Time flies

I've slowed down a little bit on blogging.  I got busy there for awhile with other 'stuff'.  You know how it is.  But I have finished a few things.

These will catch you up.  I've drawn a few zentangles and practiced shading.  I really try to trick your eye and show different layers.  You may have to click the photo to see it.

And I made a baby quilt using precut 2.5 inch strips.  It's my first time using them and I'm not sure I like them.  The edges aren't pinked so I had a lot of threads to trim.  There seem to be a lot of ways to use them to create different designs for quilts but I wanted to throw this together quickly.  I practiced a little free motion quilting on the borders.  The rest is just straight stitch.  As you can see, I haven't quite mastered the art of 'true' color editing but you get the idea.

I don't usually add a label but I've seen so much about the importance to do so for future reference so I added one.   I used the monogram function on my machine.  I attached it with fusible but I plan to stitch it down.  I need to buy different scissors for trimming between the letters.  Mine just don't cut close enough.  Any recommendations?  I think next time I'll use a less contrasting color thread for the lettering.  I'm not sure I like the 'boldness' of the brown.

So as you can see, even though I haven't been blogging quite as often, I'm still getting some productive time in.

Hope you have a good day.

-- Pat

Slow Sunday Stitching

Can you believe it?  I actually remembered to do some hand stitching today.  Most of the time I don't remember until Monday.  Today I basted some hexagons using some fabric that used to be a summer dress.  I haven't made any hexie flowers including them yet.  I'll be linking up with Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching.

Today is also the first of the month and it's time to decide my goal for October OMG One Monthly Goal.  After last month's goal turning into a bigger project than I thought, I've decided to give myself a break.  I'm going to make a table topper or runner using this dresden plate applique I made a number of years ago.  I'm looking forward to it.

Visit the links above to see what others are up to.

Hope you had a good day.

--  Pat

9..8..7..6....

Just in the nick of time.  Actually the deadline is Sept. 30 at 11:55 pm.  My OMG - One Monthly Goal is finished.  My goal was to take this unloved quilt top...

and turn it into a fun twin bed quilt:   My idea was to add a few borders, quilt it and be done.  I couldn't find any fabric I wanted and nothing made me love it.  So I cut it up and used the fabrics and hexie flowers to create the 'fun' quilt.   Here are photos along the way:

The lighting is wrong for the following photos.  The colors are much brighter than this shows.  I quilted it with a meandering stitch and machine stitched the binding.  Here it is:  Ta Da!

I'm linking up Patty of Elm Street Quilts.  Pop over and check out others who finished their goals in time.

Hope you had a good day.

-- Pat

Zendala

I mentioned the other day that I like tangling mandalas.  A blogging friend asked what a mandala is.  My understanding was that it is a circle with repeating geometric designs within the circle.  I had no idea that they have religious beginnings.  As I searched I read that a mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism representing the universe.  I have to tell you I have mixed feelings about this.  As a Christian, I'm not happy to think I'm dabbling in religions and symbols contrary to my own.  In my research, I discovered something called a Zendala which is a cross between Zentangle and a mandala.  I've seen the Zendala style appearing in a lot of coloring books for adults.  All that being said, I'm choosing to view them as a simple art form with no religious intention.

Here are a few I've tangled over the past few years:

On the sewing front, I put together the sandwich for my OMG - One Monthly Goal project.  I may make the deadline yet.  That gives me 2 days to quilt and 2 days to bind it.  It's looking a lot more doable that before.  My least favorite part of any quilt is making the sandwich.  I'm encouraged now that is behind me.

Hope you have a good day.

-- Pat

It's a 2fer

I found some paper-pieced blocks I made a few years ago and decided to use eight to make a zippered bag.  These are the photos:

Front

Back

I'll have to find a use for it so that it's out all the time where I can enjoy it.  I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts - Bag It 2017.  Follow the link to see other bag entries.  Or you could enter one yourself.

Also, I've finished another zentangle.  There used to be a blogger who would release a mandala template each week to be used for tangling.  I really enjoy doing mandalas but I haven't found any that aren't for coloring.  There are books that instruct how to create mandalas.  But being how I am, who needs a book?!  I took a roll of duct tape and used it to draw a bunch of intersecting circles and used that to tangle.  I drew it on a sheet of copy paper then photocopied it onto 8 1/2 x 11 inch card stock.  It isn't a mandala but it served it's purpose.  I wanted to practice different tangles and shading.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

-- Pat

Oh no! Not a bag!

You're right...it's not a bag.  Since I've started up with Zentangle again, I've needed a place to keep all my supplies.  Before now, I've kept them in a little bag that had to be dumped before I could find anything.  This morning, my intention was to make a large zippered bag--maybe add some pockets--maybe even zipper pockets or maybe a satchel with a handle.  I didn't know exactly what I wanted.  I made a little sketch then proceeded to make it up as I went along.  Here's the final result:

The backs of the 'pages' are blank which will allow me to add more pockets/supplies if I need to.

Here's my latest zentangle:

Hope you had a good day.

-- Pat

This and That

I'm so tired of working on the OMG One Monthly Goal project.  I've set it aside for now.  I may finish it by the end of the month but time is running out.  I'm letting myself off the hook.  I think my new goal is to finish it by the end of October.

