Machine Embroidery

I recently had the chance to attend a Anita Goodesign event at our local Pfaff dealer. My plan was to only purchase the special edition Tree of Life design at an event discount, but when I saw the Prayer Garden CD, I liked it!---so, I've started a new machine embroidery quilt project.

The Prayer Garden

I really like that it incorporates fabric strips into the design, and it's all done in the machine hoop.  I've made one block, and today I started the second one. Like the crazy quilt I made last year, it's very addictive to sit and play with the thread colors, fabrics and designs.

Arranging the fabric strips in the hoop, stitching them down and starting to do the center embroidery.

I'm using Moda's California Girl jelly roll strips. (seem's appropriate!)

Some of the first block designs.

Wordless Wednesday---almost

Sassy---today

"Sophistica Lime Bicolor" Petunia

Leftover scraps of fabric under the cutting table.

String Quilt on the design wall ---today.

"Patchwork Roses" on the long arm---today

Jelly Rolls for a machine embroidery project.

One of a few I made this week. Cathedral Windows pincushion. 

Audiobook from the library---while I sew or quilt

Pantographs

Hydrangea 

Stabilizer Organizer

I've been drooling over an embroidery stabilizer organizer pattern that is in the Nancy's Notions catalog for ages. One of those things you talk about buying, making, but never quite get around to.

This arrived in the mail on Thursday!

Bill hung it for me yesterday, and I filled it this a.m.

It's wonderful! At last I can really see what stabilizers I have. Iron on, tear away, wash away---you name it, I can find it!

My friend Carolynn made this surprise gift! Thank-you! Thank-you! Love-it!

Catching Up---Finishing Some Projects

It has been hot and windy in our area of Sonoma County the past few weeks. It seems all I do is water plants and clean up the debris from the trees that blows around and accumulates near the house like snowdrifts.

I hope the winds are not a forecast of our summer weather.
The fir trees around the property are loaded with "fir flowers" as I call them, little brown mini buds that look like tiny pinecones, only brown. They are everywhere now. Here you see them blown up against the west side of the house. The house gutters and roof are covered with them too.

I did get a lot of projects finished this week. As the wind starts in. I head indoors to do some piecing or quilting on the long arm.

Sort of like winter when it rains and we stay indoors. Only now it's the heat and wind. The evenings have been really nice though. Perfect weather for barbecue and eating meals out on the patio.

I'm meeting my goal (so far) to have all my donation type quilting finished by the end of June, and yesterday I even finished one of my own projects.

This baby quilt from the Quilts & More Spring 2012 magazine. "Animal Crackers". A pattern by Ellen Maxwell. I love the fabrics by Michael Miller. Sort of retro-modern if there is such a term, or I just made this one up! :o) Cute prints.



I Finished the quilting on three "Martha Quilts" the Remnants made. More disappearing nine patches.






I also finished this quilt on the long arm for Christy that she made for her nephew. Great sports themed fabrics! It seemed like a perfect top to use my favorite circle lord design on. Swirlz!


I even finished Bill's new bathrobe. Sorry no pictures, it's in the wash!

Memorial Day

You answered the call and gave it your all. We are grateful.

Design Wall Monday

I haven't played "design wall Monday" for ages, and while I still have the same quilt, Patchwork Posies", on the design wall, I am finally getting around to finishing it. Just two more blocks to stitch, and I can start sewing the rows together and add the sashing and borders and load it onto the long arm. Yeaah!

Did I also mention to you how freeing it has been this past week to not have a lot of commitments to donation quilting and to focus on my own projects. It is such a refreshing and long overdue feeling! Double Yeaah!----

Yes, I do see the block in the middle with the mistake--It always amazes me how snapping a photo reveals blocks turned wrong, missing pieces of fabric, similar colors next to each other , and etc.--- yet I can sit and look at a quilt top or the blocks for days on the design wall,  or in this case for weeks or months, and never see the mistakes until I look at the photograph! Thank-you digital age photography!

(see more Design Wall Monday photos with links at Patchwork Times)

Morning Visitors

Sherlock "Sassy" told me the fawns and their mother were outside the bedroom window.

She always comes running to tell me something different is going on. She jumps up on the sofa or footstool and looks out the windows when she is concerned. I was busy quilting on this-----

  I clearly understood I better go look.

They are the cutest babies! Even though they do eat a lot of our flowers. 

Mother is never far away.

Thread

Essential Pro 

I bought two cones of this thread when it first came out about a year ago. Lilac and Sea Mist.  At first I thought it didn't show up very well on the quilt top as the colors are matte, and subdued, but at times, depending on the quilting design, this can be a very good thing! The more I used it, the more I liked the look.  

This came in the mailbox today!  It's polyester, it's thin and it's strong!

  I even had an empty cubbie to store it in. How unusual!

Fall Treasures-Finished!

One of my own projects--finished.  Ahhh, it feels good!
This table runner is "Fall Treasures, from Accents in Designs. It contains 21 

  precut leaves with steam-a-seam already applied to the back of the leaves, and back of the leaf shadows. The leaves are easily moved around until they are steamed into place.

I used some fabrics from my batik stash for the background, batik backing and binding. Then I free motion quilted the runner with a kinda of breezy looking mctavishing. 

Happy Mother's Day!