Pineapples. nummy-ness.

So, I mentioned a few weeks back that I was working on an anti-OCD buggy barn project.

HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!!!

I will confess to everyone of the 3-4 people reading this that I was sure that this was going to be my first UFO.

Let me walk you through the whole traumatic but in the end very satisfying process.

First I had to slash into a few layers of fabric then swap everything around. This was no trouble for me! It's the next step that drove me crazy. Once I had swapped everything around, based on the order the book gave me, I had to sew these un-even pieces together!

This is when everything went down hill.
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If you like all your blocks looking the same then a buggy barn quilt is NOT for you. >.< (*note the very different widths shown above*)
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not only was it frustrating to not have everything line up but it was also frustrating that I could chain piece ANYTHING. I had to work a whole block from beginning to end.
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This gets very old, very quickly with 24 tops and bottoms.

So 48 blocks later I had bottoms and tops of pineapples. Now it was time to organize them. 

So right now then they didn't quite have the pineapple roundness but they looked pretty friggin cool right? The whole point of this step leads me to the next step in my frustration.

Once I had the matching tops I had to sew rectangles that I had already cut to the corners of my pineapples. 

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This would be simple enough if it:

a. didn't take so long

b. wasn't so confusing to understand the first time around

c. didn't involve cutting only one piece of fabric from between two other one. (you won't understand this reason unless you make this quilt)

after 4 rectangles were sewn afore mentioned pieces were cut and the block ironed it was then smooth sailing. 

sew tops to bottoms (even if they aren't the same width), trim, and sew into rows of seven.

it's only after almost 2 months of struggling with this quilt to finally see it accomplished today. *sniff sniff*

I would like to thank the academy for making this moment possible *sniff*

This is quilt 6 of 13 for my bridal quilt set. My intention is to slap a border on this sucker and applique "welcome" to the bottom with some pretty embellished vines and call it done!

-making progress, and planning her next project--
dre

Pinwheel Quilt Along: Block One

On Sunday, I made PS I Quilt Pinwheel Quilt Along Block one!

It's beautiful!

but I learned something very important......

while the points may all match...the stretching that was done to accomplimsh it isn't the best.

I might be taking DM's advice and start over cutting the blocks then trimming them to guarantee that everything is the same measurements.
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But it's so much work!!!!!

*sigh*


STRAWBERRY UPDATE: Does anyone know what to do when your strawberry plants wilt like this?

I'm having some issues, on Monday I left them out in the sun but for one reason or another in a matter of an hour or so they went from reaching all the way up to he sky to link stems. D:

I transferred them to different containers and I'm using the plant food mixed with water every other day (when I replanted them I realized they were being over-watered.) 


what else can I do?!!?!??


--signing off for now--
dre

Say hello to my little friend

I used one of my fat quarters from the Arcadia fabric line to make this cutie. 

there was much room left for improvement. 

but I love him anyways

don't let the orange color fool you

this little guy is a boy. 

name is yet to be determined.

I'm testing out VooDude (Voo for short). 

Don't laugh! He's gonna end up with a whole bunch of needles anyways, why ignore the elephant in the room?!!?

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Oh wow, I just made a pun. >.<

--signing off before people realize how out there she is--

dre

Pinwheel Happiness

So one of the blogs I follow, PS I quilt, is hosting a Pinwheel quilt along . I'm absolutely in love with pinwheels, they're so happy and whimsical.
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I almost like them more than stars.
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almost
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I've been behind on my projects and I hadn't picked up the layer cake and solids needed to quilt along, so now (2 block tutorials away from finishing the whole pinwheel sampler).

I'm catching up.

What's my poison for this project?

Freebird anyone?!

Now, I'm going to put off my not-OCD-friendly buggy barn project and catch up to the end of this pinwheel sampler!!

After I make lemon bars and cupcakes. (who doesn't love lemon bars and cup cakes?!)

--signing off to mess up a kitchen--

dre

Strawberries!!

So, I went with la familia to a few plant places in search of our future lawn superstars. In our search I was sidetracked. I have always wanted to grow my own flowers/herbs/veggies/fruits/(insert produce here).My grandmother's garden in PR is the provider of much tasty-ness so I decided to try my own hand at it!

Let me preface this whole post with saying one very key character flaw, I kill flowers. No really! Carnations on friendship day in high school was a day of reckoning for all carnations that were gifted to me. (how was I supposed to know that a paper clip splint and scotch tape doesn't save a flower!!)

I was not blessed with the green thumb both my aunt and grandmother have.

So with very careful steps I decided to try and grow my own strawberries. The nice lady at Lowe's garden center told me it was one of the best starters for a container garden.

So wish me luck! I'll need it.

UPDATE: So....after 2 weeks of having my strawberries growing well, I left them outside for some direct sunlight and the texas wind messed up 5 of my 10 strawberry plants. I'm replanting them today. :(

Cursed Nine-Patches--AKA the Surf n'Turf Incident (Back-dated for your entertainment)

Opening Note: I was pulling up my strawberry post when I realized I forgot to post this when I got home! I am just letting everyone know now that this was meant to be posted on 2/2/2010.

Remember these from my last post?

I feel the need to explain--*mumbles* so that you people don't think that Series 7 Studying has completely wiped all sane thought processes from my brain.

So, about 2 weekends ago I went with DM to a Quilt retreat. During that time in the process of laying out my Wild Things From Oz quilt I snapped at the task of laying out the windmill-esque squares out. The isses was that I was having issues interspersing colors and patterns in a random-esque fashion (do you like my use of the ~esque to describe things? I do to).

In a cry of frustration I left Wild Things prone on the floor to think about it's insubordination--ie: not looking right when I laid out the blocks. And pulled out my back up project. It was a disappearing nine-patch project that cleverly dubbed surf and turf because the fabric lines I used had flowers and butterflies with fishes and seaweed. 
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get it?
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Surf n' Turf
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*crickets chirp* *sigh* w/e
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I angrily turned on my shiny new sewing machine (which currently has no name--will be rectified soon enough), and started sewing away. I was ironing out my seams still fuming about my Wild Things when DM brought to my attention that my seams looked awfully big. I scoffed at the thought that my *brand new* sewing maching would be messing up  my seams. Then I realized something that made me curse few time.
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My brand new sewing machine HAD been messing up my seams. BUT IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!! I took a deep breath, looked at the wild things on the floor and decided I would try my seams once more with a second block with a different way of measuring my seam allowance.
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success!!
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until I lined it up with the first one
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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This happened 2 more times, then, after 2 seam rippings, a change of presser foot and a bent needle (the bent needle is a whole other nightmare). None of the blocks match and I STILL don't know why!!! This is why I've concluded that the nine-patch is cursed and has been banished from my sight until further notice.

Good bye cute-ness. 

Until I forget that I have to rip a multitude of seams to start all over. 

--signing off for now--

dre

Reporting above the clouds.

:D

I'm 15 minutes away from landing on terra firma in Dallas. Thanks to Airtran's credit card promotion I got free gogo wifi service--web surfing was fab.

Just thought it would be cool to have an Up in the Air Post.

I will report my misadventures in New England once I'm fed and at home. (I'll also post a grossly forgotten draft of a post that I feel compelled to share)
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but here's a sneak peek.
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IT WAS FRIGGIN AWESOME!
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now onto other news, the pilot is telling me to put away my lap top.


looking forward to watching a movie and tasty food with DM, but missing HTB like I didn't see him all weekend. D:

--signing off for now (they're getting serious about me putting away the lap top)--

dre