Stargazing Finish!

Stargazing is finished!  I am so excited!  So excited!  

This is my first quilt.  No, not the first one made in my house.  Stargazing is the first quilt that is fully mine.  Completely mine to use on the couch or to cuddle in when I am sick.  

What I love most about this quilt is that it is a bee quilt, so it has a little bit of personality from several of my online bloggy friends.  This is a real communal quilt as it was not only stitched by 11 lovely ladies in Sew and Bee Happy, but it was quilted by the amazing Trudi.  I think the swirly quilting finished this project off perfectly.  I couldn't be happier.

As I was out taking photos of Stargazing, a rather large rain storm was rolling in....

Quickly, between the rain drops, I took a photo of the back. It's a 20's repro print by Aunt Grace with little cream colored flowers on a pink background.  The rain was really coming down by now, so these photos leave a bit to be desired.  Sorry!  We'll have a real photo shoot soon.  I promise.

Quilt Stats:

Name: Stargazing

Made For: Myself by the Sew & Bee Happy ladies

Fabric: Kona white and scraps donated by each bee member

Batting: Cotton/poly mix...not sure of the details
Size: 68 inches square

Quilting: Swirls by Trudi of Quilting Prolifically

Pattern: Wonky stars of all shapes and sizes randomly placed where they make me happy

Fat Quarterly Retreat Wrap Up (Pt 1)

What a weekend!  I have just returned home after a spectacular weekend retreat in London with the Fat Quarterly crew.  They did an incredible job mixing classes with mini competitions, raffles, impromptu workshops and general socializing.  It was all I had hoped it would be.  I am sure you are reading similar stories on 25+ other blogs today so I am sorry if I repeat what others have already said.  I'll just give you the highlights of the weekend from my perspective. 

First thing Saturday morning I went to Lucie Summers' Portholes class.   You might know Lucie as designer of the Summersville line of fabric for Moda, or from her incredible Portholes quilt.  If you don't know the quilt, I snapped a few photos of individual blocks:

This technique gives you a way of layering several different prints of fabric in concentric circles so you get a peep of each in one block.  It is an amazing technique that can be easily applied to nearly any shape, so your opportunities to create are endless.  Lucie gave us a quick demo of the technique and then we were off and running.  

 You can see Judith and Kat were in my class...

As well as Mary, Ceri, Susan, Terri and Judith.  We had a great giggle as newbies trying to work it all out.  In the end, I made one block with four different types of fabric.  I think in the end this will become a child's quilt with 9 blocks and a bit of a border.  I would like to mix it up so that some blocks have huge circles (like this one here - it's about a 12 inch block with a 10 (-ish) inch circle) and some with many smaller circles.  We'll see how it goes.

Between classes we had time to chat.  Chatting with folks was perhaps the best part of the weekend. It was incredible actually talking to people who you feel like you know but have never met in person before.  I know what projects they're working on, some times a bit about their families and/or jobs, have seen photos of their pets, but actually getting to TALK to them was just fabulous.

I spent a little time with the lovely Emily and her Zakka bag made especially for the retreat.  Isn't it lovely?  She even had a skirt made out of selvedges for Sunday!  Incredible.  

After lunch I ran to my English Paper Piecing class with Tasha.  She's a total master of all things EPP, so it was fantastic to sit and learn with her.  I was joined in class by Mary, Brioni and Lizzie.

We had a great time chatting while trying to make something that even SLIGHTLY resembled Tasha's example.

Also in my class were Terri and Katie, here with Tasha (AKA: the master).

Right next to us was an embroidery class taught by Aneela Hoey.  Kat, Laura Jane, Trudi and Nicky were so proud of their stitching...as they should be!

I started to re-create Tasha's Square Dance pattern, shown above.  I have a LONG way to go, but am happy with my little piece so far.  I'm making this with left over bits from the Community Quilt, so it will be very colorful and scrappy.  Not sure what I'll make just yet.  Maybe a mini quilt.  Maybe a bag.  I need to see how many repeats I need to stitch to really get the repeat of the pattern and I'll make the decision from there.

After Saturday's classes, we took the opportunity to take a photo with some of the contributors to Stargazing.  I wish the whole bee was here for a huge photo of everyone, but we at least had five of us together.  From left to right you'll see Trudi, the quilter, then Kat, Judith and myself all stitchers in the bee.  Nicky should have been in the photo too, but I didn't get a good picture with Nicky included.  Hopefully someone will send one to me (hint, hint girls!).

This was the first time I saw Stargazing after Trudi worked her quilting magic and it was SPECTACULAR.  Just lovely.  I will bind it this week and will post a gazillion photos for you all to see it in better detail.  Thank you, bee ladies, for such a lovely way to cement our friendship!  It will keep me toasty warm on the couch this winter.

