Roscoe's Ma

Owl Quilt Progress

2012-01-28T14:36:00.002-05:00

I have acquired more fabric for the owl quilt. I love the colors. I just kept buying, buying. I have enough fabric for three quilts. I know what I want for the back. I know what I want for the binding. I am at a complete loss for the quilt top...completely brain blocked. I have ideas but nothing feels 'right'. Sigh... The baby was born last week! I am feeling the pressure!

:o|

2012-01-08T16:11:00.001-05:00

Hi blog friends! I have missed talking to you and am starting to get back into the swing of a 'normal routine'. I had a really hectic December getting ready for Christmas plus finishing the three quilts. It culminated with all our family 'home for Christmas' and together for an extended New Year's weekend...14 of us! It was magical!

So now I am left with the aftermath of changing beds (eight of them!), putting away Christmas decorations, recycling, and just basically putting my whole house and life back in order. If you have known me for a long time, you know that I am a very organized person and like an orderly house. I've always had to have all in its place before I could do anything else. But I have changed over the past few years, since the quilting bug bit me hard and since I started blogging about it too!

So I finally had a day home to myself yesterday to make some headway with my 'to do' list, and what did I do? I went fabric shopping...and it felt great even though I had some problems finding what I was looking for. I always like to give the LQS a chance before I hit the internet.

One of my dearest friends is about to be a grandmother again, and this time it is a girl. Here is the sheet from Pottery Barn that is the theme for the room. My friend, an artist, has even painted a forest scene with owls and critters around the nursery.

I have finally worked on my color skills to the point where I know things don't have to 'match' to look right. A big step for me... But I need to be in a comfortable range for this particular quilt. Do you know how many shades of pink there are?!?!?

So far I have come up with two checked fabrics by Timeless Treasures. I was able to locate more of this collection on the internet last night and also plan to pull some things from my stash as soon as I settle in on a design.

I know I am being way more wordy than usual so thanks for staying with me if you read this to the end. I wish each of you a happy, healthy 2012. I love having you stop by.

:o)

O Holy Night...

2011-12-25T02:27:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas!!!!

:o)

Finish #3 of 3

2011-12-24T02:27:00.003-05:00

And finally the 'S' quilt...unveiled in a hurry and photographed with poor lighting. HO. HO. HO.

No one to hold it up for me today...

Another view...

And another...

The back...

Ready for the gift bag!

:o)

Finish #2 of 3

2011-12-23T02:27:00.001-05:00

And the black version...which reminds me of stained glass...

Fresh from the dryer...

A peek at the back...

Folded for the gift bag!

:o)

Finish #1 of 3

2011-12-22T02:27:00.001-05:00

What a month...finally I have something to show you. Tis the season...

Fresh from the dryer!

The Back!

Folded for the gift bag!

:o)

Tweaking Time

2011-11-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

The 'S' quilt is up on my design board for a while so I can let the arrangement settle in.

:o)

A Bit about Binding

2011-11-06T13:15:00.000-05:00

I have the binding sewn on two of the three quilts I am working on. (I still need to hand sew them to the backs.) Here is the orange Aboriginal I've been posting about. My binding starts out in 3 1/2 inch strips. After folding in half, they are slightly less than 1 3/4 inch strips. I sew them on using a 1/2 inch seam allowance which results in a 1/2 wide binding. I often use these measurements when making my binding as I like the binding to be more prevalent in framing the quilt. This particular quilt is bound with a 'scrappy' binding using a few Aboriginal fabrics that were also used in the quilt blocks.

:o)

Blogger's Quilt Festival -- Fall 2011

2011-10-28T07:20:00.000-04:00

This is my fourth time participating in the Blogger's Quilt Festival sponsored by Amy at Amy's Creative Side. We owe a big thanks to her for hosting another festival. Be sure to check out all the entries if you want to be inspired, wowed, and make some new friends, too.

My entry is my Matisse quilt which was gifted to my husband. My husband introduced me to the art of Henri Matisse when we were in college, and the first art we bought after we were married was a Matisse museum poster that we framed for our living room. The minute I saw the Matisse line of fabric at Hawthorne Threads, I knew I would be making a quilt.

I used a simple block and interspersed it with larger fussy cut pieces from the large print in the collection (by Alexander Henry fabrics).

I used a serpentine stitch with my straight line quilting. The batting is Dream Wool.

Roscoe's Pa really likes it and falls asleep under it often!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and please come back sometime!

:o)

Some of my 'S' Blocks

2011-10-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

I thought you might like to see the beginning 'S' blocks. I am in love with them so far! Hopefully the lighting will be better for the next post about this quilt.

:o)

Making sandwiches

2011-10-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

Today my body is stiff and sore because yesterday I made sandwiches. This:

And this:

On another note, I have spent a fair amount of time looking, researching, and talking to the pros about a new machine. I am leaning toward the Bernina 550QE. It looks to be a great machine. The thing is...it has just been introduced. I don't think I want one of the first machines out of the factory. I think I should let things settle a bit and let the kinks get worked out.

So now it's time to start quilting the above projects! :o)

Grandpa's Closet

2011-10-11T02:27:00.007-04:00

The quilt pictured below was found in 1989 in a closet of the home my husband's paternal grandfather, Roy. It is believed that the quilt had been made by Roy's grandmother in the late 19th Century. The quilt is in very good shape but was very dirty from years of sitting on the top shelf of the only closet in the farmhouse. I rinsed the quilt in our bathtub again and again until the water was clean. I didn't know a lot about caring for antique quilts in 1989 but luckily proceeded with caution and some common sense when taking care of it.

I love the bright colors and the scrapiness of the quilt. Here is a close up of some of the fabric.

What a treasure!

:o)

Pillowcases

2011-10-08T02:27:00.001-04:00

Remember this?

I promised pillowcases to go with it. Yes, it is time to put the quilt on the bed and guess who didn't make the pillowcases. Oops. Problem remedied:

Yay! A finish!

:o)

A few more acquistions...

2011-10-06T02:22:00.002-04:00

I placed this order recently with 'The City Quilter' in NYC. I love this store and only get to go there when I visit my daughter.

I purchased this Aboriginal for a backing to the quilt I am going to make someday for ME.

I liked this one too.

Plus I added these next two pieces to my collection of New York City fabrics. Some of this will probably land in my 'S' quilt.

:o)

A Reveal!!

2011-10-03T02:27:00.003-04:00

This summer I posted a couple of posts about this fabric

and making this quilt.

It is a combination milestone birthday gift and upcoming retirement gift. The quilt has now been delivered and I can show it to you!

:o)

More fabric acquistions...

2011-09-29T02:27:00.005-04:00

I bought these yummies from my LQS.

