The Logging is Done

Lob Cabin is a fun block to make and sometimes a little too easy. I had to mess it up. Hey, I don't want to tarnish my reputation just because the block is easy to make, right? I mean, I worked hard for that reputation you know. :^D

Here's what I did in January;  

 

 

 

and 8 more for February; 

I made two more completely neutral and I was half way done when I realised that I don't need two more of those. Arrghhh! What I need two more of are the half-and-half blocks. Back at the cutting board to cut more of the neutral strips as I was running low. 

Remember that I am using only fabric that means something to me, whether it was given to me by a quilty friend or that it represents something that I love. So a lot of pulling out of fabric and refolding followed. 

I manage to do it right on the second try; 

That's more like it. 

I also need 6 completely bright and they turned out like this; 

This is the layout; 

You can clearly see that I didn't need more neutral blocks. I'm sure I can find another job for them. Somewhere else. 


So I am tagging along to Cécile's blog for the traditional log cabin. Béa has the modern counterpart.  You'll see on Béa's blog that Lori and I had the same inspiration for this little Log Cabin QAL. Fun! So don't be shy and go have a look. 

Until next time ... I ♥ my quilty friends. 

;^)

Only a Few Hours Left: OMG!

Edited to join the March OMG goal setting. But you might have seen this post before. 

The February heat wave has messed up my plans (because I only wanted to be outside and kind of forgot I was supposed to be sewing) but I did finish my OMG with only a few hours to spare. Phew!! 

The goal was to have all the missing blocks of the Westering Women BOM done. 

TA-DAaaaaahhhh!

Sorry for the shadowy indoor photo but it is already too dark for an outside photo-shoot

I wonder if you can imagine how happy I am that it is done? Such a weight off my shoulder.  :^D

The second goal was to have all the blocks for the I-Spy quilt made. 

TA-DAaaaaahhhh!

Eight star blocks and 

eight regular 9-Patch blocks. I was running low on fun fabric for this one so I inserted some flannel. I have as many fun prints in flannel as I do in cotton. It proved to be hazardous as my flannel scraps are up there. 

And everything came tumbling down when I tried to take the box down. Actually, it was kind of fun to have a shower of soft flannel scraps pouring down on me, lol. On the other hand, the box was not as nice! Now I just want to continue to play with the flannel. I should at least get this more organised but my cotton scraps take the entire room and I don't know where else to store the flannel. The bigger pieces are in bins but there's no room in those for the scraps. What's a girl to do? Sew it up! :^D


Anywho!
For my March OMG, what will I do? My intention, last January, was to make the Westering Women in February and finish the quilt in March. But after September, I really need a break from this quilt before I fall out of love. 

Never would have thought that September is a troublemaker. 

So instead, I'll assemble the I-Spy quilt and baste it. That's all. I mean, the weather is nice and I want to be outside so just a little challenge for March. 


Until next time ... breathe in, touch flannel, breathe out, repeat. 

;^)

Joining in the linky party at Elm's Street Quilts.  

A Lucky Streak

I had a lucky streak a while back and I want to take a few minutes to say Thank You to two very generous ladies. And of course, I also want to share with you all what I won. 

First, from Sarah Craig (Confessions of a Fabric Addict) I won a bundle of 18 Fat Quarters. A very pink bundle of FQs with lots and lots of beautiful roses. 

Some of the fabric have cherry prints. I love cherries.  Thank you so much Sarah. Don't know what I will make with these beautiful prints but it will definitively be a quilt for ME. Happy dance all around the bundle for awhile ... then I calmed down. :^D

Then, I won a giveaway that Ruth had on her blog (Country Log Cabin). The prize was 2 meters of any fabric I wanted from her Etsy store. Wow! I get to pick? Oooohhh! That was hard. 

I finally decided on these lovelies. 

Neutral because we never have enough neutrals, right? A piece of blue too because, hey! it's blue! Then I went for a meter of the red one to use as background in the 150 Canadian Women quilt I want to make (but haven't started yet).  But Ruth had a surprise for me, beside that lovely card. 

In the folds of the fabric, she hid a panel of labels. How sweet and generous! 

Thank you so much Ruth. I am so happy with my fabrics. 

And that was my retail therapy for February. 

