2013 NewFO Challenge - October Update

Happy Halloween! I am sitting here giving out candy and thoroughly enjoying all of the little ghosts and goblins!

The NewFO Challenge with Barbara over at Cat Patches is easy to do - just start a new project each month! You may want to stop on over and see what everyone else has started in October. 

I've been gone more than I've been home this month but one of those weeks was at Quilt Camp so I do have new projects! Most of these were done at camp and since getting home, I have not pressed anything so you will see wrinkles!

This is a challenge quilt from camp. My charm squares were pretty busy for so many little pieces. 

I pieced this baby quilt which was a kit from camp. I love the bright colors!

I also began this project which is sort of a secret so I'm not saying anymore!

This is a baby quilt that I hope fits right in a new nursery done in turquoise and gray. I began this quilt after I got home from Camp. It was quick to make and I love the way it turned out.

I know there will be new things started in November and I hope to get a few things finished too.

A 30's type finish

At camp, one of the charm square challenge quilts was this one. I'm not a 30's fan but the more I worked on this, the more it became OK!

It's about 25" X 29". It's been quite a while since I did any free motion quilting. I quilted this in Paisley one of my favorite designs and was happy that all went well!

The back is an older looking fabric - I thought that fit.

And this is its new home - a sewing machine cover. When my machines are not in use, I like to cover them with small quilts.

This looks really good in my sewing room! Yup, I'm pleasantly surprised!

Baby Quilt done!

I finished the turquoise and gray baby quilt.

I decided to machine quilt it with vertical stitching at random intervals.

The back is Minkee.

This baby is due in November - I have it done with time to spare!

A Fall Pillow

I finally got to go to one of the camps at Lucky 2B Quilting. It's impossible to attend when we are traveling! Anyway Monday was Pillow Camp. We keep a bed size pillow on the couch in our family room and I always keep a cover on the pillow, not a pillowcase. I like the cover is seasonal. Not having a good cover for fall, I decided to make one at Monday's camp.

There were lots of ideas. I've often thought of making a pillow with fabric strips and when that idea was presented, I knew I wanted to try it. I used a batik jelly roll, picking out the fall colors. Then I added four orange and gold fabrics.

Each strip was trimmed to the right size and ironed in half lengthwise. I drew lines every 3/4" on a piece of muslin and lined up each fabric strip with a line and sewed a 1/4" seam. The strips are all loose on one side, like ruffles. 

The back is this pretty batik. I made the back to lap over about 3-4" on each side. 

I like the way the pillow turned out with the 'ruffles' going sideways and I love the fall colors!

A couple of knitting finishes.

I finished this boy's sweater. This is the first time that I've used a UK pattern. Round or V-necked Sweater by Sirdar Spinning Ltd.

It was easy to follow. The only 'weird' part was the sizing. It is all done by ages.

My yarn choice Hobby Lobby I Love this Yarn! Stripes wasn't the best for showing off the cable pattern in the yoke. The sweater was easy and fairly quick to make.

I also finished this mobius cowl. It was easy and super fast to make. It only has 13 rows!

The pattern, Bulky Mobius Cowl by Haley Waxberg was easy to follow. I was happy that Jeffery at Wall of Yarn told me to use 40" needles.

The yarn is very bulky Kraemer Yarns Bear Creek . The color is much closer to the second photo. The first photo was taken in the hall mirror.

My Camp Projects and a little more

I've unpacked all of my quilting 'stuff' so now I can show my camp projects. They are wrinkled - I haven't ironed them again.

First is one of the challenge charm square quilts. There was a choice of two quilts. I'm not crazy about mine.

Charm square challenge.

I think my charm squares were too busy for little blocks of 5 or more pieces.

Close up of charm square challenge.

Next is the Mystery Block. We were told to use a dark and a light. This block was on the cover of Country Threads' first book. I like the block and might make it again.

Camp Mystery Block

I pieced this baby quilt from a kit I got at camp. I love the bright colors. Country Threads has just added brights to their fabric selection. Did I mention that I love brights?!

Baby quilt from a kit.

I spent a lot of time, and I do mean a lot of time, on this next quilt which I can't show you. Here is one tiny peek!

Secret project!

That's my projects - the secret project consumed many hours! And it still isn't done!

This is one of the patterns we were given at camp. It came from Pinterest. The pattern is supposed to be 36" wide although the one is this photo is wider.

Today I pieced a baby quilt using the pattern. I made mine  40" wide.

Baby quilt

 Here's a closer view of some of the fabrics.

Baby quilt.

This is going to a family that just did their nursery in turquoise and gray. I hope the quilt fits right in.

So nice to be home!

We are home! Not for a day or a week. We are here to stay for months maybe! And we have Internet access again! 

After talking with 2 techs from our service provider for hours last Saturday, I decided to attack fix our hardware Saturday night. I reset the router to the factory settings and found that there was a firmware update! Who would have thought? - not me! Anyway it took a while but all seemed to work! Then we left Sunday morning. The real test was when we arrived home Tuesday night - surprise, surprise, it still was working!

