Tag Archive | AYOS 2014

Stems – A Mini Sampler

Nov21

Hello all!

I’m excited to share my flimsy finish for November’s AYOS quilt.

It is best described as a Stems Mini Sampler.  I have worked in three of Fig Tree Quilts newest mini patterns.  I put in links to Fig Tree Quilts shop site for each pattern if you want a quick way to buy one for yourself.

 

Here is a picture of the original pattern design by Fig Tree Quilts:

Stems Pattern

 

Now, here’s mine.  I used a partial charm pack each of Best.Day.Ever. and Fancy.

First – let’s start with the Mini Stems !

Stems Stems

Here is a Mini Lollipop !

 

Stems Sun

 

And finally – Mini Painted Ladies !

Stems Butterflies

 

And then put them all together!

Stems AYOS Center

This center part came out around 30″x31″.  The green grass fabric really looks like grass texture up close.  I didn’t pre-test it for colorfast – fingers crossed!

Also, when I started off – I wasn’t thinking that I was going to grow it this much.  I had opened up a jelly roll of Kona White for the background and I couldn’t (easily) find a matching white when I got to the expansion areas for the sun and butterflies.  So – I made do!  I think the quilting design I have in mind will help hide the seam lines, and it will be backed with white batting – not a dark green quilt underneath.

I had everything for this quilt (except the coordinating butterfly backing which I got half off from Hancocks of Paducah) in my stash.  Here is what I came across for my border fabric which was PERFECT.  One yard each of these two pieces from Swirly Girls for Michael Miller.  Probably got it on a Flash Sale from FQS :

Stems Border Fabric

 

I finished the last border around 1:00 am this morning.  I should have laid this out on a white bedsheet, but it was really late and I was really tired.  The green surround is the bedspread quilt.

Stems Mini Done

 

Finished quilt size is now around 50″x51″.  And it is already earmarked as a Christmas present for my granddaughter who was born in May of this year.  I see it as a great interactive play mat for now and hopefully it gets washed a lot and becomes a super soft snuggle blanket later.

I’m really happy how it turned out.

 

Have you done your Mini Stems yet?  Can’t wait to see you in the parade!  Hop over to Sinta and Sherri’s blogs on December 1st to see all the wonderful garden quilts – I bet there will be a lot of participation this month!

 

Enjoy the weekend!

Jennifer

Stems Quilt – A History

Nov18

This month, the AYOS project went rogue and selected a mini pattern from Fig Tree Quilts.  I am an official Fig Tree Quilts groupie and have hoards of fabric yardage that is really being wasted in my stash boxes.  And quilt kits.  And patterns.  And nail polish to match the fabric (I don’t even wear nail polish).  And Aurifil thread kits to match the fabric … which I bought two so that I might actually open one of them some day.

So, when the ladies hosting Another Year of Schnibbles (and a little bit more) announced November’s pattern was to be the mini “STEMS” … I was certain to participate.

I made the full size, traditional STEMS quilt in 2011 using the Strawberry Fields collection (also by Fig Tree Quilts).  It was the first quilt I made since my two quilts in college and it jump started me back into quilting again.

I made it as a friendship and support quilt for my longtime friend and college roommate, Valerie.

Valerie had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but she lives and teaches high school students in another state.  Valerie and I are the type of friends that will always be friends even if we don’t talk on the phone but once a year or more.  Thanks to Facebook, we have the sharing of family photos and stay in touch.  She will always be my best friend when I recall my time at Texas A&M, but I’ve known her since 7th grade.

ANYwho… when I heard about the diagnosis, I wanted to give her something extra special so she would know I was thinking about her.  I knew it would be a quilt.  And it would be the STEMS quilt pattern by Fig Tree Quilts.  I hired Diana Johnson to do the longarm quilting on it (she quilts a lot for Joanna Figueroa).

This was the year before I started this blog, so I have never shared these pictures with you before.  Here goes…

IMG00928-20111207-1209

Lots of pictures…

IMG00926-20111207-1208

You know the colors are much brighter and more beautiful than I’m showing … right?  Darn cell phone camera.

