Piecing and quilting on the longarm

Beth attached that video of Piecing on the Longarm....and I watched it and was captivated. WOW...right up my alley.  So, this morning I finished up the quilt on the frame....thank goodness it was small, or I might have just pulled it off.

And I did 2 throat spaces worth of 'piecing'. it will be large....about 80x90.  I used a sheet from the thrift store for the backing....a purple and white check. haha    and all kinds of batting pieces.  

Sooo much fun. can't wait to get back at it tomorrow. Even the embroidery machine didn't get turned on today. haha

 

I'm quilting as I go, too.  I will call it "Is it HOT in here, or is it just ME".  reds, oranges and yellows.

 

OK....I finished up the 'piecing' and quilting.  I have to wait for yarn to couch and bind....but it is finished and I LIKE IT.  it is 72 x 86. 

This uses a lot of those pieces of fabric that aren't enough for anything big but you can't just throw them away. And no trimming the pieces...just lay them down and layer with other pieces. 

And no cutting of little pieces.  If I wanted a piece smaller, I just ripped it.  I don't know why that piece shows as purple in there....it is orange.  weird.

Check out the little orange polka dot peek-a-boo. haha

This was sooo much fun. at the end, i just slapped some small pieces on there to cover up some spots. 

The backing is a light purple and white check sheet from the thrift store.

You can see it better here. 

I have already started another one. hahahhahaaha 

Patchwork Pets

 Anita Goodesign has the best embroidery designs. I have many, many of them. I especially like the crazy quilt, applique types. This new design ticks all my boxes....it has applique....it has crazy quilting....it was cats, dogs and birds. what's not to like. There are 16 blocks. So far, I have finished 4.  Here they are.

I like the several different background fabrics.

This one I used plain background fabrics and put in the meandering design that they had in the backgrounds. 

Black, white and gray kitties.....with a bird

2 Dogs, 2 birds.

Their designs call for batting in the blocks, but i skip that part. and i skip the meandering stitching in the background fabrics, too. except for that one block.

The only downside is that they take so long to stitch out. The first 2 cats was 73 steps....and over an hour of stitching. So, I only make one in a day, but they are soooo darn cute.

Gardening Time

 

After being in a funk for months, I finally finished quilting this fused applique top. It has been so long since I started it, I have no recollection of the name of the pattern.

I changed colors....about 10 times.....to stitch everything down.

As I was putting on the binding, I realized the star points were cut off. I need to remember that....yeah, right...for the next quilt.....too close to the edge.

Love that bird fighting that worm

I may actually have to buy more thread. I was having trouble matching colors.

Gave my eyes fits on those tiny pieces. Another thing to remember....only applique large pieces. haha

I love all the pots lined up in a row. 

Feathers going every which way.

Just the right fabric for a butterfly.

I always enjoy the backs....almost more than the front.

 

 

And, have another loaded on the frame. Hopefully, it will be finished in a couple days versus months and months. 

 

 

Paper dolls are a hit....so far.

 I got a message...and a photo... from my cousin.  Granddaughter Norah was tester #1 for the paper dolls. She was having a good time with them. She put the super heroes outfit on a girl. haha   way to go, Norah.

Dolls and Clothes

 The embroidery machine is humming. I am working on 'paper' dolls and doll clothes. There is a 12 inch doll pattern and a 16 inch. I started with the 12 inch. There are 8 dress patterns to go with it.

You might remember my cousin has 7 grandkids....all under age 7. 5 girls....so, hopefully I can make 5 dolls before I poop out. haha

This is the back of the doll. I had to make the head twice. her directions put the back piece on first, so that when you embroidered the face, the doll had eyes in the back of her head.  haha   i don't think the kids will like creepy zombie dolls with eyes in the back of her head. I have to do a little thinking on these to make sure it comes out like i want it to.

The face still seems a bit strange to me. I think it should look 'younger'. maybe it's just me.

She has a princess dress. She can go to a fancy party.

When she goes to visit her grandparents on the farm, she can wear her overalls.

For playing in the park, she has her romper.

