Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse

Day Five and Six - 2020 April Insanity List

Day Five and Six are together because I didn't create a blog for Sunday.  As I said in the beginning, this exercise isn't to make sure I do a different project every day but to gather my thoughts and projects together so I can have a good guideline for what projects I would like to work or complete for the coming year.  With things as they are in the world right now, it is nice to have this exercise to work on.  It is not hard but it does accomplish something. 

So today's project is one that I had on my list last year and just didn't get back to.  It is also one of my oldest projects.  I'm not sure why because I think this is one of the cutest projects I have to complete.

It is called "A Tisket, A Tasket" by Bunny Hill Designs.  I got this project as a free download that came out once a month for a year and I had to make sure I downloaded each month because it didn't stay up as a free download for a long time.  I was proud of myself just for making sure each month, I went out to Bunny Hill Designs and downloaded it!

Here are some of the blocks that I have either finished applique stitching or they are ready to be appliqued.  I did machine applique and I will get another block completed for next month and post close up pictures of the finished blocks.  Every block has a basket and each block reflects a month of the year.

This is another project where I had limited fabrics.  I had a jelly roll ( 2 1/2" strips) and, I think, two charm packs (5" squares).  My background fabric is yardage.

The problem with not working on a project for awhile is that it takes some time to figure out where I left off so I will do that first and get stitching on a block.  My goal is to work on a block each month.  Some blocks may need to have the applique pieces traced and cut out.  

Have you started your project list for the coming year?  Try it.  It really does make you feel better about those projects that have been stuffed in corners.  Don't take them all out.....just take one out at a time.  Pick one that is a smaller project or maybe one of those projects that is almost done.  You'll feel good about it!

Keep stitching,
loreen

Day Four - April Insanity List

Today's project is a new one and one I am looking forward to working on it throughout the year.....no rush!!  The pattern is  "Witch's Night Out" from It's So Emma. I believe it is still an available pattern (book).  Here is a link, if you are interested. There is a quilt pattern and a table runner pattern.  Nice to have a choice if you don't want to make a quilt.  For now, I am planning on making the quilt.  There are eleven different blocks but some of the blocks are made more than once using different fabrics.  It is all pieced, no applique for those of you who don't care for applique stitching.

I have two layer cakes (10 inch squares) of Moda's All Hallow's Eve which is the fabric  collection used in the book.  I couldn't get yardage of the All Hallow's Eve so I am going to make it work with the layer cakes.  It might be a bit of a challenge! I already have the background fabric in yardage so I think I'm all set to get going. I like the look of this fabric collection because the colors are a bit muted. The fabric collection has lots of orange prints, gray prints, cream prints and a few black prints.  

Working on this project will be one block at a time without worrying about the whole quilt.  I love the Fall season and Halloween and these colors are a pleasure to look at so I am looking forward to working on this quilt.

Everything for this project is going into one of the project bags I have. The book is smaller with a heavy cardboard cover so it fits easily into my project bag along with the thread I am using to stitch the blocks together.

I'm going to start with the first block and work my way through the book.  The first block is a pumpkin with a chevron pattern in the middle.  The pattern calls for me to make four of this block.  No wonder the cutting instructions calls for 40 1/2 inch squares!! 

My plan is to do all of the cutting for the four blocks on one day and stitching the blocks over a couple more days.  Remember, I said "No Rush"!!!

I hope you are making your list of projects you want to make and/or finish over the next year.  You may find that you will rearrange your list a few times while you are making it.  That's ok!! Nothing has to be exactly as planned!

Keep stitching,
loreen

Day Three - April Insanity List

April 3rd already! My brain is still in March.  It has been rainy here the last few days so April showers are here. 

Day Three project is a new one!  The pattern is Tilda Beach Belle from Tilda's World. As you can see, she's a doll.  I laugh every time I look at her and can't wait to have her sitting on my desk.

The supplies came in a cute bag to keep everything in and includes all of the fabrics.  Also included is the yarn for Tilda's hair.  That's always nice because sometimes it is difficult to find the same fibers that a pattern may use for the hair.

The fabrics are from the Tilda's World company.  It is their own line of fabrics.  Looks like my Tilda will look exactly like the one in the picture on the pattern.  I like that!  I can still make another Tilda with my own fabrics because the pattern shows the dimensions of each fabric. Looks like I can use up scraps for more Tildas!!

Beach Tilda is 44 cm tall according to the outside of the bag.  Of course, I'm not the best at converting and found that means Tilda is going to be a little over 17 inches tall.  Holy moly!! Wasn't expecting her to be that tall.  I may have to look for a chair for her to sit in.  I have some other Tilda books.  Maybe I will find some kind of chair to make for her to rest in.

The pattern is illustrated nicely.  It is 3 pages - one page of illustrations of all the pattern pieces and how they go together along with showing how the hair is stitched.  There is another page of written instructions and a third page with the pattern pieces.  The paper is glossy and is about 12" x 18".  Nice!

So all in all, this falls under the "Quick" category or, at least, the "Quicker" category!

