Happy Home

I had to wait until after my son's Housewarming party to share the project I've been working on since April.  We found the best realtor to work with in finding Chance's first home.  She was so patient, so helpful, so ready to meet us at a moment's notice at yet another house.  She never treated us like we were buying a first-time, lower priced home.  We got to know each other so well that I could tell from the look on her face that we had finally found "the one" when she met us at the final house that became Chance's first home.

With the friendship that developed between us, I wanted to do something extra special for Angie to let her know how much her help meant to us.  I loved the thought of doing a homes quilt for our special realtor.  As I was in the process and discussing it with Chance, he suggested adding him waving from a window of  one of the houses.  We laughed about it and I said what a great idea it was. And then, I got to thinking...you know that means trouble!

We had a great picture of Chance and Angie in front of his new home, so I decided to change the layout by replacing the middle house block with a picture block.  With inkjet printer fabric, it's really so easy once the picture is edited and the printer set up.  The key is to read and follow the printer fabric instructions closely to ensure the best possible outcome.

I used the Parkview Lane pattern in the Sept/Oct 2014 edition of Quiltmaker Magazine's Parade of Quilted Homes for my/Angie's quilt.

Design wall process

Finished Quilt on Design Wall

I meant to get better pictures before giving this to Angie; however, life gets in the way.  After celebrating my oldest son's college graduation, mourning the loss of my sons' paternal grandfather, preparing for Chance's housewarming, mourning the loss of our sweet furbaby, etc, etc...


Life moves on.  Kids grow up, do their own things in life.  Our furbabies become our babies.  We rescued Spencer after Shawn left for college in 2008.  Eight years later, Shawn has finished his Bachelor's after an extended break and after buying his first home, Chance is settled in his first home and is on to the next phase of his life and career, the step-grandkids are now 14.  We have moved to Hawaii and back with Spencer and Heidi-cat (now 16) in tow every step of the way.  We've celebrated three years of being back in Virginia; time flies, life moves on and we carry our accomplishments and our losses in our hearts always.

RIP sweet Spencer, our aloha boy

2016 Paintbrush Studio New Block Blog Hop

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2016 Paintbrush Studio New Block Blog Hop!

Paintbrush Studio generously sponsored the 2016 New Block Blog Hop featuring their new line of solids, Painter’s Palette. The blog hop hosts, Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl, Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, and Stephanie @Late Night Quilter, curated the “Ocean Sunrise Palette”, and Paintbrush Studio supplied each participant with a fat quarter bundle.  As always, our hosts put in a lot of time and effort and they're so very appreciated by all of the participants.

I had a lot of fun creating this year's block using the Ocean Sunrise Palette.  My husband and I had recently returned from Hawaii and I kept remembering the ocean view from our condo while playing with these beautiful fabrics.  

Bordeaux is such a luscious color that I wanted to use it as a focal point of the block, thus the jumping dolphin.  For a little extra sparkle, I used a metallic silver thread to outline the dolphin and a metallic rainbow thread to outline the cloud. Here's my block, Ocean Fun.

Ocean Fun

Templates

Ocean Fun Block Directions

From Midnight fabric (dark blue) cut 6 ½” x 12 ½”

From Daydream fabric (light blue) cut 6 ½” x 12 ½”

Sew two halves together using ¼” seam allowance.  Square to 12 ½”

Using the templates provided:

Trace dolphin figure on Bordeaux (purple)

Trace octopus figure on Coral (pink)

Trace sun and starfish on Peach

Trace cloud on White

Arrange the figures on the pieced block, affix using your choice of applique adhesive and stitch around the figures as desired.  

I enjoyed adding a smiley face to the octopus and an eye to the dolphin for a little extra character.  Wouldn’t it be fun to create a child’s quilt of all different sea creature blocks? I really like the versatility of this block, one can easily change colors and placement to suit personal tastes.

Please be sure to check out all the other posts to gather each new block pattern from a variety of wonderfully talented quilting bloggers; and don't forget to enter to win the 1/2 yard bundle of the Ocean Sunrise Palette generously sponsored by Paintbrush Studio.