IMG00922-20111207-1207

I just love this Strawberry Fields collection – don’t you?  I have a fat quarter bundle that will stay perfectly intact…

IMG00923-20111207-1207 IMG00924-20111207-1207

Didn’t Diana do a wonderful job, as always?  I had no experience in hiring longarm quilters, so I asked Joanna if she would share Diana’s contact information and she happily obliged.  Diana does quilt for other people, it turns out!  🙂  Or at least she did this for me in 2011.

IMG00929-20111207-1211 IMG00930-20111207-1211

So… now that you have seen my big Stems quilt … I am ready to show you my AYOS mini stems quilt for November.  See you soon!

All my best,

Jennifer

Something Quick for Thursday

Nov6

I really want to show you pictures from my weekend outing …

Quilt Festival Doors

But it takes forever for me to download stuff off my cell phone to a computer.  I will hope to do that this weekend.  I so thoroughly enjoyed myself at the International Quilt Festival.

Not much time today, but I did take about 30 seconds to go to Fig Tree’s website and click-click-click … download the new mini Stems pattern for our November AYOS project:

Stems Pattern

I think I could get this done in a couple of nights after the kids are asleep.  Are you joing in this month?

I’ll share my large STEMS quilt next time and a little history behind it.  It was gifted to a very dear, longtime friend.

See you soon!

Jennifer

(P.S.  – please know that I really am thrilled to get your comments, even if I don’t get a response back out to you.  They make me smile!)

Another Day More Please!

Oct21

I am a day overdue already to post my answers for the “Around the World Blog Hop”.  Indicative of my nature, I am late.  And I need another day more to pull it together.

While you sit patiently for the clock to turn, I’ll give you a glimpse of a new purchase that I made and now need to decide on how to use:

Crazy for Red Precuts

I fell for the Midwinter Red collection by the same ladies (Minick & Simpson) last year.  This is going to mix in with my leftovers and I plan to do another red/cream quilt – but this time with a touch of navy blue.  Why?  Because I want to celebrate the University of Houston and the fact that my husband is an alumni, along with my father.  And we live next door to the main campus.

Go Cougars!!

I also bought a new PDF pattern from “A Quilting Life” creator Sherri McConnell (follow this hyperlink to her blog post where she tells you more about all of her latest patterns)…

Potluck Pattern

I’m thinking that maybe the two new purchases can work together – what do you think?

And finally, a little sneak at this month’s AYOS quilt project … Harvey

Harvey Center

I got the middle basket area done this weekend.  And I just received the background fabric for the remainder of the quilt yesterday, so I hope the rest goes together quickly.

 

I will leave the other updates and pics until my next post when I will answer some questions about my love for this art.

 

Thanks for the patience and I’ll see you soon!

Jennifer

Works in Progress

Oct10

Oh my… it is Friday again.  It has been one tough week at work.  I’m not sure I have mentioned it, but I had joined a gym a couple of months ago and was going at lunch three times a week.  This week, I cancelled all my training sessions and I can really tell.  No excuses next week.  Back at it again and forget how busy work is – that one hour makes a bigger difference.

This month, the AYOS (and a little bit more) monthly selection is “HARVEY”.  It is a bed size quilt pattern using charm squares and a background of your choosing.

Harvey Pattern Cover

I wouldn’t have jumped into it this month because of all the other crazy stuff going on – but I had the perfect leftovers from my MODA LOVE quilt top.

Moda Love Round 3

All of those leftover HST squares made from the larger 9″ square sizes are just right for trimming down into smaller HST blocks for HARVEY.  Plus I have a ton of charm squares left in the variety of American Jane collections that need a good home.

SO… I went ahead and started down the path…

Harvey WIP

It’s just a start and we’ll see how far I can get by Halloween.  Each of my leftover HSTs gave me two smaller HSTs for Harvey and one even smaller HST for another future project (or embellishment ideas on these two quilts).

