Monday, September 27, 2010

Mystery Monday HOW #8

If you'll notice I changed my header again, the pile of ornaments and blocks is growing, and that's not even all of them.  If you haven't heard.............I'm giving away them away, a complete set of the Frosty Flakes blocks(only, not the assembled quilt) by Dawn Hay from 'As Sweet as Cinnamon', and a set of the HOW ornaments how ever many there are between #1 and whenever Dawn posts the directions for finishing them, should be this Tuesday or next.  Find the 100th post to enter and leave a comment, there's a label for it.
Onto newer things, for those who only come by on mondays, I re-worked the cat ornament, check it out on my previous post, leave a comment on that post of you want a copy of the second version, If you don't get it within a few hours, your comment was left as a " no reply @ dot com" and for most that means no way to find you.  If you want to enter this giveaway or the next one that starts Friday October 1 with the Fall into Fall Giveaway you had better leave an email or I'll draw someone else.  If you want your blog linked to this giveaway and want to host a giveaway of your own contact Debi at the Fall into Fall link above or the scarecrow on my sidebar by Wed 9-29.
Here are today's Hexagon Ornaments of the Week.
Also if you're new here, there are posts about 3-d whiskers and how to make the twisted cords for ornament  hangers if you'll look back through posts, or search for them in search box top left very top.
Jake, a weimereiner, he is alllllll legs and belongs to granddaughters #1 & 2

and a sock monkey just because I like them
should have used a darker cream for hands and hat, you can't really see them, Sorry!

here is the re-worked cat called Pudgie

here's a link to the Pudgie, a fat cat HOW ornament


link to pdf at google docs here .
oooooo and Fall-o-Ween starts today, Gudrun's World is up first. Go she what goodies she has for you!!! 10  days of Fall-o-Ween fun!!

Friday, September 24, 2010

PUDGIE-fat cat FREE pattern

Did some more stitching tonight.  Look what I did!!
I took the Mystery Monday HOW(hexagon ornament og the week) from earlier this week and re-worked it.
Sorry, I haven't even rinsed out the blue water-soluble marker or assembled it as an ornament, need to fix a couple of little things.  I should have used a slightly darker gray but had to use what I had, would have been dark enough on white fabric but is on swirly cream.
Email(leave a comment) me if you want the second version of the Mystery Monday HOW #7
Ask for pudgie the tabby!!!  I am going to re-draw it right now should have it ready shortly.
if you don't get a copy emailed back to you within a few hours, then your comment comes to me as a "NO REPLY" address...............and I have no way of contacting you.

link to pudgie on left and to Fat Cat on right  Pudgie: grey tabbie hee, hee, hee, do you have a cat like Pudgie? pic on right is monday's HOW version. 
If you want a  reminder to play along with the Mystery Mondays, grab my button on my side bar.

the HTML to paste in a HTML box is underneath button on sidebar.


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Thursday, September 23, 2010

seven, eight, lay them straight

Dawn's Frosty Flakes # 7 and 8 and I am late, getting them done!!!
I always try to get these Frosty Flakes done asap, but things got in the way last week and some this week.  But at least they are done.  Next week is the last Frosty Flake and not sure if the directions for assembling the quilt come then or the following week. ??  and have you registered on my 100th post to win these blocks along with the ornaments on my header????
For those of you who have had issues with google docs and getting the patterns downloaded just email me what you need and I'll email them to you.
and by the way ...............

HAVE THEY DECLARED OCTOBER 1 A NATIONAL HOLIDAY??  BECAUSE FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, I WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE DAY OFF TO GO TO ALL THE GIVEAWAY'S HAPPENING THAT DAY. (hmmm, wonder if taking off is a possibility?)

AccuQuilt's GO!'is having a new BUNDLE OF JOY that day, and we're all waiting for that wondrous event like nervous, excited parents, GO! check out all the wonderful things going on there.  They give stuff away all the time, on their web page, every Friday on facebook,  on specially chosen blogs, GO! register for it all.

Then there's a Fall-O-Ween Blog Hop I read about at Pat Sloan's check the button below,  ( but not done yet  keep reading then come back to click)


and Oh My word
Have you seen her new rulers????? They look SOOOOOO cool with a sharpener on one side. 


you have to go check those rulers out.

Then if those don't set your heart all flutter, go check out Debi at Debi's Quilts, she is hosting a Fall into Fall GARGANTUAN giveaway blog, she's aiming for 200 bloggers to sign up to give things away, last time I check she had 91 blogs giving things away along with several businesses, Fat Quarter's Jolly Jabber blog Shop, and EQ just to name a few.  She's still taking businesses & bloggers who want to host their own giveaway and want to link it the all the others in the group.  Everyone one announces what they are giving away on OCT 1 with the drawing to be Held October 15.  Check out the info by clicking on the scarecrow on m sidebar, if you want to join in otherwise visit everyone on the Fall into Fall list on the sidebar and register from Oct 1 to October 14.

until then, are you still trying to win a GO! cutter and dies???? try these places, Kaaren at the Painted Quilt,  Millie's Quilting, Jane's Fabrics,  and Accuquilt has a Friday GO! giveaway on Facebook every Friday too!

