Adding Frames to BOM: an Update

I took my sewing machine to get serviced.  It's been a year since I bought it and it still makes me happy.  I know that Janome has a new version of the Horizon, but I like mine, thank you very much.

So, my machine is back.  And I started piecing the frame to the blocks for Amish with a Twist.  It's very exciting and I'm glad to know how to do frames.  I will try to do one frame a day for twelve days and get this thing put together.

I think this will be a gift, so you might not see it for a bit, but I enjoyed doing this particular pattern very much.  Practice, practice, practice is good for this girl; and I really like doing samplers.  I might make one for us, but I think in cream.


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Skittle Quilt and Green and Grey Pillow

Quilt fabric companies have a great marketing plan.  They have contests and have professional quilt bloggers make scrumptious quilts with pre-released fabric.  It gets a girl wanting more fabric.  Always wanting more fabric.  This scenario played out last fall when V & Co came out with the Simply Color line.  It's yummy isn't it? And speaks to my style completely.

So, I bought a fat quarter bundle and gave it to the hubba-hubba to wrap and give me for Christmas.  I didn't know what to do with it, but I knew I'd be inspired.

I was inspired by this Skittles Quilt and pinned it as soon as I read the blog post.  I ordered the fabric and let it sit on my TBQ pile until I had time to work on it.

In the meantime, I needed to learn how to applique.  Circles.  I recommend not learning how to applique with circles.  Not fun.  I took an Anything Goes class at our local quilt shop and the lovely Barb R departed her skills. And slowly I made circles using the Perfect Circles method. (Mine were less-than-perfect.)

In May, I had a week where I was allergic to the outside.  I took the opportunity to applique these circles on the grey panel.  It was scarier than it sounds. First, I had to take the ombre fabric and find the perfect spot and r-r-r-rip the fabric.  It's a scary process...and if it doesn't make any sense...read the instructions.  I will say the color match where I had to rip was pretty spot-on.  Whew!

After I finished ... and it took all week, I contacted the lovely Elvira and arranged for her to quilt it.  She did a great job.

While I was waiting for the quilt to come back, I continued to work on the bom Amish with a Twist.  After lesson 12, they had a beautiful pillow project and thought it would be a great accompaniment.  I quilted that myself and I think it looks spectacular.  The grey really makes the green fabric go POP!

I finished it in time for our trip to coastal California to give to my husband's brother and family.  Happily, they love it.  It looks great, doesn't it?

 My take away? Appliqueing isn't for me.