Whatcha Sewing this week/weekend July 7- ?
 

I've been making up kits for our 3 month travels this fall, but got to playing with my selvages yesterday so at the machine I've been making more blocks and cutting them in quarters. Because so much is in the seams it is taking a lot more than I thought! I'm going to have to beat the bushes for more :)

My heavy duty machine is home from the spa so I also need to patch some of the knees in Rob's jeans. He says it says "I love you", I say it saves nearly $45.00 a pair that stays in my retirement funds! I also repaired one of my light knit sweaters this morning. Life is good.

Cute selvage blocks, KalamaQ! I did not save my selvages, but I admire those who do. I've seen some amazing selvage quilts.

No sewing for me right now -- back trouble. After some observation, I think it may be the cutting that is the issue, and may be time for an electric cutting machine. I've avoided thinking about it because they seem so darned complicated. I enjoy the simplicity and straightforwardness of the rotary blade and cutting mat.

No sewing today, but I will be cutting out a chandelier quilt that should have been gifted in June to a high school graduate. Oh, well. it's too warm for it now anyway!

Might do some straight line cross-hatch quilting on a donation quilt today or add a binding to another. We shall see!

Started a Dream Big panel using Pro Stitcher Premium. Have had a few problems but defintely learning this Pro Stitcher Premium. Perfect day for this. It's raining and DH is working on his 64 Ford Fairlane and it's a pizza day (no cooking)! I agree KalamaQuilts, life is good!

When I was having my worst back issues cutting machines weren't even a spark in someone's eye, now I have serious eye issues, and at my age, I think cutting machines would not be in my best interest. But now... and since most of my stash is used or sold, I will certainly consider precut quilts down the road. Expensive, but not the waste of buying and then storing fabric ;) Anything that keeps us in our happy place and serves us well is to be considered.

From observing here on the board I think the machine costs are more in the shape sets. I only use pieces 3" or less and the 4 or 5 different basic shapes and I think those come in sets now. So probably really practical if I were middle aged. Let us know what you decide!

I'm working on FMQ my queen size log cabin.

LQS has sale $35% off. Bought wide back, mint green for planned project and Christmas for game at next quilting group day this week. Also replacement ruler. All planed purchases. Pat on the back……

Cut the pieces for game.

Planning this months quilt projects. So need to get into stash.

Making another Project Linus quilt using the Marbles pattern from the Simply Fat Quarter Book. I have a yard of fabric bought off Facebook last year and it has cartoon super hero's on it. Putting it together with other pieces from my stash. Hoping to finish sewing all the pieces sometime tomorrow and may be able to quilt it on Monday.

Just finished up a queen size quilt and onto the next project. I'm going to do a bargello wall hanging/lap quilt from a Fons and Porter quilting book. I've ironed and starched the material and oiled up Ernestine (my Singer model 66 treadle) to get her ready for sewing. Giving Mabel (my Singer 201-2) a much needed rest from all the FMQ I did on the queen size.

Shari

I'm struggling to finish a scrappy top that seems to be taking much longer than I expected with the a/c and other house issues. I'm still working on my heart EPP project but that's kind of ongoing and I'm going to try making some hair scrunchies to keep my mop of hair out of my face and at least somewhat controlled in the hot weather.

joe'smom FYI – I have an electric Accuquilt and love it. I use it for all my strips, squares, and rectangles. It is so much faster and accurate than I am. It can cut up to 6 layers of fabric. A full width of fabric has to be folded in half so you still can cut 3 full widths of fabric at once. It’s not hard to use at all and there are videos with instructions. The cutting dies can be expensive but I watch for sales on their website. IMHO

Love those greens. Be sure to share it when done.

Nice selvage blocks, Kalama!

I've been playing in the studio, mainly doodle quilting over top of a sandwich I previously quilted when I rented some time on a long arm just to see if I'd like moving the machine. Decided I'd rather move the quilt than a big machine, but when the Cutie frame went on sale for under $500 last year I bought one to try with my PQ1500s. I've used it to baste two quilts which I then quilted with my Sweet Sixteen and decided to see if I liked doodling with the PQ on the frame. So far it's been fun and I have plans to use the multi-doodled thingamajig to make a cushion for my piano bench once I'm done doodling LOL. The limited size of the quilting area means that I'll probably never do a big quilt with the PQ on the Cutie, but it's fun to play with on something smaller.

