My comfort zone

Like everyone else in "One Flower Wendesday", I'm already being addicted by making the Hexies!




I was originally thinking about having my flowers in the diamond shape, rather than the traditional Grandmother's Flower Garden's round flowers, but came to find out that our rule says to have the round flowers. So I quickly had to change my plan to follow the rule.




Now my new plan is making them in the round shape with multiple colors from Jo Morton's scraps!




Since Jo's Little Wemens Club #8 and Miss Rosie's Club at LQS have both ended last month, I've built up my Jo Morton's fabric stash quite bit and some of the colors beside my favorite reds- most of her "reds" are tend to be more burnt red or brick colors, are still left behind as I didn't know what to do with them!




But as being a club member for the last six months, I've learned that her fabrics actually come to play really nicely when they are used with other colors. So next thing I decided to do now is to play with all of her scraps with multiple colors, rather than just using up all the red!




See, the above quilt top and




the one on your left,




and the last one from Miss Rosie's Club are all made mostly from Jo's reds and browns!

It'll be a quite bit of the challenge for me as I hardaly ever getting out from my comfort zone = Red for anything, quilting, stitching and even knitting. I'll still use the reds as the center of each flower for my Hexie project so that they will show up somehow... And I'm sure I'll be back a red girl again beside this project ;)




Yes, summer is a perfect time to try smething a little different. Time to get out from my comfort zone!!

Enjoy a wonderful Memorial Day weekend,



-- Posted from my iPhone

Blooming Time again - One Flower Wednesday - Week 1

Ms. Limo: Mommy, I smell something yummy from here... Do you know what's inside?

Yes sweetie, you are pretty good!


Ms. Limo: So what are you up to now?

Well, since the heat is being back to the valley, I don't feel like using the iron for making the blocks for the miniature quilt I've been working on. So I needed to look for something else to play with ;)


Ms. Limo: Ok everybody, did you all hear that what she just said? Does she need another project? I don't think so!! What about me?

Everyday is different and new for me. So let's move on!


As I was talking to Lea yesterday, she gently reminded me of the group I'm a member with. I haven't been back to my Hexie project which I actually haven't started yet, and got my attention.

I know I don't want a big project during the summer time, but something nice and easy, yet fun is always welcome :)))


As one of the members came up with a wonderful idea of having one Hexie flower a week and formed a group, I quickly jumped in! What a great idea!! Every Wednesday, we make one flower and put it on your blog. That seems to be too difficult not to commit? Would you also like to join the party?

All you need to do is just print out the templates for EPP-English Paper Piecing from here, here or here and cut out the squares from the scraps. Then of course, make the Hexies!! See, I think this should be considered as "Leftover cooking III" as all I'm using up are the leftover from Jo Morton's Little Women's Club #8 projects!


Ms. Limo: I'm not really sure about you, mommy...

Honey, I feel the same way...



-- Posted from my iPhone

P. S. Gadgets

I just realized I left out the URLs of where you can find the rulers I show you on this post.
Here is the links of each one.

Mini Fit to be Geese

I usually use this miniature size for my small quilt blocks, but there is also a larger size available.

Bias Square Ruler

There are three different sizes available, 4", 6" and 8". I own 4" and 8" ones and they are both very helpful.

Xoxo,

Leftover cooking II

As I've been in the mood for "Bits & Pieces" with Civil War Repro kind of fabrics lately, I dug my left over scraps bags last night and came up with an idea!


The above are Miniature/Doll quilts I made in last fall. And of course there ate great amount of the scraps left behind these projects. And guess what??


I randomly pick these tiny bitty fabrics and just pieced together. What a relaxing moment-mindless piecing is so much fun!


Yes, the bits and pieces got turned into their new lives as some cute pincushions!! I stuffed them with the crushed walnuts as I learnt from BBD's workshop in 2008.

I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet, but it could be a good stocking stuffer ;) Thinking ahead is always good, isn't it?

BTW, as writing this post, I just remember something... I've actually used these same scraps to make Hexie pincushions last year as the gifts.


Then my new project started yesterday is coming along nicely. I laid all the pieces and they look like are ready to be sewed.




-- Posted from my iPhone

Square it up!

