Stripe quilt finished

Yesturday I was on a roll.  I finished my stripe quilt, the second quilt for that day.  This one is a quilt that will go to Project Linus.  It measures approx. 52 x 64.  I made this quilt the size that I had a backing fabric to use up. Sorry about the picture quality.  I took the picture this morning on this dreary overcast day.

Here is a close up. Lots of scraps used in this quilt.  I used anything blue, green, orange or red, with a touch of black.  On this quilt I just quilted a wave all the way down the quilt.  It works well for this one as all the quilting lines cross over all the seams.

Tomorrow stay tuned for the first quilt I finished.  It's a cute baby quilt, made by a friend.

Sharon's red, black and white anniversary quilt

Well, I have been pretty busy around here.  I've been working away at Sharon's quilt, while also getting things together here.  I am trying to set up my new office space, for working from home.  I'm also decluttering some, in various areas of the house.  Just finished my training at work, getting organized to start some renos in the house while on my vacations coming up next week, and thinking about getting the kids ready for school.  Lots going on at this time.

I did finish Sharon's quilt this week, just before our quilt bee meeting.  Everyone loved it.  Sharon made an anniversary quilt for her son and his wife.  She used pictures from when they were dating, to their wedding, all the way up to the birth of their two children and now.

Some of the picture blocks have sayings which describe the events and dates.  The quilt was made using the couple's wedding colours.  The men wore black tuxedos and the girls wore deep red, almost burgundy dresses.  The quilt turned out beautiful and made much more special for the couple with the pictures and thought to colour.  The couple have been recipients of Sharon's quilts before and were quite impressed and appreciative of the gifted quilts, but I think they will be blown away by this one.

Here are two close up pictures of the borders.  The first picture is of a side and the second one is of the corner and how I merged the side quilting designs together.

If you will note in the picture above, there is a somewhat square shape connecting the hearts in the corner.  This space could be used to inscribe something (ie a special date, initials, etc.).  In this case there will not be anything inscribed there, as Sharon has added all the information she wanted to share within the blocks themselves.

Lastly, I took a picture of the backing.  On the back it is easier to see all the continuous running chain of hearts that make up the quilting of the centre of the quilt, between the pictures.  The quilting looks so pretty that you could almost use the back of the quilt as a whole clothe quilt.

Today I won't be getting any quilting done, because I am off to my sister's place to help her put in a flower garden in her front yard.  We're planting three trees, a bunch of bushes and a whole slew of  perennials.  We already formed the garden shape, with landscape rocks yesturday.  Now we get down to the planting and finishing off with sod.

Finished the faux appliqué quilt

Yesterday, while having my morning tea, I was able to finished the faux appliqué quilt.  I checked my previous post and cannot see when I actually finished all the quilting, but I know it has been sitting around here just waiting for the binding to be sewn down by hand for a while.  The last I wrote about this quilt was back in Apr/2014, though I know it was still a while after that, that I actually finished it.

 My friend Carol from our quilting bee was doing some cleaning out.  She thought I would do something with this yardage/panel of all these faux appliqué blocks.  They are very pretty.  

The only problem I came across was that two or three blocks were not cut off the bolt well as they only had 1/2" of the cream coloured background at the bottom of the picture.  By the time I squared up the block I only had about 3/8".  For a while I kept looking for some cream to match up to it so that I could add a piece to the bottoms of these few blocks and continent a usual with leaving an 1" all the way around.  You'd be surprised how many different shades of cream there are.

In the end I figured done was better than not.  So, I cut all the blocks down to the same size.  The original quilt was different.  When I say the original I mean that these blocks were made up in a quilt that I made with a triple smashing with crossing cornerstones and borders with cut off corners due to the corner cornerstones being only one half.  It was gorgeous and was much larger, but when I went to quilt it, the quilt would not quilt flat.  

I was so proud of that quilt.  It looked very fancy.  I had more than half the sashings quilted before I realized that the quilt would not look good when finished as it would never lay flat.  At that point I was so upset that I just put the whole thing away. Much, much later I take it back out and my daughter and I together painstakingly start to take the whole quilt apart.  I recut everything and remade the quilt into what you see here below.  Do you like it?

Here is a close up picture of the faux appliqué blocks.  Each one of these blocks is different.  

Here is a picture of the back corner, so you can see the quilting.  The blue backing is actually brighter than the picture, but in order to show off the quilting I had to create a shadow with my body by block out the ceiling light.  The centre of the blocks are cross hatched in 2" squares and sashings are all outline quilted.  I think it looks pretty.

