Stitching and quilting

Today I finished Libby's quilt. It's a biggie 93 x 100.  I did wonky feathers in the outer border, cc in the squares in the border and the blocks, stippled the long setting strips and a lg. c-hook type thing in the green border. I used a celery colored thread from connecting threads in the top and bottom line (Superior)in the bobbin-perfect tension, gosh I love that bottom line stuff!

My HQ is in the basement and even with the basement door shut w/the AC on it gets cold down there. My feet freeze.  So a couple times I'd come upstairs and go sit on the deck to warm the tootsies, enjoy the beautiful summer day and do some stitching.  I've been working on Kaaren's FFF. And also my Tisket-Tasket blocks.  These four are machine blanket stitched and waiting for a turn in the hoop.

and this is October's block waiting for the blanket stitching.

block-a-days

Ok these are 7/30-8/4!  I need one more 12" block in the Morris fabric line and I'll have 20 blocks.  I'm thinking a 4 x 5 setting with some kind of scrappy border, probably a sashing around them in a solid or 'reads solid' to calm the blocks down.  Crappola photographer at work again but when I look at these on my wall I just about drool.  That lonely bright's 9" block, hmmm..not so much. 

I've been busy quilting away on Libby's tres large quilt and if I get my butt from in front of this computer I think I can have it done today.  I'm going to accompany her to a quilt shop tomorrow (I am a good friend, so of course I agreed to go and keep her from buying fabric; she wants to check out sewing machines).

I'm wondering if I should purchase a taser....buwahaha. 

(that's really not funny, so sorry!)

so why am I still snickering...

*****

and a photo of my new bed quilt

I've always wanted this quilt for my bed but with the light background and Annie sometimes losing her mind and jumping up on the bed with dirty doggie paws, I was hesitant. But she hasn't been jumping up too much, I'm afraid she's starting to have some aches and pains. She doesn't even try to get up on the bed on weekends now when Paul is still in bed (that used to be the norm). Dang, I hate it when you notice them slowing down. 

So I thought.

  It's a quilt, it's made to be used not rolled up to keep it from creasing and brought out to air and re-roll.  

 I still have the 1st quilt I made ALL HAND PIECED & HAND-QUILTED and made with 'non-quilt shop fabric' (gasp) and it's well-worn but still works.  But I retired it from bed service after 10+ years.

(well, crap, I can't find a picture of that quilt, I'm going to have to go find it....)

So, if this one gets dirty, I will wash it and if it starts to wear out in some years I will retire it. But until then I'm going to look at it and smile thinking of all those fabrics that I bought in 3 coordinating fat quarters at a time (because that was all I could afford) and being so excited that I could hand piece a mariner's compass block- way back when I was a new quilter and I had been told Mariners compass blocks were for 'very experienced' quilters!--working on it while the kids played; keeping a little baggie of the pieces sitting around or in my purse. (I think we had doctor appts. on a weekly basis back then, or so it seemed.)  And I'm going to run my fingers over my 1st attempt at "mcwerleying" and smile at how far I've come as a quilter.

 And if the kids don't inherit this one....oh well. 

I think they'll be ok.

An Evening with Bonnie Part 2

The lecture and truck show we went to last night was outstanding.

Before Bonnie began her presentation the guild that was hosting her had a short meeting.

One of the show and tell's was a small appliqued picturial quilt. It was a photo that one of them took of Pittsburgh. The picture was divided into 4 sections and 4 quilters interpreted one section as they wanted to and then they joined it back together.

The lady on the left is one of the quilt makers.

*****

If you ever get a chance to attend a lecture/trunkshow by Bonnie Hunter, do it! 

I bought  Adventures w/Leaders & Enders book--which she signed! And although the pictures of the quilts in the book are fabulous; they can't compare to seeing these beauties in 'real life'.

Oh my, I can't wait until my current 9-patch challenge L/E is done so I can start one of these.

I found it very interesting to hear people's reactions and questions to the Leader/ender method. They sounded just like me a few months ago before I became a believer! 

An Evening with Bonnie

Yep, tonight Bonnie Hunter is in the 'burgh and giving a lecture.  I'm waiting for Libby to pick me up, we're hooking up with another quilting friend, Sue and heading to the other side of town. 

We plan on having dinner first and then go to the lecture.  I already put my camera in my purse. Let's hope I remember to use it!

**********

Oh and can you believe I was the winner of Melinda's 1000 post give away!! I'm so excited.

This is turning out to be a stellar day.

And I cleaned my house too!

(that wasn't stellar...it being done IS)

And I'm not cooking dinner!

Oh my gosh, somebody pinch me!

Design Wall Monday (week 30)

Here is my design wall.

On the left side are my Tisket Tasket blocks. 

The right side of the wall are 5 block-a-days.

********************

We had a whirlwind of a weekend. Saturday was a lovely wedding & reception.  It was 93 degrees with 99% humidity.

And today we (my husband and his brother and 3 sisters and all our kids- that's 13 grandkids) had a surprise 60th Anniversery party for their parents.  They were completely surprised and for a split second I feared we had given his mom a heart attack. (a little scary). But she was fine and they were thrilled to spend the evening with all of us together.

