just finished block #111 on my Farmer's Sampler his weekend! I'm SO excited and in a little disbelief that I made all of those blocks. I have a couple of minor piecing "mistakes" to fix, but I don't intend on remaking any of the blocks. This project has been a journey, and I want to look at my quilt in the years to come and enjoy the full span of blocks from beginning to end, even with some of the "funky" fabric choices and less than perfect piecing.<br />
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Pretty cool, huh? I bought the sashing fabric at Beverley's this morning. I have a fat quarter of a yellow print I'd love to use for the cornerstones but I only have the 1 FQ and I haven't been able to identify the print. I wasn't able to find something similar at Beverly's so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I will try to find something this week. We'll see.<br />
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Here's a few pictures of my goofy kiddos from our trip:<br />
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-13515109767465207512012-07-24T11:11:00.000-07:002012-07-24T11:13:27.917-07:00Fresh Crop of BlocksI've been madly farming away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wSg2GnZDsyms2Ot_OXB5cXwjcV9eiqCZ_MLyHNAfyYpHJV8_IMwTs5DNYFRwvHTptx_Z1tT5yupIZwNF4C7VoChHOKAS_38Yrl7FKc4iPptnZBDw296Qk4gaSXEVnbrTAaRxQjhY-6M/s1600/allblocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wSg2GnZDsyms2Ot_OXB5cXwjcV9eiqCZ_MLyHNAfyYpHJV8_IMwTs5DNYFRwvHTptx_Z1tT5yupIZwNF4C7VoChHOKAS_38Yrl7FKc4iPptnZBDw296Qk4gaSXEVnbrTAaRxQjhY-6M/s400/allblocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Over the last couple of weeks, I managed to sew blocks #76 Sawtooth, through #89 Steps to the Altar. That's 13 blocks completed! And only 22 to go. Yay!!<br />
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My new mantra is <strong>A Block a Day</strong> until my FWQ is complete. I really want to finish this up so I can move on to work more intensively on other projects and explore some different avenues in quilting such as art/landscape quilts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8157/7632299462_d32254cdbb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8157/7632299462_d32254cdbb_b.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmer's Wife Sampler - various blocks</td></tr>
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I didn't take individual pictures of all of these blocks and I will just show groupings and feature a couple of individual blocks from here on out. It's really time consuming to photograph each and every block, retouch, upload to flickr and then to the blog. *phew* Photographing ones work is really useful though, as I have just noticed that I have a piece flipped on my Squash Blossom block. LOL<br />
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Here are a few of my recent faves:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw3r5ycmmhw3cGkcFRIEahSPLhMYjQI5iO-ZgkJDwJ4k5w54Zz7bf4HIq5OhCRKWR_h751L575XP8K3JCkLCIrzT0P-cMYvF1_hBBmqX0C9zHwmrYIEi9_LkFtUicxz3lDSpYxIvJiPo/s1600/SingleWeddingStar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw3r5ycmmhw3cGkcFRIEahSPLhMYjQI5iO-ZgkJDwJ4k5w54Zz7bf4HIq5OhCRKWR_h751L575XP8K3JCkLCIrzT0P-cMYvF1_hBBmqX0C9zHwmrYIEi9_LkFtUicxz3lDSpYxIvJiPo/s400/SingleWeddingStar.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#80 Single Wedding Star</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGU0Qa7NHHS3MMWPFOs4Pf6cwBRibwu_kFA39UYAYr-p5fLczsIwFKhCpoImYgm_bTJZq38HGIkInOcVNrLBQ2MNdjWnBC_uGmGubvIPnBxEk15OkuINEqeu_zzLoW8K9dWuTD1u8ozT0/s1600/spiderweb2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGU0Qa7NHHS3MMWPFOs4Pf6cwBRibwu_kFA39UYAYr-p5fLczsIwFKhCpoImYgm_bTJZq38HGIkInOcVNrLBQ2MNdjWnBC_uGmGubvIPnBxEk15OkuINEqeu_zzLoW8K9dWuTD1u8ozT0/s400/spiderweb2.JPG" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#83 Spider Web</td></tr>
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Lately, I've been struggling with finding fabrics without reusing the fabrics I've already used several times over, and so I reached out to my fellow quilt blogger friend, Beth, aka <a href="http://smazoochie.blogspot.com/">Smazoochie</a> who generously agreed to send me some fabric scraps. Well, she really saved the day! Her packaged arrived yesterday and I immediate set to work on this one:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRgM3g3WNxq1tkxGOxc5P2RkDX8s1CHn8dTqVOetPE9lmt5r6uaAyABbwymE0l4nmi_isqlYXztDvpKzf6-u3Nc73olmvWFJTzv6zNKEkIXlKGB-N8T18F6IHsu5KG6XlJMWX7P-SZBc/s1600/89+steps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRgM3g3WNxq1tkxGOxc5P2RkDX8s1CHn8dTqVOetPE9lmt5r6uaAyABbwymE0l4nmi_isqlYXztDvpKzf6-u3Nc73olmvWFJTzv6zNKEkIXlKGB-N8T18F6IHsu5KG6XlJMWX7P-SZBc/s400/89+steps.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#89 Steps to the Altar</td></tr>
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I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer! We are enjoying the great outdoors on the weekends and our cute little chicks (farming of a different sort). I can't wait for eggs!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_x3Y9Z9RtWp9vnkflRqDln7Nmb-qt81Fq1jftlGMq59aD3RBi-nL2hz8uOwsQpMCe4w3yXfJ3OHFckLEG7MRbG4lcGBZbjJjQdu-8OGU_vICo2pkihPhCUWCQurIGOIEjFI6I3L_OJA/s1600/Kayak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_x3Y9Z9RtWp9vnkflRqDln7Nmb-qt81Fq1jftlGMq59aD3RBi-nL2hz8uOwsQpMCe4w3yXfJ3OHFckLEG7MRbG4lcGBZbjJjQdu-8OGU_vICo2pkihPhCUWCQurIGOIEjFI6I3L_OJA/s400/Kayak.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking at Shoreline Regional Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheScuC2jOAq9WR9js12MAZUTZ6skpc0C29vuGVHknkU2dm9t16mYMOZpeU4_c_g4wZbhh-n_NVLq5y0Urv9OC5ZTXqbqiCc04s3M_2mAWjFcr7FuSllfnhQXMIAOrGKGuVMl3M3z9gO0g/s1600/chicks2weeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheScuC2jOAq9WR9js12MAZUTZ6skpc0C29vuGVHknkU2dm9t16mYMOZpeU4_c_g4wZbhh-n_NVLq5y0Urv9OC5ZTXqbqiCc04s3M_2mAWjFcr7FuSllfnhQXMIAOrGKGuVMl3M3z9gO0g/s400/chicks2weeks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our chicks at about 2 weeks old</td></tr>