I am anxious to start using them. Here is my inspiration from the December/January 2009 issue of Quilt Magazine:

:o)

Aboriginals Update and Some Pondering

2011-09-26T02:27:00.007-04:00

Here are the pressed fronts, backs and bindings for Quilt #1 and Quilt #2.

Now they need sandwiched and quilted. I think I have a quilting plan, but I am waiting while I decide what to do about my machine.

I love my machine...a 25 year old Bernina 1230. But it has started to act old lately (just like me! LOL!) I recently had it tuned up and it's still doing some funny things (again...just like me!) Roscoe's Pa told me to look at new machines. Yes, he really said that. I am taking it seriously!!! So I don't want to quilt these quilts until I make a decision about whether or not I am going to get a new machine. I want to go look at the new Bernina 550QE, which has a moderately extended free arm to the right of the needle...more room for quilting. I am now in my 60's. If I get a new machine, it might be my last machine. Lots of pressure here to a make a good decision!

:o)

Yesterday...

2011-09-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

My sewing for yesterday can be summed up with this picture:

On a cheerier note, I received this in the mail on Thursday from Hawthorne Threads:

It is for my next project which has a Christmas due date!

:o)

A couple more gadgets...

2011-09-20T14:22:00.001-04:00

My good friend Sandy visited me recently from Arizona. She brought me some little quilting gifts as she knows I am possessed by quilting! The first item is:

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but it should come in handy when dealing with those tangles that sometimes occur when you hand stitch the binding to the back of your quilt.

And the other item is this:

This is a great marking pen...easy to use and makes a fine line. The words on the pen read 'remove by friction'. However, my friend had seen a demo of the product, and heat was demonstrated as the way to remove your markings. I tried friction to no avail but heat worked fine. I would caution you to test first though. I used the pen on a white fabric, and the line faded but didn't completely disappear.

Thanks a bunch, Sandy!

:o)

First Preview of Quilt #2

2011-09-17T02:27:00.000-04:00

I didn't think it would be possible to like Quilt #2 as much as I like Quilt #1. But I do! This is my first preview. I already see a couple of places I need to tweak but I am really amazed that the orange version pleases me this much!

And another WIN!!!

2011-09-15T02:27:00.010-04:00

Alissa at Handmade by Alissa recently held her 2nd annual fundraiser recently for Action Kivu, a wonderful nonprofit that helps women who are victims of the conflict in Eastern Congo by teaching them to sew. The fundraiser raised $15,135 this year!!!

I participated in the giveaway and was the winner of this:

And a signed copy of this:

Thanks Alissa!!

:o)

Blocks Ready

2011-09-14T02:27:00.001-04:00

I have sewn and pressed the blocks for Quilt #2. Next step is to move them to the design wall.

:o)

Moving right along...

2011-09-12T02:27:00.006-04:00

The top, the backing, and the pieced border are finished for the quilt I have been working on and sharing with you these past two weeks. I forgot to photograph them before I put them away. I will sandwich, quilt, bind and show you Quilt #1 at a later date.

Now I have begun the second colorway for the fussy cut Aboriginal fabrics that I have shown you previously here.

Quilt #2 with orange Kangaroo Fan fabric will take on a different look from #1 with the Aboriginals framed in Kona Black.

:o)

The first layout

2011-09-09T02:27:00.001-04:00

This will give you a better idea of where I am headed with this quilt. I am ready to sew the blocks together. I love how the black colorway makes the blocks seem to sparkle. The next decision is...border or no border?

:o)

A New Gadget

2011-09-07T02:27:00.001-04:00

My daughter-in-law asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I had recently seen this gadget in a Keepsake Quilting catalog. Voila! Thanks, Kelli (and the gang)!

Since my Bernina walking foot doesn't have a slot to attach a seam guide, I really wanted to give this a try.

I won't lie. It's a bear to install this contraption on my walking foot. But once it's on, it fits my machine quite nicely. It's now awaiting a project to see how well it really works.

:o)

Sewing blocks in one colorway...

2011-09-05T02:27:00.007-04:00

I chose black to outline as my first outline color choice. It really sets off the colors in the prints.

:o)

Auditioning some colors

2011-09-04T02:27:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos of colors I am considering to add to the individual quilts.

Kangaroo Fan in Orange

Kona Ash

Kona Black

:o)

I Won a Lil' Twister!

2011-09-03T02:27:00.001-04:00

I was the lucky recipient of this awesome gadget called the Lil' Twister. I won it from a giveaway at Jackie's Canton Village Quiltworks blog a while back. I was waiting to post about it when I could show you what I did with it. Alas, I haven't had a chance to try it. But you can see what can be done with it here. Thanks so much Jackie at Canton Village!! Stop by her blog. It's a great blog, and she has lots of giveaways!

:o)

More cutting finished...

2011-09-02T18:59:00.000-04:00

Here are the centers of the blocks for the two quilts. Doesn't look like much yet, does it?!?

:o)

Cutting progress...

2011-08-31T02:27:00.001-04:00

Lots of fussy cutting!

These pieces all came from the same fabric.

:o)

Trying to get back in the routine...

2011-08-29T08:55:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have been away from blogging for a good part of the season. It has been a weird summer. It hasn't been horrible but it has had its challenges (Roscoe's Pa extra busy with consulting jobs and me with pneumonia for weeks and weeks with lots of drama due to something abnormal with my x-rays that resulted some further 'investigating'.) I am fine now and the challenges have left me noticing that the sweetness in my grandkid's faces is a little sweeter, and colors are more vivid, and the breeze is more refreshing...and well, you get the idea. Anyway, I am getting my life back together.

And, I am finally sewing again! I finished some UFO's in the past couple of weeks. I didn't take many photos as I was out of my blogging routine. Here's a stocking I made for my newest granddaughter to match the family collection I've blogged about in the past.

This weekend I began working with my Aboriginal collection that I have shown you off and on earlier in the year. And I am having lots of fun. I love this fabric and have four quilts in my head with a possible string quilt somewhere along the way. I even ordered MORE Aboriginal fabric from Canton Village Quiltworks this morning. I have started cutting the first pieces to make two quilts for special relatives that I hope don't read my blog! While the basic concept is the same, I'll be making each quilt unique and learning a few things about color along the way. I'll post progress and you can see what I mean!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I really appreciate my blog friendships!

:o)

My Scrubbie Story

2011-07-15T02:27:00.012-04:00

A friend who worked with my husband sent home a 'scrubbie' for me to try. Someone made one for her and she loved using it when washing dishes and pans. I was 'hooked' figuratively and literally. I thought to myself, 'I could make these.' And the google search for a pattern began. Turned out there were lots of patterns being shared out there in cyberspace. I chose this one.