Today I have to finish my friend Sharon's quilt.  Yesterday I didn't get any of it done.  I'm sure you remember me talking about having problems with my sewing machine last weekend.  Well, I was not able to fix it.  I had to switch out my new machine and bring in my older Janome, so that I could continue.  I can't stop now, as two of the quilts I am working on have a deadline.

Yesterday, I was brought my machine in for service.  Good thing it is still under warranty.  While I was out I went and got a printer.  My new computer was not compatible with my old printer and we are getting fed up of having to save everything on USB in order to take the document to the old computer to print it up.  I still have a bunch of files that I need to bring over to the new computer and also set up all my previous programs like iTunes, etc  That one in itself was quite a chore.  I had to reload all my CDs back in.  Like I said what a chore.

Anyways, today is a new day and I plan on making the most of it.  I am just finishing my morning tea, and I am off and running.  Let's see if I can get Sharon's quilt done and at least started on Flo's quilt.

A yellow Dresden plate is done

I have been busy doing some quilting on a friends quilt.  Haven't been doing much else quilty wise.  Work and the family have been keeping very busy lately.  I have only a few minutes left before the kids get back, so thought I would post a block finish.

On Saturday I finished a yellow Dresden plate block.  I think I have completed one of each colour now.  From here on out it will just be repeats of the main colour with the alternate petals changing.

I hope to finish the quilting on the current quilt by the end of the weekend.  After I will start into the next quilt, which is for another friend, who is going to be a first time grandmother.  How exciting!

Oh well, times up, the kids just ran into the house (literally).  It was a tie race.

Finished floret number ten for the bottom row

Yesturday was a busy one.  From 5:30 am until 11:30 pm.  I got in as much as I could with a few breaks in between.  I started the morning with my tea and ended it with a herbal tea after picking up my daughter from work.

In between that time I managed some cleaning, sorting, clearing off of surfaces, all as a distraction from what I was supposed to be doing, quilting.  By mid-morning I ran out of excuses and got down to business.  There is always an anxious worried anticipation I get just before starting to quilt a quilt.  It is worst when I start quilting someone else's quilt.

I have been quilting for a very long time, over twelve years, but I still get this feeling every time.  I get worried that I will mess it up, but also excited that the quilt will be completed.  I quilt is not a quilt until it is quilted.  The quilting can either make it or break it.  That is probably where the worry comes from.

This time the worry was for a friend's quilt.  I will tell you more about it later, when it is done.  Yesturday I started it.  I worked on it from morning until dinner with only the two interruptions.  One was for lunch and the second was for my neighbour/niece, who came over to drink her coffee and chat a little while with her youngest baby.  Just before dinner I had managed to get almost half way done on the quilt.

The only reason I stopped was because my machine started making a loud grinding noise.  I decided to clean the machine and give it a good oiling.  I still haven't checked out if it did the trick or not.  I am hoping that is all it needed, otherwise I am going to have to service the machine and swap out for my other machine in the meantime.

Can't stop quilting now, as this quilt has a deadline for the end of this week......and there are four other quilts basted and rolled up waiting to be quilted for others.  Not to mention another eight of my own to do and one for a cousin.  Mine are on the back burner right now and the one for my cousin, because I am still trying to work out what I want to quilt on them.

After dinner I drove my daughter to work and decided that I could not quilt anymore that night.  Instead I decided to pull up a Bonnie Hunter's Quilt-Cam and enjoy listening to what is going on in other peoples' quilting life while doing some hand work.

This is what I worked on.  I finished floret number ten for the bottom row.  This is getting exciting.  I only have florets number five, six and nine left to do.  After I will be able to assemble the bottom row of florets.  As well as finishing this yellow floret I did about half of floret number five, which is mainly grey with blue.

No more procrastinating this morning.  Now I need to go check out my machine and see what I need to do, because I really need to be quilting.

Enjoy you day everyone!

Keepsake Quilting magazine

I haven't done much quilty wise.  I am finding it more difficult to at this time.  Hoping that once the kids are back in school and things settle down a bit I will be able to concentrate more on my quilting.

For now I have to settle for looking through the Keepsake Quilting magazine that came in the mail yesturday.  There are a lot of inspirational quilts and kits available in all different styles and colours.  I really like this magazine for all the newest quilting gadgets too.

Another Dresden plate complete

I was busy yesturday and didn't get any time to do quilting. Today I decided to start with quilting time, before I had to do all the running around.  In order to do some quilting though I had to start off by clearing off my sewing table.  That meant cutting the remainder of the scraps and putting the Go away.

I have a quilt that was given to me on Thursday, that has a deadline of two weeks.  Not sure if I am going to make it with everything going on, but I will try.  A friend from the quilting bee asked my to quilt her anniversary quilt for her son and his wife.  I will show pictures when it is done.

I started the quilting and pretty much know what I will be quilt on it.  It won't be hard.  The only hard part will be to find the time to do it.

Later after doing all the running around I just needed to sit and rest for a while.  So, as I only had about a quarter left of this Dresden plate to do, i thought I would do it while I took a break from quilting.  It was going so well that I started the next Dresden plate.  This next one is a cheerful yellow.  So far I put the purple centre on and completed two petals.

It's getting late though and my eyes are getting tired. I still haven't had dinner.  As I write, I am waiting for the food to cook.  After dinner I think I will catch up on reading some quilting posts.

Hope everyone had a great day.

Did some more Midnight Flight leader/enders.

I have been busy with a lot of things around here.  All of them distracting me from spending time in my quilting room.  The latest is training at work and still doing a lot of reading to get a handle on the proper/best foods to eat.  I am trying to figure out what to make, so I don't get into the rut of eating the same things over and over again.  Though some comfort foods would be nice too.

In the meantime, I am day dreaming of stuff I can do once I get the time.  Right now though once I get home from work, I feel my brain is toast.  This should only be short lived, once training is done.

I did manager to get some Midnight Flight sub blocks done.  I have nine more sub blocks completed.

Today I plan to make a new recipe for breakfast called Apple-Flax Jacks a Paleo form of pancakes.  The kids are willing to try, which is great.  Off to the farmer's market.  My sister wants help dismantling a jungle gym, my daughter wants to go to IKEA to get her two dresser drawers, likely she'll probably want help assembling them, but after all this time will be mine. LOL, if there is any left in the day.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I've just got to hang in there.

Beach Ball quilt

I while back, back at the end of last year, I received a bag full of scraps from my cousin to use as I wish.  They were from her mother, my aunt, who has passed away.  I sorted out the bag and took out all the cotton pieces to incorporate into my stash and scraps. What was left over were some polyester blends. I don't mix my cotton fabrics with any other fabrics, but I have no problem making a quilt using all the polyester blends together on there own.

I finally decided what I wanted to make with these particular fabrics.  The idea came to me while I was going through some magazines a friend from my quilting bee group gave me.  I am thinking of making a quilt using the beach ball block. That is what the magazine calls it, but I am sure it is also known as something else.

The block by itself does not look like much, but it is really nice when you get a bunch of them together, as it makes the circle at each block corner and the bow tie looking shapes make a swirly grid across the quilt.  You will have to trust me for now, until I can make more blocks and show you.

So this is my container of all the scraps. A lot of the scraps are white base with pictorials of little animals or cartoon characters.  Most of the pieces were too small to do much with other than a true scrappy quilt.  I am going to enjoy making these blocks.  They are to me a mindless form of sewing.  You just pick up a piece and sew it and repeat as many times as required to fill the shape.

This panel was a surprise as I was sorting out the polyester blend pieces. This was folded up small between all the pieces. The second surprise came when I realized that the panel was folded up with the matching backing. The last border, the blue one, is the pattern of the backing.  Isn't that great!

I can now quilt this panel up and I will have a baby crib quilt to give away, probably to Project Linus.  I just need to buy some batting and make a matching binding.

My aunt would be pleased to know that her fabric is being used to make quilts to go to less fortunate children due to sickness or finance.  She was herself always a loving, giving person.  I miss her.  She was a true good spirit. 

Texas Braid quilt

I spoke of the Texas Braid quilt in an earlier post last week.  I mentioned that my mom is now making one.  Well I started cutting one out a while ago, as I was cleaning up my scraps.  This is what I had done.

This weekend I was sick on Sunday and Monday on this long weekend, but I was fighting it and refusing to let it wipe me out.  I succeeded on Sunday with only having to take two small naps, but Monday was many naps.  I did not want to be sick, but who does.  Anyways, between my naps I did some cutting.  I started with my already cut 2" strips drawer.  

I didn't do much to the dark piles but I did empty my lights.  Once my lights were empty I went to my scrap basket and cut all that I could from there. That still was not enough for variety, so I took out some of my yardage.

While cutting up some of my yardage I was able to replenish my lights in my drawer.  A bit anyways.

Now I have all the pieces cut for the Texas Braid quilt. All the pieces are nice and neat in my plastic container.  There it will sit until I am ready to start sewing it.  Having everything cut and ready, makes these quilts easy to start.  Not that I am ready for it, but now I also need to wait until my mom is done with my book that has the pattern in it.

Carol's appliqué heart

I want to share with you a project from one of my Quilting Bee friends.  Carol came to the bee meeting a few weeks ago with this pretty block.  I saved the picture for now so that I could also add in all the information regarding the block.