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-29118939491366607212012-07-12T20:50:00.001-07:002012-07-12T20:50:27.738-07:00Summer ... in Full Swing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/7553779344_2aa24d8082_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/7553779344_2aa24d8082_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kids are the 3rd and 4th from left</td></tr>
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The kids are off school and occupied with their summer activities, and even though I have to work, I'm enjoying the somewhat relaxed schedule and especially the homework-free evenings. We haven't gone on a vacation yet (that's still in the planning stages) but we managed to get away to Santa Cruz for a day to celebrate my youngest 12th birthday.<br />
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I've been chipping away at my FWQ and but needed a change of pace, so I decided to put together a simple picnic quilt top.<br />
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<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7540430670_194ac9929c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7540430670_194ac9929c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I raided my large stash of mainly Alexander Henry fabrics. It's kind of strange because I tend to buy most of my quilting fabrics in fat quarters, but over the years, I've amassed a large amount of yardage of AH prints (1 yard or more). So when I decided I needed the satisfaction of putting together a simple quilt with large pieces (blocks are cut to 18" with simple sashing), I naturally turned to my AH prints. I used Essex cotton/linen blend for the sashing. It's the first time I've used Essex, and I love the hand and texture of this fabric. I purchased the Essex from my local Beverly's which recently has stocked a really nice selection of Kona solids, Kauffman muslin (very high quality), and some other quality choices by other manufacturers. I almost overlooked the Essex as it was mysteriously stocked next to the baby flannels.<br />
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I'm quilting it already... about a third of the way done.<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7540447848_2d655cc009_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7540447848_2d655cc009_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And these are my latest FWQ blocks:<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7540478170_0feb8da416_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7540478170_0feb8da416_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7540522840_5208403a71_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7540522840_5208403a71_b.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#72 Railroad </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7540498670_fdedfa8b19_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7540498670_fdedfa8b19_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#73 Rainbow Flowers</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7540508536_2115ee344e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7540508536_2115ee344e_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#74 Ribbons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7540489138_dab1e19924_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7540489138_dab1e19924_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#75 Rosebud</td></tr>
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I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-76436165709749181712012-06-27T14:53:00.000-07:002012-06-27T14:53:06.178-07:00Can I bore you with yet more FW blocks?Here's the whole she-bang for the year:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7451828524_cc76ccbfa2_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7451828524_cc76ccbfa2_z.jpg" vca="true" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FW blocks</td></tr>
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My apologies ... I was too lazy to move the lamp.<br />
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And the most current batch:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7451846974_096651525b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7451846974_096651525b_b.jpg" vca="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#67 Pine Tree<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7451836378_1116498f0b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7451836378_1116498f0b_b.jpg" vca="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#68 Postage Stamp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7451853478_5fcc42529d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7451853478_5fcc42529d_b.jpg" vca="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#69 Practical Orchard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7451862132_126a5c2fd9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7451862132_126a5c2fd9_z.jpg" vca="true" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#71 Puss in the Corner</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7451869846_bd73356532_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7451869846_bd73356532_b.jpg" vca="true" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#72 Railroad</td></tr>
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That's it for now. I noticed with my cut & pasting that my numbering system is a bit off, but I don't have my book with me so I'll have to correct this later.<br />
