HOT DAY! Farmer's wife week2

It was tough day to watch my children swimming at poolside. Staying outside withdrew almost all my energy and as too tired to cook, our supper was pizza. Kids were happy. My Husband was OK. Me with heartburn. Ginger ale, please!

As I don't need to make all of blocks, I am making them in no particular order.
In 2nd week, I made 3blocks.


Broken Dish.
I love orange and green, or combination of them, but it looked too busy. I should use more plain green as a background.


Box.
When I sew this block, I decided to use stripe fabric for background. Can you see lectangle boxes behind the yellow windmill? I like this effect.


Cut Glass Dish.
This design recalled my grandfather's crystal tumbler. Though I wanted to recreate the color, it was too dark for this set. I used lighter blue fabric instead. I thought I could express transparency.
But my husband didn't like this. He said, this block didn't match among 5 of them. Other blocks are rotatable otherwise this one is just mirror reflection. He would like have a quilt made with a set of rotatable blocks. Hummm. I think it's not bad idea.

Sylvia and CWQ

I thought I didn't have enough time to sew last week. But I made 5 blocks at the end of week. Not bad. Once I got an idea for fabric choice, I did work really quickly.
Hope to keep this pace.

From Sylvia, I made two.

I love this block. When I found the block on the book, I didn't feel I like this. Something strange for me. Star block, is it? So I did crazy patchwork on corner squares, expecting star pattern pops up. It seems successful, isn't it.


On the contrary, I didn't like this block. The pattern shows it shold be pieced. Instead, I appliqued. I made 4 appliqued pieces and assembled them. It wasn't a good idea. Took long time, ugly result. I don't know I have next time, If so, I need more research to make this block better. Make four patch and then applique, like that.

From CWQ BOW,

Lady's aid album. Still four more block left behind. I hope I made two more this week.

Farmer's wife week1 (for me)

First of all, I decided not to make all of blocks in this book. I have already started other two of 6" block series and heard about the next book of Farmer's wife in coming September. That's enough. Blocks are piled up, but not connected at all. So, I picked just 50 blocks for my husband's lap quilt. I hope it would be a quick work. Yah, just I hope.

Next, I decided no more new fabric for this. Not even a fat quarter on bargain. I want to reduce my stash before August, when the third quarter of 3x6 mini bee. I have many aqua and green, and bright colors, too. I think this combination is not bad.

OK. Think, later. Sew, first.

I don't have much time to sew this week, so I chose two of easy blocks.

Basket weave. Really easy one. I made this in 15 min or so. My son said "I love this, but makes me dizzy". You can say that again.

Big dipper. Another no-template pattern.

I want to try more complicated pattern next week.

Before Farmer's wife.....

I cleaned my design wall for new project. I put some Dear Jane BOM 2010 blocks for a long time, but I lost my attitude to complete it anymore. I gave up of tiny piece appliques and I found I dislike historical design on fabric. I thought they were cool at the beginning, but it was quite different cool from lovable.

I had eight blocks. So I made the last block last night and set them this morning.

送信者 Dear Jane BOM and more

Do I have to add borders on it? Not sure. Anyway, I don't have enough length of fabric that match this, so I hope I finish this project within this year.

Now I have a clear space. Let's begin!

CWQ progress and Farmer's wife QAL

I spent these 10 days to catch up with Civil War Quilt BOW. I made another one today and four blocks are undone after tomorrow.

Here is the progress.

Yesterday I remade a log cabin block. That block was the only exception that I had used three colors. I hated that boo-boo. When I set them in order, I decided to remade immediately.
See, now they look as they should be.

Why didn't I put a new one?

Because this block is not what I want to make. When I colored the block, it had white center square with orange cross. I was totally confused during cutting fabric.
My kids said they like it. I will keep it for a while and will decide whether remake or not, later.

I know why I was destructed and made such a basic mistake.
The Farmer's wife QAL!
I can't stop thinking about that group and blocks. Cool pool made me tired but not cooled down my heat (I spent 2.5 hours with my kids, dah).
OK. It is time to join them.
So I went to Jo-Ann today and got that book with 50% off! Ha-ha-ha. I am as happy as clam!
I will upload the progress as soon as possible.

