Today in the works

It's been a fairly productive week so far. My big girls are at a day camp this week and so when nap time comes around, my house is relatively quiet. They are having a great time and so am I!

I've found some time to sew some aprons for my dolly dress up quilt.



I'm starting another Florence project. The fabric doesn't have anything to do with the book (maybe it should? I love that cover quilt!). I had a gift certificate to a local quilt shop so I picked it up. I do love books, especially when they match my fabric so well.



And I've found time to sew 9 blocks of my scrappy trip along together. This is one quarter of the quilt top. I love piecing quilts like this!



Thanks for visiting!

:)

Wedding Chain Block Finished

It didn't take too long, just about an hour and a half, to finish my first block for the Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt my mother and I are working on. Not that I was rushing, because it was nice to sit and stitch while watching TV, but sometimes I like to check things off.

The block is called Wedding Chain Block.


You may notice the yellow marks on the perimeter. Those are simply there by mistake. You are supposed to mark the wrong side of the fabric. Whoops!

Would you believe I once taught hand sewing to some of my friends a few years ago?  It's been so long I had to look back at this book to remember how to hand piece.

When hand piecing blocks, you are supposed to wait to iron until the entire block is complete. Once, this little block was complete I was bummed that some of my squares didn't line up perfectly, but I wasn't going to redo it. Then, I was amazed at what pressing did to make the squares line up! Simply amazed!

Work in Progress Wednesday: might need to rein it in...

Hi there! I had completely intended to work more on my dolly dress up quilt blocks this week. And yet I found myself saying I'll do this one thing before I do a dolly dress up. And then, the week passed without me working on one.

What was I working on? I'll show you. 

For my scrappy trip along, I got all my strips cut and ready for the seam ripper. (Does anyone else constantly lose their seam ripper?) I clothes pinned all the sets together. The loose strips are extras; there are lots of extras! 

 

Because I cannot resist bag making (love of purses + love of fabric = pure trouble), I started making an Art Student Tote. Cannot wait. 

And my mom was in town so I made her a birthday present. And then forgot to take pictures of the finished product. ARG! But while she was in town we planned our first quilt we are making together. Here's the first block pieces cut up and laid out. 

I'm feeling a little unfocused in my projects. Perhaps it is time to rein it in and finish one? 

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday. 

Made by Hand Tuesday

My mom has been wanting us to make a quilt together for the longest time. Recently, we both having been eyeing Jen Kingwell's patterns, but had been (at least I was) intimidated by the large investment of work. Until we had the idea to make one together. And then we both caved and thus a new project is in the works.

My mom (Anne) and I will be working on Green Tea and Sweet Beans together. The quilt will be pieced entirely by hand (we'll see about the quilting!). Techniques involve are hand piecing, English Paper Piecing, and applique. Anne is excellent at applique. You'll see.

I actually dabbled in some hand piecing a few years ago. It was nothing worth showing you all and certainly not as cool as the Green Tea & Sweet Beans (GT&SB) pattern. The pattern calls for a scrappy  look; one that will hopefully lend itself to the blending of two fabric stashes. 

A synergistic effect I hope?!

Periodically, I will be sharing our progress here. This week my mom came for a short visit. We plotted and planned. She folded my laundry and bought me some fabric (love ya mom!). Then she left (wah!) and I worked on the first block, the Wedding Chain Block. 

 

I cut out the first templates from the template plastic I kept from my earlier hand sewing dabblings. (Yah pack rat!)

 

I pulled some fabrics (purples n grays), trying to blend multiple genres of fabrics. 

I cut out the pieces, incorrectly on some. (One is supposed to mark on the wrong side of the fabric. Ahem.) Then I laid the fabrics out and found my fussy cut center square is on point. Whoops! Back to the fabric stash. 

 

That's better!   

What about you? Have you tried hand piecing? Am I crazy? It sure is nice to know my mom will be working this with me.