WE HAVE A WINNER!

 Congratulations go to Sally (no blog) from Oregon for winning my giveaway!  She has already sent me her address and I will send her prizes to her by Monday.


During the last couple days I have gotten back to work on the quilt for my DIL.  It is a machine appliqué quilt as you can see in this picture.

I have also started making 50 more log cabin blocks as you can see below.  I have a small box that I keep the 1" strips in.

50 half way finished log cabin blocks

 I found out this morning that Fingertip Shopping is having a De-Stash/Linky Party where we can sell items we don't need.  I came up with a few things to sell.  Please email me if you desire to purchase any of these items.  I can then send you an email address where you can pay through Paypal.  I will send the items via first class mail - US only.

Pattern for a twin sized bed quilt designed by my granddaughter.  I wrote the instructions.  $5.00 + $.96 postage.

SOLD

  1 yard of Civil War reproduction fabric by Judie Rothermel from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Collection - $5.00 + $2.50 postage.

2 fat quarters - Porcelain by Lynne Wilson, Threads of Time by Moda

$4.00 plus $1.50 postage

Have a great weekend!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

This is in honor of my wonderful husband, who makes my life complete.  The Vocal Majority Chorus in Dallas, TX is a great mens' chorus.  I hope this video works.  It's the first time I ever posted a video. 

Paul Anka wrote the song and his record of it was released in 1959 the year before DH and I started dating.  You can't beat the 50s for good songs.

In August we celebrated our 50th anniversary (which most of you know) and on our way to New England I took this picture of him standing by this strange looking tree in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

DH is a wonderful grandpa too.  He is the only grandpa that Abby has.  This picture is of him and Jonah - taken about a year ago.

Happy Valentine's Day, Honey!

Vintage Valentine, circa 1920

NEW QUILTER/LONG TIME FRIEND

Charlie and I worked together for 23 years and became great friends.  But after retirement we hardly ever saw each other.  Then one day last fall while we were in Maine, I received a phone call from her.  She said she had started quilting!  Wow!  Maybe I was a good (or bad) influence on her, at least a little.

Well, yesterday, she came over for a day of sewing because she wanted me to help her get her first quilt finished.  I set up my Featherweight so we would both have a sewing machine and she wouldn't have to bring hers along.

Quilting the border

Piecing some log cabin blocks

Using gloves for the first time

Me and Charlie

Charlie got the binding sewn on to her quilt and just has to sew it to the back and do a little more quilting in the middle of her quilt.  She has gotten the disease!  She's signed up for a few BOMs and has lots of ideas.  She bought a new embroidery machine and even has a part-time job in a quilt shop!  I think she's a goner!  We plan to get together at her house next time so I can visit "her" quilt shop.

 Look at the fun book I ordered from Amazon.com!  I collect buttons, so I thought I might have a use for this book on how to make button jewelry.  We'll see if I get inspired or not.

Here is the link to the appliqué/spray starch method that I used.  It is from Joanna at Fig Tree & Co.  See my last post for some pictures I took of me doing it.

Also, don't forget to enter my drawing, which will take place on Valentine's Day - that's tomorrow!

WEEKEND QUILTING

I decided that for the February BOM baskets I would use the spray starch method to prepare the baskets  (all 12 of them) for appliqué.

Double layer of freezer paper is ironed to the back of the fabric.

Spray starch is brushed onto the edge of the freezer paper and the seam allowance.

I used the Clover mini iron to fold the seam allowance to the back and when it dries it says there.

 It is so much easier to appliqué the baskets to the fabric when I use this method and I think I'm getting better at the spray starch part.  It's kind of a pain, but worth it.

I finished "Spring Kitty" and will take it to my guild meeting tonight for "Show & Tell."  It's 22" x 28".

Spring Kitty

I quilted the background with leaves and branches.

Spirals were quilted in the sashing and border.

I have posted this quilt before, but Ann suggested I post it again.  She posted some pictures of her home and I enjoy seeing these, so I decided to post the quilt and how it hangs in my living room part of the time.  This quilt was made for my DH's grandmother in 1883 by Grandma Score in Washburn, WI.  It was the one of the only things my MIL had from her mother, who died when my MIL was only 9 years old.  

