Ocean Waves Quilt: DONE!

Here is my finished Ocean Waves Quilt!  I'm in love with it!  It is difficult to capture how delicate the colors are in a photograph.  I used batiks from the Ocean Waves Fat Quarter Collection I got from Fat Quarter Shop.  Hop over and have a look at the entire collection!

I used a darning foot on my machine and did a meandering quilting design.  I've never done this on such a large scale before.  I had to practice a bit first.  I used invisible thread on my quilt, but I used white on my practice pieces.

I was intimidated at first, but once I got in a "groove" I felt great.  I think it turned out pretty nice and will definitely be meandering my way through my next quilts!  

  

I cannot wait to finish redecorating my bedroom!  I will be hanging this quilt on the wall opposite my bed.  It's going to look awesome!

I hope you all have had a fantastic weekend and wish you all a terrific week!   

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Sew BUSTED!

How do you bust your fabric stash?  This was part of my sewing desk a few weeks ago.  This was only part of the fabric I have been hoarding!  I pulled out all my fabric from the overflowing metal cabinet, from the large Ziplock bags I had stuffed in the closet, and from right there piled on the desk.  I decided I needed to organize my fabric.  I had so much, but I lost track of what exactly I had.  So, I checked out the book, Cut the Scraps!, by Joan Ford and got busy.  Ford calls it "Scraptherapy."  She suggests cutting your scraps into the most commonly used square sizes:  5", 3", and 2 1/2".  I started out following her directions, but then decided I don't like the 2 1/2" squares!  I don't really see myself using such small squares, so I cut mine 5", 4", and 3".  I think these sizes will work for me...for now anyway!

So, after cutting a lot my squares, I now wonder how to organize them.  I thought sorting by color would be the easiest.  But, I have run into a few problem scraps.  Here I have a pile (mostly) of reds.  Would you put the black and red squares with the mostly reds or with the black scraps?

  

And then there's the white with red Chinese writing squares.  Should those go into the white/neutrals bin?  Or should there be a separate bin just for Asian themed fabrics?  I did sort all my batiks into one bin.  Themes are much harder, I think, to sort by.  Color has to be easiest right?  So what color is this?

Blue?  Red?  Orange?  I don't have a bin dedicated to tie dye...this is it for my collection.  I guess I'll put these squares with my "Artist" scraps:

Unfortunately, this is my smallest pile!  I suppose I will have to have a "random" bin for the scraps that don't fit anywhere else.  I've made a dent in my stash, but I have more cutting to do.  I haven't tackled my mostly blacks yet.

So far I have squares making up mostly blues, mostly pinks, mostly browns (my biggest), mostly reds, batiks, purples, and neutrals/whites.  

Some people sort their scraps by tone.  Whether the fabric is dark or light.  I thought about organizing mine this way, but I don't think this would work for me.  I also thought about sorting by style, pattern, solid or patterned, or whether the fabric is "traditional" or modern.  In the end, I think sorting by the dominate color is best for me.  How do you organize your fabric collection?  I'd love to know!

In other news, I've finished my Ocean Waves Quilt!  I can't wait to show you!  So, stay tuned!  I need to upload the pictures I took before I post about it!

Tootles!

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Ocean Waves Quilt Top

Despite the lack of rain in my neck of the woods the hydrangeas in my yard are in full bloom.  They are absolutely gorgeous.  The colors are similar to those in the fabrics I've used for my Ocean Wave Quilt.  I finished the top yesterday!  Behold:

  

I didn't follow a pattern, but sketched out my ideas on graph paper.  For someone lacking a math gene, this has proven challenging!  However, I'm a pro at making half square triangles and thought they work well as the border around the Wave Block I designed.  The top measures 42" X 42."  I'm really happy with it.  I purchased the back and binding fabric and will hopefully be able to get started on it ASAP.  I've used the back fabric as the binding on all my quilts so far, but for this one, I'm using a different one.

They are both from Hoffman.  The darker one (on top) is called, Cabana.  I'll use this for the binding.  The lighter fabric, for the back, is called, Montego.  Aren't they awesome!?  Of course I'll have to quilt it first!  Any ideas?  

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Do You Think I'm Spooky?

Kind of spooky huh?  I thought this picture might grab your attention.  Meet Powder Puff.  I met her this past weekend.  I took a mini vacation and traveled to Iowa for a few days.  I met up with my sister and we attended her town's Relay for Life event.  The relay itself is actually a run, but there were other activities throughout the day, culminating in a candle display to honor cancer victims and survivors. 

You won't see me in the crowd of runners, but a special friend of our family is there.  He took second place!  My sister and I decorated a bag in memory of our mom.  It was breathtaking to see all the bags lit up around the square.  I don't know how many bags there were, but the event took in over $90,000 for the cause!  That's a lot of bags!

It was a great weekend.  My littlest daughter had a blast on the farm.  She got to feed horses, play in a tree house, and swing on a tire swing!  For a city gal, these activities are not common play for her.  She loved the country!

During my trip I visited a few quilt shops.  I bought two patterns that I will show you soon.  I also bought background fabric for my Wave Quilt.  I had previously purchased a white on white fabric to use, but when I saw a very subtle marble from Moda, I scooped it up.  I think it goes really well with the batiks and I couldn't wait to get started!  I sketched out a basic design for my quilt last night and today completed four wave blocks.

