someday I will have a plan!

A couple of years ago my son gave me a "Java" Jelly Roll. As I was creating the quilt, my daughter kept saying how much she liked it....so I gave it to her for her birthday! My younger daughter then started saying that she liked it too, and would steal it one day!

So ....I started collecting bits of "coffee" fabric whenever I saw some..to start a similar quilt for my younger daughter. But, it seems like this quilt was fraught with frustration,  right from the start!

First.... I kept changing my mind about what I wanted to do with this fabric...

But finally settled on a simple square in a square type pattern.
 I cut a 4-1/2" square, then a 2" strip for the first border, and a 3"strip for the second border. As I went along, I decided that I needed some of the backing fabric to add a bit of colour to the front...

. ...which meant that I was short fabric for the back. I pieced together every little bit of leftovers that I had... both my DH and myself busy with our calculators adding and dividing to see if we could make it work....but it turned out OK.

I was a bit short for the batting too, so had to zigzag a couple of pieces together. This quilt was bigger than I had anticipated. It finished at 85" x 92"

Then I ran out of thread....TWICE!! while I was quilting this..  Really...there must be some kind of formula to figure out how much thread you are going to need ...right??

Then the final straw...as I was finishing sewing on the binding....I was about 10" too short!! How could that happen?? I had even measured and was sure I had enough!! I couldn't get any matching fabric, so used some of the beige coloured fabric from the quilt top...and pretended that I planned it that way :)  Really, you can hardly see it anyway!

But it is finished...my last finish for 2012...and in time for my daughters birthday too! Hope she likes it because this quilt really kicked my a***!!

But it is a finish....so linking up to TGIFF over at Sparrow in Flight today!
                                             

Blogger Photo problem solved!

As you may remember I was having issues with trying to upload photos onto my blog...I had reached my quota! Well, after complaining on my blog, I received lots of great, helpful advice! Blogland is so great...I think we could solve the worlds problems, given a chance !!

Anyway Kate,  at A Sometimes Quilter, was very helpful in teaching me how to load pictures into Flickr and then attach them. I did have a Flickr account, but must admit haven't really used it much.

And then Debbie over at Stitchin' Therapy posted a great page on how to reduce the size of your stored pictures. You can find the page here. ...and she also has a really fun blog too, so have a look around while you are there :)

Anyway, apparently if a picture is less than 800 x 600 it doesn't even count as space...who knew??
So Debbie explains how to reduce the size of the stored pictures and reduce your quota! It is a bit of a convoluted process, and there may be an easier way if you are really tech savy...but this worked! I am now down to 4% of my quota and can upload directly onto the blog again, which is the easiest and fastest way for me.  I am now reducing the pictures as I go along, so I don't hit this wall again.

Thank you to all who offered assistance ...you Rock!!

OMG!!

OMG!!!  Why didn't I change my rotary cutter blade a week ago....instead of trying to squeeze a few more cuts out of the old one???  Do you do that too??? or is it just me?? I hate throwing the blades in the garbage!

...but  what an amazing difference!! It is like I just discovered slice bread! 

Incomprehensible

Friday Finish ...a tale of two..

I had a couple of jelly rolls (who doesn't have a few lying around..right??)  that I wanted to use for a quilt that my daughter wanted for a Christmas gift. She wanted to have a quilt to give to her father-in-law and wife for Christmas, so I wanted it to me a bit more manly!
I used "Comfort" by Moda.


I used the pattern that I had tested awhile ago from the Missouri Star Quilt Company..called the Amazing Jelly Roll Quilt.  These video's are great..and this quilt is so much fun and quick to make too.
I already blogged about this before, when I started the quilt top..you can see the details on my previous post.

So I used one Jelly roll, and added a couple of borders...
                                 
I quilted it with my usual all over echoed teardrop pattern..

and just some loopy circles on the border..

It finished at about 60" square. Then I started thinking that maybe she would like the gift to be a bit larger! mmmm...OK...I can do that!! So I started again and this time I added some extra bits of fabric and made a second quilt that finished 72"x 85".  It looks pretty much the same, except I used a different fabric for the border. I found this fabric on sale in Phoenix (wow..they have good sales!) Anyway..I thought it looked just like Saskatoon berries! (they are kind of like blueberries, they grow on trees here...and taste yummy!) So that was just perfect!!

It is quilted with the same teardrop pattern, and loops on the borders. I used the "Saskatoon berry" fabric for the backing for both the quilts. They look very similar, one is just larger.

Now she just has to pick out which one she wants.

The deal we made was that I would make the quilts, and she and her husband would shovel the snow off the driveway while we were away! Well...I think I got the best side of this deal...we have had record snowfall...several big storms.. so they have earned this one  LOL!

So these are my finishes..linking up to TGIFF.. today over at Quilt Matters!
                                               

Rail Fence in Progress

I had some fabric that I had purchased awhile ago, just because I liked the colours together. (and who needs a better reason for purchasing fabric...right!?)

Anyway, I decided to try a simple Rail Fence type quilt, because I thought that would suit the "country"  feel of this fabric. Of course I didn't really have a plan in mind when I started!! I cut the fabric into strips 2 1/2" wide...

and cut them into 10 1/2" blocks, then I started playing with them...on my "design floor"..

