Project Quilting 9.5 "A Stitch in Time Saves 9"

I had a hard time with the theme this week.  I was going to do Dr. Who, but I already have two Tardis quilts and wanted something different.  My mind kept going back to cats and their 9 lives, but I didn't see how that would fit with the stitch in time part.  

Then I told myself, "If you don't hurry up and pick a pattern you will be up all night Saturday night trying to stitch way more than nine stitches..."  So I decided pattern choosing procrastination fit the theme and went with cats and their nine lives.    

I have been following the #candycatsqal on instagram hosted by @schnitzelandboo and even printed out the pattern to play along with the Quilt Along but still hadn't made any of my own kitties yet. The pattern is free from Unicorn Hearts and you can get it here: Candy Cats Pattern.

My plan for this week was to sew 9 Candy Cats at half the size and turn them into a mini quilt, but then I got sick, nothing bad, just a horrible cold which make me feel like doing nothing most nights other than vegging out in front of the TV.

Come Saturday I only had 2 cats done... What to do?  I really want to participate in all 6 challenges this year.  It will be my first year ever doing all 6.  So I decided to alter my plan and I turned those two mini kitties into  two 4 x 6 postcards ready for mailing.  

I got out my "Postcard Supplies" box, which hasn't been opened in years and pulled out what I needed.  The box has peltex, wonder under, and muslin backing all cut to size and ready go to.  Thank goodness for that.  I trimmed my kitties to size and turned them into postcards in plenty of time for me to hit the hay by 8pm.

I'm still feeling under the weather today, but am super happy I got my 9.5 project complete!

Check out all the other entries this week and vote for your favorites after noon CST today.

http://persimondreams.blogspot.ca/2018/03/95a-stitch-in-timechallenge-5-of.html

Can't seem to have a photo shoot without one of the real kitties helping out. 

=^..^=

Project Quilting Challenge 5

The theme for challenge 5 of Project Quilting was: The Grocery Store.

We were suppose to find three things at the grocery store that inspired us to make a quilted project.  I'll admit this one stumped me.  Thursday night had rolled around and I still didn't have an idea.  I had been to the store and looked around, but nothing was inspiring me.

I did enjoy looking at all the colorful fruit in the produce section though, and finally decided I should go ahead and work with fruit. Apples in particular, since I had some apple fabric in my stash.  I contemplated layouts and designs and even asked friends for ideas, but I couldn't come up with something I liked, or something that I liked that I could put together in the next couple days.

I decided I better get off the apple idea and move onto something else.  Then I came up with a great idea to make a watermelon log cabin quilt.  I even played around with some layout ideas:

But as I started to cut out the light colored fabrics I realized I just wouldn't have enough time to complete a log cabin quilt in two days, even a small one.  I could probably get the top done if I stayed up late both nights, but I wouldn't be able to baste, quilt, and bind it before the Sunday deadline.  So I scrapped that idea as well.

Then I got to thinking about strawberries, one of my favorite fruits. They have been looking good on the shelf in the produce section lately and a couple weeks ago I printed out a strawberry iris folding pattern that would be perfect for some Strawberry themed fabric postcards.  I decided now was the perfect time to make them.

Since my last few daylight hours of the week were spent playing with relatives at the beach, I had to work on these four beauties Friday evening and during the wee hours of Saturday night/Sunday morning. I finished them in time to get a few hours of sleep before I post pictures and headed off to church.

I made four at a time because there are a few mailboxes I want these to land in during the next couple days. I am submitting a small project this week but hopefully inspiration will strike early next week and I can work on a bigger project for the last challenge of the year.

To check out all the other entries submitted this week and VOTE for your three favorites,

click HERE.  My strawberries are #19.  To vote click the heart in the upper right corner of the project you like the best.

=^..^=

How I Paper Piece

The other day I worked on some fabric postcards.  This particular swap was themed "Black and Orange". 

I had the idea in my head of what I wanted to do for these cards, but I couldn't find the right sized paper pieced tree pattern, so I made my own.  As I started the paper piecing process I kept having trouble lining up my next piece.  I'd use the light box to help line it up, but then things would shift as I took it to the machine. and I wasn't quite sure where the line was anymore. I would either have the top too far off or the bottom in the wrong spot, so I decided to try it a little different.

