Note to self

Over the years one of the things I've learned is to take notes.  Due to jumping from one project to the next sometimes details can be forgotten.  Everyone has their own way of keeping track of the details.  Mine isn't a mind blower or very organized but it works for me.  Yesterday afternoon I decided to work on the house blocks again.  The machine applique is almost sewn down.  About another hours worth of work.  

     

Below is how I keep track of the stitch used and the thread.  Not very pretty huh?  But everything I need to know is right there.  House Applique 5.0-2.0, the metal bobbin is the thread I'm using for that quilt.  Its on a metal bobbin because my machine doesn't like the spool.  As you can see there's another note for my Glorified nine patch quilt.  When using decorative stitches that too is added to the little piece of paper.   There's more papers hanging on a paper clip for other projects if needed.  I keep a pen handy behind my pin cushion.  Should the need arise for a different size needle it too would be stuck in the paper.  There you have it, organization for a cluttered mind.

     

~ Lea Anne ~

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That bundle

While cleaning the studio this morning I ran across this bundle of Civil War Jubilee by Moda.  Moda is great fabric to work with...when it's in your color pallete.  Now don't get me wrong I love civil war quilts and have made a few.  This is my sweeties color pallete.  

So I'd like to make a quilt with these but really have no clue.  I've googled, searched all my books and nothing seems to be the right pattern for these bold prints.  There's a free pattern that uses this line...yukky and boring.  I'm almost at the point of cutting them into charms for a simple quilt.  Funny how color will stifle your creativity.  If this were a bundle of Pam Kitty or Lori Holt fabric the ideas would come pouring out of my quilty soul.  

~ Lea Anne ~

FREEBIE

Click here for pdf

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Purple Passion

Not much quilty progress over the weekend.  It would be wonderful to tell you it was because life was so exciting that I just didn't have time.... but really it's because I don't like the color purple.  The pinwheels are leftover mistakes from a commissioned quilt.  The addition of the brighter colors was an attempt learn to love it....I don't.   I've accomplished making it more PURPLE.    

However the shape of these whimsical Cone Flowers make me smile.  They might make an appearance in a future quilt, and they won't be PURPLE.   Sometimes working out of your comfort zone can be a learning experience.  I've learned even though I've been adding a little purple to a few of my latest scrappy quilts...I still don't like PURPLE.  I've also learned the reasons for not liking PURPLE are silly.  We won't get into the depths of my twisted brain on that one.  So in the spirit of working out of the comfort zone I'll finish it...and hide it in the closet!

~ Lea Anne ~

FREE PATTERN!

CLICK HERE

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My Favorite Quilt

So have you made a favorite quilt?  I've several that I love, and most of them I gave away.  But this one...

Hands down this is my favorite quilt made so far. 

 I call her Summer Romance.

Before going any farther let me tell you what this is all about and invite everyone to join in the fun, there's prizes!  

I'm linking up with Sew Mama Sew for the My Favorite Quilt Series

Part of the link up is to give a little info on the quilt.  

So let get to it...

Summer Romance was designed for the Iron Quilter Challenge by Missouri Star quilt.  We're all familiar with Jenny and her wonderful contributions to the online quilting community.   

I purchased the maximum allowed Summer Breeze charm packs from their site and started designing.  

The center medallion is actually part of a pattern called "65 Roses".  The pattern was to be enlarged 200 %.  Leaving it at book size and doing the math for shrinking everything smaller then designed my own applique borders.  If you follow me on a regular basis you know that I'm a project jumper.  It's something I've learned to live with and just go with the flow.  So ....I didn't meet the deadline for the quilt contest.  Frustration set in and I shoved it to the back of the to-do list for a few months.  Until one day the inspiration hit to finish.

Knowing that with so much white space the quilting needed to be extra special.  So the actual planning for the quilting took just as long as the piecing.  You'll see these little birds(below)  a couple times in the quilting.  They were designed by Wendy Sheppard at Ivory Springs .   Tweaking her design just a bit to make it fit my quilt.  I was tickled pink when she featured my quilt on HER blog!  After sharing it with Wendy, several people thought I should enter it in a show.   Maybe someday.  For now I'm happy with sharing it with my bloggy friends.

This quilt is where I fell in love with 100 wt thread.  Backtracking is invisible and the thread just melts into the fabric...LOVE IT!  In making the quilt I learned that detail is important.  And when you have so much detail mistakes get over looked by the on lookers.  (You'll see 3 stitching errors in this post, but please don't look for them ;)   I also learned that a super simple quilt design can become a WOW just by adding detailed stitching.  With all the positive learning experiences on this quilt you  know there's always one negative. I learned yellow quilting chalk pencil embeds in the quilt fibers when stitched over.  Several washings and soaks to remove the hideous chalk that found it's way to the trash can.  

It was the first and the last time micro stippling.  It was so intense and used such fine motor skills that I could only quilt about a 2 inch square at a time before needing a break.  

The hand applique roses were also a learning experience, quilting around them isn't easy on a longarm.

Another reason why it's my favorite is because it's just as pretty on the back as it is on the front.  Currently this quilt is displayed on the spare bedroom bed.  Every few weeks I flip it over and display the other side for awhile.  

Would I make it again?  The thought has crossed my mind, but I'm not sure I could find another group of fabrics that would work as well as the Summer Breeze.

And I just can't bring myself to do micro stippling again!

~ Lea Anne ~

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