Nothing but UFO's in 2013 - February

Can you believe it is February already? Where did January go?
Carrie from A Passion for Applique is hosting the UFO challenge 2013.



Well, it is time to show what I'm going to work on this month. Since I didn't manage to finish any of the intended projects last month, I will continue working on the same ones...  

UFO #1 - Colorado Star quilt.
The plan was to quilt it last month, but when I pulled out the batting I discovered it wasn't enough. Now I have got more batting and hope to finish it this month.

 

UFO #2 - The New York Beauty quilt

All the blocks are done and I have only a few left to be pieced together. The plan is to quilt it this month too.

 

 

UFO #3 - so far no name

I'm pulling this one out again! Did nothing to it last month, except from pulling out more fabric from the shelf. I hope to finish the top this month....

 

 

Hot and humid here these days - we are at the peak of summer - rainy-and cyclone season. The last week we have had wonderful cloudy and rainy weather from cyclone 'Felleng'. Yes, I say wonderful, because it cools it down a bit. It also feels wonderful, because this kind of weather means no gardening! Not that I mind gardening, I love it,  but not when it's wet! :) I can snuggle up in front of the sewing machine, sew and drink hot cocoa or coffee! :)

 



The last snowmen...

Christmas is knocking on my door!

I'm almost done with the preparations and decorations and even managed to squeeze in some time to finish a few projects over the last week.

I bet you are tired of all those snowmen projects you have seen in my previous posts and ask yourself; isn't she going to make something else?!? Yes - No?! :)

Remember too that I had to purchase quilting thread as well as fabrics for binding from the US, which took much longer time than usual; one parcel took 3 weeks from the custom in Port Louis to reach our local post office!!!! I'm far from happy it took that long, but of course I'm happy the parcel finally arrived safely!

I want to show you a few more projects I got out of those snowmen fabrics, but first here's the wall quilt I made of those fabrics back in 2008.

The fabrics are 'Snow Wonderland' by Whimsicals - Red Rooster Fabrics.

You can read more about Whimsicals here.

I have added beads to the star blocks to make it sparkle in the light...

...and cute snowman buttons to the center of the snowball blocks.

When I purchased the fabrics for the wall quilt from a web shop in the US, I couldn't buy less than 1/2 yards. Even if I rounded up to nearest 1/2 or full yard, I must have bought much more than needed. I know I bought more snowmen stripes than needed, because I found them too cute! :) I'm not sure how many projects I got out of the leftover fabrics, but what I'm going to show you now, are the last ones! I promise; no more snowmen projects from this fabric line! :)

How do you take a photo of a too long table runner?! :) I tried lots of solutions (must have been entertainment for the neighbor!), but thought the best was to pull it over the ladder. Not easy to get a good photo, but you get an idea how it turned out. I made it for the buffet in our sitting-room. It is a bit over sized (long) for the buffet, but I like it as it is. Here I have used the leftovers that could be used and all the leftover of the snowmen stripes went into this one. 

A better view of the center...

For the quilting I have used quilting thread from WeeksDyeWorks. I've known the company for their beautiful embroidery floss, but this is the first time I've tried their quilting thread.

Their quilting thread doesn't have the shiny finish as Superior Threads King Tut. I love how the WDW quilting thread - cocoa -  turned out on those prim fabrics I have used. I discovered their quilting thread when I had only this table runner left to quilt... If I had known earlier, I think I had used it on all those projects - it suits perfectly - and I think it turned out beautifully.

 

A table topper to match the wall quilt.

...and another table topper - almost the same as the one above, corners are different.

This is the last one! No more snowmen from this fabric line! :))

I have a few more finished projects to show, but that will be another post - soon.

Polar Bears out of Hibernation - other WIP's and FMQ

I have no idea where the days have gone since my previous post! It feels like I have missed some days... It also feels like I have done nothing, but actually, I've done a lot.

You may wonder what the first part of the heading of this post has to do with quilting? :) I believe those of you who has followed my blog for some time, remember what I'm talking about, don't you? Last year I started working on a polar bear quilt. It's a challenge, because I don't have a pattern and I have limited fabrics. The quilt - or better say the little I did on it last year - has been hibernating, because I ran out of ideas how to proceed.

Earlier this week I was looking for some fabrics in my stash, didn't find it, and continued to the shelves where the "dreaded" UFO's are. There I found the fabric I was looking for - actually fabric for the binding to the pinwheel quilt (below) as well as the plastic bag with the polar bear quilt! I pulled that one out too, and my brain started spinning..... I came up with new ideas and I think - by now - the quilt top should be done over the weekend. The "problem" is I have run out of the fabric I use for sashing, so now I'll have to go hunting my stash for something suitable.....

The pinwheel UFO is almost done! Left to hand stitch the binding and a little bit more quilting. Can't believe I did FMQ (free motion quilting) all over on that huge quilt! A couple of weeks ago - or so - I sewed around all the pinwheels, then put it on hold because I didn't know how to proceed.
I haven't done much of FMQ, so it felt a bit scary doing it on such a big quilt! My sewing machine has the standard size harp; 7.5" / 19cm (if it is measured to the needle position?), so I dreaded pulling and pushing the quilt through the harp!

