Little Red Riding Hood

So here's Lil' Red Riding Hood, the latest finish. It was started in fall of 2015 on a total impulse one day. I had been making a series of circle quilts and this one incorporated some of the leftovers from the other quilts. Don't you just love the feeling of 'using up' and being frugal!

It's finished!

It also included 5 fat eighths from a traveling stash that I had received back in 2014. These fat eighths were {'little red riding hood'} conversation prints, something I don't usually buy and potentially a good challenge for me. One day, after a little bit of play, the entire plan for the quilt came together all in a rush. Overall, it was a fast little quilt and one I don't remember feeling a great deal of angst about. Maybe it was the idea that anything was better than having orphaned bits languishing in the totes. Or perhaps it was just one of those days when all the stars appeared to be in alignment!

Loving the texture

Whatever the case, it felt like one of those quilts that practically make themselves. I completely hand quilted Lil' Red Riding Hood with #8 perle cotton thread {just got done a couple weeks ago} and fell in love with it all over again. It may seem soft and sweet--totally non consequential--but up close, it has a lovely, cozy feel. It's absolutely a feel good quilt. Nothing to be ashamed about that! The hand quilting added a much needed texture and all together, the process seriously helped soothed some ragged edges around here. For me. Who cares what anyone else thought about the quilt draped across my lap in the evenings!

This one actually looks good on the back too....

Another thing that made this quilt interesting to me was the fact that this quilt has lots of soft blue/green fabrics in it. They were fabrics that I'd tried and tried to play with so many times in the last several years. And finally, they found a home with Lil' Red Riding Hood, a quilt that basically sprung up out of nowhere. So ironic when that happens. I guess that just proves that we can't force anything when it comes to quilting!

Lil' Red Riding Hood

This quilt ended up being 58" by 63", pretty small for my personal preferences, but a decent sized lap quilt. I've had to teach myself how to stop when a quilt says it's done. Too many over-sized, design monstrosities through the years until now, mostly just-the-right-size-at-finish. Well, that's what I tell myself anyway!  Linking up to sew-stitch-snap-SHARE #14.

Hey Grandma! Starting to Come Together

I was able to find time to lay these blocks out and decide on an order for sewing. Just had to wait until a time when the living room floor was relatively free of traffic! This is such a bold looking quilt top already. Can't wait to see what adding borders might do for it, but I have a feeling this quilt isn't going to get very large. Of course, nothing is set in stone and quilts have a tendency to change directions on me mid stream.

Hey Grandma!

If you remember, this was the initial layout when trying to determine what fabrics might be included in the quilt. I'm still hoping to incorporate some of that oldy blue fabric for the border and see if it will add a little more 'punch' to the quilt. Because of course it needs something more.*wink  In, fact, this quilt is very eye-catching already--from anywhere I have it laying, on the railing upstairs or where ever, it totally demands attention. Don't let these washed out pictures make you think differently!

Close up

Also, I had mentioned before about hand quilting taking up most of quilting time. Well, this little beauty is all done now except for the final stitching on the binding. It's right on schedule with the way I tend to finish things, about 2 years since it was started! 

Lil' Red Riding Hood

There's just been something about the colors and simplicity of the pattern that have been a balm to my very scattered mind lately. So soothing to sit and stitch, stitch, stitch myself into a state of peacefulness. I was thrilled to find this old piece of a light red plaid to use for the binding! I think it was used as a backing fabric many moons ago, but regardless, it's been in the stash totes for well over ten years. I had pretty much determined it to be useless for any quilt ever--just an odd color and it never seemed to play well with other fabrics. Now it becomes the perfect touch for this soft, dreamy quilt! Love how that works out. Now onto another quilt in the hoop. I'm thinking this one needs to be fall colors....

Here, There and Everywhere

It's been a crazy couple days. Amazingly enough, there's been progress made, but it's usually in the evening, not exactly optimal time to be taking pictures. I hauled all my Vintage Red blocks downstairs and played with some layout ideas. Will have to let it simmer and see what I think because nothing is making me delirious with joy.

