Madame Purl

Feathers

Madame Purl — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:37:03 +0000

Saturday I took a FMQ feathers class at Acorn Quilts. I sat down and pulled out some pretty thread yesterday to give it another go and it was much better than my first attempt. I’m going to be practicing feathers all this week and working on getting a circular sampler done to feather quilt.

Also, if you want to read a cool new blog. Check out my friend Cindy’s blog – Pieceful Day - she has taken on the challenge of a new quilt block every day.

Back to the Farmer’s Wife

Madame Purl — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:55 +0000

Bonding with my new Faygo Kitty machine meant I was able to work on more blocks of my Farmer’s Wife project.

Four new blocks have been added to the tally.

This block below is block 36 – Garden Path. Well it’s the Garden Path through Hell. Took 3 times to get it right. Phew… glad that walk through the garden path is done.

I have enough to put another row on the quilt… yippee.

Brother The Third – PQ1500s

Madame Purl — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:50:21 +0000

So if you’re keeping count this is really the 4th, but I hot handed off that Viking to get the Horizon and never looked back. It wasn’t a bad little machine, but we just didn’t bond.

I sat down and sewed on Faygo Kitty Machine… which my Mother has insisted we call them… these may be what I call grief gifts. You know.. the “Oh well fell better if we get ourselves a little something.” She also got one and we instantly bonded to our new lovely machines.

There are just too many things I love about this machine. One is the stitching. It makes a beautiful stitch. It’s a straight stitch only machine. It does one thing and does it really well.

Next is the fact my fabric is not randomly ate at random intervals by menacing feed dogs. Next is no stinking mess on the back of my sewing from the bobbin thread. It starts and it stops right away, no extra stitch.

Finally it’s has a solid foot like the Bernina’s, which I think gives them the edge in piecing. It also has POWER… can take a seam with lots of nesting seam pieces with a blink of the eye. No shooting off to the side, no balking — just blazing a trail right over them. Love that! It has needle up and down and a push button stitch cutter and it was cheaper than my 3160QDC. Amazing.

So far I’m amazed at how awesome my quarter inch seams are coming out. Really there must be a lot of play in the feet on my Janome machines as I always seem a little short – with this lovely creation I’m either bang on or a little bit big, which I like because then I can square up the ugly bits. So meet my new favorite…

Cut Out

Madame Purl — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:30:20 +0000

Well that went fast. Once I got in the groove and wasn’t afraid to cut the wool…it went pretty quick. Time to cut the vines and staple all the pieces to the fabric.

A Little Wool Applique

Madame Purl — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:30 +0000

So I seriously admired this wool applique quilt at the quilt shop – called Mary Ellen’s Garden by Lori Smith. I took the wool applique class in the Fall and wanted to continue, but it was too close to the holidays and the craziness that it took me a while to get back to it.

I titled this a little wool applique, but really this is more like a lot of wool applique. I have been cutting and cutting – first 72 pattern pieces in Heat and Bond. Now I’m fusing them to the wool and cutting the wool into the shapes. It’s starting to come along – all 72 pieces – minus the stems, which I’m cutting last. I numbered them so I could go back for placement.

This is obviously going to be a longer term project, which seems all I do these days. I’m trying to get ready for wool club tonight, but it’s possible that it may be cancelled with this snow storm today.

Edited to add: It was cancelled and rescheduled. Thank goodness because I wasn’t going to brave those roads.

Circle of Friends Quilt

Madame Purl — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:44:13 +0000

So once a month some of us get together to quilt till we wilt at a LQS. There is free help and it’s always a lot of fun. This time around I worked on my Circle of Friends Quilt which was a $5 club. You only pay the $5 once. You get a free fat quarter each class you attend for 6 months and there is no policing. So if something comes up and you can’t finish it’s not a big deal, just attend the class anyway. There are 12 – 9.5 inch blocks that come from the book 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt blocks.

The pinwheel block was very easy.

The Christmas block was a challenge. Thank goodness I was at the quilt till I wilt and was able to get a bunch of help.

The next day my friend Cindy and I went up to Madison and stopped at the machine shop to pick up my freshly cleaned and oiled machine and then we headed to JJ Stitches where a little stash enhancement took place. I seem to keep adding the Civil War fabrics, which is a good thing as I love the scrappy look of the Farmer’s Wife.

RIP Faygo 1-8-2012

Madame Purl — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 01:11:27 +0000

Ascension
And if I go,
while you’re still here…
Know that I live on,
vibrating to a different measure
–behind a thin veil you cannot see through.
You will not see me,
so you must have faith.
I wait for the time when we can soar together again,
–both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to its fullest.
And when you need me,
Just whisper my name in your heart,
…I will be there.

The Lily Bath Chronicles

Madame Purl — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:44:08 +0000

Poor girl needed yet another bath. She is having issues and isn’t feeling very well right now, so not just a bath, but a dose of icky banana flavored medicine (2x a day for a week…little does she know right now).

Really? I can't believe you went and got the camera.

I'm ignoring you and that camera...

"oh the humility"

I am so going to get you for this.

Happy 2012!

Madame Purl — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:52:14 +0000

Let’s hope it’s a good one…

I decided I only have one goal this year. Yes, while I have a zillion things on the to-do list and many more waiting in the wings, the only thing that is an absolute must do in 2012 is to finish the Famer’s Wife top. I’m determined to get there and I’m making good progress. It’s even starting to go together.

Here are some more blocks. I don’t have quite enough to get another row next. Hopefully soon.

Finishing Up 2011

Madame Purl — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:42:56 +0000

So last day of the year… just a small wrap up, as I’ve been busy as ever working on projects and trying to check things off the list.

I finished two bags for friends for Christmas prezzies.

Here’s the insides… one in beige and one in gray.

I also managed to finished the foundation paper piecing mat and get it done, quilted with some red metallic thread, and bound.

Up close of those tiny little pieces.

Finally… picked up some new wall art… indulging my quilting sense.

Sister’s Choice on the left, Dutch Rose in the middle, and a LeMoyne Star on the right.

Also appears my Flickr plug-in has broken with this latest WordPress update… hope they get that fixed soon, but you can see higher quality photos always at my Flickr page here. Hate having to scale back my photos. There does seem to be a few changes in this latest edition of WP that I’m not too crazy about. I’m hoping that smooths itself over soon.