The blocks measure 14 inches each.  I've placed them on top of a white blanket to help me "see" how they coordinate, etc.  I plan to use the marble background fabric as sashing between these four blocks.  I'm then planning on using the other batiks that came in the Ocean Waves collection for an outside border all the way around.  The colors are beautiful!  Here are some close ups of each wave block:

 I still don't know the name of the square that creates the wave.  If you know it, please tell me!

I hope you all have a terrific week!  Tootles!

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P.S.  Win a prize!  Tell me who said, "Do you think I'm spooky?"    

Ocean Inspired Fabric and Quilt Blocks

I'm so thrilled to have received my Ocean Waves Batiks fat quarters a few days ago!  I fell in love, again, with the collection after opening the package.  They are beautiful!  I've been searching the internet and books, including 5,500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone, for a quilt pattern using these fabrics.  I want to use a block design that makes the fabric appear to be moving...like a wave.  I came across the Snail's Trail and the Journey to California blocks. 

Snail's Trail Block from About.com

The blocks look very similar.  I think they look pretty "wave-like," but if I could only use the "top" of the block.  Hmmm.  Here is what I've come up with:

I've been cutting up my scraps for several days so I had a bunch right in front of me to experiment with.  I used 8 blue squares and 2 off-white squares plus 5 half square triangles.  The block that ends the wave was the hardest for me to figure out.  I haven't made anything like this square before.  Here is my sketch on graph paper (drawing on graph paper makes me a real quilter now huh?):

I'm not sure what this "special" square is called, or even if it a real design.  Basically, it's a blue triangle sewed to two smaller, one blue and one off-white, triangles.  I decided on a 16 patch block.  It measures at 14 inches completed.  I think I'll stick with this size, but now I need to decide the design for the overall quilt. I have 12 batik fat quarters to work with and have purchased a white on white solid to use as well.  Any ideas?  

I mentioned earlier that I have been cutting up my scraps for the past several days.  I started this project while cleaning up and cleaning out my sewing room, AKA my studio.  My fabric stash was so disorganized!  I'm not nearly finished, but I did come across some fabric I forgot I had.  Before I knew what a charm pack was, a friend gave me one.  It is called, Wildflower Serenade.  It's from Moda.  I decided to use up these charms to make a table topper for my friend who gave me the fabric.

I made the center heart applique using cut up charms and fusible web.  I "quilted" the heart with off-white thread.  I quilted the rest of the piece with clear thread.  I had several four patches leftover, so I made a hooped wall hanging to match.  I bought the wooden hoop for $1.00!  

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginnings of summer!  I have several sewing projects in the works, including a couple of vintage dresses for my oldest daughter, a blouse for me, and more skirts for my littlest daughter.  I'm also going to tackle a baby Jon Jon for my cousin's newest little one!  I cannot wait to start on my Waves Quilt!  I am thinking that project will go to the top of my list! 

Tootles!

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Experimenting: Homemade Bubble Jet Set Recipe

Newsflash:  I'm not a scientist!  I flunked chemistry and never even considered taking physics at school.  However, I'm cheap.  I mean, I don't like to spend a lot of money if I can avoid it.  Considering Bubble Jet Set costs anywhere from $15 to $22 a bottle, I decided to try to make my own.   I do not want the disaster that occurred after I washed my Bunny Quilt to happen again!

I searched the internet for a homemade Bubble Jet Set recipe.  Here is the most simple version I could find:

2 tablespoons of Alum (the stuff used when canning pickles)

2 1/2 teaspoons washing soda (not baking soda) (I found this in the grocery store)

1/2 teaspoon liquid fabric softner

1 cup of hot water

Mix the first 3 ingredients and then add the hot water.  Stir.  It will be foamy.

When the foam eases, soak your fabric for 15 minutes.  Wring out and dry completely.  I poured the leftover mix into a baby food jar to save for future use.

When my fabric was dry (I cheated and put it in the dryer), I ironed freezer paper to it and ran it through my printer.  I used the same bunny image I used for my quilt.

Image pre-wash

Image post-wash

Yay!  It worked!  Before I use a printed image on a quilt or table topper again, however, I think I will do more testing, ahem, experimenting.  It faded a bit, but nothing like before!  For the most part:  SUCCESS!

One more thing:  School's out!  That means sewing summer clothes for my littlest daughter!  Yep, every summer, I try to make a few dresses and skirts for her.  Here is Charlotte's first skirt for Summer 2012:

Butterick 4722 View E

  

I used a Hawaiian looking blue batik.  

I know, last year I said I would NOT sew ruffles again, but I couldn't resist.  I thought this skirt was just too cute!

Tootles!

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Decisions Decisions

Since getting a gift certificate for my birthday, I've scoured every page at The Fat Quarter Shop.  Sometimes, I've been on the site two or three times a day!  It's been almost a month since my birthday!  Okay, a little obsessive, I know, but with such a humongous selection, I just could not decide what to get....until today!  I'm so excited!  I picked the Ocean Waves Batiks by Hoffman Fabrics fat quarter bundle!   

Aren't they gorgeous!  I decided on this collection (finally) after committing to using the gift certificate for myself.  I was tempted to pick fabrics to use for making something for someone else...like one of my kids.  So when I decided on something for myself, I next had to figure out what I what use my fabric for.  Since I am about to start redecorating my bedroom, I have decided to make a bed runner with my new fabric!  My bedroom is going to have a beach theme!  You can check out my Master Bedroom Redo board on Pinterest if you are interested!

Tootles!

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P.S. Now I have to find a pattern!

I almost forgot!  Please check out Bonnie's giveaway at Living Life Creatively.  It's her Blogiversary!