Flower Garden Problems

 If you remember check here - I have been working on Flower Garden by Kim McLean.  I had prepped all 24 of the blocks for this quilt and stitched about 15 when I decided to start washing the blocks and getting ready to trim them up and attach some of the sashing strips.

 I normally don't pre wash my fabrics (maybe I will start)  because I ran into some trouble with this one.  The stem fabric bled so badly it all had to be replaced and the block I washed had to be taken apart and completely redone.  So glad I only washed one block.

So I set about removing and replacing  the stems on all the blocks.  I washed the stem fabric in Retayne,  remade the quarter inch stems and replaced them on the blocks.  Then I started stitching again but as I went along I decided the stem fabric looked so flat and lifeless now I just didn't like it anymore so I found some new fabric and remade the stems.

Now I am happily back stitching and really like the blocks so much more than before.  I know all this might seem crazy to some of you but I have been told by those who know me I am a process not a product person, so it really does not bother me at all.

Happy stitching,

Nancy

Graphic Mixx, Terry Atkinson

I took a class in February with Terry Atkinson who  designs all those fun and easy patterns, like the Yellow Brick Road and Happy Hour.  The quilt has been finished for a while but we were asked not to write about it until the pattern came out in the spring.  It's spring and the pattern has been released.

It's called Graphic Mixx.  I believe Terry has another winner with this book, but I might be a little partial since we helped with the testing!

I signed up to make these little houses on the Building Houses from Scraps 2012 site.

As you can see I haven't made very much progress four 3" finished and one 2 1/2" finished.  They are not as hard as I thought they would be.   

I just have too many other projects at the moment.

Keep Stitching,

Nancy

Saved from the Lost and Found

I have had this UFO for quite a while.  So long I can't even remember where I bought it or what it's called.
I bet no one else has ever  been so bad.  Now that it's finished it will make another good dragger quilt.
Happy Stitching,
Nancy.

Rick Rack Nines

I am so happy to have this very large quilt finished.  It's called Rick Rack Nines and is from Bonnie Hunter's book Leaders and Enders.
Bonnie says it is a Big quilt and she was right but it was quite easy to make using the leader ender method.
The quilt used 2,670 - 2" squares to make the nine patch blocks.  I finished it with a machine sewn binding shown here  because I knew I would never get the binding sewn down by hand.

This is the border finish I have chosen for my Rose of Sharon quilt.  After searching the universe I found some of the inner border fabric.  I can't seem to really love this quilt. I think it's because I am more of a primitive person but I stuck with it and soon it will be finished.

Happy stitching,
Nancy

Rose of Sharon

I have been trying to assemble my Rose of Sharon quilt this week.  I don't know why I had so much trouble getting this one to go together but I finally accomplished the task.  This is the way the quilt is shown finished in the book but it looks to me like it could use another border.

This quilt was done as a BOM quilt last year at Intown Quilters in Atlanta so off I went to Intown today.
Sarah and the girls at Intown are so helpful we pulled lots of batiks and this is what we ended up with.

 I thought these fabrics looked great in the store but now that I have them home and up on the wall I am not so sure anymore.  That outside border is just wild and really yellow-green.
So I am asking for opinions again.
What do you think No border, this border or keep looking?
Nancy

A Busy Week

I seem to have become a hit or miss blogger.  I don't know where the days go but they sure go fast.

 Tuesday we had a fun day picking strawberries.  Boy all that dirt and pesticide sure taste good.

I added a few more blocks to my Farmer's Wife quilt.  I am trying to decide on the sashing fabric to use.  The quilt seems a little dark and I am trying to think of some way to brighten it up.  Any suggestions?

 Thursday I made Lillian a little short outfit.

I also completed  this weeks Barrister's Sow Along Blocks 

and am  following along with Cheri from Quilts by Cheri with her little Georgia quilt along.

So I guess the week was a busy one after all but you will notice I didn't mention anything about cleaning or cooking.
Happy stitching,
Nancy