I begin by cutting nylon net (the coarser the feel of the net, the better) into two inch strips.

I use a rotary cutter and layer the netting to make this go faster. Here is what five yards each of three colors looks like.

This will make at least 30 scrubbies!

Next I tie the strips together making a simple knot (these knots work easily into the backside of the scrubby) and then roll the strips into balls.

Now you are ready to crochet. I use an N hook instead of an I hook. I start out with three chains and slip stitch to form a circle. The pattern calls for four chains but that doesn't work for me. As you go, put the knots in your nylon 'yarn' to the back of the scrubbie. You'll see what I mean once you get started.

I love to make these scrubbies because, yes, they are mindless. You can do this while watching kids play or while watching TV, etc. Easy peasy...and these aren't heirloom items so if a stitch doesn't look perfect, well, so what. They are for SCRUBBING. I use them for scrubbing dishes and pans, preparing baked potatoes, scrubbing the shower, exfoliating feet, treating stains and spots before laundering...well, you get the idea. You can wash them in the washing machine or the dishwasher.

And you make friends if you make scrubbies! LOL! I have many requests for replacement scrubbies once they are worn out. My Amish neighbors, who bake all sorts of goodies at Christmas time to share with their neighbors, get scrubbies from me, their non-baking English friend.

:o)

We did it!!

2011-07-08T02:27:00.000-04:00

From this--

To this--

Beautiful, Karen!

:o)

Okay.

2011-07-06T02:27:00.003-04:00

Ya know how you hope when you wake up, you'll be wowed? That didn't happen. So I went back to work and now I am satisfied. I really wanted an AH-HA moment. But I've come to the realization that I am not going to get one unless I branch out, try somehting different, and push harder. I do like this quilt and think it will be comfy, snuggly, and match a decor. That was my goal. The soul searching was a bonus.

:o)

Up on the wall

2011-07-04T02:22:00.009-04:00

I randomly placed the squares on my design wall keeping in mind the way the colors and values played off of each other. I have made my first pass at a layout. I digitally photographed my layout and edited the photo to be grayscale to check for a pleasing contrast throughout the quilt. Now I am sleeping on it. I am sure there will be much tweaking tomorrow.

:o|

Pressing, sorting and squaring

2011-07-01T02:22:00.001-04:00

After sewing the rectangles together, I pressed open all the squares and began sorting by both color and value. This will help me when I lay out the squares on the design wall.

I also had to square up the blocks to be sure they were 6" squares. I usually try to avoid having to do this step by cutting accurately to begin with. But for this quilt, I had some adjustments to make. I used a rotary cutter, a six inch square ruler, and my turntable cutting mat.

:o)

Another UFO

2011-06-29T02:27:00.001-04:00

I started a quilt a few months ago and had to put it away for more pressing deadlines. It is being made to match a specific decor. The Migration line from Moda was perfect.

I thought I still had some cutting to do but was pleasantly surprised to discover, when I reopened the project, the cutting part was finished!

I randomly sewed 240 rectangles together to make 120 roughly six inch squares. I have made this pattern many times before but never used a layer cake for the fabric. To optimize the number of rectangles I could cut from a 10" square, I had to slightly alter my usual block size. More about this later...

This quilt is a gift and I am purposely not revealing too much about the quilt. I don't think the recipient reads my blog, but ya never know...

It's so great to be sewing again!! I am currently living under this motto:

:o)

And finally the binding!

2011-06-26T09:26:00.000-04:00

:o)

Progress report

2011-06-19T02:22:00.001-04:00

I am happy to say that the quilting is going fine. I am always unsatisfied with the quilting when I go to bed at night. The next morning it always looks way better. Thank goodness!!

Check out the awesome new LED light!!

:o)

Starting again

2011-06-17T11:01:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe I haven't written a blog post for a whole month. Life has definitely gotten in the way of my sewing this past month. I feel sort of rusty about writing but here goes.

I am back to working on my daughter's quilt and I am very grateful to have some sewing time. Here is the backing taped to the floor in my living room.

I have a big living room and this backing just fit on the floor. So this is the maximum sized quilt I ever intend to work with. And next time I take on something this big, I will definitely consider sending the quilt out for quilting. I am happy to try to quilt this one though. It's a family effort!

Now I am in the process of pin basting.

I have used up all my curved pins and now am hoping I have enough regular pins to finish this part of the process. This is taking way longer than I planned...lots of sighing and resting of knees. LOL! I have enjoyed some good chick flicks on TV while pinning.

Stay tuned for progress. I am determined to get this puppy done!

:o)

Back to the sewing room!

2011-05-18T20:43:00.000-04:00

I had to get back in the sewing room after such a long break. I decided to work on some finishes instead of beginning something new. I am currently working on the quilt my daughter handed off to me to finish. See the story here. The first task was to put the four big pieces (which are different sizes) together to complete the pattern. It took me a couple of days to figure out, but now I've got it. I really think she designed a pretty quilt.

Here is evidence of two of my least favorite tasks when it come to quilt making. These tasks were more dreaded than usual as this quilt is 104 inches by 104 inches. First is trimming all the crazy threads on the back of the quilt.

And the other least favorite task is pressing the back of the quilt top so the seams lay flat in the direction they are meant to be. The seams on this quilt seem to go on forever!

What's your least favorite part about making a quilt?

:o)

Blogger's Quilt Festival--Spring 2011

2011-05-13T13:06:00.004-04:00

I am happy to participate for my third time in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. It is a lot of fun looking at all the quilts and making new blog friends, as well. It is so nice of Amy at Amy's Creative Side to continue the tradition for everyone in blogland! Thanks Amy!

This spring I am entering the baby quilt I made for my third granddaughter. Since she is child #4 in a family with three older brothers, her quilt had to be PINK! I found the daisy fabric first (Spring Fling by David Walker)

and built from there with Moda Marbles and fabrics from Simply Baby by Windham. The binding is white Frosted Dots from Lakehouse.

Baby's mom loves daisies and she loves simple lines. So I kept the quilt to two colors, pink and yellow with white. (They happen to be my wedding colors 41 years ago!) I used Quilter's Dream Cotton batting in the Deluxe weight and machine quilted in straight lines with the serpentine stitch.

We were all pleased with how the quilt turned out! Thanks for stopping by to take a look. Hope you have time to drink a pot of tea (or a can or two of Diet Coke) and enjoy the Festival! Please come back and visit again!

:o)

A Busy Month

2011-05-12T07:14:00.000-04:00

I haven't been blogging or quilting or getting my household chores done even. Life is good but really busy right now. Tuesday night I made the pants part of a costume for my grandson who is a lion in his 2nd grade play...Circus, Circus. He has lines and gets to sing a little solo. Can't wait for the performance day! I have no pictures of the costume as I was working on it past midnight and the pants were delivered early the next morning. Sleep trumped a photo session! It was fun to be finally sewing something!