Rocky Road to Dublin

Here it is hanging in my living room on a quilt rack made for me by my DS/DIL.

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, go here to enter.  The drawing will be on Valentine's day.

CIVIL WAR SAMPLER by Barbara Brackman

 This week I received the autographed Civil War Sampler by Barbara Brackman!!!  As you may recall, I read about one of my blocks being in the book back in late December and posted about it here.  After we returned from Florida and I still hadn't received the book (which Barbara had said was sent to everyone who had a block in the book), I decided to email the publisher, since I couldn't find Barbara's email anywhere.  About a week later, I received an email from her saying she would be sending the book!

My block appears on page 8.  I feel very honored that my block is published and have no idea how she happened to pick it.  

Below is my finished Civil War quilt top.  It is laying on our king size bed and measures about 96" square.  When I finish it I will try to get a better picture.  I'm going to wait to quilt it as I have a quilt to finish for my DIL and when that top is finished I'm going to baste both of them (I hate setting up the tables for just one quilt).  I plan to get both of them quilted within a month.

I used the setting that Barbara Brackman blogged about in her post of November 23, 2011.  This was the second setting in the post and she gave all the instructions for the setting blocks, etc.  It went together very nicely.

Thanks, Barbara!  I really enjoyed making these blocks and looked forward every week to seeing what the next block would be on Saturday mornings.

ABUNDANCE AND A GIVEAWAY

Lori at HumbleQuilts had another quilt along, this time for a replica of an small antique doll quilt.  I figured I could squeeze it in between my other priorities, so here it is.  I tried to use similar fabrics that were in the original quilt - at least color wise, but of course, mine aren't faded by age.  There are four different pinks and four different blues.  Lori has made so many gorgeous quilts, so if you haven't checked out her blog, you need to do it now!  Especially since she had a show at a quilt shop and displayed a lot of her quilts in her last post.

Here are my basket blocks for January - which I appliqued using a few different prep methods.  I'm afraid I might have to go with the spray starch method as it is the easiest to applique down.  When I get the February BOM in the mail, I think I'll prep all of them that way and see.

And now, dear friends, I am having a giveaway to celebrate my fourth year of blogging as well as passing 400 posts!  Blogging has been such a wonderful experience for me and I can't believe how many friends I have made and how much I have learned from them.  My giveaway consists of a pin cushion that I made ( pattern is in the Winter 2011 Primitive Quilts Magazine) and a small bundle of fat quarters (and no, they aren't reproductions).  I will also add a few other little goodies.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and on Valentine's Day I will draw.  Anyone who doesn't have an email address attached to their comment will be disqualified, so make sure you include your email address.

Good Luck, everyone!

WORKING ON UFOs

Well, number four on my  UFO list is finished!  It is a table topper that measures 17" x 24" that I saw on Thread Head's blog last year.  I thought it was really cute and asked her if she minded if I copied it.  You can see hers under her "2012 finishes tab."   When we went on our trip to New England, I brought the hexie papers with me and got started with making them.  There are 105 hexagons and I only used the same fabric 2-3 times.  

Number one on my UFO list is the civil war quilt and I just finished putting the top together.  Here's a picture of the center section.  This morning I got the backing and binding ready.  I'm not sure when I will layer and quilt it as I want to get back to working on my DIL's quilt.  I do feel pretty good at getting the CW quilt this far.

Recently I completed four years of blogging and in my next post I plan to have a giveaway, so be sure to come back soon!

GOALS FOR 2013

Before I bore you with my goals/UFOs, I'll show you what I worked on over the weekend.

I finished the six baskets that I prepped 3 different ways.  The ones I prepped in #1, which was using the magic sizing to stick the seam allowance onto the back, worked the best and was the easiest applique to accomplish.  I prepped 3 more like that to do this week.  All the baskets came out ok, but I wasn't satisfied with methods #2 & #3.

Here's a picture of all the baskets I've finished so far (on my design door).

