Oz.......

its done. its done. its FINALLY done.

what you ask?

my Jaybird hexagon Tula Pink Neptune quilt.

woo hoo!!!!!

i am so happy to have this done finally.  i started this quilt back in 2010 following a quilt along over at jaybirdquilts.com.  Julie took us step by step through the process of making hexagon blocks without using 'Y' seams.

 

i had a Neptune layer cake just waiting for the perfect project and this was it.  i set the hexi blocks in navy which i love.  i think it makes the fabrics pop.  in my layout i knew i wanted to bring the fabric out to the edges of the quilt.  i also had a honey bun of Neptune so i sewed some strips together and did a postage stamp type of boarder to achieve that look.

 

i quilted this quilt myself.  i shadow quilted all of the setting triangles as well as the hexi blocks.  its all free motion so some of the lines are a little wonky but i am ok with that because i am a little wonky myself.

 

i used the remaining strips on the back of the quilt.  i mixed it with some other fabric that i had in my stash that went with Neptune as well as some navy.

 

i was determined to use every one of the hexi blocks that i made in this quilt.  with my layout i had one left.  one single block.  i decided to use it as a label on the back of my quilt.  i just used my machine to embroider the name, year and my name on it.  simple but yet fitting.

 

i bound it in the green life preserver fabric from Neptune.  since this line is hard to find i would buy it whenever i came across it.  knowing i would use it somewhere on this quilt.

 

i love this quilt!!!

'The Oz Quilt'

a quilt made with lots of love and passion.  a quilt that has already been on a trip with me.  a quilt that will be with me for the rest of my journey through this lifetime.

 

happy sewing

Two more done

two more done.....

i did not quilt these quilts. i sent them out to be quilted and i couldn't be happier with how they turned out.

i fell in love with the Countdown To Christmas line last year and this is my first quilt from that line. i put flannel on the back so it will be extra cozy this winter.

i have also developed a love for striped bindings. i think it gives the quilt a little something extra.

the second quilt is also a Christmas themed quilt.  its one of those race quilts that you make with a jelly roll.  me being me had to have all of the snowmen going the same direction.  of course i didn't realize that until after i had sewed my first seam.  needless to say some unsewing was involved but all snowmen are going the same way now.

more striped binding.

this is what i am quilting on now.  my Neptune hexi quilt.  i am about half way done with the quilting on it and i am loving how it is turning out.

i have one more set of boarders to sew on to my Stacks quilt that i did in class with Miss Pink.  once i get those on i will do a post for that class and quilt.

happy sewing

A Picture Is Worth.....

unsewing.

i did this block a few weeks ago when i did my other bee block and i took pictures of both of them.  i was uploading those pictures to do a blog post when i looked at the picture below and discovered my error.

the bottom two outside corners are right.  however the top two outside corners are wrong.  i put the block together.  took the picture above and packaged it up to mail.  thankfully i hadn't mailed the envelopes when i first uploaded this picture.  it was then that i caught my error.  i unsealed the envelope.  unsewed the block.  and......

like magic its all better.

repackaged up and off in the mail to the bee block member.

it always surprises me what you see when you take a picture of something and look at it on screen.  i have read various blog posts about doing this when laying out a quilt to see if something stands out or looks wonky in your layout.

lesson learned.  double check yourself to make sure you are getting the look you want and a picture is a great way of doing that.

happy sewing

Tula, Stash and Therapy

today is the day that I travel to Walla Walla - the town so nice they named it twice. hahaha. no I did not come up with that one.

you might be wondering what is in Walla Walla that would take me there.  well it would be none other then

that's right.  Tula Pink is going to be there.  I know crazy right?  just a short 2 hour drive for me and I will be among greatness in the quilting world.

I stumbled upon this event/workshop awhile back when I was out on Facebook one day.  I totally freaked out.  how many towns are named Walla Walla?  I dug deeper, holding my breath and then I cheered.  its the Walla Walla in Washington.  I called Stash, the shop hosting the event right away and signed up.  I didn't even know of this great little quilt shop so close to me.

since I wasn't able to make it to Sisters this year this trip to Walla Walla sort of makes up for it.  I said 'sort of'.

this evening is a meet and greet with Miss Pink herself as well as a book signing.  my book is already signed but I am taking a friends to have signed and I am sure I will be doing a bit of shopping as well.

tomorrow is the class with Tula.  we will be making her Stacks quilt from her book.  Stash did up kits for the quilt.  option one same fabric as the quilt in the book.  option two a combination of Nightshade and The Birds & The Bees.  hmmmmm.  me being me wanted to do the quilt out of just The Birds & The Bees.

so, I called Stash and they sent me fat quarters of the line.  I picked what I wanted to use for the quilt and went hunting for a background fabric.  I must confess I had a little help making the final choice.  thanks Tula - she is so cool like that.  those that know me know I am not a fan of setting things in light colored fabric.  so this is what i ended up with. 

i have my fabric all cut up and ready to go and my car is packed.  a little highway therapy.  a little retail therapy.  a little sewing therapy.  some time with Tula.  who could ask for anything more?

I've Bee Sewing

I have been back at my machine sewing.  getting caught up on some bee blocks.  this one dang near sent me over the edge.  after what seemed like a gazillions hst's and some trimming.

a block began to form and take shape.

let's just say this was a challenge for me.  I am always saying 'make sure and read the directions'.  I read them.  I read them again.  and again.  maybe after about the 10th time through I was comfortable in sewing this together.  something about the color of the fabric and it being someone elses fabric had me on edge.

now that its done I love the block.  i think.......

thanks Bailey for letting me play with your fabric and for getting my brain back into the sewing world.

I am still here........

I am still here.......

I think.

its been over a month since I last posted here on my blog.  time really does fly by.  I would love to tell you all that during my absence I have been sewing up a storm, but that isn't the case.  it has only been the past few days that I have gotten back to my machine.  somehow life decided to take over and change my plans.

on July 2nd my grandfather passed away.  he was 98 and had an amazing life that impacted not only his family but his community and everyone around him.  he will be forever missed and never forgotten.

we said goodbye to him on July 9th and later that day I caught a flight followed by a couple more and ended up in Orlando, FL.  a work trip but a little bit of play was added in as well.  while I was there I got to celebrate my birthday with a great group of people.  I came home a week later and I am just now feeling somewhat normal again.

the past few weeks have taken its toll on me.  I am extremely thankful for my close friends as well as Superman who have been there for me through it all.  they have given me strength as well as a shoulder to lean on.

Many Thanks go out to them.

I am now hoping to return to our regularly scheduled program.....  sewing.  like I said above I have been back at my machine and I will be sharing soon what I have been up to.

also, my machine and I are taking a trip this weekend to go spend some time with Tula Pink.  I know I am sort of still freaking out about it.

Misc Stuff

i haven't been up to much in sewing land.  i am getting ready to tackle my next quilt for quilting.  i think 4 more left to go after this one.  i think.  although i try and not to think about it too much.

i plan on spending sometime this weekend with this quilt.

i did have some happy mail this week.  i got 16 fat quarters in the mail of Flea Market Fancy that i won from the H2H Challenge that i did.  the fabric came from Miki who blogs over at mikisquilts - thanks for the fabric i have been wanting some of this for awhile now.

last week i got these two blocks in the mail for my bee block group.  they came from Charlene and Christina.  thanks ladies.

happy sewing