Here is a picture of a quilt top I found in 1986 in my grandmother's closet after she had passed away. I am not sure if she made it or where it came from or when it might have been made. She was mainly a knitter although I think she sewed a little when she was younger. There are several pretty appliqued tulip blocks. Most of the quilt top is in good shape and I am thinking of taking the blocks apart and resetting them somehow. The plan is not really worked out in my head yet. (Hey, it's only been in my possession 25 years! Don't rush me!)

But here is some fabric I found recently that might work with the blocks in some fashion.

Pretty good match, huh?

:o)

Keeping Some Balance

2011-05-01T19:20:00.001-04:00

It has been so long since I have been in front of my sewing machine. I have missed it and I have missed blogging too. Life keeps getting in the way...in a good way...grandchildren...friends...busy times. But my head is always swirling with ideas and things I want to sew. To keep some balance while I am away from my machine, I have been hitting some internet fabric sales. The first collection that I have been eyeing for a while is Moda's Lollipop. I saw it on sale at Burgundy Buttons. I really didn't need to buy fabric, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do, right?

I really like the greens in this collection. I have since discovered a couple more prints to add and am awaiting their arrival. I am probably going to make a kid quilt for my grandchildren to snuggle under when they visit. I know it is really 'matchy-matchy' but I like it.

Then I saw the Max and Whiskers collection on sale, as well. Yes, I felt a purchase was necessary for my mental balance (i.e. I caved) and so I bought these lovelies too.

They will also more than likely become another 'matchy-matchy' kid quilt for the grandkids too. Now if someone would only have a sale on 'sewing time', I'd be all set.

:o)

No sewing except in my head...and a WIN!

2011-04-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

No sewing this week due to babysitting...cleaning...company coming.. I did do some quilt dreaming and I ordered some fabric online. Had to stay sane somehow, didn't I? But the BIG NEWS is I won a Lil' Twister Template Tool from a giveaway Jackie sponsored over at the Canton Village Quilt Works blog. It hasn't arrived yet (maybe tomorrow) but I can't wait to try it. Jackie has made some beautiful things with the template shown here!

Because I should have a picture in my post, I'll show you something my daughter made to take to college 10 years ago. (Seriously? It's been 10 years?) I believe this is her first quilt. (The photo was taken with an old camera under flourescent lighting. Bleh.) I love it that she sews!

:o)

Another shopping trip...

2011-04-08T14:34:00.000-04:00

I am trying to beat the rain blues here in the Seattle area. Here is another fabric store I visited...Pacific Fabrics & Crafts...the Bellevue, Washington store.

It is sort of like a chain store, but a local chain of a local quilt and fabric store. They stock many local quilt shop brands you would see at a LQS in Ohio. But the atmosphere felt more like a small Joann Fabric store.

I found some fat quarters of Moda's Max and Whiskers fabric to take home to preview for a possible kid's quilt for Grandma's house.

I found some interesting pre-printed fabric to make tea towels, an apron and a 54" X 60" table cloth. My SIL loves anything strawberry and most things vintage. The quality of this fabric was really nice and very substantial. It is a very similar weight as some vintage table linens I have that were my mom's. I think my SIL will love the finished products when she receives them in our Christmas exchange. (No, she doesn't know I have a blog.)

There is a huge selection of notions at this store. I do love to look for new notions! I found this tape measure which I think will be very useful in measuring fabric for quilt backs and curtains. Roscoe's Pa cautioned me to check the tape for accuracy when I get home. I'll probably use an Omnigrid yard stick to be sure this tape is right on.

And since I am often the family 'go to' person when it comes to shortening jeans and making repairs, I thought this thread would be nice to have on hand. The terrible lighting in this picture prevents you from seeing the thread is lightly variegated in color the way many jeans are. I already have a spool of jeans thread in the orange/yellow color that a lot of jeans companies use for trim. I had never seen the blue before.

A little fabric shopping...

2011-04-06T19:28:00.000-04:00

I need more fabric like I need to see more rain. Yes, I am in the Pacific Northwest again. The weather has been rain, light rain, heavy rain, more rain. I can walk to an awesome fabric store. And I have a fancy smancy windproof umbrella now. I had to go visit, right?

I found these goodies at Quiltworks Northwest in Bellevue, Washington.

More yummy aboriginals...I kept it at fat quarters this time. I apologize for the photos. They were taken in some rather dreary temporary housing. Dealing with the lighting here is beyond my photo taking expertise. Here are some close ups.

And some fabric for pillow covers or mostly because I just really liked it...

:o)

The Matisse is Finished!

2011-04-06T18:16:00.000-04:00

:o)

Recent acquistions

2011-04-02T01:57:00.000-04:00

I have started the hand sewing on the binding of my Matisse quilt. Roscoe's Pa has seen it and really likes it. :o) I will snap a picture of it after I finish the binding which hopefully will be soon. In the meantime, I will show you some recent acquisitions.

Santa brought me the 16 inch Olfa revolving cutting board. It has been handy with squaring up the 8 1/2 inch blocks for my Matisse quilt. No more stretching around the cutting table in rather unnatural positions to cut each side. Just turn the board. It occurs to me now that this picture would have been better had I had a piece of fabric on it and a rotary cutter and ruler. Next time...

Also helpful was the 8 1/2 Omnigrip square.

And finally, Santa brought me a sleeve board which I plan to use in constructing doll clothes and little girl clothes. I struggled with the last few items that I made from this category when pressing on my over-sized ironing board. I am hoping this will help get better results.

I like that I can hang this when not in use.

:o)

Almost Done and a Binding Tip!

2011-03-28T02:04:00.000-04:00

I am finally sewing the binding on to my Matisse quilt. All that is left will be the hand sewing of the binding to the back of the quilt. I have really bonded with this quilt! Note to self: Always sew with fabric you love.

There are many ways to manage your unsewn binding while you sew it on to a quilt. This happens to be my way. Roll your prepared binding into a roll.

Find a small recycled gift bag.

Place the binding roll in said gift bag and pull out the end of the roll.

Place bag on the floor next to your chair. Begin to bind. Voila! The binding will easily pull out of the gift bag and stay straight as you apply it to the quilt.

:o)

Satisfied.

2011-03-24T02:22:00.000-04:00

Okay. We all can't be Matisse or even artists. But there is a place for folks like me. I can see what is good in others' work so maybe with some more practice I can be happier with my visions...or non-visions. LOL. I am satisfied with this layout. It is not a wallhanging. It is a lap quilt. It's very pretty up close. I am ready to sew.

:o|

Oh boy.

