Bento Box - 100% Complete!

I finished putting the binding on the bento box last week.  It's now 100% complete!  My first official finish of 2010.

Here's a close-up of the quilting.  It's a variegated lime, blue, and purple thread from Superior Thread King Tut's collection.

:)

New Quilt Plans

I'm taking a class beginning in March at a LQS with KK and Lynn.  I'm really looking forward to it.  It doesn't start for a month, but I already have a lot of the fabric I want to use.

They're all batiks.  I'm going for the browns, rusts, and teals.  I'm just hoping I have enough contrast since the pattern really calls for a lot of contrast.  I have a few brighter teals, but I'm not sure they fit with the color scheme.  I'll have to bring them with me to see as I go along. 

Here's the pattern:

 

It's not like I've never done paper piecing (as you've been able to tell in this blog) or curved piecing.  It's more to gather for the social experience and learn a few tips.  I always seem to learn something even though I've been quilting for a good 7 years now. I don't think that will ever change either.  I'm looking forward to this class because I really like the pattern.

Honeybun Layout and Figgy Pudding Quilt

Here's another layout of the honey bun quilt I mentioned last post.  I've moved a few things around, but I'm not sure I'm completely happy with it, so it will stay on the design wall for a little while longer.

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I'm also working on quilting the Figgy Pudding quilt I mentioned in the last post that I realized I haven't show pictures of.  I should have taken a picture when I had it all flat when I was basting it, but I spaced on that.  I'm doing an all over pebble quilting on it.  I'm using a silver metalic thread.  I was a little apprehensive to use it given my experience with that kind of thread in the past, but I've been liking the quality of Superior Threads over the past few years, so I thought I'd give theirs a try. 

 

 I'm actually impressed with how the thread is quilting.  I've gone through one bobbin so far and haven't had any breakage (knock on wood).  I switched to a 90/14 Needle like recommended on the thread packaging.  In my Bernina manual, it recommended going down to a 2 tension on the top thread while the packaging on the thread said to go down to a 1.  I did some test quilting, and I found the number 2 tension to be better.

 

 

And a closer look at the quilting.  

Scenic BOM w/Sashing

I finally finished adding the sashing to the Scenic BOM quilt.

The sashing finishes at 1 1/2" total, or 1/2" each stripe, so it's pretty small.  Now I just need to decide what to do next.  I kinda want to add a border, but I can't seem to figure out what I want to do.  I couldn't find anything in my stash that worked, so I'm not sure if I want to just leave it as is or try and find a border that works.  Thoughts?

Now that I got the scenic BOM off my design wall, I was able to put the blocks up that I made at our quiltathon a few weeks ago using a Wonderland honeybun.  I still need to play with the placement, as I can already see some groupings I don't like when looking at the picture.  I'll leave it up on my design wall for a week or so and will move things around until I'm happy with it.

I also finished the binding on my bento box quilt, finished quilting a secret quilt, and pieced the backing to my Figgy Pudding disappearing nine patch quilt, which come to think of it, I don't think I've posted here.  I'll have to get some pics and post those soon.

All 12 Scenic BOMs

I was perusing through my blog last night and I realized I never showed all of the 12 scenic BOMs together.  They don't have their sashing done just yet, but I have it all cut out.  Once I get done machine quilting the quilt I'm currently working on, I'll add the sashing and show you.  Here are all 12 blocks in order from January through December...

I really like how they all came out.  To give you an idea of size, each block finishes at 7" so some of the pieces in the blocks are really, really tiny, which is why I love paper piecing, because it helps make those tiny pieces easier.

Gathering Pics

So right after Christmas, KK, Lynn, and I got together for a quiltathon.  We all used the Thimble Blossom's pattern, Pint Sized to make our quilts.  KK and I made the honeybun version and Lynn made the charm pack version.  Here are some pictures of our fun day...

Here's Lynn working on her teeny tiny pinwheels...

Here are some of those teeny tiny pinwheels made with a Spring Magic Charm Pack.

And one more shot of a lot more (both pics are before they're trimmed)

Here are KK's rectangles using an Aviary Honeybun.  Here's the first two.

And quite a few more...

And I only managed to get one pic of the first two rectangles I made using a Wonderland honeybun.  More pics of mine to follow.

I've been doing a lot of work lately on some machine quilting for a secret quilt that I can't post here.  I'm really enjoying my new machine.  The machine quilting on it is multitudes better than my old one.  It's amazing what kind of difference there is between machines.

2010 Goals

So last year I made a list of goals not really knowing how well I'd do on them, especially considering that I had only been blogging for less then a month at that point.  This year, I have a better idea of my quilting style now that I'm in the new house with a dedicated quilting room.  So without further adieu, here are my 2010 quilting goals

1. Reduce the number of un-quilted, but finished quilt tops.  I currently have 9 tops that are complete and are just waiting to be quilted.  I hope to have this number reduced by 2011.  Now that I have my new machine with the fantastic BSR, I find machine quilting so much easier.  My old machine was absolutely terrible at machine quilting.
   
2. Buy less fabric and use more fabric from my stash.  I admit it, I'm a fabric junkie.  Hopefully I'll do better this year then I did last year.
3. Reduce the number of UFOs I have going on right now.  I have 9 quilts/projects that are already in the works (not including the 9 tops waiting to be quilted) and another 5 projects that I have picked a pattern and fabric but have not started them yet.  Again, I hope to reduce these numbers as well.  
4. Maintain this blog.  I think I've figured out that I'm a 1-2 post a week person, and there's not much more I can do about that.  I don't sew every since I do work full time, which means I don't have things to update on a daily basis.  

That's it for me.   Hopefully I'll be able to meet those goals, especially because they aren't too specific.

Mt. Washington

I just got back from a mini vacation with my parents and sister up in the White Mountains of NH.  We had a great time and experienced one of the most clear, beautiful days of the year.  Some of the employees were even seen photographing the beautiful scenery because they've never seen a more beautiful blue sky.  Here are some great pics:

Christmas Goodies

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!!!  I know I certainly did.  I had a great day.  I started the morning opening gifts with my DH.  We then went over to my parent's house and opened presents with my family, had a nice Christmas dinner, came home, and had my father-in-law and brother-in-law over to watch the football game.

Here are some of my quilting related goodies that I got from various people...

10 Yards of fabric by Marcus Brothers...

A Fat Quarter Bundle...

A light to go on my sewing machine...

A bunch of notions...

Several Quilting books...

A great new iron...

And the most wonderful quilting present of all from my parents...

drumroll please...

my dream sewing machine...  Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!  (That I'm already putting to good use, using the BSR to quilt one of my many unfinished quilt tops.)

We had suc

Newest Quilt Project

About two months ago, my aunt and I went to a local quilt store where they had a sale on fat quarters, $1.50 each!!!  They had recently received the new Eva line by Moda, so I stacked up on a bunch of those.  I'm making a lap quilt with... here are a few of the blocks on my cutting table since my design wall is filled with a secret project right now.

Like I needed a new project.  Ha ha!!  I guess I'm accepting that's my quilting style.  I get bored working on one thing for too long.  I need to bounce around.