FMQ: Keeping it Simple

Here's a peek at what I'm working on for a Friday finish this week:

Sometimes I think some good ol' fashion stitch in the ditch quilting is all a project needs.

How about you?

I'm off to pull the basting, trim the strings and sew the binding on.

Just wanted to drop in and share what I'm up to and say howdy hi!

Tuesday Archives #60: Pillows

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: Pillows!

I've plan to recover the pillows in my studio this summer, thus am always looking for inspiration. Many of us are followers of Sarah who blogs at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Well, last year Sarah was inspired by this book written by Christina who blogs over at A Few Scraps. Sarah give a great review of this book and shared how she practiced her FMQ by making some fun pillows. If you curious, just click right  here.

 

What I remember most about Sarah's post last year was thinking: What a great idea to try a new technique by making a pillow or two or three! LOL!

Summer quilting special: FREE RETURN SHIPPING on all quilts!

Click here for more information: 

Why Do You Make Charity Quilts?

If ya get a chance, stop by Sarah's to find out why I do.  I've also been randoming sewing by H2H Happy Chemo quilt together. I will post that bright Hexi flimsy this week. (Hmmm...Go see grandson & kids or sew?) Well, admittably, a visit is always worth giving up my "Sunday Sew" day. Besides, Summer break is just six weeks away! (I think we teachers look forward to it more than the kids.) Although I do admit, I'm a life enthusiast and wish I didn't need eight hours of sleep and that days were longer so I could do everything I want to do! Teehee!

Anyhoo....It's still NOT too late to donate a quilt. Check out all the charities right here.

New Elmo Curtains!

Our little grand guy LOVES Elmo!

So of course when Grammy found a Hug Me Elmo on clearance, 

it was the perfect gift to bring for our visit over the past two days.

I spent a good part of yesterday helping my daughter decorate his room and when we couldn't find any Elmo curtains, a quick trip to JoAnne's fixed that! Yep, we made our own.

Plus, I told her when he out grows Elmo, I can remove the lining fabric and recycle the Elmo fabric into a quilt for Project Linus. (win-win)

He was sooooo excited when we showed him his room all done. He got right up on his bed, touched the curtains and wall decals, enthusiastically saying "Memo".

 (Love when they are learning to talk.) 

I can't believe he's already out of his crib but what a happy camper he is with his Sleepy Time and Hug Me Elmos to keep him company in his new car bed.  

Love you buddy! Sweet dreams!!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful for that very first quilting class I took back in the Fall of 2009. I made this Pinwheel Quilt adapted from More Quilts for Babies by Ursula Reikes.

Each of these are 12" blocks. The finished quilt 52" x 64".

I found myself revisiting the basics from this class as I start to prepare my list of summer projects I want to accomplish. Spring is such a busy time for teachers (and parents) and I feel summer at hand's grasp...but still far enough away that I'm only getting in one day of sewing right now. (I hand sew in the evenings on weekdays...kinda like many of you may knit or crochet.) As I unearthed my beginner's book that was recommended: Machine Quilting with Alex Anderson for our continued learning, I reviewed all the basics of quilting once again and studied the seven exercises, projects and full-size quilting patterns. I also found these notes in my notebook:

Some fabric "tips" worth remembering:

1. You generally want atleast four colors in your "focus" fabric.

2. Don't have any "orphan" fabric...fabrics should be used more than once.

3.Every quilt should have a "sparkle" fabric.

4. Use a neutral thread color. Perhaps white or beige for light and medium fabrics; grey for dark fabrics. (100% cotton) I pieced this one using a light grey and it was quilted using red.

I've realized as I look back, how much I've grown as a quilter in the past 5 1/2 yeas. What was once new vocabulary: Omnigrid, quilter's safety pins, sashing, borders, and applique to name a few, are staple language now. I've worn bored with my early magazine subscriptions to: Am. Patchwork&Quiting, Fons and Porter, Love of Quilting. (Thanks mom for those subscriptions!) Do you have any NEW subrscriptions to recommend??

October 2009

So even though I'm not getting in as much sewing as I want right now, I'm thankful to be a quilter and humbled to remember my beginnings. Have you looked back lately? I know many of you have had quilting passed down through generations, some of you are self taught, others have taken a beginner's class like me. Please do comment and share your beginnings as a thankful quilter.  (And if you are inspired to, or have written a past post on the subject...please feel welcome to leave your link in the comments so we can stop by.) 

Tuesday Archives #59: Patchwork Quilts

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: Patchwork

Searching through my own archives for this week's post, I think this patchwork quilt I finished in 2013 is my favorite.  I had downsized the original pattern of my Garden Party Wallhanging and had enough fabric left-over to make this full size size quilt to match. I was pretty happy to get two quilts for the price of one! They look great together in our geust room. 

While researching our theme of patchwork this week, it's interesting to see how resources have changed over time in the quilting world. Originally a "patchwork" quilt was to make full use of left-over scraps of fabric. Blocks were intially created individually, accumulated over time, by use of scrap or salvaged material. Designs were geometric and formal or imaginative. Yet, today we can purchase sets of fabric in almost any size from 2" squared to yards. As always, I like to think we are pretty "chill"  around here, so please feel welcome to share any and all of your patchwork quilts that you feel fit the theme.