Now I will do normal home things like cleaning, cooking, laundry. Our deep freeze was empty - we had turned it off. I made a list of things we would like to eat. I made a grocery list. And I went shopping. Ugh! At least the groceries are now put away, supper is cooking, and the laundry is done.

Tomorrow I will pay bills. Then instead of cleaning, maybe I'll quilt. Think I've earned that after working all day today!

Quilt Camp - part 2 of 2

I have to share some photos of Country Threads.

The barn - we quilted upstairs.

The playhouse.

The fabric shop.

The other fabric building.

The house with the remodel complete except for landscaping.
That is a screened porch on the right.

Left side of the house and outside sitting area.

Piano room in the house.

Living room inside the house.

On the 'porch' inside the house.

It was a great week. With a small group, we got a chance to get to know everyone AND get a lot of quilting done. Then on the last day, we were delighted to have a tour of Mary's home which had been remodeled. We even had yummy treats!

Quilt Camp - part 1 of 2

Quilt Camp was fun! 

It might have been the best camp yet! 

We had two gals from Texas,

two from Illinois,

and three from Minnesota.

It was such a great group that we'll have a redo next fall!

I want to share some of the projects with you.

Linda did this Camp Challenge quilt.

Polly made a gorgeous Trip Around the World.

I loved the colors in Kathy's quilt.

Sue did some small block work.

Tina used her stash to make a gorgeous quilt.

Sue made the same Camp Challenge quilt as Linda but it looks totally different.

The whole group with Country Thread owners, Connie and Mary.

Everyone did a number of projects. Me too! I didn't take any photos of mine and I'm not home right now so I'll have to share later.

Quilt Camp will be a little different...

Quilt Camp will be a little different this year. 

• Only two from our area are here instead of four or five.
• We are at the second camp instead of the first because I was out west during the first camp.
• Instead of 16 or 25 attendees, there are supposed to be just seven.
• We are staying at the new motel in town which means we are only 4 miles from camp.

Today was 'travel to camp day' and traditionally that means an Iowa quilt shop hop day. 

• We stopped at Vintage Threads in Dyersville. I think we'll stop on our way home after I've had time to think about what exactly I want to make. I found some neat fabric. 
• Our second stop was Debbie's Quilt Shop in Osage, IA. I walked away with a neat kit but I can't show you! That nice lady also pointed us toward Kountry Kupboard, a Mennonite store and coffee shop. Our meal was wonderful! 
• Then we stopped in Forest City at the The Quilted Forest. When I made my purchase, I was given a $10 gift certificate! Instead of punch cards, they keep track of your purchases in their computer. I had purchased enough over the last year(s) to qualify. Rather than trying to keep track of the gift certificate, I did a little more shopping and spent it!

Our motel is new; it opened since we were here last year. It is very nice. They have warm chocolate chip cookies each night.  Yum! Our room is called a small suite. It is a corner room and quite comfortable.

Shooting from the door

Ray has his bike with him and we have plenty of room for it. Ray also has his camera and photography equipment along - maybe he'll find some cows to photograph!

Shooting from the recliner by the bed.

We don't have an actual closet - just a hanging space. That might be because we have a handicapped room.

Shooting from the wall side of the bed.

We have a handicapped room because the lady who made our reservation said that would assure us of a 1st floor room which is much easier with the bike.

Tonight is for relaxing, a little Internet surfing, and maybe a little knitting. Camp begins tomorrow!

I've been busy!

It has been a wild week. We kind of feel like we stepped out of the van when we got home from our trip and stepped onto a treadmill. 

Things have finally settled down a little and I've been in my sewing room for a few hours. My design wall is crowded.

I finished the quilt top on the left. The second from left is the baby quilt that I had to improvise. That top is also finished! The second from the right is a baby quilt top that was finished while we were in Colorado (the back too). And on the right is the baby boy quilt that I began in Colorado - both the top and the back are finished! 

As I get each one quilted and bound, I'll show you better pictures. 

The rest of the sewing room is a mess - well, it is actually better than it was a few minutes ago! I'm getting ready to leave for Quilt Camp. 

Now you know why I needed to get some of those baby quilts pieced - there will be new projects next week!

A couple of knitting finishes!

The first is a scarf made from 100% alpaca that I got at the Alpaca Market in Estes Park, CO. The scarf is sooooo soft. The pattern, Lace Panel Scarf by Judy Sumner, is in the book 60 More Quick Knits.

The pattern was fairly easy but I had to look at the pattern for every row so I had to really concentrate. It was worth it though!

The second scarf is made from Mountain Meadow Wool that I bought in Jackson, WY. The name of the yarn is Jackson Now you know why I bought it! and it is hand-dyed in the color Fire. The wool was grown and sheared at the Camino Family’s KID Ranch in Buffalo, WY.

 

This scarf is my own design. There are 8 rows of seed stitch at each end. The rest of the scarf is a 4X4 basketweave with a 2 stitch garter stitch border.

I have enough of both yarns for a hat or mittens or maybe both!