Moving on to September

I finished piecing the illusion block quilt.  I really like how it turned out.  Thank you Craftsy for the batik layer cake which made this quilt possible.

I am almost done with my September assignment for the Block of the Month.  I finished the last two blocks and added black borders to all the blocks.  They are each 13" now.

I just need to tear off all the paper from the paper pieced blocks and finish adding the flowers to three baskets.

I have a quick little project to experiment with the next few days.  I've had this Robert Kaufman fabric for quite awhile and I think it might just be perfect for the technique I want to try.  Here is a sneak peak.

Have a creative day

Janet

Progress!

Slow and steady, wins the race or at least it gets the quilt finished.  I am working slowly on this quilt but I really don't want to rush.  I get sloppy when I rush, I'll be the first to admit it, my seams get a little wonky.  I limited myself to four a day.  I am a half square over halfway now!  36 out of 71 finished.  

With my limit it gives me time to play with other quilts as well. 

 I am almost finished piecing all the hexagons for my One Block Wonder quilt.  

I even had a chance to make one cube.

I have more incentive to finish the wedding ring now so I can get the one block wonder up on my design wall and play with the arrangement and make some more cubes.

I didn't forget my Craftsy Block of the Month with Jinny Beyer.  I think I'm improving.

Have a creative day

Janet

Vacation and Sew it begins!

Last week my husband and I took a little vacation time.  One of the items on my bucket list is to visit every state.  I have been to Missouri before but I'm not sure I have ever stayed in Missouri.  We spent the week in Branson. One of my favorite places was Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.  It was amazingly beautiful.  We road a tram through the Park and it was well worth the time.

I thought I would get a start on my Dear Jane Quilt while riding in the car for about 9 hours each way.  Discovered hand sewing in the car is not my strong suit.  I finished half of one block on the way.  When we came home I ripped out those awful hand stitches and fired up the sewing machine.  I finished the four blocks I had prepared for sewing in the car.  And Sew it begins...this will definitely be a long term project. If you aren't familiar with this quilt here is a link to my Pinterest page of Dear Jane's.  Each finished block is 4".

I made myself a notebook to keep them all in one place as I finish them. (I have a tendency to lose things)  It will be interesting to see how my skills improve as I progress.

None of them are perfect but they are at least the correct finished size, which will make piecing it all together much easier.

My thread for my quilt on the longarm finally arrived just before we left on our trip.  I plan to finish it tomorrow.  My missing fabric for the Craftsy Block of the Month 2014 also came while we were gone.  Bonus!  They sent extra fabric with my bit that was missing.  The missing piece is on top all the rest is a wonderful surprise.  Around forty pieces of beautiful batiks.  You can't beat customer service like that!

I cut out the strips for the next section of this quilt.  

This lesson is complementary colors.

Have a Creative Day

Janet

It's costume time!

I have a confession, I have always loved making costumes.  I coerced my daughter into needing a costume this year.  A week ago I sent her photos of a couple of costumes I thought would be fun to make.  I told her she really needed a costume this year, right!?!  We got together on Saturday for brunch and afterwards I took her to JoAnn Fabrics to pick a pattern and fabric.  I am super excited.  This is the pattern I plan to make. (The short steampunk type one in the middle.  We chose a flocked black denim for the jacket and hopefully she will be able to wear it for more than just a costume.  Here is the Simplicity pattern we chose.

While we there we found some really fun fabric to morph my dog into a stegosaurus.  My first homemade pattern.  How did I do?  He still needs the head piece but I made this today.  It's lined with a very soft fleece so he doesn't seem to mind wearing it.  Isn't Mocha a good model, and he looks ferocious right?

I have had a class on Craftsy in my wish list for quite awhile.  The class teaches how to alter a pattern for a plus size body.  I finally decided to take this class because I really miss making clothes for myself. So, expect to see more clothing in the future.  I bought myself a jacket pattern too.

I did get an email saying my thread shipped this week.  I know I could have taken it off the frame and worked on something else but I was afraid it would end up in my pile of unfinished quilts and never get done.  In the meantime I pieced a back for my Craftsy Block of the month.  This is my own design too.

Have a creative day

Janet

No quilting, just piecing

Still waiting for my thread!

In the mean time. . .

Finishing up more UFO's.  This is from a Craftsy class, the 2012 block of the month.  I was using a Kaffe Fassett fat quarter bundle for the fabric, along with a tone on tone white for the background color.  I had two blocks left when I was down to tiny scraps and had to order more fabric. Setting it to the side while I waited was how this quilt ended up in 'the pile' of unfinished quilts.  I plan to piece the back in more of a modern style using my leftover pieces.  This one I don't even need to plan how to quilt.  Craftsy also has a class taught by Leah Day on how to quilt a sampler and more specifically this quilt.  I really admire Leah Day and think I will learn a lot from this class.

Here is another unfinished project.

I started this one at a retreat with Minnesota Contemporary Quilters.  I set it aside while trying to decide whether to keep it as a lap quilt or add a little fabric to at least make it fit a twin bed.  I decided last week when I pulled it out of 'the pile,' to make it a little bigger.  I wasn't sure if I would still be able to find the same fabric but luckily I knew the name of the fabric line, Urban Couture by Basic Grey for Moda.  I put it in a search engine and found exactly what I needed.  I ordered on Thursday and had the fabric by Saturday!  Amazing service!  Thank you to Nana's House Quilt Shop in Nashville.

