The Small Blocks

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Madame Purl

So I’ve been struggling the past week with a pain in the back. I *think* it’s a pinched nerve, but I’m not sure. I just tenderized myself in a hot bath of Epsom Salts and took some more ibuprofen. Next is a warm back patch. Hope this works, I’m getting tired of not being able to sit and sew. Even the sofa is uncomfortable. I managed to get some knitting on a sock done, but really this is awful.

Anyway before this fiasco I was working on some tiny blocks. This month’s Prairie Women is 1.5″ blocks square that finish to a 2.5″ block.

Jo’s is just as tiny squares in a square at 2.5″ square.

At least the weather is getting nicer. I was able to get the camera out and get a few pet shots. Time for a good cleaning.

Peace and Plenty

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Madame Purl

Peace and Plenty is the next in the $5 Quilt blocks for the Rhapsody quit. I think this may be my favorite one so far. I need to start making the settings, so I can get this one done as the blocks get done.

The Next Celebration Blocks

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Madame Purl

These are the next in the Civil War Celebration blocks.

I’m doing a good job keeping up with these this time around. They don’t take very long to do, so I keep thinking I need to get out last years BOM and work on Round Robin. Cindy is back at it and I can’t wait to see her’s done.

Four Square

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Madame Purl

This is the first of the Jo’s Little Women quilts – the 12th journey. I wasn’t so sure about the light border at first, but I really like it now.

$Jo\'s Little Women Club$

This is 1

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Madame Purl

Well… after all that practice of the Pumpkin seed, I decided I had to just go for it with Little Stitches. I said this is 1 at the group on Saturday… the first one that I have finished on my new Sweet Sixteen.

The front…

The back…

Gadget Queen and Tester

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Madame Purl

Blogless Dawn and I went into the burbs yesterday to the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo. We went last year and it was so-so. We were picking out places to eat lunch on the way in thinking we’d be done in 2 hours. Well…what a pleasant surprise. This show had some great vendors and great quilts this year. I don’t even remember looking at quilts last year.

Anywho… I enhanced the stash… with some fabric and tools. I swear if I could just be a gadget and ruler tester…I think that would be my dream job.

I got 3 yards of the bird and butterfly fabric for the backs of the kit I bought. As well as some nice purples and a green from Primitive Gatherings. I forgot to take a picture of my turn table mat, but got one of the cute little ruler holder.

Then I saw this tool on another blog, which I can’t find now, using it to cut bias binding much easier. Had to have it.

Then we hit the Bloc-Loc booth. They were demoing this ruler. I loved nearly ever quilt in this book, so I bought the set. Then I got this pattern as well as they had a the sample made up and it was gorgeous. I was going to get Jo Morton’s Bloc-Loc set, but when I said we sampled these at our LQS, he said to buy them from the LQS. He took them from me and hung them back up on the rack (lol) … ok then. He said he didn’t want to see LQS go out of business and us all be left with the big box stores. So, I went by Quilters General Store with the catalog today and put my order in for a couple more sets that they recommended. They were waiting on the next bus from the bus trip to come in, so I didn’t get to stay to long as I didn’t want to get in the way.

Of course no trip is complete with out some thread. Normally I love Superior’s So Fine, but I’m going to do a baby quilt and loved the slightly variegated pink with the King Tut, so I’m going to give that a try with Bottom Line in the bobbin. Going to have to practice this a little.

Picked up a cute new pattern from Primitive Gatherings. I was going to get the kit, but it’s slightly different from the quilt and wanted to pick my own colors.

Then you notice I got two books of Fine Feathers by Marianne Fons. We met Marianne Fons of Fons and Porter fame at the Quilts of Valor booth. She is such a lovely person. For a small donation she was signing these books that are out of print. They’ve been in her basement, so I would say they are all slightly irregular. I got one for me and one for mom.

Then we met the folks who make this Ideal Seam Guide. I hooked it up and did a few tests… bang on. It pulls off easy for repositioning. It’s got something on that back that makes that attaches, but comes off clean with no sticky residue. Up to 10,000 uses.

See… I’m a gadget tester at heart. It did seem to work better with a plain foot, over a cut in 1/4″ foot or foot with the 1/4″ guide. The curved one is a multi-tool – for use with curves and use with straight edge.

We did look at all the quilts. This Koi Dragon one was my favorite. Said there is over 125 hours of quilting and 52 different threads.

A couple more of my favorites.

You can see all my favorites here.

Pumpkin Seed Practice

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Madame Purl

So I stitched up Little Stitches and started to think about what quilting design to apply.

First I thought circles. I even marked the quilt… just chalk and then I practice circles.

Not what I was thinking, so then I practiced Pumpkin Seeds.

First time with the pumpkin seed quilting

I used the Mini Straight Line Tool from Quilters Rule. I used the top portion. It went pretty well, so I practiced one more time.

Second practice of the pumpkin seed quilting.

I think one more practice and I’m going to do this one on the quilt. For practice I just used muslin and drew two inch squares with my roller ruler. Quick and easy.

In other news…talk about a crazy quilter who loves a good iron. I found this iron out in the parking lot at work. I’ve seen this model at the quilt shop and it works great. A little, compact Black and Decker. Well…I took it home and went to clean it up. Unfortunately the sole was totally scratched up. I didn’t see it under the mud. Well.. nice try.

Little Stitches

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Madame Purl

The next Prairie Women installment is ready. I’m already looking at thread colors for quilting. Choosing a thread color seems to be just as hard as choosing a design. I have a few contenders picked out and ready to audition.

Odd Fellows Chain Blocks

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Madame Purl

This has been the most challenging of the $5 – Rhapsody Quilt blocks to put together. They weren’t very fussy, but lots of little pieces to make before they could go together. Glad they are done.

A Little Stash

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Madame Purl

My friend Dawn and I headed out Friday for a little retail therapy. Lots of good swag came home.

First we stopped by Acorn, which was a zoo after her announcement of closing. I only snagged one yard and a pattern. I will go by this week when things settle down and get a few backs for quilts that are close to being finished.

Then we headed to Material Girls. I got a little kit to make a thread catcher and a ruler to make a tubular quilt.

Then we went to Pieceful Gatherings and I picked up a kit to make Star String by Pam Buda in the Primitive Quilts Magazine and a few little snippets. Love the snippets.

Yesterday we were going to head out to IKEA, but I haven’t been sleeping well and didn’t feel like going out there. So the hubby went for a haircut and then we went to breakfast. There is a new quilt shop near by and I had been in there looking at the Civil War Ladies fabric. Mom bought me the FQ bundle and the Civil War Anniversary Quilt book a while ago and I’ve set the bundle aside waiting to make it, but I saw this super cute Hands All Around quilt block and went – so cute, must make!

After it festered for awhile and I saw the fabric was in general no longer available, I bought the pattern - $2 on Ebay – and then ran back to the only store I knew that had it and got the fabric to make it. They had about 2 3/4 yards left, so plenty. I found the pattern on EQ7 and put it on point, so the ladies will be upright. This is just what I’m thinking, but it’s going to be a bit scrappier when I’m done. This was fun to play. I think it’s all ready to go.

When I was buying my ladies I spied this cute postage fabric again and got the kit for the table runner and placemats. I’m thinking I’m going to have to start sewing 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to make everything I want to make. :)

Hope you’re all having a very nice holiday weekend!