I have a couple of idea's for Dabbler, now she can decide

WOW, roseirish48 that's GREAT!!! Good job - what a savvy shopper your are!

I'm excited - the fabric I'm using arrived yesterday! The flannel wouldn't have worked anyway - wrong color background. I had applique class today and I was able to find an EXCELLENT replacement while there. Ready to get started now! :)

Hello ladies--- well Yosamitesa is my partner and im so excited aboutthis, i have started picking out fabrics, already adn oh my such fun--- she loces scrapy -- so woohoo here are some of the fabrics i have so far, will be cutting them today, so excited, and love my block choice also, --- i love the blocks i see here such talent, and so many different themes and such beauty,well im trying to post a pic and its not letting me darn it, il keep trying

Wow, wow, wow J_Cody you are fast! I always enjoy the piecing process and am usually ready for the end when one quilt is done and look forward to starting or finishing the next project. I have started yours and am excited about it. Do you want to see a sneak peak of the fabrics, via a photo, or a complete surprise at the end?

Yosamitesa, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for matching me with Boop56. It is a perfect match! It is like we are kindred spirits or something! We love the same things-I also LOVE the ocean, I go crazy when it's been too long since I've seen it, and that can be a long time in the land locked state of Ohio LOL! I also NEVER miss an opportunity to marvel at the full moon. I love Lori Percy's avatar of the moon.

We have connected and I have the OK to go ahead with my idea. I am posting a pic of some of the fabrics without giving away too much I hope :) :) :)

old cat lady what GREAT fabrics you have there. Love the fairy frost and then the fairies! that is going to be very pretty :)

YEA!!! So glad the pairings seem to be matching up well. :) I'm loving the fabrics shown so far...

Here are my swatches. I'm on the hunt for one more today and then I should be ready to start cutting!!!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]460361[/ATTACH]

I picked up the background fabric for jaba's quilt on Saturday along with a couple extra fq to change out some that didn't quite line up with the rest of them. Now to just keep all my projects in a cohesive order so I can stay on track.

i sure love the colors,
all that im seeing are so colorful and are going to be so pretty

ok, found my way again as to post pics, all are different adn i had to remember hwo to do it, so here goes, i didnot do swatches, but i will be giving sneak peaks of the blocks as they progress, as well, well darn it will not upload my image keeps saying failed, so i will try it agian , i will take another pic are redo this pic, not sure

Awhh, shoot!!! All ready to start cutting fabric and my printer went ka-put so I can't print out my pattern! Spent all afternoon trying troubleshooting, etc. to no avail. Best I can figure is the print head it out. Guess I'll shop for a new printer tomorrow - a new print head just about equal to a new printer..who knew???

bummer mumukate luckily printers are pretty reasonable. I still have to upload new drivers for mine. It worked with my old computer but not with the new windows 8. I am finally figuring out windows 8. It is not my favorite operating system to be sure.

I picked up some white on white for sashing for your quilt Tam...moo. I think it will really keep this fresh looking. I was so tempted to get red with little gold stars on it but I restrained myself. There will be enough red in the quilt top to still give the Christmas feel :)

OK, checking in here. The background is all set. Had some painted fabric left for the sky. I hate skies that have the same clouds over and over and seven suns! Main figure has been constructed and working now on some of the other figures. Making great progess but time for a break and a couple quilts needing bindings are waiting.

Cutting out 4-patches today. Will take pictures of the fabric for the 4 patches. :) These are going to be fun!!! :)

Sewed on Dabbler's quilt yesterday and thought I'd really made progress. Sewed the pieces to the wrong end of the block, seam ripper came out, re-press all the pieces and sewed them in the right places. I sewed a lot but didn't make any progress. Today is another day

Here is what the 4-patches will look like. Remind you of water???

[ATTACH=CONFIG]460615[/ATTACH]

I hate Windows 8 - it came out right before I got my new computer & it was all you could get. All it is Microsoft trying to play like Apple - & they're not very good at it! Waiting for Windows 9 to appear. If history repeats itself that will be a good release. Microsoft seems to have an "every-other-version-is-a-keeper" streak going. :D

I'm torn as to what kind of printer to get. My kaput printer is an HP Photosmart and is was okay - until it quit. Does anyone have some advice?

I've got a pattern picked. The pattern isn't complicated at all and has plenty of open spaces to play with quilting options. I'm looking forward to that part, I haven't done it before and the other quilts I'm working on don't have anywhere to play with the designs. Now I'm kicking around which way to go with color choices. I have a vague idea but will need to browse the racks and look at fabrics for real. Buying fabric will have to wait until payday at the end of the month.
Stupid budget.
Rodney

budgets suck don't they? I live by the tightest of them.. magic acts is what I call it. Its a magic act I did this or got that or finished this because I needed that.. all I needed was magic! thankfully I believe hard enough and usually magic does come into play :) you think I am nuts but I am a believer. (oh no is that like .. coming out? or admitting I believed in fairies as a kid and gnomes and grumpies? not sharing that you will know then I am a nutbar)..

I pulled out your blocks again and some coordinating fabrics I own. I don't have very many of those angel blocks at all.. think after I make two more I will have 5. or I made one more and put one as a center focal fabric in the quilt.But found a darling vintage Santa that could make a great center its red background but.. it works great Tam Moo with the others. I might try to find more of that angel fabric.. it is adorable and oh so old fashioned and darling. lol .. you would never know I liked it right?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]460706[/ATTACH]just a little peek at the materials i have found to incorporate into this quilt. I spent couple hours yesterday morning drafting pattern for first block and then scrapped it this morning and started over. i think i have the first block pattern set now so I can startputting it together. got sidetracked with invitation to go to casino with Adam's girlfriend. she won---i lost---story of my life!

