Logs & Stars Fall Table Runner

Logs & Stars Table Runner

Oh, I have a story to tell about coming in under a deadline, and bleeding fabric! It's worth repeating. 

Wash all your fabric! If you don't prewash, then test your fabrics for bleeding and shrinking before you start! 

I had all the blocks made for this project last Sunday night, gave them a good press with steam, and watched my pressing cloth turn orange. 

Cabin Under the Stars Mini

New Pattern Work

Goals for 2019 are forefront in my mind already. I have had requests for several patterns this past year, and am working toward publishing them. I have been rather quiet here on the blog front, but a busy gal behind the scenes as I work with an energetic graphics assistant. She is helping me through areas of technical spider webs I cannot get out of, and collaborating is fun with someone who has fresh ideas! Keep your eyes peeled for a fresh look coming soon.

1940's Vintage Log Cabin Quilting Finish

1940's Scrappy Wonderful!

Some of you have watched the slow progression of my hand quilting project over the last year. Some months felt like a ship without wind. It went nowhere. I would like to believe it had something to do with my method of quilting.

Since the 1990's, I have always used a square or rectangular PVC type quilting frame with the snap on grips for hand quilting. My hand quilting projects have mainly been throw size or smaller, and it never occurred to me a twin size would be any different. I was wrong. I was wrestling a monster each time I had to move the frame. I was rolling and pinning huge sections to keep it manageable, and even then it was hard to keep the backing taut within the frame.

Quilter with Commitments

Yes, it's good.

Did you ever have to practice musical scales when all you wanted to do was play the new song? I feel a little like that with learning EQ8. I wasn't proficient with EQ7, and didn't get a lot out of the money I spent years ago. I think I believed that playing with the program would be enough to get it, and I was mistaken. I needed real lessons, and never got them. This time I prepared better, and bought the books. I'm roughly halfway through the Beginner Lessons, shout out to Anja, and this is definitely the way to go. I do not always feel like doing the lessons, but I am committed.

Cabin Under the Stars Quilt

I'm Back to Sewing &
Oh, Baby, It Feels So Good!

My urge to sew finally returned. (Did you ever wonder about me? I did.) It came back with clear, strong intentions. 

Make what you love. Use what you have. Listen more. Talk less.

I can't say these are resolutions or even goals really. Simply put, they are intentions.  I want to live like this right now--not when I figure it out or jump through impossible hoops. Resolutions have such high expectations, and great chance of failure. Without success, we give up and quit. My daughter termed that kind of resolution-centered thinking as, "New Year--New Me." No, that's never worked for me or the other 92% of people who tried it.

This positive idea of living with intention has more to do with envisioning the kind of life I want to live. It has so much to do with my recent purging and clearing, as you might guess.

Holiday Slow Down & Time to Think

My Favorite Quilt
 (At this Moment)

It's been 10 days or so since I've blogged. I finished that post, shut my computer down, and pretty much unplugged for the holidays. Why, you ask? Well, you know those people who think the holidays are the best time ever, and love to shop, wrap presents and bake cookies? Who wait for the first snowflake with hot chocolate in hand and furry hat on head? Yeah, I'm not one of them. I'm the Grinchy, bah humbug person who was told she was ruining Christmas for everyone else this year, and to please shape up. 

Quilting the Vintage Log Cabin

Hand Quilting a Vintage Log Cabin Quilt

It's December, and everywhere I go I hear coughing. Deep, gripping coughing. There's a rotten cold going around our area, and I'm two and a half weeks into it. I did my duty of self-care, and canceled the monthly sewing group. I rested, t.v. binged, and quilted. Still, a dry cough just hangs on. This one is a doozy.

Finding Your Sweet Spot In Quilting Pt. I

1930's & 40's Large Vintage 
Log Cabin Top--Hand Pieced

August 4, 2017 quietly marked Pink Doxies' 3 year blogiversary. I spent the day volunteering at the Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale in the Quilter's Corner. (Did you know this is an annual even happening the same weekend every year?)

Asian-Inspired Log Cabin Zipper Bag

JoAnn's New Quilt Fabric Department!

