My quilt guild, the Rocket City Modern Quilt Guild, was going to set up a display in the main library.  Not as many quilts were donated as I would have liked.

We were originally going to showcase our Alzheimer Art Quilts that we will be sending in July.. however I didn't have enough to really fill up the display window so I went on a rampage looking for orphaned blocks.  The three with the red were from a block swap I participated in so I thought they'd be great for the AAQI... and the kaleidoscope is from my outer space stack and whack kaleidoscope quilt that I'm slowly working on... I can't seem to find a layout that I like so it has been on hold... This was Monday.....

Tuesday morning I looked at all of the AAQ's I had (I'm the prez so I get to tote them around) and decided that the majority of them were not modern and our guild really wanted to modern up the window display so I changed gears and went searching for other things I could whip up quickly...

I had stitched up the Biohazard block, courtesy of Fandom in Stitches  It just needed some outer borders and then to be quilted and bound.. check!  One cool mini quilt to add to the window display...

Next up?  The owl mini quilt that I had started ions ago and I never did finish it up.  I really wasn't too keen on the pink owl but then I looked at it and it made sense..The colors are REALLY off here but the top left owl has a green head, the top right pink and the bottom two are purple... kind of my own little owl family - green is hubby, me the pink (even though I really really don't like pink so I don't know what I was thinking by making it pink in the first place) and the bottom two are my boys....  I considered remaking the pink owl since it would only take an hour but I figured what the hay.  It is really cute together... so I bordered it out, quilted it (just a simple stitch in the ditch for this one) and then bound it... Check!  Another mini for the library display... and another thing off my ufo pile...
The owls are a Regina Grewe pattern and I highly recommend her patterns.  She's fabulous!

Time check - not even time to stop for lunch yet.  I'm on a roll... what else is there to whip up?  I saw the daleks and the tardis I had pieced up - another Fandom in Stitches pattern.  This one was originally going to have the daleks in a rainbow formation over the tardis.  I didn't want to do the angles so I layed it out and was happy with it.... Sewed all of the blocks together, free motion and stitch in the ditch and another one off my ufo pile - although Collin has claimed this one so I'm going to have to make another one.... but not right away.  I have another tardis quilt that has been in the works.. and my urban nine patch is about half done...

After my lunch break - which I will admit was in the middle of the tardis creation - I started looking around for more... must.find.more... out of the corner of my eye - what's that?  the wonky houses I got during a block swap my guild had.  I loved these houses although I didn't know why all three of my partners chose orange houses.  The small house needed something to fill in the space so I whipped up two wonky trees, cut everything to fit, sewed together, quilted and bound it... Okay.  I have to admit that this was the quilt that I FINALLY figured out how to join the ends while using my binder attachment tool, which I still do love by the way.  So this one has a great joining seam - yay!

Time check... it's a little before dinner.  What am I missing to show off modern quilting?  I had modern fabrics already taken care of for the display thanks to other ladies' quilts.. imnprov piecing thanks to the hosues - and bonus that others made the blocks so that more people are represented in the display... how about use of negative space?

Off to the scrap bins.  If you don't free motion quilt, I strongly urge you to try it out.  It's fun.  It's relaxing.  It's liberating.

I hit the scrap bins and pulled out two colors and made one rectangle, framed out by a white on white. I know, the colors in all of my pictures the day I took them are waaaaay off....
Then I picked out a light green thread and began to quilt away.  You can't really see it here but it's a flower.  There are leaves and a stem and petals.  I love this mini.  I was originally going to send it out for the Alzheimer Art Quilts but I might have to hold back on that and maybe make them some others like this.  I love this.  I should teach a workshop on doing this.  Yeah. I think this one might not make it out.

Okay.. So that was my Monday and Tuesday.   Wednesday we set up the library display and it looks fabulous.   I took pictures with my phone but they are quite frankly miserable.  Next time I go to the library I should bring a real camera with me.....

I can not believe how long it has been since I posted to this blog!  So much for my "I promise to post at least once a week, preferably twice a week" New Year promise...  I do need to get a rhythm and more discipline with this blog.  I guess I need to stop crafting every once in awhile and come up for air.  I'll post a round up later.  That's not what's on my mind right now... I have something else to blog about today...

