tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35179123121042189602024-03-19T01:48:45.908-07:00asimplelife QuiltsI've always loved to make things. Join me while I reboot my creativity, create a new quilting room and tackle LOTS of unfinished projects.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.comBlogger463125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-80451384217282942102016-01-16T19:20:00.001-08:002016-01-16T19:21:27.535-08:00Q1 FAL GoalsI'm linking up my Q1 Finish-A-Long goals under the gun with a quick post tonight. I'm still looking for my quilting mo-jo but am working on some goal setting for 2016 anyway. I figure it has to return sometime!<br />
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I've selected a dozen UFOs from my collection to focus on FINISHING this quarter. Here are the first six:<br />
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<li>Warm 16 Patches</li>
<li>Memory Garden</li>
<li>Tonga Treats Table Runner</li>
<li>Watercolor Wall Hanging from Kit</li>
<li>Kisses & Hugs</li>
<li>Bouncing Balls 2</li>
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And the last six:</div>
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<li>Strip Stacks in Blue & Brown</li>
<li>Scrappy Strip Stacks</li>
<li>Crossroads 3</li>
<li>Crossroads 2</li>
<li>Blue Slabs on Yellow</li>
<li>Crossroads 1</li>
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I'm off to link up at <a href="http://aquilterstable.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-finish-long-q1-now-open.html" target="_blank">A Quilter's Table</a> with less than an hour to spare.</div>
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Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-46619591760715218992015-12-01T18:19:00.000-08:002015-12-01T18:19:55.088-08:00My Journals and ElsaIt surely seems that time is sprinting by this year. One would think that the empty nest years would move slowly but that certainly is NOT the case for me! It was so nice reconnecting with some of you after my last post by the way and I am making progress through my blog roll. Slowly but surely...<br />
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Since no sewing has happened since my last post I'll share a bit about my ongoing affair with paper. My current books are shown above - the bottom two are for creative journaling and the top two are for planning and tasks. I use the middle two every day. The pink disc bound journal is my Fauxbonichi which has been a part of my daily habit since April. These pages make me so happy! They are a mix of color play, glued bits, stamped images, journaling prompts, what happened during my day and/or what's on my mind.<br />
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The purple traveler's notebook houses my calendar, bullet journal and some inserts I use to track my walks and projects. This is a new setup for me since November 1st as I try to stay focused and make the most of these last 2 months of 2015. The inserts are held in place by elastic bands and this is a very tactile journal. I love the color, the leather and the way it feels in my hand.<br />
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The colorful journal on the bottom is my MAMBI Happy Planner which I have been using since July as a motivational/memories/gratitude journal. Planner decoration is a huge thing now... and while I'm more of a functional planner this journal allows me to get my "pretty planning" fix so I can leave my real planner alone!<br />
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I won the small orange traveler's notebook in an online giveaway and I carry it with me in my purse. It has an appointment calendar, an insert to jot down notes and an insert for me to journal about My Obsessions. As in things I may WANT but do not NEED or things that stuck in my mind that I want to write out.<br />
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Elsa loves my Paper Room almost as much as she loves my Quilting Room as it is full of little bits to bat off a table, paper edges to chew and containers to examine. As if she has no toys at all of her own! She has been with us almost 2 years now and still has the energy of a kitten. The top of this tower is for napping and the middle is... well... for toys. *WINK*<br />
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She also has a second toy box in the corner of our living room. Every couple of days I pick up after her and then she has lots of fun scattering them about again. Oh the life of a <strike>Spoiled</strike> Sweet Little Princess Cat!<br />
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I am looking forward to a long weekend in Dallas to meet up with several cousins and welcome the youngest member of my extended family - an adorable 2 month old boy who I cannot wait to cuddle and snuggle! And yes, I am packing a quilt for him that has been waiting for the right little person. Next week will be busy with preparations for Christmas. Is your tree up yet?Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-83008367078960732462015-11-18T10:09:00.000-08:002015-11-19T15:12:46.671-08:00Hello... It's MeLong time no blog - but I'm hoping to change that! And, yes, I'm borrowing from Adele's delicious new song for my post title. I feel kind of like a teenager again waiting for her new album on Friday.<br />
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Right away I will say that all is well. My blogging absence has to do with a lack of quilting, not a bad stretch of life. Or even a lack of creative interests for that matter. I just can't seem to get back into this beautiful room.<br />
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I've decided I'll try flipping my thinking that quilting has to precede blogging. Perhaps a return to blogging at least once a week will ease me past the threshold. I think a general tidy up including clearing my design wall<br />
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and blowing the dust off of my babies<br />
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will be a good start! Then it will be time to sit down and sew SOMETHING.<br />
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Miss Elsa thinks so too. She is most anxious to try to steal pins, bat blocks off the design wall and take nice naps on the corner of my table while I play.<br />
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I've really missed blogging. And I think I'm good to write about other creative things besides quilting - or even non creative things for that matter. It's kind of ironic because when I started blogging I had no idea it would become ALL about quilting because I was coming off a 5 year hiatus from quilting.<br />
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This is so me! I'm either all in or done. So bear with me while I try to learn the art of balance. See you next week...Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-27233369647713467322015-06-01T15:42:00.001-07:002015-06-01T15:44:34.722-07:00Good Grief - June!For all of the Peanuts lovers out there... Good Grief Charlie Brown it's JUNE! Even though I had to put my annuals in the garage due to frost warnings over the weekend it truly is June 1st.<br />
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Elsa is happy for warmer temperatures again for her afternoon nap. Our son Micah is home from school and started his summer job today. His school year ended on a high note and, while he is happy to be home, I know he will be anxious to go back in late August. It is so nice to have him around and he seems to have accepted that straight A's at a quality school in a demanding program is NOT going to happen. I am loving his new relaxed mood and feel lighter as a result myself.<br />