My most favorite, yet very helpful tools for the piecing are some unique rulers.


I may have mentioned about these nifty gadgets in the past, but more I use, I get more and more comfortable about my quilt blocks making.

Basically how it works is you need to cut the pieces a little larger than they should be before sewing together, then trim the excess edges all way around after piecing them up to get the exact shape! Square it away!!

The above is for HST-Half Square Triangle.


This one is for Flying Geese.

Some would think it is such a time consuming way as well as too much extra work to make the blocks, but you are wrong! It's really worth afterword as you won't feel sorry yourself to deal with those clean uniformed blocks ;)

Both rulers are for the miniature sizes, and the larger ones are also available.

You may wonder if I sell them? Good try, but the answer is no...

Oh, but I may be able to help you with something else, your other question might be- What is she making now?


This is a kit from one of the monthly programs Temecula Quilt Co. had ran last year. The program was called "Monthly Mini" from Lori Smith's pattern book and this particular pattern is "Sampler Fun" with Jo Morton's fabrics.

Xoxo,


-- Posted from my iPhone

Needlework Tool Roll Bags

My Needlework Tool Roll Bags collection is growing.

since this time,

I found them to be very nice and useful to organize

my gadgets, especially to travel with.

The one with the red polka dot is from French General

and

The other one with the sampler print

in yellowish color is from Blackbird Designs.

They've both joined into my collection

a couple of years ago.

The newest addition is the one with ticking fabric

I just made yesterday.

As I was making that,

I had someone in my mind who has shared

some goodies with me a while ago

and I always wanted to return something back to her

with what she can actually use for her needlework.

BTW, do you know what I am having in this morning?

It's called Papaya Milk shake!

While I used live in Taiwan, it was very popular there.

I still remember how good it was and have wanted to

have it again in my lifetime some time.

Then my little dream came true!!

-- Posted from my iPhone

Leftover cooking

As I was trying to clean my sewing room before jumping into another adventure, these Judie Rothermel's scraps from my last quilt project-You will find the picture of that one on my last posting, caught my eyes. I quickly got an idea to use them for the miniature Dresdens!!


On your right is the template for the blade. You see how small it is...



-- Posted from my iPhone

SSQSG- May

I just came back home from our fun and productive meeting in this afternoon.


Starting off from Show & Tell!

Cheryl designed and pieced this farbulous quilt top. She is working on the pattern to be available some time soon. I love these "Reds" by Judie Rothermel's line...


Another finished quilt by her.


Then Christmas tree skirt and


Schnibbles quilt by Pauleen.


This one was a class piece and she machine quilted as her very first time. It doesn't show clearly, but the feather pattern looked gorgeous on the borders.


It's a huge applique quilt. Some Homespun fabrics are used and they make the whole entire block looks nice and cozy.



And here is my finished quilt tops I brought to show off ;) Lori Smith's quilt is done now.


These Dresdens are today's project taught by Christine. They are actually the miniature Dresdens! Can you tell how tiny they are?



The above is my practice one with a rotary cutter. Now you can see the size of the motives... I still have to find a center piece to cover.


A scrap piece for a blade for Dresden is sitting right next to the 5" Charm Pack.


We had a lot of fun making these tiny ones while chatting about what we all have missed since out last meeting.






While we were all working on our Dresdens, Christine was sewing these blocks with also from Judie Rothermel's line.


The above is something I made before starting my Dresden by just pieced the left over scraps from the blades to be. It's an unfinished wonky pincushion as I didn't have the stuffing with me to finish it! Just because Cheryl expressed she liked those fabrics as I was cutting, I quickly made it for her. It's called "19 Century Reds". But she has to finish it on her own. What a deal, isn't it?


And the last one, but not the least for sure is Christine's Friendship quilt's signature blocks. She had whole bunch of them already have signed by her on-line quilty friends and we did the same for her today. Lovely Jo Morton's fabrics are used for the blocks.

That's about it for today's meeting. About the next month? Well, as the summer coming by, about a half of us are leaving town for their summer vacation places during the heat time, we don't know how we would like to plan for the next few meetings yet. Hopefully we can still meet up together and share our passion...

Off to make more miniature Dresdens before the dinner time ;)





-- Posted from my iPhone