Favourite Stitching Tools

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Quiltobsession

When I’m getting ready for some hand stitching, there’s not much I need handy. First of all, needles. I prefer #12 sharps but also use #11 sharps. I’ve learned to change my needle usually after about 4 or 5 hours of stitching, more frequently if I’m working with a batik. It’s amazing what a difference a fresh needle makes.

When it comes to thread, DMC and YLI Heirloom are my absolute favourites, although I also use Mettler 60/2 and YLI Select. It mostly depends on what matches best.

The grey blob thimble is my favourite for piecing. It’s comfortable on my finger. The thread snips I bought at a craft store a few years ago for 99 cents. I wish now I had bought at least 2 or 3 more of these! I’ve not seen anything better anywhere — certainly not for the price.

And then there’s this — the one thing that I’m lost without now. My finger pincushion. I have it on my index finger. It felt funny at first when I started using it but now I just cannot do without it.

It was Smudge’s turn to hide his head in the kitty bed this time.

Lester, on the other hand, was awake and watching over everything.

Tropical Punch & Laurel Burch

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Quiltobsession

I just couldn’t help myself! I had printed diamonds, squares and QST’s on a number of the fabrics for Tropical Punch on the weekend. They just kept calling to me. Right now working with those ’30s reproduction prints is not as enticing. I think it has a lot to do with wishing for warm weather. This will be the centre of the next octagon star.

I love the Laurel Burch fabrics and have quite a collection of them here. I look at them, fall in love with them all over again … but don’t think I can even begin to cut some of them up at all!! Some of these are small panels that will, I think, just get sandwiched and quilted. Others are larger pieces.

When I think about it, I can’t really remember seeing a quilt made from these glorious fabrics. I wonder how many of us have a collection of the Laurel Burch fabrics that we look at and love but haven’t put into quilts.

We didn’t pose this. Smudge seems to want to curl up with teddy bears. He’s not particular, it seems. Just about any teddy bear he can find will do just fine. Tonight he found two.

I love it when Lester curls up in his kitty bed like this. Sometimes he tucks his head right under and we have to look for a minute to find it.

Butterfly Stars

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Quiltobsession

The octagon star I posted about yesterday and Monday is going to be a quilt of whatever size, I have decided, that I can eke out of those fabrics. I think it will be called Tropical Punch.

Now that I’ve had my fun, it’s back to working on this baby quilt. I have another row of the butterfly hexagons to add which will hopefully take me to the halfway or more mark on this. I have decided against a border and will finish it with half hexagons in the white and then use a scrappy ’30s binding. I can’t wait to have this done so I can go back and play with both the Drunkard’s Spring Garden Path and the Tropical Punch blocks!

I love this look on Smudge’s face. I’m not sure quite what he’s trying to express, but it makes me laugh.

Lester sometimes sits on the windowsill and looks like he’s sleeping sitting up.

Octagon Star Block Finished

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Quiltobsession

I love how this block finished! The colours are exactly what I need at this time of year, and the block itself was an absolute joy to put together. I’m not sure how many blocks I’ll make but there will be at least a dozen of the fabrics like the ones in this block. It pressed like a dream too and sits as flat as can be.

These are the blues and purples I want to use for the second set. I’m thinking I may add a red as the neutral for this grouping, rather than a green. Not sure yet. I have lots of time to think about this as these blocks have to wait till I get the butterfly stars baby quilt done.

It really was fun to work on that block. On a day when we had yet another extreme cold alert, it was nice to be looking at fabrics that made me feel like there was some tropical warmth — somewhere!

Smudge looking — well, I’m not sure what he saw but he was incredibly alert!!

Lester, stretched out for a nap on the windowsill?? How can he possibly be comfortable lying on hard, cold marble? At least he has warm air blowing up on him but …

Octagon Star

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Quiltobsession

From very tiny blossoms to a huge (for me, that is) octagon star — all in one weekend! This octagon star will measure 12″ when finished, which is much larger than my norm. The shapes are from yet another new Inklingo collection called the 6″ LeMoyne Star collection. The block isn’t quite finished as I have 8 triangles left to add.

My plan is to make about 7 or 8 blocks with the orange/hot pink and purple fabrics and then another set with blue/purple and green fabrics. With the orange/hot pink, my “neutral” is the purple. With the blue/purple set, the neutral will be the green — I think. The neutral in that second set may change when I start on those blocks. This will be a long-term project as I’ve got to get the baby quilt finished and the FSQS5 quilt finished and on its way too. But I could not resist playing with this design this weekend.

