Saturday, August 1, 2015

I'm back with some news!

Well, once again I have been absent from my blog for too long! I just need to accept that the stage in life I find myself in is very time consuming, not only physically but emotionally. 
What spare time I do have I try to use for some creative outlet. 
Way back in March/April while visiting our daughters, I found a 'potting shed' at and antique fair called Round Top! However Texas is a long way from Chicago so I couldn't take it home...but I snapped an inspiration picture. 

Back at home and some time later, I found an old kitchen cabinet at a local thrift shop. I brought my husband back to get it and I got started. 

I took off the door and masked around the top...
Got me some white paint and a couple of coats later...

It was doing its job! I love how it turned out!

Here they are all together! From inspiration to discovery, to WIP, to finish!

In my quilting room, I have been slowly working on some projects that I  bought awhile ago but just never got to. One project was a Craftsy workshop by Amy Gibson called Secret Garden Quilt. After purchasing the fabrics, Belle, by Amy Butler, I was reading the comments in Craftsy and several people had commented on how inaccurate the precuts were cut. 
So when I did finally get a chance to open up my fabrics, mine too were inaccurate. The fabrics were still beautiful so instead of using Amy Gibson's pattern, I found another pattern to use the fabric.
In searching through my Pinterest board, I found the pattern called Mill Wheel. I decided to use it because it would 1) show off the large prints of the fabrics and 2) give me curved piecing practice and 3) let me use the Drunkard's Path templates I purchase again.
It was definitely slow going! 
Here.it.is!

I called it Round About as it reminds me of the round about intersections all over Norway and Europe. 
The sun shining through on a bright and sunny day!
 It finished at approx. 64" x 71".
The pieced backing!
The background fabric is Kona Snow and the binding is Kona Tarragon. 

I quilted the large patterned pieces echoing the shape of the block, the large snow pieces, I FMQ a double orange peel, a similar shape in the round about pieces and the border are FMQ loops. 
It felt good to finish this one!
Now I'm quilting a top that I have had finished since January 2013. It is Easy Street which was a mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter! You can see it here or find Easy Street under labels on my side bar!
Hope to finish that one soon! Until next time!