We finished the day with dinner together, organized by the fabulous Susan.  I had the great pleasure of sitting with Laura Jane on one side, Kat on the other and Sarah right across from me.  Who could ask for better dining partners?  I loved, loved, loved spending time with these ladies in person.  Again, being able to hear their voices or see their hand gestures just adds another dimension to their personalities that I never would have grasped from our online relationship. Priceless.

If you were at the retreat and think you escaped the camera lens, you are so wrong.  Check back on Wednesday for photos of the second half of our retreat.  I can't wait to tell you more!

Quilting Swirls for Stargazing

As you might remember, I sent off the Stargazing top and back to be quilted by the amazing Trudi of Quilting Prolifically.  We have been email chatting back and forth about the quilting pattern and the type of thread to use.  As I have a very hard time imagining things that are not right in front of me, Trudi made up samples and sent them over.  How great is she?

So, she made this gorgeous table runner and quilted it using the swirl pattern that we think might work on Stargazing.  

Isn't that going to look great? You can't see how amazing it is through this photo - her FMQ skills make me speechless.  I like the soft, airy swirls next to the sharp star points.  I think that will be lovely.

And then she made up four mini little samplers using four different types of thread so I can see the differences in their thickness or how they transition from the white background onto colored, printed fabric.

I did find one that I like a whole lot.  Hopefully it behaves its self and lets Trudi quilt without an argument.  I am so super excited to see what Trudi creates!  She's bringing it with her to the Fat Quarterly retreat, so I'll be sure to leave space in the suitcase to bring it home!  Can. Not. Wait.

Winter Stitching Wrap Up

I missed you guys!  I fell of the face of the planet for a week there, but I am hoping life gets back to normal this week.  How better to re-join blogging than by checking projects off the ever growing to-do list?  As you know, I was yet another list maker joining in with FairyFace Design’s Winter Stitching Goals List.  I find things like this to be completely helpful in giving me direction when I am overwhelmed.  To keep the list moving along, I also just joining in with Rhonda's Finish Along....and so far it's working!

Birdie Stitches: Finish the Quilt Top

Done!  I finished my Birdie Stitches top and sent it over to Elisa so she can layer, quilt and bind it for use in her house.  You can hear the whole story here, but in the end I'm super happy to have expanded my embroidery skills and thrilled that Elisa has a quilt she likes.  Win-win.

Brother’s Mixer Cover: Finish it as a Christmas Gift
Done!  I was lucky enough to visit this little mixer cover in my brother's pantry this past march and it's lookin' pretty cute there next to the ice cream maker!  

Sister-In-Law’s Bag: Finish it as a Christmas Gift
Well, I finished a bag, not THE bag.  This 241 Tote was her Christmas gift that was delayed until 2012 as the fabric took nearly 8 weeks to arrive from the states!  Eek!  So, I had to giver her an IOU under the tree.  Anyway, we're both thrilled with this finish.  My mom has already asked for one for herself!  

Blankets of Love: Finish Two Tops, Two Backs, Two Bindings

Done. I really like what Kat is doing with her local organization, so I tried to chip in.  I wanted to make two quilts for her, but the shipping would be nuts given the weight of the batting.  So, I made two tops, two backs and two bindings and Kat assembled and quilted our quilts.  It was my first time doing a DP, which then included a huge learning curve, but I got there eventually!

There was even a third quilt top made as part of our Do. Good Stitches CARE circle!

Bees: Contribute On Time

Done.  I'm in four bees now, a list that is quickly growing to six. I am still completely in love with them.  Let's be honest, though.  I think I've hit the maximum number of bees I can contribute to in any given month.  I won't bore you with all of the photos, of the blocks made, but if you hop over to my flickr page you can see them all!

Swaps: Finish Two Swaps

Done.  I finished my Modern Christmas Table Runner swap with Susan of Canadian Abroad.  Doing just this one project has kicked me off on the table runner path and there have been several more since: one for my Mom, one as a PIF, and one for my SIL!  Oh, Susan, the slippery slope you've put me on!

I also co-organized the Mouthy Stitches swap with Susan and Hadley, which was great fun.  It was my first pouch, first zip, first time organizing a HUGE number of lovely ladies.  We had a great time!  I made this pouch for my partner...and again several more since! 

Quilts: Finish Mod Logs, the Community Quilt and Start Chaos and Scrappy Stars

I fell down a bit in this category.  Mod logs is finished and used every day in our house.

The Community Quilt and Chaos are going no where fast.  They're now officially UFOs...I have to do something about that ASAP.

Scrappy Stars has morphed into Stargazing.  The top and back are finished and off with the lovely Trudi to get quilted.  I can't wait to see what she creates!

International Quilt Festival of Ireland: Finish Cúchulainn 

Done! I am quite happy to have Cúchulainn  finished it and handed it to the festival organizers.

Guest Post: Write One

Done!  I was super excited to contribute to Sarah's tutorial series by submitting a notebook tutorial.  It was my first tutorial...and it took WAY longer than I thought it would.  Still, I love these little cuties!

Off to link up with Sarah.  Hop on over and see what everyone else created this past winter!

