Vintage Valentine Block Eight

Lots of little hearts.

The Eagles

We had a few vacation points we needed to use before the end of the year, so my husband and I spent a quick two days at Saratoga Springs in Disneyworld. We had a great time, as always and I got to have my favorite pumpkin ravioli at Wolfgang Puck's. The event culminated at an Eagles concert back home last night.

They were fabulous!

Vintage Valentines Block Seven

I've made it to the half way point....well half way through the applique.

I'm really glad I decided to do the applique by machine. I can not imagine stitching those itty bitty daisy centers by hand.

Vintage Valentines Block Six

Have I mentioned that the fabrics included with each kit are all Moda fabrics? Super sweet.

Vintage Valentines Block Five

Yup, I'm on a roll again.

I'm loving it all over again.

Coiled Fabric Bowls

I haven't listed anything new in my shop for a while. So I have been making new coiled fabric bowls, at least one a day for the last week. Now all I have to do is take some decent pictures.

Vintage Valentine Block Four

.......I rediscovered the project which included the sales receipts. I still think it's a beautiful quilt and I have spent far too much money to just forget about it. I have been making lots of postcards and applique blocks to sell in my Etsy shop. The blocks have been selling like crazy and I keep getting orders for more, so my machine applique must be good. I made the decision to finish out the project using the machine button hole stitch that I have become proficient at.

OK, so it's not super fabulous like hand applique but frankly this quilt will end up on my bed and no one but me and my husband will ever see it.

I do change the thread to match each and every piece (each block has about 50 pieces). With each start and stop, I draw the top thread to the back, then with a self threading needle (thank you Bingo Bonnie) I thread the tails back through the stitching. I seriously don't think my stitching is ever going to come out. Yes, it does take a bit of time to complete a block, but no where near as long as hand applique would. And as a bonus, my eyes thank me too.

Vintage Valentine Block Three

.... then along came block three and I just could not finish it. There are so many little pieces the project became tedious and took up far too much of my time. I got half way through this block, folded it up and put it away.

I have tried many methods of hand applique but only one ever worked well for me. I trace each piece on freezer paper, press it onto the appropriate fabric, then cut it out with about 1/8 to 1/4 inch seam allowance. Then I fold the edge over and baste with needle and thread by hand. I have tried the glue method but that was just too messy. Then I appliqued the piece in place with a super fine applique needle and matching silk thread. Remove the basting, remove the paper and on to the next piece. Up and down, back and forth, just tried my patience.
I have to admit, the work came out pretty good (but not prize winning).

So there's where the project sat, until the other day when......................

Vintage Valentines Block Two

................then came block two and the enthusiam had worn off just a bit.

Looks good in a photo, but don't look at it too closely, I'm not liking the results so much.............................................

Vintage Valentines Block One

........... So, with much anticipation and enthusiasm, I completed block one in no time flat. It turned out OK, but I have never been that happy with my hand applique.

Oh dear, so many itty bitty pieces.....................................

Vintage Valentine

In 2006, in a moment of weakness (or maybe just insanity) I signed up for a block of the month. There are 12 blocks, plus one large central block, plus a finishing package and a backing. It cost far too much but sure looked pretty.

I had planned to do the applique by hand. What was I thinking...........................

October Block Lotto

I have not been playing along with the Block Lotto much this year. This is the year of liberated block making and I am not a big fan and can't quite get the hang of it. But this month's block is a variable star, liberated star, wonky star....call it what you want.

I don't even want to tell you how many pieces ended up in the trash before I ended up with something presentable. If you would like to play along, you can get all the information at the Block lotto Blog.

So while I'm on the subject of liberated block making, let me show you the 6 blocks I received from the bee I joined a few months ago. I requested my blocks to be pink, red and a touch of purple (thinking I would make something for a little girl). For some reason I expected everyone to make a traditional block, instead I got mostly liberated blocks. The colors are great but I do not know what to do with these. I think one of my biggest objections to the liberated method is the statement "if it's too small just add some fabric". That might look OK for some but it is hard to work with a block that has a 1/2 inch strip all around.

I Love String Blocks

It was several months ago when I signed up for the HGTV CYOC string block swap. I showed you pictures of the blocks I made for everyone else, it's time to show you the blocks I received.

Once again, I cannot get a photo with the correct colors. This quilt has turned out pretty cheerful yet it looks dull in the photo.
 I requested a 2" cut center string in white or WOW with 1930's style strings. The blocks should be cut at 6 1/2". Here's some observations of what I received.
1. Out of the 12 sets, only one marked the center so that the center string would be correctly centered.
2. Out of the 12 sets received all but one set were cut correctly. The one odd set was a smidgen too big and required some cutting down  (better too big than too small)
3. One set out of 12 had the center string cut at 2 1/2" and the strings were not 1930's style although they did coordinated well. I put them in the corners so no one would notice.
4. One set had some polyester strings. I could smell the difference when pressing.
5. The foundations in one of the sets was washed and bleached to death. You can still smell the bleach.
This might sound like I'm complaining but I am not. What I'm saying is that I love string blocks. Even with all these minor flaws, you can still make one heck of a good looking quilt. My thanks to all the ladies in the swap and hope to swap again.

Preemie Quilts

Is this the cutest fabric you ever saw?

Well, at least the cutest Halloween fabric you ever saw. When I first saw it two months ago, I just knew it was perfect for some preemie quilts.

I now have a total of 10 quilts, just enough to make a trip to Broward General NICU. And just in time for Halloween.

Baltimore Album Blocks

They were a bit more than I had planned to ever make, but look at these great Baltimore Album blocks.

The fabrics are the Moda leftovers from the Be Attitudes quilt top I made a few months back.
These blocks are for sale in the shop. They can be found here.