It's UFO Sunday

I can't believe it is Sunday again and time to pull out a new UFO.  I finished my 2 projects from last week but didn't take time tonight to do pictures so I'll post this on Linky Tuesday at Freemotion at the River.

This new item is a sofa topper that I started last fall.  I was planning to take it to my craft show but the amount of quilting didn't fit into the time slot I had to finish it.   The first picture is the overall quilt and please excuse the fold lines as this has been put away for a while. The colors aren't showing up that great but are done in black, greys, taupes.  It is made up of the same block turned different ways and then side borders.

Here is a closeup of one block.  I have done the leaf and my feather looks more like a leaf than a plume.  There are also some loopy loops and a narrow strip of ribbon quilting.
Here is my dilemma, what do I put in the borders around the squares?  Should I do leaf designs in all the areas?  I like the leaves I have done and may add a maple leaf in one of the squares.
When I get the quilting figured out for this one block, should I repeat the same quilting in all the blocks? The narrow strip on the side is a border that I was going to do leaves on a vine.
 

A Feather in my Bonnet

I have met this lovely lady Dora who is a fabulous quilter and we share a love for vintage machines and using our treadles for FMQ.  Dora made a wonderful tutorial here and I told her I wanted to give it a try so I did last night.  I started out by drawing out the design on paper, I always do it on paper first as it just helps my brain absorb it more.

Sorry about it turning on it's side.  The inside center is the trickiest for sure but with Dora's wonderful pictures, it was very easy to follow.  Then I moved on to the real thing.  I made up 2 sample blocks and I think my first attempt is the best.  I was being distracted trying to do the center better in the second sample and it ended up a lot more wobblier so it tells me I need some more practice before I enter this on any quilt.  If you go to Dora's blog, you will see her lovely quilt finished with all the beautiful plumes.  Thanks Dora for the great tutorial.

Annie was just excited to perform last night and is sitting ready for some more action

 

Leah Day's Quilt Along

How is the last summer holiday of the year going?  I hope you are enjoying family, sunshine and all the other wonderful things that come with summer.  We are already starting to see signs of fall, summer is so short for us in Canada.  I do certainly enjoy the fresh vegetables coming in and I have done some pail pickles, 10 big quarts of dills, today 2 batches of pie dough for our prairie apples and a batch of tomatoes sauce to use in cassrole dishes so it has been busy so far but I am thrilled to have some veggies for those cold winter months coming.

I am been sorta following Leah Day's Quilt Along all summer and trying many of her quilt designs.  It has certainly helped me improve my skills quite a bit.  Now, every Sunday is going to be UFO day and I sure can use this!  For this first week, I am pulling out this twister wreath that I made from a tutorial on the "Quilting Board".  I suddenly became ill and ended up with surgery so this got tossed to the UFO bin. 

I don't have a lot to finished it so I think it is a good first UFO finish.  I did micro stippling on all the white sections on my treadle.  That was a lot of fun. I have stitched 1/4" inside the twisters but need to do the pink ones and then the borders.  I plan a big rose/burgandy bow at the bottom of the wreath.

I have all the straight line quilting done on my string wall hanging.

 

And look at the stitching on the back.  I used different sized squares for the centers but the stitching almost makes you dizzy.

I really like the white/black sashing.  This is not my original design and for the life of me I can't find the gal who made this to give her full credit for a great wall hanging.  I am going to bind it in a black/white binding, a bit darker to frame the whole event.

I have spent more time than I should have on the "Back to School Blog Hop", any of you doing this?  While browsing around other blog sites I came across this darling Quilt Along called "Hello Sunshine".  I am just puttering with these right now but they are so darn cute it will be hard to leave them alone.  There is a new block each month and you can join in here.  Here is a sample of the blocks and my first sunshine.

I can't quite decide if I will make this into a quilt or a Quiet Book.



 

Jane's Quilting: School Daze with Giveaway

Jane's Quilting: School Daze with Giveaway

Quilting Lodge Blog: Quilter's Blog Hop Party Giveaway!

Quilting Lodge Blog: Quilter's Blog Hop Party Giveaway!http://samanthashouse.blogspot.ca/2012/08/back-to-school-blog-hop.html

Back to School Blog Hop

Did you know it is only a short time before all the kids are back in school?  A hush comes over the streets where we live and we know summer is over, gee so short.  But to ease into fall there is a terrific Back to School Blog Hop here where you can enter for lots of giveaways.  I just found a wonderful Canadian quilt shop FlareFabrics with great prices and Free Shipping in Canada.  I just love their line of modern fabrics so click on the above and go have a look and don't forget to enter the Blog Hop.

New FMQ Design

As you all know, I am constantly practicing FMQ and trying new designs.  This week I finished up a small charity quilt that will go to our Palliative Care Unit.  There are so many good FM Quilt Alongs on the internet now, like Leah Day and Oh Fransson.  I follow them and try out many, some I can do and some are too challenging.  I used a new petal leaf design from Oh Fransson on this quilt and I am pretty pleased, need more practice.  It was quick to do and blended the strips.  Here is my finished product.

I need to get some pickles done up and the tomatoes are coming in fast.  Harvest is in full swing and Canadian farmers in Manitobia, Saskatchewan and Alberta and having bumper crops.  Chat with you soon.