Machine Cover my April OMG Finish

My machine is no longer naked, she has a nice new cover to help keep her dust free. You can read  the initial post here.
I have a container well I actually have a whole mess of containers with bits and pieces of leftover stuff (technical term). I pulled four HST's out,and an idea was born. I added the sewing appliques then the flowers and vines

Pinwheel block from orphan HST's 

  I measured my machine, first the height, then the depth and the length. Today on My Quilt Infatuation Kelly has a wonderful photo of how to take the measurements required when making your own machine cover. She also has a lovely scrappy machine cover tutorial.
 I took the height multiplied it by two, for the front and back, and added the depth to find out how long the piece needed to be. I cut it about two inches longer and wider than I needed. This was a perfect project to get used to using my new machine for FMQing. I didn't mark anything, I had fun and just let it flow.

Main cover all FMQed.

The end pieces I just did more free motion quilting, I did mark the edges to determine were I wanted my lines on the crosshatch piece.

cross hatching for the one end piece

The other end I did a feather, echoed it a couple times and then some simple stippling.

feather and stippling for the other end piece.

When I sewed the ends I didn't finish the inside seams with binding like Kelly did I instead topstitched an 1/8'' from the seam. I bound the bottom edge using binding pieces from another one of my containers. I put leftover pieces of binding in, then when I need a smaller binding I have one readily available.

topstitching on the end seams

A couple photos of the finished cover modeled by my lovely machine.

feather shows up nicely on the end piece

I have a knee lift for the presser foot so that's what you see coming out the front

My machine is now covered, and I am happy with how this project turned out.

I am offering the flower, vines and sewing accessories appliques in my Craftsy pattern store free. 

If your Free Motion Quilting needs a little brushing up or you are just starting out why not try a Craftsy class they are 50% off for a limited time. This is an affiliate link whereby I receive a small commission if you make a purchase. 

I will be linking up with Red Letter Quilts April OMG, Freemotion by the River, Sew Fresh Quilts.

Hands2Help

 I am trying to use up some of my scraps and stash, it has been steadily growing and needs to shrink. I'm sure no one else has that problem...haha. While looking through some of my scraps I found some of these 5 inch squares from when I had made my grandson an eye spy quilt, I thought these would be perfect to make into a quilt for a little boy.

charm squares and stash pull

I pulled a few blue pieces to go along with the squares. Sewed the squares into simple 9 patches, added the borders. I made herringbone blocks for the corners, but looking at the picture now I wish I would have added the light blue all around  and then the corner blocks.

With borders added

Now to finish adding the last border and then quilt it.

It's another sunny warm day in my part of the world, and I promised my rose bushes that I would give them my attention today. So I'm off to enjoy some gardening. 

April OMG

My monthly goal should be simple. New machine needs a cover to keep the dust off. Of course that requires some sort of a plan or idea. Mr Google can you help this quilter out? Yes sirree he did I looked at a ideas on pinterest, so many ideas floating around right now. I need to narrow it down and come up with a pattern and answer a few questions before getting started. Do I want applique? Do I just make a cover with ties on the side or an overall cover? Use patchwork or use up some orphan block pieces? Maybe a scrappy cover?

I pulled a couple fabrics for the cover.

fabric pull??

Wish me luck! Linking up to Red Letter Quilts OMG.

Best of Days.

Friday April 1st was my 39th wedding anniversary. I know you're thinking what a couple fools for choosing April Fool's Day, but one thing for sure my hubby has never forgotten what day our anniversary is.
After everything we've been through recently, we decided to just enjoy the day. We had our 2 year old grandson over in the morning, went for our daily walk hand in hand and then went out for a lovely meal. All in all a wonderful day. We've been there for each other through the good and not so good days, and know that as long as we are both able to, we will be there to continue to support each other.

In those 39 years we have raised three wonderful kids and six adorable and fabulous grandchildren. They are the best grandchildren ever, I may be just a tad bias in making that statement. But hey it's the truth as far as I'm concerned. Life has not always been easy but we endured and will continue to enjoy what pleasures life has to offer us. For better or for worse, in sickness and health, til death us due part. Hopefully the last part is a long time in coming.

Mother nature and old man winter got together and decided winter isn't done with us yet, this is what I awoke to this morning ugh. We are under a snowfall warning, up to 25 cm of the white stuff today. I want sun and warmer temperatures.

                               My hyacinths are under all that snow. 

