Megan's Blog

What's in a name?

I've been hard at work in the past week working on projects for publication....sorry, but I can't tell you when and where yet....

but it's kept me from my CWD and DJ blocks, so this morning, I set out to do a few.  Some I love, some, not so much.

there is certainly some degree of "winging it" with these blocks.  You choose fabrics that you think work in the block, and sometimes they do and sometimes, well you know....but I've decided I will not remake any blocks til they are all done and put up on the wall together.  It may be that some that I don't love will hit the spot when put together with the others. 

So the bottom right block didn't turn out to be a fav, but then, was it starting out with 2 strikes against it by being named "Gloomy Prospects"?

Hope your prospects for the week are sunny!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Here Fishy Fishy.....

This is how the day ended yesterday.....

I'm sitting in bed with some applique watching Idol results (I can't help myself....it's a trainwreck I can't turn away from) and I hear

Twin#2:  Dad.... there's a dead fish floating in the fish tank! 
Dad:  Get the net and we'll flush him
Twin #2:  (in the bathroom standing over the tank)  I get to flush! (he's so emotional isn't he?)
Dad:  Go ahead...

the moment of silence for the fallen fish is observed and then screaming and laughing and running footsteps follows.

Twin #2:  (as he's falling over laughing on my bed)  Mom!!! the fish wasn't dead, as soon I flushed he started swimming!!!! 

The fish was rescued and returned to the tank

Moral of the story:  Don't take a nap in the fishtank.

Isn't it nice to end the day with the echo of laughter?

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

What a Fine Mess....

Seems like the Spring Cleaning bug has bitten.....or maybe it's just that the piles of piles are taking over.  We all have our own way of organizing our mess, I guess.  Mine is to make piles.  I pile papers, I pile books, I pile laundry, I pile fabric.  Sure it may look orderly for a while, but then try to find something....and that's where I am now.

See I started with a neat pile of Civil War fabrics to do my weekly blocks,but now it's a mess....

I think there might even be a basket under there somewhere!

But I'm way behind on the blocks, so I'm thinking, maybe I should just peacefully co-exist with the pile while I get caught up, but the cleaning bug is whispering that the blocks would go faster if I clean first.  I need to develop a better plan for mess management that does not involve Rubbermaid containers or Large Ziploc bags....come on, admit it, I'm not the only one who has resorted to throwing a pile of fabric into a large container to be dealt with later.

Thankfully, I have the Lollipops to work on so I don't have to deal with that mess.   I have managed to get one block finished this week while I work on some secret projects.  It's starting to look like something, isn't it?

A little birdy tells me she has great plans to prep a few blocks, yikes, what kind of mess will that make??

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Spring or Not....

Someone here in the North Country did not get the memo about Spring arriving this week!

But it does playing basketball alot easier!

I got a few emails and comments asking about things in my applique basket, so here's a few of the things I love to use:

1- Freezer Paper:  when I'm only do one of a shape, I'll use freezer paper for the template.  Otherwise I use heat-resistant mylar.  This is not kept in the basket because it needs to be stored flat.
2-  Clover Mini Iron:  LOVE this improved iron, the red guard definitely helps to prevent burnt fingers.
3-  MaryEllen's Best Starch - starch alternative , great for use with the mylar templates, but beware, it has a color to it, so it may temporarily leave a mark on light colored fabrics.  But it washes out....
4- Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles and Bigger Circles -- you know me and circles!
5- Clover Tape Makers - I have these in a bunch of sizes, they are the fast and easy way to make bias vines.
6-  Basting Glue - sometimes those pins are just too pesky, so I glue the pieces down.  I always soak the blocks after applique is done to wash out the glue or starch.

Of course, everyone has their own way to prep applique, you have to do what works best for you, these are just the things I like to use.....but that doesn't stop me from shopping, you never know when you'll see the next best thing!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Spring Again!

It's been one of the crazy ParentTeacher Conferences, Dr appt, half day of school, get ready for holiday weeks, but I did manage to finish one of the DJ blocks for this week:

   

and I have 3 more applique blocks prepped for this weekend, along with the lollipop block.  For  me, prepping applique blocks is  a constant thing on the TO DO list, this way I always have something to work on during the car trips, sports practice, or really boring car shows that the men in this house like to watch.

I have decided that there is no sense putting away the tools, so I bought a basket and just put everything together that I need to prep the blocks.....duh! why didn't I think of this before?

I'm trying to be a little more organized in the sewing room so I spend more time sewing and less time searching!

Anywho.....Happy First Day of Spring!!! and have a nice Easter weekend!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

It's a lollipop day!

