Design Wall Monday

I started my next QOV. A Terry Atkinson design called Butterfly Flip that I have been wanting to make for awhile now. (blog and website)

Here are a few blocks on the design wall. I need 35 blocks for the lap size and I have 18 done. Halfway there!

Hop on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times to see other Design Wall Mondays.

Stash Report Week#35

I added some fabric and used some fabric, but I am staying in the black.

Fabric added this week: +7 yards
Fabric added this year: +202.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -8.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -282.5 yards

Net Fabric for the year: -80 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• pieced 3 QOV pillowcases
• pieced 5 Cancer Recovery Totes
• pieced 1 Potato/Tortilla Steamer Bag

Goals for next week:

• continue work on Christmas Tree Skirt
• start on QOV's

Bogus Binding, Dinosaurs and Stash

Friday, I made the bias binding for the tree skirt. Or as DD (mis)called it, 'bogus binding'. :) maybe for me, it is more bogus than bias...lol








On Thursday, I was hunting down some clips in the sewing room for DD. You know, those huge binder clips that I used to hold down the backing to the table to sandwich a quilt. years ago? I thought I knew where they were but...

...I uncovered some more *dinosaur* fabric. This pile is about 18 inches each piece. Notice the Teletubbies fabric! That has to be circa 2001 or 2002 when I first begin my quilting journey. :) The pink desserts is relatively new, only since February 2010.

...I uncovered more *dinosaur* fabric. This pile has at least a yard of each print. Okay~help me out~Chili peppers with 'Feliz Navidad'~what was I thinking (or planning)?!

Friday I also went to JAF. I *needed* more muslin for the Baked Potato/Tortilla Steamer bags and I found this cute red/pink polka dot on the sale rack.








I'm thinking that I will be making a few of the Cancer Recovery Totes~out of the angels and birds and apples~but the other stuff...well I just might make grocery sacks out of them! I'm not exactly sure *how* I will use the yardage.

ps I never did find the clips for DD! :(

Steamer Bag

A few days ago I finally found all the *ingredients* to make this Baked Potato and Tortilla Steamer bag.

Everything from the outer fabrics, muslin, batting and thread need to be 100% cotton to reduce the risk of fire in the microwave. Here is one link I found through Amazon where this pattern may be brought. I simply Google Image searched Baked Potato Steamer bag and like 50 pages of links appeared. :)

photo from: Amazon.com

This is mine. I baked one potato in it which DD and I shared for lunch on Wednesday. I was so excited! The potato was the yummiest I had in a long time. On Thursday, I cooked 2 potatoes in the bag. DD's was still yummy. Mine was a little bigger and could have cooked a little longer. I still kept a close eye on it~in case of fire~and flipped the bag over halfway through the cooking time!

I'm thinking this has the potential of *gifties* in the future. That is, if I can keep track of all the *ingredients* and pattern. Easier said than done somedays! lol

QOV Pillowcases

I made three QOV pillowcases earlier in the week.

The main part of the pillowcase is cut 27 in x wof and the cuff (or hem) is cut at 11 in x wof.

I followed the YouTube video entitled 'Nifty Trick for Sewing a Pillowcase'. This video makes it real easy! :)
oh and, I skipped adding the accent piece...

WIP Wednesday

I am continuing work on The Christmas Tree Skirt. Quilted and waiting for cutting and bias binding.

pattern: Fruitcake Under My Tree
panto: popcorn by Willow Leaf Studio

Totes!

I finished assembling the Cancer Recovery Totes. This set will go to a local hospital's Breast Cancer Treatment Center. At the Center, new patients are given a tote, comfort pillow (for after the surgery) and quite a bit of paperwork (I'm told). The patients enjoy the totes as a place to corral all the papers they receive when visiting the Center. In this set, I didn't include the comfort pillows as another guild makes the pillows that will be given out.

My day guild supports two Breast Care Treatment Centers with Recovery Totes. I believe that translates to each guild member needs to make four totes~two for each local Center.

Design Wall Monday

Another unusual Design Wall Monday here at Bell Creek Quilts!

The beginnings of Cancer Recovery Totes. The hot air balloons will be the outside and handles while I have white on purple polka dots for the lining.

Check out JudyL's Patchwork Times to see other Design Wall Mondays.

Stash Report Week #34

No fabric added this week and one finish! yea!

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +195.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -8.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -274 yards

Net fabric for the year: -78.5 yards

What I accomplished this week:

• quilt and bound 2nd Animal Patch

Goals for next week:

• quilt and bind Christmas Tree Skirt
• work on project (s) from 2010 Summer *To Sew* List

Not exactly sure *how much* will get accomplished in the sewing room as this is the last full week of summer vacation. DD starts back September 1st and DS starts back on September 2nd. Wow~summer is almost over~amazing!

It's a Flimsy!

The Christmas Tree skirt is a flimsy!

I just ironed the last seam this morning and snapped the *glamour shot* LOL

Currently the backing fabric is in the wash along with three choices of binding.
I'll have to *see* which binding fabric I like the best once the skirt is quilted.


pattern source: Fruitcake Under My Tree by Tracey Jacobsen

My Scissors

Pat Sloan is hosting a Dog Days of August Challenge over on her blog.

The challenge is to show your scissors! Easy peasy except that now I have a case of *scissors envy* :)

Stop on over at Pat's Flicker account to see all the awesome scissors quilters' own and use!




Hurry you only have until August 22nd to enter her contest!

My Next Project

Thanks for listening to the whine yesterday! :)

*Things* are looking better today. I've done a few chores around the house and also cut and marked for my next project.

