Christmas Pillowcases

This is for my youngest, it matches his Turtle Quilt I hand quilted.  This pillowcase would not have been possible if my friend Laurie had not given me the extra fabric that I needed when she found it.

My oldest son loves games and collects dice. I have had this fabric for years, but could never find just the right coordinating fabric.  Finally found some black on black that works.

Mina and Stan's pillowcases to match the quilt I gave them last year.

This pillowcase is not a set because I just used up fabric I had left from Loni's cat quilt.

Some of my Christmas Table Toppers in Use

Christmas Gifts Being Made

Small Christmas Topper

Christmas Table Topper #2

Christmas Table Topper #1

Project Linus

I try to pick up a Project Linus quilt kit every time I go to a show where they are giving them out, in addition to making a couple on my own throughout the year.  I always have to laugh because every time I get a kit there is something that keeps me from making it just the way the directions read. 

This year I was a strip short on one of the fabrics.  The only thing I had in my stash that matched the fabrics in the kit was a solid red.  It would have been cuter with the other fabric, but I am sure someone will like this quilt.

Also a big thank you to my youngest, and sometimes the oldest, for being my official quilt picture "holders."

Project Linus Quilt, Christmas 2011

Bright Cat Quilt

I purchased the pattern and the fabric to make this quilt for Loni 2-3 years ago.  I actually had the colors all laid out on the design wall at one time and took it down.  Every time I started to work on it, something felt wrong about it. 

Then Loni's life changed.  She moved in with me in the late Spring and then this summer I became serious about finishing this quilt. Today I finally completed the quilt, all that is left is the label tomorrow night. 

Even though I finished piecing the top and sandwiching it in July, I couldn't start quilting it until I knew what felt right in the design.  I finally decided to free hand/free motion hearts, flowers, and swirls.

• The hearts represent all the love in Loni's life. 
• The flowers represent many things:
• How I want Loni's life to always be filled with beauty
• How she has continued to bloom and blossom even in the hard times
• To remember her African Violets and how even though they had a tough tumble they continue to thrive.
• The swirls represent all the twists and turns of life.  Some of the swirls are really big and some are small, but they all lead to a heart or a flower, to remind Loni that no matter what life gives her she will always be loved and she can thrive.

I don't think I was meant to make this quilt until now.  This quilt will go to Loni's beautiful new home this week.  

The pattern is by Me and My Sister Designs and is called Twigs.

Bright Cat Quilt Front

Bright Cat Quilt Back

Bright Cat Quilt Front and Back

Bright Cat Quilt Front Close Up

Quilting on Bright Cat Quilt

Tree Farm Quilt - 2 Generations Make One Quilt

I helped my aunt finish a quilt she was making for her sister after she became ill this year and was not feeling up to finishing it before Christmas. She had the front pieced except for a couple of the outer borders.  She made the quilt bigger than the kit called for, so the back then became a quilt of its own with borders.  It is a gift for her sister, my other aunt. 

The quilt pattern was in a Thimbleberries kit called Tree Farm by Lynette Jensen.

Front of Quilt

Back of Quilt

Random leaves were followed on one of the narrow borders on the front.  They do not show up on the front, but make a nice top an bottom border on the back.

Used a template and a Frixion pen on the center panel to create the feel of hills behind the trees.

Wide outer border quilted in a pattern to resemble abstract Christmas Trees.

Gireaway from The Fabricologist

http://fabricologist.blogspot.com/2011/11/first-quilt-market-giveaway.html

Purrfect Christmas Quilt

I made this Purrfect Christmas quilt by Susan Winget using a Benartex Building Blocks kit.  I loved this kit.  Everything was pre-cut but you had a choice of 14 blocks you could make.  Great for when you want to make a gift but don't have enough time to do all designing, cutting, etc. 

I just wish I had remembered to take a picture of the back of the quilt before I gave it away.

Purrfect Christmas

Close Up

Christmas Table Runner/Stonehenge Panel

Fell in love with this panel and made a table runner out of it.  This table runner may be going up for auction.  They are not great pictures because I was taking them so late at night.  I need to take more when there is daylight.

Christmas Table Runner/Stonehenge Panel

Back of Christmas Table Runner/Stonehenge Panel

Close up of front of Christmas Table Runner/Stonehenge Panel

Quilt Shop Hopping - Trek Tri Weekend

Mina, Loni and I went to Austin, Saturday, October 1, 2011 to participate in the Trek Women's Triathlon as a relay team.