I'm working hard to catch-up with the many projects and prep some things that can be worked on during upcoming dr appts, road trips, and maybe a little after the "relaxing" Easter dinner.

So I started the DJ block du jour and figured, it's small, I might as well just finish it....

And then I prepped the next Lollipop Block.....

OMG, am I the first to get this block underway?  very scary...'cause I'm usually way behind, but then I'm keeping my insanity to this quilt and not the Nearly Insane one.

These blocks are a real leap of faith for me....I don't necessarily love each of the fabrics together, but when you step back and take a look thru the lens, it turns out that they work.  (Sometimes, they borderline work, but I'm too lazy to change them out----you can't obsess over one little piece in a quilt of this magnitude)

All this and lunch duty at school and a dr appt today.....not bad for a Monday.  it's still Monday right????

Hope you're making progress on your projects!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Phew, I'm exhausted!

This was one of those whirl-wind weekends!  We started with the Blue and Gold Dinner on Friday nite.....then off to the Cozy Quilts for a GREAT quilt class on Saturday.  I think I made some hand applique converts in the land of dis-believers.  And best of all, I made some new friends!

And then Sunday/St Patrick's Day/Birthday Celebration yesterday for our very own leprechaun, my father.  It's his seventy-mumblemumble-th birthday today.  He told me once that because his father died in his 50's that every birthday he's had past his fathers last, he considers a gift.  There isn't a birthday that comes that I don't thank God for this gift as well. 

So I boiled everything in the fridge and followed up by homemade birthday cake.  A nice day, a nice dinner.....

But I did find time to do a couple of CW blocks...

Hey, you know what I figured out on that top block?  It was not coming out to 6-1/2" inches and I was a little aggravated til I noticed.....the book has this block as 5 strips in the block, EQ has it as 6.  So I left it at 6.  You probably already figured this out, but just in case, I thought I'd mention this little blip in my CW travels.

and more....

Hope you had a great weekend and you have the Luck of the Irish today!  (ooo, maybe I'll buy a lottery ticket today----with a father born on St Patrick's Day and a maiden name that starts with Mc, I should get bonus luck today, don't you think?)

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

PA and Back

Here's the report from PA.....the credit card is still intact, the bags made it in the house before any husband or child could ask "what's in those bags????" and made it home in time to go do set-up for the Blue and Gold dinner.

but the best part of the trip was getting to see my Quilt Branch friend Susan.  We shopped, helped each other with fabric selections and I watched a master salesperson peddle her book (successfully!), followed by good food at the Franklin House.  Go take a look at Susan and MaryJane's book, they've got a great concept----6 halves make a whole (six half yards make a whole quilt)----but don't even try to explain this concept to an engineer, they just will not get it!

Ok....so here's the fabric acquisition report.....

I've been wanting to reproduce a quilt from the great big The Ultimate Quilting Book but first wanted to find something suitable for the background, so I scored me some background yesterday...

and then I've heard from some learned people that you can never have enough repros....

and I have a really fun red and white project coming up, so I bought everything in sight of really red and white (very PamKittyish don't you think?)

so considering how many fabrics I touched in the 2 stores, I really behaved myself.....but in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "Lorre's coming soon and that will require another trip to Lancaster!  behave, behave, behave!"

wasn't I a good girl?

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Dear Jane catch-up

Well, I'm off this morning to PA, armed with credit cards, a few sketches of future quilts and of course, the snack basket.  But before I go, I wanted to show two DJ blocks I finished yesterday...

It's nice to be doing a brights project at the same time as the Civil War blocks, throw in the 30's and I've got a whole lot of era's going on.....hope I don't mix them up.....I'd hate to see neon pink next to Abe Lincoln!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Mad Dash

I'm frantically working to get class samples done this week.  I think the sample can really sell the class, so it's got to be appealing and it's got to be done!  So here's the new sample for my Start 2 Finish class.

 
Over 3 classes, they will cut, sew, quilt, and finish this little quilt, and of course, there will be homework, but it's a great next step for someone who has been doing tops and sending them out to be quilted.  But you never know if a class will go.....so we'll see.

And what a pretty little package I got from the lovely Ms. Jolly at FQS....

I'm not normally a 30's person, but I've got a special project that these are going into.  I don't know.....this collection might be pushing me towards more 30's projects.   No I can't, not another type of fabric to collect!! someone stop me!!

especially because tomorrow I head out to Lancaster to visit with Susan from The Quilt Branch and we might be going to a quilt shop or two!

Hope you have a productive and fun day...

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan