Monday!

My design wall is empty...if it were a sound, you were hear crickets chirping and maybe a loon in the far distance.

Instead, I have a picture of what is on my frame. I put the borders on the field of a Jelly Roll quilt I pieced last fall at a retreat and mounted it on the frame over the weekend. For the first time ever, I will try to use a pantograph. I have a quilt (for my aunt) begging me to do a Baptist Fan design, but I have to try it out on one of my own quilts before I do my aunt's quilt...

For some real design wall inspiration check out Patchwork Times!

Monday Again? Already?

I've been plugging away at various projects and planning others in my head...and the time just keeps on slipping away!

My design wall remains the same as it was last week. I have made no more progress on the little quilt, it is still there, looking at me, giving me a guilt trip every time I sit down at the machine (even for boring things like mending the Boybarian's pants).

I have been working on a new project. It is a design by Cynthia England called Waterfall. I think I spent over a week just pulling fabric from my stash! I dyed a piece of fabric, had to buy a couple to fill some holes...and have now started. I have two sections pieced and a start on a third.

Have I ever mentioned that I am NOT a paper-piecer? It drives me batty. The only advantage this method has is that I am working from the front of the project, not the back, so at least my pieces are coming out right. I'm doing my best to "make it work" (said in my best Tim Gunn voice) as I love the way the pattern looks. AND it would go SO well with our guild quilt show theme for next spring - Nature's Beauty.

I'll keep plugging along on this quilt, though I will be taking some breaks to be inspired by other design walls linked up at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday September 12, 2011

Long time no blog! Life has become crazy busy here and I've just not had time to think out blog posts...yes, I do think long and hard before posting...and still edit after posting!

Today, on my design wall, is the Winding Ways quilt. I have the field totally pieced (those 3" squares did NOT defeat me!). Now I am trying to decide what to do for borders. I really don't want to bind it as is, even though the pattern showed it that way. What do you think of my fabric choices? A very thin off white batik border followed by the wine colored batik:

For more design wall inspiration check out Patchwork Times!

Design Wall Monday 8/22/11

Something to show! My design wall actually has very little on it...these 3" blocks don't take up much room!

Only 4 more blocks and I can assemble the top :) As you might recall, I'm using these blocks as leaders and enders while making the Bento Box blocks:

These blocks have outgrown my tiny design wall, so here they are on my design (living room) floor.

What is on YOUR Design Wall? See lots more at Patchwork Times!

I've been busy sewing Bento blocks, but haven't been taking pictures of the process as I am testing someone else's pattern. You will be seeing some more of the blocks on Monday when I update my Design Wall :)

Today I took some time out of my regularly scheduled Saturday and went to Staples to take advantage of their Teacher Appreciation Day. 

On the way to the mall area I noticed how lovely the mist was on the river and we took a few minutes to snap some shots.

 I found these photos very inspiring as I am starting to plan what to do for our next guild quilt show. Our theme is Nature's Beauty and I'd love to win the theme quilt category!

As you can see, each shot is really from the same place, just a different angle or a bit closer in.

I've been pulling natural colored fabrics out of my stash :) My quilt may not look like any of these photos, but they will be an integral part of my design process!

Design Wall Monday ~ August 15

Nothing new on my design wall this week. I was prepping for starting up our school year and only looked longingly at the Sewing Dungeon as I walked past it on my way to the laundry corner. So here you see the lonely Bento Box blocks that are waiting oh-so-patiently for me to sew up more of them. I have the pieces cut...just need to sit down and sew!

I did unpack fabrics that I purchased on vacation, though...and petted them. I have some fabrics to make up another Amanda Baby Quilt (a gal at church is expecting, and if it is a girl, I'll have the quilt made!), some fabrics I couldn't resist (I love blue fabric), some teals to replace some teals I used for the wrong project, some textures, a baby quilt panel, a novelty for a casserole cover, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with some of the other fabrics...
 

But my brain is whirling with ideas!

For lots more design wall inspiration, check out Patchwork Times.

It has been a while!

I was on vacation in MI for a couple of weeks and have not gotten much time to sneak down to the sewing dungeon in our settling back into a routine, ordering the last few books to start our homeschooling year, and catching up on laundry...

What I have been doing this week is packing away last year's curriculum and books that we will use the next year to make room for this year's books. I've almost got the "old' books packed away in these boxes:

I am still looking for some stray books for the box on top...The Boybarian seems to have walked off with them. Pretty sad when your students keep wanting to read their SCHOOL books! All three of my students became voracious readers just like their parents.

I am unpacking books that we used with The Peanut and Princess Sunshine. But, since the curriculum was updated since we used it last time, I've ordered some new books...that way it will be a bit different than last time when he was just listening in on his big sisters' lessons.

While I'm setting up for school, I'm dreaming of quilt designs...