Specialty Rulers

Do you have a lot of specialty rulers/templates that you don’t use much?  I am unable to resist the sales pitches and cute patterns/classes available for these types of rulers.  I store mine in protective plastic page sheets in a three-ring binder (unless they are extra big or extra long) and have often used them just the once to make “that certain” quilt and never used them again.

Well, they came in handy the other day when I wanted to add something extra to a Jelly Roll Race quilt.  This technique makes a very quick quilt top - Wee Folk Art has a good tutorial.  My colorful top looked ok, but was a bit boring and I thought it needed a punch of fun to be a good children’s donation quilt.

I saw a cute Hipster Cat pattern on Shwin and Shwin’s site that I used for inspiration.  Since I didn’t want mine as large as theirs, I made my own pattern and I dragged out these specialty rulers:

I forgot to take a photo of the circle template/ruler that I used for his head, but you can see that I used all of those triangle rulers - lol.  My cat still needs eyes and a nose and to be stitched down, but I think he’s turning out to be pretty cute.  I’ll post his photo again when I get him finished.

Making Something for Me

I took a break from my usual charity quilting to make a little something for me.  Well, actually, it is a Monster-size something for me!

I signed up for a class last week to learn how to make a Mat Carrier Tote and Ruler Caddy so I could easily drag all of my supplies to classes and group meetings.

This thing really is huge since my large 17 x 24 inch mat fits into the pocket inside.

And the Ruler Caddy fits my 6 x 24 inch ruler easily.

I picked a whimsical owl fabric for the Caddy and the Tote has eyeballs (hiding in the aspen leaves quilting) and cute owls quilted across the bottom.

I love how it turned out and it will be very useful and protect my supplies.

Oh, and while we’re doing cute things, these are the new birdhouses in my neighbor’s backyard.  Since I regularly feed the birds (and inadvertently the squirrels), we were laughing that together we were now running a Bed and Breakfast!

Too cute …

Math or Quilting?

When was the last time you spent time wondering about the Pythagorean Theorem? 

a)     High School?

b)     College?

c)     Never in this lifetime?!!

Well, I accidentally read a pretty good book last week.  Our library is expanding and the new construction has caused some disruptions inside the building, including rearrangement of shelving units.  When I thought I was continuing to browse in the fiction section, I actually had moved into non-fiction and I picked up a book about Sir Isaac Newton and the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge.

Newton was the genius physicist and mathematician in the 1600s that we all remember from the apple falling from the tree and gravity discovery story.  The book discusses other noted discoverers of the time (before the work “scientist” was invented) and the advancement of modern science.   

The book had some intriguing illustrations describing the mathematicians’ search for patterns and eternal truths:

Do you see math or a quilt pattern in this page from the book?  I instantly saw the sawtooth border and the square-in-a-square pattern.  I guess it all depends on your perspective.  And they told us in school that we would use math in our futures … whoever thought they would be right?  Of course, these illustrations were intended to prove that pesky Pythagorean Theorem, but who cares?

Isaac Newton was also fascinated by the rainbow colors that are seen when light passes through a prism.  Well, I think it’s remarkable that I have something in common with Sir Newton - I love rainbow colors in quilts - LOL!

But now, onto what’s in the works here at Chez Olde Quilting Studio.  I finished up sewing the rows together of the Nautical top using the Warm Wishes pattern.

And I loaded up the frame to finally quilt the top that I used the Lazy Angle Ruler to make.  I found a cute orange swirl fabric for the backing and it’s ready to be whipped up tomorrow.

 That’s it for now.  I’m going upstairs to get a little more done.

Getting Around Blogger Glitches

I usually use Internet Explorer for my web browser and have had no problems with Blogger.  Until recently, that is.  They apparently have a know problem with some people having the ability to post photos on their blogs.  Well, the photos are my favorite part and I have been seriously disabled by the glitch!

So I decided to try another browser and see if I could get around the problem and I think Google’s Chrome has done the trick for me.  I think that’s exactly what Google wants to happen – do you see a conspiracy to take over the world?!!  Just an idle thought.

