Christmas gifts

Christmas gifts  have been gifted

I made this one for my mother. It was 10 years in the making and she LOVED it!! (there were tears involved)

This quilt was made for my Father in law to use while he watches TV. He LOVED it.

This quilt was made for A. of Course He LOVED it! 

This quilt was made for E. He LOVED his also.

THIS YEAR was a WIN!!! 6 UFOs completed. 77  new items sewn and at least 10 new UFOs created that 2017 should handle just fine.

Triple Irish Chain

This quilt is for me. Nontraditional fabric choices with traditional pattern. I love it. I originally made it for my husband but once finished I claimed it for myself.
Keep it up, buttercup!

Quilting through paper

Christmas is fast approaching!!

(This quilt is finished but it must remain a surprise)

^^^^This was my game face last week^^^^^

   One thing I would like to share today is quilting through paper. Below are 4 examples. The first and second are relatively easy to figure out where to start and stop. The designs are easy to see after being quilted and the paper is ripped away. 

  This beauty was a bit more challenging and not as nice in the end. I was extremely sad when that list large chunk of paper was ripped away to reveal a big mess of lines running all over the place. I didn't get the helmet quite right and it ended up looking more like a bowl cut on a 2 year old who took a bath in his spaghetti instead of the angry face of a dog. Life goes on and all is well.

I quilted Cotton on a puffy batting and then layered it over fleece. I am not a fan of fleece quilting yet but I'm sure the more I practice the better it will be.

This is my favorite line art in quilting. The face looks more angry than I intended.

Live, Learn and Quilt on.

** Disclaimer: None of these line art pictures are mine. I searched google for football images and the images didn't have copyrights.

 All sewing on fabric is mine.*****

The little things

 This is my October PinkDoxies #bravequilter challenge. I wanted to make something that reminded me of spring and PEEPs hit the spot. I don't mind eating one or two but more than that and they are redundant.

Every piece is sewn. I do have to say I didn't leave enough fabric on some ends when I sewed. I will have to pay closer attention. I did take the time to measure the pattern pieces. I cut the pink fabric exact measurements which I WON'T do in the future.  I had one piece shift so much that I didn't have quite enough for the seam allowance.

Trimming the body. 

Attaching the ears to the head.

The original pattern is for a 2 1/2" X 5" peep. She is on the left. I enlarged 200% and she is on the right. I used white Christmas scraps for the enlarged peep.

Linking back to PinkDoxies with my finished October Challenge.

#Bravequilter

This month i would like to try paper piecing.

 I'm participating in the Pink Doxies new link up, #BraveQuilter. As part of the link party for October, my goal is to try making one 2 1/2" X 5" block. 

** i copied the bold text from Pink Doxies ***

Here is the pattern i have chosen: http://quiltingdigest.com/bunny-peeps-quilt-block/

***This picture is not my own. I copied it from the URL link above, made by sewhooked.com.***

Nothing Fancy School Tote

Nothing Fancy School Tote

This bag felt huge as I was making it. I wanted something that would be large enough for a college bound gal to have a place for her books and everything else she would need without going back to her car.

I wasn't sure how to add pockets to the inside for easy access for a phone, pens/pencils and keys and that is the only thing she said it was missing.

I don't know the dimensions and I didn't have a pattern, I just winged it from some numbers my sister gave me over the phone.

The next bag will defiantly get pockets, lots of pockets.

Granny square quilt

This top is finished. I would have had it quilted by now except I'm not sure which is the best way to go about it on the long arm. i want something that will blend in and not detract from the blocks.
any suggestions would be great.

also an update on finished projects for this year is 73. I had forgotten about the pincushions and pillowcases!!

Last 3 1/2" blocks finished for the year challenge


January- July Update

I have fallen behind. With everything. 

The garden is starting to give cherry, grape and pear tomatoes and the zucchini always stops producing half way through the summer. I have to brave the jungle of weeds to get to my plants. I used preen but it doesn't cover every weed out there.

Started in late April early May:

•  2.5" many trips around the world - top completed July 12th
• string quilt with scraps from seahawks fabric - for charity- top completed in early May, crib size

Started June or July

• Picking up the pieces string quilt - Half done
• 2 50" square charity quilts, need hand bound (4&5)
• 1 wheel chair size charity quilt, needs bound (6)

Finished:

1. lined pouch for toys at church
2. lined pouch for violin chin rest and pencils
3. wheelchair quilt -donated
4. throw quilt -donated
5. crib quilt -donated
6. Quilt guild Bicentennial quilt block
7. "Mom's pride and joy" - twin quilt
8. birthday turtle
9. Chicken pin cushion
10. Thread catcher
11. Violin recital
12. Bumble bee quilt
13. charity quilt 4
14. charity quilt 5
15. charity quilt 6

Hawaiian Box quilt

Hawaiian Box quilt

I made this quilt for me. I feel like I haven't finished anything in quite some time but the truth is I have worked on so many charity tops lately and I forget about what I've done soon after turning them in to the Guild. I have also been piecing on roughly 6 quilt tops at a time for leaders/enders and I love to use up scraps. I purchase other quilter's scraps because they are easier to cut into than a fat quarter or larger piece.