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My quilting room is still eluding me and I'm not even going to bother setting goals for June. Tom and I will be spending our annual week in Vegas this month, there is lots of planting to get done and our daughter Megan arrives for a visit at month end. I have 3 Junk Journals to make for swaps this month - above you can see my paper dying experiments using Koolaid and Glimmer Mist sprays. I think I captured the soft vintage look I was going for. And, when those summer temperatures arrive to stay the lake will be calling my name.<br />
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My Fauxbonichi habit is still going strong too... I've expanded to 2 pages per day so that I can write more and follow along with some of the daily prompts in the Fauxbonichi Journalers Facebook group. I'm loving the color prompt days we have where we are given the photo for inspiration as shown above - it's like picking fabrics for a quilt but finishing it right NOW! My creative mo-jo hasn't gone dormant - it's just coming through in different ways. Maybe not setting any quilting goals will get me sewing... fingers crossed!Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-5812006203767911462015-05-11T08:03:00.001-07:002015-05-11T08:03:32.659-07:00Monday MondayWe are getting much needed rain the last few days but I do have a pretty picture of my lush Flowering Almond shrub to share that I took on Saturday morning. This is the 1st year that ALL of the shrub has bloomed... some years it has only bloomed on the lower branches and other years just at the top. I'm wondering if a healthy trimming last summer was the key to success?<br />
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I'm determined to blog a few days a week even when I'm not sewing which is pushing me out of my comfort zone. Which is OK really because that's how real life has been lately too. I'm finding that learning how to parent kids that are 1,000+ miles away is not natural for me. It's easy to blog about happy events but what about the rest of life? Our daughter and her fiance became unengaged/disengaged/not engaged (is there a word for this?) a few weeks ago. Our son has been having a rough semester at school with one class in particular and I have been trying to help in a way that isn't helpful to him.<br />
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Generally I'm not a person who spends a lot of time worrying because it just isn't healthy or productive for me. I like to keep my mind & my hands busy when I'm stressed... for some reason quilting isn't the cure right now. Instead it's paper play and writing that I'm turning to. I shared a few of my Junk Journals a few weeks ago <a href="http://asimplelifequilts.blogspot.com/2015/04/wip-wednesdayjunk-journals.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and in May I've started a fun project called <a href="http://listersgottalist.com/" target="_blank">#ListersGottaList</a> hosted by TheResetGirl.<br />
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Basically each day there is a prompt and you run with it. Some days are light & frothy (like these) and other days we dig a little deeper... yesterday's prompt was My Strengths for example. Pictures are shared online and it's a lot of fun to see the creativity and insights shared. Elsa and I contemplate our world from here most mornings while I'm cutting, pasting and writing.<br />
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I've also resurrected my Fauxbonichi which I first posted about <a href="http://asimplelifequilts.blogspot.com/2015/03/wip-wednesday-hello-fauxbonichi.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I got behind when I went out East to see the kids in late March/early April, tried to catch up, got discouraged and decided to make a fresh start in May. The Facebook group I belong to is simply amazing... so many talented and inspiring women who are very encouraging to newbies like me and share their art techniques generously.<br />
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We have daily prompts to use if we chose as well as theme days to learn techniques. Above you will see my Tuesday Tangle where I'm learning how to use Micron pens for Zentangle-like doodling. Under the card on the opposite page is some personal journaling about my sad mood that day. I even wrote the date wrong TWICE (it has since been collaged over).Some ladies paint and sketch... others do collage... some use a lot of stamps and others mostly write.<br />
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Each Thursday one of the members provides a quote and a technique to try. I have always loved quotes and pretty lettering so this page made my day! I still can't believe I made that quote look so good and it was such a fitting quote for me right now. Even beginner art like mine is good therapy.<br />
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And, for the real nitty-gritty-write-it-out-of-my-system-stuff I have a worry notebook inside my lovely eggplant fauxdori. I love to write and have used different techniques over the years... sometimes I get thoughts stuck in my head and simply writing them down helps to dislodge them.<br />
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So, no quilting but lots of real life today. I'm looking forward to having our son back under our roof for the summer in 10 days. And, I'm simply going to have to trust that our daughter is doing OK as she has told us. She will be home for a week over the 4th of July. But I'll continue to keep my hands and mind busy in the meantime.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-63921461535385500102015-05-06T08:55:00.000-07:002015-05-06T08:55:49.720-07:00Good Reads & a BirdI missed linking up to <a href="http://sarahdidit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bibliophile Files@sarah did it!</a> last month so today I'm playing catch-up. I'm staying ahead of my 2015 Reading Challenge goal but I've had some real clunkers lately including 2 that I had to give up on. And a few that I probably should have but kept reading to see if they got better.<br />
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I do have three solid 4 star reads to recommend:<br />
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<li><b>Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova</b> - After falling in love with Still Alice Genova is a must read author for me and her fourth novel didn't disappoint. This book about a family dealing with Huntington's Disease kept me reading all afternoon yesterday.</li>
<li><b>True to Form by Elizabeth Berg -</b> Berg is another favorite author of mine and I loved this 3rd take at one of my favorite Berg characters - Katie Nash from <b>Durable Goods</b> and <b>Joy School</b>.</li>
<li><b>Indiscretion by Charles Dubow</b> - I really felt the characters in this book and couldn't put it down. It is rare to feel empathy for all sides of a love triangle but I did here. I will be checking out more of Dubow's books as I enjoyed his insightful yet concise writing style.</li>
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Each spring we have a Mama Robin who builds a nest near our front door. She and her mate start building above our spot lights and every night Tom dismantles their work because it's not a stable place (and we don't want birds pooping on our comings and goings!). Usually they move into the large shrub below as Plan B. Something is a bit off with her this year though and she is driving Miss Elsa crazy...</div>
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She keeps bumping at this window and hopping around on the roof over our covered entryway. Can you see all the bird poop along the edge? And the window is just splattered with I have no idea what. So Elsa hears all the racket and charges to the window to see what is going on.</div>
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And then to the adjacent window... back and forth. The Mama Robin is in the tree but I couldn't got a good pic. This started on Monday and poor Elsa is exhausted as her nap time is being constantly interrupted.</div>