Rob

this is fun, like being in a room together. Here's a question, have any of you made any little design boards? Lori Holt has a line, and she likes her $$$ signs ;) I just watched a tute, but wondering if my time is worth more than Lori's?
#1. Anyway, my query, what did you use for a board, I just got my new martelli mat so have a big chunk of cardboard, but would the corners bend up? I like my stuff to stay nice.
#2 I've seen hot glue used, I've made an absolute mess using a glue gun in the past. Has anyone used some kind of bonding like Steam a Seam or SaS2 or Ultrabond of some specific kind?
#3 Do you really need all that doubled seam binding, couldn't it be done with less for less bulk?
#4, my blocks are seldom bigger than 8", more often 3"-6". I'm thinking a 10-12" board should be big enough for traveling?

Fuzzy water time, I like Costco's Spindrift...

I had a class in guild today making curved log cabin blocks.
Kamala, I don’t know what was used inside a project board but the backing was pulled around to the front to bind it. It doesn’t need to be fancy

I just looked up Lori Holts design boards. Hers are way fancy. I have some boards that my husband had at the office which apparently had a mysterious use that no one can remember. They're something like foam board or insulation board with a napped covering that I'm thinking of using for design boards. Not nearly as cute as Lori's.

Okay, I watched the video. IMO, you wouldn't have to put the binding on the edge. It doesn't really seem to have a purpose other than being cute. You could just wrap the batting around to the back and glue it there. You could probably use any glue. Glue guns are just quick and easy.

I'm working on a quilt called Meadowland by Bev McCullough. It's a weekly sewalong but I'm almost finished with it. Lots of fun!

I've had a panel with 20-ish bird images on it for a few years, and finally put it together this week as "floating blocks" so I started quilting it today. All the sashings will have the FMQ leaves; debating about what to do in the blocks themselves. Maybe some echo/outline quilting there.

I think most people use foam core board or thick corrugated cardboard in those youtube vids.
But you can use almost anything you can dream up.
Insulation board from the hardware store works great, comes in lots of different sizes, and weighs almost nothing.
In a pinch, I used a 10"x14" clip board...just wrapped it a few times with batting and used a big safety pin on the back. It worked great, but using pins to hold down pieces was not as fast as just stabbing them in.

I've also used a box lid...it was a lid from an office supply box-used to hold reams of paper. I just lined the inside with batting and I could carry pieces easily from the ironing board to the sewing machine. I guess you could stack several and carry a whole row to the iron if you wanted to. :)

Also- you could use a glue stick or even painter's tape or duck tape on the back to secure the batting Or basting spray or even staples on thick cardboard or foam core or insulation board.
None of my impromptu designs were very cute though :(

edit: you might have to be kinda nice to your corners....

oh...I should also mention that I used insulation board and some left over upholstery tacks once, and the tacks kept falling out. Not great if you walk around in just socks....
so maybe glue is better than tacks?

My portable design board is foam core board, with felt attached with spray adhesive.
Michaels had the board. I’d like a handle on the side.

1. Wal-mart sells large stackable trays for about 2 dollars. Many, many uses.
2. K, love the selvages. I have recently decided to collect cute selvages to see what comes...
3. Friday evening, the Best Press and Pounce pad arrived. I chalked up a sample with a stencil to wash/practice. Ok, now for the sandwiched quilt. Mostly, can see lines, but not sure I like this messy method. Today, I will read instructions on winding the bobbin and threading my new sit down longarm. Today, I will quilt! (Little bit nervous)

I made a design board using foam core cut to the size you like, place a piece of cotton batting on one side and cover edges with pretty duck tape. The tape holds the cotton batting to the board and dresses it up a bit. I've used mine for 6 years and it still works fine. Mine is 14" x 14".

I attended Powwow for a while yesterday morning but got too hot and had to return home. It took a lot out and made me realize I'm no Spring Chick any longer. But later I did manage to sew a few 2 1/2" pieced blocks for a mini quilt. My studio doesn't have AC so I'm sewing in the house where we do have it. I do more wool applique in the summer for this reason even though it sounds backwards. I don't mind working on the smaller wool projects in the AC as opposed to sewing in the studio sauna.

That Meadowland quilt is beyond cute. I grew up on a farm, but no silo.

hray, those birds are gorgeous. We have always had 4 or 5 bird feeding stations around the house, but not this year because of the bird disease that is causing chicken farms to be culled in the millions. I have 6 hens and wanted to protect them. We miss the birds terribly though.

ashley, be careful with the yellow powder that goes with the pounce system, when that came out there were a lot of mentions that it wouldn't wash out.

