Orca Bay top is complete!

If I didn't feel so sick, I would be doing some cartwheels!  I wasn't sure about the outer border for a while, but after some quick opinions from quilty friends, I decided on a thin outer border.  I imagine it will make quilting easier without all of the seams on the edge.

I will be machine quilting this one.  I will be looking for a semi-dense design that will not overpower all of the piecing.  Ideas are welcome!

I am thankful to my blog friends who have helped me along the way!  Thank you for your encouragement and fabric scraps!!

Natasha

Orca Bay: Step 2365243.25

Hey all!  Just giving the next update on my Orca Bay project.  I am almost done with the top!  A friend suggested I go with flying geese.  I wanted the border to be dynamic, so I used the rest of my grays to radiate from nearly white to solid black.  I love it!  Since this picture was taken, I was able to sew the two long side sewn down and get the final two sides completely assembled.  I just don't know what to throw in the corners.  I need something that is 4.5" square.  The outer border will be 4" wide and will be the same deep plum fabric you see.

Now for the stash report.

I purchased 3 yards last week for the Orca Bay border and used 2.5 yards of it.  I also purchased 5 fat quarters for my english paper pieced quilt.  I needed yellows and greens.

Stash Report

Used this Week: 2.5
Used year to Date: 24 yards
Added this Week: 4.25

Added Year to Date: 21.75 yards
Net Used for 2012: 2.25 yards

UFOs (Charlotte's Baskets, Orca Bay)

 

Please check out Judy's Patchwork Times for more stash reporting!

Orca Bay Check-in and Stash Report

I am so excited to show you a finished center!  I spent an hour ironing pressing the top, and am ready to share it with you!

Normally I am not brave enough to show the back of a quilt.  You can't hide things!  I am pretty happy with the seams/seam allowance.  I think it would have been a sight a few years ago had I tried to make this quilt then.  I have come a long way with consistency and a better 1/4 inch seam since then!

No more stalling.  Here it is!

This is one of the "this-looks-even-better-in-person quilts!"  As I have stated before, I do not plan on using Bonnie Hunter's borders.  I am thinking of a few options.  All options will include a small black resting border I think.

1:  Piano keys.  Can't go wrong with piano key borders!

2.  Flying geese.  I am thinking a mid purple with the inner triangle moving from a gray to black and back again.  I could also just keep with a black and white print instead

3.  solid border.  I could find a funky print that includes purples and grays.

4.  Solid border, four patches (purples and grays?) then solid border.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Finally, here is my stash report.  I am including fabric used in the art quilt.

Stash Report

Used this Week: 1.25
Used year to Date: 21.50 yards
Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date: 17.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: 4 yards

 

UFOs (Charlotte's Baskets, Orca Bay, Art Quilt)

 

Check out Judy's site, Patchwork Times, for more stash reporting!





Chugging along (Stash Report)

I rewarded myself after making good progress on a research paper by working on some quilt assembly.

I am assembling both the Orca Bay quilt along with the 4-squared baby quilt.  It makes things go by so much faster!  I can't say enough about chain piecing!



I have 10 out of the 13 16-patches (finished at 8") needed.  As for Orca Bay, I still have a long way to go!

Stash Report

I have used fabric, but am waiting to count it until I have finished 4-Squared.  Perhaps that will offer an incentive!  I purchased a little bit of fabric when I was in Maine, including a lovely little scrap bag with yards of fabric (largely batiks) for only 12.00!  I am still hovering close to zero, so I am happy with my stash-busting progress.  If I can just finish something, I will be back in black!

Stash Report

Used this Week: 0
Used year to Date: 15.5 yards
Added this Week: 3
Added Year to Date: 17.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: -1.75 yards

UFOs (Charlotte's Baskets, Orca Bay, Wooden Bear July Mini, 4-Squared)

 

Check out Judy's site, Patchwork Times, for more stash reporting!



Quilt-in-a-Box

Orca Bay that is!  I gave a big sigh once I finished the last string block, thanks in part to the help of many of my blog friends!  Here they are, all 72!

I suppose this pile of fabric and thread will someday soon make a quilt.

Just as a teaser, this is a sneak peak of what is to come.  I have a feeling this is going to be a new favorite!



For now, Orca Bay will be in a box.  I am starting to kit up a vacation project because I really only can do handwork.  I hope to have this pieced by mid July and ready for quilting!

One last step....

It seems like the flying geese were the hardest part of Orca Bay.  It seemed to take forever, and great care was needed to prevent making wonky blocks.  They are now finished and I like how they look!  It truly took nearly every last piece of black fabric I had, minus a bit of yardage for the binding.



I have ONE more step before assembly.  It helps that I will not be doing the border on the original Orca Bay.  I am not sure what I am going to do exactly.  I will wait and see what the center looks like to get an idea.  The last step for me will be making the 3.5" string blocks.  There are 72, and I now have about 31 complete!