I purchased a binder attachment for my Juki 2000 a few weeks ago and I finally got to try it out today.  I personally hate attaching binding.  The glue baste method made it slightly tolerable for me but I had seen a guild member use a quilt binder attachment on her Bernina and was smitten with it..

I have to say that I have practiced a bit today and am pretty confident now to put a binding on a quilt :D  I promised myself that I'd remove the binding off of the iron caddy I made (oh, it's a REALLY bad binding job) so I think that might be my next victim I mean project for attaching a binding.

I bound several things along with a few practice pieces that I would bind, cut smaller, bind again..

Here are two of the things I bound today... The tree on the left was an orphan block.  The tree on the right with the bicycle was made by my friend, Heather.  They are both going to be sent to be auctioned by the Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative.  I have completed 6 quilts in various different styles to send off.  I thought I'd find some old orphans and use them as practice and AAQI donations.

I am in love with this binder attachment doohickey.  I wish I would have bought and used this sooner! I've got several quilts that are just waiting for binding so hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll have a stack of finished quilts to finally show off!  Yay!

For anyone who might be interested in my binder attachment - I got it on Ebay.  Here is a link to the listing...  I'm not affiliated with this seller, it's just the most reasonable place I found for this particular binder. 

Most of the binders I found were two sides clean (folds under both sides) and that's not what I wanted.  I got one that is one side raw, one side clean finish.  I do that French fold binding so the "raw" edge is really my folded edge and the clean edge is the folded over edge so this worked out perfectly for me.  I had to buy screws to attach the binder to the machine although I wish I just took my Juki to Home Depot to see if they had any screws that would work. I still might as the screws I bought from Raichert are ridiculously long.  Hubby used some snips and cut them in half but they still don't screw in as nicely as I would like so I might take it in and see what I can find instead.  It doesn't hurt to look....

I also followed a great video tutorial on mitering the corners.  I have to say that my corners are sharp. 

Overall - I say I'm a believer.  I know machine binders aren't for everyone.  There are a lot of people who enjoy the binding process.  There are those like myself who absolutely detest doing it.  I don't mind anymore.  Bring 'em on!!  ... okay, disclaimer... please don't send me your quilts to bind.  I'm backlogged!

I started this paper piecing project last spring.  I worked on it for a few days, set it aside, picked it back up, set it aside... I had all the pieces (except one that I had to remake due to a color misplacment) and it nearly sewn together.  I was having issues getting my points to match in a major intersection right in the center.  I must have sewn & ripped it apart at least 6 times.  I would bring my bag of pieces to and from my Sewing Saturdays and never open it up.

Yesterday I had a few friends over to sew and I really didn't have much to work on and I couldn't decide on something new to do so I kicked this out! 

The problem intersection I used glue to hold it in place to match those points.  There are two spots that the points do not add up nicely and one spot in the castle where the  piece is shifted but I had to just walk away and claim acceptable loss.  I wanted it perfect but it's good enough.  My whole family is in love with this.  It's suppose to be for my youngest son but I think it needs to be hung somewhere where we can all enjoy it.

I have another paper piecing project or two that I have been slowly kicking out.  They're next on my rainy day project list!

This pattern (A Dragon's Tale - can be purchased online & through Ebay) was suppose to be 28x36. I  enlarged it using posterazor then cut and taped together the pieces.
About 3/4 the way through I played with a glue stick and figured out how to paper piece without sewing through the paper.  Man, I wish I tried that sooner!  I won't paper piece any other way now.

I'm hoping to quilt it next weekend.  I'm going to use that transparent monofilament and just outline the parts and do a little light quilting in the borders.  I haven't decided what to quilt in the borders.  It might just be some kind of a rope.

All I can say is that it feels good to be done... so far at least!

Ever wonder how you can get my blog posts in your email?  I just set up feedburner, complete with an email option so you won't ever miss a post!

Check it out on the right hand side of the page....

Now back to my regularly scheduled program.. cleaning the craft room.  I know that people like to call their crafty domains a "studio" but it will always be my craft room.  It's comfy albeit very messy right now.  Today's task is cleaning this place so I can find things again!  I'm missing my 1/4" add a quarter ruler and if I'm going to be paper piecing again any time in the near future, that will come in handy!

