What a Time Saver!

I went to JoAnn's  today to spend a gift card I received for Christmas.  I was hoping to purchase a new iron since mine stopped working the other night, but alas, they were sold out due to the sale.  

I went over to the quilting area to get a new Underthimble when my BFF showed me that quilting supplies were 50% off.  I then decided to purchase a Clover Desk Needle Threader since I am currently hand quilting a multicolor cat quilt for Loni.  

I really did not expect the needle threader to work, but it does a great job with my Jeanna Kimball Between/Quilting #10. I am currently sitting here with six needles threaded, each in a different color.  I quilted for hours today and this little threader saved me so much time. 

There have been many days when I could not see well enough to thread my needles and after about 20 minutes I would give up and not quilt.  The little hand threaders were okay, but once again the eye of the needle was too small fo rme to see how to even get the threader in to put the thread in.  

This little desk threader was worth the money at 50% off.  I think I would have had trouble spending $15.00 on it and wouldn't have known how great it is because of the original price.  

It is nice that the threader comes in different colors and that they had green ones.  Guess what color I bought?

BTW: They did not have the Underthimble so I bought a package of ThimblePad, and they worked just fine tonight. 

I am so glad I stopped at the sale. 

Making Progress on Cat's Pajamas, Two

I was able to finish quite a few blocks on this quilt over the holiday weekend and tonight.  I probably would have had this top done if I hadn't lost that one little square.

This is not final layout, just a progress layout.

Where oh Where did my 4x4 Square Go?

In the process of making the Cat's Pajamas, Two pattern, I lost one of the 4x4 squares.

When I opened my project box, I had all 320 pieces.  I had the pieces out of the box and on the table for 2 days while I arranged them and started sewing.  When I got to the last block, one square was missing. 

I searched and searched.

I searched the living room, hallway, bedroom, bathroom, laundry, garage cans, recycling can, dirty clothes hamper, pockets of the clothes I was wearing, and my robe.  I asked Loni to search, then I asked the boys to search.  I went through all the pinned blocks to make sure two squares were not stuck together.  I have counted and recounted squares.  It is not to be found.  

I offered money to the boys to search again, and they did.  Still no square.  

The only thing I can do now is add another color and take out random pieces from the blocks I have pinned and try not to think about the fact that there is a little square of fabric, probably right in front of my eyes, laughing at me. 

I

Busy Quilting Weekend

Despite the pain in my shoulder, I was able to get quite a bit done this weekend with some of my quilts in queue. 

• Baby Quilt - Finished the stitch in the ditch quilting and finished two of the big triangles before Big Bertha had to be taken in to the shop for what I hope is a quick repair.
  
• Pieced the back and sandwiched Loni's cat quilt.
  
• Finished 3 blocks on Mina's quilt (the one I gave her the fabric to last Christmas).  Here are the 3 blocks, just not in order.  

The pattern is Cats Pajamas, Two, a fat quarter quilt, designed by Sam J. Lamoreaux, The Quilter's Workshop.

I know I did too much, and my shoulder is really complaining, but it was nice to get back to doing something I enjoy so much.

WOW, Time Flies

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted on this blog.

I did not start any new projects for a while because a couple of rooms in my house, including the room I quilt in, were being remodeled.  Now I have hurt my shoulder and it makes it hard to quilt.

I have been working on a baby quilt for a friend's new grandson since September.  I have it sandwiched, pinned, and have a few blocks "stitched in the ditch."

I have several projects lined up and in their project boxes. I hope I feel like working on them very soon. 

I also want to hand stitch a miniature log cabin quilt for a piece of art I bought at Huffines Art Trail. It is called "Guardian."  It is made so you can add your own elements to the piece. 

Turtle Quilt Completed

I completed the turtle quilt on August 22, 2010 at 4:35 p.m. I started this quilt on June 9, 2008.  I designed the pattern on EQ6 based on a turtle fat quarter my aunt gave me. The quilt was machine pieced but completely hand quilted.

Back and Front









Up close view of the quilting.

I Miss Quilting

While my house is being remodeled all quilting has come to a halt.

The machines are covered in sheets and then plastic. The fabrics are put away, and the notions are covered too.

I cannot even hand quilt on the turtle quilt because there is so much dust around and everything is in such disarray.

I had been doing so much quilting in the weeks before this remodeling started that I am having withdrawal symptoms.

