WIP Wednesday Opposites

Good news, I remembered what day it is!

I’m always working on quilting other people’s quilts, but I’m not posting them here. On one of my machines I’m working on quilting Stargazing which is (or will be) mine.  It is a store sample and it will come home to me when it has finished its job. Ruth’s Stitchery has already offered it as a block of the month, but they will be kitting full quilts when they have the sample.

Other than a small amount of stitch in the ditch, I’m doing all the quilting using the Intelliquilter, including what looks like ruler work. I’d do a video, but the machine I’m using for this one is my newest, and it is running a different version of the software. For some reason that update has not been posted on the IQ website yet. Resetting the handles in distort works much differently (better) in this new version. It would probably be faster to do ruler work, (although my spacing on the checkerboard in the sashing wouldn’t be as exact) but my neck and shoulder don’t thank me when I do much hand guided work or sit at the sewing machine for long. There’s close to 30 hours of quilting on this quilt already, and probably close to that much more to go.

In the evenings I try to work on something other than the longarm. I’ve been whipping through projects, so decided I needed to work on something by hand (which doesn’t seem to bother my neck and shoulder).  I started Crabapple Hill Studio’s Gingerbread Square several years ago. Made it through three blocks and got distracted. I pulled it back out and this week I am working on block 5.

I don’t do many of the patterns with the crayons, but couldn’t resist this one.  Since most of the embroidery is just outlining, it would be kind of boring with out the coloring.

Needless to say, I’m not having any issue filling my time while we are supposed to be staying home. I’m as busy or busier than usual.

Bear Paw Blocks – WIP

Today I continue to work on a Gazillion Bear Paw blocks.  OK, not really that many, there will only be 72. It just seems like a lot because repetitive tasks aren’t my favorite.

I’m working on twelve at a time and have finished 48 so only a third more to go.

These are the pieces needed for the block. I am speeding up the cutting process by cutting four blocks at once from stacked fabric.  The triangles were cut using an Easy Angle or the Omnigrid right triangle ruler.  I’ve over sized the triangles slightly so I can trim down the finished half square triangle after sewing to get it perfect.

To possibly make this post useful, here is a video showing how to draft this block in Electric Quilt.

For Something so Small…

I have a very boring work in progress today.  I spent the vast majority of the day working on this little tray.

By approximately 10:15 pm, I was finally ready to combine the inner and outer tray.  At this point, I discovered I didn’t have enough of the correct floss to make twisted cord handles which need to be attached between the layers.  So it is still a WIP, but I think I have enough information and pictures to teach class in the morning. This project is nearing completion and I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time on something so small and basically useless.  However, I did learn a lot.

WIP Northern Wilderness

I’ve spent most of the day plugging away on a custom quilting job so it was late in the day before I had a chance to work on anything of my own.

Speaking of custom quilting, Northern Wilderness has been sitting waiting to be quilted for over seven years.  I had been saving it to do custom quilting. But awhile ago, Barb, one of the students in the class asked me to quilt her quilt with an all over pattern.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the over all pattern on this quilt.  Since I’m now somewhat obsessed with getting more of my projects finished, I decided to load the quilt and do an all over job on it.

WIP Home Sweet Home

Today I’m feeling the pressure of a looming deadline. I’ve been working on the Home Sweet Home work box for almost a year. I’m teaching it as a class and the final class is in about two weeks.  Which means I need to be finished.  Nothing like a deadline to keep one motivated. This is where I am at the moment, and I expect to be further before the day ends.

WIP Bunnies on the Go

Under the needle today is a bunny driven tractor.  When I need to emerge from the basement to warm up, I stitch a few stitches.  I finished the airplane block and the parachuting block within the last week.  The quilt is “Bunnies on the Go” from Darcy Ashton‘s book Bunnies & More.  My husband accompanied me to a quilt show a few years ago, and decided he wanted this quilt — he is drawn to 30’s fabric.  The race car has been done for a few years.  I’m finally getting back to it. I’m preparing the appliques using the starch and press method, and then doing all the stitching by hand.  There are only six appliqued blocks and then 72 pieced blocks.