Hey Girl...

My husband has definitely had to do this before, poor guy.

I have gotten a kick out of the handmade Ryan Gosling pics that have been floating around blogland.  I just found an old Quilt Dad's post today full of tons of Gosling-isms that were shared on Twitter in December.  I thought I was going to die laughing reading through all of them.

The funny thing is that I do ask for and expect a level of absurd interest from my husband and boy does he have to put up with something bordering on quilt obsession from me.

"oooo...look at this new line..."  "What do you think, are my quilts more traditional or modern?"  "What do you think about this block?"  And goodness knows that I show him everything I made during the day when he gets home from work.  :)   And ignore him while I write very important blog posts.

He really does an amazing job of being supportive of this obsession of mine.  So here is my guy...

 Ok, he hasn't actually said this, but he holds down the fort when I need to  disappear for awhile in the evenings.  Plus he is great about watching the kids while I go to guild meetings.

Actually said last year!

Ok, he really launched into the story of how he sewed his finger when he was little and that was the last time he used the sewing machine...but he gave it a go and I got a picture of it!

What crazy supportive things has your guy actually said to you?

Finished!

I am done at last!  I never got good at needle turn applique.  I am afraid that I might have to start a new method called "finger turn applique."  :)  It won't win any prizes, but I am awfully fond of this block.  I didn't know what to do with myself last night while watching Downton Abby (my new favorite show!) - nothing to hand stitch?!?  I guess I will have to dig out my hexagon quilt again.

My husband snapped this beautiful blurry picture of me working on the block over Christmas break.  It was my turn to be sick, so I snuggled up in my robe and comforter and did some stitching in between naps.  :)

Here are all of the applique blocks from the Skill Builder Sampler together.  This month was a stretch for my skills, but after a bunch of stitching, I actually think that I might enjoy the long term process of making an applique quilt.  I never would have said that when I started quilting.  That is one of the reasons that I love quilting.  There is always something new to learn and make - not to mention the beautiful new fabrics to make it with.  :)

22 - Flowering Snowball

Made by Mary at mollyflanders.blogspot.com

This is the beautiful block we will make for our first week of curves.  Mary who blogs at Molly Flanders wrote a mini tutorial for the Flowering Snowballs block in June.  I knew the second I saw it that I wanted to make it.  I actually want to make everything I see on her blog.  Mary has a great sense of color and style.  I love her work.

I am not loving my rendition of her block though.  I was trying to move out of my comfort zone by using orange and blue together...my husband says it looks like a flat basket ball.   I think it will look ok mixed with all the other blocks.

Please go over to Mary's mini tutorial, read the directions and print out the templates.  I clicked on the templates, saved them to my computer and then printed them from my computer.  Come back here and I will give some pinning tips that might help if you are new to curves.

1.  After you print out the templates (on card stock if you have it) cut them out on the outer dotted line.
2. Trace the templates with a pen (4 petals, 4 outer pieces and 1 center piece) onto your fabric and cut them out.
3. Sew an outer piece to either side of the center piece.  Press seams away from the center.

BE SURE TO USE A SCANT 1/4 INCH SEAM

My block ended up small...sigh...

 You are now ready to join the 2 petals to each side of the remaining outer sections.  

First lay the point of the petal at the bottom of the outer section.  Pin in place.

Next, line up the top corner of the petal with the top of the outer section and pin. 

 Curve the two pieces of fabric into a C shape as shown 

and tuck the petal down until the edges are close to matching.

Pin the edges together easing as necessary. 

SEW!  You Can Do It!

Remember your scant seam.

Just work your way slowly along the edge.  

Ease any wrinkles out of the way.  We don't want any puckers. 

Repeat these steps and sew a petal on the other side of the outer section.

Press away from the petals and towards the outer section.

Doesn't that look like the lining of a swimsuit or something?  :)

Lay the petal section you just pieced flat on top of the "bow tie" piece. 

Pin at the central seams - they should but up neatly against each other. 

 Pin the outer corners together.  Shape into a C.

 Ease the edges together and pin.

 Sew.  

You can let the fabric curve around and just gently guide it under the foot.  

Remember slow and steady and Scant 1/4 inch Seams!

 Press towards the petals and repeat for the other side.

You Did It!  Give yourself a pat on the back.

