WHOOMP There IT Is! #15 - Gossamer

Hello, and welcome to another edition of WHOOMP There IT Is!  And what a special edition it is!

People, I give you, Gossamer!

Late October, I started my very 1st paper pieced project as a Christmas gift for David. Earlier in the year, I sent a photo of his 1976 Ford Bronco, Gossamer, to Janeen Van Niekerk of Quilted Art Designs and she made it into a paper pieced pattern. She does fantastic work by the way and has MANY wonderful patterns. Be sure to check out her pattern store.

I had mentioned to some ladies at Quilters Anonymous about my plans to learn paper piecing in order to make this special gift and they pointed me in Sue's direction.  Sue is a wonderful teacher who does it all; paper piecing, quilting, embroidery, applique, etc and she makes beautiful tops, like the one she's wearing in the pic below.  She taught me the Judy Niemeyer technique of paper piecing. She said I was a fast learner and a dream student. Okay, so she didn't use the words "dream student" but, I know it's what she was thinking. ;)  On a quick side note: Sue just opened up her Etsy shop, AZ Quilted Angel, where she sells gorgeous handmade purses! Be sure to check out her shop as well!

All I'd done before I got to her house was pick out the fabrics I wanted to use.  She pinned up the guide and got me started on cutting out ALL the pieces. And there were a lot! I spent about 5 hours a day for 5 Thursdays at her house working on this masterpiece.  And in my eyes, it is a masterpiece!

This is all I got done the 1st week.

2nd week

3rd week

4th week

5th week

 I made her proud!

If it weren't for Sue coordinating my numbered fabrics w/the respective paper pieces and getting them all lined up for me, it would've taken me much longer to finish. Thank you, Sue!

I thought I would hate paper piecing but I've grown quite fond of it.  I decided early on that if I liked how Gossamer came out, I'd enter it in the Arizona Quilters Guild Quilt Show in March.  I'm extremely pleased w/this finish so it will definitely be entered! David will have to wait a few more months to hang this beauty on the wall!

So here's to my 1st paper pieced project AND my 1st quilt show entry!

Here's another of last week's finishes. The block is called Summer Breeze by Upstairs Hobby Room.

One last thing before I let you go, I've listed another pattern in my Craftsy Pattern Store. My Easy Grocery Bag Catcher pattern is free for a limited time so be sure to download your copy today!

So that's all I've got folks! How about you? Do tell!

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Spread the Love

The more love you give, the more you get. Pick a number (mine is 5) and commit to visiting and commenting on that many link-ups. Let them know where you're visiting from and ask them to visit you. (This works well for me!)

Direct Link

Use a direct link to a specific post, not your main blog.

Link Back

In your blog post, include a link back to my post/blog and/or grab the WHOOMP There IT Is! button above and put in your post or sidebar. Thanks for spreading the love.

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Party Hearty! 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Thread for Life

WHOOMP There IT Is! #6

Hello and welcome to week #6 of WHOOMP There IT Is! 

I can't believe I haven't opened my giant roll of batting.  It's been standing in the same corner of my bedroom for about 3 weeks now. I'll cut into you soon enough Hobbs, I promise. ;)

Besides the custom quilt order I'm working on at home, I've been going every Thursday to my instructor's house to work on the Christmas gift paper piecing project.  She's a lovely woman from Quilters Anonymous, our chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild. Anyway, It's all pinned up on her design wall. She's been such a dear, coordinating my numbered fabrics w/the respective paper pieces. She gets several sets together and lines them up for me, so when I finish one, the next one is there ready and waiting. Yesterday was my 3rd week and I believe the 20" square top will be completed in the next 2 Thursdays.  It's been such a pleasure visiting in her home and getting to know her and her husband.

I actually have quite a few things to do "by Christmas"; three other quilts, eight pillowcases and hopefully several (2 dozen or so) simple sewn gifts for friends. On my honor, I will try not to add another thing to my "by Christmas" list!

I've already been thinking about my resolutions for the new year.  However, losing weight or exercising more have not even crossed my mind.  A more important resolution to me, is to do one project at a time.  I need to test and see just how productive I'll be. I'm thinking it will probably be about the same, but w/much less stress and anxiety.  Who's with me? (side note: I wasn't sure if I should've used who's or whose. Grammar Check says "no writing errors were found" either way...so I guess they are both acceptable??) 

Back to the subject of paper piecing though, I'm really falling for it!  I thought I was going to hate it but it's quite amazing.  I love how the Christmas gift project is coming along, but I wanted to have something to show and share this week. Since I'm halfway finished w/the top of the custom order, I decided to use what I've learned paper piecing and do a small solo project. I stitched up these 2 blocks the other night; cups of tea. After I add embroidery floss to the tea bag tags, they shall become a pair of mug rugs.  The pattern is one of several free patterns, by Maartje of Quilt in Amsterdam . Thank you Maartje! 

Thanks for visiting.  Now it's your turn to share what you've been working on.

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Thank the Host

Everyone likes to hear "thank you" and know their effort is appreciated.

Spread the Love

The more love you give, the more you get. Pick a number (mine is 5) and commit to visiting and commenting on that many link-ups. Let them know where you're visiting from and ask them to visit you. (This works well for me!)

Direct Link

Use a direct link to a specific post, not your main blog.

Link Back

In your blog post, include a link back to my post/blog and/or grab the WHOOMP There IT Is! button above and put in your post or sidebar. Thanks for spreading the love.

Follow Me ;)

Of course I would love for all you linky-uppers to be followers, but it's NOT required.

Party Hearty! 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Thread for Life
Waiting in faith is not an easy thing. 

