Fingers crossed I can work on this top this evening.  Sewing Chunks is fairly fast, especially b/c you only sew 2 of each.  Kelly laid the 9-patches out and all I   have to do is pick them up and sew!

this is both A-1

this is two each of A-2 thru A-5  The chunks are separated by lg rulers as dividers.

I like to start in the middle with the "C" row and then add the "B" to both sides.

This quilt is made with 2 1/2" strips and should be 90 x 90 in the center.  Kelly is wanting to do 8 1/2" borders w/applique flowers (She will cut the shapes I will raw edge applique)  The 6 1/2" outer border will be piano keys made from the extra 2 1/2" strips.  We are shooting for a large king quilt for their bed.  (118 x 118)  many of these fabrics are left overs from their wedding quilt 6 yrs ago.  (Anniv was in March but I didn't say which year I would gift the quilt- lol)

Kelly will quilt it when she gets around to it. (Best DIL ever quilting her own gift)   I called dibs on getting to enter it in at least one show sometime in my lifetime.  I am not normally a pastel (springy) person so having Kelly around expands my pallet.  I tell her I would never do this much work for anyone else but her!

Maddie's and Johnathan's grad quilts

We have been making grad quilts for our HS church kids for many years.  The original layout was 30 blocks, 15 to embellish and 15 that were a 4-patch of 9-patch and solids.
This year I only had one to make so I changed up the alt. block a little to lighten up the prints.

I like the nine 9-patch set as an alt block but miss cut so I had to add a coping border.  My 'mistake' turned out pretty neat (if I say so myself) and I will remember this for another project.

Graduation Dinner at the church is this Sunday.  The top will be ready for Maddie and family to see but I will probably not get it quilted till May in time for graduation.

Also graduating this year is the son of our new Hispanic preacher.  Johnathan's mom picked out this top and a fun sheet for the back.  Veronica is learning to machine quilt and will do the honors of setting this one together.  --  I will help :)

My quilt is on page 88, QuiltMaker's 100 Blocks vol 5

My quilt will be on display at the Golden, Colorado office gallery from June 1st, 2012 though August 21st, 2012.

QuiltMaker invited some of the block testers to design a quilt using any combination of blocks we tested.

I chose block #436  My Summer Sandal (page 41), designed by Barbara Jones.  I enjoyed this block when I tested it and found it worked perfect in a reduced version for corner embellishments to my quilt.  One of the great things about applique is that one can reduce or enlarge as necessary to meet a projects needs.

The other block I chose to work with is block #401 Abloom (page 24), designed by Barbara Cherniwchan.  I love raw edge applique and this block worked up perfect in a layer and cut style layout.  I like how the fabrics repeat around the Bloom.

I was sent fabric from the Lark Collection by Amy Butler for Westminster Fibers.  I was surprised to get yardage of the green floral that I used for the backgrounds.  I didn't want to just default and use it on the back.  Other pieces from the collection were sent in fat quarter size or 1/2 yds.  I am proud to say that I used up pretty much everything that was received.

Amy is known for her large prints and repeats.  I wanted to enjoy two small pieces with different backgrounds.  To make them play together, I fussy cut the large flowers and made the center frame for my 'girl'.

The outer border is raw edge applique, the letters are cut from my handwriting.  When I do this style no two projects turn out the same.  I cut all of each letter at the same time.  So all the "O" will look similar.  "M & W" are the same just flipped as is "n & U" , "P & d".  It gives a familiarity to the text almost like a personal font.

For me, design is like choosing what I'm going to wear for the day only much more complicated and not really the same at all

The quote is from Robynne Raye.  I did a Google search of 'design' quotes and like this one b/c I thought it fit what I was trying to create.  (and it sounds like me too- lol)

Issues of QuiltMaker 100 blocks vol 5 should be out soon.  I don't know that I will make all 100 blocks BUT there are many that are getting added to my TO DO list. (I still have two projects  from the last issue that are in the kit stage.)

I don't have any pictures of this piece after I quilted it.  It is a real thrill to see it in print in this issue.

I think I am going to take a break from testing for awhile and get caught up on personal projects.  Many thanks to the staff at QuiltMaker for picking me to participate on this issue.  Get your copy soon I am keeping mine this time!

I don't quilt for the public but....I will do trades

A quilting friend called me to come 'look' at what she found.

Of course it all came home with me along with two tops to quilt for her girls!

