More UFO's finished!!!

I've been really busy finishing up some of these UFO's I've collected over the years.  In the past I was very good on not starting something that I wouldn't finish.  I would have at least three projects at one time.  One in design mode, one in sewing mode and one in quilting mode.  That way if I became bored with one element of a project I could go on to one of the others.

I lost control of this good behavior when my family life became chaos and I'm trying to get it back.  It seemed the simplest way was to finish all those UFO's so I could start from scratch.  Easier said then done, right?

The above mini quilt is my copy of a quilt I made/designed for a swap a few years ago.  I started this one for me but never finished it.  Plus I changed it slightly.  The original (below) is smaller to fit the size requirements of the swap.  It was shipped off to my swap partner, scrapnchick over on Flickr. It also has organza ghosts.  I did't leave them off on purpose but it was for the best because
they need to be added after quilting and mine is so much more intricate.

The square spider web block is something I found on the web.  It has a tutorial here.  The only problem was that it is almost impossible to make an exact size because even the slightest change becomes a drastic change after the slicing and dicing.  It was just easier to make it the size in the tutorial and then frame it to fit my quilt.  The first border is done is sections just to add interest.  The last border is Broken Dishes done with different colorway for the corners, again just for interest.

This is also my copy of a quilt I made for another swap.  The original (below) was sent to quiltnkimmie on Flickr.  It again was smaller than mine.  Both of mine are 24" square to fit my large pillow forms.  There is just not enough wall space in my home.   

 I designed the outside border on EQ7.  I just snap a picture of my applique design and and import it into EQ7 and design around it.  The other difference is that I put a frog in my witches hand instead of a house.  The original was for a fan of Wizard of Oz.  Me, I'm a frog girl all the way.  The name of this quilt is "Take that My Pretty",  the witch likes pink like me so her frog needed to be pink not green.  So she zapped her!!

Last but not least is the block I designed for a Halloween Blog Hop. Here is the original post where you can download the Boo Pattern and learn how to applique organza ghosts.  Yes, this is bigger and the ghosts are different.  Again I wanted to fit a 24" pillow form.  I just added borders until it was the right size.  The orange border is pieced because not enough fabric.  I didn't want a detailed pieced border so I just randomly pieced it.  I almost always added the extra fabric by cutting the original fabric diagonally any angle I feel like.  Then add a strip.

The ghosts where changed because they really needed to be added after the quilting.  So I used a seam ripper very carefully and took the original ghosts off.  Then replace them with full ghosts.  Here's what it looked like before the borders and with the original ghosts.

Three more UFO's down and like 47 more to go.

May your UFO's be few!!!

Marjory

HoWlinG HauNteD HoUsE Wall Quilt Continues with Bat Wings

Bat Wings is the first block I will be sharing with you for the HoWlinG HauNteD HoUsE Wall quilt.  It is a really simple traditional block.  When designing this quilt I decided to use traditional blocks as much as possible. So I did a  search on the web for blocks using several criteria for my search.  This is what came up with entering Bat Quilt Block.

All the blocks in this wall quilt are 6" finished.  This block can be made without paper piecing it but I have furnished the paper piecing pattern for you.  Just click on the above picture and it will take you to the PDF file for download or printing.  Again I remind you that when printing make sure you printer is on 100% before printing.  You will need 8 blocks of Bat Wings to complete this wall quilt.

I am still working on getting some of my UFO's finished and I've done very well this week.  I have finished 6 UFO's this week.  Let's have a Yahoo!!! for me.  I will be sharing several of this projects with you in the next few weeks.  I just have to formulate how I will be presenting them.  I can tell you they are all Halloween projects.

By the way sorry for being a day late on this post.  Some how I lost a day.  On Thursday I knew it was Thursday but on Friday I thought it was Thursday.  Do you have this problem or am I getting OLD.  Don't answer that, I don't want to know.

Boo to you!!!

Marjory

HoWlinG HauNteD HoUsE Wall Quilt Continues

Here it is a week later and time for the Candy Corner border.  This border comes in two parts, the border and the corner pieces.  Click Here for the border PDF file and Here for the corners.  Please make sure that your printer is set to 100%.  I noticed that some people had trouble with the pattern being bigger than the paper on the last round.  

You will need four borders and four corners for this round.  If you are using more than one background fabric make sure to do several offsetting triangles with both fabrics.  No rhyme or reason just scatter them to your liking. For a reminder of the whole quilt a picture is below.

If you enjoy pincushions don't forget to go to my tutorial page to see several Halloween pincushions.  All the PDF files are linked there. 

Keep on Howling!!!

Marjory

HoWlinG HauNteD HoUsE Wall Quilt

Halloween is almost here and it's time for some great items I have to share with everyone.  This year for Halloween I decided to do something different, instead of an applique quilt I decided to do a pieced wall quilt.  The finished size is 47" x 47".  For the fabric requirements click HERE   Don't try to duplicate these fabrics as they are from my stash and very old.  In fact the house and some of the blocks are made with a piece of hand dyed fabric I dyed myself several years ago.  I can tell you that 95% of the fabrics used were batiks.

The above picture is from EQ7 so there may have been a few changes.  I'm in the process of quilting this wall hanging and it's not ready for pictures.  Ignore the funny way the moon is showing. I had to do that in order to place it over more than one block.  There is a lot to learn in EQ7 and I still have a lot more to learn.  I usually design my applique in Canvas, a drafting program designed with an artist in mind.

In the fabric requirement PDF you will find the applique patterns without seam allowances for the moon and the oval windows.  There is also 3 ghost patterns that have not been included in this picture.  They will be applied after the quilt is quilted.  Remember my Boo block with the organza ghosts.

That's how these ghosts will be applied to the front of the house on this quilt.  You can either find the original post on how to applique organza or you can just click on the picture about to go to the PDF tutorial.

Are you ready to start on this house?  Click on the picture below and it will take you to the PDF file.

Why did I use two different back ground fabrics you ask!  Not enough fabric is the answer.  Since I'm now retired my budget is very small for fabric purchases for every quilt.  So the new rule of thumb is to make my designs without purchasing new fabric.  If I have to purchase I'm only allowed one purchase, unless of course I'm already broke that month.   Since my stash is vast this is not a problem unless I don't have the right shade of a color.  I didn't have two periwinkle fabrics that were the same shade so I kept going until I was happy with what I did.  This is easy to do if using EQ7.  You just need to scan the fabrics and import them into the program.  The problem was that I wanted the house to float into the Candy Corn border.  I felt this gave the quilt a scarier feel.

Just a warning!! This house is very easy to piece except it has a stray piece that will need some partial sewing.  That's where you just sew part of the seam, attach more pieces and finish the seam after this.  It's piece K under the eave of the top dormer.  I wish I had taken some pictures as I sewed this section but I didn't. If you have trouble with this section let me know and I will try and do some kind of demo.  

I will be furnishing you with the Candy Corn Border and Corners next week.  Make sure I keep that promise please.  lol  

Have Howling Good Time!

Marjory Peck