Another Double 4 Patch

A while back I made a Double 4 Patch for our friends that are the parents of our god-children. The inspiration came from Wanda the Exuberant Color Lady (click here to see her version)  I had some pieces left over and thought I'd use them up.  Of course, I had to cut some new pieces to add to the quilt.  Well, here's a photo.

Hace más que un año hice un quilt "Double 4 Patch" para unos amigos que son los padres de nuestros ahijados.  La inspiración vino de Wanda la mujer de color viviente (haga click aquí para ver la versiónsuya).  Tuve unos trocitos extra y tuve ganas de usar los.  Claro, tuve que cortar unos pedazos nuevos.  Pues, aquí está la foto.

Música Marimba

I'm in group that makes these small quilts each couple of months.  One person will pick a theme and we will make our expression of the theme.  Last fall there was an exhibit of our little quilts at a quilt show that Wendy, one of the ladies in our group helps it organize, here in Mexico.  At the time of the show there were 3 people in our group.  After the show more people joined our effort.  I don't really know how many without checking, I think we gained 6 ladies.   I picked the first theme.  It was Sun and Sand.  My friend, Janet, in Mérida, picked the second theme of Morning.  And Wendy picked the third theme which was Dessert.  Those three themes rendered 9 little quilts and those were the ones exhibited. Click here  to see the 9 little quilts.  Next the picking came back to me and I picked the theme Music.  The little quilts had to be completed by March 1st.  I'm not sure but I don't think that they are all finished.  I finished mine March first.  My Music theme was inspired by several visits to a particular restaurant in Panajachel, Guatemala.

There is enormous restaurant competition in this little tourist town.  And restaurants come and go each visit that we make.  But this one came to our attention because there was a Marimba Band playing.  Unusual as you might think, Marimba is a very popular musical form in the area and we have seen many Marimba Bands.  And we really like the music.  But we have never seen a female Marimba band.  That is what caught our attention in this restaurant and we were drawn in.  The owner is a very amiable man and one night we chatted with him about the band.  I had noticed some facial similarities and we asked if the man was related to the 3 lady musicians.  He told us that 2 of the young ladies were his daughters and that the third was his niece.  He continued the story.  It seems that the restaurant was barely making enough trade to stay in business.  His daughters and niece hatched the idea that they would take Marimba lessons and then play in the restaurant to attract customers.  Well, they were all in their mid twenties and had never played any musical instrument.  So, we found it completely amazing that in 2 years time they were able to learn and begin performing in the restaurant.  And the whole scheme worked.  The music hooks the people into coming in and they sit down and listen and at first they order drinks and then before you know it they are returning and ordering not only drinks but meals.  Now they get tour buses that bring customers specifically for the whole package!  Business is great!

Cuando mi esposo y yo fuimos de vacaciones el otoño pasado supe que le toca a mí para escoger el próximo tema por el Proyecto 8 X 11.  No pude pensar en nada.  Pero cuando estuvimos en un restaurante favorito la idea me agarró.  Este restaurante es extra especial porque allá tocan música marimba.  Pero la cosa extra ordinaria es las músicas son mujeres, Marimba normalmente es tocado por hombres, que lo he visto.  Y su historia también es interesante.  El dueño del restaurante tiene enorme cantidad de competencia.  Sus hijas y su sobrina que nunca tocaron música antes llegaron a la idea de aprender de tocar música marimba para atraer clientes al restaurante.  Y adentro de 2 años lograron a aprender este arte y tocan en el restaurante.   Y por esto el restaurante tiene mucho más clientes y ha realizado más éxito que nunca.  Cada vez estamos en Panajachel, Guatemala, pasamos por este Restaurante y disfrutamos la música con unas chelas y botanas.  Así que, la idea del tema de Música me agarró durante esta visita a este alegre restaurante. 

One Block Wonder

It's Finished!!!

Letters / Letras

Julie, Because you asked for it!!  Here are my letters photographed on a sheet of computer paper with a ruler.....I don't think I can get them any smaller!  The first photo, these letters are too big for my purpose.  The second photo, I could use smaller letters but I just can't sew that small.....so they are going to have to do.  This is a teaser for my quilt of the 8" x 11" project....the theme: MUSIC......

