Feather Filler

This weekend I finally finished quilting all those schoolhouses. Boy am I happy about that!
Those houses have been a challenge. It's not like they are fancy or anything, just difficult to quilt. They are mostly stitched-in-the-ditch, except for windows and roof tile. But I ended up doing it all free-motion as it was easier than moving the 103 x 96 quilt with every angle.
Unfortunately, in some places it looks as though I was, DWQ, drunk will quilting.
The quilt would pull and fall off the edges of the table at inconvenient times. I ripped out some many stitches, I could have made a human sized nest from the threads!
And don't get me started about my borders!
At some point I removed the 10 inch border because it was wavy. Well after correcting the border, I discovered that it was the white 2 inch sashing that was wavy. I mean wavy like a poodle skirt! BUT, I couldn't find any more of that fabric, so I had to make do. Just don't tell anyone, OK, it'll be our secret.

So I started quilting that 10 inch border and guess what? It is going way faster than those houses!
I hope (fingers crossed) that I get it finished this Thursday.
Apparently, feathers are much faster than stitching-in-the-ditch.
But are there too many feathers?

Take care, Brandie

Blues & Greens

 I swear I've been piecing this backing together for weeks! Good news, It's finished and now big enough for my cousins blue quilt (in case you couldn't guess this was it's backing).

 I think we may have a spring, at least spring showers. But before they started, I went out to do a little bit of gardening.

 This is my favorite thing about spring, new growth. I love how all the baby shots are uncurling from their winters rest.

And nothing beats the color green. So refreshing after the gray winter.

So there you have it, not much going on in my world. Lazy me!

Take care, Brandie

Rambling

This weekend was sure warm! Told you I'd be complaining about the warm weather.
DD and I went on a shopping trip to Roseville. I was very glad to be in an air conditioned mall!
She bribed me into buying her interview outfits, right down to the shoes. That girl!
The move is still on. As of June, she will be looking for a new adventure in SLO. I'm still adjusting to this and probably will be for awhile. I swear that girl gives me white hair, seriously! I've been noticing around my temples that the color is different. Then my hair dresser confirmed it, I have white hairs! So what did I do to compensate? Had a few purple chicken feathers attached, seriously! So now I look a bit silly and feel like I'm channeling Stevie Nicks (hopefully). All the while hoping I don't look like one of those woman who is w-a-y past their prime wearing trendy teen fashions (I don't, so am I OK?). This getting old business is for the dogs! I really only feel 28 (hubby just piped up with an off color joke) but I'm having a birthday next month and it ain't my 29 th!

Anyway, I quilted a few straight-ish lines. Made more thread clipping for the birds.
I'll be mailing off this gift today. I'll show you more pictures after I know it has arrived at its new home.

So with my mind cleared of rambles, I'm off.
Happy quilting!

Take care, Brandie

Color Chip 2

This is my second little challenge. It started out with ribbon embroidery that I really didn't like.
This is it's next life and I like it, so it stays. Next I just need to quilt it up.

Still working on my schoolhouses and probably will be till the next winter!

Yesterday I discovered that I mis-cut the backing to my cousins blue quilt. So I need to piece the back and add some leftover blocks to it.
I felt so dumb, but I read Bonnie Hunter's blog ( quiltville.blogspot.com). She had done the same thing for one of her quilts, and she's a pro, so I don't feel too bad, just irritated with myself.

Still working on everything at once. I feel like I have my hand in several pots.

Back to work I go!

Take care, Brandie

Weekend Clippings

We had a lovely sun shiny weekend! The windows were open to let in the smell of spring. It was wonderful!

I managed to complete 18 schoolhouses, leaving me 18 more to go. Not bad work for a weekend.

We notice a little robin on the porch every time we went outside. She was pulling the grasses off the door map. So I thought, why not leave her some of my threads and clippings. Wouldn't it be wonderful to find her colorful nest! That would be one to cherish.

Take care, Brandie

Back to School

Houses that is. If I don't do a few house a day, they won't get done. So I forced myself to load the red thread and just sit down and do it!
They may not be perfect but it'll keep me warm when I complete it and get it on my bed.
(I'm calling these my antique wavy glass windows)
Even if I only do two houses a day, it'll still get done faster than folded up next to my machine.

I already had six houses complete and now the total is at a big whopping ten. That means I have 26 to go. But I'm not going to think about it. Just quilt a couple a day and get it done!

So while it storms outside, I'll be using up my red thread.
Speaking of, I can't remember if it's this year or last year, but I heard
our last frost day was April 15. That just means that we should see the sun shine soon! Hopefully...

