QUILTY UPDATE...

I've managed to fit a bit of quilting on my Aunt's Christmas present...in between bouts of total lack of cooperation on my body's part!  But I am REALLY happy with how it is turning out, so I guess I will have to learn to have a little patience, lol.

I have finished most of the red border on all four sides.  I had originally decided to stop at the point of four leaves meeting in the middle of each red square.  However, the design doesn't really "pop" enough, so I think I am going to do some dense quilting around the leaves to give them more depth.  I am also planning to put a tiny black button in the center of the leaves (on the front of the quilt).  I haven't decided yet if I will sew them on with red thread or black thread.  Any ideas?  I have also found a "feathered crown" quilting motif that I want to put in the center of each of the red borders.  I have left a 10" section free of quilting on each one of the red borders.  I will do that very last as I will have to set up my embroidery module to do the "quilted" motif. 

This is a picture of the back of the red border.  See the space around the four leaves?  That is where I am going to do the dense quilting.

 

After I finished the red border I began work on the large brown border at the bottom.  I am really REALLY happy with how they turned out.  Tomorrow I hope to finish the large brown border at the top.    I still may decide to densely quilt the background so that the rope really stands out.  That decision will wait until I am finished with the background quilting on the red border.  I am not fully decided on how to quilt the thinner side brown borders.  I have it narrowed down to two options, but with make the decision when more of the other quilting is finished.  All of that quilting may impact my decision one way or the other.

This is how the back of the two quilted areas came out.  I'm lovin it!

Keeping my fingers crossed that I can do some quilting tomorrow.  Now that I am getting nearer to the finish of this quilt, I am REALLY anxious to see it completed!

 

A PRACTICE PIECE TURNED PILLOW...

Today is a ME day.  There are no doctors today (5 this week) and Dear Hubby has to go to a dinner meeting after work.  So I can stay in all day and don't have to think about anything other than my Aunt's quilt!  Good thing, too, I really need to pick up the pace if I am going to accomplish everything else on my Christmas Gift List!

I have finished the walking foot quilting (parts were a BEAR) and I may try to perfect my FMQ straight lines so that I don't ever again have to fight with turning a quilt through the small throat of my machine!  After a while I started pulling the quilt out and feeding it in the other way, but it is EXHAUSTING! 

I had four more blocks where I had wanted to put an embroidered/quilted shoe.  Nothing colorful or detailed, just a shoe used as the quilting in the block.  I learned the hard way (don't ask) never to do anything on my good piece until I have tried it on scrap material and know that the size, shape, color, etc. is exactly what I am expecting it to be, lol. 

So, as usual, I drew out blocks the size that are on my quilt and did a few samples.  It turned out that I liked the sample piece so much that I added some more embroidery  and a bit of FMQ.  I just pulled it out of my machine and I AM LOVING IT!  I still have to wash out my markings, iron it and make a back to turn it into a pillow cover but I'm thrilled...and I'm becoming more and more comfortable with FMQ!

So...what do you think? 

I love the way the tight FMQ almost gives it a gathered "ribboned" effect.  Had I known I was going to make a pillow with my practice shoes, I probaby would have alternated the colors.  But, I love it just the way it is, and the parts most likely to get dirty from resting her head on them are the darker color.  The picture really doesn't do it justice...it sorta looks all fuzzy, and grayish etc...which isn't really the case in person.  It's a solid dark black!

Oh, in case you don't know (or don't remember) my Aunt's quilt is named, "Call Me Imelda", hence the royal shield in the center, lol. 

I think I am going to try to do a tiny bit of FMQ on the quilt after I am done eating dinner.  Leftover Chinese for me...no prep, which will get me back to my sewing room quicker!

Have a great evening!

IT'S A FLIMSY...

FINALLY!  Please excuse the threads, etc.  I have not had time to dethread, square up or press it.  But, the top is finished!  See?

 

I'll give you a closeup of the two embroideries, top and bottom...

And...

I think I am going to give myself a bit of a rest before I start the pin basting.  Besides, once again, I forgot to buy the sheet for the backing, lol.  Guess I will be making a trip to Walmart over the weekend. 

Have a great day!

Toodles...

"CALL ME IMELDA" PROGRESS...

Yesterday was the absolute pits with my tremor, but I woke up this morning and my tremor was in hiding (where I wish it would stay!).  So I sat myself in front of my sewing machine and churned out a TON of work on my Dear Aunt's quilt.  Wanna see????

I hope you don't mind a little loud noise because I have been SQUEALING in delight!  I am in love, Love, LOVE with this quilt!  I thought I loved my dad's the best...then I made my mom's and thought hers was my favorite.  Now my aunt's has taken first place in my quilty heart.  I ADORE designing theme quilts and this one is turning out just as I envisioned it when I put pencil to sketch book.