Oh, one more thing. I have fixed my daughter's burned quilt. The detail is coming up soon. Not today. The new book is calling me.

Add four blocks

Keep working on CWQ. I made up 4 more blocks in the weekend.





One more block makes 3rd row completion. I am going to make it tomorrow, and then, think about my daughter's burnt quilt.

Coming back!

Since Tsunami shock, I have kept BOW and 6"blocks away from my head. I packed them in a box and stack in a bottom of shelves. I loved making the blocks but I couldn't have them in my hands for a while. No reason. Or was there a reason? Maybe it was a mental self-defense against shock. Just I could not see them.

But I found a Flickr group of farmer's wife quilt-a-lone. How lovely blocks are there! They pushed me to come back working on my blocks.
At beginning, I made some 6" blocks from Sylvia's bridal sampler, because I didn't have the farmer's wife sampler quilt book. Yah, I want to have it when I have a chance.
Though that group focused on modern quilt, I am going on my way and not sure to post my photos to there or Sylvia's group yet.

送信者 6" block series

Is this funny? Ha-ha. Looks chocolate coated bananas. My daughter said it is chocolate and lemon bars. Yummy. I have never combined brown and yellow before, but it was fun for just a small block.

送信者 6" block series

Bow tie by regular piecing. I made some 3D bow tie in large scale, too. I am going to use them in fall quilt class in FBC.

And next. Civil War quilt block of a week. I left already 14 blocks behind.

Little blue basket. Blue! Should I use blue instead of red?

Missouri Star. It looks different from original, yet has star shape.
More tricky blocks are waiting for coloring.

4 CWQ blocks

I almost give up for multicolor block series. I feel solid block series is much more fun!


Though I uploaded these blocks to the Flickr group separately, I want save my space in this blog. I like this set of four.
Louisiana, purple block, looks a little different from original. Looks Swirling. It is cool.

Now I made 12 blocks and 2 corner blocks.

I am really excited to make another row.

Swirl flower

At last! I made up this quilt!


This project has been left unfinished for long time. I am really happy I did it on my birthday. Now I can face to another year without tailing.

It was 2008 when I saw this design. I fell in love at a glance and screamed " I want this!". My daughter replayed "Mom, you can't buy this quilt in any shop. You have to make it yourself". The combination of patchwork, applique, embroidery and quilting. The combination of modern and tradition. It contains all elements that I love. I am deeply satisfied.


Close up.
I did stem stitch on swirl vein. If I try again, I'll do back stitch instead. It may look more modern.

Talking about birthday, I bought a new book for me,"Inspired by tradition". Lovely book. I can't wait to make some from this pattern.

Two CWQ blocks

Though I still left seven sisters block behind, I made two blocks in this morning.


Richmond. It took longer time than I expected to make. Reason no.!, I should make sure to set each piece. Sometimes I confused the direction of units. Reason no.2, I should cut all piece before sew together. It's basic fault, I know.


Log cabin of multicolor series. I used light brown instead of orange. I think it fit comfortably much more. I should reconsider of choosing fabric. I wanted to used bright orange but it seems difficult. I often read and hear that orange is one of the most difficult color for quilters and I understand it.
Wow, I really appreciate my bee hive 10 1/4 2011 member. I love you.

2nd quarter 2011 begin

It's windy today! Gust blow old leaves away from trees and stirs pollen and dust up... Oooh, my eyes got irritated.

Though I got five blocks from first quarter yet, I am really satisfied with the blocks. They are really what I wanted at beginning.

I spread them on a blue fabric. I would like to pick blue for borders so bright orange and green stand out against the background. I think this blue is a little deep. I will try pale blue or aqua.

Now I think six is not enough and want more. I can't say I can contribute next quarter because of some condition, might not come back again. So I requested same theme for 2nd quarter. They must be my treasure for memory of NC life.

I am designing my block for my bee mates. This time, I am going to challenge to make up my modern design. I drew some drafts on my powerbook. Wonder if it work well. Let me sew.