Take care!
Brandie

Green Thumb?

Do you ever scare yourself doing something different? No I don't mean things like skydiving or swimming with sharks. This blog will never be about thrill seeking. I'm old and scared to do those things!
I mean in quilting. Using materials that aren't the normal, as in non-cotton.

I saw fancy leaves in my head, but shiny, like a silk ribbon. Silk ribbon embrodiery didn't work so I came up with a different plan.
I bought wide ribbons in greens. Unfortunately all they had were 4 colors, but I made do. But when it came to doing it, I got scared. Then I decided if I was to succeed, I had to start somewhere.

This poor checker board background has seen so much ripping out! There are still holes all of it. I try to massage them out but they're still there.

Long story short, I'm ready to reveal. I like it. I don't love it as much as my pomegranate block, but close.

So here you are, two pics. One with flash, one without. What do you think? Have I done the daffodil justice? Is it still springs favorite flower?
Or should I mulch it up and start over?

Brandie, worried in Paradise

More Yellow, Less Mess

While I still had the yellow fabrics out, I put a few daffodils in my basket. You may remember that I started to put silk ribbon flowers in this basket. Well, I didn't love the way they were turning out so I decided to do what I know, appliqué.
Next I'll add a few leaves. I'm thinking ribbon leaves. We'll just have to wait and see if these work out.

Take care, Brandie

Easter Colors

I couldn't help myself. I Should be quilting my schoolhouses, but nope, I've been playing with my color chips again.
I'm so bad, like I have ADHD or something. I got bored with the schoolhouses and pushed it aside over a month ago.
I could also be sandwiching my cousins blue quilt.
I could be doing chores. Blah

But instead I'm playing with color chips. These are so fun and sew fast. At only 24 inches, they don't take long. That may be the appeal right there.

Back to work, this is just step one.

Take care, Brandie

All Aboard

I may be the last one on the boat. But I think I may like some Kaffe Fasset's. It may be the exposure of my small group. It may be I'm learning to enjoy more color. Or it may be that I'm still suffering from sinus pressure and it's distorting my view point. Whatever it is, I bought these four squares from the guild meeting last night. I bought four because I really liked the pattern that these blocks make. So cross your fingers that I win!

I've also been working on a little gift. More blue! I blame this on the fact that all the fabrics were still out from my cousins quilt. I put them away today. It not that I don't like blue, I just have not rooms that blue quilts would go it. I'm still working on this little blue basket. After the scallops are completed, I may add some flowers, in yellow of course. Blue and yellow are classics together.

Also last night I picked up two more color chips. I'm so excited! This time I have a pink and yellow. Instantly I think of 30's prints. My mind is whirling with ideas.

Don't know how much quilting we all will be doing this weekend, but whatever you get to, keep the chocolate off your fabric!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Brandie

A Small Finish

I almost forgot to post today! Sorry, I was distracted by the sun. Yes, I finally have some sun! In fact, I was a little warm during my walk. Warm, something I haven't been for awhile. I even had to wear my shades. Hurray!

Anyway, I do have a small finish to show you.
I completed a small quilt. It's my color chip challenge. It finishes at 24 inches.
It was so fun, I'm working on another.

Now I did have problems with it. This weekend I drew out some corner templates using a pomegranate. But when Hubby walked by, he said it looked like a giant spider. I looked at it and laughed and had to agree, it really did look like a fuzzy legged spider.
So I sat and in picked that spider for over three hours.
Then I just quilted those corners with a simple 1/4 inch triangles. Much better!

I think it's cute. I won't tell you what the Hubby said about my flowers!

And if you couldn't tell, my color chips were that red and that pale green. But I just had to throw some of that cheddar in!

Take care, Brandie

Big Blue Floppy

I managed to finish the top to my cousins quilt. It's it happy?! And so very, very blue!
Blue isn't one of my colors, but I'm thrilled with the way this turned out.

I think it all started with the border fabric. Everything else just feel into the mix.
I laid it out on our queen sized bed and it has a good length and cover. I just don't have the room to take pictures to show you, you'll just have to take my word for it. It finishes at 85 X 100, not to shabby for 5 inch blocks and 2 inch blue scraps!
Today I'll piece a back out of the fabrics that were given me by my great group of quilting friends. If it wasn't for them, this scrappy blue quilt would not exist.

It was a productive weekend and tomorrow I'll show you a BIG mistake. One that has me laughing, so don't worry.

Take care, Brandie