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<b>"Mama... what is HAPPENING???? Make it STOP!" </b>So not only do I have a frantic bird but a crazed cat on my hands! I'm hoping Plan B is settled on today as I'm starting to worry about poor Mama Robin.</div>
Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-31157015084727311992015-05-01T17:15:00.002-07:002015-05-01T17:15:30.449-07:00May DayWe have had glorious weather all week long and I just can't feel bad for not being in the mood to sew. One good thing about not finishing anything is that is makes the monthly wrap up post a moot point! Next...<br />
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I think I have come up with a plan for my Faded Memories 4 patches and so I am going to make finishing this project my May goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/?page_id=5263" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="A Lovely Year of Finishes"> <img alt="My Button" src="http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/image007.jpg" height="128" style="border: none;" width="128" /></a></div>
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Isn't this journal cover gorgeous? I had one like it marked as a favorite for about a year from a seller on Etsy and I decided last month that I really wasn't going to get around to making one myself anytime soon. I placed a custom order and she mailed it 2 days later. Picking this beauty up several times a day makes me very happy... I just wonder why I waited so long!</div>
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I think the rest of my May goals will consist of getting caught up on RSC14 blocks and doing my green RSC15 blocks. I'm not sure how much sew time I will have if the weather stays this nice. Spring has been a long time coming to northern Minnesota. I have a few more Junk Journal swaps to work on this month as well. May always seems like a hopeful month to me with things turning green and plants reappearing. It's one of my favorite times of the year I think. I'm hopeful for at least one quilty finish in the next 31 days.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-40306398529941155092015-04-29T13:01:00.000-07:002015-04-29T13:01:55.811-07:00WIP Wednesday: Junk JournalsI have 2 online swaps that I'm participating in this month at Junk Journal Junkies Facebook group so instead of sewing with fabric I've been sewing with paper the last week. And playing with scissors, glue, Mod Podge and lots of other fun stuff!<br />
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First up is my Mini Envelope Travel Journal. We were required to use a folded 6x9 manila envelope as our journal cover and have one signature (stitched in bundle of papers) for this swap. I'm waiting for some travel charms to arrive to decorate the ends of my binding waxed linen thread but the rest of the journal is done.<br />
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Birds eye view...</div>
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And a peek inside. I used a mix of scrapbook paper, regular paper and some items I cut using my Silhouette Cameo. We were required to create pockets and tuck spots to store extra items. I will be paired up with a partner at the end of the week... I will send her this journal and she will send me the one she has made.<br />
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The theme of the second swap was Junky/Scrap Journal. This journal had to be larger with 3 sewn signatures and we were to use pages from catalogs/magazines, junk mail, plain writing paper and off-cuts from other projects. It was challenging to think out of the box and really get junky!<br />
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For my cover I used a USPS small Priority Mail box turned inside out and collaged the exterior with tissue paper from a package, off cuts from my Cameo and scraps. I cut the title from a glossy mailer and used a pen to outline the letters. I dug into my vintage buttons to embellish the binding threads and make the paper clips.<br />
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The spine of this journal is just under 2" and it has over 100 pages (counting front & back) in it. I die cut my tags from pretty Kleenex boxes, packing material and glossy junk mail. I also used some tags from clothing as bases for collages. We were allowed to use only stamps and scraps for embellishments inside the journal.<br />
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This journal will also be mailed to a partner. It is so much fun to learn by doing and also by seeing techniques and items that our swap partner uses in her journal.<br />
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Now it's time to get busy in my Quilting Room and see if I can finish anything before May arrives Friday. Real life is weighing on my mind so I am once again seeking crafty therapy.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-70862642550826465722015-04-22T10:58:00.000-07:002015-04-22T10:58:28.967-07:00WIP Wednesday: All NewMy design wall has a new attitude on the current project side - my Faded Memories UFO 4 patches are fully in the "Hmmm" stage and I've got my purple HSTs ready to sew together into a strip for my RSC14 ROYGBIV Chevron quilt.<br />
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"Hmmm" because I have WAY more of these 4 patches than I was thinking... only half of them are on the wall. It's a good thing I have plenty of the coordinating yardage to play around with. I also have another charm pack of the woven fabrics available to use.<br />
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I'm thinking my table topper might turn into a lap quilt or maybe a table topper for me and some to share. Such a pretty wash of colors and shabby fabrics to admire... more "Hmmm".<br />
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Miss Elsa finds my indecision nap inducing. I love the light and dark split of this photo. Our sun is back but it is still windy and cold out. But, at least no snow flurries!<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/" target="_blank">WIP Wednesday@Freshly Pieced</a>.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-88656843294724790182015-04-20T14:39:00.000-07:002015-04-20T14:39:48.928-07:00Picnic in Serenade = Flimsy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is unseasonably cold out today with a brisk wind and snowflakes falling intermittently so there will be no outdoor pictures taken. I'm afraid this flimsy might fly over the trees and right into our lake! Even Elsa is unhappy as she was enjoying spending her afternoons on the porch last week as we had temperatures in the 60's and low 70's.</div>
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So here is Picnic in Serenade on my design wall instead.<br />
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This is one of those patterns that I fell in love with at first sight and I ordered the book because of the cover quilt called Picnic. It's very satisfying to see it come together after I started it 2 years ago as one of my UFO Reward projects (during 2013 I was able to start a new project after I finished 10 UFOs). I have three of Kim Brackett's books and think they are all great.<br />
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When I was finishing the blocks this winter I posted about my discovery of this Folded Corner Clipper. Not only do I love it for block construction...but it also made my joins of the angles go together smoothly when I sewed the blocks together. I didn't even pin between the block seams!<br />
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I just kept a careful eye to make sure my seam allowances were laying the right way and trusted Mr. Juki to do the rest. This tool is a keeper.<br />