So here’s what’s been happening at my place:

Ø                  We played at little golf at the new year while the weather was good

He was a little one by the 1st hole -
I did not hit close to him!

Sandhill cranes right next to the cart path

White Ibis walking across the fairway
 (hasn't seen me play yet, obviously!)

I told the vultures I was just not playing
 well and they would have to wait ...

Beautiful hawk - was he just laughing at my shot?!!

Oh, you haven’t seen any golf shots in these pictures?  That’s because most of the golf holes looked like this:

Water here – sand trap there – trees, trees everywhere.  That’s what my day was like.  I think we took last place – my partner helped us stay down there in the hopper!  But we had more fun than anybody. So there.

Ø                  I started on the second Labrynth quilt for the Quilts of Valor

Ø                  I played with my Lazy Angle ruler and made a little quilt top for Wrap-a-Smile

the little black strip on the right
 shows the color of the binding

Ø                  I made a little racecar quilt top for Wrap-a-Smile

Ø                  I have not been watching what I eat or exercising in the New Year (that has GOT to change soon …!).

Ø                  More tomorrow on my latest new project (just a teaser …).

After the Holidays

Like many of you, this is the time to assess your stash and finally clean up that sewing room … ahem … that is if you have enough time in between playing with your new toys!

I got a wonderful new book and ruler for Christmas from Lazy Girl Designs:

And these are the blocks that I made from them on Christmas Eve – nope, couldn’t wait to start on these and I opened those presents first!

I had to wait until Christmas Day for the other presents, but it was worth the wait … I had another book, a new pattern for a kids’ quilt and new fabric to fondle and dream about making something special.

And I also gave myself the gift of printing my blog.  I used the website Blog2Print and was very happy with the results.  It was much more economical with the holiday discounts (that I expect they will run periodically).  Since I used to use Webshots (that was taken over by Smilebox or their affiliate) and my photo albums aren’t out there anymore, I wanted to preserve my previous blog entries and these little books did the trick for me.  The glossy pages are nice-looking and it’s fun to be able to reread old posts occasionally.

There are other companies that do this same work, but here is the link to the one I used:

http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/index.html

And then it was REALLY on with the cleaning.  I took some UFOs, some fabric collections and some patterns and made kits for myself.  I cleared off the tabletops (well, mostly) and went ruthlessly through my dresser drawers of fabrics.  I took the ½ yard cuts that I told myself I would use “someday, if only I had the right things to go with them” and boxed them up to send to a few ladies at a senior citizens’ center in NY/NJ area that had lost all of their quilting supplies in Hurricane Sandy.  I added a few notions that I had duplicates of and mailed them off, too.  These ladies make charity quilts, bless their hearts, and I couldn’t see this fabric sitting around being unproductive when they could be putting it to such good use.

Then, just for fun, I took the only jellyroll that I had (yes, you could say I uncovered it - LOL) and had a Jelly Roll Race with myself.  It was just as quick as they say and I like how the colors of the jelly roll blend together.  I will add side borders to make it a little wider and then I’m done with another child-size top for Wrap-a-Smile.

Detail of "boy" fabrics

On to 2013 ------ I'll be ready!

Machine Troubles Again

Once again I was devastated when the needle struck the plate of my sewing machine.  I had only had it back from the repair shop a few days and the shaft is still out of alignment with the hole in the plate ... so back to the shop it went.  I immediately sank into a deep funk.

Meanwhile, I had to stop into a quilt shop very near to my house (for mental health purposes only).  I was sure glad I did!  This was my first time there and I liked just about everything that Crafty Threads sells ... very dangerous to my credit card.

I had already started my Christmas list and the Lil' Twister tool was on it - and wouldn't you know that this shop sold them.   Just too much of a coincidence in my troubled state of mind.  I swooped right on it and I have begun cutting out 5 inch squares from my stash (remember my supposed austerity plan where I don't spend much? - well, at least I'm using my stash!).  And I can feel good that I can still accomplish something "quilty" related while my machine gets repaired!  The lighting wasn't good for this photo, but I'll post more pictures when the top gets started.

If you haven't seen one of these quilts made up, Moda Fabrics featured several on their blog:
http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-roadwith-moda.html
The possibilities are endless!