So I feel like I've cut enough fabric squares now. And I feel like if I need more I can always cut more but it's time to start the piecing part of my quilt top. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!
I'm nervous. I feel like it might be better to first pin each piece of fabric to it's corresponding grid area first to see how it all fits together before sewing the pieces together. I need to ask an experienced quilter. And I know one! I must contact her for advice.
LOVE
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Cutting my fabric
I have actually started to cut out my fabric into one inch squares. Well they are actually 1.5" squares because, you know, 1/4" margins for sewing and all that.
Here is a picture of some of my fabric. These various reds, oranges, & yellows will become my red poppies.
These greens and yellows will be stems/stalks and background colors.
Here are some more yellows & oranges that will end up being background colors.
Here are all my little 1.5" square fabric pieces!
Here they are again with their larger counterparts in the background. It would seem that quilting does not really require that much actual fabric. I may restate that after I begin sewing them all together.
Here's a pic of me about to cut this pink fabric. Thanks to Amber who clued me in on how my straight edge ruler is see-through so that I can make measurements under my ruler and then cut just the amount of fabric I want to use.
And that's where I am. I'll be cutting fabric for a bit more, then I plan to assign each square in my grid to a color/fabric piece, then I will begin sewing them together.
LOVE!
Here is a picture of some of my fabric. These various reds, oranges, & yellows will become my red poppies.
These greens and yellows will be stems/stalks and background colors.
Here are some more yellows & oranges that will end up being background colors.
Here are all my little 1.5" square fabric pieces!
Here they are again with their larger counterparts in the background. It would seem that quilting does not really require that much actual fabric. I may restate that after I begin sewing them all together.
Here's a pic of me about to cut this pink fabric. Thanks to Amber who clued me in on how my straight edge ruler is see-through so that I can make measurements under my ruler and then cut just the amount of fabric I want to use.
And that's where I am. I'll be cutting fabric for a bit more, then I plan to assign each square in my grid to a color/fabric piece, then I will begin sewing them together.
LOVE!
Progress on my quilt
These steps about my quilt I actually took last year. In December, 2010, I learned how to knit - also thanks to YouTube! But it has seriously sidetracked my whole life. All I've done is knit for the past 7.5 months. Well now I've made a baby blanket, a few scarves, a dish cloth, two wine bottle holders, a hat that I took apart as soon as it was finished, and I'm working on another dish cloth. The dish cloth project, much like my napkin project, was for me to learn how to read a pattern. Learning something by watching YouTube doesn't always translate to practical application when taking your new skills out for a test run and all you know is how to make the stitches but not how to read a pattern. So I'm doing good with that.
So now I'm ready to get back to learning about quilting. I'm very much a newbie. Here's a progress list.
I sketched out my inspirational poppies on a piece of graph paper.
I started enlarging it at kinkos and taping it together. This was a fun activity because I had NO idea what I was doing and wasn't asking for any assistance with enlarging a copy of a poppy drawing.
Here's another pic but with my measuring tape stretched across to give you scale.
Now here is a picture of the final enlarged copy all taped together in a crazy way. Chris is holding this up for me so it's fairly large. Each of the squares of the grid in this version are exactly 2cm. I wanted them to be an inch each but they are not. The quilt, however, is going to be in one inch squares.
So now my plan is to cut out fabric in one inch squares and sew the whole thing mosaic style where each of the squares corresponds to a piece of fabric.
I think my plan is brilliant. I'm hoping for clean, clear, problem-free execution.
LOVE & Poppies
So now I'm ready to get back to learning about quilting. I'm very much a newbie. Here's a progress list.
I sketched out my inspirational poppies on a piece of graph paper.
I started enlarging it at kinkos and taping it together. This was a fun activity because I had NO idea what I was doing and wasn't asking for any assistance with enlarging a copy of a poppy drawing.
Here's another pic but with my measuring tape stretched across to give you scale.
Now here is a picture of the final enlarged copy all taped together in a crazy way. Chris is holding this up for me so it's fairly large. Each of the squares of the grid in this version are exactly 2cm. I wanted them to be an inch each but they are not. The quilt, however, is going to be in one inch squares.
So now my plan is to cut out fabric in one inch squares and sew the whole thing mosaic style where each of the squares corresponds to a piece of fabric.
