Yippee...Flimsy Finish

I need a tropical setting with bright sunshine to really show this flimsy at its best...a rainy day in Paris just doesn't do it justice. The colors are totally out of wack in these photos. But it is officially in the, "to be quilted queue."

106" squared...another big quilt!!! I just can't help it. I love the corner where the flower border blocks meet. I have several pieces of floral batiks in Alaska that I would like to play around with in this design. I really think the outside flower blocks in the border might look better in a smaller size...just my initial thought looking at the completed top.

I had hubby throw a bottle of champagne in the frig yesterday...just in case we need to celebrate this finish. I certainly don't want to go outside in this rainy weather.

Thursday Already!

A little more progress on some Christmas ornaments. For some reason I'm craving cupcakes.

I had to do some Christmas shopping for ladies in my husband's office. I found a great gift shop close to our apartment...I'm going to have to treat myself after Christmas. Can't show pictures...someone might see what Santa is bringing them.

Along the way I took some more interesting ironwork photos.

 Most of the time the front door ironwork...

coordinates with the window ironwork.

Obviously this is from a building of somewhat newer construction.

And the companion ironwork for the windows. I really like this spiral center that turns into a flower...I think I have used this before in a quilting design.

Didn't tackle those borders today on my quilt but I did make the final decision on how I will proceed...the widths of all the borders. Printed up my plan on EQ7. I like to have a marathon session when I apply my borders...no stopping and starting. Maybe tomorrow. I have eight borders...on a king-sized quilt. That's what I mean by a marathon!

Making Time to Quilt

Is this how your Christmas season is shaping up? Turns out your tree is upside down?

This year's tree display in Paris' Gallerie Lafayette. This is the only photo I took from my outing with Christelle yesterday. You really don't need to see pictures from the three Starbucks we scoped out in search of this year's Christmas ornament. The good news is we were successful at the third one and bought the last ornament on the shelf. I should have gotten a photo of the ornament...a tiny to-go-Starbucks cup. I just can't start collecting another thing!

Lots of shopping which is only fun when you have someone else with you.

It has been a while since I have shared my projects...after all it is a blog primarily about my quilting.

I had these blocks put together and sewn into rows several days ago. Then I started working on part of the border. The top row is how I designed it on EQ7 but after I had sewn all the blocks together I decided I didn't like how the flower came together on the right half. The second row I used scraps on top to see the way I thought it should go. Nope...not right either. The third row is what I went with...not too painful to fix...just took all morning.

Now I'm trying to decide what the line up is between the interior blocks and the outer border blocks.

I started working on a Bucilla ornament. I didn't realize I hadn't finished the set that goes with the Cupcake Angel stocking. Love working on this "girlie," ornament.

And when even embroidery seems too stressful...time to work on a cross stitch ornament.

So Many Great Quilts!

I'm falling behind with my blogging about my visit to Christelle's house...that's because I've been busy sewing...more about that later.

Back to show and tell. 

Christelle did what every quilter should do when another quilter visits their house for the first time...brought out all her wonderful quilts to share. It really was so fun to see so many pieces of her work. She really has gotten an amazing number of quilts done...because all but one of them was hand quilted. You'll see what I mean for yourself!

These first two are Crabapple Hill Studio designs.

Snow Days...so wonderful to see this in person...I've admired the pattern on the internet.

And Calendula Patterdip's Cottage. Over the top embroidery work. It is crayon tinted. And can you see all the spiderwebs in the quilting? 

Home Sweet Home, Blackbird Designs. 

Designs from the Buggy Barn book, "Farm Fresh." 

Personalized with a French and US flag since Christelle is French and has lived in the US. One of my favorites of hers. Blue quilts always grab me.

I think this is machine pieced but it is definitely hand quilted. 

A series of patchwork quilts...

I should have taken some notes for all the quilt pattern names.

Yes...still all hand-quilted.

Hey...I know the pattern for this one! Midnight Silhouette from Blackbird Designs. A show-stopper.

Wool pumpkins.

I'm going kind of fast through these...

Look for the heart hidden in the storm at sea blocks.

