Bubbles

I went with the split! And added bubbles.

  Next step is gluing pieces into place and decorative stitching. 

Pink and Orange Petals

I started working on side two of the graduation quilt, but I got stuck on the layout of the petals. My original plan was to add different size circles along the bottom left and up the right side. I'm having difficultly in visualizing the flow of the circles when the petals are all together. So, I took a break and did some reading for a couple of days.

I keep playing with the arrangement of the petals. I find myself wanting to split them into two groupings, some petals on top left side and the rest on the right center side. Splitting and separating the petals to each side just doesn't look complete right now. I think by adding the different size circles through the bottom left and up through the center to the top right will produce the balance and flow that I'm trying to achieve.

My son likes the look of the petals all together. He states is looks like a centerpiece. I think it's too predictable a look. I'll just cut the circles out and play with the arrangement some more.

My Gluten-Free World

I started another blog! Like one isn't enough. I have decided that I would like to keep this blog strictly pertaining to my interests in quilts and vintage sewing machines. My goal is to separate my hobbies and interests into three blogs: quilting, gardening, and cooking gluten-free. The garden blog isn't up yet, but should be very soon. The gluten-free blog is my diary on recipes that have worked for me and that I like, books read that I found very informative and helpful, and restaurants that I discover that I feel worthy of a accolade. Thanks for reading! http://mygluten-freeworld.blogspot.com/

Ruby's Fruit Basket

This quilt is GORGEOUS! This quilt is the opportunity quilt that my guilt guild made this year to raise money for the guild. The quilt is raffled off at the yearly guild show, which is coming up soon. The guild asks for volunteers to take the quilt around to other guilds in hopes that the members of the other guilds will purchase raffle tickets.  I volunteered to take it to a guild not too far from home; a guild that I wanted to visit but never got around to doing so.

My guild schedules two members to to this task. Since I'm the rookie to the guild, I just thought I would meet the other gal at the guild that we were schedule, help setup the quilt on the hanger, and sell raffle tickets.

Never did I ever imagine that this quilt would be sitting on my dining room table for two nights and day. The person in charge of passing the quilt to the volunteers chose me since I live not too far from her. 

I was so excited and so nervous at the same time. Excited that I could spent time drooling over the quilt for hours and nervous that nothing bad would happen to the quilt while I had possession of it.

Needless to say, I purchased $15 dollars of raffle tickets for myself, something that I never do.

This is the border. Many hands went into making this beautiful quilt, and I had the honor of meeting five of the gals the night I sold the raffle tickets. The gal working with me made a couple of baskets, and all of the ladies are members in both guilds.


The story behind the quilt and photo of entire quilt can be found here:http://www.amadorvalleyquilters.org/quilt-show/opportunity-quilt

Side One

I love the look of the New Wave Quilt pattern from Elizabeth Hartman/ www.ohfransson.com. Just one of many patterns that has been on my to do list for quite some time now. It's a very easy pattern to follow and assemble.

 

After arranging the layout of the colors, I spent the day piecing with my Two Spools machine. It has been a couple of months since I have sat down with this machine. I love this machine for piecing.

Side One finished; tomorrow I start on Side Two.

Happy Easter to All

Today, I awoke to a beautiful, clear, blue sky. The forecast was for rain. I'm sharing my bit of spring with those that still have winter clinging on. May your day be blessed with peace.

Market Bag

I'm spring cleaning my craft closet by finishing up projects that have been on my "To Do" list for years. I'm finding ways of using those yarns that have somehow multiplied while sitting on the closet shelf. Don't ask me how that has happened- but it's true. So at night while watching tv, I have been working on my knitting projects. Since this market bag tutorial, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/grrlfriend-market-bag, has been on my list for a couple of years, I decided to make it last week. This is so much faster than making a sweater.

Fabrics and Designs

I spent part of the day playing with fabrics and quilt patterns. I'm in the planning stages for a quilt that will be given as a graduation gift to my neighbor's daughter. She'll be graduating from high school this spring. I'm planning on designing the quilt with both sides having a different look to the quilt pattern.

Since her favorite color is pink, I'm working with pink as the main color on one side. Although this isn't my favorite color,  I'm warming up to that color since there are some fabrics with fun motifs. I'm adding an orange since I like the look of the orange with the pink.

For the other side, I have chosen bright and cheery colors with cute motifs.
I thought I knew what I wanted to do for the one side, but now I'm leaning towards a different pattern.

The Mink

Five years ago, I picked up the vintage mink collar at a second hand store for $25 while shopping with my daughter.  I pictured a jean coat with a mink collar that I thought I would quickly sew that autumn, but that never happened. This month while organizing my fabric closet, I came across all the material for the coat project and decided it was now or never to make this garment a reality.

It's cute, it's done, and I'm ready to retire to just focusing on making quilts.

At Least I Finished It

It only took me six years to knit and assemble this sweater. This is my first sweater project, and I can proudly say it is my last...never again. Any future knitting projects will just be socks.

My evenings this past month have been spent finishing this project while watching all three seasons of Downton Abbey. I love that show! I enjoy looking at all the elegant dresses of that period of time...and the vintage sewing machines.