Corrected blog site addresses for Show n Tell Day

How annoying!
Some of the links in my post earlier today aren't working!  The other bloggers who have giveaways today are:

Cloth and Paper Studio

Just Let Me Quilt

 Moosestash Quilting

 Quilt in Piece

Seams to Be Sew

The Road Home - Show 'n Tell Day 2016

Welcome to Show 'n Tell day for the Road Home Row Along 2016!  Don't forget to sign up for the two special giveaways - a bundle of fabric from Northcott 


and a book by Barbara Dieges 'A Thread Runs Through It'.  Look to the right of this post and you'll find the Rafflecopter areas to sign up for both of these draws...and you only have Tuesday, October 11, 2016 to win these!!

Well....should I start by complaining about the quilting that didn’t work?  Not very interesting, or inviting to readers, I think! I haven't decided whether to hang this up over the entrance or to use it as a table runner.

I have definitely challenged myself to stretch my skills and I’ll bet that I’ll get better with every project.  I’m working on FMQ (free motion quilting, as they put it these days) and am using Wonderfil Invisifil on top and in the bobbin.  I finally worked out the bugs with my Bernina using this thread, but I’m away from home right now and brought my Singer Quantum to use.  So, of course, I’ve gone ‘back to the drawing board’ to try to get my sewing even and easy.  For those of you who haven’t tried this, I’ve seen the recommendations to use this thread for dense quilting.  I wanted to try it so that my stitching wouldn’t be the most visible thing on my quilt.  I’ve followed a number of suggestions to keep the thread from shredding or breaking:

• Change the needle to a smaller one (on my Bernina, I can use Jeans 70/10 quite nicely or Embroidery 75/11);
•  Loosen the tension;
• Re-thread the machine;
• Avoid putting the thread through the final loop before it goes into the eye of the needle;
•  All attempts in, I’m still having ‘shredding’ thread problems, but I'll keep experimenting!

The block as sewn

The block after colouring with Neocolor ii

The other thing I wanted to try was some ‘colouring’ on some of the blocks with Neocolor ii by Caran d’Ache.  I’ve read a few blog posts on this and how easy it is to use to colour fabric and still keep the colour permanent.  I coloured the rock on block 1 of my row to try to make the red look more ‘rock’ like. 

I used several shades of grey on it, then used a brush and textile medium to blend the colours.  I could have used water as well.  I think it worked ‘okay’, but I should have tried harder in the beginning to find the right fabric.  I can say that using these wax pastels does not make the fabric stiff and the colour is permanent.  I also shaded a few other elements in the row (like the inukshuk).  I'm still not sure about my highway rock cuts and I may end up taking then out and replacing the fabric!

The trees in all the blocks are going to wait until I get home – I seem to have left the bag with the rest of my thread at home.

If you look closely at the quilting, you'll notice that some of the other quilting isn't finished either!

I think I have to go back and thread paint the sunset into the water, don't you?

Thanks for visiting!
Good luck with the giveaways - someone has to win them and the prizes are only available today, Tues. Oct. 11, 2016!  And these aren't the only giveaways for today's Show 'n Tell.  Take a look at these other sites and see their final Road Home projects:

Seams To Be Sew
Quilt in Piece
Just Let Me Quilt
Cloth and Paper Studio
Moosestash Quilting

and, this is where you are right now:  WestEnd Quilter

The Road to Home Row Along - Day 10

Well I was very excited this morning because I was going to have a series of photos to show you how I fixed the first block of my row! 

As you can see, my attempt to sew the red granite and white quartz rocks along the highway did not turn out well!  Not even a bit lifelike.  So I have some painting  in mind that will amend the fabric to a more realistic look.  I want to make it look more like red granite and also I'd like to simulate the drill marks made in the rock when they dynamited it to build the highway north.

 But a trip to the hospital, xrays and an air cast for a fracture in my foot took up too many hours!  Life is!!

However, I have my supplies now:

• Textile medium
• Extra fine fabric markers 
• A waterbrush
• And...my secret ingredient, which you’ll see in the next few days when I get a chance to experiment!

The Road to Home Row Along is almost finished (sigh!).  I hope you’ll tune into www.seamstobesew.com on Oct. 11 to see the list of the bloggers who will be displaying finished projects with their rows!

In the meantime, here is the last set of bloggers who are revealing their rows today:

All Things Sewn at http://allthingzsewn.blogspot.com/

Seams to be Sew at www.seamstobesew.com

Quilt in Piece at http://chittenden.co.za/

Just Let Me Quilt at http://justletmequilt.com

Cloth and Paper Studio at Http://www.clothandpaperstudio.com

Moosestash Quilting at http://moosestashquilting.blogspot.com/

The Road to Home Row Along - Day 9

I had the most exciting week last week with this row along!  Thank you very much to everyone who visited my blog!!!

First of all there were all the nerves in setting up my blog so that everything would work correctly on the reveal of my row – no problem with the row because I had finished putting it and the directions together the week before.  But setting up the code for the giveaways and getting it up on time.  And one of the giveaways didn’t get on correctly, but at least I was able to fix it.  If you’ve never participated in a blogathon or blog hop then, from my experience I can offer some views:

• ·         If you’re the type of quilter who likes to challenge her/him self in trying new projects, then try a blogathon (I had done curved piecing before, but in preparing this row, I really focussed on honing my skills)
• ·         If you’re thinking about setting up a blog, then try a blogathon – it will force you to blog regularly and learn more about presenting images and info.
• ·         If you don’t have a lot of quilters in your area, then try a blogathon – you’ll meet new quilters and be able to discuss your projects with them
• ·         If you’ve run out of projects (this rarely happens with quilters, but you never know!) then try a blogathon – on Facebook you can check this page:  Quilt Blog Hops, Events and other Awesome Quilty Stuff! Or follow Marian at www.seamstobesew.com to learn about different blogathons (or blog hops) Or search Google for ‘blog hops’
• ·         If you’re learning to use EQ7 (like me), then join a blogathon to stretch your skills!

Now I am quilting my row so that it will be a small wall hanging in my front sun porch.  I’ll be showing it on Show ‘n Tell day on October 11, so stay tuned to see mine and other final projects!

Today we have 4 bloggers presenting rows that you’ll want to see!  I know I’ll be using these rows as souvenirs of lovely vacations!

Patchouli Moon Studio  at http://patchouli-moon-studio.blogspot.com

Linda Robertus at http://lindarobertus.blogspot.com/

Elm Street Quilts at http://www.elmstreetquilts.com/

Sarah Quinn featured at http://www.seamstobesew.com