Barn Quilt + Lion progress

Last week I took a Barn Quilt class at Ardyth's Sewing in Baraboo and it was all kinds of fun!  We picked our pattern in advance and they drafted the block for us before class.  All I needed to do was show up and paint! My design is 'Whirling Star',

My Lion Quilt is coming together quite nicely!  The bottom section is complete and just needs a few long seams sewn together.  I'm actually a bit further along than this, but don't have the latest photo. =(  I'm still a bit obsessed and would rather be sewing on this than doing practically anything else!  The perspective in the photo is a bit deceiving.  This finishes at 60" x 60"  It will be pretty big!

Linking up with Patchwork Times - Design Wall Monday and Sew Fresh Quilts - Let's Be Sewcial

xoxo

Maize Maze - Complete!

Happy to report a finish!  (It's actually been complete for a while!).  This is a quilt I made for my brother and was hoping to send it to him for Christmas last year.  I couldn't quite make that deadline and just planned to send it as soon as it was done.  Wellllll-- when I finished it in February, it was so close to the Sun Prairie Quilt Show... I decided to enter it!

At this point, I thought that I might as well hold on to it and send it for his birthday. (In October!!)  =O  This was a mistake, because I became attached to it.  It was in my living room for a while to remind me to take the hanging sleeve off and it looked mighty good there!

Details:
Start Date - October 2015
Finish Date - February 2016
Fabric: A bundle of Moda (Nocturne) from Pincushion Boutique supplemented by some taupes + indigos from The Sewcial Lounge (RIP) and a mustard from Stitchers Crossing (RIP).
Pattern: Marcie's Maze from Craftsy

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish it up Fridays

The Lion Quilt

Now that fall is here, I'm able to find more time to sew.  I did some crafting over the summer, but didn't get to blogging it.  Hopefully I can do some catch up posts!

Last Saturday, I started a version of Violet Craft's Lion Quilt.  It's part of a Jungle Abstractions series.  I bought the pattern last winter and thought I might have lost my mind when I looked at it.  So I let the pattern age (like a fine wine!).  I thought maybe it would be a good project for my January retreat, when I have several uninterrupted days to work on it.  I started ordering fabric with the plan of holding off until January.  Well-- that didn't happen!!  I've become obsessed with working on this quilt!

The fabrics are all Moda Bella Solids and (if it's not obvious) it is paper pieced.  I love paper piecing and have done many projects using that technique.  This is different, because the scale is so much bigger than what I normally do.  And usually I'm using scraps, but that would be quite hard with this pattern!

Most quilts have a block repeated many times, which can be tedious and this one is so organic and different.  I think I'm motivated by wanting to see more and more!

Steamy Saturday Sewing

This weekend was stormy, but only during nighttime hours. Saturday was very hot and muggy and just perfect weather to stay indoors!  I finished the sashing on the strawberry quilt and only have some borders to add before it is ready to be quilted. Woo-hoo!  In other strawberry news, I picked the first strawberry from my garden-- it is super tiny, but oh, so adorable!

I started on a semi-secret zippy pouch.  Actually, I started on a pincushion, but it was turning out too big, so it magically transformed into a zippy pouch! =O  If only I had more free time to sew.  Despite ignoring the housework that needed to be done, I did not have enough time yesterday to finish this. =/

xoxo

Kristin

Stormy Saturday Sewing

Yesterday was a windy, stormy day and it was perfect weather to stay inside and sew!  Unfortunately, before I could start on anything, I needed clean!  My sewing room was a mess!  I tidied for a while and the room is functional again.  I could probably clean and organize for a full day to get it where it needs to be, but I wanted to create!!

The first thing I worked on was re-grouping on an old, old, old project.  It's Goodnight Irene.  This has been a leader ender project for me since the beginning of time.  Well, Ok, February 2014.  I've been making the 4 patches for much longer than that, but in 2014, I started turning them into this pattern.  The end is in sight!  The number of completed blocks is growing and the number of blank 'X' blocks is dwindling.  I prepped a bunch of this to be handy as leader enders and freshened up my supply of 2" squares (they get stale, you know!).

Next up was to make another zippy earbud case to gift to a co-worker.  She did a random act of kindness for me and I have been wanting to surprise her with this as a small thank you.

After that, I pulled out the Strawberries that I started at the Lutherdale Gala weekend.  The blocks were all complete, but the sashing and borders weren't yet cut.  So cut them I did! And sash them!  By the time I got to the longer pieces, the natural light was fading and I didn't feel up to cutting and measuring them.  One thing I would like to do for my sewing room is improve the lighting-- especially at my cutting table.  

The last thing for me was to start another 'Little Lady'.  Doesn't this navy make the most adorable dress!!??!!

All in all, this was a very fun day!  Oh-- and I got my toes done, too.  They match my strawberry quilt!!

I need more stormy Saturdays!! 

xoxo

Kristin

Linking up with Patchwork Times and Sew Fresh Quilts

Lutherdale Gala Quilt 2016

I swear that every year that passes moves faster than the year before! It does not seem like very long ago and I was attending my first Lutherdale Gala Luncheon, but it has been an entire year!  This event is to thank the people that make and donate quilts to the August auction fundraiser. Like last year, I spoke to the group of approximately 150 people and explained this year's block.  Then they send the blocks to the camp and a few of us get together and assemble them.  

Janet selected the pattern this year and it is Bonnie Hunter's "Spoolin' Around". We pre-cut the fabrics for each person and had them kitted up. The center went together very quickly, but the borders were tedious!  The math didn't always work out, but we were able to 'make it work!'.

In addition to the 'Gala Quilt', we worked on 2 other quilts: "Prairie Petals" and "Strawberry Fields".  I found the strawberry pattern in McCall's Quilting magazine and thought it would be fun to work on as a group (and it was!!).  I like it so much, I might make another one! This one still needs to be sashed, but it was quick and fun and a great use for pinks from my stash!

Lutherdale Gala Luncheon

4/12/16

Gala Quilt assembly weekend

5/15/16

(l to r, Me, Janet, Heather, Janine, Jim)

xoxo

-Kristin

Linking up with Patchwork Times and Let's be Social

Tiny House

Last week, I had the immense pleasure of participating in the Tiny Homes workshop by Laura Wasilowski and then listening to her speak at Mad City Quilt Guild's evening meeting.  Let's talk about the talk first--- I was dying of laughter!!! I don't think I've ever been to a quilt talk that was this funny!! We laughed. We cried. We sang!!  If you ever get a chance to see Laura-- DO IT!   =)

Here are some photos of her work that she brought to share.  There was a slideshow that accompanied her talk that was full of her mini-quilts.  They were so much fun and rich with detail:

Laura and her wares

The hand dyed fabrics were incredibly vibrant! 

(this photo doesn't do them justice)

 

These pretties came home with me!

 

This is my project!  It needs the embroidery to make it sing. =)

I was loving the improvisational, no-rules style of the workshop. It was rather freeing to play with fabric in this way.  I wish we could have had multiple days to explore all of the techniques she presented, because the time went way too quickly.

xoxo

Linking up with Molli Sparkles - Sunday Stash and Sew Fresh Quilts - Let's be Social