Funny story. I quilted 2 charity tops and was starting on the third. As soon as I pushed the down/up to bring the bobbin thread to the top of the quilt my open toe foot broke. The bottom piece fell off and I really wanted to cry, not knowing how much it would cost to purchase a new one or where to even find one. I sat down at the computer and was able to find and purchase one with in 30 minutes. It arrived 4 days later!!

Enjoy the day.

little finishes

This is my first pin cushion. I've had this idea on my mind and to use log cabins. I didn't want to wait and threw this little cutie together in a half an hour (scraps were already sewn together).  Both sides are pictured below.

This log cabin is from the white elephant gift trade Christmas 2015. The top is finished but I've not decided on a quilting pattern yet.

This bumble bee/honey bear quilt is meant for a dear friend of mine. She recently was blessed by the birth of her 4th child and we all know after the first baby families don't receive as many welcome into the world baby gifts and I didn't want to leave this bundle of joy out.

2016 UPDATE:

Ready to Quilt for charity:

• Boy coin quilt
• Girl coin quilt
• 4th lap size
• 5th lap size
• bears and balloons baby quilt - quilted needs trimmed and bound

To make/finish for my family:

• maternity pants quilt (never worn as they were to big)
• twin little twister - top needs finished
• busy bee sew bag- not yet started
• 2 mine craft quilts - in the works
• Up to date on the 365 day challenge
• 2" many trips around the world -top is finished, my quilt guild ladies told me i must keep this quilt.
• Civil war log cabin - orphan blocks/fabric from guild Christmas white elephant. 2 blocks were finished. i set out to make 7 but ran out of fabric on #5. I turned it into a wall hanging consisting of  6 16" blocks. ready to be quilted, pictured above
• Modified Triple Irish chain. Started, didn't like color choices and put it in a box
• Teady Bears- needs bound
• Green triple Irish chain- needs bound
• Hawaiian box quilt -needs bound 

gifts

• bumble bee baby quilt - ready to quilt - DONE

To continue to work on:

• twin/full grandmothers flower garden (hand piece) - haven't touched it this year

Started in late April early May:

•  2.5" many trips around the world
• string quilt with scraps from seahawks fabric - for charity

What does your 2016 hold?

I have added so many projects for 2016 that I have a list of 21 27 going strong. 

Finished:

1. lined pouch for toys at church
2. lined pouch for violin chin rest and pencils
3. wheelchair quilt -donated
4. throw quilt -donated
5. crib quilt -donated
6. Quilt guild Bicentennial quilt block
7. "Mom's pride and joy" - twin quilt
8. birthday turtle
9. Chicken pin cushion
10. Thread catcher
11. Violin recital
12. Bumble bee quilt

Circles, rectangles & squares

Circles, rectangles & squares

I love scraps. I enjoy working with smaller pieces because I feel I have better control over them. These blocks ended up 10 1/2" square. As I was working on this quilt Mr. Joe asked if he could have it. Of course I said yes because if he liked it enough to ask for it then that is who it belongs to..... right? I had to pick out new backing fabric because well, he loves green and I had black picked out. I had even purchased 4 yards of 108" utility backing to make sure the back matched the front. I have used those extra yards on 3 other quilts and I've got some left. 

2016 UPDATE:

Ready to Quilt for charity:

• Boy coin quilt
• Girl coin quilt
• 2nd crib size

To make/finish for my family:

• maternity pants quilt (never worn as they were to big)
• twin little twister - top needs finished
• busy bee sew bag- not yet started
• 2 mine craft quilts - in the works
• Up to date on the 365 day challenge
• 2" many trips around the world -top is finished, my quilt guild ladies told me i must keep this quilt.
• Civil war log cabin - orphan blocks/fabric from guild Christmas exchange. 2 blocks were finished. i set out to make 7 but ran out of fabric on #5. I turned it into a wall hanging consisting of  6 16" blocks. ready to be quilted
• Modified Triple Irish chain. Started, didn't like color choices and put it in a box
• Teady Bears- needs bound
• Green triple Irish chain- needs bound
• Hawaiian box quilt -needs bound 

gifts

• bumble bee baby quilt - ready to quilt

To continue to work on:

• twin/full grandmothers flower garden (hand piece) - haven't touched it this year

What does your 2016 hold?