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Other than sewing a few blocks this past weekend, I undertook a major cleaning of my sewing area (ahem, bedroom/sewing room).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7451840728_6cce8137ae_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7451840728_6cce8137ae_z.jpg" vca="true" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the magic happens!</td></tr>
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I cleared out literally an entire kitchen-sized garbage bag of tiny scraps! There was no way I was ever going to sew with these snippets and it felt great to let it all go. The green wastebasket (in front of the armoire) is what remains of my scraps... all good sized pieces, and the plastic box next too it is overfowing with larger yardages I'll probably never use. I'm going to try to gift to friends and/or the day camp my daughter attends. <br />
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If all else fails, I'll try to giveaway here, but this is not trendy stuff ... mainly older, out of fashion fabrics and some blenders my well-meaning husband gave me that I'll probably never use.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-8053328486591661732012-06-19T14:44:00.002-07:002012-06-19T14:44:36.767-07:00Tending to the FarmI had a little burst of activity on my Farmer's Wife Sampler:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7399023164_29ea6d918c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7399023164_29ea6d918c_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#62 Old Windmill</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7399000510_03d652f457_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7399000510_03d652f457_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#63 Ozark Maple Leaf</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7398986984_12b56325b7_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7398986984_12b56325b7_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#64 Peace & Plenty</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7398993558_884df12675_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7398993558_884df12675_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#65 Peaceful Hours</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#66 Periwinkle</td></tr>
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I have now completed 66 out of 111,with 45 to go! I have no idea how others have finished their FW quilts so quickly. If I were to simply focus on spending 100% of my quilting time on the FW, I'd quit quilting and probably hate myself too. So I need to be realistic... I could finish the blocks by the end of the year if I were to pick up the pace a little bit. That's my goal (<em>but don't hold me to it</em>).<br />
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I have a question to those who blog and use flickr. How are you editing your photos now that Picnik is no longer available? I've tried Aviary and it stinks. What I really miss is being able to "auto-correct" the exposure and color balance. I'm not sure if the "enhance" feature in Aviary is similar to this? Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-35273145584072924912012-06-04T20:19:00.002-07:002012-06-04T20:19:55.459-07:00More indigo blocksIt's finally summer and I'm hoping to find some extra sewing time now that the kids' activities have slowed down somewhat. However, I woke up on Friday with a bad case of vertigo and ended up going to the ER. I'm still feeling the effects, but I'm feeling better and the meds do help quite a bit.<br />
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I actually got some sewing done, even while my world was spinning (amazing how easily-quickly the brain can adapt to different situations!).<br />
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I decided to keep making blocks until I have a fair sized throw quilt ... maybe 90x70. I figure I'll need 10 blocks by 7 or so. We'll see. I'm really enjoying the process of creating these blocks.<br />
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The hand piecing is relaxing...<br />
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...and the straightforward piecing. I'm probably going to repeat these same blocks and maybe add some sashiko blocks - although I'm not sure how I'd quilt around the sashiko stitches. What do you think?Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-51409691802463309982012-05-22T16:20:00.001-07:002012-05-22T16:20:47.119-07:00Indigo blocksHey there, everyone, I realize I've been a bit sporadic with posts as of late. Sorry about that -- the school year is nearing the end (last week!!!) and so there's been a ramp up in activities for school and the family. I haven't had much time for sewing, but I spent a few hours playing on Sunday around with some of the blue & white fabrics I've been collecting.<br />
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The block patterns are from the book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Quilt-Blocks-Mix-Match/dp/1568363656/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337728684&sr=1-5">Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix & Match"</a> by Susan Briscoe. I used a mix of Curious Nature (Parsons Gray) and an Alexander Henry print on an indigo Quilters' Linen by Kaufman. The colors in person are so much more vibrant than what I was able to capture with my cellphone.<br />
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I'm not sure where I'm going with these ... perhaps a mini-quilt with some more swirl applique blocks and a few more pieced blocks? What do you think?<br />
