Thursday, December 30, 2010

Lizzie House Exchange Blocks


I am on a quest to rid myself of any and all UFO's. I do not let myself get many as it slows down my creative process. While going through my drawer of where they would be---I found these darling blocks from some online friends. We did an exchange of our houses in a quilt block.

In no time at all, I had this darling wallhanging for the dining room.
this is where my laptop is and I wanted to be able to see it all the time.

I completed another top from exchanged blocks and it is on the HQ right now. Aside from some orphan blocks I will enter 2011 without any UFO's. I do have a couple of projects in progress but work on them. I also have a patriotic log cabin in the works.

I started quilting from the internet for lots of learning. I read about all these UFO's and just did not want to let that happen to me. I am learn from other people quite easily.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Fun With Dick and Jane


I had bought this cute panel quite sometime ago because I fell in love with it. I learned to read using those books. I have a young friend in Massachusetts with the most darling little girl you can imagine. There is the perfect combination.

I wanted to user the flying geese die in my accuquilt so I have to reduce the size of the panel. But all this fabric was used from stash. I buy quilt shop fabric mainly from discount places online at deep discounts. Sometimes a good sale at Joannes will result in a buying spree.

I love having lots of fabric on hand as long as it does not exceed the places I have to keep it.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Quilt For My Beautiful Daughter



I had been collecting Batik Fat Quarters for a few months. I had also bought a couple of one yard cuts from a great sale. I decided to try the Drunkards Path using the templates from Back Porch Designs. There was a class using these at quilt camp this summer.

I was surprised at how easy they were to sew even tough it had curves. I used up all the scraps in the border.

The thread in my HQ broke a couple of times so I changed to a #18 needle---problem solved. I think that will be my standard needle from now on as I did my Christmas quilt using that and not one breakage.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas Flying Geese


After trying out my wonderful Accuquilt, I decided to take all my Christmas fabric and make a giant Flying Geese quilt for our bed. I had a drawer full in a small dresser and just cut and sewed. It is really easy with this cutter.

I made up my own pattern as I went along. I still have a small amount of Christmas Fabric left but bet it is not more than 2 - 3 yards.

I love this quilt and am happy I got it finished before Christmas. I had a wide backing that was the right size. It was a little difficult quilting it until I figured out how to roll such a big piece. It needs some help in the middle section to keep it going along as it should.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

LOVE My Accuquilt Go



I hesitated for a long time whether to buy ones of these. I found a great deal and decided to purchase it. It is really a fabulous machine. I purchased the dies that make a flying geese unit. This takes a long time the old way. Here is what the units look like when they are cut.

I made a quilt from them using up all the scraps of red white and blue. The center sections are some new fabric from my friend DEE. This is also the last border. I made another one but it is a Christmas gift and I will post a photo later in the month of this.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Quilt For a Soldier


I received a lovely gift of some fabric by a friend. This pattern---Day and Night---by E. Burns takes quite a bit. I had plenty to make this lovely quilt for one of our military heroes.

Thanks Dee.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Next childs quilt


Here is another one I have done. I love these fast projects. This one has a chicken theme.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

New childrens quilts


I have not been blogging for a bit but still quilting up a storm. I will share some of the children's quilts I make for our local hospital---one each day until I run out.

This is the pattern from Quilts For Kids and I just love it. You can really see the cute prints in the large square. This one is a pirate theme.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Fun New Quilt


I met some online friends at the Lancaster Show this Spring and picked up the pattern for this very cute quilt. I am not sure what I will do with it but am thinking it will be donated to my friends Project Linus for an auction. It was fun to make and used up some of my 1930's fabric.

It is a pattern by Darlene Zimmerman and used fusible applique. My Janome 6600 does a really nice blanket stitch around it..

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Quilts From My Retreat








I was able to piece 4 tops while in North Carolina. I forgot to take a picture of 2 of them that are for the Nashville flood victims. But I thought I would show you the quilts I have been making the last month or so----all charity.