The great thing is I will have so much more light to quilt by when everything is all done. Plus I can hand quilt out on my new patio by my new fountain. YEAH!

Top Two Quilt Stores in my Book

I have rearranged my list of favorite quilt stores since shopping at "Quilt Mercantile" in Celeste, TX, and "Stitchin' Heaven" in Quitman, TX.

Quilt Mercantile

• The people that work there are extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. They don't mind sharing their knowledge but once they answer their question they back off and leave you alone until you need something else. I don't like to be hovered over in a store.
  
  
• The store is laid out in a fashion that if you are in a hurry you can go to the area you need and get your item and leave. Everything makes sense.
  
  
• Lots of quilt top examples on the walls.
  
  
• Patterns and books galore.
  
  
• I love their Christmas room!
  
  
• Good sale area.
  
  
• Lots of little gift items for those you love.
  
  
• Kits, kits and more kits.

I purchased a kit yesterday to make for a very special baby being born in Oct. I didn't care for the theme the parents picked out for the room so I went with something that would be helpful to the baby as he gets older.



Alpha Buddies by Nancy Murty


Stitchin' Heaven

• Very friendly as soon as you walk in the door. The store manager met us and offered us a tour of the shop showing us where everything was, including their internet store area and mailing area.
  
  
• If we couldn't find what we wanted on the shelf, they went and looked in their inventory to see if they had more.
  
• Helpful in picking out fabric but understanding when you didn't like a certain fabric.
  
  
• Lots of different patterns made up and on the walls.
  
  
• Kits available for quite a few of their patterns, many made up in nice packages for gifting.
  
  
• Sent a hand written thank you letter, mentioning my exact purchases, and asking me to come back again.
  

I purchased several items, but the one I am most excited about is the Magic Squares Pattern by Helene Knott.

Of course my fabric is in shades of green and the border fabric has turtles.

Both of these quilt shops are worth the drive, and the drives are very pretty from my house.

Baby Quilt 2 Complete and On the Way to Baby

Front and Back (Minky)


Completed Quilt



Up Close and Personal with Free Motion Quilting Design


Overall Quilting Design

Excuse the Mess

Playing with blog design, but too tired to decide what I want after a full day of quilting.
TQ

Minky Fabric

I read all the blogs, I read the tips, but I don't like quilting on minky fabric. I think minky fabric needs to be used where there is not a lot of stitching to be done. The woman at the fabric store said she used it for baby quilt backing all the time. I should have asked her how much quilting she did on the baby quilt.

It is turning out okay, but it is tough to move and I am not getting a good free motion movement.

I do like the pattern for the top and might use it again if any more babies come through my life.

Baby Quilt 2

I am making my second baby quilt. This one is for the first grandchild of my boss due in July. Her name will be London Grace.

The backing will be out of minky. I have never worked with minky before. Should be interesting.

Baby Austin's Completed Quilt - May, 2010

FRONT



BACK

Quilting the Baby Quilt

I started quilting the baby quilt tonight. Each square is quilted and now I am quilting the diagonals across the quilt.

I really hope it turns out like the drawings I have been working on for the quilt design.

Back of Baby Quilt/Back with Top

It is hard to tell from the pictures, but the green and teal of the turtle panels match the teal and green in the geometric pattern. The binding will be from the same material in the sashing from the top.

Back

Top and Back

Baby Quilt Top Complete

This was a fun quilt to make, but a challenge for me because you don't match points, or make sure the small blocks match, etc. It is my first try at a scrappy quilt and I kept hyperventilating over the points etc. It was also very hard for me to put the blocks together without trying to make a pattern. Okay, I did throw a little bit of a pattern in, I could not help myself.

I am excited about the backing fabric and cannot wait to put it all together. Hope baby A's mom likes it.

Notice the turtles.:)

Sure wish I had a better place to take pictures. There is always a shadow on one side.

Another Craft Day

Another Craft Day at Mama C's today.

Queen J finished piecing her quilt top for the Ft. Hood soldiers.

L worked on M's scarf.

M had to go to a post wedding shower, but was here for the start and finish of Craft Day.

I worked on the turtle quilt.

L finished the most beautiful scarf in the world and gave it to me as an early birthday gift.

"Just a Baby Quilt"

I saw some thread on an internet site that would be perfect for the baby quilt I am making, but do not know the brand and the few quilters I asked do not know it either, so I went out today looking for thread.