I've been playing with a friend's copy of Electric Quilt 5.. and definitely know that I want to get EQ7 so it's on my short list.  I am in the process of ordering it...

But to get ready for it I started to compile a list of Electric Quilt tutorial Links.  So far I've scoured the net looking for written links... but I'll be adding the video links next!

If you are interested in EQ, come take a look at the Electric Quilt Tutorial Links page.

Want to know to make a QR Code quilt the easy and painless way?  I just added a tutorial on how to make one yourself!

Go and Check it out - QR Code Quilt Tutorial

So while I was at it I figured I'd go and make a page just for my tutorials I did specifically for this site... you can click on the link on the left hand side of the page or you can click right here to go and check it out... 

I'll be updating the blog soon with more pictures of the quilts I made for the holidays.  I'm still working on bindings but they're getting closer to being done.... One's done, one is half sewn on and the other has the binding cut at least.  I'll finish them today and get to posting tomorrow...

I made the top and back for a quilt for hubby for Xmas then decided that I should give the boys a quilt each as well... so I decided to make my oldest son the big alarm clock quilt out of the Dare to be Square book and my youngest I would do the big skull from the same book... but I like to make double sided quilts.  I think a boring back is just boring.  I saw the QR Code quilts online and fell in love with the idea.  I wrote up a secret, somewhat sentimental message to turn in to a code courtesy of this free code generator then started on the quilt.

I had decided I would strip piece it to make life easier and made black/white, white/white and black/black strip sets... I felt like it was taking forever so then I decided to sew them in to sets of 4 strips instead and that made working up the quilt a lot faster.  I might do a tutorial on it although there seems to be a slew of them online.  The ones I saw pretty much had you sewing one square at a time which is tedious at best and ridiculously long to finish so I suggest strip piecing whenever possible!

Now it's time to start on my youngest son's QR Code quilt!

I've been fascinated by bargello quilts for a bit.  I don't know why I like them.  I just do.  I'm going to make one... although the Xmas present quilt list will have to come first.  I've got one done already for hubby... then I need to make one for each of my boys, my nephew and my brother.  But to keep me inspired I wanted to add a few links here for making and designing your own bargello quilt...

How to Make a bargello quilt
a few free bargello quilt pattern links
Bargello tutorial by Cutting Edge

My youngest son's best friend's mom had a baby girl last year.  They have dachshunds and I had seen a dachshund quilt in the Dare to be Square book.. and I knew I had to make it for her... last year... 

I had borrowed the book from the library and scanned the pages I needed and when I went to open the scans, the pictures were too small to blow up.  I have not idea why. Stinking scanner.  I went to borrow the book again and viola... the book had vanished.  I had kept it in my holds list just in case... you never know if it would turn up...

In the meantime I had started to make her a different quilt.  My first attempt resulted in what I consider to be the ugliest quilt I have ever made - EVER.  I could not give that to her... The I began a modern dresden flower quilt instead.  That was working out well enough... By this time it was June.

Then the Dare to be Square book arrived in my library queue! I was so excited!  So I started on the new one - but added in a few of the flowers.

In the meantime I had started to make her a different quilt.  My first attempt resulted in what I consider to be the ugliest quilt I have ever made - EVER.  I could not give that to her... The I began a modern dresden flower quilt instead.  That was working out well enough... By this time it was June.

Then the Dare to be Square book arrived in my library queue! I was so excited!  So I started on the new one - but added in a few of the flowers.

In the meantime I had started to make her a different quilt.  My first attempt resulted in what I consider to be the ugliest quilt I have ever made - EVER.  I could not give that to her... The I began a modern dresden flower quilt instead.  That was working out well enough... By this time it was June.

Then the Dare to be Square book arrived in my library queue! I was so excited!  So I started on the new one - but added in a few of the flowers.


In the meantime I had started to make her a different quilt.  My first attempt resulted in what I consider to be the ugliest quilt I have ever made - EVER.  I could not give that to her... The I began a modern dresden flower quilt instead.  That was working out well enough... By this time it was June.

Then the Dare to be Square book arrived in my library queue! I was so excited!  So I started on the new one - but added in a few of the flowers.