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Maybe a few blocks like the one pictured above ....<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-37931149518970258892012-04-29T18:23:00.000-07:002012-04-29T18:23:29.049-07:00Quilt class and farming revisitedLast weekend, I took another landscape quilt class with my sister. The class was taught be Linda Schmidt and was hosted by my sister's quilt guild. We learned all kinds of cool techniques to build landscapes with fabric and how to use various kinds of embellishments. Here are my little class quilts ... WIP.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seascape (rocks in foreground made out of Tydek envelopes!)</td></tr>
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It was a full day class but we had to be cleaned up and out of the facility by 4:30, and there was SO much going on (demos, painting, drying, heating, etc.), that I didn't stop to take any pictures. I learned so much, and excited with the prospect of utilizing all of the things I've learned such as painting fabric, using puff paint, various embellishments (Angelina fibers, liquid beads, etc.).<br />
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This weekend, I decided I needed to catch up with my Farmer's Wife blocks. I've made a few here and there without documenting/blogging about them and put together several more over the last two days.<br />
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This is my little collection for 2012. I'm up to 61, with 50 to go. Ahhhhhrrrrgh. I'm happy to have passed the halfway mark, but this is definitely a "love/hate" sort of project. I really hate paper piecing tiny little pieces, so all of my recents are pieced with templates. In cases where the templates aren't conventional sizes, I use freezer paper to cut out the shapes. What I've lost in accuracy, I've surely made up in maintaining my sanity. LOL.<br />
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Individual blocks can be found in my flickr stream. Here are a few of my favorites:<br />
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Individually, they look kind of funky, but seeing them together is something else entirely; it's a spectacular jumble of quilt-y goodness. This keeps me going, as well as seeing some amazing finished quilts in the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1678802@N20/pool/with/6980220048/">flickr group</a>. I would be interested in hearing how others keep inspired while working on long-range projects. ???? Leave a comment on what keeps you going.<br />
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Wishing everyone a great rest of the weekend and good start to the week!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday walk at Oyster Point</td></tr>
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-25992008321533355042012-04-09T15:43:00.002-07:002012-04-09T20:21:01.127-07:00Switching GearsI sweated bullets over getting the fancy borders on my Liberty Fields quilt, just "so". Once I had the skinny scrappy border assembled and on sewn on the top and bottom of the quilt, I realized that my diamond borders would have to fit exactly or else it was going to be a disaster.<br />
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You can't really see those skinny borders in the picture above, but by some minor miracle, the borders are on and match up pretty well. This is just one of many frustrating instances where better instructions (Material Obsession I) would've been SO helpful. The smart thing to do would have been to cut the scraps used in the skinny borders an extra .5 to 1" wider and then trim them down to match the diamond border. But of course this didn't occur to me until after I had cut all my pieces! If it hadn't gone together well, the thought of chucking it out the window crossed my mind.<br />
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I still need to add plain white borders around the entire quilt and then it will be ready for quilting. I haven't purchased backing fabric yet but I'm considering this elephant print by Valori Wells:<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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With this quilt so close to completion, I needed a change of pace, so I pulled out the oceanscape quilt I started in a class taught by Kathy McNeil in October. I had all of the bits and fabric tossed in a plastic bag for months. It felt liberating to do something with fabric that is 180 degrees different from an old-fashioned pieced quilt.<br />
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The quilt is constructed a little differently than I would've thought. Instead of creating the background first, you build your pieces that create the land masses, rocks and foreground and these are not backed with any fabric. Each individual piece is cut, edges turned, clipped and pressed into shape and then pinned together with some glue (just a plain old glue stick) to help keep things together until they are hand sewn. Spay sizing is a must. Just looking at the photo, it looks like I could slap something together like this in minutes if I had chosen to use a fusible product instead of constructing by hand. But there's something about this process. With some music playing on Pandora, it's meditative and makes for a very relaxing afternoon of sewing. Plus, most of the shapes are free-form, so no worrying about strictly following a pattern, matching seams, etc.<br />
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There is a rough pattern to follow which you can see it in the photo above. I laid out some cloud fabric to audition it with my pieces.<br />
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Here's an idea of how it will look with the water. I'm actually going to piece the sky and water from several different fabrics. Not sure how to do this, but will figure it out once I have all of my land pieces together.<br />
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I'm using batiks from my stash and swapped some fabric with my sister but I also had to shop for some really "uncool, non-designer" fabrics and it's been FUN. Kind of like painting with fabric.<br />