Brat, don't buy any more fabric I will be happy with any blocks or colors that you have. I can relate to tight budgets...I am always out of money when a great fabric sale comes along but that is okay there will be more to come. I am still debating between the blues or the Christmas fabrics.....I saw the beautiful blue top quilt just finished for you..it is awesome. If I didn't have to work between 50 and 60 hours a week I would sew for hours every day....someday I hope.

I LOVE the blocks :), you have been very busy!
I ordered some more fabric, should be in soon. Then I need to start working on a layout. I have never worked with a panel before and I want to get it right so will mock up some different borders. :)

worked today on the first block for Mumukate's quilt. Hoping she likes it as shadow applique is new technique for me.
She mentioned liking wanting dusty rose and mint green colors, blocks set on point and baskets . I tried to incorporate those elements into pattern i chose to make for her.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]460857[/ATTACH]

Oh everyone's choices are so pretty. I will be getting my fabric saturday, will post a photo of the fabric then. I have a quilt on my LA that needs to be quilted before I do anything else :p it is a very late christmas present! But promise I will start the piecing as soon as i can. Usually I piece on evenings after work.

Hugs, this is so very exciting! Cant wait to get this work of art done :) hugs!

OK, finished the backing for our guild's raffle quilt. YEA!! Playing with chickens (very colorful chickens) before I get back to work. Here is a picture of the quilt backing and soon some pictures of cickens...just because I can and they are fun!

The colors are GORGEOUS - especially the pink! They're perfect!!! :thumbup:

I am auditioning a new-to-me pattern for my partners quilt. I figured it out from a picture, and the block ended up finishing at 20". Since it has a lot of pieces and looks great, I am thinking of a 3 by 3 layout. If the borders put the finished size to 70", will it be considered too big???

Been reading ya'll post and pics and love them all. My partner is just about finished top and i've not even started to cut. Had to complete some projects before I commit myself to hers. I want 100% attention to it. It's going to be some new blocks for me, so up to the challenge. I've also want to hq it, so that will take me a month by itself. No pics cause we are surprising each other. I can tell you it will patriotic.

Don't think so, ask your partner. Dabbler and I both agreed on larger size because we liked the pattern.

If you want to do it and your partner is ok with the size, then go for it. :)

got second block drafted and made. Partner says she likes my idea so forging ahead.[ATTACH=CONFIG]461063[/ATTACH]

In the last 2 days, I've gotten 6 of the 12 strip sets required for the quilt pinned and sewn. I don't mind cutting or sewing strip sets but about the time I'm trying to iron 1.5" strips without melting my fingertips... I always say I'm swearing off strip sets for life.

On the other hand, I think that the pain of ironing stripsets is equivalent to the pain of childbirth. You're in absolute misery as it happens but then a day or two later you're back to thinking, "Oh that wasn't so bad..."

Stunning applique!
Chickens? You got my interest peaked. Can't wait to see them. It turns out one of two baby roosters, black copper marans, we got from some one turns out to possibly be female. At night they are in a bin in the garage but during the day they are in an op site down very large crate out on the lawn. The bin has netting and I can see them. They love eating grass and finding bugs.

You are two funny!! But so true!!

1.5 inch strip sets someone explain to me what this is? Kelly is is sashing? you got me on this and now I need to know!

I am going to buy more fabric on Wed (pay day) for your quilt Tammy. I have to wait as I want to get enough yardage so I don't run out and have to run back only to find that the fabric I chose is GONE! I am however going to keep nice and busy on it this weekend using the fabrics I do have to make a few blocks. Like the idea of one big center surrounded by blocks then a nice border.. think it would give a fun look to this quilt. Its obviously not a "serious" quilt.. angels? deer with bows on their necks? santas? my kind of quilt. wondering if a candy cane border red/white would be cute or a ribbon.. still stuck on the idea of a ribbon .. but with all my crazy border making lately I might come up with something even better yet. I am excited. I have this weekend to devote to your quilt top! Sunday and Monday. Oh minus Mondays Scarlet Hatters lunch. One of these days I will have to find something wild like they wear on their heads. feathers I see lots of feathers there. I think.. maybe I don't look so good in feathers hence why I wear a red shirt instead :)

I finally gotten to a stopping point on the Celtic Solistic mystery. woohoo finished step 5. It seeems like 8,000 pieces to make the King size. I now feel comfortable to put that aside and brainstorm on other projects.

Ok, I just had to share some of my feather work. I am so darned proud.....this is the first time they came out looking so professional! :) and LJDugas, hope this gives pleasant thoughts of how pretty your quilt is going to end up. Picking up the fabric today, will post a photo later today :) going to give lots of teasers just to keep the excitement high :p and because I really cant keep a secret to save my life lol

[ATTACH=CONFIG]461095[/ATTACH]

Strip sets are strips of various thickness and generally lengths which are WOF that you sew together long-wise. Then you press them open, pray each and every seam is straight, and cut slices that are perpendicular (a right angle) to the seams. That way you end up with a ton of little tiny squares without having to CUT and SEW little tiny squares.

Strip quilting is a technique that is easy to do but difficult to do well (can I get an "I concur" from anyone out there?) and is used for bargello quilts and other applications which require a million and elevnty small squares in a specific pattern.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]461129[/ATTACH]

This was all done with strip sets - approximately 15 of two different layouts which are then sliced, spliced, and sewn back together.

TheMamaHauser, I think I've seen little silicone fingertip covers for just that purpose in one of my quilting notions books. It would be worth getting for anyone who makes a lot of strip sets. Also for ironing binding, too! Ouch!