Blogger's Quilt Festival - Spring 2013

Welcome to everyone visiting from the Blogger's Quilt Festival.
My name is Wendi and I'm so glad you stopped by.
I've enjoyed participating in the festival a few times.
It's a great source of inspiration and talent.
This time, I'm entering one of my favorite finishes in the wall hanging quilt category.



This Little Dresden was made for a swap on flickr. I signed up for the swap, then realized it was for a swap using specific fabrics, Denyse Schmidt fabrics. Luckily I had a few on hand. My partner liked traditional patterns so I went with a Dresden Plate.



To spice things up a bit I made a double pointed dresden, and to my surprise
I was able to make each blade a different print.
I started putting all the blades together, not really convinced they would all play nicely together.
I really enjoy appliqueing, and I don't like working with white,
so the dresden circle was appliqued to Kona Grey. 

In the end I loved this sweet little dresden,
so much so that I've been thinking of making a duplicate for my sewing space.

Category - Wall Hanging

                                                                     Size - 14 X 14

               Techniques - applique, machine quilting

                                                          Quilting by - Me

A special THANK YOU to Amy for hosting this 

fabulous Festival, yet again. Be sure to check out all the beautiful quilts. 

Happy Stitching

XO

Wendi 

Another Goal

Its time again to state my monthly goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. 

I'm down to the wire on posting about my goal because

 I forgot all about it and I really didn't know what it would be until about an hour ago. 

I have several projects I need to tend to this month. 

This month's goal is a little baseball backpack for a new little guy due to be born shortly.

 His parents love baseball and I'm making it for someone else to give to them as a gift. 

I've made several backpacks using this wonderful pattern, making a 

 few changes along the way and will repeat the changes with this one.  

The pink fabric is for another backpack, most likely using another backpack pattern. 

Linking up with 

Happy Stitching

April Little Mini

I'm back with a new little mini. Just in time too!

It's my April goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. 

I just realize I need to stop sewing and blog something other than 

the beginning and end of my goal. 

I have plenty of other things going on, I just need to slow down a bit. 

I'll give it a good try in May. 

Now on to my little mini quilt adventure. 

The little mini is for Fab Little Quilt Swap

I stalked my partner as best I could and just sat on the information for a long time.....too long.  

 Nothing I could make would be wonderful enough. 

She does fabulous work and has exquisite taste. 

I headed to the swap photo pool with two design ideas. 

I decided on making the paper pieced design. 

I had to just jump in and hope it would be something she likes. 

I used Anna Maria Horner's free spinning star block pattern. 

I reduced it in size to end up with six inch finished spinning stars. 

I went with a low volume background and the circles in colors I thought my partner might like.

 This made the spinning stars become circles or rings, instead of the stars. 

I started out with one green circle, then realized I had enough greens to expand the idea.

I had a lot of fun digging through my stash looking for as many

shades of green and blue I could find.

I was surprised I had so many.

Then, what to do with the ninth circle?

I ended up repeating a "pie" from each circle to complete number nine. 

Here's a peek at the backside. 

My favorite litte circle/ring. 

This shade of green is so calming.

Finished quilt in the light.  

The whole little quilt, 

and yes, those are my tootsies. 

A little closer look. 

Fab Little Quilt Swap 3

measures 18 X 18

Inspiration from this little quilt.

I'm linking up with 

A Lovely Year Of Finishes - April Goal

I'm back with my April goal for A Lovely Year Of Finishes.

 I've done well and met my goal each month,

 of coarse there's only been three, but I'm thrilled.

 It has kept me in check, which is why I join in, in the first place. 

I tend to post the goal and the finish at the last minute, which isn't good. 

I need to fix that and post earlier. Sometimes, like today, 

I don't even know what my goal will be until I start posting. 

Umm, yea, I need to do better.  

This month I have another 

little quilt to get working on. 

I've been undecided about what to make for my partner.

Her work is wonderful and her tastes extend into an area that 

I'm not confident of being able to pull off.  

I am a bit intimidated.  

Play it safe, or stretch myself? 

