Iron Craft: Craft with a Book

I don't know if this is what Iron Craft meant when they said this weeks challenge was a craft with a book.  Honestly, I looked at all my books and couldn't think of anything that cried out to me.  I did however remember my journal.  I have been meaning to post about my journal and get that going again as it has fizzled out ( a long time ago).  The pic above I just did the other day.  If you notice I had missed coloring parts of the flower.  Yup- those over forty eyes doing artwork, not realizing that I really need to have my readers on even with art work.  Ugh!

This sketch I did a number of years ago.  If you will notice there isnt a thing representing quilting or blogging for that matter and those two things certainly take up a great deal of my time and require creativity.

This is me on the left and my friend on the right.  She is one of our Four Corners Gals.  We meet monthly and have been doing so for over ten years now.  Even during my move out of town, we kept right on meeting.

This was the first page in the journal.  This represents our Four Corners.  We have nicknamed each other a long time ago.  I am Red Feather Swimming.  We have earth, air, fire and water represented.  We each gave each other our elements.  It was obvious to all of use for many reasons who was what.  The Compass Rose representing the directions of the earth and our lives, etc. Our group is very spiritual but not religious.  It has always been about peace, grace, support and kindness.  When I am with these ladies for our monthly get together it is like going on a spiritual retreat.  I am grateful for all of them.

So thank you, Just Crafty Enough, for lighting a fire under my butt to get going with my journal.

The Farmers Wife: Week... I lost track

Ribbons

Farmers Puzzle

Old Windmill

Northern Lights

Mothers Dream

Old Windmill

Rainbow Flowers

I just wanted to add my latest blocks for the quilt, The Farmers Wife.

You know what makes me crazy when I work on my blocks.  My lack of knowledge when I began.  Like why would I pick such large prints for such small blocks.  It has presented lots of challenges.  Overall I like the blocks but I think the prints are better represented in larger sized blocks.

Quilt Show at Patricia's

I just wanted to share some of the quilts at a quilt show that is done biannually.  The show is held by a store called Patricia's in East Rochester.

Love the motion of this one.

Loved these colors.

A great scrappy quilt.

I think this was my favorite.  I love the colors and design.  Its beautifully executed!

Hand quilted by a local quilter/teacher Jeanette Cook.  One of these days I will take her class.

I know that sunflowers should be cliches by now with me but I just am absolutely drawn to them.  Loved this quilt- simple but beautiful.

Design Wall Monday- January Carnations

I am off for days events but I wanted to slip this entry into Patchwork Times, Design Wall Monday.  I have actually finished piecing a top with these colors.  Then I decided to make a fancy backing for it.  But then as I got going, I decided I was going to make a throw.  So the pinwheels on the bottom are for the backing as originally planned.  And the Evening Stars on top are for the next quilt.  Goodness.  This January Carnation fabric has really had a life of its own.  Since I have two girls born in January it works out pretty nicely.

This is where it all started- with this pieced square that I won at an auction.

Iron Craft Challenge: UFO's

Don't beam me up yet, I have to much to do. Too many UFO's (unfinished projects) or WIP's (works in progess, as other people call them). You know, the kind of stuff you have lying around that haunts you. It speaks to you, "Hey, remember me, I am the ____ project that you were excited about, spent money on... and then forgot about". Oh, indeed I do, remember you. I had made a sommitment in January of this year to really buckle up and get some of those projects done. I have to say that I actually have finished a bunch of stuff. Of course I started a ton more as well. The above bucket is a small sampling of projects that I have to complete.

Thank you  Kat and company at Just Crafty Enough for inspiring me to get some things done.

Like this for example, I had other quilts in progress but this one, because its my daughters, begged to be done first.  She really hasn't bothered me about getting it done in a long time.  But I wanted to get it done.  Her sister has her quilt on her bed and I want her to have hers.

So at a day retreat this past Friday and Saturday I worked feverishly to get it quilted.  I had begun some Free motion stitching a while ago when there was a cool day but then stopped.  With all the heat, the last thing I wanted to do was get under a blanket and stitch.  I stitched in the ditch around my pinwheels and finished all the free motion stitching.  At the last hour, I added the binding. Now I am waiting for another cool day to attach all the binding.

It is called Kokopelli Dancing.  Someone, Jan, over at Quilting Revolution said that my free motion stiching reminded her of Kokopelli.  Since my daughter loves dancing I decided to name it "Kokopelli Dancing". As soon as I get the binding on I will post.

Here is my next project that has been sitting right by my table that has simply been driving me crazy.  I put it there purposely so I had to move it out of the way all the time.  This way it would persistently work its way up to the work table.  Its been like that for about four weeks.  I had to get it done.

I made a few of these because they are convenient for people to have and I wanted to give some away.  I made one for my Mom as well. The center square was made when I was at an embroidery class.  I didn't want it to go to waste, so that is where it all started.

Design Wall Monday- 1000 Pyramids

While taking my first quilting class last September, I became interested in the 1000 pyramids quilt.  I kept thinking about it and thinking about it. I decided to make it but knew it was going to be an in progress quilt for a long time to come.  I wanted each triangle to be a different fabric.  I want it to be pretty huge too.  Right now it is about a 1/3 of the way done.  I get super excited when I find nice scraps because it means I am that much closer to finishing.  You can see how I have grown with my quilting by this quilt.  When I started points didn't necessarily match that well.  Now, I am much better at matching points.  I thank the Farmers Wife Quilt experience for that.  When you are off on a smaller block- it really shows.  I cant tell you how many seams I have ripped open on that one.  One block I ripped out about three times per seam.  And really that is not much of an exageration.  I, of course, still see much room for improvement.  Maybe I should do Dear Jane?  Talk about small blocks.

For those of you that dont know quilting, 1000 pyramids doesnt ne cessarily mean that there are 1000 triangles in it.  It means there are obstacle illusions of many pyramids in the quilt.  Maybe even 1000 illusions. 

The quilt is becoming a bit of an eye spy quilt because ever time I add something that has animals or pictures, I fussy cut it to add interest to the triangle.  When I lay it out on the floor, the kids like to play I spy with it.

This is what is up on my design wall today.  I have a few triangles to add.  See other peoples Design Wall Monday posts here at Patchwork Times.

You can make your own equilateral triangle that is used for this quilt.  The how to is here.  I made mine about 5 inches tall (with seam allowance).

The Farmer's Wife Quilt: Week 11

The Spool #84

The Spider Web #83

Lightening #92

Iron Craft Challenge: Summer

Very exciting, I actually finished the challenge and I couldn't be happier.  I have been wanting to do this for a while now.

My rough sketch.

I really like this part.  My skills may be on the primitive side but I was pleased with this part and how it came out.

Design Wall Monday

I continue to work on my Farmers Wife Quilt.  I keep thinking to myself, do I want to cut short and stop now or do I want to make every single block.  Regardless of what I want to do I just keep plodding along.  So maybe I will just nonchalantly arrive at block number 106 (or whatever the final number is).  I like to look at my set in Flickr.

If you would like to see all the others who have shared their links at Patchwork Times- Design Wall Monday.  Head on over.  Lots to see.

The Farmer's Wife Quilt Along- week #10

Prairie Queen #70

Nope, I didn't do Iron Craft this week.  I had every intention.  My daughter was pretty sick so my energy was focused somewhere else.  And why do I have like, seven blocks this week?  Well I did manage to make two this week.  Then I started looking at my design wall and the wall on my flickr page and saw that I had not posted some.

Gentleman's Fancy #44

Calico Puzzle #16

Contrary Wife #21

Friendship

Bat Wings #5

Farmers Daughter #32