 Julie quiso ver mis letras.  Saqué las fotos encima de una hoja de papel con una regla para ver el tamaño de las letras.  Las primeras letras son demasiado grande para el uso mio.  Sería mejor si las letras en la foto segunda podría ser más chico pero más chico es impossible.  Tengo que userlas como están.  Voy a usar letras en el nuevo proyecto para el  8" x 11" grupo.  El tema:  MUSICA.

Free Motion Quilt Along....Late Start

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!  But better late than NEVER!!  Leah Day is hosting a "Free Motion Quilt Along".  As I understand it, each week of 2012 there will be a new free motion quilting exercise offered by Leah Day (http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2012/01/lets-start-new-project.html) and then we can link from our blogs to Leah Day's blog and show the work that we have done so all that are participating can see each others work.  I wanted to participate in these exercises since I first learned of them but, me being me, I procrastinated.  Until yesterday.  Grabbing the laptop and making a mad dash for my sewing room (known to me as "Sewingville")  I locked myself in for a fun afternoon.  I watched  Leah's video and watched it again (oh why didn't I scroll down the page?  I'll never know).  First I took my messy cheater quilt bat that I use to get tension correct and to practice a little before working on a "real" quilt project and I practiced a bit on that nasty messy thing - I really filled it up with horrible U's.  Then I found some old poly/cotton fabric that I'm sure I'll never want for any other projects (at least I think I never will want it/until I used it and then, me being me, I thought, "Oh I could find a use for it someday." Then I slapped myself.  I've owned this fabric since my beginning days of quilting when it was near impossible to find any halfway suitable fabric for quilting projects down here in México and I'd buy just about anything if I thought it had potential.)  Ok, so I used that terrible fabric with some terrible thread.  Hey, it was good practice.  THEN I batted up a yard or more of white Bramante (it's fabric that is used for sheets down here - it's not like percale in United States sheets).  I use it sometimes for hand dyeing when I can't find good muslin for dyeing.  Anyway, I have a butt load of it.  Bramante is pretty inexpensive (another plus).  I batted it using flannel for batting (also inexpensive).  Following Leah's suggestions I marked lines 3" part across the fabric and off I went practicing making U shapes and Lobster Claws and all that fun stuff.  The flannel it very flimsy and limp and keeping the sample flat was a challenge.  But I did get the hang of moving my hands along to keep up the quilting.  My first U's weren't too great - the flimsiness was a hampering my progress.  But I have to say by the end of the exercise I saw improvement!!  Another note:  I mentioned I did not scroll down the page after the video lesson.  I was confused.  The first modified U shapes after just making the big U's and the half sized U's, I understood to be shapes like the Lobster Claws following the video BUT scrolling down I saw that the first modification of the U shape was more like Leah said "a Peace Sign".  There was still room on my fabric sampler to practice the Peace Signs.  Over all it was a great day of quilting.  One thing.....my foot pedal to my sewing machine was acting up to I used the pedal-less option on my sewing machine and that was OK too.

Hola amigas en español.  Esta es un “post” muy largo y tengo miedo que mi español no es suficiente para traducir todo.  PERO, voy a darles el reporte en breve. 

Hay una mujer, Leah Day, que tiene un blog dedicada a quilting manos libres.  La dirección es:  http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/p/start-here.html.  Este año ella tiene una meta.  Leah nos da lecciones en manos libres cada semana.  Las lecciones empezó el principio de enero.  Estoy tarde en empezar pero ayer hice la primera lección.  La lección fue dedicada en hacer la forma de U y figuras usando la forma de U.  Fue difícil para empezar.  Hice dos intentos antes para practicar que no voy a mostrar a nadie.  Aquí muestro fotos del último intento.     

 ABove are the first U's (with the Peace Signs I added at the end of the exercise above the U's - Don't we always need more practice space?). The half sized U's are below the big U's and then you can see the Lobster Claws below the half sized U's.    Arriba, los primeros U's grandes (con los "Peace Signs" que hice al fin del exercico) abajo de los U's grandes son los U's de tamaño mitad de los U's grandes.  Mas abajo una forma que se llama "Garra de Langosta".

