Crazy Fun Quilting Weekend!

I had a really crazy, fun quilting weekend. Mr. Elvy and I drove to McMinville to attend a beginners long-arm quilting class! Can you believe that?!  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera so I don't have any pictures of the actual quilting process.  BUT, this is the result:

Between the two of us, we were able to complete quilting this top (72 x 84 inches) in about 3.5 hours.  We used a Gammill Vision 26-10.  It was SO nice.  Look at these beautiful stitches.  The process was actually much more difficult than I thought it would be.  The basic class included instruction on how to load the quilt layers onto the rollers, thread the machine and wind a bobbin.  The machine also had a computer face that controlled speed and let you choose either a regulated stitch or a constant speed (among other things).

We ended up using the constant speed function instead of the regulated stitch, because following the pantograph pattern with the regulated stitch was kinda difficult.  The pantograph pattern we picked was one of easier ones -- it had a floral motif combined with some flowing stippling-type curves.  It turns out that Mr. Elvy was actually much better than me at this, even though he has never touched a sewing machine in his life. 

Now, onto the deets of this quilt. I made it using a Bliss layer cake.  Each block used up most of one layer (10") square, so I added some scraps left over from my Bliss sampler to get a 6 x 7 setting for 42 blocks total.  The background is Kona ash.  The fabric for the binding and backing is a pin dot from Moda Essentials.

Full House in Just Wing It

OK, I'm hooked.  I've been wanting to make a Schnibbles for a long time, but the practical side of me kept thinking what would I do with an itty bitty quilt?  This one measures just 31" x 36".

Well, it's just so cute and was so fun to make, I think I understand the attraction.  The fabric is Just Wing It, by Moma for Moda Fabrics.  It's part of a layer cake that I used earlier for another project.

I did attach a little pole pocket in the back so I can eventually use it as a wall hanging. I will also join in the fun at Another Year of Schnibbles, hosted by Sherri at A Quilting Life and Sinta at Pink Pincushion.

The First Quilt Top of the Year!

I'm off to a good start! I want to keep the quilting simple, so I hope to post the deets on this quilt next week once I'm completely finished.

Trying Something Different for the New Year

Today I'm linking up with the Small Blog Meet over at Lily's Quilts, so go over and check it out. May there be lots of fabric and much sewing in your life for the coming year!

Productivity in 2011

I took a few minutes to go over my blog entries from this past year while the boys were playing Lego Harry Potter on the wii.  Wow, it was a really productive year!  And, I am so glad that I took the time to document (almost) everything via this blog.

I started the year out sewing a lot of bags and wallets.  While I still love making them, there's only so many bags a girl can use.  And there's only so many people to gift them to.  The irony is that I usually carry only a small black leather wallet by Hobo that zips all the way around.  I've used the same wallet for about 15 years now, and it still looks great.  Go Hobo!

Gray corduroy bucket bag.

This was all interspersed with lots piecing and by year's end I have made numerous blocks for several different projects.

Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along

I completed three quilts in their entirety and practiced some free motion quilting as well as straight-line quilting.  And, I finished piecing a long-standing UFO, my Bliss Sampler, which I started in October 2010.

Punctuation Quilt, the last of three quilts finished, and the topic of my 100th blog post!

Surprisingly, I completed a number of knitting projects as well.  I finished two cardigans, a baby blanket, and three hats.  Not bad, considering I had seriously lost my knitting mojo over the past year or more.

Leaflet Cardigan in Eco Wool.

So, I am ending the year with these two projects.  The first picture is the sixth installation of the Designer Mystery Block of the Month.

Block Six - "Tulip Festival" by Margot Languedoc.

The second picture is a sneak peak of a quilt top I've been piecing together at a rather frenzied pace.  I started it just a few days before Christmas, when I should have been working on finishing up Christmas presents.  I might have finished it before today, except I ran out of background fabric just short of half a yard. I will post the full details next time when I finish the top.

Happy New Year!

Star Fish Hat in Red Wool

I finished this hat a couple of weeks ago but didn't have time to photograph it. It was a really quick project knit in a basic worsted weight red wool (Paton's Classic Merino Wool).  The pattern is from the book "60 Quick Knits." 

The semi-slouchy silhouette is cute.

My favorite part of the hat is definitely the starfish motif on the crown.  I think if I knit the hat again, I might try to omit the bobbles though.  It's a fine design element, but I have never been very good at making bobbles.  The bobbles in the pattern look round and plump, where mine always turn out flat and misshapen.

Star fish motif on the crown of the hat.

Christmas Prezzies

These wallets/phone cases were the only presents I managed to make this year, and I was only able to complete three out of five at that.  Thus, the older nieces will have to wait for theirs.  I don't think they'll be too sad. :)

The pattern is the Zippered Pocket Pouch by the talented Keyka Lou.  The main compartment is big enough to comfortably hold an I-phone, and there is a zippered pocket for everything else.  Love it!

Happy Holidays!

All three wallets lined up.

Zipper detail; fabric by Kokka.

Flap closure detail; fabric by Kokka.

Full pouch detail; fabric is red cotton ticking.