Tuesday, May 31, 2016

T-SHIRT FINISHED AND GIFTED

My grand-niece has graduated and the T-shirt quilt was given to her at her graduation party - Sunday.  So, It is OK to show the finished product to all of you.  


Here's a closeup of the lower right block with her name quilted into it:


The blue block for the music department has notes quilted into it:



This one shows what I did on the back.  The left-over border strips were sewn together into a large strip down the back of the quilt.


Below is a picture of my sister and the graduate.

Happy quilting!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

TRIP TO OK

We took a TRIP to Oklahoma to visit our DS#3 who was there to get some training.  While there our DIL came with their 2 boys, so we had a wonderful visit with all of them.  We helped Jonah celebrate his 8th birthday.

One highlight of our TRIP was when our DS took us on a flight to Ponca city, OK for lunch.  BTW he was piloting the airplane, a Caravan single engine plane.  



This is the Ponca City airport. We ate lunch at a wonderful Mexican restaurant at the airport.


Arkansas River

We'll be back in our own bed tonight! 

I am sending this from my tablet and it's not acting very well so please excuse this post. I'm almost finished with the sock from my last post. 

Sunday, May 22, 2016

ONE BLOCK

Not much sewing going on here, but I did finish one Dear Jane block, M-7.  I'm beginning Row M even before June begins. I'm so happy to be almost finished with the middle section of this reproduction!



I also started another pair of socks. This time they will have a cuff. This is my 5th pair of socks. The other pairs were without cuffs. 




Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Saturday, May 14, 2016

DEAR JANE FOR MAY

I am happy that I finished Row L of the Dear Jane blocks, many of which were quite easy.  Maybe by the time Jane Stickle got to these last two rows, she was about out of ideas and steam to create more blocks.  L-6 was the most difficult paper pieced one and I think is my favorite of this row.  

L-6
L-9 was very easy, but I really like it too.

L-9
 Here is a picture of all the blocks.  The last block, L-13, was one of 3 blocks with appliqué and was very easy.  Blocks L-10 and L-12 both have tiny triangles appliquéd on them and I did that appliqué by machine as I have done on some other blocks that had these same tiny triangles.

Row L
I finished the T-shirt quilt and it is on the way to my niece. I will show a picture of the whole quilt acted it arrives for them to see.  Here it is folded up.


I hope she likes it!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

ROUND ROBIN REVEAL

First, the T-shirt quilt is almost finished!  I sewed the binding on this morning and now I'm hand sewing it to the back.  I'll get it in the mail this week!  



Yesterday at my quilt guild meeting, we received our Round Robin quilts back.  Before I show you my RR, here are a few that I added borders to.

These are NOT finished yet because other people added borders after me.  I added the 4-patch border on this one.


Close up of 4-patch border.


On this one, I added the hourglass green and yellow border.


And this one, I added the last border; the one inch squares and green border.


Here is MY Round Robin finished!  I am really happy with it!

Center block is 12"; total size 50" square

Actually, I agonized over some of the borders that I had to make, and had pretty much decided I didn't want to do it again next year, but after seeing how they turned out, I think I might just participate again!  I'll be thinking about it.  Have you ever participated in a Round Robin?  How did it turn out?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Monday, May 2, 2016

DOLL QUILT SWAP = VERY HAPPY RECIPIENT!

Today I received my doll quilt swap from Amy in Lexington, OH.  All I can say is WOW!!!  It is amazing and I absolutely love it!  She also sent me a quiltscapes note pad.  Thank you so much, Amy!  The pattern is "Sugar Shack" and it appeared in the March/April 2011 issue of Quiltmaker Magazine.  My doll quilt measures 17 1/2" x 18 1/4".



I took a bunch of pictures so you can see the fabrics up close.


 Of course, all the fabrics are civil war reproductions.


Amazingly, there are only a few of the fabrics that I have ever had.  I love that about it!


The pink triangle is one of the fabrics that I have (or had - I may have a scrap of it left).


I love all the different shirtings!


Are you jealous yet?


I feel like I hit the jackpot in this doll quilt swap.  Thanks to Lori of Humble Quilts for organizing it.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

MARIE BOSTWICK BOOK SIGNING!

Thursday a friend and I went to a book signing by Marie Bostwick of her new book From Here to Home at Powell's Book Store in Beaverton, OR.  We had a wonderful time and visit with Marie!  She is very funny and friendly.  Sorry the picture isn't very good, but it was my cell phone and someone took it for me.  At least the next picture of the book is clear.  

Me, Marie Bostwick and Sue
 If you haven't read any of her books yet, I highly recommend them to you.  I have read all of the Cobbled Court Quilts Series and loved them all.  I also read Between Heaven and Texas and loved it.
Most libraries, that I know of anyway, carry them, so there's no excuse and you will be happy you checked them out - or bought them.  Both Sue and I agreed that the evening was great fun!  Marie is definitely one of my favorite authors!


Here is my design wall with the beginnings of a T-shirt quilt.  It's not in any order now and I need to decide the order before I cut around each block to make it look like the second one (the one in my last post).


I found a tutorial on YouTube on how to make a block tip.  So, I made a template (below) which I can place on the block after I sew on the 3" borders.


In this picture, you can see where I lined up the black lines on the edge of the T-shirt part and then I will cut along the edges of the template which measures 14 1/2".  Most of the blocks are orange and black, but there are the random blocks in blue, pink and red, white & blue I Love NY.  I will sew all the 3" borders on, then figure out the order I will use before I use the template.  I want every other block to tip opposite to the ones next to it.


Wish me luck!