There is one potential problem.  I may run out of grays.  I didn't have many to begin with and lacked a ton of variety, but I wanted to use the color anyway.  I need to decide if I am going to chance not having enough or I may need to visit some shops.  Gray isn't a popular color around here!  Gray fabrics are trendy right now, but my LQS's don't carry a lot of super trendy fabrics.  There aren't many modern quilters around here!  I seem to like to be last minute in my choices, so one way or another I will get the job done.  I want to get this baby together!!!

One last thing.  The next hexie quilt is in the planning stages!  I ordered a Creative Memories hexie punch from eBay and will be sharing some pictures and ideas with you once that happens!  Do any of you have a Creative Memories hexie punch out there?

Happy Quilting!  You guys are awesome!



More of the Same

I have been enjoying looking at the many quilts posted in the 2011 Blogger's Quilt Festival.  Some real beauties are linked!

 

This weekend, my plans for sewing were thwarted by our next home improvement project.  This is the before picture.  We are replacing that ugly brown paneling with real pine wainscot.  As I type, the wall shown is complete (minus trim), and the walls are spackled and almost ready to paint.  The power is out in the room, so any pictures I take now will be really dark.  Do you notice the silly kiddo in pajamas and road crew hat?!?  Angus is supervising...Or dusting with his tail..I don't know.

 

 

 

The final result will be totally worth the dust and paint! I will post more pictures as we move along.  It is slow going, but the room will be so nice to sit and relax in when complete.

 

As far as sewing goes, I am still working on the Ohio Stars in the Orca Bay project.  I have about 13 left to do. 

 

 

The stash report sees no change.  I am getting annoyed seeing that Wooden Bear pattern listed every week.  Perhaps that means I will finally quilt and finish it?!?

 

 

Stash Report

Used this Week: 0
Used year to Date: 15.5 yards
Added this Week: 0
Added Year to Date: 14.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: 1 yards

UFOs (Charlotte's Baskets, Orca Bay, Wooden Bear July Mini)

 

Visit Judy's Patchwork Times for more stash busting!

Oh my Ohio Stars!

My design wall-- er--cutting mat!

After a final pitch to finish the hourglass blocks last night, I can finally start to see things come together!  This morning, I piled up my pile of hourglass blocks, as well as the neutral and dark squares to begin the ohio star blocks.

I have not yet begun the gray string blocks, but I wanted to start to see SOMETHING come together as motivation to keep trucking along!

The other day, my Uncle's chickens hatched from their incubated eggs.  I think there were 14 all together.  My kids were so excited.  Here they are having a visit with a baby chick!

View from my ironing board

Progress is slow, but I am inching along with my hourglass blocks.  Orca Bay is a beautiful, scrappy quilt, but you have work for it!!!

I am not quite halfway done yet.  I managed to put together 100 pairs yesterday in short time and hope to have more done by the end of the week.  I look forward to some of the block assembly!

In other news, my poor iron has had enough.  It was a cheapo and had begun to leak some time ago, but it still worked well for a $10.00 iron!  Today, however, it saw its last hourglass piece!

More Orca Bay (Stash report)

I now have more than 250 black and white HSTs complete!  All of the wing triangles are cut as well.

Since I am doing everything out of order, I am next going to tackle the 200+ Hourglass blocks.  I will see you on the other side!

In other quilty news, I will hopefully be planning a new baby quilt (or two) for a friend who has recently gone through IVF!  She is going to her first ultrasound in about a week so perhaps I will know more then!  I am hoping for two little peanuts!

Nothing new in this week's stash report.  I doubt I will report much soon because of the work I need to do with Orca Bay!  I am still very happy with the overall fabric usage.  The net used number will surely be higher by the end of the summer.

Stash Report

Used this Week: 0

Used year to Date: 15.5 yards
Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date: 8.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: 7 yards

UFOs (Charlotte's Baskets, Orca Bay, Wooden Bear July Mini)

One of these days I need to finish that Wooden Bear mini.  It is almost done, after all!  Please check out Judy's Patchwork Times for more stash busting!

Orca Bay and a Stash Report

I finally have one of the Orca Bay steps complete!

Yesterday, I also began to cut black and white strips out in preparation for the mounds of hourglass and HST blocks I need to do.  I have counted that in my stash report.  Has anyone out there seen a purple, black, grey, and white Orca Bay?  I have no idea how it is going to look!  I guess that is my one benefit from waiting until AFTER the mystery to start!

Stash Report

 

Used this Week: 5

Used year to Date: 15.5 yards
Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date: 8.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: 7 yards

UFOs (Charlotte's Baskets, Orca Bay, Wooden Bear July Mini)