I think my plan is brilliant. I'm hoping for clean, clear, problem-free execution.
LOVE & Poppies
Resurrecting my Blog. Making a Quilt
So I've decided to make a quilt and document the experience. It's my first quilt. Well, I have to say "art quilt." My previous quilting experience includes a fence rail pattern sunflower quilt top that I have never actually quilted - just pieced the top using the fence rail method which is super easy. Google that if you're at all curious. I also made a little 10" square quilt with an appliqued flower on it. Chelsea drew a picture of a flower and I kept it, copied it, cut it out and made little pieces of fabric for each piece of the flower which I appliqued to another piece of fabric. Then I also made a little quilted cinch bag but my quilting turned out horribly and it wasn't until later that I realized I never dropped the feed dogs on my sewing machine.
So now, I have watched enough YouTube videos on quilting, read some instructional books, looked at all the important quilter's websites, been to the International Quilt Festival in Houston and it's time for me to begin.
Firstly, I snapped this pic with my phone at a doctors office waiting room last year in June when I was thinking about patterns and color and quilts. I don't know why it struck me but later I decided to use it as the inspiration for my first quilt. We'll see what I can do with it.
So now, I have watched enough YouTube videos on quilting, read some instructional books, looked at all the important quilter's websites, been to the International Quilt Festival in Houston and it's time for me to begin.
Firstly, I snapped this pic with my phone at a doctors office waiting room last year in June when I was thinking about patterns and color and quilts. I don't know why it struck me but later I decided to use it as the inspiration for my first quilt. We'll see what I can do with it.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Chelsea's Prom
I haven't written a blog post this year! But for those of my friends and family who don't do facebook I thought you might enjoy seeing pictures of Chelsea on her prom night.
Click this link and Enjoy!
LOVE
Click this link and Enjoy!
LOVE
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Brink of 2010
Happy Holidays. Season's Greetings, Happy Kwanza, Merry Christmas, Happy 6th Day of Christmas, Happy New Year, etc. etc.
I love the holidays for a few good reasons but mainly because I always have a week off between Christmas and New Years. It's usually not enough time.
I have to admit that I have not much missed blogging due to Facebook and how easy it is to post little daily updates and read what is going on in everyone else's lives but it doesn't help with my goals which I have strayed far to far from this past year. 2009 was a fantastic year and I'm going to recap it here but there's always room for improvement.
2009 highlights include Chelsea getting her driver's license in March. Getting engaged on the evening of the spring equinox, March 20th in New Braunfels, TX at the St. Frances by the Lake scenic overlook to Chris MacGregor who I've loved for a few years now. New nephew, baby Jackson born on May 2nd. Carmen & Kevin came back from France and spent a few months in the early summer in Houston - lots of great hanging out time. Chris's 20th High School Reunion. Getting married on Galveston beach barefoot in the sand at sunset among all of our friends and family we love on September 26th. Installing and opening a brand new 18 hole disc golf course less than 6 miles from home at Taylor Lake Village. Also, at Christmas time with Chelsea's laptop we are now entirely a Mac household - no PCs left! Woot!
2009 lowlights include very little progress towards goal of selling Chris's house in Seabrook, Kevin and Sophia splitting up, I didn't write a book this year or lose any weight at all, and Chris's company becoming insolvent forcing him to have to look for work at the beginning of the new year. Also my dad spent most of the year in the hospital due to a botched knee surgery but he's out now and starting to walk again.
All in all we're doing great and things are moving along for the MacGregor's. I've had a name change and Chelsea will be a MacGregor (officially) in the next couple of months. She's already starting to use the name though.
In 2010 my new goals for the year include selling Chris's house finally - it's only been on our agenda for three years now; writing more even if it is on this blog; reading more books besides the audio ones I listen to in the car to and from work; working on art and buying a house including moving etc.
Also, Very Important! This year Chelsea will graduate from High School and we'll have to have a huge celebration sometime in early summer! Then she will likely be off to college. She's applying to Sam Houston, University of Houston, & University of Texas. However, as she has not yet made up her mind, she may attend community college for a while to get her basics out cheaply.
So that's it for an end of year blog post. We'll be bringing in the new year with Matt & Julie in the usual way.