Monday, March 28th

Host: Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

Jess @Quilty Habit

Silvia @A Stranger View

Cristy @Love You Sew

Kelly @Quilting It Out

Renee @Quilts of a Feather

Bernie @Needle and Foot

Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination

Chelsea @Patch the Giraffe

Mary @Quilting is in my Blood

Diana @Red Delicious Life

Sarah @123 Quilt

Tuesday, March 29th

Host: Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Kim @Leland Ave Studios

Andrea @The Sewing Fools

Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life

Stephanie @Quilt’n Party

Irene @Patchwork and Pastry

Tish @Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland

Abby @Hashtag Quilt

Sarah @Smiles Too Loudly

Carrie @The Zen Quilter

Wanda @Wanda’s Life Sampler

Jayne @Twiggy and Opal

Wednesday, March 30th

Host: Stephanie @Late Night Quilter

Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts

Shelly @The Carpenter’s Daughter Who Quilts

Amy @13 Spools

Geraldine @Living Water Quilter

Jan @The Colorful Fabriholic

Sharla @Thistle Thicket Studio

Jinger @Trials of a Newbie Quilter

Kathryn @Kupitis

Jane @Jolly and Delilah

Josi @Avocado Quilts

Deanna @Stitches Quilting

Lori @SewPsyched!

Many of the blocks are on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/twiggyandopal/paintbrush-studio-2016-blocks/  Thanks to Jayne at Twiggy and Opal for coordinating the Pinterest Board again this year!

As last year, all the featured blocks will be assembled into quilts and donated to charity. Many thanks to Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for coordinating this effort.

Just for fun, here's a picture from our condo lanai:

Kailua Bay Hideaway

2015 Review and 2016 Starts

Wow, where did 2015 go?  It's interesting looking back to see what quilting projects I completed.  I tend to be so focused on my current project that I forget previous finishes. When reviewing my pictures for the year, I grouped my projects in one folder; as I think it's helpful to track progress.  My husband tells me with each finish, he can see the improvement in my work (of course he's my biggest cheerleader, so ya know).

Jin's 2015 projects

Grandkids QAYG quilts.  One was finished in 2014, one in 2015.

Lotsa pillow practice in 2015!

I am so very proud of this quilt, as it is the first I designed.  It's also special because and I made it as a surprise for my mom.

Oh my goodness, the label about drove me over the edge!  It took me two very frustrating days.

Who didn't make a One Hour Fabric Basket last year?  This was my first sewing experience with canvas, very nice!  I can see many of these in my future.

And since I really liked the fabric, why not make a reversible tote for my youngest niece, who graduated from college with her teaching degree?

A reversible tote for my oldest niece, as we celebrated her birthday and BSN graduation.

Fabric Valentine for my hubby.

OK guys, this was my MONSTER project of 2015. My oldest son was the last to have me make a quilt for him.  (The grandkids were first, then my youngest son.)  I really didn't know this was going to such a difficult pattern (for me). I learned so much the hard way - trial and error, googling, begging for help on my blog.  I learned that not all quilt kits are equal and that not all fabric contained within the quilt kit is equal and not all directions are equal. I also learned to never again use a new type of fabric and a new shape (flannel and chevron in this case) for a project I'm working on without guidance.  It took me a year to complete, with just having to walk away and not touch it for several days at a time. I even got to where I dreaded working on it. It's queen size and I stitched in the ditch for the quilting on my Brother VQ-2400.  

Of course, my Heidi cat was always hanging around to "help".

Quilting frame added to my studio, found on Craigslist.

FMQ practice on the frame.


Completed blocks from the Farm Girl Vintage sew along on my design board.  These will be added to the other blocks I make from the book and be made into a quilt for our bed - my husband is so patient!

Some of my 2015 fabric finds...

The Quilter's Planner 2016

I'm so happy to have my SML Sailboat Summer block included in the innovative 2016 Quilter's Planner created by Stephanie Palmer over at Late Night Quilter.  I received the email yesterday that my block was chosen; but I've been looking forward to the planner coming out since I heard about it a couple of months ago.  Take some time to check it out, Stephanie has really worked hard on such a great quilter tool!

http://latenightquilter.com/quilt-planner/2016 Quilter's Planner

QAYG Combined Art Pillow

I had planned on having a big reveal for tonight's post, but I have a bit of a binding issue going on that hasn't quite worked its way out yet.  So I'm sharing a recent smaller project, a pillow I made for my s-i-l. Here's the thing, she's an artist (like a real educated artist), so I'm a little nervous making things for her.

I downloaded and printed (on printer fabric) a picture of one of her art pieces from Facebook, then designed the pillow around it.  I really hope she enjoys our combined artwork.

I used some of Tula Pink's lovely Moon Shine fabric, along with a bit from my stash.
I chose the print on the back because I felt it fit right in with her home in Maine.  We're visiting there next week, so I'll be sneaking it in my husband's suitcase packing it to give her after we get settled in for our stay.

What I learned on this project:  When using a directional print for the back of a pillow, make sure you sew the seams on the panels so they'll be right side up when sewing them on to the front panel. Luckily, that was a pretty quick fix.  (The seam ripper is my friend, the seam ripper is my friend...)