I know I did.  :)

2011 in Review

Well, I am late putting up my 2011 mosaic because there has been rampant sickness in the house - it seems to be our yearly Christmas tradition for everyone to throw up over break!  Why?!?  :)

I did manage to finish up one last quilt on New Year's Eve.  That poor Chicken Quilt had been waiting for binding for over a month!  I will write more about it tomorrow because today is when I take time to review 2011.

Diamond Quilt, 2. Tree Quilt, 3. Close up of the 100 day Ticker-tape Quilt,
4. Amish Briad, 5. Tree quilt, 6. Baby Jane's Tumbler Quilt, 7. The Finished ToP, 8. Chicken Quilt

I was feeling bleh when I made this mosaic because I have "only" finished 8 quilts this year - and that is counting my daughter's ticker tape quilt as one of my finishes  :)  and I didn't finish any of my UFOs as planned.  But as I made a mental list of all the things I did do in my little quilting world, I realized what a crazy year of blogging and tutorial writing growth this has been.

I wrote my first quilt tutorial for the Diamond Quilt in April and then jumped into planning the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler.

1. Skill Builder Sampler, 2. Fabric I will be using for the sampler, 3. Value 9 Patch for the We Can Do It! Sampler, 4. Log Cabin, 5. Block 3 - Churn Dash, 6. On the Line, 7. Untitled, 8. Pinwheels, 9. Block 6 - Bow Ties, 10. Blocks 4,5 and 6 in the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler, 11. Block 7 - Virginia Star, 12. Block 8 - Breaking Out, 13. 9 - Double Star, 14. Ohio Star, 15. 3rd Quarter, Hive 10, 16. Quilt Block Storage, 17. String Block, 18. Beacon Light, 19. House Block, 20. 14 - Crazy Quilt Block, 21. 15 - Diamond Dash, 22. Starry Night, 23. Circle of Geese, 24. Block 20

The Skill Builder Sampler has really stretched me.  It hasn't been easy, but I am so glad I am doing it and look forward to the second half of the Sampler.

Following along with the Civil War Quilts Sampler hosted by Barbara Brackman helped me grow as a quilter too.  The precise piecing needed for the 8 inch blocks, combined with trying to use larger scaled "modern" prints tested my skills every time.  I want to finish this quilt in 2012.

1. Look What I Can Do!, 2. Patchwork Skirt, 3. Girl with her 100 day Quilt, 

4. Not available, 5. Not available, 6. Easter Dresses 2011

I even managed to do some sewing with and for the girls this year.  It tries my patience to the breaking point to have guide every step of the sewing process as they learn, but it is sooo worth it.  Emily showed absolutely no interest in sewing until she sewed up a messenger bag with her friend, but now I find her sewing random bits of scraps together and trying to make simple totes and even slippers on her own.

What else did I do?  I led an online quilt bee, A Twist on Tradition, participated in 2 rounds of the 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee, joined the Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild, quilted a king sized quilt on a long arm machine and had three projects posted at The Moda Bake Shop.

 Bleh?!?  What was I thinking?   I realize now  how many amazing things I had the opportunity to participate in and do this year.  I am so very grateful and look forward to another great year of growth.

Thanks for stopping by - I know I wouldn't be writing if you weren't reading!  :)  Have a great New Year!

Abu Dhabi: Arrival

On December 2nd I left to visit our friends the Cooks in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates - I guess I don't have to say how good of friends they are.  :)  

When I got to the airport, I was told that my flight from Des Moines to Atlanta was going to be late enough that I would miss my connecting flight to Paris (and then from Paris to Abu Dhabi) so I was rerouted at check in through Detroit.  Yes, I flew from Detroit to Paris...Who would have thought they had a direct flight?  Anyway, I didn't think anything about it, but Brian and the Cooks got wind of the Atlanta flight being super delayed/canceled and were worried about me being stuck somewhere.  Well...the Cooks were worried and thought Brian a heartless monster for not being concerned, but he knew I could handle myself and worse case scenario I would be stuck safely in an airport until I could get a flight - miserable, but safe.   I don't have a cell phone and I didn't think about them checking the flight - oops.  But I made it safely there in a timely manner.  Is 24 hours of travel timely?  Anyway...