2011-03-23T02:22:00.000-04:00

Eh, no. Bleh! Back to the drawing board. Oh. I didn't use one. This was improv or whatever. Sigh.

:o(

Puzzle Pieces

2011-03-22T06:12:00.000-04:00

Here are the blocks arranged from lighter to darker. Next comes the fun of putting the colors together. I have a feel for the results but I am not good with seeing what I want and then doing it. The results are always a surprise for me!

:o)

Progressing...

2011-03-21T02:22:00.003-04:00

I have been cutting...

preparing the binding, and making the back.

:o)

Back at it again...

2011-03-19T23:34:00.000-04:00

I started the Matisse quilt. Hooray!

Still in the thinking...

and planning stage.

PS Got a new sewing machine light socket for my new LED light. No more flickering. It's awesome!

:o)

Almost good...

2011-03-15T02:27:00.001-04:00

I picked up my machine on Saturday from being serviced. The machine is a Bernina 1230 that I got in the 80's and I LOVE her. The only thing I wish is that she had a larger area to push a quilt through for machine quilting.

I got a new LED light to replace my old flickering standard light bulb. The LED is awesome with 10 individual lights that fit flush with the machine lighting area. What genius to come up with something like this. The bad news is the LED flickers just like the old standard bulb. Must be a short in the socket…darn! I’ll have to take my machine back for some more work.

:o|

I'm back!

2011-03-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I am home from my 24/7 granny nanny job. It was so much fun and I am suffering from grandkid withdrawal. I am so blessed. New #6 is a heart-stealer and such a good baby.

Look what was in my mailbox when I got home!!! I have always wanted a Kona Cotton Color Card. Roscoe's Pa thought I should just order one then. Worked for me!

I am totally captivated with looking at all the colors and thinking of all the possibilities.

If you ever get a chance to get one, I think you will be glad you did!

:o)

All is well!

2011-02-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

CAITLIN GRACE made her first appearance yesterday morning at 7:57 am. She weighed 7lbs. 15 oz. which was funny since her three brothers were all 9 or almost 10 pound babies. Thanks to everyone who sent such sweet wishes! Blog friends are awesome!

30 minutes old

:o)

One more thing...

2011-02-22T02:22:00.001-05:00

I made this little pillow

to match this quilt.

Today I took my machine for a check up (as it's been a few years...oops). The turn around time for getting my machine back is two weeks. That makes me nervous to have her gone for that long. But I'll be busy with other things so maybe I will be able to 'let it go'!

:o)

Finally!!!

2011-02-19T02:22:00.001-05:00

Things have been crazy busy since the new year, and my days are going to get busier for the next month. I have missed blogging and probably will be missing it alot in the next month or so due to the birth of granddaughter #3. But I plan to return full force this Spring. (Ah Spring...I am so ready for SPRING!)

I have been sewing a bunch the past couple of weeks. I made a changing table cover and new curtains with trim for my grandson and his soon-to-be born sister's room. I didn't take pictures. I honestly finished these things late at night and they went to Roscoe's house the next morning. Maybe I'll get a picture later as I will be spending some extra time there soon. (Okay...all my time!).

Today I officially finished the baby girl's quilt. It might be my favorite quilt to date. (I say that after many of the quilts I make!) It is soft and yummy. Here are pictures!

Before washing...

Another....

And after washing...

Another...

And one last shot of the soft crinkly version...

Baby girl's C-section arrival is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Can't wait to see her! Can't wait to learn her name which has been decided but kept as Top Secret by her parents.

:o)

Pink Baby Blanket Finished!

2011-02-07T20:58:00.001-05:00

I finished my crocheted baby blanket last night for GD#3. I used a pattern I found on the Project Linus website. I have used it before here and another time before I started blogging. This time I used a J hook and one strand of worsted weight Simply Soft yarn in Soft Pink. I added a scalloped edge.

Moving right along...

2011-02-03T02:22:00.001-05:00

Progress report

2011-01-31T02:00:00.001-05:00

The baby quilt is coming together nicely. I just need some TIME!! Here are some squares:

:o)

Sewing again!

2011-01-26T02:22:00.001-05:00

I am finally back in my sewing room. Hooray! I have started work on the much talked about baby quilt for my new granddaughter who is scheduled to arrive in ONE month.

I found one more fabric (the check in the center) to go with the assortment I had already collected. The fabric for this quilt came from Charm, Ohio; Bellevue, Washington; and Mankato, Minnesota! I am really happy with it. Pink and yellow were the colors I chose for our wedding forty plus years ago. I still love the combo.

I had an idea but wasn't quite sure how it would look so I played on my design board. I had originally planned to use the 'plain' white fabric (white stars on white) in the same fashion as I used the 'solid' pink (Moda Marble)and 'solid' yellow (Moda Marble). But it didn't suit me. So I did some more cutting and trimming and arranging.

I relegated the white to be the binding. (I like to make the binding and, if possible, the backing, before I start piecing the quilt. I hate to finish a top and have to stop to prepare the binding and back. This way I can just keep rolling.)

This is my current arrangement. I took pictures of it and have been rotating the pictures to help me decide if I need to tweak some things. I need to sleep on it.

:o)

Taking over a WIP

2011-01-22T02:22:00.002-05:00

About six years ago, my daughter decided she wanted to make a quilt for her brother and sister-in-law. My daughter, my daughter-in-law, and I went to one of the local quilt shops to look at fabric. My daughter-in-law chose the fabric. I bought the fabric. My daughter designed the quilt on the computer in Word, if I remember correctly. She printed the design that looks like colored graph paper...

and pieced it into four quarters. Then she took it to NY, went to college and grad school, got a job, and got married.

During the holidays this year, the WIP traveled back to Ohio from NY. I was presented with the four quarters, the binding, the backing, and the thread, and was asked to finish the quilt. My daughter now lives in a teeny Manhattan apartment and completing the quilt would really be a challenge.

I agreed to finish the quilt. It's in line now with my other WIP's. It's going to be a quilty year!

:o)

More Australian Aboriginals

2011-01-18T02:22:00.005-05:00

Yes, I am amassing fabric at an alarming rate. I love these Australian Aboriginals which I ordered from Canton Village Quilt Works. I noticed today that City Quilter in NYC now has some of this fabric, too, but the cost per yard is higher than Canton Village. There are a couple different choices at City Quilter that might justify paying more if you 'have to have it'. The quality of this fabric is amazing. The colors are bright and the designs are really interesting. Here are some more of my recent acquisitions. Hopefully, I'll get to cut into these lovelies soon!

