Arcadia Reveal!

What a FUN day!

We spent 6 months making 

the blocks for Arcadia Avenue.

We spent 6 months watching each other 

complete blocks, 

each looking SO very different!

We spent 6 months

laughing,

unsewing,

solving problems,

sharing successes,

and getting to know each other!

SO...

it is only fitting we should 

get together and show our completed top or quilt!

Zoom in on this picture...

The background of this quilt is polka dots

and pulls in each color in the blocks!

FABULOUS!

This quilt is similar to my original.,.

but the colors in the blocks are a little different. 

It SO cheerful!

BEAUTIFUL!

LOOK at this!!!

She wanted to make her quilt larger!

So, 4 blocks were repeated,

and sashing was added between the rows!

This is now like 89x100ish!

GREAT JOB!!!

The only Arcadia quilt quilted and completed!

WOOHOO!!!

Don't you just love these colors!!!

This quilts seems to dance...and I personally LOVE it!

FANTASTIC!

Isn't it amazing how different each of these quilts are!?

These blocks are really showcased by the background!

SUPER JOB!

Here is my original Arcadia!

And here is the sampler I made for class.
Only 6 blocks were completed...
And I used a totally different color scheme!
Pink and Orange!
Each block has a different Pink and Orange! 

I'll get the rest of the boarders on
and complete this.
I'm thinking of quilting this one Modern!

This is a FUN project!
It was SO FUN to see everyone's
Arcadia come to life
with it's OWN personality!

Class was a BLAST!
Thank you Ladies!
For letting me be part of your  project!

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina

Accuquilt Take 5 die quilt

Accuquilt Take 5 die quilt

Last week I showed you the pictures of the quilt 

I cut out with this new Take 5 die

I just ordered.

From each fabric you get 

1 - 8.5" square

1 - 8.5" x 4.5" rectangle

3 - 4.5" squares

These are the 12 fabrics I'm starting with.

I added the 4.5" quarter square triangle die,

and the 1.5" half square triangle die 

(but I don't have enough of these 1.5" to use!)

Since the Take 5 die cuts everything completely,

I made the 4.5" quarter square triangles first.

Now all the pieces can be put together

any way you choose!

Here are most of the blocks...

There are a few not photographed.

I got 18 blocks total.

I need 20 blocks!

I'll have to see if I can find more 

of any of these fabrics.

They were purchased last year...

but I do have the salvage edges.

I love how this quilt looks SO

much more complicated than it really is!

You'll see more when it gets all put together!

(Have to find more fabric first.)

Have fun using your die cutter!

sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina

My new favorite

Falling more in love with my 

Accuquilt Studio die cutter everyday!

I just purchased a new Studio die

Take 5 - #50223

This finishes as a 12" block

I took 12 fat quarters,

divided them in 2 sets of 6 layers,

(even though I can cut 8 layers at once!)

What do you get per fabric cut of each fabric?

1 - 8 1/2" square

1 - 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle

3 - 4 1/2" squares

Then...

there's enough left to cut 

ONE more of the 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle.

BUT WAIT!

There's so much more you can cut 

with the left over fabrics!

Since this die finishes 12" square,

I used die #50365

Quarter Square - 4" finished triangles.
(3 of these will make a 12" strip.)

This 4" finished block will also replace the

 4" finished block on the Take 5 die,

so this gives more options in design!

THEN,

there's still little scraps left...

YES!

We can cut those too!!!

Using die #50771

Half Squares - 1 1/2" finished.
(8 of these make a 12" strip.)

These little 1 1/2" squares can be

 added in as little rows between the big blocks

for interest.

Here are the cuts from those 2 dies.

These are the 12 fat quarters used for

 this quilt for my daughter.

She's going to be so excited!

I used this die the other day 

to make a baby quilt.

It took 15 minutes to cut out!

2 hours to sew blocks!

(NO TRIMMING!)

1 1/2 hours to lay out and sew top together!

EVERYTHING was ACCURATE!!!!!

This is 7 fat quarters
36" x 44"
(I might add a 3" boarder...)

I LOVE how the die cuts are 

SO accurate and speed up the sewing process!

No trimming!

No guess work!

No cutting dog ears!

I'll post the progress of making this quilt...

Sew the pieces of life together..

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina 

Ice Dying!

Look what my Art Group did!!!

We ICE DYED!!!

THIS is FUN!!!!

We each brought our own fabric,

some brought scraps,

some brought yardage,

some brought a little,

some brought a lot.

We each brought our own containers,

We shared the expense of the dies,

We ALL had Amazing fabrics!!!

All the dye colors lined up and labeled...

Fabric in, ice on, dies on top, sealed and ready for travel home!

My purple ice died fabric!

My blue ice died fabric!

My red/pink ice died fabric!

Isn't this COOL?

ALL I did was pinch up the middle,

twist it around,

lay it in the tray, ice, and dye.

My other red/pink fabric...

One of these was reds with a little yellow,

the other one was pinks with a little yellow.

I can't tell the difference now!

This fabric was folded before it was put in the tray...

ISN'T IT GREAT!?!

Now,

I need to come up with a project

or quilt to make with all these fabulous fabrics!

Ice dying was LOADS of fun!!!

SUPER simple!!!

You should try it!!!!

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina  

Sorry I've been absent!

I'm a care taker for my Dad.

For those of you out there who are care takers....

I pray for you!!!

For those of you who don't know this world...

It's TOTAL sacrifice of self!

Pray for those you know,

and don't know,

who are care takers!

Better yet,

take one to lunch, 

bring her dinner, 

bring her a treat,

and always give her a loving hug!

I'm having to put my Dad into a nursing home,

which means touring them, (time!)

and I'm having to file for his Medicaid.