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The fabrics are from Kate Spain's line called Serenade and it is an eclectic mix of patterns as well as an unusual mix of colors. I think they are well suited for this happy looking pattern. For now this top will go on a hanger and wait it's turn for quilting... and I'm ready to load up something new on my design wall which is always exciting.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-46490021786190574862015-04-19T13:10:00.000-07:002015-04-19T13:10:20.724-07:00RSC15 Catch-Up Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The RSC15 color for April is purple which has so many delicious shades in my opinion. In fact, purple has been my favorite color for most of my life (minus the last 15 years when yellow took over). It is my favorite color to wear hands down too. Sewing with purple is always a pleasure!</div>
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I think my 5 purple bowtie blocks show off the glory that is purple nicely.</div>
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Since I'm playing catch-up with March I also have made 5 yellow blocks from my scraps to add to the mix. I think I used up my bright yellows in January when I was framing my blue crumb blocks with yellows but I think these blocks will play nice with the other colors and not steal the show like bright yellow tends to.<br />
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Here's a pic of all of the 2015 colors we've had so far mixed together. I am LOVING these blocks!<br />
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Next up is catching up on my blocks for RSC14 which I hope to do this week. It would be a step in the right direction to start May being current with this challenge.<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">ScrapHappy Saturday@soscrappy</a> and can't wait to see what everyone else has been making with purple.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-50845934088631365362015-04-16T12:37:00.000-07:002015-04-16T12:38:52.753-07:00Hello Quilting Room!I was going to do a WIP Wednesday post yesterday but didn't get my act together so I'll try again today with more of a PIP post - Plans In Progress - starting with my design wall.<br />
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Someone in the house has decided that this wall is great fun to jump up on. A furry little someone who looks rather angelic at the moment...</div>
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Elsa has had a big day so far. There were two rabbits dining on grass near our family room windows for about an hour this morning and she was going crazy hopping from window to futon to chair to the other window watching. Then my cleaning friend arrived and Elsa likes to supervise her work (except when the vacuum is running). She is so crashed that she gave a little "mewp" when she heard the camera click but that was it.</div>
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My cutting table is a big old mess and is item #1 on my To-Do List once this post is published. You can see the missing strips for Picnic in Serenade which will go back on the design wall and then I will get those strips assembled into a flimsy (item #2). </div>
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I've pulled out the baggie containing my Faded Memories 4 patches and will be putting them up on the design wall to play around with layouts (item #3). I had forgotten the cute woven fabrics paired up with the regular cotton charms. Aren't they fun? I'm such a fan of 3 Sisters fabric lines.<br />
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Purple is the color for RSC15 in April so I'll pulled my purple scraps to make my bowtie blocks (item #4). Lots of busy prints here so I might need to cut into a few FQs this month. And, since I didn't get to my yellows in March I'll be doing those as well.</div>
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Somewhere along the line I read/heard about having books spiral bound for ease of use and I finally did it. And wow how I love it! I took these books to Office Max last week and paid just $4.29 a book... let's just say I've already started a stack of my most used quilt books for my next trip. The "Art Doodle Love" book was a birthday gift to myself but the binding was so tight I couldn't open it all the way to write in. They also add a clear protective sheet to protect the cover which you can't see in my picture and you can choose between white, black or clear for the coil. </div>
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If you look back to the pic of my cutting table above you can see the acrylic recipe holder I use to hold my book for my current project open. It works fine, but if I leave it in there too long the book ends up getting bent out of shape. I'm one to forget the measurements or get a block sub unit flipped the wrong way so I'm constantly checking my books. Sometimes the simple things make me very happy!</div>
Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-52263752720841878092015-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:002015-04-13T09:43:13.031-07:00Q2 Finish Along GoalsAfter a fair amount of thought I've come to the conclusion (or should I say hope!) that pulling some fresh projects from my UFO Collection into the mix will get me going again this quarter. So I'm going to put some of the flimsies back onto hangers and pull out some UFOs that are in the piecing stage since that is my favorite stage of making a quilt.<br />
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<a href="http://onthewindyside.co.nz/" title="2015 FAL at On the Windy Side"><img alt="2015 FAL at On the Windy Side" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdhRGAkefTG0hXn7d7hyphenhyphenxBSH8-zCsYC786BYhzcoviodSV_VWsb7F0My1MYPEvQnHqZKwEasJOHxaJ-mXJ65xN-wyq_0hAuMayef0WP33dFxOGro3xO3j-PdbxSHQkVwuuZQAEpArho1_/s1600/2015FALbutton125.pn" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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I'm also going for the smaller projects in my Collection as you will see. I'm all about building momentum this quarter you might say.<br />
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<b>"New" UFOs:</b></div>
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1. Kisses & Hugs - need to finish the paper pieced blocks, assemble into a top, quilt and bind.</div>
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2. Bouncing Balls II - need to finish the paper pieced blocks, assemble into a top, quilt and bind.</div>
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3. Faded Memories - I've had this stack of four patches forever... I'm thinking a table topper perhaps? </div>
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4. Watercolor Wall Hanging - it needs an appliqued flower and finishing so I can hang it up!</div>
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5. My Favorite Chair - I'm going to frame this embroidered piece from one of Madame Samm's Blog Hops with fabric for either a pillow or a wall hanging.</div>
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<b>"Old" UFOs:</b></div>
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1. Crossroads #1</div>
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2. Crossroads #2<br />
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3. Crossroads #3<br />
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That adds up to 8 UFOs ready for some finishing action in Q2... now all I need to do is park myself in my Quilting Room and get to it. </div>
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Pretty much!</div>
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Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-5372136309648960592015-04-06T13:06:00.001-07:002015-04-06T13:06:40.295-07:00April GoalsI feel like April is going to be a turning point month for me. Our weather is still crappy and I've got UFOs to finish... it's that simple. I just need to get started.<br />
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I'm picking Crossroads #1 as my finish for A Lovely Year of Finishes. I see that purple is the RSC15 color of the month which is one of my favorite colors. No excuses. I've listed the rest of my goals for the month on my sidebar.<br />
