Month #5 - The Window Box

Hello Everyone,

Those of you that are in the Party in the Garden block of the month will soon be getting all of the fabric to make your window box. I apologize for the small image, but it was the only one I have on my laptop here at the cabin.

There are many small pieces to this block.....just take your time. Don't forget to do the embroidery too!

For those who are working on the block of the month and check the blogsite on a regular basis....here's a hint. On the left-hand side of the blog you will see the Label category. Just click on the Party in the Garden label and all posts for the BOM will pop up from newest to oldest posts. This way you don't have to go searching through post after post looking for what you want. Hope this helps.

It is hard to believe that we are almost halfway through the program. My monthly drop-in group has been so much fun. What a delightful, and creative group you are! We'll be meeting again on September 28th at the shop so mark your calendars. If by some chance any of you out-of-towners are in the area, we would love to have you join us for an evening of laughter, lots of talking, and a bit of quilting will be taking place too!

My friend Glenda and I are headed to the quilt show in Sonora this weekend at the Fairgrounds. It's a good show featuring lots of quilts and vendors. My House on Edgewood Lane quilt will be at the Bearly Quilting booth.....kits will be available for sale!

Have a wonderful day everyone.

As always,

Lynn

Party in the Garden Month #4 - The Mailbox

Good morning to everyone,

Your Party in the Garden bundle of fabric is "in the mail." I wish I had a cute little mailbox outside my home just like this one. If you've been keeping up with the program, your top corner will be completed soon.

You could personalize the mailbox block with your last name on the box....our your house number would be cute also.

How do you make your flying geese? For absolute accuracy, I use a flying geese ruler. It takes a bit more fabric but the results are spot on! If you don't already have one, it is worth the investment and is a tool you will be glad to have. Best yet, you can make four flying geese at a time!

My embroidery skills were a little rusty so this block has just a touch of little green tendrils. More would be nice if you are feeling inspired.

I would love to see pictures of what you've done so far.....especially if you've changed up the design and fabric. The ladies in my drop-in class are adding a few of their own touches and I love their results. Send pictures to patched55@comcast.net and I'll post them to the blog.

Have a wonderful day and week!

As always,
Lynn

P.S. Don't forget the preview party at the shop tonight, Tuesday Aug. 17th at 6:30. We will be displaying all of the projects for the upcoming classes for the next three months. The new class schedule will be posted HERE this week. The schedule is full and there is something for everyone.

Party in the Garden - Month #3

Hello Everyone!

Here we are at month #3 for Party in the Garden. Your sweet packets of fabric are in the mail, or if you live locally, your packets are ready for pick up at the shop. I have only four more openings for the block of the month.....so if you are interested, call the shop or apply online http://www.inbetweenstitches.com/shopping/block_of_the_month/page_1.aspx

This month you will be creating this adorable little watering can. Those flowers in our gardens need to have lots and lots of water! We are experiencing a mini-heatwave here in California which is making my garden look a little droopy.

What do you think about embroidering some water droplets coming out of the spout? I wish I'd done that on my quilt. I guess it's not too late.....I could still add it to the quilt. Don't you think the Garden Party fabric by Blackbird Designs is just wonderful! The colors are unlike any other fabric collection on the market today.

It's been a busy week for me working at the shop on Monday and Wednesday so I've not had much time to prepare a post for the blog. I taught a class on Sallie's quilt on Monday evening. What a fun group of ladies! I'll be posting pictures soon from that class.

So my friends, time to sign off for now.

As always,

Lynn

Party in the Garden - Month #2 Flowers and Basket

Hello Everyone,

Here it is June already and Month #2 of Party in the Garden BOM. The packages are ready for pick-up for all the locals. The rest of the mailings were sent on the 15th.

I included a detailed tutorial on English paper piecing in the pattern. If you need more explanation, there are several good websites that include tutorials on English paper piecing.
Here is one at Connecting Threads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDrTVi0jk6w

...and here is another tutorial http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8335/how-to-english-paper-piecing-project that may be helpful.

These cute little flowers become very addicting and you will want to make more and more of them.....and you will later on during the year.

My only word of advise for the little basket is TAKE YOUR TIME. Cut and sew accurately and you will end up with a very precise adorable little basket. Make sure your machine is sewing a precise 1/4" seam and you will be fine.

If anybody has any questions please post them to the blog and I will answer them for you. Don't forget the drop-in class on June 28th from 6-9. We can work on your quilts together while having a fun evening.

As always,

Lynn

Party in the Garden - Month #1 - Arbor

Dear Party in the Garden Followers,

What's this you say? Well, some of you have signed up for the Party in the Garden block of the month program through In Between Stitches. The first month shipped out of the store today! I will be posting a picture of the block by the 15th of each month for you to follow...or not to follow...that is the question. I'm always a firm believer in making each quilt your own.

