WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

A couple months ago I basted a really old UFO and I finally decided to take a break from other newer projects to get this quilted.  Unfortunately, I decided I couldn't do an over all easy quilt job on it, so it's taking me a lot longer to get it quilted.  The pumpkins were easy, but then there is the area around the pumpkins and the area around the apples, etc.  Everything is different!   I also had to order some other colors of quilting thread and it hasn't come yet.  

In the mean time, I made the 2 wristlets for the Christmas challenge (that I blogged about on Saturday) and set up my Featherweight on one side of my sewing table so I didn't have to change the foot and thread on my Janome.  I decided to leave the FW there because it's heavy enough not to get pushed off the table by the quilt I'm working on and because I might want to use it to do some piecing or something.

Also, in the mean time, I finished the hand embroidery for my "Over the River and Through the Woods" quilt designed by Crab-apple Hill.  Now I just need to make the blocks and flying geese.  Maybe I can finish it for next Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What's on your sewing table?

A HANDMADE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE

I found out about the "Handmade Christmas Challenge" from reading SewCalGal's blog here.   If you haven't been following her, you should at least check out her blog.  She has lots of quilty/crafty things on it including tutorials, etc.  

Anyway, the challenge (which I joined) is to make one Christmas gift or decoration each month during the year, so that you don't have lots of things to do at the last minute.  Good idea, huh?

I have this book, "Everyday Handmade" by Cassie Barde and Adrienne Smitke, which I have used before and remembered this wristlet purse that I thought was cute.  So, since I have plenty of selvedges, I decided to make one of these for a Christmas gift.  I really like how they turned out.

This one will be given to someone for Christmas and is made with blacks and reds.

I'm going to give this to someone before Christmas, but thought I would show it to you anyway.  It's made with blues, tans and white.

I had to order the swivel clip, or you can purchase them at most craft stores.  I already had one zipper and only had to buy the black one, so these didn't cost much at all.

Here is the link for the January challenge, which ends today, so if you made something this month for Christmas you still have time to enter the challenge.  I'm going to link this post on the "link party" now.

Let me know if you decide to join this.

PROGRESS REPORT

I am almost finished with this medallion for my "Baskets to You" quilt.  Remember all those little baskets that I appliquéd?  All 120 of them?  All I have to do is stitch the corner pieces, which I plan to do tonight and then I can start putting the baskets together.  I feel pretty good about this!

Here are some of the blocks made for my DS#1/DIL's anniversary quilt.  I will need 30 of these 9-patches which are 12" square.  I have 13 done so far.  This one doesn't have a name yet so I'll call it my pinwheel 9-patch.

I have some other projects going on as well, because I need to have some hand work ready at all times, plus I'm working on my GS's graduation quilt, etc etc.

All in due time everything will be revealed!

TWO QUILTS STARTED

I have 2 quilts that I need to make as gifts for this summer.  First is for my DS#1/DIL's 25th anniversary on July 1!!  This is what I have started.  In the 9-patch there will be 4 of a dark blue print and 5 pinwheels.  There will also be a pinwheel for each cornerstone.  Here is what I have on my design wall - and that's all I can fit on it.  I put it up "on point," but I might not make it that way.  

I'm going to need a gazillion pinwheels for this quilt, so I've been making tons of HSTs and will need to get more fabric.  Since I'm not using a pattern, I still have to figure out exactly how much fabric I need to buy.  I have enough of the blues - I have 7 different ones and there will be 30 12" blocks.

Next, I need to make a graduation quilt for my GS, son of the above couple, who is graduating from high school in June.  I decided to make the "Star Gazing" quilt from this book by Bonnie Hunter.

Here's the picture in the book.

I have just started making a few blocks and because I'm making 2 quilts at the same time, I can use them for leaders and enders for each other.  I wasn't sure I would like it, but now that I have a few blocks done, I do!  I will be putting sashing between the blocks like in the picture above.  Can you see the musical triangles?  He plays the piano and organ so I thought I would add that.

I have a plan!  I am going to get one of my oldest UFOs quilted before my next guild meeting on Feb. 10.  It's all basted.  Then, if I can squeeze it in, I also have another wall hanging top that needs to be basted and quilted.  I also have my appliquéd basket quilt that I'm working on finishing up the hand appliqué for the medallion and another hand embroidered project for handwork.  I like having several different things to work on - it's more interesting that way!

Not to mention several other UFOs!  We'll see if I can squeeze a couple of them in to finish up this year.

This is the book I'm currently reading.  I love Marie Bostwick's books!  I checked it out of the library last week and started reading it; then I discovered that it seemed familiar.  I looked on my book shelf and found that I had a copy, but I decided to re-read it anyway and am enjoying it immensely!  It's in the series of "the Cobbled Court" novels and I highly recommend it.

Are you excited to get going on your quilting projects in the new year?  Good luck with them!

MY SECOND FINISH FOR 2014!

Last summer when we were in Oregon visiting our DS and family, my GD (age 21) said she wanted to make a quilt.  I wasn't surprised because she has designed and made one before and loves them.  She also sews a lot of her own clothes.  She didn't know what design she wanted to use, so I showed her Bonnie Hunter's web site, Quiltville.com because there are lots of free patterns on it.  I showed her the Bricks and Stepping Stones pattern, because I had seen it before and liked it - and she liked it as well, so that was the plan.  

First, she needed fabric.  She pulled out several plastic bins full of fabric that she had bought at various places (especially Good Will), most of it more appropriate for clothes.  She went through the fabric I had with me and cut several pieces from there and then we heard about a quilt shop going out of business!  She wanted all of the "bricks" to be different!   Great idea!  We finished the top except for the border and I brought it home with me to quilt.  

I had some other priorities, so I worked on it as I could and then had to take my machine in for service two times.  Finally, it's finished!

Too big to get in the picture - it's a large queen size.

The center was quilted in the ditch the inner black border was quilted with a loopy pattern and the 10" border was quilted with a variety of meandering leaves and ferns.  I used Essential PRO quilting thread that I purchase from Connecting Threads.  I've been very happy with this quilting thread.

Close up of some quilting

After my guild meeting on Monday night where I will take it to show, it will be sent back to Oregon.  Too bad I can't deliver it in person!

MY FIRST FINISH FOR 2014!

I started this doll quilt back in May using pieces of some fabrics that a friend gave me when she moved.  She also gave me the doll bed, so I thought it appropriate to use some of that fabric in the doll quilt.  I finally finished it!  I hand quilted it and that's what took me so long.  Since the bed and quilt are for a special antique doll, I thought it needed hand quilting.  (Note:  I do not enjoy hand quilting very much, so this may be my last hand quilted quilt).  I wish I did enjoy it, because hand quilted quilts are truly special.

Sewing on the binding

Finished at last!

  I wrote a post about this doll here, but want to add some more information.  In that post, I said it had been my mother's doll, which was true, but I'm pretty sure it actually was my mother's sister's doll first.  My Mom was born in 1911 and this particular sister, Cora, was born in 1903.  She died in 1912 from pneumonia, complications from scarlet fever.  My Mom kept the doll in a safe place.  I thought she deserved a special bed of her own and now she has one!

Doll bed with the doll safely tucked in.

Come back soon - I will have another finish!