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I returned from my trip east to see the kids on Saturday, had my typical post trip lazy day yesterday and am getting back on task today. I'm looking forward to watching the Final Four game tonight and getting into my Quilting Room tomorrow. Let's sew!Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-42398090381013093892015-03-27T07:37:00.000-07:002015-03-27T07:37:08.225-07:00Heading Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I fly out tonight to spend a week visiting my kids (lucky me!) and I'm hoping for a taste of spring along the way. There is nothing quilty to report on... just wanted to make a quick post before I go. The later part of March hasn't been very productive in my Quilting Room but I have been keeping busy with other projects and watching March Madness.<br />
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It is hard to believe that April is just around the corner already, especially with the snow flurries we've had over the last 2 days. I'm feeling a little out of FOCUS and hope to come back after Easter ready to find that routine I'm still searching for. Sometimes I find that time away provides me with a fresh perspective. There is something about a change in environment that refocuses what is most important in day to day life. While I love to travel I always look forward to coming home too.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-35418587963377455012015-03-18T11:46:00.000-07:002015-03-18T11:46:47.479-07:00WIP Wednesday: Hello Fauxbonichi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once in a while I come across something that makes me drop everything and think "How I have not seen this before?". For the last few weeks I have been feeling, for lack of a perfect word, restless. Not unhappy, not frustrated, not overwhelmed... just an under-it-all sense of something missing. Last week for my birthday I gave myself an art journal book, a grown up coloring book and a watercolor kit looking for some inspiration. I spent a morning making a collage journal cover out of an old file folder, pages from a Connecting Threads magazine and Mod Podge just because I wanted to play.<br />
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The inside has pockets made from folding the edges back and gluing them down. Nothing fancy... just fun!<br />
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Sunday night I was watching some videos on YouTube when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udLFwemkbuI" target="_blank">THIS</a> popped into my suggested viewing list. I had no idea what a Fauxbonichi was but I clicked on it and about halfway in I was hooked. As in joining her Facebook group, finding a notebook to use and staying up until 2:30 AM watching more videos, reading blog posts and watching that same video again (and again!).<br />
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First thing Monday morning I added washi tape around the edges of my journal cover for reinforcement and threaded some elastic to hold my Moleskine large size cahier notebook in place inside. And I decided that as a part of doing my daily pages I would add an item to my cover each day until it feels "done". Then I will give it a couple more coats of Mod Podge to seal it. Of course I chose one of my Elsa look-alike stickers!<br />
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Then I turned my attention to the inside. Basically this will be my play journal with a quote, a sketch/doodle, a journal prompt, a gratitude section and what ever I feel like doing with the large section on the left. So far I'm playing with some stamps, washi tape and my colored pen & marker collection. I tend to buy this stuff with great intentions but let it sit unused so I'm challenging myself to let loose and have fun with this book.<br />
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I laid out a weeks worth of pages so I can just open it up and get to it. I look forward to seeing how my pages evolve as I start to change things up over time.<br />
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Here's what my cover looks like as of today and my page in progress is below. Tonight or tomorrow morning I'll fill in the rest. I'm going to be backing each page with scrapbook paper to cover any marker or stamping that bleeds through. I'll be able to do extra journaling or collage some items there as well.<br />
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I used to keep diaries and at various times I've kept a journal. I have a sense that my life right now is at a point where I have the most ME time I might ever have again. The kids are out east, my husband is 3-4 years away from retiring and my parents are (knock on wood) healthy. I have a bad habit of pushing things off until "Someday". I also have been feeling very nostalgic since the kids moved away and would like to capture some memories of our lives. Someday seems to be NOW, especially as the days fly by. So this is my start and I'm loving it!Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-41043266542931948102015-03-15T09:35:00.000-07:002015-03-15T09:35:56.707-07:00Can't Stop KnittingI've seriously fallen into a rabbit hole filled with yarn this week. After Monday's post I was browsing Ravelry and noticed that my Infinity Scarf is going to be more like an Infinity Cowl due to my (forgotten) tendency to knit tightly. That sent me off into the internet to read about blocking techniques (many!) which led me to Craftsy. A while back I had added some knitting classes to my wishlist and I decided to start with the basics: Knit Lab by Stephanie Japel since it was on sale.<br />
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This is my 1st project from her class which is knit in 2 sections and then woven together to make a cute keyhole scarf. The yarn color in real life is more plum than violet but my camera isn't seeing it so this will do. I'm getting ready to put it together and learn how to block the lace section.<br />
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But in the meantime I went ahead and started the 2nd project which alternates 3 simple patterns to make a long scarf. I've had a couple skeins of this yarn forever - I think I used it to teach Megan how to knit way back when - and thought the soft colors would be shown off nicely in this project. I went up 2 needle sizes from the suggested on the pattern to achieve the correct guage and I've decided to start my Infinity Scarf over and try the same. I like how easy it is to unravel yarn for a redo!<br />
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It has been many years since I was taught to knit and it has been reassuring to see that I'm doing a lot of things right and can easily improve on the other things. I am really enjoying this class and went ahead and bought another on sale Craftsy class by Stephanie about knitting with circular needles. I would like to "graduate" to some advanced projects and techniques as I find knitting to be relaxing in a different way from sewing.<br />
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Elsa enjoys our knitting time too... she likes to claim the recliner part of the chair after her active supervision is completed.<br />
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These beauties from my Mother In Law arrived yesterday and truly made my day. The deer devour tulips where we live so this is the only way to enjoy them. Don't they just shout "SPRING!!!"?Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-36756556424452741072015-03-09T13:55:00.002-07:002015-03-09T13:55:22.554-07:00Design Wall Monday + Wool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My design wall has a new element today as I did some yellow sewing over the weekend. This ROYGBIV Chevron quilt was started last year for RSC14 but sadly the only strip I did was the blue so I'll be adding the other colors as they come up this year. I love blocks made from HSTs even though it can be a challenge to get those joins nice and crisp. Like all things... practice makes closer to perfect or good enough for me!</div>