I really need to get my work caught up so I can take the NATIONAL BLOG GIVEAWAY DAY holiday (October 1)  off!, lol!!!!!  Now I'm going to go work on the Daisy DO block from Jenny from ELEFANTZ (see my side bar ) that I'm behind on, and I keep hearing quiet little MEOW'S do you?

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

3-D stitch trick & HOW PDF

Once in a while I like to throw in funny little stitches in my designs, some are used for 3-D whiskers, scarf fringe, shoe laces etc  Anyway here is how to do the cat's whiskers (on this one I did not make 3-D fringe on scarf but you could, I have on others)  and at the end is a link to the printable PDF from Sunday on how I make the ornaments.

If you know know how to make a quilters' knot you've it made in the shade, we're just going to revamp it a little.
First make a quilters' knot with a long tail (can be any length, I usually make them a little longer than I want finished and trim when done).
if you don't know how to make a quilters' knot, see picture steps below, this is a revamped version of a quilters knot, they don't want quite as big a knot but they are also using thinner thread.)


Wrap needle.  For this demo I used 3 wraps, .
carefully grab thread tails  and wraps and pull fairly tight
 pull needle & thread through the wraps forming a knot. It is not through any fabric yet.......
from the top go in whisker area and back out other side.
Now to make knot on other side we're going to repeat wraps.  For this demo I used 3 you can use what ever you want. for the fat cat ornie I used just one I think)
in above picture the wraps are a little loose and not down next to fabric, adjust so it is down next to fabric and hold with fingers see next
Now keep holding and pull needle on through the wraps, keeping fingers next to fabric until thread is all the way through forming a knot.

ta da. one set, now repeat for other whiskers
NOTE: It just dawned on me, I did this sample backwards...........if you decide to add 3-D things to a stitch project,  DO THEM LAST!! in other words I should have stitched eyes, nose, mouth before adding whiskers
this ends your quick  3-D whisker demo 

next up the PDF link for how I assemble the ornaments


 

Monday, September 20, 2010

Mystery Monday HOW #7

SORRY......I DID NOT GET THE PDF FOR ANATOMY OF AN ORNAMENT FROM YESTERDAY DONE AND ATTACHED, IF YOU NEED IT, I WILL GET IT ADDED THIS EVENING
but here are the ornaments for this week.......after last week's color fiasco,  I hopped back into my comfort zone and stayed with one color stitching.  Whew, soooo much easier!!!
Mystery Monday HOW #7

NOTE the 3-D WHISKERS

I did this one like Carrie's version with no extra piece for back blue fabric(notice folds on front).  It is cut about an inch larger all the way around each edge, once folded, the stitchery hexie covers up raw edges of blue hexie, note I stitched stuff on back of blue BEFORE attaching to snowlady see next photo.  The lighting is weird and the colors are off, it looks turquoise.........is actually fabric color in above pictures.



more later...............gotta go, this will get you started!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

anatomy of a HOW

First of all here are my stitched ornaments from last Monday, was a crazy week and I just finished them this morning. I am not real happy with them ( not real thrilled with the colors I chose)...........am a redworker, have trouble choosing more than one or two colors sometimes, lol!!!  AND.....
several have asked how I put the Hexagon Ornaments of the Week (HOW) together............I'm sorry I didn't write better directions.  Am so absent minded that I just assume people know what I meant, forgetting there are other ways to put them together or that there are beginners that need explanation, I am sorry.  Sooo here is how I've been putting together the ornaments lately.

This is where I start. So if you want to keep a nice copy print 2 copies. I cut the pattern apart. 
I cut from thick stiff interfacing for ornament A- 2 of the biggest templates and one of the smaller one, and the same for ornament B, two large, one small.  From FABRIC cut a piece bigger than each of  the templates too, the two smaller ones for each ornament are in your stitch background fabric and the big ones in contrasting fabrics.  The first one I did only has fabric on the back, the second one has 2 pieces of felt for the large templates.   I stitched the felt back before attaching to the front.  I like two sided ornaments and since then I have either added stitching on the back or adding other surprise backs for the people who win my giveaway (are you registered? you have until the Sunday after Dawn Hay's last Frosty Flake posts)  
Here is what I cut for ornament A along with my pieces from last week.
I usually attach the front stitching with some lazy daisy stitches but this week since the stitching intentionally fell off the edges here I just attached the front to the back hiding the stitches between the layers.
Here is the front and one of Dawn's frosty flake outlines for the back.