The first block is going to be the Arbor....or the garden gate. Swing that gate wide open and spend some time in your garden...(believe me, you'll be spending lots and lots of time working on your garden!)


I included a picture of the fat quarter that you received in your package. Use this for the petals. Make some flowers "pinker" than others. Make some of your blooms lighter so that it looks like a bloom that is starting to fade. Change things up a bit. You could also cut some of your leaves out of the leaves on the fat quarter. Use your imaginations and add more leaves or flowers. SAVE THE LEFTOVER FAT QUARTER FABRIC AS YOU WILL BE USING IT IN ANOTHER BLOCK!

Cut out each fence post with the vine running up making it look like ivy is growing on them. Why not have a flower peeking out through the fence. (Now why didn't I do that?)

I appreciate all of you that signed up for this BOM program. I also appreciate all of you that purchased the pattern. For those of you that live locally, I'm offering a once a month drop in class on Monday evenings from 6-9pm. (Check the schedule on the website.) Monday is my normal work day at the shop so I promise you I will try to stay awake! I took a look at the class roster today, and I guarantee you we will have lots of fun while creating our Party in the Garden.
I'm looking forward to it.

Take care everyone and enjoy your block. If anyone has a question, please email me at patched55comcast.net or post it in the comment section and I will answer you. If anyone else would like to sign up for the program before it closes, here is the link http://www.inbetweenstitches.com/shopping/block_of_the_month/page_1.aspx

I'll be back again with another post soon. I've been working on those pesky Civil War blocks and I have pictures!

As always,
Lynn

THE BIG REVEAL

Good Morning Everyone,

Here she is.....finally done.

My goal was to get the quilt done by Monday night, which is preview night at the shop. I did it! Now it's time to finish up the pattern on this cold, windy, rainy day in California.

Make sure your speakers are on and enjoy the Butterfly Waltz. Click on the little arrow button to advance each page.

Create your own photo album

I hope all of you have a wonderful day.

As always,

Lynn

Let the Quilting Begin

Good morning everyone,

I hope all of you had a great Easter. We did!

I've been dragging my feet when it came to quilting the Party in the Garden quilt. This is the first time I've actually been hesitant about machine quilting. I guess I was afraid that I would not do a good job......so I keep putting it off. I didn't know where to begin or what to quilt.

I filled in at the shop on Thursday, and Lani, a customer, and excellent machine quilter stopped by. She saw my un-quilted quilt and offered me so many good suggestions. She was so kind to go back home and brought back two quilts she'd just quilted to give me some ideas. She also brought me templates and wool batting!

I emailed a note off to Crissie, (here's Crissie's blog http://wwwcj-loves2quilt.blogspot.com/ ) one of my blogging friends and a machine quilter, and here's what she said about machine quilting.

"I tell my friends I always lay their quilts in my guest bedroom and we TALK! Now, can you even start to believe that one? But it's true! Most of the time we work together and I know what to do and it comes out just like it wanted me to do! Other times I've had shy quilts and they stand off and won't talk, so ....... I give up trying to encourage them, I just go go go for it!"

So here is the beginning of my conversation with my quilt.

My thanks go out to Crissie and Lani for giving me inspiration and just the encouragement I needed to start machine quilting this quilt.

I'll be working the next couple of days at the shop, so progress will be slow, but steady and I'm going to have this done by the end of the week. I feel like this quilt is just "talking up a storm" to me now and I can't wait to get back to our conversation!

As always,

Lynn

English Paper Piecing

Hello Everyone,

I didn't want you all to think that I was "slacking" since I haven't been showing too many quilting pictures lately. This was the week to work on writing the pattern for the new Block of the Month. I can sew much faster than I can compose my scattered thoughts and organize them into meaningful directions.

I've been working on the directions to make the English paper pieced flowers and thought I would enclose them in this post. I know they aren't the easiest for you to see, but just pretend you can. Trust me, it looks great on my screen!





I've been scanning all the original applique drawings and got them into a digital format yesterday. Not really thrilling to you, but it was a major deal for me. The bottom line is that is will save money when it comes to printing. Which will make the cost of the pattern much lower.

I have a greater appreciation for all designers that design a block of the month. This quilt has been a major part of my life for the last few months.....and I'm anxious to get back to normal. (So are Joe and Zinny.)

So back to the computer and the sewing machine. I have all of the 40 itty bitty pieces cut out for the 6-1/2" corner blocks. I need to make them and work on the directions while the process is fresh in my mind.