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I also have sewn my blocks for Picnic in Serenade together into rows. Now they will sit awhile until I get some quilting done. I like having something to admire on the wall while I'm quilting tops.<br />
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Elsa loves the windows in my quilting room - especially on breezy days like today when she can see lots of movement in the woods. Our snow is starting to disappear around the house foundation which is a sure sign of warmer weather at last.<br />
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Toward the end of last week I was feeling like a change of pace and started this scarf. I love this pattern because all of the "tricky" knitting is done in one row and the other 7 are easy peasy!<br />
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This is how it looks today. I was excited to finally reach the teal part of this colorway. And I will add that Elsa finds knitting to be fantastic playtime. If you look closely at the picture above you can see her furry self in the top right corner. She is all over me when the needles come out.<br />
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Needless to say I won't be leaving this project laying out unattended! I'm linking up a day late to <a href="http://www.rainbowhare.com/" target="_blank">Wool on Sundays@Rainbow Hare</a>.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-21018515363345683462015-03-04T10:32:00.001-08:002015-03-04T10:32:36.719-08:00WIP Wednesday: Progress!<b>Piecing Station:</b><br />
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I've finished the last 20 blocks for Picnic in Serenade and am ready to sew the rows together for the bottom 2 Sunny Lanes blocks which I'm using as leader/enders. I've given Picnic in Serenade the Value Treatment and will leave it on my wall while I'm busy quilting for the rest of the week to contemplate any changes.<br />
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While I love this fabric line it has taught me a good lesson. In this 40 strip jelly roll there are only 19 unique fabrics which means that 2 fabrics are tripled and the rest are doubled. Which adds up to make this particular line not ideal for this particular pattern - it's still a pretty top but I would prefer more variety. Lesson learned: check the repeats and THEN choose a pattern.<br />
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Oh - and orange might be more of an "attention hogging" color than yellow!<br />
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<b>Sandwich Shop:</b><br />
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<b>Quilting Station:</b><br />
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I decided to use the back side of my whiteboard easel to try out a Kanban board inspired by <a href="http://www.the-littlest-thistle.com/2014/04/finish-along-quarter-1-tutorial.html" target="_blank">THIS</a> post from last years Finish Along at The Littlest Thistle. I printed out my active projects onto some 3" Post It Notes I had handy - orange represents 2015 WIPs, aqua is for UFO Donation quilts and purple means UFO Keepers. A very quick project to set up and it has a nice little payoff when I get to move a square.<br />
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Just another way to try and keep things moving! I'm linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/" target="_blank">WIP Wednesday@Freshly Pieced</a>.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-76659320631389858762015-03-03T10:23:00.002-08:002015-03-03T10:23:22.829-08:00February Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I look back at February it is clear that I spent a lot more time in my Quilting Room vs. on the sofa as 7 of my 10 reads were audiobooks. I'm starting to get a little nervous about running out of audiobooks via my library as my searches are getting longer. I might have to explore a paid rental option if I can't find any new authors to enjoy soon.<br />
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I have two 4 star reads to share:<br />
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<li>The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins</li>
<li>The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro</li>
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The Girl on the Train was an excellent psychological thriller that kept me guessing and it has been getting a lot of attention from other readers on Goodreads. I enjoyed the movie version of The Remains of the Day in January and requested the book from my library. It is an interesting glimpse at the buildup to WWII through the eyes of an English butler.<br />
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I also checked off three items on my PopSugar Challenge - a book published this year, a book set in a different country and a book that takes place in your hometown. I had to change "hometown" to "nearby" so that I could use one of the four William Kent Krueger books I listened to. They are set in northern Minnesota and that's about as close as I can get! You can find the Challenge <a href="http://media3.popsugar-assets.com/files/docs/Love%26Sex-Love%26Sex-2015ReadingChallenge-print.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a> if you are interested. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktMp_11zQ8Nr5QJUrYTrjOfLY5QVYquNj3BH9UIWzw55Px6xsS0wxxDVCCRvcH-BGfUAy0c7uxghpSCcZGfncaz5yVIgPP8zheuKa5Z-4wn3_22JYDUVzJpWZ-yPgfTw4hMEh8W22Og52/s1600/P1060301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktMp_11zQ8Nr5QJUrYTrjOfLY5QVYquNj3BH9UIWzw55Px6xsS0wxxDVCCRvcH-BGfUAy0c7uxghpSCcZGfncaz5yVIgPP8zheuKa5Z-4wn3_22JYDUVzJpWZ-yPgfTw4hMEh8W22Og52/s1600/P1060301.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since I didn't finish any of these books (I've got 2 in progress) from my shelf in February I'll try again in March.<br />
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On sunny days this is Elsa's favorite napping spot on the corner of my cutting table. She loves batting as you can see.</div>
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This leads her to be too helpful in the Sandwich Shop however. Not only is she fond of sprawling out on any exposed batting but she is obsessed with the basting pins. As in nabbing one and running off with it. It's for your own good Elsa that I chase you down and take them away!</div>
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I'm linking up to the <a href="http://sarahdidit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bibliophile Files@sarahdidit!</a>.</div>
Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-54831327687695283132015-03-02T06:40:00.000-08:002015-03-02T07:02:56.841-08:00My Mission in MarchI have fond memories of watching the TV series Mission: Impossible years ago because of the very dramatic theme song, convoluted plots and dashing characters. The catch phrase "Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it..." was delivered with a flourish each episode. I've seen a few of the movies too but the original flavor is my favorite.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from http://momentscount.com/archives/5368</td></tr>
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The clock is ticking on my Q1 Finish Along goals and, beyond that, my UFO Countdown. Winter is quilting season for me and it's time to accept my mission and crank up Mr. Juki. I'm choosing Warm 16 Patches as my Finish for A Lovely Year of Finishes because I'm feeling the need for some warm colors as winter lingers on.<br />
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This top has 6 good looking friends that are ready for action in March.<br />