Instead of trimming the pieces to a 1/4 in seam allowance AFTER I sewed the pieces together, I decided to trim it BEFORE the actual sewing.  Here is what I mean:

This is what I have so far.  It is ready for the next piece of fabric.

I flip my paper over.  The piece I am adding next is piece #7.

I find the line I am going to sew on next and fold the paper right on that line.

Fold it all the way and crease it.  You can now see all the extra fabric from my last few pieces.

Line up your ruler and trim that fabric off.

Since I was making a postcard that won't get washed, I used a 1/8th seam allowance.

Flip your block back over.

You now have a nice straight edge to line up your next piece with.

Line it up and take it to the machine.

Sew on the proper line.

Press that piece open 

The iron not only presses the fabric, but it also presses out the crease you just made in the paper.

Continue the process for the rest of your pattern.

Feel Free to use my Paper Piecing Tree pattern to make your own 4 x 6 postcard.  

These trees would also look great as Christmas trees, or winter evergreens. or even pastel spring trees.  

The possibilities are endless.

Four pretty orange trees making their way across the US.

=^..^=

Happy Halloween!

I used some of my left over Halloween fabric scraps and made some simple Halloween Fabric postcards.

I started out with some orange yarn that I trimmed. I also zig zagged the yarn to the edge for this one.

Then I decided to not trim it and leave it "hairy".

Then I wanted to test the same design with ric-rac.  It think I like the yarn better.

Perhaps because the ric rac isn't the right shade of orange.

Here is another with the yarn

This one makes me think the pumpkins are behind bars.  

Hope your Halloween is Spooky... but not too spooky....

=^..^=

Fabric Postcards

I finished up some postcards this week for some of my swaps.  

One of the swap themes was flowers, so I made these.

Another theme was Houses.
So I copied an idea from Lynn.  She had previously sent me this postcard.

Here are my versions.

Thanks for the inspiration Lynn!!

My last swap theme was Bridges. I took one of my drawings and printed it out on white fabric.  Then for more emphasis, I stitched around the bridge and waterfall in black thread.
I hope my swap partners like my sketch

.

=^..^=

A day at the beach

My kids had spring break this week, so we drove down to the beach and spent a few days with my parents.  Unfortunately it was the same days that the rain storms swept through the east coast.  But we did have a small window when it didn't rain so the kids and I headed to the beach with the dogs.

Facing the ocean, the sky was actually pretty clear and the sun was shining hot enough to give us sun burns.  But...

When you turned to look behind you, the gray clouds loomed over the sand dunes.

We stayed for about an hour and a half and then went back to grandma's house where we visited and played games.  Even though the weather was bad we still had a good time on our break.

We got home late last night and today I was inspired to make some beach postcards.

They are for one of the "open theme" postcard swaps I am in.

 I have also finished cutting out my fabric for the Le Petite Challenge for April.
I am cutting it close to the deadline again for this one.  

I sewed two of the quarter triangle squares together and that is all the sewing I have done.  So I know what I will be doing tomorrow.  Luckily the easy part is left.  The hardest part for me is trying to decide which fabric from my stash I want to use.  I stare at my fabric shelves for hours testing out color combinations.  I pull out a fabric and then put it back because I'm not ready to cut into it yet.  I told my daughter, who was watching me and questioning my process, "I haven't had that piece of fabric long enough to cut it yet.  I want to stare at it a couple more months before I make anything with it."  She just rolled her eyes and left me to my madness.  :)

=^..^=

Eggs for Easter

I made these 5 eggs for my Flat Easter Egg Swap at Fabricards.  They are made just like the fabric postcards, and can even be mailed in this shape.  But since mine had some beading on the flowers, I decided to put them in some clear envelopes.  I kept the one in the middle for myself and added it to my Easter Decorations

These are the ones I got in return.

Now I have a basket full of flat eggs.

YAY!!

=^..^=

Spring Time Fabric Postcards

I've Made several postcards over the past few weeks in between quilting quilts.  Can you tell I really like this green flowery fabric?  I have used it in all of them but one.

This Easter Egg was done using the Iris Folding technique.  But instead of paper, I used fabric.  I sure love the look of these types of cards.  I also made an iris folded strawberry.

Then I used the egg I cut out from the Iris folded card to make new Easter Cards.
I used up some of the left over Easter appliqués I had left over from previous cards.
So they are all a little different.