Some Japanese Daiwabo fabrics. This is Christelle's largest quilt... it graces her son's bed.

I think this was a pattern from Primitive Gatherings magazine. 

Many of you will recognize this pattern, Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice. This is Christelle's first machine quilted piece. There is a learning curve so we won't be critical at all on the wobbly places...part of the charm of a homemade quilt!

And finally...a batik quilt! Joy, designed by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. Not quilted yet. I do love this one. The red and green colors are so bright. Perfectly pieced.

There is more to share about our day together in Christelle's hometown, Rambouillet, but I will save that for another post. Tomorrow Christelle is coming to Paris and we have a little outing planned. Can't wait!

Visiting a Quilter's Home

I have a surprise...lots of show and tell! I went to Christelle's home a couple of days ago...these precious babies were the first thing I saw...these three featherweights are just a few of her vintage machines. I believe she has ten...but we got distracted so I didn't see all of them...maybe next time!

Christelle has so many beautiful mini quilts decorating her home...all of which she made completely by hand. She did a mini quilt of the month for two years through Temecula Quilt Company. Looks like she did a great job of actually finishing each month!

There is just something so cute when a quilt is mini-sized. 

Can't do this kind of decorating with biggie-sized quilts.

So much great eye candy.

Look at this needle punch piece...

And a little bolster pillow.

Lots more to share about our visit but wanted to break it up into a couple of posts. 

A Change in the City

I suppose it was bound to happen...winter has arrived in Paris.

Lots of cold, gray, and generally gloomy weather in the forecast indefinitely.

Great quilting weather!

I've embarked on a new project...finally able to make a decision. I pulled out some fabric I brought to Paris last year with high hopes of turning into a bed quilt for our apartment. You know that old saying, "better late then never."

I am often drawn to batik fabrics with large floral designs but never know how to use them without losing the large print. Just adding the print as the final border doesn't cut it for me...especially because I prefer pieced borders. I've sewn up the variation of my Paris Flower block without the "y" seam petal...this version is quick and easy. You can see I am alternating my 12-inch blocks with the same sized blocks of my themed/inspiration fabric. I needed to pull in some of the greens in the fabric so the little green borders are going around each pieced block. I only have the two colors of yardage available for the flowers...it is working out pretty good! 

I am most excited about the pieced border I have planned...saving for later.

I did some rearranging in my sewing room...made a sewing island. So much better use of the space. I accomplished two things with this change. I now can reach my design wall from my sewing machine and I can cut from both sides of my cutting table.  And a third less obvious advantage is the one chair I use at my machine and computer now only has to spin around to get where it needs to go.

I am also formally introducing  a collection of inspirational design elements from my Paris world. Right now I am stuck on all the wrought iron work I see everywhere. Future quilting designs will probably reflect some of this inspiration.

I feel the need to do some doodling...

A few of these photos will be showing up now and then on my blog. I will start a pinterest page for them...easiest way for me to access them all in one place wherever I am.

Too Much Time Spent Pondering

I'm in that lull between projects...spending hours looking through books, the internet and fumbling with EQ trying to decide what I am going to tackle. It is daunting. I do have my felt projects screaming for attention so I finally got myself to work on those.

I was hitched up on dealing with excess felt in my lining for the wall hanging. Lynette from What a Hoot! suggested I try blocking the piece. I would never get the front of this piece wet with the unpredictability of dyes in the floss but the problem was on the back side so I figured I could get it moist and gave it try.

Here's what it looked like when I started. I quilted around Santa's body in preparation for the blocking.

Using a damp cloth between the felt and the iron...I slowly worked some moisture into the felt and then steamed it dry. Not so pretty but the piece is now flat...

and looks great from the front. Yippee!

I am lining the whole piece again with a dark green felt so no one else will know about my little problem.

I thought initially I would add dark green sequins too but I am not so sure now...I like how it looks without them. I might throw some on and see what I think...or not.

There are star ornaments that are supposed to hang in three columns from the bottom of this wall hanging. I'm not going to add them to the wall hanging but they would be cute on the tree so I have started working on them too.

I should get the Bowling Santa stocking finished...I'll get the lining to the front piece stitched in place tonight.