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I've got a shortened month ahead with a happy trip east to visit the kids coming up the week before Easter. In February I set a goal to sew an hour a day which worked great for a lot of piecing... but I prefer to work on a top in one quilting session so in March I'm going to designate Tuesdays & Thursdays as quilting days. As in "Finish a Quilt" quilting days!<br />
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Beyond that I'd like to get caught up with my yellow RSC blocks from last year and make some yellow bowtie blocks. If I could get the remaining 3 projects on my <a href="http://asimplelifequilts.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_7.html" target="_blank">Q1 Finish Along</a> page to flimsy stage that would be a bonus but I'm not counting on it.<br />
<a href="http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/?page_id=5263" title="A Lovely Year of Finishes"><img alt="My Button" src="http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/image007.jpg" height="128" style="border: none;" width="128" /></a><br />
Quilting is My Mission in March and I choose to accept it.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-19631888419872601112015-03-01T10:45:00.000-08:002015-03-01T10:45:41.134-08:00Farewell to FebruaryIf I were grading on a curve I'd give February a solid B. I definitely spent more time in my Quilting Room than I have in months which was my main goal. I think I only missed 3 days and learned a lot about setting up my projects to allow for a quick hour of focused sewing. As a natural "all or nothing" person that isn't exactly comfortable yet but I'll keep working at it.<br />
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Last night I posted my 1st 2015 Finish and it was very satisfying to move Crossroads #4 to the Finished Quilts 2015 tab. My UFO Countdown is back in action on my right sidebar too. That number has GOT to go down... down... down.<br />
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3 sets of blocks made it to Flimsy stage in February - Path & Styles in Thimbleberries (UFO), Strip Stacks in Blue & Brown (UFO) and Blue Slabs on Yellow (WIP). I also started 2 new projects this month - Chevrons on Grey was my Let's Book It project and Tonga Treats.<br />
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And I made significant progress on 2 more UFOs that are in the piecing stage - Picnic in Serenade on the left and Sunny Lanes on the right.<br />
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I would love to have had more finishes this month (as always!) but I'm happy to be back to enjoying my quilting time and moving projects along the path. I feel like I cleared a big mental hurdle by finishing Crossroads #4 and have set myself up nicely for several finishes in March.<br />
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<a href="http://lilysquilts.blogspot.co.uk/" title="Fresh Sewing Day"><img alt="Fresh Sewing Day" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkjRpVdMneMBzcnV9lHjbLc_eSde7h1yVYuBOUYQEfE56axonPLVMPiILXnBS6RC1YnK6YHm55VtXGSlLHzvfSECsLim4wb7teXW1z8KNIkvJM3o7hDpnZjHmuDYOvAt9U8Lhq3NtnzM/s1600/Untitled+Drawing-1.png" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
I'm linking up to Fresh Sewing Day@Lily's Quilts.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-9525811704063389882015-02-28T16:19:00.001-08:002015-04-06T13:13:47.933-07:001st Finish of 2015!Finally... a Finish!<br />
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Crossroads #4 was sandwiched, quilted and bound this afternoon just in time to get some quick iPhone pictures before it turned completely dark outside. I'm happy to say that once I got going it didn't feel at all like it had been over a year since I last did these steps.</div>
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My favorite walking foot grid quilting on both sides of the block sub units worked out well. I opted for pin basting instead of spray basting indoors and used some leftover pieces of batting on this quilt.<br />
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I love the royal blue polka dot backing with a slice of bright green in contrast to the striped binding which I applied by machine. This quilt will be donated to Project Linus and is the 1st of 4 quilts made from RSC13 blocks. The Crossroads block pattern can be found <a href="http://www.conniekresin.com/2013/01/crossroads-tutorial-in-3-sizes.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and these blocks are the 12" size.<br />
<a href="http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/?page_id=5263" title="A Lovely Year of Finishes"><img alt="My Button" src="http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/image007.jpg" height="128" style="border: none;" width="128" /></a><br />
This is my designated February UFO for A Lovely Year of Finishes and it is also on my Q1 Finish Along list <a href="http://asimplelifequilts.blogspot.com/2015/01/its-2015.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I will update this post later with better pictures - the background fabric is a crisp white instead of cream - but it is a FINISH. Now to trim my loose threads and call it a day in my Quilting Room!Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-55982674654979505242015-02-25T09:26:00.000-08:002015-02-25T09:26:57.524-08:00WIP Wednesday: Piece OnContrary to my post last Wednesday when I was anticipating a binge of quilting to occur - the last week of sewing has been ALL about piecing.<br />
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<b>Piecing Station:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1c1ZgFaHW6rPkUinN51ra9Oq0AJlbKI1XkUXbOmygFaGJiv-Rx7eGJWzMYK54MIvZXK0Tgsw6NCUdg54WdzP6CkW3gftQFZ9VrVqQ2Ka74HQEuCDzhJfQVxR7sEIUzUXaRA11mpaEwD6/s1600/P1060406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1c1ZgFaHW6rPkUinN51ra9Oq0AJlbKI1XkUXbOmygFaGJiv-Rx7eGJWzMYK54MIvZXK0Tgsw6NCUdg54WdzP6CkW3gftQFZ9VrVqQ2Ka74HQEuCDzhJfQVxR7sEIUzUXaRA11mpaEwD6/s1600/P1060406.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I have finished 60 of the 80 blocks needed for Picnic in Serenade on the left side of my design wall and 5 of the 20 blocks needed for Sunny Lanes. They are proving to be a nice complement to each other and instead of using Sunny Lanes as a true leader/ender project I have found it easier to alternate back and forth as I create the parts needed for each.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXJSpUoBCIv9eQ1ISmZd8B8LmkOZlMwrIotU9R-qX_HZubKebbtbST4KF6eA9sBefUvoyasUQVNmuuBpI43hesN5Ba3J-EfRFC1L1WPoDGfcRcaCkQS_zkOd0iNT3paZ5HubNCjzSWgBL/s1600/2015-02-23+15.31.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXJSpUoBCIv9eQ1ISmZd8B8LmkOZlMwrIotU9R-qX_HZubKebbtbST4KF6eA9sBefUvoyasUQVNmuuBpI43hesN5Ba3J-EfRFC1L1WPoDGfcRcaCkQS_zkOd0iNT3paZ5HubNCjzSWgBL/s1600/2015-02-23+15.31.23.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I am using a handy new ruler which is making my Picnic block construction much less painful and keeping Mr. Ripper out of use. The Folded Corner Clipper by Prairie Sky Quilting is designed to eliminate drawing the lines by trimming the corner before you sew. I was having issues getting pinked edges of jelly rolls to "behave" while piecing these sub units but this ruler allows me to clearly see that both fabrics are aligned properly before cutting. Having that trimmed edge to follow while sewing makes a huge difference in accuracy for me.<br />
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You can use the same technique with an Easy Angle ruler but I found all the markings to be distracting when I tried mine. And I am very careful to lay out my fabrics in the same way so I don't cut them incorrectly!<br />
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The parts for Sunny Lanes were all jumbled together in my bin so I've spent a fair amount of time sorting them out and calculating how many 4 patches and HSTs I still need to make. To complicate matters I had less than a yard left of the Moda Marbles background fabric so I was rather nervous as to whether I had enough. Turns out I had made too many 4 patches and not nearly enough HSTs but I'm quite sure I have enough fabric at this point. Whew!<br />