Another project that is pending is my Reach for the Stars quilt.  I have the last two regular blocks left to make and then all the setting pieces and border.  My problem is that I keep finding fabric that I really want to have in the quilt, so I keep collecting it – but I now have enough black/white/neutral fabric to make at least two more!

RFTS Project

I LOVE this small black button on cream print that I just got from Rossville Quilts this week (Aster by Williamsburg for Windham Fabrics).  I got a few other fat quarters in the same collection.  I also ordered another Palm Court panel which is my focus fabric for the quilt.  I wanted to have total choice when I got down to those last few blocks.

I MAY have also ordered a few half yard cuts of Smokey Quartz Gentle Flowers by Quilt Gate Fabrics when it was on the FLASH SALE by Fat Quarter Shop (55% off!!).  I don’t have it in yet, so I’m not sure how well it will match up.  I think it will be great though.  Like I said – I am loving collecting the fabrics for this quilt that I’m almost done with!  LOL!!

Finally, for today at least, I’ll share my other project underway.  It is doing SOMETHING with my stash boxes.  We recently disposed of my sons mattress set and gave him our guest bed mattress set.  That was also my design bed in my sewing room.

I had been slowly filling up every nook and cranny in the guest room with my boxes from fabric purchases.  They went under the bed, in the closet, around the walls, under the ironing board, under the cutting table, etc…  Here are some pics this morning of them in their full glory:

Stash Room 4

 

The door chest/armoire above is filled on top with precuts and the drawers have extra yardage I bought in a store closing clearance sale.

 

Stash Room 3

Oooo … I forgot I had that Vintage Modern quilt kit (see below pic) …  And I love those kits that come in the collectors tin lunch boxes.  I have at least four of those.  No wait ..six at least.  I had bought two others that are in the other closet.

Stash Room 2 Stash Room 1

My husband thinks I need an intervention.  I just need some good organization.

And this is just the stuff I’ve collected since I moved here.  I have another closet upstairs (and maybe a few drawers) filled with my initial stash collection that I don’t even look at.  I’m not sure what to do with this, but I wanted to grab a few pictures today because I will be doing something before the new bed arrives later this month.

I feel that I have purged and gone to confessional now.  Thank you!

Have a wonderful weekend with family, friends or just some good alone time.  Whatever makes you happy!

Jennifer

 

Just Whit It!

Oct1

I pushed through and got my Whit quilt flimsy done before midnight Pacific Coast time!  That is still technically in September, right?

Here is the picture I sent over to Sinta and Sherri so they could include it in the parade of Whit quilts later today…

Whit Done

WHIT pattern by Carrie Nelson

27″ square

 

I turned on every light possible and tried to get out of the way of the shadows so it would take the best picture.

There are a LOT of seams in this thing.  I’m surprised I didn’t break a needle rushing through to assemble the rows.  I see now that on my last border, I cut off a couple of geese points.  I’ll fix that later … 🙂

I also wanted to capture a few pictures this morning, outside, to see if the colors would look better.  Here they are:

Whit Outside

Much brighter!  Last remnants of summer time…

Whit Lantana

My casual throw over a random lantana flower bush.

Whit Closeup

A close up view…

 

Please go over and enjoy the parades to view all the participants in this first month of AYOS & A Little Bit More.

Sinta at Pink Pincushion blog and Sherri at A Quilting Life blog

 

Hope to see you there!

Jennifer

MODA Love – Round 3

Sep26

Getting closer!  This is Round 3 of the MODA Love pattern that circulated through the designer blogs earlier in the month.

Round 3 is made from layer cake squares that are joined into HSTs and plain 9 1/2″ squares.  I only used a couple of repeat fabrics in the outer round.

It was hard to get a good picture since I’m short and it is now 72″ square in size.

Moda Love Round 3

I’m so glad that I have put this quilt top together!  I am going to add another round of black fabric for a narrow border, then alternating 5″ charm pack and black squares for another border, to be finished off with one more plain black narrow border.  It should be a good size for a queen bed.