Vintage Red layout fun

But maybe that's just my mood this week? I have company coming, my husbands been sick and for some reason I decided that today is the day to do my pre-Thanksgiving shopping. Have you noticed the price of groceries these days? Sure, I got the olives for 99 cents a can and a free turkey, but wowsers! It takes a lot to feed a family through the holidays!

Hand quilting all done on Big Stars

Guess that's why I've been hand quilting in the evening. Got to lower my adrenaline levels and do some meditative exercises just to get through! lol

Lil' Red Riding Hood

This top may or may not be finished. I kind of like it sans contrasting border--the sort of floating look it has now almost seems to be enough. Almost.

Maybe it's done?

Something else I'll have to think about before I pack it away for good into the quilt top drawers. It's hard to believe this quilt was started with the remnants of two different quilts and five little fat Red Riding Hood fat eighths. I have a special fondness for quilts that allow me to think I'm being thrifty and creative all at the same time!

A different view

My eldest daughter really made my day when she asked about the 'vintage' quilt hanging over the railing upstairs. Oh yeah! That's exactly the word I was looking for with this quilt! But like I said, will have to think about the border a bit more before I know for sure. You know me and how I like the border treatments. Plus, it's not exactly bed size which I usually prefer. Guess that's where the decision needs to be made--to respect the quilt if it's done or try to force another border. These things can get kind of tricky.

More Quilty 365

And of course I'm still sticking with Quilty 365. These are days 22-26! It's not as Christmassy as you might think from this picture. I have a deep coral red along with a raspberry red here in the pic. Still haven't totally figured out why I pick certain colors the way I do and obviously things are not usually radically different from day to day around here. More of a gradual change I'd say!

Getting Serious About Sewing the Rising Sun Blocks and Other Stuff

So I finally quit procrastinating and started work on the rising sun blocks again. The only one I had sewn was the one on the far right bottom. Things were going well, or as well as you can expect with curved piecing, when things started getting interesting.

Rising Sun blocks

When sewing curved pieces, I generally use the one-pin method as in the picture below. Convex side up means the pieces sew together almost by themselves. lol  If you look at the top left rising sun blocks, the blades are going in the reverse direction as the others. What I didn't realize is that by reversing some of the blocks {I only reversed 7 out 12 blocks}, I would end up with a really tricky situation in doing the curved piecing. No matter which way I tried to sew the blades together, I ended up with two options: either sew them from the bottom up (no way Jose!) or sew them with the concave side up (no way Jose!). Arghh! I cannot believe I got myself into this situation! Anyway, long frustrating story later and lots of 'un'sewing resulted in my doing the two reverse blocks with the concave side up whether I wanted to or not. So now I only have 5 more of them to do. 5 more!! Thankfully, it gets a lot easier after I reach the middle pin and fabric isn't constantly trying to get wadded up underneath my needle! But oh! I am not happy about this at all!

Some curved piecing

Also, I've been trying to decide on a setting plan for my Lil' Red Riding Hood blocks. I think this is what I'm going to go with. It is a bit old fashioned, but still allows for the blocks to stand out and do all the hard work. I bought the pink floral fabric for another quilt altogether awhile back, didn't use it and then found it later in the clearance bin. Yep, I bought some more thinking it would work for a backing and then, well, it starting intriguing me as a sashing fabric. You know how I love to play with sashing in my quilts! Love those scattered darker bits of flowers especially and how they will {easily} add just a touch more interest to these mellow, very sweet blocks.

Playing with layout

And of course I'm still plodding along with my circle a day--picking out the fabric. Stitching is starting to be about a three-circle-at-a-time thing, twice a week or so. I am just completely blown away by all the creativity I'm seeing with others circles though! I keep thinking, 'why didn't I think of that?'

