My Quilt Center

Got the center block done. There a couple mistakes, but I will be the only one who knows what they are. Still a ways to go to finish it, but progress all the same.

It has been really warm and rainy last night and today. So glad it isn't snow. We would have been buried.

More Blocks

Two more blocks done for my quilt. One more block and the center of the quilt will be ready to be put together. This part of the quilt will be on point. After that will be the corners and borders. It is coming together quite quickly, but progress will slow once we start moving into the house. I hope to have it ready for the long arm quilter by the end of February, but we will see. So much to do and so little time as always.

Batik Quilt

Blocks 5 and 6 are now done.
It has been a busy week getting things in order for making a decision on the new house and running many errands. If all goes well, we should close on it a week from Monday. Then things will get really busy and I won't have much time for quilting.

Fortunately, though on the cold side, we have had very little snow. Hopefully we won't get a bunch later this month.

A New Year

Happy New Year. It is a mild start for us. The weather is in the low 50's, but we do have colder weather coming our way. Went out to dinner last night,  came home and did some sewing and tv viewing before going to bed early. Finished the 4th block of my quilt today.

Since we have a lot going on tomorrow, I probably won't get much if anything done on it then. The blocks are coming together nicely. I am anxious to get to the point where I start assembling them.

Last note of the year

Just a few hours left of 2011 with its up and downs. Hopes and prayers that the coming year will have more ups than downs and that all your loved ones will be safe and healthy.

I have done 2 blocks of the quilt for my bed. They are going together fairly easily. Just a few mistakes requiring some reverse sewing . Will get as much of it done as I can before I have to put it aside to move.

It is from a block of the month. You may have seen it in a quilt shop or magazine. It is beautiful when completed.

Happy New Year everyone.

Ainsley & her quilt

This is Ainsley with her birthday quilt. She really made a fuss over it when it was opened. she kept moving it around and straightening it.

Its almost Christmas

This is the 'Spicy Spiral Table Runner' that will go to my DMIL for Christmas. It is such a novel design.
I have accomplished everything on my to do list I have on this page and then some. It has been a busy year of sewing to be topped off hopefully with moving to a new home next month. Packing up a 2000+ square foot home and moving it to a 1000 square foot home will be a challenge. We will have to be ruthless in what we keep and don't keep.
Assuming the inspections of our soon to be new home goes well and we don't run into any real problems that would keep us from buying the house, I will be packing up my sewing room after Christmas, and we will start the process of deciding what goes with us, what we will try to sell and what will be pitched. A lot of work, but well worth it.

December update

This is the piece I did for my hairdresser's Christmas gift. I did a small piece for her a couple years ago that could be used as a hot pad on the table. She said she would love another one. I asked her what size and color she would like, and this is the result. I will give it to her next Tuesday.

Anxiously awaiting word on the house that we found. It would be a great way to start out the new year.

Baby Quilt

The quilt for our great-niece Ainsley is done and ready for the party next weekend. It is from a kit that I picked up a year ago, and the backing is all scraps. The quilt is called Spots favorite colors, and I really love it.

The different blocks have the names of the colors on them as well as showing the colors.

Hopefully will get 4 more projects done before Christmas. Will be harder now that we are juggling that with house hunting.

LACASA block

Here is the block for the LACASA quilt. Our guild does a quilt for them each year, and different members do 1 or more blocks. Since it was the last meeting of the year for me, I only took one to do. Our LACASA group is very active in providing shelter for women and their children and pets that are coming from abusive homes.

I am now working on 3 gift quilted items that I will post as they are finished. This is a very busy time for all of us, and with 2 unexpected gifts it is very busy in our household.

Quilts of Comfort

I put together another project for Quilts of Comfort, this time with my own fabrics. It is a good way to use up fabric and do some good with it. I did the blocks for the front from a pack of fabrics (layer cake) that I picked up earlier in the year. I had a few left over blocks from the front that I incorporated into the back together with disappearing 9-patch blocks. Can you spot them?

