BASTING!

While shopping at Joann's with my quilting buddy, I saw a bolt of batting.  It was marked down to $91.99 from $229.99.  I also had a 20% off coupon on anything on sale except clearance items.  When checking to see if it would apply to the bolt - 20 yards and 90" wide - I was told that it did.  So my friend and I decided we would split it.  The per yard price turned out to be $3.68!!    What a deal!

I just finished this quilt top, so it is one of the quilts that I need to quilt.  It was kind of windy when I took the pictures!  This quilt, American Crossroads, was in the Quilt Sampler magazine from fall/winter, 2005.  I started it in 2013.  It's about time I get it finished.

I put some tables together in my sewing room and laid out the quilt top so I could cut the batting.

So far I have basted 3 quilts and still need to finish the backing for American Crossroads.  The one in the picture below is made from scrap 2 1/2" squares that I cut quite a few years ago and will be a donation quilt.

Another one that I basted is the state bird quilt that I'm putting together for a friend.  You can see the backing fabric on the right.

I am hoping to get going on the quilting ASAP!

This is great quilting weather!  So keep stay inside, quilt and keep warm!

STRINGS AND A FINISH

I am participating in Lori's Stringalong (see humblequilts.blogspot.com).  I have been making string blocks for a while, so I had a stack almost ready to make into a quilt.  I did make quite a few this month to have enough to finish the string quilt top though.

Here are some patriotic string blocks that I will use on a round robin for my quilt guild.  These are 

5 1/2" unfinished blocks.

I have made several string quilts over the years to donate and this top is now finished and ready for quilting.  Once it is quilted (by me) I will donate it as well.

Here is it all put together.

This is another quilt top that I will be donating to Quilts for Cops.  Please check out this link and consider making a top for them - or a whole quilt.  You can also donate money so they can buy batting and backings for quilt tops that are made for them.  It is definitely a worthy cause.

I also finished (except for label, which is waiting on the ironing board) my Jungle quilted wall hanging (that my sister gave me for Christmas).  It will fit perfectly on my quilt rack near the front door.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you have a nice weekend.

JUNGLE WALL HANGING

I finished quilting this jungle wall hanging today, but it's still not finished.  I need to bind it and will get to that later.  I wanted to share something that I think is really exciting.

I joined the American Quilter Society a couple years ago and have been receiving their magazine 6 times per year (I think).  It is a great magazine and one of my favorite parts is Lori Kennedy's "My Line" article.  If you haven't seen her quilting designs, you need to check out her blog here.

Her article in the January 2019 issue caught my attention because it was a fish design.  I've used some of her designs before (I don't remember if I had told you all about who invented them or not).  It is amazing to me how easy they are to follow.  She shows what to do for each step.

I decided to quilt the fish around the border.  You can't see them very well because of the colored strips, but I took some close up pictures.  They aren't perfect, but I like them a lot.  These first 2 pictures show how I quilted the panel.  I quilted around the animals and along lines of other things, like the leaves and anything that I could follow lines on.  I didn't quilt on everything - that would have taken forever!

Maybe you can see where I quilted along the outside of the elephant and more on his ear.  Also the sea weed above and below his trunk.

 Here's a close up of a fish in the top corner of the border.

Another close-up.

The view from the back.

I hope if you are doing your own quilting, that this might give you some ideas and that you will check out Lori's blog.  

I still haven't made my goal list, but I'm thinking about it.  Maybe this week I will take a few minutes to write down a list of my UFOs.  Thanks for visiting!

A NEW PANEL

My sister gave me this panel for Christmas.  Isn't it cute?  

I'm making it into a wall hanging.  I have a quilt rack that hangs on the wall and has enough width for this wall hanging - once I finish it.  So far I have 3 borders sewn on.

I have a friend that I visit every so often.  She is older than I am and uses a walker.  Now her heart is starting to fail.  A couple months ago she showed me the blocks she had embroidered of the 50 state birds and flowers.  She didn't know what to do with them.  I offered to put them together for her and found a layout on-line that would work and had the exact same bird/flower designs.  My sister was visiting and I showed her the blocks and she helped me get them organized  so it will be put together just like the layout that I found.  We went to the LQS and I purchased blue fabric for the sashing and yesterday I started sewing the sashing onto the blocks.  I want to take them to show her and will probably do that on Monday.

She is a really sweet lady and we just hit it off because we have a lot in common.  She loves dolls and making doll clothes - like I do.  She also loves quilts.  Also loves to go to garage sales (she used to anyway), and we never lack for subjects to talk about.

Here are the blocks that I have up on my design wall so far.  Her embroidery is superb!

I hope I can get this finished soon!

I'm thinking about my goals for 2019 and might make a list.  I want to get some projects finished - of course!  Have you made a list yet?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

CHRISTMAS OUTINGS

With family members visiting for Christmas from out of state, we decided to go to Multnomah Falls, which is about an hour drive from our home.  It is located along the Columbia River east of Portland, Oregon.  It was raining and cloudy, but it didn't keep raining all the time.  We couldn't even see the top of the waterfall because of the clouds.  Multnomah Falls is the 2nd highest year round waterfall in the United States (620 feet).  All the younger family members climbed up to the top of the falls, but I just went up to the bridge.  We had been to see it years ago, but not since we moved here 4 years ago.

 Another outing was to visit the Pittock Mansion in Portland that we had never seen before.  This house was built in 1914 by the man who started the Oregonian newspaper in Portland.

It's located in a forest park within the city.  And it was also foggy when we went there.

 This picture was taken at about 11:30 AM after we had toured the home.

The house was decorated for Christmas and I took a few pictures inside.  This one is a tower of tea cups glued together.

Quilting and painting was featured in this sleeping porch.

Here are a couple of the Christmas trees that were on display.

There were 2 men playing the piano that is original to the house.

We have had a wonderful time with our family.  Soon things will return to normal and I will start sewing again.  I have a special project that I will be working on for a friend and will share that with you next time.

Happy New Year to all!