Design Work...In Progress....

 

Really girls....

I have been busy!

I've had my nose to the grindstone in the studio!

I'll show you what I've been up to...

 

Started adding Prairie Points to some of the blocks...

I'll be posting a tutorial on these Prairie Points soon....

 Here's a sample of how I did it...

All on one strip of fabric...

Now how to put these 8 blocks together?

I always have a picture in my mind...

but it doesn't always translate to the actual

quilt project.

So it is a lot of work sewing plenty

of combinations together...

and then playing around

to see what works.

At first I was just going to make some pieced blocks...

but then I thought that Dresden Fans might 

look good...

simply because it would be the same 3D effect

as the Prairie Points...

So away I went to work...

 

A beehive of industry....

 After a few hours....they piled up...

Turned them into different assortments of fan blade units...

Top stitched them on to the backgrounds following my 1/4" foot...

Now to find just the right Fan Blade Cover...

Ooppss!

Let me back up here...

and show you how to make a perfect 

Fan Blade Cover...

Use No Melt Mylar Plastic

to make the template for your Fan Blade Cover.

Next...

move the template down about 1/4"

Spray Starch that 1/4"

then take your iron and

iron the 1/4" down

right over the plastic...

You'll get a perfect rounded edge...

every time!

Now place it over the Fan Blade Unit...

making sure all of the

raw edges at the end of the fan blades

are being covered...

(I made a whole Meet Me In Paris once...

with several raw edges showing here...

and didn't notice it...

until I finished quilting it! UGH!)

Take the time to look now!

Follow the metal edge of your foot 

and stitch about 1/16 to 1/8' from edge...

Now to figure out how to make it all go together...

Note! Prairie Points are not done on this yet...I'm still commissioning fabrics for it.

Now here's the fun part ladies...

After doing all the math...

I'm thinking it is looking too busy.

I need to add in some plain borders

and finish the Prairie Points on the blocks

to get a better feel for it.

So half of the work I've done on my blades

may be for naught!

Gotta love the Design Process!

Back to the Studio....

P.S.  And for all of you who commented over at Stash Manicure on my Meet Me In Paris Quilt Story...thank you ever so much. I'm still hoping to be able to get to the comments so I can respond individually.

Until then...please know I read every one of them and they were such a blessing to me!

Sending my humble thanks...

I was over at Stash Manicure today...amidst the Blogger mess!

Find me over HERE today!

I'm hanging out at Stash Manicure....

and

am

telling 

the story 

behind

the 

~Meet Me In Paris Quilt~

Inspiring Quilts from the Cincinnati Ohio Show

Okay ladies...

are you ready to be inspired?

Here are some of the amazing quilts from

the Cincinnati Ohio Show we attended...

The following one was done with complete yoyo's...

 

And back at the farm...

So I have been hard at work in the studio...doing all the figures on the pieced blocks for Buttercream Summer! I will get pic's posted hopefully this weekend! Hope you all have a special  Mother's Day Weekend.                                                                                                                Cioa~~                       

 

 

                                                                   

Winner of Buttercream Summer

Just a quick note to let you all know

who won the

Buttercream Summer Block of the Month

Give Away!

Congratulations to

Renea Yarolim!

I just heard from her today

so it will be on it's way.

Thank you all for participating!

John'aLee

Calling out at ya 'll from Paducah...Quilt City USA!!

We're here!

In good 'ole Quilt City, USA!

Ladies...

you must make it here to Paducah!

It is incredible all of the things that are going on here this week.

Quilt Classes all over the city,

Shows...Church Luncheons...

the National Quilt Museum has special exhibits....

there are vendors galore

and so much more!

When we arrived we found out that we almost

weren't going to have a show.

The River was almost risen to overflowing

and seeing the Convention Center is right on it....

all of us vendors had to set up

in the old

Office Max and Circuit City buildings.

And we all went to single booths!

Ugh!!!

We are making it work though!

And as always...

meeting up with the quilter's 

have dispelled the bad weather

as well as the unfortunate set up situation.

 

And my darling little T-Bug

surprised me and showed up at the show today!

I love you kiddo! You made my day!

Tomorrow's our last day...

and then...

ahhh....

some...

sweet...

time...

off!

Sending Love from Paducah...

 

John'aLee.....Where have you been???

I know that is what some of you are wondering!

I'm here!

Just been workin' night and day...

trying to get the next Mystery Block 

done in both

Buttercream Summer 

and Parisian Summer.

Add on that a few shows...

in a few different states...

and there you have it.

The above block is 

The Grandmother's Flower Garden piece

that took me forever to complete.

Here are some close ups:

 I was super pleased with how 

this one turned out.

It's the Guitar Man's favorite so far!

And finally...

the eight block in Buttercream Summer is finished.

This one I had problems with.

Drawings for Buttercream Summer 's 8th block: Sew Seeds of Friendship!

Finished Drawing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close up of Teacup Full of Seeds

Sometimes...

drawings can look good on paper...

but once it goes to cloth and thread...

things change.

It may be only one thing that doesn't

work...

and puts the whole thing in disarray.

In this block...

the vine needs to be closer to the pole.

I've changed it in the drawings for the pattern...

but still have to take out a lot of that satin stitch

and redo it in this block.

Ain't designin' fun???

Sew Seeds of Friendship

And in the shoppe...

the main man...

has been working away...

 

We are leaving for Paducah

early in the morning!

Hope to see some of you there!

I will post about my Chicago show...

later this week.

Thanks for not signing me off!!

Quilting Hugs...

Cumberland River!

This is where the Guitar Man and I go walking each morning...

and sometimes in the evening as well...

The walking path that winds around down by the river...

The pathway getting down to the walk way...

 After a 30 day hard run...

with not one day off...

I kinda...

crashed and burned!

Someone emailed me this morning and asked ...

"When is it going to slow down???"

Now there's a cheery thought!

We are off early in the morning for

Quilt Inc's

big 

show

in 

Cincinnati Ohio.

I have been able to make a few runs to the bookstore...

and Ken and I found this amazing park just a few miles 

from the house...

that we sat around and enjoyed one afternoon...

He snapped a picture of me reading my Peace and Plenty book...

Beautiful Spring at the Park!

I was reading a great book at Barnes the other day...

titled...

The Happiness Project!

One thought from it...

It is more important the things done on a daily small basis...

rather than one grand gesture.

Hmmm...

Walk a little each day...

Meditate a little each day...

Eat right....all day long....

Work on a project just a little bit each day...

This has been my ponderings...

I think it will make a difference

if I can be more disciplined

and think  in this kind of mindset!

So off ...

to do the little things...

John'aLee