Today in the Studio Classroom

At the Piecing with Poppers Quilting Center...

Student Carol and I worked on her Disappearing Hour Glass Quilt.  We have 12 blocks completed so far.  But it is a visual challenge to make sure that nothing gets turned around.

Looks like we failed on one block. Can you find it?

We will have to take it out during our next class.

This quilt uses two layer cakes, one print and one solid.  Of course, you can use yardage, but layer cakes are so easy.  Hop on over to you tube and check out the video from the Missouri Star Quilt Company.  Jenny Doan does a great job, as usual, explaining how to make this block.

Just be careful not to switch a piece around!

October 15, 2014 and The Endless Summer

At the risk of sounding like the weatherman, I am going to comment on the weather again today.

At 3:43 PM the temperature in my home town was 75 degrees Farenheit!  In Mid October!

I spent the afternoon with the windows and screen door open, trying to catch the breeze as I did a bit of sewing.  Once again, it was too breezy to stitch on the deck, so this arrangement was appropriate.

I did not accomplish as much as I had hoped to be able to do.  But anything finished is a good afternoon sewing, 75 degrees or not.

One tote bag completed.  

  

To "match" student Suzanne's creation from last week's open sew class on Friday.

Stop by and visit some afternoon during open sew.  You will be able to see my tote bag made from my decorator friend's last season's sample catalogues.  Remember the classroom is open to all sewers and their UFO's and assorted projects on Monday evenings and Thursday and Friday afternoons.

I also worked on a very wide strip set which will go into my Scrappy Bargello quilt.  This pattern is another freebie from Bonnie Hunter and can be found under the free patterns tab on her website at Quiltville.com. Not too much left to do on this quilt.

Until next time....

October 14, 2014

Once again the weather does not realize that it is October.  75 degrees at 3:21 PM in the afternoon.  Mostly sunny, but with a fairly brisk breeze.  Too brisk to sew on the deck, but mild enough to enjoy the weather outdoors

I am sitting on the deck listening to the sounds of leaf blowers and lawn mowers with leaf catcher bags attached, doing their typical fall thing picking up the leaves.  Not too long ago, my posts from the deck spoke of music from the neighbors party.  Now the music is the song of the leaf blower.

Autumn is progressing, but taking today to give us one last reminder of the summer of 2014.

Enjoy the afternoon and the mild temperatures if you are in the northeast.  Nature will remind us very soon that it is, after all, October.

Accomplishments at the Studio

And a look around.

Here are a few shots of the classroom with some of my creations on display.

Today's accomplishments include completing the top of this "Yellow Brick Road",

 putting up "Trails End" on the design wall.  I still need to decide if I like the arrangement or not.  That will percolate in my brain until tomorrow .

And finally one completed string block and another left under the needle until tomorrow's sewing.

A good day at Island Creations by Louise Studio!

Revisiting an old friend

I happened to pick up Sally Schneider's 1994 book "Scrap Mania, More Quick Pieced Scrap Quilts" this afternoon.  Several of the quilts called to me.  At the risk of starting another UFO, I picked a block which utilized 2" strips.

I have been trying to cut my scraps into useable pieces, so the two inch bucket had a good selection available.  In addition, I also have another small bin with lots of two inch squares.

As a result, it took me about five minutes to choose my squares and to cut my four 2 inch by 5 inch background squares.  Then another 15 minutes to piece the block.  By the way it took me that long to sew the block because I fit it in between piecing two "Pineapple Crazy" blocks.  Or maybe I pieced the "Pineapple Crazy" blocks in between the "Catherine Wheels" block from Sally's book.

Either way, in about 15 minutes, I had two "Pineapple Crazy" blocks, one "Catherine Wheels" and just for good measure one pinwheel with several half square triangles cut from the corners of the "Pineapple Crazy" blocks.

I love having "Leader and Ender" projects readily available.  I love have a system to manage my scraps.

And I love having a library of old favorites.

The next block in Sally' s book is a fifteen inch "Burgoyne Surrounded" block which uses 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 inch strips.  That one is definitely calling my name!

Only trouble is that this block will take longer than 15 minutes and I am done for the night.

Maybe tomorrow?