Don't hold your breath, there are at least a half dozen TO DO's before I can get to hers but seeing as her graduation quilt is not needed till next year we should be good.

What do you think is in this basket of scraps?

If you guessed Mini Double Wedding Ring Pieces, you would be correct!

I can't believe these are so small!

There are enough blocks here that I think I can take this apart and make a nice size wall hanging.  What a fun project for next winter when we get snowed in!

Congrats to all the Grads 2012

Rachel's Grad Quilt 2012

She asked for light blue back grounds with black accents.  She also gave me a wish list of things I could embellish.  There will be 6 plain blocks for her friends to sign.  I haven't decided on the pattern for the alternate/setting blocks.   These appliqued blocks can be used for siggy's too.
I think this will be a fun quilt to work on.  -  I only have three grad quilts this year, almost feels like I am a slacker-  lol

Aurora MO quilt show this weekend!

2012 "Heavenly" Quilts, presented by the Aurora Quilt Guild and the First Christian Church will be this Friday April 20th, (1:00pm- 6:00pm)   and Saturday, April 21, (10am- 4:00pm)

There are NO fees to enter your quilt.  There will be a charge at the door for viewers.  For more information, please call 417-246-1117  or 417-763-5199

Dawn and I are both going to show off a couple of our favorites.   See if you can find them at the show.

I didn't remember her 'names' for all these beautiful quilts.

Pam is going to have her booth set up.  She is stocked with the GO, BABY and lots of Dies!
She also carries the new Celtic Knot pattern and Fats to fill your every TO DO on the Wish list!

Hope to see ya this weekend.  I am hoping to hand out butterfly sets to cyber friends, I'll be a Pam's Booth if you want to 'find' me-  cw

Celtic Knot A Long progress

I am finally getting my chunks together!

In my defense this is my 4th quilt with this pattern (I have helped cut and sub cut 6 for the quilt group gals and have two more cut and kit for future TO DO's)

I love how fast and easy this is if one is organized.

Favorite DIL, Kelly wanted a large quilt in spring colors, this was supposed to be for their Anniv. in March but I told her I didn't say which year- lol

 Welcome to the Knot A Long

Getting Started

Stripping and Sub-Cutting

Getting Chunky

We should have more eye candy in the next couple of weeks, our quilt group meets 2x a month and several of the gals are in the Chunky stage!    cw

Dear Jane, March and April progress

March I took my Dear Jane to the lake, (evidently the gal likes to vacation too- lol)

I am doing raw edge applique and ran through a half dozen bobbins, boy to these blocks go together fast.
Funny thing is I did the borders for the top and right sides b/c I just had to 'see' how they look.  Then I started making blocks on the left side.

Hopefully next month I can make the left border so I can attach it to the rows.  I was hoping to commit to a few more blocks this month but other UFO's were begging to get started- lol

Still on track for a finish this year, Jane is starting to grow up!

Cut First Ask Questions Later

All of us have different reasons for getting our GO's or BABYs. Mine was to Kit
scrappy stash for future TO DO's

I have really enjoyed seeing the eye candy on the Accucutquilters yahoo  group. Especially now that
the photos are grouped by dies. I don't know about you but I have added more then a couple of dies to my pile after seeing a great picture-lol

In the old days of rottery cutting I would have to think about what I was wanting to 'cut'. Now that I have my 'dies' I can cut first and figure out what the top will be later.

I just posted a Large Tumbler that was made for an up coming wedding. I was originally going to cut out issoc triangles to kit up for our church group to sew and return. When I saw a tumbler posted in the new photos I thought that looked like something our group could sew and have fun with.

Several gals brought large scraps and we cut what would work. I didn't have a number in mind or a plan for how it was going to look. I just knew if I dealt the pieces out we could make something with them. There were 104 red/blue/green tumblers total. Most fabrics has 4-8 pieces cut. A 8 x 13 random setting would
yield a small top that we could border and have done quickly. (if this number had been off I could have cut a few pieces to fit in or left a few out)

My niece was over visiting while I was making up the rows to sew and suggested a light background block to separate the darks. She found a bolt of yellow w/Red/Blue and Green flowers that just pulled everything together.

I am not insane enough to just start cutting on all my fabric,...BUT when I do pull materials for a Have To DO, I then sort my scraps into strings or crumbs OR what I call 'cut into later' by color. Then if I am in the mood to do a scrappy I can pull the basket of color and die cut the size I need and add those left overs to the strings or crumbs pile.