A Christmas Tree Skirt called 'Fruitcake Under My Tree' found on the Moda Bake Shoppe blog. I couldn't resist making one set of blocks and LOOK!

Half Square Triangles turned into Hourglass Blocks set On Point!




I'm really breaking outta my mold now! :)

WIP Wednesday

or maybe the post should be labeled, 'What's Finished Wednesday'!

I made a few labels. Two went onto the Birthday quilts and three for future projects. :)

Off to the closest Post Office. The delivery is promised for Friday~the actual Birthdays~but Saturday delivery will work, too!













After that, my day went downhill...rather quickly, at that!

DD, DS and I headed to Madison, Wisconsin where Adam Burish (formally of the Chicago Blackhawks and recently signed by the Dallas Stars) was having a public viewing of the Stanley Cup. YES. THE. STANLEY.CUP.

But we arrived too late and they closed the doors. We hung around until Adam brought the Stanley Cup out and hoisted it. This is as close as I got~not really~I used the zoom on the camera.

:(


Maybe next time, I will get to touch THE. STANLEY. CUP.

We decided to stop and have lunch at a fun looking place called Ella's Deli.

Bad move~both DS and DD didn't like their meals. Too many screaming/crying kiddies (must have been close to nap time) and we all had Tylenol for dessert!

Thirdly and most broken heartedly, I have to report that my favorite Milwaukee Admiral (now ex-Milwaukee Admiral) player signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets/ Springfield MA Falcons. Photo by Chris Jerina.

:(

Good-bye Ben Guite and Good Luck with your new team! (Think I might move Bell Creek Quilts to Springfield MA~just kidding~sorta!) It was Ben that caused me to *love* hockey again and return to ice skating. Well, DD wanted to learn to ice skate so we took classes together. :)

I really need to start another sewing project but with the way today has turned...think I will park either in front of the computer or TV...and save the sewing room for tomorrow. :)

Tuesday's Finish

I finished sewing the binding back on my 2nd Animal 4-Patch today.

pattern based on: Bonnie's ISPY A 4-Patch

panto source: Ebb and Flow by Willow Leaf Studio

Stash Report Week #33

I had one finish but added more fabric than I used this past week.

Fabric added this week: +16 yards (here and here)
Fabric added this year: +195.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -7 yards
Fabric used this year: -265.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -70 yards

What I accomplished this week:

• quilted and bound Mountain Lion

Goals for next week:

• continue working on Animal 4-Patch

Where I've Been...

...at the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair! DH's work is vending at the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair and we have been visiting the Fair often! So far, DD and I have gone 4 days and there are 2 days left! You can guess where we will be today and Sunday! LOL

For all you fair go-ers, yes! DD and I each splurged and ate a cream puff! They seem smaller than in years past but, believe me, it is plenty of cream puff for this non-native Wisconsinite! :)

On a quilty note: I did finally finish the binding on this quilt. Not exactly sure *why* it took me so long to stitch the binding back...

It finishes at about 45 x 60, which is the size that Margaret's Hope Chest (blog and website) likes their donation quilts. Carin has an awesome program happening there! Currently she is accepting quilts to be given to Michigan's prison's inmates' children so that the children will have a *gift of hope*. She has expressed a desire for more *boy* quilts so I have been digging through the stash looking for more masculine fabrics.

I decided to gift a few quilts to Margaret's Hope Chest because, in case you didn't know, I am a native Michigander and at one time, lived in the Grand Rapids area where Margaret's Hope Chest is located.

A closer look at one of the animals featured on this piece of fabric...a mountain lion, I think. Either that or a cougar. Hey, I'm an indoor city girl! The closest I get to wild animals are either on TV or the zoo! :)






pattern: checkerboard border

panto: ebb and flow from Willow Leaf Studio

WIP Wednesday

More 4 patch love.

More binding.

More stash. Did I tell you that The Ben Franklin is having 50% off their sale fabric?

Therefore, + 5 yards on the bolt.

The Charm pack~I just liked it. :)

Adding to the Stash Again...

...+11 yards, this time.

Two shades of blue Dimples and some muslin yardage. Thanks to JudyL who directed me to Whittles Fabrics for this buy :)

Whitttles Fabrics has great buys and a very friendly staff! They were awesome to deal with!

Design Wall Monday

Remember the 4 patches that didn't work with this quilt?

Well, over the weekend I paired them with this piece of fabric. A better fit color wise and another *dinosaur* fabric is out of the cupboard and into a quilt top! Just waiting to be quilted, donated and onto it's forever home. :)

If you have a few minutes, click on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times and see other blogger's Design Wall Monday.

Stash Report Week #32

Finally! A little control and no fabric added, yet! I did place an Internet order that should be arriving this week.

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +179.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -10 yards
Fabric used this year: -258.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -79 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• quilted and bound DD's World
• pieced, quilted and bound brown Baby

Goals for next week:

• continue piecing 4 patch projects

A Finish!

I finished sewing the binding back today on a baby quilt.

Thanks everyone! I went with the orange/brown 4 patches.

Not a traditional choice for a baby quilt but the center piece is the last of that particular fabric that has been hanging around the sewing room for about 4 or 5 years~ another *dinosaur* fabric out of the cupboard and into a quilt! :)

I have no idea who will be gifted this quilt but it is always *nice* to have one waiting *in the wings*, so to speak. :)

The back of the quilt with a closer view of the curly hearts panto.


pattern: checkerboard border (with modifications for a smaller panel)

panto: curly hearts by Willow Leaf Studio