The girls were nice enough to let me indulge in some quilt shop hopping on Saturday and on the way back home on Monday. 

It turns out that we did not pick the best weekend to see the quilt shops since there was a quilt show in Round Rock that day and the shops had a lot of their inventory out at the show, but there was still plenty to see in each shop.

First stop was The Cotton Cupboard.  This shop had a lot of samples up on the walls and some very nice fabric selections.  If I lived in the area I would definitely be a customer.

Honey Bee Quilt Shop was our second stop.  The ladies in this shop were super duper friendly.  I wish I could have visited when they were at full inventory. 

Third stop was in Salado to visit The Sewing Basket.  I have visited the booth of this shop at all the quilt shows I have attended, but this was my first time to actually stop in the shop.  Once again the ladies were really friendly.  I had a lot of fun looking at all their different displays and samples.

Our last stop was Common Threads in Waxahachie.  This store has a lot of charm.  They had a lot of quilt kits and patterns.  

All in all it was a great weekend of quilt shop hopping.

Weekend of Charity Quilting

I love Jenny Doan video tutorials.  Last week I watched her tutorial "Amazing Jelly Roll Quilt Pattern by 3 Dude!"  

I really liked how easy the pattern went together and thought it would be fun to try. I decided to spend this weekend piecing quilts for Project Linus using a jelly roll I had on my shelf.

Saturday I pulled up Ally McBeal on Netflix and started sewing the strip sets together and making the blocks. Today I laid out the blocks on my design wall and pieced together the quilt tops.  I hope to buy some backing fabric this week and finish them before the middle of October.

This will be the perfect opportunity to try out a couple of different quilting methods so I can decide how to finish off the Bright Cat quilt I am making Loni.

I did not spend a lot of time putting together the strips except to put the ones that had more of a pastel feel to them together and the really bright ones together.  I could have spent hours working with the patterns and redesigning each quilt top, but chose to pick a pattern and stay with it so that these quilts would eventually actually end up some where besides the design wall. 

Craftsy!

Craftsy.com is a great way to share your projects, sign up for classes, find new blogs, and learn about deals.  

I love my Jenny Doan classes.

Here is a link to my projects. http://www.craftsy.com/craftsyer/1756

Current Hand Quilting Project - Fall Table Runner

31 Leaves Done

Close Up While In Hoop

Projects in Queue

I have a lot of projects on my shelves, but the ones that are currently in queue are:

• A fall table runner with leaves, wheat sheaves, and pumpkins.  I am hand quilting all the items, but I have set a goal of getting it on the table in October.  I am trying to get at least 2 leaves a day done, but some days I get 6 completed.  It may not hit the table until November, but then again it has been on my shelf since September, 2009.
• Bright Cat Quilt is sandwiched and ready for quilting.  This will be a challenge as I am going to try to quilt it like a quilt I saw at the Material Girl Quilt Shop in Denton.
• Poppy Quilt - waiting for me to piece the backing and sandwich.  
• Spring Table Runner that has been in the works for a while.  Maybe I will have it done in the spring.
• Pie Plate Carriers to be used as door prizes at a church function next Sunday.  I have one of 3-4 done.  I don't know if all 4 will be used, or if I will keep one back as a gift. 
• A Christmas project or two that must remain secret.

I also have 5 other kits waiting, not to mention patterns and materials to be cut and pieced.  

The great thing is I am not stressing over any of it, and I am enjoying myself.

Confessions of a Failed Quilt Shop Hopper

As I was waiting in line today to get my Quilt Across Texas passport stamped at the Allford Inn, the lady next to me asked how many stamps I had in my passport.  When I replied "this is my first one," her reaction was priceless. Her face flashed horror and "you poor dear" in a matter of seconds.  It seems as if  I am a failure as quilt shop hopper.

Evidently, since Quilt Across Texas began September 1, and today is September 9, I should have had time to go to several shops by now. The other couple in the shop had several stamps.  The ladies in front of me had almost finished region 4, they just had Wylie and Rockwall left. I found myself wanting to explain that this was my first hop, and I was just learning the rules, etc.

The truth is I saw signs about Quilt Across Texas at the Dallas Quilt Show, and then months later I was in Texas Quiltworks and they had the book with the passport of $5.00 and there was a $5.00 coupon in the book, so I thought why not, it would be an easy resource to find new quilt shops when I am out and about.  I really have no intention of  spending money on gas to just get my passport stamped so I can enter a drawing.  That is what one woman I met in Celeste was doing yesterday.