I want to stretch myself, but what if my little quilty is a fail? 

I'll have to get something done at the last minute and I don't want that. 

A final decision needs to be made.

I've pulled a few fabrics, but they're not really speaking to me.
Ugh! 

I was going to choose another project as my April Goal, 

but since this little doll quilt is such a big deal for me, 

I don't know if I'll be able to get to anything else. 

So.

April Goal -  Doll Quilt for Fab Little Quilt Swap

A lovely year of finishes is being
 hosted by Shanna of Fiber Of All Sorts and
Melissa of Sew Bitterweet Designs .
If you want to poke around, see some beautiful finishes
 and maybe visit a few new to you blogs,
head on over to A Year Of Lovely Finishes linky party.

DQS13 & March Goal

I'm back with my March Goal for A Lovely Year Of Finishes and just under the wire too. 

Since tomorrow is Easter, I thought I would post tonight.   

My March goal was to get a little dolly quilt done for a swap. 

It needed to be done pretty quickly, so I stalked my partners favorites over on flickr. 

I found my inspiration in this Sew Cherry QAL quilt 

by Flying Blind On A Rocket Cycle. 

Go check it out.

Isn't it beautiful?

I don't know how big it is, but I needed to keep mine tiny.

I started out playing a little with some 1.5 inch square that I already had cut.

Before long it began to take shape.

My partner likes rainbow and the original quilt was in her favorites. 

It was beginning to be really fun to put together.

I ironed all the seams open, which made the back look cool. 

I had difficulty choosing a background. I will spare you all the photos, 

but you can check my flickr if you're interested. : ) 

In the end I went with this soft gray text print 

called Word Play, which I love.

 I so happy to say this little doll quilt arrived safely to my partner. 

Rainbow Star Doll Quilt

DQS 13

Finished Size - 20 X 20

Rainbow Squares - finished size 1 inch square

Inspired by Hadley's (Flying Blind On A Rocket Cycle) 

Sew Cheery QAL Star Light Star Bright Quilt

Spring Break Projects

It's Spring Break for me and I'm hoping to get lots of sewing in. 

I picked back up the kaleidoscope quilt I started a few months ago. 

This is about 1/3 of it and I'm hoping to get another 1/3 done by Wednesday. 

Tapestry by Fig Tree

I'm using 3 layer cakes. This is the result of one. 

It would have been better to use fat quarters, 

but the yardage wasn't available when I ordered it.
I'm loving this already.


I started a new project.
I love to hand sew,  so I stitched a little hand pieced star.



Right now it's lonely, and I don't think I went about it the best,
but I will continue on. I'm not using the english paper piecing method.
 I'm marking my seam line and stitching away. If you have any tips or hints,
 I'd love to hear them. These little stars will be a great project to work on
while watching TV with my hubby.


I've also been knitting. I'm a fairly new knitter,  having learned
about three years ago. I wanted to try knitting socks.
I don't know if I'll really like wearing them,
but welcome the challenge of making them.
I started with yarn from around town. I'm not ready for fancy yarn.

I'm knitting from the toe up, got the foot and heel done,
 then realized I mis-read the pattern.    Ugh!
I ended up taking it all out. A fresh start is what I needed.
 I bought new yarn, went with two at a time, toe-up in a simple pattern and
everything seems to be working fine



I feel much better about these. The yarn is easier to see, I love the stripes and
I get two at once. I just hope they fit well. 

The mini quilt I pulled fabric for in my last post is done.,

but I will wait to share photos until the end of the month,

 since it was my March Goal and maybe then it 

will have reached my swap partner.


Until Next Time
Happy Stitching

- Wendi -

My Major March Goal

I'm busy getting started on my 

March goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. 

I know the whole idea is to finish up what I have going, 

but I need to get a little dolly quilt done for a swap. 

All fabrics need to come from my stash, 

because I don't have time to order anything.

I'm going to pull some reds and oranges

I'm not a rainbow kinda gal, but my partner is, 

so I think I'm gonna pull the whole rainbow, 

not just red and orange. 

  I almost forgot to stop pulling fabric and link up