With very much love ~ M
Below is our family portrait for 2009 ~
I love the holidays for a few good reasons but mainly because I always have a week off between Christmas and New Years. It's usually not enough time.
I have to admit that I have not much missed blogging due to Facebook and how easy it is to post little daily updates and read what is going on in everyone else's lives but it doesn't help with my goals which I have strayed far to far from this past year. 2009 was a fantastic year and I'm going to recap it here but there's always room for improvement.
2009 highlights include Chelsea getting her driver's license in March. Getting engaged on the evening of the spring equinox, March 20th in New Braunfels, TX at the St. Frances by the Lake scenic overlook to Chris MacGregor who I've loved for a few years now. New nephew, baby Jackson born on May 2nd. Carmen & Kevin came back from France and spent a few months in the early summer in Houston - lots of great hanging out time. Chris's 20th High School Reunion. Getting married on Galveston beach barefoot in the sand at sunset among all of our friends and family we love on September 26th. Installing and opening a brand new 18 hole disc golf course less than 6 miles from home at Taylor Lake Village. Also, at Christmas time with Chelsea's laptop we are now entirely a Mac household - no PCs left! Woot!
2009 lowlights include very little progress towards goal of selling Chris's house in Seabrook, Kevin and Sophia splitting up, I didn't write a book this year or lose any weight at all, and Chris's company becoming insolvent forcing him to have to look for work at the beginning of the new year. Also my dad spent most of the year in the hospital due to a botched knee surgery but he's out now and starting to walk again.
All in all we're doing great and things are moving along for the MacGregor's. I've had a name change and Chelsea will be a MacGregor (officially) in the next couple of months. She's already starting to use the name though.
In 2010 my new goals for the year include selling Chris's house finally - it's only been on our agenda for three years now; writing more even if it is on this blog; reading more books besides the audio ones I listen to in the car to and from work; working on art and buying a house including moving etc.
Also, Very Important! This year Chelsea will graduate from High School and we'll have to have a huge celebration sometime in early summer! Then she will likely be off to college. She's applying to Sam Houston, University of Houston, & University of Texas. However, as she has not yet made up her mind, she may attend community college for a while to get her basics out cheaply.
So that's it for an end of year blog post. We'll be bringing in the new year with Matt & Julie in the usual way.
With very much love ~ M
Below is our family portrait for 2009 ~
Saturday, November 7, 2009
half a year later
Tonight Chris shared with me Google Dashboard which told me I hadn't posted to my blog since May 19th. For shame.
During that time I've gotten married.
http://www.chrismacg.com/wedding/Our_Wedding_Site/The_Wedding/The_Wedding.html
It was lovely. There are more pictures but I haven't even gone through them all.
Plus, we installed a new disc golf course at Taylor Lake Village and the inaugural tournament is tomorrow morning. I'll post pix of it for that too.
I have to say that I totally blame Facebook for my lack of posting in the last several months. I've gotten into Facebook and it is so much easier to post little updates like on Twitter than to write a whole paragraph here regarding what is going on.
I'm going to try to change that though. I need more thoughtful posts and less facebooking.
Oh and it's NaNoWriMo again. My book idea this year is to take the good elements from past book ideas and create a NEW book - a good one. But, so far, I haven't had adequate time to work on my book because of all the disc golf stuff going on to ready for the tournament tomorrow. Once that's over, I anticipate having more time to write.
Love to all ~ M
During that time I've gotten married.
http://www.chrismacg.com/wedding/Our_Wedding_Site/The_Wedding/The_Wedding.html
It was lovely. There are more pictures but I haven't even gone through them all.
Plus, we installed a new disc golf course at Taylor Lake Village and the inaugural tournament is tomorrow morning. I'll post pix of it for that too.
I have to say that I totally blame Facebook for my lack of posting in the last several months. I've gotten into Facebook and it is so much easier to post little updates like on Twitter than to write a whole paragraph here regarding what is going on.
I'm going to try to change that though. I need more thoughtful posts and less facebooking.
Oh and it's NaNoWriMo again. My book idea this year is to take the good elements from past book ideas and create a NEW book - a good one. But, so far, I haven't had adequate time to work on my book because of all the disc golf stuff going on to ready for the tournament tomorrow. Once that's over, I anticipate having more time to write.
Love to all ~ M
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