Accidents Happen

My blog has a whole new look! I was trying to download a
new background this afternoon and accidentally reverted to
a classic template. Oh well. It will take me a while to
replace all the fun stuff that was on the side bar.


update: I found a template that restored all my items, but
it is not one I am going to stick with- I need to figure
this out!

Until next time,
Moorea

Arizona Cross Block

Well, it's a little after one am here, and I just finished a
mock-up of a block I designed that will go into my southwestern
quilt. It may be a very common design and have a name, but I
am going to call it Arizona Cross, as it will go on point
and look somewhat like a Catholic cross from that area. I cannot
believe the points came out so beautifully. This machine has
made my confidence soar! I always thought it was me that could
not get the points to match- but this is the fist time I have
pieced with this new machine and look how it turned out! I did
not have to undo one point to redo it! WOW!


I flanked it with the beautiful fabric Aunty Ruthie sent.
It is so soft and of such quality! I cannot wait to set
it next to the beautiful blocks.


You can see the color looks better with the fabrics.
It is slight, but it sure does make a difference!


The turquoise fabric on the left is the one I will be
using- it is just a tich darker and matches better with
the turquoise found throughout all the other fabrics.
You can see how bright is in the mock-up block. It's
just too bright for my liking. Playing with the half
blocks was so much fun. I had about 5 designs, but
none of them was southwestern enough. This one is perfect!

Surprise!

I received a box in the mail Monday from a dear friend of my
Mom's in Honolulu- Aunty Connie! She generously sent me the
scraps of old sewing projects she and her daughter worked on
in sewing classes. I just lOvE scraps- they make my world go
'round! I part and parceled them out into various projects,
OK- a fEw dOZeN projects, if truth be told. Don't look at me
like tHaT!!! Oh sorry- I now it see it is a look of agreement-
you have a few dozen quilt projects stashed away too!


Oh La La -This one was one of my faves, and there was about
a yard of it- I'll put it into the "purple quilt" stash of
course! There were some tone on tones and some cute yardages
that could become pieced backings. I am going to cut up the
small scraps for my Bonnie's Scrap User System (BSUS):0)

It does my heart good to have new fabric in the stash- there
was a turquoise piece that inspired me to work on my South West Quilt design and I'll post the block I
designed a little later this week.

Decorative Sampler & Heirloom Stitching

It was recommended at my last sewing class that I make a sampler
of all the decorative stitches my machine can do. I had so
much fun making this- and it will definitely come in handy
because some of the stitches do not look like their picture
at all!



We also did something so interesting- heirloom stitching.
All you need is a wing needle and linen or 100% cotton fabric.
I cannot wait to do some little project using this technique.
Here are some links so you can see fabulous examples:
Janice Henning's Heirloom Stitches
Gina Butler


You can see how the needle flares out- that is what makes
the holes so big. order one on ebay here.