My basic plan was just to go to the shops I had coupons for from the Plano Quilt Show, pick up some things I had in my project list, get my passport signed for fun, and use my coupon. I had no idea how serious some people take the whole thing. This is a totally different world for me.

After we left Allford Inn we went to Quilt Mercantile where I ran into the lady that gazed with me with such pity before.  She and I chatted about the route we took to get from one place to the other, what fun things were available, and wished each other luck, but I know she was thinking "that is one less person I am competing against to get my prize."

Quilt Across Texas - September 1-30, 2011

www.It is September, so it is is Quilt Across Texas  month.

I have no intention of trying to get a shop in all the regions, but I am going to go to at least one shop I haven't visited before.

My goal is to go to Allford Inn Quilt Shoppe in Van Alystyne, TX.  I met Cindy Allford at the Plano Quilt Show and she was so open and willing to give me advise.  I am looking forward to seeing her shop.  

I will probably visit one of my favorite shops, Quilt Mercantile in Celeste, TX.

I would love to travel to some other shops, but I also have some deadlines to make with some of my projects.  

Cat Quilt for Loni Completed

This quilt is for Loni.  I machine pieced it, hand quilted all the big cats, and most of the small ones, and machine quilted the non-cat blocks and borders.

I hope she will enjoy it and think of me sometimes when she uses it.  

Quilt Plano 2011

I spent most of Friday, August 12, at Quilt Plano 2011, a quilt show sponsored by the Plano Quilt Guild. I arrived just as it opened.  Saw Laurie when I arrived and we told each other to have fun.  

Once I bought my ticket, and signed up for a door prize, I headed directly into the main showroom.  It was practically empty because everyone stopped in the hall first.  My first stop was at Just Jennifer's booth.  I was drawn to her booth because I saw a turtle.  I chatted with her while looking around and found a pattern I wanted.  When I went to pay for the pattern she told me it was free because she likes to give her first customer a free gift at shows.  She also said she was glad I hadn't decided to buy one of her jackets.  Well, that just really started my day off with a smile.

A few more booths under my belt and then I ran into Laura.  We had planned on meeting up at the quilt show to look at sewing machines.  We decided that since it wasn't crowded we would look at all the quilts on display first, then start going through the booths one by one.  

There were some beautiful quilts on display, but very few of them really tickled  my fancy.  Many of them are just too traditional, but Laura and L both liked the one entitled Cabin on the Brazos.  Of course, the ones quilted by Richard Larson were wonderful. He is so talented.  There was one quilt that really wasn't special, but his quilting artistry really made you want to look at the quilt.  

Once we had reviewed all the quilts, we started going to the booths.  We did a cursory review of all of them, and concentrated on the ones that had things we were looking for at this show.  Laura was looking for a sewing/embroidery/quilting machine.  We looked at Janome, Elna, Brother, Bernina, and Baby Lock.  She ended up purchasing a Baby Lock.  She was so excited, she was beaming from ear to ear and her dimples were showing.  Laurie walked buy as Laura was making her purchase, so we had her stop and look at what Laura bought. 

Once Laura finished with her purchase, we completed the view of the other booths and she decided she was done for the day.  We said goodbye and then I went back to a couple of booths that had some items I wanted to see again. 

By the time I left on Friday, I had been gifted a mug cozy pattern, and had purchased a pie carrier kit, a yard of a beautiful batik, and enough backing and binding to finish my Stonehenge Christmas panels.  I also bought some nifty little point covers for my little scissors that I am always jabbing into my fingers when I reach into my sewing basket.

When I came home from the quilt show on Friday, I also ordered a book called "Folded Log Cabin Quilts" from Amazon because I liked the projects from the book at the show, but not the show price of the book.

On Saturday, I was trying to make my pie carrier and realized that I didn't understand some of the instructions, so Loni and I went back to the quilt show before it closed so I could see the project again and talk to the owner of the booth.  She was very nice and allowed me to take pictures and helped me understand the instructions.  Then Loni and I decided to walk through once more. 

As we were walking through I saw the ladies from Blue Ribbon Quilt Shoppe in Wylie and one of them was wearing a quilt top as a cape. When I asked her what she was doing she said she only had two of this quilt top kits left and she was trying to sell them before the show closed.  I asked if they would make me a deal.  The owner came over and discounted the kits and I bought one of them.  It has some machine applique involved so I will be increasing my skill set when I make it. 