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I'm a big fan of the Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day Triangle Square ruler for making quick work of trimming HSTs to the proper size. I love HSTs and have found over the years that trimming saves me a lot of headaches in block construction later. This technique allows you to trim before pressing so you only trim 2 sides instead of 4. Periodically I use my 4.5" square ruler to check my finished blocks to make sure I'm on track. Assembling Path & Styles in Thimbleberries earlier this month was an excellent reminder to keep my sub units the correct size.<br />
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I've decided I might as well finish piecing the last 20 blocks for Picnic in Serenade and the rest of the HSTs and 4 patches for Sunny Lanes while I'm in the groove... even though that means pushing my quilting projects out at least another day. As long as I'm working on UFOs in one way or another in the end it will all even out right?<br />
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I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday@Freshly Pieced.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3517912312104218960.post-56672534356248531072015-02-21T10:41:00.000-08:002015-02-21T10:41:11.226-08:00New to Me: QAYGAll month long I've been thinking over what to choose for my February Let's Book It project. Yesterday while contemplating why I'm continuing to work at piecing projects instead of sandwiching/quilting projects I had an AHA! moment.<br />
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I purchased this book last fall, paged through it, borrowed it to my Mom and kind of forgot about it until she returned to me last month. I've always been intrigued by the concept of Quilt-As-You-Go but the actual mechanics of it are a mystery to me.<br />
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The cost of batting (even on sale!) has given me cause to keep all of my leftover batting. Here are my larger pieces stuffed under my cutting table - there is 6 feet of that mess. I also have a large box full of smaller pieces plus 2 rolls of Warm & White - one 45" wide for my smaller projects and one 90" wide for everything else.<br />
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One of my goals this year is use my smaller pieces instead of always going the easy route and cutting a fresh length off my rolls. I even have some of this tape that I bought a few years ago to make it easy... yet here I am, still procrastinating.<br />
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So let's just say after reading through Jera's book I got pretty excited! I pulled this Riley Blake layer cake out of my stash this morning and got started using the easiest looking pattern in the book called Ballard Blocks.<br />
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Here's my 10" fabric on a 13.5" square of Warm & White - one of Jera's recommended needle-punched battings. I've been a Warm & White/Warm & Natural fan for years so I have plenty to work with.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O6jrb3uUmJJoHR9WwEE8oOhcGru0Vq6BJ-7_zKsKs8LGPuLpnf999VmmPhOIMpc8_Rpr3WuNbLMtQ9nezDKbfqOVZwbr2GeZl634WqrHSNe9HPoLQ-WaEq5na4yWGNDRNhURNFYBF6yo/s1600/2015-02-21+10.35.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O6jrb3uUmJJoHR9WwEE8oOhcGru0Vq6BJ-7_zKsKs8LGPuLpnf999VmmPhOIMpc8_Rpr3WuNbLMtQ9nezDKbfqOVZwbr2GeZl634WqrHSNe9HPoLQ-WaEq5na4yWGNDRNhURNFYBF6yo/s1600/2015-02-21+10.35.28.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I quickly quilted back and forth across the zig zag fabric using the lower peaks as my guide with straight lines on Mr. Juki and started adding my sashing strips of grey Moda Bella. I didn't find it necessary to attach my walking foot as both layers stayed perfectly flat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfRL5QLbH48uwIKbkHXHa-fpG5IoXd6fg2roZbHW_ZzMSQYrsMM-8dqRILABc8hJC7yi4HnpCuHAQhH8zb92aGz9_ZKi9A6HYv9A3LSgOrKOYWEycv6lRKyFd7xQ2QfMRPrSsBk_mCMKT/s1600/2015-02-21+11.05.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfRL5QLbH48uwIKbkHXHa-fpG5IoXd6fg2roZbHW_ZzMSQYrsMM-8dqRILABc8hJC7yi4HnpCuHAQhH8zb92aGz9_ZKi9A6HYv9A3LSgOrKOYWEycv6lRKyFd7xQ2QfMRPrSsBk_mCMKT/s1600/2015-02-21+11.05.47.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then I trimmed my block to 12.5". Since my quilting was minimal and didn't cause my batting to warp at all I'm going to cut the rest of my batting squares smaller. Jera has a helpful discussion about this in her book. Yes, these are leftover batting pieces but I still don't like to waste it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EAHQPnLQaqmr2L0FSdLh7852xOsgCd80sG948pZmtxTeuOf8aKGh30BuPBxGYf-p5rK5esXZF6n17YN2-s4_q4pmBFPBU5BrBYKpiVt5zHyHMVxXvo48F-3nkkdJ0pjH1JvO9lbBj9jp/s1600/2015-02-21+11.08.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EAHQPnLQaqmr2L0FSdLh7852xOsgCd80sG948pZmtxTeuOf8aKGh30BuPBxGYf-p5rK5esXZF6n17YN2-s4_q4pmBFPBU5BrBYKpiVt5zHyHMVxXvo48F-3nkkdJ0pjH1JvO9lbBj9jp/s1600/2015-02-21+11.08.27.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Here's a picture of the back of the block.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MwnddCIxoZrpGC77RpUCjiRCWDOHnEl8uudlYjq2qciW6qMQoENqreS0X9F6w_ldAwOYMmVJheA1zKAOY7QNjQvsLcg7JseD27YsPrX1BQGYGHi1rNQ3aZNcIqLiSlyfYdMUEcIlkwC6/s1600/2015-02-21+11.08.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MwnddCIxoZrpGC77RpUCjiRCWDOHnEl8uudlYjq2qciW6qMQoENqreS0X9F6w_ldAwOYMmVJheA1zKAOY7QNjQvsLcg7JseD27YsPrX1BQGYGHi1rNQ3aZNcIqLiSlyfYdMUEcIlkwC6/s1600/2015-02-21+11.08.39.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I'd love to try some wavy lines and some random lines too. And, down the road, I'm thinking these types of blocks will be perfect for FMQ practice. I'm also looking at my shelf of kid's novelty fabrics and my stash of 6.5" charm squares in a whole new light. Because anything I can do to make my Project Linus donation quilts more fun to COMPLETE is a win.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEgKocJ51UoVGyn7I6J8bC5viTTdaN28LnHb29zjOF3kob1oEnhdGWHE2PmW8vJd4NJV1nJvFVHvkVcvzg71sdLFSAeTV-Ar_M0YP6BPw8XHQQme2BsyWMkeOutpXl-0j9MrDiias68Ba/s1600/2015-02-21+11.10.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEgKocJ51UoVGyn7I6J8bC5viTTdaN28LnHb29zjOF3kob1oEnhdGWHE2PmW8vJd4NJV1nJvFVHvkVcvzg71sdLFSAeTV-Ar_M0YP6BPw8XHQQme2BsyWMkeOutpXl-0j9MrDiias68Ba/s1600/2015-02-21+11.10.07.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
But before I go off the deep end completely I will need to see how the joining of the blocks and finishing the quilt goes but the book sure makes it look easy. Next month I'll let you know if it really is. And, I after I cut 19 more squares of batting for this quilt I might be able to cut a fresh length off my roll guilt free for my UFOs that need to be sandwiched ASAP!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZbUVXAIEbQIu_x3_wm5Pq0WemqSdZERQBhYSjFpc1KvrlCxvgjFZutjQNGQwHo4_M21o8FhfRbbekYNEW5T_5bxLJgWMO8Y-3J4Rj_1twMcwFz1sNfGfeupMVQ5NNDwlw_ucf__vpdd_/s1600/2015-02-21+11.27.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZbUVXAIEbQIu_x3_wm5Pq0WemqSdZERQBhYSjFpc1KvrlCxvgjFZutjQNGQwHo4_M21o8FhfRbbekYNEW5T_5bxLJgWMO8Y-3J4Rj_1twMcwFz1sNfGfeupMVQ5NNDwlw_ucf__vpdd_/s1600/2015-02-21+11.27.48.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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One more thing... I was lucky enough to be the winner of last month's link-up. Aren't these just the cutest? I'm planning to order a couple more charms to add to the sewing machine pin from <a href="http://www.pinpeddlers.com/store/Quilt_Charms.html" target="_blank">PinPeddlers.com</a> as soon as I make up my mind. Thanks again, Sharon! I'll be linking up to <a href="http://vroomansquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let's Book It@Vroomans Quilts</a> later in the month.Deb@asimplelifequiltshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178872701953461660noreply@blogger.com9