Stripes one done three to go

Have to brag, I really enjoy cutting and sewing the stripes into 'squares'.

I got a kick out how the different fabrics ended up looking after the block was sewn.

Good news is I got about 50 new blocks sewn up in just a short amount of time. (my bad is I don't iron or pin so a few are a little wonky)

Really Bad news is that even though I like the concept, I am not so much a fan of the materials I played with.


The stash I started with was left overs from who knows what- I had started a pile years ago and threw in all the bumpy stuff as I was given into it. Plans were to someday make a baby quilt or two- I love texture! I said I like the way the 'blocks' turned out and I do, I just didn't like setting them together. I didn't feel like resizing them so they could play well together.



I dealt the blocks out into four piles. I hope to get baby quilts or at least gift starter kits. For the first one I decided to use a polka dot Swiss to sash the blocks.





I had just enough to make a 30" x 40" top. There is Swiss in other colors and I may do this again and try use up what I have. One can never have too many small tops started.

I took a few pictures of my 'favorite' squares. I like the one above b/c of the way the different colors look. The wedge to the right was cut separate and didn't line up perfect. Oh well.

This one below, with the wide and narrow flowers, looks pretty neat. I could have done better on the lining up but was speed cutting, and I get what I get when do that.






The two color fabrics, work up in a neat way, you don't have to line them up as well for them to still work.









The top looks pretty primitive but once it is machine quilted the wrinkles will pull out. I have just enough of a pink stripe that I don't have to piece the back!

There are enough blocks left for a couple more small quilts. If anyone wants to try their hand at a set, I have extra.



This really looks better in person, the white w/red polka dots just really makes my camera dizzy.

cw

STRIPE - A Future TO-DO

One of our quilting friends, who seems to get a kick out of twisting my arm and making me start new projects has done 'it' again.

Check out Nancy's wonderful stripe quilt top.

I had decided I WAS NOT going to have time to make one of these interesting patterns.

In fact I even fondled men's stripe shirts at the thrift shop and didn't purchase any. How is that for sticking to my guns!!

Tonight I spent a little time sorting through a few piles that hadn't had any attention in a while (I don't keep track, could be years) I came across a pretty good stack of bumpy fabrics. I am sure they have a real name but for me they are textured materials that 'feel' good. I have polka dots and strips and flowers, etc...

As I sorted I started putting the stripes in a pile and realized that I have more than enough to kill two birds with one project. One is commit to a top out of the bumpy stuff and two is copy another of Nancy's Did it Firsts! Yeah me- two points and no real poultry was injured.

This one with the flowers is going to make an interesting block. I haven't figured out the scale I am going with. I tend to not follow exact patterns or directions. (Why learn from others trial and error when I can make my own mistakes in block size)



I was delighted to find I have over a yard of each of the pink and blue, so these will be used to make some of the larger blocks and/or borders





Here I am showing off some of the favorites I uncovered. I am pretty happy with the overall look of the fabrics together and hope to live long enough to see how the top turns out.

For now my TO-DO is just to finish this post. Print a copy, add it to the pile and put it all into a TO-DO bag.

My way of getting organized.

I have at least a couple of stripe-tops in this batch and happy to brag that when I sorted the dots(Swiss) I know there are several in that one too.

Graduation Quilt- Janet's gran-daughter

I know I am a bit late getting this top quilted. No excuses I just didn't know what I wanted to quilt on it and Janet wasn't in a hurry.

This beauty is a graduation gift for her grand-daughter.

My Quilting Group at church has made similar quilts for eleven years for our graduating seniors. It has grown to include quilts for all the family of church family.

Several years ago everyone started requesting photos to be added to the tops. We have gone through several different processes in figuring out the 'best' way to add pictures. My favorite is to give the blank fabric block to the recipient and let them embellish it to their choosing. (My way of saying I don't do the photo transfer)

When I machine quilt the tops, I have had to figure out the best way to deal with the blocks that have photos. Not every quilt is laid out the same and figuring out a pattern to use would just drive me nuts.

I do border to border machine quilting on an old singer, so I don't have speed control, or a large throat. I pretty much pick a pattern and just stop and go skipping over the pictures (either that or sew through the 'face')

Janet was kind enough to not request a particular pattern, so I got to experiment and free style. I have to admit I have a lot of bad habits when it comes to quilting. I had learned on a similar machine to the one I have and rely too much on the printed pattern and my stylus!.

I couldn't believe how much faster this was just free-handing the flowers in the empty spaces and doodling along the pictures.

I think for Christmas I am asking Santa for some DVDs on free motion quilting- I have been repressed too long!

I hope the kid get a kick out of my masterpiece (OK you know what I mean) I am thinking that I like it, can't believe it took me so long to step out of the box.- cw

In case Santa isn't taking my calls, drop a comment and tell me the best ones to check out.