On my Des Moines to Detroit flight I sat next to a man who was in the process of interviewing for a position in Abu Dhabi.  How crazy is that?  He thought it would be a cool opportunity, but his wife wasn't so sure.  I should have gotten his email and written him after I got back.  We also compared Kindles.  My friend Tara had bought some things on Amazon for Christmas and had them shipped to my house to bring with me.  She was getting a Kindle Fire and I had an Awesome time playing with it and reading on the plane.  Doug was getting a new leather bag for Christmas and I used it for my carry on.  I know...too many details, but tough.  You wanted a trip-a-log, and you are going to get it.  :)

I had to run to get to my Detroit to Paris flight.  Brian knows I never run in the airport unless I really have to, but they were making the "last boarding call" announcement and I was over 40 gates away.  eek!  But I made it.  I figured it was good for me to stretch my legs before the long flight.  I flew Air France and wholeheartedly recommend them as an airline - way better food, service, movies and ear phones than the Delta flight home from Paris.  I tried to sleep, but that didn't work so well.

I just had a bit of time in Paris before the flight to Abu Dhabi.  The Paris airport is packed with high end shopping places.  American airports are packed with lots of eating places.

I got to speak some french on the flight from Paris to Abu Dhabi.  I was sitting in the middle of a bunch of male flight attendants who were on their way to Belize to man a plane.  The guy said my french was good which made me stutter and forget words like mad.  I also asked him what kind of sports team he was on...I had somehow mistaken flight attendants for sports team?!?  eek!  But thankfully, I was next to a window on this leg of the flight and curled up against my jacket and fell asleep for awhile.

By the time we got to Abu Dhabi, I was exhausted and more than tired of sitting.  The gates in Abu Dhabi are arranged around a central hub with shops and a beautiful tiled ceiling/middle thing.

I had to stop and take some pictures on the sly.  It isn't really kosher to take pictures of people but I figured being a very small person on some random lady's blog wouldn't be so bad.
Tara and I had decided before we left that I would take a taxi from the airport to their house.  It was before midnight when I got there and after an hour or more waiting to get through immigration (at least there wasn't customs) I was exhausted and regretting my "I can do it!  I can take a taxi!" decision.

They are waiting to participate in a traditional dance -
they don't walk around with sticks normally.  Source:  http://flic.kr/p/9Nh5mF

I must mention at this point though that the guys at the immigration desks were native Emirates and wore the kandura (long white robes) and head coverings like those in the picture above.  Most of the Emirates that I met were fairer skinned than those in the picture and Tara and I agreed that they were a very good looking bunch.  I don't know how in the world they keep their kanduras so clean and pressed.  I never saw anyone looking less than perfect.  I do have to admit that I did get nervous going through immigration.  I think that westerners have one more major prejudice to overcome -  the fear of Arabs.  Anyway...

I got in line outside for the Taxi.  They have a really organized system and I was in a taxi in a few minutes.  I got nervous when I told the driver the name of the building I was going to and another nearby landmark and he said, "In Abu Dhabi city?"  Really?  Where else would I be going?  Ahh!!  (It turns out that there are a few large cities near the airport and he wanted to make sure he was going to the right one.)  I am rather embarrassed to say that I had a hard time understanding his english - and he mine.  But we got there.

From Flickr:  http://flic.kr/p/aWAthV

As we made the 40 minute drive into Abu Dhabi, you couldn't help but notice that it was all decked out for a celebration.  I wasn't sure at first if the mini flags made with lights that lined the side of the freeway were just there as a "Welcome to Abu Dhabi" but it became apparent as we drove into town that people were either crazy patriotic or something big was going on.  It just so happened that Abu Dhabi was all lit up and decorated for National Day, which they had celebrated the day before.  It had been 40 years since the formation of the UAE and they went all out to celebrate.

A car decorated for National Day.

Not only were the sky scrapers decorated but people decked out their cars...

A villa sporting a large flag outside of Abu Dhabi.

...and homes.  Tara remarked that it was like a flag arms race...they just kept getting bigger and bigger.  :)

The view from their apartment window.

When we sited their apartment building I asked if I could borrow the driver's cell phone to "call my friend so he can come down and pay you."  I thought that phrasing would make it pretty sure that he would be ok with me making a call.  As we pulled up I recognized the young man getting out of another taxi.  He had been right in front of me in the taxi line!  We could have ridden together.  His taxi driver was friends with my driver, so as I waited for Doug to come down, get me and pay the driver they chatted.

