BABY QUILT FINISHED & SENT

I finished the baby quilt and mailed it yesterday!  We decided we would not make the trip to Florida for the baby shower because of DH's bulging disc.  The 11 hour drive would be pressing our luck too far.  

I decided to do a meandering quilting on it and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.  It's not a perfect job, but it's he best I can do right now.  I have a Patsy Thompson quilting DVD which I want to view some more & do the practice mini quilts - if I can find it (I "put it away" when cleaning up for company and now can't find it)!

On to the next project!

WORKS IN PROGRESS

It's been a while since I blogged.  I was planning to go on a little trip with my sister & cousin, but my DH had a bad spell again.  To make a long story short, we found out that he has a bulging disc and he was in the hospital for a week.  He will be getting a shot in the disc on Monday that we're hoping will help the pain situation.  So, I had to cancel another trip.

Of course, I have kept working on various projects and right now I'm quilting the baby quilt for the new GD expected in December.  I hope to finish the quilting today and then will sew on the binding.

A friend at work has asked me to make a doll quilt for her GD, so here is a picture of what I have started.  The backing is on top of the quilt top.  The second picture below shows 2 doll quilt tops together.  

While DH was in the hospital, my DS#3, DIL & GS came to visit.  I asked my DIL if anyone was planning to make Jonah a Christmas stocking (kind of hoping his other GM was planning to do it), but no, noone else was going to do it, so we found a cross stitch pattern and I  have started working on it.  I like to have handwork handy that I can take with me to places like - umm - hospitals, doctor's appointments, etc.  Hope I finish it in time for Christmas, but actually, at his age (5 months), he won't know the difference.
This morning I went for a walk in my neighborhood.  It was 46 degrees and felt sooo good!  I came across a garage sale and bought a few items of lace, etc.  (below).  I will probably use them for some craft projects, like Christmas ornaments or doll bed linens.  Besides the doll quilts I'm making now, I am planning to make doll bed linens for the new GD, however, won't need them for a couple years, since she's not even born yet!
Have a great weekend, everyone!

DOUBLE NINE PATCH

The Nine Patch is a great, easy block and the Double Nine Patch is even better!  I decided to make a quilt for DS#3 and DIL because when they got married, I only made them a small 60" square throw because I was relatively new at quilting.  Since then I have made both DS#1 & DS#2 large bed quilts, so I thought I better get one made for DS#3.  My DIL loves reproductions, so I picked them mostly.  I need 80 of the small 9-patches and I have most of them finished.  They are coming tomorrow, so I wanted to be able to show my DIL that I have been working on it!  :-)

Here are 3 of the double nine patches put together.
Here's my sewing machine where I am chain stitching.
I just finished a quilt for my GS who is turning 13 in November.  He wanted a new quilt for his bed (since they moved into a bigger house) and he also loves "old things" so is getting a quilt made with reproduction fabrics with a pillowcase to match the backing and border.

More Vintage Doll Clothes

My mom made the doll dress and coat in these pictures probably during the 1950s.  I have them hanging in my front hall.

See the wood spools on the little shelf?  I got them from my mom's sewing box.

Baby quilt top finished!

I just finished the quilt top for our expected granddaughter.  I was hoping to get it finished in time for my quilters guild meeting on Oct 13, but getting the top finished will have to do.  I have company coming and a trip before then, so I know I won't have time to get it quilted (I'm going to quilt it myself).  The baby shower is Nov. 1, so I will have time to quilt it before then.

My DH & I like to go to garage sales and we hadn't gone to any for months, but now, with the weather a tiny bit cooler, we decided to venture forth.  I like to look for craft items that I can use to make things to sell, or doll beds to refinish and to make bedding for.  We had some very good luck at one place where I found these cross-stitched pictures being sold very cheaply.  I got a great deal of 9 for $15!  I plan to make quilted borders for these and sell them (or keep a few).  I love cross-stitched pictures and have made many myself - they  take a lot of work, so I feel very lucky to have gotten these.





I love little doll chairs and this little rocker with the bunny was only $2!!!
The heart pillows in the basket made out of an antique quilt was only 75 cents!!!
Have a great week!  I will be binding a quilt for my oldest GS that I just got back from the quilter and will take a picture as soon as I can.  It feels good to get these two projects almost finished.

Some Very Special Treasures

The pin on this old quilt is one that my mom wore in the 50s.  I always loved this pin, so when she died I got it - noone else wanted it anyway.

My mom made this baby quilt when she was expecting her first child, my older brother (who is now 71).  I think we all used it in the crib.  I remember my little brother using it after me (I don't really remember using it myself)!  My mom loved applique.

2 more Stitcheries

The name of this Polka Dot Girls stitchery is "Sisters."  I am the one on the right and my sister is the one on the left with the cat.  She's holding only one of her three cats.  Tee Hee Hee!  I am really enjoying working on these.

This is my latest Noah's Ark BOM from Lynnette Anderson Designs .  We have a new granddaughter due in December, so I think this wall hanging will be for her.  It's not too late to start these - you can download all of them from her blog.  They are small and quick.
I have been real busy at work this week, but today the boss is gone...Yeah!!!  I can catch up & get ready for another busy day on Monday.  I took a quilt for GS#1 to the quilters this week, so I hope to be able to show you that soon.  My next project is a baby quilt for the new GD.

