Getting Back in the Groove

Well, I got a couple of things done this week even though I didn't do any sewing over the weekend, so that's pretty good.

1- The Yellow Flower Quilt (very creative name - I know)  is all quilted and I'm in the middle of sewing the binding on.  I hope to have it done by this weekend.  Here's a look at my experiment with Zippling:

 2- Blogger's BOM is done:

3- I got the "back" of the Triangle Quilt done.  It's technically going to be a reversible quilt since the 2 sides are plays off each other.  This is the next in line to layer and quilt.  I'm still thinking of a fun design since it has so much negative space.

Other projects:
Skill Builder- up to date, but I have 2 quilt tops that I need to make backs for.
Christmas blocks - no progress
Halloween Wall Hanging- no progress

Stats for the Week:
New projects - 0
Completed projects - 0
WIP- 7

Check out what everyone is up to this week over at Freshly Pieced.

Zippling!

This week's Free Motion stitch was Zippling.  It's a lot like Stippling, but it's all straight lines.  I thought this one was going to be great, but my machine had other ideas.  It was not a fan of this stitch.  I had all kinds of machine issues - I even broke a needle.  Oops!  I was moving the quilt too quickly in directions the machine did not want it to go.  I think it's a fun design though.

 I had to laugh when Leah was talking about it being a masculine stitch and here I am stitching it on a busy, floral quilt for a girlie girl.  This quilt is going through an identity crisis.  I'm kind of glad that the quilting blends in.

 I started out making the stitches boxy looking, but liked it better with more V's.   Although my machine was not a fan I really like the texture Zippling leaves on the quilt.  Here's a picture of the back:

It's All About the Numbers

We've been reading books with numbers all this week, and it's been a lot of fun.  Even Little Lady likes these books.  The book that has been the most interesting for me has been the Bugs By Numbers by Sharon Werner & Sarah Forss.  Even the pictures are made out of numbers.

 Although sometimes disturbing, a lot of the facts are really fascinating.  Here are a couple that I was particularly taken aback by:

• Mosquitoes can smell your breath from 75 feet away, and during a full moon their biting increases by 500 times.
• Cockroaches can hold their breath for 40 minutes, and they can survive 168 hours without its head. 
• Bed bugs usually seek blood every 7 days, but can live 540 days without food.  They are also their hungriest about 60 minutes before dawn.
• The largest earthworm measured 22 feet (same length as a moving van)

Feel free to use any of these amazing facts as your next conversation piece.  I'm sure you'll get quite a reaction.  :)

Pointing Issues

When I was mirco-stippling I kept getting frustrated by the number of points I was getting, so I was excited that this week's stitch for the Free Motion Quilting Project was Sharp Stippling, and wouldn't you know - just when I needed points I was only getting curves.  I tell ya - the second I wasn't specifically thinking "pointy- make it pointy" I'd end up with regular stippling.  Aw well.  After practicing for a while on scraps I decided to point stipple in 2 of my blocks on the Yellow Flower Quilt.

I didn't exactly want the look of flames on a flower quilt, so I used white thread, and I think it blended in a little too well.  I finished this first block and was frustrated by my difficulty with making good points.  It took me two days to force myself to top stitch the second block.  I'm so glad I did though, because it was so much easier the second time around.  I guess I just had to get stippling out of my head.

 I really like the texture it gave the quilt block even if you can't see it unless you're up close.

 I thought the white would be a lot more visible on the back, but it blends right in.

I had 1 issue and therefore 1 question.  My thread was running low on the spool, and somehow the  the other end of the thread managed to get interwoven with the rest of the thread enough to keep the spool from turning.  My thread broke with about 1 inch left to quilt on the block (of course).  I've never had this happen before.  I'm worried that this loose thread will unravel.  Thus, my question:

Is there something I can do to prevent this thread from coming loose and unraveling all of my top stitching?  Am I overly concerned?

Busy Bees

Heard this fun song before?

I love the 5 Browns and I love Rachmaninov.  The Flight of the Bumble Bee was originally an orchestral piece that Rachmaninov transcribed to piano.  Programmatic music is great to use with children, because it's a lot easier for them to connect with it when the music is depicting a concrete story or idea.

Here's an easy little project for kids, so they can "fly" with their bees to the music:

 It doesn't take much to go from this to that:

Hits and Misses

Quilt top #2 is done.  This is the one for the girlie girl who wants to be grown up who also happens to love the color yellow.

I saw a similar design at Bijou Lovely and knew that's what I wanted to do.  I also got the back done and now it's all pinned together ready to quilt.  I really enjoyed putting together this quilt, because I usually only use yellow as an accent color, so it was a deviation from my norm.

The Miss would be my latest Skill Builder Block: #29- The Apple Core

It actually turned out ok, but the ugh part was the making part.  It's a pain in the tookis to make this block and after pinning tons - not pinning, using starch - not using starch, I still couldn't find a rhythm with this block.  It looks better than I thought it would, but I don't see anymore of the Apple Core block in my near future.

Happy Friday!!

A Tale of 2 Quilts

2 Twelve-year old girls with 2 very different personalities = 2 very different quilts:

1- A tomboy whose favorite colors are red & blue.  I went with simple, stream-lined with solids and lots of negative space.

I'm about half way done with the back.  It's going to be a reversible quilt -a play on the front.

2- A girlie girl who loves high heels and wants to be grown up like her older sister.  Her favorite color is yellow.  I went for busier patterns that include flowers with a more "sophisticated" feel.  Here's a sneak peek at some of it.  I'm hoping to be done with this quilt top by tomorrow.

Other projects:
Skiill Builder- I think there's a new block.  I should probably check on that.
Blogger BOM- Up to date
Christmas blocks - no progress
Halloween Wall-hanging- no progress

Stats for the Week:
New projects - 1
Completed projects - 0
WIP- 7

Check out what everyone is up to this week over at Freshly Pieced.

A Little Nerdiness Never Hurt Anyone

Just a little music nerdiness for you to enjoy this fine morning:

(My favorite part is where the cello comes out of the buffet as a String Bass).