A few more circles

I think that's the best part of quilting, taking a project or an idea and making it very personal and unique. It makes our quilts so much more special and meaningful! If you'd like to know more about Quilty 365, the link will take you to a description of what it's all about. Please feel free to jump in at any time! Love all the interest and support with this project. I think we're getting a good little group to prop us up and help motivate us along the way!

A Hand Stitching Post

Sometimes the hand work gets lost in the shuffle. We spend innumerable hours on it, but then hesitate to show off our progress. {It doesn't magically happen overnight people!} This weekend finds me finishing up with not only the petals to my huge Folksy Flower, but also, getting the bias strip stitched down on the wobbly looking center.

Folksy Flower

The whole thing shifted on me more than I care to admit to, but should, in the end, work out just fine. I just had to try the basting method when I was adamantly assured that basting takes care of any wonky shifting issues. Uh huh. Not with with me. Or apparently not with this large of a piece? But then I probably did the basting incorrectly and caused the problems! lol  I measured my flower for those that seem curious and now I've already forgotten. It's either 44 or 48" square? Quite a large piece to work with. I just need to cut out the fabric from behind each petal and then figure out where to go next. There are lots of ideas percolating so it shouldn't be long.

I also started making a throw pillow for a friend this weekend. The center block was one that got left out of a previous quilting attempt and was begging to be used.

Starting a pillow

I added a youngish, sweet fabric and then went more 'modern' with the rest. It seemed fitting for a gal in her early 20's who is independent, but still very sweet and girly.

A finish!

The back of the pillow was fun to put together and I'm hoping the cowboy fabric (on the right) will be a personal touch for someone who loves her horses etc. This will go into my end of the year 'revealing' gift bag, part of a year-long gift exchange some of us ladies do in our church. So glad to get the bottom of the pillow hand stitched together and all ready to go!

Interesting back...

I've also been busy stitching down the circles for my Lil' Red Riding Hood blocks. First the quarter circles onto the larger light colored circles and then, stitching those onto the light green background squares. I am absolutely loving working with these calm, pretty fabrics. It makes me wonder why I ever avoid these sorts of colors as being too boring? There is something to be said for sewing together relaxing/calming fabrics once in awhile and of course taking the time {by hand stitching} to actually enjoy working with them!

Lil' Red Riding Hood applique...

Also, I received this little package of Quilters Dream Batting from the Fabric N Quilts Scrap Quilt Challenge 5. Thanks to the sponsors for all the fun giveaway prizes! I am itching to try this poly bat out as I've never used it before.

Something new to try!

My Old Fashioned Strings quilt was one of the many winners in the Scrap Quilt Challenge, something that was kind of a sweet little thrill. How fun to enter a quilt made from little bits of leftover scraps and then actually win a very usable prize! I'm wondering how it will do with hand quilting or if I should save it for a machine quilting project. Does anyone have experience with this type of bat?

Once again I'm linking up with Kathys Slow Sunday Stitching. Love her thoughtful post today!

An Applique Round Up

So here I am, piling on the applique again. It's because I need applique in my quilts like I need to breathe. It's not that it doesn't ever get tedious {because it does}, it's just that having simple applique in my quilts somehow makes me love and adore them all the more. 

Vintage Red blocks progress

So when it gets to the tedious stage, it's nice to jump right on over to another applique project. Sometimes I panic and think nothing will ever get done--how could it possibly? But I do have my ways. There's the carrot and stick approach--a classic. Then there are the times I tend to work in groups of four {blocks etc.}--no I will not go anywhere, even to bed, until I finish this last block. And I often set goals to complete all the bias vine, or all the flowers etc. Then I don't get to go to sleep for a week. {Just kidding.}

A border for the scrappy Lone Star quilt

I also make sure my applique bag is always packed and ready to go. That's mandatory for us applique-mad people. Sure, it's spilling over into a large basket I have my quilting paraphernalia sitting in there in the corner of my bedroom, but it's ready. Always. 'Cuz I take it in the car with me so that when my husband gets real talkative with whomever he wants to chat with, I have something to do with my hands. Sitting {or standing} idle just about kills me. Especially at Home Depot. Oh my goodness. Stay out of that store unless you're buying for yourself! And so usually I'd rather sit in the car and bond with my stitching.