Hopefully I will get them layered, quilted and bound next week.

Quick Table Runner

This pattern is by LaRae Bunnell Clark

LaRae has given permission on this pattern to share with a friend.

Materials are:

12" of theme print, width of fabric

18" of a corrdinating print, width of fabric

1.   Cut fabric to size

2.   Place right sides together. Stitch long edges 1/2" seam (I did 1/4")

3.  Press seam away from center fabric

4.   Turn. You now have a long tube.

5.   Lay flat on ironing board and press so that the theme print is bordered evenly on long sides with coordinating print.

6.   Trim short ends even. (You will be getting rid of the salvage.)

7.   Fold fabric in half lengthwise with theme print out. Stitch seam on both short ends.

8.   Press seams open and turn seams inside to form a point; press.

9.   Stitch a decorative button or yo yo at the edge of short seam to secure in place.

I preferred to use a decorative stitch to secure the opening so there wouldn't be any gap. I also stitched in the ditch down the sides so that when it is washed there won't be a problem keeping the border even when ironed. This is so quick and easy, and great for special holiday fabrics.

Another One Block Wonder

I have finally decided on how I am going to finish my next One Block Wonder Quilt. I didn't have enough fabric for the size quilt I wanted to do, so I played with ideas on how to frame the blocks. I thought of squaring them up, but decided to stay with the hex shape. I will be using purple, green, yellow and rusty orange fabrics. Alternating the fabrics with each block. Here is the first one.

Fall already?

Can't believe it is already the start of Fall. Not that I am complaining - I love this time of year.

Niece's wedding is tonight and quilt is ready to go. Got the label on and (all) the loose threads off. There probably are still some, but got all the ones I saw. As it turned out, the log cabin part of the quilt is the only round that is the same as the one I saw in the magazine. The picture on the right is part of the backing.

September already?

Can't believe it is already September and Labor Day is past. Despite forcasts of rain, we had a clear day here that was on the cool side.

Starting to put the One Block Wonder quilt together. When it is done, I will donate it to Quilts for Kids. After the hexes are put together in 2 parts. The center seam isn't sewn yet so you have to be very careful when you lay it out and start sewing it together. The 1/2 hexes are sewn together in rows or columns and then the rows/columns are joined together. The picture above is the columns/rows before they are sewn together and the one to the right is when they are attached.

Back Again

I've been really busy with family and making a quilt for a niece getting married later this month. I'll post a picture of the quilt later in the month. We lost one of our beloved dogs and added one. I had a health scare that so far is in the past. Now we will soon be moving into fall, I'll be moving back to the house next month and I have time to make other quilts.

I have really enjoyed cooler weather we have had the past week, but we are moving into hotter more humid again. Summer hasn't given up yet.

I have started a One Block Wonder quilt with butterfly fabric. I also want to do one with Oriental fabric and some kids fabric that I have. The kids fabric is bright and has a lot of movement, so it should work out well. Here are a couple blocks of the butterfly quilt.

Whirkigigs

The quilt for the June wedding is done. The front was done English Paper Piecing method and the back is disappearing 9-patch. Hopefully the bride and groom will enjoy it for many years to come.

 

Still here

It has been quite a while since I have posted. We have had so much more rain than we are used to. It is good to see the sun on the rare occasions when it shows up. At least we haven't had the really violent stuff that so many people are suffering through.
Finished another Quilts for Kids project. Really cute fabric on this one. Just need to get it washed and send it in.

Whirlwind - EPP Project

Finally finished hand piecing my Whirlwind quilt. The border fabric is blue with touches of purple. The colors in each block were done randomly. It will fit a twin size bed with a hang or a double with no hang. Now to machine piece the backing. Thinking of doing the backing in disappearing 9-patch.

Help me decide

I have 2 versions of my niece's quilt. All I changed was the center, just re-arranged the pinwheel block. Which do you like best? I did decide to go with shades of blue. I started sewing and cutting the center blocks, just need to decide which arrangement. Can you guess which one I like best?