Now, where were we?

Not that you could tell from the blog updates, but I've been very busy!  I have, however, been finding the most fun apps on the right of my blog...the Flickr carousel and as of last night, my Jane layout.  I'm very proud of my Jane picture.  Used a free photoshop program called Gimp to transfer my pdf graph into a jpg file.  Love it!

Now...here is an update on Jane!

 I think that's all of them!

I've also been working on some crochet and trying out some new joining methods for granny squares.

Have a great day!

#83-Spider Web

This week's block for the Farmer's Wife Sampler is the Spider Web.  I started this block the day after Halloween--appropriate!!  I know, it's purple again, but don't you love the dew drops in the fabric?  And the pink has just a hint of frost!  There is a bug caught in the web--I like to think its not a true ladybug, but those nasty little Japanese knock-offs that congregate in the corners of my house this time of year.  You go, Spider!

After a lovely trip to Ohio Amish country last week on the annual quilt shop hop, I found a great layer cake with fall colors to make this silly turkey!   I love this guy!  Pieced his feathers in a day and spent the next day machine appliqueing him down.  The third day and a half was devoted to machine quilting.  I used my alpaca quilt batting and 1/2" echo quilting.  I love the effect of the fans.  Was going to make him a table mat, but I think I have to hang him on the wall and enjoy him all month!

ttfn

Beth

#4-Basket Weave

I just love the Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt!  It just moves right along.  The piecing is simple and quick.  I think it takes me more time to pick out the fabrics for a block than to actually sew it together!

This week's block is #4 Basket Weave.  As promised, it is not purple and green.  However, if I can't use purple, you'll probably get pansies instead!  You'll discover its my favorite flower!

Might have to work on next week's block too, considering the holiday--Spider's Web!

Happy Halloween!
Beth

Dear Jane Catch-up!

Today I'm going to update all the squares and triangles that I have finished for my Dear Jane quilt.  I am so behind in showing you what I've done!  And I need to get them off my sewing table and into their book.

A-9 Cabin Fever

I-3 Family Album

H-4 Abbey's Eyes

E-12 Mary Ruth's Corset

D-9 Uncle Richard

H-5 Michael's Motorcycle

H-7 Bennington Star

E-9 Quilt Jail

TR-5 Michigan Dunes

LS-10 Megan's Cathedral

And the pain in my bucket-RS-6 Tumbling Blocks

I worked on RS6 today.  It took me ALL AFTERNOON!  I'm mostly pleased with the bugger.  I'm hoping none of the others are as impossible as this one-this project is supposed to be fun!  I used a combination of inset seams on the sewing machine and, when that didn't work, hand applique as I went along.  Won't be doing this one again!

Well, it is all supposed to be a learning experience.  I'm still a couple blocks behind, but moving right along.  Finished three this weekend and have 3 prepped for hand applique, so all in all, doing GREAT!

ttfn
Beth

Farmer's Wife Sampler #54-Kitchen Woodbox

I'm loving this quilt right now!  Although the blocks are only 6", it's still gives me room for a little fussy cutting that I can't really do for the Jane with all it's little pieces.  And think I forget the joy of digging through fabric when I have a project all planned out with its pile of specific colors.  Apparently I really love purple and green as I have a plethora of them in my boxes and drawers!  Two days of the same colors are a rut and I'm promising myself that the next block will be something completely different!  I have plenty of purple and green quilts at my house and this one is supposed to be scrappy!  I'm working my way up to thinking outside the box for the next block.

ttfn
Beth

G-10 Woven Meadow

A very easy, no-prob block.  And I like the color of this one, too.  It is simple and elegant.

BR11-Tartan

Today's selection for you viewing pleasure is #11 from the bottom row, Tartan.  This tri turned out GREAT!  I'm very pleased with it, mostly because I didn't have to redo any seams!  I'm getting better at looking ahead a little bit to see which way my seams will be pressed.  I printed the paper pattern from the Dear Jane program with my own numbering so that I had seams from one row facing in the opposite direction of the seams from the next row to be sewn.  That way when I'm sewing two rows together I can snug up the seams instead of fighting with them and the pin!  Every corner turned out crisp and all the angles are square!  Very pleased, indeed!

Have a great weekend!

ttfn
Beth

G9-Mary's Journey

Mary's Journey was full of potholes!!  I had trouble with this block--I don't know why!  This picture is my second attempt.  The first went in the trash!  Simply paper-pieced, but I wasn't happy with my corners and seams.  This one is acceptable.  I have done a couple of others--will post one per day until I'm caught up! 

Enjoy!

Beth

K-9 Scout's Honor

My first Dear Jane block is K-9, Scout's Honor.  I'm two weeks behind our schedule because I was waiting on my background fabric.  Now I have 2 bolts of lovely parchment cotton, and I'm ready to catch up!

Scout's Honor was a very easy block to begin with as it was entirely paper pieced.  The bigger challenge was putting it into "My Chart" within the Dear Jane Quilt Design Software.  I followed the directions on reducing the size (in my case 4% both horizontally and vertically) and pixels (40 x 40) of my block after scanning.  Then the jpg must be saved within the design software, replacing the existing file with my own picture.  The crux of the problem is to make sure to go into the file's properties and add permission to yourself to change the picture files!  Once that was done, viola!  "My Chart" is updated!

First Day of Jane

Today my mom and I started our very first Dear Jane quilt.  This has been a project we've been thinking about for several years and had been waiting for mom to retire before we started.  Tomorrow will be her 1 year anniversary of retirement...time to get busy!

We purchased the book, "Dear Jane" by Brenda Papadakis, as well as the EQ software.  The software has come in very handy as it allowed us to lay out our colors within the blocks before we started cutting and sewing.  With 225 blocks, triangles and corners, this project will take us more than a year and a half to finish, so organization is a must!  We will never do this one again!


I've made up a schedule to keep us on track.  We are meeting weekly on Wednesdays to go over our assignments for the week and discuss any new techniques.  There will be three blocks, triangles or corner kites to do each week.  This week our blocks are M-8 Enchanted Square, K-9 Scout’s Honor, and I-9 Chase A Myth. 

Today was a little slow as Mom was still fussing with her layout and I didn't have background fabric yet.  So we did some online research, ate THREE cookies, dropped in on a couple of quilt shops, and had lunch.  All in all a not so productive day, quilt-wise!  But now we are ready to move ahead!

We've decided a bolt of 20 yards will be needed for the background and that is hard to find!  I found some lovely cottons through one of my distributors, and have placed an order for 2 bolts of Parchment for my background and the backing for both quilts, 1 bolt of Black for Mom's background.    

My quilt will be in neutrals, as I have always wanted to work on one with the colorway.  Mom's is black and white with red highlights.  Both are unique and show our individual style!  They are the same, yet different and completely suited to us!

I've been researching blogs and websites and hope to link the most useful ones here along with our progress and pictures. 

I hope you'll enjoy our journey with Jane, and all our other adventures at Alpaca Flats!