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On a personal note, I was off for my kids' spring break two weeks ago. My daughter and I spent a day at the California Academy of Sciences. Here she is, posing with her ancestors.<br />
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First, some <strong><em>exciting news!</em></strong> <br />
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Erica at Kitchen Table Quilting has awarded me a Liebster Award for my blog. . Thanks, Erica, I'm thrilled! You can read her post and check out her blog post about the Liebster Award <a href="http://kitchentablequilting.blogspot.com/2012/03/liebster-award.html">here </a>.<br />
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I copied from from her blog, the purpose of the award:<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"The Liebster award (German for favorite) is for bloggers with 200 followers or less. As a recipient of the award, you have the chance to thank and link back to the blogger who gave it to you as well as pass it along to five other deserving blogs"</span></em><br />
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I'vee added Erica's blog to my Reader and look forward to exploring more small blogs. These are the quilters I'm awarding the Liebster Award to today:<br />
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1. <a href="http://thequiltedtortoise.com/">The Quilted Tortoise.</a> I immediately fell in love Michelle's work upon seeing a quilt of hers on flickr. She had made some stunning applique quilts that I greatly admire.<br />
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2. <a href="http://quarterinchmark.blogspot.com/">1/4" Mark</a>. Chase is a very talented and prolific quilter. Her blog is an interesting mix of quilting projects and the chronicling of simple moments in daily life.<br />
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3. <a href="http://heartbreakhomestead.blogspot.com/">Hearbreak Homestead</a>. I recently discovered Hannah's blog through flickr. She is working on a "Starry Skies" sampler using the Miscellany line of fabrics. I love her modern style which is unique and not cliched (not the same 5 popular quilts one sees everywhere).<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.seahorsequilts.com/">Sea Horse Quilts</a> Donna is also working on the Farmer's Wife Sampler but also check out her stunning pickle dish quilt.<br />
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5. <a href="http://smazoochie.blogspot.com/">Smazoochie</a>. I enjoy her blog for it's witty writing and great quilts - many creatively constructed out of upcycled clothing, etc.<br />
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I encourage my readers to check out these worthy blogs!<br />
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-Claudia<br />
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<strong>******</strong><br />
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On to quilting.<br />
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Here's a peek at the scrappy borders I'm working on for my <a href="http://www.couchpotatoquilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/fresh-start.html">Liberty Fields</a> quilt.<br />
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These strips have been cut into triangles and pieced with white squares to form diamonds (not pictured). The instructions had my brain all twisted up into a pretzel but the actual process is not all that difficult. With a little experimentation, I figured out a method that worked. Phew!<br />
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The big test is if these borders fit on the quilt which doesn't seem at all square!</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-65859786859245163362012-03-11T08:08:00.000-07:002012-03-11T08:08:05.586-07:00Triangles Completed!Yeah!<br />
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I'm loving it now that it's finally done.<br />
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I bought the quilt with me to work and a friend/coworker (thanks, Katy!) helped me with a photo shoot.<br />
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I wanted to get the blooming tulip tree in the shot, but the contrast was too much.<br />
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After nearly two years, I'm so happy to see this quilt completed. It's draped over my couch right now, the bright colors bring a little bit of Spring, indoors. You can read about this quilt <a href="http://www.couchpotatoquilts.blogspot.com/2010/11/triangles.html">here</a> and<a href="http://www.couchpotatoquilts.blogspot.com/2011/11/quilting-second-go-around.html"> here</a>, and probably a bunch of other places on my blog.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-25888664659079697742012-02-06T10:47:00.000-08:002012-02-06T10:47:16.400-08:00Dogpatch ... completedHere it is:<br />
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Quilt details can be found on <a href="http://www.couchpotatoquilts.blogspot.com/2012/02/dogpatch.html">yesterday's post</a>.<br />
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I used this tutorial <a href="http://tlcstitches.blogspot.com/2010/07/faux-piped-binding-tutorial.html">here </a>to make the faux piped binding. I cut my fabric on the straight of grain but otherwise followed the instructions. I never get good results from binding back to front (vs. back to front) and with single fold binding vs. double, but I think with some practice and a few tweaks, this could look really neat. Next time, I will stitch the front with my regular sewing foot, and NOT my walking foot. I changed the foot after I was already 3/4 of the way done and I wish I had figured this out sooner. My walking foot made short ugly stitches and the open toe kept on catching on the piping. UGH!!! I also do better with narrower binding strips - I always seem to have excess fabric.<br />