And on another note, I'm so surprised to have won the First Blogaversary Giveaway from Sharla at Thistle Thicket Studio!  Sharla and I got to know each other through the 2015 New Quilt Bloggers blog hop.  She's worked really hard on her blog and it looks great!  Sharla has amazing crafty ideas; I've been thinking about making a ceramic pincushion since I saw the rooster pincushion she made on her blog.  (Can you believe it, I don't have a single pincushion?!?)  I love the typewriter key necklaces she makes too! I'm looking forward to playing with that lovely Shannon Cuddle Charm Pack; I think it would make a lovely baby blanket.  What a generous and thoughtful giveaway.  Go check out Sharla's thistle thicket studio blog, she's amazingly creative!

Keep creating!

FABRI-QUILT New Block Blog Hop 2015 Day 4

Today is Day 4 of the Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog Hop 2015.  Fabri-Quilt sponsored this blog hop and provided each participant with six lovely fat eighths of what our hosts named "Watermelon Summer Palette" from the Prairie Cloth Solids line.

In addition to getting 60 new block ideas, you can also enter to win a 1/2 yard bundle of your own! Visit each day's host and the Inspired by Fabric blog for details.

Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl
Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs
Stephanie @ Late Night Quilter
Terri Ann @ Childlike Fascination

Please also visit the other bloggers today to see what great blocks they have:

• Robyn of Hoops & Thimbles
• Helen of Midget Gem Quilts
• Anja of Anja Quilts
• Kathryn of Upitis Quilts
• Mary of Quilting is in my Blood
• Emma of My Handmade Home
• Francine of Mocha Wild Child
• Dina of Living Water Quilter
• Deb of The Farmhouse Quilter
• Lori of SewPsyched!
• Amy of 13 Spools
• Denise of CrafTraditions
• Sandra of The Bias Edge
• Sandra of One Million Stitches

When I received the beautiful Fabric-Quilt fabric in gorgeous summer colors, I had a lot of ideas, the first being, what made me think I could create a block?  Many ideas centered around Smith Mountain Lake (SML) or the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and the Peaks of Otter I see from our front yard. After several sketches and mock up blocks, I settled on a sailboat. (Have I mentioned I haven't done this before?)

Unfortunately, I cannot get my printed instructions to copy correctly to my blog.  Please click on the following link for directions with diagrams that you can print or save.

http://1drv.ms/1PMh0lb

 

What I didn't know when beginning this project was that our area would be mourning the loss of two members of a local news station, who were killed during a live newscast out at Smith Mountain Lake, while interviewing the Executive Director of the SML Regional Chamber of Commerce.  The Director was also shot, but survived and is recovering in the hospital.  In memory of Adam and Alison, people have been wearing teal (Alison's favorite color) and Va Tech maroon (Adam's favorite) ribbons and clothing.  As I was processing my feelings, I created another sailboat block in memory of them using the WDBJ 7's Facebook emblem in use since their deaths.

In memory of Adam Ward and Alison Parker 

Two WDBJ7 employees shot and killed; suspected shooter kills himself

Two WDBJ7 employees shot and killed; suspected shooter kills himself



No this post isn't about quilting.  I am just feeling overwhelmed.  I was raised in Roanoke VA, the Star City of the South.  I've watched as the violence in Roanoke has escalated.  I moved to the "country" to raise my sons, some 24 years ago.  I now live in Bedford, normally a quiet rural community.  Bedford is a large county, but just outside Roanoke at points. Violence has touched our rural community recently, as well.  The shooting yesterday happened in the Moneta area.  My sons attended school in Moneta, but a good way away from Bridgewater Plaza. Bridgewater Plaza is a nice little local and tourist spot at Smith Mountain Lake.  Somewhere I never thought would be the location of an ambush.  I'm just feeling so sad.  I worry about my family, my sons, young men on their own now, both living in Roanoke.  I worry about their partners, I worry about my nieces, I worry about my parents.  I wish there was an easy answer to the violence in our society. In 2015, the U.S. has not gone over an 8 day period without a mass shooting.  As strongly as I believe our gun laws need to change, I don't believe they will.  The NRA has a lot of power and a lot of money.

I'm sad, I'm overwhelmed, I feel deep sorrow.  My heart breaks watching the WDBJ7 crew trying to continue reporting on their own colleagues being gunned down while trying not to dissolve in tears.  I just needed to get some of these feelings out.  Forgive me for using this format, which is usually for sharing our creative experience.  Thank you for listening.  I ask that you pray for the families of Adam and Allison, two bright stars whose lights were snuffed out by a madman.  (What else can I call him?) Please pray for their colleagues and friends at WDBJ7, struggling to continue on publicly through their grief.  I do pray that we'll remain #RoanokeStrong.