Farmer's Wife Block #1

The quilt-a-long starts tomorrow, but I wanted to see how my other colorway was going to look like. Me thinks I am going to like!

Valentine's Day Runner

Since Valentine's day is approaching, I thought I would share a table runner I made last year, as I was getting it out for this year. I found the pattern on someone's blog (I am sorry I don't have the blog information). I did get mine made with six fat quarters prints and another fat quarter solid white. The six fat quarters also did the backing and a scrappy binding.

Yikes, i just realized I need to iron this before I put it out on the table.

More Farmer's Wife

I don't have much to blog about today, as I slept until noon, yes noon, as I deal with being sick by sleeping -- a lot. I can sleep for 12 to 14 hours at a time, its just my way of dealing with a sick body.

I spent what time I was up sewing the rest of the civil war colorway blocks that I had cut out for my Farmers's Wife quilt. Then I spent some time cutting out 10 blocks from the other colorway, Breath of Avignon for the quilt-a-long that I posted on a few days ago. It begins February 1st and I wanted to get a head start.

My picture today is a BOM I did about two years ago. It is one of my triumphs of the many BOM's I participate in every year. This one was done through one of my local quilt shops, done in a civil war repro colorway, and 16 grid block patterns. I did the quilting, mostly shadowing the patterns in each block.

I have not yet sent any of my quilts out to a long arm quilter....I am selfish in wanting to say the quilt is all my work. Maybe someday???

Civil War Repro - Farmer's Wife

I said earlier that I planned to do two colorways for the Farmer's Wife. I have tons of scraps of Civil War reproducction, so I wanted to try out a couple of blocks with the scraps before I started using my Moda Breath of Avignon line next week. This block is #7 in the book, called Birds in the Air. Remember, these blocks are only 6" square, and this block has 40 pieces! I suprised even myself on how well it turned out! I think i am going to like this template way of doing piecework. I will say this was time consuming, as it took me about 2 hours to cut the block (one piece at a time) and to get it accuratly sewn up.

Another nifty tool I used for the first time in making this block is a different kind of 1/4" pressure foot. It has a metal guide attached to the right side of the foot to help keep the fabric guided as you sew. I feel this foot made this block go together like a fitted glove. It is a fantistic added tool for this project, and I probably be using it for all my future quilting projects, too. I found this foot on eBay for less than $5 (including postage).

Fat Quarter 2012 Designer Mystery BOM

I'm sucker for BOM's. I've been participating in one or more a year, since 1998. This, does not mean I get them all done each year, as life has a tendency to throw me a few curves, but I make every attempt at completing them, and I have had some triumphs!

I will be participating in this BOM this year (starts in June 2012). It is out of my comfort zone of color and print likes, but seeing it out in blogland, its grown on me. So we will see????

This year's quilt features the fabric Vintage Modern by Bonnie & Camille for Moda. If you want to join in you can go to the Fat Quarter Shop at http://fatquartershop.com/.

Herb garden

I have gotten one of those nasty colds that are going around this time of year and along with the dreary weather, I am looking forward to Spring.

I've gotten garden fever and I'm getting excited about my several gardens around our place. I have started getting seed catalogs, and can spend endless hours pouring over them, planning my several gardens. I admit, though, we travel about three hours south to Territorial Seed Company to get seeds, live plants, and bulbs. This company is located here in Oregon, but sell nationwide. What I like best about them, is they have both genetic and organic products and the seeds and live plants are indigenous ot the Pacific Northwest.

The year before last, I started this herb bed. Most of what I put in here are perennials, and all have thrived. I only have to replant basil each year. I use both fresh and dried herbs in my cooking and canning.

More about my garedning in weeks to come......

Farmer's Wife "Breath of Avignon"

This grouping is for a new quilt-a-long that I am participating in, beginning February 2012. There are lots of Farmer's Wife quilt-a-longs all accross blogland. Some have been going on for some time, but I came accross this one that I joined through http://brynwoodneedleworks.blogspot.com/. (Forgive me, I am still learning how to do a link, until then, just copy the url and paste it in your browser).

I will be doing a complete set of blocks in a older line from Moda, called Breath of Avignon. I picked this up a couple of years ago in an effort to step out of my comfort zone in color, but never had a quilt pattern I wanted to use it in, until I signed up for this QAL. I will post pics as I complete the blocks.

Back into my comfort zone, I will also be making a complete set of blocks in scrappy civil war reproduction fabrics. I have bags full of these type scraps, and the 6" blocks will use them up perfectly.

Granny Squares using "Sunkissed" colors

In yesterday's post, the scrappy border around the "Birdie Stitches" block is done in the "Sunkissed" line from Moda. I just love the fresh bright colors in this line.

So, while out shopping a few weeks past, I came accross these same colors in Caron's "Simply Soft" yarn. I grabbed a skein of each color and began to making granny squares in a pattern called Sunburst. I crocheted up each skein into some solid squares. Then two things happened - there was a couple of scraps of yarn left over from each color, so I worked up three blocks, changing the color at each round of the square, and I liked these even better than the solid squares - I knew I needed to make more like these three, which meant I needed more yarn. This then fell into the other thing I discovered, the solid squares would only make a doll size blanket, and yipee this means off to the store to load up on some more yarn in these yummy colors.