Last night I made another bag.  It's an Origami Drawstring Pouch.  The tutorial  is by Debbie Shore.  I really like the look of it.  I used to have a pattern for a different origami bag which was more rectangular but with the same flaps design.  I have another one cut out, waiting for me.  I'm linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts - Bag It.

Origami Drawstring Pouch

Today I worked on two more paper-pieced blocks for the 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks Project.  This brings the number completed blocks to 65.

#157

# 110

Years ago, I went through a Zentangle phase.  I worked on a tile last night to see if it still held some attraction for me.  I like how it came out except that I can use some improvement with shading.  Done right, it can add dimension and eye appeal.  You know how I like a challenge.

Hope you had a good day.

-- Pat

Did you know...

I'm crazy?  I finished sewing the last block today for my OMG project and sewed them all together.  I laid the top on the bed to see how it looked.  I think I want to add a border or something around the outside.

Every block has fabric and/or a hexie from the original 'unloved' quilt top.  Since every block has a focus center, I guess it's sort of an 'I Spy' quilt.  I'm anxious to see how it looks when it's quilted.

I also made two more bags for the Bag It 2017 event.  One is a zippered bag using a 12.5 inch block I made and quilted during the 501 Quilt Blocks Project.  The other bag is one I made using this tutorial by Susan Claire-GourmetQuilter using 10 inch squares.  You may notice that all the zippers are dark colored.  Years ago, I purchased 10 each of blue, black, brown, green, purple and magenta -- all dark colors because that's usually what I sew.  What can I say?  I got a good deal.  I'm determined to use them up.

Hope you had a good day.

-- Pat

Bag It 2017 - 2nd bag

Participating in this event could be dangerous.  I love bags!  You can never have too many.  Today I made a little bag that I'm going to use as a makeup bag.  I loosely followed this tutorial by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I've made bags with zippers before but never with the tabs at the beginning and end of the zipper.  I made a boo-boo when sewing the front to the back.  They're supposed to look the same.  I had one of them upside down.  But I never worry about such things.  I like scrappy looking items.

I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts Bag It 2017.  Take a minute to check out the other entries.  Maybe you'd like to make a bag or two.  ( or ten.)

Hope you have a good day.

-- Pat

Bag It has begun...

Today I made the bag I mentioned in this post.  After I posted about the fabric and quilting, I went back and added more quilting.  It has stipple, blocks outlined and diagonals in both directions.  I figure that gives more stability to those fabrics that aren't 100% cotton.  These are fabric scraps I've had stashed away in a drawer for at least 6 years.

I've made bags before but I've never made one with a lining.  I watched this tutorial for the La Connor Bag by Jera Brandvig as a guide.  So this is my first bag with a lining properly sewn in.  The bag is  approx. 13 x 17 inch.

I'm linking up with Patty of Elm Street Quilts: Bag It.  The event is open from Sept. 18 to Dec. 15.  Be sure to check the link frequently to see all the entries.  You could even enter your own bag.

Enjoy!

-- Pat

Slow 'Stitching' Sunday

Technically, yesterday wasn't a 'Slow Stitching Sunday'.  I started an applique block a few weeks ago and showed a quilt that you can see here.  I made it years ago.  I thought I'd like to make another similar to that one.  I used the back-basting method for it.  It started with drawing the design on the back, back-basting it, then stitched with the turned-under method.  As I was stitching the other day, I became more and more frustrated because it was so much work and it didn't look as good as I had hope.  So...yesterday, it was Slow UNstitching Sunday.  Here are before and after photos:

Before

After

I'm not giving up on doing the applique blocks/quilt.  I just plan to do it using fusible applique.  Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts.  Pop over and take a look at what others worked on Sunday.

Hope you have a good day.

-- Pat

Block, Block, who's got the block?

I have.  I've finished 30 blocks I intend to use for my OMG One Monthly Goal.  If you look closely, you can see some of that 'unloved' purple top.  I decided the best thing I could do was to cut it into strips and blocks and use those to make a 'fun' twin size quilt.  I still have a few more things to do before I can put the top all together.  Stay tuned for further updates.  I just want to say for the record that this will be the last time I choose such a large undertaking for my OMG goal.  While it has been fun to create these blocks, I've missed doing other fun sewing because of the pressure.

The colors look a little off but it includes light, medium and dark purple.  And of course you can see the hexie flowers I sewed to the purple top in the hopes of creating that 'fun' quilt.  I shopped for fabric to complete the original purple top but became discouraged because none sparked any ideas or interest for me.  So far, I'm liking this much better.

Hope you having a good day.

-- Pat

Scraptastic Tuesday

I've found the perfect place to display some of my scrap/wonky 'stuff'.  It is Scraptastic Tuesday hosted by She Can Quilt.  I mentioned earlier in the week that I found some 4 inch square scrap fabric.  I admit that they're not all 100% cotton or even cotton, so you can see this is not only scrappy but perhaps a little wonky too.  Today, I spray basted (great invention) the top, batting & back and quilted it with a meandering stitch.  I'm toying with the idea to also top stitch each square.  My intention is to use this to make a bag for Bag It hosted by Elm Street Quilts.  So here's what I have so far:

Front

Back

Don't forget to follow the links above to see other 'Scraptastic Tuesday' projects or to find out more about 'Bag It'.

Hope you enjoyed your day.

-- Pat