CWQ BOW4

I am still working on BOW3 which is an applique block. I love applique but my problem is not technique but color selection. I can't decide which fabric I should choose. Green or white on background and red or orange or other color on stars.

So, I skipped the block and sew next one.




I like red one much more than the other one. I couldn't use the fabric design in center of multicolor one as effective as I supposed to. It's difficult to use such a modern design fabric. I should to be more careful, but definitely fun to think.

Back to quilting and blogging

Last week, I did nothing but taking care of family after a terrible shock of Tsunami. I couldn't sleep well. I felt hunger but didn't want to eat. Headache. Strong anxious. I was really tired but couldn't stop checking news. Then I found myself being suffering from light depression.

Then I saw a message.
"Don't count what you lost. Count what you have in your hand."
This is from a surviver of another terrible earthquake in Hanshin about 15 years ago. Kobe city was rebuilt within two years though everybody believed to take 10 years. How Strong mother nature is. But HOW TOUGH human beings are.

Now I stopped watching news and heal myself. These days I feel much better. Time to back to normal. Wherever I live, I do anything I can do.

In this three days I sewed some blocks of Civil war quilt. Just assemble piece that I already cut before I cracked down.

Look slanted. Hope ironing makes it better,
and


Though three more photos are uploaded on Frickr, I will show them later.

They are safe

I could call to my mother this evening.

I can't contact to my parents

This morning, a horrible news hit my sleepy head. Massive earth quake and Tsunami in east-northeast area in Japan. My parents and brothers live in Tokyo and parents in law supposed to visit their relatives for funeral ceremony of my uncle in law. I have not heard anything from them until now. We know that Level 5+ intensity is not a gentle rock. I hope they stay in safe this night.

Civil war quilts

Since my son had learned the underground railroad quilts in school, we often talk about his new sampler quilt. He wants me to make up blocks which means secret signal. I told him to pick up 12 blocks from my quilt book and to learn about its meaning. Drunkard path and shoo-fly are his favorite. He can't miss cartwheel (or dresden plate),bear paw and crossroad. He seems to enjoy this study very much.

On the way to search the sampler quilts on the Internet, I found a great blog, about civil war quilts. It contains block of the week and short story around the block.
I like to see the blocks that somebody makes with civil war fabric, but they are not my category. I can feel them beautiful, but can't revive them by myself. So, I wonder if I make them with my taste.

Here they come.

I want make a rainbow quilt using white polka dot and single solid color fabric, as possible.

and

Soft color variation. I made up the first one, but I need to collect fabric I want to use, yet.
I went to Jo-Ann today, but without plan, it made me confused and retreated.

Sunbonnet Sue

The other day, after dinner, I got a call from my quilt mentor, Jerry. She asked me to take care of her quilt class as a substitute teacher. Her husband has a health problem and she has to take care of him.

I am really sorry for him. When I met him last time, late fall of last year, he looked good, but this winter was pretty tough for him. I hope he will recover soon.

And taking care of class? Me? Wow.
I have been with her as an assistant for a few years, and I think showing skills in no problem. The problem is I am not a talkative person! Without her, class would be very quiet. I hope to have some fun companies.

Jerry and I have decided to pick up Sunbonnet Sue for class. I have been done it just once many years ago and at that time, Jerry showed me the technique without fusible web nor freezing paper, which I didn't feel comfortable.
We have only 8 classes in a season. I don't think many of students can finish before closing because they are international visiting family and most of them having little ones don't have time to make a quilt at home. They spend their energy for settling down here.

Quick, Easy, Attractive.
No sewing machine, not expensive.

Wow, I have a lot thing to think.

Using fusible web could save our time.
Let me make sure.
Start 11:00 am.
Choose fabric, cut, fuse, blanket stitch.
Pick up kids, go shopping, watch kids doing homework, make dinner, wash many things and reading time.
End 8:00 pm.
Ta-da!

送信者 A box of my things 趣味の箱

Not bad.

Hope my students can handle this in a or two weeks.

Florabunda 12

送信者 Applique quilt

The final block is coming up. Using my favorite color, I made this block energetic. Although I love Erin's original design, I made a change on the orange flowers. Instead of original circle, I arranged petal shape piece on the center. As you see the fabric, the print design look like stamens and I wanted to use it more effectively.