After I finish piecing these two, fronts and backs, I am excited to start my next project.  I washed and pressed all the fabric so, I am ready to go.  This is for the Craftsy 2014 block of the month on color theory.  Aren't these fabrics amazing.

Have a creative day
Janet

Practicing Paper Piecing & Exciting News

I'm published!

                                
More often than not the quilts I make are partially inspired by a need to learn or practice a technique.  I have a very large precise paper piecing project on my long term list.  I want to make Judy Niemeyer's pattern called "Flowers for my Wedding Ring."  (I bought the pattern from Keepsake Quilting) I have the pattern and cut out the paper patterns, and started gathering materials.  Now I need a little practice with paper piecing.  Good timing for me, it looks like the next block of the month on Craftsy is paper piecing.  They also have a class called Quick Strip Paper Piecing by Peggy Martin.  Not sure if their techniques are similar but they both use strips of fabric and they both paper piece so I guess it can't hurt to try.

I started yesterday and made the first project.

Here are some photos.

Pinwheel Polka

Janet Hartje Pinwheel Polka from Craftsy class

Two choices

Now for the exciting news.  The small group I belong to is now published in a McCalls magazine.  This was a special edition they created to showcase groups of quilters across the country.  The title of the magazine is America Quilts Together Autumn 2012. 

I'm published!

                         

 My group "The Rosie Quilter's" is on page 61.  There is a group photo from our Christmas party, the original palm tree photo we used to make our challenge project, and a photo of some of our quilts hanging at City Hall.  So exciting to be included with all of the wonderful quilters in this magazine.  There are lot's of patterns in the magazine that will be fun to make in the future, so you may want to pick up a copy too. (McCall's gave me permission to post this on my blog)

Have a Creative Day

Janet

Craftsy Block of the Month(s)

I'm playing catch up this weekend.  I hadn't done any of the Craftsy Block of the Month patterns since May.  So, far I have finished June, July and August.  I guess I am caught up now because I have the whole month to finish September's blocks.  It went pretty well, a couple of goofy glitches but I think I caught my mistakes and repaired them.

June blocks:
Greek Cross Block Pattern

Janet Hartje Greek Cross Block Pattern

Octagon Block Pattern

Janet Hartje Octagon block pattern

July blocks:
Traditional Dresden Plate Block Pattern

Janet Hartje Traditional Dresden Plate Block Pattern

Modern  Dresden Wheel Block Pattern
(This is one of the blocks that I goofed.  We could either buy a special ruler to make the pieces or make our own pattern.  I chose to make my pattern because I wasn't sure if I would ever make this block again, so I didn't want to invest in the ruler.  My pattern must have been a tiny bit too big at the center points.  When I sewed the pieces together the outside edge layed nice and flat and the inner part was like a roller coaster.  I just took each seam in a tiny, tiny bit and it all layed flat for me.  Whew!)

Janet Hartje Modern Dresden Wheel Block Pattern

August blocks:
Ohio Star Block Pattern
(I made a goofy mistake on this one, I think I was sewing too late last night.  I didn't notice until I took a photo and looked at it on my computer.  It was easy to fix.  It reminded me of the Sesame Street song, "One of these things is not like the other..."  Can you see the mistake.)
goof

oops!

correction

Janet Hartje Ohio Star Block Pattern

Double Star Block Pattern
(I wasn't sure about the fabrics I chose for this one, but I really like how it looks.)

Janet Hartje Double Star Block Pattern

Have a creative day
Janet

May Craftsy Blocks of the Month

Craftsy BOM January-May

I finally took the time to make my May BOM for Craftsy.  I am still using my Kaffe Fassett fabrics and haven't had to break into the second set yet.  This month we made a modern log cabin block and a wonky log cabin block.  Not sure I did the second one completely right, I was distracted towards the beginning and didn't watch the entire video.  I like how it looks though so, it works for me.  

Modern Log Cabin Block

Wonky 5 sided log cabin block

                     
Have a Creative Day 
Janet

April BOM and more Van Gogh's

water lily continued

The BOM (block of the month) for the Craftsy class involved hexagons.  I have never made a block with a hexagon before and honestly, I don't know if I ever will again.  A little to much time involved in this block.  It's not even the time really, I like to work on projects that I can take time to do the little fussy things that can add something to the character of the final outcome.  The outcome didn't seem to justify the time for me.  Maybe if I had tried to create my own designs with the little hexxies I would have enjoyed it more, so possibly I will try again sometime and see what I can make.  But for now, here are the two blocks for April.

Hexi stripe block pattern

Sunny with a chance of hex

I have received two new postcards for the Van Gogh group in Postmark'd Art.  A portion of Starry Starry Night that was felted on an embellisher.  
       

Starry starry night by Frankie

                     
A cypress tree with wonderful quilting and sparkly tulle.  Both are true works of art, I think Van Gogh would be proud.

Cypresses by Debbie

                                 
Have a creative day
Janet

Painted Pictorial Quilts from Craftsy

I finished painting the second project for the class called Painted Pictorial Quilts.  This class is taught on Craftsy by Annette Kennedy.  The first project was a painted iris.  The second one is a mountain scene.  This is Annette's pattern with my fabrics and painting according to her directions.

Here is the fabric before paint.

Here it is after the paint has been added.


I really enjoyed this class.  In between the two projects she talks about color and depth and dimension.  I still have two of the fifteen lessons left.  I think they are about how to finish your painting.  I can't wait to make a pattern from one of my own photos and turn it into a painted quilt.
Have a creative day
Janet