H2H Rainbow Hexi's

After playing with these on the design wall , then most recently crawling around on the floor moving them around like they were a puzzle, this is what I decided for my rainbow hexi's:

I was beginning to worry this quilt may be too small, but I actually think this will be a perfect lap size quilt for a Happy Chemo recipient. Ya know, not too big to carry to appointments, but large enough to cover their legs while sitting during treatments. I'm also thinking of some FMQ fun I'm going to have once I start quilting it! (Think butterflies in a varigated rainbow thread!!) As for me, I can not resist the beautiful spring afternoon we are having so I'm off to get Jackson leashed up and headed out for a long walk. After which, I'll start sewing these rows together. Hope your weekend has been nice and you got in some sewing too!

Click the picture for information:

Just Busy Stitching...

Looking forward to some sewing tomorrow....but until then, I continue to enjoy some wool stitching. This is the last of six flowers for a tablerunner I'm making for my mom.

And of course, I have to share my spot in the sun with "you know who"...

I'll have more to share tomorrow. Until then, I hope your weekend is going great!

Tuesday Archives #58: Prairie Points

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: Prairie Points

Prairie Points are definitely on my "To-Do" list. I soooo want to add these to the border of a quilt or two! I found this detailed Prairie Point tutorial on Craftsy. It includes an illustrated 10-step method for making and nesting prairie points to create a special edge on your quilt. 

I've also had my eye on this Pinwheel Baby Quilt posted in 2009 at the Moda Bake Shop. This link will take you to a really cute, 36"x44" baby quilt pattern made with one charm pack and a bit of fabric! The pattern also includes quick instructions for adding those prairie points!

Design Wall Monday

I had a fun sew day yesterday and sometimes it's motivating to see all my current projects gathered together on the design wall:

My goal this week is to enjoy a little after work sewing playing my H2H hexagons and then some evening stitching on the above wool flowers while watching TV.

Hope your week is off to a great start too!

Click here for information:

1940's Sunbonnet Sues

My next big quilting project is going to be these Sunbonnet Sues:

Our friends came over for dinner and in her arms were these two precious quilts made by her grandmother in the early 1940's! She doesn't want them to live their life in a cedar chest and asked if I'd quilt them for her. Would I? You bet!

This one measures 77" by  97".

I'm parcial to these scrappy girls with no sashing:

This one measures 57"x 72".

As we sat admiring the hand stitching of her grandmother, my friend told me stories of the quilts' past and shared memories of her grandmother with me. I told her I'd be sure to make  special quilt labels so each quilt's heritage will be with them forever.

These will be gifts to her granddaughters, so we decided not to go with traditional muslin and add a little pop of color for the backing. Imagine my happy dance when I found this wonderful material on clearance today for $5.00 a yd. while at my Saturday Sampler meeting! 

I think just the fact that theses were made 73 years ago and that they are not going to be buried in a chest, makes me look forward to quilting them even more, So now I'm curious,..do you have any vintage quilts handed down through your family? If so, how old are they and what have you done with them?

Click here for information:

Which do you prefer?

Do you like working with smaller 6" blocks or larger 12" blocks?  

Last September I joined a Saturday Sampler with my quilty friend, giving no thought to the fact that we'd be making our blocks for a charm pack....until it came to bringing my sampler home each month and I found myself NOT happily sewing. I know, probably wierd, but the 6" blocks became increasingly frustrating for me. They don't turn out quite right. Then I'm always disappointed. I also started to not like my "busy" background. What's a girl to do?

..

Well, this girl, decided to change things up. I switched to the 12" block pattern included on our patterns&changed my background to a bright white fabric with a textured swirl design: 

I love this Bloomin' Fresh fabric by Deb Strain.

I'm having so much more fun now. Everything is easy and relaxing now. The cutting is easy. The sewing relaxing. So to answer my own question...I'm definitely a 12"block girl. 

I love my new blocks. I'm reminding myself that this IS a sampler. So along with playing with block sizes, I find myself  learning to contrast colors and patterns in the fabrtics...balancing solids, fabric patterns and contrasting colors. I already threw the other two 6" blocks away (LOL!...told ya they frustrated me!) and will probably use these "survivors" on the back. But I'm rejuvinated for my monthly Saturday Sampler. I have three more blocks to "enlarge" this week...then I'll be all caught up. I love that I'm learning and having fun on this little quilty journey we're all on. I can't wait to get the other three blocks done after work today.

Tuesday Archives #57: Photo Quilts

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: Photo Quilts

Photo quilts are a different way of displaying your favorite family photos. This quilt was created for a special mom by all of her children. Each child contributed their favorite family photos, which included vacation trips, weddings, grandchildren, and other memorable events.

A fabric ‘frame’ was created around each photo and then the squares were assembled. 

The border of the quilt was embroidered with a favorite family 

saying and the names of children and grandchildren.

Photo courtsy of http://www.confortaquilts.com/quilts_PhotoQuilts.php

Free Quilting! What!?

It's not to late to get your number in the hat to win free quilting on one of your baby or lap size quilts! As one of the many sponsors of this year's H2H Charity Quilt Challenge at Sarah's blog, I'm offered to quilt one of those size quilts with an edge to edge panotgraph, along with free return shipping, for one lucky pariticipant of this year's charity event! 

 I have an extensive line on patterns to choose from too! Please feel free to check out 

examples of my long-arm quilting by clicking right HERE.

I know many of us have already signed up to donate a quilty hug...or two...or three! But if you haven't, checkout the details of this event by clicking right HERE and hopefully you'll join us in spreading some quilty love. Speaking of getting going...time for me to get started on getting my own donation quilt finished too! See ya tomorrow for Tuesday Archives: Photo Quilts.