I didn't have to worry! Last year I bought "Free-Motion Quilting Made Easy" by Eva A. Larkin. (It's cheaper at Amazon) It's a step-by-step instructions, practice exercises and loads of hints and tips about FMQ. I have not done any of the exercises in the book, but by reading the first pages, you'll get many tips how to get going with FMQ!

So I thought; jump into it with both feet! :)) And so I did! :))

This is FMQ "newbie-version".... I hope to improve, sure I will - by practicing. It didn't turn out that bad - did it? Do you hear the bragging?! :)) Well, I don't like to brag, but I am a little bit proud I did manage FMQ on such a big quilt! :) It won't be the last one to do FMQ.... :) It's FUN! :)

I can also mention I use the "Supreme Slider" - a teflon top that prevents friction when quilting. Here are some reviews about the "Supreme Slider".  As you can see, there are different opinions about it, but to me; it does work!

The baby/toddler quilt is almost done too. I've left to hand stitch the binding. 

As you can see, I didn't do FMQ on this one.

Potholders and FMQ Weekend

Do you have as many excuses for not doing what you are supposed to do, as I had this weekend?

I started quilting the Split Hourglass quilt in the middle of last week - I think it was - but after quilting more than half, I got tired of it and decided to make some potholders. No, it's not right to say I got tired of it - I didn't - I needed to break to rest my shoulders and arms. I worked quite a lot on it one day, and my arms don't like the pulling of the heavy quilt through the harp (?) on my dear (Ber)Nina.

I know! I know! I was not supposed to start ANY new project before I had finished some of the quilt tops!!!! To my defense I have to say I did finish the potholders!!! :))

I made three pairs. I struggled a bit with the hanging loop, but in the end - after reading some tutorials on the net - I think they turned out OK.

Here I have used leftover fabrics from the "Mystery Quilt". Colorful - aren't they?

As you may have noticed already; these are FMQ (free motion quilted).

I don't get good close-ups with my digital camera, but if you click on the photo (I think it is possible) you'll have a better look on all my mistakes - lol! I thought something small - like potholders - is a good way to practise FMQ. Well, it didn't turn out that bad for a newbie - did it - but I'll have to practise much more before I dare jump onto a huge quilt. As you can see, there are some sharp turns etc.

I bought this wonder a while ago. It's a teflon sheet for FMQ. It grips to the bed of the machine and lets your project slide when FMQ.

I tried it for the first time yesterday when FMQ the potholders, and I'm really impressed! It does work on small projects, but I can't say anything about bigger projects, because I haven't tried. The reviews are positive (do a google).

I believe it is possible to easily get hooked on FMQ. I woke up in the middle of the night and was thinking / figuring out how to quilt the TG (Tina Givens) quilt - lol!

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Enough cutting for today!!! :)) I'm quite sure that is what he's trying to say! :))

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Yummy flourless chocolate cake.

I couldn't resist making Mexican Flourless Chocolate cake. No flour, but a little bit cayenne pepper... I love the little taste of cayenne together with chocolate/cocoa.

Want the recipe? Click here.

It's not me - DH dived into it before it was cold - that's why a small piece is missing - lol! :))

Yes I can FMQ and other updates

As I've mentioned earlier, I haven't had time for any sewing over the last couple of weeks - just a little bit cross-stitching while waiting for a slow Internet connection.

Some weeks earlier - when I made this quilt - I also decided to make two table mats for the kitchen and dining-room.

The table mats are small, and after reading Michelle's blog and post about FMQ (Free Motion Quilting), I was determined to try it too! Thank you Michelle, for posting about FMQ! You have encouraged me to jump into it too! :)

My camera doesn't take the best closeup photos, but if you click on the photo you should get a better idea how my first attempt on FMQ went. It went better than I had expected, but I realize I need a lot of practice to manage an even movement on the project I'm quilting to get the same stitch length.

I consider buying this Free Motion Slider - is there any of you using it? Do you use gloves when FMQ? I believe the most important is a right sitting position, where hands and shoulders are relaxed. After doing these two small table mats, I felt pain in my shoulders and elbows...

In this post Michelle recommends a couple of books for FMQ. I have purchased the books, but won't get them until middle August - I have to wait for another book that is not published yet.

The table mat for a small corner table in the dining-room.

Table mat for the kitchen cupboard.

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Saturday last was like Christmas Eve - if not even better! We hadn't been to the post office since Wednesday noon - and this is what DH brought home;

As you can see - Birre-Liten doesn't bother about the parcels!

And this is what was inside the parcels;

The three light fabrics are tone-on-tone cream and white, while the others are batiks. Before you ask me what I'm using it for; some of the batiks are for the NYB blocks while the blue ones in the middle are for a bed cover. The tone-on-tones are: just good to have! lol

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This is what has kept me busy over the last couple of weeks;

grouting!

When the tile layer did our floors 3 years ago, his assistants didn't do the grouting as it should be - the joints were too deep - according to me. Everyone knows what too deep joints mean; dust collectors! :(

Last year I re-did the joints in the kitchen- and dining-room and now I've done the TV-room, stairs & corridor and the main bathroom. I didn't have this tool they use for grouting; I used the kitchen spatula - and the grouting was done in a jiffy! LOL!

The worst was the cleaning afterwards! Fine grout dust everywhere, and even if we have cleaned the floors several times already, I feel there are more of this fine dust...