Tara had set up a bed for me in the girl's vacated room.  It even had it's own bathroom - heaven!  And I fell into bed and didn't wake up until much later....tune in for some more of the story tomorrow.  :)

December: The Month of Applique

 I am still chugging away at Block 21 - aka Killer Applique.  I am half way done and on track to finish by next Friday when we will start Curves in the Skill Builder Sampler.  I feel much more confident teaching curves then applique.  Yea! to a New Year and new Skill Builder topic.  :)

 I have also been working on these blocks this month for the 4x5 Modern Bee.  

 I decided because I was going to spend a lot of time on the plane flying to Abu Dhabi that I would do a handwork heavy block.

 Even with over 48 hours of total travel time, I still had tons to do when I got back. 

 Thankfully they take much less thought and skill than the "Killer Block".

The sides of the hexagons are 3/4 inch.  I English paper pieced the hexagons together and then appliqued them onto the background.

I used a lot of 5 inch charm squares that I had gotten in swaps this year in each 12.5 inch block.

 I have found that having a well stocked supply of multicolored "scraps" very handy in swaps.

 And here they are all together.

Enjoy!  Have a safe and Happy New Year!

21 - Rose and Tulip Cross - or applique pattern of choice

Well, Christmas in in full swing around here.  I have made plates of cookies for neighbors and friends, helped an elderly woman clean her house and bought presents.  But...I have not wrapped any presents or finished my applique block for this week.  This is as far as I have gotten.  Yeah, not great...but here we go anyway...

When thinking about what I wanted to do for this week's block, I determined that I wanted us to practice the skills of appliqueing in-y and out-y points.  Out-y points being like the bottom point of a heart and in-y points being the middle point between the two top lobes of the heart.  (I am sure there is a real name for these kind of points, but I am going to stick with in-y and out-y.)  I probably should have just stuck with a simple flower (in-y) with a stem and leaf (out-y) but then I found this series of free applique patterns.  I especially liked the patterns in the Applique Sampler section and the Rose and Tulip Cross pattern made my final cut.

............

Edited (5/15):  The Skill Builder Sampler will is available for purchase in book form!  It has been renamed "You Can Quilt!  Building Skills for Beginners" but covers the same skills with the easy, medium and challenging blocks and is a million times better than the original quilt along.  It is perfect for the beginning quilter or the experienced quilter who wants to branch out and learn new skills.  Find more information and order a signed copy in my Etsy shop or order on Amazon. 

...................

I do not expect everyone to make this exact block.  Everyone has different taste in applique patterns and I would hate for you to spend hours stitching something you hated.  Feel free to choose any of the patterns on Free Quilt Patterns site, make your own pattern or simply applique a couple of hearts to your background fabric.  The one thing I want all of the Block 21s to have in common are in-y and out-y points.  Last week's block should have given you a taste of the different types of applique.  This week you many use your favorite applique method: needle turn, freezer paper, cheater needle turn or raw edge applique.  You many machine or hand stitch the fabric onto the background fabric.
The first step for this week's block is to cut a piece of background fabric at least 13.5 inches square.  Then mark the center and diagonal lines as shown below.  This will help you center your image.  You can either mark the lines with a marking pen/pencil or by ironing them in.

Then choose your design (or draw it) and print it out.  Transfer the design to the top of the background fabric.  You can use transfer paper, a light box or the tried and true tape-it-onto-the-window method.

I taped the pattern section to the window - this only works when it is light outside, so don't put it off until the kids are in bed like I did one night.  :)

I thought I would save myself the hassle of taping my fabric on top of the pattern by having my daughter hold the fabric for me -- Don't.  She moved and my lines got off.  Take the extra time to line up your center marking lines with the lines on the pattern and tape the fabric firmly in place.  Trace the pattern with a fabric marker.  Repeat for all four quadrants.

 

Using your applique method of choice start adding the applique elements.  Look to see which pieces should be added first.  For example in this pattern I am starting with the stems because I can tuck their ends under the flowers.

Here is a great video that shows how to do in-y and out-y points with needle turn applique.  The same trimming, clipping and folding techniques for points can be applied to all types of applique.  It also shows a method for transferring your pattern using chalk paper at the end.

When you are done appliqueing on all of the elements, remove any marking lines with water and trim the block to 12.5 inches.

I hope this is clear enough to get you started.  I am no expert, so feel free to share any links to applique instructions that you have found helpful.  I think the key to making this block is just jumping in feet first.  Don't worry too much, just do your best.  My block will not be winning any contests, but I am having fun so far.  So pick out a pattern, get your pieces prepped and start stitching away while you watch The Christmas Story.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!