I have been playing slowly with my watercolour project you can read more about it here.

Applique is done.

As you can see I have a bit more work to do on it, but it is coming along nicely. Going to do a little bit of thread work on the flower and the hummingbird wings and then try and decide how to quilt it.

Moda Giveaway at Craftsy

Who doesn't like giveaways. Craftsy is having a Moda-A-Day giveaway. Click on the photo or here to enter. I am a Craftsy affiliate.

Hopefully the weather is better in your part of the world!

WIP and new Machine

A beautiful sunny Easter Day! Hope everyone is having a great Easter. We had our family Easter dinner last week as our youngest son has to work this weekend.
Today the hubster and I are enjoying the weather with just a little bit of yard work and a walk.

Oh yes she's here! I have my new machine doesn't she look good sitting on my table. She sews so nice, and I am slowly learning how to use her. She has a bit of a learning curve to her, but the biggest thing is the pressure foot lifter is either by knee lift or a button which I already like. I keep reaching for the leaver to lift the foot, old habits might take awhile to break.  Haven't tried any fmqing on her yet, as I'm anxiously awaiting the sew steady table I ordered for her, hopefully it comes this week.

my new baby, she sews so pretty. Those little stick it notes are squirrels.

I have been trying to finish a project up before my next guild meeting. We had some people ask how to do a watercolour project. Somehow I am in charge of organizing the program and I don't even remember volunteering...hmmm. Wonder how that happened. I am auditioning some appliques to add to my piece. 

auditioning applique

The flower is a keeper love that red batik. However the hummingbird needs some major help, the back wing is all wrong. I am going to use the batik on the bottom left corner for some leaves. It does have some potential, just requires a little more work.

I may work on this some more today or maybe I'll watch one of my Craftsy classes, like Wild Quilting or an Angela Walters class.

 Craftsy( an affliate link) is saying a sweet farewell to National Craft Month by offering you the chance to get any online class for $19.99! Check out all the classes on sale before the offer ends on Monday.

However you spend your day have a great one!

Craftsy Supplies Sale

Today I get my new sewing machine! While waiting for her to arrive I've been doing some internet strolling of my favourite places, and one of those is Craftsy.

I may have picked up a few things already from them, including more fabric. No kits yet, but I had my finger ready to click on some with up to 60% off it was hard let me tell you.

I am an affiliate for Craftsy, and as such may receive a small commission if you click on one of the links in the post above and make a purchase.  It does not cost you any more.

Sandra of mmmquilts  has recently been thread shopping at Connecting Threads (not affliated). I have now stocked up on thread during their flash thread sale, can't beat the price. So far I like their threads and haven't had any problems with them.

Okay I'm off to make sure my sewing desk is all polished and ready for my new machine. Happy shopping.

Fun Day!

My guild put on a workshop by Joyce O'Connell. I love workshops who doesn't, they are always so much fun. And this one was no exception. The workshop she was doing  was  “I WANT TO MAKE AN ART QUILT – BUT I CANNOT DRAW”. It is a turned edge applique technique using the Appliquick Rods. I found a you-tube video that shows how to use them. Although I love you-tube for lots of things, nothing beats hands on from an experienced instructor. She had us use a medium weight fusible interfacing and Fons and Porters glue pens.

supplies

The image was supplied by Joyce and is copyright protected. We traced the image onto the fusible then marked registration marks for aiding in putting all the pieces back together correctly in the proper place. A few pieces were cut and turned at a time, that was more than enough as it would be was easy to mix up the pieces.

progress this is the back of the small head pieced

This took until noon to get this far, as there may have been some chatting and shenanigans going on. This is why I like workshops the camaraderie of other quilters sharing quilt and life tales, helps us forget our own problems and just simply relax and enjoy. Of course we also learn something new either from the class instructor or each other. I am glad I took this workshop and learned a new to me technique.

small head

By the end of a seven hour day I did get the head finished, lots more to do though on this piece. But oh boy the ideas that this technique opens up are swirling around. Now just to work on one at a time with no squirrels anywhere in sight is my newest goal. Someone, she knows who she is has been sending me squirrels and I am trying a little unsuccessfully to ignore them. We'll see how well that goes. I may just have started a new piece of my own, I'm just saying.

The following is a picture of one of Joyce's finished pieces she brought to class.

Joyce's finished piece

Have you had the opportunity to go to a workshop? If so I hope you had a good experience and learned something new.