Three more quilted, with binding attached and just the handwork to do.

Fractured Harlequin

A couple hours spent with a lovely friend learning to use my machine on a beautiful baby quilt. So fun!

And finally on the frame (again) and ready to quilt.

This guy really stumped me the first time on the frame.  I had a vision all along of how I wanted to quilt it and bought the zigzag pattern boards (used on Fractured Harlequin above) just for this quilt. But when I loaded it the first time, with the long seams horizontal across the frame , I knew immediately I was in trouble. I couldn’t keep the seams straight, and I knew once I started quilting back and forth across the long seam allowances, it was likely to get worse.

When I took it back off the frame, it was with the intention of rotating it 90 degrees and getting back to work on it. Which didn’t happen ~ probably for the good as I’ve learned the hard way that charging on doesn’t necessarily end well. I’m much more optimistic this time.

All in all, a very satisfying week ~ and a LOT of handwork in my future.

With all the lovelies this week, I had to add an extra row. I’m so happy that “tangerine” is getting it’s due this year!

1. Quilting neptune, 2. rubystarrisingbag5, 3. Kitchen Aid, 4. December Do. Good Stitches, 5. Stacked!, 6. Lil Twister Mini Quilt, 7. Tangerine Slices Mini Quilt, 8. Tea Pot and Cup, 9. Shattered, 10. rose and star, 11. Innocent Crush Star Quilt, 12. Quilting. Interior of Scrappy tote.

The first 3 or 4 months of the year are always the most productive at Sleepy Owl Studio.  Blame it on the weather, or give credit to the monthly weekend retreats and regular guild sew-ins. It’s especially true if, like this year, I start out with a stack of quilt tops and strong motivation to get them finished and on to their recipients (even if it’s me).

Last night the first quilt of the year came off the frame.  I’ve shared the spiral quilting before, but it’s such a great pattern and it plays so well with both strongly linear and soft, curvy quilt designs. Plus it’s ridiculously easy and relaxing to stitch.  Pattern boards are addictive.

I used most every bit of the leftover fabric to piece the back, so the hunt is on for a fun binding.  Still, I’m confident I’ll find something that will work!

and made a few Farmer’s Wife blocks,

and put my HQ16 back together, and made bread, and….okay, it wasn’t a total loss.

Still, this weather has been a ridiculous distraction and I’m over it.

It’s time to tackle the stack of quilt tops. I thought I’d start with something quick and easy to get back in the rhythm again. But first I needed backs.

The first one is for the square-in-a-square quilt. It took a little time, since even I can’t make two yards of fabric turn into the back for a 60×66″ quilt. I retrieved all the remnants I’d already sorted neatly into my scraps, plus a couple of the solids from the front and set to work. I suppose I could have been a bit more organized about it, but I just kept adding fabric until it was (barely) big enough.

The second is for Fractured Harlequin. Much easier, as it’s a table runner and I had plenty of the dropcloth print. The trouble was finding it. Yeah, I’m a little too tidy sometimes. And I said easier, right? So it turns out I didn’t have plenty of the dropcloth print, especially since I wanted to use it for the binding, too. So back to piecing I shall go.

The third back is for my scrapbuster baby quilt. I didn’t plan to quilt this little top until I needed a baby girl quilt, but I have an opportunity to submit some of my own designs for a project and this is one of my favorites. So “Happy Path” is getting a back pieced from coordinating solids.

And once those are pieced, it’ll be time to load the frame and get to stitchin’. Assuming, of course, the storm predicted for this afternoon doesn’t take our power out.

1. All bound up, waiting for its bath., 2. Constellation, 3. Washington Star Mini Quilt, 4. Progress!, 5. a stitch in color bundles–malka dubrawsky for moda fabrics, 6. 50 stars, 7. December 4, 8. "Trees", 9. Triangle Quilt Top

I love retreat weekends. All the planning and packing, loading and unloading (and then repeating the process 3 days later), is worth every bit of the effort. Every weekend is a little different, but it’s especially nice to come home with a couple finished quilt tops.