When she goes shopping, she likes to look good.

 

 

 

 

I'm going to put a piece of velcro on her belly and on the backs of the clothes. 

She is made in 3 pieces....legs...body...head....and then stitched together in the hoop. the only concern i have is that the neck is not very sturdy. There are about 7 layers on all of these, but still the neck is narrow.

Some ladies on their website have stitched a piece of plastic canvas to the back to help hold the neck. i was thinking i might glue on a popsicle stick. haha   have any ideas for me? ideally, i would like to put something inside the doll in the neck area, but i would need to be able to sew through it. it's a dilemma.

Broomhilda's Bakery

 Although it is just a top....and not quilted yet....it is an accomplishment. I have been working on this off and on.....mostly off.....since the middle of 2018. 

I started embroidering these blocks before Halloween in 2018. I didn't really think it would be done for that year.....but, neither was it done for 2019. .... nor was it even done for 2020.  sigh!!   But, it is all embroidered now....the top is sewn together. I just need to quilt it....someday....and add a few embellishments. I am hoping for Halloween 2021.  Really!!

It is called Broomhilda's Bakery and was SOOO much fun to do. It's too bad I am such a procrastinator.

These blocks all had special things. It's amazing what an embroidery machine can do. The broom's bristles are 3D. The sock in the boot is chenille.

The 'caramel' on the apple is felt. The frog is a glittery fabric.

I love the glass top stands...they are vinyl.  I still need to add a cord to hang the spider from the frog plate. The jar of eyeballs is also vinyl.

Sparkly, glittery fabrics for witches hats. Spiders are 3D. Double flowers and a button on the black sparkly hat. Buttons in the candy corn flowers.

Purple glittery sparkly boots and chenille socks. The glittery 'fabric' was almost a paper like product. You pulled the backing off and it stuck to the fabric and you just sewed through it. 

3D spider on the pie...very cool.

More sparkly boots

More vinyl jars with candy corn and cupcake. The candy corn pieces are separate and not sewn down...just in the jar...as are the eyeballs in that jar.

Separate sign that will be hung from a button hanger after quilting.

This sign, too, will hang from a button. I think I will tack them down, though, so they don't come off and get lost.

This sign hangs from the button on the top of the quilt...over the orange and white blocks. I will tack them down also after quilting. And the little spider still needs to be sewn down.

This will be the border. 

I'll have to make myself a note to get this out about July and get started quilting it, so it will be ready by Halloween. haha  I actually have a couple more Halloween tops to get done, too.  sigh!!   I give them to my cousin, who loves Halloween.

MIA...kinda

 Yes, I've been MIA for a couple months. Actually, for several months I have not cared much about blogging or quilting or much of anything. But I might be getting a bit of energy and mojo back. 

Between life issues and virus and health issues, life just sometimes sucks.

I have been working on an applique row quilt called garden party. Here are a few of my blocks so far. The fusible part is done.

This bird in the birdbath was paper pieced. what a job!

And I got a new embroidery CD with dogs and doggie sayings. So far, I have made one saying.

My cataract surgery didn't do all that well. On Tuesday I get to go get a new prescription for glasses. But, then, It usually takes a couple weeks to get them. So, hopefully, in a couple MORE weeks I should be able to see and use that embroidery machine.

In the meantime, I have been busy on eBay cleaning out my studio. I have sold almost 200 quilt 'kits'.... things I cut out...maybe did a few blocks...then stuck it in a box when the next thing got my attention. Those are all gone except for maybe 5 or 6.  

I have started listing the quilt tops....I had over 100 of those. I'll never live long enough to quilt them all up, so someone else might as well take care of them. I'm still working on listing those...got about a dozen more to put out there.

And, I have dozens of finished quilts to sell. They sell more slowly. Still have about 15 to put out there.

That doesn't mean my studio is empty. haha   There is still lots of fabric....and projects here and there that aren't finished that I really want to do. But, the clutter is gone, the boxes and tubs are emptying out and things are looking a lot better. Maybe now I can actually keep up with things I want to do and not start 14 more things every week.

Wish me luck! haha