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Oh well, as with much with quilting, it's a learning process.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-83685541552041839832012-02-05T14:54:00.000-08:002012-02-05T14:54:57.478-08:00Dogpatch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dogpatch</b><br />21.5" x 21.5"<br />cottons & tulle</td></tr>
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I felt the need to whip up a little something for a friend whose birthday is next Wednesday. My husband gave me Yoshiko <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Jinzenji's</span>, <i>Quilting Line + Color</i> for Christmas and I'd been eyeing the animal silhouette handbags and pillows. With a few hours, less than a yard of white fabric, some scraps and 2 layers of tulle I had a quilt. I'm calling it <i><b>Dogpatch</b></i>, which is actually the name of dog park in the City.<br />
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The quilting was fairly time-consuming. I used the edge of the foot on the walking foot as a guide for the spacing of the stitching. There really wasn't any way to mark over the tulle and it didn't bother me if the lines weren't perfectly straight. And because I decided to stitch in 2 different directions, I had a ton of threads to bury.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspiration<br />Quilting Line + Color by Yoshiko <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Jinzenji</span></td></tr>
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I enjoyed trying something a little different and minimalistic for a change. I still need to bind it and I'm thinking of adding a touch of color by adding some faux piping -- we'll see if I can figure out how to do it!Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-40764549645168426812012-02-03T13:48:00.000-08:002012-02-03T13:48:15.217-08:00"Fifty by Fifty"So let me first explain -- my blog title is a little "tongue and cheek", I'm still in my 50th year until mid-March, and I wanted to get 50 blocks done before then. In fact, I was bound and determined to get to the 50 block mark by the end of January and....drum roll.... mission accomplished <em>(for real</em>)!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Fifty by Fifty"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Farmer's blocks for 2012</span></td></tr>
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This one makes me dizzy:</div>
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Yet another basket:</div>
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That's all for now. I'm thinking I'll take a break from Farming for a bit so I can work on some other WIPs like this <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6676734803_8bce80d668_b.jpg">one</a> and this <a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6235/6322622254_0e4e341f10.jpg">one</a>. My family would also appreciate not hearing so much swearing coming out of the sewing room (PP tiny blocks brings out the worst in me)!</div>
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<br /></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-45844546423500087332012-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:002012-01-23T18:55:20.899-08:00Farmer's Wife - catch-upThe QAL is in hiatus until the end of this month, beginning of February, at which point we should be at week 28 - 56 blocks in total. Well, I'm not quite there, but so far this month, I've managed to put this little collection together.<br />
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It should seem obvious, but every time I work on these petite 6" blocks, I'm always amazed at the amount of time <s>suck</s> involved in the creation of each block. However slow going, there is something rewarding with figuring out how to piece some fairly intricate pieces. I actually went back to paper piecing for the last couple of blocks, #42 Fruit Basket and #43 Garden Path. The templates were really odd in between sizes and I wanted the accuracy of PP.<br />
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Here's the rundown:<br />
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The Y seam gave me a bit of trouble that I think can be smoothed out with quilting.<br />
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I really love the combo of fabrics on this one but the perfectionist in me hates the fact I didn't notice and correct the missed point on the dark pinwheel.<br />
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It's fun experimenting with different techniques on these blocks. I pressed my seams open to reduce bulk but the trade off is that it makes it much harder to match seams. <br />
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More "Y" seams but I think it came out okay.<br />
