Bloggers, Crafters, Quilters, Painters: I Need Your Help

 I am working on an icon set for quilters/crafters (little graphics for use on web pages and blogs) What would you love to have in an icon set? examples: bobbins, cute little scissors, glue bottle, needle & thread, paint brush

What is an icon set you ask? from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_set 

A computer icon is a pictogram displayed on a computer screen in order to help user navigate a computer system or mobile device in a similar way traffic signs are used to help a driver navigate traffic; one of the most notable icon designers, Susan Kare was quoted saying "good icons should be more like road signs than illustrations, easily comprehensible, and not cluttered with extraneous detail".^[1]Desktop icons for file/data transfer, clock/awaiting, and running a program.
Icons are part of the graphical user interface and belong to the much larger topic of the history of the graphical user interface that has largely supplanted the text-based interface for casual use. The user can activate them using a mouse, pointer, finger, or recently voice commands. Their placement on the screen, also in relation to other icons, may provide further information to the user about their usage.^[2] In activating an icon, the user can move directly into and out of the identified function without knowing anything further about the location or requirements of the file or code.

Celtic Sosltice - Top Done!

I was up early, really early, this morning working on bookkeeping.  I was using a highlighter to mark things on the paypal records (usps or owner draw) and my highlighter died.  So I found a new pack in the drawer that said "scented highlighters"  And I thought oh must have been something weird Devin picked up for me.  They were so pretty, different colors and ooo scented too!  So I open the package and start sniffing the highlighters. And my thoughts ran something like this:  "That's weird..they just smell like..highlighters.  Wow..I got defective scented highlighters!!   I'm gonna write that company and get new highlighters that smell good!"  So I dig the packaging out of my trash and while looking for the company name, I notice this in big letters at the top of the package "ACCENT HIGHLIGHTERS"   

oh

nvm

need coffee...

in other news..

THE TOP IS DONE!!

I made a fish border.  All of my blues are either water related or have fish in them.  Those tri-recs just naturally wanted to be fish.

Diva guarding the fish.  You don't get to see her too often.  She's about 120 and doesn't like getting her photo taken.  

I made the fish by sewing the tri-recs together at random spots to make different size and shape fish.  Then I added enough blue to bring it back to 9.5 inches (what it would have been) 

I have thought about sending this off to be quilted.  I have never used a long arm quilter.  But I am afraid they will run away screaming when they see the back and all those little seams.  I tried to get them to lay flat, but they have a mind of their own.

All the leaders and enders done during CS!  Almost whole other quilts worth!

Leaders and enders are when you use the little piece of fabric that you use to keep your needle threaded and threads tamed to actually make something. 

Learn more about them here on Quiltville.

See the linky for other CS quilts here!

Monday Funny:

This is my cat, Chief.  He found an entire bag of catnip.  Enough said.

Celtic Solstice - Putting it together

(Sorry for the double post of this post.  I had to re-publish it to get the comments to work. )

Smuagette (aka Annabelle) guarding her treasure!

I got all the blocks put together.  I ended up with these three blocks.  

This is the layout I chose..stars in the center and birthday girl blocks around the edge.

Since I can't leave the blocks on the floor without it turning into a giant cat ice skating ring, I made this chart.  Blank for 54-40 or Fight blocks.

Stars for chevron in block (I call them birthday stars)

Squares for Birthday Girl blocks.

Then I attached a number with a safety pin to the first block in each row.  This way I could chain stitch the column 1 to column 2 blocks  and then the column 2 to column 3 and so on.  I crossed off each square as I got it sewn on to the row.

I think this is like Bonnie's webbing (here)  Only, I needed the chart to keep my pattern correct.  And I cut them apart as I got each column sewn and double checked I had it right.  I did end up pinning the blocks to help keep the seams in line...just don't look to close :)

I was going to show a pic of the rows sewn together, but Smaugette is back.

Will update when I have the rows sewn together and start the border.

In none quilting news, I started a new watercolor for my niece:

Just have the first layers down, but at least it is started!

Please leave a comment...would love to hear from someone out there in internet land.

Celtic Solstice~the big reveal!

The big Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt Reveal:

Bonnie's version:

Isn't it gorgeous!

My version so far.  This is just the 3 inch blocks on the  design wall:

I love love love it!

This was my guess before the reveal...not even close :)

Now I need to get the blocks put together.  I have the  54-40 or Fight! blocks done.

I decided to do half of the Birthday Girl blocks with the chevrons turned in to make a star.  I call them Birthday Stars!  I have those sewn but not pressed.  

Want to see more?  Check out the other linkies here!

Celtic Solstice~Split Triangle Unit ~ Clue 5

No one is more surprised than I am that I am finished with this weeks clue the Sunday before the next Friday clue!    I am usually much better at procrastination.

For this weeks clue, we had to use the HST's from one of the previous clues.  The needed a little squaring up.  Annabelle was slacking on the supervising.