Smudge, half awake.

And Lester, almost sound asleep.

Tiny Blossom

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Quiltobsession

I couldn’t resist making this little blossom with the new .25″ hexagon Inklingo collection. That is a dime in the picture to give you an idea of the size. The little seams are stitched together in no time.

I’m now thinking that these tiny little blossoms will be perfect to scatter about on the apple core quilt I have planned to make with florals and greens. They go together very quickly and surprisingly easily and they’re just plain fun.

I won some batiks from Wanda at Exuberant Color last year. I have plans for those batiks but couldn’t resist cutting off a small piece of a few of them for these tiny blossoms.

Lester looking very peaceful.

Friday Fabric Ideas

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Quiltobsession

I don’t know if this will work or not but I have this beautiful piece of green flannel that I was thinking about using as a border for the Butterfly Stars baby quilt. I like the idea of a really soft flannel along the edges but have never combined a flannel and flat cotton in a top. I’m not worried about shrinkage as I pre-wash everything anyway but wonder if it would result in uneven wear of the quilt top if I mixed regular cotton and a flannel?

This picture shows the flannel I’ve got set aside for the backing of the baby quilt. I have enough of it that I could use it for a border as well, but I don’t think I like it quite as much for the border. Perhaps I’ll add the half elongated hexagons and other bits in the white cotton so as to have straight edges and not add a border. If I do that, I will use a scrappy ’30s binding.

Look at these! I’m having all sorts of ideas for these pinks and oranges and the yellow. I want to add some reds to the mix — me, who has never bought red. I’m thinking that these would make marvelous stars.

And then there are these 4 fabrics. I don’t know quite what I want to do with them but I do know that I want to do something special with them. I love how they play together.

DH got good news yesterday from the eye doctor. His eye is improving, he’s still on 4 drops every 4 hours but he doesn’t have to go back until Monday. This will be the first day all week he hasn’t been to the eye doctor.

This photo of Lester is my current favourite. It may be a bit soft focus, but I love it! Look at those whiskers!!

More Snowy Windows

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Quiltobsession

I think this darker blue is the fabric I’ll use for the sashing. I believe it makes the very light blue look more like snow. A few small crystal beads here and there on the “snow” for sparkle should help accentuate that effect.

It snowed yesterday. Huge fluffy flakes of snow. If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you’ll see white blurs. Those are the huge flakes drifting by.

Then it began to rain. Again, if you enlarge this photo you can see all sorts of little drops clinging to the limbs of the tree — they were glittering almost like diamonds. I’m really stretching it here, trying to find something about this winter dragging on and on and on that I like.

DH was back at the eye doctor yesterday and is going back again this afternoon. His eye looks better and he says it feels better. The number of drops, however, is now up to 4 different drops every 4 hours.

This is, I think, one of my favourite shots of Lester. I love the look on his face in this.

Snowy Windows

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Quiltobsession

I’m trying to decide whether I want to have sashing around the Snowy Window panes. I have to stick with blue as the little FSQS5 quilts are to be monochromatic. I’ve been auditioning various blues in my stash. The traditional Snowy Windows pattern seems to be to have no sashing between the panes, but I rather like the look of the sashing. Leaving a few of the panes to look at on one of the blue fabrics for a day or two may help me decide. Any input?

DH was back at the eye doctor yesterday. His eye seemed worse but is, in fact, getting better. He came home on yet another set of drops, so now he has 3 drops every 4 hours. As long as it’s improving, I’m grateful. He goes back to the eye doctor this afternoon. Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the latest oral antibiotic has done its job. He has a few more days on those left to go.

Smudge with the teddy bear — again. He seems to love to curl up with the teddy but when he curled up and put his head on the teddy bear’s leg I thought it was unbearably cute!

I think Lester is wondering when all the birds and squirrels will be back to entertain him. Sometimes I think the window is his entertainment centre. He loves to sit there and watch the activity out on the roof garden.

Quarter Apple Cores

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Quiltobsession

Take a look at this, done by Tilde, with quarter apple cores. I love tessellating patterns and as soon as I saw what Tilde had done, I just had to print a few of the quarter apple cores. These little units go together unbelievably quickly!! I have some Kaffe Fassett prints and have printed enough on 23 of them to make 4 blocks. I’m thinking of another baby quilt — very bright and cheerful. I couldn’t resist.

That was play time on the weekend, though. I’ve got to get back to the butterfly stars. More of the butterfly hexagons are ready but I do need more stars so will get back to those this week. And hopefully get another full row added to the butterfly stars top.