Monday, March 15, 2010

Design Wall Monday and more

This was a week a quite a lot of sewing, in small spirts, and quite a lot of computer work, also in small spirts. Almost every day I spent between 1-2 hours working on the new Generations program, learning more and more about digitizing machine embroidery. Between the in person class (3/6), the CD lessons we took home, and the written lessons we were also given, I have been able to figure out most things. Now that is not saying that my efforts are looking good, just that I am getting some of the techniques down. I am trying to spend 1-2 hours a day doing this and am limiting my time so I don’t get too frustrated and quit.

And I did get some quilting done, well actually I got some sewing done.

I finished the top of a comfort quilt.

Isn’t it nice? I have kept it on the design wall just because I love the colors. Unfortunately, it will have to come down today because I also have been getting sewing done on the Egg Money sampler quilt. I sewed lots of the DP blocks together to make sashing halves and there, on the design wall with Purple Rails you can see the strips hung together to form what will be the vertical sashing between the sampler blocks.

I also got ALL of the DP circles sewn together.


Here they are half sewn, ready to press and then they were sewn together. What I learned in this process is that it was better to not repress the seam allowances of the quarter circles so they would nest as they didn’t stay nested very well. Instead it worked better to butt them together and pin the seams. That way I had perfect circles.


I think I have sewn all the strips for the piano keys but will have to wait until we see how big this quilt actually turns out to be. And lastly, I also sewed some of the bias stem fabric so I can start working on that border, too. I have never done an appliquéd border so am a little intimidated by how to make sure the stems meet but somehow I will figure it out, I hope, I hope.



Here is the first border with the stem partially sewn on.













And here are the rest of the stem fabric, some ready to go and some ready to be made.


Now all I have to do is get this thing all together.

Saturday DH and I went antiquing in Fl, one of our favorite projects. We didn’t buy much, just little stuff but what was funny was that DS#3 and his wife were also antiquing but up in MD. I started getting pictures on my phone of glass owls they were finding and would I want to buy them. DH also got pictures of cowboy stuff. It was fun knowing that we were all doing the same thing, just 1000 miles apart. Ah, family togetherness.

9 comments:

Betsy said...

Gari, where in Florida did you go antiquing?
I love how you have prepped your strips. I am sure your applique will be perfect!

Pat said...

I can't wait to see your appliqued border AND some photos of your digitized embroidery "stuff". How funny that you were all antiquing at the same time on the same day!

Joanne Lendaro said...

How funny about the shopping! Love the purple quilt, and the DP, too!!

Miri said...

I love the rail fence quilt-the borders are great and really emphasize the wonderful shimmery look of the rails.

I think your Egg Money sampler is going to be gorgeous-the DP sashing is brilliant and with the applique border is will be just fantastic.

When I have an applique vine that continues around, I usually applique most of it to each border separately but leave loose ends until after I've sewn the borders on-it helps with aligning things.

Goblinf said...

I've been looking at your blog quite a bit having found you via Judy's Design Wall Monday - and I love your work.

Very sweet of you to say my rather weirdly coloured/laid out blocks are interesting (very polite I thought, I have major doubts over whether it's so ugly it's ok, or just hugely ugly chortle).

It's not so much that I'm very liberated so much as I don't know anything about traditional patchwork (being more of an experimental embroiderer), so I randomly do things that feel ok to me at the time just to see what happens, when normal people would know better!

Jessica said...

Two glass owls coming your way!

Diane said...

love the purples in your comfort quilt. You're being very smart in working in 1-2 hr intervals on your digitizing. I need to do the same, block off some consistant time and learn EQ6. sigh, soon, soon...

SewCalGal said...

Beautiful colors. Can't wait to see how these projects progress.

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Stems ready and waiting, well planned!

I love the shape and rhythm of DP quilts.

Sounds like family minds all think alike, too funny!