I will get the fabrics starched and trace the pattern pieces onto pattern paper and get the pieces cut out.  That will be the first step on this project to accomplish within the next two weeks.  There is no sense in setting some goal like tomorrow and not making that goal.  That's not the point of this list.  I won't do alot with these projects this month as I will be spending time gathering up the projects and getting the fabrics, patterns, notions, etc with each project.  That is alot to fill the days just doing that!

Hope you are working on organizing your projects for the year and starting your own April list.

Keep stitching,
loreen

 

 

Day Two - 2020 April Insanity List

It's Day Two of my 2020 April Insanity List. Have you started your list?  In case you missed Day One, I am compiling a list of projects I want to complete in the next year.  It may be an unfinished project or a really, really old project or a new project....small project!  I did this last year to just get a handle on what I have not finished and what I might like to make new.  True confession - I didn't get much done on my list as life has a way of changing your plans but I'm optimistic enough to make a new list for this year!

Today's project is an old one. A really, really old one!!  I have three patterns from the series.  I don't know if there any of these patterns available any longer.  I bought my last one just a few years ago....I said this project was an old one!  The last one I bought is Broc-Kitty and came with the applique shapes already fused and cut out! 

One would think I will be able to get this done quicker with pieces already cut for me!

The first one I started is "Stalker" from Garden Patch Cats by StoryQuilts.com.  It is a cat shaped like a stalk of celery.  Very cute! I do have all the applique stitching done on Stalker so I can set him aside and move on to my second pattern.

The second pattern is Caulipuss.  You can tell from the name that it is a cat shaped like cauliflower.  I have traced, cut out and fused the applique pieces to the background fabric so it is ready for me to do the applique stitching.

Here is a close up of Caulipuss so you can see the different applique shapes that I have to stitch.

I have put everything I need into a project bag so when I want to work on this project, I don't have to hunt around for the threads I need or figure out which threads I was using.  For the applique stitching, I am using Sulky 30 weight Solids.  These threads are 100% cotton and not shiny and are thicker than regular sewing thread and a bit thicker than embroidery thread. I use a 90/14 top stitch needle.  The down side to keeping all the threads I need with this project is that I might forget where they are if I'm looking for those colors for another project.  I'll take the risk because chances are I won't use these same thread colors.

Please share what you are working on so others can read about your projects.  You don't have to have a different project for each day in April.  Maybe you will do a list with 10 projects or 5 projects.  The list is simply so you can see what you might want to work on today!

Keep stitching,
loreen

2020 April Insanity List - Second Year!!

It is hard to believe it has been a year since I did my first April Insanity List.  My confession right away is that I didn't get anywhere near done what I was hoping.  Life just works that way! So here I am again this year, ready to work at compiling my new April Insanity List for 2020.

I will be posting a different project each day in April. Some projects will be ones that I didn't finish last year, maybe started this last year and didn't get far and a few new small projects that will need a short time to make or finish.

Today's project is one that I recently started as a demo in one of my Live Classes in my Facebook page - Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse.  I will post a link here next week to the 3 part class when I upload the video classes to my Youtube Channel - Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse in case you don't want to go to Facebook.

I had a mini charm pack (2" squares) that I wanted to use so that is where I started.  Then I picked a backing fabric that I also used as the binding. Working with precut 2" squares sure made it easy to make this little mug rug.

For a little added interest, I took some of the squares and made half square triangle squares to add to the mug rug.  Still easy because I stitched two squares together (right sides facing each other) and simply stitched from left top corner to bottom right corner, trimmed the seam allowance and pressed.  You can see how I made it in the Live Class videos I spoke of at the beginning of this blog.

The next step was to square it up so all sides were even and straight.  It doesn't matter much what size the mug rug is.  Just needs to hold my mug!! This is a great little project to use up some left over fabrics from another big project.  Why not make a few and keep them on hand as quick little gifts for friends and family.  Be sure to keep a few for yourself.  You'll be surprised how quickly you get used to having a mug rug once you start using one!

After squaring up, I made a quilt sandwich with back fabric facing down, a layer of batting then the top of the mug rug facing up.  I did a little quilting, practicing different types of quilting like stitch in the ditch, stitching 1/4" away from seam and stitching from one corner of a square to the opposite corner of a square.  Didn't have to be perfect, just a little practice project.  I demonstrated these quilting options in the Live Class.

Last was squaring up the quilt sandwich and attaching the binding. I did a demonstration on squaring up and attaching binding in the last Live Class so I have the binding stitched on the back and part of the binding folded over and stitched onto the front.

My project for today is to finish up the mug rug so I can use it.  I also have another top only that I need to quilt and bind so I will have a set!

So, see, I started with a small project that shouldn't take me long to finish.  I'll save a bigger project for another day!

Here's a picture of the back of the mug rug.  Not sure if I have enough of the blue check fabric for the back and binding of the second top but I'm sure I can find some scrap around here that will work.

What is your first project going to be for April 1st? Be sure to leave a comment about what you are working on!

Keep stitching,
loreen