I've decided to call it a day as I am too fatigued to do any more, but Sunday (body willing) should mean a bit more embroidery and some more piecing and borders to round it out to a perfect snuggle size. 

I think I will sit here and stare for a while, lol.

ETA:  FYI, in case you couldn't tell...the center "shoe shop" area is a panel.  I'm not that good...yet, lol.    

I WOKE UP FEELING....

....wait for it....

GOOD!!!!!

Thank you, Lord!  Since this occurrence is rather rare, I decided  to take full advantage of my condition.  I have:

1. Gathered the recycling
2. Made a TON of phone calls
3. Emptied and loaded the dishwasher
4. Ordered my Mother's Day present (at Dear Hubby's urging)...on-sale fabric!
5. Made my bed...and most importantly...
6. MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON MY AUNT'S QUILT!

SEE???

I have trimmed up all of the blocks and have even gotten so far as to embroidering a few labels.  I just LOVE this embroidery font!  It really looks like it was written by hand!  I am SO PSYCHED about this quilt!

I am going to head downstairs now and try to come up with something for dinner.  Pickin's are mighty slim right now...I'm definitely going to need to shop this weekend.  Since Sunday is Easter, I guess it will be Saturday, lol. 

Edited to add:  I even cleaned my stove top!

Take care, my friends!

Toodles!

I'm sharing at...

SEWjo Saturday 6 - My Go-Go Life

 http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2674014271&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=2598490&link=aHR0cDovL2dvZ29raW0uYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMTQvMDQvc2V3am8tc2F0dXJkYXktNi5odG1s&frame=1&click=0&user=0

NEXT STEP...SQUARING UP THE BLOCKS!

These 12 small blocks (approxiamtely 7" square) have really taken a LONG time to come together.  They have been pure joy to work on...however, my danged body has not cooperated one little bit!  But, FINALLY, this first embroidery and applique step is done! 

My next job is to square up the blocks to a precise 7" and then embroider the "labels" for each box.  My Dear Aunt has always labeled the outside of her shoe boxes, so these will be done in kind.  Then a quick applique of the 12 labels to the boxes and I will be ready to do some arranging and piecing. 

I am PRAYING for some tremor free days to do the squaring up.  Even if my fatigue is horrible I can probably find enough energy to square one block a day...but the tremor makes the rotary cutter dangerous, to both me AND my project!  Errant or crooked cuts would be disastrous!

Today is a particularly BAD day, so I am off to watch a DVD and rest. 

Toodles...

PLAYING WITH SHOES...

Heeheeheee.....such fun!

MY AUNT'S QUILT....STARTING THE FUN STUFF!

I spent the morning marking a big chunk of material for the placement of embroidery inside of 12 separate blocks.  When that "math" part was all done ( whew...I despise math) I was anxious to start on the fun stuff.  Oh how I just LOVE the embroidery feature on my Ellie!!!  I managed to complete only one shoe before I had to stop (danged body!)...but it is just so adorable!  Eleven more shoes to do and then I can cut the blocks apart and begin the applique.  I am SO PSYCHED, although (admittedly) a bit scared of my first applique attempt!  If I just remember to go slow and steady I should be fine (fingers and toes crossed, lol). 

I think I will go sit in my rocker for a while and relax.  The hyacinths that my Dear Aunt gave me the other day smell wonderful...so calming and yet "refreshing" at the same time.  Spring is truly "in the air" here and I'm loving every minute of it. 

Toodles...

I'm sharing at...

SewJo Saturday

HAPPY WORLDWIDE QUILTING DAY.....

I didn't get any sewing or quilting done today, but I did finally finish up the designing of the central theme portion of my aunt's quilt and I have made a test block from scrap material.  I've also purchased the necessary machine embroidery patterns.  On Monday I will begin test embroidery in a single color thread on scrap material, so I can figure out the final layout with "actual size" embroideries.  Then, once all of the "testing" is done I will begin work on the actual quilt. 

Since this is the first time I will be using applique on a quilt I have to wait for my heat resistant template material to arrive...and I have to go to the store and buy liquid starch!  A new technique in a new design "Christmas gift" quilt.  I don't put much pressure on, do I? LOL.  My mom was shocked when she saw my design process.  She thought I just bought a pattern and made it in the colors I wanted, lol.  Actually, I've NEVER made a quilt using a pattern...and the process of following another's ideas totally intimidates me!  Crazy, huh? 

I consider myself having started on my aunt's quilt as of this past week and I figure it will take about 3 to 4 months to finish it.  That should leave me enough time to hopefully finish a quilt for Dear Hubby's Christmas gift!