My plan is to at least make a throw size for the end of the bed, that will lay next to the "Birdie Stitches" quilt. This is going to be a tandem project(s).

"Birdie Stitches" Block One

Remember when I was in Vegas, and I spoke of working on a BOM from 2011 while in the hotel room during the evenings? Well, here is a picture of Block One. See, I told you I would get pictures posted!!

It is my most strongest desire to do this 2011 BOM for the 2012 year - doing one block a month. By posting here on the blog, it gives me incentive to work on these things and get them accomplished.

Over the next week or so, I will be posting other things I have planned and mapped out for 2012, some with pictures, and some with references to other blogs. Let's make this a most wonderful, blessed year.

Rose Bowl Champions

This is a commission project from Christmas 2011. I made three for a co-worker's daughters, Of which 2 of them go to Oregon State University, home of the Oregon Ducks. And, of course after winning the Rose Bowl this year, anything "Ducks" has become extremely popular. And since these bags have hit campus, I have gotten a few inquiries. So, one of my first projects to be accomplished in the new sewing room will be making "Ducks" related items. We also have their rival team "the Beavers" here in Oregon, so I will be working on projects related to their team as well.

About this bag..... The pattern is 3 in 1 Tote Bag by "Bag2" by Lois. It is a simple concept that has a jacket that the main body of the purse sets in with buttons. Thats one look, the next look is to turn the jacket inside out and re-button, and the third look is without the jactet. With the jacket, there is lots of room with outside pockets, and on the inside thhere is an additional pocket made and a big roomy bucket compartment that zips up.

Super easy to sew, and so far loved by all!

Home from Vegas

Boy, all I can say is that while it is fun and exciting to go on a trip and get away from it all, it is really good to get back to it all!

Traveling has its own tiredness, and yet a restfulness that makes me want to get back into the routine of things.

I startrd this blog while on vacation one late night, and have mulling over in my head what I want to do here. Most of all it will become a learning experience and an outlet for me to record my history of creating.

You see, I have three grown boys who have always "put up" with my sewing and crafts, but have never shown any interest. And, I don't have any grandchildren to maybe pass or share this with, so maybe by chronologicaling someone in my future family will appreciate it all.

Last Day in Vegas

Whew! The conference is over and we are in our hotel room packing all the goodies up to head on home.....yipee!!!!

I just spent most of my evening cruising through eBay. I have had excellent service and products through eBay. I buy about 10% of my fabric and quilting supplies through eBay. Most of the time I can find older lines of fabrics when i am short a piece when i finally get around to a project.

I then discovered ETSY. It also is an excellent source to get fabric and quilting supplies. It is just a wonderful outlet for independent artisians, and small suppliers. I just purchased a wonderful necklace by Brett Barker. He lives in Australia and has made his jewelery for many royal government members and business commissions.

More Vegas

This is another boring post about being in Las Vegas. I am so tired of walking, yes walking! In Vegas, one must walk more than one can imagine, as the casinos on the strip are the size of football arenas. Yes, arenas, not football fields, but the whole field and seating areas.

Now, with that picture in mind, we have to walk three of these casinos to go over to the conference each day and back. And there's more.... Once we are at the conference we have had to visit over 5000 vendors, on three floors of the Sands Expo / Conference center. We did have to divide up the vendors to about 1000 per day. We finish up the last of them tomorrow! Yeah!!

While walking around today, though, I was planning in my head (ok, maybe daydreaming) about setting up my new sewing room, what projects I'm going to be working on first, and a little bit of spring garden planning.

I did get to work some more on my next "Little Birdie Stitches" block while resting my feet in the hotel room tonight!

Vegas Baby

I am a tag along with DH in Las Vegas attending a conference for his business.

So, the only thing I am accomplishing while away, is some embroidery work. I am playing catch up on a quilt-along from 2011 called "Little Birdie Stitches". These blocks come from the web site of Little Miss Shabby.

I have done my blocks exactly like she did hers, just because I fell in love with the "Sunkissed" line from Moda. As of today LMS still had all the blocks up and available on her blog, if you are interested! You can find her site at www.littlemissshabby.com.

In fact I have at least three projects (large quilts) using this line. I have them on my 2012 agenda to get them done, as I want to decorate my guest bedroom with this color pallett.

Launch

Today I am launching my blog "Wren's Nest" as a celebration of a newly built sewing room. I have always dreamed, planned, wished to have a dedicated sewing room. In the beginning of my sewing years, I sewed clothes, crafts, did bridal work, tailoring and alterations.

I have had my sewing space in a corner of my bedroom (until I got married), then moved into the hall closet, to a bedroom when children began moving out of the house.

But even with the increased amount space, this space lacked a lot - decent to good lighting - having enough outlets, much less in good locales - shortage of storage - and other creature comforts.

With all this said, my DH, built a 14' X 18' foot sewing room! It is right off the kitchen (so I can watch dinner and still sew), also it is next to the laundry room (to do two things at once almost), and it has a picture window that looks out to my veggie, herb, flower gardens, and onto my lovely chickens.

I will be posting pictures soon, as we are in the clean up phase of the construction and we are waiting for a final inspection from the county.

Stay tuned!