:o)

Shopping on the East Side

2011-01-14T02:22:00.002-05:00

I learned Rule # 1 if you are out for a stroll (and on a mission for fabric) in the Seattle area, it will rain before you get back home, and a puny, malfunctioning umbrella will not keep you dry. I ventured out today to walk to Quiltworks Northwest, a great local quilt shop in Bellevue which is situated on the east side of the Seattle area. (BTW, they are having a nice storewide sale until Sunday if you live in the Bellevue area.) I wanted to take a picture of the store, but the rain spoiled my plan. Here is my bag front as proof I was there and I did make some purchases. Yes, those are rain drops. I came home a little soggy but my fabric was dry!

First up, I found some more ~~Henry Glass~~, oops, Alexander Henry fabric in the Matisse line in a different colorway that I thought I had to have.

I also found this other Alexander Henry piece called Ghastly Forest. I love it!

I like them together too.

And I also found a really cute fabric in the colors of the baby quilt fabric...remember this?

Now I have this:

And a couple of things to go with it.

Sorry about the quality of these pictures. A motel room and the rainy weather are making it tough to get a good picture.

Oh, they had Aurifil Thread! Have you used it? I think it is wonderful thread. It is very fine, strong, and practically lint-free. Only I cannot find it in Ohio. So I bought a couple of basic colors.

I am all set for sewing when I get home! First up will be the baby quilt because she is coming soon!

:o)

More additions to my latest fabric obsession

2011-01-12T02:22:00.001-05:00

I am currently in the Seattle area. This is my first trip to the great Northwest. I think it is amazingly beautiful, and I haven't even seen that much yet. I hope to get to a couple of fabric stores while I am here, too.

While I am away from my sewing room, I wanted to show you some of the new Australian Aboriginals by M and S Textiles that I have acquired. These fabrics are gorgeous. The colors, the feel of the fabric...really supreme. I am coming closer to some ideas on how I want to use this fabric. Here are some of my latest acquisitions.

:o)

Not Sewing Today/Looking Back/Looking Ahead

2011-01-08T18:00:00.002-05:00

I confess. I haven't really used my sewing machine since before Christmas. I think about it A LOT. However, today I am fortunate to be here in Palm Springs. Here is the view from our room.

Seriously. Please don't think I am a braggy sew and sew. You would laugh if you had seen us yesterday sliding to the airport on snowy, unplowed Amish country roads, dodging the road apples (aka horse poo) along the way. That is the normal mode for me. Palms Spring is a once in a lifetime adventure that fell my way.

Something else to share...here is our fireplace mantel on December 26th after Santa had come and before the whole family arrived. I was very happy with the way the stockings looked. See the little one center left? It makes note of our new little one who will arrive in February. We had such a great time together. I am so blessed.

And since this is a quilting blog, I will include a picture of additional Matisse fabric that I found to add to my surprise quilt for my hubby. I took the picture along side the stripe fabric that goes with the collection.

I love this addition. It adds some variation to the size of the prints and is so very Matisse. I am thinking of sticking with a quilt of simple squares to showcase the fabrics.

Thanks for stopping by, my blog friends! I am blessed to have you, too!!

:o)

Matisse

2011-01-02T02:22:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, my blog friends!! The season has gotten in the way of my sewing. I had 13 people at my house for 5 days over the holidays (my family...it was WONDERFUL!) and I have been putting the house back together. Give me one more day (okay, two) and I should be back in order. Right now my cutting table is piled high with empty boxes and gift wrap, etc. I haven't been too busy to buy fabric though. So many quilt visions are swirling through my head for 2011.

Roscoe's Pa loves Matisse. Our first framed picture for our home was a Matisse museum poster and many more have since followed. So I must make him a throw from this collection I bought at Hawthorne Threads. It will be a surprise! And I will be surprised when I finally get to the machine to sew. Lots going on here right now. But a girl can dream, can't she?

Here are some of the fabrics:

:o)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T09:20:00.000-05:00

To all my wonderful blog friends, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Pink Love

2010-12-22T02:22:00.001-05:00

Here we go again! With Granddaughter #3 scheduled to arrive on February 23rd, I have been thinking about her quilt. I found the first piece at Miller's Dry Goods. Her mama loves daisies and simple.

The next piece, Frosted Dots, came from the Fat Quarter Shop. I've used this before. It adds a little fun to a quilt and is really great for binding.

I am thinking pinwheels of some sort but can't seem to move beyond that. It will be back to Miller's after Christmas for me for some more inspiration. My head's on overload with the holidays approaching.

:o)

A Double Finish...and a Little Disappointment

2010-12-18T02:22:00.002-05:00

I am very happy to report a couple of finishes. Remember this...

and this...

And this...

Well, I am finally finished. I love these quilts and the little guys who will receive them. Each printed square represents some event or time we've spent together.

Here is the older grandson's quilt...

and the back...

Here is the younger grandson's quilt...

and the back...

One more...a little closer...

The disappointment? I used Dream Wool batting. I love Dream Wool and how it looks and feels after it has been quilted...so snuggly and warm. After I gently washed and dried these two quilts, there seemed to be a lot of fuzz on the black Kona cotton squares. So I got out my 3M lint roller and thoroughly went over the quilts. The fuzz was not really fuzz but bearding by the wool batting through the black Kona cotton squares. Of course, I couldn't get all the bearding off. I have never had this happen before with other quilts but guess this is the only one (or two!) that I ever used this combination of a dark solid with Dream Wool. Anyone else ever had this trouble?

Birthday Pillowcase #9

2010-12-14T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is the final in the series of the 2011 pillowcase birthday gifts for the Amish children who live next door. This pillowcase is for Sam who turned 13 this week. Sam is the neatest kid...very quiet, sweet, and smart. He is an amazing artist...can illustrate a family gathering with pencils and white paper...and the result is almost like a photograph. You seldom see formal drawings or paintings by Amish artists. They are a community of people who like sameness and blending in with the others. An Amish person really doesn't want to stand out as an individual artist. That being said 'art' appears anyway...in quilts, for example...or a simple house design...or in a flower garden. At least this is what I have observed since moving here almost 7 years ago.

Here is Sam's pillowcase. He likes blue.

I took a chance and used a small plaid in his gift. I think it was okay with his parents.

:o)

William's Birthday Pillowcase

2010-12-09T02:22:00.001-05:00

My neighbor's youngest child, William, just turned four this year. It is hard to believe he is that old as Roscoe's Pa and I took Mom to the midwife for check ups for several months before William is born. It seems like it was just yesterday.

My hubby actually was the one who took Mom to the hospital the night William was born, after they helped the mid-wife load a trailer of household possessions as the mid-wife was in the process of moving. After the trailer was loaded, the three of them went to the Amish 'care center' where William was born. Imagine being ready to deliver child #9 and stopping to help someone move out of their house. Whew. The Amish dad stayed home to care for the other 8 children.

