Steam Punking Along and the BAM Retreat

My steam punk blocks are not multiplying as quickly as I would like.  I have 2 more, but haven't managed to take any photos of them.  Soon, very soon I'll get that accomplished!

I think I have now identified where I am having trouble with the blocks - it's the outer curved corner piece. Someone in the Steam Punk Flickr group was also having a problem with this piece and suggested cutting that part of the block a little bit larger.  I will see what comes of that idea in my next block.

I hope to get several more blocks made at the BAM (Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild) retreat this weekend (technically not a UFO, but I consider this UFO prevention).  We are headed to The Presentation Center in Los Gatos.  I understand the site is absolutely gorgeous.  We can check-in at 2:00 on Friday and check out at noon on Sunday.  The focus of this retreat is UFOs - yeah, I've got them and I want to transform them into wonderfulness.

So what do I have planned to work on, you ask?

1.  Quilting and binding my String Block quilt top.
2.  Making a sleeve and attaching the quilt label for my "Black and White and Red All Over" ABC Challenge quilt (of course this means making the label first, which will contain the names of all the alphabet blocks that are in the quilt).

     I brought it to the meeting last weekend.  Here's a photo of it at show and tell:

3.  Completing the back for my Wonky Log Cabin quilt.
4.  Make my pillow for the Pillow Talk Swap.
5.  Make 2 blocks for the BAM mini-group that I should have brought to the last meeting with me but completely forgot to make!
5.  Make more Steam Punk blocks.

I think this is more than I can actually accomplish, but #2 and #4 must, I mean must happen, so that will be the first order of business.

I haven't really gotten organized yet, so I will need to do that tonight (I wrote this on Wednesday - now it's Friday and I'm still not organized!)  I need to make the quilt label at home because I need my computer to do that. (Oh, I got this done - yea!) 

I did,  however, purchase a new pair of pajamas!  Nothing like sewing in your pajamas to feel right at home. 

Aaaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.

Steam Punk - I Tried to Resist but Now I'm All In!

I told myself I was not going to join another online swap until I got my 2013 FAL projects done.  But then Pillow Talk Swap 10 popped up and I just couldn't resist participating again.  I have always had a good experience with this wonderful swap.

Then I ran across the Steam Punk quilt along and the Flickr group established to encourage participation.  You can find the Flickr group started by GoneAussieQuilting Here.  It's not a swap and there's no requirement to make any specific number of blocks.  And, did I mention that I love this block?  It gives me the opportunity to use some of my most favorite fabrics and also to try working with a less vibrant color palette.  I jumped in!

I purchased the pattern and then I purchased a set of templates and a 28mm rotary cutter to make my life a little easier.  I love this block - oh, I already said that...

  

 

I pulled out my Japanese fabrics and, of course, bought some additional Japanese fabrics just because.  I also sorted through my fabrics for soft grey, brown and neutral background fabric - hard to find in my stash! 

These little beauties arrived in the mail last week.

 





Here is my first block:

The center circle will be hand appliqued on later.  Right now, I'm just focusing on the machine portion of the blocks.

I woke up about 4 a.m. this morning and wandered into my sewing room just to have a little look-see at the next block (do you ever do that?)  I had made a choice of fabrics the night before but went to bed before I did any cutting.  I sat down and started cutting out the pieces. After an hour I decided I had better go back to bed or give up sleeping completely.  I opted for going back to bed!

I should be able to get block 2 completed tonight and perhaps block 3.  I'm getting faster at the cutting and sewing aspects and I've lined up 4-5 fabric combos for additional blocks.  Now it's about production!

Maybe you should jump into this quilt along and join in the fun.

Aaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.

Wonky Log Cabin Top Is Done

I'm trying to move along with my Q2 FAL projects.  Putting these blocks together was super simple and then putting the top together was yet another super simple step.  So here we are:

 

I'm rather fond of this scrappy spring-y version of this pattern. 

 

As I have mentioned before, I find the quilting step to be a real impediment to my completion of my work.  I found it far more interesting to put this top together rather than to quilt a smaller, older project.  My justification:  I don't have the skill set to quilt this large a quilt, so I should get it ready to go to the long arm quilter for finishing.  Then...I'll...quilt...the...smaller...string quilt top...

 

Hmmmm.  Well, it's what I did, so I might as well get it off to Dee for quilting. 

 

And, fodder for my next blog:  a group of us are going to my house in the Sierra Foothills for a mini-retreat tomorrow.  This is the last mini-retreat I will have in this house because I sold it and it will close in the middle of May.  I live in the Bay Area and have had this vacation home since 2002.  With my family in Reno, it seemed natural to sell this house and focus my free time in Reno. (I recently purchased a home down the street from my kids and grandkids, so I will slowly get use to having a vacation home in Reno!)

 

Photos of the weekend will follow.

 

Good luck with all the pollen in the air.  Stay healthy!

 

Aaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.   



And The Winner Is...

The winner of my Give-Away (a copy of the fabulous Pillow Pop) is lucky number 21 - Leila.

Leila, please email me at cakath11 at gmail dot com and provide me with your mailing address and I will get the book in the mail to you.

With PTS 10 starting, you will have a wealth of great ideas to get you ready to make an amazing pillow.