I woke up early the day of the clue and was so excited to get started!  I printed off the directions and started reading them before I got my coffee.  I read them...and re-read them...and read them one more time.  They made no sense.  Why was Bonnie talking about pressing and seams before she even told us what we were making??  Did she write this in an eggnog induced stupor?  

Ummmm....no.

I stapled the directions backwards.

I blame it on the lack of caffeine.

Along with the HST's, we cut big blue triangles and little ones from the neutral (black for me.)  Sewn together like the one above. 

Some of the math wizards on the facebook group have been trying to solve the puzzle through calculation. 

The have come up with some amazing analysis and possible solutions.

I am more of a randomly pick up squares from the box and try to fit them together kind a girl.

Have I said this is going to be one bright quilt?

See the rest of this weeks linkies: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-5.html
 (and I wasn't last this week! woot!)

Celtic Solstice Finishing up the Baby Pinwheels and 4 patches ~ Clues 3 & 4

At the end of the last blog post, I had just finished my HST for Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Clue 3.  The next thing is to sew them together as pinwheels with the orange spinning clockwise. 

Chief helping me finger press two sides of the pinwheels.

 

One of the things I learned from this clue was to "spin" my center seams in the back of the pinwheel. To do this you need to take out the top two stitches of the seam sewn second to last (in black)  The last sewn seam connecting the two halves is in green.

 

Then when you open it up, looks like this.  Hopefully.  

This will make the center of your pinwheel lay flat and be easier to quilt.

Bonnie's post on how to spin seams: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/spin-those-four-patch-seams.html

And a good video to watch (Eleanor): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A3sIre7cg0

the part about spinning the seam is at 22:45

I listened to A Christmas Carol while I spun all this little pinwheel seams! 

They are so pretty!

Yes, Chief wants to be in every picture.

The next clue was four patches.  Bonnie was taking it easy on us this week.

I finally got to use my strip cutting guide.  I have had it for years and never used it.  It works great and made the four patches go so much faster.

and spun some more seams.

while watching Emma  

(oh Mister Knightley, I am so sorry I am such a brat! Please marry me anyway! )

And they are all done and packed away in their pretty little box for safe keeping.

Waiting for clue 5 in the morning...

Check out the other linkys (linkies? linkees?) here:

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-4.html

A Very Geeky Christmas Card.

http://prettyrock.com/winter_wonderland.html

Click the link above to see my Christmas card to everyone!  It has nothing to do with quilting or gardens or cooking or anything else usually on this blog.  I have been hiding my geekiness well from you all.

I made it using CSS3/HTML5 animation. If you are interested in the geeky side of its creation, ask. I would be happy to share. What you are seeing is generated by computer code. The only actual images are the snowflakes in the background and the little hearts.

It needs to be viewed in a "modern" browser, preferably Chrome, but does okay in current IE or passably in firefox and opera. No idea how it will look on your phone or ipad. If you see snowman body parts flying around, you probably need to try a different browser  Chrome works best...really.

Edit: my niece just said it works fine on her IPad, and I have heard it works on smart phones, too.

Celtic Solstice Chevrons (say that 3 times fast!) and Baby Pinwheels ~ Week 3

For me, week 3 of Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice was actually finishing step 2  and starting step 3. these adorable little chevrons!  Since I was using mainly fat quarters, I followed the strip piecing method shown here.  Reminder to future self, these links won't work after Ms. Hunter's book comes out...check your folders.  This blog is mainly to help me remember what I did, so my notes may be a little cryptic.  If you have a question, leave me a message and I will try to help.  

Strips are cut to 1 5/8" and sewn together with the green in the center.  I used fat quarter length and got 6 chevron halfs per strip set. 

Then I used my little easy angle to cut off the tips.  Each side should measure 2 x 3.5"

Watch a good show while you are doing this...

Press one side toward neutral, one side toward yellow and the middle open.

The neutral fabric goes at the bottom of the chevron. 

I laid them out in stacks to be sure I sewed them together correctly.

Step one and two on my border fabric. 

Boxed up and put away for safe keeping.  Like quilt candy!  There is a lot of work in those little squares.

For the HSTs, I used the magic 8 technique.  I used 5" squares to allow a little fudging and squaring up.  Place right sides together and draw lines diagonally across the back of the lighter fabric.  Then sew scant 1/4" on either side of those lines.

Cut apart vertically, horizontally, and then between the drawn diagonal lines.

This gives you these little beauties.

I still have the pinwheels to put together.  Chief is keeping them safe for me until then.

(Yes, when he got up, he had little HST stuck to his belly!)

To see the other linkys, check here:

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/celtic-solstice-mystery-monday-link-up_4572.html

Annabelly and Sunbeams

So grateful for a warm, dry home on this cold rainy day! This is Annabelle watching sunbeams yesterday. I was so surprised when the camera picked them up!

Mystery Update! Got clue one done!

Okay, almost done.  I still have to trim off the dog ears and re-sew a couple that are too wonky even for me to accept.  This is going to be one colorful quilt!  I love that Bonnie is getting me to push my color choices.  Hoping to get step two cut today.

Check out everyone's progress on the quiltville linky page.