I have added so many projects for 2016 that I have a list of 21 27 going strong. 

Finished:

1. lined pouch for toys at church
2. lined pouch for violin chin rest and pencils
3. wheelchair quilt -donated
4. throw quilt -donated
5. crib quilt -donated
6. Quilt guild Bicentennial quilt block
7. "Mom's pride and joy" - twin quilt
8. birthday turtle
9. Chicken pin cushion
10. Thread catcher

Mom's Pride and Joy

I've had this quilt stashed away waiting on the binding. I would find it, then I would lose it and that kept happening for 5 years. I finally grabbed it up two weeks ago and ironed it.  Come to realize as I'm attaching the binding to the back of the quilt that this wasn't the binding fabric after all. It was the left over 3" strip I was going to use to make a second quilt.  Again, life goes on, and on.

Took about a week to sew it on because of "life getting in the way". This is a twin size, I do not recall the name of the pattern and I've misplaced the book I got it out of. (This post must be sounding like a broken record about now.)

so far I've completed 6/24 projects on my 2016 list

Mine Craft quilts

I am following a Mine Craft Quilt along with Kelli  and it has been really fun. I am making 2 quilts and this is my progress. It is easier hiding these as squares so i haven't added sashing yet.

The Cow and the pig are the only blocks that match so far. i wanted the recipients to have quilts to call their own. The skeleton, creeper and Steve came from my stash and the rest i made after purchasing more solids.

Open Sea

Sail Boat quilt

The beauty of charity quilts is that if you really don't like it, someone else will. It isn't like i have a wealth of color pick'n knowledge and one background fabric was donated. I do like this quilt though. I like how the sky turns into sea and back again. And i like how it is mostly blue, i do love blue and red.

 I asked non quilters at the church i attend to help me sew these up on a craft night. It went great. I was able to assemble this quilt in about 4 hours with many hands helping. I sent it to the quilter and BAM! it came back NOT quilted like i had asked. I stuck it in a "drawer" and left it stew until i got over "IT". bound it and it is still here, waiting to leave my son's possession. He really likes it. SO, that prompted me to make 2 quilts to replace this one that seems to be staying around.

quilt stats (not something i plan on doing for each quilt because i don't really keep track):
It is between a crib and throw size
i used 16 different fabrics (i do not know who created these, walmart, joann and my local quilt stores sold them to me ;))
the pretty blue sea was donated, the rest came from my stash

and it is smooth sailing from here!

2016 project update

mr. joe's quilt This is a very close replica of the first quilt i planned to make for my husband. I made my husbands a queen or king and had left overs that i just couldn't waste.

To Quilt for charity:

• Boy coin quilt
• Girl coin quilt
• wheelchair quilt - needs bound
• throw quilt -needs bound
• crib quilt -needs bound
• 2" many trips around the world 

To make/finish for my family:

• maternity pants quilt (never worn as they were to big)
• twin little twister
• busy bee sew bag
• 2 mine craft quilts
• i joined the 365 day challenge on 1/30, i am currently sewing Feb 10th. Not to bad for starting 30 days late.

To continue to work on:

• twin/full grandmothers flower garden (hand piece)

What does your 2016 hold?

I have added so many projects for 2016 that i have a list of 21 going strong. 

Finished:

1. lined pouch for toys at church
2. lined pouch for violin chin rest and pencils

Christmas decorations

I have had a hard time removing our Christmas decorations this year. The tree was up until January 24th. The door wreath was taken down January 28th and the mittens in the windows are, uh hem, still up. I made one for each member of my family except the newest edition which is unofficially on my list for completion this year.

This is one of 20.

• wheelchair quilt
• throw quilt
• crib quilt

These three items are currently being quilted and will be finished within the month. I came home from sew day with my quilt guild and brought back a 15X12X12 box full of pre-cut squares & blocks. I have started ironing and squaring them up and i already have another crib size quilt ready to quilt. I am loving this work.

Project list 2016

To Quilt for charity:

• Boy coin quilt
• Girl coin quilt
• wheelchair quilt
• throw quilt
• crib quilt
• 2" many trips around the world 

To make/finish for my family:

• maternity pants quilt (never warn as they were to big)
• twin little twister
• busy bee sew bag

To continue to work on:

• twin/full grandmothers flower garden (hand piece)

What does your 2016 hold?