Have a great weekend and get lots of sewing done - or other stuff....

Received Award

Leanne at Lizzie's Page  sent me this award!  I was very pleasantly surprised.  I met her through a trade and she lives in Australia!  It still amazes me how we can meet people this way!  Thank you, Leanne!

In turn, I will nominate 5 bloggers that I admire.  There are so many out there, but I have selected the following as ones that I always enjoy.  They are all creative and have blogs that I find very interesting and inspiring!  They are Elaine,  Joan ,  Bobbin , Wendy , and Holly .  

The Rules are:

1 Winner can put the logo on their blog

2 Put link from person you got the award from

3 Nominate 5 blogs

4 Put links to blogs

5 Leave message for nominees

I haven't shown any quilting lately, not because I haven't been doing any, though.  I do need to take some pictures, but thought I would show a couple items that I am planning to put on an Etsy site, once we get organized enough to get it set up.  I have some of these little flags and the doll quilt below which I tea dyed, made from leftovers of a doll quilt I made for a grand-niece.  I have other items made and ready to be posted also.

I have been working on a baby quilt for our expected granddaughter, and I'm getting the backing ready for a quilt for our oldest grandson.  Pictures will be on their way soon, I promise.

We are getting rain today from Ike.  Hope none of you are getting flooded out.

Vintage Thursday

Confessions of an Apron Queen hosts Vintage Thursday, so be sure to visit that blog for more vintage treasures!
These little dolls are on display in my sewing room. They were mine as a little girl. Someone my mother knew crocheted the outfits on the dolls. I haven't tried getting the clothes off to wash because they are sewn on.
Hanging below the shelf is a doll dress, slip and had that my mom made for one of my dolls.
I hope to post some quilty things soon. Thanks for visiting!

Vintage Thursday

We had a copy of this book whe

n we were kids in the 50's.  My sister found this reprint somewhere and got me a copy.  
My grandma crocheted this apron - I wonder why?  It certainly isn't the type of thing she would ever use!  I don't know if anyone ever wore it, but I have it hanging on my china cabinet door knob.
Happy vintage Thursday!  Check Confessions of an Apron Queen for more vintage Thursday blogs.

Stitcheries/"Vacation" ending

During the time my DH was in the hospital, I worked on my Polka Dot Girls stitcheries.  Below are 3 of them that I got finished.  I also have 3 more almost finished, but ran out of DMC, so I went to JoAnn's (4/$1) to get that this weekend.  They will be finished soon.  

I also worked on 2 of the Noah's Ark BOMs and this one is finished.  The other one will be finished soon (also needed more DMC).
Since DH has been home from the hospital, I have been home with him and have been working on a couple quilting projects that I hope to get finished soon.  We found out that DS#2 is expecting a girl (yippee!) and I have a quilt started for her.  Tuesday it will be back to work - hope I can remember how to do things!!

Vintage Thursday

I came across Confessions of an Apron Queen

and decided to participate in Vintage Thursday.  I have a few vintage items that are special to me.

This first one is a doll quilt that my grandma made for me around 1950 (more or less).  She made it to go with the doll bed that my grandpa made for me.
This doll bed is the only thing that my grandpa made for us that wasn't given away to other families with children.  My grandpa was a carpenter and he made various toys for all his grandchildren, including doll houses, rocking horses, etc.  I think one of my cousins still has her doll house.  My mom kept it in the store room that you could get to through her closet.  I brought it to my house after she died and put it in my bedroom.  The doll was my mom's when she was a little girl, so we figure she got it around 1920.  It is actually a boy doll, but I don't have any boy doll clothes for it.  Someday, I am planning to make some clothes for it.  I made the doll quilt and pillow case a few years ago.  This is one of my most prized possessions.
These blocks were made by my grandma and I am planning to put them together into a quilt some day.  They are made from flour sack fabric.  I'm not sure when she made them - probably in the 40's or 50's.
I hope you enjoyed my vintage treasures.  I'll take pictures of some others for next week.  I hope more people will participate in Vintage Thursday!

P.S.  My DH came home from the hospital on Tuesday and is recuperating at home.  He is feeling a little better each day.  Thanks for your many sweet get well wishes.

Cancelled trip

We had to cancel our trip to Oregon because my DH has been sick. We kept thinking he would get better in time to travel, but instead, he kept getting sicker. I had to take him to the ER and he was admitted. We found out that he has sick sinus syndrome (bradycardia), which means that the portion of his heart that controls the electrical impulses wasn't working right and his heart rate would go real low (sometimes as low as 38). So, tomorrow he is having a pacemaker installed. Hopefully, that will make big improvements in how he feels.

We felt so bad having to cancel our trip, but maybe we can reschedule it in a month or so. I mailed the wall hanging and also the potholder pictured below . My DIL's sister gave me the "pig" fabric to make something for my DIL (she is fond of pigs). I had been wanting to try out this potholder pattern, and I'm glad I did. It was quite easy to make and will make a nice gift for other friends also.


I have been staying at the hospital most of the time, but I have my Polka Dot Girls stitchery to keep me occupied.