The first quilt shop had very helpful ladies working, but very small thread selection so they suggested a second store. I have had a bad experiences with the second store, but they have moved to a new location and it was close so I decided to try them again.

They did greet me when I entered, which was new as they had ignored me in the past. They did not have a very big thread selection, but they had something close to what I wanted in a brand I did not know. I went to the front desk and explained the project and asked if the thread I had picked out was appropriate. The sales clerk explained the thread to me and said it would work on the quilt. I went on to ask her if she had any like the one I saw on the internet. She said "No, and what did it matter, it was "just" a baby quilt."

I wanted to tell her that it was more than "just a baby quilt," but instead I paid for the thread and left.

I don't consider any quilt I make to be "just." I put love and care into each one. I put a lot of thought into the fabric choices, pattern, and the person. I do not know the parents of the baby I am making the baby quilt for but the baby's grandmother is very dear to me. I would never give her grandchild a "just" quilt.

Baby Quilt, If Grandma Approves Fabric

A very dear friend recently became a grandma. I offered to make a baby quilt for her grandson.

It just so happened that she gave me some fabric that had been the baby's great-grandmother's and I am going to try to use that for the sashing.

The pattern grandma picked out:

The fabrics:

Thimbles and More Thimbles

My fingers have really been sore from all the hand quilting on the Turtle Quilt so I went to Quilt Country on Friday to get a variety of thimbles to see if they would help.

I bought a Clover Protect and Grip, a leather one with a deep dimpled end, and an UnderThimble.

I used all three of them this weekend and my fingers are much better. The UnderThimble helped a lot, and I cannot make up my mind between the Clover thimble and the leather one, so I switch between them each time I move the hoop.

I have completed one and a half sides of the border and I am very hopeful to finish this quilt soon, but obviously did not make my end of February deadline.

Turtle Quilt Update

I am finally on the last border of the Turtle Quilt. It is off the frame and back into the hoop. There is still a lot to do. This is a wide border and there is a lot of details to quilt.

I have been working on it so much that my fingertips are numb and they wake me up at night tingling. The other night I woke up and I was trying to pull my thimble off my finger, even though I had taken my thimble off hours before.

I do dread the fact that it going up to the dorm room when it is finished and taking on that dorm room smell, but I did make it for my youngest.

My goal is still to be finished by the end of February.

BFF on her Second Quilt

My BFF is working on her second quilt. It is a Christmas quilt for her sister. She is doing a beautiful job.

Her sister likes Old World Santas so this quilt has a O.W. Santa panel in the middle surrounded by beautiful borders, both pieced and stripped. She is hand quilting the details on the panel and will be doing some stitch in the ditch on the smaller borders and then maybe a holly leaf on the outside larger border.

Good job J!

Over 220 Yards and Counting

I finished up a 220 yard spool of thread last night while hand quilting my turtle quilt. That means there is more than 220 yards of thread in that quilt since I have several spools of that thread that I have used on this quilt.

I have 3 more blocks to quilt and then I can start on the borders. It seems to be taking me longer to finish a swirled block, but my stitches are much more uniform and I am getting more stitches per inch.

I really like how it looks and it is very warm. My youngest is getting very excited about me finishing it. I hope the smell of his dorm room doesn't permeate it permanently.

Turtle Quilt Update

Thanks to Loni and Jill talking about how much they like "The Closer" I have been able to complete several blocks on the turtle quilt in the last few weeks.

I bought the first season of "The Closer" on dvd and was immediately hooked, and bought the other seasons available. I want to finish the turtle quilt soon, so the rule became no "Closer" unless I was hand quilting. By abiding by the rule I was able to finish a few blocks. This weekend I had a "Closer" marathon that finished up the dvds, but it also allowed me to finish three blocks and I am 1/8 of the way through another spiral block. The spiral blocks take me several hours each.

Unfortunately, I have finished all the dvds, but now I am only 5 blocks away from starting on the borders of the quilt. In fact, I am so close I had the youngest set up my quilting frame tonight so that I can start the borders immediately upon completely the last block.

New rule, I must hand quilt at least an hour a night.

I know the youngest would like me to finish his quilt. He thanks me every time he sees me working on it. The end is in sight now and I am getting very excited about having a completed quilt that is hand quilted.

BFF Finished Her Quilt for Her Hubby

BFF finished her first quilt, a frayed edge Brick Around the World on January 2, 2010. It was a present for her husband for Christmas.