This is a LOT of work!!!

PLEASE,

listen to this ONE thing....

go see an 

ELDER CARE ATTORNEY!

If your parents are still young,

Medicaid goes back 5 years right now,

(they are campaigning for 7).

You still have time to protect their assets 

they've worked so hard for all their lives!

Your parents want YOU to have it!!!

NOT the Government!!!

THEN,

put your stuff in order with the 

ELDER CARE ATTORNEY!!!

PLEASE!!!

I can't tell you how important this is!

My husband and I will be doing this soon!!!

We DON'T want our kids to go through 

what we've been through these past 4 years!!!

PLEASE!!!

ELDER CARE ATTORNEY!!!

Do this for YOU!!!!

Thanks for listening...

Happy quilting!!!

Nina

Paducha 2016!

Paducah Quilt Show 2016!

WOOHOO!!!

This was my first time EVER!

What a FUN experience!

AMAZING quilts!

WONDERFUL vendors!

YES!

I was EXCITED!!!

Paducah is a BEAUTIFUL quaint little town!!!

So,

It was GREAT FUN being in Paducah!!!

But,

I was there to help a friend of mine who was a vendor.

She hand dies ALL this fabric!

COTTON fabric,

BAMBOO fabric,

RAYON fabric,

RADIANCE fabric,

Wide backs,

Yarns,

Bed sheet sets...

ALL ARE GORGEOUS!!!!! 

We were in the Dome...

a really cool structure!

This is the inside of it...

And here is her booth ALL set up!

Rayon, Bamboo, Silk, wide backs!

Just think of ALL the beautiful clothes

you could make with these fabrics!

Cottons!

Oh, the quilts that await!

I have made some beautiful quilts with this cotton fabric!!!

Here are some tops made from the Rayon, Bamboo, and Cotton.

Yarns!

I'm not a knitter, but these yarns are well thought out,

The color changes are not too short, 

this way you actually get some of the color as each change.  

If it's too short, it ends up looking like confetti.

We had a FUN week!

Quilters are an AMAZING group of people!!!

Look for us next year!

In the Bubble, or Dome.

Center isle, toward the back.

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina Clotfelter

Here Fishy, Fishy!

OH MY!

This was SO much FUN!!!

I was in Abita Springs, Lousiana

teaching at

Sew This! quilt shop.

This is a GREAT quilt shop!

If you live within an hour or 2,

it's WELL worth the drive!

Sew This! quit shop is full of sweet ladies who work there!

Anyway...

Sew This! is a Bernina dealer and they have 

the Q20 just sitting there on the floor.

I couldn't resist it!

I HAD to take a test run!

There was this crazy fishy just calling my name!

So, I put a small purple boarder,

and larger stripped boarder..

Then...

Started quilting away!

This Bernin Q20 is AMAZING!

Now, let me tell you ...

I only own an older Bernina 1260.

Not a newer fancy Bernina.

  I do not have a stitch regulator for my 1260,

so I'm not accustom to a stitch regulator. 

I used the MANUAL mode on the Bernina  Q20!

(Even though there are 3 built in stitch regulators!)

(Close up of whole fish)

See how I just followed the lines?

This was simply FUN and mindless!!

This edge was also an area where the design was followed.

The blue background simply called for water...you think?

So I combined water with circles for a fun water effect!

Since Sew This! was going to take this to a quilt show for a sample,

the owner told me to sign it.

Can you see it in the purple boarder?

I also wrote what machine and mode this was quilting on.

I know it doesn't show very well,

but I'm okay with that.

That way the shop can use it as a good sample

without my name being over powering.

Here's and IDEA...

This is also a great way to practice on your free motion quilting!

We ALL have fabric in our stash we wonder...

"Why did I buy this?"

Take that fabric,

sandwich it up,

and QUILT IT!

Follow the designs on the fabric to learn control

and just relax and have fun with the practice!

 Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina Clotfelter

Road Trip Project hanging

Road Trip Project

Is on DISPLAY

at

Univ. of South Alabama Library 3rd floor!!!

What a FANTASTIC DISPLAY!!!

Great job EVERYONE!!!

There are 23 squares on display,

each is 20" x 20",

finished with a facing.

We could do whatever we wanted,

as long as the road was going from side to side of our piece.

Some of us had to make our road 

going from 4" to 2",

others were the opposite. 

Isn't it cool how everyone did something so very different?

I LOVE to see creativity!!!

Let your creativity shine!!!

Go with it!

Follow it!!!

Let go of the fear!!!

"Just do it!"

Sew the pieces of life together!

The make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!!!!

Nina Clotfelter

The Grass Is NOT Greener On The Other Side - Completed!

The Grass Is NOT Greener On The Other Side

Is Completed!!!

YAY!!!

This was a FUN project!

This little 20"x20" took a few turns...

You just never know!!!

Keep an OPEN mind!!!

ALWAYS!

Ok,

This was my original idea...

But...

That had to change as the road was too high.

(This is an end turning piece.)

So, the road was made to exit a LOT lower on the side.

THEN...

I had to figure out how to make the road go over the stream...

Here's a surprise...

Do you ever get your husband involved?

My husband asked if I could make the bridge dimensional...

Hhmmmm...

I found some leather scraps I had,

Cut them roughly with scissors,

now there's a bridge over the stream!

But...

How do I get dimension to it?

Add a curve!

NOPE!

Hubby wants it RAISED!

REALLY!!!

HOW???

Hmmm...

So,

Under the bridge slats, 

there are 2 pieces of leather to RAISE the bridge!

TADA!!!

Sweet Hubby LOVES it!

This project is hanging at

Univ. of South Alabama Library!

I hope to get there tomorrow to see it.

I'll post pictures!

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!!!

Nina Clotfelter