QUILTING, QUILTING & MORE QUILTING

Saturday, I finished this table runner made from civil war reproduction scraps.  I quilted it with feathers all over - the first time I had tried that.  One reason I did it on the table runner was to practice for the big applique quilt.  I listed the table runner on my Etsy shop and it sold already!

I saw these bins at the store for a cheap price, so I decided to get them to better sort my scraps.  

 

It just barely fits under my sewing table (which is cleared off because I have been quilting the appliqué quilt and I had it off so I could spread it out and see how it was looking).  The bins don't fit under the table in the same place that my scrap basket has been, but at least I can use them to sort the colors - this will be mainly for strips.  I will have to combine some colors - like red & pink, etc. as I only have 6 sections.  I put a divider in the middle of each bin.

I have been quilting my little heart out on this applique quilt and I'm almost finished with the main center portion and then will "just" have the borders to do - which is still a LOT of quilting.

Back view.

I'll be glad when this is done.  I don't think I'll ever do a mostly white quilt again, for sure.  The problem with this quilt is that I didn't have a pattern.  My DIL just wanted some flowers scattered across the white background.  Since I haven't done much appliqué, I would have preferred a pattern, but it's almost finished!  Whew!

MY WEEK

It's been a week since I've posted anything, mainly because while I have been busy sewing, but there's not much to show for it.  I mailed the giveaway off to Sally, she received it and sent me a nice note.

I finished appliquéing the baskets for February.

One day this week I was reading a blog by the Cuddle Quilter and she was telling about the rainbow challenge.  I did check it out and I'm NOT joining it, however, I liked the idea and decided to try it out with some string blocks.

While I was sorting some of my string scraps into color groups, DH came in the room, picked up the camera and took a picture of the mess.  He said I should post it on my blog, so here it is.  You can see my scrap basket on the left side of the picture.  This basket lives under my sewing table so that when I have any scraps or strips I can easily drop them into it.  Lately though, in order for the scrap to stay in the basket I would have to stuff it down, otherwise it would just end up on the floor.  In other words, it was packed with scraps.  I did get some of it sorted into colors, but it is still 3/4s full.

Here are a few of the blocks I made into color groups.  I am going to use these for a donation quilt and will arrange the colors into a rainbow type plan, or something else that looks good.  I really need to make some of these every day in order to empty my basket.  If I don't, the scraps might take over the whole room!

One of my main goals was to get the applique and the civil war quilts basted.  I did baste the applique quilt, a table runner and a doll quilt.  I still have to baste the civil war quilt, but decided to start quilting the appliqué quilt first.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

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!