Drinking the Finish Along Kool-Aid

All of the cool kids are doing it.  


I wanted to join in on Rhonda's Finish Along (FAL) last quarter, but there was just too much running through my head/sewing room at the time to add another "to-do" on the ever growing list.  Now, this quarter is a different story!  I am super excited to join in.


What will I finish this quarter?  Well, Rhonda is telling me that to "finish" a quilt it has to be quilted and bound before the quarter is out.  I can do that. 


1. Stargazing.  Stargazing is currently being quilted by the lovely Trudi, but I will have it back in early June.  I can happily have it bound and finished before the end of the month, therefore within the quarter.  I'd kick myself if I didn't.

2. Cúchulainn.  Cúchulainn has been on my to-do list for quite some time.  I want to say since September, but that scares me a bit.  The appliqué is now finished and the quilting well underway, so this isn't a huge stretch.  Anyway, it MUST be finished off in time for the quilt festival.  So, I will quilt and bind it this quarter.

3. Beginner's Patchwork Sampler Quilt.  This is just a pile of blocks sitting in my sewing room.  So, I will have to add the sashing, layer, quilt and bind it.  Still, it's a very manageable size so I should be able to finish it off in the next month or so.  I am really enjoying this little patch of craziness, so it will be fun to spend more time with it.  

4. Electronica.  Here is my stretch finish.  Electronica.  This quilt is being pieced by Sew Bee Blissful as our March block, so the blocks are now arriving at the house.  It is going to be a whopper!  So, I will have to collect the blocks, finish them off as needed, finish off 2 of the 5 blocks I have to contribute, add sashing, layer, quilt and bind.  It might be a big ask, but at least I have all of the materials I need and a quilting plan in mind.  We'll see how it goes!

Little Random Bits and Pieces

I hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend, for those that had a bit of time off of work.  It has been spectacular here - lots of sewing, catching up on stuff around the house, visiting friends, dining with family and general laziness around here.

You might see the general laziness sticking to this post...I just can't get myself organized enough to give you a glimpse of my sewing right now, so I thought I'd fill you in on the other scattered bits and pieces over the past few days.

In super happy news, my charms from Jenn's polka dot charm swap arrived.  They're super!  Isn't it funny how you look at the prints in flickr and you know exactly what you are going to receive, but when they arrive they are a million times better in real life?

In other news, Fluffy Sheep Quilting and friends made the Spring 2012 issue of the Irish Patchwork Society's news letter.  Now, I know it's not like my quilts are appearing in some super fab publication, but still it was a nice surprise to see my quilts featured.

Now I'm wishing I wore something a bit cuter, but there I am in my little white shirt and blue jumper with jeans.  There's Mod Logs in the upper left, Rhonda's rockin' Christmas table runner in the bottom left and Lattice Illusions in the bottom right.  How fun!  Next time I'll dig a bit deeper into the closet before the Society meeting :)

Finally...and I wish I had a photo for this...Stargazing is winging its way to Trudi to be quilted.  I am so super duper excited about the swirly design we have agreed on.  I hope it arrives at her place soon!

Stargazing Top Finished!

I finished my Stargazing top!  Finished I say!  Want to see it?

This was made with the Stargazing pattern from the Modern Blocks book combined with wonky stars from the Silly BooDilly tutorial.  The wide majority of the blocks were made by my Sew & Bee Happy international scrap bee, giving me a huge variety in the fabrics used.  Thanks, ladies!

It's 6 ft square, so the perfect size for me to use on the couch watching a film.

Clarkson, of course, had to inspect it a bit.  Never mind the fact he's been staring at it for 3 months now in the quilt room.  Here on the line it's again interesting.

Some of you might notice your stars are missing.  Please don't be concerned!  I saved several that I really liked grouped together for the back of the quilt and/or matching pillows. 

I was out shooting photos of Stargazing while these (not so little) fellas were out having dinner.  They didn't seem all that impressed with my quilt top.

So here is the question I am wrestling with right now.  Quilting.  Not how it will be quilted as that was decided long ago.  I want to quilt it with invisible thread using a wave pattern like Fiona used here and here.  I think it would break up the straight lines nicely.  What I am wondering is, will I do it or will I send it out to a pro?  Here's my thinking: 

** I have been jonesing for a finish for quite some time.  I have not finished a quilt in ages as I've been focused on classes, smaller projects, bees and swaps.  Is a "quick finish" what I need to be re-invigorated?

** I really do not like quilting at all.  She does.  Why do I "suffer" through that step?

** I have been saving up my pennies to send it out to a pro....so I have a little budget set aside.

** This has been rolling around in my head for months and it still seems like a good idea.  Usually the bad ones are discarded by now.

** But if I send it out, is it still my quilt?  Can I say I made it?

Have you guys sent a quilt out before?  What were your feelings about it?  Was it still yours when it returned?  Or why have you not used a long arm quilter before?  Any thoughts, guys?