Lena, we used to tell ourselves we aren't 18 anymore, we've moved it to 25 now, wink wink. We had our house painted this month, SO beautiful. A 2 story A-frame I've painted by brush twice...no, I'm not 25 anymore, but when I was I wouldn't have been able to afford to have it done.

I'm so envious of those of you that have quilting machines. I have made my peace with doing quilts that are no more than 40" wide on my Janome though, and I make quilts that take a long time to finish so have also made my peace with making double sided quilts and sending them out ;)

That is so colorful, very pretty.

I had a “sewing lesson” for 14 year old neighbor girl. She used my featherweight to get the hang of it following the lines of tablet paper then we did straight sewing on a lap size strippy quilt. She might be hooked because she loved the process.

Now I’m making a few potholders for our daughter to donate to the Fall hospital bazaar where she works.

Will be working with a group tomorrow to sew curtains for a charitable organization.

Brilliant when we get lots of input it sparks so many ideas. Guess what I have, reminded by your ideas? A 5 pack of canvas covered artist "panels" as opposed to wood framed canvases. Flat, super sturdy, 11"X14". We've been taking some Bob Ross classes and I bought these at a Michael's sale last year to practice on. They will be perfect and I'm excited, thank you all for your input! Stay tuned! Sharyn

Made a scrappy Lonestar from random pieces. It was a Project Linus challenge for crumbs. Still need borders. But overall very happy

I’d love to see this quilt. I’ll bet it’s da bomb! :-)

25! Heck I would be happy with 50! LOL

Amen to that!

I found an electric Accuquilt on sale from a vendor in Arizona and bought it! Now I have to look for the dies I need.

Cam's gram, I'm glad to hear you like your Accuquilt!

hray, that looks beautiful. I love your choice of green background. I believe I would do echo quilting around the birds, and maybe quilt right on the lines of the petals (without worrying about being too accurate).

SusieQOH, the Meadowland quilt is adorable!

well at 71, so would I, but considering I've had cancer 3 times since 2013 and am losing my sight, I am one happy camper, 25 or not. there are many ways to adapt, and I'm working hard at --insert song--- Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive :)

OK, since we've talked last, I've made another 10 selvedge blocks, so stinking cute, and ta-da, FIVE design boards.
It only took 2 minutes a board to lay down glue and smooth and trim. Another 10 to add the rickrack which I've had FOREVER and will happily now trash the scraps. Note the prices on the labels!
About 2 bucks a board on sale, the batting was left over from a temporary design wall when I was away from home caring for my FIL for 2.5 years, the glue I had. Easy Peasy if you need any or want to make a cute gift for a friend.

where did you get the foam core?

I haven’t made a whole lot of time to spend stitching this weekend, but have a couple hours hand quilting on my queen size All about Bears quilt. It is an ongoing project.

Oh Kalama, those design boards are so cute! I also have some rickrack I want to use up (and have never found anything 'just right' to use it on) this will be perfect, thanks!

This long hot summer I've been working on a sampler quilt, I may call it Everything, everywhere, all at once (is that phrase taken?? ;)), all the pieces and blocks are done, now to figure out how to fit non-matching sizes together that doesn't look like I just scattered them on the floor and sewed them where they fell. lol

Cash'sMom - a/c problems in this heat? Egads, I so feel for you. Last summer we had to spend a weekend in a motel when a capacitor in ours went out - another week of 100's coming, I hope you can get yours working well.

I got my scrappy quilt top done and made a couple hair scrunchies. Next I need to clear off the tables so I can sandwich and quilt my king size bed quilt.

I also pulled some fabrics that I used on the Jen Kingwell quilt top. I've decided it needs borders and I want to do scrappy borders using fabrics from the quilt. I'll probably take that along to my quilting bee on Wed and start cutting and sewing those.

The chandelier quilt blocks are about half finished. I now understand why so many quilts using this pattern showed up in photos a short while back. Easy and fast and good way to show off focus fabric. Chain piecing makes it a breeze.

I need to find just a few additional fabrics to expand the quilt to a larger size without so many repeats of fabric. I used a layer cake from Maywood, Lavender Sachet. Lovely but many repeats of the same fabric in the layer cake. Like, 3 or 4 per fabric. It was a gift, so I am just going to add a couple of coordinating solids to provide more variety.

Never touched the quilting projects. Tomorrow is another day!

Most likely the Dollar Tree but Walmart carries it as do Michael's. It's about 18" x 24" and I cut it into quarters to make my mini design boards.

Well, today I will finish using washable marker to remark the stencil on my quilt. The white Pounce worked on solid background of blocks, but not on the multi colored area.