I also decided to do the QAL that Lori posted on her blog.  It's a small one this year.  I can't believe all the problems I had while putting it together.  First, the needle broke and when I put in the new needle, I couldn't get my automatic needle threader to work.  Then I lost one of the large triangles for the flying geese on the middle star and had to cut another one (found 1st one under a cabinet).  While cutting some fabric for the second round, I cut off the corner of the sawtooth star and had to replace the corner square.  When I made the brown/pink flying geese, I cut the brown square the wrong size, made the 4 FG and thought - they sure look different than normal - had to do those over again.  Then I misplaced one of the cheddar pieces and had to hunt for it - it was folded in a piece of pink fabric!   don't know what my problem was, but I finally got the top finished!!  Yea!

I cut a bunch of 1" strips to use in my log cabin blocks from the scrap bag I got.  There's still a lot of fabric left from the bag.


So far I have 196 block finished.  I'm not sure how big I will make it, but I figured if I had 225 blocks, it would measure about 71" square.  I'm going to want it to fit on a bed.

I have quite a few UFO's which I will list and will put an asterisk next to the ones that are a priority.  I have 3 categories of projects:  hand work, which includes embroidery, appliqué, quilting and sewing bindings; quilts; and Miscellaneous projects, such as finishing an embroidery project into a pillow or wall hanging.

Handwork

1.  Over the River and Through the Woods wall hanging - 2 panels of embroidery are finished, one more to do, then it goes into the quilt category.

2. * Baskets for You BOM - applique 12 baskets per month for 10-12 (?) months and then a large floral design in the middle.  I don't want to get behind on the baskets, so will try to do them as soon as I get them from the quilt shop.

3.  Finish flower basket appliqué project that I won from Lori, then decide if I want to make more & how to use in quilt.  Almost finished with one.

4.  Enlarge my GMF lap quilt by about 4 rows all the way around.

Quilts

1.  *Civil War Quilt - the blocks are ready to put together.  It's ready to baste.
2.  **Quilt for DIL - machine appliqué  - Need to finish by March birthday.
3.  **2 secret quilts - Need to finish by September - I'm almost to the point of putting the blocks together.  *As of 5/7/13, the blocks are put together and I'm starting to put the borders together.    As of 9/9/13, one quilt is finished and the other is ready to baste and quilt.
4.  Red Hexie mini quilt - almost finished and ready to be layered - idea from JoAnn - Thread Head.
5.  A Tisket A Tasket applique basket quilt - 8 baskets are done, need to do 4 more and then make into a quilt.
6.  Veranda Views - all embroidery is finished - need to make into blocks and put together.
7.  Oak Leaves & Turkey Feathers wall hanging - started, but not much done - machine applique and piecing.
8.  Scrappity Do Dah - blocks finished - need to put together into queen size quilt.
9.  Grandmother's flower garden lap quilt - need to decide if I want to make it bigger and then finish.
*  I decided to make it bigger, so I'm working on more hexies by hand.
10.  Log Cabin Quilt - I've been working on this mainly on trips and have 196 blocks made finishing at 4 3/4".  No hurry on this one.
11.  Seasons in a Row - my oldest UFO that was a guild project.  I have about 8 rows finished  and there's one for each month.  *As of 5/7/13, the top is finished.
12.  Basket wall hanging - need to fix it a little, then it's ready to layer and quilt.
13.  Ohio Star boys donation quilt - have about 12 blocks made.
14.  4-patch donation quilt - have lots of blocks made - it's a leader/ender project.

Miscellaneous

1.  Finish embroidery on Denim shirt.
2.  Finish round wool pincushion.
3.  Finish bird pincushion.
4.  Put together Liberty Bell embroidery project - stitching is finished.  I decided I didn't like the fabric that the Liberty Bell was embroidered on, so I need to make a new one.
5.  Put together sampler cross-stitch project - stitching is finished.

If I can resist starting any more projects, I should be able to complete some of my UFOs.  I plan to dedicate myself to getting projects finished.  I also want to organize my sewing closet and scraps so I can use them more efficiently.  I'm not sure when I'll get to those tasks.