 This was the most fun...trying to get 26 people in one photo using timers on 3 camera's at one time so everyone could be in the shot.  I'm hoping one of them got us all. I obviously didn't!

Stop on over at  Judy's to see some other design walls!

Block a Days

First, here is a shot of my 2nd design wall with one block from the 4 color-ways/sizes of block-a-days I'm working on.

The big one on the right is a 16" block, I've used leftover strips and some Aster Manor fabric.  I have 4 of these blocks.  I'm going to make nine 8" coordinating blocks and use those for a lap size layout.

The Bright fabric block (top left) is a 9" block. I have a little piece of paper pinned to each block that has a tally count on how many I have made.  I finally got tired of every couple weeks digging out the box of blocks and re-counting them. :)

Bottom left block is the next set of 12" blocks and I'm using my leftover Morris Workshop fabric. I don't think I'm going to have enough of a variety so I have a jelly roll of "blessings" fabric that goes well and I'm throwing some of that in too. 

And the bottom center block is a 10" and that's my Aster Manor fabric (although in this block that rust fabric is not AManor, but one that plays well.) 

I have 16 of these blocks so far.

Here is the 1st design wall with some of the lastest completed blocks.

And yesterday I made my 11th Jelly Roll block.

I've also been working a bit on the Tisket-Tasket machine applique.  I've got the first 3 done.  And since I LOVE to do machine blanket-stitch I've changed my goal from stitching 2 a week to 1 a day.  It's like a little treat and with the 2nd machine set up now. I just roll my chair over and start stitching.

 

I do need to pick a day soon and spend it sewing string blocks. The basket is filled to over flowing. And a day for crumb blocks as well.   I totally forgot about that little project and I think it's over 1/2 done.

Design Wall Monday (week 29)

On my wall now are my Tisket Tasket Blocks.  They need so be blanket-stitched and then I have to hand embroider them.  I thought if I put them on the wall it would give me the incentive I need to get going on them.  I'm thinking if I do 2 every week. (I'll probably do more), but if not that's ok.  I have been meaning to set up my newer Pfaff 4.0 and do my regular sewing on it and set up my older Pfaff 2046 for the blanket stitch.  I hate to say it but even though the 4.0 is a fancy slick machine. I'm much more comfortable on the 2046.  The 4.0 doesn't have a presser foot lever-it's automatic and I can't blanket stitch as well on it because of it (I think, anyway).   So both machines are set up and I'm getting used to the 4.0 again. 

I have been keeping up on my block-a-days, but no pictures.  I've been having computer issues which I think (crossing fingers, legs and eyes) are fixed thanks to the Geek Squad at Best Buy! whew!

And in my previous posts I showed my Cone Flower Tall & Skinny wall quilt. A few wanted to know where the pattern is from.  It's a Pat Sloan design from her book  Vintage Blooms.  Mine looks a little different because I saw a picture of it in a magazine article and just made it by looking at the picture.

Coneflower Tall & Skinny

As I said yesterday, I would take a picture of this wall hanging for today.

So first is the before "re-quilting" you may be able to see the sad lines of the quilting I took out:

(you'll have to click on 'em to see, I should really fired my camera-person)

And here is the 'after re-quilting":

And here is a close up.  (this picture has the true-est colors..I am so camera bad it's not even funny).

It's back hanging in the kitchen, making me smile. 

The "Tall Skinny's" are Pat Sloan patterns.

*****

Crazy Curves

Today I spent the entire day sewing.  First I put together July's BOM block from Shannon.

Then I finished sewing the rows together on my crazy curves quilt.  I originally thought I would just add 1 border (3" finished) as I did before on a the Black/white and Red one. 

But when I got out the yardage I had for the borders there was enough of the light for a 1.5" finished inner border and a 6" finished outer border.  It now measures 99" x 99"!  Holy-moley!

Ta-da!

Tomorrow she has the day off work.  We're going to go see Eclipse;  been waiting for the teeny-bopper crowds to thin out. There's enough teenage angst on the screen I don't need to be surrounded by it in the theater!! heh-heh.

Thursday, Libby needs to go to a quilt shop or two for backing fabric for her One Block Wonder. I'm going along for the ride (am I a good friend or what??)  I think she wants me to quilt it so I'll share a picture then. It's very beautiful....totally different from mine.

So happy

I made enough for a 11 by 12 block layout.  I had to pin a piece of batting to the left there. My wall wasn't big enough and the bottom 2 rows are on the floor. (which Annie made a little bed in twice..so I gotta get them together fast.)

ANYWAY, I decided to make it 12 by12..... Of course, I did, why would I do anything as easy and make blocks and stick with the plan.....sheesh.

So....

I cut some more and sewed them together and now it's so big I can't get it in one photo....

the colors in the 1st pictures are  true.

I'm going to put one small border, probably 3" just to frame it and it should finish about 90x90.

Block a Day Batik Sampler

I finished sewing the rows together this morning.
 I like it.

It's pressed and neatly folded on a hanger where it will wait for inspiration (and time) to strike for the borders. 

This bunch of blocks are waiting to get up on the design wall.