Little Time to Sew, but Something to Show WIP Wednesday

In the past two weeks, I've only had an hour here or there to sew, which, I've discovered, I don't like.  But we've just been super busy with other stuff around here so that's the way it goes.  Still, I have a couple of projects to share today.  First I am almost finished with my Magnetism Table Runner.  I had made extra squares when making the original quilt and I decided to turn them into a table runner, or rather, if you like, a Skinny Magnetism Quilt.  I put it on my table, and I thought it was fun there:

and then I put it on the narrow wall by my stairs, and I also like it there (although the stairs are on the right and I didn't include them in the picture...oops):

It just needs a little tweaking and then it will be finished.

Second, I will share a project I'm really excited about - a new design I'm calling Triangle Jungle.  It features Black and Whites and Botanicals by Marcia Derse, and Poems from Pebbles from Malka Dubrowsky - two lines I'm gaga for and I almost think were created for each other.  It's only the top but I'm pretty jazzed with it:

I had an absolute blast making this, despite the challenges.  I'm planning to make a pattern for it soon. 

Finally, a finish - I'm done with the tree and here it is:  

I admit I'm quite please with this piece, too.  It turned out so well I plan to make a couple more using different tree shapes and backgrounds.  I'm crazy about that batik fabric I used to frame it - it comes in several different color palettes and I think it's perfect for this tree.  I didn't even quilt the frame, because I like that it looks like a frame...

That's it for me this week - can't wait to take a peek at what all ya'll are doing out there!  

A Start and a Finish, of Sorts - WIP Wednesday

Wow - can't believe it's been an entire week since I last posted.  I've been immersed in a new design this week.  I got the idea on Friday and I already have a finished top!  But I'm not quite ready to share it, yet.  So here are a couple of other things I've been toying with in the last week or so:

First, none other than Lorna MacMahon's Zany Zebras!  

These are for a pillow I'm making for my cousin's daughter.  Obviously they are unfinished, but I enjoyed making them.  I have to say I'm pretty impressed with Lorna's designs - they are challenging!  And cleverly done.  I made them in pink as you can see.  I'm going to make a big floor pillow with Harper's name on it.  I think they're super cute!  Gonna do the elephants next, for her twin brother.  

Also, I made a throw pillow cover , too.  It was completely improv but I'm pretty happy with it. It features Marcia Derse and Malka Dubrawsky prints that I got at Quiltcon.  They are wicked cool prints that go together so well I almost think were made for each other...

The piece I finished also features both these fabrics, and I was originally going to put this on the back, but now I think it is perfect for a pillow.  It needs a little tweaking, too - as I accidentally flipped one of the borders and one of the corners is just a little too small (I wanted them wonky but this is a little bit much!) but even if I leave it the way it is, I like it. I'm trying to decide if I should quilt it or just add a back and make it a regular pillow.  I'm thinking that white space needs to be filled.  

Last, I've finally come back to visit my tree.  And I'm so glad I did.  I started experimenting with canopies and this is what I ended up with:

I  considered leaving it leaf-less, but I was staring out my studio window at one of the Post Oaks with its new green leaves and they looked like blobs of different colors as they danced in the wind.  Of course it's exaggerated, like the rest of the piece but I'm diggin' on those blobs of green and I think it adds a lot to the piece.  I'm just appliqueing them on.  I seriously love this tree - those aboriginal fabrics make me so darn happy.  I'm waiting for my next design inspiration for them - I adore working with them and I have a lot of it left!

So that's me for this Wednesday.  Can't wait to see what everyone else is doing - it's so fun, thanks Lorna at Sew Fresh and Lee at Freshly Pieced for doing the linkys!  


Oh and I wanted to add the finish of the hexie baby quilt I made for my temporary daughter's (my exchange student) new baby bro:

It's so fun!  and I have to say I'm pretty gaga about the binding - it turned out perfectly!  Don't have a photo of the back, but wish I did -it's super cool, super soft yellow and gray chevron MINKY!  I also want to keep it for myself...but I made if for the baby, so off it goes.  Boo hoo...NOT!  Because I have a bunch of hexies from the same line left, so I CAN make another.  Hooray, Huzzah and all that - lucky me.

I'm working on it...WIP Wednesday

The fabric arrived Monday so I was able to complete the piece I've been working on - I'm calling it Criss Cross (for sadly obvious reason). 

 I'm not sure how much I love it.  I mean - I like it, but I'm not in love yet - I think it still needs something...but what?

I tried putting some items in the middle to see if they added the missing element - some small colored square,

 some x's..

but they weren't right.  I thought about slashing through the white with some pops of color, but that is wrong for the feel of the piece and it doesn't need any more thin lines - and no circles, more's the pity for this circle fiend...I'm not usually a fan of borders, but I'm seriously considering a border for this one.  I have an idea, but I'm not sure I have enough of the necessary fabric for it.  

One thing I'm kind of jazzed about and want to share is how I did the corners.  I wish I had taken pictures of it, because it was actually kind of silly, but by golly, it worked.  If you'll recall, I laid it out on the diagonal, and sewed it that way.  So I ended up with all these squares of fabric sticking out, and it was pretty shape-less.  I got out the old duct tape (cause I was out of the blue masking tape) and just taped a square around the piece where I wanted the edges to be.  Then I boldly drew around it with a pencil (there were some empty spots where the corners were of course) and I literally hacked off the extra, outside the duct tape - Crazy?  Yes!

But here's the part I really like:  the extra parts just happened to be rough triangles, so - yep, you guessed it - I used them for the corners that were missing!  I just sewed and flipped. And it worked!  Then I taped the thing to the floor and tried to mark it again, but I realized I was just going to have to use the rotary cutter and try to square it up.  And by darned - that worked, too!  It's kind of thrown up on the wall so it looks wonky, but it's actually, shockingly, STRAIGHT.  I was thrilled that I didn't have to use any more of the precious Crosshatch fabric (of which I've already used three yards and which I need for my son's college bound quilt) for the corners.  And I liked that it worked - made me kinda happy that doing such a nutty thing actually worked.   

So "Bully for me!"  on this crazy improv.  I'm just cutting and sewing and its coming together. However, it is kind of bias-y, so I have to be careful if I do add borders, but what the heck - I'm feeling lucky, so I'm just gonna continue to fly along and see what happens.  

Tally Ho! (oops, mixed those darn metaphors again - sorry.)