As always,

Lynn

P.S. Check out the new website for the shop! http://www.inbetweenstitches.com/default.aspx

The Big Reveal......almost

Hello Everyone,

I'm driving myself crazy. I wake up at 3am with an idea....get up at 4am because I can't let the idea escape my memory.....and then I start ripping out the previous days work. So I'm going to stop changing the quilt and be satisfied with what I've done so far.

So you have to have a sense of humor here and realize that the flying geese are delivering the mail.....air mail that is! First 3am idea! Flange added to flowers - second 3am idea.


Third 3am idea was to add a little flange or eyelash around all the flowers. I like this so much better....I hope you do also. Check the last post and compare the two. This is much cleaner and leaves me some space for some machine quilted vines. This change meant that I had to make four more flowers. Making flowers while watching the debate over health care can throw you over the brink!
The cute little brown basket will most likely go into a corner of the borders. I just have to make three more little baskets with the forty pieces and the quilt top is done!

I added the flange to frame these English-pieced flowers also.

I've been exercising my prerogative to change my mind all weekend. But I'm done making any changes. The whole top is together except for the top and bottom borders. ....and now I have to machine quilt it! That is for another day. My poor little brain is fried today.

I have to get busy decorating for Easter, clean the neglected house, and reconnect with a dog and husband. I guess I need to re-order my list starting with husband and ending with decorating.

My thanks go out to all of you that have been so complimentary. I appreciate every single comment received and read them more than once!

As always,

Lynn

Party in the Garden....almost

Hello Everyone,

I can't believe that I let the weeks get away from me without a blog update. If you don't hear from me, just picture a quilter never leaving her sewing machine or computer. I've been sewing one minute and writing up a pattern the next. Even Joe and Zinny wonder where I've been. Here are some of the sections sewn together. I'm not quite ready for the big "reveal" just yet.

I've finished all of the embroidery embellishments.


I finished another one of these little charmers. I still think I'm going to design a whole quilt around 6-1/2" blocks with forty pieces of material! I love these little blocks and they are turning out to be the most precise block I've made....ever.
I still have to make four more of the English paper-pieced flowers for the corners of the quilt.....maybe tomorrow.

The house is going to be surrounded in flowers....I think.

Swing the gate open and come into my garden and sit for awhile.

Until later....and as always,

Lynn

You Have Mail

Hello Everyone,

I'd better make this one quick as the snow is really starting to fall and that means one thing......our power will go out soon. For no reason at all, the power was off for about eight hours on Thursday. So we packed up and spent the day browsing through antique and quilt shops in Sonora.

I told you on the last post, my goal was to hunker down and finish the last applique block for Party in the Garden......and her she is. Let me introduce you to a mailbox I'd like to have in my yard. It's ironic that I designed this up at the cabin and we don't have a mailbox at all. We don't even have a Post Office Box up here.

It all started out as a drawing on my light table. I love my light table but it is very distracting.

From a drawing to reality. I guess I should have taken pictures of all the other fabrics that auditioned for a role in the "Mail Box." The Moda fabric is all so beautiful that it makes it hard to decide what looks the best.
So with that block complete, I decided to fill in an area that needed something. The space only has room for a 6-1/2" block. So not to worry, just whip a block together that fits right in....WRONG....what was I thinking? DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

I should have known better and not selected a 6-1/2" block that has FORTY pieces of fabric in it! While constructing this little gem of a block, I realized that the fingers that I thought were long and slender, suddenly became fat and stubby and they were having a difficult time holding on to the tiniest half-square triangles I've ever seen in my life. They were 1/2"!!!

In writing up the directions to make this block, I added a disclaimer that I wasn't sure if you should open the wine bottle before beginning this block, or after. THREE HOURS LATER I was finally finished. (No, I didn't open a bottle, even though it is 5 o'clock somewhere!)

It is really cute in the mix with the rest of the crew. The problem is, I have to make one more out of the blue and pink polka dot.

My workspace is getting a bit cluttered....but it is such good clutter!

Time to pack everything away and get ready for the grandsons. I'm going to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies for the kids. My cookie jar is now holding a pot of crumbs so I need to fill it up like any self-respecting Grammy.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I'll be sledding with the kids on Saturday, then teach quilting on Sunday at the shop. Sounds like the perfect combination of activities to me. Of course I may be in traction by Sunday!

As always,

Lynn

Party in the Garden

Hello Quilting Friends,

It's been a busy time in my quilting room. April is almost here and that's when Party in the Garden has to be finished. I'll be appliqueing this little window box over the next couple of days. I'll also be adding some embroidery embellishments.

Just one more applique block to go, and two pieced blocks. Then the fun really begins....the pattern writing. I've been keeping up pretty well as I go along, but there's still much more to do before it's ready.

Today is the last day to make a comment to be eligible to win a Heartfire pattern. Zinny will be selecting the winner tomorrow morning.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

As always,
Lynn