Freda's Hive

I always like to show progress from the weekend on my Monday posts. Today that is what you get.

I woke up Friday wanting to embellish a t-shirt. I took a stripof fabric 14" long by 4" wide. Then I finished the rough edges and made 3 lines of shirring. After that I top stitched it onto my t-shirt. The pic is bad because it is from my iphone. It was fun to make.

I made more progress on my Butterfly Kisses quilt, which shall here after be known as my Lady GaGa quilt. Lori texted me that they look like Lady GaGa eyes after I referred them as eyes in my post last week. I like the name and it is sticking. Lori is my muse and I love when she names my quilts.

I finished the binding on my new quilt "Freda's Flowers". I love the quilting that Wendy of Eagle Mountain Quilting did. She quilted wavy cross hatch. The back of the quilt is a vintage sheet.
The pattern is coming soon. I'm working on my small version sample quilt. I picked up Wendy's Jelly Roll to make her a quilt top (we are trading quilt top for machine quilting). So I have lots to do!

-nanette

April sent me this beautiful package this week from April's 30's Sewing Shop. April sells Singer Featherweight machines, accessories and lovely fabrics.

Look how great she wrapped my parcel. I love the brown paper wrapping, just like if I'd gone back in time and shopped at a vintage mercantile store.

I've been looking high and low for these specific fabrics. They are kind of the "lost" fabrics from Lecien's New Old fabric line. By lost I mean next to impossible to find.

I did have a piece of this particular piece but I have loved working with it so much that I was happy to get more. I have been using it and have plans for designing more with it.

Isn't it so pretty in pink, too? It really is a lovely weight of fabric and very closely resembles authentic feedsack.

This piece from the line I have really not seen anywhere in the US. I really love bows and this fabric is so vintage and sweet.

This print has been MIA as well. How can you not smile and enjoy these fabrics? I think they are really some of my all time favorites.

-nanette

So while I wait for my "new pattern" quilt to be quilted (Freda's Flowers) and I work on patterns that HAVE to be done (why is writing patterns so boring?), I'm spending bits and pieces of time on my Gypsy Kisses quilt.

Right now I'm appliqueing the black and white centers to the "eye" blocks. It goes pretty fast but it isn't my favorite applique project.

I don't really like it because I'm appliqueing on top of a hole in the block. I tried pinning the black dot and didn't really like that.

And using applique glue doesn't work well because there is just such a small amount of seam allowance to glue the middle part to and then it is hard to sweep my seam allowance under as I stitch.

Anyway, it's okay. I just have to keep on going. I will also admit this isn't my favorite quilt process (it hasn't been 100% fun) but I love each part when I make progress. And I'm so looking forward to my finished quilt. Eventually.

-nanette

Some of you may remember I'm working on a quilt with my local quilt group. The quilt is designed by Jina Barney and is a block a month project. Jina has the instructions for the blocks on her website and anyone is welcome to join us in making this fun quilt.

Here is snippet the quilt so far. I am really excited to be up caught up to date with my blocks in time for the August block to be revealed at the end of the month.

However, instead of Jina's flower blocks for May. I opted instead to make Dresden plates just because I was wanting to make them so much and the size of the block could be adapted to a Dresden. Here are my reds.

My yellow blocks.

My blue blocks.

And my pink blocks. Dresdens are always really fun to make. I need to attach them now to the progress on the quilt.

These are June's block - economy blocks. Jina will add these to the quilt a bit later so for now I'm setting them aside.

The same is with the July stars. These will be sewn in later. It feels really good to be current. I've managed to keep up with my projects this year. That isn't to say I've kept my New Years resolution . . . but that is another story for another day.

-nanette

Oh my what a hot busy weekend. Trying to cram several days into Saturday doesn't really work, especially when the weather is this draining. I hope you all had a nice weekend though. I can show you 3 good things today from my weekend.

1. Lori's cream cheese strawberry pie: Holy Wow. Actually this would rate a 5 out of 5 wowies. You can see Lori's recipe/tutorial for it here. I highly recommend it. It was easy, too. My girls helped me make this before church Sunday. My in-laws came for dinner and we had it for dessert. Thanks for the recipe Lori. This is one I'll make again and again.

2. Remember the giveaway I had just 2 weeks ago? Well Brandie won first place. Brandie has a really fun blog called ABC. I sent Brandie a kit for making my bag and she made it already! - just over the weekend actually. Thanks for sending me the photo Brandie. Don't you love it when the person that wins a giveaway is happy with what they got? Yep. Brandie is great.

3. I've always loved working with 2 1/2" squares and 2 1/2" strips in my quilts and original designs. This new 2 1/2" x 6" ruler is my new favorite. I got it at Erica's online. The price was right and it came with a non-slip back. I absolutely love this size. When I unveil my newest quilt design you will understand why my 2 1/2" square, my 2 1/2" long ruler and this new 2 1/2" x 6" were perfect. My quilt is at the quilter right now. Wendy, the machine quilter, called me while she was setting the quilt up. She told me she loved the quilt and asked me for the pattern. I considered that a huge compliment. I hope that is an indication of how much everyone else will like it, too.

-nanette

Remember I recently got this Moda Candy Bar at Pine Needles when visiting with my friends.

I've been thinking about ways I can use these 2 1/2" x 5" candy rectangles.

One idea came to me while cutting 5" long dresden strips. They are absolutely the perfect size.

With very mimial waste these little rectangles can be cut with my wedge ruler to create . . .

something like this. I've also got a few other ideas in mind. I'll share them with you if the ideas prove worthwhile. I'm really liking this shape of pre-cut.

Happy Weekend.

-nanette

Two years ago I designed this quilt "In the Leafy Treetops". It is my daughter Natalie's favorite quilt of mine and she's been wanting to make her own from quilt from this design. But Natalie really prefers to applique rather than piece, so for her birthday last year she asked me to make her a pattern for an applique bird so she could make her own version of "In the Leafy Treetops".

Along with drawing up the pattern for her I made her a potholder block as a sample. I love the plumpness of the birdie.

I changed the design up a little bit and added a different fabric to accent his wing. I sketch embroidered it all with my machine and then tightly quilted the background so Mr. Birdie pops.

So now Natalie is finally getting around to making her quilt (since she's getting to a finish with her cacti.)

She's so organized. And she over preps. You have to admire that though. Here is her bag for wings....

and birds.....

and leaves. You see she's all cut out and ready to go.

Hey! I recognize some of that fabric. Actually I'm happy to share with her. But most everything comes from her own stash. She is using all the same colors/fabrics for each part of the bird/wing and leaf. Very modern.

It's going to be really great. Her background will be various shades of grays/linen colors. She hasn't picked out her rick rack yet. I imagine that will be in similar colors too. I'll keep you posted on her progress. I'm excited to see her take the idea and make it her own.

-nanette

P.S. Today is Mr. Hive's birthday. He really prefers very low key birthdays. But on Sunday we'll have a family dinner with Lori Holt's Strawberry Pie.

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