Restoration, Cutter Quilts, Pizza--This one's you, SIS!

As a Disclaimer: I do NOT do restoration- I only sew for family and/or friends.

This is a favorite old quilt of my younger sisters. She asked if I could 'fix it' so that it keeps the 'feel' that she loves. The 'look' could be left up to me.







There are about a dozen holes completely through the quilt that need attention.

Truth is the back is shot BUT I want to save it as a quilt not as a toy or pillow etc...

My solution is to machine applique the back first. I had an old feed sack in the perfect colors. My thought is that once the back is stable I can work on the front. I am liking how the circles look like 'pizzas'!


I am sure that when I get finished that this piece will have many more years of being a cherished take to the lake quilt.






The layout on the front is just a concept and subject to change. By using circles from a cutter quilt I found at the thrift shop ($5!) I think I can keep the feel and add a little- Cheryl has been here- to the finished quilt.

I have told my sister what I hope to do, she is giving me free artistic control. She also knows I change my direction all the time on a project so I thought it would be fun to keep an on going journal of my progress.

Work will be edited in as it is finished.
I was given the quilt on the 4th of July weekend.
My goal is to give it back by her Birthday in Dec.

Finished Aug 31st -- I think I can do it!- cw

What a yard sale and sold a house?

MO Broker- my Creative Side
• 2009-Jul-25 - I have another TO-DO!
I was able to sneak in some yard sales yesterday between showing houses. (I didn't really sneak b/c the client was with me) Found a box of scraps that I know I am going to have fun with. At first glance (that's all it takes) I was thinking some of it would go in the barbie doll pile (an on going tote of fabrics that may debut at doll dresses someday). Turns out after digging around that there a chunks of the fabrics that will be perfect for a crazy quilt.

I have another on going tote of men's ties, silks, velvets, etc... set aside for a fast crazy quilt experience (to date the pile has been seasoning about 10 yrs, might be getting ripe enough to officially be a ger-er-done- or a least a pull them out and fondle em agains)

Plan has been to collect till 'know' I am ready and spend up to 10 yrs hand working the blocks. could be a fun 'take along project' especially seeing as how my embroidery thread collection seems to be growing too.

The realist in me considers using machine stitching techniques to speed it along- but really after 10 yrs of collecting, do I look like I am in a hurry? I think it has been several yrs since I cut the muslin backing for the blocks. May be time to start pinning the larger pieces and see what I have.

I 'wrote' about this before I sorted it all and took the picture. Turns out I have several 'new to me' fabric scraps to add to the scrappy-scrappy pile. I don't have time to iron anything right now but have decided to start a TO-BE-IRONED box to take with me on road trips. How fun is it going to be to iron in the motel while hubby is napping!! (I don't want to ruin my "I don't iron at home" reputation! be good cw

Plan B- I went with the YELLOW's

I had a very long day today (don't ask) I was afraid I wouldn't get to make a CHUNK of the Celtic Knot Mystery. I am still several chunks behind the pack but I think I can catch up.

I decided to trade my light blues for the yellows/browns and am liking it. Good thing about waiting is I get to see how others are interpreting the block and learn from their choices.

I am sewing a 2" sq and hope to have a nice quilt to gift sometime in my lifetime.

I showed you mine now show me yours! be good cw

I haven't been as good about getting my progress posted as I had planned. Lynne has posted the first 17 (of 25) chunks. She was nice enough to give us a 'peek' at how a couple go together.

I promised to show mine thinking that I would get the 4th chunk done tonight after church.

It is going to have to wait till later, I got the urge to watch an old movie and work on my sisters quilt.

Gotta admit I am LOVING how easy this is. Just wish I was a bit faster. I don't want to be too far behind for the reveal.- cw

Celtic Knot

It all started here.....














I have copies of the pattern for the first three 'chunks' I am very excited to get started so I pulled fabrics and changed my mind a dozen times. (Isn't that the normal way to start a mystery?- second guess long enough to see what others are posting and then decided?)

In my defense, I did purpose to do another RW&B. I think I am almost sure, I guess, with my color choices. just kidding, I have it narrowed down to two ways to go-

Plan "A"--
Dark and Navy Blues.......















Light Blues..........















and.......REDS!









With a cream background fabric.




Plan "B" would be to use YELLOWS in place of the Light Blues. (Now that would be a very primary quilt!)

Tomorrow is the day to make the final decision and start cutting. I am going to use a 2" sq. (Actually plan to strip cut the 2 inches WOF and stack and sub-cut the sqs as needed. That way if I don't use the whole strip I can just add it back to my strips bin.

If you want to vote for Plan "A" or "B" feel free, there are no prizes and I will do what I want but you know jump in and offer an opinion- be good-- cw