YIKES! The year is flying by.

Hi Quilting friends.  Wow, 2014 has been a doozie for us at the Villa Varela.  So much illness and calamity.  I have fallen behind in my projects.  Resolved now to get it together and get stitching again.  I've put together my FMQ motifs for Myles On the High Seas.  May I say thank goodness for children's coloring books?  Yes, that's where I found most of them.  This child will be grown before I finish this!

There  are some sweet little things in here.  A Merman, fish, birds...now just to quilt it.

I've also started a "little" side project.  I think I have probably lost my mind.  The Hexie Christmas Quilt.  Well, at least I had the good sense to make them at 2.5 inches.  This is my current "while doing nothing else with my hands" project.  Great for watching tv, waiting at the doc office.  It can be done just about anywhere.  My ZORRO gave me a great little carry case for my supplies.

I have also gotten back to the Building Blocks Quilt Along with Leah Day and an untold number of Quilters around the world.  (Hi BBQA Buddies!)  Photos of my progress of that to come later.

Happy Spring to you all.  Get those quilts out for a day in the lovely weather.  Sweet Myles loves it!

MrsMelanieVarela

If it's not One thing...and When it rains, it pours!

I have been absent for the past month.  2014 has not been nice to my family.  Burst pipes, hospital visits, frozen heat pump condenser and a neighbor accidentally driving through my yard and breaking stuff, has kept me busy.  (My neighbor if fine btw.)  I've been watching my fellow BBQA folks show off their work and I've been so jealous, as I haven't had time to sew.  I'm finally caught up and have my miserable attempts to show for it.

The first 3 blocks we did were 4-patch, which I pieced with ease, but the FMQ (especially the Spirals...made me dizzyand want to cry!).  Here are my efforts.

 These are my practice blocks that will be made into a Puppy Quilts.  One of the BBQA'ers, Hazel suggested this use, and I am all for it.  I'll be binding them up and taking them to my local shelter.

   These are my "keepers", such as they are...
I know I still need lots of practice.  So I expect there will be  many more of these.











Our  second set of blocks are 9-patch.  I'll just go ahead and say I hate doing 9-patch.  It's not my thing.  So here are the results of that hot mess!

 I realized the marker I used was making the lines too wide, so I've ordered new from Leah Day's shop ( http://www.leahday.com/).  She has a great sale going on through the 18th.  ZORRO is building me a light box too.  I know that will help.

And here, my "keeper".  I did so much of this side to side, as I like testing my limits and those of my machine.  Can you see where I missed a tiny half line?  My Noni always said "No quilt is perfect, if you look hard and long enough, you'll find the mistake.).  Wise woman...she knew me well!






I do like to practice a bit before I start and was so satisfied with my 1st practice piece, I may have been a bit too confident.

This was all done side to side, and I thought I was hot stuff when I finished.  My other blocks tell a different story.









I also watched this video this past week.  For those of you who  use Sergers and dread buying multiple spools of the same color, it's a great saving tip.

http://moonthirty.com/serger-thread-hack/#more-819

I'm still learning to take my foot COMPLETELY off the pedal when I stop.  I have a few extra stitches here and there as a lesson to myself.

Linking up with Leah Day at the Free Motion Project and on Facebook at the BBQA group.

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/


https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingblocksquiltalong/

Stay warm and dry out there...I'll be at my machine.

MrsMelanieVarela

On The High Seas and other projects, (and a 3 day tragedy).

Well, we experienced some very cold temperatures over the past week, and like so many Tennesseans, we had a busted pipe.  We're not accustomed to such extreme  weather and our homes are not built to withstand them.  While ZORRO has been sawing out drywall and searching for the failed pipe, I've tried to get a few things done. 

ZORRO was kind enough to take a break this morning and cut open my Quilting/Darning foot.  It's nice to have a Rocket Scientist/Engineer around for things like this. 

Modified Quilting Foot.

 

I joined up with Leah Day and a slew of other folks around the world for the Building Blocks Quilt Along.  You can find it here:  http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

and here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingblocksquiltalong/578877705523675/?notif_t=group_activity

We've been choosing our fabric and thread, sharing with each other and getting to know the group.  My fabric choices for the top are some silk/metallic fat quarters I've had for a long time and some Christmas scraps from my stash.

Silk/Metallic for my blocks

My squares for backing.

The Backing fabrics are some my Uglies that I'm not sure I would ever use in a project, and since this is to be a learning process, they will do well in this one.

I've finally picked out the quilting from True Love Knot and liberated it from the sashing.  It needs a good soak, tumble dry and press to get the tracks out of it.

Last, I have trimmed up On the High Seas for Myles.  Something I always dread doing.  I don't know why, it's so simple.  But the thought of slicing into my work always makes me cringe.  I've also worked on the backing a little more, so there will be a Sea sandwich next week and quilting will begin.  I also drew up a FMQ design that I will be using in the waves.

All Squared up!

 

My FMQ Design

So it's been an interesting week.  I hope you are all safe, warm and have no plumbing problems.

mrsmelanievarela