Wish me luck!

PREPPING BASKETS FOR APPLIQUE

The first 12 baskets were appliqued using the back basting method.  I decided to check out some other ways to do hand appliqué and searched for freezer paper applique methods.  I found a few different tutorials.

The following are what I used for these six baskets (I have six more to do, but I'll wait until I have sewn these down to decide which one I like or don't like.

1.  Magic sizing method.  You iron the freezer paper (FP) on the back  and then use magic sizing that you spray into a little container and then paint on the edge to stick down the seam allowance and then take out the freezer paper before you appliqué.  I didn't like painting the magic sizing on - it was quite messy, but might be the easiest to sew down.  (Bottom 2 on the right).

2.  Iron the FP on the back, then fold the seam allowance back and sew it down with a basting stitch.  When you have about half of the appliqué sewn down, you take out the FP and then continue sewing it down.  This might be a problem because of the reverse appliqué parts.  I used some of the applique glue to turn under those areas.  I doubt I will ever use this method again.  (Bottom left).

3.  Place the FP on the back with the waxy side up and then iron the seam allowance down.  You are supposed to leave the FP in until it is sewn down and then cut it out from the back.  Maybe I should take the FP off before I start stitching because of the reverse appliqué.  (The top three baskets).

I also have seen a method where FP is ironed on top of the fabric, but I couldn't find a tutorial for that.

Any ideas, advice or suggestions are welcome!  I'm not sure I like any of these methods, but to be fair, I will try them.  Numbers 1 & 2 were awkward to implement.  Number 3 was the easiest so far.

HOME, SWEET HOME

We arrived home Tuesday afternoon and it felt soooo good!  Besides the laundry, shopping for food, putting all our stuff away, I decided to get to work on the  "Spring Kitty" wall hanging that I blogged about a couple weeks ago.  I am almost finished with the appliqué!  I'm actually making two of them - one will be a gift and she doesn't read this blog, so I don't have to hide it.

 While on our trip I entered a giveaway for the Quilting Secrets Blog Hop on Sue's blog and I won a $25 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop!  I decided to order some 1/2 yard pieces of reproduction fabric and this came in the mail yesterday.  Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!

Then,  Inspired by Antique Quilts told about the grab bags from Homestead Hearth  so I thought I would try them.   I love to get scraps for various projects.  I just received my bag and I'm very happy with it.  All the fabrics in it are new to me and there is a lot!

I'm going to need some time to get organized, but I'm planning to make some quilting goals for 2013 with a list of my priorities, etc.  I will let you know when I get something figured out.

A NEW BOM FOR 2013 - AM I NUTS?

Before Christmas I went to my favorite LQS to spend my gift certificate when I saw a BOM program on the wall that I really liked.  It came in Red or Blue.  I had always wanted to join in on something at this shop which specializes in reproduction fabrics, but never have.  I thought, maybe I should do it this time - as I had resisted for years.  I had a hard time making the decision, but I decided to join in. Am I nuts?   I selected the blue one.  The pattern is below and comes with a template for the baskets.  Each month I will receive a package with fabric for 12 baskets to be hand appliquéd!  Yikes!  I received the first month at the shop and there was enough fabric for 12 blocks, six background fabrics and 6 blue fabrics for the baskets, so I will have 12 blocks with 2 from each fabric.

Pattern and template.

Six of my first month's 12.  The others are basically the same.

 They are not perfect, but I hope my applique skills will improve.  I used the back basting method this time and might try a different method on January's blocks.

I just received this book as a Christmas gift from my DS#3/DIL and am already enjoying it.  I love Marie Bostwick's Cobbled Court series.

I received this mug rug from Karen  when we met for lunch a week ago.  We had such a good visit!

We left Florida and are now in Alabama visiting our 3rd son and family.  Jonah (4) and Eli (2) are such precious little boys!

DS/DIL helping the boys climb on the old "truck"

Eli is such a smiley boy!

Jonah is a good climber!

Tomorrow we head back home and it will be good to get there. We had a wonderful visit with 2 of our sons' families! We will sure miss them!