These go to our local hospital and the children that need an extra hug.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Retreat Fun in North Carolina---Lake Logan





I just returned from my 3rd annual quilt retreat with friends who met on the internet. We met on a Weight Watchers Quilters thread originally.

This is the most wonderful place to eat, sew and just enjoy eachother. One of our members is fighting breast cancer so we all have t shirts in honor of Jan. Here are some pictures from our fabulous time together.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Log Cabin Love


I have several of these center panels and have a hard time knowing how to use them. There was a pattern for a log cabin on the Quilts Of Valor website. Most of my patriotic fabric was printing all over so I needed to buy some fat quarters for this quilt.

I LOVED making this and really love how it came out. I think I have enough strips for another one already cut.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Our Country





The rally I went to was very political in nature. But the part that I thought was most wonderful was that we live in a country where people can speak their mind---protest what they think is wrong.

Our military are fighting for this right of free speech even if it against them.

And to my Senator Barbara Mikulski-who told me I did not understand the bail out money situation-----
We are coming for you. Get it right or get out of my house. You represent your voters and we told you NO.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Trip To Washington





I spent the week end in Washington DC to attend a 9/11 Memorial service and a rally. My friend from North Carolina---Hi Debbie------came up with a group on a bus. I will write about lots of different things about this week end in the coming days.

On Saturday afternoon we decided to visit the World War 11 Memorial. As we approached we noticed a large crowd of military people and older men and women. We figured out that this was a group from the Honor Flights. This is an organization that provides free trips to Washington for Veterans of World War 11 to see the memorial to them---long over due.

They send a person to accompany them on the trip as their caregiver and support. What I did NOT know is that a local military person volunteers to greet their flight and is their guide for the whole trip.

I will share some of the photos of this moving experience. There is much wrong in the world and the media is MORE than happy to tell us about that. Here is one of a million things RIGHT about our beloved country.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Fall Fun



I saw a picture of this quilt on a photo site. I just LOVED it and printed out a picture. I thought it would be easy to re create and did not need any directions. I am happy to be able to do that in my quilt making journey. All of this was made from stash fabric.

I decided it was time to try darker thread that would show up on the white parts. My Father In Law used to say "God hates a coward" all the time.

I am able to make a border in the sides now and have the thread path go from section to section with an invisible join---or almost. It just takes lots of practice to get better at this.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Another Try at This Pattern



I had ordered some of the patriotic strips from Connecting Threads. I wanted to see the quality of them. They were cut very well but the fabric was not my favorite. But if would be just fine for this design.

This is the way the center is supposed to be. I had used up all their fabric line and decided to add some pretty fabric for borders and make it easy for myself.

The quilting goes quickly since my Handiquilter and I have bonded so well. I seldom have thread breakage anymore and that used to slow me down.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Center Medallion



I have a pattern from Quilt In A Day that is for a large medallion type center. I finished that and realized I had made a mistake on it. But even a quilter would prolly not know what it was. So I combined the disappearing 9 patch blocks with this and ended up with this quilt.

I moved out more stash from the bright red white and blues. I also managed to quilt this one without one thread breakage on my Handiquilter. I do not think that has ever happened and I quilt really fast. If I slowed down some it would prolly work better.

There are 3 mistakes in this quilt but they are design type ones so it will be just fine. I made another center the right way so I will come up with a quick way to finish that top today.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

More 9 Patch Fun


I just love this pattern and went through all my 5 inch charms for sports fabric. I also had some smaller pieces of fabric for that. This quilt will be for our local emergency room for a teen.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Disappearing Nine Patch


I have seen versions of this pattern and never really liked it. I tried a couple of blocks and it was just too busy for my taste. Then I saw one where 4 of the blocks were a plain light color and one dark in the middle. It was hard to believe this was made out of just 5 inch charms.

I had a 20 pack of charms and added some of mine that would be a pretty good match. This quilt will go to the emergency room at our local hospital for a teen. We had a special request for some of these.

I have enough charms in a sports theme to make another one.