Lil' Red Riding Hood still stalled, but ready to go...

And yes, sometimes I drag my applique bag out when we have company visiting in our home. There is something very relaxing about stitching away on something pretty while chatting about life. Such a comfy feeling. Too, there are people that you really don't want to be staring into their eyes for hours on end. Much nicer to be able to look away and thread your needle etc. Then it's not rude or viewed as obfuscation. Why do people think we're lying when we don't look directly into their eyes every single minute? Maybe we just tire of trying not to stare at the rebellious hairs in their eyebrows?

Summers End baskets getting prepped and ready to go

Occasionally an applique idea just appears practically out of nowhere. I have fabric stacked up and sitting on my counter for weeks and them pow! I'm right in the middle of cutting out and then sewing the base blocks for my new project. How I got from A to B is often a mystery.

Trying to remember how to miter the corners of
A Folksy Flower foundation

But more often, there is something I've been wrestling with for months. Agonizing over. Fabric stacked up looking yummy together, a vague idea trying to come together more clearly in my mind but I'm stuck, stuck, stuck. I've scribbled on graph paper and endlessly tried to fine tune. Sometimes it just comes down to being a chicken heart though. Much as it pains me to admit to anything of that nature to my dedicated readers.

Gotta start somewhere.....

Take this project. I have the books to remind me how to miter the corners. Really. Is that all that's holding me back this time? Not starting something I'm practically dreaming about at night all because I can't reconcile making the foundation of my applique quilt the easy way. Oh I do so  loathe sewing mitered corner. Ughh...  But we all know that sometimes you just gotta suck it up for the greater good. Which is what applique is. The Much. Greater. Good.*wink

A New Little Scrappy Project

I have not been doing any quilting until other {more important} things get done. Each. Day. Ughhh... I do so hate it when duty calls and I have guilted myself into being responsible. The other day, being in a weird mood and all, I started digging through my little totes of orphan blocks. That and those random, leftover scraps from previous quilt projects that never seem quite hopeless enough to throw away. 

Challenging myself to put these scrappy bits together!

When I stumbled across the little Red Riding Hood fat eighths, my heart just sort of kicked up a notch. Oh yeah, time to do something with these because I am never in the mood to work with conversation prints. Gotta strike while the iron is hot!

Getting in the groove....

It wasn't long before there was something positive clicking into place--a lovely little late afternoon of playing. I made one little four-patch circle just to 'see' if it looked as reasonable in the light of day as it was looking in head and yes! Green light for this newly-conjured-up scrappy project!

Starting the initial work!

I finally found the time yesterday and today to cut out the extra I needed and wallah! My circles are now ready for some applique stitches. {Did I not mention the applique starting to stack up around here?} After I get the little four-patch circles stitched on, then I intend to stitch the larger circles onto some light green background blocks. Most of those fabrics are years old and it's so very much fun to find a good place for them to shine.  I just love projects like these, don't you? They make me feel frugal, creative, and just plain ol' happy. And as a side note, these sorts of projects need to be jumped into as soon as possible, no matter what's piling up around you. If you wait until there is a perfect plan? Well, there never will be. That's just fact.

Ready to hand stitch the binding...

As you can see, I am also at the point where the binding can be hand stitched onto the pinwheel quilt. My cousin is going to miss me bringing this up to her house to work on--it's so colorful, but I can always dig up another quilt to work on while I'm there. There's not an enormous amount of hand quilting in this quilt, but hopefully just enough to make it look special. I just can't bring myself to want to spend a million hours on this particular quilt!

Time to link up to Scraptastic Tuesday!