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More Farmer's Wife inspiration can be find by checking out the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1678802@N20/">QAL</a> group on flickr.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-82117448026068075872012-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:55:23.874-08:00A Fresh Start<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A New Year calls for cleaning out the old and seeing things with fresh eyes. In that spirit, I spent several hours over last weekend in my sewing room (well, my bedroom) cleaning and organizing my workspace. A little sadly but with some anticipation, I took down my Farmer's Wife block display of 30+ blocks (hovering over the bed!).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After the decks were cleared, I got down to business. Here's two new FW blocks taped on the wall by my bed. These blocks look a little lonely all by themselves on a stretch of white wall!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">The flower basket block was a quick and easy one, even with the hand applique on the handle. I didn't use the template -- I cut a strip of fabric on the bias about 1/2" wider than finished size and folded and pressed the sides in, then shaped and pinned the handle onto the background fabric. A little spray of starch helped it lie flat.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Garden Path block was a little more time consuming due to all the small pieces. I used my easy triangle ruler to measure the printed templates. I find this easier than trying to trace on the fabric around the templates.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I'm also making progress on "Liberty Fields" from Material Obsession I, assembling the body of the quilt.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I took this shot to document the placement of the blocks so I would have something to refer to as I sew this together. I now have all of the blocks joined but have yet to sew them to the strips of HST's. Let me tell you, this quilt has turned out to be WAY more work than I anticipated. I was so thrilled to finally be able to lay it all out to see what it's ultimately going to look like!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">See the toes and cord at the top of the photo? That's my son playing his X-box game! We were competing for floor space. Ha ha!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I'm also am making progress on quilting feathers on my triangles quilt. Here's my warm-up piece. I used some really old fabric and scrap batting. The very first quilted feathers I ended up hating and am in the process of pulling out. It's horribly tedious ... I have only a few more rows to go but it's taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r! The quilting itself is quick and easy so I need to stuck with it so I can finally finish this quilt. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I also need to find the right fabric to make the binding. I'm thinking a B&W stripe or dots would work well. Any suggestions? Here's an older picture of the quilt top:</span><br />
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<a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6235/6322622254_0e4e341f10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6235/6322622254_0e4e341f10.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">The backing is solid aqua.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I feel re-energized by doing some very simple cleaning and organizing. How about you? Anyone else starting out "fresh" with the new year?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">---Claudia</span>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707557895255555462.post-63745115211558554752011-12-30T18:16:00.000-08:002011-12-30T18:16:22.639-08:00Happy New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I didn't intend to be take such a long blog break, but with work and the crazy run up to the holidays and then taking time off to be with the kids - I needed some time to recharge my batteries.</div>
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Getting ready for the new year, I couldn't resist picking up some new fabrics.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6603855725_50ddc71bb6_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6603855725_50ddc71bb6_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Axel had to get in the shot</td></tr>
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These are from Peapod Fabrics, a wonderful little independent fabric store in town. I also order the blues pictured below via the 'net about a month ago.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6425518825_93904eb5e8_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6425518825_93904eb5e8_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More pretty blues</td></tr>
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Lately, I've been really digging indigo blues and yellow-golds. I decided to make a very good friend a quilt in this color scheme (she has been dropping hints that she wants a quilt). She also told me she likes blue, but then today she mentioned she wanted to get rid of the blues in her bedroom and go with green and rust! Now I'm not sure what to do ...</div>
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I have been steadily working on the star quilt (see last post) but it's still all in pieces so no new pictures to share. This has been the year of the "WIP", with only a couple of small completed quilts to brag about. Mainly, the work I've put into my Farmer's Wife sampler has left little time for other projects. I miss that sense of completion, but I also need to remind myself to be patient. It's all about the process; I could easily have pumped out several "easy" quilts with large piecing and minimal quilting if I wanted to. But I've enjoyed learning new techniques and working at a slower pace this year. </div>
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I'm also thinking of moving in a different direction in this new year. In October, I took a landscape quilting class with Kathy McNeil that made me think differently about the craft of quilting. I like the idea of using fabric as a tool (like paint) instead of the emphasis on sewing with designer fabric names and reproducing popular quilting designs. </div>
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Wishing everyone health and happiness in the New Year!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter sunbathing in Golden Gate Park<br />December 28, 2011</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11444958007628185473noreply@blogger.com2