The first is the square-in-a-square quilt. I started it last spring, and many of the blocks were put together with the help of the wonderful quilters in the “Bee there or bee square” group on Flickr. Every quilter is different, but sashing each block and then trimming to size is a great trick for making it all come together easily.

The 2nd finish has been marinating for a while. I started it during a quilt-along hosted by Julie of Jaybird Quilts back in 2010. I “finished” it once, but decided that rather than moving all the leftover fabric to my stash, I’d see how much bigger I could make it. It’s a lovely twin now, and it may still get a round of ivory so I can trim the sides straight, but the hard work is done (thank goodness!)

With both of those done, I worked on a scrap quilt. I’ve shared a bit of this one before as I stitched all these wedge scraps together. They’re the leftovers from Moulin Rouge ~ over 350 identically sized trimmings I just couldn’t ignore. Sewed together in strip sets, trimmed to 7.5″ squares, cut diagonally (half left-to-right and the other half reversed) and the triangles paired up. Playtime!

At this point in the process, these blocks go together pretty quickly ~ I have 6 done and enough to make 30. A great project for the next couple very snowy afternoons.

Although I might need some hot cocoa to keep me going ~

Do you need a quick and easy child’s project? I knew my niece Addie was getting a kitchen for Christmas from her Grandpa and Grandma. So when her 4th birthday rolled around a week later, I thought I would start training her early on the benefits of cooking in style with aprons.

I love them. I’d have one for every season and occasion if I had space to store them. Instead, I just have one very chic black apron that describes the wine regions…..of my house! I wear it constantly.

I’ve made the Montessori Apron pattern before. It’s adorable, practical and simple. Really simple. You make the neck strap (with elastic inside)  and the waste strap (with velcro on the end) and then stitch the front and lining together with the straps sandwiched in between. Turn, topstitch, add the other half of the velcro and ….. and nothing ~ you’re done!

I picked three prints I adore and in no time it was finished and ready to wrap. And the best part of all? (Besides seeing her and Bodhi, of course!) It’ll look so cute with her sassy red kitchen.

There’s some major auntie-jealousy going on here, I gotta tell you!

And knitting. Lots of knitting. I’m about 3/4 done with Morgain.  It’s in the easy, cruising along section now. Long rows, but mostly knits with just couple YOs and one SSSK per repeat. Even in my foggy state, I can handle it.  You know you’re a knitter when you’re happy about being down to the last 25,000 stitches on a project.

Project Sourdough is coming along nicely, too.  Getting all the tools and tricks worked out. Taking care of the starter is easy, and occasionally even kinda exciting. Some days it’s incredibly active after feeding ~ picture “The Blob” taking over the container and a good part of the counter. And I would never have guessed how important a big spray bottle of water is to the process. Critical, really.

And along the way, I’ve been planning and scheming the mischief in store for Sleepy Owl Studio this year.  More (much more) machine quilting, some serious stash-busting projects, and several tutorials are on the short list.  Friday Favorites are a sure thing, as is The Farmer’s Wife QAL. Virtual quilting bees are out for now, more quilt and quilting design work is in.

I’m so glad I did the Post A Day challenge in 2011. Every day? Nope, but 240 posts, mostly about my fiber adventures, was a great experience.  And from where I’m standing right now, an experience I’m not in any hurry to repeat. I’m hoping that fewer posts will equal more projects to post about.

Hope is good.

The first fav of the new year ~ and it was tough to choose. There’s been an explosion of creativity on Flickr this week!
1. 4×5 quarter 4 hive 6 test block, 2. Amy’s pillow, 3. Geometric patchwork, 4. hometown! my first wall hanging!! , 5. November 23, 6. Rainbow Road runner, 7. Diana’s scarf, 8. Start Calidore a Fragment, 9. ladybug mittens

Enjoy!