Favorite Quilt

One blog I checked out (don't remember which one) said we should post our favorite quilt.  This cathedral window quilt is the first quilt I ever started - not the first one I finished.  I saw a friend making one back in the 70's.  I found a pattern for it sometime in the early 80's and started it.  I didn't get too far and put in on the shelf for, oh, about 12 years.  Once I joined my quilt guild, I started working on it from time to time, collecting little pieces of fabric from people & from stores that had little scrap bins.  Then one year (I think 2005) my guild had a contract challenge.  We had to pick a project to get finished by our December meeting, so I picked this quilt.  I finally got it finished and I love it!  It's twin size and is hanging on the quilt rack that my son & DIL made for me for Christmas several years ago.

Do you think something is missing from this picture?
I had some little triangles left over from the baby quilt I made.  I sewed them together for little HSTs and came up with this tiny quilt.
This is a lot better, isn't it?
I have spent most of this weekend working in the yard and I am so sore!  It sure looks a lot better, though.  I planted geraniums and impatiens, pulled weeds, trimmed, etc. etc.   I also finished a couple sewing projects and now I'm making a quilted play mat for the expected grandson - due May 5.  I had found a cute airport panel to make the play mat, and wasn't planning to do it right away, but couldn't wait!  So, we will give it to him as soon as he is born. 

Scrap system, etc.

I have been reading in many blogs and have also checked out Bonnie's Quiltville's Quips & Snips regarding the scrap system. So I decided I need to get organized with my scraps and I bought some baskets at JoAnn's for 50% off yesterday. I have some room under my sewing table and I plan to stick these under the table and maybe with velcro I can hang a couple on the side. I need to go through all my drawers, shelves & tubs where I have stashed the scraps in a haphazard way , then cut & sort. I did this once, but put them all in the same drawer, which isn't very helpful. I'm not sure when I will do this sorting. :-)This is another charity quilt made from BOMs from my quilt guild meeting. We all will make one or two or more blocks and then will draw to see who wins them. They don't necessarily "go" together for a quilt, but it's kind of cute, so as soon as I can get it sandwiched, I will quilt it and donate it. This is an easy block and it makes a star in the center as well as a star at the corner of each joined blocks. I don't know the name of it.
At our last meeting, which was Monday, we had a trash to treasure sale and I bought two books for $1 each! One is "Frayed-Edge Fun" by That Patchwork Place (I plan to make one some day), and the second is "The Quilter's Legacy" by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have read a few of her books and didn't realize she had written as many as she has. So I will have to read all the ones I haven't read yet.

The other book I ordered from Amazon.Com. It is "Flying High: The Airplane in Quilts." It is written by Ragi Marino, a member of my guild. Since two of my sons are pilots, I decided I need to think about making an airplane quilt some day. This book will help me decide what I want to do.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Message for Janet AND Unsewing

Janet,  thank you for your most generous offer!  I want to try to get the exact fabric that my DIL picked out, if possible.  I am posting it on  missingfabrics.com , so we'll see if anything develops there.  My DIL picked out that FQ because it contained the exact colors that they like best, plus she loved the pattern.  I was really touched that you would offer to send me what you have!  Quilters are wonderful!!  I wasn't able to link to your blog or email.  Please let me know if you have a blog.  You can email me from my "about" page.

Last night I spent the evening "unsewing" some blocks that had been put together wrong.  :-(

What a pain!  I even had them sewn together with other blocks for a charity quilt and was tempted to leave it as is, but my conscious wouldn't let me.  I hate to put the extra time into it, but it HAD to be done, right?

The inspiration I get from blogging is great, but it does add to my frustration at not being able to do as much quilting as I would like to do - because I still work full time.  Oh, I can't wait until December of 2009 - that's when I retire!

It's a beautiful weekend in Texas!  I hope you all enjoy your weekend and get some quilting done - or whatever else you enjoy!

New Tote Bag and Missing Fabric

Here is the "Sara Satchel" that I made for myself. I finished it today . I plan to use it to replace my purse and briefcase to take to work. I will be able to fit everything in it and the total will be lighter than both purse and briefcase. I will use the little clutch if I go out to lunch and can just put my money, lipstick, etc. in it. The one I made for my DIL is in my 3/26/08 post.

Here is a Moda fabric that I am looking for. My other DIL picked it out as the perfect example of the colors she likes and she would like me to use it for the border of the quilt I am planning for them. The sample we originally got was a fat quarter and when she went back to the store to get more, of course, they didn't have any. If anyone happens to see this at a quilt shop, please let me know so I can call the store and have them send me some. It is Moda's Aunt Luci's Cottage, Blackbird Designs. I will also post it on missingfabrics.com.
Hopefully, I will be able to get some - at least 2 yards, hopefully 4 yards.

Charity quilt finished

Last night I finished sewing on the binding for the quilt that I will take to my quilters guild meeting on April 14 and will then be given to the Children's Hospital in Dallas for their critical care unit. It is all flannel and I used free motion quilting in circles (sort of). I wanted to put a lot of quilting on it so it would stand up better to wear and tear. I hope someone gets lots of joy out of it, plus cuddly comfort at a scary time in their life.
Here is a closer up picture. Don't look too closely, though! I have another quilt made from BOMs that I put together and will try to get finished by next week (don't know if I will make it, so maybe the next month). Plus, several other projects that I want to get finished soon. I'm going to go to work on them right now!

Charity quilt

Today I stayed home from work so I could make a quilt for children's hospital critical care unit. We are able to take off one day per year to do volunteer work, and my quilters guild makes quilts for the hospital. At my guild meetings we have a BOM and there is a drawing to see who will win them. The blocks I used were ones I won a couple months ago. It is flannel and all I had to do was sew them together , sandwich the quilt , etc. All I have left to do is put on the binding. I'll try to get that finished tomorrow and will post a picture of the completed quilt. I practiced my free motion quilting and don't claim that it is the best job in the world. Have a great weekend!