It was a good show, and I was glad I was able to not do any impulse buying.  The kit on the second day didn't count as an impulse since it was a great deal.  I really couldn't have bought the fabric for what they sold the kit to be for, and I can always use another kit to make up and give as a gift. 

I heard a rumor they might start having the quilt show every year instead of just once every two years.  I hope that is more than a rumor.  It is very convenient to get to from my house, and I think the venue is nicer than the Dallas Quilt Show.  So I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Pilot Frixion Pen

The day I saw this video I just had to run out and buy a Pilot Frixion Pen.  I love it!  I used it to draw oak leaves all over one of my quilts and then once I ironed it, no more marks.  You can get them in several colors. The marks will come back in extreme cold.  Some reviews say they will even come back if you wash your quilt and then put it in the freezer, but I am not worried about that here in TX.  Especially since we are in day 37 of over 100 degree temperatures.

Loni gave me the dots and they are great for my hand quilting.  I have been using the same dot all week and the sticky on the back is still very strong.

Bright Cat Quilt Top Pieced

I finished piecing the top for the Bright Cat quilt I am making Loni tonight.  I hope to get a better picture soon.

Loni's Bright Cat Quilt.  Pattern: "Twigs" by Me and My Sister Designs

Loving My On Line Quilting Class

I really am enjoying my online quilting class with Jenny Doan.

She gives some great time saving tips in her classes. I love this tip.

You should also check out the daily deals on Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Binding Odd Angles

I found this video from Marci Baker of Alicia's Attic on binding odd angles extremely helpful while working on Kathy's table runner.

Makes My Eyes Dizzy Project

Two years ago I started out to make this quilt for Loni.  The problem was I just did not like some of the fabrics, so I kept putting that particular project box back on the shelf.

The other night I realized that this quilt was the only project I had that was ready to piece, so I decided to just to go for it.  I took out the fabrics I hated, cut a few more of the ones I liked okay, and set about laying out the blocks.  

When I started this project, Loni told me she liked bright juvenile fabrics, and Loni loves her cat, so I ordered two jelly rolls that Laurie showed me on line that were bright and had cats, and then added some other fabrics that coordinated to use as the honey bun part of the pattern.

Lord have mercy this quilt is bright!  My camera's auto focus went crazy when I tried to take a picture of it on the design board.  

Loni's Bright Quilt.  Pattern: "Twigs" by Me and My Sister Designs

I have found and equally bright and colorful backing fabric with cats.  She will probably have to wear sunglasses to use this quilt and still end up with a migraine, but it does meet her criteria of bright, juvenile fabrics. 

Purse from Laura

My friend Laura made me a purse using one of the patterns from my book 5-10-15 + Fat Quarters.

I love it!

Bags in Blue Pattern - Just not Blue!

Quilted Gifts

Two special friends had birthdays in the last two months. I made them both coaster sets.  I only remembered to take pictures of one of the sets.

Coasters for Marie

What Have I Been Doing in 2011? Besides Recovering from Shoulder Surgery

 Even through recovery I managed to do a few quilting projects.  The quilting is difficult, it is hard for me to manage the thicknesses through Big B, but piecing is easy.  I have a lot of trouble cutting because I just do not have the strength to hold the ruler down, even with my Gypsy Grip.  I hope that by September I will be able to start quilting all the tops I am creating now.

Table Runner I made for Kathy's Birthday- Pattern: Magic Table Runner from "Clever Quarters" by Susan Teegarden Dissmore

Close up of Magic Table Runner

Small Table Runner from batik charm pack Jill gave me.  Pattern: Modern Table Runner (a birthday gift from Laura) A quilt  as you go pattern from G. E. Designs.

Back of Modern Charm Runner (Backing fabric was a Christmas gift from Laurie)

Storm at Sea Quilt that I made for my porch swing from a Benartex Kit of triple-dyed Bali Batiks, a laser pre-cut kit.

Back of Storm at Sea Quilt

Storm at Sea Quilt on the Porch Swing

Poppies Quilt by Clothworks featuring fabrics from the Poppies Collection by Pamela Mostek.  I cut all the pieces to this quilt months ago, so it was easy for me to work on with a stiff shoulder.

"Enchanted Earth" Quilt Featuring "Earth Angels" Fabric Collection by Debbie Mumm, a South Seas Imports Kit

Close up of "Enchanted Earth"