Of course when I finally decided on a layout that I liked, I realized that I need about 2 more strips of the blue fabric....of course!!

So I went back to the LQS, but they didn't have any of the same fabric left. I did find some that was close in colour, and so added a few extra block with the new blue, and because it is so scrappy it looks like I meant to make it that way.  (of course I did !!)

So I am happy with the size and layout...now I have to do some reading about making the setting triangles. There is a great resource here.   It explains all about what and how, and give you the math to calculate the sizes. But it also gives you this table as a guide (bonus..if your math is as bad as mine!!)

The Math is Done for You!

Sometimes when you just want to finish your quilt, the last thing you want to do is a bunch of math. We've created this handy table with the math already done for several common block sizes.

Finished Block Size	Corner Triangles	Side Triangles
1.5"	2"	3-3/8"
2"	2-3/8"	4-1/8"
2.5"	2-3/4"	4-7/8"
3"	3"	5-1/2"
3-1/2"	3-3/8"	6-1/4"
4"	3-3/4"	7"
4-1/2"	4-1/8"	7-5/8"
5"	4-1/2"	8-3/8"
5-1/2"	4-7/8"	9-1/8"
6"	5-1/8"	9-3/4"
6-1/2"	5-1/2"	10-1/2"
7"	5-7/8"	11-1/4"
8"	6-5/8"	12-5/8"
9"	7-1/4"	14"
10"	8"	15-1/2"
11"	8-3/4"	16-7/8"
12"	9-3/8"	18-1/4"
13"	10-1/8"	19-3/4"
14"	10-7/8"	21-1/8"
15"	11-1/2"	22-1/2"
16"	12-1/4"	23-7/8"
17"	13"	25-3/8"
18"	13-5/8"	25-3/8"
19"	14-3/8"	28-1/2"
20"	15-1/2"	29-5/8"

           from:   http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/setting-triangles.html

How cool is that !! I will have to get busy and try this out!! Will keep you posted on whether or not I can actually read the table correctly and get the triangle the right size  LOL!

So that is my WIP...now lets check out
The Needle and Thread Network..

and Freshly Pieced WIP...  (ohhhh...cute new button !! Nice job Lee!)

Sunday morning

I have just returned from a trip to Calgary...and I was very lucky to have had the chance to meet with Cheryl Arkison, from Dining Room Empire...otherwise known as one of the authors of "Sunday Morning Quilts"

My husband offered to buy me this book for Christmas, so I contacted Cheryl to see if I could pick it up on one of my trips out there. After several attempts, we finally did arrange a time to meet, and she was so sweet to invite me over for tea!!  She signed my copy, and even her daughter signed the picture of herself inside!!  How cute!

Anyway, it was great having a visit with Cheryl...although, of course, I forgot to take my camera, so have no photos to prove I was there ..LOL

But, I did get my own personal trunk show!! HOW AMAZING!! It was so great to chat about what she had done with some of the quilts! Some really beautiful work! 

But now, the book is tucked away, and I cant even get a sneak peak until Christmas! Can't wait!

Crease.....BE GONE!! ....Best Press

Have you ever had a stubborn crease in fabric, especially something that has been folded a long time??

Well, I found a solution! Actually it is a solution..a starch solution!

I have never used spray starch before...and no, they aren't sponsoring me, or giving me any of this product..which is too bad, because I love it!!

One little squirt...

and the crease disappears!! Really!!

I even did a little test...

3 strips...

one hit with a hot steam iron (my old remedy)

one sprayed with water..(now I have a wet creased strip LOL)

and one with a shot of this amazing spray...

It is hard to see in a picture, but the Best Press did the best job.

Magic...I swear!!

It comes in several different scents too, and each is a different colour. This one is Caribbean Beach, but I have to say there is really very little scent, which I like. And no gunk on the  iron..except what is there from my last iron on fusible experience!! LOL 

Friday finish ...a green one!

OK!! First of all ..I know it is not Friday! But it took me that long to figure out how to add the pictures!! A BIG THANK YOU  to Kate from a sometimes quilter for helping me with Flickr and added HTML code !! Yikes!! Anyway, it worked, so I guess I am back!! And.....

I have a finish! A green one! hehe...turned out pretty nicely, actually!

the feature fabric is Curio by... .Moda...


the binding and borders are an unknown print...



 I found it really hard to find colours to match, but I think this works.



I did the FMQ on my home machine.. the usual pattern (I think I am stuck in a rut there!)


The backing is a batik. I don't usually use batik, but this was on sale for half price!! I know...you never find batik on sale !! Score!!  And besides, I thought that it really fitted well with the top...



All in all, it worked out well..



My daughter wants this one to give to her MIL for Christmas, so that is great! It will have a loving home :)

Even though I am late, I will still link up to TGIFF over at Making Rebecca Lynne!! 

Friday finish...BUT

Well I do have a Friday finish! And I even had my post written all ready to show you !

BUT....I have reached my quota for pictures??? I am not even sure what that means..and I dont have the time today to figure it out!

So for now I guess you just will have to imagine my beautiful little green quilt!! :)

P.S. any tips on what I do now would be greatly appreciated!!

Happy Thanksgiving !

wishing everyone in the US a Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have time with family and friends!