Wedding quilt

I love our church family. Giggle as elders display this future keepsake for the new couple.

Two wedding tops

My niece got married in June.  Fingers crossed I get hers quilted by Christmas.

The circles one is for a young couple from church.  The groom's little sister picked out fabrics.

I love both of these future keepsakes!

30 Quilts in 30 Days - day one, total--3 quilts

Yesterday, Connie and I took my quilt machine to Springfield to finally get looked at.  I have been having problems breaking thread for several years and for the past year have hardly quilted anything on that machine.  In fact the last 6 months I only finished two quilts.  Simple fix, the hour drive to Springfield  Friday morning was repeated by 5 pm to load the machine and head home.

My first project was to finish the small quilt that was pinned in earlier this year.  First row- wonderful.  2nd row broke a needle and bent the throat plate.  Would you believe everyone I called to help fix it was out of town this Saturday.  I  didn't want to waste the weekend so I ran to Friend Tire to see if they could/would help me.  Danny is a friend to our oldest son,  He knew just what to do, 5 minutes of his time and I was on my way to a fun filled day of quilting.

Now that the machine is running well, I want to challenge myself to finish a pile of UFO's and other TO DO's.  I normally don't do very well completing projects if I feel pushed to do so.  I am going to take exception to my normal routine and make a schedule and stick to it.  There is something to be said about writing one's intentions down and reporting progress.

Normally if I think I want to start a long range goal, I get distracted waiting for the perfect time to get all my ducks in a row.  This quest was thought of and started today, so today is day one.

I am not going to argue or negotiate with my self over what the word "IS" is.  So for the record-  a quilt is defined as 2 or more layers (with or without batting), Pieced or panels, machine quilted or tied, either way(s) I get a Talley mark when one is finished.


Quilts- 1, 2, and 3

This small top has been pinned in to quilt for several months.

Last row and I buried the sewing foot in a loose seam--my bad

This top is small so  it will end up being a baby quilt or a pet quilt.

I added the dog applique to cover where I ripped the fabric getting my foot out.

Instead of loading another top to be quilted I worked on my raw-edge applique borders for Austin and Nichole's wedding quilt.

Did you know that in a pinch you can use your GO mats to trim up fabric.  My regular mat had too much stuff covering it.  I was too lazy to clean it off just for a couple of corners.

Here is the top--Thanks to all the ladies who sewed units.  Special THANKS to Deb. H. for setting the top together.  We started this project over 6 months ago.  It as been gotten out and put away many, many times.

Please don't find any typos in the wording.  I kept meaning to spell check.

This is a line from a song Austin taught the church.

#2  Small quilt for Sarah to use for neighbor girls that are moving away tomorrow.

#3  another one left over from a round of donation tops.  These two will be tied and gifted.

The library class is going to do this pattern for a donation project.  I hope to teach the class next month.  I cut out blocks to practice with.  Easy, chisel, sqs and triangles.

We have a baby shower coming up soon.  I found a yard of pink to use for a back and made enough  9 1/2" blocks to fit for a top.  I think this will be a fun pattern to try in different colors and settings.

I sewed light purple triangles to the top right and bottom left on all blocks.  Then I sewed darker  triangles to the other two corners.  I added 3 inch strips on the sides to widen the top to fit the yardage I picked for the back.

I like the center sqs.  Light purple with cats- so cute!

I might just have to quilt this one tomorrow.  Baby shower is in a week.  It will feel good to have one done in time for a change.  I can 'steal' it back for the class on first Tuesday in Sept.  lol

wedding quilt spinning stars

Many thanks to the ladies who sewed sections.  This top for Austin and Nichole is really coming together.  Possibly even done before the shower March 12th!!  Let's all hold our breath--just kidding.

I have really enjoyed seeing the different ways this pattern can look.  Quilt group will be working on a few more variations this year.  If you want to get in on the fun let me know.  Quilting will be on 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings starting around 6.00.,  Additional help/catch up/etc... will be Wednesday after Bible class (11:00 ish)

We will be working on 5 graduation quilts in March along with our first couple of steps in our personal Spinning Stars projects.  Fingers crossed we get our tops done to show off at the Ladies Night this Fall.

Spinning Star, die cut using scraps (works well with fat quarters)

Part way done!!

Had to show off, Sarah's king size top.  This is a Hole in the Barn Door variation using blues/light scraps.  Very proud that my daughter shares my love of sewing/quilting!

Another wedding quilt- congrats Teresa and Adam

This one is for a favorite niece.  The fabrics were brought back from India by her grandfather.  I hope the couple much success as they start their life together!

Grow Old with me

the best is yet to be

Can there ever be too many wedding quilts? NO

Another group effort from my favorite 'sisters'.  I love this pattern!  Die cut using the GO cutter.  (Thanks Dawn and Debbie E for turning the crank and counting the piles)  Then kitted up and passed out to volunteers to sew the blocks.  Like magic, I leave town for a week and when I come back the blocks are all completed!
Raw edge applique- my favorite technique and saying (BTW)  Last but not least, a wonder scrappy piano key border.

Love getting to see favorite fabrics from all evolved, what a wonderful keepsake for the new bride and groom..

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

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)

Black and Orange for a Wedding Quilt- blocks are coming together

Don't look too close, I haven't ironed or squared up the blocks.  Here is the start to the center, hope to do sashings and borders this weekend..

I had to borrow Kelly's camera and didn't know how to take the date off the picture- my bad.

Lover's Knot for upcoming wedding

My Camera is not back to perfect but is doing better.  This shot is still a little washed out but way better then what I was getting over the weekend.  

Sarah came over today to pick out a wedding quilt for her friends.  I hope they like this one, the pattern is fairly easy to do, just a lot of pieces.  It is a controlled scrappy, I have on my TO DO list to make a couple of more with different colors in the 'stars'.

Black and Orange for a Wedding Quilt- Baseballs too!

A friend of mine asked if I could make a wedding quilt for a couple who are getting married in July.

I should have 'time'.

Then he said he wanted a Baseball theme.---  I am always up for a challenge.

Then he called and asked if I could 'add' photos--- sure (not my favorite but doable)


Then he called to tell me the couple likes Orange and Black-  (I put him on notice that I will NOT be taking any more of his calls-  seriously just kidding)

So much for me making a baseball diamond applique with photos of the bride and groom.....  Instead I decided to do a Black &Orange  swoon quilt

I think Two color quilts always look great.  I am excited to see what I have in Blacks and Oranges that I can mix and match.

The photo is taken at the baseball field.  It shows off the engagement ring sitting on a baseball.

My concern with this block is that there is not enough contrast.  I think I need to re-do the outer orange in a lighter shade.  It may be quicker to just make another block and use this one on the back- lol

Not sure I like this enough with the light to un-sew the outer orange,  what do you think?

spinning stars for Tyler and Sarah

Another young couple from Church has set a date!  Our quilt group is busy making yet another future keepsake.

Congrats to the new couple who plan to exchange vows the end of July.

Spinning Stars was cut from Fat Quarters (thanks Quilt Makers Mag for such beautiful fabrics- being on the scrap squad has its perks)

Triangles and Sqs were die cut using the GO.  Sets were passed out to gals that wished to participate.

This top should be a bit larger but I misplaced a few blocks.  If found soon they will be worked into the back.

In the mean time, this center will get a couple of borders.  The bride to be likes yellow.

It has been fun working yellow into the top with out having it over rule the other materials.  I think we did a good job!

Favorite Wedding Quilt- revisited

Favorite Wedding Quilt,  raw edge applique, set with flying geese blocks.