Here is William's birthday pillowcase...grey which is a color he likes and a combination of many of the fabrics I used in his siblings' pillowcases. See previous posts for the whole story!

Oh, did I mention Roscoe's Pa's first name is William!?!

:o)

Sewing Fun!

2010-12-02T02:22:00.001-05:00

Sewing is a stressbuster, therapy, life balancer, and a blessing for me. I got some stressful news last week. It's not terrible news but it is life changing and I needed to wrap my arms around it. After spinning my wheels for a couple of days...feeling bad that I couldn't concentrate on my 'to do' list (which gets a whole lot longer this time of year for most of us)...I abandoned all attempt at trying to accomplish anything that I 'needed' to do and retreated to my sewing room. I grabbed the pink haired dolly that we are giving our granddaughter for Christmas and the sewing began! Here are some pictures of this therapy session!

A Pink Dolly!

A Totebag with a Sleeping Bag Pocket and Pillow!

Dolly Daydreaming in the Sleeping Bag!

Dolly in Tutu!

A Happy Skirt and Vest

A Sun Dress!

And add a school skirt and a nightgown to the ensemble!

Life goes on and my head is in a better place!

:o)

Ta Da!

2010-11-28T02:22:00.002-05:00

The new addition to our family Christmas stocking collection (posted about that here) is finished. Hooray! Finally I am getting some things done!

:o)

The Family Reunion Quilt that I Kept for Myself

2010-11-24T02:22:00.003-05:00

A couple of years ago we hosted Roscoe's Pa's national family reunion. We had folks attend who came from California and Arizona across the US to New York. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work! In past years, some of the hosts had a raffle of interesting things for a fun activity that also raised a little money to help defray the cost of the event. Often there was a quilt in the raffle. I actually won a beautifully made hand quilted log cabin quilt at one of the previous reunions and I posted about it here.

I decided my reunion raffle quilt should have the Ohio Star as part of the design since the reunion would be in Ohio. I also decided I would use Thimbleberries fabric as I always wanted to try a quilt with this traditional fabric. I really admired these fabrics!

I began working on the quilt and I loved it. I became very attached to it, actually...even after being totally overwhelmed about pushing a queen-sized quilt through that little space in my sewing machine. Let's just say I learned a lot about what not to do. As time passed, I showed the quilt-in-progress to a few relatives, and it didn't get much love. These family members gravitated to a flannel raggy quilt I had made for our living room and commented on it (pictured below) with much more enthusiasm than the reunion quilt I had spent hours on.

SO...I made a homespun raggy quilt for the reunion with red, blue, and green country colors that seemed to be a hit with the family. (I forgot to take a picture of it.) And I happily kept my Ohio Star/Nine Patch quilt.

P.S. I tend to overbuy fabric when I am working on a project. I had plenty of fabric leftover for this:

Another Raffle Quilt

2010-11-20T02:22:00.003-05:00

Most people never win a quilt raffle. I have won two. I blogged about the first win here. But I also won another quilt at our church festival raffle when I lived in Minnesota about 15 years ago. I feel bad that I cannot remember the names of the mother-daughter team who made it.

It is queen-sized, has been on many beds, and is very cozy! Sometimes I wish I could take it apart and see what is inside. It now resides on a high Amish-made trundle bed.

The fabric is from the early '90's.

:o)

A Portable Project

2010-11-17T02:22:00.003-05:00

I am still sew-less. I am compensating by working on a little project that is more portable (as in not connected to my machine.) This eases the pain of not getting to sew. Poor me...LOL! Granddaughter # 3 is scheduled to arrive around March 1st. I won't be able to start her quilt until after Christmas. So crocheting a little blanket will help tide me over!

Yes, it's PINK! The project is one from the Project Linus website called 'Crocheted Blanket'. I am using a variation of this pattern by choosing worsted weight Simply Soft yarn.

I also changed the gauge by using a J hook and adjusted the size of the blanket to one I like better.

:o)

Sew-less Monday

2010-11-15T02:22:00.001-05:00

I need to SEW! Life has gotten in the way this past couple of weeks...good life things but not sewing things. I did get a package in the mail this week from Canton Village Quilt Works that kept those creative juices flowing. This is my latest interest...Australian Aboriginal fabric!

I was introduced to Aboriginal art about 10 years ago by my daughter who has a fascination for it as well. I ordered just a few pieces of this fabric to see these gems in person and to check out the fabric quality. It is exceptional! So now I have quilt ideas swirling in my head and plan to add to this collection. Here are some close-ups:

:o)

Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 2

2010-11-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

I won a copy of this:

by entering this:

There is still time to win if you visit Quilty Pleasures blog ASAP! Good luck!!

My First Quilt

2010-11-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

I made my first quilt in the mid-80's.

I had just moved to Minnesota and had a new machine...my beloved Bernina 1230. I had no local friends and was a SAHM with a new baby along with two grade-schoolers. I needed to 'get out'. (This was pre-household internet, quilt blogs, and wonderful blog friends!) So I took a quilting class at our local big box fabric store. The class was based on the Quilt-in-a Day series and you could choose from the Log Cabin (which thankfully I did) or the Lover's Knot.

I had so much fun choosing the fabric to sort of 'match' our family room...browns and greens (which have now faded to blues.) Yep. Calicoes! I used the really thick bonded polyester batting that was so popular at the time. The edges were finished by folding over the backing to the front of the quilt. (I had never heard of proper binding!) I tied the quilt with DMC embroidery floss. It is still the quilt my family members grab for cuddling in front of the TV or wherever.

Christmas Stockings

2010-11-05T02:22:00.002-04:00

When I was a kid, my Christmas stocking was one of my dad's socks that was safety pinned to an arm chair. We started that same tradition when my son was born in the '70's. But at some point, I decided my first two children needed a proper stocking. I bought a McCall's pattern from the neighborhood Avon representative and a tradition began.

Since I was really into counted cross-stitch at the time, I decided to modify the Avon pattern and cross-stitch the kids' names on the cuffs using ideas from this book. I used 22 hardanger cloth to make the letters fit.

Here are my first two stockings...

Then along came our last child.

And we hung three stockings for many years. Then fast forward a few years...

I continued with the 22 Hardanger for the children-in-laws but my eyes were not so keen working on the last one of those. The blurriness of the closeup is appropriate for how I was seeing this as I worked on it!

So I switched to 18 Aida with the first grandchild and modified the alphabet and little charm pictures a bit to fit seven letter names on the cuff.

I am now working on little Marina's stocking here. I am wishing this was 14 Aida but somehow I will manage!

Next year there will be another stocking on the mantel too. Life is good!