Here is the website where I found this wonderful version---

http://www.joscountryjunction.com/?p=1732

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Block of the Month





My little online quilting community did a free block of the month last year. We picked our own fabric and I would post pictures of them each month. It was lots of fun and I gave my finished one to a very dear friend of my husband. He lives in Wisconsin and DH visited them this summer.

One gal chose to do her in red white and blue. She was going to donate the blocks to me to finish for a Quilt Of Valor. After I got this done all I could think about is how perfect it would be for her Marine son. I have learned to listen to that small voice telling me where certain quilts should go. He is deployed somewhere in the sand box protecting us day and night.

So here is the beauty all done except for sewing down the binding on the back. We will be together in North Carolina next month for a retreat and I will bring it to her there.

As soon as I put a quilt on the floor to measure for backing or batting, one of both of the dogs must inspect it close up. Here is Bogie doing just that. It passed HIS inspection---------------------whew.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Summer Wallhanging


I was looking through my quilting books and found this cute little summery wallhanging. Having such a large stash, it was easy to find fabrics for it.

The starfish is from a friend from Florida when we met for our once a year retreat in North Carolina. I added the crab from some online coloring book shape.

We had a request from our local hospital for some quilts for teens in the emergency room. I will check my stash for fabric and that will be my next project for piecing.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

MORE Jellyroll Fun


I have 3 more jellyrolls in my stash and decided to use one of these on this project. This is another fun and easy quilt. It will be going to Anna Marie Horner's Nashville project via her Mom. I will meet up with her on our online retreat in North Carolina next month.

I pieced the back using 4 different fabrics from my stash. The border also came from my shelf as well as the binding. the binding fabric was a gradient type that I had a hard time figuring out how to use. It came from an online store and I did not realize that is what it was. But it is perfect for this quilt.

Stash moving on out is a good thing.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Pictures from Africa



I think I posted the picture of the quilt I made for Piecing Hope. This was a project organized by a church in New Hampshire for an orphanage in Africa.

These children have been orphaned due to the Aids epidemic. There were pictures and stories of the children. I chose the one I wanted and made her a quilt. Here are the pictures of her after she received it. We make many charity quilts and seldom hear anything about where they end up. But it sure is nice when we do.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Learn while making charity quilts



I found a bunch of blue charms (5 inch squares) that were exactly the same. I do not even remember cutting them. I had seen pictures of a pattern called Split 4 patch and decided to make one of those using white scraps. This project will go to the guild member whose son is taking them to children in the war zone.

I had enough for 2 small quilts and decided to try quilting them on one continuous piece of backing. This involved piecing a back using 3 different fabrics. It is all about using up stash.

I floated the tops (meaning not pinning them to the leaders on the HQ). I used blue thread so the pretty stitching would show for the children to see the stars.

This worked really well and something I will try again when making small items. I have fallen in love with quilting podcasts and am listen to one called Within A Quarter Inch. I am wayyyyyyyyyyy behind but started from the first. I scarely notice the time passing when I am quilting and listen to this witty and smart young lady.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Patriotic kaleidoscope



I saw a picture of a similar quilt on some online photo gallery. I immediately wanted to make this quilt. I already had a ruler from another project. I also figured out I could make these blocks using 5 inch squares. I had cut up a large number of these from left over fabric.

I loved making the individual sections and the blocks. BUT when I went to line up the block and rows--not so much. I had trimmed the blocks to 8 inches but some of the subsections did not quite line up. But I figured in such a busy quilt it would just not be noticed enough to worry about it.

Then I had the dilemma of how to quilt this. I did not want to lose the piecing so I did a wiggle stitch (meaning I cannot do a straight line so devised this instead) around lots of the sections and blocks. I backtracked all the time to avoid stop and starting which I hate.

I am not sure where this will end up. I really love my quilts going local so it may end up at our Veterans home for Hospice. Or sometimes just the right place turns up at the right time.

I doubt I will make another one but you never know. I used up all the 5 inch charms and even had to cut some more.