Weekend Stitching

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

Last Wednesday I tweaked my back. I am prone to this because I have degenerative disk disease in my spine – lucky me. Anyways, this means that there was no way I could sit at my machine and sew, especially since my sewing project currently consists of my mom’s super heavy purple quilt.  So instead of sewing at my machine I busted out my favorite crazy block. I designed my very own embroidery design, turned it into an iron transfer and stitched it up. I have totally fallen in love!

Making your own iron on transfer is seriously easy if you have the right tools, I will do a tute for this at some point!

I am in love with where this block is headed. In case you are wondering what this is for and why I’m making it, I will tell you. It is for me, it will eventually be bound and will live in my sewing room as inspirational quilting art. I started this little project to learn some embroidery stitches before busting into my really nice stash of crazy quilting fabrics. So far I am really pleased but there is a lot more embellishment that I want to do.

You still have until Wednesday to link up for August’s goal party for A Lovely Year of Finishes, so make sure you get on that!

Posted in Crazy Quilt | 10 Comments

August Goal Setting Party – A Lovely Year of Finishes

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

It is August. I am a bit in shock by that, but not really. I have been steadily chipping away in July at this month’s goal. I want/need to finish my mom’s birthday present. Her birthday is in September and this is my git er done month. I will finish the quilting and bind my mom’s birthday quilt. Here’s my quilting progress to date:

I learned this awesome tape technique from the wonderful Julie at Intrepid Thread. It is a great way to get straight lines without having to mark up your quilt. These lines are already done and I taped some fill in lines the next day:

All that is left is borders and binding (oh and I have to pick out a binding – I suck at that).

——–

What one item will you choose to do for August?

You have two requirements to be entered into the prizes this month.

1. Link-up {on this post} the first 7-days of the month

and

2. Link-up in the last 7-days of the month.

Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun!

 **Please note, the linky party is the same here and over at Shanna, so there is no need to enter twice **

 For those unsure of how to link up go check out our Q&A Page for A Lovely Year of Finishes – there are instructions on how to link up from a blog and from Flickr.

Grab a button from my sidebar and spread the LOVE!

Oh yeah and there are prizes this month (as always!), here is what our fantastic sponsors are offering:

August Prizes Include:

 1. Choice of $15 or 2 charm packs from Stitch n’ Giggles

2. $25.00 Gift Certificate to Superior Threads

3. Riley Blake Designs – fat quarter bundle {one of their latest lines}

4.  $15.00 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop

5. Paper Pieces prize donated from Paper Pieces

6. Quilting Patterns designed by Quilting Lodge

 

 Thanks for joining in! You have til the 7th to link-up.

There’s an optional mid-month check-in.

And you’ll have to link up anytime on the last 7 days of the month.



Posted in A Lovely Year of Finishes, Bee Blocks, Fiber of All Sorts | 13 Comments

Pause for the Reveal!

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

Sometimes you just need to take a pause to have a breakthrough…I had 2 breakthroughs when I took my pause last week. My awesome new sewing machine cover (see below) and I figured out how to quilt the purple bee quilt for my mom. More on that later!

Now, I have to say that I just adore Comma by Zen Chic (Brigitte Heitland). The colors, the mix of scale in the prints, the prints themselves. I love everything about it.

I decided that my sewing machine cover needed some pockets for the sides (not sure what made me think that because they were a bit of a pain…) and also as much use of the prints as possible. This cover is reversible because I made the backing pretty too!

I haven’t bound the bottom yet and if I’m being really honest with myself (and you too) I don’t know what I ever will. I mean it is for me and I certainly am not at all chuffed with that unfinished look.

I also decided to bust out my new Angela Walters book and practice some free motion quilting (I apologize for the crappy cell phone pic). I used her atomic squares design. It isn’t perfect but I think it is pretty good for a first try.

All in all a great pause in quilting for quilting of a different sort!

Posted in Finished Quilts, quilting | 10 Comments

Space Quilt Reveal

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

If you follow me on Flickr, you may have already seen the whole Space Quilt, but I wanted to share the quilt with everyone in its entirety.

The blocks for this quilt were generously made by the incredibly talented ladies of the Trust Circle for Do. Good Stitches. I feel so blessed to count myself as part of this group. I asked them to each make a star block and one related space block. We had paper pieced blocks, appliqued blocks, and even embroidered blocks. The talent of these ladies just blows me away.

Our circle for Do Good Stitches supports children in foster care. To find my child I got in touch with my favorite foster mom and friend, Kristy from Hopeful Threads, she provided me with all kinds of fun information on the boy that I would be donating the quilt too. He loves space, his favorite colors are red, blue and black. I’m pretty sure we hit the nail on the head! From the pictures I received I would say that we got it just right. I can’t show you any of the pictures that show his face, I want to help protect his anonymity, but I do have one super special picture to share.

I have it on good authority from Kristy that the quilt is well loved!

Have you finished your project yet for July – A Lovely Year of Finishes? You have until Wednesday night to link up!

Posted in A Lovely Year of Finishes, Do.Good Stitches, Finished Quilts | 12 Comments

A Lovely Year of Finishes – July Finishes Party

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

Well it is that time again, the end of the month. We are now closer to the end than the beginning, which is really awesome and kind of scary at the same time!

I will be sharing my complete finish in another post but here is a great shot of one of the amazing blocks in the Space Quilt that I finished earlier this month.

This incredible paper pieced block was made by Jessica, aka Plum Patchwork on Flickr and here on Etsy.

Now it is your turn!

Please link up that  one item you choose to finish this month.

 To be eligible to win a July prize you

1. were required to enter you your project {on this post} the first 7-days of the month

and

2. enter in the linky below, the last 7-days of the month.

Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun!

 **Don’t forget! The linky party is the same here and over at Shanna, so there is no need to enter twice **

Make sure you grab a button from the sidebar and link back to this post so everyone can join in the fun!

Here is a reminder of what our fantastic sponsors are offering:

July Prizes Include:

 1. A Fat Quarter Bundle from Moda United Notions

Moda Batiks

 2. Choice of $15 or 2 charm packs from Stitch n’ Giggles

3. Paper Pieces prize donated from Paper Pieces

4,5,6,7. A thread pack from Aurifil

# 4 – Thread collection with 40wt Pat Sloan’s pick

#5,6,&7 – Random thread pack

Aurifil PS

8. $20.00 Gift Certificate from the Quilting Lodge

Thanks for joining in!

Don’t forget to come back before the end of the month to see what I made! And don’t forget to go check out Shanna over on Clover & Violet today!



Posted in A Lovely Year of Finishes, Fiber of All Sorts | 6 Comments