I have been assigned my secret swap partner and I am also getting ready to make an amazing pillow!  The Pillow Talk Swap is one of my very favorite swaps - such a great group of creative participants and fabulous pillow eye candy!

Aaaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household!

A Give-away Seams In Order and Just In Time for Pillow Talk Swap 10

I have been trying to get around to getting this Give-away post completed for awhile.  Somehow it was left laying around gathering dust while I did other things.

But, now is the time to rectify that problem and get this give-away off the ground.  So, what do you think about getting a copy of this:

For those of you who participate in the Pillow Talk Swap (or just oooh and aaah over the wonderful pillows that come from that swap) a copy of Pillow Pop should help to get your creative juices flowing.  With PTS 10 getting started now (did you sign up?) you might want this book to help you decide how to make a masterpiece pillow for your partner.  Here's a link for PTS 10:  Pillow Talk Swap 10  so you too can sign up for the fun.

I early-ordered this book from Amazon and as I sometimes do, forgot I had placed the order and ordered it again.  So, my forgetfulness can turn into a nice gift for one of you. 

So, if you want in on this Give-away, please do the following:

      1.  Become a follower if you aren't already.

      2.  Leave me a comment telling me something about yourself (such as why you might like to win this book...but really anything about yourself is fine.)

      3.  Do this by 6:00 p.m. PST Monday, April 22 to be in the drawing.

Be sure to give me your email address so I can contact you.  Good luck!

Aaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.

Time's Up - This Give Away is Closed!  Thanks for participating.  The winner will be announced tomorrow. 

2013 FAL - Q2: I'm In!

Always optimistic that external motivation will push me over the finish line, I have joined in the 2013 FAL - Q2.  Leanne at She Can Quilt  Here is the organizer of this FAL and I am now in for the finish!

I have many items that qualify to be included (the projects have to be started and in UFO status, not just floating around in my brain) but I will have to temper my enthusiasm by including those items that I can also finish by the end of the quarter, another one of the rules.  Here we go:

1.  Mod Mosaic Quilt - it only needs the binding put on it, so I should be able to check this one off the list rather quickly.  This is the last photo I took of it, before quilting:

2.  Wonky Log Cabin (in the stack and whack style).  The blocks are all made (in this photo I still had a few to go).  I'm ready to assemble and then quilt (likely by checkbook).  It's too large for my current skill set. 

3.  Scrappy String Block Quilt - it's assembled, backing has been assembled and I'm ready to move on to quilting it (it's small enough I think I can handle it myself).  I don't have a photo of it and I don't want to hold up this post to take one now, so I'll add it later.

4.  Improv Block Quilt - it's assembled and ready for quilting.  This is the last photo I have of it.  That was last summer and it's still sitting around unfinished!

Guess I'll stop at this point.  I do have a few other projects that could be considered for this Q2 finish, but they aren't far enough along for me to realistically believe that I will be able to complete them in time.

Hmmmm, I think I'm beginning to see the hold up in my quilting process as I look back at these projects.  The actual quilting seems to be the roadblock for me!  I love the creative process of design and enjoy getting the top completed.  I don't really enjoy quilting and have only recently started to work on a few of my projects in order to stretch myself.  What about you - do you have roadblocks in your quilting process?

Why not join the FAL and get some additional motivation to complete a project that otherwise might languish? It couldn't hurt!

 

Aaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.

The Clock is Tick, Tick, Ticking!

Yikes - I have promised to have my ABC quilt ready to be part of our guild group challenge entry for the San Mateo County Fair.  Last year our guild had a group challenge involving Kona Solids.  It was great to see our modern quilts at the SMC Fair quilt show.  This year a group of us agreed to have our ABC quilts finished in time for entry into the group challenge.  Seemed so far away and do-able at the time.  Now, it's right around the corner and I'm still trying to finish the borders on the quilt top before it goes to my long arm quilting friend, Dee Small (I know that "modern" quilts do not have borders according to some modern quilters, but I disagree!)  I'm not going to show another photo of this unfinished top - I'll include a photo when all the borders are on.  

Dee has agreed to get it quilted and back to me before May 8, when we have to turn in our entry forms.  I have 2 of the 4 borders on - and the other 2 borders are pieced.  It's just the corner blocks that are a little tricky getting just right.  And I have been working on other projects, such as the Wonky Log Cabin blocks.

Got to get it to her this weekend in order to give her enough time to get it done.
Then I will have to get the sleeve on it, label it and have it ready to go. 

What about your deadlines - got any you want to share?

I did finish all of my Wonky Log Cabin blocks and will get them sewn together once the ABC top is done.  Easter got in the way of sewing.  My grandkids came to visit along with Mom and Dad for a long weekend.  We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Friday and the Exploratorium in San Francisco on Sunday.  We watched Wreck It Ralph several times, played with new and old toys, ate lots of good food, took walks, had a pizza picnic Saturday night while Mom and Dad went out to dinner and had an Easter Egg Hunt in my living room Sunday morning.  Sadly, they had to go home on Sunday.  Man was it quiet after they left.  Really, really quiet!  Sigh...

Here are a few photos of our weekend:

 

 

Hope you had a wonderful happy Easter.  

Aaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.