The block comes from Baltimore Beauties and Beyond, Vol. Two, by Elly Sienkiewicz.  Carol was fortunate to have taken a class in '94 called Variation on Rosebud Wreath.  The block was done for quite some time and now Carol has decided that the block needs to be completed.

Carol is now done the block and will make it into a wall hanging.  The quilting was simple but effective.  The wreath was echo stitched and there were lines about half inch apart that were done on the corners, all going in the same direction.  There were two small sections that were left blank, running along the upper left and the bottom right of the wreath..

I took these next two pictures so that I could see how she framed the block.  Carol's husband made this frame.  I thought it was great, as it kept the work taught.  Carol was nice enough to write down the instructions on how to make one and she even gave me a set of the screws, washers and wing nuts.  I will have to pick up some wood to make one.

This is a close up picture to make sure I can see the details, when I attempt to make one.  I do have a Q-snap frame that I can use for hand work, but I don't like that it always needs to be tightened.  I like this frame better.

Thank you Carol for sharing your work with us and for sharing the frame details.

Mom's basket weave quilt

This is the last of my mom's quilts for now.  She is working on another one now from one of Bonnie Hunter's books called Texas braid.  It's one that I have half the fabric cut out to make my own, but I won't start it until I get a bit more of what I have already started done.  When mom has hers done I will show it to you. When I do mine I will show you that one too.

Even though we are going to make the same quilt, in the end they will still be different.  Mom and I have different taste in fabrics.  We collect what each of us likes and sometimes we swap fabric to add to the variety.  Even though we swap and will use some of the same fabrics, you will see that they will still have an individual look to them.

This one here is mom's basket weave quilt on a diagonal.  I made one of these, but again it is completely different than hers.  These quilts are so easy to make.  They can be time consuming depending on how big the strips are.  This is a great quilt for using up all your scraps.  You can do it completely scrappy like mom and I did, or you can do it in a specific colour way.  Either way you can't go wrong with a basket weave.

They are more of a utilitarian type quilt, for use everyday.  They are not intended to be a show piece.

This is a close up.  Mom used the pumpkin orange for her half square triangle border because it was the colour that brought out some of the colours in her scraps.  Mom had this last border left over from a backing she made.  It also has the orange in it.

This quilt fits her double bed and has plenty of quilt hanging down the sides.  I don't think she used it yet though.  I think she is keeping it to possibly down the road give it away.

I didn't get anything of my own quilty wise done yesturday.  I went to the farmer's market, fixed up all the food to store it, to make it last the whole week without going bad.  I made lunch and after that headed out to do the groceries.  When I got back I had to again organize the food for proper storage.  I also make a pot of chicken broth in the slow cooker that is today finally finished.  After all of this, I had to clean up the kitchen.  That took me to almost seven, when I had to start dinner.  Salmon and green beans on the barbeque with a salad on the side.  We had a late dinner, cleaned up again and before I knew it my day was done.  I was pooped. On my feet all day.

Today I really want/need some "me time" in my quilt room.  I just want to zone out for a while.

Enjoy your day everyone!  Don't forget to take some time out for yourself.  It's important. Your health and peace of mind helps you deal with everything that comes your way better.

More pinks and purples in my garden

Warning!  Non-quilty post.  Posting a couple of things that are of interest to me.

I was out in my garden again admiring the flowers.  I do have a lot of pinks and purples. The first two pictures are of phlox.  The flowers in the top picture are in the back of the yard where it doesn't get a lot of sun so they are just starting to bloom.  The ones in the second picture are at the side of the house where it is sunny and warm from the bricks of the house.  They are almost done with blooming

We have the bee balm. They are actually deeper wine/purple colour.  They are also on the sunny side of the house and are also just finishing off blooming.

 

Just beside the bee balm I have these spikes that are just started to bloom and will continue to bloom all the way down the stem.  I forget what these are called.  They're pretty, aren't they?

Lastly, I'd like to share with you the breed that we have decided to adopt.  It's a Vizsla.  We put a deposit down and hope to have a new puppy join our family, sometime in the winter.  The breeder hopes to breed the dogs on September.  

A bit of trivia for you.  Did you know how long a dog is pregnant?  

A dog is pregnant for only 63 days and they have many at one time.  Isn't that amazing!  Not like us humans who are pregnant for over nine months, and for the most part only have one.

We are all so excited!!! We want one now.  It is going to be difficult waiting.  I think this little puppy is so adorable.  I just want to hug him/her.

As it is a long weekend, I am sure to get some quilt related stuff accomplished.  Stay tuned for an update.