Until next time ... I have fabric on my mind. 

;^)

  

The best of plans can change

My February OMG is to make all the blocks for an I-Spy quilt and to make the missing Westering Women blocks.  Although I am trying my best to stay on track, I found myself derailing this weekend.  The reason? The weather! 

It is so nice and sunny, I can't stay in the basement sewing. I am almost tempted to bring my sewing machine outside. I would have to sew with my sunglasses on because it is THAT bright out there. Unfortunately, my sunglasses only have the "far away" prescription and not the "reading" one. So I can't sew with them. Darn! 

Anywho! I did manage to finish the log cabin blocks for Cécile QAL. I will dedicate a post entirely to them later. 

While sewing the log cabin, I did finish some of the Westering Women blocks. 

July and August, which you have already seen, and  

October (on top), November and December with a snowy sky look.  As you can see September is still missing. It got me cursing! 

 As sewing in-set seams or Y seams, is not my forte, my first attempt was wonky. Then I thought it needed to have the seam allowances added to the pattern because the units were too small to finish at 12 inches. So, I thought if I have to start over, might as well do it in the English Paper Piecing style. Did one (almost) (at left) before I realized that the pattern also calls for a plain piece in between the sage buds, like the Bear Paws (November) in the last picture.  (!@$$%*@#$!!) (Sorry!)  Starting over again!! I saw a few ... okay, many Westering Women quilts finished. I saw one that had 11 blocks. Guess which block was missing?  I can sooo relate!! Anywho! Wasn't born a quitter but a kicker, so on we go! (Did my little exasperation dance but I am fine now. I can calmly carry on.)  :^D

All the while, my leader / ender was the I-Spy quilt. Did more cutting than sewing on this one. 

It is time consuming to get the fabric out, cut ONE five inches square and put the fabric back on the shelf. Start again with next fabric. Once I get to just sewing it, it will surely go pretty fast ... I hope so because February is almost over. Yikes!  

The cherry on top of all this is that I am back at work. Since it is a progressive return to work, I still have some time to sew. I'm tired and happy! But it sure feels good to be back at work.  :^D 

Okay, got to go. My sunglasses are calling me. 

Until next time ... I'll be looking up because it is brighter up there. 

;^)

Joining Beth at Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making. 

Singing the Y-Seam Blues

Part of my OMG is to finish the blocks of Westering Women (by Barbara Brackman). Well, the ladies have a broken wheel on one of the wagons and they are singing the Y-seam Blues with me!

I was real proud of my August block Chimney Rock.

Armed with more confidence, I set to assemble September's block which is Sage bud. More Y-seams then I dare to count. But one at a time is all I can sew, right? It started pretty good actually.

The first seam with the yellow fabric was very good and the next one acceptable.

Same with this unit.

The more I added, the better it looked.

Then the fourth unit is ... to be unstitched.  It won't lay flat at all. It warps. ARGH!! So I restitched, and unstitched, and re-restitched and ... I examined the others, trying to find what I was doing differently. During the examination, I realized something.  The block is to finish at 12.5 inches so each unit has to be 6.5, right? Well, they are not! WHAT???

I took out the template (sorry but it is misbehaving today) and examined it a bit.

I copied this template as is and started to sew. It doesn't say "add seam allowances" so I didn't add ANY seam allowances. It makes no sense, the units are too small.  I went back to Barbara's blog and she does say it in the post : must add seam allowances. (paste huge sigh of discouragement here) THAT's what happen when you do a BOM block months later. You forget little important details! Angry at myself for wasting fabric, time and patience but it will past.

So if I am to start all these units over AGAIN, where I might end up making another big mess of the last y-seam, I might as well EPP it!! (EPP=English Paper Piecing)

Got some old Christmas cards some businesses sent to the office and drew the templates. Adding the seam allowances as I cut the fabrics.

This evening, I will keeping Kathy company, watching Mercy Street and Victoria on PBS while we both slow stitch, each on our own project.

To make sure my templates are the right size, I have started to assemble one.

Ooohhh! Can't wait for the supper's dishes to be done. It's going to be so much fun! Come and join us. Pick a needle and a project, and come share it with us. You can find Kathy right here. 


Until next time ... the Westering Women are getting that wheel fix real good!

;^)