Then you have to stitch the back to the front like I did on the reindeer one from a couple of weeks ago below, here's the back & front.  (same fabric bad lighting)

match up edges and stitch together like this below.

 
showed the red because the brown and blue was too dark to see on the photo.
BUT WAIT....................
Carrie P from A Passion for Applique cut her fabric larger than I did so it would cover more of the template and appliqued her bird on the the side with the fabric folds, eliminating the need for extra back piece fabric and interfacing.  Look at the beautiful job she did stitching below.  Now if you look close she has her folds to the front and it looks GREAT.  SO yet another way to finish them, Thank you Carrie.  Go visit Carrie and see all the beautiful thing she does.

So I tried on on my ornament B this week

It worked fine,  but wish I had had yardage of this fabric for the back then I could have fussy cut it to get the snowflake in center, but it was a charm square, so it is off center some. added a few stitches on back for interest before I attached front stitching hexie.

will attach a PDF FORM  of tutorial in the morning with my next Monday Mystery HOW #7


Don't forget if you're a quilter with a blog and want to be part of a REALLY BIG giveaway go to Debi's Fall into Fall blog, CLICK on my sidebar for a link.  She's looking for 200 bloggers to participate and thousands to enter?

calling all quilt bloggers

Have you seen this button, do you know about it???

it's a link button to a HUGE Fall into Fall giveaway that starts October 1,
BUT .................................................in the meantime...
Debi at Debi's quilts blog is looking for 200 or more quilt bloggers, quilt stores,  and suppliers to join in her Fall into Fall giveaway.  Would you like to host a giveaway on your blog yet be a part of this great giveaway endeavour?  she has 40 or so bloggers at the moment and is looking for a bunch more, Do you want to join in?, it'll be GREAT! I joined in,  I am thinking about gving something away very fun but we cannot leak out any sneak peaks or hints until October 1.  So if you want to giveaway something, click on the scarecrow here or on my sidebar and go check out her fall into fall blog and we;ll have a GOOD time!!  Otherwise come back for the giveaway announcement October 1.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Mystery Monday HOW #6


I am so far behind, no progress on the CR quilt, but I did get something drawn for Mystery Monday, but have not had time to stitch it out.  I had to make a last minute dress for DD3 on Friday night, and I was swamped with some unexpected last minute work from work, I had to work Saturday at work unexpectedly and then worked rest of weekend getting address labels on 800 postcards from a list of who needed postacards in alpha order by LAST names working with a set labels they sent me in alpha order by FIRST name!! not a fun  job, it should have been a simple job but noooooooo!!  I knew I had to do the postcards, but not that the list and labels were so different, grrrrr.   and it wasn't how I planned to spend my weekend.  I finished at 10:46 last night.  Eyes were tired too to stitch....will do that later today, so here you go. you'll have to guess what I was going to do!! ; )  click on words under any of the pictures for a link to google docs for PDF

Oh and I forgot we had to make a pink tractor cake for GD#2 's 4th Birthday party sat afternoon, daughter baked cakes, and other daughter and I assembled and frosted it. She got a dog that had googles on so she's wearing them.


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HAVE FUN! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK IF NOT BEFORE. 
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY ON MY 1OOTH POST?

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Frosty Flakes & CR process

here is block # 6


Here's what I did with Dawn's Frosty Flakes from last week.
I turned them into ornaments, I really like the blue

And then there's the Crown Royal quilt process.  Years ago I saw this handy hint about placing templates on your rulers when cutting funny pieces.  Can't remember if I saw it on TV or in a magazne but I used it on my first kaleidoscope quilt and it works very well.  I made multiple copies of the pattern piece and used a water soluble glue stick to glue them to the bottom of the ruler making sure I got the correct 1/4 in and am not risking trimming the paper pattern or my fingers as I go.  I got both angles and the square corner.  After I'm done, I can remove paper with no harm to ruler and wash glue off.  I measured the shape of the kite keeping fat corner square to ruler, I need 6.75 strips and from those strips I can cut 7 kites.  The kite shape should/must be cut with the fat end cut with the grain in order to keep the outside edges of the completed block on straight of grain.  If you don't cut them that way the stretchy bias edges on the block can cause waves and disaster.  If you want to fussy cut this shape this way and that on fabric and end up with bias edges you need to be SUPER cacerful sewing blocks together.
If you haven't noticed, then I have to tell you this quilt makes me nervous..........I really want to do a good job, but it has taken me out of my comfort zone with all these blacks and the tight value change.  I cut some the kites shapes /pieces and laid them out on the Fairy Frost black fabric she wants to use for the background. I like it and it is better than I expected in regular light, but in low light still  appears mostly all one color. 
Here's a few pictures in regular light


oh and I re-assessed my fabric bag needs........

only have to cut up 40 bags since blocks are bigger and now I only have this many left to cut up.  She'll have a lot left.  at one time she had a pattern picked ou that took 180 bags one that took 300, etc we looked at a lot of options.

off to work in a little while,  more on the CR process later.