Flash forward a few months... Yeah.. the top is done... I needed a backing... nothing I had really was going to work.  I thought of making more dachshunds and making them come and go on the back of the quilt.. then I ran out of background fabric and could not finish that idea...

I found this awesome fabric at Hancock Fabrics online.... fortunately I was able to score it in one of my local stores.  I bought a few yards of it and only ended up using 1 yard.. I've got a lot of happy dachshund fabric left to do something else with....

Then this past Black Friday, after a long day of fun shopping with friends, I come home to be told that my youngest was invited to this little girl's first birthday party.  Wow.  I knew I needed to finish that quilt... and I did.

To make this long story a little shorter.... I started quilting on my new sit down Tin Lizzie.  I had lots of headaches with skipped stitches... After hours of online research (my rep had not emailed or called me back) I discovered the possible culprit - the hopping foot was too high.  I lowered it and it worked superbly.. but the quilt wasn't gliding much.  It was a chore to move it around... so I raised it a little bit and then the machine just froze on me.  I was happy that it stopped in the very corner of the quilt.  I didn't know what to do.  My rep finally emailed me back and told me to turn the handwheel as if I were angry at it.  That worked and now it is moving freely... but of course that email came after I cut the quilt off the machine and finished it on my Juki which was not pleasant either.  I think I need to do something to the hopping foot to make it not as high.  It was a chore to move that quilt around as well... but I finished it... then bound it.

I used the washable school glue approach to binding.  It came out fabulous!  I will never pin binding again - ever.

Anyway.  That is the story of the modern dachshund quilt.  :)

So I have begun my super secret quilting for Xmas.  I can honestly say that I don't think my husband reads my blog... nobody in my family does.  It's just me rambling on out in cyberland and that's okay.  Some people keep a journal.  I am an occasional blogger... 

My husband likes Spiderman.  He collects comic books and yes, we own the super special dvd versions of the movies... So when I saw this black, white & grey Spidey fabric at Sir's in Fayetteville, TN last year, I scooped up about 2 1/2 yards of it.  I thought I'd make a wall hanging out of it or something but it came in handy for a quilt instead.  I figure why not make the man a quilt for snuggling up in front of the tv?  Yes, I know that means I'll have to make one for both boys as well - and maybe a little one for Buster too but that's okay.

So here's the front of the quilt.  It really isn't THAT bright in person.  I don't know why I took this picture on the floor.  I'm sure if I hung it on the design wall it might have had a chance at looking somewhat closer to true color but hey, it's okay.  You guys get the gist of it.  I used the Oriental Garden quilt design - the same one I used for my sister's quilt.  I did say that I loved this pattern, right?  I've seen the block for this quilt popping up here or there but I do like the way this one is framed out so it's a keeper for me.... 

There are errors in the cutting instructions for this pattern... so if you make this, drop me a message and I'll let you know how to fix it - if they haven't fixed it yet.  I have contacted the company to let them know there are errors in the cutting instructions... but that doesn't mean that they'll get fixed. If they do, I'll come back and edit this so let's just assume that if this paragraph is still here, chances are, so are the errors in the cutting instructions...

And if you know anything about me, you know that I like my backs to be interesting... So this is the beginning to the back of this quilt.

Here's the dilemma... the front is 72" square.. the back is 70" square.  I could add on a 2" border so that it will give me a little extra wiggle room for quilting it or I can pretend the front is the back since it's already a little bigger... I'll fold it up and put it on the shelf and think about it a bit.  I don't have enough of the grey mesh looking fabric that I used for the background so using that is out of the question.  Oh and the colors aren't right here either.  The quilt isn't so bright.  What's with my camera wanting to make things brighter than they really are? 

I used this pattern.... Urban Shades from Moda Bakeshop .. but of course I had to change it up a bit.  I wanted to add a little more umph to it so I played around with it until I was happy with it.  I really like how it turned out.

So now back to the dragon quilt.  I'm hoping to have that finished and assembled by Monday if all goes well. We'll see... And then I get to start on couch quilts for both boys....  with only a month and a half until Xmas... I'll make it!  I swear I will... and then I'll finish up that baby quilt for Lanie and the college