Linking up at:
Paper Piecing Party

A Fast Break and An Upcoming Giveaway

I officially broke my fabric fast Thursday night. What had happened was, I lost my seam ripper on Wednesday night. I couldn't find it anywhere and had given my backup  to my sis a few weeks ago.  I decided it was a good time to finally visit the new local quilt shop, Sew Much for Quilting, that opened up near me in the Goodyear AZ.  I'd previously met Trish the owner, who is also a member  of QA, but I'd never been to the shop.  Well...I couldn't very well  walk into this HUGE shop, with rows and rows of fabrics and other goodies and ONLY buy a seam ripper!!!  

So...I bought a few yards of fabric, which I know most of y'all will find boring.  I didn't have a lot of time to spend in the store and since I don't really need fabric, I chose a couple of solids and one w/print for a friend, 2 seam rippers, and some clips that should work for binding (though I'm not sure they were designed for that).   If you are local or visiting the West Valley of Phoenix/Goodyear area and have time to browse an extensive selection of quality fabric and other goods, stop on by Sew Much for Quilting.  They also have a spacious classroom and offer several quilting classes for all levels of quilters. It is  definitely a 1-stop quilt shop!

I can't remember where/when I first saw this Tessellation Pattern by Alison glass, but it was love at first sight! I absolutely had to have the pattern and ordered it immediately. When I got it and opened it, the excitement faded a little. It's a paper piecing pattern and I've never done paper piecing. It can't be too hard, right? I found this post encouraging and will follow the sew along when I am ready.  I shall make mine scrappy. 

At this month's QA meeting a new friend gave me all these wonderful magazines. I just LOVE free stuff!  I've added at least 10 more quilts to my To Make list. I'm a maniac maniac oh yeah! 

Outlander Update
Outlander is everything I thought it would be and more! I don't have cable, but a dear friend subscribed to Starz so  we could watch It.  I'm very grateful and looking forward to watching episodes 2 and 3 this evening. 

My Quilty Updates

As you will see, I have a few tops done and really need to start quilting. 

Red Chevy Crush is pin basted and ready for quilting. I really like how this turned out. I used a strip/bricks technique seen here. 

Diamonds and Purples quilt top is complete.I won this kit at a QA raffle and a handful of the diamonds were already constructed.  Since I didn't use setting triangles, I'm thinking about just trimming off the sides and leaving the top and bottom points and making it a quilt w/o binding or a flip or whatever you call it. What do you call it?

The Summer Star Mini top is finished.  It's a QITR pattern. 

In other Quilty News

I am the lucky winner of triangles and squares giveaway! Yay me!! Thank you Christine. 

I was planning on visiting my new friend and fellow quilter/blogger Greta of Material Detachment in Iowa this month until I saw the Dream Studio Giveaway.  I read that the AQS Quilt Week is in Des Moines in October, so I'm making plans to visit then.  I'm looking forward to hanging out w/Greta and going to a quilt show in another state! It'll be a grand time!

And lastly, it's almost GIVEAWAY time! I'll be having a giveaway for my blog's 1st birthday on Aug 29th. I am also working on a scrap buster tutorial.

Stay Tuned and Happy Quilting!

A Thread for Life

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God. - Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest

And They Call it Puppy Love

Ivy Queen Mackenzie Lewis

Life w/Ivy is going well. It's kind of like having a new born but easier. You can't just leave a newborn in the crate or backyard unattended when necessary like you can do w/a pup.   I am crate training and feel it's been successful. There have only been a few accidents in the crate (pee) which isn't bad for an almost 10 wk old pup. Of course there have also been accidents in the house but she is learning. 

I'm grateful to be able to bring her to work w/me everyday. Everyone likes having her around. She is crated at work too but I let her have some free time on and off the leash.

Look at that belly!

Ivy and Inka still aren't BFFs but they will be.  Inka really needs to relax. Ivy just wants to taste her tail.  =)

I just realized I slept a full 5 hrs last night (the longest interval w/o Ivy interruption since I got her 2 weeks ago).  I'd like more sleep BUT I like sewing/quilting more and I stay up super late on Friday/Saturday nights to get quality sew time in.

Ivy is growing faster that I thought she would but she is a delightful companion!

A Thread for Life
"Never run away with the idea that it does not matter much what we believe or think; it does. What we think and believe, we are; not what we say we think and believe, but what we really do think and believe, we are; there is no divorce at all. To believe, in the sense our Lord used the word, is never an intellectual act but a moral act." --Oswald Chambers, in The Moral Foundations of Life from The Quotable Oswald Chambers.

Someone's Been Bitten by the Quilting Bug!

My sis came to quilting w/me last Saturday. The sisters from church get together every 3rd Saturday to quilt, sew and crochet.  We work on charity and personal projects.  She'd been before, years ago, but didn't like the experience. She's a lefty who tries to do everything w/her right hand and cutting w/the rotary cutter was very awkward for her and she just didn't want to do it again. So I brought her a charm pack to work with.

My Sis

She had a several rows finished by the afternoon but wasn't thrilled w/the idea of waiting a month to work on it again.
I assured her she could come to my house anytime to sew w/me.  Well, she came over the very next day and said she wanted to take everything home to work on by herself!! I sent her home w/a machine, the manual and most importantly, a seam ripper.

Four days later her very first quilt top was completed!!







She ran into some bobbin issues, but when I wasn't available when she called, she referred to the manual and YouTube and figured it out! I'm so proud of her! Today she offered to take apart anything I had that needed seam ripping as she's become very intimate w/the seam ripper. =)

Tonight, I brought her 10" squares (Layer Cakes) to work on,and already she's put a another small quilt top together. Yay Sis!!

Next month I'll show her how to baste a quilt and get her started on stitching in the ditch.

Me and my sis

A Thread for Life
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thes 5:16-18

Happy Quilting!