Now I have my all 12 blocks.



Since last June, I have worked these blocks. Only the center block is left. I want to finish it in next month and assemble all of them in March. At least before my birthday in April, I wish I started quilting. Go for it.

[3 x 6] Sampler Quilt Mini Bee

I uploaded the mosaic on Flickr yesterday. Since I got a sick, I was too tired to write a comment. This morning, though I still felt no good, when I found some comments from my bee mates, I felt certain I got big energy. Thank you, lads, I am out from bed now. I know I should not be too much. I will go to bed early tonight.

I found this block in Blockcentral.com who have offered a wonderful BOM every year. They didn't have any comment about this year's BOM, or couldn't I find it? Though I have never made one of them, I have loved them and got a many ideas from the site.
The name of block is " Don't turn around anymore". How silly. I really enjoyed turning colors around the block.

set 5-6

送信者 A box of my things 趣味の箱

I added a piece of gray fabric in my stash on Monday. I thought I bought a gray fabric, but when I washed it, I started wondering if I was wrong. It looked...... like .... pale grayish purple?
Mmmm, I didn't know gray was such a difficult color.

Anyway, I made up set 5 and 6.

Proceeding? It is secret.

Set 1-4

I made 4 sets for quilt mini bee.

I have a bunch of 2 1/2" strip left over from 90 nine patch project and I pick some of piece from that stash box. I have a few black fabric, but not a piece of gray fabric. Always gray ones seemed to escape from my eye sight and made me confuse to pick right one. I couldn't buy it today after all, so I will visit another quilt shop to look for unless snow stop me.

Another snow day will come on Tuesday, which will make school close again. I have to call dentistry to rearrange my appointment. I don't miss it at all.

Another farewel, Good luck, Ram

Living in the collage town, there are many hellos and good-byes anytime. One of my friend leaves USA back to Vietnam next Monday. She has been a close friend for five years and her two years old boy is an owner of my quilt. We made a promise to keep in touch and to meet again anytime, anywhere. Do I have a chance to visit Vietnam? Someday, I hope.

She and her family visited us for lunch today. I made supper for them and they left many staff they don't use anymore. A bunch of board game for my son, a make up set and dresses for my daughter, winter jackets, which I can't imagine they use in Vietnam, for my husband and a box of beads for me. I knew she bought it just before she had a baby. No wonder she gave up to make some jewelries with her restless boy.

I have no idea about beading. I don't wear jewelries because of my allergy for metals. How about embroidery? But for what? I don't want them dead for long time. I will find any ideas during net surfing.

Anyway, good luck, Ram. I hope you to find new job.

Thinking about flowers

I bought a set of Stash Builders in this holiday season. Some are pretty and some are .... odd?
I mean, not my taste. But whether I love or not, I will use all of them for flowers of Aunt Millie's garden. Flowers with bucks motif sounds a kind of wired.

I also thinking about a center block of the Florabunda. I decided the color and fabric of a main flower and three asters. The flower base may be dark and light brown. How about small flowers? I can't decide! As I am still working on the 12th block, with orange and yellow flowers, I have a time for thinking about it.

One more flower. My own flower. I drew a rough design of a flower quilt block. I want to transfer it into Adobe Illustrator. But how? I should go to the library to borrow some reference.

A happy new year! First block is here

Still I have some undone quilts from last year. So January is a sort of a month cleaning my to-do-list.
First of all is Florabunda series and this is the first block of 2011.

送信者 Applique quilt

I have some new year's resolutions.

1. Assemble the last year's block sets and start quilting. Because of my slow hand quilting, I don't think I can finish them in this year, but do as much as possible.

2. Start new sets. [3 x 6] Sampler Quilt Mini Bee is one of my challenge. I hope to make my beehive member satisfied. Another set is Aunt Millie's garden quilt. I will start after I finish the assemble of Florabunda set. I can't wait.

3. Manage this blog more frequently.

3. Fix my teeth. I can't escape from my dentist anymore. My darling really want me to drag to the door. I hate it.

Hope to have another good year.