New techniques - new for me

So my bee block for August was circles galore.  I did a search and found a technique from HGTV... On how to make circles with freezer paper etc. Video: 

http://www.hgtv.com/video/easy-circle-quilt-blocks-video/index.html

Here is my attempt... Caveat: I believe it was designed for individual circles and not the multitude that I created from one freezer paper sheet... But it was not too bad.  I had to cover up some treats with Misty Fuse and another circle lol...

I hope Emily likes it...

 All of my circles drawn and cut out from the freezer paper and ironed on to my background fabric.

The right side up, cut out...

The wrong side clipped and glued down as per the instructions.  The other fabric is placed over this with some glue.. This is why I believe it was intended for one at a time.. It got a bit crowded and messy.

 You are suppose to remove the freezer paper once you attach the color square... It plops out (allegedly) lol.  And then you see around the edge on the wrong side.. The spokes are glued to the colored circle and you stitch around.

I had to top stitch some.. Anyway here is my final.

Off to College Quilt

So.. My cousins son is off to college.. Woo hoo another one off into the big beautiful world...so of course I have planned on making him a quilt to take with him.  And of course I thought I had time to do it.  And of course life happened.  So what did I make.

Friday afternoon I was at City Quilter after work to get fabric for his quilt.. So home at 6:00 and off to work I began.

Cut and tryin out some layouts.

Top is pieced.. Can I make a back and baste it before bed...

Of course I can with some refreshments..

 And it is basted and ready for morning stitching.  After all the party starts at 2pm.. Yikes

And I am off...

Quilting is done.

Even managed a thread color change.  Woo hoo.

Binding complete.

 Back is sweet.

Dedicated and signed...

 And delivered.. Whew...

Black and yellow black & yellow..green gray & cream

Well it is that time of year again.  This time I am fortunate to have the company of Queen Bumblebeans and family... So what have I been up to yesterday and today...

Stepping outside of my comfort zone. I have been practicing my new skill.. Ironing.  Lmao.  Picked that little diddly up while at Quilting By the Lake.  Lisa aka the redheaded mermaid and Victoria aka Bumblebeans convinced me it is essential to great block making.  I saw the difference in how crisp Lisa's blocks looked compared to mine... And Victoria explained that it is for the ease of construction.  It is indeed.. 

I have also trimmed and squared up my blocks.. All of these are first... Along with flying geese and making blocks for a quilt.  Lol. The only improv was in my choice of blocks.

Anyway, still have two sides of borders to make tomorrow.. But here is a pictorial of my process. 

Working with another Juki was a uber plus.. I was in Juki heaven since she has one of the new computerized one.  My intro to Juki came from Victoria a few years ago.  Fell in love and bought one in 2011.  It is my work horse... But the computerized one is also a dream..

And it begins.

And it begins.

 Churning out the blocks...

Use those new skills.  Lol

Using up all the bits

And there is the computerized Juki.

My first time using geese in a quilt.

Moving right along..

And more geese... And 80 more to 20 more units to complete before I am done ski.

Whew..

Monday Morning Star EPP count 8/5

Well,  I was a bit more productive this week.. Sorry for the late post Jess...

I was in Arizona and managed to stitch together 5 complete hexagons oto the main piece.  Prior to my departure I also cut up all the fabric i have remaining for this and separated them.

Therefore, I have committed myself to finish using all of the fabric I purchased for it.  We shall see the size that I end up with...

So there, I have made some progress.. Lol

I Got Fractured at QBL ...

So I ventured to Quilting By the Lake for the very first time.  QBL is associated with the Schweinfurth Artcenter in Auburn, NY and the QBL classes are held at the Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY.  Everyone stays in dorms, you have room mates and suite mates, you eat in the dining hall...so very back to college. 

I had a blast at QBL. (Quilting By the Lake).  Granted I would have had a ball simply by virtue of the company I kept.  Bumblebeans, Helen no Blog, and the redheaded mermaid.  My NYC Metro Crew... So we all traveled up together to spend some time stitchin in Kathy Doughty's "Fractured" class.  What we thought would be an easy no brainer class, turned out to be a bit of a challenge.  As you all can see, I am not a pattern following kinda gal.  I like free form, free flowing.  So it always takes a while for my brain to grasp the why's of a pattern.  Like, why do you want me to do this like this, and not like that?  Why do you want me to cut this way and not that way. Etc..  Lol

We prevailed, thankfully, complete with giggles, laughs, food, fabric, and fun.

It was also great catchin up with other quilters, and meeting new people.  Lisa and I met some folks from Canada, as they were our suite mates.  Soo college...lol.

We got pinned by this woman, who makes this things....from recycled material and has been handing them out for over 30 years.  We are in...smiles lol.

Came home...and back to the grind.  But just finished stitching the top together.

I got fractured... See the lovely pictures below... And for more pictures and a video of our class. Go to bumblebeansinc.blogspot and helennoblog.blogspot. 

And for next year, I shall be back again.. as my dear Victoria (Bumblebeansinc) will be teaching.  So be sure to go sign up for classes!  She will have a two day 15 Minutes Play Improv class, and a three day, LeMoyne Star Improv class.(July 2014)  Sign up for their newsletter to get connected!  The classes fill fast, and they use a lottery system, so you have to get your sign ups in, and hope you get the class you want... All the classes are great so come join us next year at http://www.quiltingbythelake.com.

Finished the top today.  But it is missing something...

Our pilot for the trip.

My roomie Lisa helping me with my travel EPP.

Dear Helen.. Sooo stylish..

Unpacking in our dorm room.

Quilt Geek Alert...

Victoria has her bed made... I want this..

Lisa's as well..

And what would stitching be without cocktails.. Dorm style lol.

Our lovely teacher Kathy.

Work work work.

I got pinned... ;-)

Working overtime.

Teachers pet lol

51 out 56 done.. Last 5 already cut and partially stitched..woo hoo because lord knows I won't finish the blocks at home lol

Lisa's is great.  Love the black an white.  And she was almost done.  

And the queen stitcher has this gorgeous orange and blue top.  Rest assured she is not finished with it, there is more to come... 

And I love all the fabric in Helen's.. So wonderful...

Shout out to all of my Fractures classmates

Trouble makers.. I had no idea she was behind me lol.

Fabric love.... 

Oh so blessed to have a stitching good time...

And another of the top put together

Monday Star Count July 22

Quilting By the lake was a blast.. But before i post about that, let me follow up with my Monday EPP tally.  While driving up to QBL I had some help from the "redheads mermaid" an finished 4 stars...

Thanks Jess... For making us accountable...