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UFO Finish!

Happy Friday! It's been a long time since I checked in with the Little Green Quilters, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working hard on my UFOs.

Today I present my Finished Rehab quilt!

 Like I mentioned in my video this week, I started this quilt about 3 or 4 years ago for a friend who was going to Rehab.  I thought I would be able to complete it in a week.  Ha!  Being the new quilter I was, I had to sew, unpick, and re-sew these blocks a few hundred times.  They turned out completely wonky.  But I preserved and sewed them into rows!

It's a queen-sized top with a little drape over the sides.  This quilt quickly grew too big and I was worried about quilting it with my domestic.  So I took one row off the top and pieced it into the back.  Then I quilted it on my Bernina.  Yes, I quilted this entire quilt on my domestic.  Dedication!

I made the binding from leftover red and orange fabric and then hand stitched it to the back.

I printed the design on paper, then pinned the paper to the quilt top to quilt right through it.  That left a bunch of miniscule pieces of paper stuck in my stitches, so last night I attacked it with tweezers. I did free-hand leaves in the stars.  Those were a relief after the endless feather sprays and wreaths!

 I quilted it in black, gray, orange, and red thread.

This was the same quilt top that had soy sauce spilled on it.  I don't know how that happened, but it was during our move to California last year.  The quilt was folded, and the soy sauce leaked through each layer.  I soaked it in vinegar, then hand washed it several times to get the smell of vinegar out.  It dried in our shower and leaked red and orange dye all over the tub.  What a nighmare!

The pattern is Wandering Star from Quilter's Cache. I thought that was fitting.  A friendship star for a friend who momentarily lost his way. All fabric came from JoAnn's.  This was before I knew about quality fabric!

The kitties have been having a great time playing, sleeping, cuddling, and examining the quilt!  We've been sleeping under it for that last week.  Before the binding was finished, we were sleeping under it.  

I'm so happy that this humongous quilt is finally finished.  What a crazy undertaking.  I lost touch with my friend when we both lost our jobs (we worked together), both moved, and I got married. I did find him on Facebook last night though.

I don't know what I'm doing with the quilt yet.  For now, I'm enjoying it on our bed in its Finished State.  I'm feeling proud of myself for finishing the Beast!

Check out other UFO updates at Barbara's blog: Blackberry Creek Home Arts.

Peggy Martin Strip Paper Piecing Class

Last week I got to take a day off work and go to quilt class instead!  What fun.  I wish my job was a quilt teacher.  I need to get more talented first.

And talk about talented! Peggy Martin was so inspiring!  I learned how to strip paper-piece.  The class was fun, the technique was easy, and Peggy makes her patterns so easy to follow.  I learned tons of tips, and not just about paper piecing! Like, using an eyebrow razor to cut your stitches.  I swear, she taught us that!

I can understand how Peggy won Quilt Teacher of the Year in 2010! She was fun to hang out with too!

The best thing about Peggy’s patterns is their versatility.  Peggy showed us a ton of examples of different layouts for her patterns.  Each quilt was more beautiful than the next.  The quilts look crazy hard to do, but Peggy broke them down into small steps that can be strip pieced assembly line style. 

 Of course, I bought one of her books.  I have my eye on a New York Beauty pattern.  Following Peggy’s technique, the piecing should go quickly!

It was so nice to meet you Peggy!  Thanks for the class J

Talk to Me Tuesday #4

Happy Tuesday!  Today was a short day at work (hello off-site meeting!), so I got to sneak some sewing in today.  Love those days!

My latest finish just went into the washing machine.  Pictures soon =D>

For now, check out my video.  I talk about the quilting class I took last week, my March UFO Finish, and a big, exciting change in my life!

I'll be back tomorrow with some more about my class with Peggy Martin.  Until then...

Wow! Thanks Carrie!

I got the nicest surprise this weekend.  I knew I had won a prize for participating in February’s Schnibble Parade.  I thought I won a charm pack of Urban Cowgirl.  On Saturday I opened a package from Carrie Nelson, creator of Schnibble patterns.  Imagine my delight when I opened the package and instead found 3 layer cakes, 2 books, and a pack of fine-point pins. I was so surprised and delighted that (I won’t lie!) I danced around my kitchen and kept dashing outside to show my husband (Look babe! 2 books!!).  I was laughing and exclaiming over this package for the rest of the day. 

Stitches from the Schoolhouse by Renee Plains and All Time Favorite Scrap Quilts from That Patchwork Place

 Urban Cowgirl, Circa 1934 and Hello Luscious from Moda

And some Little House handmade, precision pins.  They are super sharp and very pretty :)

Thanks so much Carrie!  Your generosity is overwhelming and it touched my heart. 

If you’ve never put together a Schnibbles pattern before, you’re in for a real treat.  The directions are easy and made for speed piecing.  I love it when a pattern includes pressing directions so that every seam nestles together perfectly.  I didn’t get frustrated once.  It was so nice to just get lost in the piecing and let the pattern guide me.

So yes, I am now a Miss Rosie Quilt Co. fan.  Not just because of the gifts.  Or the Parade (which is so fun!) But because Carrie is a talented pattern writer and such a sweetheart!

Thanks so much Carrie J

Ain't that a Kick?

Tonight I took a pledge to back Generation Q Magazine! I love how these writers make quilting FUN to read about.  Do quilter's come together and talk about patterns all day? Of course not! So why limit our magazines to just patterns?

Generation Q is starting their own magazine and need our help. You can pledge some money at Kickstarter.  All the fine print you is there too.  But the only thing you need to know is that this magazine is going to ROCK!

What are you waiting for?  Take the pledge!

My First Schnibble!

I've had no time to quilt!  So what do I do?  Start a new project, of course!  Maybe that's how I deal with stress, ha!  (It's been good stress though, don't worry)

Remember when I mentioned that I won a giveaway from Kris from Lavender Quilts? Well, she challenged the winner to complete the top by the end of this month to enter the Another Year of Schnibbles Parade.  So I got the pattern in the mail last week and got busy!

I used two older charm packs I won from Be Encouraged a looooong time ago.  They've been properly aged while sitting on my shelf.  "Fresh Cottons" by Fig Tree & Co. with a bit of leftover yardage from "Patisserie" by Fig Tree & Co.

I'm guessing the quilt to be approx 3 ft by 3 ft. Once I assemble the star blocks, I decided I didn't like my fabric choices.  I picked apart 3 stars and re-made them.  That took a few hours, but I'm so happy I did!  I love each of these stars now.

I changed the border a bit.  Since I made this from charm squares instead strips, I didn't have time or sanity to piece a checkerboard border.  I just made a short piano key border instead.  The keys were longer, but I didn't enough fabric to go around the entire quilt. No worries, I just cut it half!

I mitered the corners.  It looks like a drunk 4th grader mitered them, but I don't care!  It will quilt out : p

While I was on a roll, I pieced the back too.  I love it!

This is also going to count for my February NewFO with Barb at Cat Patches. Barb will have the linky party up in 2 days.  I think I see more Schnibbles in my future!