ORCA BAY WEEK 2

I have finished the 224 black and white quarter square blocks and have one blue string block done. All my blue strips are ready though so I hope to plug along and get finished before Friday!

This is my first time doing freestyle string blocks on telephone book paper or on anything for that matter. I have been nervous to start. Freewheeling is almost harder than following step by step and fabric by fabric. I'm so glad to be doing this project to get over that already!!

This afternoon, I need to cut some large quarter square triangles for another project in a class tomorrow, so I have to take a break from Orca Bay.

ORCA BAY WEEK 1

I'm so happy to have started on time. I'm not too far along but am giddy with how cute the black and white quarter square triangles are turning out. I am using the companion angle ruler and it sure makes accurate triangles quite easily. Lots to do to finish by Thursday.

I also am posting a pic of my little pilgrims. My LQS Grand Country Quilters is selling this cute kit and I finished it in time to hang for the Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is having fun with Bonnie's new mystery quilt!

Progress on Insanity Quilt and surfer quilt and Die Cutter

I have 16 diamonds finished.  I got side tracked this past month for lots of reasons. Also,  I have a pic of the nine patches I am working on for the surfer quilt. Lots of other appts and general procrastination going on, but hopefully this week I am back on track. The close up shot shows the stitch lines I print with inklingo. You have to careful to make sure the freezer paper is nice and flat. Every now and then the printer will catch the paper and jam.

I have found another gadget I want. The Big Shot Westminster Pro by sizzix. It runs Accuquilt dies as well as its own and it is a little bigger than the go but not quite as big as the Studio Accuquilt. Just what I wanted! It's purple too. So pretty. I could cut a ton of hexagons with it really fast, but they just won't have the perfect stitch line printed, hmmm decisions decisions.

Design Wall Monday

Here are square in a square blocks with surfers in the middle. I have had this fabric for a long time to make this quilt for my youngest (21) son. He definitely needs a newer quilt since his latest quilt before this has noah's ark prints! I have lots of blues greens browns golds and other that have ocean and sand colors to make alternating quarter square blocks. The blocks are 8" unfinished

Progress September 17, 2011

I have 8 diamond shapes completed!

Insanity Quilt

"Insanity" is my latest long term project to start. It has 10,339 hand pieced 1/2 inch hexagons! It took the original creator, Rhonda Pierce, two years to complete. But this wonder gal from down under also runs a quilt shop and pieces a bazillion other quilts too. It's one of those ultimately satisfying type quilts that I need in my life right. The boys are grown and basically on their own. I find myself on my own more often now, and this is my "i can do it" challenge. I have never hand pieced, so in a way, I feel like I am becoming a real quilter like the gals of yesteryear, and what I call, you real seamstresses.

With Linda Franz's Inklingo, you print stitch lines right on the fabric and piece them on the stitch lines. There are no paper templates and no whip stitch like with English Paper pieced. so far, I love this method.

I plan on journaling my progress, and hope you enjoy it. I created a separate page which has its own tab on the top of my blog. Insanity

My official start date is September 1, 2011.  Three done.... here we go.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!  This Buggy Barn Pattern "Star Spangled Banner" has been waiting to be made for awhile, and I finally finished it just in time to celebrate this year, the birth of our Nation

We are so humbled by the sacrifices made by the original Pilgrims, the Founders, and current Americans to maintain the freedom and sovereignty of our Country. Thanks!

 and Happy Birthday America!