New York

2010-11-02T07:04:00.000-04:00

I had a great trip to NYC a week ago. I accompanied my older daughter and my newest granddaughter to a conference...granny nanny gig! It was so fun to spend time with them. A big bonus was to get to visit my younger daughter (and sweet hubby!) who I hadn't seen for 10 months. It's been the longest stretch we ever had and I was more than ready to hug her. We had all had the BEST time and there was a lot of laughing. Here are the four of them as we wait for the subway.

Our hotel was right in garment district but I soon discovered that caring for a super sweet 7 week old baby and delivering her to her mommy for feedings took up a lot of time. I did get to do a little window shopping while pushing the stroller which I enjoyed. And then I got to go to my two favorite NYC quilt shops.

And I got to add some City Quilter NYC fabric to my stash compliments of my younger daughter...who quilts.

:o)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T02:27:00.001-04:00

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Fall 2010

2010-10-29T08:20:00.000-04:00

I am happy to participate for the second time in the Blogger's Quilt Festival ! I thought the last event was so much fun...lots of new friends and lots of new inspiration. A big thank you goes to Amy for hosting the festival again!!

This year I am entering a quilt I made for my new granddaughter, Marina. My daughter requested a quilt with red and yellow...but not a McDonald's quilt. I wanted to make PINK. I am so traditional. So I luckily found (just in the nick of time before the availablity disappeared) the Old New Collection 30's by Lecien that filled the bill perfectly. It was girly, red, yellow with some PINK and some green.

I went outside my usual comfort zone of the square patches that I had used in my previous baby quilts. It was really fun to try new colors and a new block or two. It was still very simple constuction.

I added a pieced dimension to the backing too and was really pleased with how that turned out.

Be sure to visit Amy's blog for the list of participants. Make a pot of tea and be ready for fun!

:o)

Making Progress

2010-10-23T02:22:00.007-04:00

I am now pin basting my grandsons' quilts. I will be forced to take a break, however, as I am going to NYC with our older daughter and new granddaughter. I will see our younger daughter for the first time since Christmas and can't wait. And then there is City Quilter and Purl Soho and the garment district...

:o)

Did You See This Message from Blogger?

2010-10-20T08:22:00.011-04:00

Image Uploads will be disabled for about two hours while we perform routine maintenance on Wednesday, October 20th at 5:00PM PDT. Learn more here...

Maybe this will be more than 'routine.' Maybe they are going to fix the BIG PROBLEM!

Border Love

2010-10-19T02:22:00.002-04:00

I have the borders ready to sew on for my current quilt projects.

:o)

Blogger Pictures

2010-10-16T11:08:00.000-04:00

Can I just say...not being able to get pictures on my posts the way I want them is driving me CRAZY!!!

More I-Spy Love

2010-10-16T11:04:00.000-04:00

The quilts for my grandson's are coming along quite nicely. I am having a lot of fun with it! Here are some more favorite fabrics that I especially love.

dragon love

from our family trip to NYC

more NYC

Argh.

4th of July tradition

music, music, music

we live in the land of horses

Preschool

Elementary School

G'ma, can I have one more?

...and sports, of course!

:o)

A Little Progress

2010-10-11T02:27:00.001-04:00

Here are the boys' quilts on the design board. I plan to use a border for these quilts...something I seldom do.

There are some subtle differences. Example:

Quilt #1

Quilt #2

:o)

A New Christmas Project

2010-10-08T02:27:00.001-04:00

I am beginning the process of making two simple square quilts for my grandsons for Christmas…novelty fabrics. I never ever imagined myself using novelty fabrics. Generally, they are a turn off for me. But these two little guys have some favorite things and favorite memories. They will love this kind of quilt to curl up in while watching cartoons or a movie. Some day I will make a quilt just for me that doesn't have to match something or have a theme for someone else. But for now, I am having too much fun!

Baby Quilts from the Past #7 Quilts for Friends

2010-10-05T02:27:00.001-04:00

This will be the final post for Baby Quilts from the Past! I just wanted to include a couple of quilts I particularly liked that I have made for friends. Yes, you will recognize some of the fabric. I am a firm believer in using those scraps! Once again, these are simple squares, but I just have this draw to the simplicity of the look and having fun with fabric.

Baby Quilts from the Past #6 Charity Quilts

2010-10-03T02:27:00.032-04:00

The thing that renewed my interest in quilting in the 1990's was a challenge from my niece. Her dad was hosting our national family reunion, and my niece challenged the quilters in our family to bring a donation quilt for Binky Patrol. She would display them at the reunion. Here are my first ever baby quilts. Yes, they are tied. I had no clue how to machine quilt at the time. I loved these quilts...true scrap quilts even before I had ever heard that term.

I have continued to make baby quilts for donations to various places that can use them. I have pictures of some of my favorites, but I wasn't blogging at the time most of the photos were taken. These were taken for my use only. Please excuse the wrinkles! I hope these pictures inspire you to make charity quilts or to post about ones you have made to throw new ideas out there into quiltblog land for those who love to make baby quilts.

Baby Quilts from the Past #5

2010-10-01T02:27:00.004-04:00

You have seen granddaughter #2's finished quilt recently. I am just reposting as part of the series and an example of my continuing to experiment with new ideas for baby quilts. Grandchild #6 will make its debut at the end of February 2011. We should soon know if this little punkin will be one of four brothers or will be a little girl with three brothers! And, of course, you will know as you endure my endless postings about baby quilts!

***NEWS FLASH*** Little punkin is a GIRL!

Baby Quilts from the Past #4

2010-09-30T02:27:00.000-04:00

Next up was grandson #3's quilt. I was becoming more confident with my squares...yes, I would branch out. A little twist on the Irish chain since his mama is Irish through and through. I was just going to stick with a pure blue and white color scheme at first...some Kaufman basics. But then I saw the Hey Diddle Diddle fabric and had to add it, too. This time I used Dream Cotton Deluxe as the quilt would be used more often as a floor mat. Yes, I even mitered the corners and was shocked at how easy it is to do!

Baby Quilts from the Past #3

2010-09-28T02:27:00.001-04:00

I made my first granddaughter two quilts. I had purchased some fabric in bright colors a couple of years before her birth with her in mind. My daughter liked bright and playful at the time and I thought this fabric might make a fun quilt. But as soon as we knew the baby was to be a girl, my daughter and I started seeing pink. So the quilt for the bed ended up being shades of pink and green.

And the quilt for the family room and stroller ended up being the original idea. We called it our 'man quilt' so her dad could use it with ease! He is not a pink and frilly sort of guy! His daughter would have a tool box...and she does!

Baby Quilts from the Past #2

2010-09-26T02:27:00.001-04:00

This is grandson #2's quilt. I made it five years ago. I used two layers of Warm and Natural since it would most likely be used more as a floor mat.