 More U's / Más U's

 Here the shape called "Lobster Claw" going in different directions / Aquí más "Garras de Langosta" corriendo en direciones differentes

 Below more Lobster Claws you can see my Peace Signs.  Here they are shown running up and down.  The Yellow lines are 3" part.  En esta foto, más "Garras de Langosta" y abajo pueden ver los "Peace Signs".  Las liñas armarillas, Hay 3 pulgadas entre cada uno.

 Here I want to show the improvement I made in making the Big U's.  Much better than before!.  /  Aquí quiere mostrar como mejoré en el hecho de los U's Grandes.  ¡Mucho mejor que antes!

 Showing off more of the Big U's. /  Chuleando más de los U's Grandes.

Here I'm showing the stippling......it's the best stippling I've ever done!! YEAH!! Thanks Leah Day!!! /  Aquí quiero mostrar el "stippling"....¡¡¡es lo mejor que he hecho!!!  ¡¡Maraviosa!!  ¡¡¡Gracias Leah Day!!!

 More stippling / Más Stippling

Christmas Booty

 These books were brought to me at Christmas.  There is one more book that I received dedicated to making liberated letters as well but I didn't get it in the photo.

Recibí estos libros por Navidad.  Hay un otro dedicada a las letras pero no saqué una foto.

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I had to try my hand at one of the easiest blocks in the "Liberated Quiltmaking II" book.  I didn't spend too much time making these blocks as I was anxious to get on with my current project that was up on my design wall - The One Block Wonder - made from the border fabric previously posted here.  (I don't know how to make links to the subject - SORRY)

Tuve que probar unos bloques en el libro "Liberated Quiltmaking II".  No gasté mucho tiempo con estos bloques.  Quise regresar al proyecto de The One Block Wonder que puse en este blog hace un tiempo.  (No se como hacer un "link" a la página de este quilt - LO SIENTO)

I also got this ruler.....to make cutter the hexagons for the One Block Wonder more easy.  Of course, I had to try this little baby out too!!  So I cut up the fabric below to make another One Block Wonder.  I not sure but MAYBE these shapes are too uniform to make a really interesting quilt but the pieces are cut and the blocks are sown.....I've yet to put them up on my design wall.  They wait for more inspiration.

También esta regla vino.....esta regla es para hacer más fácil el cortando de los hexágonos para el quilt One Block Wonder.  Por supuesto, tuve que probarlo.  Corté la tela en la foto abajo para otro quilt de One Block Wonder.  No estoy segura pero quizás esta tela no es tan buena porque las formas en la tela podría ser demasiada uniforme para rendir algo interesante.  Pues, toda esta cortada y los bloques son hechos.  Todavía tengo que ponerlos en mi pared de diseño.  Los bloques están guardados y esperando inspiración.

HEY HEY the Milky Way Quilt is finished!!!

Big Surprise!!!  I'm back!  There are just never enough hours in the day and it seems the blog is the first thing to put to the side when I'm in a pinch for time.  The Milky Way did get finished for my Christmas gifting giving goal but wouldn't you believe that I forgot to take photos?  Well, it's true.  Luckily my friends that are in charge of delivering the quilt took photos so now I can post them.  I really love the back of this quilt - OK I'm rather fond of the front too.  This is my first attempt at making letters…..I see lots of possibilities for using letters in the future.   It was a fun quilt to make and I cut out enough pieces to make 2 more of this design when the spirit moves me!!

¡Sorpresa!  ¡Regresé!  Nunca hay suficiente horas en el día,  Parece que la primera cosa que dejo es este blog cuando el tiempo corre corta.  Terminé el quilt Milky Way en tiempo para mandarlo como regalo de Navidad PERO se me olvidó a sacar fotos.  Mis amigos que están en cargado de entregar el quilt sacaron fotos así que puedo mostrarles las fotos ahora.  Me gusta mucho la espalda de este quilt.  Fue la primera vez que hice letras y son muy divertidos a hacer.  Me disfruté trabajando en este quilt y corté suficiente piezas para hacer dos más de esto diseños cuando tengo ganas de hacerlo.