I’m also still plugging along with my WHIT pattern.  I have finished half of my flock of geese.  After taking out the one square in the pack that matched my background fabric, I have 82 flying geese made:

Whit Batch 1

Now to do this all again with my second mini charm pack and I will be ready to assemble!

Here is the pile of trimmings I have left over – to give you a sense of the waste from the pattern/method.  Certainly worth it I think.  The mini Fit to Be Geese ruler by Monique Dillard makes these into perfect geese units.  I can’t wait to see them fly all together in my finished quilt top.

Whit Trimmings

Have a wonderful weekend!  See you on the other side!

Jennifer

Flying Along with Whit

Sep23

Man, there are a lot of teeny tiny flying geese units in this quilt pattern!

I am committed to participating in the first month of the new AYOS season, but only got started last week.  I was preoccupied with MODA LOVE (which, consequently enough, is completed through Round 3 – but that will be a post for later this week).

There are three pattern options for WHIT…  And I think I am going to do the one laid out like a grid (option 2)…

Whit Pattern

It actually calls for the most number of flying geese (160 if I recall).

I had originally planned on using a different fabric selection, but recanted and went with two mini charms of Miss Kate I had previously bought.

Here is my progress as of last night on the design wall.  These are 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 unfinished:

Design Wall Whit
Not too many yet, I know.

Here is the next batch getting pressed and ready for the second sewing:

Whit in Progress

I would like to think that tonight and tomorrow I will be halfway through the units.   Then one more mini charm pack and the assembly this weekend.  I might make it, but it will be tight.

See you later this week!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jennifer

Round 2 – DONE!

Sep11

I am paying for my excitement today.  I stayed up until 2 am this morning to get this MODA Love round completed, but I’m so thrilled about it.  The pictures below were taken around that time, so they aren’t are clear and crisp as they should be.

I took off the earlier borders of my Round 1 block, and added back a single border of the same black print fabric.

Here it is inside Round 2:

Round 2 Center

 

And here is the completed Round 2 that is currently at a size of 36 1/2″ square:

Round 2 v2

 

L.O.V.I.N.G. it!  I have already sorted out my layer cake of American Jane Potluck and need to cut out the black background pieces for Round 3.  Perhaps by this time next week, I’ll have it done and will be working on the pieced charm square border.

I also want to participate in this month’s AYOS sewalong.  I have purchased the Whit pdf pattern and I am settling on using these charm packs to make the quilt top:

Whit Fabric Choices

Another colorful quilt in my future!  Thinking a bright white background for Whit.

 

How’s your day?

Jennifer

Schnibbles Recap for 2013-2014

Sep2

CAN YOU FEEL IT???

It is almost time for the new Schnibbles year to start again!  Visit the blogs of Sinta and Sherri later today to see the announcement of the first pattern that we will do for this new season!  It will be called

AYOS and a Little  Bit More

Last year, I tried to participate as much as possible – but only got through a few of them.  I’m hoping for more time this year and very excited to play along.

Here is a quick recap of my successes from the past series.  I completed four quilt tops, but only got two actually quilted:

HAT TRICK with Lario Collection by 3 Sisters

image

DULCINEA with Indigo Crossing Collection by Minick & Simpson

Dulcinea June AYOS 2013

LINCOLN with BOHO Collection by Urban Chiks (added the borders and then quilted it myself – gave away as a baby gift)

 

Another AYOS Done! Lincoln!!

Another AYOS Done! Lincoln!!

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CLOVER with Posh Pumpkins Collection by Sandy Gervais (added the borders and prairie points.  I had it quilted last month and given to a friend and co-worker who just moved away)

photo 7
Actually, looking back – I’m quite happy with what I got done.  I love all of them, and am now determined to pull out those other two I haven’t quilted yet and get them D.O.N.E.!

Are you playing along this year??

All the best for a quilty week!

Jennifer