If you haven't dropped into your local JoAnn store in the past few weeks, expect a most pleasant surprise. They are moving in quilting fabric by the truck load! The stores will be carrying 1091 quilt fabrics when the shelves are finally full, but the first wave of these gorgeous new fabrics already whet this quilter's appetite. I was looking for some special fabric for a gift project, and knew it when I saw it.

Be Mine, Quilted Valentine!

Be Mine!

To be quite honest, I'm not a big fan of sappy Valentine's Day things. We don't exchange anything extravagant--or anything at all most years. A simple, "I love you," suffices. A special dinner at home may be the extent of it for the Mister.

Fabric Challenges: Charity Quilts Day 19

"There's No Such Thing As Ugly Fabric"

Has anyone ever told you this? And did you believe them? Well, I beg to differ. I'm usually attracted to the one-offs, and not what everyone else likes, and I'm okay with that. We all have personal tastes toward color and pattern, and all it takes is looking at your own stash if you don't believe it.  For me, I am attracted to both stripes and flowers. Put them together in a 1960's-1970's print, and I am over the moon! Isn't it just gorgeous?!

How to Quilt a Vintage Log Cabin

How do I quilt a vintage log cabin pattern while 
staying true to the era?

How do I give the borders each a unique pattern from the central part of the the quilt, but still be able to quilt them as I work?

********

Perfecting the Pouch-Zipper Bags Revisited

"The essential conditions of everything we do must be choice, love, passion."

                                      ~Nadia Boulanger

Immediately after a quilt top finish, I like to stop for a breather and clean the studio. Organizing is the therapy I need before saying hello to the next new thing. I sorted the scrap pile I'd made creating the Moda Modern, and when I opened my bins to put them away, it was like the scene from Jumanji where Alan Parrish was sucked into the board game. 

Scrappin' Inspiration, AKA, When Craft Becomes Art

Nothing makes my heart go pitter-patter more than a wonky scrap block. No measuring. No freaking out over straight seams. Pull your scraps, keep on piecing, and square it up under your 12.5" square. Scrapping speaks to me on a gut level, and I have an emotional response. What makes you swoon?

Patriotic Quilt Flimsy Finish with Tips & Tricks

I've been blessed with a family that forgives. I apologize to them for rushing in with a quilt over my arm, and declaring an emergency while some were dozing. Getting a picture of the quilt top before the light fades does not constitute an emergency (to them), but they were still gracious to run outside, and hold my 5-minute-old finish before the light was gone.

Floriography Quilt Finale

Floriography is defined as 'the language of flowers.' 

In times past, sending certain flowers referenced specific things, possibly secret messages or hidden meaning. We've heard of the different meanings of rose colors. Yellow for friendship, red for true love, and so on. Flowers mark milestones in our lives today, and I love both sending and receiving. Give me a bouquet of mixed wild flowers any day over roses, though. I'm all about color, you know?

Friday Floriography Finish

I am most definitely grateful for Friday!

I pushed all week to get this top done.

This is my last of three baby quilts 

I had lined up, and now it's

ready to quilt.

Jelly Beans and Chocolate

                                               We had a snowy weekend here, 

and I don't know what quilter doesn't translate that as,

"So sorry! We can't make it because of the weather," and

"Hip hip hurrah! I get to stay home and SEW!"

Just don't share that with friends and family.

They won't get it,
and they won't think it's funny!

GROW YOUR BLOG

This is me--Julie, and Minnie, one of the Doxie Girls.

Today is a very special blog post. 

I've joined with Grow Your Blog 2015 along with hundreds of other bloggers. 

Our host is Vicki at 2 Bags Full, and may I say thank you, first of all. 

There are some rules to abide by, so allow me to follow them to a "T",

and then we'll get on to our Linky Party and a Giveaway!

I'm Julie--a Modern Quilter.

I love modern fabric, intense pattern, and improvisational piecing.

I'm all about machine quilting, but occasionally quilt one by hand. 

I would pick a scrap quilt as my favorite 8 days of the week.

 I Dream in Color.

Building a Log Cabin with Fabric

I feel like I've been playing catch-up all week. Whew! 

Today I marked my calendar off just for me, and just to sew. 

I needed a fabric fix in the worst way!

Remember my Log Cabin blocks? Last night I sewed up the pale greens.

 This morning I plunged into the corals...