Show and Tell

No  time for blogging...I have been consumed for the past five days with quilting this top...

It's finally off the frame and ready for thread trimming and binding. I'll be looking for a tropical setting to get photos of it when it is done...might be hard to find in Alaska.

I was so distracted I forgot to share Show and Tell from  Breakfast Club on Thursday.

This quilt started out as a mystery class and was later turned into a round table cloth!

An adorable table runner kit...everything in the kit was precut and just required sewing!

The fabric in this queen-sized quilt is ovarian cancer related fabric. A simple quilt in gorgeous colors.

These first four quilts are from Kathy...I always look forward to seeing what goodies she has brought to Breakfast Club when she attends. Here's a sweet runner...Christmas ornaments.

Last month's project was Reveille from Carrie Nelson's, "Another Bite of Schnibbles." Two of the ladies used two Stonehedge charm packs but they each chose a different accent color. Jane used black.

Marie used turquoise.

 Jane's "Charmalade," a Moda Bakeshop pattern.

This is a quilt Barb made for one of her grandchildren...so fun!

This beauty is Marie's "Bali Fever," a Judy Niemeyer pattern. Great quilting!

And here is a diaper bag that was designed by Gene. I should have gotten his etsy address. This bag is so perfect.

And...of course I have another moose photo. A baby resting in the wild grass of my back yard. Mom was munching on shrubbery in the woods behind the calf.

Sunday in the Studio

It's a little cloudy today so maybe I will get this quilt loaded on the quilting frame. I've been trying to work out my quilting design plan. Plexiglass and wonderboard markers that erase off work so well. Don't forget to put that tape edge around the outside of the plexiglass...too easy to mark your actual quilt when you are distracted and run your line off the plexiglass...I know!

Drawing on plexiglass it's a great way to see if the scale of the design from my doodling will work on the actual size. My muscle memory for making feathers is rather lacking...more practice is needed. Two years of not quilting is a little tough to recover from.

I got on a cutting binge and made more blades for the Dresdan plate quilt. I needed 300 blades...I think I cut  enough for 600! Maybe some matching pillows?

Speaking of pillows... from leftover backing fabric I made matching pillowcases for the Alaska's Wild Heart quilt. 

And I had just enough backing leftover to make one king-sized pillowcase for Batiki Argyle. The quilt fits perfectly in the pillowcase for gifting...just like I planned it!

Batiki Argyle Accomplished

Our wonderful weather continues!!! There is no where else I would rather be right now.

Not exactly good quilting weather...and that is not a complaint! I have my second quilt finish for the summer.

Batiki Argyle

70 1/2 x 81 1/2

This quilt will be going to a new home this weekend.

I used two layers of Hobbs Heirloom cotton batting. It has been washed. I used some precut fabrics in this quilt and batiks have lots of yucky chemicals in them so I always wash them before gifting.

More handwork...an embroidered label. First time I've made one with embroidery...this is a keeper technique. 

I need to learn how to photoshop this moose into my quilt photos! She was hanging out at the mailbox this morning...I think she is a yearling who got kicked out of mom's circle this summer.

The mama moose walked by my studio window yesterday...at first all I saw was a huge brown hide and I thought it was a grizzly bear. It scared me pretty good!  But then she moved and I saw one of her babies. There is only one baby now...and a bear with a full belly.

Batiki Argyle is a free pattern on my blog. Look on the top right for the link. If you have trouble downloading send me a comment and I will email you a PDF file.

Stitching Sunday

Another week has whipped by...another glorious week! I definitely have not been spending time in my sewing room...the view from the top of our driveway this  morning.

We've had perfect weather for days...we are even supposed to get into the eighties this week. We get those temperatures about once every ten years.

I should work on my landscaping...but I still have so much to get done inside the house I just don't have enough brain bytes left to tackle that design issue.

No bears seen lately but moose are always close by. Here's the mama one morning...saw her from our stairway window so the focus is a little soft.

Haven't seen the babies lately but I'm not worried. With all the vegetation filling in they could be pretty close but camouflaged. 

I'm working on the label for Batiki Argyle. I decided to stitch it by hand. This quilt is going to someone pretty special to one of my sons so I'm taking the extra steps to make it that much more special.

This is the first summer I haven't planted any container flowers but I'm only here a few more weeks...and how was I supposed to know this was going to be one of those, "once every ten years," kind of summers! The municipality of Anchorage does a fabulous job of covering the area in flowers...and they always do such interesting combinations. 

I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday. Check out what some other ladies are stitching by hand.

Working with My Hands

My hands have been busy and they look like it! I have had some relaxing time at the end of the day to work on my Dresdan plate blocks. I appliqued 8 of the 12 blocks.

I've also started stitching the binding on my Batiki Argyle quilt.

I've discovered some tucks in the backing...they occurred when I turned the quilt to finish the border quilting. I knew there was a problem with getting my quilt lined up properly on the frame and the culprit is...

my leaders and enders on my frame are not consistent in their size...apparently they shrunk on the end that got drenched with the waterfall from the kitchen above last fall. SIGH...

I have ordered new leaders and enders to install on my frame before I quilt anything else. Another delay in my short window of time I have my Alaska studio to quilt.

I have spent a lot of time working out quilt designs...more handwork.

Trying to get some ideas for the next top to go on my frame...Fruit Loops.

And more "handwork" projects...staining...this time the stairway railing.

I haven't seen the babies but I have seen mama moose getting her calories. Lots of time very young calves rest in the brush somewhere while mom fills her belly. 

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Breakfast Club Recap

I almost forgot about Show and Tell from Breakfast Club!

April's Breakfast Club Pattern? Several did kits in these pretty blue and yellow colors.

Erin's version had fishing themed fabrics.

Dots and Dashes done in a Cotton Candy Bali Pop.

Les Jarden in Kaffe prints.

Megan did some snow dying...this was just one of several pieces...so pretty!

I think everyone must have a moose quilt who lives in Alaska!

Carol played with her Kaffe stash.

Jane had this gorgeous table runner. I have made this but can't remember the name of the pattern. I think it's a Cozy Strip Club pattern.

Erin found the instructions for this runner on the internet, Missouri Quilt Company.

And here is the pattern on the schedule for June's Breakfast Club.

Since I don't have a dining room table right now and I am not tackling finding one this summer, I think I will pass on this project. I will still attend but I'll probably just work on what I started for May's class. Here are the six blocks I finished in class. 

I'm hoping to finish quilting my Batiki Argyle quit top today! I detest straight-lined quilting which requires "ruler work." But...it is the design I thought worked best since this quilt is being gifted to a man.  I  worked on it for 7 hours yesterday. A curvy free-hand design would have been done by now...sigh.

Just in case you are wondering...I saw both baby moose yesterday morning. And just because I can...I am going to visit a quilt shop in Wasilla, Sylvia's Quilt Depot. Despite the small size it has a great selection of everything! So many great quilt shops within an hour of my house and now those Alaska prices look cheap compared to Paris.