throw a wench in the works: 07/01/2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Block Flower and a Giveaway!

Some of you know about my love of pattern testing.
I think it's the editor in me...probably a teacher thing.

I've met some lovely folk online, so when Jess over at The Elven Garden asked if anyone was interested in pattern testing, my hand shot up with an "OOOOO..OOOO..PICK ME!!!" response.

Thankfully, she did.

Jess's patterns are lovely. Not only does she give great directions, she's got lots of pictures!
She's just released The Block Flower pattern.

It's available on craftsy. Pop on over to Jess's if you want to see the other testers' versions.

Mine is headed to join the other Wellspring donations this weekend. It's not my usual color palette, but I wanted to match the house color suggestions. I like that it's kind of soft and calm. I hope the woman who sleeps under it feel loved.

It's kind of hard to see...but I did an orange peel in the outline of each flower.

Jess has given me a copy of her pattern to give away. If you read this far down, there aren't any hoops. Just leave me a comment. Feel free to suggest which project on my list I should attack next.

Edit: I'll pick a winner Sunday night, closing entries at 9pm EST.

ALYOF---just under the wire July

I had set finishing my Hexy MF to send off to the long armer as my July goal.

Top complete!

To be honest, I put this one off until the last minute. As in, I finished sewing it a few hours ago. I was having trouble with the idea in my head. Truthfully, I suck at drawing. So, I used an Apple log for my apple with a bite out of it and a snake I found online, enlarged 400+times. Then I used freezer paper and needle turned applique. I'm sure I do it wrong, but it's good enough for me.

My inspiration was the Garden of Eden (since it's a Grandmother's Garden variant). I figured Eve was the ultimate grandma. Anywhoo, I'm hoping to mail it off tomorrow!

Also, I am an AMAZING procrastinator. In the time I was avoiding this quilt top, mostly in July, I finished the following:

Black/White/Color Quilt

The Wellspring Quilt

L's quilt (it's actually quilted and bound...but not yet labelled and in need of washing still.)

My reversible knitting bag

4 knitting pouches for my knitting students

a knitting pouch for me out of the orphan block

sewed together my black knit cardigan (no pics as I have to model it)

a yoda hat

my pastel hitchhiker shawl

pieced a Christmas Star quilt top (I think I'm going to use this for Jess's FMQalong)

4 journals

the last round of needlebooks

so, um, yeah. Lots done. And Hexy MF off to a long armer! My first time!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Sewvivor- Throwawenchintheworks- Ella

I'm taking a risk. I'm entering Sew-vivor.
I'm always encouraging my students to take risks and stretch their abilities in new and exciting ways. This seemed like a fitting challenge to take as I approach my 40th birthday!

Rach over at Family Ever After is hosting it! It's kind of a sewing version of Survivor. Right now it's audition time. (It's not too late if any of you want to enter, too!) They are picking the top 16 to compete. I'm super excited that it's focusing on quilting challenges this time.

If you've never visited my blog before, let me introduce myself. My name is Ella. When I'm not attached to my sewing machine or cutting mat, I can be found working with elementary age students (I'm a teacher). You might also find me shimmying somewhere in the Atlanta area. (I've been bellydancing for almost 14 years.) I'm not currently dancing in any restaurants but rumor has it I may be teaching dance soonish.
The feet you may see under some of my quilt pics are most often my husband's. We have a dog that is part American cocker spaniel and part Muppet. Our cat is mildly evil and sports tuxedo markings.

I learned how to sew from my mom when I was little. My first quilt attempt was for my dorm room and involved stitches...ironically from a sliding glass door, not a rotary cutter. I come by my bruises honestly. I'm the tail end of a long line of klutzes. I didn't sew for quite a while in between that quilt and now. Fast forward to 2011 when I had an actual summer with nothing else going on. I decided I wanted to learn something crafty and came across a bunch of quilt sites online. I made a blog..which led me to meet a ton of awesome folks, inspired travel, and resulted in a LOT of sewing projects. It was really hard to choose one for my entry, but I finally did.

I picked this quilt to enter as it's the one I've worked on the hardest. It was the result of a Penny Sampler class from Rachel over at Stitched in Color. I worked on a lot of techniques that I either didn't know prior to the class or I generally avoided. I loved the paperpieced bits of the quilt...the horses and the flowers.

I fussy cut some octopi.

The Octopi from Salt Water are still one of my all time favorite fabrics. Ahem. I may have some hoarded..er...saved...to make a dress at some point. I appliqued, both by hand and by machine! I anchored the blocks in a simple stitch in the ditch on my machine and debated FMQ options. In the end, I decided I had to hand quilt the monster because my FMQ skills couldn't be trusted with a quilt top I had worked so hard on.

So, there it is. Hat thrown in the ring. Risk taken. Wish me luck!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Giving her an overhaul...

I'm working on spiffing up the blog. New header. Trying to archive my quilts finally.
Any feedback appreciated.
The only progress I've made so far this week is on my Hitchhiker.
I think I have 21 teeth done. Wooo!

Monday, July 7, 2014

FAL, Quarter Three, 2014

Keeping the whole "list it all" method. I know the summer is kind of winding down for me. No idea what the group I'll have in the fall will be like, so no real concept of what I can and can't get done. I am not crazy enough to assume I'll come close to finishing it all, but I like having all the projects already in play written down in one place.

Sewing Projects:

1. Hexy MF--going to finish this in July and send it off to be long armed. (Also my ALYOF July goal)

2. Marcelle Medallion--I need to make at least some progress on this one.

3. Tear Drop quilt--starting Long Arm budget for this one. I'd like to get all the pieces ready to mail off.

4. Hexy Diamonds--this is kind of a long term project.

5. Sidekick bag-version 2. I think it will match the 1st but maybe have a blue lining instead of the orange.

6. Meridian #2--starting in Sept when it's cooler

7. Tula Sampler--I have 43 blocks cut, but I only have sewn 5.

8. Black/White/Color quilt..I have all the blocks, I think. I need to find some sashing I like still. This one might end up being a 100 quilts for kids quilt.

9. Gypsy Wife--I have 2 months of the QAL done, but I really need to catch up.

10. 5 Needlebooks..I need to finish these and mail them off to the folks I've promised them to. I already have envelopes addressed and ready.

11. Journal covers..I need to finish these. I'm thinking these may be sewn and saved for holiday gifties.

12. Bitty Broken Star Lonestar baby quilt..I want to get this one done in July/Aug.

13. L's quilt--It's going to be a Nested Churndash! This one is a priority to finish in July.

14. Converging Corners--this may become something other than a quilt.

15. Wellspring Sampler..Also needs to be done in July/Aug. I want to give the 2 quilts (one done, this one the 2nd) to be delivered ideally in Aug to the Guild.