I have seen several discussion about fabric waste with the dies, for me it is the opposite, I am finally using the odd shapes that normally would have been saved for applique (there is no way I am going to sit around and die cutting 2" sqs or triangles etc..by hand.)

I have also seen people ask about straight of grain and true size of the squares. I cut what ever I can with what I have (yes even on bias) If a material stretches during the cut, it will also stretch during the sewing. I
sew by sight not counting on pins to fix it for me. I have not had any trouble with dies. I don't starch, rarely pin or iron and have made many many quilts this past year that would not have had a chance of getting done if I had to cut them out by hand.

Wow, I am long winded this evening- lol I just wanted to jot down my reason for my remark- cut first ask questions later, with the dies you really can cut and figure out the rest when you get to it. I have been asked "How big is this going to be" my answer usually is "I don't know yet, I'm not done" A small top can grow up with a couple of borders. A large top can get divided into several smaller tops, it is never done till it is done-

So now I want to hear how you plan your scrappy quilts, do you pick a pile and dig in or is there a plan?

wedding quilt Lg Tumblers

This is by far one of the fastest tops to make.  Last night our quilt group got together and shared fabrics.  I die cut using the large tumbler and my GO.  I tend to make quilts what ever size they turn out to be.  Today I was 'dealing' the prints out to make packets for the gals to sew and return.  My niece was over at the house and she suggested adding the yellow background print.
I think it just really turned this top into something to be proud of!  To top off the 'way to go' moment, this entire top was sewn in under 2hrs.  (that is fast even for me- lol)  The borders were found already cut out just waiting for the right project (thanks Kelly)
Special thanks to LaDonna for bringing a king size sheet for me to use on the back.  We are ahead of schedule on this one.
I warned the ladies that this might be faster to sew on my own then kit up and share.  They have forgiven me this time.  (Seriously, Krystal and I were just going to sew a couple of rows, it was hard to stop)

One way to speed up this sewing is to go random with the fabrics.  I dealt fabric out to 8 piles, then stacked the piles on top of each other, then count out the number I am shooting for (in this case 8)  There were different amounts of each material so I wanted them spread out through the top.

My grandson even helped me chain piece some rows- he cuts and shuffles the two-sies.  I sew a row and then sew the last piece to the first making a tube.

When I get a couple of tubes made I scissor cut through the block to open the row up.  One row gets cut on the colored blocks and the next on the background block.  I don't worry about how the colors lay b/c I like the random look.

Now to find time to get this future keepsake on the frame and quilt it-   cw

Chicken Quilt update

I LOVE this TOP!  When my friend Pam asked if I would consider doing a commissioned piece for her company to use in an auction for scholarships I said "YES"  (I will consider anything once- lol)

My original plan was to be done by the end of January so this piece could hang at the main office until the event in June.   You know about plans and fabric, they don't always come together.  Sometimes one just needs to be in the right frame of mind to work on creative pieces.
 My 'frame' of mind got a boost a couple of weeks ago when I took a long weekend at the lake.  Yes I brought my machine and fabric.  It was fun to have uninterrupted time to make the sketch come to life.
This top is probably the closest I have come to staying true to the original sketch in a long time. lol

I LOVE flying geese, these were done with the focus fabric in a layer and cut method.  I really like how the the pieces repeat themselves with out being obvious.

Again the repeats in the kaleidoscope block are just too much fun!



Now to press and quilt and this unique keepsake can find a new home.

and....   I can play with the scraps!  win/win

My Chicken Quilt

I didn't set the date on the camera- my bad

Now to do the applique

I just had to lay it out to "see" if I was on the right track.  I need to work on the flying geese for the area between piano keys.  I think I will do them layer and cut style with white sky.

I love seeing this rooster print 'spin'

Blue and Silver for Brittany

Quilted and Gifted, the Shower was a lot of fun.

Krystal made the most beautiful cupcakes!

Time to start working on wedding quilts for this year.  It is always fun to make a little something for the young couples from church.  Brittany chose Blues and Silver for her colors.  I was thrilled to find a marbled light grey to mix with scrappy blues.

Two gals turned in a yard each of the same royal blue.  Lucky for me it was perfect for an outer border.  I love it when a quilt comes together so well.

Shower is next weekend, if this does not get quilted by then we will still hang it and hopefully quilt before the wedding in June (or the 1st anniv. next year- lol)